B-schools can't teach you common sense

A B-school education helps you grasp concepts and in analysing situations. But it does not prepare future managers for the practical part of business.

I believe that in other countries, especially in the West, management students enjoy longer and more effective interaction with industry. But essentially in India most students come in with no work experience and therefore, there is no sharing of experience with their peer groups.

I had already worked for four years when I joined the part-time MBA programme at Delhi University's Faculty of Management Studies. That held me in good stead.

I am convinced that freshers cannot relate fully to what they are taught -- they can't visualise the situations that are being explained in class.

And it doesn't help that the people teaching them have no practical experience of corporate life, either. Most of the teaching fraternity has little experience of real business.

And research projects are very different from actual work with industry. I earnestly believe that all lecturers at management institutions should be practising managers.

Note the use of present tense. It is important because there is world of difference between having worked and to be actually working.

Walk the talk

The business environment is dynamic, constantly changing. What was relevant five years ago may have no place in today's work culture.

After all, everything is changing. You don't use the same brands of soap and shampoo as you did half a decade ago, you don't wear the same styles of clothes, you probably don't even patronise the same bank.

When consumer preferences are in such a state of flux, it's only natural that the nature of business will also be ever changing. Competition, communication, IT, the quantity and quality of information available -- everything has contributed to this state of constant animation.

So it's important that the teaching fraternity is up-to-date with current trends and thinking. And that's possible only if the teachers of management are involved with the practise of management.

I recently went to a B-school where the students were still being taught about Henry Ford. He may have created the modern automobile industry, but he's also the man who said, "the customer can have any colour he wants as long as it's black."

Now, how relevant is that today? The world has changed several times over since then. There is a critical need for making the course work more contemporary.

The common sense conundrum

Business is all about common sense -- it can't be taught with textbooks.

At LG, in the marketing division we commonly speak of two concepts. One is "beautiful marketing". This is where the marketing teams sit across the table from the advertising agency and discusses the project, much like a case study.

Various designs are studied and compared, layouts are prepared and media plans are made. It's all very civilised.

But equally, if not more, critical is what we call "dirty marketing". This is when you are actually out of the office, in the middle of a village, understanding consumer behaviour and thinking up ways of marketing to the customers on the spot.

You help create showrooms that will attract customers, and interact with carpenters and designers to ensure that happens. You roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty.

You constantly think up new ways to make the buying experience a memorable one for customers. This is 360-degree marketing. Beautiful marketing is taught. Dirty marketing is experienced.

An emotional issue

But then, B-schools help to develop your IQ, but not your EQ or AQ (adversary quotient). Uncertainty is creeping into every aspect of business. Business is, more often than not, all about facing adverse situations.

And it is difficult to take decisions in a crisis. More than what you have learnt, how you react and the quality of your decisions depends on your personality.

Also, businesses are people driven. You have to lead a team, work with customers, investors, partners and channel partners. Unless you know and understand people well, you cannot encourage or exhort people to work for and with you.

Teaching management students to cope with these situations is not easy. But increased exposure to industry is likely to be a step forward. If students get a chance to study how people interact with each other in a business setting and how they react to situations and stress, it will help them develop their EQ.

AQ is more difficult to teach. After all, it's essentially a personality trait -- you're either a risk taker or you're risk-averse.

But one option may be the inclusion of outward-bound trips and adventure holidays where teams work together on a common goal. Activities like rock climbing, white water rafting help build team spirit as well as an appetite for risk.

Room for improvement

The way B-schools function today leaves a lot to be desired. B-schools tend to make you specialists. But business calls for generalists. Most business issues are inter-related and a fair understanding of all areas is critical.

Unfortunately, B-schools aren't providing that.

Another issue is the two months' summer training. That is just is not enough. Ideally, management students should undertake a month's training in every semester.

Also, what B-schools need to drill into their students is that an MBA can help you only so much. A management degree will get you a foot into a door, but after that it's all about our personality and ability.

Go global

It is also important that Indian B-schools increase their exposure to global businesses. We're no longer isolated anymore -- the entire world is interested in India.

Whether as equity ventures or subsidiaries -- or even Indian companies looking outward -- India's role in the world is only growing. And often, foreign companies have a way of functioning that is completely different.

Also, India itself is about so many different regions and different people that a clear understanding of different business models is critical.

It will help immensely if B-schools increase the number of international case studies they consider and also step up exchange programmes with foreign varsities.

Student internships with companies in other countries will also help management students gain a well-rounded education.