LAKSHYA
Oct-Dec 2010
VOLUME - I
ISSUE -2
Email : info.mba@ssitm.ac.in
Website : http://mba.ssitm.ac.in
A Quarterly Management News Letter
Department of Business Administration
Shri Shankaracharya Institute of Technology & Management
Junwani, Bhilai (CG) 490020, Ph: 0788-2291621, Fax: 0788-2291622
Chief Patron Editorial
Shri I. P. Mishra How well do you know Your Self?
Who are you? No, it's not a trick question and I am not asking for
your name. I am also not asking for your résumé, marital status, or
Patrons life history. Those things may be a reflection of who you are, but my
question goes a little deeper than that.
Dr. P. K. Shrivastava We all claim to know many things. We analyze our friends, our
colleagues and other people. We try to find out how others act and
Dr. Neeta Tripathi behave. We act like what we know all about others. How about
ourselves? Do we know ourselves?
Finding yourself is an enlightening experience. You become
Advisor self-sufficient and do things for others without expectations of
something in return. You are no longer needy and become utterly
Dr. Sumeet Gupta grateful for all the things people have done for you in the past.
Finding yourself is a time of harmony because you develop that
philosophy or belief system that will carry you throughout the rest of
Chief Editor your life. When you love yourself and who you are, you will relish
and enjoy both life's pain and pleasures.
Saket Jeswani If you really want to understand who you are, spend time
analyzing the major events of your life and consider how they
affected you. Take time to think about your family and contemplate
Editorial Board how their influence has helped to shape your morals, self esteem,
and even your outlook on life. As you reflect on your past, decide
Tanuka Bhattacharya whether or not the events of your past are affecting your present and
ultimately your future. For example, are you bitter about a past
Mahendra Ku. Ikhar relationship? Until you can forgive the person that caused the
bitterness, those feelings can leak into a new relationship, causing it
Ruby Narayan Khare to turn sour.
Why does it matter who you are?
Deepak Thakur Most people are not in touch with their self. From a young age we
are asked: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I think the
Sanjib Pal emphasis should be more on “WHO” you want to be instead of what.
In reality, “what” is just a role we play and it may have very little to do
Samir Jaiswal with our true identity as a person.
Discovering our true self can open the door to a life that feel
fulfilling and exciting. Here's a list of seven different aspects of YOU
Student Assistants that merit your attention.
Geeta Raghav 1) Find your values. These are the things that matter most to you
on the deepest levels. What are your personal values and
Anand Pratap Singh standards? What are your priorities and your beliefs? Do you
C. K. Sandhya INDIAN FINANCIAL SYSTEM: ADVANCEMENT OR CORRUPTION
Finance is the life blood of any business, company and
the economy of a country. Finance is the science of money
Index management and is something related to management of
money and other assets. It is also referred to as "Funds" or
"Capital", when we refer to the financial needs of a
Department Corner 02 corporate body. Now we can finance anything starting from
home, business, education etc. Economic development of a
Faculty Corner 03 nation is reflected by the progress of the various economic
units, broadly classified into corporate sector, government
Students' Corner 04 and household sector.
Financial System is a composition of various
Guest Corner 05
institutions, markets, regulations and laws, practices,
Photo Gallery 06 money manager, analysts, transactions and claims and
liabilities. There are areas or people with surplus funds and
Fun vs Knowledge 07 there are those with a deficit. A financial system or financial
sector functions as an intermediary and facilitates the flow
Extra Innings 08
of funds from the areas of surplus to the areas of deficit. The
task and responsibility of financial intermediaries is to take
money from public in the form of different deposit schemes
and again lend that money to the public in the form of
various types of loans.
Indian financial system has been badly affected by
“Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men.”
– Martin Luther King
The Urge to pinnacle
understand why these things are important to you? What level of
commitment are you willing to make to your personal standards and
ethics? How true do you want to be to your true self ?
2) Understand your strengths. What natural abilities do you
possess and which ones do you want to cultivate and develop? The
strengths you have and those you develop are your personal assets.
They give you a unique position in life and you need to be aware of
them.
3) Know your passions. What are you passionate about? What is it
that gets you excited or demands your undivided attention? What
activities and pursuits make you feel really alive? You can't build your
life around your passions if you haven't figured out what they are.
Making sure that your passions align with your values and standards
is vital when trying to create internal harmony.
4) Identify your tendencies. Your tendencies often become habits,
either good or bad. Knowing your habitual tendencies can help you to
analyze areas that need some improvement. It can also help you
identify which tendencies most contribute to your strengths and
successes.
5) Acknowledge your limitations. You will never be the very best at
everything. It's better to know which skills or activities are beyond your
ability for now. That way you can delegate those things to others while
you focus your energy where it's the most effective.
6) Set your goals. What do you really want to achieve? Clarity is a
key ingredient when it comes to setting your goals. Clarity leads to
action, lack of clarity leads to confusion and inaction.
7) Establish your direction. Where does your true self want to go
with in life? Once you understand your values, strengths, passions,
tendencies, limitations and goals you need to have a destination to
move toward, a direction.
Take the time to know yourself
You are a beautiful and unique individual. You have a wonderful
blend of amazing abilities and qualities combined in a distinctive and
exceptional way. Why not spend some time really getting to know your
self? It will certainly be time well spent. You can't be yourself if you
don't know, understand, and accept yourself first. It should be your
primary goal to find this out. Try to take time to yourself and
