The Hindu Business Line : `A global manager needs global exposure'

Yes, students look only at placements. It is the reality, but not the right attitude. People join an MBA to get a high-paying job. But companies do not visit campuses if the quality of education is poor. So quality is linked to placements.

NITISH JAIN, President, S.P. Jain Centre of Management

S.P. Jain Centre of Management has campuses in Dubai and Singapore. These campuses offer super specialisations like wealth management, investment banking, global logistics management and retail management. In an interview to The New Manager, Nitish Jain, President, S.P. Jain Centre of Management spoke on management education in India and global recruitment trends.

Recently there has been talk that candidates could be recruited post the Common Admission Test (the entrance exam for the IIMs and some other institutes) itself without undergoing MBA training. What is your reaction?

One could do that, but nobody does and I don't think anyone will. People value an MBA education and the salaries that MBA graduates get is proof of that.

But there is a perception that B-schools only give you an attitude (in the negative sense) and nothing else. Do companies value this attitude?

MBA graduates are criticised for arrogance and the lack of ability to work in a team. But the MBA training helps them change some of these attitudes and get a practical view of problems.

Companies are increasingly looking for people trained in this attitude than mere theoretical knowledge. A winning attitude is appreciated.

In a "global workplace", what attitude is needed for one to become a "global manager"?

The "global workplace" is a mindset more than anything. A global manager needs global exposure and that means being physically present in another country.

One can become a global manager by picking up the best of ethics and practices benefiting business. For instance, Indians are good at out-of-the-box thinking, very resourceful but careless and error prone. Americans and Europeans on the other hand are meticulous even though they take more time to get trained. One needs to balance these traits and do a good job.

In a global economy there are some standards that we must adapt to. Education must also follow globalisation. A simple case is that we Indians think in lakhs and crores while the world thinks in millions and billions. These are things a global manager would have to take note of.

For Indian institutes to provide a global exposure, are exchange programmes a good option?

Exchange programmes are good if done well. By that I mean the partnering institutes must have the same curriculum taught at the same level. It is no use if the sequence of modules taught in the institutes is different. It will lead to confusion and sometimes repetition of topics. We (S.P. Jain) have one programme taught in Dubai and Singapore at the same pace. So it becomes easy for students to continue their course between these centres.

Given the lack of global exposure in most Indian institutes, how is an Indian MBA perceived globally?

That depends on where one wants to work. The top MBA schools in India can be compared to the Ivy League universities in the US. But to work abroad, an MBA from that country would be preferred. An Indian MBA is not recognised too much.

Your institutes have been accredited by the Dubai International Financial Centre and Ministry of Education, Government of Singapore. Is this your way of improving global perceptions?

Accreditations help brand building in a new place. Third party recognition is very important for an institute. It communicates credibility and quality. But accreditations are not everything. They may help student intake and placements, but over a period of time quality only can sustain an institute.

Most students don't seem to look at quality of education. Only placements are critical. How true is this? How critical are placements in other countries?

Yes, students look only at placements. It is the reality, but not the right attitude. People join an MBA to get a high paying job. But companies do not visit campuses if the quality of education is poor. So quality is linked with placements.

Institutes abroad have placements and follow the placement week concept to a certain extent. But it is not as intense as in India.

Q: On that note, how relevant is the Day Zero concept followed by many B-schools in India? ((Day Zero is the first day in the placements week and B-schools often flaunt the fact that most of their students get placed on this day)

I don't think the `Day Zero' concept is important. It is perhaps an indication to companies to visit campuses.

What is the global recruitment scene like?

Domain expertise is in demand globally. Non-Indian companies are excited about super specialisations. Logistics management is one area being favoured globally. Otherwise every country or geography has different needs.

In Dubai, financial services, hospitality (managing hotels, events, clubs and airlines), media and marketing (public relations, advertising) and retail management are seeing demand. In Singapore banking and IT are in demand. In India it is retail management.

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