Wednesday, December 27, 2006

The Missing 'B' in Bschools

This column was published in Businessworld, issue dt 18 Dec 2006

The Missing 'B' in Bschools
by Rashmi Bansal

You have heard of The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari but what about the monk with an MBA? Eighteen monks from the Jade Buddha temple recently graduated from Shanghai’s Jiao Tong University’s Antai College of Economics and Management. They completed a six-month programme in ‘temple management’, which included subjects ranging from religious philosophy to managing temple finances and marketing religious products.

The results are quite evident. The temple now boasts of a ‘logo’, more shops and even a seminar series on Buddhism run by the head abbot. The seminar cost — $25,000 for a small group — is positioned as a ‘donation for enhancing one’s achievements and morality’.

The Antai programme is being seen as a success. Monks from 28 other temples in Shanghai are expected to attend in the near future. Are there questions about mixing the spiritual with the temporal? Well, yes. But the practical view prevails. “Many think that monks should just take care of the temple and have little contact with the outside world. But the reality is they must manage the temple and deal with money,” said Wang Fanghua, dean, Antai College, to Businessweek.

So, what next? Similar programmes for pundits, priests and imams? Well, maybe, but that is not the crux of this column. Whether you wish to treat a religious body as a ‘business’ is another debate altogether. What’s interesting is, here is a B-school programme which is helping folks to be more efficient in their current place of work, which is not necessarily a ‘corporate’. This is an extremely large segment, practically ignored by Indian B-schools.

Yes, of late, several B-schools have started ‘family business’ or FMB programmes. These courses take in students from family business backgrounds and expose them to modern management techniques and thinking processes. FMB programmes are structured differently from traditional MBAs, but they are two-year courses and suitable for younger members of medium to large family-owned enterprises. The heirs to the throne, so to speak.

NMIMS, Welingkar and Nirma Institute of Management’s FMB programmes fall under this category. SP Jain’s programme — the oldest one around — is slightly different. Here the students are actually expected to work alongside their studies. Classes are held for one week each month; and the rest are spent applying the acquired concepts to their business.

That is a great model, but it caters only to a fraction of a large potential market. While there are dozens of short-term certificates and diplomas for working executives, there are no such programmes for those who operate small businesses. Just like those monks, there are hundreds of owners of shops, trades and manufacturing units who could benefit, especially from fundas on marketing and accounting. Who doesn’t want to attract more customers, or benefit from better bookkeeping?

Of course, such courses need a different approach. As with the Jade Buddha temple, evidence of how the course actually helps you expand your business would be crucial. Less theory, more practice, an understanding of the problems facing small businesses, including addressing lack of confidence in the entrepreneur.

There are several reasons we won’t see such course anytime soon. We have no professors equipped to teach it. Most would consider it beneath their dignity, and none would be able to teach in any language other than English. It is not their fault, of course.

The MBA market here is modelled along global lines. The word ‘business’ in MBA is a misnomer. The programme is, perhaps, Masters in ‘Improvement of Personal Job Prospects’. The corporate giants who recruit don’t care what the student has learnt. Just that he should have the ability to learn it. And this suits B-schools perfectly. They can continue to think of the MBA programme as an art, and a science. That practical stuff? It is none of their business!

Note: Given the 700 word limit there were several points I could not dwell on in more detail. Here are some of those thought trails...

a) Our bschools and media (including business newspapers/ magazines) are obsessed with large business houses and multinationals. Whereas so much of what constitutes 'business' is happening in the informal sector, and at the level of individual entrepreneurs.

I think this segment should be covered in the media - as well as tracked/ studied by b schools.

b) Why are quality bschool education/ short term courses available only in English? That shuts out so many potential students. Unlike technical fields, like say engineering, a strong case can be made for teaching business management in regional languages. I can have a flourishing business as a Gujarati speaker who knows kaam chalau or even no English at all.

I guess this is really a problem of our education system as a whole, the obsession with teaching practically all professional courses only in English.

c) Of course, one may argue that concepts taught in an MBA are irrelevant to those with native business acumen. That in fact there is much that we b schoolers can learn from them.

I think at least one course which focuses on the traditional business communities of our country, the way in which they operate, advantages and disadvantages of traditional practices etc should be included in b school curriculum.

d) Lastly, family business MBA is a concept on which I really need to devote an entire column. One of these days, I shall...!

