The Perspective

SEPTEMBER, 2011

The Perspective

Inside this issue:

Culnyt

Culyug

2

3

Orientation week

@ IMT

4

Concepto-exe 6

Tomorrow to

fresh woods and

new pastures

7

What it takes to

be a winner—

Deepika Jindal

8

Ancient

Astronaut

Theory

10

IMT gives new

academic direc-

tion —Dr.

Surinder Batra

Guiding the way :

Dr.Brigid Milner

12

14

The Perspective

Culyug- A Night to Rediscover Fun

“We are all

pretty lucky to

see talented

artists in IMT-

G year after

year, this year

being no

different “

People feel it is tough to expect students from B-Schools to indulge in

events related to pure entertainment of the masses but tell that to a stu-

dent of IMT-Ghaziabad and he will quick to point that the entertainment

never stops here at IMT. ‗We work hard but party harder‘ is a well-used

tagline around here and is applied with good reason. The proof of this was

seen with good measure in Culyug the first cultural event of the brand

new academic year organized solely by the junior members of the cultural

committee. The event slated to start at 9.30 pm eventually started an hour late but the

excitement in the air was visible, people thronged the amphitheatre ex-

pecting a night of some serious fun. The event took some time to warm-

up but it was up and running soon after. First thing on the agenda was the

junior band of IMT-G and their introduction to the seniors and the juniors.

I must say we are all pretty lucky to see talented artists in IMT-G year af-

ter year, this year being no different; the song ‗Naagin‘ played with a twist

was the highlight of the performance. The opening showcase was a great

start to the night. Impromptu saw various groups from the different sections of the junior

batch compete in an event where innovation and street smart thinking was

the norm. Each group performed well but the ever eager crowd was easily

drawn into the main arena each time their group participated hogging

most of the limelight. Seeing the enthusiasm assured us that we were in

IMT-G. After this round three teams were shortlisted and were supposed

to give a performance on some pre-selected themes. The eventual triumph

of Section-B did not dampen the spirits of anybody in the crowd; all of us

knew that it was our talent that was on showcase here. Brilliant concept and excellent execution are some of the words that

come to my mind for the next event ‗Flushtration‘. Bringing people out of

their bathrooms to reveal their true abilities was a fine idea but the imple-

mentation was even better. People came from the most unexpected quar-

ters and sang from their hearts on a theme that was handed to them on

the stage itself, a proper impromptu actually. The hidden capacities in each

of us are really remarkable and all of us should try to bring this out once in

a while and events like CulYug help in doing that. Dedication songs were played in between the main events, although most

of them were for fun some songs were dedicated with intent. The audi-

ence appreciated all of them, many people also got some painful birthday

bumps out in the arena, but the overall atmosphere was still jovial. Finally no cultural event at IMT-G ends without a DJ spinning out some

party numbers. We should appreciate DJ-Daga for all the fun we experi-

enced in the arena. The entire batch needed this dose of fun badly going

into quizzes and presentations and endless case discussions we all redis-

covered the fun inside us all. Truly amazing phenomena and a night to re-

member; the cultural committee or the Culcom as they say has really

raised the bar and we expect much more from them in the forthcoming

The Perspective

Orientation week @ IMT

“To catch the

reader's

attention,

place an

interesting

sentence or

quote from the

story here.”

I had heard the phrase ―IMT never sleeps‖ and at the end of my orientation

week here at IMT I actually understand why. Life here is totally different from

what most of us would have experienced till now. And right from the Director‘s

address to the Culnyt, the experience has been awesome to say the least.

The week started with the Director’s address to the new batch. It set the ex-

pectations in terms of the DNA, blood group and the attire expected from us at

IMT in the upcoming 2 years. Throughout the week there were sessions where

the IMT alumni addressed the new batch and shared with us their unusual yet

valuable experiences. It was really special listening to these people, their experi-

ences and their achievements. A poignant pride overcame me as the thought that

they were at one time a part of this institute too, flipped into my mind and

stayed. Then the thought that such interactions were indeed lessons. They

taught us, in subtle ways, what IMT seeks to inculcate in us. The magnitude of

the responsibility was a little overwhelming for me.

