Challenges in Institution Building : Turnaround Story of TAPMI [1 ed.] 9789354790423

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CHALLENGES in INSTITUTION BUILDING Turnaround Story of TAPMI

D. NAGABRAHMAM

SAGE was founded in 1965 by Sara Miller McCune to support the dissemination of usable knowledge by publishing innovative and high-quality research and teaching content. Today, we publish over 900 journals, including those of more than 400 learned societies, more than 800 new books per year, and a growing range of library products including archives, data, case studies, reports, and video. SAGE remains majority-owned by our founder, and after Sara’s lifetime will become owned by a charitable trust that secures our continued independence. Los Angeles | London | New Delhi | Singapore | Washington DC | Melbourne

CHALLENGES in INSTITUTION BUILDING

CHALLENGES in INSTITUTION BUILDING Turnaround Story of TAPMI

D. NAGABRAHMAM

Copyright © D. Nagabrahmam, 2021 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. First published in 2021 by

SAGE Publications India Pvt Ltd B1/I-1 Mohan Cooperative Industrial Area Mathura Road, New Delhi 110 044, India www.sagepub.in Typeset in 10.5/13 pt Berkeley by Zaza Eunice, Hosur, Tamil Nadu, India. Library of Congress Control Number: 2021946475

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4135/9789354790416 ISBN: 978-93-5479-031-7 (PB)

To my wife, Ramarajyam, for her devotion and patience.

CONTENTS List of Abbreviationsix Prefacexi Acknowledgmentsxv Prologuexvii

Section 1 Chapter 1 Glimpses of My Professional Journey

3

Chapter 2 All That Beginning: Well Begun Is Half Done

35

Chapter 3 Improvements and Changes: Quality Upfront

60

Section 2 Chapter 4 Governance: Integrated Picture

79

Chapter 5 Curriculum Development: Innovation and Vision

111

Chapter 6 Faculty Development: The Prime Constituent

145

Section 3 Chapter 7 Search, Exploration, and Integration

171

Chapter 8 The Logic of Growth Is Consolidation

201

Section 4 Chapter 9 Dream Come True…223 Chapter 10 Concept and Practice of MBA Education

247

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Postscript259 About the Author267 Index268

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AACSB Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business AGE Academy of General Education AHRD Academy of Human Resource Development AICTE All India Council for Technical Education AIMS Association of Indian Management Schools AIU Association of Indian Universities AMDISA Association of Management Development Institutions of South Asia ASCI Administrative Staff College of India BIM Bharathidasan Institute of Management BOS Board of studies CEE Center for Executive Education CPMS Comprehensive performance management system DC Deputy commissioner DPRs Detailed project reports ECCH European Case Clearing House ECI Essae Chandran Institute FDP Faculty development program GC Governing council IDBI Industrial Development Bank of India IIMA Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad IIMB Indian Institute of Management Bangalore IR Industrial relations IRMA Institute of Rural Management Anand ISB Indian School of Business

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MAHE Manipal Academy of Higher Education MDI Management Development Institute MIP Management in Practice MIT Manipal Institute of Technology NAAC National Assessment and Accreditation Council NBA National Board of Accreditation NDDB National Dairy Development Board NGOs Non-government organizations PGDM Postgraduate diploma in management PGP Postgraduate program PGPM Postgraduate program in management SBI State Bank of India TAPMI T. A. Pai Management Institute TCCL TAPMI Center for Collaborative Learning UG Undergraduate UGC University Grants Commission

PREFACE As Ravi Mathai once said, “Institution building is an act of faith.” The book Challenges in Institution Building: Turnaround Story of TAPMI is an expression of such faith—it is a descriptive account of experiences and efforts. While the idea to document such expression was always with the author, it took shape only some years back. The motivation to write came from my own experience as well as my friends and well-wishers. It was felt that the experience is rather unusual and unconventional, which would be of value and relevance to many aspiring institutes of management, B-schools, those who are at the helm of such higher institutes, and the faculty members as a whole. The experience highlights challenges faced in the process of building the institute. Many of my friends who had known the institute directly and indirectly felt that such experience of long years of building an institution shall not be lost (for want of writing and its publication). They also felt that the person who was at the helm of affairs as the director during the period (1992–2008) should write the book and probably take help from others who could add value to it. As such, I did receive suggestions and ideas from such friends, former colleagues, and alumni. Nevertheless, I found that writing a book about one’s own experiences and putting them together in a manner that gives a fairly good account of what was done, achieved, and accomplished is not so easy. Many dilemmas and doubts continued in the mind while writing the book.

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The book presents a chronology of interventions, practices, and experiences. It provides an account of events that shaped many activities. The book also contributes in a simple way by explaining how a large purpose generates its logical processes and resources—human and otherwise. Hence, the approach followed is natural, logical, and contextually relevant, aiming at a big picture of the institute. The book is divided into 10 chapters with a Prologue and Postscript including an Epilogue. Chapter 1 narrates author’s professional journey, how he took charge of the institute, and how simple interventions brought some order and stability in the institute. Chapter 2 describes such efforts in detail, including streamlining the function of governing bodies, faculty orientation towards quality, and holistic thinking about the program. Chapter 3 focuses on how quality in every aspect of the institute was initiated and implemented. In other words, it was the beginning of creating an environment for quality in the institute. Chapter 4 is largely on the practice of governance vis-à-vis constitutional bodies such as the trust and governing council (GC), executive initiatives, and faculty involvement. Chapter 5 provides an elaborate description of curriculum development in all its phases and implementation. Chapter 6 is an account of how the evolution of faculty development took place and its significance in building the institute. It provides details of internal processes, activities, and formal as well as informal systems. It also includes policies and their implementation. Chapter 7 describes search processes, exploration, and networking as well as collaboration. Chapter 8 presents a view of synergy of consolidation, review, and learning. Chapter 9 is a description of the subtext of the book, that is, the commitment (of the director) for building a large residential campus in spite of several hurdles and problems. Chapter 10 presents the concept and description of the composite nature of MBA education. The story is simply about how an unknown entity became a leading institute of national stature. It is true that one cannot recall every detail from the many happenings that took place over the 16 long years. Nevertheless, I have tried

Preface   xiii  

to tell the story as much as my memory served while using all materials available to me. In doing so, I have tried to be as objective as possible. Importantly, I narrate the story largely to provide some useful inputs of experiences, brief analyses, summarization, and takeaways to management institutes and business schools. A few appendices are also included. The main consideration in presenting it in such detail is the potential utility of the story for readers, particularly those in the management education fraternity and perhaps other institutes as well. The book covers a wide spectrum of processes, policies, institutional framework, governance, thrust of academics, faculty members, students, experiential education and practice, experiments, and innovations. I believe that all of the aforementioned components worked in tandem and happened successively because of a broad viewpoint and a clarity of purpose. In retrospect, it seems that the purpose was to build an institute of repute, given the context and resources available. The philosophy (raison d’être) behind accomplishing this, the principles followed, and the practices evolved could also be of interest to many educational practitioners. Put differently, although the entire experience might look exceptional, I believe that most of it could be seen as a process of continuous learning for my colleagues and me in shaping the institute. There are, of course, some mistakes, blind spots, and other limitations that arose with the constraints, difficulties, and uncertainties that were encountered on the way. However, the redeeming feature was the all-round support, help, and encouragement given to us by our friends and well-wishers, as well as that of the members of the GC. Thus, the institute was built up and added its name to the family of good institutions.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS While the book is my own contribution, it directly and indirectly got its due value because of my friends, well-wishers, trustees, GC members, colleagues, alumni and staff, and their respective help and support. Avinash Paranjape, a friend and colleague for many years, and a well-wisher, for his enabling thoughts, encouragement, and advice. Dr K. R. S. Murthy, Dr M. R. Rao, Dr M. S. Valithan, GC members, Dr B. M. Hegde, Professor Haridasa Bhat (late), and trustees for their kind advice, encouragement, guidance, and support. Dr Pradip Khandwalla for his kind words about the institute. Gururaj Kidiyoor, a colleague at TAPMI, for providing timely support of useful materials and documents of the institute. My other colleagues—Ganesh Kumar, Sivakumar, Pitabas Mohanty, Saji Mathew, Vijaya, Ramesh N., Madhu Chhandadas, Satyajith Majumdar, and Srinath—for their respective contributions to the book. The staff at TAPMI was a highly devoted lot. They took pride in the institute and supported my efforts, particularly Parimala Hegde, executive secretary, throughout those 16 years. The director, IIMV, Professor M. Chandrasekhar provided timely support in getting the drafts of the MS revised. Mr K. V. L. N. Murthy, OSD, provided the necessary help.

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The final copy of the manuscript was brought out by SAGE Miles after thorough editing. This book would not have been possible without all the support and help of Mr Rajesh Dey of Managing Editor— Commissioning, SAGE Publications, I must mention that he facilitated the entire process for getting the book ready for publication. I express my sincere gratitude and grateful thanks to all of them. Nevertheless, only I am responsible for any lapses in the book.

PROLOGUE Challenges in Institution Building: The Turnaround Story of TAPMI is largely a reflection of experiences as well as a brief memoir of the author about the most challenging and productive job of his life as the director of the T. A. Pai Management Institute (TAPMI). It seeks to record a period full of action and significant changes in pursuance of the long-term development of the institute. In the process, it became not only one of the top-class institutes in the country but also a model of finer values, distinct culture, and institution building. How it happened and what went into this long journey is the sum and substance of this story. The story gains much of its significance and value particularly in the context of serious constraints and very limited resources—human, financial, and physical. We dealt with all of those adversities and managed to create substantial and long-lasting resources for the institute. To say the least, four major characteristics define and elaborate this story. These are as follows:  Raison d’être, that is, what an institute exists for, what it ought to be, how it will look, and how its conduct and performance are articulated  Development of the significant stakeholders, that is, faculty, students, and staff  Autonomy and its legitimization, institutional practices, their articulation, information, and transparency  Vision and long-term goals

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In no small measure, these were largely shepherded by the deep faith, conviction, and commitment of the author, as much as by his strengths and weaknesses. However, it was only through the articulation of such values and beliefs, the communication of which to his colleagues, and their active support and involvement, that the journey could be made. It was no less important convincing the elders (trustees and members of the governing council [GC]) and seeking their approval whenever required, despite all hardships. The larger fraternity and community (including the industry) aided our efforts with their consistent support, help, and recognition. Equally important were the relentless efforts of different people, all the hard work they put in, the twists and turns they faced, and a new ethos of work and culture they created. All of this was instrumental in making the institute what it is. A REFLECTION We acted naturally and independently and exhibited a greater degree of autonomous behavior. Every aspect of our institutional life, its culture, and its ways and means of conduct reflected such behavior. The freedom enjoyed by the faculty, their participation and involvement in the institutional affairs are legion. The support they rendered was beyond their call of duty. The staff exhibited enthusiasm and actively participated in the institute’s work processes and welfare. They felt good working in the institute and used to think that it was a different experience from other institutes. Students realized the value of their study in the institute in spite of lack of proper facilities and constraints of space and other comforts. They valued more, however, the academic rigor, quality, discipline, and people—both faculty members and the staff. They also valued their participation in several cocurricular and extracurricular activities along with the curricular ones. Their collaboration with the formal system comprising the faculty members and with other less formal or even informal systems was one of the changes brought in which was not only innovative but also had an educative and learning value.

Prologue   xix  

It was almost like a large family where members supported each other. They also differed from one another but, at the same time, accommodated each other and shared both pains and pleasures. The overall ambience was somewhat unusual and exceptional, compared to other educational institutions. Not only were the academic rigor and the learning systems kept intact, but these were also continuously improved upon. Sincerity, honesty, and transparency added to the overall behavior and acceptance of the institute as a whole. Besides, the larger community appreciated the culture in the institute and respected it. Most of them saw that it had become a model of sorts for others. However, it also created some envy and jealousy among a few others (elders), who could not appreciate the kind of freedom, independence, and autonomy that became characteristic of the institute. Although many understood that the institute’s autonomy was the major reason for its growth and reputation, they were also aware of the fact that the resources generated over a period for the functioning of the institute almost from nothing were exceptional, which included a large campus of its own. BUILDING THE INSTITUTE ALMOST FROM SCRATCH

Section 1: Chapters 1–3 Section 1 presents the initial efforts, including the development of an identity of the institute; the intent of establishing a national-level institute; and a description of the proposed improvements to the existing systems, raising the levels of morale and motivation, ensuring stability, systematic planning for future, and an environment for quality education. Thus, this section delineates the background and beginnings of building the institute. ROLE OF GOVERNANCE AND CAPACITY BUILDING

Section 2: Chapters 4–6 Section 2 presents the formulation of principles and practices of autonomy and following those by means of sound governance systems.

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An essential building block of institution building is to facilitate ­several capacity-building institutional processes and mechanisms and to reinforce values of autonomy and freedom. Essentially, it was the importance of curriculum development and faculty development and raising them as two pillars of the institute, which was planned and implemented. SUBSTRUCTURE AND GENERICS

Section 3: Chapters 7–8 Section 3 provides the substructure of the institute by setting forth its generics. The processes of search, exploration, networking, alliances, collaboration as much as consolidation, review, and learning are such generics essential for building an institute of repute. EMERGENCE OF THE INSTITUTE

Section 4: Chapters 9–10 Section 4 depicts the actual emergence of the institute and in full measure including the summary of how it came into shape and the outcomes. A major outcome was the composite nature of MBA education—­its concept and practice borne by the institutional processes.

1

Glimpses of My Professional Journey

1

BACKGROUND A letter addressed to me was received at my home in Anand (Gujarat). I could not attend to it immediately as I was out of station at the time. When I returned, I learned that it was an offer letter for the position of the director at TAPMI in the town of Manipal, Karnataka. It came as a surprise to me as I had never applied for this post. However, I felt good about the offer. Although my immediate reaction was to accept it, I still felt the need to consult some of my well-wishers before taking a decision. Most of them felt that it would be a good opportunity and the right option for me at that stage of my academic career. Some of them told me that by accepting it, I could contribute to the institute given my long years of academic experience and my qualifications and wished me success. Soon after, I wrote back to the institute indicating my acceptance of the offer. They suggested a meeting with the chairman of the trust and the GC of the institute, who was formerly the chairman of the Syndicate Bank and was related to the Paes of Manipal. I met him at his home in Manipal. The meeting was pleasant and encouraging as he said that they were looking for a relatively young person to shoulder the responsibilities. Mr K. K. Pai (now deceased) also suggested that I should join the institute at the earliest, to which I consented. He asked me whether I had any expectations and I told him I had none. I reached Manipal on March 30, 1992, on a sunny and warm afternoon, along with my wife and younger daughter. The institute had allotted me a house and we were accompanied there by one of the office staff. We occupied the house without any household items, including our kitchenware, as they were still in transit. The empty

 4   Challenges in Institution Building

house did not impress us much, especially my daughter. We were used to a much better house, with an outhouse, a maid, a fairly large kitchen garden in the backyard, and a decent green lawn in the front. Suddenly, we found ourselves in a house that was lacking most of it. However, we settled down though we had to wait for our belongings, which reached us after three weeks. In the meanwhile, we managed with the utensils and other household things provided by the institute. My predecessor was a senior person who had a long experience in various institutes of repute. He handed over the office of the director to me on the first day of April 1992. He gave me the cashbook that showed a balance of `10 lakh. He also offered me a South Indian snack and filtered coffee as a token of his hospitality. After I took the charge, he wished me all the best and offered to help me if required. He also personally took me to meet the chairman of the GC at his residence. I felt good about the induction and about his staying back as a professor emeritus in the institute. After I took over the charge, I made it a point to meet him in the morning hours almost every day for his advice, and to get useful information and some tips. In the office, I would spend my time going through some of the important files and trying to find out all I could about the organizational setup of the institute. It was a small group of 6 faculty members and 25 staff. I met the staff members collectively. They were all simple folk and most of them were women. They belonged to the nearby villages. The faculty members were friendly, I saw them individually and they shared their ideas and suggestions with me. When I joined the institute, it was almost the end of the academic year. Students were busy with organizing parties, farewell functions, prize distributions, etc. They invited me to all these functions. Thus, I had many occasions to meet the students and share pleasantries with them as well as some of my plans. In one such event, I remember, a sincere student asked me what was next for the institute and how would I make it happen. I said without much thought that the institute will be counted and recognized among the best in the country and get its due in the years to come. For about a month, till the end of April or so, except for attending functions, meeting faculty members, the staff, and students, I did not attempt to do anything serious on the program, though I kept

Glimpses of My Professional Journey    5  

thinking about what could be done in the near future. There was one young sincere and honest faculty member who took the responsibility of the program. He conducted all the exams and classes as scheduled braving all the difficulties and limitations. He was also an alumnus of the institute. I did not interfere much with the day-to-day conduct of the program at that time. Aside from all this, a month of reflective writing on the institute came handy and useful to me. During this time, I spent all my time writing and correcting drafts made by my young secretary. After a few drafts, I felt that I had done a good job and showed the final one to my predecessor. He saw the draft and told me that it was very good and reflected a fair understanding of the institute. In his own words, “You have done a very good job of writing about TAPMI—its past, present, and future—on the basis of whatever information you gathered in such a short time. There are one or two factual errors which you may take note of while revising the draft.” He also gave me a few tips and provided some facts about the institute. In his own way, he complimented me and in a lighter vein made a passing remark that the administrative assistant and the secretary to my predecessor must have passed on most of the information I had. I was obviously very happy to hear such encouraging words about my effort. During the beginning of May, I went to Kathmandu, Nepal, to attend the annual conference of the Association of Management Development Institutions of South Asia (AMDISA). I presented the case study of the institute, which was included in the proceedings of the conference released later. The administrative assistant, who was the secretary earlier to my predecessor, had joined the institute, almost along with him. He had given me some useful information, files, and other inputs. I found him to be very helpful. Before I left for Kathmandu, I asked him to clear the clutter, that is, the outdated papers and files in the office, and to get my chair painted. TAKING CHARGE I remember one particular instance when the administrative assistant took me to the boys’ hostel near the institute. The place looked very

 6   Challenges in Institution Building

shabby. Hardly a reasonable accommodation for students. He may have wanted me to see the conditions under which the institute was working. Almost casually, I told him that we would make a decent campus out of it in the near future. Frankly speaking, the entire institute looked rather poor (particularly to me, as I came from a markedly better institute with the best of the facilities and infrastructure). Even my chamber was a poor show, though I was not very upset or unduly concerned about it. However, I kept all this in my mind and decided to improve everything in the institute. I thought I must bide my time for getting things done. My behaving informally may have enabled the staff to interact with me without reservations and offer suggestions whenever they wished to as they felt comfortable about meeting me. This gradually brought about changes in the relationship, both amongst themselves and with me, which thus created an interface of participation, sharing, willing support, and a sense of involved working. Of course, there were small problems here and there, but most of them could be resolved with simple means and methods. I found myself comfortable in the environment of a small town, though the physical conditions in the institute were far from satisfactory. The people were simple and nice and in combination with the environment they added to my energy and made me work with much more enthusiasm. These people were probably waiting for someone to take charge of the institute and make quick improvements, which was another matter. The Elders (trustees of the institute) were gentle but rather indifferent. FIRST INTERVENTION Soon after I joined, I found to my surprise that the staff was still using typewriters. There was one unused electronic typewriter in the director’s office as the secretary to the director was comfortable using a mechanical typewriter. There were no computers for the faculty members either. They were asking the staff for their typing requirements and for correspondence. None of the staff was aware of wordprocessing software or any other computer applications for office work.

Glimpses of My Professional Journey    7  

It was quite odd to see the institute still using typewriters when most business schools had started using computers. I also felt that it was time the staff was familiar with computers. I then decided to get them the necessary orientation and training. I found that there were 10 computers for students’ use and practice in the lab. A faculty member was in charge of the lab and happened to teach some related courses. I asked him whether he could organize a computer orientation program for the staff for about five to seven days. He readily agreed and said he will prepare the program. It was the right time as students were leaving for their summer internships. There was also not much to do in the computer center as most of the faculty members were about to go on their vacations. The faculty member prepared the program and launched it somewhat formally, inviting other faculty members, including myself, for the inauguration. Soon after, I left for Kathmandu to participate in the conference I talked about before. When I returned from Kathmandu after a week or so, I came to know that the training had gone well. The staff was happy about the initiative, the first of its kind. More importantly, it had lifted their morale incredibly. I also found they took the training seriously and were keen to bring it to use. I felt good to have had this organized with the available resources and to have the staff become proficient in the basic usage of computers. It was just the beginning; soon all staff members were to have their own computers. SMALL MATTERS Let me move to some lesser academic activities but undoubtedly important ones. I saw a padlock on the phone in my office. I asked the assistant to remove it. There were a few buzzers for calling the staff and faculty members to the office. I told him that these too were to be removed. One office assistant sat outside my office to serve beverages to me or to my guests and do other similar chores. However, I found that he had very little work to do through the day. I sent him to the library to help there instead so that he would have better work to do.

 8   Challenges in Institution Building

In another instance, I found that a number of account books were maintained by one of the staff members that recorded the expenses for coffee and tea served to the staff and faculty members and coupons were issued for the same. I felt it was needless to have such an elaborate system for something that involved a small expenditure and I decided to discontinue the practice. All members would be provided with coffee and tea and the expenditure would be borne by the institute. RESIDENTIAL FACILITY One of the important features of a good institution is to have a good residential facility for its students. Unfortunately, the institute was not in a position to provide such a facility; only an old ramshackle two-floor building was available, which was in a pathetic condition. It was the same place that I was taken to on my first day by the assistant. It was a spectacle of apathy, negligence, and lack of interest. Even minimum comforts such as ceiling fans, proper beds, and reading tables were missing. The common bathrooms were really in a piteous condition. There was also no dining space or any mess arrangement. All this and more had also caused serious levels of discontent and indiscipline among the students and there was no sense of respect and order in them. However, the girl students had a large house for their hostel. It was in a better shape, even though it also was an old structure. The postgraduate program (PGP) coordinator took me to the hostel and the students spent some time informing us about the facilities and conditions in the hostel. I decided quickly that no time would be lost and no efforts spared to improve this. We had the bathrooms fitted with all necessary equipment and flooring. A better dining space and a mess were set up as well. Thus, there was some semblance of order and discipline on this count. The students responded fairly well, though there were some murmurs on the discipline side. The students were told not to leave the hostel after 11 pm and were not allowed in after 11 pm. Any time they needed to go out, they had

Glimpses of My Professional Journey    9  

to take prior permission of the warden and the program coordinator. Later on, we added some other facilities including a snack bar within the premises of the hostel. We made it mandatory for every student who joined the institute to stay in the hostel. Not only the residence, eating in the mess was mandatory as well. Those who complained about the food being vegetarian only and wanted to take the option of eating out while staying in the hostel were told clearly that they could not do so. We issued strict instructions and explained to them that if there were no regular members eating in the mess, no contractor would run a mess for them and arrange for food. However, the students could eat food of their choice outside on Saturdays as the mess would remain closed that day. REQUEST FOR FUNDS After my return from Nepal, I had all the time I needed to think things through, making small notes, and planning some work or other. During this time, I seriously felt that the institute needed some additional funding to even attempt making small improvements. Without looking at any implications, I felt I should seek some financial support from organizations such as Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI), University Grants Commission (UGC), and Vysya Bank and others, based on my familiarity with the people who could make a difference. I made a sincere attempt to approach each of the chief executives of these organizations by writing to them. All of them responded. In fact, the chief executive of IDBI called me for a meeting. As he knew one of the trustees of the institute very well and his son was a student at the institute at that time, he tried his best to help the institute and called some of his executives and asked them to find some way to help us. However, nothing much happened for obvious reasons. One reason was how a private academic institution could possibly get funding support from IDBI, a public financial institution! I also met the chairman of UGC whom I had known from earlier times. He was sympathetic to my request and tried to help me. However, after some correspondence with the officials in UGC, nothing really materialized. The chief executive of the Vysya Bank also responded but could not help as the bank was supporting another institute just

 10   Challenges in Institution Building

then. However, he wished me all the best. I too realized the limitations of such requests for funding. I then turned my attention to about 300 alumni. I wrote to their parents mentioning I was now its director and requested them to contribute small amounts as a donation to the institute. Though the response was not anything great, we received a sum of `30,000 from about 30 parents. Though small, it was a good gesture. THE MAJOR ACTIVITY: THE PROGRAM During the same time, I also looked at the activities of the institute, particularly those related to program administration. I found all of these to be casual, inconsistent, and loosely organized. I felt that we needed to improve the PGP office and took up the matter with the program coordinator. The program schedule was then on a weekly basis and even then, there were a number of gaps and changes in conducting the sessions. The institute conducted sessions throughout the day and classes were cancelled at a drop of the hat. There was no proper attendance in the classes, and it was almost a regular feature. Part-timers more often than not taught courses with little seriousness, control, or discipline. The students from their end took the classes for granted and their behavior was unpredictable. I felt and decided that quick improvements on this front were required. Many of the measures directed at such improvements are described in the appendix (Appendix: Reflections of My Journey). These efforts brought sincerity and discipline throughout the institute in all respects. I met the students along with program coordinator and told them about the importance of attendance. We also promised that the sessions will be regular thereafter and that efficient faculties would be employed to teach them. We told them that all important matters would be looked into, including necessary improvements in the facilities, classrooms, hostels, etc. We told them that there would be a regular monitoring of their attendance and the personal attention of the faculty. The word was already going around by then that matters were going to be serious and that students cannot take things for granted any longer. At the same time, they also started realizing that

Glimpses of My Professional Journey    11  

there was an improvement in the program as there had already been some indications. Luckily, we were able to add a few elective courses, particularly in finance, with the joining of a highly qualified (PhD) young faculty. Some of these changes, they believed, were meant for them and for their benefit. They also started believing that whatever we had said so far was in all sincerity and was matched with commensurate effort. They could also see and feel the value of such changes. IMPORTANT DECISIONS It was also a matter of coincidence. I had succeeded in convincing the GC about the change in the designations of the faculty members (lecturer, etc.). During one of the earlier GC meetings, I brought up the issue of removal of the post of a lecturer and suggested that it should be replaced with the position of assistant professor with higher qualifications and/or with better experience. Some of the members were hesitant as they felt that other sister institutions in the campus might be affected and it may go against their interests. I explained that the institute was going to offer a postgraduate program in management (PGPM), while others were concentrating largely on the undergraduate (UG) programs. I brought to their attention that teaching PGPs obviously required teachers with higher qualifications and more experience. Hence, the level had to be certainly higher. The suggestion was finally accepted after the explanation was offered. I looked at the number of admissions made every year until then and the fees collected. Both were very much on the low side. Even if we had to make a modicum of improvement, we needed to raise the number of admissions and increase the fee. I felt that we needed to do it at the earliest and decided to put it on the agenda of the very first trust and GC meeting. There were some concerns among the members of the GC and the trustees that a raise in the fees might affect the number of admissions. After some explanation about the logic of raising tuition fee, they agreed to the suggestion (at that point of time, the fee collected was `10,000 per annum, very much on the lower side by all standards). It was agreed to be raised to `19,999 per annum. These were certainly important decisions that gave me confidence.

 12   Challenges in Institution Building

While all that was going on, I did not stop thinking and planning for the future of the institute. As a matter of fact, the very first note (the case study I had presented at the Kathmandu conference in 1992) on the institute clearly identified the need for a long-term plan and action. Another note (prepared in 1993) on the plans and programs of the institute adequately supported this for the future. It also provided scope for a conceptually clear and time-bound plan for programs—new, contextually relevant, and innovative—along with executive programs, both short and long term. The members of the GC appreciated the note for its clarity, comprehension, and vision. Though we could not implement it in its entirety, it laid the foundations for long-term thinking, strategies, and actions. It also opened up avenues for enlarging the scope of activities and opportunities for the institute. Additionally, it almost became a habit at the institute’s management level to think ahead of time, plan for the future, and seek support from the Elders, friends, and from other well-known management institutes (mostly Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad [IIMA] and Indian Institute of Management Bangalore [IIMB]), thanks to our regular quarterly meetings of the trust and the GC and the annual board of management studies. One such major and significant source of support came from a friend of mine, who was a senior professor at IIMA, in the form of a long-term vision for the institute. He had prepared a report after yearlong deliberations with faculty members and their active participation in its finalization. The report (Vision 2005) gave us a comprehensive understanding of the institute, its future, the need for gearing up resources, and various other strategies. However, we could not implement this too in its entirety in the given period, but it gave us a very important message and the means to go forward. It added to our clarity and strengthened our conviction to look ahead. To say the least, this conviction became the cutting edge and the DNA of the institute.

Significant Impact Matters got better year by year with visible improvements and growth. There was also greater transparency and openness, and, importantly,

Glimpses of My Professional Journey    13  

we could demonstrate equally in both word and deed. We shared the initial growth of performance both materially and emotionally. There was certainly an air of hope and success. It was a great change from the dependence and despair of the recent past.

Major Experiences Let me recall and share at this point some of the major experiences in my life. It was with a good deal of struggle and a bit of uncertainty and concern for my parents as well as myself when I stumbled upon a job in Hyderabad, which was the beginning of my career. This job gave me an opportunity to get involved with the institute and proved useful for my professional life in the later years. The job was to assist an eminent professor in organizing a monthlong management development program for middle-level executives in the public sector. I performed all kinds of chores including collecting teaching materials, properly organizing them, and distributing the same to the participants. Taking care of schedules and following up on the day-to-day routine of the program were some of the other things I did. One of my seniors offered to help me in this onerous task and saw to it that I performed well (it made a good impression on the professor). My next job was in an autonomous central government institute meant for training, research, and consulting for small industry. I joined as a research assistant on a project. A faculty member, who had received his education in the USA, had conceived of the idea and designed the project. Many of the professionals in the institute were trained abroad and had long years of work experience. The job was to collect data from the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. In the process, I must have contacted at least a hundred small industry owners from all industries. It was a good experience though I did not realize it then. I also contributed to the project by drafting a list of items for developing a scale to assess and appraise the attitude toward small industry. This particular piece of work was well received by all. Gradually, the seniors in the institute started recognizing my work and many of

 14   Challenges in Institution Building

them thought that I had much more potential. The principal director, that is, the head of the institute, who happened to be a senior administrator from the industrial management pool, had also heard a kind word about me and probably would have liked to retain me in the organization. However, I was looking for an academic position as a lecturer. Hence, I decided to leave the organization when I got one in the university system. Looking back, this kind of environment had had its share of influence in shaping me both as an individual and a professional. Fortunately, any job that came my way did could not make me feel tempted. I only desired and hence largely stuck to the jobs that belonged to the realm of academics and education. My interest in reading perhaps influenced my decision. I was a regular library goer. The interest had grown over the years. Thank God that I still have the passion for reading! However, my writing skills were not proportionate with my reading practice, although I had acquired some ability in putting together my experiences, thoughts, and feelings in words. I became a lecturer, which I had always wanted to. The eight years as a lecturer formed the beginning of my professional career and perhaps laid the foundation for my aspirations as an academic. At the same time, I registered for MPhil with course work. There was another colleague of mine, my senior by three years in teaching, who had enrolled for the same. Both of us attended classes and completed the course work well in time. My thesis work picked up faster, thanks to my revered professor and guide who took me through the process with great care and faith. Though the topic suggested by him was reluctantly accepted at first (Absenteeism in AP State Road Transport Corporation), when I began the project, I took to it with all possible interest and made sincere efforts. I used to go to depots regularly in the city to meet the officials, drivers and conductors, helpers, among others. I enjoyed talking to them and taking notes. Then I went to cover another suburban depot in Mehboobnagar, one of the backward districts of the state. I continued with the fieldwork in yet another depot in the relatively prosperous coastal belt of the state. With help from my guide, I was able to cover a large amount of ground details. However, I did not exactly know how to process all the data I had

Glimpses of My Professional Journey    15  

collected. I asked for help from a friend of mine who was more conversant with such work. The help I was seeking came at the right time (1971–1972). I felt that there was an all-round appreciation of my efforts for such initiatives. I completed my MPhil, the first of its kind in the university, and happened to be the only one to receive the degree that year (in 1973). I took much interest in working for my MPhil in all its phases, including a considerable amount of fieldwork. Of course, I had the support and consistent encouragement of my guide. I must also say that my interest in research was largely because of him. It was perhaps the beginning of many more such research efforts and contributions to come later. That was also the time to think of books (in the form of literature relevant to my study). I came to know that the Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI) had a good library. I approached the librarian, who was supportive, and he told me to use the library as much as possible (but there was no borrowing of the books for home reading). I spent quite a bit of time in the library and my interest grew in the subject: people and their behavior in organizations, particularly in industrial relations (IR). When I started working on my dissertation for MPhil, I realized the value of fieldwork and direct contact with different people and different sites. The professor also had a word of praise for some of my insights, which reinforced my confidence and added to my enthusiasm. I used to work regularly and write almost every day in the morning hours. I submitted my dissertation in early 1973. I did fairly well in completing my MPhil with all the appreciation of my guide. (The professor said that I could submit the same dissertation for a PhD in some of the North Indian universities.) However, some years later, he told me that I could submit the same for PhD at the Osmania University as well. My interest in IR picked up when I was teaching a course on IR and some related areas. This was after my MPhil, and I had an opportunity to teach PG classes. As I had read fairly well, I felt I must continue my research in IR. The teaching had also left a positive impression on me and even today, I retain the same interest in IR issues.

 16   Challenges in Institution Building

Since I had the advantage, I did not want to lose time in completing my doctoral work. I started searching for topics and after some effort, I finally zeroed in on IR in a larger context. I was popular for my IR course, thanks to the ASCI librarian and the professors in the university. The students liked it and some of them even maintained contact with me for a long time after they completed the course. I also collected quite a volume of data on industrial disputes from the Central Labour Commissioner’s Office in Hyderabad. This added to my teaching ability and thus to the interest of students. I had some occasions to improve on the same when I started t­ eaching it to PG students in management as an elective course. I knew Dr E. A. Ramaswamy, a well-known academic, and invited him to help me in teaching the course. His teaching and the discussions with him benefitted me. I found that he had a very natural flair for the subject which was added by his depth of research, insights, and experience. I thought all was going well for me. However, I suddenly found myself in a peculiar situation. I could not register for a PhD, even with my professor’s support. As he put it later, my MPhil thesis was almost equivalent to a PhD dissertation. Though a blessing in disguise, it was quite a frustrating and disappointing experience. By that time, I decided to apply to the fellowship program of IIMA (without much thought of its consequences and more so of the finances involved). However, this quirk of fate pushed me to a different scenario. It turned out to be a major change in my professional life. Had it not been for some departmental politics (not being allowed to register for PhD in the university), I probably would not have ventured out to IIMA. It would have been a different world for me in the university and, possibly, a life of a different order. Many of my colleagues did not approve of my decision and even told me that it was unnecessary. However, later, everyone said that I had done the right thing. Pursuing MPhil had added to my writing abilities, though I still was not very good at writing in English. I received immediate recognition: the university nominated me to attend a summer school in Madras University. Soon after, I took up the responsibility of being a part-time assistant director in a research project. The project gave me a chance to

Glimpses of My Professional Journey    17  

visit Delhi for the first time. There was another colleague with me on the trip. We stayed in the Indian Institute of Public Administration’s hostel, which was very affordable. We found it to be hard for us as it was winter and we were not properly equipped. We stayed there for about two weeks including travel from Secunderabad to Delhi and back (we also visited the Taj Mahal). We returned to Hyderabad with quite a volume of data and experience. It was also the first time for us to have visited many offices of public sector undertakings in Delhi. Overall, it was a good feeling to be able to complete the work as per the schedule. FROM A COLLEGE LECTURER TO HEAD OF A MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE By sheer grit and patience, I became a college teacher in 1968. Earlier, I had worked as a research assistant for about two years. As a lecturer at the UG level, I enjoyed teaching and being with the students. I used to be well-prepared for my lectures, and I spent time with the students outside the classroom as well. The first set of experience was teaching evening classes for students working in the armed forces and military establishments, government offices, and private companies. Many of them joined the college to pursue their first degree and hence most of them valued attending classes regularly and took enough interest in their studies. While this experience was useful and different, I had another chance of teaching regular students in a reputed women’s college. I found that the students there were quite sincere, disciplined, and willing to learn as much as possible. It was a pleasure teaching them and to experience their responses and receive their respect. Teaching was a priority in the college, reviewed regularly, and the standards set were high. I learnt the value of such a system which was in the interest of everyone. It left a strong impression on me as a teacher about what it meant to be one. I also felt I had grown through this experience. The principal of the evening college, a very experienced person, entrusted me with small jobs in the college. Many senior lecturers and readers also found me helpful as I used to organize college functions,

 18   Challenges in Institution Building

collect money (a chit fund, even), etc. I also used to assist a senior reader in English, who was chronically ill. The principal gave me the additional responsibility of overseeing UG admissions, and this continued for three years. I received acclaim and appreciation from him and my other colleagues. I had only two years’ experience in the college by then. After receiving my MPhil from the university (1973), I felt my spirits rise once again. I started teaching MCom students, both in the university department and in the evening college.

IIMA Fellowship Program I set my goals high and decided to try to get into a doctoral program (as a fellow) at IIMA. I appeared for the qualifying examination and cleared it successfully. I got a call for an interview at Ahmedabad and a little later received a communication about my selection in the program. Though I went through a bit of a dilemma about this, I finally decided to join the program. The next four years were a great experience—uncertainty, hard times, an equal measure of confidence, and a feeling of satisfaction and success. I felt I had added so much to my learning, capabilities, and potential. With all of this together, I could possibly try to succeed in new areas of teaching and research with greater confidence. For a university teacher, everything in IIMA (I was there during 1976–1980) was awesome, including its high standards, discipline of teachers, their quality, conduct, and their friendliness. It was altogether a new experience. Personally, I found the going hard and difficult, but I felt the overall effect of it was good; however, it took me some time to adjust. The four-year (1976–1980) stay and study at IIMA as a fellow student was a watershed in my career and life. Although the first year was very difficult, the later years turned out to be productive, including my completing the program in the shortest possible time, within four academic years. However, other institutional aspects impressed me the most—a top-class institute, the kind and quality of faculty

Glimpses of My Professional Journey    19  

members and the staff, the students, best of facilities, a fairly large and unique campus, standards and the rigor of the program, and plenty of opportunities. All this and more have remained etched in my mind (Appendix: Reflections of My Journey).

IRMA: Post-fellowship Experience Soon after completing the program, I joined the Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA) as a faculty member in 1980. The institute was new and was supported by National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) in all respects. It was self-sufficient including its finances. It had the support of top-class and eminent board members—men of scholarship, great institution builders, with a record of public service and supporting noble causes. They advised the chairman that all academic matters and program-related issues should be left to the director and the faculties. This particular understanding influenced all of us in the process of developing a brand-new program. It was achieved in the very first decade itself. As a faculty member, I used to spend a good deal of time in traveling to every nook and corner of the country, getting involved in all academic matters and sharing the responsibilities of the program. This was in addition to teaching, developing material, working with colleagues and students on various projects, volunteering to take up development work of the institute and its campus, and so on. Initiatives such as working with tail-end farmers in the nearby villages and organizing them to form a cooperative were others.

Influence on My Learning My IRMA experience was another significant influence. I had about 12 years of academic experience of a different sort at IRMA since its inception post IIMA. The institute was new, its focus and objectives different from the normal run of management institutes. However, given the people at its helm, and particularly those who had experience with other management institutes, it was ensured that it became a good management institute but with a different purpose. While

 20   Challenges in Institution Building

the structure of the institute, particularly the scheduling of classes and teaching, more or less followed the IIMA pattern, the curricular requirements were different. To elaborate, there were courses which were essentially aligned to the focus of the new institute as much as its process of learning. There was one course, Farmers’ Organization, which I taught for almost a decade, and it gave me an entirely different perspective and a new orientation academically. Frankly speaking, for the first two years, I struggled to develop a reasonable course on farmers’ organization. In fact, there was a department by the same name in NDDB at that time. It was also known to be its backbone. The executives in the department and other professionals, who were spread all over the country, were considered pioneers and leaders. Their task was to essentially organize village-level cooperatives for dairy farmers and to see that they succeeded. These cooperatives have their apex bodies at the district level and are members of their respective state-level federations. This was the structure that had been successful in the state of Gujarat and became the model for organizing farmers elsewhere. Almost all of the executives’ experiences were acquired from field situations rather than from any ready-made model. It was certainly a new learning experience in the field. For IRMA, introducing a course on farmers’ organization was absolutely necessary and essential because the rural management program was based largely on the model where farmers own their dairy setups, which were further managed by their representatives and professionals. The students of IRMA had to necessarily go through this experience and learn from on-field situations. It was certainly a challenging task for the institute. However, with the support and help from NDDB, IRMA was able to plan the fieldwork component of the program. It required students to spend at least a couple of months in the remote parts of the country in small villages, go through training, and learn from people and their experience of these individual dairy institutions. IRMA did well on this front, thanks to NDDB’s support and the cooperation from field staff. However, the challenge was the academic part of the course. It was not certain what to teach in the class and the kind of input that

Glimpses of My Professional Journey    21  

would be useful for such a course. A management graduate, who was a spearheading team member and later its leader, taught the course initially. Thus, he had a lot of experience in organizing farmers and the entire process of managing such institutions. After two years, when he left, it became almost nobody’s course. I had to step in to take the responsibility. I had some understanding of the course partially due to my own interest in fieldwork. The first few years of fieldwork with the students had allowed me to gain a good understanding of the farmers’ organization—the nuances and difficulties of organizing farmers and their success as well. I had another advantage, so to say, that I had studied organization behavior and the theory of organizations as special subjects and had fieldwork experience in diverse conditions across the country. Given this experience, I felt I could develop a course, but I knew it would take at least five years to make it an effective one. I succeeded in around five years, but what went into my learning in the process was amazing.

Fieldwork All those years at IRMA and spending enough time for fieldwork in one corner of the country or the other reinforced my confidence. It was not only the dairy sector, but I was also interested and gained experience in many other sectors, such as cooperatives for oilseeds, vegetables, fruits, water, and health. I also became a firm believer that the best progress of such organizations was possible only through people’s own institutions. However, I realized that they needed training in a good organization and better management practices. I also felt that a program on rural management must be able to provide the required education and training based on the philosophy of self-governance. I went the whole hog and learnt about farmers’ institutions for some commodity or a service, or a combination of both. Reading and writing about it added to my learning. There were some interesting events that took place over the course of my fieldwork. One of them occurred almost in the last phase of my time with IRMA: I had worked closely with a group of eight talented students for the student–faculty collaborative research project. The

 22   Challenges in Institution Building

fieldwork was being carried out in Kerala and was meant for the study of group cultivation (kootukrishi). Given the size of the land and the background of the farmers, cultivating land on an individual basis was not only uneconomical but also unviable. The Kerala Agricultural University at the instance of the government carried out several experiments and came up with group cultivation. The approach sought to introduce group cultivation as a means of organizing small farmers in some of the contiguous areas. Group members would share major operations of paddy cultivation such as land preparation, ploughing, thrashing, weeding, and transplanting and their related costs on a pro rata basis. It turned out to be more economical and viable for the group. It was a new experience for me as I went around different areas along with the students, including one place where the sea level was much higher than the land (kuttanad). The land would get inundated fast with water and required draining by heavy pumps frequently. Group cultivation came handy in sharing the cost of draining water from the fields. I also wrote about the entire experience and published it later as a paper. The fieldwork experience proved long-lasting. It provided me with useful material for teaching and conducting lively discussions in the classroom and, in general, improved the value of the course as perceived by the students.

Influences I was greatly influenced by what I learnt at IIMA. I decided to use this learning as much as I could in fulfilling my responsibilities as the head of TAPMI. The faculty, their work and contributions, their academic freedom and respect were important considerations for me. These were consistently observed and facilitated as an institutional priority and as a part of its makeup. I had decided to recruit highly qualified teachers coming from respectable institutions. Although there was a constant turnover, I continued to recruit quality teachers. In the process, the quality of recruitment itself improved and we were able

Glimpses of My Professional Journey    23  

to attract better talent over a period. It was a word of mouth that the institute was possibly the best for new and young faculty to groom and develop themselves and the institute was receiving on average one application per day. Many of the applicants were highly qualified and some of them were even from foreign countries. Both IIMA and IRMA were endowed with not only good resources, but their intellectual and academic resources were also exceptional. The library of IIMA was a place for anyone who was willing to spend enormous amounts of time in reading, preparing for the classes, and making notes from the best of literature in management discipline and related areas. It was fully air-conditioned, which was certainly a luxury in those days. I used to spend a considerable amount of time there not only for my preparations for classes but for general reading as well. The IRMA library was more or less developed on similar lines. I enjoyed both personal and physical space these institutes provided. The free, large spaces influenced my behavior, my thinking, and my interactions. Their large, beautiful, and uniquely designed campuses have left an indelible imprint on my mind.

Papers The very first paper I wrote for a conference was a case study of the institute. It was a quick review to identify areas for improvement, setting priorities for some quick actions to stabilize the program, and to improve its quality. It was as to find an identity for the institute (Appendix: Reflections of My Journey). The next two papers were largely an expression of my own understanding of the institute and the concerns I had about PGPM. However, the importance of practice in the real world for both the students and teachers was another consideration. It could have partly been because of my own experience at IRMA. There are at least three important outcomes of this experience: development of cases, involvement of students in live projects, and, most importantly, teachers’ collaboration with students. One of the two papers that I wrote for a conference looked into the process of reaching out to industries through various schemes or

 24   Challenges in Institution Building

projects, including summer internships. The paper also highlighted the importance of creating projects in and around the institute, what we used to call local projects. These projects were intended to raise the students’ capabilities in general. Also, local enterprises could thus avail the services of the students and teachers. The paper also attempted to look at management of uncertainty through special projects. One such project that was suggested but was not carried through was aimed at rainwater harvesting and for recharging and developing a lake that was depleting. It was planned to involve the local engineering and medical colleges, their students and teachers, and the support of the local community. The other paper was about learning from practice and, possibly, its implementation later. The paper also included some experiences of the teachers involved in research on textiles for a number of years. One of the senior faculty members from IIMA had spent many years in the industry and contributed significantly to both research and practice. I felt the experience of the professor could be a useful way of academics contributing to both research and practice. The same remained as a significant strategy in my mind for business schools as well as for academics to get involved with the industry. I felt that this could not only be a means for the institute, the teachers, and the students to learn, but it would also serve as a distinctive feature of the institute. I think that these two papers were largely responsible for many later developments in the institute. Teachers and students getting involved in learning from the practices followed in the industry were certainly among those developments. This generated the idea of teacher–student collaboration and Management in Practice (MIP). More importantly, it also led to creating materials and cases of practice for teaching and publication of papers. I would say that this approach provided a certain distinction and culture to the institute. Thus, the institute started becoming unique in its own way. It also enabled effective learning for both students and teachers. This turned out to be advantageous in seeking international accreditation (AACSB) for the institute later. This could be considered exceptional for an institute like ours with all its limitations.