contemplate your life and choices. Be yourself and show the world
you're proud of the way you are! Don't worry about anything but being
yourself and living life to the fullest!
Saket Jeswani, Editor, Lakshya
corruption at all levels. For example, recently (24th November,
2010) CBI officials arrested eight finance executives of various
well known financial institutions for accepting bribes in lieu of
sanctioning loans. Officers of top management and middle
management of various public sector banks and financial
institutions were receiving illegal gratifications from the private
financial services company who were acting as mediators and
facilitators for corporate loans and other facilities from financial
institutions.
Here we must think that on the one hand we always say that
we judge our advancement by the development of infrastructure,
communication, industrial development, and increase in per
capita income. We want that on international level India should be
a powerful economy. But on the other hand we are one of the
leading countries in the world because of the ubiquitous
corruption. Right from the birth of a child to the issue of his/her
death certificate from government office there is corruption at
every stage and corrupt people are weakening the pillars of
economic structure of our country. The solution of this problem lies
in beginning from our self. We should ourselves oppose bribe and
be honest for the smooth and healthy development of our nation.
Mahendra Ikhar, Asst Professor, SSITM
 Oct. - Dec. 2010
Page 2 DEPARTMENT CORNER
ACTIVITIES
On college campuses, extracurricular involvement is a key tool in the
personal development of the students along with academics. For the
majority of college and university students, involvement in extracurricular
activities plays an integral role in student development. Students become
involved in extracurricular activities not only for entertainment, social,
and enjoyment purposes, but most important, to gain and improve skills.
The Department of Business Administration, SSITM also focuses on the
overall development of the student. To accomplish this various
departmental activities took place to acquaint students with time
management, critical analysis thinking, how to develop leadership
qualities and many more.
• On 4th and 5th October 2010, “Research Methodology Workshop” was
conducted, in which students got acquainted with various business
research tools. Dr. Sumeet Gupta and Mr. Saket Ranjan Praveer
enriched knowledge of students by introducing them with various
aspects of research methods and how they can be utilised in different
fields of management. Students from various management institutes
also participated in this worshop. Mr. Shubankar Mazumdar senior
consultant from SPSS, Kolkata also provided valuable insights to
students regarding tools and techniques of research by using SPSS
software. Mr. Abhinna Suresh Khare presented his views towards
carrying research in marketing field and motivated students to
generate interest in doing research activities.
• Freshers Day was also celebrated on 14th October 2010 with FUN N
BLAST. Jovial smiles and high spirits marked the welcome party. The
party organised at campus auditorium manifested youth's enthusiasm
at its zeal. With pulsating ambience, flashing lights and foot tapping
music,the fresher's party began with a difference. Along with the
cultural programme prizes were also distributed to the winners of
various events by Dr. P.K.Shrivastava (Director, SSITM) and Dr. Neeta
FACULTY ACHIEVEMENTS AND PUBLICATIONS
• Dr. Sumeet Gupta is conferred Accredited Management Teacher (Marketing
Management) by All India Management Association (AIMA). AIMA is the apex body of
management in India and conducts MAT exam, quiz and other management related
activities. This prestigious accreditation is recognition of one's high level of proficiency
for teaching the management in his / her area of specialisation and familiarity with the
latest pedagogical tools / instructional methodologies.
• Saket Jeswani has become the professional life member of two Management
Associations namely National HRD Network, Hyderabad and Indian Society of
Business Management, Chennai.
• Saket Jeswani and Sumita Dave, “Individual Attributes as Determinants of Job
Satisfaction and Employee Retention: A Study on Technical Institutes of Chhattisgarh”
Bhavishya, Journal of Future Business School, Kolkata, Forthcoming in 2011.
• Hee-Woong Kim and Sumeet Gupta, “Investigating Customer Resistance to change in
Transaction Relationship with an Internet Vendor,” Psychology and Marketing,
Forthcoming in 2011.
• Sumeet Gupta and Sanjib Pal, “Enabling Indian Retail Supply Chains for Improved
Visibility and Efficiency through RFID: An Anlaysis of Issues and Possible Remedies,
IIM Kolkata International Marketing Conference, IIM Kolkata, 27-29th December, 2010.
• Sumeet Gupta and Meenakshee Sharma, “Investigating the Role of Social Influence
(Friends and Family Members) and Self Experience on the Investment Decision of a
Casual Investor, IIM Kolkata International Finance Conference, IIM Kolkata, 7-9th
January, 2011.
• Sumeet Gupta, Meenakshee Sharma and Mahendra Ikhar , “Investigating the Role of
Prior Investment and Gender on the Investment Decision of a Casual Investor, Indian
Education Society's Management College and Research Centre Mumbai, India,
January 10, 2011.
• Tanuka Bhattacharya, “ HR Outsourcing : Issues and Challenges for Indian Companies,
Indian Education Society's Management College and Research Centre Mumbai, India,
January 11, 2011.
• Sumeet Gupta and Meenakshee Sharma, “Role of Subjective Norm in Investment
Decision Making of Casual Investors, “Indian Journal of Finance, Forthcoming in 2011.
• Sumeet Gupta and Riya Malukani, “Factors Influencing Stickiness of Orkut,”
Prabandhan & Taqniki, Vol - IV, pp 152-157, Laxmi Narain College of Technology
Management Education & Research, Indore.
• Saket Jeswani, Tanuka Bhattacharya and Mahendra Ikhar, “Impact of India's Accession
to WTO on its Economy” Prabandhan & Taqniki, Vol - IV, pp 250-251, Laxmi Narain
College of Technology Management Education & Research, Indore.
“As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others.”
Lakshya
Tripathi (Principal, SSITM).
• MBA III semester students participated in “Summer Training Project
Competition Spark 2010” organised on 11 & 12 September, 2010 at
Tolani Institute of Management Studies, Gujarat and received
applauds.
• Mr. Manoj Lunkad from Tanishq (A TATA BRAND) appreciated learning
abilities of students of MBA I semester, SSITM (C.K.Sandhya, Khyati