The presentations by the various clubs and committees made their mark next.

It‘s really encouraging for a fresher to see that everything here is managed by

students and that really makes IMT what it is. We got an insight of every aspect

that goes to make IMT. I wanted even more to be a part of this institute and

then I realized I was already there. And it was truly amazing to see how each and

everything was handled by the Student Affairs Council. Hats off to everyone in

the council for having made this first week as smooth as it could possibly get.

A new introduction in this year‘s orientation programme was the “Art of Liv-

ing” sessions. I believe that quiet a lot of people would have been apprehensive

about the authenticity of such a program including me. But at the end of the last

session I really feel that this is one of the best things that have happened to me

in my life. Art of Living didn‘t teach us anything that we did not know already.

Yet, it actually taught us was to implement all those things. The question that

arose in my mind was, ‗Why did I have to wait for such a course to realize what

it taught, when I had it in me all along?‖ I guess I am among those people who do

need a push in their lives every once in a while.

There could not have been a better end to this week than the Cultural Night

(although by the time it ended it was almost morning). It was the time for the

junior batch to showcase their talent in front of their batch and the seniors.

There were some really good performances. Adding to the fun, we had a DJ to-

wards the end. Mad dancing followed. An onlooker would have never guessed

some of the dancers had slept very little in five days. Their fatigue vanished into

thin air as they moved their bodies to the music.

Next week is a new beginning. I don‘t think anyone from the 2011-2013 batch

will ever forget the last few days. It was like living an entirely different life over

the past week. This Orientation Week packed layers of unforgettable memories

for me, for us.

The Perspective

Ideate. Generate. Dominate - Concepto-exe

oncepto.exe- the name says it all! Build a concept; execute it. The event is organized by E

Cell at IMT-G with a view to promote entrepreneurial spirit among the students. It is as an inter-section competition where every section has to work as a composite business unit.

The teams take care of every aspect of the business starting from the inception of the idea

to the marketing, operations and logistics of the finished product or service. All the teams

have a five day window to sell their products and/or services within the premises of IMT-G.

The emphasis is on innovative ideas which can provide end-products that can aid the stu-

dents of the campus in leading a more comfortable life during their stay at IMT. The event is

also seen as a major team building exercise as it gives students of the fresh batch an oppor-

tunity to know each other better.

Some of the concepts that were presented this year included ‗Delivering‘, a doorstep deliv-

ery service for daily-use items, roses and even breakfast in the morning; ‗Alfresco‘, providing

services of homemade chocolates; ‗Dhandha Pvt. Ltd.‘, providing a gamut of services includ-ing healthy food items and ‗Begane Gabbar‘s Ltd.‘, providing midnight services for tea and

coffee delivery as well as facilities for pest control and cooler services in students‘ rooms. At the end of each business day, the teams provide the daily transaction records along with

the cash earned. After the implementation of their ideas for five days, the teams present

their ideas for evaluation before the judges elaborating on their implementation and market-

ing strategy, finances and the sustainability of their ideas in future. The team which is able to

fulfil the Concepto.exe mantra of ‗Ideate. Generate. Dominate‘ in its true sense stands out

as the winner!

Tomorrow to fresh woods and new pastures

“I could almost

imagine the shouts,

the laughter, the

busy frenzy, the

vitality and

enthusiasm that

the place would

exude when filled

with students. It is

like the place has

taken on an entity

and energy of its

own”