Glimpses of My Professional Journey    25  

It would not have been possible if such a system of learning had not been planned from the beginning. Because of my time at both IIMA and IRMA, I was able to think differently and take some practical steps. Thus, the foundations were laid quite some time back and paid rich dividends in adequate measure. Looking back at what led to my thinking and action, I recall that I also wrote about management education per se and some ideas to take the program forward. For example, in the early days of 1996, I prepared a note on the need to integrate teaching and research, and a plan for such integration. This note alluded to the importance of not only such integration but also offered an approach. Broadly speaking, the note highlighted the importance of internal resources, particularly of the students in the program and the teachers. It was suggested that students were the key to opening up multiple opportunities in making research an organic component of the institute. The note also suggested how teaching and research should give rise to an integrated view and how they should mutually benefit from each other. This was possibly somewhat new and much ahead of the institute’s own growth story. However, this idea remained at the back of our minds and was revived in 2000. By then, we had a number of faculty members with higher qualifications and experience and many of them were more research oriented. While the note listed some practical ways of involving students, it also elaborated on how the teaching of a course could give rise to the ideas for research and how research papers could be incorporated into teaching. There were also some novel efforts by a few faculty members much earlier to involve students in writing and publishing papers through assignments given to them. It was quite encouraging to see such initiatives in the early 1990s. The note on integration was possibly an offshoot of such first-hand experiences. While the trend of involving students continued, there was no institutional mechanism to take this forward during that time. Without the intensity with which academics was being pursued and its density, many of the later developments could not have taken place, including both national and international accreditations we obtained.

 26   Challenges in Institution Building

Thus, it was important to create an atmosphere of learning and we continued to improve it with new ideas and schemes. There were other offshoots of such a system of learning, which I carried forward and was able to utilize well. Consequently, some major developments took place. One of them, an innovation in utilizing summer internships, resulted in a learning exercise called MIP. In 1997, we were looking for something solid for students to learn from practice. Summer internships are meant to provide a fair degree of exposure to the real world of organizations to students. We realized that the learning was limited as there was less involvement of the students with organizations. It was also true that the involvement of the teachers was also rather minimal or just formal. We were debating how this internship could be made more learning oriented and hopefully result in useful output through the joint efforts of the teachers and students and, if possible, also the practitioners. We realized it was not an easy task but given our desire and our plans for more such opportunities, we went ahead with its implementation even in the face of some problems. This particular learning module, MIP, was awarded the Best Innovation in Management Teaching in 1999. Significantly, it resulted in developing about 600 cases and teaching material registered with European Case Clearing House (ECCH) over a period of 7–8 years and was used by other business schools in India and abroad. TEACHERS Ever since I joined the institute, I had decided to recruit meritorious faculty with higher qualifications. Hence, every effort was made to find such teachers. Looking back, the efforts have paid off well. This led to many other activities that brought acclaim for a qualitative program in the country, particularly from among the management education fraternity. Though admissions and placements were a concern initially, I put my faith in the quality of the teachers and their commitment. I succeeded in this task, but it took almost a decade. When I retired from the institute, we had a sizeable pool of accomplished and talented

Glimpses of My Professional Journey    27  

teachers as the institute has become an attraction for highly qualified and young faculty aspirants. I used to worry about not only finding good teachers but also retaining them. It was not an easy task, but I persisted and succeeded. However, the first 7–8 years passed as the most difficult and often frustrating. I had many sleepless nights, particularly when some good teacher left the institute. I used to take a considerable personal interest in the faculty members apart from the procedure of recruiting them. Taking due care and showing concern for the faculty members by ensuring they were comfortably settled and offering them help in their personal matters such as their children’s school admissions and employment for their spouses were among my lookouts. The importance given to their autonomy and freedom, besides sharing institutional responsibilities with them and providing support for their professional growth, cannot be overemphasized. I believe my learning and experience in IIMA and IRMA and my overall background must have had their influence on my conduct. BUILD UP Besides all this, I started writing about my experiences from the beginning of my work with the institute. Most of these were largely reflections on academic matters: administration, financial and personnel policies, discipline and conduct of the students, some thoughts on management education, program quality and contents, some new ideas such as MIP, integration of teaching and research, postgraduate diploma in management (PGDM Plus), thematic curriculum, and many others. There were a number of reasons for such writing and drafting. An important one among these was achieving clarity about them and proper communication of the same. However, there were others too: responding to invitations across the country from various forums, academic conferences, summaries of the proceedings of workshops and some of the important faculty meetings, internal presentations during workshops, occasional responses to the president of the trust and other members (Elders), and messages to be sent for the students’ magazines and others. There were also a number of visual presentations. There

 28   Challenges in Institution Building

were notes written as a response to some stimulus—after reading some paper in a magazine, newspapers, visits to other well-known institutes, even responding to a situation, or a matter of concern. Of course, there also were internally circulated notes and materials sharing concern for improvisations, innovations, for making things different, and searching for better methods and means. (Most of these find their place in the ensuing chapters.) I believe that writing is an expression of one’s own ideas and thoughts. Given a proper shape, these could result in a coherent understanding of one’s efforts, values, and beliefs. In actual practice, all ideas and thoughts somehow pushed me continuously into new orbits and presented new challenges. DOCUMENTATION One thing that made me reflect on and recall some of the important events and activities over the last 16 years was a copious process of documentation—both formal and informal. This period was quite hectic and full of activity. Most of it related to the institute and its development in as many ways as possible. There were formal documents available as proceedings of the trust and GC meetings. Altogether, there were 64 agendas for the meetings and proceedings of each of these meetings. Besides, there were at least 14 board of studies (BOS) meetings and their proceedings. There were several notes and communications to the teachers, students, and other stakeholders. There were other documents on ideas, suggestions, policies, exchange of notes, etc. There were notes and proceedings of the internal committees of the teachers and students. There were formal committees such as PGP, Placement, Admissions, MIP, Center for Executive Education (CEE), and others and their documentation. In other words, there was enough to look into to know what had happened and how it happened. The decisions taken and not taken, completion of tasks, fulfilment of objectives or otherwise, consistent efforts for doing better, and adding something new were part of some of this documentation. There were many, many others and luckily most of these were available in one form or another. It came handy as

Glimpses of My Professional Journey    29  

a great advantage for writing about the institute and its processes, the hurdles, and the uncertainties. Most of them were first attempts and they remain more or less first drafts. Altogether, these, however, made a significant difference to our thinking, approaches, decisions, and their implementation. Simultaneous actions were made and policies and plans formulated on all academic matters—faculty, admissions, curriculum, staff needs, welfare, improvisations, raising their morale and motivation. There were all-round efforts for infusing strength and confidence into the spirit of the institute. It was not one or the other; many of them were carried out simultaneously and sequentially. Together, these made a significant difference to the program quality, in retaining and attracting teachers, to the staff morale, motivation, and the general ambiance of the institute. These also had their impact in the way work was carried out, introduction of new practices and belief in the system, and change in the outlook of people. Yet another reason was to make the program a much better one in all possible ways. All that was required was the first consideration, immediate attention as much as concern and utmost priority, be given to it while there were other equally important matters such as having some semblance of order and cleanliness in the institute. Thus, the continuous thrust on action made good results possible in no time. APPENDIX: REFLECTIONS OF MY JOURNEY—EARLY DAYS For me, the first and foremost task was to quickly put the institute on the national map. The conditions when I took over as the director of the institute were least conducive to this; there was an utter lack of financial resources too. In general, the institute had neither any reasonable resource base nor even proper teaching staff. However, as I reflect back, I did not feel either alarmed or discouraged about the state of affairs. I did feel that, given a chance, the institute could be turned around, but the foremost priority was to start quickly. Instead of attempting any major changes in the existing situation, I felt that I needed time to understand and move on systematically to what needed

 30   Challenges in Institution Building

to be done. Sometimes, luck has its ways! As earlier mentioned, soon after I joined in April 1992, I had a chance to visit Kathmandu for an AMDISA conference to present a paper on the institute. At that time, it was a kind of incentive as well—if I were to write a paper or a case study on the institute and submit it to them, they would take care of my airfare back and forth. Since I had joined the institute just then, I had no idea how much I could really pick up and put together in a paper. But given my comfort level and fair understanding about institutes and management education in general, I thought I could prepare a draft. I think I worked for a couple of weeks and made one or two drafts and corrected them simultaneously (I had the support of a personal assistant who understood my comfort in dictation rather than writing). The draft was about 2,500 words long and I myself was pleasantly surprised to see it shape into a paper. Naturally, I thought to show it to my predecessor who was at the helm of the institute for almost nine years. He called me soon after going through it. He not only did read the same but also wrote me a note that the draft was very good for the limited time taken to write it. He also offered advice and a few factual corrections to take care of. I felt highly encouraged to have received such an appreciation, especially from him. This case study or the paper on the institute may possibly have served its immediate purpose for me to attend the said conference, but it also brought in immeasurable value as I see it now. If I had not written that paper, I probably would not have known even to this day as to what I could have done to fulfill my own ambition to make the institute a national one. Providence has its own place. I suppose writing that paper made my thinking clearer and gave me enough mental direction to plan and move forward systematically and quickly. To evolve into a unique center, the institute needs to plan for better infrastructure, strengthen its faculty resources and make provisions for research and consulting, and liaison with industry and other institutions. In other words, the institute has to plan for greater resources as a major strategy and incorporate them as a part of its overall mission. It may facilitate attracting better faculty resources and their involvement in the fulfillment of the institute’s mission. This particular strategy may also result in a better profile of students that will further enhance the prestige of the institute.

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However, one sentence made a major difference to the institute’s priorities in the same paper: “The institute needs an identity and an image. To establish its identity, focusing on objectives and working out priorities become necessary.” The paper provided a basis for clarity, along with another note on how to go about improving the quality of the program to help initiate action plans systematically. This note was prepared for presentation in the first meeting of the trust (October 1992) and the GC as a major agenda item. It was a detailed note that spoke of making the program systematic, serious, and rigorous, and of its efficient delivery. One of the Elders who read the note had a vast experience and knowledge of institutions, including a few premier ones, across the country and abroad. Luckily, he also attended the meeting. He said that he had gone through the note and had told other members that it was the first time that he had seen a note with such clarity and comprehension. The first priority was to set right a few matters such as a schedule of the sessions and its advance information to the students and teachers, and a timetable for each month, if not for a whole semester, and systematized delivery and conduct of the program and whatever was required to bring about changes almost immediately, as far as the program was concerned. The young PGP coordinator, himself an alumnus of the institute, was not only supportive but also highly cooperative and took the task as seriously as I did. The next task was to bring in some discipline and infuse simple values among students and teachers such as regular attendance, regular classes, preparation for the classes, advance assignments, teaching materials, pre-reads and punctuality. Yet another task was the matter of housekeeping and to improve it within the available resources. Classrooms were made better with cushioned chairs and curtains. In general, options for a better upkeep of the institute were explored. Changes were deliberately made such that everyone would know the importance of housekeeping and maintenance of cleanliness and hygiene. Matters started changing and were

 32   Challenges in Institution Building

taken more seriously by all concerned. The administrative assistant, who was senior most among staff members, also saw the value of such improvements and got seriously involved and helped in all matters. Gradually, the entire staff followed suit. Some of these small changes did have a fair impact on the students as well, or at least they started realizing their value. There were only a few faculty members to handle the program, which was going to be rigorous with all its seriousness. However, what we did was to regularize the schedule of classes, place greater focus on classroom learning by limiting sessions to the forenoon, and leaving afternoons free for the preparation for next day’s classes. There was to be no compromise made on the assessment of students. The message also went around the faculty complement that it was all going to be serious business hereafter and they had to accommodate. Direct contact with the teachers also helped matters, though it did not happen on its own nor was it that simple. However, problems remained on the teaching front to take care of the existing curriculum. We quickly attended to it by arranging for visiting faculties from the best of the institutes. My friends from the IIMs helped me immensely in this task. The curriculum itself required a good deal of change, but such changes were deferred for the time being. I thought that such changes required more time and reflection and the ability to deliver such a curriculum depended on the adequacy and quality of the teachers involved. Hence, the first priority was tuning the program to be more regular, systematic, and rigorous. The very first year (1992–1993) was a fair success with these small changes. In general, there was a movement within the institute. However, resources were a major constraint, though there was no panic. We thought confidently that problems could be solved, but the primary importance was laid on the clarity of purpose on which the program was based. Faculty resources were generated, creating an atmosphere of greater openness, contact, and useful work for both students and teachers. This being taken care of to some extent, things started looking up in terms of affecting some other changes such as getting at least two or three reasonably good teachers from the best of

Glimpses of My Professional Journey    33  

the institutes, reworking on the curriculum, or even rebuilding it as well as the program structure from semesters to terms. The next level of changes attempted was thus to look around for a few more efficient faculty members and change the program structure and curriculum. Collection of bits and pieces of materials on courses and curriculum offered at other institutes as well as considerable thinking and reflection helped us in putting together a draft for the new curriculum. The same was sent to a few friends in other premier institutes including the IIMs for their opinion and advice. In general, many of them felt that it was a good effort, rather comprehensive for the times and needs of MBA education. The next step was to look around for reasonably good teachers to complement the efforts for quality of the program and reputation. Interestingly, there were only two or three applications for the positions and all of them were found to be good. One of them was a fellow from IIMA, who wanted to join the institute as it was closer to his hometown. He probably wanted to groom himself and learn from a relatively smaller institute. We also considered how an institute of repute must have a diverse group of students from all over the country. However, they needed to have a comfortable place to stay and there have to be proper arrangements for dining. So it was thought that a larger pool of applicants would be necessary. Hence, published an advertisement for admissions toward the end of 1992 at national level (a half page ad in the Times of India, all editions), which proved strategic in attracting five times more applications. The batch of 1993 turned out to be the harbinger of a major change in the trajectory of the institute and its growth. The said batch was found to be of much better quality; they were bright and wanted to get more out of the institute and the program. Thus, it made quite a difference to the program. Thankfully, some of the changes mentioned earlier were already in place: better classrooms, better teachers, and a better learning atmosphere. Of course, there was some resistance by the students as well for the introduction of some of the more stringent and rigorous methods of discipline enforcement.

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Here, I must mention something very strange. I am not sure whether it was my innocence or enthusiasm. The decision that we took to advertise big cost us `10 lakh, which was all that was given to me as the fund on the day I took charge. When I mentioned this to my predecessor in a meeting with the president of the trust, he expressed great shock, “You know it was the entire budget of the institute!” The major issue and consideration for me from the beginning was how one could view the program and the institute, both conceptually and practically. Such a consideration pushed us toward looking at small changes and even radical changes later. I had the benefit of being at the center of most of these changes, as I happened to initiate and implement them, of course with the active participation and involvement of my colleagues and the support of the Elders, inasmuch as they facilitated us the freedom to decide and act. Least of all, there was no micro-management. I have the good fortune of having witnessed all that happened in the institute during those 16 years, as it began developing itself as a model for quality and reputation. There were professors in the management education fraternity as well as in the academic community in Manipal in general to speak about. However, it is not to suggest that there were no difficulties, twists, and turns! Call it destiny or whatever you will! I did land in a place where I remained for over 16 years, steering it to a place of importance and respect. This was about TAPMI and I was at the helm of its affairs as its director. I had never applied for the post myself, which was advertised back in 1992. However, I, along with five or six others, received the call for meeting the selection committee and other experts for an interview. When I attended the interview, they didn’t even have a CV of mine, which I was to provide later, but they interviewed me, nevertheless.

All That Beginning Well Begun Is Half Done

2

INTRODUCTION This chapter presents the first set of activities and a slew of measures taken for raising the standard of the program. Most of these were carried out at three levels, namely at the levels of institute, teachers, and students, with support from the trust and the GC. The highlight of these measures was related to the norms of behavior, conduct, and discipline by involving teachers at every stage. The process evolved more or less naturally and thereby the responsibilities of the teachers also increased. This chapter also provides a long-term view of the institute with some indications of how the institute functions, what are its essential features, what has been its growth like, and the plans we made for increasing its financial resources. THE BEGINNING It all began soon after I participated in a conference organized by AMDISA at Kathmandu, Nepal. Given the situation and the context in which the institute was placed and understood, I felt that the need was to work toward the formation of an identity for the institute and to build and establish that identity over the next five years or so. I also felt that the identity would have to be one of a national-level institute with creditable programs and highly qualified and responsible teachers with laudable academic strength and practice, who would be distinguished for finer practices, newness, and innovations. This identity should also be known and demonstrated to the students, their parents, and other

 36   Challenges in Institution Building

stakeholders including the larger community of management education. The paper/case study I presented there, apart from being a quick review of what was being done and how, alluded to the need for an identity for the institute as well as to certain priorities that needed to be considered immediately and also afterwards. The identity that was to be created would become the fulcrum of building an institute of repute. And we had to start almost from scratch. I wrote the following in that note. To begin with, activities at the Institute will be concentrated on: 1. Assessment of the current two-year program 2. Faculty development and expansion plan 3. Plans for expansion of the existing program as well as other management development programs, research, and consultancy activities 4. Resource raising plan: consultancy, including institutional services, to industry, business, and development organizations 5. A long-term plan for the institute [T]o implement the above, quality improvement of the program through processes and sharing has been initiated. It has been considered that the pay-off from such an exercise may be long lasting and might build up greater faculty and other resources to plan other activities.

These certainly mattered very much for me to start working. However, I considered the importance of taking my colleagues, both faculty members and the staff, on board to initiate such action and seek their support for its implementation. THE TRUST AND GC I enjoyed confidence from both the trust and the GC—the two constitutional bodies of the institute—and knew about their importance regarding garnering support for and acceptance of any of the proposals and activities. I also decided to streamline the functioning of these bodies and their constitution with new members. At that time, their functioning had been erratic. There were no proper schedules and there were long gaps between meetings, which were often held at a short notice. Some of the members had complained about it, and, at

All That Beginning   37  

times, they could not even attend the meetings. I could understand some of these issues after going through the correspondence available to me. There were also issues of proper agenda preparation for the meetings and timely preparation of proceedings for the next meetings. When we pondered over this, we felt that the functioning of these bodies could be improved by streamlining the procedure with greater regularity, deciding periodicity, etc. I proposed that the meetings be conducted for every quarter, namely, in July, October, December, and March; two of them for the trust and two for the GC and got the approval of both the president and the chairman of these constitutional bodies. I was able to do this early on and the first meeting of the trust took place in July 1992 itself. I prepared the meeting agenda with proposals and action items and sent it to the members in advance. I had already spoken to and shared the proposals with my colleagues. QUALITY OF THE PROGRAM As has already been mentioned in Chapter 1, a few initiatives we took earlier had lifted the morale of the staff and had changed their outlook. The small changes made for cleanliness and hygiene, and in the atmosphere of the institute in general, sent out a wave of good feeling across the institute. Building on this, we picked up the next significant task and priority, that is, raising the standard of the program in all respects. Conceptually and practically, it involved the following important aspects of the program: 1. Improvement in standards—teaching, evaluation, delivery, and prior preparations 2. Communication with students about regular attendance and preparation for the classes 3. Involvement of the teachers toward the program, and with the students and colleagues 4. Improving program administration and have a separate office for that with a responsible person 5. Improvements in the classrooms per se—seating arrangements, equipment, schedules of teaching, etc.

 38   Challenges in Institution Building

ACTION AND IMPLEMENTATION Without much ado, the PGP coordinator, with some assistance, started preparing a monthly timetable and class schedules, which included the time allowed to the students for preparation. We made 100 percent attendance mandatory with guidance and advice from the teachers except in the usual scenarios for nonattendance. I discussed it with teachers and nonteaching staff. We met the students and informed them about the impending changes and the resulting improvements to be expected. FACULTY RESPONSE AND READINESS I spoke to the teachers at length about raising the quality of the program and the wherewithal for improvements. They had seen the attempts made toward bringing about small changes in the institute and their effect. They could see the value of acting upon these changes. They themselves felt it was in their own interest as much as in the interest of the institute. Some of the simple interventions at the teachers’ level were as follows: 1. Reopening of the institute and commencement of sessions after summer vacation were shifted from August to July. 2. Teachers were required to be present at least one month ahead of the sessions for preparations and to take part in discussions for improvements. (We even asked one faculty to prepone his journey from Delhi to adhere to this requirement.) They were all duly informed by letters. 3. The PGP office was streamlined and the coordinator was formally inducted. A few existing academic practices were discontinued and replaced with the ones currently practiced in the best of the institutes. 1. Introduction of internal and continuous evaluation 2. Streamlining of part-time and visiting faculty complement

All That Beginning   39  

PROCESS ORIENTATION We started arranging meetings and discussions with an already set agenda and action items. One of these, which we were able to successfully accomplish, was course outline—setting detailed objectives, planning session-wise teaching, deliberate about materials required including textbooks, chalking out a plan of evaluation, and considering methods and their respective weights. The teachers supported and endorsed norms such as punctuality, advance material preparation, making available course outlines, timely evaluation, and provision of feedback. Another important aspect was introduction of a formalized faculty advisory and coaching system and initiation of group work for students and its evaluation. In summary, what we set out to achieve included: 1. 2. 3. 4.

Better course preparation and its systematic delivery Enough planning before sessions commenced Course plans completed and presented in the faculty group The program office equipped with adequate information on the program, clearly laid out session plans including assignments, timetable, and materials to be supplied to the students A MAJOR REVIEW

Before deciding upon various activities, programs, and plans, I thought I should take teachers and students into confidence. I asked them rather informally to review the program, its conduct, and the procedures in general. I collected some information from some of the alumni of the institute as well. With all this, I gained some groundlevel understanding of the program and its quality. I started asking about the program’s (and its quality’s) status vis-à-vis other institutes. What were its inherent strengths and weaknesses? What was the extent and the quality of its delivery? What were the teaching materials and what were the inputs for learning? I then asked the faculty about the quality of the program itself. They all agreed that there was an urgent need to improve upon it. However,

 40   Challenges in Institution Building

some of them also felt that there were a number of constraints including lack of proper facilities, inadequate number of teachers, problems regarding location, and insufficiency of finances. Anyway, they could not come up with any concrete action plan. Nevertheless, I thought that a plan could be chalked out and some workable action could be delegated to each faculty member. Plan and action: I suggested each faculty member to look into the courses they taught—materials given to the students, how the course was evaluated, how it ensured learning—and then find the ways and means to improve the teaching material, teaching methods, and evaluation. To facilitate some action, I also asked them to look into the material they had used in the last two or three years and introduce necessary additions, deletions, and other changes they would like to make in the light of questions already raised. This evoked a good response. All of them made improved versions of course outlines; then I asked them to present the same to the entire teaching staff. Although they were not very comfortable to present their course outlines, I explained the need for such presentations, particularly for improving their course outlines with suggestions from others. Doubts still persisted in their minds. I suggested that any one of them can volunteer for such a presentation. One of the young faculty members came forward and slowly others followed suit. Thus, the initial resistance was overcome. I also explained in detail why that approach would be much better and how each one of them could improve their own course outlines as well as their preparation. I told them that the quality of the program depended on the quality of teaching and the preparations for delivering it. I mentioned how such presentations could enable them to improve their teaching with better material and sequencing, with course and learning objectives. Such a process, I emphasized, would definitely improve their image among the students and would have a great influence on them in the long run. Besides this, I suggested asking a few simple reflective questions in preparing and presenting course outlines:

All That Beginning   41  

1. What has been the general feedback and impression of courses? 2. Did you act upon any suggestions given by the students? 3. Did students ask for anything else such as additional materials and exercises? 4. On your own, what improvements have you made in the course over the last one year? 5. What were the general problems encountered while attempting to improve your course? 6. Did you consult any of your colleagues or seek any outside help? They said that no one had asked them for such details before. There was also some unknown fear that someone might use it to affect them (negatively). The important point was that it was not known. As such, practices or initiatives at the level of teachers were not present and certainly there was no precedence. I decided that better practices should be introduced at both the level of teachers and the institute. It was not easy to begin with, but one has to make efforts and use one’s own abilities of persuasion if one wants to initiate major changes. Behavior and orientation of the teachers were critical in this respect. It was to have a cascading effect leading to other changes, as there would be trust, acceptance of others, and the ease of working with each other. I also suggested that they could invite one of their colleagues to join their class sessions and ask for their feedback. I also told them to seek help from teachers at other institutes and meet them for further improvements. I said that the institute would take care of their travel expenses, etc. There were immediate changes. Teachers started discussing their courses with each other on their own. One or two members invited others to attend their classes. I attended my predecessor’s classes and that of another senior faculty member’s as well. Thus, we broke the ice and started moving forward. It certainly was the beginning of many important changes. In this manner, I was able to spend the summer months (April– July) usefully and prepared the entire institute to be ready for the next academic year, 1992. I had some advantages as I had joined the

 42   Challenges in Institution Building

institute in April. It provided me a better understanding of the institute as I had enough time to think and plan before the commencement of sessions in July. WE WERE READY I did not interfere with the students much; however, there were already some indications of the kind of discipline expected from them and certain norms of behavior were put in place. We stopped re-examining the students as they took it for granted and the score they got in such re-exams was invariably higher. A student found sleeping in the exam hall was asked to take rest and join in the next semester instead. However, there was some resistance. We told students that it was in their own interest and for the overall image of the institute. We initiated strict measures with regard to copying or cheating of any sort by the students during tests or for assignments. We counseled them and advised them not to resort to such practices but instead to seek help or coaching from the faculty members. Some of the students were not only bunking classes but were also absenting themselves and returning to their native places at will. They used to return to write exams with the plea that they went away because of some sickness or the other. We put a complete stop to this practice by asking them to join the next batch. Immediately, it put brakes on such behavior and, more importantly, others learnt that they could not take the program for granted and behave in this manner. These measures, along with some others, helped bring some order to the system and discipline in the overall behavior of students. The message, thus, had gone across. OTHER IMPORTANT CHANGES We decided to bring in some major changes in the classrooms, office, faculty rooms, and the PGP office simultaneously. The classrooms were repainted and equipped with better and cushioned chairs, improved

All That Beginning   43  

lighting, curtains, an improved writing board, and other teaching aids. The office space was cleaned up and all wastepaper, unused files, and needless clutter were disposed of. It was now organized better with proper tables and chairs, though computers were yet to arrive. Strict instructions were made for the maintenance of toilets with a regular schedule of cleaning and appointing necessary staff for this task. There were separate chambers for each faculty member. Each of these were cleaned up and supplied with better furniture. As there were enough staff members, they were asked to assist the faculty members directly as their secretaries. The entire campus was cleaned up by clearing the debris and pruning of plants and trees. Its routine maintenance was outsourced. The hostel rooms were improved with repairs of furniture, replacement of mattresses, renovation of bathrooms, etc. We made staying in hostel mandatory with norms of conduct and behavior to be followed. We also made provisions for a dining place and arranged for a catering service. The senior students who returned after their summer internship could not believe what they saw. They saw a clear semblance of order, better appearance of their classrooms, offices, campus, and the entire institute. Before they left for their internship, they had already had a taste of some of the measures taken toward ensuring quality and discipline of the program. We were able to bring aboard a highly qualified young faculty member in finance during this period. His joining satisfied an immediate need, as this was a major lacuna according to a few students. There were courses such as valuation of companies, securities and portfolio management, and analysis of financial statements at that time that he could teach. The fresh batch had also arrived. With the usual induction, pleasantries, and welcome parties, seniors were also talking about what was being done, how things had started looking better, the kind of discipline in place, and how the measures taken had already started

 44   Challenges in Institution Building

demonstrating their effects. I addressed the students and indicated the kind of changes the institute would pursue further with improvements on both academic and non-academic fronts already evident. All faculty members too addressed the students and reemphasized the importance of discipline, order, and stability as well as the changes for better education and the benefits to accrue thereof. A PROBLEM ON HAND One issue became a concern for all of us. It was the case of a decision the Elders had made at the end of 1991 to admit a fresh parallel batch in January 1992. My predecessor had no option other than to implement it. There were about 50 students who had joined in the batch and who largely belonged to the local and surrounding areas; only a few candidates had come from far-off places. I came to know the way they were admitted and the means followed for their admission. Overall, we felt the process of admissions was not sound enough, if not just for the timing. Even the senior students were talking about it and some of them met me to suggest that such admissions should not be repeated. Whatever the case may be, this parallel batch had returned, except 10–15 who had decided not to return, to the institute. Other students from the same batch made serious complaints about how they had wasted almost six months with no summer jobs. They and the institute both knew it; however, nothing could be done as the batch had completed only one semester by then and, thus, the students could not be placed for summer internships. It was, of course, a clear case of unintended consequences. While the Elders were concerned about the badly needed funds, they could not visualize the kind of issues it might bring along—be it teaching, classrooms, teachers, schedules, serious complaints by teachers and students, and disorder in the system in general. The students themselves, seeing all that was going on around them, showed minimal interest in studies, and only were going through routines. It had also caused serious indiscipline of all sorts among them. Despite all this, we decided to make all possible improvements so that this batch can complete the program reasonably. We worked

All That Beginning   45  

out a schedule for them to complete their internship using the two months of winter. We also decided that we would find an additional three months of time for them during the summer of 1993 to complete the program. However, the students opposed it vehemently. They felt the institute was unfair, discriminating them, and, most importantly, all of them told us that it was going to be an inferior diploma. They even questioned why the institute had admitted them in the first place. The PGP coordinator and I sat with them and told them that it is in their own interest to complete the program earlier. We also assured them that all course requirements and standards will be met; the only difference, we said, would be that it was going to be more intensive, making best use of the next summer. We also used their own complaint that they had wasted their last summer and explained how they could better make for it. After a day or two, the class representative came forward and said they would accept the proposition provided the institute made efforts to place them suitably. We told them that we would take all necessary steps. Fortunately, we were able to add two more talented and highly qualified teachers during the summer. They helped immensely to fulfill the requirements of teaching and added to the intensity and quality of the courses. The students completed the program and some of them were placed suitably. All said and done, a major issue was resolved satisfactorily. At this juncture, I would like to elaborate on these two new faculty members—one, a fresh and young fellow from IIMA, and the other with considerable experience in government, industry, and academics. Both of them joined the institute in May 1993. I felt it was a golden opportunity for the students; it actually turned out to be so. The young faculty member from IIMA, at my request, taught a course that was not his specialization but obliged as the institute was struggling to find good teachers. The senior faculty member taught a course without accepting any compensation (as he was on a notice period in another institute). As a matter of interest, he became well known for teaching an ethics course, first of its kind (required) in any management institute at that time. He authored a very popular textbook on ethics later.

 46   Challenges in Institution Building

MICRO PROCESSES AND INTERVENTIONS During this period, we used a number of means and methods of communication with students on program requirements, teaching support, and understanding. Mainly, the need for the maintenance of discipline and standards and quality of the program was emphasized. In every communication, support from faculty members was invariably sought. The PGP coordinator had all the support from the office and had in constant interaction with the teachers and the staff. More often than not, the director himself would guide and encourage him. Both formal and informal communications with him and the feedback from students and other stakeholders opened up useful discussions with teachers and enabled commensurate actions. The number of messages sent out through various circulars and formal letters and other media were indicative of the shared concerns and how much had gone into building a program with such intensity, quality, and consistent improvements, including rectification of mistakes. These received enough support from the faculty members who shared important responsibilities among them and their formalization. Besides, faculty groups were initiated to help support each faculty member in discharging their functions and responsibilities and to learn from each other. It was sharing, consulting, and assuming institutional responsibilities that would bring about understanding and the much-needed cooperation among them. It was also the beginning of laying the firm ground for introducing and maintaining the norms of behavior, conduct, and discipline. We set these following goals: 1. A program with a purpose has to have the support of all the members of faculty. It requires coordination, responsibility, and adequate and consistent communication among the teachers. It also calls for guidance and the facility of support systems. 2. Despite systems being in place and planning, there could be a number of slips in implementing changes in the program, at least in the beginning. 3. Micro processes have the advantage of making available relevant information and feedback on the program, which are reviewed quickly and periodically. The tone must be set to start with.

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We believed such means and methods had immediate practical value. DEVELOPMENT OF SYSTEMS While processes prove to be useful, the conduct of the program should be sustained with greater regularity and consistent practices of operations. Thus, evolving and developing systems became necessary and an important priority. These systems evolved suitably and were in place.  A system of regular supply of teaching and case materials with a prescribed textbook/s with suitable reference material from the library  A schedule and system for maintaining classrooms, gadgets, and offices as also cleanliness and hygiene  A system of performance standards, their elaboration, and timely communication  A system of feedback both at the level of individual faculty member and at the program level  A schedule of timings, strict maintenance of punctuality, and attendance  A system of regular and periodic reviews These systems proved to be useful with the timely execution of processes and interventions: AN INTERACTION WITH AN INTELLIGENT STUDENT I do remember one of my interactions with a bright student in the early 1990s. She had topped the university in her UG course in statistics and mathematics. She exhibited her brilliance when she joined us for the program, and soon her impatience as well. She was generally asking why she needed to attend a particular session/s and wanted the option of skipping them. She also suggested that she was not learning anything new or different, and hence be allowed to skip those classes. I came to know about it a bit later. This was in the background of the

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mandatory requirement of 100 percent attendance by the students. It was something of a very different experience for almost all students and they resisted it. However, we were able to manage to implement the 100 percent attendance requirement through our efforts of personalized attention, explanation, and a bit of punishment. I realized her case was different and her contention as well. I had an occasion to meet her and I listened to her argument. However, I told her that classes in the institute are not limited to merely learning from a teacher alone but also from discussions, interactions, and from each other during the sessions. In other words, I suggested that she might like to skip the sessions, but in doing so she is also depriving others from interacting, discussing, and learning from her and vice versa. I said that she had an academic advantage, and it would be good if she shared it with others. Being intelligent and with understanding, she thought it was a sound enough suggestion. Not only did she attend all the sessions thereafter, surprisingly, she even took some time off for post-classroom sessions in the evenings to help her batchmates and coach them in learning quantitative methods. That helped other students a great deal and added to the institute’s values. Of course, the learning from this episode and other considerations as well made us realize the value of quality of education and teaching at a higher level. Eventually, the norm of seniors helping juniors became almost a tradition in the institute. POLICY FRAMEWORK AND GUIDANCE A view of the systems and processes cannot be appreciated without a realistic understanding of the institute, in general, and the program, in particular. The detailed notes prepared and presented to the trust and the GC in the beginning (1992–1993) to seek their approval had made the task relatively easier. It provided greater clarity and comprehension, as also a holistic and long-term view of the institute.

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The paper I presented in Kathmandu, Nepal, in 1992, had set me thinking reflectively how to go about planning for the future of the institute as much as paying attention to its immediate needs. This has enabled me to write following four notes. Each one of them has their basis in the existing situation of the institute. Importantly, the plans, strategies, and their execution became a hallmark of changes, which included structural changes, process orientation, and plans for raising resources, that is, for the program, for finances, and for infrastructure. Raising the quality of the program substantially became a major strategy. Having made progress in the first two years of the program, expansion plans and new courses were considered essential to augment the image of the institute as a composite one in the long run. Following are some details of and extracts from the notes.

A note on changing the structure of the program The note alluded to the importance of changing the course structure from semesters to terms and other requirements such as the duration of the term, guidelines for preparation, and availability of teaching material in advance. The following are some of the important considerations: 1. The program allowed greater time to the students for the intensity of learning and a greater scope for project work, assignments, and advance preparation for classes. 2. The faculty members themselves found much more time for the preparation of classes but it also enabled them to interact with students outside the classroom both for curricular and extracurricular activities. 3. Yet another important change brought about the use of the terms for a continuous evaluation, periodic feedback to the students, and for coaching and helping them. 4. Finally, the four months of extra time allowed us to add more courses to the curriculum.

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A note on the improvement of two-year PG program as a means of strategy of improving the image of the institute After quick review of the program, it was realized that there was an utmost need for raising its quality before attempting other changes. It was felt that unless there were substantial improvements in conducting the program, there were no other means to improve the image of the institute. Hence, it was decided to write a detailed note indicating the changes needed immediately in the program and for a long term. The following changes were suggested: 1. Orientation of the faculty members for quality in terms of teaching a course, necessary materials, evaluation, feedback to students, etc. 2. Examination system be changed from annual to continuous evaluation 3. Immediate recruitment of a few full-time faculty members in some of the important courses such as finance, marketing and strategy 4. Initiation of process orientation for faculty members toward changes in the preparation of teaching material, evaluation of a course, presentation of course plans, seeking feedback from colleagues, seeking help from other institutes, etc. 5. Course design and planning including session-wise plans, advance provision of teaching material for students, evaluation of components of evaluation, etc. 6. Faculty development plans, both organic and otherwise, including professional training in some of the premier management institutes 7. Curriculum workshops be held internally 8. A long term plan of expansion of the current program, new programs both short term and long term 9. Increased faculty strength over a period of time 10. Recruitment of highly qualified teachers, preferably with a PhD 11. Better infrastructure, better classrooms, better housing for students, and better residences for faculty members 12. Periodic reviews of the program by faculty members, improvement in courses and teaching, etc.

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Academic plans and programs Having made some improvements in the conduct of program and having achieved a fairly good run of it, we decided to look at the future with plans for industry linkages and programs for working executives. We also decided to take advantage of parallel management education programs for young graduates from engineering, medical, and pharmacy colleges in the Manipal campus. This was to some extent based on our belief that some of them would opt for such education, if suitably packaged courses were offered during their final year of their graduation.

Goals and mission As an institution, we need to follow a course of action with specific goals and a mission in mind. Through our efforts, we saw for ourselves that raising quality has its benefits. We have been able to get better students and better teachers for them. This should enable us to have more meaningful interaction with industry and business. We will have to ensure that our program does not lag behind those of other institutes and take care of trends in management education elsewhere. We have just initiated faculty interaction in some measure with industry and business where students work on their assignments and summer internship. We have covered a wide range of organizations with fairly high images. With these strengths, we have to look ahead and prove worthy of our institution. The mission is to usher into the era of quality management, relevant and useful programs for industry and other developmental organizations. To be of use and relevance, we need to follow the principle of innovation more than imitation. A major objective of the program is to open up management education to professionals in engineering, agriculture, medicine, pharmacy and other disciplines and to those who are already working in executive positions.

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Thus, we have the following four broad segments for management education: • Professionals • Bright and young students • Owner-managers • Working executives

Resource exploration and planning As the review of the institute suggested, there was neither resource planning nor exploration of alternatives. It was thought useful to identify first the resources needed immediately and afterwards and divide them into three broad categories: • Faculty resources • Financial resources • Infrastructure resources At least some attempts were already made to identify some sources such as the industry and development agencies, parents of students and alumni, alumni themselves, IIMs, other institutes for gathering contacts for collaboration and partnerships. But it was felt necessary to detail the resources and their sources.

Faculty resources Expanded faculty complement for teaching, executive programs, and research activities Immediate recruitment of teachers in some of the core areas like finance and marketing and strategy Increase the activity profile of the faculty members and their publications Faculty development through internally shared responsibilities, exposure to other premier institutes, professional orientation, special projects, research and publications, etc.

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Financial resources Raising the fees to `20,000 per student Increasing number of enrollments from 60 to 120 Industries sponsored candidates (their employees’ children) to seek admission into the institute with lower cut-off marks and with extra payment over the tuition fees. Seek endowments and donations from well-wishers as well as from the friends of the founder of the institute Explore research projects from industry and development organizations Seek possibility for admitting children of personnel serving in the Indian armed forces in the program through an arrangement with the defense ministry Short-term programs for the banking institutes in and around Manipal

Infrastructure resources Better classrooms with better space, better furniture, and audiovisual and videoconferencing facilities Better residential facilities for students and for the teachers Better office atmosphere, provision of PCs for the faculty members and the staff Intercom and secretarial support to the faculty members The four notes written during 1992–1993 and presented to the GC were probably the most significant steps for improvements and changes. In hindsight, the implementation of many plans and activities not only improved the quality of the program and the image of the institute but also pushed us to look ahead. CLARITY AND CONCEPTS I believed that the proposed activities, plans, and programs must have a clarity of concepts as much as on their practical applicability. I was

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able to bring in most of it in the beginning. I also thought that such a base would have an advantage and enable continuous improvements, learning, and new methods over a period. The following details such understanding. Objectives of Management Education (1992–1993) • That the education imparted at the institute has to be rigorous and the basics of such an education must be sound • That it must have an emphasis on effective communication skills, both written and oral • That it must incorporate and have a solid base of functional disciplines both for their conceptual strength and for their practical utility and application • That it should have inputs with greater understanding of larger dimensions of the country and the world in general • That it must also help develop an independent outlook in the students based upon rigorous thinking and analysis blended with contextual understanding, sensitivity, and a thorough knowledge of management • That it must motivate students to learn vigorously and practice the art and science of management • That it must sensitize them to the issues of environment and development • That it must provide greater clarity on value orientation and ethics effectively, given the societal and organizational realities • That the discipline through which such expertise developed must be significant

Essentials of the Institutional Makeup (1992–1993) • Changes toward strengthening the current program in terms of quality, utility, relevance, and visibility • Restructuring the program, taking advantage of local contexts, and changing global scenarios • The internal mechanisms and processes of the institute to be so organized as to have better understanding, sharing, coordination, and monitoring of the program • Materials required for teaching to be updated at par with the recent advances in management disciplines to encourage project-based assignments

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• Adequate teaching material to be prepared by faculty members on their own for the courses they teach • Opportunities to be made available to encourage faculty to interact with their colleagues and in forums • Enable them to have continuous and effective relations with the industry and business, their managers, and other practitioners • Encourage research and publications • Efforts toward integration of disciplines and courses and the perspectives through an independent course work and other means for students through an active collaboration of the faculty and practitioners • The institute’s infrastructure and facilities to offer programs to sister institutions in Manipal and others elsewhere • Take advantage of the experience of pioneers and other institutes of repute to seek alliances • Facilitate a system of continuous education for the community in the vicinity and for those who want to seek management education and other services

ADMISSIONS: THE PROCESS We decided to make sure to admit students from all over the country and drew various plans and processes for the same. We had discussed these matters much earlier and had decided about the entire process of admissions, the systems required. Many of them were part of the note I had presented to the trust earlier and the same was circulated among all our faculty members. I took the initiative of drafting a handbook of information on the program as I had looked through the earlier editions of the same and found them rather simple and brief. There was not much detail of the program, curricular specifics, or anything about its uniqueness. The design of the handbook itself was just ordinary as was its quality of printing. In addition to rework on it, I thought of making major changes to the quality of the handbook. I spent some time preparing the draft, which I also circulated among our colleagues for their suggestions and comments. A senior faculty member who was also the registrar of the institute offered to look at the draft closely and made necessary changes. He offered me valuable advice. He was proficient in English and possessed drafting skills. His support came at the right time and proved handy in preparing this important document.

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There were a number of additions, conceptual and otherwise, to the handbook. Thanks to all the efforts that went in during the year in streamlining the program—the inputs, addition of courses, more teachers’ recruitment, specifics on standards of teaching, evaluation methods, respective weights of the courses, etc. All possible elaboration was incorporated in the entire procedure of admissions. The handbook clearly indicated the requirements such as compulsory campus residence and following of norms of expected behavior and desired discipline. It also included the changes we had made so far in the program. It also provided information about the location of the institute, its preeminence as a known educational destination, particularly for medicine and other related disciplines. However, earlier editions did not provide a map showing the location and we found this to be a serious miss. We made the correction and a map was included in the handbook. Thanks to a very senior army personnel, who came to Manipal to enroll his son in the program in July 1992 and could not find the place on the map of India! I paid personal attention to the design and quality of the handbook and took the registrar’s help. I went to a local press with the best of technology and personnel. I met the people and told them that we wanted much better quality and design. I explained to them some of the significant content of the handbook and told them how it was to be printed, among other details. I also elaborated on the quality of the photographs to be included. For the sake of quality, I made it clear that cost was not a major consideration. The handbook certainly came out better, though it still needed further improvements. We decided to print a large number of copies, at least 10 times more than the earlier editions. The next decision I took was to advertise about the institute in a big way, and in a number of newspapers including local ones. It cost a huge amount at the time and the `10 lakh handed over to me when I took the charge were blown up in one go! However, it made a huge difference in the number of applications we received for admission from different places in the country, which went up almost 10 times than earlier. Thus, the effort had paid off.

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We looked into the entire process of candidate selection and identified areas for improvement. We identified the required criteria beforehand and discussed them to the bone. We also worked out the norms of selection, time to be devoted to each candidate, some of the standard questions to be asked, and composed the selection panels and the number of members in each. The number of centers for conducting interviews was also increased. We had decided the minimum cut-off for candidates to qualify for interviews with clear instructions. We also involved faculty members from some of the sister institutions for the Manipal center. This was the first set of changes and the improvements continued apace with appropriate means over the years. By 1995, we had moved on to join CAT of IIM and were perhaps the first one among the very few institutes to have done so by then. PLACEMENT ACTIVITY: INITIATION Placement was a low-key activity in the institute, in both process and responsibility. It was neither planned nor given its due earlier. However, we felt that it should be given due importance considering the overall image and identity of the institute. We systematized the entire placement activity (including summer internships) with a faculty member taking responsibility as its coordinator and a group of other teachers supporting him. He was provided with an exclusive office and a secretary. I decided that I would assume direct responsibility for the activity. I traveled extensively across major cities and visited a number of companies during 1992–1999. It substantially improved our placement record. I also drafted the brochures for placement with some help from our colleagues. RESEARCH AND PUBLICATIONS We made a small beginning for research as a potentially significant institutional activity with two new young faculty members joining the institute.

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In summary, the important measures we took were as follows: • • • • • • •

Setting the house in order Improvisation in every respect Concentration on discipline, regularity, and stability Systematic improvements of the program and its administration Responsibility and support of teachers Regular communications among teachers and students Changes in nomenclature such as lecturers to assistant professor, course duration from semesters to terms, etc. ADDITIONAL SPACE AND OTHER IMPROVEMENTS

The institute gained an additional space of a newly constructed twostory building at a time that could not have been better. It was the time we had planned an additional intake of students by adding more facilities. It took some time furnishing the building. Importantly, we were able to make the best possible changes. It instantly became a model facility for a model institute even for those times and, interestingly, for other institutes much older than ours. The design of classrooms, quality and user-friendliness of furniture, and other aesthetics stood out. We got most of the work done by local carpenters along with some assistance from the engineering college. During this time, we also received a small grant of `1 lakh from AMDISA for conducting a case workshop for management teachers at the institute. We made best use of the grant in not only conducting the workshop but also in designing and furnishing a brand-new conference room. SUMMARY AND TAKEAWAYS The changes that we envisaged and made at the level of the three major stakeholders of the institute, namely the trust and the GC, the teachers, and the students proved useful. They offered a broad picture of the identity that the institute came to be known for later. The mostly “soft” investments that we were able to make, the values that

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we believed in, the identity we sought to establish, and the priorities we set turned out to be a good “institutional capital.” It was only a matter of time for us to build on it for several activities we pursued over the course of its long journey. Specifically, there were important changes and plans as much as their implementation in the process of developing institutional values, processes, and activities. • Attending to immediate needs, their planning, and preparation for the future • Emphasizing the quality of admissions, paying attention to placement • Personal attention to guide and support faculty, students, and staff with consistent and timely communication • Orientation for faculty members, improved quality of teaching, prior preparation, and planning of the sessions • Initiation of research activity and responsibility sharing among the teachers and the staff • Conceptual orientation and clarity for the program and the institute • Setting priorities, planning ahead, and improving resources with the support of governing bodies • Looking at the big picture and a long-term orientation for the institute The next chapter continues with quality in all aspects of the institutional life and creation of an environment congenial to further growth and development.

