You are not thinking, but vomiting others’ thoughts

Food for thought

Yesterday I was listening to a talk from a young person- around 27 years old. It was a very short speech. The young man was quoting Deepak Chopra, Robin Sharma, Osho etc. Nothing bad in that. But I found he was just ‘vomiting’ the great thoughts of others. Many of us had enough food for thought from the afore said great people. Why are we feeding with the same concepts again and again?

Or is it a problem with me only? Don’t know.

Generation Y has a lot to experience with the latest technology compared to Gen X. I really do not know whether this has any influence on the reading habit of Gen Y people. But I am sure, this has resulted in putting very less or few effort in thinking.

People simply do not think at all!

They are quoting others and vomiting what others had already said or thought. Why can’t they think for some time? They are not looking at a situation from different perspectives. This also has great impact in solving the day-to-day problems because they cannot see a problem in different angles.

Think for at least 15 minutes a day. It would be better if you jot it down in a diary. Develop lateral thinking skills. It is very difficult to think properly in the initial days. But constant practice to think in a better way will help you in the long run.

P.S: I know software engineers in MNCs drawing a salary of more than Rs.20,000 just for doing a routine, clerical job. This is the world. People are getting paid for not to think at all!!

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Do you need an MBA to become an entrepreneur?

“Why do you want to do an MBA?”
“I want to be an entrepreneur.”
“Do you need an MBA to become an entrepreneur?”

Even though I answered “Yes” with out any logical thinking, this question of my Professor Anirban Ghatak kept me thinking for the entire two years in MBA. Do you need an MBA to become an entrepreneur?

Source: http://www.vctec.ac

MBA – Masters in Business Administration – is different from entrepreneurship. To be specific, MBA is a subset of entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship is more than that of MBA. The roles of a manager and an entrepreneur are not comparable. The approaches to the same problem by an MBA graduate and an entrepreneur are also different. The way they think(intuitive/ systematic), the decisions they make, idea generation methodologies, their dealing or presentation with other people, the risk taking abilities, and even their appearances and mannerisms are different.

An MBA graduate, usually, focus on one particular specialisation and even into micro specialisations. But an entrepreneur is a jack of all, and sometimes may be a master in one subject. There is no need of an MBA to start a business, but to proceed further, may be after a year, one needs some knowledge about managing the business. An entrepreneur can avoid this step by appointing a manager in the firm to take care of business. But would you prefer another person to run the business to you? Three things matter here.

Effectiveness: The entrepreneur has better information and knowledge regarding the business because he/she is the one who conceives the idea. And hence he/she can manage the business effectively and efficiently.

Trustworthiness: Since the entrepreneur knows the business inside out, it is better to take the position as a manager than appointing another person.

Money: You need to pay the manager a hefty amount if one is appointed.

An MBA is good when you need to understand more financial/marketing/HR concepts, otherwise there may be a chance that your own employees fool you and take advantage of your ignorance.

The critical factor: Idea
The critical factor that decides whether you need to do an MBA to become an entrepreneur or not is “idea”. If you have a very good ‘innovative idea’, do not waste your time in doing a two year MBA course. Start it right away. Get the help from a professional to make a business plan and present your idea before venture capitalists. They will take care of the funding part. But be cautious that the professional who is helping you to prepare the business plan should not steal your idea. (It is better to prepare a business plan by yourself or patent your idea).

But what if you do not have an innovative idea? An existing business or a successful idea copied from another country is prone to more competition. You need to know how to develop your business and here comes the importance of MBA. It depends on a number of external factors like economy, politics, technology etc. If you do not want to waste your time and have good financial backing, go ahead and hire a manager.

Decisions and risk-taking ability

An entrepreneur thinks both intuitively and logically more or less the same. But intuition plays a less role in the decision taking ability of a manager. Business schools will teach you to think in a systematic way just like solving a case study. But no one in business schools will teach you how to think intuitively. It is qualitative and is difficult to convey. One need to practice it. Keep in mind that intuition plays a major role in decision taking.

Entrepreneurs are more risk taking than managers. An entrepreneur identifies an opportunity and grabs it. He/she takes the risk and acts accordingly. But a manager is more into traditional way of thinking and hesitates to take the risk. Even if a manager do not take a risk and the business goes smoothly, he is not in a dangerous position. But if he takes risk and the business flops out of the risk, his may get a pink slip. This thought hesitates the managers to take risk. Always keep in mind that the risk should be a calculated one.

Learning: an on-going process
Whether you have an MBA or not, whether you plan to take an MBA or not, whether you are a manager or an entrepreneur, to run a busiess, it is essential that you need to learn continously. It is an on-going process.

Keep on updating your knowledge. Identify the opportunities, anaylse them – its advantages and drawbacks. If it is viable, take the risk and invest in it. Reap the benefit as soon as possible.

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Are (written) exams and marks testing the real learning?

(Assuming: Exam in this blog means written exam)

In a system, the basic components are: setting a goal, planning, strategy (selection of the best plan from the alternatives), implementation, evaluation and correction. This goes on in a cyclic matter in order to attain more and more perfection. Here evaluation is a critical component for those who consider continuous improvement in a process in the system. It is doing the gap analysis- how much is the actual deviated from the target? Hence evaluation cannot be ignored while measuring the performance of any system.