Standing at the end of one voyage, and at the beginning of a new journey, this

interim period is the time filled with tremendous trepidations, jubilations and

expectations. The simultaneity of emotions that pass through the heart every

moment are difficult to identify and describe together without reflecting on the

myriad experiences that accentuate these sensations. Like all enduring relationships, it has been rather a turbulent journey with re-

spect to IMT so far. The personal interview was an intense roller coaster ride. I

distinctly remember trembling in my shoes even before I went into the interview

room as the two individuals who had been in before me had come out red,

trembling, dazed, sweaty, disoriented and almost in tears. In the midst of a som-

ber and serious discussion about the merits and demerits of teamwork and lead-

ership, one panel member abruptly cut me short and asked ‗So when was the

last time you cried?‘ Imagine such a bolt out of the blue! I almost blurted out

―I‘m about ready to burst into tears now!‖ and it was all I could do to salvage the

interview from turning into a total wreck (which, however, it eventually did). I

remember waiting with bated breath for the results and the glorious elation and

triumphant gratitude of prayers being answered as the second list welcomed me

to IMT. The next phase, which is in continuum, has perhaps been my favorite so far- the

chance to interact with peers and seniors who have come forward and extended

help and encouragement. All this to ensure that the transition into the B-school

experience becomes as smooth and as seamless as is possible without actually

detracting from the essence and curious quality of IMT which leaves us wanting

for more. As they say: ‗IMT aao…khud jaan jao…‘ In the midst of all this exhilaration and anticipation, I had the opportunity to visit

the IMT campus once. As I stood in the middle of an empty room in one of the

girls‘ hostels, I could almost imagine the shouts, the laughter, the busy frenzy, the

vitality and enthusiasm that the place would exude when filled with students. It is

like the place has taken on an entity and energy of its own, inspired by those

who inhabit it, assimilating the life that throbs through its passages, lobbies,

rooms, fields and canteens and now exists as a testimony to this verve and vigor.

The Kolkata meet which I was fortunate enough to attend, was one of the defin-

ing moments prior to my entry into IMT for two specific reasons. Firstly, the

sincerity, patience and care with which the seniors explained to us every perti-

nent detail of our queries in the dreary lull of a sultry summer evening. It was

perhaps the best and first-hand experience of what it means to be professional.

The smiles never left their faces, and they never complained for having to answer

the queries, however insane, of a score of eager juniors. Secondly, looking

around and observing the faces and reactions of my peers, I felt a curious and

satisfying sense of déjà vu. It is the same look I see on myself when I think about

all that is to come and brace myself to face it. It is the look that speaks of fear

mingled with excitement, defiance coupled with joy, tremor combined with a

quiet confidence, zeal merged with ambition, playfulness blended with maturity.

It is the look that signals a new beginning..

T.S.Eliot said ‗What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is

to make a beginning. The end is where we start from.‘ So, I will end my post

here, and look forward for the beginning that awaits me at IMT.

Sanjukta Mukherjee

PGDM 2011-13

The Perspective

# What are the job

profiles offered to

you and how well

prepared do you

think you are to

take on the roles?

I got placed with P&G

– the first company I

interviewed with.

However, all the mar-

keting students at IMT

had many company

profiles that were of-

fered. They included

designations like Key

Account Manager (for

which I have been re-

cruited), Relationship

Manager, Brand Man-

ager, Associate Con-

sultant, Senior Con-

sultant, Technical

Consultant and many

more. I firmly believe I

am well equipped to

handle the profile I‘ve

been selected for – both personally and

professionally.

# What is most ex-

citing part of your

placement?

I believe that the most

exciting part of my job

would be the travelling

involved, since so far

my exposure has been

limited to only north

India. Apart from that

my job would involve

interaction with cus-

tomers. I was looking

for a profile which of-

fers me work that is

more people oriented

and less of desk job.

And this profile

matches the criterion.

# Could you help us

in understanding

your job role at

P&G?

I haven‘t joined yet.

However as stated to

us during recruitment

interview and the files

circulated when asked

to apply for P&G, I

would share my un-

derstanding.

The profiles offered to

us would be a sales

profile but it would be

more of B2B sales.

The job would involve

travelling, handling ex-

isting clients in the

area assigned and find-

ing new opportunities

for the company.

# In what way has

your academic ex-

perience at IMT

helped you, profes-

sionally and person-ally? And do you

think it helped you

bag these plum

jobs, why?