Improvements and Changes Quality Upfront

3

INTRODUCTION

Creating the Environment We continued to put in efforts toward upgrading the quality of every aspect of the institute; however, we felt that unless there is a proper environment in the institute for such quality to come about, the piecemeal approach we were following to improve the program may not be sustainable. There must be a fair understanding of what it means to be quality conscious, what it entails, and what needs to be done to make all stakeholders aware of its importance. We believed that setting objectives and purpose creates avenues for such thinking. However, we realized that unless the operations and routines are stable, the program might not get on track. Hence, we concentrated our efforts initially on stabilizing the program. We also felt that some of the first few steps we had taken were important in ensuring a climate for change and boosting the morale and motivation for bringing in quality. This chapter indicates some of the considerations we made while setting the tone. We managed to impart a good degree of stability to the program and to various activities of the institute. Routines were worked out and a clear cycle of functioning of the institute was set up. The faculty members had assumed their responsibilities in all earnestness and were assisted and supported by the staff. The administrative function of the institute was streamlined. The place was looking better. It appeared that a year’s intensive efforts on all fronts had paid off. By then, we had demonstrated that given a purpose and a will, even with limited resources and other constraints, things could be made

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better. I believe that there is always some kind of natural outcome to our sincere approach and efforts. However, we had decided not to let go of this stimulated mood for progress, by any chance, but to make the best use of the situation with confidence. We had already developed basic concepts and evolved necessary processes that were meant for planning the next set of activities in the immediate future. CONSTITUTIONAL BODIES: UNDERSTANDING Thankfully, we had not only streamlined the functioning of the constitutional bodies but had also worked out clear routines of sharing information, proposals, decisions, approaches, and their deliberation for each quarter. This set up a good mechanism and, importantly, it established the legitimacy and transparency of such actions. It was the beginning of building trustful relations and a set of productive and useful activities. I felt it was but natural to act in this manner, as we wanted to build an institution based on values of trust, harmony, and honesty of purpose. Most of the Elders were good souls but except one or two of them, management education at higher levels was not their forte. Blessing in disguise I felt it was as they had largely left it to me to take necessary initiatives and act to make good in the given circumstances. Though the local members attended the meetings, non-local members did not either attend meetings regularly or participate much in the deliberations. However, there was one local gentleman who though lived elsewhere used to attend almost all meetings. He probably read all the agendas and corresponding proceedings. He was also supportive and used to raise issues to help matters. He took a personal interest in me and wanted to assist us in our efforts to garner some funds for the institute. However, despite his sincere efforts and his accompanying me to meet some of the big industrialists in Chennai, nothing materialized. Another well-placed member had a good knowledge of management education across the globe. He attended the meetings occasionally. However, the very first meeting after I joined that he attended

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made a great difference to our efforts. He shared such encouraging observations on the note (improvement of quality of the program as a strategy for improving the image of the institute) that it gave me a lot of confidence. Another local member—a good Samaritan and himself an educationist—used to encourage and advise me. The one who was the most important trustee (treasurer) never interfered in but offered valuable suggestions. I came to know that he was a man of many interests who had played a significant role in the development of Manipal and its educational institutions. However, there was another equally important trustee from the family, who headed a well-recognized group of institutes that were gathering laurels for Manipal. However, he remained silent most of the times in the meetings. Overall, the periodic meetings made all of them understand the way the institute had started working with its touched-up profile. Three other members never attended any meetings during my entire tenure at the institute. One was a well-known industrial giant who wanted to help the institute with large sums of money toward building its campus. In fact, he had come to Manipal in a private aircraft for the foundation stone ceremony sometime in the mid-1980s. It seems that he had promised a huge sum of money in the presence of the then chief minister of the state and wanted to see the institute become a top-class one. It is another story that nothing really happened thereafter, and the promised donation never came as he passed away and though one of the trustees had maintained contacts with his family, nothing came out of it. Another member was a senior IAS officer who was supposed to represent the regulatory body (All India Council for Technical Education, AICTE). He used to say that he would like to attend the meetings in Manipal though he never attended any of the meetings. I had met him once or twice in his Delhi office. The third member was a very senior and well-known person in the banking circle who also never attended any meeting. When I wrote to him and met him later, he only said that he found it very tiresome to travel to the place given his advanced age. It was during this time that I suggested to the trustees that it might be useful to include some other members in the GC, particularly those

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who were engaged in the field of management education and were known for their expertise and experience. They agreed and the GC included two new people who remained as members for a long period. Others were either current or retired CMDs of public sector banks and their contributions were limited to encouraging and offering a good word about the institute. I also met two important trustees in my early days as the director of TAPMI. As is already mentioned, one of them never interfered in the matters and was only supportive. I met him in his house mainly as a courtesy call. After some pleasantries, he told me that the institute was not strong and required to be healthier. I also paid a courtesy visit to another trustee, an important one and influential as well, in his house. He was courteous enough and inquired about my background and other things. Then suddenly he told me not to ask for any money as they were going through a tight spot. He also mentioned the Supreme Court judgment banning capitation fees in educational institutes. I left the place without responding. Fortunately and interestingly, I never had any occasion to approach him for money for the institute during the next 16 years. We lived on our own and raised enough funds (in the form of soft loans) for the institute including building a very tasteful, decent, and large campus in an enviable environment. People from the local and surrounding areas approached the trustees to seek favors, particularly for admissions in local institutions. This was encouraged for a variety of reasons and everyone knew it. Similarly, some approached them for admission in our institute as well and I had to face some pressure, particularly in the early years. However, our attempts for more preventive steps warded off such unwarranted overtures. The president of the trust (also chairman of the GC) never stopped talking about patronage and, on the top of it, he used to argue vehemently in practically all meetings about the need for admitting the locals. Luckily, we worked out measures like sponsored candidates with some rules to admit any such candidate but only after having satisfied some minimum conditions and with a payment of sponsorship money. Even so, he used to express his reservations and

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unhappiness most of the time. We were able to succeed in convincing him to some extent since the institute had by then become quite famous in the country. Joining CAT early on had certainly influenced the growth as well as prevented any reckless admissions. I remember that once he said in one of the meetings that the selection of sponsored candidates should be left to the “management.” CLIMATE IN THE INSTITUTE Quite unbelievably, things started looking much better everywhere in the institute and the general climate was pleasant. There was a semblance of order and a system. Even the local people started wondering how things had started changing so much for the better, which probably was one of the reasons they placed inordinate demands for admission in the institute. Faculty members took their responsibilities seriously and there were regular classes. There was better monitoring of the students and better support and help were available to them. The performance standards were in place. Although there was some resistance from students and parents, we managed them well with some personal attention and by convincing them. Against such resistance and some interference here and there, what saved us was the general appreciation of changes that we had affected. My belief had grown that the well-being and growth of the institute could be an antidote to all this. QUALITY: THE UPPERMOST CONSIDERATION Many, including the Elders, felt that all efforts were aimed at the quality of the program. This perception bore out well in the reality; the credibility of actions received its due and there was even a high degree of support from some of the trustees and members of the GC. Internally, the staff, in general, and the faculty, in particular, could discern the changes and their impact on the behavior of the students. The previous chapter has described most of the initial efforts and measures taken to initiate change and pursue quality in various aspects of the institute. All of them were aimed at building the sought-after image of the institute. In this chapter, I present some of the important principles

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and practices we adopted and the considerations we made with one goal in mind: uplift the quality of the program and of the institute. FOLLOW A PIONEER One of the most important considerations for me was to follow a pioneer in this respect. My own learning and understanding of the fellowship program and four years of study at IIMA had given me a firsthand experience. I knew we were in no way close to the kind of program offered at IIMA. However, given my ardent desire to make the program one of the top ones in the country, I felt the IIMA program could be a model for designing ours with an understanding of our institute’s local context, resources, and abilities as far as the essential features and principles were concerned. I decided that we would adapt by localizing and processing some of the features which could be implemented relatively easily, such as the residential requirement, 100 percent attendance, regular sessions, intensity of academic work and prior preparation, advance materials, and continuous evaluation. I, of course, knew that we could not have the same kind of faculty complement as IIMA with their qualifications and experience. Ultimately, the rigor and quality of teaching are essentially the function of the teachers while the systems and processes enable such teaching and its effectiveness. FACULTY COMPLEMENT: QUALITY FACILITATION In one of the earlier trust meetings, the trustees accepted in principle the expansion plans for the institute as well as for the faculty complement. However, they suggested that Manipal had always grown by encouraging retired persons! I told them that whenever a suitable retired person is available, we could consider him/her for a teaching position. At the same time, it was important that the younger teachers assumed more responsibilities and a proper mix of experienced faculty members might be useful for meeting the institute’s standards. The trustees who had gained their experience working in the fields of arts and science and disciplines of medicine and engineering were under the impression that a PG management studies institute could be

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run with a similar cast of mind, organizational structure, and faculty composition. I have some interesting episodes to recount on recruitment of teachers for the institute. One of the trustees from Manipal retorted by asking what was so great about the teachers when I emphasized that ultimately the kind and quality of the teacher decide the quality of the program and thereby the reputation of the institute. One is much more amusing. The president of the trust once asked, after seeing the gathering at the convocation, why there were so many teachers and whether they had enough work. At that time, we had about 20 fulltime teachers in the institute. More often than not, the local trustees talked about and made comparisons with local colleges. Perhaps it is the same story everywhere! Thankfully, we were able to take a different view and managed to add more members to the faculty complement. However, it was a question of building the faculty complement both qualitatively and quantitatively. We started looking at this issue from the upper most level. Some of the measures we took are described in Chapters 1 and 2. We decided to continue with the efforts of recruiting young yet highly qualified teachers. Meanwhile, we were able to get the help of teachers visiting from IIMB and others already working in the industry, thanks to my friends at both IIMA and IIMB. In fact, a senior executive from Chennai taught the production and operations management course at the institute. The executive was one of the alumni from an early batch of IIMA. Since he had gotten to know our students quite well, he offered a few of them placements in his organization. I must add that in our efforts for better teaching, we had to take some unpleasant decisions too. One of them was to discontinue the arrangement for a visiting faculty from one of the local engineering colleges and similarly from other local institutions. We recruited five more teachers during this time and one of them was a PhD from the Ohio State University. He proved to be quite resourceful and student friendly. While he taught courses in communication and marketing, his contributions were significant in other areas too. He brought all his experience toward increasing the

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quality of the program in every respect and added élan to many activities of the institute. He organized the students well for tasteful and decent co- and extracurricular activities and laid the foundation for such things at the institute. He organized placement activities for the students and supported the coordinator. He initiated and helped in conducting most of the teacher and student functions. His contributions, which include Brand Scan, a market research fair organized by the students, most popular in this part of the country and one of the best of its kind among management institutes, were appropriate and well needed for the times. The recruitment of new teachers continued. We evolved a fullfledged system for the selection of candidates, which, over a period, became more rigorous. We were able to identify most of the candidates informally through some of our contacts and friends. I used to directly contact the potential candidates by visiting institutes. Not only did we keep the Elders formally informed about such efforts, but we also worked out a system of formal endorsement and approval, based on the recommendations of the faculty panel, meant for each recruitment. A personnel committee was set up with the president of the trust as chair and two other members from the trust or the GC. The relentless efforts of faculty recruitment and selection stood out as one of the strengths of the institute as we strived to identify better candidates year after year. Thus, it was an advantage in the years to come in the quality of the faculty complement, despite the constant turnover in the early years. It certainly took us some time, almost 7–8 years, to establish a good faculty complement and sustain its quality. A number of other institutional processes besides the institute’s growth and the emphasis on young PhDs as teachers from better institutes made the difference. The practices we followed and the investments we made in faculty development added to the strength of faculty members. BHARATHIDASAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT: LEARNING A GOOD MODEL I had heard about Bharathidasan Institute of Management (BIM) in the early days of my joining the institute. A B-school that became one of the best in the country and a leading one in South India, BIM is located

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in Trichy, within the large campus of BHEL. It became a model for management studies institutes in the country and was patronized by BHEL, which provided the best possible infrastructure necessary to the institute including residential facilities for students and teachers both recruited and visiting. Luckily, its director was an alumnus of IIMA and a former senior executive of BHEL. With the support of the mentors, he had developed the institute with the best features—quality faculty members, good teaching, admissions from all over the country, and a good ambience. Chennai, not being far off, provided BIM with the best of the visiting faculties on a regular basis. I thought I must get some ideas from BIM and wrote to its director. He responded immediately asking me to visit BIM at the earliest. The experience of my two-day stay in BIM is worth recalling here. I put together a brief note as soon as I returned to Manipal. The note was a description of my impressions of the institutional processes at BIM. The first impression was the informality prevailing among the students and the teachers. The institute being a residential campus, teachers and students met regularly outside the normal class sessions. During my stay, I saw a number of students and teachers meet even in the night after dinner. These meetings were rather informal and provided a base for better interactions, solving problems including personal ones, discussions on the program, and other institutional and academic matters. A very welcome feature indeed! The students and teachers living on the same campus and meeting informally every now and then created an amiable atmosphere for both learning and interpersonal relations. It was as if some kind of unwritten agenda was there for improving matters and improving quality in all aspects. The discipline and conduct of students were also exceptionally good. I could see and experience their interest in the studies and in the institutional matters when I talked with them. I met all faculty members along with one of the board members. Their enthusiasm and commitment and the support of the board were evident. MUNDANE BUT IMPORTANT A few of the measures that raised our institute’s credibility are worth mentioning. I found that there were complaints by the local suppliers

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of stationery and other items that payments were not made on time and invariably there had been delays in such payments. One of the reasons I realized was the lack of enough cash to pay in time and there used to be some kind of adjustments made until such time when some money was available. With the raising of the tuition fee (a decision taken earlier), the cash position had improved. I told the registrar that such small payments must be paid immediately, at least in three days’ time. About 30 of them, the staff of the institute was large. Most of them were local or from nearby villages. One could see some obvious reason behind such a number. However, it was odd that they were paid almost a pittance. No one was paid more than a few hundred. My secretary was drawing a monthly salary of `450! I discussed the matter with the registrar, and we decided to give them a raise. We also decided that there would be no further addition to the staff. I also informed the trust about the decision. Despite low salary, the staff in general was good. The accounts of the institute were maintained well and in fine fettle. My predecessor, who himself was a qualified accounting professional, had developed simple systems and trained two of the staff. He had a good assistant and secretary who looked after most of the small administrative matters and provided help to all teachers and the staff. The registrar, himself a fine person, took care of the overall administration including academic matters. I had the least to worry on this count. I did not intervene in the matters much except reorganizing and cleaning the place. However, I told the staff that every letter going out must have a proper and full address without any mistakes and misspellings. Earlier, no one bothered about such small things. I showed the business card used by my predecessor to some of the staff and asked them if they would like to suggest any changes in the design, color, size, etc. I could see their happiness in being consulted. I believe such small matters also count. Thankfully, I had all the time for the program and its larger issues. THE LIBRARY Surprisingly, the library was in a good shape, the collection of the books was laudable, and the librarian was a live wire and enthusiastic

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professional. I spent some time with him. He had a small band of assistants who were equally devoted to the work. I thought a leg up and some motivation could make the functioning of the library even better. I told him to stop stacking the library with textbooks anymore. I also suggested that such books acquired by the library should be distributed among students at a discounted price and only a sample of such books should be kept in the library. The librarian himself took several initiatives on his own, with the coordination and support of the faculty members. In general, we encouraged him by all means for his sincere efforts and for his enthusiasm. He was the convener of the library committee and a member of some important committees in the institute. The library became one of the best among management institutes and at one time it was next only to IIMB’s library in South India rankings. We developed it systematically in consonance with the overall objectives of the program as well as the image and identity of the institute. We also aimed for a long-time goal and purpose of library development. The librarian played a singularly large role in this respect and the growth of the library was evident as years passed. We believed that it was the payback of an integrated outlook of a top-class institute. QUALITY We also believed that the overall context of an institute would provide a basis and sustenance to the quality upgradation process of the program and other efforts made under the aegis of the institute. While it is true that microprocesses and experiments had added to the program quality, it would not have lasted if there were no simultaneous efforts on other fronts—be they policy considerations, support of constitutional bodies, governance, articulation and communication of the intended measures, clarity of thoughts and concepts, principles and philosophy of conduct, or the overall ambiance of the institute. In a nutshell, it was more about practicing rather than preaching. Yet another feature was voluntary participation by faculty members in developing a code of conduct for the faculty members and the institute. It was borne out of the concern for building mutual respect

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and consideration for discharging one’s work responsibility, as there was no such framework of guidelines and norms so far. Though the idea regarding formulating and documenting a code of conduct was my brainchild, so to speak, most of the contents of the document were contributed by my colleagues at that time. The document was improved and fine-tuned by the successive groups of the faculty members. This probably attests the value of the document itself; however, its real importance lied in the reflection of the institutional values that were pursued relentlessly. The document added further to such measures such as 100 percent attendance, regularity of classes, punctuality, and advanced preparation for the upcoming classes. The policy framework, meant for the faculty and staff and their development, provided a solid foundation to the institute toward developing an ethos of work, harmony, value, and adding to its prestige and respect. COMPENSATION POLICY: BEGINNINGS Very early on, a number of discussions about compensation and the policy for it took place in one of the trust meetings when I proposed it as one of the agenda items. The president of the trust wanted certain clarifications on the mode of payment as well as comparing it with that of other institutes. I explained while there was a need for some comparison, TAPMI was not strictly comparable with other institutes in Manipal as it was not only autonomous but also a postgraduate management institute. I brought to the attention of the trustees that the supply and demand position of teachers for such an institute was very different and that the most difficult part was to find suitable teachers. I also told them that it was necessary to offer an appropriate and respectable compensation package and policy, given the weightiness of the work (teaching) and its quality. Yet another reason was the expansion of the program itself and plans for new programs. The trustees agreed in principle to the suggestion of higher compensation for both the teachers and the staff. However, they cautioned that approved higher compensation should not give rise to frequent salary revisions. They suggested that there should be some parity with the industry standards.

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PLACEMENT QUALITY While we had to satisfy ourselves with whosoever or whichever organization visited the institute for the placement of students, I felt I must myself look at a few well-known and big companies. Though I knew that it was bit audacious, I thought there would be no harm in approaching them even if the response was negative. I thought perhaps I could learn from the experience I would get and possibly carry on and improve the approach in the coming years. Over the next few years, it not only made sense but immensely helped us in many respects. I used my old contacts for that. My dissertation (for the fellowship program of IIMA) work was in L&T in the late 1970s and I had come in contact with some of the senior executives. I wrote to one of them (during 1992–1993) suggesting that we have some good students and requested him to try placing them suitably in L&T. Fortunately, I got a positive response from him. Later, one of the executives from its HRD called me and asked me how to reach Manipal and what was the best means to do so. He visited us, conducted a test for about 20 students, shortlisted 6, and finally selected 2 for placement. He offered them the position of postgraduate trainee. This changed the atmosphere in the institute. Similarly, I personally met the chief executive of Eicher, requesting him to extend the company’s placement facility to TAPMI. He accepted my request and a group of their executives visited us. They picked up 10 students after a due process of selection. It further added to the value of the institute and the perception of the students and teachers. Most importantly, it lifted the morale of the students tremendously as much as that of the institute. CODE OF CONDUCT During this period, we made a number of attempts to stabilize the program and its quality and to systematize the operations, but we did not stop thinking about the institute on new, innovative lines. The air in the institute was full of enthusiasm and it was bustling with ideas for future plans. One such was a code of conduct for the teachers. I

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prepared a draft, shared it among them for their inputs, and made it a better one after their inputs. It was amazing to see the interest they showed. At least five of them went through the draft and fine-tuned it. The document exemplified the values of the institute as much as the active involvement of the teachers. It came very early in the life of the institute and was reflective of the teachers’ belief as to their work norms, their roles, responsibilities, and conduct. The code of conduct evolved out of their experiences over the years to conduct themselves in a climate of mutual respect, faith, and orderliness in one’s behavior. It was meant for ensuring certain standards of performance and aiming at excellence in one’s activities and performance. It was expected to bring a climate of professional excellence ensuring all-round development of the institute. We could see most of it had happened along with other measures and plans. However, its very idea had enabled using it later as an integral part of comprehensive performance assessment of the teachers. A REFLECTION OF EXPERIENCE: THE CURRICULUM From the review of the program, discussions with teachers, and looking around at the functioning of other institutes, I felt that it was necessary to prepare a good and comprehensive curriculum. I had to take the major responsibility. I consulted the teachers as and when necessary and sought help from other elite institutes too. The revision of the program, a comprehensive curriculum, and addition of new courses clearly revealed the purpose of the institute. However, it took almost a year. The period was appropriate and necessary to incorporate such major changes. In fact, the batch that joined in 1993 (after the half-page ad I placed across India) turned out to be one of the best but had to follow the toughest curriculum and its rigorous implementation. Certainly, there were difficulties and some hiccups as well. However, with my assuming the direct responsibility, many such doubts and troubles were not only sorted out but were also addressed effectively. Many of the students wondered if it was possible to have such a rigorous and thoughtful curriculum and its implementation in an institute like

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ours. Fortunately, the new teachers who joined then spearheaded the matters much. They were not only good teachers, but they also worked with the students closely, interacting with them both in and out of classroom, and impressing upon them the value of a rigorous program and how to draw the best possible mileage out of it. I also helped in sorting out some of the small issues directly through interacting with students and faculty members closely. Though the word spread that I was too tough with students, they felt and realized that it was in their own interest and for their benefit. Well, initial reactions are always different! The results we achieved were good. The program gained good traction and value but most significantly, there were substantial improvements in the placement record. It had also given a real boost to the entire institute including motivating the teachers. They could see the benefits of being methodical and thorough, adopting a systematic approach of conducting the program and by owning greater responsibility of students and teaching. It became so popular that local people and other students eagerly awaited it year after year. Increasingly, the support of big companies and their funding to this activity added to its popularity and significance. CLIMATE FOR QUALITY We were keen to consider quality and its application quickly in all activities and their significant constituents. As the facilitator and supporter, the constitutional bodies, their regular functioning, and their advice as much as our ability to place the most important issues before them helped the institute a great deal. I felt that the students needed to have a clear understanding of what was in store for them, what they could look forward to, and how they could best use all that was available. The readiness with which the institute could prepare itself to address all these was our major focus. Supported by the standards, quality, and the rigor of the program, a comprehensive curriculum was the main highlight in the very first communication at the beginning of the students’ entry into the institute. The teachers voluntarily added a process of establishing a code of conduct for changing the

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climate in the institute. Similarly, the experience we gained from what we considered the contours of quality for management education was a clear reflection of what we could do and accomplish in a matter of years (1992–1995). Let me list out in brief here the most important contours as conceptualized out of the experience we had gained by then (1995). I presented the same as a paper in a conference of management educators. 1. Decide what is needed and be clear about the objectives 2. Learn from a pioneer 3. Strengthen teaching resources (with progressive personnel policies) 4. Involve the teachers 5. Develop faculty complement 6. Develop curriculum 7. Foster industry–institute relations 8. Forge alliances and networking 9. Map out styles of management—entrepreneurial and participative 10. Open culture in the institute—greater informality in relations, less bureaucracy, personal touch and support, open communications, transparency, and better and professional practices in all areas of the institute 11. Future perspectives 12. Strategies The entire picture of the contours of quality for management education was a result of our efforts and a number of plans we had initiated by then. It was clear that we had aimed at building an environment in the institute that was focused on quality. Thus, it was a matter of simple values and strong foundations for the institute. Quality and environment provided the bases for such foundation. As we went along, we made some experiments and innovations that became another feature of the institute, particularly, in matters of curriculum, faculty development, institutional mechanisms, and processes. We will have those details in the subsequent chapters.

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SUMMARY AND TAKEAWAYS Quality, its importance, the processes for achieving it, and the practices that evolved were largely in tune with the long-term orientation of the institute. A conducive environment for taking the institute to new heights was prepared through consideration of the teachers’ responsibility, involvement, voluntary activities, and quality of teaching as well as through a rigorous curriculum, creative cocurricular activities, best possible programs and placement for the students, and, in general, the overall ambience and growth culture in the institute.

2

Governance Integrated Picture

4

An institute’s influence, importance, and value are primarily based on its performance and credibility. Credibility arises from its values and the integrity with which its operations are managed. The system of governance and its structure play a key role in building such credibility. The governance at TAPMI has been a balanced activity of guidance, direction, and counsel, resulting in meaningful sets of tasks and responsibilities. The system is institutionalized through regular and periodic sharing of information, seeking advice, and documentation of decisions. Individual and group responsibilities at the teachers’ and executive levels, both formally and informally, with systems in place and procedures evolved over a period, resulted in a robust and integral system of governance. It became a great facilitator and provided support for actions that we initiated and for efforts made, both current and future. INTRODUCTION The importance of governing systems and constitutional bodies of the institute was indicated in the previous chapters. Let us now understand in some detail their functioning, their composition, the changes they underwent, and their contribution to the legitimacy and performance of the institute. Nonetheless, the earnestness with which we proactively initiated them as well as got them functioning also reflects our values. The stand we took was that systematization, regularity, frequency, advance planning, setting up the agenda and

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their discussion, and the subsequent proceedings would be the beginning of enabling good governance. Along with the formalization, an adequate ground was also prepared in the institute by implementing decisions, providing timely information, and seeking approval and counsel from the constitutional bodies. Thus, there was a clear understanding of governance and its importance and of the commensurate systems, procedures, responsibilities of the executive, as also that of an enabling environment in the institute. This chapter provides a detailed account of the range and the importance of issues, plans, problems, proposals, and overall initiatives presented and discussed in the meetings of the governing bodies. The meetings were held every quarter, that is, in March, July, October, and December—though the first meeting after I joined was held in July— with no break for over 16 years (besides one emergency meeting) with 65 agendas and their proceedings, thereby covering a wide gamut of issues. We held a few meetings outside Manipal as well (at our CEE in Bangalore and at Indian School of Business [ISB] in Hyderabad) for the convenience and exposure of the institute’s GC members. This chapter also presents and demonstrates further the proactive stance we took to raise the quality, sourcing adequate resources, financial plans, managing funds, creating surpluses, and, importantly, voluntarily creating a checks and balances system. The systems, structures, and the processes evolved at the executive level and continuous improvement in them reinforced the value and effectiveness of governance. The preparation of the annual budget year after year by the collective efforts of the faculty members was an important governance factor not only in making due allowances for the current operations but also for an adequate provision for developing the institute, the faculty members, and the staff. It also reveals an approach toward an integrated nature of governance over this period. The reputation and the value of the institute, its growth with quality as a major consideration bear largely upon our proactive stance and approach toward governing systems and

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their effective functioning. We considered it as a significant means of cultivation and practice of autonomy of the institute. As was suggested earlier, quality and reputation of the program and its sustainability were not possible without a proper and integrated functioning of the institute. Certainly, it would not have sustained without a sound governance. Moreover, we believed that such stance and practice enabled us to assume larger responsibilities with the support of the constitutional bodies. All said and done, the system of governance and its cultivation increased the autonomy, value, and growth of the institute. CONCEPTUAL UNDERSTANDING The beginning was the formation of a basis for the identity of the institute and a conceptual clarity was needed. It might not have been perfect to start with but it ensured that the process started. The clarity with which an approach is conceived and articulated would be the foundation of institutional governance. It builds upon the need for a meaningful activity or a set of activities that befits an institution, its governance system, and the stakeholders. This is probably the first step. However, the concept and articulation are only one aspect and the importance of the means by which it is operational is another. A genuine concern, phased development, and accountable resource planning are critical in such articulation. The roles and responsibilities and work orientation of the faculty members, and the support of the staff are equally critical in the governance of the institute. The transparency with which many of these are actualized and realized is the next step in good governance. However, such implementation has to be largely driven by the faculty members. The account and description of various decisions—significant, substantial, or even routine—­policy matters, their discussion, and other initiatives introduce transparency and its visible impact on the institutional functioning. Information was periodically provided to the governing bodies on program administration, quality standards, and the introduced changes. Achieving self-sufficiency, the efforts toward increasing

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finances in general to have a sound financial grounding add to the efficiency of governance and demonstrate the institute’s autonomy. AGENDA Now I present some details of how the agendas were prepared, presented, and discussed in the two constitutional bodies. Over a period, routine items, continuous upgradation and freshly prepared presentations reflected the institute’s growth issues with some of the problems, pending or otherwise. New proposals, schemes, and practices were adopted regularly, and their range was enormous—academic, program related, finances, investments, infrastructure, account audits, balance sheet and periodic internal audit reports, faculty development, and alliances and networking. Such a range reflects the provision of adequate information and communication as much as seeking approvals, endorsement, and guidance and counsel of the governing bodies. A synchronized working of the entire system and a detailed account keeping of the institute’s performance and progress not only added to the transparency but also imparted it a stamp of authenticity. No doubt this also ensured and sustained the autonomy of the institute with minimum interferences from the trustees. Even when there were some, the system facilitated us to overcome them and there was not much scope for micromanagement. Thus, we could move faster and as required with this ingenious system in place. No wonder the institute had acquired a reputation for effective governance. For us, it was not mere fulfillment of constitutional obligations but also a meaningful activity to facilitate effective functioning of the institute. Everything that more or less happened during the period of three months between two quarterly meetings was reported dutifully, or even religiously, with diligence and care in presenting the agenda. Probably, it was also our sheer enthusiasm and interest to influence the institute’s governance.

Agenda Preparation: Process and Proceedings Since meetings were held every quarter, preparing an agenda and sending it to the members of the trust and the GC in advance was

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important. There were no delays on this front; agenda items were identified almost within a period of about two months and thus there was little scope of missing out any important item. Soon after the meetings, the proceedings were prepared and circulated within 2–3 weeks. We collected information about the progress of the program as well as emerging issues, difficulties, or even problems from various coordinators. Since a senior faculty member coordinated the administrative function, it was an advantage to have at one go all the information pertaining to the functioning of the institute. Once all information was pooled, it was more or less a routine work: arranging them sequentially and in the order of importance along with the decisions taken during the period in question, detailed information on the action taken, new initiatives, and other regular matters. The process of preparing agenda, thus, was a thorough exercise undertaken with utmost care and consideration. We identified issues and collated systematically collected information from our faculty members, colleagues, and in-charges of major activities in addition to using the proceedings of previous meetings. There were other routine items such as seeking approvals for issues, such as land acquisition for the campus, which were raised in almost every meeting. Organizing meetings four times a year with an advance notice and materials helped a great deal as far as performance was concerned. Two trust meetings alternately followed by two GC meetings were held separately every year until 1998. Since then, combined meetings of both the trust and the GC have been organized for the convenience of and for better attendance from the members. (The trustees are common to both these bodies and, as mentioned earlier, the president of the trust is the chairman of the GC.) Nothing was thus lost or missed our gaze with regard to understanding the agenda and its planned preparation and follow-up. This was not merely what was uppermost in our mind but also a calibration of our thinking to view the institute holistically. Another interesting dimension to the entire exercise was a continuous assessment of the performance and its analysis, appraisal of actions, and the status of the progress made so far. It was a simple way of communicating practically almost everything to the governing

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bodies. Documenting and recording incessantly was the highlight, to say the least. In turn, it helped and allowed us to initiate big and new changes and implement them despite hurdles, handicaps, indifference, and other constraints, and even the envy of a few important people in the trust. CREATING BUDGET We started preparing a well-articulated annual budget with a clear understanding of the priorities every year. The budget was invariably presented to the trust and the GC at the end of each financial year in the meeting that coincided with the annual convocation. The participation of the faculty members and functional coordinators in the preparation of the budget made it purposeful and increased its utility immensely. This reinforced the transparency of finances as well as the responsibility of the faculty members, who constituted a significant group of stakeholders. The autonomy of the institute and its uniqueness were also possible because of this. This approach also strengthened trust in the system. We had introduced some special features into budget-making by 1992 itself. The first one was a small provision of funds (`5 lakh) for faculty development. We could not even spend this amount as we had few faculty members then and our concentration largely was on the program. However, we continued with the same provision and it became one of the important sources of funding for faculty development later. Gradually, the budget also incorporated some perennial sources of funding through the contribution of resource-generating functions such as PGP, placement, admissions, executive education, sponsorships, and hostel administration. The estimates from the respective functional coordinators provided for both contributions and costs of admissions, placement, executive programs, hostels, etc. After due consultations with them, final estimates would be prepared and incorporated in the budget. Overall, it was a thorough and useful exercise. The coordinators enjoyed functional autonomy and the estimates would be largely theirs.

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As the surpluses increased over the years, we made provisions for staff welfare, incentives and perquisites for the faculty members, for infrastructure and facilities (including CEE in Bangalore), investments for library and computer center, and the institute’s corpus fund. SURPLUSES Budget-making is one thing and generation of surpluses is another. The budget provided for all priorities, even liberally so. However, we were able to work out a system of simple financial management that resulted in healthy practices and surpluses, every year, from the late 1990s onwards. It was an outcome of the overall efficiency of the system. The sources for raising surpluses include (the amounts are in rupees): 1. Increase in the enrollment of students (at the rate of 20% per year) resulted in about 3 crores 2. Sponsorship amount added to another 3 crores 3. Placement fee from the recruiters added to about 50 lakhs 4. Alumni contributions were another 50 lakhs 5. Savings from tuition and hostel fees over these years came to about 5 crores The total surpluses added up to about `10 crore. (This amount came handy as an advance for seeking a soft loan of `50 crores later.) In addition, another `10 crore were invested in the infrastructure, improving facilities, hostels, CEE, etc., during 1992–2008. The financial management the institute followed was a simple one with increased provisions for development and less on overheads, resulting in higher productivity and surpluses. (The compensation package to the faculty members and staff is now at par with institutes such as other IIMs in the country). GOVERNANCE DRIVEN BY FACULTY MEMBERS As suggested, action on the basis of clear plans and policies emanating from a thorough preparation of an agenda for the governing bodies,

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due deliberation, and subsequent recording of the proceedings certainly provided the needed freedom to act upon such decisions and implement policies and programs on a regular basis. New ideas, schemes, initiatives, achievements, and progress were other routine matters that were part of our agendas, providing a clear financial plan and its management through an annual budget. It was our own initiative of introducing a pre-audit system as one of the highlights of governance. RESPONSIBILITY AND INVOLVEMENT OF THE FACULTY MEMBERS We initiated a system of roles and responsibilities and their distribution at the faculty members’ level for almost all activities of the institutes. The beginning was in 1992 itself, with sharing of responsibilities and clear expectations from the concerned coordinators. One of the senior faculty members handled administration and accounts from the beginning. This system continued without any glitch, even with additional responsibilities and higher expectations over the years as the institute gained greater acceptance and value for its programs. With the exception of the administrative functionary, the position of other coordinators rotated among the faculty members every two years and so were the responsibilities—a provision of equity as faculty members were equal partners in the institutional processes and its overall growth. Each faculty member also needed some time to concentrate on their personal interests in research and other institutionbuilding processes. The entire process—means of operations and institutionalized mechanisms—became a significant part of the institute. A few faculty members were concerned about accepting responsibilities. However, we were able to manage such resistances by both persuasion and appropriate incentives and facilities. As we moved toward a formal appraisal system for the faculty members, sharing of such responsibilities became an integral part of the workload. We also added other systems which were less formal, such as the number of committees

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as per the needs. For example, groups of faculty members for specific tasks (Vision 2005), a group for integrated course design, working groups, interest groups, groups for the compensation of faculty members and the staff. GENESIS OF FACULTY DEVELOPMENT The roots of faculty development were in the seeds we had sown much earlier (1992–1993). The following framework shows the importance of the faculty members and developing the faculty complement for institution building.

Faculty Development Comprehensive Plans: The Early 1990s • Internally distributing the various tasks, which reflected the assignee’s interests. The additional responsibility was necessary for building a participative culture. • Emphasis was on periodic reviews of the program, its agenda, and future plans of the institute. This activity was intended to increase the quality of the program as also the extent of faculty members’ involvement. • We realized that certain orientation and competences were expected of the faculty members to take up academic and research activities independently. • Faculty members who had no earlier orientation toward management education would be oriented in institutes of repute initially in the country and later abroad. • A system of feedback and communication had to be put in place through which faculty members could continuously develop and improve upon the courses they handled. • Setting up interdisciplinary centers of excellence in which the faculty members could play a key role in developing research projects and work jointly on such projects, which would provide a better orientation and perspective of problem-solving and managerial concerns.

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It was the very beginning of looking at ourselves and setting a course of action accordingly. We decided to put our thoughts together on what faculty development could mean to us. Given the context, the need for competent faculty members, and an orientation for them, we felt a broader understanding and a framework for faculty development would be useful. Then we decided to implement the same, if not all at once, sequentially and based on our priorities. Hence, the first set of activities largely related to the program per se. However, we considered it as an avenue of faculty members in general and for those who were to accept specific responsibilities. The entire program and its conduct were largely placed in the hands of faculty members with a clear focus on raising the quality and delivery of the program as much as on discipline of the students, their regular attendance, preparation for the classes, and the assignments they had to complete on an almost day-to-day basis. All support systems were improved upon and were at the disposal of students—be they teaching materials, regular schedules, prior information on matters related to the program, or a well-staffed office. ACADEMIC STRUCTURE The academic structure of the institute that evolved during this period was improved upon in congruence with the growth of the institute. We also believed that it was a natural process to meet the needs of such growth, and it had happened rather organically. There were formal group-like academic bodies/committees that were part of the structure. • Personnel committee (with the president of the trust as the chairman, two GC members as members, and the director as member secretary) • Admissions committee • PGP committee • Placement committee • ARCON (applied research, consultancy, and seminars) group • Executive education program committee • Doctoral committee

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• Administration committee • Library and computer center committee • Students activities including co- and extracurricular activities committee • Alumni activities committee The faculty members chaired each of these committees, except the library and the computer center committee which were chaired by the librarian. The coordinators designated earlier specific responsibilities were redesignated as chairpersons from 1998. The formal committees and their membership were considered as another arm in strengthening governance and assuming responsibilities for larger tasks and future of the institute. The various committees of faculty members are others in the governance systems of the institute. With the growth of the institute and the manifold increase in the responsibilities of the director, two new formal positions were created, namely dean (academic) and dean (administration) during 1999–2000. Thus, the entire picture of governance evolved to be of a different order and meaning. Here, I must mention our constant endeavor to develop systems, share responsibilities, enable various mechanisms and processes, and create new ones. It was in consonance with our interest in a facultydriven institute. It was also to highlight and strengthen the executive arm to implement policies, programs, and decisions taken by the governing bodies. Thus, governance for us was a holistic exercise subsuming major constituents and significant stakeholders of the institute. DESIGN OF THE INSTITUTE Most of these were possible because the institute was designed to be largely participative, self-financed, autonomous, and a stand-alone entity. Systems and structures evolved and developed in tune with this design. Multiple activities, projects, and schemes became integral parts of the institute with the support and guidance of the Elders (including, members of BOS).

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Each of the policy decisions (recruitment of faculty members, for instance) or other matters (such as surplus generation) was implemented through creating appropriate systems and structures, and commensurate practices and processes at the executive committee level constituted by the faculty members. It gave us an advantage of continuously improving operational issues, even if with some difficulties. It demonstrated our interest in resolving and deciding upon important activities with due ratification from and support of the Elders. The importance of governing bodies was considered, and I took an interest in bringing on board academicians and institution builders from reputed institutes while continuing with the existing members. The president and his group decided the composition of the new governing body and its number of members. The two-way transactional or symbiotic approach of the executive and governing bodies had not only sustained the legitimacy of the institute for its governance but also brought it respect from the community and made it a model for others. The reputation of the institute over the years was not to diminish to the least, thanks to its adept governance system. Thus, the integrated approach and the design of the institute brought us credentials and laid solid foundations. Building the institution, thus, had become real and practical for us. DELIVERY The integrated governance of the institute delivered best possible results. (A note on appraisal of the institute presented during the GC meeting held in November 2007 is given in “Appendix: Significant Achievements”). The note summarizes the overall growth of the institute, even with its limited infrastructure, limited resources, and its location. The institute became known for its governance, conduct, distinction, and innovation. It shows how the governance system operated in general and was strengthened over several years, looking forward to more challenges. It was a reflection and appraisal of what had been achieved, and clarification of issues and an attempt to sort out any misunderstanding among the trustees and president.

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MAJOR ISSUES AND PROBLEMS

AICTE: The Regulatory Body We faced no major issues with the regulatory body until 2002. In fact, the institute was a beneficiary with small fiscal grants for some of the developmental schemes initiated by the regulatory body. More importantly, AICTE recognized TAPMI as one of the few institutes for conducting the first of its kind faculty development program (FDP) for three weeks way back in 1997. We continued to conduct FDPs for several years. Our initiative of seeking accreditation of National Board of Accreditation (NBA, an autonomous body of AICTE) in 2001 was another significant step. We received the accreditation with the highest credentials toward the end of 2001 for five years. We were one of the very few (four or five) institutes in the country by then to have received such credentials. By 2000, the institute had established itself as well as its program. However, our financial resources were still limited, and the major source of funding was tuition fees collected from the students. We increased it according to the upgradation in the quality of the program and increased our investment in the program for which the costs incurred to conduct it also increased. The investments were made largely on improved facilities, infrastructure, teachers, and services offered to both students and teachers. We were one of the progressive employers with better offerings for both the faculty and students. All this increased the cost of the program substantially. We charged the fee for the program accordingly and increased it at least 5–6 times over a period of 10–12 years after due consideration and approval of our governing bodies. Yet another decision we made was to raise the number of seats from 100 to 120 per batch since 2000 with due approvals from our trust and the GC. Earlier, we had decided to admit only 100 students as per our facilities and our ability to place them suitably. As per AICTE, however, the number had to be 120. Even then, we wrote to AICTE for their permission but received no response. We considered it normal and felt we had not violated any rule as such. With the increased fee

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and number of admissions, the institute could perform even better. However, suddenly, AICTE started creating problems without even minimum consideration of our correspondence and reputation of the institute even by their own standards (accreditation of NBA including). It became a really big issue for us and troublesome for the institute, particularly from the middle of the year 2000. I brought this issue to the trust and GC meetings during this time along with suggesting some initiatives of my own. The members discussed this issue vehemently and even suggested taking recourse to legal action. However, even though I approached some of the influential trustees to help the institute in resolving the problems, nothing came of those discussions. As ever, the trustees remained indifferent to such serious issues, while I felt helpless but continued to carry on without suffering any dent in the performance of the institute and maintaining its growth. A prominent GC member and head of an internationally acclaimed B-school on being told about our correspondence with AICTE not being responded said that his school had also received a legal notice. Another well-known institution builder of a premier institute told the group why TAPMI should bother about AICTE when it had acquired such a status and reputation. He also said why the institute should accept AICTE regulations rather than going by its own plans and priorities. He also asked what would happen if one decided to go by one’s own priorities. When I told him that parents might get concerned, he said that it should not be a cause of concern, given the status of the institute and its image. However, he suggested that I might write to the parents about AICTE and its doings and seek their support. He, however, felt that AICTE being a statutory body could enforce rules, and one had to comply with the law. Another member suggested that with the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accreditation, the AICTE problem would be negligible. Nonetheless, it was felt that AICTE would still trouble the institute which could even go to the extent of harassment. When I reported to the trust and the GC about the impending threat by AICTE of collecting penalty for admitting 20 more students

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per batch, no member came forward to suggest any solution to the problem. In fact, there was no discussion on the issue. The influential trustee who headed some other institutes in Manipal suggested that the consortium of management institutes should fight AICTE and have the law contested. He shared his experience and success against another such regulatory agency in the Supreme Court. The GC supported the view that the institute should fight it out. However, the chairman asked the trustee whether he can talk to the minister of HRD. The trustee told him that he could but, unfortunately, the minister was seriously sick. He then said he would still try to meet him and asked for a letter to meet the minister. A letter was handed over to him subsequently, but nothing happened. Another newly admitted trustee said that while the methods followed by AICTE were questionable, and even objectionable, one needed to handle the regulatory bodies rather tactfully. However, another senior member contested this view and said that one should fight rather than allowing oneself to be controlled by such bodies. Yet another member suggested why not let TAPMI ask for a stay on AICTE requirement as it would give some time to the institute to respond properly. In general, the members felt that instead of accepting the AICTE directive, it should be contested. The newly joined member offered his help in getting access to AICTE. We ended up paying penalty to AICTE for the additional number of students during the period 2001–2008. CONTINUOUS STRUGGLES One of the continuous struggles we had to engage in was to provide a reasonably good hostel accommodation to our students. Luckily, we were able to find some accommodation or the other in the campus of Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) itself. However, toward the beginning of 2007, we had to hire hotel rooms and private houses to provide accommodation for the students. We faced difficulties in convincing them to bear with us; however, we were able to manage at least temporarily as we continuously harped on the kind of limitations we had at that point of time. Students also understood

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the problem as well as the limitations we had. They felt that all efforts made by the institute to accommodate them were reasonably well enough. ONE MORE BUILDING INFRASTRUCTURE A two-storied new building was made available for the institute during 1993–1994 but only with one floor ready to use. A primary school and a telephone exchange occupied the ground floor. Immediately, we occupied and furnished the first floor for the faculty members’ chambers, library, and an auditorium with a conference room. We had to wait for another year for the second floor and converted it into two large classrooms, additional faculty chambers, and a lounge for the faculty members. The classrooms were designed in a semicircle with swivel chairs and became the first of its kind in Manipal (in 1996). SHIFTING OF THE SCHOOL We had to face some difficulties and work hard to get the primary school shifted. We had also paid for painting it. Finally, the telecommunications department occupied their own building. There too we had to encounter some resistance from people who occupied the portion of the building for our expanded library, reading room, and a photocopy center. While we had the permission from our trust to use the facility, the key was not handed over to us. The person, an old timer, working with another trust, dodged the librarian by giving one excuse or another. I had to intervene and talk to the person and only then was the key handed over to us. This probably appears silly, but we had to constantly struggle with such matters, but our own interest and efforts finally solved some of them. BOYS’ HOSTELS We had to depend on Manipal Institute of Technology (MIT) for hostel accommodation increasingly over the years as the number of admissions reached an average of 140. But the hostels in MIT were never

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maintained properly and looked quite shabby. Some of the parents used to complain about such conditions and felt that the institute deserved much better facilities. The institute had already earned a good name for the quality of its program and its conduct and the environment in the institute. We struggled year after year to improve facilities in the hostels and made substantial improvements including setting up a mess within the premises of MIT. MIT authorities learnt from this experience. Later, a mess was set up within our own premises as the students found it inconvenient to go to mess in the MIT campus for lunch. We had to struggle on several fronts to make things better for the institute and its students. We never stopped improvising and thus managed to address the usual dissatisfaction of the students and their parents. My insistence on having our own campus and relentless efforts and struggles that went in toward achieving it is another story. HOSTEL AND MESS ISSUES IN THE EARLY YEARS I remember two important issues which the girl students raised particularly: catering options and the food’s quality. The food was brought from the boys’ hostel in tiffin boxes to the girls’ hostel, as there was no mess for them (their number was too small to arrange for a separate mess for them). Some of them did not like sharing food from the same carriers; some said it was poor quality, tasteless, etc. Girls made a serious complaint and the registrar called them to explain the kind of problems and asked them to show some consideration for the mess staff (they used to bring the girls the food every day without fail). He also felt bad and told them bluntly that they behaved like members of a trade union. However, he promised them to tell the mess contractor to improve the quality. The first batch of girls was admitted soon after I joined the institute. One of them complained about the food, particularly its taste. She said they would like to have their own arrangements for food and/or they should be allowed to eat outside. Soon after, the registrar and I met them one day, joining them for lunch and shared the same food with

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them. Both of us felt that the food was okay though certainly not great; it was just to serve the sustenance requirements. We told them what we felt about the food, but we believed that they cannot go outside for every meal since the outside food may not be hygienic. We also told them that the taste could be improved by offering their suggestions to the contractor. We also suggested that they might cook themselves occasionally as there was a big enough kitchen in the house where they lived. However, they felt that it would be cumbersome and difficult, given the tight schedules of classes, exam preparations, etc. Others requested for better facilities such as a refrigerator in the hostel. We agreed to buy it after considering the pros and cons. This arrangement suited them, and they used it with appropriate care. I used to go to see the students in the hostels in the beginning of the academic year. It is the season of heavy rains in Manipal. Many of them who had never seen such rains and discomfort used to get unsettled and unhappy. Their parents used to accompany them and they themselves would be uncomfortable. I used to tell them that such discomfort is natural and not permanent. I would also mention to them the care and concern we cherished for them including their studies. There was one incident where the mother of a student had asked the warden to allow her to bring a refrigerator for her son’s use. The warden refused and informed me. CAMPUS PROJECT There was no one from the trust who could champion for and take direct responsibility for the long-pending campus project. Had any of these problems been sorted out at least 4–5 years before, the institute would have had enough time and resources for new initiatives and expansion. The limited infrastructure, however, did not deter us from the main objective. Nevertheless, we had to struggle endlessly, and it also limited our options. The infrastructure issues caused us much difficulties including with regard to the faculty housing. We managed it with some difficulty. Our concern was always to see the faculty members settled well with

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reasonably good accommodation. We persisted in it and, thankfully, we were able to improve it over a period. The faculty members were treated more or less on a par with their counterparts in IIMs including their salary structure and even better benefits. The importance given to the faculty members, their shared responsibilities, needs, and comfort was considered as integral to the growth of the institute. We had to reiterate this with the governing bodies every time and saw to it that there was no problem on this count. The expected new campus project faced several unexpected problems which caused undue and avoidable delays. In every meeting of the trust, this issue was brought up but there was no resolution in real terms. In hindsight, without our own initiatives and continuous struggle, it is as if this problem would have never been resolved and, possibly, there would have been no campus for the institute to this day. Apparently, it had become more of our own problem than the trust’s. (However, there probably would have been one or two more buildings added and/or hostel facilities offered by the trustees to solve the problem). ISSUES WITH THE TRUST The trustees, in general, and the president, in particular, were of no great help either in securing finances for the campus or even clearing the campus site for long. It was equally amusing to read some of the proceedings on these matters. The president used to change his stance in every meeting, particularly in the matter of land acquisition, registration of a new piece of land, and kept raising doubts about investments on the new campus. This caused further uncertainty and anxiety for us. The growth of the institute was visible and yet there was no proper infrastructure in place, and we were continuously making adjustments and improvements year after year. It had led to considerable difficulties for us and affected the growth of the institute to a great extent. While I assumed every responsibility for the campus and its finances, not to speak of other issues, I did not receive any help from the trust, particularly from one of the trustees, who was in a position to help us in this matter.