Dubey, Geeta Raghav, Priyanka Sharma, Pratik Bakshi, Shakib Rizvi,
Sourabh Chandrakar) during their training session (27.10.2010
10.11.2010) with them. The students were also awarded with
certificates along with stipend for their performance.
• MBA 1st sem students got an opportunity to visit “Zee 24 Ghante
Chhattisgarh” on 18th Dec 2010 for exploring knowledge in media
industry. Mr. Anshuman Verma, 'Output Editor' was the mentor, who
introduced various departments and segments, and their working
process to produce efficient output thereby maintaining time and
coordination. This experience has opened new door for students to
develop career in media and entertainment.
SN. Activity Date
st th
1 Inaugration of 1 issue of newsletter 4 October 2010
2 RM Workshop (3rd Sem) 4th and 5th Oct. 2010
3 Summer Training Project Competition 11 & 12 Sep., 2010
Spark 2010 at Tolani Institute of
Management Studies, Gujarat (3rd Sem)
4 Fresher's Eve (Ist Sem) 14th October 2010
5 Training at Tanishq, Bhilai (Ist Sem) 27th October 2010 to
10th November 2010
6 Visit at Zee 24 Ghante Chhattisgarh, 18th Dec 2010
Raipur (Ist Sem)
PLACEMENTS : MARCHING AHEAD
• Shri Shankaracharya Institute of Technology and Management with its inception
in 2008 has emerged as a premier institution in Chhattisgarh maintaining good
academic record. The training and placement cell is trying its best to provide a
launch pad for students to make it to the various organizations in the fields of core
industries and management.
• The recruiter list includes ASA advertising Ltd, Idea Cellular, Anagram Finance,
HDFC Bank, Airtel, Coupon Mall and many more and we are also looking for
some good companies in future.
• The students selected in companies are as follows:
o ASA Advertising: Himanshu Vaishnaw and Ashish Kumar Sahare.
o IDEA Cellular: Ashish Kumar Sahare, Anupriya Agrawal, Amitesh Mishra,
Mitesh Babaria, Sheetal Swarnkar, Ankit Jain, Bhavesh Bawankar, Tilak Ram
Anant.
o HDFC: Anupriya Agrawal and Ashish Kumra Sahare.
• Other than these three of our students named Anupriya Agrawal, Himanshu
Viashnaw and Ashish Sahare has received job offers from more than two
companies.
FELICITATIONS
• The result of MBA II Semester was 96% with Anupriya Agarwal bagging the first
position from SSITM.
• Himanshu Vaishnaw, Amitesh Mishra, Rahul Shravan & Ashish Singh under the
guidance of Mr. Deepak Thakur & Mr. Sanjib Pal (Assistant Professors)
participated in “Summer Training Project Competition” on 11&12 September,
2010 at Tolani Institute of Management Studies, Gujarat and received applauds.
• Students of MBA I semester got an opportunity to work with Tanishq, Bhilai for 15
days from 27.10.2010 to 10.11.2010 and received valuable inputs in the field of
marketing. They were awarded certificates along with stipend.
• Anand Pratap Singh of MBA I semester stood first in class test examination.
• Anupriya Agrawal and Sheetal Swarnkar of MBA III semester stood first in class
test examination.
– Bill Gates
Oct. - Dec. 2010
Page 3
ORGANIZING THE UNORGANIZED: COMPETITIVE
STRATEGIES FOR UNORGANIZED RETAILERS
In the era of organized retailing, the question of
survival of unorganized retailers is being raised
vehemently. The retail giants attempt to shake the roots
of unorganized retail by their very plans of setting up
huge retail stores. These retail stores would purchase at
a slightly higher price directly from the source and sell to
the end customers at a price lower than the market thus
removing intermediaries from the picture (or shall we say
that these giants themselves become the intermediary).
The plan seems nice, at least to those sitting in their ivory
towers dreaming to control the retail world in India.
Increased employment, low cost and quality products,
improved infrastructure are some of the gimmicks floated
by these giants. I don't say that these may necessarily be
incorrect but are they really going to benefit the society.
By removing so many intermediaries they become the
sole intermediary (by the way the notion of getting rid of
intermediaries from the market is farce in itself for a
number of products, because manufacturers will not sell
lose and end customers will not buy in bulk) and provide
low salary based employment to others. To set up a retail
store, they have to root our many retail stores or make
agricultural lands barren (or lands that could potentially
be used for agriculture). At the outset it does not seem
that employment will increase.
A possible scenario is that these retail stores would
remain retailers as well as become wholesalers' for small
retailers. Remember that small retailers purchase in bulk
when prices are low and store their goods and sell them
when prices are high. Big retailers however get discounts
on bulk purchases. So these small retailers can purchase
in bulk from big retailers during sale periods and the sell
at cheap prices during normal times. In essence the small
retailers in an attempt to survive and become competitive
adopt professionalism in their approach. They will
develop into small organized retailers retailing in their
niches. Here, I present seven strategies that small
retailers can use for become competitive in the market.
1. Play Niche: I was in Nagpur wanting to purchase a
purse for my wife and felt that I should try Big-Bazaar.
But I was disappointed with the quality and variety of
purses in Big-Bazaar. So, I came out looking for a
store where nice purses would be available. And
there they were. I went to a small (not that small
though) retailer which dealt exclusively in purses. And
they had a good variety and I got some good one for
my wife and her friend. Naturally, Big Bazaar keeps
something of everything and not everything of
something. Exactly, this is the point. Small retailers
can become niche players and keep everything of
something.
2. Good Customer Relationships: One of the biggest
benefits that unorganized retailers enjoy is
developing close relationships with customers who
live in their close proximity. However, this is the
aspect which most unorganized retailers fail to
accommodate. The customer relationship
management of organized retailers is largely
impersonal, such as accrued points on purchase. The
point of contact at an unorganized retail store is,
however, very personal where shopkeeper directly
deals with the customer. An unorganized retailer can
easily build good rapport with the customer and
gradually become the family retailer of the customer.
We conducted a survey conducted the results of
which revealed that customers are unwilling to switch
because of the deep relationship they carry with their