36 comments:

  1. 1st time here. great blog u hav got. a family business MBA column wud be definitely interesting. and yes i agree with the idea that monks hav to manage the finances of the religious organisation. like in the west the church is the most powerful organisation- be it socially, sometimes money wise and politically too. they r t be reckoned with.

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  2. Anonymous6:48 PM

    Hi Rashmi,
    While I am a big fan of your blog, I am also a well-wisher. I request you to move away from posting so many articles on MBA. It really has saturated the market and you can do well not to dwell on it anymore. It is quite clear that this blog is not meant for commercial reasons and hence you have the chance to initiate articles on a variety of topics. Why not talk about getting more students into Archaeology, or Bio-Chemistry, or any other field. By writing so many articles in MBA, you are indirectly encouraging the mindset that if you dont have an MBA, you are nothing. Let us move away from this trend. Please take this as a sincere comment from a friend. Your JAM magazine could do just as well, if you take up the initiative to show today's youngsters what other fields are available than the usual MBA, Engg, Medicine. It is precisely for these reasons that we being a country with such an immense history going back thousands of years, have not one college, university department that is world famous in the field of archaeology. Can private magazine editors like you change this? Take it as a challenge and see how the response from the country is. I will be glad to see a shift of focus from this mind-numbing trend of MBAs and engineers and move towards other fields which are much more fulfilling as a career option. Hope you can do something about this.

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  3. Anonymous8:12 PM

    Rashmi -- Good questions. Is it our inability to identify and experiment with niche markets that causes us to overlook such possibilities? Until of course, one innovator succeeds, after which everybody will jump in! Having experienced "corporate" culture for several years, I can tell you how difficult it is for most established business houses to move away from the trodden path. I can imagine that the b-schools are no different when it comes to their decision making.

    The focus, most of the time, is on the top of the population pyramid -- which makes the Indian market size appear very small compared to international benchmarks. The Indian market is indeed relatively small given our lower GDP / capita. Addressing them requires dollops of innovation and large doses of business model re-engineering. Only those with entrepreneural drive can do this, and our system is higly skewed against such drive.

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  4. Anonymous8:20 PM

    v interesting issue for sure. i for one, would like well known institutes, teach mngt. to small , under privileged entreprenuers (like self-help societies which manufacture handicrafts, foods stuffs etc).

    why do institutes only limit themselved to family owned businesses? beecause there is potential to generate revenue, i guess.

    but well known institutes like IIM's and other 'A' grade institutes really ought to do something to help more 'underprivileged' entrepreneurs.

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  5. Anonymous8:29 PM

    You make an excellent point about nonavailability of non-English MBA programs. But isn't that true of all higher education institutions/programs in India?

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  6. nice blog n gr88 views!!!!!

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  7. Anonymous5:25 AM

    Rashmi,

    Have been a follower of your blog for long ago, time I commented!

    I attribute (b) because of (a). If we start looking at the big picture, instead of narrowing our mindsets to the usual 'Corporate' scenarios and practices, we can look at reforming or educating the vertical by including them into the frame.

    Also as a current MBA student, I feel that a typical Indian MBA involves quite a lot of subjects overloading the students, eventually resulting in marginal retention levels at the end of the course. Say for eg GIM has bout 21 core subjects in the span of 3 trimesters, apart from having another set of them for the specilisation year.

    Whereas most foreign MBA's have limited core and elective subjects covering the desired need for a business acumen, as you mentioned(By no means I am trying to compare the two, just a point).

    Also I would love to read your thoughts on (d) family business MBA.

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  8. Anonymous5:05 PM

    Its my strong feeling that the degree should be renamed as Master of Management, as they dont't teach you Business but Management.

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  9. family business management programs were the beginning point... then came programs for armed service personnel... and then the recent one... from ur alma mater .... the program for public servants and policy makers... guess the administrators and educators at bschools are slowly waking up to the opportunity (led, for the moment, by IIMA). also true is that the pace at which they're waking up isnt anywhere close to what the current environment requires... but then considering that most of the better bschools are either in public domain, or due to years of 'successful practise', have gathered a bureaucratic inertia against change.
    at the other end, if you look at the 'emerging' bschools category, as against the established ones, they are too busy targetting the big chunk of wide-eyed, sky-high-salary-seeking, just-outta-college (or 2 years in IT firm) people who prefer a core MBA rather than go for the (relative) niches that you've pointed out.

