This is for all the mba aspirants to know and I would like all other who have experienced being at the B-school to support or dissuade this post. This is about a “ A day at the B-school” .
In a strategy class when asked what is “strategy”, there was a sudden mum in the class. Everyone one knew something but no one knew how to put it in exact words. By the end of the class I knew strategy was “Positioning” rather creating a unique positioning by executing certain activities. You must be confounded why am I talking about strategy here, when the topic is “ A day at the B-School”
B-school with it wittingly rigorous curriculum ingrains “Strategy” in every student. Now its on the student to create a unique positioning of him/herself amongst their fellow class mates. I have identified some of them and they are as following
Seriously studious
Perceived studious
Want to be serious
nomad – wanderer
Hopeless
I think I have covered majority of “positioning” that a student at the b-school can have.
Now lets see the activities they do attain these levels. Lets assume a normal day of classes which has a group case presentation, lectures and a quiz in the evening.
“Seriously studious” would be ready with the case around a week back, they attend all the lectures so they know what’s going on in the class and thoroughly prepared for the quiz.
“Perceived studious” would help the above in preparing for the presentation, have some idea on the lectures and partially prepared for the quiz.
Now going on to the next levels “want to be serious” and “nomad – wanderer”, there is a fine line between the two which is so blurred that students don’t know where they are, they just read the case before the class or even during the class, stand behind the presenter of the case exchanging smiles with their counterparts . For them Lectures are a sleeping paradise or face saving/burying exercise and quiz gives them another chance to glorify to their manipulative skills.
Hopeless cases are hopeless they don’t care wazz happening around them, they are busy in their world fantasizing stuff which is out of the realm of MBA curriculum.
Every positioning is unique in itself, and every one is right in their own sense
It was just an observation of A day the B-school
I know where am I positioned, do u know where u r??
Friday, February 19, 2010
Globalization Buzz
The geographical boundaries and times zones are getting dissolved. It is the first time in history that virtually every individual at every level of society can sense the impact of international changes. They can see and hear it in their media, taste it in their food, and sense it in the products that they buy. This is globalization.
Globalization has economic roots and political consequences, but it also has brought into focus the power of culture in this global environment - the power to bind and to divide in a time when the tensions between integration and separation tug at every issue that is relevant to international relations. The homogenizing influences of globalization promote integration and the removal not only of cultural barriers but also of many negative dimensions of culture. Globalization is a vital step toward both a more stable world and better lives for the people in it.
Today it is an overarching international system shaping the domestic politics and foreign relations of virtually every country. Even the most rigid and closed economies of the world have succumbed to the force of globalization. China opened to its gates in 1979, since then its economy has been growing leaps and bounds and with the upsurge middle class population, china has become a hot destination for all global brands. Globalization is not only transforming the world; it is creating its own metaphors as well. Satellites carrying television signals now enable people on opposite sides of the globe to be exposed regularly to a wide range of cultural stimuli. “Friends” the comedy television soap savored by millions all over the world, hasn’t only made people laugh, but also made them realize that a girl and a guy can be friends, even best friends, which is still considered deplorable in many of the societies. In fact, Middle Eastern leaders have cited CNN as a prime source for even local news.
Eight years ago, when Nike was established in Vietnam, the workers had to walk to the factories, often for many kilometers. After three years, they could afford bicycles. Another three years later, they could afford scooters. Today, the first workers can afford to buy a car. Since, Nike paid their workers $72 a month, almost three times the minimum wage for a state-owned enterprise, almost luring doctors and teachers away from their jobs, which could have had a cataclysmic impact on their growth and development. Globalization is much like fire. Fire itself is neither good nor bad. Used properly, it can cook food, sterilize equipment, form iron, and heat our homes. Used carelessly, fire can destroy lives, towns and forests in an instant.