My academic experi-

ence in totality has

been very good at

IMT. I have seen my-

self growing both per-

sonally and profession-

ally. Now I understand

management jargon

What it takes to be a winner—Deepika Jindal

“My activities

helped me learn

time

management. I

have learned to

lead a team, be

an effective team

member and to

keep my personal

and professional

life separate.”

A middle child, Deepika Jindal, is a high achiever from Punjab. An electrical engineer by qualifica-

tion, she decided to go back to acquiring an additional qualification – an MBA. Her interests in-

cluded both marketing and HR.

Marketing it was. It definitely took precedence over writing code in her job. She put a lot of

thought into the next step and put her papers in. Going back to study it was. Choosing to do so at

the Institute of Management Technology (IMT) was one of the best decisions she took. Her

job working as Associate Software Engineer with Fidelity Investments ended and student life began

in earnest.IMT was an obvious choice as the institute is known for its marketing education. Several

of the top marketing brains in the country and abroad have developed here, thanks to the faculty

IMT carefully employs and the exposure offered during internships. Adding to her repertoire of

achievements, Deepika is the IMT gold medalist, 2011. Her career in marketing began with a bang

in July.

Now I understand

management jargon

which never made

much sense earlier.

I was class representa-

tive, member of RACE

(i.e. Research and Con-

sulting Enterprise at IMT

-G), and had many pro-

jects every term. My

activities helped me

learn time manage-

ment. I have learned

to lead a team, be an

effective team member

and to keep my per-

sonal and professional

life separate. The

course offered is a

completely residential

program. It was my

first hostel experience

and has definitely

added value.

Managing events like

International Conference

on Strategy and Organi-

zation gave me expo-

sure. Such large scale

events taught me the

skill of effective han-

dling and management

and gave me the confi-

dence to handle last

minute problems.

I strongly believe that

whatever I have

learned at IMT has

helped me get the job.

Given that P&G inter-

view was mainly HR,

with the personal

value add done during

my stay at IMT had

made me right fit to

P&G culture. This

eventually helped me

in my selection.

# Do you think in

today’s competitive

world, it pays to do

courses like the one

you studied and

w h y ?

Well, yes. I have per-

sonally seen almost

three times hike in my

salary. In terms of aca-

demic value add: I

came from a complete

coding background.

Today, I see myself

more apt for business

world with enhanced

understanding. If you

look at the overall ex-

perience that such a

course provides, it is

immense learning. I felt

myself growing every

day, with each experi-

ence.

# What do you

think you said or

did in your place-

ment interview that

set you apart? Any

words of advise for

those who follow?

The few points that

helped me crack the

i n t e r v i e w a r e :

••••

My firm stance on

ethics

My desire to go

ahead and explore

new destination.

My ability to handle

clients and events.

The exposure gained

at IMT through vari-

ous extra-curricular

activities.

The advice that I gen-

erally give people who

ask for it is just be

yourself during an in-

terview. If you are fit

for the job, you will be

selected. If you aren‘t,

it is good because get-

ting selected for a job

which doesn‘t suit you

will create trouble

sooner or later.

# What is the one

singular/distinctive

aspect that you

think you will be

bringing/taking to

y o u r j o b s ?

It would be hard-work with a continuous fo-

cus on goals. I strongly

believe it will never

ever be the time of

only smart work.

Given that we are all

looking for sustainable

and constant growth,

hard work can never

be replaced by smart

work

“The advice

that I generally

give people

who ask for it is

just be yourself

during an

interview.”