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I accept that I should have been wiser but have no option other than to defend myself. I agree, it was my blind spot to seek help from others. I can say with hindsight that 2006–2007 was the most troubled time for me. I was literally running from the district collector’s office to the offices of the local MLA and the minister to see the campus project take off (details are in another chapter). In addition, I was trying to revive AACSB and its process, as the faculty member who was running it had left the institute. Given all that, I thought that once the campus project took off and some progress concerning AACSB was achieved, I would take up the issue of AICTE regulation and try and find a possible resolution for it. By then, I had already met one of the most influential persons in the government and he gave me a reasonable assurance for sorting out the problem. It was a matter of time. I was also trying to involve a friend of mine who was a senior secretary in one of the central government ministries. He had helped me earlier in the issue of conversion of land use (agricultural to non-agricultural) for the campus. I was also hoping to resolve the problem with AICTE. (More of it in the Postscript.) As an illustration, the chairman always used to ask where the money for the campus project would come from, even as he never took any initiative in meeting the industrialist, and later his sons, who had promised money for the campus. However, he used to claim that he knew them well, etc. Even worse, when I suggested that we should go together to meet the sons, he would give different explanations and excuses every time I tried to raise this issue. The chairman used to express his irritation and sometimes anger. Suddenly, in one of the meetings, he asked whether the campus project was at all viable and whether to invest in the campus project would be risky. SOME EFFORTS ON MY PART I tried to establish contact with the industrialist through another contact, a woman journalist known to have contacts with the family of the industrialist and particularly with his wife. I also sent her a copy of the letter I wrote for this purpose. It was an attempt that did not bring any outcome. Luckily, I did not stop looking for other options

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for the funding of the campus project including a large soft loan from a commercial bank. Finally, we completed the campus project after getting about 50 crores as a soft loan. One of the important trustees used to suggest that funding options including international funding through multilateral agreements could be explored. Such things were the usual idealistic talks and nothing concrete could emerge out of it. Yet another supportive trustee said in one meeting that he could get 20 professorships and research projects. There was yet another thoughtful suggestion by one member who asked me to look into the possibility of contacting those local people who had settled in the USA and were successful and seek donations from them. Of course, he was sincere in his suggestion since he felt that the institute had acquired a good reputation and some of them might make donations for a local cause since they belonged to the same place. At the end, the project remained my responsibility as well as struggle for quite some time and it took almost seven years to achieve our dream of a beautiful campus for the institute. In hindsight, nonetheless, a lot of micromanagement was avoided. The chairman had shown enough inclination and tendency to interfere in the day-to-day affairs from day one. However, we were much more proactive in solving problems and in putting across to the trust what was required of an institute to forge ahead. Thankfully, other trustees in the early days did not allow such micromanagement. I believe now that the overall performance of the institute and the continuous improvements proved to be some kind of an antidote to such tendencies. The growth of the institute was not hindered much for almost 16 years. CONSTITUTIONAL BODIES AND THEIR APPRECIATION Since 1992, almost all the trustees and members of the GC had not only encouraged me personally in every respect but also had expressed their appreciation for all the efforts and turnaround of the institute and its continued growth.

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GOVERNANCE CLIENT SYSTEM Our client system including the fraternity was viewed in a different light and perspective. It mattered very much to us as we considered it a significant and comprehensive one with a clear purpose and as a long-term relationship. We believed that it should go much beyond quid pro quo. How it worked out for us and panned over the years as I could build relations with the client system per se is another example of our proactive stance and willingness to go an extra mile. The client system for us consisted of our own fraternity of reputed management institutes, corporate houses, sister institutions, professionals, various non-government organizations (NGOs), local industry and enterprises, and the community at large around us. In the early years, we had to work harder to convince the corporate houses and their representatives about the quality of the program and efforts going into it to make it so. It took some time for them to understand. Once they were convinced, it was not only a matter of their support for placement and internships but also for educative education, in-company and campus-connect programs. I was fully aware and even convinced that there was no alternative than to build quality in every aspect of the institute. We also considered our client system as an influence group. A number of efforts in this direction including board of management studies, Brand Scan, and Annual Industry Workshop, later known as Institute Industry Day, were made. Our alumni were another influence group for us. FACULTY MEMBERS There were other issues such as hurried recruitment of some faculty members that caused problems as we realized that their ability to cope with the program or to withstand the pressures of teaching was not up to the mark owing to their low orientation level toward academics, needless ego trips, refusal to take additional responsibilities, etc., particularly in the early years. However, with improved systems and processes for recruitment and greater time devoted, we strived our best to overcome such problems. Importantly, some of such faculty members left on their own and a few were told to look for alternatives. By 2000 or so, we had built a much better faculty complement

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as the institute was not only gaining stability on its own but had also come to be known as a reputed one for quality, academic standards, and a supportive environment, and for the growth and development of the faculty. By then, the institute had not only acquired a top-rank status but had also been recognized as a national-level one. The word of mouth spread to such an extent that there was a continuous flow of applications even without any formal advertisements. Nonetheless, the location was a bit of a drag since we also lacked a decent campus of our own. Even then, the faculty members of the institute stood out among the best. However, the overall environment in the institute, growth, and performance in general helped to mitigate some of the issues mentioned above. Largely, there was a greater realization in the faculty that the institute was different, and they put in the best of their efforts toward everybody’s well-being and growth. Such a stance of theirs worked as an advantage in the face of the difficulties that the institute had to deal with then. STAFF The most commendable segment of the institute was the staff. There was never any serious problem with the staff as such and they never made any demands. As mentioned earlier, they were treated well and many of them felt that they are much better off than their counterparts in other institutes. Most of them started accepting duties assigned to them willingly, directly working with faculty members in all matters including material preparation, examination work, keeping track of papers, even correspondence. Over a period, they were compensated much better and given all the benefits at par with faculty members. Apparently, not much distinction was made between them and the faculty members. EXECUTIVE BEHAVIOR There were problems and issues, but most of them were resolved by the active help of chief executive of the institute (director). Hence, it was no great hassle. The executive autonomy, I believe, that we

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enjoyed and the freedom we could exercise were largely responsible for the proactive approach and autonomous decisions and resolutions. The autonomous behavior pervaded the entire institute and enabled us to move forward. Even though there were a few issues with the chairman (president of the trust), we handled them with regular communication with him as much as by making best use of meetings of both the trust and the GC. In other words, we made use of every conceivable opportunity to make things better including taking care of small problems. We also took the trustees’ help and advice wherever needed. However, we never compromised on principles of quality regarding academics, recruitment, admissions, etc., but worked out suitable mechanisms meant to overcome issues that arose from time to time. Again, it was the exercise of choices and consistently looking for solutions rather than mere compromises. There are a number of examples one can cite but suffice to mention about the quality and quantum of agenda, their deliberation and, importantly, recording the proceedings copiously and religiously. The experience of good governance in all respects is an ample evidence of a sound executive system in general and the role played by the chief executive and his proactive stance. This is an illustration and example of managing the institute for reputation, quality, and purpose. CONTRIBUTIONS OF SENIOR FACULTY MEMBERS Here, I would like to mention the singular and solid contributions of our senior colleagues in the institute, namely the dean (academic), the dean (administration), and the group chair (industry–institute and external relations). Dean (academic), since he joined in 1998, was immediately entrusted with the responsibility of MIP and finalizing the service rules for the members and staff. He finalized the matter of service rules within a record time of a month. This matter was pending for quite some time, though efforts had been made, it could not be completed. MIP became a distinct feature of the institute and his contribution to

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it was significant. He also introduced new courses, brought rigor, and, in general, increased the value of academics. He provided strong support to faculty recruitment and development and involved himself in raising the contributions of the faculty members in both teaching and research. But for his contribution to MIP, it would not have become such a valuable innovation in management teaching and education. His solid contributions to comprehensive performance management system (CPMS) were laudable. He coordinated the efforts of the faculty members’ committee constituted for this purpose. He helped a lot in bringing about consensus among the faculty members on this document. It is institute’s one of the major contributions toward the faculty’s growth and development and is unique in design and implementation. It facilitated greatly the international accreditation, and augmented the faculty members’ adequacy and research publications. He provided leadership in the curricular changes over a period of five years and the efforts culminated finally into the composition of a thematic curriculum, the first of its kind. It was a long-drawn exercise involving all faculty members for almost a year, and he took responsibility for its implementation. AACSB, the international accreditation, and its processes were largely the responsibility of dean (academic). He set up the necessary wherewithal for documentation, communication with faculty members, and seeking their cooperation. He led the entire process of validating the institute’s eligibility for the membership of AACSB, preparation of initial documents, interacting with the mentor, and documenting for the required standards of the initial accreditation plan. The institute received approvals for its initial plans. Thus, the toughest job in the process was handled well. However, he did not complete it as he decided to leave the institute. The institute is known for academic standards and quality among our fraternity and a large credit for that is due to his contributions. The dean (administration) played a supportive role and took the entire responsibility of day-to-day administration. The two deans played complementary roles and ensured a strong academic

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coordination. He coordinated the work of statutory auditors for both pre-audit and statutory audit and the efforts of the faculty members in the preparation of annual budget and the financial statements. Yet his most significant contribution is the detailed project reports (DPRs) of the campus project. The group chair was created for a senior faculty member who joined the institute in 2000, after long years of corporate experience at senior managerial levels. He contributed largely in the execution of new schemes and projects and made improvements happen in the infrastructure and facilities, besides taking responsibility of corporate and external relations. His contributions are many, particularly organizing student activities such as annual festivals, B-school competitions, brand exercise, and coordinating with industry, other developmental agencies, and Mudra Communications for branding exercise, CEE, and in-company programs. He played a significant role at an important stage of the institute’s growth. He was quite popular for his role as the master of ceremonies and was well appreciated by one and all. All seniors supported the campus project right from the insemination of the idea itself, identification of the site, detailed plans for facilities, project report, engaging architects, closely working with them on the desired features and other details, and so on. With their support at various stages, I spent considerable time with the chairman and the trustees, seeking support from GC members, trying to influence local politicians, and asking for their help regardless of innumerable problems and difficulties we faced. When the project was stuck, they even suggested giving it up. They felt that it was quite stressful to anyone in such circumstances. MEMBER SECRETARY AND TRUSTEE I played a dual role as a chief executive and as a member secretary of both the trust and the GC. While I took the lead and played these roles, the contributions of the faculty members and the staff as well as the unstinted kind support of the constitutional bodies cannot be overemphasized.

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SUMMARY AND TAKEAWAYS For us, from the very beginning, agenda preparation was an important task. To say the least, it had been a thorough and thoughtful exercise every quarter for either the trust or the GC meeting or their combined meetings. It was such an integrated view of the institute—both short and long term, trying to impart a meaning and purpose to the institutional activities. We were clear from day one that we needed the utmost support of the governing bodies, howsoever they were composed and whatever their inclinations might be. However, we decided that our thinking, behavior, and the activities of the institute would be reflected in the presentation of the agenda and enable a process of deliberations for suggestions, advice, guidance, counsel, help, and support wherever necessary. We were also convinced that the agenda and their deliberations facilitated and added to the autonomy of the institute and its practices too. It also exhibited sincerity and transparent behavior on the part of the institute. However, an important consideration was continuous improvements and better performance, emphasizing the quality and value for the activities. It was, nonetheless, a fair demonstration of our interest and a strong will to move forward and go ahead with plans for the future. It was also a demonstration of the collective aspiration of the stakeholders and their willingness to move ahead. It was another means of establishing credibility. The resources and their constraints did not matter very much. While the governing bodies met frequently, the most important consideration was for the executive to articulate and present issues to them that took care of both short- and long-term interests without undermining the autonomy and the purpose of the institute. This approach had its benefits and established certain credibility and understanding of the executive process and operations, which by itself proved to be useful in getting the needed approvals, advice, and support. It became an ingenious system that we could evolve and improve over a long time and put in place. We inculcated basic values into important considerations of good governance. With faculty members

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playing significant role and constitutional bodies taken into confidence, evolving systems and procedures for efficient operations and enabling the institute to grow from strength to strength had become almost an obsession for us. The governance system that we called the integrated picture became a strong force in achieving quality, value, and reputation of the institute. Moreover, it ensured the autonomy of the institute by cultivating and activating those practices and processes necessary to sustain its growth and build a positive work culture. Thus, it reinforced the value of institution building. Mostly, the academically experienced GC members and their wisdom influenced our governance and its effectiveness. They advised, supported, and morally influenced the deliberations in the meetings. It could be the hallmark of any reputed institute. In spite of such governance and credentials of the institute, we could not succeed with AICTE, the regulatory body. We proved no match for it and possibly we needed something else. Unfortunately, my own blind spot coupled with the indifference of the trustees exacerbated the problem. There cannot be an excuse in this matter. It served to be a learning of great importance for us as the executives and for the institute as a whole. A significant and lasting takeaway is the function of governing system in its totality and its effectiveness in deliberating and resolving issues that have a great influence on, namely autonomy; academic freedom including institutional processes, priorities, and finances; creating resources; and institutional capital (including building a campus). Here is how we defined and practiced autonomy. We believed it was a useful way of conceptualizing autonomy and its cultivation. It signified proactive executive behavior. • Purpose and meaning of the institute • Future and long-term orientation • Clear priorities • Concerns and responsibility • Initiatives and practices • Transparency

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• New and innovative activities • Useful and thoughtful schemes and proposals • Sharing information—both pleasures and pains (range and adequacy) • Performance and progress • Finances and performance (including self-finances and financial management) • Voluntary behavior—checks and balances

A Note on Appraisal of the Institute INTRODUCTION

TAPMI as an institute has acquired a certain reputation among peers and higher credentials for its PGP. TAPMI has been ranked consistently among the best 15 institutes in the country. Among the private institutions, it was ranked 8th in the Outlook survey of 2007. Considering its background, location, and the infrastructure, this is no small achievement. TAPMI has also expanded and has a center at Bangalore for executive education. The center has grown and there are at least 100 participants per batch, which itself is commendable. Any part-time program in Bangalore does not get even half this number. Besides, the program is rated as one of the best for its course design (weekend format) and quality. GOVERNANCE OF THE INSTITUTE

The governance of the institute has been streamlined by regularly conducting trust and GC meetings (four times in a year). The agendas and proceedings have been recorded systematically and duly approved by the chairman. Major policy issues have been presented along with the progress of the institute and approval of the trust and the GC and their advice has been sought. In the last 16 years, the institute has organized 64 such meetings and accordingly prepared 64 agendas and proceedings. BUDGET AND FINANCES

The process of formulating the budget of the institute has evolved through the years. It is now elaborate, systematic, and takes into account all the major heads and a strict regimen of its implementation. Year after year, the budget (Continued)

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has generated surpluses, and these have been deposited with nationalized and other banks. The amount has come handy for taking care of partial cost (security) of the new campus that is around `10 crores. The total financial turnover has grown from `10 lakh to `10 crore during this period excluding the `10 crores of investment on IT, library, interiors, and general improvements in the current location and hostels. TAPMI has also invested about a crore of rupees for interiors at TAPMICEE, Bangalore. All this has happened even with the limited resources of faculty complement, facilities, and location constraints. Had there been a residential campus, the financial position would have been almost doubly strong by now and, more importantly, would have enhanced the stature and the rank of the institute. The delay in the execution of the campus project has also deprived the institute of some significant opportunities including recruiting more faculty members and a higher intake of students. However, the external image of the institute has not been affected as the quality of the program and the internal environment have been kept intact. While the institute has lost 6–8 good faculty members in the recent past, it has done good by replacing them with reasonably good faculty members. However, it has had some effect on the continuity of the institutional activities and on international accreditation of AACSB, internal governance, and faculty development. Improvements in all matters for students and a higher base for learning added to the growth of the institute. Hence, it is clear that the institute has stretched and expanded itself to a great extent. To say the least, the reputation of the institute is also because of the internal governance systems as also because of the freedom and flexibility enjoyed by the institute in its various operations. The autonomous nature of the institute has also added to its success and growth. The image of the institute is also a function of its transparency, governance, and quality of education. CONSTRAINTS ON GROWTH

The growth would have been much more but for lack of a decent campus. The campus proposal has been made for long and even after identifying the site in 2002 in Badagubettu village, it took almost five years to start the project. Though the institute was granted a term loan of about `46 crores by the Syndicate Bank in February 2006 at the rate of 7.5 percent interest per annum, the same could not be utilized for want of clearances from the town planning authorities and because of some avoidable delays. Because of this undue delay, the project cost has more than doubled. When it was mooted in 2002, the project cost was estimated at around `30 crores and now the cost

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is estimated to be close to `60 crores by the time it is completed. The campus project has been made feasible by the virtue of tremendous perseverance. TAPMI-CEE, BANGALORE EXTENSION

While CEE has done fairly well in the last decade or so, it is already showing the limits of its space. Given the importance of Bangalore and the growth opportunity for TAPMI, it is important that the expansion of the Bangalore facility be taken up, preferably with a campus of its own. Some attempts have been made in this direction and recently two members of the GC had visited a site in Hebbal, Bangalore, and favored the site and its location. Though the land is not for sale, the builder and the developer will make all possible arrangements under the scheme of build–operate–transfer. The lease amount will be decided including initial seed money for the project. Not only are there growth opportunities for TAPMI, but it is also essential for the faculty’s development as there is a greater scope for international alliances, possibilities of sabbaticals in the industry, and drawing upon the wealth of the industry. Hence, it is necessary to take a firm decision on the Bangalore campus expansion. FUTURE CHALLENGES

The competition is going to be tough and there is every chance that TAPMI would have to compete internationally as well. Hence, it is important for the institute to invest in its campus, human resources, on new programs and research, and establish sustainable relations with industry and businesses. In other words, the institutional capacity must be increased judiciously to meet the future challenges. The above has been presented to the GC for taking a view of the institute’s growth and the way it has functioned over the years. It is important to note that it is not one of those thousand odd institutes and has the status of being among the best few in the country. There are not many such institutes which have soared to a level of such respect and national status.

Academic credentials

• Best teacher • Best young teacher • Best innovation in management teaching • Best case writing • Mini textbooks by faculty published by well-known publishers

Initiatives and innovations

• FDP 1997 • Thematic Curriculum, MIP, Brand Scan • First institute in the country to seek AACSB (2002)

• 100% self-financed • Generation of surpluses consistently • Investment in the new campus of 50 crores • Investment in CEE, Bangalore

Finances • 10,000 applications by 2000 for 100 seats (from 200 applications in 1992) • 100% placement by 2001

Admissions and Placement • NBA Accreditation, 2001 • NAAC Accreditation with five stars, 2001 • AACSB Accreditation, 2012

Awards

APPENDIX: SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENTS

• ICICI chair professorship • Chair professorship of Syndicate Bank • Global MBA program (three nations and three campuses) • Faculty exchange programme with University of Oakland (Detroit) • Consortium PhD program of three institutes

Recognition

Curriculum Development Innovation and Vision

5

A SIMPLE PREMISE We started with the simple premise that a good and contemporary curriculum has the potential for developing into a quality program. We thought that it would provide us opportunities for generating ideas, raising resources, and seeking support and help from others. Our focus was on increasing the quality of the institute as well as on the processes for building the institute. We felt that this was equally important for the stakeholders, particularly the students and faculty members for its learning value. This chapter is divided into three broad sections: the first section “Philosophy” is about the philosophy and the principles and practices derived from that philosophy; the second section “Curriculum Development” presents the milestones we achieved and the institutional mechanisms and processes we employed for curriculum development; and the third section “Departure from the Past” is about major changes in the structure of the program as a departure from the past.

I Philosophy A good program follows a curriculum that is current, imaginative, somewhat experimental, and innovative. We believed in this from the beginning and we created the curriculum that was unique. Concerted efforts and action, deliberate moves and shifts, searching for better, and adding and creating new options were our core

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philosophy. The principles we followed and practices we put into action were largely derived from this philosophy. We believed that the curriculum lent a new meaning to the institute and the process of institution building. PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES

Faculty Complement There are two aspects to the entire curriculum development. The first is faculty members: their quality and their responsibilities. Second is the environment in which they work and the opportunities they have in that environment. The methods and processes of selecting, recruiting, and inducting them are important in this context.

Updating, Teaching and Learning Continuous processes like orientating the faculty members toward teaching or improving the course outlines were in place with other institutional mechanisms and were available for reviews and updating. Working groups and faculty workshops added value to these processes and faculty members strengthened them too. Establishing BOS and industry interface workshops made significant contributions as well. Besides, feedback for each year’s placement, MIP, and executive education experience also had their impact on the curriculum.

Review and Revision A basic framework (see Chapter 2 for details) of the institute and the program provided the basis for articulating and developing the curriculum. A major revision of the curriculum was based upon a set of broad parameters: courses on the basics and fundamentals; advanced and specialized courses; integrative courses; and perspective building and practice orientation. The clarity with which these were articulated provided the basic framework for the program in developing the best possible curriculum and providing better learning opportunities for the students.

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Importance of the Faculty Members As they were the one who were going to teach them, it was necessary that the faculty members had as much responsibility as freedom in developing the courses and making them rigorous and relevant with appropriate delivery mechanisms. There also had to be opportunities for an individual faculty member to delve into their own domain of interest, their specialization, and gain advanced knowledge. This had to be without their ignoring the learning processes for the students through a range of methodologies with appropriate assessment and evaluation systems. Norms and templates for such considerations were then prepared. Research and case writing by the faculty members was institutionalized as an integral part of faculty development. Faculty members had the freedom to incorporate changes and decide the learning components, both cognitive and experiential, thus enabling continuous improvements for creating learning space for the students.

The Program The first year of the program was quite large and included those courses that had greater influence on the overall development of the students, particularly their communication skills, their comfort and ability in working in groups/teams, and, in general, their approach toward people. Alongside the new courses introduced, projects, self-assessment skills, monitoring of personal growth, and hands-on experience were also added to the learning process. Second year of the program offered advanced courses, either as electives or majors, along with the required courses. The students could also choose any course as they saw worth pursuing. While the number of such courses was proportionate to the size and the quality of the faculty complement, it was certainly a continuous endeavor of the institute to offer as many courses as possible. Students also saw the second year as meaningful in learning since it provided them a scope to learn both on their own and with support from the faculty members.

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Fieldwork There was also a greater scope for fieldwork for the students and faculty members. We implemented this particular approach mostly utilizing MIP over the years. There were other components to the program as well, such as projects carried out by students as assignments or as voluntary work in small enterprises in the vicinity. This turned out to be of greater value for their quality outcomes. Interestingly, this particular stand is now gaining ground among the leading management schools all over the world. There was also an exclusive learning module incorporated into the curriculum called “Faculty–Student Collaborative Research beyond MIP.” It started primarily with a view to utilize the fieldwork carried out by students for different NGOs throughout the country. They got good insights and understanding of development work and documentation as they worked. Then we felt that these reports could be made better if fine-tuned with the support of the faculty members who were familiar with these projects. Many of these projects were group projects and were likely to be considered for publication. We decided to publish them as publications of the institute. Thus, fieldwork became an effective tool of learning for both faculty members and students. Importantly, students were not only able to understand real issues and problems, but they also learnt about how reality factors in solving real-life problems. It enlarged the horizon of the students’ learning by spending time in the real world. The criticism of B-school students and faculty members that they lack practical exposure and an appreciation of problems is minimized if they can have a greater exposure based on fieldwork.

Thinking Process Considerations In the process of understanding the requirements of the curriculum in general, we could begin fresh thinking as it opened up new dimensions and brought about changes. We also considered it important that the courses and the way the program was carried out were structured, properly administered, and systematized. The structure, the schedule, and the methods of teaching including discipline, patterns of evaluation, and streamlining operations of the program became

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critical for us. Simultaneously, recruiting competent core teachers to take responsibility for the major component of teaching was another important step we took, and the program office was strengthened with staff responsible for it. While this way of thinking continued, we looked at the importance of offering varied courses and making them rigorous with continuous evaluation systems, intensive teaching schedules, and assignments. We wanted to provide our students the best possible inputs and, therefore, an adequate provision was also made for feedback. It was some 16 years ago that we decided to take a closer look at our program, the curriculum, and the institute itself (to do well and to get some respectability for the institute). We felt that we should work on the program in the beginning. We believed that the program must be of a good quality, which followed a curriculum that took care of the latest in the field of management education as well as its pedagogy and evaluation. At that time, the program we offered spanned four semesters with six courses in each. However, the curriculum has remained the same so far.

Major Attempt at a Comprehensive Curriculum First, the curriculum was comprehensive enough to include courses on ethics, environment, entrepreneurship, and managerial leadership. Courses on new and emerging areas in finance, marketing, and strategic management, as well as international business courses were then introduced as also a greater scope of human resource management was taken into account. Second, the intensity of the courses (number of sessions and courses) for each term (we had changed the semester system to the term system) as well as for their thorough evaluation became an integral part of the curriculum development. A clear plan and elaborate arrangements were made for its implementation. Third, the discipline with which the curriculum was delivered was strengthened at all levels. The responsibility to deliver the courses we offered was that of the individual faculty members. We decided that

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the program coordinator (later chairperson) and a group of faculty members should be made responsible for the program. Thus, there were a number of changes in the institutional focus on the program, its restructuring, and the curriculum itself. Many of the changes were made after deliberations with faculty members and others known for their expertise in their respective domains. We received a fair amount of feedback on the curriculum too. We realized the importance of the totality of the curriculum and its design rather than its being based only on the adequacy of the faculty members in certain areas. Thus, we went ahead with the changes in the curriculum and the program with help from (visiting) faculty members from some of the premier institutes (IIMs) and from some practitioners too for teaching them. A comprehensive curriculum takes due cognizance of the efforts and activities that have a strong academic and experiential base. Resource planning, streamlining operations, performance standards, enabling responsibilities, and providing guidance and advice are some of them. However, we decided to offer the program by improving upon the quality of the existing one and added a few other courses which were both contemporary and useful. The approach we followed had its origins in an a priori consideration of building an institute and its capacity for a long time. This consideration enabled us to look into several aspects that provided for constant improvements on the quality of academics, rigor of teaching, and the learning ambience for a management institute. Such a consideration, we believed, underscored a value system and a philosophy of action. We also considered it as a good opportunity to think afresh and think ahead; of course, taking advantage of what was happening around us. It was our aspiration to become a top-class institute.

II Curriculum Development This section describes the plans we made to enhance the capacity of the institute. It was important that we made a new beginning concerning

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the program and the curriculum. We decided to look at the curriculum afresh and to develop it in tune with the changing needs, drawing upon the experience of some of the premier institutes, and adding our own to offer the best possible program. We also emphasized the importance of quality, performance standards, discipline, norms of conduct, system, procedure, and their implementation. Continuous improvements, experiments, and innovations became integral to the quality of the program and the curriculum. Essentially, we drew upon the faculty members and their commitment and involvement in delivering the program. We made changes and innovations in the curriculum by adding and improving co- as well as extracurricular activities, and faculty guidance system for the students. We also, at the same time, strengthened the faculty complement and supported their interests while enabling them to perform in the existing context. We did not only take advice and seek approvals from the governing bodies, but we also activated BOS, an advisory group of interested academics (including from IIMA and B, along with Management Development Institute [MDI] faculty members) and professionals from the industry. Thus completing the cycle to strengthen the curriculum and its requirements, which led to building a better image of the institute. ACADEMIC RIGOR: PRIORITIES AND PRACTICE For us, the first priority was to increase the quality of the program in every respect. However, we felt that we had to put all our efforts into improving the curriculum, its delivery, and its evaluation. Faculty members also needed to be oriented to the new and changed requirements. The first step in that direction was to add a few important courses and improve the existing ones. This involved setting up fixed timings and regular teaching schedules while allotting enough time to the students to prepare for the next class and giving them assignments and projects for each course. We also made 100 percent classroom attendance, classroom presentations, and immediate feedback mandatory for the students.

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The second step was to streamline all operations of the program, particularly program administration, such that responsibilities were shared by all faculty members. The third step was setting the standards—creating teaching materials and course outlines, advance preparation by the faculty members, and prescription of textbooks and reference materials to the students. A continuous evaluation system was also set up to monitor the performance of the students, both formally and informally, in which the program coordinator and faculty members reviewed students’ performance together. .

While these efforts increased the quality and the rigor of the courses, we also added other dimensions of thoroughness. Greater attention was paid to teaching standards, courses, and course materials; to their delivery and evaluation; and to the faculty complement. Feedback and its evaluation in addition to quality assignments and projects with clear assessment and clear standards were also implemented. With such priorities and implementation of changes, we initiated the process of developing a comprehensive curriculum.

The First Few Steps Decision on a Comprehensive Curriculum

While settling down and bringing some order and stability to the operations of the institute through improvements, we put together proposals and notes for increasing the quality of the program, enhancement of resources, and future plans for the governing bodies. We decided to develop a comprehensive curriculum taking into consideration the requirements of a contemporary program and thinking afresh about it. We also felt that we should go through a sound process rather than merely carrying out some additions or deletions in a few courses here and there. This involved spending time with our colleagues, getting feedback from the alumni, consulting friends in other premier institutes, and adding our own ideas. By then, we were clear about a broad framework for the program and the institute (Chapter 2). It took us almost a year to get to grips with such curriculum.

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Activation of BOS

Simultaneously, we activated BOS, an advisory and consultative group, with a few academicians from other premier management institutes (IIMA and B, and MDI), as well as from our sister institutions, namely, representatives from both the medical college and hospital, engineering college, and from the Syndicate Bank in Manipal. Ours was a clear intent to have a broad-based board to gain from their experience and knowledge. We scheduled board meetings annually at the end of September and there were 14 of them until 2007 (no meeting was convened in 1994). Given the composition of the practitioners, management academics, our faculty representatives, and other professionals, the meetings were very valuable. We realized that the board was not merely a sounding board and a critic, but it also added significantly to the deliberations we made and contributed to fresh thinking and new ideas. Role of BOS Reinforcement and Guidance

We arranged the very first meeting of BOS in September 1993, in which we presented the changed program structure and a revised curriculum. The meeting was well attended and the members’ active participation gave us enough scope in understanding the proposed curriculum and to modify it later in certain areas (e.g., offering credits for courses). Well-deserved advice from the members proved timely for certain courses. A long-term view of offering courses rather than only those for which we had teachers available was part of the advice and we sought feedback from our alumni in improving the curriculum with the latest in practice. We benefited from the discussions with and advice and guidance from the members. We believed in its promise for the future. These meetings were conducted regularly every year with the agenda already sent to the members, which was then followed by the proceedings prepared by the institute. We added new members to the board over the years, who also included a representative of the alumni of the institute. We presented almost every bit of curriculum including the changes, progress, and feedback to BOS. We also offered

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some ideas, new schemes and experiments, faculty strength, institutional mechanisms, and processes. Several members of BOS participated actively in the annual industry workshops (later called “Industry Interface Workshop”) organized by the teachers and students who decided upon a theme/topic of contemporary importance. It was another opportunity for us to understand the current issues in management and practice. The discussions and deliberations of both BOS and Industry Interface Workshops had considerable learning value for us. BOS MEETINGS: IMPORTANT DISCUSSIONS (1993–2007) We found that it was advantageous to present our plans to BOS each year along with the proposed changes in the curriculum and to seek their advice and guidance. BOS provided a useful institutional mechanism to discuss the issues thoroughly and learn from the collective wisdom. It was another indication of our interest to make the best possible use of an opportunity in the larger interest of the institute, students, and faculty members. These deliberations were not restricted to the matters of curriculum alone but included several other issues about the development of the institute. Curriculum and its development provided the means for such deliberations. More significantly, it was a natural and organic development of the institute. During the first meeting of BOS in September 1993, we presented the restructured program and a comprehensive curriculum, which introduced the total package of courses on offer in the institute. The well-attended meeting started with an elaboration of the purpose of convening the meeting “in view of changes that we had brought in the last one and a half years; we considered it important that experienced management teachers and practitioners from industry look at these changes closely and offer their suggestions to improve upon them.” We also requested the members to offer their opinions and advice on the plans and programs of the institute. They offered a wide range of

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suggestions and improvements in the curriculum such as the method of offering credits and assigning them weights, introducing non-­ compulsory courses and course options to the students, starting the practice of auditing with attendance requirement, and adopting a modular approach in the organizational behavior area. They also suggested reducing the current number and load of compulsory courses and said that learning of such courses should be assessed imaginatively: through presentations, report writing, assignments, projects, etc. The members cautioned about the plans for expanding the program and adding new courses. They advised that instead of taking on too many things at a time, it was better to take up one significant new activity per year. They also advised networking with premier institutions for faculty orientation and obtaining feedback from our alumni. They appreciated the efforts in preparing the comprehensive curriculum and its framework and the courses meant to provide an international perspective to the students. The members while appreciating the initiative of introducing viva voce for the first-year students suggested that there must be a provision for feedback to the students, preferably written in brief, and that it should be development oriented, indicating their strengths and weaknesses. The faculty members can then help the students who need to overcome their weaknesses. Introduction of new courses was also discussed in the meeting. For instance, business ethics, first of its kind, was introduced in the institute as a required course. Its introduction was vehemently discussed in the meeting and issues such as how such a course could be taught, how it had to be structured, and what teaching materials were required were raised. The discussion, however, centered on the learning value it had for the students: how one can decide what was right or wrong ethically? Introduction of another course on energy and environment was also a topic that was discussed among the members who felt that it was going to be relevant in the years to come. Another discussion revolved around the topic that it might be useful for a marketing faculty to teach a production management case. It

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clearly had the advantage of learning different perspectives as it was also a multidisciplinary approach. The following is a list of other observations, suggestions, and concerns that took place during the board meeting. • The members felt that alliances and collaboration with other institutes were certainly useful but they also felt that the institute should have its own identity and must develop its own resources and competence to offer programs. • While collaboration with institutions abroad was recommended, some of the members cautioned about the selection of institutes for collaboration. It was said that the institute should not lose its edge and value by joining institutes of lesser standing. The need for the introduction of an international perspective, possibly with a course on a foreign language, was also discussed. • A possible reduction of electives offered to the students was suggested and it was said that this should be accompanied by periodic meetings. • Work plans and guidelines for faculty members were also suggested. For example, every faculty member was required to write at least one case study per year and develop their own teaching materials. It was suggested that a resource person for case writing and teaching would be useful; if not full-fledged cases, at least “teachable pieces” should be there. Joint efforts of the students and teachers for case writing, possibly involving practitioners too, were also suggested. Incentives for case writing were also to be provided. • It was found desirable that a mix of students—not only those with different educational backgrounds but also those who had work experience and those who came from different regions—be admitted and this mix be decided in advance. • Pursuing in-company programs actively and the importance of conducting such programs were also discussed. Involving practitioners for teaching was also suggested as both the teachers and students were seeking their greater involvement in the management programs. The discussions and deliberations were added to each year. No doubt, we were keen to improve the curriculum, and a number of these ideas

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found their place in the overall plans for a quality program and helped in its continuous improvement. While we had taken all the initiatives necessary for the program, the involvement of the BOS members in advising and supporting us was no less important. The meetings provided us valuable guidance, advice, encouragement, and support. In fact, they set the tone and tenor of the quality of the program. The discussions were always lively and enriching. We looked forward to the annual meeting as much as for the members to meet the faculty members. For us and for the members, the meetings were never a ritual or even compliance to a regulatory body. The members shared our concerns, supported us, and offered valuable guidance and direction. CONTINUOUS EFFORTS AND PROCESSES Curriculum development and the efforts that went into it enabled us to evolve and develop several processes and formal systems for its review and to update it with experimentation and innovation. There were also formal committees and groups of faculty members to suggest new schemes and/or proposals for the courses the institute offered and for changes in the existing ones. We had started much earlier, rather informally, with a number of initiatives which were implemented after discussions. Most of these initiatives were useful, incorporated into the formal systems and tasks for various committees, and constituted a part of the mechanisms and processes in the institute. The PGP coordinator (later chairperson) was responsible for implementing many of the processes in coordination with the faculty members informally and formally with the PGP Committee. FORMAL COMMITTEES AND SYSTEMS A number of systems gradually evolved in the institute as we wanted to stabilize some of the standard aspects of the curriculum and the procedures we considered effective and which had proved useful.

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While a few of the committees of any institute were there, others such as working groups of faculty members—discipline related (economics, quantitative techniques) as well functional (marketing, finance, etc.)—were also set up for our institute as per the needs of the institute. The systems and committees thus evolved over many years became sound academic structure of the institute and facilitated effective governance. They reflected the institution’s approach to academics. Several other institutional processes such as annual review of courses, faculty workshops, and faculty seminars were also started. HIGHLIGHTS OF CURRICULAR CHANGES IN THE PROGRAM IN THE 1990S The growth of curriculum in terms of the number of courses, contents, and its delivery in response to changing market needs was reflected in these changes, many of which came from our concern to offer the best and the latest. There were many considerations for learning as there were sources of learning. The considerations became more detailed with search for the alternatives in learning.

Restructured Program We reviewed the program in management during 1992–1993, as it was time we take a closer look at the program. It had remained more or less the same over the years and certain changes were necessary to offer a more balanced and comprehensive learning apparatus to the students. The basis of conducting the program was also looked into. Semester system was useful and better than annual examination system; however, it was not flexible enough for covering a large range of courses. We believed that every course need not necessarily have the same duration and decided that some of them must provide faster learning for the students. A term of 10 weeks or so was considered more suited for such courses. Accordingly, the semester system was replaced by term system. There were three terms in one academic year and the program spanned across six terms in total, with a provision for summer training of 10–12 weeks after the first three terms.

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First-year Curriculum The restructured program took into account a balanced view of the basic and fundamental courses, functional and perspective-building courses in management, and discipline. Consequently, the program started with the foundation courses followed by functional courses and reinforced by integrated and perspective-building courses. Management students need to understand the broader dimensions of the business world. With this in mind, new courses such as international business, business ethics, and philosophies of management thinking were introduced. Streamlined courses on management planning and control systems or international marketing and finance enabled the students to understand the globalization of business. A wide range of courses such as strategic marketing and rural marketing were meant to take care of the changing market needs. A better sequence was achieved by shifting and making changes in the courses. This, for example, moved the course on legal environment to the second year. Basic courses on finance and accounting were thoroughly reviewed and strengthened for both their quality and contents. Thus, an overall package of courses was aimed to provide students a strong foundation of balanced, streamlined, and well-articulated program with a clear objective and focus. The planning for courses was carried out in advance every year and a review of the courses was regularly made. The first set of changes were made in the curriculum with a clarity of framework. With institutional changes like activation of BOS, we had taken up reviewing of the courses each year, making necessary changes, and revising them. The changes continued to be made in the content and the process of teaching these courses besides addition of new dimensions such as MIP and new courses in the program. Duration of each term was later extended to 12 weeks for carrying out practice-oriented project assignments. Many of the changes were in tune with the emphasis on practical orientation and learning and developing an integrative and holistic perspective in the students and the teachers. These changes were meant for building enhanced skills in the students.

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Although first-year courses were more or less standardized, we felt that the students needed to have a greater orientation for and understanding of basic courses such as ethics and HRD, and a strong computer education. Accordingly, these courses were included in the first term. To provide a hands-on experience to the students, suitable term-end projects in and around Manipal were also introduced. This enabled the students in understanding the local enterprises and seeing the relevance of such enterprises. At the end of the first year, viva voce was introduced as a means of assessing the students’ capabilities and assimilation of the course work. An intensive review of the curriculum was carried out again in 1997 and new courses like International Management: Cross-cultural Practices and Management of Innovation as well as strengthening courses on environment management and rural marketing components were added.

Second-year Curriculum It was felt that the second year must be qualitatively different from the first year and that it must provide a higher level of skills in students’ specialization. The curriculum and the courses were such that students had adequate opportunities to learn on their own, both in real-life situations and simulated conditions. The role of the teachers also changed accordingly to being more of a coach and a guide than a teacher. The specialization included a number of strong courses. If some student wanted to specialize in a particular discipline, they must complete the minimum number of courses in that discipline. We felt that they should not limit themselves only to a set of courses in one discipline but complement it with other courses from other disciplines. These considerations meant that we viewed management education as multidisciplinary and integrated in nature. Initially, we decided to offer major and minor courses in the ratio of 2:1. However, when we reviewed the system, we realized that workload had become quite high and felt that the students would not be able to concentrate on the subject of their specialization. Then, it was decided to let the students choose minor courses, subject to a minimum and a maximum of credit requirements. An attempt was

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made to provide opportunities for students to opt for as many credits as possible to suit their needs and capabilities. While majors and minors were important in their learning, we realized that it would be better if the students decided the courses they wanted to specialize in and other courses, depending on the availability of the course. A few of the talented students had also taken the route of dual specialization. In other words, an attempt was made to provide opportunities for students to opt for as many credits as possible to suit their needs and capabilities. Thus, each year, we not only made improvements but also made changes for better. Feedback from recruiters, students, and other institutes continuously made us to improve. It had become a regular feature of our agenda. While we added a number of new courses and in general the curriculum was augmented, we considered it important to also look into other aspects of the program, such as students offering voluntary work to help local small enterprises and improve their performance. To some extent, it was a result of the institute’s emphasis on field-based projects. These efforts also helped us in initiating courses on entrepreneurship and later a program for students who were pursuing an engineering degree and had a family business background. NEW DIMENSIONS IN THE CURRICULUM

Social Enterprise Project We planned to carry out several project assignments with the Mangalore Power Company for our students to understand and appreciate social issues/concerns and how they could be managed. We felt the mega project (a thermal power station) conceived by the company could be taken up as a learning project as it presented several issues of management including management of environment and rehabilitation measures.

Social Development Orientations We felt that an understanding of the social issues and learning to appreciate them, and possibly manage such issues, was necessary for

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the budding managers. We decided that every student would work with one of the NGOs at least for two weeks and take up a small project which they could complete in addition to their summer internship. We believed that this particular learning provided an immense value, influencing them in their social development orientations. The very first year (1997) of its introduction encouraged us tremendously seeing the kind and the quality of the projects students had completed. We felt that it was worth pursuing, as the entire experience turned out to be satisfying and had an educative value for the students. The feedback from some of the organizations was illuminating and useful to the institute. Many of them thought that it was a right approach for management institutes.

Learning for Uncertainty Students and teachers were encouraged to take up projects that were much more challenging. The interest of the institute was to work on such projects where there were the usual multiple and conflicting objectives. A drinking water project through conservation of rainwater in Manipal was actively considered as multidisciplinary and it was carried out in collaboration with the engineering college and medical college.

Innovations We made conscious attempts of experimenting with, making changes in, and innovating the curriculum. Possibly, it was also because of the same desire of offering useful, relevant, unique courses and at the same time a rigorous curriculum. It is also borne by the fact that the curriculum met the market needs without losing sight of providing a comprehensive and holistic management education to students.

Introduction of Ethics, Energy, and Environment Courses We had drawn an elaborate plan for our curriculum in which ethics, entrepreneurship, and energy and environment management were

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to be required courses. The introduction of these three courses as required was perhaps the first of its kind in management schools at the time (1993).

Non-formal Means of Learning The formal curriculum plans were strengthened by non-formal means of learning, such as encouraging the students to set up separate fora for each of the functional areas such as finance, marketing, HR, and systems. It was to provide extra free time to the students to learn along with others through informal means. These included participation in seminars, presentation of new ideas, enabling practitioner’s perspectives, interdisciplinary approaches, etc.

Reading the Best Literature in Management Yet another opportunity was a facility made available to the students: reading the best of literature in management. Over the years, they read the best of literature, both classical and modern, and presented their learning in groups and summarized them as compendia of readings. It was customary for making summaries in a compendium every year (introduced as a part of the course on managerial leadership). One of the students wrote a piece about the entire experience in “Learning Curve” of the Economic Times. The student wrote that the experience of not one book but many made them appreciate the literature better and, more importantly, enabled them to learn a good deal from the collective efforts and the presentations made by other students in and out of the classroom.

Managerial Leadership A seminar course on managerial leadership, in which the students read at least one biography or autobiography of a leader from any field, prepared notes, and presented them to the concerned students and teachers as a classroom exercise, was introduced. The notes from each of the students and their presentations were later analyzed and

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collated by small groups of students. Then each group presented their analysis to the class again for discussions about and understanding of the leaders, their work, character, deeds, and accomplishments. While presenting, the group was expected to underline the basic commonalities and differences, taking into consideration the context in which the leader functioned as much as their unique qualities. Then, the group presentations were pooled together along with a summary of the discussions. The group representatives again put their heads together to prepare a consolidated learning of the entire class as a document and presented the salient features and essence of the document. The course underwent many changes and improvements as we learnt more year after year.

Outbound Program We introduced this as an experiential stint in arrangement with an organization offering such programs in the outskirts of Bangalore. It was located on a terrain of hard rock and was almost isolated with literally no transport facilities. We divided the class into a few batches to undergo this experience for three days on the site. The organizers made the students experience not only the harshness, but really made the life hard for them. The students slept on the floor and only bedsheets were provided to them. Simple food and hard exercises like rock climbing, going across two hillocks on a rope really tested their patience and endurance. It was all deliberate. We had selected this to provide the students an experience of hard life, frugal living, and to remove their fear to take up hard and challenging tasks. There was also an emphasis on group tasks and team exercises. We had started it with a bit of apprehension. However, we were assured that trained hands would handle all tasks and no student would be hurt except getting an occasional bruise or two. The students were hesitant and even skeptical at first, but after some convincing and assurance, they took the challenge and came back with an experience of hard life and accomplishing difficult tasks despite having been tired. One student wrote a piece on this experience in “Learning Curve” of the

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Economic Times and titled it “Management of Risk and Adventure in Wilderness.”

