The Hindu Business Line : COD — An institute with a difference

Based in Hyderabad, the COD, has shown how it can take a different route and be successful. In a conscious decision, the institute decided not to accept funds from Governments, be self-sufficient and try to contribute in the areas of organisational development, management aspects and human resources.

In the past 25 years, since this bold decision, the COD has made its own mark. It has grown in stature and established itself as a Centre whose contributions are reckoned with, asserts its founder Director, Dr B.L. Maheshwari.

In India, traditionally academic institutes and research bodies have been largely supported by the Government. The backbone funds are provided by the Government and the institute gradually raises portions of the revenues through consultancy and training.

"Ironically, often most management institute are not managed well. Invariably, they don't practise what they preach," Dr Maheshwari said.

Recalling the origin of the Centre, Dr Maheshwari, said it was in 1979 when a three-day workshop on organisational behaviour was organised. Experts were invited and views sought. It became clear that an exclusive centre for looking into organisational behaviour was necessary.

The COD was set up interestingly, with seed money from four corporates — Madura Coats, Bangalore, Bharat Bijlee, Mumbai; Bank of Baroda and the MMTC. Each gave Rs 5 lakh as endowment. The first Chairman of the Board of Directors was Mr V. Krishnamurthy, of SAIL and Maruti.

Dr Maheshwari, who moved out of the Administrative Staff College to head the COD said short executive programmes were the initial focus. Now, at least 25 short duration programmes are conducted annually, some of them exclusively for companies.

For example, four-five courses are done for the BEL at the campus, specially designed for them.

In the past 25 years, the centre has trained more than 11,000 executives and senior level professionals from the public and private sectors in the country in organisational behaviour and the changing environment and challenges in organisations. A total of 450 programmes have been organised.

In 1990, the centre moved into its own, compact and picturesque campus in Madhapur. Spread over a five-acre land, brought again from private individuals, the centre has 37-room hostel and all the required facilities to train professionals. SAIL, Bharat Bijlee and Wockhardt, were among the main corporates who supported in setting up the campus, Dr Maheshwari said.

In addition to training, COD has done project reports, research studies and consultancy work. A major impact exercise was done for the EXIM bank, which was set up in 1982. "Our organisation's design report was the backbone for the transformation of the bank. After 23 years, the bank still follows the basic structure we provided," he said.

Another major contribution has been in the turnaround of SAIL. "We started the Director's workshop meetings for four days to discuss change management. We did eight such workshops," he said. SAIL was led on its turnaround by Mr V. Krishnamurthy at that time.

For BEL, the defence undertaking, which is essentially technology-driven, the centre was responsible for introducing management practises. The first programme for General Managers and Deputy General Managers was done in Bangalore and thereafter tailor-made courses are run annually, he said.

The centre has got recognition from the Osmania University for doctoral programmes in management and gives fellowships from own funds. It has also been recognised as a Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation by the Union Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. Over the years, the faculty has been able to invest 50 per cent time on training programmes and the rest on research and consultancy. Projects for IDBI, SAIL and the organisational transformation study of MRPL, for which ONGC provided Rs 10 lakh have been important contributions in recent times, he said.

The centre is also concentrating on technology consultancy organisations (TCOs) and seed capital assistance issues. "While attrition has been an issue for the faculty, the ability to develop quality staff has been sustained," he said.

Looking ahead, he said transition to new generation leadership is a major challenge. The COD has been looking at a Director, who can take forward the work and consolidate. It has been a tough call so far, said Dr Maheshwari, who has been heading the Centre from the beginning.

On the outlook for COD, he said with the whole profile of the industry changing, we have been engaged in a self-analysis. "Our clients have been traditionally large manufacturing companies. Though manufacturing is coming back, the services, software and new industry sector is booming."

The big question we have posed is, how to make an entry into the software industry with training, research and consultancy expertise? We have the location advantage, being in Madhapur, which is like the gateway to the Hitech city now. We have started in a small way with a course on project management. In collaboration with the Pearl City Management, Hyderabad, part of the Project Management Inc, we have formulated seven-eight courses and hope to gain access to software, the director said.

The centre has also done a research study on the role and skills of women professionals in the information technology sector. Plans are on to provide training capsules to consortia of 8-10 medium IT companies in Hyderabad to begin with.

The non-profit society, which would be celebrating its Silver Jubilee year in 2006, has completed 30 research projects and provided consultancy support to about 40 organisations, both in the public and private sectors. It wants to remain compact, focussed and provide quality to the clients, said Dr Maheshwari.

the Centre, of late, has to contend with infrastructure problems with a part of the campus being taken over by the Government, which is on a road expansion drive to the Hitech city.

(Feedback can be sent to soma@thehindu.co.in)