The Perspective

The curious case of hu-

man evolution is inspir-

ing but mysterious at

best. We have gone on

to achieve so many tech-

nological advances from

our primitive cavemen

ancestors, in less than a

blink of the eye com-

pared to the timescale it

took for the emergence

of life on earth or the

creation of the universe,

we have announced our-

selves in the universe. If

we compare this time-

scale to a 24 hour clock,

humans have been in

existence for less than a

second before the

stroke of midnight. I ask

how did we achieve this

staggering progress? and

in such a short amount

of time? Is it because

the of the curiosity that

dwells within each of us

that compels us to find

the truth of things? The

notion of challenging the

most basic of notions

and clearing the path for

a new order has many

examples in history. The

vision of King Chandra-

gupt Maurya to unite

India whereas others

would have been happy

just by parts of the

whole to the conquest

of Gravity, Spacetime

and Sir Isaac Newton by

Sir Albert Einstein are

some exemplary ideals

of ordinary people who

have challenged the con-

victions of their time and

ventured into the un-

known only to set

benchmarks for others.

The one feature which

distinguished them was

an open mind which I

ask of you all right now.

Are we alone in this uni-

verse and if yes for how

long ? In 1961 re-

searcher Frank Drake of

SETI ( Search for Extra-

terrestrial Intelligence)

came up with a mathe-

matical equation describ-

ing the odds of

‗Intelligent‘ life in the

cosmos.

The equation is probabil-

istic in nature with N

giving the number of

intelligent civilizations

with whom contact

could be possible. Its

significance can be seen

from the fact that it pro-

vides us with numbers,

numbers that describe

our chances of meeting

with an alien form of life

in our own lifetimes.

It may all be true and

contact could have been

established already.

The first picture is one

of the many gold trinkets

found in the ruins of

central America. They

have been dated to be at

least a 1000 years old.

The gold trinket shows

astonishing resemblance

to today‘s modern swept

wing fighter aircraft like

the Mig-21 or the more

modern stealth fighter

Lockheed F-117 night-

hawk. What beckons the

logic is how did these

ancient race of people

ever come to think of

such forms ? The answer

is not at all straight for-

ward.

You might argue that the

artifact looks like a bird

or some species of an-

cient fish. The fact of the

matter is no type of bird

on planet Earth has a

vertical tail fin. Even

though evolution might

have played dice some-

times the evidence

should have shown in

the fossil record. Also

consider this evolution

has a limited number of

variations to play with, it

cannot spring up any-

thing just like that. If I

throw a pair of dice and

multiply both the face

values, I can get a series

of variations from 1 to

36, but I cannot expect

to get a number like 49..

Ancient Astronaut Theory

“Albert Einstein

are some

exemplary ideals

of ordinary

people who have

challenged the

convictions of

their time and

ventured into the

unknown only to

set benchmarks

for others.”

Amit Nayak

PGDM 2011-13

So as for the fish theory,

the artifact has many

inaccuracies, and for a

gold trinklet crafted so

delicately to make such

mistakes like this is a

glaring blunder in the

artisanship. Moreover

this artifact also has a

sort of a cockpit near its

neck that seems to be

hollow and the seat of

its alleged pilot. What-

ever you might say you

cannot deny the fact that

it is odd. Another puz-

zling fact is that we be-

gan flight with a straight

winged plane (remember

the Wright brothers‘

flier or the World War

II hero the British Spit-

fire), the swept wing

design is a relatively

modern innovation.

You might say what's

our take on all of this ?

The point is that humans

don't just create art.

They observe nature,

the environment and in a

spurt of inspiration try

to recreate what they

have seen (just the figure

6). These ancient people

saw these types of an-

cient planes soar in the

sky, play out epic battles

out there and they tried

to give us a glimpse of

what they had seen. There is a theory going

around first proposed by

writer Erich von Däni-

ken in his book ‗The

Chariot Of the Gods?‘ in

the 1970s. The theory is

simple enough to grasp

on but radical and at

best controversial, it

proposes that we were

visited by not one but

many ancient races of

aliens in the past, they

helped us build civiliza-

tions and affected us

with their ancient tech-

nology being percieved

by us as being divine, as

Gods !! They came from heaven

they said, descending in

their beautiful and shiny

chariots which would

reflect much of the Sun,

surrounded by golden

and yellow flames and

the sky roared like

thunder, is the common

theme of many visita-

tions of Gods and Angels

on the described across

many of the ancient and

the relatively modern

cultures today. I would

like to leave you here

with another very inter-

esting picture taken

from the hieroglyphs in

one of the tombs in an-

cient Egypt.