PGDM Plus Another course on leadership was introduced during the middle of 2000 called PGDM Plus as an experiential course for a select few students who volunteered for it (after undergoing an assessment beforehand). It was designed as additional learning and advantage to those students with a potential for leadership. It was also a non-grade course, but a proficiency certificate was issued to the students. CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT PHASES In sum, the curriculum went through a series of five phases of improvements and significant changes. The first phase itself was considered a thought-enabling process with a purpose. It helped us look at the curriculum closely by adding new perspectives (say, environment and energy) and dimensions (ethics). It was the time we thought about changes, taking into consideration the curricula available at the best of institutions in the country and elsewhere. The second phase was largely about improving its structure, addition of more courses, particularly electives, rationalization of the courses on offer, deciding workloads for students, and raising the intensity and rigor of the curriculum. In this phase, the second-year curriculum was viewed as most important not only for specialization but also as offering a greater scope for the students’ self-learning through challenging projects and group assignments. It was also the phase where some experiments were carried out, particularly providing a larger space for the students to specialize in as well as to broaden their learning. The third phase was a significant milestone in our curriculum development efforts. The introduction of MIP had come as a fresh and innovative approach to learning and consolidation of efforts as much in bringing in solid outcomes.

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Origins of MIP What we wanted was to create a better learning environment for both teachers and students through industry/business interaction. There were, of course, the usual practices such as summer jobs, placement seminars, and some conferences here and there. However, there was not much of a solid effort in getting into the practical details through any serious collaborative efforts. We felt that we must do something different to overcome these limitations. We looked around to take steps in the direction that seemed promising. We were deliberating over this and an idea struck me during a visit to the Asian Institute of Management, Manila. While getting to know some important aspects of the program there, I found that one of the significant aspects of learning was a project work with a long duration, close to six months, with a clear focus. The efforts made by both the teachers and students were of high standard and the output high quality. From this brief exposure, I felt that the experience could be useful for institutions like ours. Enough dialogues and discussions then took place and we reached some understanding as to make a start on what later came to be known as MIP. We started in 1997 hesitantly and with all the limitations we faced. However, we believed that if there was a purpose behind our efforts and a sharper focus, such experiments could succeed. Unlike in summer jobs, here the role of the teachers and practitioners was clearly laid out. Initially, we felt that instead of individual students working on a project, a small group would be better as they could bring in multiple perspectives on the project work as much as to their learning. However, an important aspect of this exercise was to make possible a greater involvement of the practitioners than it used to be. We knew it was difficult to find such involvement from them, but we felt that possibly it was one of the opportunities for the institute to engage the attention and involvement of practitioners and that it might open a new dimension of management education with corporate involvement and general orientation toward industry–institute relationship was possible. We felt that it could be a good beginning and we could learn better as we go along. All said and done, it was an experiment worth trying as it involved students, teachers, and practitioners for enhancing learning and enabling a perspective of practice or experience. We also learnt many operational issues in going for such experiment (as we knew the enthusiasm for the operational convenience). The batch of 1996–1998 went for this experiment in the summer of 1997. This effort was appreciated, and a number of students felt that it was a much better approach than the usual summer internship. While the teachers were a bit hesitant to start with, they felt

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that this experiment could possibly open many avenues for the institute. We felt that once the students had returned to the campus and their learning assessed, a review of this experiment could be taken up and that could improve it in many respects. Irrespective of the limitations, we felt that it might become a learning ground for the institute as well as for the students and faculty members. It might enable us to seek better approaches toward increasing practitioners’ involvement in the institute. More importantly, the involvement of the faculty members with practitioners was emphasized. Ideally, there could be no better approach. However, its implementation was the key and buying into the practitioners’ world was critical. We felt that it was a good beginning but required intensive efforts on our part to make it a success. The next year, a teacher with strong academic background of several years from one of the renowned institutes joined us. By coincidence, he had some experience of working a similar approach in a different context. As soon as he joined, I asked him to review this experiment and sought his professional advice in making it better. He suggested that it should be output-oriented instead of simply being a learning approach. The real potential of MIP was realized with the joining of this new faculty member. He increased its value, and it became one of the pioneering and innovative exercises, with a focus on outputs, for students to learn. For an institution of our stature, it was a major breakthrough when MIP received an award for the Best Management Innovation in Management Teaching by the Association of Indian Management Schools (AIMS). The purpose of this experiment was how to make best use of classroom education and how to strengthen practice orientation of the students. It was also to realize the value of students’ specialization in a real context: to exercise problem-solving skill themselves and offer solutions to problems. During the second year, students returned from MIP and continued to work through well-articulated phases, either individually or in small groups with the guidance of faculty members. After intensive efforts, including presentations, they developed either a case or some teaching material, or both, based on their experience. While we had started it hesitantly, MIP eventually turned out to be an extremely productive work for both the students and teachers. MIP has become a major learning exercise for students in its outputs, in writing cases, and in creating teaching materials. The batch of 1997–1999 showed exemplary interest and enthusiasm in MIP. They exhibited the titles of all cases they had developed on a big banner at the entrance of the institute. Soon after their graduation, two of the alumni from the same batch wrote a piece on their experience as “Spinning Cases” in “Learning Curve” of the Economic Times of June 1999.

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In the fourth phase, it was time to look at the curriculum in its totality and its relevance in the context as much as at the paradigm shift taking place in some of the premier institutes. It went through a series of processes in which there was a greater relevance of integration, and we identified new courses for integration, including developing a course package for general management. The general management package included new courses such as Business Research (instead of Market Research), Business Analytics, Business Awareness, E-commerce, Career Preparation for Students, Laboratory for Entrepreneurial Motivation, Corporate Governance, Corporate Social Responsibility, and Leadership Lessons from the Literature, among others. With the introduction of integrated courses and general management package with 12 courses, 3 restricted and 1 required elective with MIP in place, the program acquired a unique status and drew attention of the fraternity. Thus, we achieved our goal to have one of the best of curriculum and a quality program. Still, we were searching for new ideas and approaches and thought that we might make another “breakthrough.” There were factors that drove us to think and search for better. One of the factors was our decision to seek international accreditation. Accreditation Our initiative of seeking voluntarily accreditation from national bodies such as National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) and NBA was another indication of our desire to enhance the status and value of the institute. We also sought AACSB accreditation later and it was certainly the highlight of our desire as much as our aspiration to be in the forefront in terms of quality curriculum, higher standards of learning, high-quality faculty complement with intellectual credentials, and a top-class program. We pursued the process of accreditation relentlessly with all its ups and downs. We believed that there was no better testimonial than AACSB accreditation for the quality, intellectual outputs, and learning standards of the institute. It is evident that the foundations laid, principles followed, practices evolved, and quality ensured over these years have made the institute what it is. It is certainly the result of processes of institution building.

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A faculty committee was constituted called Group for Integrated Course Development in the fourth phase. The committee spent almost six months to come to grips with a report in which they segregated the courses considered integrated (Entrepreneurial Management where finance and economics behavior were to be integrated) and suggested scope for integration of other courses and for developing general management courses. The fifth or the ultimate phase (described separately) was long drawn, almost for two years, and involved a series of discussions, reviews, and meetings with faculty members to come up with a significantly different approach and structure for the program. We felt that “thematic curriculum” was the culmination of several efforts and processes and a major landmark in the curriculum development process of the institute. Looking back at these elaborate plans and processes, it seems that it would have not been possible but for the institute being autonomous and for its environment for academic rigor. It was also an exceptional effort which involved constant thinking to make the curriculum possibly the best. The simple premise, mentioned at the beginning of this chapter, we started with enabled us to draw the best possible curriculum with continuous reviews and learning and a number of considerations. We were able to enhance the value of our curriculum and its contemporary relevance. OUTCOME While the intensity of efforts continued, we decided that the delivery systems and their facilitation also needed thorough improvements. While the comprehensive curriculum was getting ready, we considered a number of other issues as important. First, the total number of courses in the first year and the number of credits and the standards of performance evaluated through CGPA (more or less on the patterns of IIMA) were decided. However, the second-year curriculum was still awaiting a lot more clarity and

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better delivery mechanisms. Particularly, we were concerned with the number of electives offered in the functional areas taking into account the availability of teachers and the demand for such electives. However, we presumed that the major functional areas such as finance and marketing would contain an adequate number of courses—the latest as per the demands of the industry and business. It was also felt that the integration of learning was equally important, and it was decided to introduce majors and minors in a given ratio. In other words, it was the phase of offering not only an adequate number of courses and credits but also maintaining some kind of parity with the best institutions at that time. An important consideration was that the students should not lose out for the lack of adequate number of courses. A highly qualified core faculty strength was necessary to complement the efforts on the curriculum and we had settled with the best of visiting faculties and most of them came from IIMB. Hence, the provision of adequate faculty strength was consistently maintained throughout. However, we realized that there were still some gaps in the delivery mechanism though the overall curriculum was one of the best at that time. The students encouraged us by preparing well for the classes. By then, the evaluation system was in place and perfected to some extent. The next stage was not only to set standards but also to set the system of continuous evaluation. We provided necessary information to the students much in advance about the program, the quality of inputs, faculty members, the discipline expected from them, and their own preparations and studies. In an elaborate induction to the students, I also spoke to them about what the institute stood for, how they could benefit from the program and the institute as much as from the faculty members. We clearly brought home that regularity and discipline were as important as their studies. The processes required for discipline were more or less well implemented and systematized even when it was a hard going for the students. An elaborate implementation plan of the program beginning with the students entering the institute to their graduation and receiving their diplomas in the annual convocation was documented meticulously by the first PGP chairman in 1996 and

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was revised in 2001. These first few steps had brought several benefits to the institute, in general, and to the students, in particular. The role of the faculty members was commended equally for their efforts in course preparation, their readiness for classes, and maintenance of discipline with minimal trouble. While there were some murmurs here and there, the students had realized that it was all for their benefit and advantage. They also started accepting the rigor of the program and its discipline. There are a number of instances of how students took initiatives themselves in suggesting various measures to improve the delivery of the program and its courses. We emphasized that co- and extracurricular activities were equally important and students had a lot of freedom to decide their priorities as much as balancing their time. At that time, the students initiated an interesting cocurricular event named Brand Scan from an idea shared by a faculty member and under his guidance, which became quite popular over the years. During this phase, there was a general appreciation of the efforts of the institute and some of the parents showed an interest to help the institute, particularly with identifying summer jobs and internships in Bangalore. We duly acknowledged it since it provided needed help and encouragement to the institute. Thus, the efforts made by the students and their parents added to the value of the program and opened up new opportunities. SUMMARY Most of the activities that had taken place during the past years related to a clear thinking and conceptual orientation, providing larger avenues for learning. First and foremost, to increase the standards, quality, and skills of the students. The students who came from business background also had the advantage and flexibility to use their enterprise to learn on their own. At the same time, it was important that these students showed some concern for the less endowed. This particular aspect was to bring awareness in the students and enable them to utilize their skills to assist such organizations and other smaller enterprises. Finally, it was application of the concepts and knowledge for finding solutions to problems that the students face in a real-life situation.

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The institute generated knowledge or at the least case and teaching material, which was probably more valuable than mere exploitation or application of knowledge. It also encouraged us to look for better means of improving performance of the institute and a process for motivating the faculty members as well as to contribute toward such knowledge and concepts. We believed it was the clarity as much as our desire to do better that helped us to do what we did. Adding to the capabilities and competence of the faculty members, understanding the changing needs of the industry and the students, increasing the capacity in the institute proved to be very useful. The overall thrust of the curriculum development gave us yet another advantage. CAPACITY BUILDING The processes that we went through are worth description in the entire exercise of building the capacity and the institution. The faculty complement that we had made it possible, strengthened education and experience, and added value and reputation to the institute. We continuously looked for more teachers over these years because of equally continuous turnovers. We realized early on that preparing a good-quality curriculum was only one aspect of capacity building. The other one was the delivery of its courses, which was equally important. We believed that this was possible only with a good faculty complement along with support from the institute. Thus, the basics were established and the foundations were laid for capacity building with a simple philosophy enabling broad principles and practices. However, the execution of the program became the key differentiator. CONCLUSION Our own ideas about the curriculum and contributions from the faculty members in executing them made a difference, and initiatives, experiments, and innovations were legion, not to speak of the smaller modifications and improvisations we made almost every year based

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on the feedback received. Nonetheless, we continuously pursued new ideas for curriculum development that culminated into a thematic curriculum, first of its kind and a bold move for the time (2004).

III Departure from the Past Three important developments by 2000 led us to the next and new program that was a complete departure from the existing one. During this time, we attempted to implement a few ideas for curriculum development such as modularization of the program and introduction of new courses through thorough and intensive discussions. However, we were unable to succeed in our attempts. Prior to these developments, we had arrived at an integrated curriculum by rationalizing and streamlining the courses and introduced many new courses. We felt that we had succeeded in offering the best possible curriculum with MIP. Other innovations also continued but the structure of the program remained the same. With developments taking place, we started asking ourselves whether we could think of a better program and make a departure from the existing one, both in its structure and curriculum. THE NEW PGDM

Thematic Curriculum Process and Output While our efforts had so far added to the quality of the program (given our experience on curricular matters, our perspectives, new schemes we thought of, and other innovations we tried to make), we still felt that the institute could consider a more radical approach. Our thinking and understanding were influenced by various experiments in MBA curricula across many institutes in India and abroad. We also found ourselves involved in various institutional processes in improving the curriculum, the courses, and their delivery. Besides, we had the benefit of a network with experienced academics and industry representatives as well as practitioners. Hence, we decided to go for

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a curriculum that was unique and presented great learning value to both students and teachers. As we had done earlier, we decided to deliberate on the issue and consider various implications of implementing this change. We sought opinions, circulated notes, discussed in faculty meetings, and kept the governing systems and BOS informed of our plans. The members of BOS asked why there was a need for changing the current curriculum or the program. It was their opinion that in the name of change or a new curriculum, whatever was already gained by the institute so far should not be lost. We took in account their views and cautioning in pursuing the change we had envisioned. The dean (academics) took the entire responsibility of bringing together a new program; however, given the considerations, cautions, and dilemmas, he had to struggle hard to prepare a draft of the program with a new approach in offering different courses, but he still did prepare and circulate the draft among the faculty members, friends in premier management institutes, members of BOS, practitioners, and well-known management academics. We received valuable responses, feedback, observations, and suggestions from many of them, which we took into account as we continued deliberating and organizing workshops. We were also conscious not to affect the advantage of the existing curriculum and damage our reputation in the process. We also sought support from practitioners and professionals in implementing the curriculum. Faculty members, in their respective working groups, responsible for delivering a particular course prepared its outlines and content and reviewed it in the light of the feedback received. The final copy of the curriculum and the courses per se was then prepared after sufficient vetting in the faculty working groups and was referred to the academic council for approval. It took us almost two years to implement the new curriculum with a clear plan in 2004. We also initiated in 2005 a review of the first-year curriculum. The students’ feedback was in general positive. However, they found certain courses rather demanding of time and the number of sessions allotted to the courses many. Some courses also needed better

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structuring. They also identified the lack of adequate and experienced teachers to teach the new courses. They, however, understood that as the new program was first of its kind, glitches and gaps were but natural. The important point was that they appreciated the initiative and believed that it could become a differentiator with its novelty, uniqueness, and value. This is an illustration of institutional processes in which the teachers and students engage themselves toward a large purpose. It was a long journey and a stretch to our resources but our faith in creating an institution of repute and distinction kept us going. The distinctive features of the new program such as themes, concepts, courses, explanation, rationale, theme-wise responsibility of the specific faculty member, and the overall purpose and its objectives made a significant difference and became a measure of institution building. DELIVERY While we consistently improved our curriculum over the years and made it unique in respect of its concept, design, and implementation, there always remained in our mind the importance of its delivery. In the beginning, delivery issues were a serious concern for us because of the lack of adequate faculty complement as well as their continued turnover. There certainly were substantial improvements over the years though. Now there are better faculty members, better standards of teaching and evaluation, and better students, and the overall climate in the institute is better too. However, the efforts to improve and develop the curriculum and the delivery standards have continued with an increased involvement of the faculty members and because of other internal processes. More importantly, learning methodologies have improved continuously and in collaboration with industry and independent studies. The faculty committee provided the means for continuous reviews and assessment of learning methods, identifying the gaps and at the same time addressing them. Despite our best efforts to implement the thematic curriculum, there were some gaps. The reasons were not too far to seek—a greater coordination of the faculty members and the

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learning input from each course was needed. First, the experience and responsibility of each faculty member were not sufficient. They largely got tuned to the new design of the curriculum but were not able to grasp the value of the themes and their learning values. However, we were able to address these issues with institutional mechanisms and with an increased coordination by positioning a theme coordinator for each theme. The faculty workshop of 2008 discussed this matter and came up with a number of suggestions and actions including reinforcing the value of interdisciplinary and integrated learning. THE IMPACT OF CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT The continuous thrust of developing the curriculum year after year was essentially our desire to give our students the best possible inputs and a larger scope for learning. We also believed this was a valuable and effective learning process for the institute as well. In turn, it created a climate for experimentation, generating new ideas, and making innovations, thus imparting dynamism to the institute. Increasingly, students took greater interest in the process. Extra and cocurricular activities indicated the extent of this interest as was reflected in their engagement in those activities. The climate of the institute influenced students’ learning significantly, which had a direct bearing on their academic performance and which increased their involvement in institutional projects such as digitization of the office work, copious and thorough preparation of background materials for introducing verticals in the curriculum, playing a major role in TAPMI’s house magazine Update, partnering with faculty members, and generating quality cases, papers, and publications. MIP and student–teacher collaborative research became unique features of the institute. VIBRANT CO- AND EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES The institutional processes, procedures, and systems already set facilitated implementation of curriculum changes in the program as much as our interest to provide the best means of educational experience

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to our students. The experience was enhanced by vibrant extra and cocurricular activities, mostly initiated and contributed to by the students. They received many awards and prizes in keenly fought contests in both academic and non-academic spheres along with the best premier institutes across the country. Their impact, particularly on the student community, was simply remarkable. FACULTY COMPLEMENT The process of curriculum development enhanced the learning of the faculty members and strengthened their interests. Integration of teaching, practice, and research was singularly the most significant contribution made by the faculty members. Methodologies for assessment provided useful outputs for gaining a ground and enabled us to receive good credentials including international accreditation. Performance standards and their assessment coinciding with assessment of learning reinforced the quality standards. The significant subtext of the story is the curriculum development and its processes and the impact it had on the institute. It was largely influenced by our interest in developing the institute and its image. We adopted curriculum and faculty development as a major strategy to that effect. The institution-building processes we had adopted created several valuable practices that had a great bearing on the culture of the institute. IN RETROSPECT Curriculum development became a significant and valuable institutional process. It coincided with developments and changes, new and fresh experiments, approaches, and innovations. The simple premise we had started with brought enormous payoffs for the institute. No less, it increased the institute’s reputation and enhanced its image. There was a marked impact on the students in both their learning and their involvement in the institutional activities—curricular as well as cocurricular. There were new dimensions of the students’ collaboration with faculty members. The close relations it created tremendously

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influenced the institute and both teachers and students became major stakeholders of the institute. It was a remarkable journey for the faculty members as well, almost at every stage of the curriculum development: for their learning, their involvement, and in their contributions. The institutional mechanisms and processes which evolved during this period were stronger with their involvement and their thinking and consideration proved useful. The core philosophy helped the outcomes of the approach we followed for curriculum development, which became a strong pillar of the institute. It was complemented by the delivery of the program and faculty members became very much a part of the process. In fact, they provided the wherewithal for the implementation of curriculum at every stage in its totality. The dean (academic) played a singularly large role in this significant process. Curriculum development and faculty development are two sides of the same coin. It cannot be otherwise and indeed they are interdependent. Hence, Chapters 5 and 6 complement and reinforce each other and form the core of the story.

Faculty Development The Prime Constituent

6

INTRODUCTION The approach toward curriculum and the efforts for its development cannot be appreciated and understood fully without understanding the simultaneous efforts concerning faculty development. Early in the 1990s, suitable policies were implemented for recruitment, selection, and development of the faculty members. The importance of the progressive and liberal policies for their interests and their growth were realized early on, and the growth of the institute was largely seen as faculty driven, reinforced by the autonomy of the institute and faculty development was considered indispensable for the institute’s growth. The compensation package including incentives we offered was progressive and on par with other national-level institutes. Over a period, a model of a teacher evolved which was based on the principles of responsibility, involvement, development, and contribution. The policies we pursued and the practices we followed were essentially derived from principles, and from our intent and purpose of building an institute of repute. The institutional processes strengthened these practices, governance was reinforced, and legitimacy was established. Moreover, these principles and practices invigorated a culture of development at the institute. Since the beginning, we had taken the view that professional policies and practices are as important as systems and procedures. In practical terms, the quality of the faculty and their contributions substantially enhanced the prestige of the institute despite many

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constraints. Significantly, faculty composition became as pan Indian as the institute itself. This chapter portrays the building of the faculty strength, their development, and the contributions they made over a period—a major force and a fundamental building block in institution building. THE BEGINNING First, we decided the priorities in the context of desired advancement of the institute. The first and foremost priority was to take up the task of improving the quality of the program as a means to better the image of the institute. Aided and guided by our experience and understanding so far, we made a few quick changes in the institute such as improving academic facilities and teaching schedules and bringing minor though worthwhile improvements in the curriculum. However, the most important task was to raise the teaching standards, the quality of program delivery, and discipline. The faculty complement and their development thus became important while looking for one or two possible additions to the strength. It was the first full-fledged set of initiatives for the faculty members and their development. The next task was to review and understand the program in real terms. After the review, we looked at the practical details of teaching the classes: student discipline and response, and their performance. Then, we began to systematically involve the teachers in evaluating their experience of teaching, the course outlines, and students’ response and behavior. Internal processes then started improving and the teachers responded well. Other changes in the institute also influenced this behavior. What largely made the difference was that the director was in direct contact with the teachers and advised and guided them rather systematically. Improvements in every aspect—teaching standards, regularity, discipline, and conduct of the classes—became a norm for the institute and the teachers took it seriously. Students could see the difference and responded fairly well to the changes. Their reformed conduct and discipline were commendable as well.

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THE NEXT STEP We realized that while it was a good beginning, it would not sustain unless there were other changes—both structural and developmental—­ happening at the same time. However, these changes could not be successful unless the Elders were taken into confidence, and they might take some time to understand their implications. Changes in the program structure and the curriculum, and its contents and delivery were relatively easy to implement compared to the development needs. Hence, we decided to convene the first meeting of the trust and the GC in 1992. An elaborate agenda was prepared along with the policy requirements of the program. There were proposals to bring changes in the status of the teachers and their compensation package, and recruiting more teachers, all of which was to be done with resources raised internally. After due deliberations, both the trust and the GC approved these proposals. Once this was cleared, we quickly moved on to implement these policies and the decisions proved to be advantageous and opened a window for further changes. More so, we could see the overall uplift in the morale of the institute, particularly among the faculty members. We were also able to add a few highly qualified and talented faculty members. It was the beginning of our journey toward quality. RESPONSIBILITY SHARING AND FACILITATING In an earlier chapter, how the program responsibility was shared among the faculty members with specific tasks assigned, about their coordination, and how the support of the administration was extended were detailed. The consultative process is called for such responsibilities and support and help sought by the faculty members for better performance and standards. The faculty complement being a small group, there were informal relations and friendship. Streamlined systems, procedures, and work organization with the support of the staff were already available. All of them together brought about a certain degree of stability and strength to the institute. The perceptible changes engendered a new enthusiasm and some sense of purpose to the tasks they undertook. The students also responded favorably.

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With the joining of new teachers, students started taking more interest in their studies and, in general, behaved responsibly. Other systems, streamlined operations, and systematic conduct of the program also influenced their behavior. It was just the beginning and we could see substantial changes in the institutional system, which highly encouraged and energized us, and we were motivated to move forward. PACING AND BUILDING FACULTY AND QUALITY We also deliberated on the progress made in the program, response from the students, and methods of evaluation with teachers taking more responsibilities. Their coordination improved over time. The experience thus far helped us to initiate many other measures to increase the faculty strength, implement necessary policies and practices, and use development as a major support system for the growth of the teachers. It was significant for our plans and integral to the development of an institute of repute. This philosophy and purpose enabled us to look within and around and enabled us to take many initiatives in this long journey. A number of moves, both organic and inorganic, thus initiated kept the grand purpose aglow in the back of our minds. The philosophy and purpose turned out to be a unique proposition for the institute which was recognized by others for its high standards, discipline, and highly qualified and talented faculty complement. The same also proved to be a qualitative differentiator for the recruitment of potential faculty members. Spreading the message to faculty members in other institutes, maintaining informal contacts with friends seeking leads for potential candidates, making visits to institutes, etc., were some of the measures we took. However, word of mouth continued to be important for recruitment. While formal methods seemed less functional and less useful in the early years, they started yielding better results later. Possibly, by then, it was a confirmation of the picture of the institute in terms of its image, ascendancy, and potential in the minds of potential candidates.

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Policies for Faculty Selection and Recruitment As noted, we followed certain practices based on some premises and guiding principles from the beginning. These were as follows: • The institute had a proportionate strength of higher-level full-time core faculty complement. The visiting, guest, and adjunct faculty supplemented the core faculty. • The institute recruited young PhDs and fellows, even without any prior work experience, from reputed institutes. If a young person was recruited without a PhD but was otherwise suitable, he/she was encouraged to pursue it and the institute provided all the necessary support. • Wherever possible, the institute tried to recruit a senior teacher with a doctorate. • The institute continued to recruit experienced industry professionals as full-time faculty as and when possible. • A fair and progressive compensation package was to be provided to both the faculty members and the staff. • A climate of professionalism through which the achievements of the faculty are recognized was created. • Encouragement to the faculty for professional leadership in their respective disciplines/interests was provided. • A climate of openness, shared values, and greater opportunities in the institute for everyone to excel was created. These broad policies and guidelines, both written/verbally stated and unwritten/unstated, influenced several plans and practices for the personnel with due processes and legitimacy. While these stood us in a good stead and proved to be valuable in building the institute in several respects, we followed other practices that facilitated plans for recruitment on a regular and continuous basis such as the following: • We encouraged open applications and accepted them without any time limit. However, we subjected them to serious scrutiny based on their suitability for our needs.

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• If a suitable candidate was available, he/she was recruited even when there was no specific vacancy/slot immediately available for him/her. However, we encouraged them to work with other faculty members to learn and orient themselves in teaching. • We personally contacted them on phone or visited the place where a potential candidate was available. • When I visited some of the premier institutes as the director, I would meet doctoral students to see if anyone stood out. • Friends and peers in these institutes were requested to tell potential hands to look for avenues in our institute. • If an experienced person from the industry, with or without a PhD, applied for a full-time faculty position, personal contact was immediately made by phone. • Additional increment over and above the basic pay was offered to inexperienced young PhD candidates without their asking. • Advice and enough time were provided to a candidate to serve the notice period when he/she was already committed to teaching elsewhere. • A provision of a separate fund for faculty development was made in the very first budget, which continued over the years and was also increased. FORMAL SYSTEMS, PROCEDURES, INSTITUTIONAL MECHANISMS, AND PROCESSES The first formal system that was set up was the personnel committee with the chairman of the GC and the president of the trust, who were the same person, as the chairman and two others from among the trustees or the members of the GC. Both members were known for their knowledge of management education and/or practice. The director was appointed as the member secretary of the committee in 1993. Largely, it was from the very beginning our approach for checks and balances of selection and recruitment and we decided on the system and the procedure for faculty selection and recruitment. Over a period, it became more systematic with details about candidates. The dean (academic) assumed more responsibility from 1999 and

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played a major role in improving the procedure, its rigor, and, thus, the quality of faculty recruitment. The laid-out procedure of recruitment broadly involved all stages of selection, namely identification, scrutiny, and consultation; verification of the candidate; an optional demo class; a seminar for the entire faculty complement and its assessment; and personal interview by a panel consisting of the director, deans, and other faculty members (depending on the discipline/specialization). Later, proceedings of the selection were prepared, which would be signed by the panel and the director (who was also the member-secretary of the personnel committee). The proceedings were then sent to the chairman and the members of the personnel committee for endorsement and/or comments and observations. If there were any adverse comments on the selection of a candidate/s, they returned it to the director for the needed correction with regard to either reconsideration of the offer or its cancellation. Throughout this long period, there was only one instance when one of the members (a trustee) of the committee commented negatively about a candidate. This entire procedure evolved over a period as we learned from our experiences and mistakes. In the early years, we could not develop such a rigorous system and, possibly, we also made a few mistakes. The institute has now come to be known as faculty oriented and driven by the faculty members.

The Procedure 1. Identification: Scouting for possible candidates informally and accepting applications at any time besides the more formal mechanisms such as advertisements. 2. Scrutiny and consultations: The application and CV were seen by the director and the dean and sent to the concerned faculty member/s, working group, and other experienced people within and outside the institute. The picture that emerged out of this led to the next stage of acceptance or rejection.

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3. Classroom session: It was optional and took into account the candidate’s experience as well. Once it was decided that a session was required, students’ assessment and feedback were also considered along with those of the faculty member/s who attended the session. 4. Seminar: A seminar was mandatory (even for a visiting faculty) and was taken seriously by the institute. The dean in his letter of invitation to the candidate clearly mentioned presentation of a seminar. He provided some guidelines such as the topic and duration of the seminar. For example, a topic could be one’s PhD dissertation, fellow thesis, or some competence or experience one has acquired. It was the sharing of a practical experience more by reflection than by mere presentation of the data for about 30 minutes. 5. Faculty assessment: The presentation and questions and responses were followed by discussion among the faculty members (after the candidate left). A template was given to each faculty member for their assessment, along with the list of criteria such as suitability, pattern of response, understanding, and subject knowledge against each of which they had to mark a Yes or a No. The next stage was decided by an overall assessment by the attending faculty members and their collective opinion. In case such an assessment happened to be largely negative, the director informed the candidate. Otherwise, the candidate was moved on to the next stage. 6. Personal interview: This was largely devoted to assessing the candidate personally—his/her potential, expectations, suitability to an academic career, willingness to relocate to a small town, willingness of the family, etc. The panel spent about 30 minutes with the candidate and then decided his/her suitability or otherwise (guided by the information from the earlier stages). 7. Preparation of the proceedings of the selection: This was the pre-final stage, before the proceedings were presented to the personnel committee with recommendation of the panel and was then duly signed. The process took much time, care, and concern. However, we also used our discretion in a few cases where a candidate was known or found to be exceptionally good and proficient (e.g., we selected a senior teacher from Namibia [who was a Nepali citizen] with good

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credentials, higher qualifications, and experience without following any of the above procedure).

Some of the Practices We Evolved during This Time • Those who joined the institute as an assistant professor without any work experience but had a PhD were promoted as associate professor after three years, subject to their performance and feedback from the students and other faculty members. • Associate professors were promoted to professorship after 3–5 years of service, depending on their performance, quality of work, contributions, and responsibilities taken or shared. However, such promotions were assessed externally by well-known management academics from premier institutes. • This experience was an important consideration in developing a comprehensive system of performance management. By then, the institute had grown, and we had a highly qualified faculty complement, who contributed in a substantial way to the overall development of the institute. Certainly, the teachers raised the quality of the program—from mere teaching to getting involved in research and publications and thereby contributing to their discipline, practicing colleagueship and collaboration with students and other faculty members, promoting case teaching and writing, and indulging in self-assessment. Our decision to seek international accreditation also pushed us to view such assessments more comprehensively for outputs and learning. • Those who joined the institute without a PhD were required to complete their doctorate at the earliest. • Recruitment of non-PhD candidates was to be reduced gradually, unless and otherwise suitable, and such recruitment was to be stopped after a period.

These ideas were suitably incorporated in designing the CPMS. It may be equally important to note that despite lack of enough teachers in addition to their constant turnover, we did not deviate from the guiding principles for recruitment and promotion. Largely, it served to gain an academic advantage and to meet the standards of international accreditation from AACSB. The most significant part of these policies was largely aimed at faculty development, their professional growth, and their contributions

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to the institute. We pursued them consistently through multiple means and processes, both organic and inorganic.1 We believed that this approach made a considerable difference to the institute. For us, the pursuit was integral to the development of the institute; it was a long-term approach to build it as a reputed one. We succeeded beyond our expectations. We began with the curriculum, teaching standards, course delivery, and the impact it made on the quality of the students over years. While the role of the teachers cannot be overemphasized in this respect, there were other measures like sharing responsibilities of academic administration, both formal and informal, that made the faculty complement integral to the development of the institute. FACULTY DEVELOPMENT: INVOLVEMENT, CONTRIBUTIONS, AND GROWTH We made several changes in the institute—academic, administrative, and pedagogical, related to course materials, student discipline, teacher’s responsibility, research, publications, and networking—formal and informal. Indeed, we believe it was the very first step toward development. The process itself was improved upon and modified with new dimensions over a period. A value we cherished and lived on. Improvement in simple things such as punctuality, attendance, preparation for classes, etc., are simple values that became critical norms in the institute. IMPORTANCE OF ADVICE AND GUIDANCE IN THE EARLY DAYS I began the task of initiating actions for several improvements in the institute by taking faculty members into confidence and seeking their support from day one. A number of initiatives such as improving discipline and order among students, classroom conduct, attendance, and Organic process are processes arising out of the functions of faculty members within the institute; inorganic processes are the interactions of faculty members with faculty members in some of the premier institutions and taking professional courses.

1

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preparation for sessions were implemented with their active support and involvement. However, I had to lead such initiatives and follow them up with constant advice and guidance. More importantly, I spent enough time on reviewing the quality of the program and curriculum, and the faculty complement. Working with them closely, I could draw their attention toward the importance of raising quality in all aspects of teaching—preparation, course outlines, teaching materials, and improvements in pedagogy and evaluation methods. However, I encouraged their own involvement in learning about these practices and enabled them to understand the importance of quality, in general, and teaching, in particular. I followed up with providing them adequate support, advice, and guidance in all these matters. The program and its conduct became much more systematic. The overall positive effect influenced them, and they quickly learned and followed suit. Many other steps for improvement were taken and the teachers responded actively. The PGP coordinator as well as the PGP committee played a vital role in this respect. It was a matter of priority, given the context, for me to give such advice and guidance to influence developments in the institute. It was a matter of time, as it turned out to be, that the faculty took responsibility for the program, the students, and the institute. These were the beginnings of development of the faculty complement. BOTH FORMAL AND INFORMAL DISCUSSIONS AND CONSULTATIONS Once the process was initiated, larger participation of the faculty members and informal meetings with one another, discussing issues about the conduct of the program, were seen in their response and in the environment of the institute. The level of coordination among them improved substantially and their ability to draw inputs and feedback from the program and the students increased. There were other informal means of consultations for making changes by themselves and learning from others with the support of the PGP coordinator. Mutual adjustments, understanding each other, and sharing concerns through

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informal discussions rather became a habit. While there were some issues, the environment that was created enabled a greater degree of cooperation and supporting each other helped matters. SOME EARLY EXPERIENCES The formal and informal environments were such that there was something for the teachers to look forward to, add one’s own experience and solve problems as they emerge, and be a crucial part of the system. The informal means of consultations and discussions added to the improving environment in the institute. Thus, the beginnings were in place for an institution to build itself. All said and done, the dynamics and the growth of an institute could not depend solely on some of the early attempts but must make greater involvement of faculty members possible just as their growth and contribution. The growth path itself had the potential for a greater scope for such involvement and consequently for the growth of the faculty members. This was a gradual and phased process, and conscious effort was necessary from the beginning. There cannot be any growth of an institute without the growth of its faculty complement. However, for such a growth to take place and be real, not only a conducive environment but also a philosophy based on the raison d’être of the institute is essential. Still, it could not happen overnight but takes a long time and considerable efforts. There would be uncertainties, ups and downs, and even risks in reaching the goal. The policies of recruitment and selection and retention of the faculty members are certainly a reflection of the dynamism and the growth path pursued by the institute based on its principles. With shared responsibilities and active participation of the faculty members over the years, practices improved; there was thorough planning and coordination among them, which was increasingly appreciated by the students and industry as well as by our constitutional bodies. It certainly reinforced an institutional culture of participation, involvement, and responsibility.

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In the earlier years, many of the tasks listed above were entrusted with individual faculty members, and each one of them contributed to the system remarkably. Over time, the shared responsibilities became institutionalized and the growth of the institute added to such responsibilities. ACADEMIC THRUST, RIGOR, AND COMPOSITE VIEW OF FACULTY We had taken a composite view of the faculty complement from the beginning with the identity of the institute in mind. This presented several means to recruit teachers with higher academic qualifications, fresh and young from reasonably good institutes and universities. With due consideration of such a profile, research and publication activity was initiated very early on in the institute. While we knew that it was too early, it showed a different picture of the institute to the potential candidates. We also knew that this particular activity would take much longer to establish itself. However, we never gave up and our preferences ultimately proved the institute’s standing. We followed a principle here that we never wanted the institute to be a teaching entity alone. Therefore, we needed to take a different path to have a composite faculty at the core of our institute’s identity. To make it operational and practical, we initiated elaborate processes for the faculty members to identify their academic interests and research areas and offered facilities to carry on with their interests. However, it did not become an institutional focus and policy. By 2000 or so, we started looking at it seriously when younger faculty members with doctorates from better institutes joined the institute. We wanted to see research as one of the important areas in the institute. A fortuitous combination further facilitated the processes meant for research and publications. Once we had decided on it, it developed into multiple means and sources of research—faculty members’ partnerships, student–teacher collaboration, MIP, working groups of faculty members, working paper facility, integration of teaching and research, interdisciplinary focus, and others. The

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formal CPMS with performance standards, commensurate with incentives and other opportunities, certainly helped to create a better environment for a composite view of the institute and faculty members. However, it would have been even better if there were teaching/research assistants as an institutional provision. Probably, it was a matter of time. Nonetheless, a beginning was made with the ICICI chair being offered to one of our young faculty members with such a provision. There was also an imminent need for expanding the faculty complement and a plan was made that coincided with meeting AACSB requirements in certain areas and with the new campus shaping up. With teaching and teaching quality as the top priority, the faculty members were still encouraged to pursue their research interests as much as they could with due support from the institute. It was a major consideration for the faculty’s development and growth. The institutional mechanisms like working groups to provide accommodation for each faculty to have some space and free time for carrying one’s research interests and the introduction of an annual plan with a mix of major responsibilities such as teaching, research and publications, and academic administration, a policy measure was initiated coinciding with the application for international accreditation. Internal processes and faculty members’ participation in various activities of the institute provided the first indication that faculty members as a group and as individuals were very much a part of the institute and integral to its development and growth. The composite view of faculty members only added to and reinforced both their development and growth. The proactive implementation of various plans, schemes, and innovative projects strengthened the belief. Various policies and practices of recruitment, developmental activities such as their involvement, participation, and contributions reinforced the value of the institute’s identity. The developments in the institute for its growth and reputation would have not taken place in their absence. To say the least, there was enough demonstration as much as evidence

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of such developments. In other words, a view of such development and its practice in the beginning itself even in the face of serious constraints had its advantage. The journey that we undertook in building an institution of repute evolved a culture of active practice of various initiatives over a long period. The faculty complement, its composition, strength, and contributions immeasurably helped the journey toward the goal. The composite view certainly fortified the values of the institute. FACULTY COMPETENCES AND SKILLS All said and done, such a view cannot be sustained without developing a faculty complement with competence and skills for both teaching and research. Though the emphasis was on teaching to begin with, we started making small attempts and took initiatives for research activities simultaneously. Besides, by the virtue of the institute’s initiatives, faculty members had several opportunities for exposure to the industry, other academic institutes, and senior faculty members from our institute and from other institutes. Gradually, such exposure extended to exchange programs and innovative programs for executives. By themselves, these provided multiple opportunities to the faculty members. Other opportunities gave ample scope to utilize their competence for various developmental and future tasks of the institute. There were many programs as FDP, Vision 2005, development of an integrated curriculum, a thematic curriculum, ideas for new programs, new courses, research areas, etc. AACSB accreditation, team teaching, pairing with practitioners, collaboration, joint studies, and a whole host of such opportunities were also available. Liberal practices were adopted to encourage the faculty members to participate in conferences, seminars, and workshops all over the country and abroad. Besides, they presented papers in some of the prestigious institutes and won awards. Brief sabbaticals to learn from the industry and developing case studies were another liberal practice we adopted.

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Some Exposures FACULTY EXCHANGE PROGRAM WITH OAKLAND UNIVERSITY, DETROIT (USA)

During 2006–2008, six of our faculty members visited the Oakland Campus and taught students there. In exchange, six of their faculty members taught in our program. The university had approached us initially in their search for partners for such a program. THREE-NATION CAMPUS PROGRAM

Interestingly, during 2003, one of the faculty members from the College of Business, Wisconsin University, Oshkosh Campus, approached us to collaborate with us for the new initiative of a three-nation program. By then, the school had already entered into agreement with the School of Management, University of Applied Sciences, Damsdart, Germany. We agreed to utilize the relative strengths of each of these schools and the respective fields of expertise of the faculty members for sharing the responsibilities of teaching. The program was designed for the participation of teachers from these three countries, both onsite and offsite (i.e., online). Two of our faculty members received orientation and training in the online format from both Oshkosh and Damsdart schools. We arranged for one cycle of onsite teaching during 2007 at our CEE, Bangalore, and two of our faculty members trained for offsite teaching and taught two courses: one on ethics and another on accounting. ONLINE MBA PROGRAM

Our best efforts and the year-long preparations of the executive online MBA program in 2000 in association with Aptech turned out to be a non-starter and a big disappointment. However, it was a good exposure to a new format. In the process, however, one senior faculty member had spent a great deal of time working with Aptech and coordinated preparation of teaching materials and other arrangements for launching the program. At least six of our faculty members were involved actively in the preparation of teaching material for several courses and it was quite a bit of experience for them. Possibly, we were too ahead of our time for offering such a program and we were not able to gauge its market correctly.

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CONTRIBUTIONS OF FACULTY MEMBERS Integral to such developments, there were several outcomes and clear outputs directly contributed by the faculty members. These were both macro and micro contributions, and altogether they enhanced the image of the institute and its identity, visibility, distinction, and dynamism. Some of the key highlights are mentioned here: • We were highly encouraged with the simultaneous accreditation of the institute both by NBA and NAAC. Ours was one among the very few institutes in the country to have their accreditation at the time (in 2001). • We had developed and implemented a first of its kind thematic curriculum from 2004. • Ours was the first institute in the country to have sought international accreditation of AACSB (2002) and was duly accredited. It was only one of the two in the country in 2012. The other was ISB, Hyderabad. • The first of its kind PhD program was initiated in association with Manipal University (it was called Manipal Academy of Higher Education—a deemed university earlier) for our faculty members without doctorate. The entire academic component—courses, evaluation, dissertation work, and guidance—was designed and implemented by the institute. • An innovative learning exercise, namely, MIP, was awarded the Best Innovation in Management Teaching (1999). It provided a continuous pipeline for developing case and teaching materials. • Another first in the country, we started a weekend executive PG program of two-year duration in Bangalore (1997). • Yet another first ever e-governance PG program was successfully launched in 2008. Contributions of the faculty in the above-mentioned highlights are rather exceptional, which are given as follows: • MIP—conceptualization, practice, and implementation.

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• AACSB accreditation (2003–2009). The dean (academics) initiated the entire work including documentation, followed its detailed and strenuous procedure and processes, and gave it the needed push. However, it was for another faculty member to accomplish the task by 2009. (It was actually accomplished by 2011.) • Thematic curriculum—its conceptualization, design, and implementation with all its processes were led by the dean (academic) and supported by faculty members. • E-governance program—implemented by an adjunct faculty successfully. • Despite a lot of efforts made for almost a year by the two faculty members on a new, competency-based one-year executive MBA program, the program did not materialize. AWARDS Not surprisingly, there were a number of awards won by individual faculty members. Almost all these awards were instituted by AIMS. AIMS was set up as a platform for management schools as a forum for annual meetings, conventions and conferences for meaningful participation, and socialization by the member institutes. We are one of the few institutes that gained from our membership. Some of these awards are a s follows: • Best Teacher (2003) and Best Young Teacher Award twice (in 1999 and in 2002) • Best Case and Teaching Note (2001) • Best Research Paper (2003) • First prize for best paper in finance, awarded twice by UTI Capital Markets Institute (2002–2003) • Postdoctoral fellowships—Ford and Fulbright (one and three, respectively; 1995 and 2007, 2008 and 2010). BOOKS From the beginning, we took a decision to encourage and support faculty to publish books for their personal and professional growth. It

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may be suggested that almost all these books were written by respective faculty utilizing the teaching material and courses they taught over the years. Some of these books are as follows: • Theory and Practice of Stock Markets (1994, by Mohd Obaidullah) • Ethical Choices in Business, two editions, Response Books (SAGE; 1997, by R. C. Sekhar) • Management Planning and Control Systems (2002, by R. C. Sekhar) • Futures Markets: Theory and Practice (2004, by Sunil Parameswaran) • Systems Management (2006, by Saji Mathew) • Retail Marketing (2007, by Siva Kumar) • Management Accounting (2008, by R. C. Sekhar and Rajagopal) COCURRICULAR AND EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES The narrative of the faculty and its strength and development cannot be complete without mention of contributions made by the faculty members. Many of them not only expanded but also increased the range of activities significantly and created new and creative events. Ever on the rise! This in itself added to the distinction the institute had achieved. Contributions of the faculty members were singularly important, purposeful, and mutually enriching. I am also convinced that there were higher order relations in the efforts in consultations, guidance, and collaboration. SOME EXPERIENCE WITH FACULTY While we had small issues and problems with a few faculty members,2 we were able to get past such issues without much damage to the image of the program or the institute. This was largely because of the overall environment, academic practices and processes, personal attention, and a good deal of informal relations as much as the emphasis on These issues were about promotion, comparisons with other IIMs, small-town environment, and small egos here and there. However, the shocks and surprises were because of the sudden resignations of some faculty members at critical times. These were too tough for the institute (for the AACSB process in particular) and for me as well. Personally, it was quite a bit of distraction and frustration.