vendors. Deep relationships are very difficult to break
and this is where unorganized retailers have
competitive advantage over organized retailers.
There is no question of bargaining in organized retail
store because everything is automated or
computerized. Unorganized retailer can also get
important feedback from its customers and improve
“He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.”
FACULTY CORNER
their offering. They can easily understand customers'
likes and dislikes and the type of products that are in
demand.
3. Priority home delivery: Organized retailers charge
some amount for home delivery unless the packet
size of purchase is large enough. Obviously, it costs
them to deliver. But an unorganized retailer can
provide delivery in the neighborhood easily because it
doesn't cost him very much. A number of customers
make monthly or fortnightly or weekly grocery
purchases. Grocery purchases are somewhat less
involving, routine and those who are busy will not
want to spend time unless they are on out for window
shopping. By providing its customers with home
delivery service, an unorganized retailer ensures
strong relationship with its customer and can prevent
switching.
4. Credit Facilities: Organized retailers generally do
not provide credit facilities. In a survey on switching to
organized retail stores, customers responded that
credit facilities provided by their retailer is very useful
to them and they need not have to worry about petty
payments every now and then. An unorganized
retailer can do this easily because most customers
who are in the vicinity, are known, or can be traced
easily. Moreover, credit facility creates a customer
lock-in with the unorganized retailer thus ensuring
customer retention.
5. Store Layout and Ambience: The attractive layout
and ambience of an organized retail store attracts
customers. Customers are free to move inside the
store and select products on their own. Unorganized
retailers can also improve their layout and ambience.
A supermarket type layout where customers can
move around and look for products on their own is
well-suited for grocery because customers are
conversant enough to select products themselves.
6. Product Range and Variety: One of the benefits of
purchasing from an organized retail store is that a
wide range of products is available under one roof.
With niche marketing strategies, unorganized
retailers can make a large variety of niche products
under one roof. In Singapore, there are several malls
like Takashimaya and Vivocity. These malls have only
a few supermarkets and a number of small stores
which focus on specific niche like electronic
appliances, woolen apparels, and travel products. Of
course, for a small city it may not be cost effective to
open niche in all kinds of products but it is possible to
make available a large variety of products if they
focus on niche areas.
7. Organize the Unorganized: Realistically speaking,
unorganized retailers are like groups of several
retailers focusing on specific niche areas. The
problems where these unorganized retailer lack is
professionalism in management, IT focus and
inventory management. A professional approach to
store management would help unorganized retailers
attract more customers. Unorganized retailers can
focus on training their employees for better customer
service and sales management. IT focus is largely
neglected because of small size of the store. But
linking store sales and purchase through IT software
can not only help the unorganized retailer improve its
operations but also attract customers.
In summary unorganized retailers should focus on their
strengths rather than competing head-on with the
organized retailers. They should fill the gaps that lie
between professional management and traditional small
store management. With these strategies, an
unorganized retailer would not only survive but also
become competitive in the market. A little deep pocket is
required though.
Dr. Sumeet Gupta, HOD, MBA
Lakshya
RECRUITING THE
UNIQUE WAY
When was the last time you were recruited
over the phone or perhaps given an ipod during
the final round of interview just because you
failed to make it to the final selection? Interesting,
isn't it? Well, at a time when recruitment has
come to a standstill and the repercussions of the
current economic situation have been
tremendously felt by companies across India
Inc., there are few others who are adopting
unique methods of recruiting candidates.
“Economies are experiencing a slowdown. In
such a scenario, all new initiatives are slow to
take off and the concentration is more on
stabilising and capability building,” says
Shubhayu Sengupta, senior vice president -
human resources, Wells Fargo India.
A unique approach
• So, what are some of the unique methods
adopted by companies to recruit prospective
candidates? Organisations these days are
certainly placing more emphasis on recruiting
people with stronger onground understanding
and at the same time those who come up with
innovative ideas. Wells Fargo India's Fuelling
Assertive College Talent (FACT) program,
started in 2008, is an innovative technology
based campus recruitment process.
Explaining this further Sengupta points out,
“Typically, campus recruitment process starts
with recruiters going to the campus and
conducting Pre-Placement Talks (PPTs).
Instead of PPTs, we had a specially designed
web-based quiz contest which tested the
applicants' awareness of Wells Fargo.”
• Aviva has adopted a nontraditional hiring
approach wherein they take on 'Creative
Behaviour Evaluating Interview Process' to
attract the best talent. Our hiring process
involves a wide range of selection tools such as
competency based interviews, ability and
personality tests and role-plays to ensure that
assignments are awarded to the right
candidate for the role. An important aspect of
the internal recruitment process is that all
applicants are given an opportunity to receive
feedback on their evaluation after the selection
process is completed,” asserts Mohammed
Shahber, director HR, Aviva Life Insurance
(India).
• He further adds, “In addition to the existing
recruitment process under which a candidate
is assessed, we have introduced a new
dimension whereby, candidates are now
assessed on certain competencies based on
the Aviva Competency Framework which is
further aligned to the five core values of Aviva.”
With more and more organisations making use
of innovative talent hunt initiatives, it will only
help identify and recruit the best of the smart
breed.
Tanuka Bhhattacharya, Asst Professor
– Mohammed Ali
Oct. - Dec. 2010
Page 4 STUDENTS' CORNER