The homogenizing effect of globalization has led to the loss of individualism. People across the globe, having common interest or common views are forming groups. On the Internet, there are more web pages than McDonald’s has hamburgers – billions and billions served, with everything from PhD dissertations to the details of a teenager’s latest date. Strangers, across the globe are chatting to each other; people are sharing their views on international issues (blogs), environmentalist are campaigning and trying to gain support from people all over the world through internet. This signifies, that world is gradually moving towards one global culture and we literally have become citizens of the world.
Even though almost every language on the planet is represented on the Internet and on specialty television, in every country there is a rapidly growing number of people who can understand, and speak, English. It is estimated that by 2050 half of the world would be more or less proficient in it.
Globalization can be credited for bringing the best of the cultures to the center stage. Yoga, which was just restricted to India, is now practiced all over the world, ayurvedic products are gaining acceptability, managerial expertise of American corporate houses being incorporated in many other corporations.
Technological foresight of the Japanese has inspired many young brains.
Luscious food, like pizza, Indian curries, noodles, burgers and much more is available at the market near my place. Thanks to globalization.
The concept of one world or global culture may seem to be exciting, but it has got an obvious fear surrounding it, the fear of the “law of the jungle” being applied in this global village, in which the strong will survive and overpower the weak. The progressive world gives an impression of having tacitly approved globalization. However the ground realities differ. The majority people still remain untouched by the phenomenon, preserving the inveterate cultures. One of the many contrasts is the disparity that exists between the third world countries and the developed nations. As the rich have got richer and the poor have got poorer, there cultures have moved strikingly apart
Globalization is omnipresent. It can be incredibly empowering and incredibly coercive, it can make minnows stronger While it is homogenizing cultures, it is also enabling people to share their unique individuality farther and wider.
Hopefully, By 2100, “globalization” will be renamed as “universalization”, because by that time we will be communicating with the citizen of mars and soon be called “citizen of the universe”
Globalization has economic roots and political consequences, but it also has brought into focus the power of culture in this global environment - the power to bind and to divide in a time when the tensions between integration and separation tug at every issue that is relevant to international relations. The homogenizing influences of globalization promote integration and the removal not only of cultural barriers but also of many negative dimensions of culture. Globalization is a vital step toward both a more stable world and better lives for the people in it.
Today it is an overarching international system shaping the domestic politics and foreign relations of virtually every country. Even the most rigid and closed economies of the world have succumbed to the force of globalization. China opened to its gates in 1979, since then its economy has been growing leaps and bounds and with the upsurge middle class population, china has become a hot destination for all global brands. Globalization is not only transforming the world; it is creating its own metaphors as well. Satellites carrying television signals now enable people on opposite sides of the globe to be exposed regularly to a wide range of cultural stimuli. “Friends” the comedy television soap savored by millions all over the world, hasn’t only made people laugh, but also made them realize that a girl and a guy can be friends, even best friends, which is still considered deplorable in many of the societies. In fact, Middle Eastern leaders have cited CNN as a prime source for even local news.
Eight years ago, when Nike was established in Vietnam, the workers had to walk to the factories, often for many kilometers. After three years, they could afford bicycles. Another three years later, they could afford scooters. Today, the first workers can afford to buy a car. Since, Nike paid their workers $72 a month, almost three times the minimum wage for a state-owned enterprise, almost luring doctors and teachers away from their jobs, which could have had a cataclysmic impact on their growth and development. Globalization is much like fire. Fire itself is neither good nor bad. Used properly, it can cook food, sterilize equipment, form iron, and heat our homes. Used carelessly, fire can destroy lives, towns and forests in an instant.
The homogenizing effect of globalization has led to the loss of individualism. People across the globe, having common interest or common views are forming groups. On the Internet, there are more web pages than McDonald’s has hamburgers – billions and billions served, with everything from PhD dissertations to the details of a teenager’s latest date. Strangers, across the globe are chatting to each other; people are sharing their views on international issues (blogs), environmentalist are campaigning and trying to gain support from people all over the world through internet. This signifies, that world is gradually moving towards one global culture and we literally have become citizens of the world.