2

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quality and a long-term outlook. Even though the turnover of faculty members was shocking and upsetting at times, the institute remained an attraction for young PhDs. Job applications were increasing from candidates from premier and other renowned institutes of management, particularly from 2000 onwards. Possibly, with liberal policies and a progressive outlook, the importance of the faculty members and their role in the institute as well as formal rules and regulations in respect of many initiatives would have provided the needed reinforcement. There would have been better and uniform treatment in certain matters. Until 1998, we were not in a position to formalize and complete a detailed and comprehensive system of personal rules and regulations. It must have caused some of those problems, as there were feelings of being discriminated against and too discretionary and personalized views of the director, mostly in matters related to promotion of faculty members. We learnt that it was important to have formal systems in place along with a progressive outlook and a liberal attitude. Maybe we were able to avoid some of the irritants and problems. However, some issues remained and presented themselves time and again, which were also dynamic. These experiences taught us that one must keep on improving and experimenting and adding new means and methods for betterment. COMPENSATION PACKAGE INITIATIVES We were one of the few institutes that implemented the Fifth Pay Commission compensation packages for faculty members in 1998, on par with other national-level higher education institutes: IIMs and IITs). Just before the Sixth Pay Commission pay scales were announced in 2005–2006, we initiated a process of looking at raising the compensation packages by setting up a faculty members’ committee. The committee recommended 20 percent rise in the current compensation for all faculty members and staff. The setting up of this committee and its recommendations were placed before the trust and the GC for their advice and concurrence. Though the chairman was not happy with the idea, one of the members of the GC suggested that what the

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committee had recommended was not worth much. However, he favored expanding the committee with representation from the GC. Accordingly, a member of the GC became the chair of the committee along with three faculty members including the dean (administration). The package has grown with increased surpluses over the years with many perquisites, benefiting both the faculty members and the staff, besides the provision of pension facility for them. SUMMARY Involving ourselves closely in consulting, participating, checking, and reviewing, we had learnt a great deal not only about correcting mistakes but also about planning for the future. The learning process proved to be a harbinger of many later developments for the institute. Most importantly, it strengthened our conviction for implementing further plans and practice of institution building. What has been described so far suggests that we were able to build up a model faculty complement based on our guiding principles and practices with the clear purpose of building a reputed institute. In the process, we were able to develop a system that sustained and nurtured those principles and practices. In sum, there was a strong thrust on academics and its structure and processes, enabling the institute to make most of its resources. CONSOLIDATION AND INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF THE FACULTY MEMBERS’ PERFORMANCE AND CONTRIBUTIONS

Comprehensive Performance Management System To give a concrete shape to the mission, we felt that there must be a comprehensive system for reviewing faculty members’ performance and its proper management. This had to be the most progressive arrangement for sustained faculty development and growth, and in tune with the current thinking of management schools and faculty members’ growth and development as much as building a reputed institute.

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The institute’s standing among other schools, its image, and reputation are no small achievements, given the resources and other constraints. However, while we had done fairly well, we needed to look at a proper assessment of the faculty members for their growth and an incentive for their contribution on a systematic basis. We had already initiated processes meant for international accreditation and other expansion plans for an institute whose faculty strength was about 50. We felt that a systematic and professional approach was required. Since it was a major intervention, and significant too, we decided that we would involve the faculty members at various stages in the development of the system.

Developing CPMS CPMS aimed at: • Supporting, encouraging, and nurturing personal and professional development of faculty members in consonance with the development and growth of the institute. • Providing sustained motivation to the faculty to continuously “raise the bar” of their own performance standards by setting and achieving “stretched” goals and objectives. • Conceiving appropriate incentives and benefits commensurate with their performance. Given these aims, we wanted to develop a comprehensive system of performance management with due processes and arrive at a sound system with a consideration of faculty members’ growth, their leadership, and recognition with appropriate incentives. We developed the document after almost a year’s efforts, and we felt that it was a well-ordered, methodical document for the future. This document is a fine example and illustration of what went into it: considerations, processes, elaboration and presentation, trial runs, improvements, etc.

In sum, the importance of processes, a thrust on comprehensive academics and outputs, a good deal of trust in general, and shared responsibility facilitated CPMS’s implementation. In other words, it

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was a consolidation and formalization of our experiences for the faculty members’ development and growth. After three years of its implementation, we decided to carry out a review by a group of faculty members in view of some operational difficulties, measurement, and changed priorities. It was also the time that initiating plans for the future coincided with our effort for getting AACSB accreditation, which was expected in the beginning of 2010. It was also the time of the campus project and its likely completion in the beginning of the academic year 2009. In consonance with such developments, we looked at our expansion plans selectively.

3

Search, Exploration, and Integration

7

This story, however, does not end with the narration of events and description of plans and practices of the institute. These have been provided in the previous chapters as to why we did what we did, and their effects and consequent learning lend greater significance to change. It has also been mentioned why it was important for us to build an institution of repute based on a large picture and strive to achieve it. We knew that it would be a long haul. However, we made plans for the journey rather than short-term consideration of quick fixes of offering a program and a number of courses. We also decided that we would develop or even create our own version of the institute, irrespective of the constraints and limitations. As the previous chapters show, we went on working for a holistic, integrated, and composite view of an institute. We think that we were successful in this mission. For us, it was important that we create an environment of learning for such a mission. Every activity and action that we had taken up for this cause were based upon certain basics (purpose, capacity, development of faculty members, curriculum development, long-term orientation, etc.) of institution building. Learning and developing being the key considerations, they pushed us to look continuously for efficacious people and opportunities and to learn from them.

I Ideas, Resources, and Opportunities Search and exploration for ideas, resources, and opportunities proved highly valuable in our entire journey. There seemed to be no halt as

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perhaps never a day passed without thinking “What next?” We continuously tried to find out what could be improved to make things better at the institute. The mandate was to develop an institution of repute. For us, this search had become almost an obsession: Search for ideas and for better schemes, practices, and policies had become an inalienable part of the institute. The values we cherished, practiced, and lived for were the forces behind the search. ADVERSITY ADDED Searching for better and new is a value addition in itself. It had become a habit for us to overcome adversity. The institute was not known much beyond a small region with woefully low resources, leave alone the standard and conduct of the faculty. The first batch started in 1984 with a great promise, fanfare, support, adequate finances, and a decent campus. However, in the next eight years, the institute went only downhill in many respects. The institute is located very much in the midst of a campus along with a reputed medical college and colleges teaching other disciplines. While the institute started as an autonomous body with a trust, the advantage was not fully utilized, thanks to the indifference and apathy of the trustees as much as its management and direction. Even a big promise for finances was never taken advantage of by the trustees. All of these factors and more resulted in the institute losing whatever it had started with, but worse, the internal working system and essential facilities of the institute were not even maintained at the minimum level for an institute of management named after a well-known administrator and leader. However, none of the above affected me adversely nor did I panic. I moved along the system and people with faith and felt that the institute could become one of the top-class ones in the country. Perhaps, I thought that I had to bide my time for a while. The search began from the very day I joined, thanks to the right combination of factors and support from people and places.

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BEGINNING OF THE SEARCH The concept of searching and exploring for improvement in the institute is a never-ending process. However, it cannot happen in the absence of the institute’s goals. The story, thus, is unique. However, it would have not been possible without the continuous search for ideas and resources as much as acting on them. What has been said earlier was largely its result. Meetings; travel; professional gatherings; consultations; readings; writings; consolidation; reviews; feedback from colleagues, well-wishers, and friends, and their advice—all were utilized by and large in the interest of the institute, keeping the basic values intact. Values are reinforced by one’s exposure, interaction, learning, and reading and writing. Their meaning and inspiration spur behaviors to achieve a goal or even achieve something worthy.

Search for Funds The first searching started with looking for some additional funds. Although it did not make any fund flow into the institute from any of the organizations approached for the same, namely UGC, IDBI, and Vysya Bank, it opened up other alternatives. Parents of the students were asked to give small donations. The response from about 30 of the parents with small amounts encouraged me. Then I requested the trustees to increase the tuition fees 200 percent and the number of students from 60 to 100. After some hesitation and also some reservations, they approved both the propositions. Although the search for funds continued, we managed by raising the tuition fees from time to time as the quality of the program improved, with better faculty members and a better program. We were also admitting 10 percent of the enrolled students through sponsorships by the late 1990s, subject to fulfilling all processes of selection. We also tried another method of financing ourselves through programs such as TAPMI-MIT and Family Business, and raising the number of seats in the flagship program from 100 to 120. Small

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surpluses got from the hostel fees over the years added to the total fund. Placement activity also contributed to the funds. By 2000, the institute became self-sufficient with regard to its finances, even with a small surplus. The sponsorship amount was also increased from `25,000 to `300,000 by 2008 per candidate. Even then, there was no money to invest in the development of the campus. However, our finances were reasonably sufficient to conduct the program, for maintenance, and for faculty development. Besides, small investments in infrastructure and facilities and raising the compensation of the faculty by offering additional perquisites were also possible. Other simple methods of financing like investing the fees, `20,000 from collected from each student, as a fixed deposit. The total deposits (including from other sources) rose to almost `100 million (`10 crore) by 2006, which came in handy when we sought a soft loan of `500 million from the Syndicate Bank. I approached the chief executive of the bank sometime in the late 1990s, who was originally recruited by T. A. Pai as a research executive, with a proposal for financing a chair in the name of institute’s founder T. A. Pai, who was the bank’s chairman and chief executive earlier, to the Syndicate Bank (with `25 lakh as a one-time endowment). However, when I met him after some time, he expressed his helplessness, citing some reasons. I was able to succeed with the next chief executive. I met him in his office, requesting him to consider financing a chair and mentioned the proposal and the letter in this respect given to his predecessor. He said, “If the amount is reduced to, say, `10 lakh, I could approve the same as it is within my powers.” I immediately agreed, and he said that it would be done. That is how the chair was created.

Search for Quality: Better Practices and Methods The search for ideas and better practices for raising the quality of the program and its delivery was long and continuous. However, these were backed by the conceptualization of the program and made it

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operational. The ideas for the program and the institute, in general, were largely drawn from several sources: biographies, autobiographies, write-ups on different institutes, management literature, magazines, teaching courses, participation in various conferences, seminars, presentations, etc. Multiple sources influenced my thinking process and I made best use of them and integrated them with the curriculum, pedagogy, faculty development, research and publications, new programs, executive education, etc. Being in Touch with the Latest

The reading certainly inspired and provided a stimulus for thinking; however, keeping in touch with the latest trends and updates in management education gave the needed inputs and updates. Our interest to bring the best and the latest in all aspects of the institute was essentially an integral process by itself. Besides, we were able to add fresh insights from our experience and learnt regularly from several sources. We had shown the importance of innovations in the process of building the institute. Ultimately, the proof was in the results. There are several areas such as industry–institute interaction, output orientation, learning methods, accreditation, faculty members’ orientation, collaboration, internal processes, culture, etc., which are indicative of the identity of our institute as described in previous chapters in detail. Writing

I followed up my reading with writing and presented it in various forums meant for communicating our experience and some ideas or thoughts we had pursued. The range of my writings was limited to management education per se, such as case studies, ideas on pedagogy, teaching and research, experiential education including means and methods of practical education, faculty members’ orientation, leadership education, MBA program itself and changes in its offerings and curriculum, reaching other institutions including local enterprises, NGOs, etc. I must mention that they are only the first drafts and raw material but all together they reinforced our learning.

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The purpose of writing, I believe, though not greatly profound, was to communicate, explore, clarify, and get some response for improvements. Importantly, they provided better interaction with professionals and fraternity, and helped us to add to the identity and image of the institute. I believe that this approach had its impact on the institute’s reputation. AESTHETICS, BETTER ARRANGEMENTS, AND BEAUTIFICATION The first level of interventions was making substantial improvements in classrooms—furniture, seating arrangements, wall paintings, and in general better looks. Given the scarcity of money, I found local solutions, and one of them was good original wall paintings drawn by a young student from the nearby hotel management institute. In one of the chance meetings, I saw some of her work. Interestingly, she wanted to make some money for her travels abroad for higher studies. I worked out an arrangement with her to draw paintings for us at a reasonably good price. It worked out well for her and satisfied our needs. The interest in aesthetics had gone far beyond such things, however. The large campus proposed in the early 2000s was largely our initiative. A group of senior faculty members and I spent enormous amounts of time of almost seven years (2002–2008) for it. One of the areas I was keen on was the aesthetics—beautiful, natural surroundings—­ and our emphasis was on a sustainable environment as much as on the quality of the looks. I visited many sites, places, and shops, and consulted architects and other experienced people personally. The process of identification and selection of the site for the campus itself reflects our interests and values. ALUMNI AND ACTIVITIES This is one of the areas where not much happened to our satisfaction. We made some serious efforts exploring some ideas toward making this activity an important one in the institute’s makeup. Although we

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succeeded only partially, one thing is certain: Alumni interest in the institute considerably went up. The beginning was in the “Homecoming” event, initiated by a faculty member back in 1993 as a means for the seniors to meet and interact with juniors. “Tattva,” an alumni idea as an initiative for displaying their achievements, added to the value and meaning to the institute in exploring further ideas and thoughts. By 2004, with the support of the faculty, our students had started “Goonj,” a forum for fine arts, including music, extending their interests in addition to several cocurricular and extracurricular activities. GENERATION OF IDEAS One way was asking faculty members to share their experiences, exposure, and background in generating ideas for new courses, interdisciplinary programs and integrated courses, research, executive programs, consulting, new areas of research, etc. Particularly, students came out with ideas on both cocurricular and extracurricular activities, and new nomenclature (Atharva instead of Summit, which still earlier was called Hill Fest). They also conceptualized a very important event, called “Sankalp,” as well as young business leader contest. One of the interesting activities, “Episode,” an enterprise for the socialization of senior and junior students, showed promise through various intramural imaginative events, fun exercises, skits, and games. The batch of 1992–1994 initiated this event in 1993, soon after their juniors joined the institute, and it became a regular and successful event thereafter. The event Brand Scan has its origins in an idea first shared by one of the faculty members implemented by the 1992–1994 batch. Thus, the search and exploration of ideas and their use and integration became a major source for several initiatives and activities. Certainly, the high level of aspiration from day one influenced the

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continuous searching for ideas. For us, pursuing ideas and exploring thoughts provided a substantial compensation for the lack of resources. In fact, ideas in their own way became resources for the institute.

Management in Practice MIP is a fine example of generating an idea and implementing it through institutional processes as a learning exercise as much as to generate useful outputs (cases and teaching materials). It turned out to be an innovation in several respects.

Thematic Curriculum For us, this was a never-ending search for developing a curriculum. The exploration was preceded by our attempts internally through various means, experiments, and formal institutional mechanisms. These attempts made us believe that we must try something big, new, and distinct. Thus, we forced ourselves to stretch beyond our capacity.

Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business Differentiating ourselves from other institutes was the main motivation in our pursuing international accreditation from AACSB. For us, Vision 2005 (launched 1998) became another exercise that indicated that international accreditation was possible in future. However, the decision came after a successful national-level accreditation of the institute, though, we knew that we were very far from it. It was also something ahead of the times (we were the first to seek this accreditation in the country). However, a number of positives emerged during the process, particularly contributions by the faculty members in teaching and research, following learning standards, assurance in maintaining them and remaining outcome-oriented.

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Takeaways • In an ever-changing world and more so in a knowledge-oriented enterprise, there cannot be a full stop in learning. • It is for those who are at the helm of affairs to look at these changes, learn from them, and make use of them in the given context and for the future. • Ideas govern action, providing their deliberation or discussion by both informal and formal means. • The source of ideas could be multiple. However, the choice of ideas and their potential is a function of values and aspiration, which are reflected in identifying the sources for ideas and the process of search. • Ideas can be incorporated suitably when there is a relative clarity about the task and its purpose, reflecting dynamism of action which ensures sustainability, growth, and vision. • All said and done, inspiration and motivation are dynamic and are fueled by ideas and their execution.

II Networking, Alliances, and Collaboration The strength of an academic or educational institute lies in seeking collaboration with other institutions. Networking, alliances, and collaboration are certainly some of the significant means for learning and development. Networking strengthens resources, brings in fresh insights, builds up the strength, and increases the relevance of institutions. We initiated several measures that took us through many paths and with many approaches. Networking, thus, became a major focus for us since 1992 and developed itself into a diverse set of activities, institutional mechanisms, and processes. This chapter describes various measures and actions we took and the processes we initiated for wider networking, alliances, and collaboration. We also believed that it was banded together with the process of institute building. We saw networking and alliances as being integral to the overall development of the institute. It was indeed to build the institute’s

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competence and our learning and to offer greater synergies. The identity of the institute and its value were reflected in such emphases. BEGINNING AND INITIATION

Friends and Well-wishers Conscious of the importance of networking for an institute like ours, we started taking small steps. We reached out to our friends in some of the premier institutes for help and support, particularly to get better visiting faculties, something badly needed at that time. Over the years there have been many visiting faculties, but the beginning was critical and we succeeded in the endeavor. Besides, three of my batchmates at IIMA during 1976–1978 joined our BOS as members at my request. For several years, they contributed significantly to the deliberations and added value to the program in many respects. Of course, there were contributions by other members too, including some senior faculty from IIMA, IIMB, and MDI and some management practitioners.

Institutional Membership of AMDISA The institute being a member of AMDISA, I presented a case study of the institute at the annual convention of AMDISA held in Kathmandu, Nepal, which, as mentioned earlier, made my job conceptually clearer. AMDISA chose our institute and financed it to conduct a case workshop. It was also the beginning of networking with other institutes (1993). Some of the themes for this workshop were largely need-based and contemporary, such as industry expectations of MBA students and the role of institutes. AMDISA chose the institute once again to conduct a curriculum workshop in 1999 for SAARC countries. It provided us another opportunity to interact with participants from Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in addition to other Indian participants. We learnt from their experiences, particularly the regional perspectives. It started with encouraging support and increased our confidence. We never looked back once we made networking, alliances, and

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collaboration integral to our work and priorities. The activities and processes we initiated not only became broad-based but also proved meaningful in consonance with institution-building processes (dialogue, consultation, group work, meetings, responsibility sharing, etc.) over these years. They became absolutely essential in the process of institution building, underlining their importance, and reinforced it over a long period. That we decided to conduct the case workshop in the institute in 1993 was a clear illustration of how keen we were to avail such opportunities. For us, it provided an opportunity for learning and exploring new opportunities. We were also convinced about the value of networking as a long-term orientation. The premises mentioned earlier underscore the value of networking and its articulation.

Institutional Membership of AIMS The membership of AIMS turned out to be very productive. We were not merely a member but also an active participant in its executive meetings and in almost every annual convention of AIMS. Every year our teachers received one award or another for their contributions: Best management teacher, best young teacher, best innovation in management teaching, best research paper, and best case are some of the awards we have received. It was a clear recognition of the institute and the credibility of its faculty members. No surprise then that the institute came to be known for its high standards as one among the best in the country. The entire profile of networking, alliances, and collaboration can be summed up broadly under the following heads: • • • • • • •

Contacts, help, and support—diaspora, friends, and well-wishers Activation of BOS Membership of formal networks such as AIMS and AMDISA Exposure to and interaction with other institutes Industry workshops (later known as industry interface) Development activities and reverse learning Strategic change plans and support, Vision 2005

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• International conferences • Formal accreditation—national and international As suggested earlier, the institute had followed a highly interactive approach and was learning-oriented. In this process, while we began our journey to take care of the immediate needs of the institute and the program, we moved toward higher levels of collaboration, alliances, and networking. BRAND SCAN The first attempt by our students with the support and guidance of the faculty members turned out to be a valuable networking with industry and its support. By 1993 itself, Brand Scan, a market research fair, became such a popular event that the local community in and around Manipal eagerly looked forward to it. More significantly, its value and utility were realized as students worked in real-life projects. The innovative research methodologies carried out by the students with imaginative games and other means proved to be highly valuable to the sponsors from the industry and as learning for students. It was acknowledged unequivocally, and the demand by the industry for Brand Scan considerably went up. Students were also able to utilize their market research skills and imagination with the support of faculty members. The power of networking established through this meaningful exercise proved useful to both industry and academia. This event was a success by all counts, as it continued to be organized year after year and became very popular in Manipal and surrounding areas. It not only was financially self-sufficient but also created surpluses. Thus, it was not just functional for us but also a means of building relations with the industry. CHIEF GUESTS If one looks at the chief guests we invited for our major events and functions such as annual convocation, memorial lectures, and industry workshops, it becomes clear that we had pursued the highest level of

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engagement and diversity of interactions and networking with them. It was another means of seeking visibility for the institute. We were keen to invite eminent people from different professions with a range of experiences, knowledge, and wisdom. We invited men of eminence from all walks of life for both the T. A. Pai Memorial Lecture series and the annual convocation. Some of them were chief executives from the industry. The names of the dignitaries include Mr P. Chidambaram, Dr Parvinder Singh (Ranbaxy), Mr N. R. Narayana Murthy, Mr Gurcharan Das, Mr Sam Pitroda, Mr Ashok Soota, Dr C. Rangarajan, Professor M. G. K. Menon, and Dr M. B. Athreya for the convocation. The names of eminent personalities include Dr Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Justice M. N. Venkatachaliah, Dr M. S. Swaminathan, Professor U. R. Rao, Shri Nani Palkhivala, Mr Shyam Benegal, Dr J. V. Narlikar, Dr Madhav D. Gadgil, Mr Arun Maira, Dr Mashelkar, and Mr Mohan Dharia for the T. A. Pai Memorial Lecture. Some of the distinguished visiting faculty members we invited include Ms Rama Bijapurkar, Dr V. Raghunathan, Professor Thirunarayan, Dr S. Sadagopan, and Dr J. B. P. Sinha. I took the personal responsibility of inviting such eminent personalities and made all the planning required in the efforts of making/ maintaining personal contacts. Since both these major events were scheduled in advance, I used to plan for almost an entire year before inviting them, considering their stature, and that way it worked out well. The local community and other institutes in Manipal used to wonder how such people were invited and how the institute was able to attract them. Importantly, the idea of inviting them was to enthuse and inspire the students and the faculty members, and garner the benefit of their diverse worldviews and wisdom. It was also a means of gaining greater visibility and enabling the perception formation of local community about TAPMI and its ways of functioning. Indeed, there was a great appreciation. The visiting dignitaries used to think that the institute was different from the common lot.

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BOARD OF STUDIES The members of BOS with their ever-active participation and deliberations for long are a clear example of how serious we were about networking as an institutional mechanism and a process. We know that such bodies are there to fulfill regulatory requirements and are largely ornamental. In our case, BOS became something highly influential and productive. More interestingly, the range and quality of the deliberations of BOS and their utility provided the means of support and help for the institute at different stages of its growth. Beyond this, it also speaks of our interest to learn continuously, interact with a group, and benefit from their experience. It was one of the few steps that we had taken toward raising the quality of the program and its delivery, for which we not only improved the internal processes and employed better faculty members but also sought support from the best from the premier institutes, thanks to the teaching fraternity, friends, and well-wishers. LOGIC OF QUALITY OF THE PROGRAM TO EXPERIENCE AND PRACTICE We had extended the logic of quality of the program, its experience, and practice to the students. It is evident from the previous chapters that many institutional mechanisms, approaches, and processes evolved, and some of them are clear examples of innovations and multiple means of interaction for students, including partnerships with industry and its practitioners (MIP). Networking with industry and other organizations and NGOs, as it had evolved and grown over the years, contributed vastly in the pursuit of experiential education and practice orientation of the students and the faculty. We benefitted from these experiences and exposure through intensive phases of learning and subsequent changes. There cannot be a better example than MIP and its implementation. The outputs were exceptional to say the least. The range and volume of teaching materials and cases developed year after year, many of them registered with no lesser an institute than ECCH, are a clear testimony. Exposure to

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and learning from NGOs, small enterprises, and local organizations and students working with them created another avenue, which resulted in research from a student–teacher collaboration and became an important segment of research. INTERNAL PROCESSES, MECHANISMS, AND NETWORKING In hindsight, it appears that the internal processes evolved and internal mechanisms developed provided the means for seeking opportunities for networking. Seeking equivalence of the program to MBA by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) and accreditation from NAAC and NBA are clear illustrations of where we stood. We intended to have recognition and approval of such bodies. Thus, institution building was the cause, and the rest flowed out somewhat naturally. The accreditation processes and success at both national and international levels lent credence to such a view. ALLIANCES AND COLLABORATION We were aware that we were effective in establishing relations across the network and were successful in reaping the benefits. However, our list of alliances and collaborations was minimal, but it was just a matter of time; we felt that with the international accreditation becoming a reality soon, alliances and collaboration with more institutes in India and abroad would bring in better prospects. INDUSTRY INTERFACE DAY (EARLIER CALLED INDUSTRY WORKSHOP) The annual industry workshop, Industry Interface Day, with a clearly laid-out theme drew attention of the industry and ensured its representation and enthusiastic participation with students’, faculty members’, and the director’s active involvement. The well-organized event not only received appreciation of professionals but also enabled a strong image of the institute—its quality, its people, and its function.

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The quality of this event itself improved over a period of five years or so. It has now emerged as a valuable proposition for the institute. It is interesting that we were able to identify a purposeful activity to enhance our abilities to network with organizations on a regular basis as much as to benefit from them. The emergence of TAPMI Center for Collaborative Learning (TCCL) out of our deliberations is an illustration of a purposeful and wellorganized event. The newly established TCCL was aimed at developing purposeful collaborations with the industry through research projects, problem-solving exercises, and long-term associations. TCCL is a platform for interaction between TAPMI and business/ non-profit organizations. This interaction seeks to generate an agenda anchored in the business context, as distinct from the conventional approach of research based on the researcher’s agenda. The motto of TCCL, “Collaborative Learning,” reflects the uniqueness of this center. Collaboration is sought through the relevance of issues/problems taken up for exploration and/or problem-solving, and learning outcomes are generated through the academic rigor embedded in the institute’s approach. FIRST COLLABORATION We were keen to have some kind of arrangement for the institute’s foray into Bangalore, which was considered important for the institute. Being away from the mainstream, we were handicapped for the exposure needed by our faculty members and students. We decided to look for an institute for a possible collaboration. We were able to make it possible. The first collaboration and alliance came about with Essae Chandran Institute (ECI) in Bangalore in 1997, however, only after ensuring that we would be working on equal terms. One of the trustees visited the institute and, based on his report, the trust duly approved the arrangement. It was also educative to note that the first set of activities started with our earlier association and friendship with a professor of IIMB, who

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was also a visiting faculty and a member of BOS. We approached him first when he was the director of ECI to look for a possible collaboration to start an innovative PGP for working professionals in Bangalore, which was to run during weekends. We also made it clear to him and Mr Chandran, the promoter of the institute, that our interest in seeking this relationship was not merely to start another program but to facilitate greater exposure to our faculty members to industry and practitioners. It was appreciated. It was an interesting process from then on and after working together, we developed a program, which was innovative and userfriendly. It was designed to be a weekend course, probably the first of its kind program in the country (in 1997). Before launching the program, its curriculum and other details were presented to BOS for its feasibility. Although concerned about the number of enrolments in the beginning, the members appreciated the very idea of the program and its potential. Although it started with a small number of participants, it became so successful in the next few years that we had to divide the classes into two sections of 50 students each. We also had a choice of selecting the students as the applications were large in number. One of our colleagues and two others stationed at Bangalore took the responsibility of the program. The program became popular and a success. The experience was shared by the faculty member who was in charge of the program for a number of years. The program is a good illustration of networking with practitioners. ACADEMY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT Attempts were made to collaborate with the Academy of Human Resource Development (AHRD) in the late 1990s. We had progressed fairly well and had agreed upon possible activities including teaching support. However, it did not work out as AHRD was going through some issue of its director and could not make any progress further. We were also not in a position to push it, as we had other priorities by then.

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STUDENT EXCHANGE: SAGINAW EXPERIENCE Very early in 1996, we had a student exchange scheme with Saginaw Valley State University, USA. An Indian faculty member working in the economics department there arranged a meeting for me with the president of the university. Toward the end of 1996, the president of our trust and the president of the university formally signed the agreement in a grand function. After two small batches of students availed the opportunity, we were not able to continue with this arrangement, as it turned out be one-sided because the students of Saginaw were working executives and could not transfer to India under the exchange program. Probably, it was too early for us to participate in such a program, and we were not fully prepared. THREE NATIONS AND THREE-CAMPUS PROGRAM By early 2000, the institute had gained a reputable status for its program and its academic processes. The word spread faster across institutes in India and among some Indian faculties in the USA. One such faculty from Wisconsin’s Oshkosh campus approached us sometime in 2003 and wanted to know whether we would be interested in collaboration with them for a uniquely designed program. They had already collaborated with one institute from Japan and one from Germany, and were looking for an Indian institute. We had several exchanges through mail and later all representatives of the collaborating institutions met together in Darmstadt, near Frankfurt in Germany, in mid-2004. The University of Applied Sciences and Technology there hosted the meeting. For the next three days, we discussed elaborately and decided on a framework for the curriculum, arrangements to share teaching responsibilities based on each institute’s strengths, and other responsibilities including decision on onsite and offsite (i.e., online) schedules for teaching sessions. We met again in 2005 in Oshkosh to formalize the arrangements and to enter into an agreement. The three of us representing three institutes signed the agreement duly in a formal function. The representative of the Japan institute did not join us. Thus, it became a three-nation three-campus program.

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An important aspect of the program was a higher proportion of offsite sessions, which was significant in the teaching methodology as it was taught through a software developed by one of the faculty members at Oshkosh for offsite (anywhere, anytime) learning. It was already being used in some of their executive programs. For us, the interest was also to train our faculty members in offsite teaching, and three of our faculty members received the required skills and orientation. After going through other formalities including the status of our international accreditation in 2006, the first leg of the onsite format of the program started at Oshkosh followed by Darmstadt. The next one started in our CEE, Bengaluru, in December 2007, with participants from the USA and Germany, but we could not muster enough Indian students for the program. For the foreign participants, it was their first experience in India, and they liked both the program and the place very much. Meanwhile, two of our faculty members tried their hands at offsite teaching and found it highly interactive and learning-oriented. They also suggested that we could use the same software for some of our regular programs. FACULTY EXCHANGE PROGRAM In 2006, we were in a faculty exchange program with Oakland University, Detroit, USA. The initiative came from an Indian faculty in the business school of the university. The school was looking for partners in India and had arranged to fund the program. We entered into an agreement soon, and the program went on for three years (2006–2008). Six of our faculty members went to Detroit to teach one module each for four weeks during three summers and, in exchange, six of theirs taught in Manipal and Bengaluru during three winters. We felt that it was a good beginning—the first international foray into faculty exchange and exposure to and learning from an international experience. It encouraged us to look out for similar opportunities to coincide with the likely reception of international accreditation from AACSB in the next two years or so.

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FACULTY MEMBERS DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES AND NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES As indicated earlier, liberal policies and practices to support faculty members in attending conferences, participating in seminars, paper presentations, case workshops, etc., reinforced the development orientation besides internal processes. If one started counting the number of such activities and the faculty members’ participation, it might be the largest among other institutes of comparable size and resources. It speaks not only about the numbers but also about the priority that we set for ourselves to enable as many avenues of exposure, interaction, learning, and networking as possible for our faculty members. The provision of faculty members’ development fund since 1993 in the budget is also a reflection of such consideration. The participation in various conferences itself ascended to higher levels: competing for awards, paper presentation prizes, and recognition over the years. Several awards and prizes awarded to the faculty members are its clear indications. Encouragement and support from the beginning on development, policies, and the environment had their impact in many fronts. These were kept apace and broadened, and the faculty members received much more recognition. INTERNAL MECHANISMS AND PROCESSES We had actually started off with highly interactive processes (even informal) to deal with academic matters and program-related issues. Matters on course improvements, student orientation and learning, quality consideration, and program implementation were clear indications. Later, curriculum development and faculty development also became serious considerations, as they were integral to the development of the institute. Given the advantage we had, we were able to initiate formal processes along with informal deliberations and discussions among ourselves. Faculty council, academic council, and faculty committees had become natural and organic systems for institutional governance,

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along with work plans and an activity mix for the faculty members. CPMS and its outcomes and measurement were largely aligned with the development of the faculty members. WORKING GROUPS AND I GROUPS We had created working groups for the faculty members on both functional and interdisciplinary bases as a means for a continuously interactive and accommodative spirit. We followed it with I Groups that catered to the faculty members’ needs for their specific and larger interests in some of the verticals such as research, existing and new programs, executive education, administration, etc. Annual faculty workshops (2005, 2006, and 2008) became another strong interactive means for the institute’s future and faculty members’ involvement. They provided means for renewals of programs as much as building scenarios for future. It is indicative of the institute’s willingness to reflect on its own performance periodically. The internal systems, mechanisms, and processes had thus made the institute largely driven by the faculty members. Faculty exchange programs, learning projects, schemes, experiments and innovations, reverse learning processes, and a doctoral program—all together established such a climate. Formal networks and collaborations with other institutes only exemplified the value of the institute and enhanced its prestige. VISION 2005 By coincidence, and with the help of a professional in the field of management education, we initiated a major exercise in 1998 to look at ourselves closely and learn from the existing record of performance. In fact, he advised us that such exercise would be very useful and could possibly bring in greater clarity in our operations as much as in viewing the future of the institute strategically.

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Vision 2005 Preamble The environment and institutions of management education in India are changing rapidly due to global competition, technological advances, complex demands of client systems, and resource shortages. In this context, a task force was constituted in August 1998, by the GC of TAPMI, at the initiative of its director, as a strategy to develop an effective organizational response to the environmental change. Professor R. S. Ganapathy of the Academy of Management Excellence, Chennai, chaired the task force. The other members were Professor K. R. S. Murthy, former director of IIMB, Dr Ganesh Natarajan, CEO of Aptech Ltd, Dr P. J. Nayak, executive trustee of UTI, and Professors Dilip K. Lahiri and R. Rajagopalan of TAPMI. The task force organized seven internal groups of faculty members to address the following issues respectively: (a) environment of management education; (b) academic programs; (c) governance; (d) infrastructure; (e) human resource management; (f) finance; and (g) marketing of TAPMI products and services. Based on the analysis and findings of the working group reports, a few workshops, secondary data, and interviews, this strategic plan was developed. The planning process involved a number of stakeholders in a highly participative mode, and the plan consists of a set of coordinated and synergistic interventions. It is intended to make TAPMI an excellent institution in the early years of the next decade. Source: Excerpt from the Vision 2005 document.

The processes we followed were interesting and similar to the ones in the institute. Nonetheless, these were much more focused with a clear objective and a theme, and were in relation to the vision of the institute. The report on the strategic changes finally emerged, and we owed it to the contributions made by the faculty members. It was a total participation; everyone in the faculty complement and also the librarian lent hand in developing the document. The internal networks, both formal and informal, had their impact, which facilitated a large strategic change project with an external consultant as a resource person. Most of the data on various activities of the institute, their analysis, and their documentation were carried out by faculty groups.

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REVERSE LEARNING: FDPS The institute conducted a number of FDPs and case workshops and was one of the few institutes recognized for the same by AICTE. While we had been conducting several programs since 1997, we also followed a principle called reverse learning. Each of the programs was designed and conducted utilizing largely the experience of our faculty and experiments that were carried out in developing a new course. Sharing these experiences with other participants of a program in a structured way and a user-friendly climate was one of our objectives. However, it was important to test the course and the course material in a program meant for faculty to raise their utility and practice across other institutions. Thus, it was an opportunity for mutual learning, useful feedback, and ensured reverse learning for our faculty members. Our programs were rated high by the participants. There were also requests for such programs despite our limited infrastructure and facilities. CURRICULUM WORKSHOP (AMDISA) AMDISA gave us an opportunity to design and conduct a curriculum workshop for various institutes in the SAARC countries. We had successfully conducted one in July 1999 with participation from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, which was represented by teachers from institutes such as IIMB, MDI, NMIMS, KIMS, Karnataka University, Dharwar, and our own. We prepared a proposal with some guidelines from AMDISA, but it was largely based on the experience we had had in the last seven years. Suffice to say, it was another opportunity that we took in all seriousness, which allowed us to learn from others as much as to interact and network across a wider and diverse group of teachers from other Indian institutes as well as from other countries. EXECUTIVE EDUCATION It was another opportunity for us to interact with practitioners, particularly in-company ones, to design programs and understand their perspectives and needs as much as to share our knowledge, concepts,

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and tools for their use. It had also provided the required experience in conducting such programs for reverse learning and enabled the faculty to utilize the same for teaching regular programs. It also facilitated leads for case writing and better teaching materials. ADVANCED LEARNING, ACADEMIC QUALITY, AND INTELLECTUAL ORIENTATION The growth and value of an institute can be measured with its learning ability, intellectual orientation, and academic quality. An institute seeking reputation by its character must ensure this. Even small beginnings are adequate, but they need to be integral to the institute’s functioning and must be its core segment. The potential of an institute must be cultivated with appropriate measures. We had simple measures to start with, with all the limitations we had. We had also made a small financial provision for faculty development early on in the budget—a measure of encouragement and an intent to add to other efforts. These small beginnings helped, and we continued our efforts in adding systems and processes, but with clear, deliberate policies and practices. Then we could hasten them with retention of the faculty members with higher and better qualifications and practices meant for faculty development. AACSB AND INTERNATIONAL ACCREDITATION The decision to seek international accreditation certainly pushed us. While learning from AACSB standards was hard and strenuous, which tested our patience, we were able to succeed because of the foundations we had laid and the priorities we had set earlier despite upsets. We had the advantage of continuously learning new practices. Here, the role of mentor comes in. He was there to help the institute in understanding various standards expected and how to work on them. His report in the beginning of 2009 is a testimony of our learning and its outcomes that enabled the institute to obtain this accreditation. The institute joining the international elite group was a great achievement,

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given its background and resources. What made it possible was our emphasis on building an institute of repute and the necessary environment of several initiatives and actions since the beginning. PHD PROGRAM FOR THE FACULTY MEMBERS Mangalore University was the first to recognize the institute for PhD program way back in the early 1990s. However, we were struggling to make ends meet, and the first priority was the PGP. We could not pursue even the registration of our teachers as guides with the university, as not only there were only a few teachers but also the demands of the program and other responsibilities were too many. However, we never gave up and continued to pursue the idea. In 1997, we began thinking for some kind of arrangement with a university that awarded PhDs. We knew that such universities were few, and we were looking for those who were relatively flexible to work with us. However, some interesting developments took locally in Manipal by then. Around this time, the Manipal Medical College, with its other constituent colleges, became a deemed-to-be university known as Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE). They had also started their own MBA program. We felt that it might be an opportune time to meet the university people, particularly the president, who was also a trustee of our institute. We thought that it would be much more convenient to have some arrangement with MAHE from the point of logistics and other advantages. We prepared a proposal, suitably indicating all necessary academic requirements of high standards, emphasizing enough course work, and its evaluation before the dissertation work. By 2000, we had enough experienced PhDs in the institute with credentials to guide PhD applicants. With this background, we saw to it that there was a formal function where the president and chairman of the GC signed an agreement for starting a PhD program at the institute in association with MAHE. The administration of the program was largely the responsibility of the institute, with MAHE providing the formalities for registration of guides and candidates.

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Finally, we had a program for our non-PhD faculty members by 2000. However, we took our own time to formalize all the requirements, particularly the academic content and the faculty members responsible for coordination and other arrangements, including coursework, its evaluation, etc. Eight of our colleagues from all major disciplines registered for the program, and the first one received his doctorate in 2007. The highlight of the program was inviting Professor P. N. Khandwalla, an eminent academic and scholar, to teach a required course called “Philosophical Foundations of Management Thoughts.” Also, he spent almost two weeks at the institute and provided a muchneeded fillip to the program in terms of a good orientation toward higher academics and doctoral research. In fact, he was quite appreciative of the institute for the initiative and the levels of motivation of our faculty. RESEARCH AND PUBLICATIONS While we were struggling to find our feet while stabilizing the program in 1992, we also utilized an opportunity of recruiting two young PhDs, both of whom were highly research-oriented. We thought that it would be a good means of introducing a small window for research, particularly for them now and for others later. They were also keen that such an activity be initiated, however modest it was. That is how the beginnings were made—a system for research, beginning with a working paper, followed by a seminar, and a possible publication later. The system continued and we had a few working papers in the process, though certainly not a great output. Nevertheless, it provided the basis for many other developments and in a decade’s time, it became a robust activity. However, but for this we would not have even thought of and initiated an international accreditation process. As it turned out, the process itself hastened research outputs and institution of research as being integral to the institute was considered a major feat of our performance, which fulfilled a major requirement of the intellectual standards of AACSB. Research as an advanced level of learning and intellectual orientation was always at the back of our mind. However, it took us quite

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some time, almost a decade, for it to become a core activity of the institute. During this period, we were able to build the capacity of the institute and attract young PhD candidates. By 2003–2004, we had a sizeable faculty complement, at least 20 of them out of total 27 with doctorates. STUDENT–TEACHER COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH An interesting outcome of the NGO internships for our students and their work with local organizations including small enterprises resulted in good documentation. We thought that we would avail this opportunity to bring out reasonably good research outputs and, possibly, their publication. We also realized that quite a value was attached to this work as it was field-based and came out of live situations. In fact, we were encouraged by the students’ enthusiasm and faculty members’ willingness and support for collaboration. It turned to be a real collaborative venture. It was the time when we had a sizeable experienced faculty complement with doctorates for collaborations, and they showed enough interest and willingness to support the idea. This resulted in two volumes of collaborative research work as a compendium organized and prepared by one of the senior faculty members. These volumes were released formally during two successive convocations (2006 and 2007). It was another avenue where students and teachers collaborated toward such a valuable outcome. We intended to showcase students’ contributions in a fitting manner. We received quite an appreciation from our GC members, particularly from those who were academics, and known institution builders. CONSORTIUM PHD PROGRAM All the above and more resulted in a distinction for the institute. We received an invitation to join a consortium PhD program in collaboration with two other institutions, namely NMIMS, Mumbai, and XIME, Bangalore. The initiative came from the founder-director of XIME during a convention, and he described it as a “breakthrough” idea. We felt that it was another opportunity to push ourselves toward

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advanced learning and intellectual orientation of the institute. The program was designed and meant for executives in the industry and other professionals who had the inclination and motivation to seek scholarly pursuits and advanced knowledge. I had the opportunity of teaching a course (Philosophical Foundations of Management Thoughts) for two batches during 2008–2009 in Bengaluru and Mumbai, respectively. They showed a keen interest in gaining advanced knowledge and exhibited a great sense of learning. The discussions with them in the classroom and outside were highly enriching and thought-provoking.

For the Alumni of the Institute We initiated and took a few steps in this regard by early 2000, though small to begin with. There were about 1,400 alumni at that time. Some of them had reached high positions in their careers. The following are some of them: • Updating database: A major bottleneck was a lack of an updated database of the alumni. Through email, we could reach alumni from various batches, and the e-groups of different batches helped. We were able to manage about 55 percent of the alumni. The updated database came in handy to communicate with the alumni later. We started an e-magazine, titled Shankh, focused on the alumni of the institute and edited and run by students. This gave the alumni fortnightly updates about the happenings in TAPMI and Manipal. We followed it with personal messages, seeking their feedback on the magazine. In addition, we sought the assistance of our students to interact with the alumni during their summer project work. • E-magazine: The alumni appreciated our efforts to reach out to them and keep in touch with them. The focus of the e-magazine was commended but not the contents, as they felt that it became stereotyped after four issues. The alumni’s latent need to “take part” in this magazine was understood, and thus we launched a finance journal for all those alumni who were interested in the field of finance. It became popular, and the feedback was overwhelming. • Alumni website: A new website, www.TAPMIpals.org, was launched. The site is linked to the alumni database from which the alumni can access the data about their friends and keep their coordinates updated. The response, again, was overwhelmingly positive.

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• HR seminars: TAPMI conducted a series of seminars in major cities such as Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Mumbai, titled “Outsourcing as HR Strategy.” In each of the cities, the alumni were invited to take part in the seminar. More than 50 alumni of the institute participated, interacted, and added value to the discussions. They provided us useful information about happenings in their fields, which helped us in our placements and summer projects. • Homecoming: This is the annual alumni meet event held since 1996. It was found to be useful for the students to socialize with their seniors. • Alumni participation in the selection of students: Since 2000, alumni of the institute have participated in the selection of students for admission as panel members along with the faculty and industry representatives. We thought that it would be useful to have them on selection panels, as they had already gone through the education system at the institute and knew about the kind of students who would be suitable for the institute. TAPMI ALUMNI

While TAPMI alumni had shown keen interest in the institute and its growth, and provided help in matters of placement, summer projects, and Brand Scan so far, we considered it important that the institute take greater initiatives for involving the alumni for other institute-building tasks. There were a few attempts such as the alumni participating in the admission process, launching of the e-journal and the website, etc., to involve them in knowledge-building efforts in the form of lectures, seminars, and research, and providing mentorship to students during their study at the institute was also considered. It was decided that a survey be conducted among the alumni to find out their expectations for the institute and their willingness to be involved in at least some of the tasks.

SUMMARY For this long journey, we traversed through minimal, mundane, simple interactions and exposures, creating a few opportunities to take care of the immediate needs of the program and the institute to take both of them to advanced levels through multiple efforts. All this happened because of a clear purpose and a big picture that we had. However, we could have been more interactive and collaborative, particularly with respect to the industry, the practicing world, and possibly with

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better institutes abroad. Nonetheless, we kept attempting this even as we realized our limitations. We were not able to take bigger initiatives and a more proactive stance about the past alumni of the institute. Networking with them could possibly have provided the much-needed industry support. Alumni as a resource and as stakeholders could have been considered for their support to the institute earlier. We took our own time and found that it required the specific responsibility of groups of faculty members to champion such an activity. We could also have made the best utilization of Brand Scan reports and scores of cases and teaching materials from MIP. We considered publishing them. It would have been both a logical and valuable outcome as contributions toward knowledge generation. We made some efforts but could not succeed, as we found serious resource limitations, particularly engaging a team of researchers to work with the faculty. However, we had considered about such a possibility in 2008. We were looking far beyond 2008, as we knew that a large campus with decent infrastructure and expanded facilities would be more or less ready by the beginning of 2009. It would take care of the increased admissions and recruitment of 10 more full-time faculty members, reaching up to 50 by 2012. The international accreditation of AACSB had progressed well and in a matter of another two years, we expected to receive the accreditation. With the international accreditation and a large and better campus, we were expecting to leverage them together for several other improvements like one or two new long-term programs, and teacher and student exchange programs with some of the best institutes abroad, research opportunities for the faculty, publications of research papers, and more collaboration with industry. We believed that it was achievable, as some indications were already there. It was only a matter of time. The exploration of opportunities continually provided greater learning and necessary improvements. It was also equally necessary that we moved further from a simple lower level through such interactions, networking, and collaborations.