ACING THE JOB INTERVIEW
Hope, you all would have gone through the article “Build resume for your first
job” in the previous issue of this newsletter and would have implemented. Now, it's
time for one step ahead. You've finally got that job interview that you've been vying
for. How should you behave when you get there? What if you don't have answers to
all the questions? How do you make the right impression?
No matter how many years of work experience you have, it's natural to have a
million questions buzzing through your head. Here, some recruiters and managers
share tips to help get you through that interview with flying colours.
1. Do Your Homework: The number one complaint that recruiters have is that
people turn up for job interviews clueless about the company, its top officers, or
the job. Even very senior people make this mistake. “Understand the
organization you are going to for an interview,” says Ramesh Vaswani,
executive vice-chairman of computer accessory-maker Intex Technologies
(India) Ltd. Look up the names of the company's top officers, like the chief
executive and the chairman, and especially the person in charge of the
department where you want to work. Study the company Website. Search for
news articles on the company, and make a note of any recent acquisitions, new
products launched, or new directions the company is taking.
2. Rehearse: Ahead of the interview, think through the questions you might be
asked about your current or past job, why you left your previous position, what
you're looking for in the new job, and what makes you so suitable for this
position. Don't forget to prepare for this trick question that recruiters love to ask.
Write down your answersthat'll help you remember themand maybe even
rehearse them aloud. You'll be more confident at the actual interview. If you
don't know the answer to a question, say so, politely.
3. Be Specific: When asked about a current or past job, interviewees “spend a lot
of time talking about their organization,” says Mr. Vaswani. While it's great if you
have worked for a large or well-known company, what's more important is what
you did there. “Talk about specific assignments you have handled,” he says.
Instead of simply saying that you were the chief finance officer for your
organization, talk about a target you helped achieve, such as raising millions of
rupees of working capital.
4. Turn the Tables: Don't be a passive interviewee. When you get the opportunity,
ask questions. These can be about the company's future plans, growth
prospects, or about what is expected of you from the new job and what growth
you can expect at the company. These questions “convey that you're seriously
EXPERIENCE @ ZEE 24*7 CHHATTISGARH
Zee 24 Ghante Chhattisgarh is the regional set up of Zee News. Managed by
the Zee group, it has 7 bureau offices in the state with 500+ Employees working day
in and day out to bring the best news to the citizens of the country and particularly
Chhattisgarh. With its Inception on 1st October, 2008, it has now become the No. 1
news channel of the state with 70% market share.
• Our session with Mr. Abhinna Suresh Khare (Head-Marketing, Zee News) during
Sept, 2010 has provided us inspiring educational experience that stimulated our
interest in research. Under his guidance we received valuable insights related to
the work culture in the media Industry. Zee News provided us a platform to work
on live projects, to learn how to make strategies for promotions to learn human
resource handling and much more.
• We heartily thank the Department of Business Administration, SSITM for taking
initiative for organising our interaction with Zee News.
Himanshu Vaishnaw, 3rd Sem, MBA
EXPERIENCE ABOUT TRAINING AT TANISHQ
Tanishq is a prominent jewellery brand of India. It pioneered the concept of
branded jewellery and ornaments in India. It is a division of Titan Industries Limited,
a company promoted by the Tata Group, one of India's largest conglomerates. We
were a group of 7 students and it's my pleasure to share our experience at Tanishq.
Before that I would like to express my sincere thanks to SSITM, provides me an
opportunity to participate in this program.
In this training schedule of 15 days (27.10.2010 10.11.2010) we received
insights regarding various market strategies to maintain its brand name and what
should be preparation from company side to stay in market as well as showing
concern towards customer perspective. When working in the marketing field one
need to be very patient and polite to handle various queries of the customer rather
than showing exasperation so as to satisfy customer needs. The internship
programme enriched my knowledge in retailing , sales and also about management
information system. Shakib Ahmed Razvi, 1st sem, MBA
“Leaders don't create followers, they create more leaders.”
Lakshya
growth-oriented,” says Mr. Balaji.
5. Go Gentle on a Current or Past Employer: In general, you want to talk
positively about your current or past employer. Badmouthing your previous
employer could leave a bad impression on a potential new employer. Find a
neutral way to explain challenges you might have faced at the previous
company, or reasons why your career growth required that you move on. If
there was a disagreement with your previous manager, communicate it
diplomatically. You could say “there were strategic differences in our
approaches.” Don't say you hated your manager.
6. The Salary Equation: Experts advise leaving the salary discussion to the very
end of the interview process. “As a rule, people shouldn't portray that one is only
driven by the money,” says Mr. Balaji. Talk about salary only if the interviewer
brings up the topic. Be truthful about what you earn currently, and be prepared
to give some idea of what you expect in the new position.
7. Manners Count: Don't overlook your basic etiquette. “Arrive on time; not too
early, not too late. Either way can send different kinds of signals,” says Nirmit
Parekh, managing director and chief executive officer of international executive
research firm 3P Consultants Pvt. Ltd. in Mumbai. If you get there too early, it
can show that you have a lot of time to kill. Switch off your mobile phone before
the interview. “Invariably, I'm standing for a minute because the person is
completing a call,” says Mr. Parekh.
8. What to Wear: Dress appropriatelynot too casual, but you needn't be in a suit-
and-tie either, especially if it's hot outside. A clean shirt, tie and trousers are
good enough for men. Women can wear a modest Indian outfit, or a collared
shirt and pants.
9. Body Language: “Body posture, according to me, is extremely important when