Exams! (Source: mnjovu Tanzania blog)

Exam is an evaluation for a student’s performance; his (her) learning. Marks are the tool for the evaluation. Thus these two are inevitable. But how much we should rely on exams and marks is a big question?

We can classify students into three categories.

1. those who are very keen to learn
2. those who are forced to learn
3. those who will not learn even if they are forced to learn

For the first category, the evaluation process does not matter as they are always on track in terms of learning. Interestingly, the last category are also not worried about the evaluation process as they are pre determined not to learn anything or their interest may be in some other subjects other than what they are learning.

Here, the discussion is about the second category- those who are forced to learn. In a typical class, these students constitute more than 80% and are chances to bring them to the first category or they can fall to the last category. Exams are killing the real learning of these types of students.

Exams- mug up?

The second category students do not prepare well in advance. They usually burn the mid night oil, trying to mug up everything and attempt the exams. Yes, they will pass. But what is the learning here? Some times I feel exams are for memory test and are not examining the real learning. What is the point in conducting an exam- an evaluation process- which will not satisfy its real purpose? We are conducting or taking exams because the rule says so; for the sake of conferring a degree!

Better evaluation systems…

1. Allow the students enough freedom with respect to the time period for taking exams: A degree should be conferred only after earning specific number of credits. But the Universities should drop the time period (typically 3 or 4 years for graduation and 2 years for post graduation, in India) within which one should earn the number of credits. Only when the student is thorough with a subject, (s)he should take that exam, whatever the time period (s)he is going to take.
2. Test the knowledge of a student through application oriented questions in written exams
3. A mix of written exams and viva-voce; focusing more on viva-voce.

Written exams vs. viva-voce

Written exams help a student to answer in a time frame. The student applies his/her strategy for the exams based on the time limit and the questions to be answered. It provides a structured way of answering and the strategy adopted will vary based on the question. Some times it tests the ‘writing ability/ writing capacity’ of the student, which is not the purpose. Written tests have the advantage of doing it parallel as one teacher can control a large number of students taking exams at a time and thus saves time.

Viva-voce tests how much a student is comfortable with the fundamentals and basic principles. It requires a logical thought process and clarity in thinking. Real evaluation can be carried out through viva-voce. Without beating the bush, viva-voce expects crispiness in the answer. But viva-voce consumes a lot of time as it happens on a one-to- one basis.

A combination of written exams- which tests the application of learned concepts- and viva-voce- which tests the clarity in understanding the fundamentals- may be a best method for evaluating the learning of a student.

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Good quality faculty in higher education: a myth in the future?

Think about the situation where the student gradutes from an institution with a salary higher than its director’s; that is what happening in Indian Institute of Management (IIM). The student is offered a lucrative pay package and looks forward to annual promotions and increments. Now turn your focus to the teacher who moulds those students. Are the teachers satisfied with what they are? What is going to be the future of teaching profession in graduation and post graduation levels?

Quality faculty is an asset for the nation

Importance of teachers

On an average, a student in high school or in graduation spends about 6.5 hours with the teachers. This reduces to 5 hours in post graduation level. This itself explains how much a teacher can influence the student. The future of every country depends on its young generation who are moulded by the teachers. Even though factors like Television and Internet are having a great (positive/ negative) impact on youngsters, the teachers can direct the young potential of India to the economic development and welfare. Teachers are the key for national development. The students believe their teachers much more than their parents!

Teaching profession

We (Indians) are having a very great history in teaching profession, which goes back to the old guru-shishya days of teaching methodology. Those days, the teachers were the epitome of knowledge and wisdom. They shared their knowledge to those who seek; not because of any resultant benefits, but out of passion to make the world rich in knowledge. Coming to 2008; what is happening over here? There are only a few, very few who shares their knowledge out of passion. The majority of teachers consider teaching as a ‘job’ or a ‘profession’.

We are having a great number of teachers. But how many of them are competent enough and have the real ‘thrill’ in sharing knowledge? We are lacking quality faculty, especially in graduation and post graduation levels. It is a hard fact that India is a lagging indicator of U.S in different aspects. 60% of IT jobs in U.S are outsourced to India. So atleast a part of India is also turning to U.S lifestyle. What is happening in U.S may reflect in India in the near future. Like U.S, India may face a crunch in quality faculty in higher education in the coming years, unless necessary actions are taken. There are many foreign firms who are ready to pay lucrative salary even for those who are not as competent as teachers. Then why should the teachers stick to their profession?

Challenges

According to UGC report(2007), the total number of teachers in India is 4.88 lakhs. Out of which almost one-fourth positions are vacant. There is no proper mechanism to evaluate the number of faculty available in colleges and are required in colleges. Measurement is the key towards achieving quality. But what if there are no accurate figures?