The Logic of Growth Is Consolidation

8

BEGINNING OF UNDERSTANDING: THE INSTITUTE AND THE PROGRAM The first and foremost step was to determine the status of the institute and the program at the time: what was done, how it was done, what the outcome was, and what the resultant status and image of the institute were. This was documented right from the beginning (1992). I wrote and presented a case study about the institute in an AMDISA conference in Kathmandu, Nepal. It was a fairly consolidated view of the institute. However, it was not limited to such a view and understanding but went beyond it. A view of its status and possible future with an immediate, short-term plan followed by a long-term one, which was also incorporated. We prepared documented short-term plans and presented them to the trustees for their guidance, advice, and counsel. Once accepted, we implemented them (1993). PROGRAM STRUCTURE AND CURRICULUM Documentation of plans was not enough though, and the next step was to work on the program structure and the curriculum. The curriculum that was already there from before 1992 as well as the infrastructure and facilities of the institute were reviewed to make quick improvements, and we carried out comprehensive and thorough changes, including addition of electives, required courses, continuous evaluation with letter grades, etc. (1993). After this was done, we activated the BOS to seek its members’ advice, guidance, suggestions, and observations. A number of changes

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were made as per their suggestion. The first meeting of the BOS was held in September 1993, and we continued to convene them till 2008. SELF-ASSESSMENT Another opportunity to present a self-assessment of the institute (1994) came in the form of our effort to obtain recognition from the AIU for our postgraduate diploma program equivalent to MBA. While the program received recognition in 1995, we used the opportunity to assess the institute and presented the assessment to the trust and the GC along with a plan. One of the highlights of the self-assessment was a framework of personnel policies that stood us in large measure as a progressive institute much ahead of times. FACULTY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM We made use of the experiences and learning gained until then by offering a first-of-its-kind FDP supported and sponsored by AICTE (1997). A detailed account of the whole experience, its design and process, its conceptual thrust, participants’ views, and feedback was documented. We put in the best of our efforts to make it a model program and a success. Let me present a brief background on how AICTE selected the institute for this program. We received a communication, sometime in October 1996, concerning the program and about a committee appointed for this purpose. AICTE had invited applications for an FDP from institutes across the country. However, the committee was to select the institutes and recommend them to AICTE. We were at the stage of building the institute and looking at the program as a priority, raising its quality, complementing it with highly qualified and better faculty members, doing a complete restructuring of the program, and developing a comprehensive curriculum. We realized that many of these efforts were effective, and there was an air of confidence in the institute. We duly communicated our interest to the committee along with a proposal to conduct the program. We received a positive response

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in March 1997 to conduct the program during May–June of the same year for about three weeks. We were one among five institutes selected in the country to represent South India. Perhaps, we were the youngest among the selected institutes (NMIMS, MDI, Banaras Hindu University, and one from Barkatullah University). We felt that this was a good opportunity not only to learn from our experience but also to gain from the interaction and feedback by the participants from other universities. We had about 15 faculty members by then, and many of them were young but highly qualified. By conducting such a program, we felt that we would be able to utilize our experience to structure and improve the courses and, in general, the program (PGP) itself besides the process meant for faculty development. We wanted to succeed and started working on the design of the program, using our experience from the last five years. After elaborate discussions among ourselves, we decided that FDP should be largely experiential in nature and user-friendly. Accordingly, we finalized its design. We took the first opportunity of presenting the program and the progress we had made over the last four to five years as a part of our report to AIU on self-assessment of the institute. By then, we had some clear idea of the program. The entire experience turned out to be very valuable, and we could share it in a manner that was useful to the participants. The experiences shared by the participants showed how the institute conducted such programs and, in general, conducted itself. Using our experience till 1995, I presented a paper in one of the conferences, highlighting how quality considerations became important for us and were implemented accordingly. A major effort was devising a plan for the possible integration of a few courses as much as to rationalize their offerings. VISION 2005 We had thought of the future of the institute and had designed plans and programs back in 1995. However, it so happened that a proposal

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came from one of our well-wishers who had good experience in developing strategic plans for academic institutes. We thought that it would be useful to get professional help from an outsider. The process adopted for preparing the plan not only reinforced our interest but also resulted in a valuable document. However, in 1998, we were at a stage where our focus was largely on improving the quality of the program and thus on acquiring a better status for the institute. We were keen that its image must be much better. There were clear signs of such an image by then. MBA CURRICULUM WORKSHOP AMDISA in its board’s resolution suggested that an MBA curriculum workshop was necessary in the context of changes that had taken place in general and in the South Asian region in particular. It also suggested that one of the member institutes should take the responsibility of organizing the workshop. As TAPMI was at the forefront in making changes and innovations in the curriculum, the board considered our request and asked TAPMI to host the workshop. We organized the workshop during June 28–30, 1999, on behalf of AMDISA. Altogether, 20 participants attended the workshop, including 3 from Bangladesh and 1 from Sri Lanka. About 17–18 hours were assigned for presentations, small group discussions, and panel presentations followed by discussions by the participants. ACCREDITATION OF NAAC AND NBA (2001) The next opportunity presented itself after our decision to seek accreditation from the national apex bodies, namely, NAAC and NBA. We had enough experience by then of building the institute on qualitative dimensions and even getting it ready for future. However, we felt that it would be useful and necessary for the institute to be assessed by external agencies and, in the process, receive its formal accreditation. For us, it was also a good experience of putting together all of our experience and the efforts we made in developing the institute up to 2000.

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Both these agencies gave us the highest rankings (five stars by NAAC and “A” grade by NBA) and appreciated the quality and credentials of the institute. NAAC also gave us broad hints in the direction of a few improvements. NBA did not provide any detailed report; however, they suggested more autonomy, particularly in reporting matters to the institute’s trust. Nevertheless, it highlighted the availability and quality of leadership and its role in the institute’s development. While commending the program quality, the NBA team suggested that the institute needed to improve upon its research output. MANAGEMENT IN PRACTICE MIP, its implementation, and its output became one of our distinctions. There were other processes too for generating research outputs and their publications, such as student–faculty collaboration and faculty partnerships. STUDENT–TEACHER COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH One of the significant processes is the initiative for collaborative research by students and teachers, particularly utilizing students’ experiential learning in NGO work and its outputs. INDUSTRY INTERFACE WORKSHOP The annual industry workshops (later called Industry Interface Day) since 2000 have had participation from students, teachers, and industry representatives, which provided perspectives of the industry. The organization of the event itself and the process of discussions and deliberations on a previously selected theme and its presentation in the workshop reflect the value of such participation. These workshops were both focused on learning and highly interactive. Both the process and its execution were highly commended by the industry representatives. They highlighted the active participation of the director, teachers, and students. The themes and panel discussions represented by the industry, teachers, and students were rated

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as valuable and productive in the concluding session. The industry representatives commended the role of students for their participation and their abilities in summarizing and presenting panel discussions. Many participants felt that the students exhibited a thorough grasp of the theme as well as panel discussions. They also felt that the culture of the institute was different from other institutes and wondered how such a culture had developed in TAPMI. In fact, this was found as another USP of the institute, underscoring greatly the interactions and socialization of teachers and students. We know that it reinforced our claim that the institute is distinct for providing a holistic education experience and as a social system. BRANDING EXERCISE By 2002, we decided to seek professional help to understand the value of the institute. This was the time we were also looking for much more visibility for the institute across the country. We used to think that the institute had acquired a reasonably good stature, distinction, and fame for its program as demonstrated by its performance, the quality of its program, and the response of the students, teachers, and industry. No doubt, the accreditation by two important national bodies gave credence to it. However, we realized that we could not adequately present this distinction to our stakeholders. We believed that the location of the institute itself could be the reason. Hence, we sought the help of a professional group immediately as it would give us some advantage. One of our senior faculty members with many years of industry experience was coordinating the effort. We engaged Mudra Communications, a leading communications company in the country, for this purpose. We had a series of interactions and discussions with the company representatives. We were able to present and articulate what kind of the institute we were able to build and our desire for it to become more visible across the country and, in the process, possibly a brand. We also informed them that what we had done was also distinctive for an institute of our means. We learnt a good deal in the process, particularly in the visible quality of the materials we used to communicate to the outside world:

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letterheads, envelops, etc. We also devised a better logo for the institute in the process. THEMATIC CURRICULUM All this, and more, encouraged us to push ourselves to develop an even better program. We certainly wanted to go beyond the normal program offerings of most of the management institutes. Our interest to raise the bar kept us motivated. Thanks to the process of acquiring international accreditation from AACSB, our interest in working on a better program increased. The high standards required for the accreditation were a challenge to us. However, taking up this challenge would not only have enabled the institute for international accreditation but have also facilitated even better the internal processes of quality, assessment, research and intellectual orientation, publications, etc. We felt that it was the right time for making efforts to get international accreditation with the improvements in the institute. That is how the entire exercise of thematic curriculum was initiated. It took us almost two years to finalize it and its implementation itself was a great learning experience for all of us. It had certainly provided the means and measures for reflective learning and a much better comprehensive picture of management education. BACKGROUND While the effort was focused on the research, a better-integrated curriculum was thought through and a number of discussions took place on the need for and importance of such curriculum. Although it took two years for the final picture of curriculum to materialize, the interaction was useful in creating conditions for such a thinking among faculty members as much as for the need to look at the curriculum holistically. We felt that the intended learning was rather wholesome and much more relevant for the students. We expected that the curriculum would enable much deeper and broader experience of management education.

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The discussions coordinated by the Dean (Academics) also opened up a number of ideas for new courses. Prior to this thinking for an integrated curriculum, a number of efforts were made, including a course of new and independent study, group projects, and faculty group for integrated curriculum development. These efforts and investments ensured that we were keeping abreast of changes, and updating the curriculum and its delivery. It was another consideration to differentiate the institute from others and to provide a greater interaction between and learning for teachers and students. The teachers took on bigger responsibilities and added to the value of the institute with their contributions, research support, and collaboration with students. This became a rather attractive proposition for the aspiring young teachers to join the institute year after year. It would have not been possible to attract such a pool without the uniqueness of the program as much as its autonomy. Added to this, the personal policies tuned for greater flexibility, liberalism, and encouragement, as well as a decent compensation package at par with national-level institutes of management attracted young teachers. Increasingly, benefits were added to it, as the finances improved and surpluses increased. However, an important consideration was an integrated view of the institute, its activities, and their interdependencies. We decided that the major stakeholders of the institute must have a greater share of both outputs and benefits (of course, through their own contributions). PAPERS, SCHEMES, PROPOSALS, AND IDEAS There are many ideas we toyed with, and most of them resulted in their implementation. A few of them were written as papers which were later published. There were other unpublished papers which were presented in various conferences and also for internal circulation. Various ideas developed through these papers, for example, how summer internships could be made output-oriented. Likewise, students also got involved in voluntary work for NGOs and local organizations. The Industry Interface Workshop gave us an idea called TCCL. Many such ideas are listed in Chapter 10.

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EVOLUTION OF IDEAS Our search for ideas was largely because of our concern to make the program much better, more effective, and unique. While the thinking had also proved to be somewhat handy, the opportunity to write about management education in general helped us in making ourselves more comfortable to offer a better program. We adopted the same approach for ideas. Most of these ideas and plans were essentially practices on several dimensions of management education and inputs for a good program. We utilized them to bring greater awareness among students and teachers as well as among the fraternity in management education. For example, MIP was initiated in the summer of 1997; it was a simple idea of making the best use of summer internships as an effective learning mode for the students and, in the process, identify a case/teaching note and develop it. The importance, however, lied in the joint efforts of students, teachers, and practitioners. Another important aspect was the intensive and elaborate process in five phases, through which the exercise was carried out after summer internships which happens during the second year of the course. The efforts were valuable and productive, resulting in a number of cases or teaching notes year after year. We initiated a short stint of two weeks of NGO work for students. The students identified an NGO themselves to work with based on their comfort. We introduced students to NGOs across the country through a letter from the institute. The very first experience (in the summer of 1997) was useful, based on formal evaluation and much more so on the students’ feedback and inputs by some of the NGOs themselves. For some NGOs, this was their first experience with management students: Not only the students approached them for work but that some useful work was done for the NGOs, even if for a short time. They felt that it was quite encouraging. Teachers and students wrote and published papers as coauthors based on their experience. Its potential for students was not only to create such outputs, but it was also an opportunity for them to understand social issues. Over a long period, quite an output of cases and teaching materials was generated as a result. Later, we decided to register the cases with ECCH. While this continued, we felt that the same process and approach should be utilized to work collaboratively for research and publications.

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Collaborative research by students and teachers emerged as an institutional activity. It was borne out of group projects carried out by the students with the guidance of teachers in some of the NGOs and corporates. We also considered it as a prelude to creating an ambience with greater avenues for students and teachers for research and learning. SHARING IDEAS AND USING EXPERIENCES Several ideas were used in increasing the quality of the program but with sufficient discussions and deliberations. Some of these discussions were also sent to management faculty in other institutes for obtaining their views. Importantly, a number of changes we carried out in the institute were documented. Many of these changes and experiences were shaped through writing notes or papers and presenting them in various forums and conferences across the country. There were internal workshops and conferences like the annual industry meet and faculty workshops where such ideas were presented. Altogether, there are a large number of such presentations, notes, and papers with a common thread of our desire to excel running across many of them. The focus and attention to the values had certainly given us an edge and enabled us to prioritize our limited resources but at the same time to achieve such outputs too. Importantly, the processes enabled a climate of trust and harmony in relations among the teachers and students. There are a number of instances where teachers and students volunteered to contribute in a big way in institution building.

The Start and Success of “Brand Scan” ‘Brand Scan’ was essentially a market research fair designed by students working closely with teachers. It started with students sharing thoughts with one faculty member who guided them in the activity. That it was a creation of students with the guidance of their teacher is one of the values we felt could be a building block for institution building. The outputs would have been more useful had they been shared and even possibly published for a larger audience.

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Coming back to the sharing of ideas, a number of ideas were largely from our direct experience. They were useful in raising the quality of the institute. It also brought a lot more clarity to us in moving ahead. At the same time, it also got us a place among the reputed institutions in the country and established our credibility. While the limitations of resources forced us to think about the best possible ways of managing them, the returns came from the participative culture that had developed in the institute. In other words, lack of material and financial resources could to some extent be compensated by these valuable processes. The focus on such culture emerged as a major contributing factor in the institutional development. It affected many dimensions of the institute in terms of quality, implementation, scheduling of events, creating new avenues, and in general expanding the institute’s activities such as the CEE in Bangalore. The institute was perhaps a pioneer in offering two-year PGP conducted during weekends for the working middle- and junior-level executives. It was the first program of its kind in India, and it became popular with about 100 participants joining the program in a matter of 5 years because of its utility, design, and conduct. All said and done, working on ideas and sharing and utilizing them for developing new schemes and projects became an important feature of the institute. Our formal constitutional and advisory bodies also helped us in the process. The institute regularly conducted BOS meetings during 1992–1997. There were 14 such meetings, and each meeting offered us some good ideas, many of which were implemented. Such ideas, their implementation, and the improvements made are certainly the most significant contribution of the institute. AACSB: INTERNATIONAL ACCREDITATION By 2002, TAPMI became one of the reputed national-level institutes and management schools. Its program was recognized for its quality and rigor, which was complemented by competent faculty members. Despite its location, the institute was one of the few better options for many management students across the country. The institute became popular for its extracurricular activities, innovations, teacher–student

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relationship, and highly cosmopolitan outlook and culture. The institute had acquired the status of a premier institute in a short period. The boost it received (about 10,000 applications for 100 seats) attracted young teaching aspirants, and the kind of image it established in the corporate world was rather exceptional. It was no small achievement, given the constraints and the limited resources. The pace of the growth continued, irrespective of some turnover of teachers and the uncertainty of getting good teachers to teach. However, relentless efforts were continued to maintain the quality of the program. Recruitment of teachers also continued in spite of the fact that it was difficult. During this period, the institute was recognized by both NAAC (“A” grade) and NBA (five stars). It was a clear indication and a stamp for the quality of the institute and its achievements. No compromises were made at any stage on the quality, standards of admissions, or faculty recruitment. The internal processes of program administration and institutional governance as much as the institutional management had maintained such standards. During 1997–2002, the institute made many experiments, changes, and innovations in learning to establish itself. We then thought about the next phase of development and aimed at a much bigger picture for the institute. We also decided to consolidate its strengths, particularly its image and reputation, and to move ahead toward expansion with a large campus of its own and a sizeable faculty complement with new and improved programs, and international collaborations and accreditation. We planned to develop the institute into a comprehensive management university with social sciences and law as major disciplines. We also aimed at increasing finances through the munificence of private donors, corporate groups, and our alumni. I keep remembering some of the major tasks that we undertook during this time. The foremost among them was the decision to go for international accreditation (AACSB). It turned out to be a great challenge and pushed us hard through various stages of learning. As an institution, we had sufficient interest in learning standards and intellectual orientation. Such an interest had also given us greater clarity to move toward becoming an institution of repute and to be

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internationally recognized. This was the time we looked for the best and decided not to settle for anything less. This was also the time that we had a competent group of teachers with reasonably good intellectual and academic orientations. We had also decided to acquire a large and decent residential campus with state-of-the-art facilities. We had taken direct responsibility for the campus and its construction in a location, which was conducive enough for academic pursuits and peaceful existence. We were able to succeed in this mission largely, although the project had to undergo several uncertainties and avoidable delays. However, the project was completed, and we also received some good news about the AACSB. In one sense, the very decision to seek international accreditation helped us to look at the issues more closely and start working through various means helped by a mentor. Luckily, we had by then a highly competent and qualified faculty complement. Nevertheless, the process of accreditation helped us looking at the practical details of the standards and their implementation. We also added a number of faculty members with a doctorate who were also well experienced. Soon, they became a part of the system and got involved. The dean was pivotal in organizing the entire process of international accreditation including its copious documentation. Not only had we gotten the process of accreditation going, but we had also looked at the learning processes for both students and teachers, and at the same time met the standards of AACSB. It also helped us to be serious not only about the qualifications of the faculty members but also about maintaining the ratio of academically and professionally qualified faculty members. By 2003, a fairly-well-documented and restructured program with a thematic curriculum was ready. Once implemented, it added to the learning processes as per the standards and was also advantageous for the process of international accreditation. But the decision was largely borne out of a significant and major value proposition that an institute should have something to distinguish itself from others and to compete with the best in the country as well as elsewhere. More importantly, it was largely the academic and learning standards and the growth of faculty and not the resources that had pushed the decision.

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As said earlier, the institute had gained good academic strength; there was a strong program with all possible major inputs of learning; and, most importantly, it was delivered on a strong foundation of quality teachers. However, it was not limited to the program per se and worked toward continuous improvements in all aspects of the institute. A series of steps were taken for a similar approach while the program stabilized and became one of the best in the country. The faculty development was not at all ignored. This development had taken care of faculty beyond teaching and other responsibilities. FACULTY COMPLEMENT It was our intention from the beginning that a good number of faculty members should be recruited from the best of institutes. We felt that not much experience was necessary for such a faculty member. We also knew that an experienced teacher might not want to join a budding institute, given its status and location as well. Hence, the best bet was on recruiting young PhDs, possibly from the best of institutions. Combining both the recruitment and the process of development, greater freedom, and autonomy to the faculty members had shown us the potential and given us the confidence to go for international accreditation. All efforts and investments made on the program and the faculty complement, in hindsight, had encouraged us for the decision to go for international accreditation. Despite some doubts and reservations among some faculty members, we believed that it would raise the quality of the institute. We also believed that we could understand global perspectives and standards in relation to learning, teachers, and students. It would be fair to say that in the areas of research and publications in particular, the institute was far from the known standards of international accreditation. Both these aspects, however, were considered gaps, and we felt that they could be taken care of along with the process of international accreditation. The institute was able to look at the performance of faculty members through the lenses of international standards, and this also

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enabled us to recruit the best possible faculty. Overall, it was a blessing in disguise and had the added advantage of achieving higher standards for the institute. A mentor was appointed soon after we completed the formalities of registering the institute with the AACSB and obtained eligibility for accreditation. It is a normal practice of AACSB to appoint a mentor to help and guide the process of accreditation of an institute once it is eligible for certification. Generally, a mentor is one who has long years of experience. He must be one who has strong academic credentials. He is also considered to be a friend, philosopher, and guide of the institute in acquiring accreditation. He visited the institute in March 2004. After spending considerable time with faculty members, director, and dean, he advised us about the status of the institute, identified the gaps as per the standards, and suggested that they needed to be filled before a progress report could be made. Certainly, it took us quite a bit of time for such intensive preparation and to submit reports on the existing gaps and the progress made in filling them. It was really a tough job and the Dean (Academic), who was responsible for the whole process, really met the worst end of it. Yet we pursued it despite all difficulties. By December 2007, the second progress report was accepted (we had lost practically two years in between since the Dean (Academic) left the institute in June 2006). By December 2008, another progress report was sent coinciding with the second visit of the mentor in January 2009. Having spent enough time speaking to the faculty members and the person responsible for the process, he presented a very encouraging report. The mentor, a veteran of AACSB in the field across the globe, felt that the institute was one of the very few to have reached a stage where it was close to obtaining accreditation in a matter of a year or so, and he encouraged our faculty members to complete the rest of the process. He also mentioned in his report the environment created in the institute for higher standards of learning for both faculty and, importantly, the growth of intellectual capital in the institute. He also

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lauded the efforts of Madhu,1 who completed the process of accreditation within a close reach. She narrated her experience and learning, the problems she faced, and her unfortunate withdrawal from the work almost in the final stages. FACULTY WORKSHOP 2005

First Attempt: A Process of Renewal We came up with the idea of organizing a faculty workshop after much deliberation. The practice of deliberations had continued since 1992, and we used it largely to review the program, the curriculum, preparations for the next academic year, etc. (during every summer before vacation). However, we thought that we should start looking forward to the future of the institute as well.

Design of the Workshop A tentative design for the workshop was prepared and circulated among all our colleagues. It was meant to offer reflection on what had been done so far by us, individually and collectively, and what could be done better that would add to our strength and uniqueness. The design of the workshop incorporated the best of the literature on management education, its current situation, and its future. We felt that such literature could not only evoke thinking but also, more importantly, create a climate of learning and deliberations. We also utilized some of the internal documents and drew from the efforts we had made for designing the thematic curriculum as well as our research and papers. We also drew from a large agenda for the first workshop and from our enthusiasm to cover a large ground. After the Dean (Academics) left the institute in June 2006, Madhu, one of our talented faculty members, was selected for the completion of the processes of AACSB accreditation. Initially, she was a bit hesitant but once she took up the job, she went the whole hog into it. She devoted a good deal of her time and put all her best to complete the job. In the process, she received quite good support and cooperation from our colleagues. She did complete almost all the job, say about 90 percent of it. We were ready and looking forward for the next review of AACSB. However, unfortunately, she also left the institute before that happened.

1

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PURPOSE AND OUTCOME Specifically, the purpose of the workshop 2005 was to • Develop some additional outputs (research and publications) or some new “products” (programs) • Institutionalize the process for developing such outputs and products • Develop means, mechanisms, and systems for such outputs. The first attempt proved to be a good learning, and the faculty members found that there were areas of concern and gaps in the implementation. One of the immediate outcomes was setting up a small group for the digitization of office work and hastening the process for CPMS. FACULTY WORKSHOP 2006 Based on our experience from the 2005 workshop, action and responsibility of the faculty members were underlined with due processes. By 2006, the design was more focused and more future-oriented. It was to provide a “platform” for dialogue to the faculty members to deliberate on some of the important issues and areas of concern pertaining to the institute. However, it had a clear mandate of generating required outputs that included specific responsibilities assumed by the faculty members.

Identification of the Major Critical Areas • Implementation of and road map for the initial accreditation plan approved by AACSB: intellectual capital, CPMS, working groups, academic and professional faculty members, etc. • Restructured program: thematic curriculum—theme paper, reflective learning, etc. FACULTY WORKSHOP 2008 We could not organize the workshop in 2007 but revived it in 2008 with renewed vigor and interest. For the workshop in 2008, we

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decided to place greater emphasis on action and implementation, building upon the earlier workshops as much as on priorities. The modus operandi remained the same but with much better outcomes. The workshop devoted a good deal of time to generic themes of the institute followed by presentations by small groups and discussions among the faculty. The outcomes were a clear indication and testimony of the contributions made by faculty members and a higher sense of responsibility among them. Four themes were identified, which revealed their importance in the context of the institute to renew our efforts for a better future of the institute. The deliberations and the resultant action amply demonstrated the value of the workshop and its potential. More so, it reinforced the larger culture in the institute. The four themes were as follows: • • • •

Curricular matters and pedagogy Interdisciplinary work and integration Faculty development Teaching and research

Thus, the faculty workshop, as a significant institutional mechanism and a process, gained traction for both institution building and substantial contributions from the faculty members. The renewal process continued with a greater sense of maturity and purpose. COMPREHENSIVE PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM By 2004, we had a new thematic curriculum in place; there was a sizeable faculty complement, a majority of them with doctorate and considerable experience; AACSB process had begun in all seriousness; and a mentor had visited the institute. We realized that the institute had to gear up its activities for better outcomes and more outputs. While we had a good run of activities, with ensured quality, we were still short on our output. The international accreditation process pushed us toward achieving it. We also felt that there must be an

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institutional mechanism and a process to support and ensure greater thrust on outputs. CPMS emerged out of this interest and concern. Just like for other important initiatives, we had gone through yearlong deliberations about the pros and cons of such a system, concerns of the faculty members, measurement of performance, outputs, and rewards. Then, we had a trial run, got feedback on it, and made the necessary corrections and modifications. After three years, we decided that a review might be in order as there were issues like a large number of documentation for each faculty member, laborious process of assessment, emphasis on number of credits for measurement, etc. AACSB accreditation and its process also needed some push, and CPMS process was considered useful for that. A review committee with five members of faculty was constituted for this purpose, which presented a report and a revised draft for the director. A PAPER SUMMARIZING ALL THAT WENT INTO MAKING OF THE INSTITUTE Toward the end of 2008, I wrote a paper outlining all that went into making the institute and its contribution to quality higher education with an emphasis on institution building for a presentation at an international conference held at the University of Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan, during December 1–3, 2008. Unfortunately, I could not make it to Lahore, having made all arrangements, for presenting my paper (called “Quality in Higher Education—Primacy of the Institution Building. A Case Study of TAPMI”) personally in the aftermaths of November 26, 2008. The case study was one of the few selected papers included in a book titled Quality in Higher Education: Challenges and Practices, published by the university in 2009.

4

Dream Come True…

9

I A Campus for the Institute THE NEW CAMPUS: AGAINST ALL ODDS The members in the trust (also relatives of the same family) including the chairman showed indifference to the campus project and neglected it for almost 25 years. Ironically, a very successful industrialist and a legend (late Dhirubhai Ambani) had promised everything, including the necessary funds required to build a grand campus at a beautiful and scenic site on a small hillock close to a valley and a stream flowing by, but his offer was not taken seriously by the trustees. In 1985, the same gentleman flew to the location in a helicopter from Bombay to be present at the site on the day of the foundation stone-laying ceremony with the chief minister of the state and the trustees in tow. He wanted to express his gratitude and gratefulness, particularly to the founder of the institute. When he had been struggling to collect a few lakhs of rupees as advance money from any bank, the founder as his benefactor arranged a small advance and supported him later in many ways. The industrialist built almost an economic empire on his own, which was something unusual for the times and with the background he had. THE SUBSTORY The substory of the campus project, its significance, and its value for the institute as well as for the surrounding community, and its privileged and envious position in a small university town can be narrated in four broad phases.

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Phase 1 The foundation stone was laid in 1985 with fanfare at the site of about 30 acres of land. The then chief minister of the state made a promise that the land would be made available to the institute He also desired that the institute to be developed in a way that it befits the leadership of its founder (late T. A. Pai). Alas! Nothing really happened for the next several years. Meanwhile, the donor died sometime in 1998, and so did his promise. The government as well as chief ministers changed, and sanctioning of the land went into a limbo. Worse, the order was kept in abeyance for some time and was later cancelled. During this long period, many interesting things happened. At least half a dozen chief ministers with different political affiliations came and went. It was amazing that none of the most important trustees did anything to acquire the land, except occasionally meeting the chief minister in power, one or two other ministers, and some local politicians. As usual, nothing really materialized from the meetings. It was the fond hope of acquiring the land that somehow remained with the trustees even after a number of years. They would mention this issue once in a while in some of the trust meetings. The institute, however, filed a writ petition in the high court, seeking a stay on the government order. There was no tangible result though, except adjournments sought by our lawyer from time to time. While other interventions were also taking place, the situation remained the same for the institute. However, the chairman wanted this land without any claim on it. So did other important trustees. The issue and the consequent litigation thus dragged on for the next 20 years without any resolution. In early 2000, a new government had come into power in the state. The local MLA during his election campaign had promised his constituency that he would see to it that a new office for the deputy commissioner (DC) would be built on the same site along with other revenue offices. Since his own party had come into power, he found it much easier to fulfil his promise. A large amount of money was allocated towards the construction of the DC office, and a provision

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was made already in the budget by the previous government for the DC’s and other offices. One of the prominent local leaders (from the same party) became a minister in the new government. With this advantage, the MLA wanted to take up the project in all earnest and with the support of the minister. When all of this was happening around us, the chairman still believed that the land would be handed over to the institute. The most important trustee, however, sometimes suggested that the institute had no legal standing in the matter and that it would be better to look for alternative sites available with another trust. At other times, he would support the chairman, indicating that the fight with the government must go on. This trustee also thought that government offices would be a great nuisance in the midst of an educational campus. The chairman also felt so. However, we knew that he never showed great interest in acquiring the land except that he apparently did not object to filing the writ petition. This went on until December 2006, when the chairman agreed to withdraw the lawsuit after a long struggle and under pressure particularly from his own family members both within the trust and outside. However, he said that he had withdrawn it very reluctantly. During this period, 1985–2002, nothing really happened either about acquiring the land (promised by the government) or any alternative sites. Even a plan for the institute campus was not attempted.

Phase 2 When I joined the institute in 1992, while concentrating on the program, I realized that the institute would need a good residential campus in future for its image and growth. The existing facility was maintained poorly, and there was a limited option for any further expansion. However, many improvisations were made as is mentioned in previous chapters. An interesting part of this substory is that I told one of the office assistants that we would make a good campus when he took me to an old building that served as a hostel. The years that had passed in between were fascinating and quite interesting for any institute. I did not raise the issue of an institute

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campus in the beginning, though it would be mentioned in one or other trust and GC meetings. I would hear the fond hopes expressed by the members and their belief that one day the land would be handed over by the government on its own. This went on for almost next 15 years (1985–2000). During this time, the institute was acquiring a status and a name. There was an all-round appreciation for its program and its quality. Thanks to all that—as well as the support of the faculty and staff members, of course—and with least interference from the trustees and support from some of the members of the GC, who were academically oriented, in the early 2000, I requested the trustees to acquire the land originally sanctioned by the government and told them about the need for a better campus. I also used almost all trust and GC meetings to push it. Although these meetings did not bring in any concrete result, they were a constant reminder to the members. The members, though sympathetic to the cause, could not do much except hear the chairman out repeatedly about how the land was granted by the government in the early 1980s, and then blame the government, local politicians, and some of his own people including the trustees for the failure. I still kept the issue alive as an agenda item in the meetings. Every time some member asked about it, the chairman had his usual answers but there was hardly any sight of resolution on the issue. Once a concerned GC member said that it was embarrassing to see this agenda item every time there was a meeting!

Phase 3 All this changed one day. This was an important phase, and a number of initiatives such as the process for accreditation from AACSB, new programs, and expansion of faculty complement were taken up. At last, after much persuasion and many discussions in several meetings, the chairman agreed to consider alternative locations for the campus. In April 2002, one of the important trustees and a member of the GC suggested that TAPMI assume the role of leadership for management education and programs in the Manipal campus being run by MAHE. The trustee also suggested that the institute and its proposed

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campus share common facilities such as the library, faculty, and other resources with other on-campus institutes while maintaining their respective identities. That was also the time when we (three of our senior faculty members, a member of BOS, and a senior partner of a well-known consultancy firm) as members of the director’s panel were involved in the process of selecting students for the next batch. At that stage, the trustee along with one of his colleagues met with us and suggested that we go and see some other sites. We immediately set out to see those sites, and someone who was familiar with the area accompanied us. We looked at two to three sites about 5 km away from our institute. That person then took us to another site on a hillock close by. It was full of bushes and small trees but looked great with a valley and a small stream flowing by. I liked it instantly and told my colleagues that we would settle for it. Later, we came to know that the area of the site was about 42 acres and was owned by one of the foundations (TMA Pai Foundation), and the same was leased out to our institute later. We thought that we had succeeded and were closer to our campus project. However, it was not to be so, and it took us another six years for the campus to become a reality. The construction activity and clearance of the land started only in April 2007, after a lot of struggle and hardship. I had to go through a very tough time during that period and had to wade through all difficulties. Nonetheless, the struggles were worth it for building the institute. I had to face most of them while senior faculty members stood by me. Their support and help kept me going and enabled us to prepare a detailed plan with a project report containing the institutional requirements of the campus and for classrooms, hostels, teachers’ rooms, and housing for the staff and the teachers. I had to spend an enormous amount of time to get some approval or another from the chairman and the trustees during this period. Having identified a site for the proposed campus, I felt comfortable to contact architects and look for ideas for a campus from various magazines, thinking about some of the best campuses that I had spent time in or visited in India or abroad. I shared some of these ideas with the architects and with my colleagues. I told them that a good

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campus should be the outcome of the efforts with all its aesthetics, befitting a top-class management institute and equipped with latest technology, rainwater harvesting, waterfronts, solar lighting, and other environment-friendly inputs. A shot in the arm for me was that some banks agreed to finance the project and offered a soft loan. At least three big banks were ready to finance the project and, in fact, each one of them was keen to land this project. At that time, we preferred State Bank of India (SBI), given their stature, and a project report was submitted to them. The bank also offered a lower rate of interest at 7.5 percent. Unfortunately, it could not be availed as its officers went on a strike and the bank could not take up the project in time. By that time, Syndicate Bank speeded up its process and offered us the loan. Canara Bank also wanted to finance the project, even to share it with other banks if possible. Finally, we settled for the Syndicate Bank. I felt that a soft loan for about `50 crore by SBI was a great encouragement and a recognition of the institute and its value. I thought that the project could be brought up to speed now and surmised that at least some of the basic facilities in the campus could be ready by 2005 in the first phase. I shared the prospect with the students, and it was also mentioned in the admission brochure. However, it was not to be, again. I had to cross several hurdles, face uncertainties, and feel a good deal of frustration. However, I decided to keep moving on whenever I could. One initiative was the DPR prepared internally and vetted by a well-known consultancy firm, which established its viability, thanks to one of our alumni who was working in the same firm. Then I spent some time with an architect from a firm in Trivandrum called Lo Cost. He assured me that a good campus was possible within the budget of about `10 crore. He drew some sketches for me. Given our financial condition, we preferred that idea. He also sent over two of his colleagues to see the site, facilitate contour mapping, and water prospecting. We also visited a newly developed low-cost campus designed by the same architect near Coimbatore and felt that ours might suit our needs of a large campus using the available finances.

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However, the important trustee shot down the idea of a low-cost campus when I approached him. Then I thought that I should try some other architect who was famous for campus projects. Accordingly, I contacted another architect in Goa. He visited the site and spent almost six months in designing the campus for the institute. He estimated that it would be around `20 crore for the campus project. It was sometime during 2003–2004. Thus, some important and interesting developments took place and then nothing really happened until 2004, and the project could not take off. Let me present these chronologically. The important trustee knew the value of the institute and its potential. He came with a proposal that the deemed university would collaborate on this project by financing it to the extent of two-thirds of its estimated cost. However, he wanted a formal agreement worked out after taking into account the mutual interest of both institutions. The university had a team of professionals who worked for a year with our team to arrive at a very detailed report on the collaboration and the agreement. The agreement was duly signed by the president of the university and the chairman of our institute in the beginning of 2004. I thought that the project would take off as we had the support of the university and because of the influence the trustee wielded. However, it was still not to be. This was a great disappointment, and it set us back again. Despite the agreement prepared with all diligence on both sides, some unanticipated events cropped up. The president of the university told me in the summer of 2004 that the university could not finance the project and the institute was on its own. Despite my pleas, he maintained his position. I was shocked and felt helpless. I called the chairman who was in the USA at the time. He advised me to call an emergency meeting of the GC to explain all that had happened and seek their support. He also asked me to contact another GC member who could talk to this important trustee. The emergency meeting took place in May 2004. Only two members attended the meeting, and they expressed their shock at the turn of the events. A resolution was passed to the effect that the agreement reached stood annulled and the land subleased to the university be reverted to the institute to seek funding on its own. They suggested the resolution should be

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circulated to all the members of the GC for their endorsement. All members except one supported the resolution and felt that it might be better if the institute made its own arrangements for the funds and the campus. A blessing in disguise, they felt. In the meantime, I contacted another architect firm in 2004. Soon they prepared a full model of the campus. Coinciding with it, the institute had to initiate the process afresh for a soft loan of `50 crore from the Syndicate Bank. By then, the interest rate had gone up to 10.5 percent per annum and after some bargaining, it was agreed at 10 percent. In all these efforts, I must mention that I kept my faith in the project even when I was faced with such upsets and disappointments. I also wanted to save time for the project by initiating the following activities. Conversion of Land

Since the land was registered for agricultural use, it required conversion for other uses. I came to know that it was not easy. It might require influence and money. Then I decided to meet a friend who was a senior secretary in the government of Karnataka and sought his help. Immediately, he called up the revenue secretary and told him to help me. I met the revenue secretary in his office. When I met him, he had to go for a meeting with the principal secretary and other officials. However, he said that he would be back soon and then we would talk. His meeting continued until lunchtime, and I waited for him for almost three hours. After lunch, he returned and profusely offered his apologies for keeping me waiting for so long. He then offered me a good suggestion and we got the land converted in record time. Normally, it takes few months or even years to get that done. Sublease of the Land to the University

Prior to the conversion, about 17 acres of land was subleased to the university as per the agreement. Unless the land was surrendered, the project could not avail the loan and due procedures could not be followed to get approvals from the town planning authority and revenue department. Once again, the project stalled. I met the president of the university (the trustee) many times in 2004–2005, requesting him to

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sign the document of annulment so that the institute could initiate the procedure on its own for getting funds, starting construction, and completing the rest of the formalities. Every time I met him, he would say, “I will speak to the chairman.” However, just before the GC meeting in December 2005, I spoke to one of the members who was closer to this trustee and sought his help to get the document signed. He finally signed the document in the end of 2005. One of my senior colleagues, who was actively involved in the project, often said that the trustee might not sign the document at all. He said that he had lost all hope for the project and so did many other colleagues. Re-registration of the Land

Even at this stage, the troubles were not over, and there were other hurdles. The subleased land (17 acres) needed to be registered again in the name of the institute and until then the project could not be taken up. Here, the chairman became nostalgic and began talking again, suggesting if this land was so registered, the government would have a stronger case to take back the other (revenue) land. Whenever I approached him, he would ask why registration was required in such hurry. This was how he had delayed the registration of the land back in 2002. I had to request a local elderly person (the secretary of the trust that had leased the land) and another younger member of the family of the trustee to exercise their influence on him and see that the chairman agreed to go to the registrar’s office along with them to sign the papers. Finally, he relented. The important trustee and his family members told me that there was no legal case for the institute to claim the revenue land. The lawyer also suggested that there was no case as such, and that obtaining stay could be an option but it would be of no use. When I asked him why he did not inform the chairman about the same, he told me that he could not do so for obvious reasons. His own understanding was that the land could be acquired only by political influence and money. However, it did not work with the chairman who was adamant in suggesting that he would fight till his last. This stance of his proved even more difficult to handle. He said that he would not withdraw the writ petition. This turned out to be much harder.

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Resolution by the GC

To resolve the issue, I tried further with the members of the GC in the meeting held in October 2006 at the ISB, Hyderabad. One of the members had arranged this meeting. I took the opportunity to ask the members to request the chairman (who was not present) to withdraw the writ petition. All of them expressed serious concern about the undue delay in the campus project and decided that the meeting should pass a resolution to that effect. Accordingly, the meeting passed a resolution. However, even this did not work with the chairman. After this particular resolution, I wrote to one of the prominent educationists who happened to be a member of GC, requesting him whether he could talk or write to the chairman about withdrawing the case, so that the project could start at the earliest. He told me later that he had written a letter, although initially he was hesitant to do so. However, he said that he did not receive any response. Response from the DC

I thought that as the registration was complete, we could initiate other plans on the campus project. However, I realized that the permission from the DC of the district was needed for the town planning authority to approve the project and allow the institute to begin the construction. I met the DC thrice in his office and requested him to allow us to go ahead with the project. He once said that he would visit the site and decide. However, he never visited the site. Then I felt that it was futile to meet him anymore and came to know that the local MLA had asked him not to allow the institute to get clearance from the town planning authority. The reasons were obvious. I reported the entire matter to the members of the GC and the trust. There was no help from them even at this stage, and I had to fend for myself. MLA Stalls the Permission

As mentioned earlier, the MLA had made an electoral promise that a new DC office would be built on the revenue land. However, the writ petition by the institute did not allow him to pursue his promise. I

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went to see him with a request to allow us to move on with the campus project. I also mentioned that as an MLA of the district, he could take pride that a decent and large campus of a well-known institute was going to come up in his constituency. He simply said that he knew all about the institute and its stature. He told me that he had to see the site and then decide. He came to see the site along with some local people. Then he revealed the reason we were in a glitch over the campus: He asked me to tell the chairman to withdraw the writ petition. I decided to meet the minister who was a thorough gentleman. I had met him before on a few occasions before he became a minister. I felt that he would be able to influence the MLA and help us in the process. I went to see him at his house with one of my colleagues who happened to be his nephew. He was nice to me and read the letter. However, he said that the problem lied elsewhere and almost suggested that the writ petition be withdrawn immediately. When I met him again after waiting for three hours in his camp office, he reiterated the same and said that the local MLA could not go back on his promise. Then I realized the real issue. After these meetings, I approached the chairman and informed him about my meetings. He simply asked me to stop meeting anyone and suggested that there was no need for such meetings. He even flared up when I suggested in one of the trust meetings to withdraw the case. He also went to the extent of telling me that I did not have any idea of the local problems and issues. I felt so humiliated. Something Supernatural

As every human effort seemed to have come to a standstill and I was going nowhere, I became restless and frustrated, superstitious even. But I did not give up and thought that I should seek some help and solace from an astrologer (locally called joish). With one of the office staff, I went to see an astrologer and told him about the problems we were facing about the campus project. He performed some of the usual rituals and asked me to follow him as he chanted some prayers. I followed him and did whatever he asked. He was well known for his craft in that part of the region and was quite popular.

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I met him twice. I had asked him rather anxiously and with concern whether this project would ever see the light of the day. He was so kind to me and assured me that it would take off but some more time was required. He told me in Kannada, “The project will come through, but right now it is limping and might take more time.” These words were like music to my ears, and so reassuring. I assured myself that the campus project was going to be real and told myself that I would hold on to anything as long as it takes off. He also advised me further to perform a particular puja in one of the famous temples, about 60 km from Manipal. I went to the temple next day with the same colleague. I performed all rituals as instructed by the priest there. After the rituals were complete, he gave me a small packet of some powdered material and asked me to bury that in a corner of the site. I followed the instruction and completed that ritual too. Looking back, I do not know what really worked to get the campus project off the ground but I know for sure that the ritual assured me greatly. Whatever happened afterwards, but the project finally took off, thanks to the joish. However, the ritual did not stop me from continuing my efforts. I knew one of the younger members in the trustee’s family. He also expressed a concern about this undue delay and was sympathetic for all the efforts I was making. He knew the value of the institute as much and was aware of my contributions. I decided to seek his help. (The chairman later expressed his displeasure and asked me to stop meeting the family member anymore when I mentioned my meeting with him.) He promised me that he would try his best and involve other family members to pressurize the chairman in withdrawing the writ. He also told me that the writ had no value; however, he felt that it might stop the government from going ahead with the DC office for some time.

Phase 4 Uncertainty Remained until the End

Still the problem was not solved. I had maintained my contact with the trustee’s family member. He was helpful and assured me that the

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problem would be solved soon. He would call to inform me that other family members were mounting pressure on the chairman as well. He also told me that the chairman would not be able to resist any more as there was an all-out pressure mounted on him. However, the stalemate continued for another six months and during this time another meeting of the GC took place and the chairman remained adamant on the issue. I was hoping against hope. In between, the important trustee met the chairman and told him that he would support the institute financially by undertaking construction of hostel buildings on the campus, but the university would collect the fees as per its rates. Luckily, the chairman informed me about this proposal and asked me whether we should accept it. I told him that finance was no longer an issue as the institute had already obtained a sanction of a comfortable soft loan. I also sent him a detailed letter immediately, indicating the kind of issues and implications that would arise from such a proposal, one of which was that the students might not perceive it positively as the fees would not only be collected by another entity but also at rates much higher than what the institute had proposed. Yet another implication was that the institute could face a number of administrative problems such as discipline issues and controlling of the students. I had also added the simple principle of economics that charging higher fees for education was more acceptable to students than higher service charges ancillary to education. Whatever be the reason, the proposal did not go through. Withdrawal of Writ Petition

One fine morning, sometime in December 2006, the chairman called me to say that he had decided to withdraw the writ petition and asked me to inform the lawyer accordingly. Immediately, I called up the lawyer and informed him about the pleasant news, a long-awaited decision from the chairman. Later, the family member also informed me how the entire family had pressurized the chairman and how he had yielded. I felt so good, relieved, and even excited about the news. At last, sunshine shone on the institute. On the same day, sometime in the evening (surprisingly), it seems that he had asked the lawyer not to withdraw the writ petition. Thank

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God, by then the lawyer had seen to it that the case was dismissed by the high court and the order was also passed. Soon after, we had another GC meeting in December 2006 in which the chairman expressed his reservation on the writ petition and told other members that he was reluctant to withdraw the same but for the pressure from all around including from the director. He had also received a letter from one of the GC members. However, he said that he was against the construction of DC office in the midst of educational institutions. He also said again that the revenue land had been promised to the institute a long time ago. Trouble with the Town Planning Authority

I still had to wait. We immediately started meeting the requirements of the town planning authority, and I met the official with necessary papers and plans. He promised me that he would take the matter to the higher ups and clear the project proposal. I thought that it was a routine matter and would be over soon. However, it was not so and even after two weeks, nothing seemed to have changed. We were in great hurry to start the project. We had also informed the architect to initiate working with the contractors. The architect himself showed great interest in the project. Intervention of the Minister

I realized that there was no point in meeting the official and decided to contact the minister again for help and to request him to expedite matters. He promised but nothing happened. I called him again, and he was surprised and said that no one could stop the project now as orders were already issued. After all this, the necessary papers arrived! Could there be any better struggle and hardship? Was it worth the humiliation and insults as much as the serious doubts about the project itself, at every stage? Notwithstanding the uncertainties and cost escalation, in hindsight, I believe that it was worth it all as I know the project would have not seen the light of the day but for all that struggle, for which I thank God.

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Attention to Other Important Matters

Nonetheless, I did not stop at any point and spent considerable time with the architect’s group in Bangalore during 2007–2008. I requested them to expedite the work and to see that at least the hostels and classrooms were ready by the beginning of the academic year (2008). Almost daily, I would visit the site and request the contractor to speed up the work and ask him to engage more workers. Unfortunately, the contractor engaged by the architect was not up to the mark and the progress was much slower than expected. I had to intervene and ask the architect to replace the contractor. I prevailed on him and he relented. The work progressed much faster with another contractor who was better equipped and was endowed professionally. Even then, essential buildings were not ready for occupation in the campus by 2008. To expedite other matters during this time, I got engaged in arranging contractors for hostel furniture. I visited them with one of the seniors from the architect’s group and gave them a few ideas as to what the furniture should be like. Interestingly, the furniture work was taken up much faster by one of the contractors and most of it was ready by the first half of 2008. I also decided to select the most tasteful furniture of the best quality suitable to an institution like ours without ignoring ergonomics and aesthetics. One of my senior faculty colleagues accompanied me to Bangalore. We visited a few companies, consulted our architects, and finally decided the total requirement for the campus—administrative offices, faculty rooms, dining hall, etc. Funding Initiatives Additional Funding for a Compound Wall

The campus was getting ready and being funded by a soft loan of `50 crore from the Syndicate Bank. We also had `10 crore surplus generated over the last 15 years or so. The total amount would have been enough to complete the campus. However, I felt like requesting for funds from the foundation that had leased us the 42 acres of land for our campus. At the suggestion of the secretary of the foundation

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and supported by one of the members, I made a proposal for a grant of `60 lakh for the construction of a compound wall. The foundation accepted the proposal and the amount was granted. Grant of `1 Crore from the Academy

We already had a grant of `1 crore from the Academy of General Education (AGE) back in 1992. Since there was no campus plan in the last 15 years (1992–2007), the amount was deposited as a fixed deposit with a bank and interest had accrued and added to the principal. A number of years had passed by but the amount was not transferred to the institute. Having verified the records, thinking to request the academy to release the amount, I approached the academy and the registrar to release the amount to the institute. The registrar did not respond immediately but did so later with the advice that the amount had been earmarked for the construction of buildings and other infrastructure of the institute. It had not happened even after I made many attempts during this period, but once the campus plan was ready and construction started in the first quarter of 2007, I thought to request the academy again to release the amount. With some difficulty, I managed to get the principal transferred to the institute without the interest earned. Alumni Contributions

For another funding arrangement, I decided to ask the alumni to contribute at least `10,000 or its multiples for the campus project. I also suggested that if an amount of `1 crore was collected, it would be utilized for building an executive center in the campus and would be appropriately named befitting the alumni contributions. The process was somewhat slow, but many alumni responded positively and started sending their contribution. In a year, something like `10 lakh was collected, and had it continued for another two years, a crore of rupees would have been collected; but unfortunately, it was not to be after my retirement. The alumni helped to create a positive image of the institute and its credibility as a model institute in a small town. The efforts were meant

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not to only strengthen its financial base but also largely enhance the stakeholders’ value for and interest in the institute. I always believed that the stakeholders should not only participate in various activities but could also contribute to the institute and its success. However, it required the status of a quality and reputed institute.