“The truth is

out there, you

just have to

open your

mind.”

The Perspective

Wow! So many med-

als, so many qualifica-

tions! You must have

had many offers.

What made you

choose IMT?

I joined IMT in 2007 af-

ter a long innings with

the industry. I chose IMT

because I saw an excel-

lent opportunity for giv-

ing a new academic di-

rection to my career

here. IMT as an institute

par excellence falls into

the same league as other

institutes like FMS, Delhi

University and IIT

Delhi where I studied;

and employers like TCS,

with whom I worked.

IMT is dedicated to the

cause of grooming meri-

torious students into

high caliber business

managers. Naturally it

most suited my purpose

of sharing my life-long

learning with the new

generation through

teaching.

Can you tell us about

your research project

and how it led to the

concept of CRICKET?

Also can you elabo-

rate on CRICKET, its

vision and how it is

going to contribute

to the management

education at IMT.

CRICKET is a new initia-

tive which we have taken

up at IMT with the inspi-

ration and vision of our

esteemed Director, Dr.

B i b e k B a n e r j e e .

CRICKET stands for a

centre which promotes

rural innovation; aims at

capacity building; facili-

tates social entrepre-

neurship and adopts

knowledge management

and technology to pro-

mote its objectives. It is

an acronym for Centre

for Rural Innovation,

Capac i t y Bu i ld ing ,

Knowledge Management,

(Social) Entrepreneur-

ship & Technology.

The research project on

which I have been work-

ing has conceptual-

ized ―Knowledge Vil-

lage‖ as a unit of analysis

for benchmarking knowl-

edge-based develop-

ment. This is in contrast

to ―Knowledge Metro-

p o l i t a n R e -

gion‖ and ―Knowledge

City‖, concepts common

internationally and rele-

vant in the urban con-

text. But for a country

like India with over 800

million rural population,

it is inconceivable not to

have the focus of knowl-

edge-based development

on rural India. This

thought of Knowledge

Village was one of the

triggers that established

CRICKET as a new plat-

form for action research

at IMT.

CRICKET would be fo-

cused at vital but often

neglected segments of

the Indian societysuch as

rural innovators, micro

and small enterprises. It

will provide them pro-

fessional guidance in

managing the commer-

cial aspects of their inno-

vations through support

in market research (with

the help of PGDM stu-

dents), developing busi-

ness plans, refining busi-

ness processes and

thereby nurturing sus-

tainable business. The

lessons learnt through

such engagements with

the target group would

be then channelized into

action research based

case studies and other

research publications.

IMT gives new academic direction —Dr. Surinder Batra

“Knowledge

Village” as a unit

of analysis for

benchmarking

knowledge-based

development in

contrast

to “Knowledge

Metropolitan

Region” and “Kn

owledge City”.”

Decades of experience have shaped Dr. Surinder Batra into the personality he is

today: dynamic, youthful and forward thinking. His career has grown from

strength to strength. A highly motivated individual, he is one person who be-

lieves that learning never ends. To him, learning is a daily process. Achievements

and accolades flock on his shelves, vying for space, but he strides on, teaching

young minds, mentoring them. He plays his role in shaping new careers with

aplomb. The responsibility is immense, but his commitment to the future of India

motivates him to stride on.

What would you like

the IMT student to

do differently from

what they are cur-

rently doing?

Most of IMT students

are on the right track in

so far as their ambition

and hunger for excel-

lence is concerned.

Their personal goals are

laudable and they have

the power to achieve

their goals. One dimen-

sion to which they can

direct their energy more

is to strive for social

relevance. This is best

exemplified by the fol-

lowing line of thinking:

―Having established my-

self in my career, how

do I thank and pay back

society?‖ This thought

should be ingrained in

their mind and should

encourage them to de-

liver on this promise as

effectively as prudently

as possible.