you are talking to and meeting a person,” says Mr. Parekh. It immediately
reveals away whether the person is confident or overconfident. If someone
crosses their legs or leans back too casually, you know he's not taking this
meeting seriously, he adds. A firm handshake leaves a good impression. Be
sure you maintain eye contact during the interview. If there is more than one
interviewer, don't ignore anyone. “A smile is always welcome,” he says.
10. Follow-up: Send a thank-you note or email to the person you met with. And ask
when you should check back to find out the interview result.
Himanshu Vaishnaw, 3rd Sem, MBA
INDUSTRIAL VISIT @ ZEE 24*7
CHHATTISGARH
We would like to thank the faculty members of our college for giving us such an
opportunity for visiting “Zee 24 Ghante Chhattisgarh” and expanding our
knowledge in the field of media.
In the studio of “Zee 24 Ghante Chhattisgarh”, Mr. Anshuman verma, 'the
output editor' took all of us to various departments and segments, and taught us
about the working process and also that how they handle the input and produce
output from that.
We also learned lots of thing from there related to time management,
coordination, competition in the industry, relationship between media and business
administration, difference between print media and electronic media and many
more…
Finally, we would also like to thank Mr. Abhinn Suresh Khare 'marketing head' ,
who helped us to clarify our various doubts related to the industry and also to guide
us to look forward for a bright future.
C. K. Sandhya, Pratik Bakshi, Geeta Raghav, 1st Sem, MBA
EXPERIENCE OF GUJRAT TRIP
Life passes away in a flash, but opportunities are important and the way we take it
as a advantage. A heartily thanks to SSITM management department for giving us
an opportunity to present ourselves at “Summer Training Project Competition Spark
2010” organised on 11 & 12 September, 2010 by Tolani Institute of Management
and Science, Gujarat. We got a warm welcome and facilities by the TIMS College.
This was a new experience to us. But coming to the main point we had tough and
well designed competition there at TIMS. We had strong competitors. Obviously
some papers presented there were good, some were excellent and some were on
an average. But overall we learnt a lot from this competition.
We have seen that Global exposure is must for a MBA student. This kind of activity
deliberately imposes a challenge on the student mind, that how they are growing
themselves similar to the corporate. This was great experience on our part
Rahul Shravan, 3rd Sem, MBA
– Tom Peters
 Oct. - Dec. 2010
Page 5 CORPORATE / GUEST CORNER
RELEVANCE OF MBA PROGRAM
Master of Business Administration (MBA)
welcomes the students on entering this two year
Master Degree Business Program after graduation or
prior study. The Two Year of MBA is great to
experience to broaden the networks and relations,
interacting with business leaders and players through
Seminars and Industry interface, knowing the
business world and happenings, learning new skills,
improving overall personality and enjoying the
movements.
Where as a graduate student, we built the
theoretical approach of the subjects and made a base
for a career in business, now in MBA it's the time to
shape that approach and to path those specified
goals, which you planned in graduation or in prior
course. As a professional course MBA is to 'organize
or project yourself' for better shouldering the tasks
and to overcome problems by managing the
situations efficiently.
As an MBA student, firstly there's need to clearly
define the expectations from the path, which you have
chosen by getting admitted in MBA, that what do you
expect during and after these two years of MBA. Here,
whatever you expect after passing MBA, the
outcomes depend on the utilization of the meanwhile
period of MBA. What would be the future shape after
passing MBA, will depend on the ongoing years of
MBA. After MBA, Do you expect for:-
• A good job in a Branded organization
• A handsome salary package of Rs.4-6 lakh per
annum.
• A good work profile
• Chances for promotions
• Opportunities for developing abilities etc.
It's good to think all these things to be happen
DO NEW MBA GRADS MEET EXPECTATIONS OF THEIR FIRST EMPLOYERS?
According to a study by Higher Education Forum
(BEF) there are gaps that exist between the expectations
of the employers and certain skills.
The industries expect new MBAs to come to the
corporate world with the proper attitude. They must be
committed, dedicated, self-disciplined, self-motivated,
showing an aptitude and willingness to learn. They must
possess strong analytical, listening, and communication
skills, and they must be able to work in a team and
collaborate.
"Finally, they must come in with at least a basic
knowledge of the organisation and processes within the
organisation, and an understanding of products,
solutions, and services - including those of competitors -
as well as consumer behaviour.
Also, the Skills Gap approach could be applied to
other sectors in India to help other education institutes and
industry in India better understand what corporations
need and what education institutes are providing, and how
any gaps that exist can be reduced," Narayanan said.
Industry expects more from B-Schools
As per the opinion poll published in Times of India,
Pune recently, 60 % of the students feel that syllabi of the
professional courses are not in tune with industry.
The issue is very relevant when we have to answer
the question: why is it that one MBA gets a job offer of Rs.
6 lac per annum and another MBA struggles hard to
secure a job fetching him even Rs. 1 lac per annum? One
of the reason for this is relevance factor of the syllabus, as
required by the industry.
Here on this issue, we also need to consider few more
points. For example, are we talking about the syllabus of
the course of a Govt. aided University ? Or, are we talking
about syllabus of the course of any run of the mill institute.
Or, are we talking about syllabus of the course of a
particular educational institute which really means
business, which has intention of value-addition, one which
has organisational mission of excellence in educational
“Life is an exciting business, and most exciting when it is lived for others. ”
after MBA, but it will all depend on the best utilization
of The Two Years of MBA. For deserving these things
to be happen; one has to walk the path of striving hard
and will have to be entirely focused on objectives i.e.
goal oriented. It's just all about the efforts, that how