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  10. what attracted me more than the main piece, in your post, was the point (b) of post script.

    and please take note, this discrimination against vernacular languages (and hindi) exists not just in our business education but practically in all higher educational institutes (IITs, AIIMS, MAMC, CMC, NITs, DU, MU, CU, ....)

    and i'm not sure how much off the mark i am when i say this... this discrimination (based on language), is, cumulatively, a bigger entry barrier to students from weaker backgrounds than descrimination based on caste, class, religion or region..... i might be wrong here.. but not by long!

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  11. a few comments on your additional thoughts:

    (a) magazines and B schools are not focussing out side bigger mncs and domains because they dont see a demand and market their. unless atleast one Bschool and media house takes a chance and enters that segment there will be little development on that front.

    (b) Courses do not exist in other languages because again the vendors(institutes or booksellers) etc. dont seem to be ready to gear up and take chance of entring the unexplored market. Once at least someone takes a chance there like if a bookseller converts lots of bestsellers into reginal languages and starts selling them in places where english is not common and makes big bucks their definitely will be a spurt in that segment.

    (c) i continue to beleive that MBA can teach management and hence only enhance certain skills but at the end of the day it can not teach u some skills.
    (i) It cannot teach you to become a risk taker for business but it can definitely teach you the rationality of evaluating risks and tradeoffs.
    (ii) It cannot teach you how to identufy the best people for your business, but it can teach you how to try retaining them.

    (d) FBMs programs exist because often easy for already business running individuals to afford such programs where as it might not be just that easy for small business man to afford these programs and so bschools dont get to smaller entrepreneurs.

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  12. Anonymous10:49 PM

    Firstly, [it was a good post, yes :-)] I'm annoyed by the fact that you were not able to include the concluding suggestions in the main story, due to (blocking the smoke oozing from my ears)..WORD LIMIT.

    I've noticed this happen with every good discussion. Even on CNN-IBN, the discussion reaches a crescendo and then they say.."we're running short of time.so.."

    But coming to the main idea of the post. Yes, the mainstream media is indeed obsessed with big business houses and success stories from the hinterland are just confined to a 'Special Feature'..

    About MBA programmes in regional languages, don't you think such business families are too obsessed with getting down to business, rather than continue with studies? I myself have come across several Gujarati families who want their Junior college sons to get done with their HSC exams so they can land into business straight away!

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  13. Why shouldn't anyone who chooses religion as a way of life not have a modern education too. Unfortunatly the ability to handle, money and negotiate business transaction, can clealy help their cause and the people who are part of it. In the UK, the Church is both rich and poor. So much support, but so little return, because of insufficient business experience.
    You tend not to choose your vicar based on his or her education, but for what they contribute to their community. But far more could be achieved if that person also has business and money management skills.
    ICS | RAC

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous2:17 PM

    Hi Rashmi,
    Earlier you had written about requirements you had for people who would write for JAM.

    Please checkout my blog at http://subu-ki-kahani.blogspot.com

    Thanks and Regards,
    Subu

    ReplyDelete
  15. Hi,I read this article in BW.I beg to differ with you on the issue of relating management of temples to that of industries.A industry is an entity with a huge number of resources.Managing them is not an easy task and therefore there are depts like production management,materials management etc.But can u extend the same to Indian temples which dont have too many resources to manage?

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  16. HAPPY NEW YEAR TO RASHMI, AND VISITORS OF YOUTHCURRY.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Real life teaches you better than any school or college. A person can learn anything he or she is really interested in.

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  18. with ref to ur para.
    "Why are quality bschool education/ short term courses available only in English?"
    here i do not want to critize english language but it has only kept knowledge unaccessible to major of indian population. we expect india to learn english first and then onlt they get to know. in recent decade we managed to set thing such that, a indian without english knowledge are considered at lower strata. a whole generation of youth have got sense of inferiority. a student in small town with post graduation in science feel no better than matric student of delhi.
    though my own experience i feel that what we need is to build confidence among youth and respect to language they speak.
    English is language of buisness that definetly has advantage in globlized world but that alone could not help.
    so knowledge need to be spread in language people are closer to. i agree with u, a course not just management but of anything in regional language will be hit if launched.
    wishes
    happy new year

    ReplyDelete
  19. In one statement you say -
    Why are quality bschool education/ short term courses available only in English?

    in another para you say:
    The word ‘business’ in MBA is a misnomer. The programme is, perhaps, Masters in ‘Improvement of Personal Job Prospects’. The corporate giants who recruit don’t care what the student has learnt. Just that he should have the ability to learn it. And this suits B-schools perfectly. They can continue to think of the MBA programme as an art, and a science. That practical stuff? It is none of their business!
    thereby implying that anyway whatever is taught in IIM's etc is crap and it is the student that matters.