The ratio of teacher to students is increasing. This is either due to the increase in number of students for a particular course, keeping a less increase in number of teachers or due to the decrease in number of teachers keeping the student numbers as constant. Most of the business schools are having a faculty to student ratio of greater than 1:50. A teacher is handling a class of 60 sutdents in a post graduation level. How feasible is this while considering the real learning? I am wondering whether the b-schools are business schools or schools for business! In a PG class, the teacher to student should be around 1:30 for better discussion and interaction.

Another problem is lack in competency among teachers. Those who are doing quality research work are not getting much recognition. This results in decrease in number of teachers doing research work. Also the UGC’s policy of promotion is an obstacle. A person is automatically promoted to the next higher position after the completion of a fixed number of years. These factors results in less competency among teachers.

And obviously the pay package. The salary package of teachers are not attracting much talented people into the teaching profession. Most of the students opt for a management education after their graduation rather than pursue a PhD. What is the use of spending years pursuing PhD when the students can earn more after an MBA? ( Here only salary factor has been considered. But there are more factors like technological addiction, work life balance etc. play a crucial role in pursuing a PhD and a career thereafter)

Solutions

It is time to come up with innovative approaches in enhancing the quality of faculty in graduation and post graduation(PG) levels- in IITs, IIMs, other higher education institution etc. Otherwise the losers are none other than ourselves. India is going to loose in the long run.

Below points focus on some of the basic suggestions:

Most of the teachers who start their career in PG level teaching are in their middle age(for statisticians: they follow a normal distribution with 2sigma). So the importance should be given to salary and work-life balance.

1. Provide reasonable and better pay package.
2. Enhance a work culture than balances work and personal life.
3. Promotion and Increments should be given on a competency basis.
4. Due recognition and incentives for those who are doing quality research work and there by promoting research work.
5. International exposure through foreign University tie ups- atleast six months to one year teaching in a foreign University during a period of 5-7 years.
6. No compromise on quality. Compromise on anything leads to degradation of quality.
7. The most important is continuous evaluation of teachers. It should be a 360 degree evaluation. How many schools/colleges are evaluating the teaching methodology of a teacher in a class? Are they bringing any new and innovative changes in the teaching methodology according to current situations?

You can also contribute some innovative ideas. Please comment your ideas/suggestions to improve the faculty quality in higher education.

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‘Knowledge’ – India is losing, while others are gaining!

According to Ghemawat, today’s world is semi-globalised, not fully flat. This has helped us partially to bring information at our finger tips through the development of communication and technology. ‘Any doubts? Google it!’ Search Engines are more or less like a service person who is in direct contact with costumers asking ‘How can I help you, Sir?’ Anything and everything has an answer and is in front of you 24×7. But the question arising is – Will this help in improving the knowledge of an individual?

Through the advent of internet, information is overloading. Mere information does not increase knowledge. Knowledge is the application of information; that is information in action is known as knowledge. Without the proper mind set to apply the information at the right time through the right approach and at the required place, no knowledge will be developed. Thus knowledge is the integration of various perspectives of applying information in a focused, concentrated manner.

Although many are claiming that India is developing day-by-day, it is not the truth. It is only some figures, especially the financial, growth figures that shows India is climbing the growth ladder. But the real fact is India is losing. For any country, the main asset is its (hu)man power. And this makes India in a strong position these days where more than half of Indian population are youth. This will finally help India to be at par with China where the majority of population is aged with their single child policy.

Mere (hu)man power does not make a country rich or developed. Adversely, it will over burden the country. But the real asset is where the human resources are properly utilised for the development of the nation. When we dig the history of ancient India, it was the knowledge of human resource that made India in a proper position among other coutries. This is the nation of Aryabhatta, Sushrutha etc. They applied the information that they got from their Guru. Acquiring knowledge was a part of the society in those old days; but now education is a part of society which does not bring the real value of education.

The ancient Indian life style was very disciplined which prepared them to acquire new information, without using any books or sciptures. The knowledge of Guru was directly transmitted to the disciples which they memorize on the spot. The students were smart and had knowledge about everything in the universe. Indians and Romans were very good in Mathematics which is the mother of all sciences. But this has changed on course of time. Acquiring knowledge gradually reduced to acquiring information, with the advent of books. This has even diminished by the new technologies. Those who are inventing the new technologies are applying the information that they have, but others are losing. Thus the number of people possessing the knowledge decreases from the ancient days.

At the same time, other nations who realised the potential of Indians and India’s wealth, made use of them and are still utilising. But Indians are not realising this. Thus Indians become just the information gatherers and the foreign nationalities put this information into reality. There are Indians who apply the information what they have. But the percentage is very less – may be less than 10%. Not a single student is acquiring knowledge unless (s)he is applying what (s)he has learned from schools/colleges.

True learning will be complete only when the information learned is applied some where. Thus India has lost what India was in those ancient days. At the same time, others gained a little bit from no-where. Eventhough politicians are claiming growth in Indian economy, the ‘real’ growth is not taking place. It is essential at this point of time to filter out the unwanted information and select and focus on those information which is relevent to a person. Apply those focused, filtered information to be a better Knowledge Capital – a better India. Similar to ‘outsourcing’ refers to Bangalore, the word ‘knowledge’ must trigger a thought about India. India – the Knowledge Capital of the world!

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