II Institution Building and Its Outcomes IDENTITY AND PURPOSE An institute has its own identity and purpose. We used our flagship program as a means to evolve institutional aspects—objectives, conceptual base, involvement of the faculty members, continuous improvements, process orientation, systems, priorities, and quality in every respect—admissions, physical infrastructure, teachers, and staff. To have thought of such a purpose might have looked audacious and even too ambitious at that time, but we believed that when resources are pitifully low, conviction is what counts, probably a purpose, as an influencing factor even if it takes a long time. Emphasizing the purpose, we believed that it would force us to continuously look at better options and set priorities by devising commensurate plans, processes, and activities. CONCEPT AND UNDERSTANDING For us, a large purpose provided all elements of institution building. We thought that it would be a great opportunity to look at the experiences of institution building more closely and learn from it. We looked at practices followed elsewhere to articulate its components for an implementation appropriate to the development of our program as a major strategy for institution building. Institution building involves goal setting, identity, involvement of stakeholders, future orientation, networking, and innovative practices as much as a vision with values and beliefs borne out of a philosophy and principles. We knew that it would be long drawn; still, we decided

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to go for it. Thankfully, it worked in our favor, though it took a considerably long time. THE BEGINNING The story provides a backdrop and serves as a memoir: the first interventions and actions attempting at improving whatever was necessary in both the program and the related activities. In the process, I was able to communicate with and involve our colleagues—both faculty members and staff—in carrying out their responsibilities with a clear objective of improving the quality in every aspect of the institute. Such thinking and approach were influenced by my learning and practice from the education I had received earlier, at IIMA and subsequently at IRMA. I had long years of experience as a college teacher and being involved in academic and administrative matters. I also believed that such a learning phase had its roots in values and beliefs, and understanding institutions and institution building processes. However, it became clearer to me when an opportunity presented itself. I believed that there must be a philosophy of building good institutes. I was fully convinced, and the conviction had developed out of a philosophy. All those interventions and actions followed were possibly because of this conviction and faith. It was the purpose for the institute—what it ought to be, what it should offer, and, commensurately, what it would require, its institutional apparatus and its operation. To realize the value of such a program, we also looked at other aspects such as physical facilities; however, we concentrated more on program-related aspects—regular sessions, discipline, improvements in facilities, faculty members sharing responsibilities, communication with students, and sharing and seeking advice, support, and approvals from the constitutional bodies. It, of course, was in parallel to the maintenance and organization of activities: staff support and help to the faculty members and a better place to work. Simultaneously, we started working out details for a better process for admissions and placement of students besides thinking about plans and strategies for future. In other words, while creating the necessary conditions to run a program with reasonable efficiency

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and stability, we initiated essential institutional processes and practices for building the institute and its capacity. These largely involved correcting mistakes, making changes, quality considerations, better environment, faculty members’ involvement and orientation, and staff deployment and orientation, with clear objectives and strategies for future. In another sense, we thought that it must be much beyond the program and its conduct, and largely toward building the institute. The next phase was to consider changes and look at a much bigger picture aiming for a better program and a better curriculum—new and innovative, current, and up to date. The emphasis was on the quality of the program—the way the program was coordinated and organized, standards were set, and implementation was orchestrated from day one of the program until the students formally graduated. Simultaneously, without losing much time, we started to streamline the functioning of the governing systems. The way we went about was frequently presenting the issues and problems, current and future, as an agenda in each meeting, subsequent deliberations, and seeking approvals, advice, guidance, or counsel. The details and analysis of its proceedings were a clear indication of how much was attempted to benefit from the constitutional apparatus of the institute. It was not merely a set of transparent transactions but was aimed at a much larger picture of developing an institute of repute. However, we knew that this was only one side of the coin unless it had the backing of the executive, the organization, and the systems, with successful management of issues, keeping the track of developments and the performance. We strongly believed that it was possible only with the faculty members taking and sharing greater responsibilities for the institute, both individually and collectively. We worked hard to create governing systems at the level of the faculty complement and the institute, learned continuously, and improved upon these systems. Such learning and its consolidation were presented as a paper in one of the conferences in 2000. By then, we had a capable task force consisting of professionals but with the active involvement and participation of our colleagues. This group brought out a document called Vision 2005, which set for us a direction and enabled us to look at the future with the clear objective of building ours as an institute of repute.

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AUTONOMY OF THE INSTITUTE All said and done, there was another significant feature of institution building, that is, the autonomy of the institute. Statutorily the institute was autonomous; however, resources were inadequate for the first eight–nine years. It was almost a struggle to do anything for development or even to improve the necessities. We knew how hard it was for my predecessor. He was only carrying out certain minimum requirements of the program, admitting some 60 or so students with a very low fee structure, thus affecting the finances. Some temporary measures were resorted to toward filling up some deficits each year through the benevolence of one local trust or another, or seeking charity of small amount from some rich industrialist. This cannot be a good background for any institute. We did not lose our faith in the overall system but we had to wait. Nevertheless, we decided to take matters to the constitutional bodies, not asking for money like in the past, but working out means and methods to raise finances internally. Perhaps, this was the first step we were able to take that ensured a degree of credibility and some self-sufficiency in finances but which also enabled us to be more autonomous. We knew we were always short of money, particularly for some minor investments and even for a reasonably good residence for the faculty members. A classic example is getting access to the Internet: We had to wait for almost two years (1996–1998). Finally, we decided to make our own way by investing about `8 lakh in an Internet facility with due approval of the trust. Although there was a shortage of teachers, we managed by working relentlessly for better teachers, including making arrangements for visiting faculties from premier institutes. By improving our finances, we were able to pay them better. It was a constant struggle for us for a long period (1992–2008). There cannot be a better example of pursuing autonomy and self-sufficiency of resources that is the hallmark of an institute. Proactive stances, self-sufficiency of finance, continuous improvements, and stable performance, all together earned autonomy of the institute.

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For us, autonomy was organic if anything and integral to the task we had chosen. It was enveloped in various processes, activities, schemes, and plans to act independently, move quickly on various activities, and get more significant institutional credentials such as AACSB accreditation. We were fully aware that we could not succeed in certain other areas (e.g., executive education, and alumni activities) to realize their potential. The constraints were so overwhelming that we also could not think of much expansion, thanks to the inordinate delay in the campus project. We, however, succeeded in creating a large and decent campus later (2008–2009) with a soft loan of `50 crore from a commercial bank. We believed that the strength of autonomy and the image of a national-level institute stood out clearly for us while pursuing such projects. However, we had to face very unpleasant experiences with AICTE (see the ‘Postscript’). This autonomy was not limited to just finances; it was also present across the institute in almost every aspect of the institutional makeup. Each of the major functions, including administration, had a responsible person at its helm supported by the staff. The staff was fully oriented and trained on the job, and they specialized in their job as they had engaged in one function or other for a long period. The finance had three full-time staff members, well versed in their job, helped and coordinated by the administrative functionary. They too had the support, guidance, and help from the statutory auditor appointed by the institute (later, an internal auditor was also appointed). This kind of arrangement worked smoothly to carry on the tasks each functionary was assigned with enough freedom and flexibility. There were a number of activities that reflected our autonomous behavior and freedom at various levels: teaching, research, administration, students and staff, innovations, new courses, schemes, student–teacher collaboration, financial management, sharing surpluses with faculty and staff members, creating new forums, linkages with industry’s continuous thrust, initiatives by students, group work, and improvisations, which are too many to count. More importantly, we worked proactively to create a better environment, a better program, and a better institute, but we were not unduly influenced by any regulatory body such as AICTE. This was a blessing in disguise. Thanks to

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many enablers, we were able to develop and pursue a large purpose. We thought that the work methods and processes were largely due to this. We also believed that these processes were more or less obvious or even responses to our needs—both current and future. BUILDING CAPACITY Increasing the quality of the teachers as well as the program, selection of students, their education and placement, research and publications, infrastructure, etc., were largely derived from a larger understanding of institution building. However, the context evolved various practices and set our priorities, but we did not limit ourselves to a mundane and routine set of activities. We were able to articulate, activate, and practice through several means, and extended them to achieve a large purpose. Its pursuit over the years more or less consolidated this approach. The composite nature of the institute that we decided to develop early on in our endeavors and struggles was the major yardstick. There was continuous learning from mistakes, reviews, and corrections, but we never lost faith even in the worst circumstances—in us or in the entire system. Of course, there still were blind spots and missed opportunities. From the beginning (since 1992), our intent was to build an institute of repute. However, we knew that it was not possible to achieve it overnight, given the very limited resources we had. We decided that we would keep our objective as it is and work in several phases without losing the focus on institution building. Considering the background and context in which the institute was functioning, it was simply a foolhardy to expect greater resources in any near future. We decided on such priorities that would allow us to give the flagship program all our attention. We also believed that once the program was stabilized and accepted, and had established our credibility, it would provide us the means for further institution building. However, it took us only a short time initiating other processes including giving the institute a reasonable facelift. We were able to activate governing bodies and their functioning, thanks to the demonstration effect. Thus, institution building started to take shape and strengthened our autonomy

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and freedom to act. We looked forward to a bigger picture for the institute. Probably, the beginnings were so good and promising that we never looked back despite ups and downs, problems, and apathy of the elders, more so within the serious constraints of our resources. Interestingly, we improved our resources substantially. We never lost sight of our purpose. We were able to build the capacity of the institute to meet the needs proactively even with all constraints we had. First, we had an assessment of the resources—human, financial, and physical—­ commensurate with the needs of the program. Second, after a review of the resources and the needs we had, we decided to improve the resources within the constraints but added to them gradually with a clear plan. CONCLUSION While the result was important, our experience in developing the institute cannot be ignored. It provides an understanding about building an institute of repute without great resources. That would be an important learning for management institutes. The process of enabling the teachers to take and share responsibilities and to be accountable has become a major input for their success and growth. Institution building is a function of an institute’s processes, priorities, and programs. That a good program is the result of a good institute is a truism. However, a good institute without its institutionbuilding processes cannot sustain itself. In other words, simultaneously paying attention to the institutional processes is essential. Such processes are borne out of values, beliefs, faith, and conviction, which in the process create a culture and enable a foundation with involvement of the stakeholders by practicing the values and beliefs. The raison d’être of the institute is the force of influence. Capacity building is akin to institution building. It also goes on. There is nothing like a full stop to either. They have the advantage of not only building the capacity for distant future but also of pursuing new horizons. That is why there is nothing like an end to institution

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building. Constant renewal is at the heart of institutions. Our experience, and others’, taught this to us. The process of institution building largely hinges upon clear aims and objectives of the institute, enabling activities, good deal of communication and transparency, and generation of resources, particularly human. In their absence, the institute would not reach the status and reputation it seeks.

Outcomes The approach we followed in institution building was indeed exemplary. But for this approach, the institute would perhaps have remained an ordinary one. The distinction it achieved is largely due to the emphasis on institutional mechanisms, processes, and practices, keeping larger goals and the big picture in sight. • The institute’s identity as a top-class national institute and international accreditation (AACSB). • A uniquely modelled and structured curriculum. • The faculty complement: Recruitment of young PhDs as core faculty members and taking care of their personal and professional needs proved them a valuable asset. • The model for students: Students participated actively in various activities of the institute, but more importantly, they became partners in learning and worked closely and in collaboration with the teachers. • The institutional and academic values, leadership, and a culture of autonomy, independence, synergy, and transparency cultivated and practiced as institutional values combined with rigor, relevance, continuous improvements, increased opportunities, and avenues for both faculty and students. • Transparent and participatory processes: Management and administration of the institute are simple and allow easy access to everyone, and the emphasis is on independence and encouragement. • A family orientation—accommodative, sharing both pleasures and pains. The relations are cordial, decent, and professional. • Evolution of practices, processes, norms, and systems which led to the success.

Concept and Practice of MBA Education

10

The concept and practice of MBA education are clearly composite in its totality and character, both at the program and institutional levels. These are presented in three sections: The first section is largely about the story and how it is presented in various chapters, the second section is conceptual understanding and evolution, and the third section presents facilitative and supportive activities in building the institute. The story may be more valuable and useful to many others if presented in a manner that has utility, relevance, and scope for learning. The path taken here for its narration is both a description of various practices and the philosophy and the principles followed.

I The Story in Brief INTRODUCTION Possibly one can learn from our experience with the institute: the concepts of the program, its quality, faculty complement, and image. The relevance of a PGPM is the major focus of this chapter. EXPERIENCE AND BACKGROUND One’s experience and background, including one’s beliefs and values, could help in building an institution of repute. Contextual understanding, taking care of small matters, raising the morale of employees, and attending the immediate needs of the program are useful in initiating changes and planning for the future.

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INITIATION OF WORK WITH CERTAIN DEGREE OF CLARITY AND UNDERSTANDING The first task is to create the identity and image of the institute. Even if they are somewhat fuzzy, they still provide certain means to an end, and short- and long-term measures facilitate creation of such identity. However, they need to be conveyed to the key stakeholders, particularly the constitutional bodies (the trust and the GC in our case), whose advice, wisdom, and counsel should be sought periodically. It is equally important to share some of these measures and identity with advisory groups, faculty members, and students. Over a period, this becomes a practice. Norms were established and a tradition was set to live with in our institute. However, measures and means undergo modifications as situations as well as dynamism and aspiration of the change. PRINCIPLES OF DISCIPLINE, REGULARITY, AND PREPARATION A good management institute, just like any other center of professional education and learning, must operate on the principles of discipline, regularity, and advance preparation by both teachers and students. We followed these practices continuously. The systems and procedures, and even the micro processes in the initial stages, were in place. ENSURING QUALITY AND INNOVATION The critical element of our program was a continuous practice, learning, and involving the teachers who shared the responsibilities. How learning takes place, how changes are initiated, and how the involvement of the faculty members, students, and staff is facilitated will decide the continuity of the processes and activities. New ideas, fresh thoughts, and innovations build a greater capacity of the institute and of the program. All of this is aimed at raising the quality of operations and performance as the first priority. It was the beginning of developing the institute’s identity and image. The support of the advisory groups like BOS was also useful.

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GOVERNANCE: AN INTEGRATED VIEW AND PRACTICE An institution of importance and credibility needs transparency in its activities and operations. More than that, it requires a proactive executive. These need to be regularly placed before the constitutional bodies. The executive takes the initiative of conducting meetings, preparing agenda, and documenting the proceedings regularly. Agendas and proceedings form an essential part of taking decisions, enabling policies, and following up various activities in the larger interests of the institute. However, the activities pursued and implemented by the executive and their transparency are in the purview of governance. How such governance is affected and practiced completes the picture of an integrated view of an institute’s well-being. The relationship between constitutional bodies and executive system as developed cannot be one-sided. It exemplifies another distinctive feature of good institutions. It is largely the job of the chief executive to cultivate and nurture such relations. It also demonstrates his proactive behavior. CURRICULUM: A DYNAMIC PROCESS AND DEVELOPMENT The most significant characteristic of an institute of prominence is its comfort and ability to be current in the curriculum it follows and in the program it offers. The basic philosophy, principles, and practices decide its dynamism, quality, and relevance. The institutional processes and mechanisms make the curriculum operational and useful. Networking with academicians, practitioners, other institutes and industry, and their interactions with faculty members and students at the institute will enhance the institute’s utility and value. Continuous feedback and learning from multiple sources are the key to success. Systematic and chronological developments do add to the efficacy of the curriculum. A larger dose of engagement with the real world forms an integral part of the curriculum. The “thematic curriculum” we developed is a clear demonstration of innovative thinking and practice. It is a good example and illustration of institution building in practice.

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FACULTY: STRENGTH, QUALITY, AND DEVELOPMENT All said and done, the delivery of the program is the crux of the matter. The quality and composition of the faculty complement facilitate better delivery. Other institutional aspects such as systems in place and procedures and norms followed do matter too. However, the critical factor is the teachers and their involvement in and commitment with the institute. However, this does not happen automatically with every single member of the faculty complement. Nurturing and cultivating such commitments are functions of creating an environment—policies and practices for the growth of the faculty members. Besides, there has to be a climate of transparency and freedom in the institute. Development of faculty members is the ultimate goal. Various practices, fresh ideas, and dynamism of the institute reinforce the values and build a strong professional culture. The faculty complement is the ultimate measure of an institute of repute. GENERICS AND CONCEPTUAL BASE The practices mentioned earlier were essentially based on the attempts made for and the success achieved in the journey toward building a reputed institution. However, the importance of the conceptual base cannot be minimized. The conceptual base is governed by professional approaches for institution building—strategic thinking, resource scouting, search for and generation of ideas, interactions, exposures, and networking. Their roots are in positivity, faith in oneself and in others, and aspiration as well as hard work. NETWORKING, ALLIANCES, AND COLLABORATION The importance of networking needs to be emphasized and practiced by an institution seeking quality and reputation. Building relations, learning from others, and seeking their support reinforce the strength of the institute. Collaboration with practitioners and students is an advanced level of thinking and practice. A number of operational tools and practices were a clear demonstration of such collaboration, which was built on the credibility of the institute in general.

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IDEAS Ideas are important for building a good program and the institute. Both the ideas and their sources are useful in building a program and enriching it with best of the inputs and processes. CONSOLIDATION, REVIEW, AND LEARNING It is equally important for the institute to realize its strengths and weaknesses. This cannot be a one-time effort; it continues throughout the life of the institute. Consolidation and documentation of the efforts made and the results achieved are significant means to realize the value of an institute. DREAM AND BIG PICTURE An institution is not built by these considerations alone though. It needs to see the big picture and have a dream. This drives the institute toward accomplishing something that seems almost impossible with all limitations and constraints it faces and multiple failures, uncertainties, humiliation, and insults it suffers. The story of our institute is not complete without the narration of building an enviable campus for the institute. It was a dream fulfilled for us.

II Conceptual Understanding and Its Evolution The very fact that we could think of a big picture for the institute at the beginning itself had opened up several means and avenues for thinking, search, exploration, and action. Over this long period of time, acting upon ideas and taking advantage of opportunities, we could build upon the concepts we had focused on both the institute and the program. However, the program remained our focal point and consequently its institutional aspects. The outcomes and outputs are evident and provided the material and means for abstraction for this chapter. There is also an unexpected

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outcome, a significant index of institution building. Broadly, put together, these are categorized into the following: Large purpose, goals, and aims Output and outcome orientation Intellectual, research, practice orientation Networking, interactions (formal and informal), exploration, and collaboration • Innovative and entrepreneurial culture • Composite view of the institute • • • •

These together encouraged us into continuous learning and review as much as making amends throughout our journey. There were renewal processes as well and interactions with practitioners, industry, and other organizations. The facilitation and support activities were augmented by quality considerations in every aspect of the institute. To begin with, the most important consideration was, however, the program and its several dimensions. The implementation was the crux of the matter. Such a stance had opened up and also enabled us to think of curriculum development and faculty complement rather imaginatively. It had provided us a vehicle to improve upon further and add new dimensions, areas, and inputs for effective implementation. Together, they have resulted in new ideas and innovative methods, also enabling informal culture within the institute. The examples are many.  The internal operations and administration were largely handled by faculty. They had the benefit of greater degree of freedom and autonomy. Besides, they were involved in academic administration, program management, sharing responsibilities, and participating in decision-making, both formally and otherwise. There were norms, rules, and procedures to aid and facilitate operations, but there was also a good deal of voluntary action and self-imposed code of conduct. Systems, institutional mechanisms, and processes were evolved. The entire work and operations including academic and financial matters had the backing of good governance and support of

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constitutional bodies, that is, the trust and GC. Certainly, such a backing raised the institute’s credibility and transparency. Thus, the institute earned credentials and appreciation of the stakeholders. There has been an increased attraction of the institute for highly qualified, young, and experienced faculty over a period of time and for students to seek admission into the program. There is also great appreciation and recognition by educators, in general, and management education fraternity and most importantly the industry and business, in particular. Our ability to pursue many ideas and develop plans and programs also came by our entrepreneurial and innovative streak in moving and making things happen, which imparted respect and added value to the institute. All this and more obtained us coveted international accreditation of AACSB followed by national accreditation by both NAAC and NBA simultaneously. It is a truism that good experience and practice could result as well into abstraction and development of concepts. It is indeed a clear example of a deductive approach toward conceptualization. Here is one such example of an institute’s experience and practice in developing into a model of composite management institute. The offshoots are many: The most important one is MBA education in its composite nature. There are others such as prerequisites of faculty recruitment for quality education, faculty involvement, and their academic and non-academic contributions. Besides, the means and methods of enabling qualities of the institute provided them ample opportunities to grow and develop themselves. The composite nature of the institute has all the means for such a provision. However, it is not to speak of personal attention of the director. It is ultimately the academic leadership of faculty that provides the distinction of an institute. It is equally important to ensure the kind and quality of administration that facilitates smooth functioning of the institute. We could provide a simple, easily accessible, and transparent system which is

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equally consistent in its functioning. Certainly, the administration we could develop is least bureaucratic. Many of the above would have not been possible without holding basic values of honesty, integrity, and transparency reinforced by sound professional values. But the difference is in practice of such values than merely preaching or keeping them as simply ornamental. The proof of the pudding is in the eating. Our laurels had not come for nothing. Even the AICTE could not do any great damage, though it could cause needless troubles and uncertainties.  FACILITATIVE AND SUPPORTIVE INSTITUTIONAL PROCESSES AND ACTIVITIES: OUR EXPERIENCE AND PRACTICE

Learning from Others’ Experience An important step is learning from others’ experience, seeking their guidance, and seeing how they think and what their values, beliefs, and assumptions are. It is, to a certain extent, a process of search. It is conviction, commitment, personal involvement, and aspiration. What makes the difference from the rest is a reflective outlook in addition to an ability to learn.

Creative Process and Innovative Thinking Creativity is a function of continuous search, thinking, plans for upgradation, and a concern to improve matters. The process results in innovations. Innovative thinking is necessary in pursuing change in a scenario of competition, imitating others but importantly for identifying new opportunities.

Effective Communication System It is not only an involvement but also an effective communication system through which various groups of people know about an institute’s visions, concerns, and plans.

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Ideas and Their Implementation Ideas govern actions. The process of searching for ideas and communicating them again is a function of one’s exposure and experiences. Search emanates largely from a continuous thrust of improvements.

Sensitivity to the Context While looking at the future, one must not ignore the context with which one has to operate. Such contextual understanding enables one to draw upon its strength and seek support, and these become useful for effective implementation of change.

Importance of Small Details It is necessary to pay attention to even the smallest details like housekeeping and making the place worthy of management education.

Create Conditions, Stimulate Thinking and Action This principle was used systematically and regularly in building the institute. It is essentially a matter of working toward participatory culture, colleagueship, drawing upon the strength of the faculty members, individually and collectively, and seizing the opportunities to contribute to the larger goals of the institute.

Value Orientation All these activities gave rise to the essence of purpose, value, and meaning. These were expressed adequately at every opportune moment, and the support of everyone including the staff was sought. Briefly, the differentiation and experimentations, and their expressions, proved to be useful in enabling such orientation to build the institute for the future. To put it briefly, with faculty members sharing the responsibility and the students realizing the value of education and discipline, a new ethos and culture in the institute was created.

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Mission Orientation The mission was a simple way of putting together a proposed value for the institute—quality with vision. For example, to make it possible, subconsciously, a center of excellence having better students, providing better opportunities for learning and with a better program in general, was necessary. These were taken seriously from the beginning after thinking, deliberating, and planning for almost a year besides systematizing, improving the place and the facilities (including cleaning the place), bringing some order to the institute, and looking for better faculty members.

Academic Leadership One of the areas that we were conscious about is commitment toward academic leadership of faculty in multiple areas such as teaching, research and academic administration, and, beyond all, commitment toward their colleagues as much as to students. Hence, we did emphasize from the beginning recruiting high-quality teachers from the best of the institutes in the country. However, this was not simply a matter of routine but was imbued with values that we cherished as much as providing a conducive environment for the teachers to excel.

Conclusion It is evident that the education offered by the institute is comprehensive, reflected in its intensity as much its density. The scope of learning for students and teachers was enlarged by both program considerations and the emphasis on their participation and their implementation. Curriculum development and innovation became integral to such learning. Faculty complement and their composition, growth, and development enhanced the value of the program. Governance of the institute, networking, support of the industry, academia, international exchange and exposure, intellectual and academic orientation and leadership, and accreditation, both national and international, reinforced the institutional aspects and hugely facilitated the process of institute building.

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Thus, no doubt the MBA education has proved to be composite in many respects. ABSTRACTIONS AND CONCEPTS FROM THE ABOVE

Checklist for Index of Institution Building Philosophy, principles, and practices Purpose, aims, and goals Search and exploration of ideas Networking, alliances, and collaboration Contribution to knowledge and practices Experimentation and innovation Autonomy and freedom Liberal education Renewal process  Participation, involvement, and development of students, faculty, and staff • Outcomes and output orientation • Governance: integrated view • • • • • • • • • •

Academic Administration • Simple, clear, and accessible information about the institute and the program • Faculty direct responsibility (by rotation) • Consistency in policies and practices • Simple systems, norms, procedures, rules, and regulations  • Code of conduct for faculty and students

Prerequisites for Faculty Involvement • Large purpose and big picture of the institute • Composite institute: Teaching, research, and academic administration and their synergy • Autonomy and freedom • A sense of fairness and worth of value for faculty contributions

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• Shared responsibilities, accommodation, and support among faculty for each other • Policies are largely tuned to such values • Informal interactions and communications between faculty and students • Faculty and students’ collaboration 

Ideas • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Large horizons of the program Voluntary work by the faculty and students Creative forums for students Emphasis on more time for non-classroom activities for students Thrust on new dimensions and areas in the program Practitioner’s perspective in curriculum  Faculty workshops Self-learning for students and faculty evaluation Roundtable of students and faculty Industry interface workshops Involvement of students in creative activities Alumni participation in the admission process Industry participation in the admission process Incentives and rewards for faculty for publication of books, research papers, and popular columns

The ideas that we pursued and implemented, the academic administration, and involvement of faculty and students largely provided a strong foundation for developing a reputed institute. Besides, the processes of institution building added value and sustainability to the institute.

POSTSCRIPT A LONG JOURNEY With limitations of place and resources, as well as my own, the institute still emerged as one of the top-class institutes in the country. I believe that it was not only the purpose that we had set for ourselves but also the obsession and perseverance with which we pursued it which was instrumental. In addition, our own ways of doing things as much as learning from others also made the difference. It led us to think comprehensively about what the institute should be. Autonomy and independence on various matters earned us our due. Possibly, the obsession with which we pursued our goals affected us both positively and negatively. The negatives were a few mistakes, errors of judgment in dealing with AICTE, and some blind spots. I believe that mistakes were inadvertent and even innocent. However, the blind spots were due to both our excitement and our naivety. We still stood out as a reputed institute, despite serious constraints and even the apathy and indifference of the governing bodies, leave alone the jealousy of some members of these bodies. What saved us was our determination to best use the situation, to move forward rather than to be bogged down by problems. AICTE could not do any great damage, though it created needless tensions and heartburns. Values and beliefs gave rise to ideas, and many of them found their way into building the institute. However, they did not remain at the

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level of individual/s; they became essential constituents of the institute. Such ideas and their reflection and demonstration are evident from many activities and policies pursued and implemented. The strength of the institute was visible in the consolidation of values and ideas as we managed the ups and downs and uncertain behavior and built the institution despite limitations. It has been a successful journey in spite of ups and downs and twists and turns. What kept it going and made it possible was largely our intent and purpose as much as our action and the various institutional mechanisms and processes. What made the difference was the principles and practices that we followed. We were also conscious about the institute’s reach, brand, size, and resources. We were a different institute when we started our journey. What we had learned added value to the institute.

AICTE The story cannot be complete or conclude without a substory. It covers a period of almost 15 years. While we knew that AICTE was meant for higher technical and management education and for their development and growth, we did not know that our experience with it would be so difficult. It seemed that the body was more there for control than for development of the educational institutes. For example, the restrictions on the number of admissions it imposes are without any rhyme and reason. Our institute is a classic example. We were asking for enrolling 100–120 students, but it was not allowed for many years. The first contact happened sometime in the beginning of 1993 with a senior official in the Delhi office of AICTE when I had gone there to submit an application for some grant. He was courteous enough to ask me whether the institute’s accounts were audited and, if so, was the auditing done by a professional and certified auditor. I told him it was so, and my application was accepted. Pleasantly, we received a communication that we were allocated a grant of `2 lakh to be received in the middle of coming April. It was a welcome amount at that time, and I duly informed the president of the trust. He was very happy and felt that had that communication reached us a little earlier, it would have been a part of his convocational address. For the next few years, there was no further communication. Many activities were taken up and various plans were pursued for about five years in between. We admitted only 100 students then but could not reach even

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that number because of dropouts and did not admit students after 21 days of program commencement. That was the situation in the institute then. However, by 1997 or so, the first-ever B-school survey was carried out by Business Today for ranking Indian B-schools. We submitted our institute’s profile with all details as per their requirements. A pleasant surprise was in wait. The institute ranked at 15 among 50 B-schools and other premier institutes (including IIMs) in the country. We were certainly happy about it. The institute would have ranked 14th but for a small mistake we made, thanks to our inexperience, by somehow skipping a column for our specialization. Nevertheless, we all felt that all our efforts lasting for five years were paid off handsomely. The institute had joined the top league with minimum resources by any comparison with others. Another success we enjoyed was that we joined CAT in 1995 for the admission procedure and were perhaps one among very few to do so (about five or six at the time). We published a full-page ad in The Times of India in all editions, three months before the last date for applications. The number of applications reached beyond our imagination, about 4,000 for the 100 seats we could offer. The decision to limit to 100 was our own, as we felt that we should place all students who were admitted in the program. However, the norm of AICTE was 60 for a new institute and 120 for those who had at least 5 years of experience. We thought that we could now admit 120 students to be divided into two sections of 60 each, given the number of applications and institute’s image among the potential candidates. We felt that it was quite a legitimate assumption. We also informed AICTE of our decision; however, we received no communication of any sort from them and assumed that it was fine with them.

It was also the time we were looking for some alternatives to increase our finances. We had identified a few programs for ownermanagers and final-year engineering students of a sister institution to complete our first-year program and join the second-year program subject to meeting the requirements. The program was limited to those who came from a family business, and the number was only about 15. However, with changes in the admission policy of the Government of Karnataka, and the policy of admitting sponsored candidates (from family business units) in engineering colleges, it was discontinued. Hence, we could not continue to admit such candidates into our program.

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Besides, it was in our interest to extend our operations to Bangalore on a different footing and for a different purpose. We were looking for a reasonably good institute to collaborate with for starting a weekend-only executive program equivalent to an MBA. We intended it to provide us a better industry exposure and develop our contacts in the industry. We were able to create such collaboration with ECI and started the program in December 1997. We wanted recognition from AICTE and wrote to them accordingly. However, there was no response whatsoever in this matter too. We also informed the participants of the program that there was no such recognition. Even then, the program grew from strength to strength and became popular with working executives and owner-managers, and admissions reached 100 per batch by 2004. During this time, ECI came forward with a plan to set up an institute of management with our collaboration. They planned a fullfledged residential campus in Bangalore. We also decided to seek recognition for this new institute and applied accordingly to AICTE, which communicated with us to meet its panel to decide on the new institute. Three of us, Mr Chandran, the Dean (Academic), and I, went to meet the panel. However, it turned out to be most disappointing for us. Mr Chandran was upset and left the meeting in the middle. Both of us were very much disturbed. We decided that we would go ahead in admitting a small batch of PGDM in 2003, with facilities extended by ECI. In other words, we never had either a response or an encouragement from AICTE, though they knew the value and image of our institute. We were carrying on our plans and trying to improve the profile of the institute year after year. By early 2000, the institute had received 10,000 applications, an all-time record for the institute. It was no wonder though, given its profile and reputation. We were also one of the five institutes recognized by AICTE for FDPs in the country back in 1997. In between, I met AICTE chairman with a copy of the letter we had sent them earlier signed by the president of the trust. However, the meeting did not yield any result. Post 2004, a new incumbent took over first as an additional charge of AICTE and later as its chairman. He took a different stand.

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Sometime during this time, a team of three people on behalf of AICTE visited the institute and recommended we continued with 100 admissions, not 120. We decided not to bother about such teams. However, the chairman initiated something similar to a court of law, asking the institute to sign on a dotted line to fall in line with AICTE. We refused to do so. This resulted in further punitive action such as restricting admissions or raiding the institute at a short notice. The institute was subjected to such action without being shown minimum respect and consideration. The chairman or his representatives did not exhibit any niceties as he had a different agenda. The worst task faced by us was that we were forced to file affidavits and were summoned to Delhi with threats of dire consequences including closure of the institute. AICTE asked us to pay penalties for admitting more students, and we paid, unwillingly. Barring the unfortunate events toward the end of the 15th year and despite AICTE’s serious interference and punitive and troublesome behavior, the institute shaped up to be a unique one. The uniqueness was in how the institute was built. The following are some major factors: • The program, its evolution, and growth • A model class of students • Development, continuous improvements, experiments, and innovations in curriculum • Quality of teaching and learning standards, rigor of the program, and the environment in the institute • A model faculty complement • Transparent and credible self-financing • Emphasis on institutional mechanisms and processes • Responsible and committed executive behavior • Internal reviews and evaluations It was unique because the entire development was orchestrated and steered largely with executive commitment, with minimum support and least interference of the trustees for long. However, the redeeming feature was the encouragement and support from some of the GC members who were academicians and institution builders themselves.

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The reputation of the institute as much as its value and growth was earned. The international accreditation we received was a great testimony for an institute with low resources and such background. It was only the second one after the ISB to have been accredited with AACSB in the country and the first in the country to seek such accreditation in 2002. In many respects, the institute turned out to be unique and a model by itself. Nevertheless, we believe that our story would have a learning value for others. LOOKING UP We were doing pretty well by 2007–2008 and looking to accomplish even bigger. However, some unexpected events unfolded concerning my term at the institute after April 2008. During the April 2007 GC meeting, I raised the issue of my term getting expired after completion of five years. Immediately, the chairman of the council and the president of the trust said, “You cannot go now as you have taken up many responsibilities and initiated projects including campus, AACSB, and other programs. You have to stay till their completion or at least another 5 years, that is, up to April 2012.” However, after April 2007, three new members joined the trust, and they must have raised the issue of my age, which was 65 years at the time, the limit of service as per the AICTE norms. Of course, there have been exemptions and some of the directors had continued till the age of 68, but I retired in July 2008 from the institute. LOOKING BACK Our pace of growth was constrained to some extent by the limitations of infrastructure, which influenced our decisions to expand faculty complement and raise resources adequately. We could have been more proactive with alumni activities and should have acted on it earlier. However, we could not do so both for the want of human resources and for other imminent priorities. Yet

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another issue that became a thorn in our side was dealing with AICTE. It should have been more harmonious, and we should have taken a different approach. We tried our best, but it was probably too late for help from some of the important government functionaries including a senior secretary of the Government of India and a member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council. Our governing bodies did not help much despite my pleas, including seeking the most influential trustee’s support. That was perhaps the only matter where we sought support from him, and it never happened. We were also partly naive in this matter and assumed that the name of the institute and its reputation could take care of the problem in due course. It was our blind spot to not deal with it adequately in time and perhaps even take legal recourse. EPILOGUE The journey never stops. Legacy and tradition continue. Strong foundations and core values remain. We started the journey with a purpose and continued with the conviction that the institute had a future and would become a reputed and valuable entity among the best in the country. And it has acquired such recognition. The story describes the profile of an institute that has become national and has joined an elite group of institutes. It is a unique accomplishment. Besides, it is a rare honor and recognition for the institute. Reflecting back, great resources did not achieve this honor, but the purpose and its activation did so. The strength of the institute is its human resources (faculty members and staff) and emphasis on academic and professional values. The institute has nurtured these resources and values irrespective of its constraints. It has assiduously cultivated and relentlessly practiced continuous learning as a means of gaining ground, and it evolved a number of systems and processes for involving faculty members and students. The governance and its processes exemplify the significance of the symbiotic relationship between governing bodies and executive strength. The policies that were framed, developed, and implemented enabled effective functioning of the institute and its autonomy. Academic and operational

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performance of the institute was greatly facilitated and least interfered by the trustees. The growth of the institute, its value, and its reputation are largely because of its autonomy and freedom to pursue its goals and objectives. The institute has become a respectable entity and a model in the community as well. Beyond academic and management fraternity, the institute has gained respect for its conduct and contributions as an institution.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR D. Nagabrahmam is former director of TAPMI. He is a fellow of IIMA and has about 40 years of experience in teaching, research, and academic administration. He has been involved for more than 16 years with TAPMI as the director and is known to be responsible for its development, growth, and reputation. Earlier, he was a faculty member in Osmania University and Institute of Rural Management Anand. During his tenure at TAPMI, he was instrumental in ushering in many significant changes. These include introduction of “thematic curriculum,” commencement of a weekend executive PGDM program for the first time in India, and being the first B-school seeking international accreditation with AACSB and introduction of an innovative course, namely, “Management in Practice.”

INDEX academic rigor, 117–118 BOS, 119–123 decision making, 118 Academy of Human Resource Development (AHRD), 187 advantageous in seeking international accreditation (AACSB), 24 adversity, 172 All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), 91–93 member in institution, 62 alliances, 179–180 alumni TAPMI homecoming, 199 HR seminars, 199 participation in selection of students, 199 updating database, 198 website, 198 Association of Indian Management Schools (AIMS), 133 institutional membership, 181–182 Association of Management Development Institutions of South Asia (AMDISA), 5 curriculum workshop, 193 institutional membership, 180–181

Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accreditation, 92, 103, 134, 162, 194–195, 211–214 Bharathidasan Institute of Management (BIM), 67–68 board of studies (BOS), 28 activation, 119 establishing, 112 meetings, 120–123 networking, 184 reinforcement and guidance role, 119 Brand Scan, 182 challenges in institution building AHRD, 187 alliances and collaboration, 185 annual faculty workshops, 191 executive education, 193–194 faculty exchange program, 189 first collaboration, 186–187 improvements and changes BIM, 67–68 climate, 64 climate for quality, 74–75 code of conduct, 72–73 compensation policy, 71 constitutional bodies, 61–64

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curriculum, 73–74 environment creation, 60–61 faculty complement, 65–67 library, 69–70 mundane but important, 68–69 pioneer footsteps, 65 placement quality, 72 quality, 64–65, 70–71 Industry Interface Day, 185–186 internal mechanisms and processes, 190–191 internal processes, 185 logic of quality of program, 184–185 mechanisms, 185 nations and campus program, 188–189 networking, 185 student exchange scheme, 188 vision 2005, 191–192 working groups, 191 collaboration, 179 comprehensive performance management system (CPMS), 165–167, 218–219 aimed, 166 consortium PhD program, 197–198 curriculum development academic rigor, 117–118 BOS, 119–123 decision making, 118 attempt, 115–117 capacity building, 138 changes first-year, 125–126 restructured program, 124 second-year, 126–127 continuous efforts and processes, 123 delivery, 141–142 departure from past, 139 faculty complement, 112, 143 faculty members importance, 113

fieldwork, 114 formal committees and systems, 123–124 impact, 142 new dimensions ethics, 128–129 innovations, 128 learning for uncertainty, 128 managerial leadership, 129–130 non-formal means of learning, 129 outbound program, 130–131 PGDM Plus, 131 reading, 129 social development orientations, 127–128 social enterprise project, 127 new PGDM, thematic curriculum, 139–141 outcome, 135–137 phases, 131, 134 accreditation, 134–135 philosophy, 111–112 program, 113 review and revision, 112 simple premise, 111 understanding process, 114–115 updating, teaching and learning, 112 vibrant co- and extracurricular activities, 142–143 faculty development, 145–146 advice and guidance, 154–155 awards, 162 beginning, 146 books, 162–163 compensation package initiatives, 164–165 competences and skills, 159 composite view, 158–159 consortium PhD program, 197–198

 270   Challenges in Institution Building

contributions, 161–162 contributions and growth, 154 CPMS, 165–167 discussions and consultations, 155–156 early experiences, 156–157 experience, 163–164 formal systems, 150 initiatives and networking opportunities, 190 involvement, 154 next step, 147 pacing and building, 148 PHD program, 195–196 procedure, 151–153 classroom session, 152 faculty assessment, 152 identification, 151 personal interview, 152 scrutiny and consultations, 151 selection, 152 seminar, 152 program responsibility, 147–148 research and publications, 196–197 selection and recruitment, 149–150 student teacher collaborative research, 197 faculty development programs (FDPs), 191 reverse learning, 193 faculty members, 100–101 roles and responsibilities, 86–87 faculty workshop 2005, 216–217 2006, 217 2008, 217–218 governance, 79–81 academic structure, 88–89 achievements, 110 agenda, 82

process and proceedings, 82–84 annual budget creation, 84–85 boys hostels, 94–95 campus project, 96–97 client system, 100 conceptual understanding, 81–82 constitutional bodies, 99 continuous struggles, 93–94 contributions of senior faculty members, 102–104 delivery, 90 driven by faculty members, 85–86 executive behavior, 101–102 faculty development, comprehensive plans, early 1990s, 87–88 faculty members, 100–101 roles and responsibilities, 86–87 hostel and mess issues, 95–96 institute design, 89–90 issues and problems, 91–93 issues with trust, 97–98 member secretary and trustee, 104 more infrastructure, 94 school shifting, 94 staff, 101 surpluses generation, 85 ideas. see also networking AHRD, 187 association, 178 evolution, 209–210 faculty exchange program, 189 first collaboration, 186–187 generation, 177–178 MIP, ideas, 178 nations and campus program, 188–189 search and exploration, 171 student exchange scheme, 188 thematic curriculum, 178

Index   271  

improvements and changes BIM, 67–68 climate, 64 climate for quality, 74–75 code of conduct, 72–73 compensation policy, 71 constitutional bodies, 61–64 curriculum, 73–74 environment creation, 60–61 faculty complement, 65–67 library, 69–70 mundane but important, 68–69 pioneer footsteps, 65 placement quality, 72 quality, 64–65, 70–71 Industry Interface Day, 185–186 institution building autonomy, 242–244 beginning, 240–241 building capacity, 244–245 concept and understanding, 239–240 outcomes identity and purpose, 239 Management Education (1992–1993) essentials, 54–55 objectives, 54 management in practice (MIP), 24, 26, 102 ideas, 178 origins, 132–133 third phase of curriculum development, 131 MBA education collaboration, 250 conceptual understanding, 251–254 consolidation and documentation, 251 curriculum, 249 dream and big picture, 251 experience and background, 247

faculty, 250 generics and conceptual base, 250 governance, 249 ideas, 251 initiation of work, principles, 248 institutional processes and activities, 254–256 networking, 250 quality and innovation, 248 Nagabrahmam, D. background of professional journey, 3–5 build up, 27–28 college lecturer to head of management institute, 17–18 fieldwork, 21–22 IIMA fellowship program, 18–19 influence on my learning, 19–21 influences, 22–23 IRMA, 19 papers, 23–26 documentation, 28–29 early days, reflections, 29–34 first intervention as director, 6–7 important decisions, 11–12 major experiences, 13–17 significant impact, 12–13 major activity in TAPMI, 10–11 professional journey, 1–34 residential facility, 8–9 seek for financial support, 9–10 small matters to solve, 7–8 taking charge in TAPMI, 5–6 teachers, 26–27 National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), 134 networking, 179 AMDISA, 180–181

 272   Challenges in Institution Building

BOS, 184 Brand Scan, 182 challenges in institution building, 185 chief guests, 182–183 friends and well-wishers, 180 new campus, 223 outcomes identity and purpose, 239 substory, 223 alumni contributions, 238–239 DC response, 232 funding initiatives, 237–238 GC resolution, 232 land conversion, 230 minister intervention, 236 MLA stalls, permission, 232–233 phase 1, 224–225 phase 2, 225–226 phase 3, 226–230 re-registration of land, 231 sublease of land, 230–231 supernatural power, 233–234 town planning authority, 236 uncertainty, phase 4, 234–235 writ petition, withdrawal, 235–236 new dimensions ethics, 128–129 innovations, 128 learning for uncertainty, 128 managerial leadership, 129–130 non-formal means of learning, 129 outbound program, 130–131 PGDM Plus, 131 reading, 129 social development orientations, 127–128 social enterprise project, 127 online MBA program, 160 opportunities

search and exploration, 171 PGDM Plus, 131 procedure for faculty development, 151–153 classroom session, 152 faculty assessment, 152 identification, 151 personal interview, 152 scrutiny and consultations, 151 selection, 152 seminar, 152 resources, search and exploration, 171 search, 173 aesthetics, 176 alumni and activities, 176–177 funds, 173–174 ideas, 177–178 quality, 174–175 touch with latest, 175 writing, 175–176 T. A. Pai Management Institute (TAPMI) action and implementation, 38 additional space, 58 admissions process, 55–57 alumni homecoming, 199 HR seminars, 199 participation in selection of students, 199 updating database, 198 website, 198 beginning of understanding AACSB, 211–214 background, 207–208 branding, 206–207 evolution of ideas, 209–210 faculty complement, 214–216

Index   273  

faculty development program, 202–203 faculty workshop 2005, 216 ideas and experiences, 210–211 industry interface workshop, 205–206 MBA curriculum workshop, 204 NAAC and NBA accreditation, 204–205 program structure and curriculum, 201–202 self-assessment, 202 thematic curriculum, 207 vision 2005, 203–204 clarity and concepts, 53–54 climate, 64 development of systems, 47 faculty response and readiness, 38 governance, achievements, 110 improvements and changes, environment creation, 60–61 Industry Interface Day, 185–186 interaction with student, 47–48 major review, 40–42 micro processes and interventions, 46 placement, 57 policy framework and guidance, 48–53

academic plans and programs, 51 course structure change, 49 faculty resources, 52 financial resources, 53 goals and mission, 51–52 improvement of two-year PG program, 50 infrastructure resources, 53 resource exploration, 52 problem on hand, 44–45 process orientation, 39 quality of program, 37 ready for action, 42 research and publications, 57–58 time for new changes, 42–44 trust and GC, 36–37 TAPMI Center for Collaborative Learning (TCCL), 186 three-nation program, 160 vibrant co and extracurricular activities, 142–143 vision 2005, 203–204 working groups, 191 workshop, faculties 2005, 216–217 2006, 217 2008, 217–218 writ petition withdrawal, 235–236