Introduction

This article featured in a book on quality of Management education in India by Dr. P P Arya and S K Chadda of the University Business School, Punjab University, Chandigarh.

Developing Competence of Management Teachers-The need:

First of all let’s answer the question whether a change in the status quo is needed? Surely all rational academicians and executives will answer in the affirmative. However, there is more to the need for developing teachers than just meeting “the challenge of change”. Adjusting with change is what everybody does, consciously or unconsciously, willingly or unwillingly. When we talk of ‘developing competence’, we mean acquiring the ability to initiate, influence and control change. Unless this is aimed at and achieved, all talk of development is nothing more than just talk. We expect today’s management students to be tomorrow’s intrapreneurs; better still, entrepreneurs. As entrepreneurs, they are expected to be innovative and resourceful, capable of taking on the techno-savvy competitors brought in by globalization. They are expected to be competent well-rounded personalities, capable of dynamic leadership. They should be passionate yet ethical. They should be ambitious yet compassionate. They should be all this and more. The point is, who is going to make them anything like they are supposed to be? We can only give what we have. If I have Rs 10 with me I can part with five, maybe even 10 but not 11. We cannot give what we do not have. If the teacher does not have it in him, what will the student acquire? Hence the need!

Evaluate the evaluators

Before we talk about the improvements teachers need to make in themselves, we must examine their current status. Usually, while judging teachers, their experiences (in years), qualifications and research are taken into consideration. This is good but I feel a good management teacher must have much more than mere qualifications and teaching experience. A teacher’s self-motivation, involvement with students and zeal in teaching are far more important in moulding students than his qualifications. Business schools must appraise every teacher on a regular basis and give due weight to these factors. In fact, students’ feedback can be sought for the same. It is wrong to assume that students are incapable of doing so sans bias or that a teacher’s authority will be undermined in the process. Such feedback will form only a part of the appraisal and it is my observation that capable teachers are respected and appreciated by students; besides, such feedback will lead to better communications and enhance teacher-student relationships. Better communications will thus enhance teacher effectiveness.

Development

Once the need for development is acknowledged we have to identify the areas in which improvement is required. For example, a teacher may need to improve his computer skills, or upgrade his subject knowledge in order to keep pace with the times. Above all, teachers must be trained in employing interactive modes of teaching and incorporate the much acclaimed case study method. They should be adept at incorporating humour in their lectures and be excellent presenters so that students are motivated while listening to them. However, personally, I would like to shun the lecture method and invite students to participate in a skillfully controlled and directed talk to achieve the session objective, viz. a sound understanding of the topic under discussion. Teachers should also be asked to make self-appraisals on a regular basis and identify their training needs. Provisions should be made for interdisciplinary training programmes. For example, teachers from the commerce department can seek training from their counterparts in Psychology or Sociology in order to learn new motivational techniques. Similarly, teachers from Industrial Psychology can seek the help of the commerce department for enhancing entrepreneurial spirit, in-turn enhancing the commercial utility of their graduates.

Teaching

The objectives of teaching must be clearly spelt out before teaching commences. Every management teacher is expected to transform students’ personalities besides teaching the subject well. It is thus imperative that teachers themselves be inspiring leaders and conduct themselves accordingly. Further, teachers need to improve their methods of teaching. At the very outset, students must be provided a date-wise plan of the scheduled class discussions, besides the syllabi and assignment sheets. In fact, there should be weekly assignments, which should be duly corrected, appraised, and returned by the teachers. The assignments should be received and returned via email in order to save time and costs. Teachers should be willing to repeat topics that the students have not grasped well. Inviting students to jointly write papers will help motivate them and make their learning experience more rewarding. Further, the placement prospects of such students will be enhanced. I would go a step ahead to suggest that teachers should encourage and guide students to setup entrepreneurial ventures during the course of their study. What I mean is that by the time a student completes his MBA he should have a concrete plan to setup his or her own business venture, however small it may be. This is a viable option especially when there is a recession in the job market.

Selection

If we have to implement the above-mentioned changes then the selection criteria as well as the processes must be overhauled. This has to be done for teachers as well as students. So, only teachers having relevant industry experience in addition to research work must be recruited. Similarly, students with work experience should be preferred over fresh graduates. In fact, students having entrepreneurial potential should be preferred. This will go a long way in solving the economic problems being faced by the country. I firmly believe that if India has to stand up to the new threats emerging from globalization then she has to strengthen and exploit her massive human resource. Entrepreneurship is probably our most potent weapon but it needs to be sharpened and used effectively.

Compensation

If we want teachers to deliver on all the fronts mentioned above then we must ensure that they are suitably rewarded for their efforts. If the universities find it difficult to pay higher salaries then teachers should be allowed to augment their incomes by undertaking outside consultancy assignments. Various innovative ways can be opted for in order to ensure that they get their due and to attract the best talent to the profession. For example, a teacher may be paid 5 percent of the annual profits from each successful business venture that he or she helps establish, for say five years.

Student evaluation

The student is the product of the school and all the above steps will be meaningless if they do not directly or indirectly benefit the student. A teacher’s effectiveness is reflected in the students. The evaluation of students is thus also the evaluation of the teacher. The current scenario is such that usually some students are not even aware of the criteria on which they are to be judged and exam results sometimes come as a rude shock. It is imperative that the requisite awareness be achieved before teachers commence teaching. In fact, to me, the prevailing examination system seems flawed. I would recommend open book exams, case studies and research projects as better alternatives.

The results

What will be the outcome if the above-mentioned changes are planned, initiated and implemented? I perceive colossal consequences. For one, we may emerge as a major economic force in fifty years. The developed countries may have all the capital and the technology, but I feel that in reality, people make up an economy. People, individually and/or collectively maximizing satisfaction make up an economy. Capital is just one of the components of economy; it is a manifestation of peoples’ desire to facilitate the maximization of satisfaction. As technology develops, we are sure to see more such manifestations. Technology is likely to redefine the concepts of time, space, and distance in fifty years, maybe even earlier. At that time, the business acumen of people is likely to be more important than capital and infrastructure as we see it today. Satisfaction will acquire a whole new meaning and in some ways there may appear to be a return to simplistic ancient times. The point I am trying to make here is that, in future, economies will be more vibrant because of extensive human interactions and exchanges, and the greater the exchanges the greater the opportunities for entrepreneurs. Hence, business schools need to start producing entrepreneurs today!