Analysing the multiplier effect

While the rising number of institutions offering MBA programmes has substantially increased the options available to management aspirants, the flip side is that they have also created a problem of plenty leading to utter confusion.

Even among the leading institutions, each one has its own set of pros and cons, which makes an 'apples to apples' comparison extremely difficult for students, if not impossible. There was an essential need, therefore, to compare the 'preferred' institutes on the same set of parameters before taking a decision.

While by and large, placement is the primary aspect that determines which Business School is ranked higher by students, there are several other equally important parameters that also need to be taken into consideration. Management aspirants need to figure out whether an institute will play a role in preparing them for further studies or directly open the doors to a potential career.

The choice of faculty is also important. Is it in-house faculty who has never worked in that particular field or is it a mix of in-house and visiting faculty who have industry experience?

From the essential academic aspects - namely the syllabus or course curriculum - to the methodologies followed, infrastructure provided to students, industry interaction, quality of faculty, international exposure provided, scope for networking... how a management institute measures up on each specific criteria can definitely help assist in the decision-making process of students.

This was the rationale behind the DNA-Indus Learning Survey and the resultant National B Schools Ranking, to distinguish the 'Best of the Best'. The Methodology comprised an awareness survey, which was conducted with a sample size of 300 - 75 each among potential students, faculty, alumni and HR managers - across 6 cities of Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Chennai, Pune, Chandigarh and Bangalore. A list of 20 institutes was generated with the highest ToM and unaided recalls (institutes were selected based on the mean as standard deviation calculated through the responses).

A perception survey was thereafter conducted for the selected 20 institutes with a sample of 400 - 100 each among potential students, faculty, alumni and HR managers - across 6 cities of Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Chennai, Pune, Chandigarh and Bangalore. A weighted average was then calculated across different parameters for selection of the top business schools in India.

Similar Awareness Instruments and Perception Instruments were created for students, parents, alumni and recruiters.

You can call it the multiplier effect or the sum of all measures, but the institutes that were named in the overall Top Ten National B Schools rankings, obviously also performed highly across almost all parameters of the DNA-Indus Learning Survey. Clearly, the days of just having a great placement record or just great faculty are over. It is the institutes that can offer a winning combination over various parameters that can claim the leadership position. 

As each new career opportunity presents itself, B-Schools in India have come up with relevant courses that not only help in bridging the manpower gap, but also actually offer a curriculum that meets industry needs beyond just the basic recruitment criteria. Today India Inc. is asking for more managers, not just workers. After spending time and effort in inducting an employee, they want that person to grow and take charge of a team and through this process, fuel the company's growth.

This is why management education needs to be seen as an investment that can pay rich dividends in future. A management degree or diploma can make all the difference between being a boss or a subordinate a few years down the line!