much efforts we are making and putting in the right
direction and how much we are aware for our career
goals and opportunities. Here, the aspirant must
clarify his/her career goals and should be organized
first.
Am I well organized? - The answer of this
question should be answered well, where we must
identify:-
- Proper scheduling the tasks or day
- Defined approach of attempting task
- Basic management skill in daily life
- Managing and utilizing the twenty four hour of
everyday
- Thought clarity and views expressing skills
- Scheduling the timing or time table i.e. time
management.
After identifying the above factors and answering
the question or making it answer by organizing
oneself; one should focus towards his/her career
(MBA) goals. Now Goal orientation starts to play it's
role in best utilizing the years of MBA. One who is
Goal oriented; will be able to get a better place and
position.
Balancing time is extremely essential to cop up
with stress management. Diet, exercise, sleep etc.
are vitally significant as per proper schedule to
maintain good health.
Focus on Gaining Industry Experience as well
MBA is not just limited up to books or lectures, it's
more than that. And it's the diverse segment of:-
service, which intends to compete with top class
educational institutes, which is sensitive to the needs of
the industry and is flexible enough to design & redesign it's
course as per the requirement of the market and industry.
Educational service providers, basically fall under
three categories.
st
1 category : Govt. aided Universities. Except a few of
these universities, which are maintaining top class quality
in educational service, others are functioning with typically
bureaucratic, rigid, inflexible approach. Such universities
are least bothered about having syllabi of the professional
courses which are in tune with the industries.
2nd category: Some private institutes which have
mushroomed in last few years, they are said to have focus
on 'making money', rather than focussing on 'excellence'
as educational service provider. Such institutes have least
concern and sincerity about updating the syllabi of
professional courses, that meets the needs of the
industry.
3rd category : There are some private institutes/
universities which really mean business. They are not
mere teaching shops. Faculty in such Institutes put lot of
effort in Research Work and hence continuously improve
the quality of teaching. They are sensitive about the
needs of the market, industry. They treat the students as
the ambassadors of their institutes. They put-in lot of effort
for value-addition in their students, which will be useful to
the industry. They spend a lot of energy & effort in industry-
academic interface. Hence, they are very proactive,
flexible, always ready for changing & updating the syllabi
of professional courses.
B-Schools need more number of industry -
experienced faculty. Most of the Indian B-schools fail to
attract good faculty and most of them who teach do not
have any industry experience. Not only that, most of them
do not make any efforts to get over this drawback through
keeping themselves updated on whatever is happening in
Indian business.
Lakshya
- Gaining experience of the corporate by keeping
sharp eyes on the ongoing trends of industry
- Building and enlarging the networks and relations
- Sharing experience with seniors and alumni
- Participating in the activities in college
- Discussing the case studies after firmly analyzing
- Learning from peers, alumnus and seniors
- Spend time for understanding business processes
and operations
- Developing creativity
Here, one thing that is crucially essential in the
Program is 'The Summer Internship training'. It's the
stage, where you interact with the real face of industry
and gain the real experience at field. The internship
must be engrossed with the higher pitch of zest. One
should keep in mind during internship that, this is the
real platform, where you have to perform; actually.
And then enjoy the training; will help you gaining
more.
There are some treats which need as considering
factors initiatively regarding to improve personality,
building network, projecting yourself, know about
specific job and opportunities, learning organizational
culture and industry trends. These are the things,
which are needed to be done on the basis of initiative
with the help of faculties. A time to time guideline is
also needed to conduct yourself well and to better fit in
the business line. A constructive feedback about
personal and professional skill will help you to
eliminate and overcome the weakening areas.
Now start to sharpen yourself and get ready for the
new world to begin.
Ritesh Jindal, Head - Corporate Relations,
Real Ispat & Power Limited, Raipur
It has been observed that B-school students do not
have positive attitudes towards behavioural courses such
as business ethics, human resource management and
organisational behaviour etc.
Students seem to view these subjects as impractical
in today's corporate world. This attitude towards the
behavioural sciences seems puzzling given the fact that
CEOs and recruiters have expressed concern over lack of
social skills and relatively poor attitudes among the newly
recruited management trainees. The fact remains that the
top corporate organizations are increasingly moving
towards & encouraging it's employees to have ethical
practices, value based management, harmony with
environment etc. In other words, corporates are expecting
high level of soft skills in management trainees. So, in
order to meet the expectations of the corporates, students
just can't afford to ignore the behavioural aspect of work-
life.
On Industry-Institute interaction and on Research by
faculty, Prof. Balachandran says that:
(i) There is an urgent need for developing healthy
relationship between B-Schools and Industry for
mutual development and evolving cases in
management practices.
(ii) Motivating faculty to write papers on diverse subjects
and make presentations before knowledgeable
audience drawn from the Industry and leading
business schools'.
Today, the basics are very clear: Relationships
between industry and well-meaning institutes are getting
strong. Such institutes are busy preparing quality
products (i.e., the students, who have got the real value-
addition to serve the industry and who are in demand in
the market). Industry is also benefitted by tying-up with
such institutes and getting supply of high quality human
resources.
Mr. B. C. Burman, Head Sponge Iron Division,
Monnet Ispat Ltd, Raipur
– Helen Keller
Oct. - Dec. 2010
Page 6 SSITM PHOTO GALLERY Lakshya