Even though almost every language on the planet is represented on the Internet and on specialty television, in every country there is a rapidly growing number of people who can understand, and speak, English. It is estimated that by 2050 half of the world would be more or less proficient in it.
Globalization can be credited for bringing the best of the cultures to the center stage. Yoga, which was just restricted to India, is now practiced all over the world, ayurvedic products are gaining acceptability, managerial expertise of American corporate houses being incorporated in many other corporations.
Technological foresight of the Japanese has inspired many young brains.
Luscious food, like pizza, Indian curries, noodles, burgers and much more is available at the market near my place. Thanks to globalization.
The concept of one world or global culture may seem to be exciting, but it has got an obvious fear surrounding it, the fear of the “law of the jungle” being applied in this global village, in which the strong will survive and overpower the weak. The progressive world gives an impression of having tacitly approved globalization. However the ground realities differ. The majority people still remain untouched by the phenomenon, preserving the inveterate cultures. One of the many contrasts is the disparity that exists between the third world countries and the developed nations. As the rich have got richer and the poor have got poorer, there cultures have moved strikingly apart
Globalization is omnipresent. It can be incredibly empowering and incredibly coercive, it can make minnows stronger While it is homogenizing cultures, it is also enabling people to share their unique individuality farther and wider.
Hopefully, By 2100, “globalization” will be renamed as “universalization”, because by that time we will be communicating with the citizen of mars and soon be called “citizen of the universe”
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Waiting at the airport
i was at the delhi airport taking a flight to bombay and suddenly an announcement comes that flight is delayed by another 30 minutes. i was exasperated, not in a mood to start my lappi, bored of the book i was reading . So i just sat back and was noticing people around, just being inquisitive of what others are doing, i see a few of them glued on to their lappi, some hung up on their i-pod, some on their mobile, some gobbling up snacks and sipping coffe and many just sitting hopelessly like me staring at others. Although at some airports there are swanky shopping outlets offering aspirational brands which may cost more than the airline ticket. i was so engrossed noticing all that i forgot i had a flight to catch in 30 minutes and i realized my name was being blared out to get onboard, i rushed to the gate and got a bemused welcome from the airline staff.
i setteled into the cramped seat of "spicejet" and exchanged smiles with hostess. Since its a no frills airline, i knew i wont be disturbed any further neither am i goin to disturb them, cozz the frills they add is not worth the money. i went back into my thinking mode, started again thinking about the people at the airport, what about the most of the people who had nothing to do or pretending to be busy?? can they do anything the airport which is inexpensive, fun, engrossing. I gave it a lot of though how can there "need of overcoming the boredom" can be served. Can they be given small cross word, small comics, something which everyone likes to do and can do for 15-20 minutes, something innocuous, i gave it a lot of though and by that time a had reached mumbai. i again exchanged a smile with the airhostess wanted to exchange phone numbers but cudnt do, but still that thought of fulfilling the need still resounds in my mind, but have no definite answer or so called "sollution", what do u think i is there an opportunity for the advertisers, marketers which is untapped or some entrepreneurial idea. think think......., nd do let me know if u have something boiling in ur mind
i setteled into the cramped seat of "spicejet" and exchanged smiles with hostess. Since its a no frills airline, i knew i wont be disturbed any further neither am i goin to disturb them, cozz the frills they add is not worth the money. i went back into my thinking mode, started again thinking about the people at the airport, what about the most of the people who had nothing to do or pretending to be busy?? can they do anything the airport which is inexpensive, fun, engrossing. I gave it a lot of though how can there "need of overcoming the boredom" can be served. Can they be given small cross word, small comics, something which everyone likes to do and can do for 15-20 minutes, something innocuous, i gave it a lot of though and by that time a had reached mumbai. i again exchanged a smile with the airhostess wanted to exchange phone numbers but cudnt do, but still that thought of fulfilling the need still resounds in my mind, but have no definite answer or so called "sollution", what do u think i is there an opportunity for the advertisers, marketers which is untapped or some entrepreneurial idea. think think......., nd do let me know if u have something boiling in ur mind
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