    So where is this quality bschool education when one statement of yours actually says that what is taught in the top bschools does not matter. It seems inherently contradictory. If what is taught does not matter, then how do you judge the quality of the education for something which does not matter and which nobody cares about and make a statement that quality is there only in english medium?

    ReplyDelete
  20. Anonymous5:48 PM

    HI i like ur blog

    ReplyDelete
  21. Hi

    I think joseph stiglitz has a nice instance to support his next probable book.... Globalisation of Religion :)

    Jay

    ReplyDelete
  22. Anonymous12:11 AM

    Ya...FAmily businness desrves entire column..
    Nice post!

    It was an honour reading ur blog...When I read the entire post I tought..mmm I ve heard or read this name somwhere...gosh u r Rashmi bansal..oh man...JAm magazine..
    I love it!!

    Please keep it up!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Anonymous12:28 PM

    Hi Rashmi

    Indian B Schools, as rightly pointed out in your post, churn out managers mostly for corporate bigwigs. Entrepreneurs and Small Businesses which need equally good managers were considered small fish. With the advent of some incubators, there's been some welcome change. However, its a small beginning. I strongly believe that Management principles can be applied to any domain, regardless of the profitability or seemingly non-business like environment. An MBA degree is seen as a ticket to a fat paycheck and a plush job at an MNC. It's time we realise that the skills of a would-be manager can be moulded by a B-school experience. Entrepreneurs are dreamers. However, good managerial skills–acquired through years of experience or through formal education, is what sets them apart from mere day-dreamers. Management course can be a facilitator for administrators, doctors, budding writers etc. Management and money making needn't always be seen together.

    Regards,
    Shashank

    ReplyDelete
  24. WEll professional god keeping. Packaged spiritualism. What to expect next? A bowl extended from the sky by a UFO claiming to be GOd, begging for alms?

    http://www.tekno-world.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  25. Anonymous8:52 PM

    hey there....nice read man....

    but tell isnt all these bullshit....y wud any temple or monastery need efficiency???
    its not a production house right??

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  26. Anonymous8:27 PM

    agree with all but one..
    that about why english..
    most of India's small businesses have the potential to become world beating companies but because they are hesitant much because of the lack of international language, they don't push hard enough.
    English only principle will make them to some extent learn the language and enable them to stand in the international arena

    ReplyDelete
  27. Anonymous2:59 PM

    hi...read ur blog for the first time & liked it! will keep cmng bak for more!!

    ReplyDelete
  28. Anonymous9:49 PM

    Hi Rashmi...Happy New Year!...again an incredible article..monks may need a bit of management skills as well.Although management is a part of everyday life and may not be necessarily learnt in a B-School.A B-School sharpens the existing management skills which may be dormant or may not have been utilised to the fullest.By the way I enjoy reading your blog,although i m posting a comment for the first time as i was not on blogger before.Keep writing!!

    ReplyDelete
  29. Anonymous1:18 AM

    First time i found something interesting in your posts, otherwise it is just blah blah blah and over,

    Cheers Rashmi
    i shall keep your next post now, since you have come up with a home run after all this.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Anonymous10:13 PM

    Hey Rashmi,

    Many days and no new post. Eagerly waiting for new post.

    The-Ignorant
    Blogs at - http://theignorant.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  31. i think business and religion should stay different

    ReplyDelete
  32. i might be interested in freelancing opportunity . write your im id if you are interested in further communication regarding this .leave a comment on my blog for further communication

    ReplyDelete
  33. Anonymous3:26 PM

    Hey Rashmi,
    I was just going through your posts, i found this one quite interesting despite of people saying that you are saturating it with MBA related articles.

    Riya
    Indimoto.com/blog

    ReplyDelete
  34. Anonymous2:00 PM

    I'm 39 and am doing a Executive MBA course now. I feel

    (a) The young guys who are my class mates do not have the required work experience to fully appreciate the course

    (b) There is nothing in the content to explore the entrepreneurship talents of the participants. Guess there are Institutes on Entrepreneurship (EDI), but could it not be the part of a regular MBA?

    Yet to see a better and complete blogger than you, Rashmi.

    ReplyDelete
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