Do you think India is

ready to take on the

rest of the world in

business? What are

India’s strengths and

what are the coun-

try’s weaknesses?

I don‘t see this as India

versus Rest of the

World business issue.

Globally, it must be a

win-win situation for all

countries, with each

country deriving from its

strengths a unique posi-

tion in the global econ-

omy, which we conven-

iently call its competitive

advantage. A case in

point is India’s IT-

BPO industry. Ac-

cording to NASS-

COM Strategic Re-

view, 2011, India is

the top global off-

shoring destination

with 55%share of

global IT Services &

BPO market in 2010.

This industry has

helped India trans-

form to a knowledge-

based economy, pro-

viding direct employ-

ment to 2.5 mil-

lion and indirect em-

ployment to 8.3 mil-

lion people.

We are a diverse coun-

try and this diversity re-

flects in our strengths

and weaknesses as well.

The enormous talent

pool and demographic

dividend of the country

are clearly our strengths.

Capability to innovate at

grass root levels, at cor-

porate levels and at

workplace is a source of

immense strength. Our

emotional attachment

and passion for causes of

national prestige is a

great strength. The

greatest weaknesses are

our tendency to allow

the gains be dissipated

through leakages and

neutralizing our achieve-

ments by working cross-

purpose with each

other.

Why does it take so

long to see some-

thing work on a vil-

lage level? Is it be-

cause the rural areas

of India are unedu-

cated or is it because

they still live in an era

gone by? What is the

solution?

There is obviously a gap

between rural and urban

areas, which is the main

reason for migration

from villages to cities.

The mindset in the vil-

lages is to move out for

better employment op-

portunities, better edu-

cation and better stan-

dards of living. The last

one is unfortunately not

necessarily true because

the quality of life in most

urban areas for lower

income groups is abys-

mal. But as the grass is

greener on the other

side, the village commu-

nities tend to overlook

the need for making

their local environment

more dynamic. The solu-

tion is to provide urban

amenities in rural areas

and thereby provide all

forms of connectivity to

the rural population.

What is your mes-

sage to the students

at IMT?

My message to IMT stu-

dents is that you are bat-

ting against adversities

and challenges. Each day

is like a bowl you are

facing from the opposite

team. Don‘t lose your

wicket; allow no ―dot

bowl‖; and score fours

and sixes at every op-

portunity. This is a game

you have to win

“Enormous

talent pool and

demographic

dividend of the

country are

clearly our

strengths.”

The Perspective

Q. Could you describe

your experiences with

the students of IMT?

What according to

you are the strengths

they must capitalise

on, and what weak-nesses do they need

to work on?

A. The first-year stu-

dents that I have been

working with are ex-

tremely smart as is to

be expected given that

IMT is a top-ten B-

school and only at-

tracts the best and

bright applicants Given

that most of the stu-

dents commence with

the programme with 1

-3 years of experience,

in technical roles and

this provides a useful

reference point from

which to explore and

discuss key business

issues.

In terms of their

strengths, the students

have certainly dis-

played the drive that is

essential to career

progression post-

graduation. It is also

clear that they are committed to contrib-

uting to the IMT life in

a wider sense, evi-

denced in their mem-

bership of various

committees which

demonstrates that

post-graduate educa-

tion is not limited

solely to the purely

academic experience.

Q. From an HR per-

spective, are the stu-

dents of IMT ready to

face the challenges of

the times? Why? Is

there anything that will

help them be better

prepared to face the

trials and tribulations

of a constantly chang-

ing/evolving economic

scenario?

A. I believe the

PGDM/MBA pro-

gramme certainly cap-

tures the central gen-

eral and specialist ar-

eas of business and

management, and frames them in both a

domestic and global

context which is cru-

cial in the rapidly

changing world.