Training at Tanishq 1st Sem MBA (27.10.2010 10.11.2010) Vishwakarma Pooja Celebration at SSITM on 17 September, 2010

Presentation on SPSS by Mr. Shubankar Mazamdar during Research Methodology Workshop for 3rd Sem MBA on 4th 5th October 2010
Research Methodology Workshop on 5th October, 2010

Industrial Visit of 1st SEM MBA at Zee 24 Ghante Chhattisgarh, Gujarat Trip of 3rd Sem MBA on 11-12 September 2010
Raipur on 18th December, 2010

Inauguration of 1st Issue of Newsletter “Lakshya” on 4th October 2010 Fresher's Party-2010 at SSITM on 14th October

“A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business.” – Henry Ford
Oct. - Dec. 2010
Page 7 FUN Vs KNOWLEDGE Lakshya

INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS Know your customer...

A disappointed salesman of Coca Cola returns from his Middle East assignment.
A friend asked, "Why weren't you successful with the Arabs?“
The salesman explained, "When I got posted in the Middle East , I was very
confident that I would make a good sales pitch as Cola is virtually unknown there.
But, I had a problem I didn't know how to speak Arabic. So, I planned to convey the
message through three posters...

First poster- A man lying in the hot desert sand...totally exhausted and fainting.
Second poster - man is drinking our Cola.
Third poster- Our man is now totally refreshed.
Then these posters were pasted all over the place
"That should have worked," said the friend.
The salesman replied "I also didn't realize that Arabs read from right to left

Creative Ad Laughter Please…

Actual call centre conversations!!!!!
Customer: 'I've been ringing 0800 2100 for two days and can't get through to
Spare parts enquiries, can you help?'. Operator: 'Where did you get that number from, sir?'.
Customer: 'It was on the door to the Travel Centre'. Operator: 'Sir, they are our
for humans
opening hours'.
are not

as original as Management Story

those for cars. The story of “Everybody, Somebody, Anybody & Nobody”
This is a story of four people named Everybody , Somebody, Anybody &
Nobody. There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that
Don't Drink and Drive. Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it but Nobody did it. Somebody
got angry about that because it was Everybody's job. Everybody thought
Anybody would do it nut Nobody realized Everybody would not do it. It ended up
that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have
done.
Moral of the story : In the quality culture, shirking of responsibility of passing
the buck will not yield results, therefore, to avoid confusion everybody should do

Indian Hell their respective jobs with full commitment.

“Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.” – Abert Einstein

Oct. - Dec. 2010
Page 8 EXTRA INNINGS Lakshya

LITTLE SECRETS OF SUCCESS

“Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life think of it, dream of it, live on idea. Let
the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of that idea, and just leave
every other idea alone. This is the way to success.”
Swami Vivekananda

0 to 100 Gift… Upcoming Events

• CEO Month - Guest Lectures by CEO of the Companies
Wife mentioned to her husband that for her birthday, she would like something
• Industrial Visit
that accelerates from 0 to 100 in four seconds.
• Job Fair
She was expecting something like this… • Research Methodology Workshop for 1st Year students
• AD MAD Competition
• National Conference - "URVA-Tech"

Mind Benders
1. BAG OF MARBLES
• You have three bags, each containing two marbles. Bag A contains two white
marbles, Bag B contains two black marbles, and Bag C contains one white
marble and one black marble. You pick a random bag and take out one marble.
It is a white marble.
What is the probability that the remaining marble from the same bag is also
white?
2. Breaking up a Chocolate Bar
• How many steps are required to break an m x n bar of chocolate into 1 x 1
pieces? You can break an existing piece of chocolate horizontally or vertically.
But her husband presented her with something very different... You cannot break two or more pieces at once (so no cutting through stacks).
3. Knights and Knaves
• There are three people (Alex, Brook and Cody), one of whom is a knight, one a
knave, and one a spy. The knight always tells the truth, the knave always lies,
and the spy can either lie or tell the truth.
Alex says: "Cody is a knave.“
Brook says: "Alex is a knight.“
Cody says: "I am the spy.“
Who is the knight, who the knave, and who the spy?

Solution
1. 2/3 (not 1/2)
You know that you do not have Bag B (two black marbles) so there are
three possibilities
You chose Bag A, first white marble. The other marble will be white
The husband is in a critical but stable condition in ICU!
You chose Bag A, second white marble. The other marble will be white
You chose Bag C, the white marble. The other marble will be black
So 2 out of 3 possibilities are white.
Why not 1/2 ? You are selecting marbles, not bags.

With Best Compliments from… 2. You need mn - 1 steps. By breaking an existing piece horizontally or vertically,
you merely increase the total number of pieces by one.
You already have 1 piece, so need mn - 1 steps to get to mn pieces.
3. Alex is a Knight, Brook is a Spy, Cody is a Knave
Brook is not the knight, since if he is, then Alex would also be the knight. Cody

Meghdoot is not the knight, since his statement would then be a lie.
Therefore Alex is the knight. Hence Cody is the knave, and Brook is the spy.

Health Mania
• Drink Water: Increases energy, enhances fat loss, combats headaches and

Restaurant •
fatigue, reduces hunger, hydrates skin, which could even make one look more
youthful.
Walk...Walk...Walk: Lowers LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol ("bad"
cholesterol), raises HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol ("good"
cholesterol), lowers blood pressure, manages weight, calms the spirit and clears
the min.
• Chew Your Food Properly: Better digestion with less gas and bloating, brings
out the flavour of foods more, better assimilation of the nutrients in your food
Better energy after eating.
Power House, Bhilai (Chhattisgarh) • Meditate: Taking twenty minutes out of your day for quite time to clear your mind
is one of the best ways to relieve stress.

“There is more hunger in the world for love and appreciation than for bread.” – Mother Teresa