2010

TRADE OFF-Placements
vs. Academics

ANSHUL MITTAL
PRATEEP DAS
SONAL ANAND
SUDIPTO BASU
SUKVINDER SINGH

9/14/2010
 PROBLEM

DMSIIT Delhi offers admission to the applicants after a gruesome process

and a series of evaluations. It includes a written examination mainly to
gauge the analytical ability of the applicants. The shortlisted candidates
then have to go through a second round of the evaluation process where
one on one interviews are conducted. Based on the competency and
capability of the participants final admission offers are made.

The main objective of an MBA education is holistic developments of

managerial skills in an individual so that he can effectively apply his
knowledge and skills in a corporate environment going forward. The MBA
education includes a rigorous curriculum inside the campus, term papers
based on primary research work, industry interaction, guest lecture
sessions and finally an opportunity to work in a corporate environment
after the completion of the course.

Recently it has been found that the primary focus of students is the
placements. During Business school rankings the maximum weightage is
given to the placement process and salary figures. In spite of being a
heavily research oriented institute centered around eminent faculty
members from diverse fields of management the focus is gradually
shifting only towards securing a job, as fast as one can.

In this document we try to analyze this budding phenomena gradually

blooming into a serious problem. We analyze the problem under analytical
and synthetic framework and recommend solutions based on the analysis.

ANALYTICAL APPROACH

The abstract separation of a whole into its constituent parts in order to

study the parts and their relations defines Analytical Thinking. A
methodical step-by-step approach is used to break down complex
problems or processes into their constituents parts, identify causes and
effects patterns and analyse problems to arrive to an appropriate solution.
This thinking ability enables a person to :
- break a problem into parts,
- identify relevant facts
- interpret the meaning of facts, and project the consequences of a
decision.
Because so many factors bear on an enterprise, an entrepreneurs needs
what might be called an intuitive analytical sense in order to select key
facts and eliminate the nonessential ones. In brief, this means looking
very closely at the detail and not taking what you read or hear for
granted.

Fig1. The essence of analytical thinking Fig2. The analytical

thinking framework.

(An inward looking approach to problem solving)

Steps involved

I. Define the Problem

II. Collecting the facts ( qualitative and quantitative )

III. Formulating the hypothesis (a proposed explanation for an

observable phenomenon)

IV. Conducting the Analysis

V. Developing the solution

Fig3. Analytical thinking (the top-down approach) – break a problem into

parts and analyse.
HYPOTHESIS:-

The problem emanates from a few basic assumptions which the MBA
aspirants generally have before and even after they join the institute.
These are

1) MBA is the means to good placements and a secured future.

2) The institute’s Brand name helps.

3) No guiding force behind the placement process as the whole

process is managed by students.

4) The cut throat competition schedules the process early in the

curriculum.

5) Management is a soft discipline and students can easily learn things

without attending class.

FACTS:-

To support these hypotheses and to carry forward our analysis we

take help of the following facts.

1) Batch strength is 98 in 2010.

2) 32 companies visited IIT Delhi in 2009 for 52 students, an

average of 1.5 students per company.

3) The Placement committee is managed by a student’s body of

seniors and juniors. 15-16 members are involved in the process.
Faculty does not interfere.

4) Less number of classes. More interest in B-Plans and other

competition.

5) Faculties have emphasized that ‘IITs are institutions to provide

excellent academic knowledge and not a placement providing
agency’.
 Solution:-

1) Have a window (a week/or a fortnight) for placements so that it

will not clash with the scheduled class curriculum.

2) Student’s meet should be focused towards academics and not

only towards placements.

3 ) Faculty should be engaged in the MBA process and their

advise should be taken.

4) Grades obtained during the curriculum should be given

weightage during the
placements which will ensure commitment of the students
toward academics.

5) Students satisfying a pre determined attendance criteria

should only be enabled to sit for the placements.

Synthetic Thinking

The cognitive processes of combining ideas into a complex whole. There

are few people, however, who, if you told them a result, would be able to
evolve from their own inner consciousness what the steps were which led
to that result. This power means reasoning backwards. You integrate the
results to imagine the system as a whole. This is what is known as
Synthesizing or Synthetic Thinking.

If A=B and B=C …………………… the result

Therefore C=A (The unified Whole)

By synthetic approach we try to see the problem from a holistic point of

view and try to give an out of the box thinking.

Problem:-

1) General mindset of the MBA aspirants is that all the MBA colleges are
placement agencies
2) Status of a person depends on the salary and his position. Education
takes a backseat.

3) Hype created by the teaching institutes and media along with the
ranking agencies which have made the MBA institutes a one-stop solution
to fame, money and a bright career.

4) The MBA aspirants primary goal to enter a MBA college is placements

and the emphasis during the institute presentation during the Group
Discussion and PI rounds was placements.

Solution:-

1) The sampling procedure of the ranking agencies should be more

diverse and efficient .More emphasis and priority should be given to
academic capability and research centred ability of an institute rather
than placement related approach which can change the mindset of
students joining the institutes.

2) Workshops or lectures can be arranged by faculty and students of top

management institutes in various college fests, events and teaching
institutes to spread awareness about the overall curriculum and objective
of management studies and what are the prerequisites to succeed in the 2
years. Students can thus take an informed decision.

3) The students should be made aware of the benefits of

entrepreneurship so that they can start their own initiatives after MBA.

4) Initiate tri semester system of examination and evaluation along with a

mandatory submission of a research paper per year aimed to change the
focus from placements to academics.

References
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Levin I., Lieberman E.: Developing Analytical and Synthetic Thinking in

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