I am a strong believer

that a business educa-

tion should also seek

to develop the key

management compe-

tencies (e.g. social and

networking skills; self-

awareness; empathy,

etc.) that allows for

academic knowledge

to be used effectively

in the organisation

both in a domestic

and/or an international

context. I believe that

most business schools

struggle with this chal-

lenge. However, the

Guiding the way : Dr.Brigid Milner

“I am a strong

believer that a

business

education should

also seek to

develop the key

management

competencies

Human Resources Management has undergone enormous changes in the recent

past, nationally and internationally. Pink slips, pay cuts, frozen recruitments..these

were just some of the downsides of the recession that the world and people

faced stoically. Employees were left with little choice but to perform their tasks

and while stress was high, motivation was often low. Though things are getting better slowly, it will still take a long time for things to

go back to where they were. The MBA graduate of today needs to be prepared

for all of this and more. It was with this goal that IMT Ghaziabad invited Dr. Brigid Milner of the WIT

School of Business-Ireland, a luminary in HRM and a Visiting Professor at IMT to

offer her perspective and share her experience and knowledge with the students

of IMT ―While I hope that I have enhanced their knowledge of international HRM, I have

also had the pleasure of learning from them by virtue of their sharing some of

their experiences and views of the subject area,‖ said Dr. Brigid Milner.

IMT programme has

‗the edge‘ in terms of

the provision of the

Myers Briggs Type In-

dicator (MBTI) profile

for all first-years which

enables them to gain

some insight into their

preferences and also

the dynamics of their

interactions with oth-

ers.

Q. How have HR

trends changed and

how can a student of

IMT adapt to them?

How does the HR

manager of tomorrow

keep up with the times

and the ever-evolving

HR needs?

A. HR is now about

being a ‗business part-

ner‘ — as profession-

als and as a function

— who can really

make a difference and

in turn, impact posi-

tively on profitability,

for the organisation,

be it the private or

public sector. The pro-

vision of a common

first year which in-

cludes the key busi-

ness subjects coupled

with a range of indus-try-relevant second

year specialist HR

modules ensures that

IMT HR graduates are

well-prepared to as-

sume this ‗business

partner‘ role.

To keep up with the

times, HR profession-

als need to be com-

mitted to their con-

tinuing professional

development which is

achieved through fur-

ther training, self

study, networking and

also attending HR pro-

fessional conferences.

Membership of a HR

professional associa-

tion is also particularly

useful.

Q. While this is cer-

tainly an extensive

topic, in a nutshell,

how different is it to

work for a multina-

tional as opposed to a

local business?

A. I believe the key

difference is one‘s per-

spective — is it do-

mestic and hence all

factors in the business,

including people, are

local; or is it interna-

tional/global — where

the drivers and influ-

ences on the organisa-

tion are often outside

and external to the

subsidiary. As a result,

in a MNC, one‘s

‗view‘ needs to be

much broader and one

must be able to handle and respond to the

complexities that go

with this.

Q. What do you think

is unique to the Indian

student of today?

A. Their drive is par-

ticularly evident as is

their willingness to

contribute, individually

and collectively, and

outside of their aca-

demic programme, to

the life of IMT. Their

awareness of global

business issues is ap-

parent but what sets

them apart is that they

are still rooted in In-

dian traditions while

they have a modern

and global outlook

Q. What are the last-

ing impressions of IMT

and its students that

you carry back with

you?

A. There is a vibrancy

within IMT, generated

by both the faculty and

the students, and it has

been a pleasure to

contribute to the aca-

demic programme

during my time here as

a Visiting Professor. I

have really enjoyed my

interactions with the

first-year students and

while I hope that I

have enhanced their

knowledge of interna-

tional HRM, I have also

had the pleasure of

learning from them by

virtue of their sharing some of their experi-

ences and views of the

subject area.

I will always remember

the very warm wel-

come I received from

the staff in IMT —

both academic and ad-

ministrative.

“HR is now

about being a

„business

partner‟ .”

IMT, GHAZIABAD

Lead the future

www.imt.edu

The Perspective

Documents

Transcript of The Perspective