We have all at some point in our lives realized that learning on the job is much more enriching than learning in a classroom. An MBA program teaches one to not only be quick but also an adaptable learner. The question is how long should it take to provide students the management arsenal they need to succeed?
Putting this under scrutiny, let us take a look at the background of students enrolling in different business programmes. For a PG programme such as one run by IIM Indore, where the average work experience of students is 1.3 years, a two year course with a 4.5 month internship in the third semester is apt. However in SOIL, where the average work experience of students is 3.2 years it makes sense to reduce the internship to a month of work spanned over 8 months in the form of the Social Innovation Program (SIP). Through this project, students get the opportunity to work in the social sector and apply classroom learning in a live scenario. Another form of internship that helps the students apply what they have learnt is through the Action Learning Project (ALP) carried out under the guidance of highly experienced mentors from within the industry. Students are expected to put in extra hours to work with their mentors and complete the project in a period of 6 months. These two modules help bridge the gap between what students learn in class and its practical application in a business scenario.
In a 2 year MBA programme, where classes are held 5 days a week from 9 AM to 1 PM supplemented by 2 term breaks of a week each, 1400 hours of classroom interaction is what is achieved. We at SOIL effectively cover 1200 hours in classroom by running lectures from 9 AM to 4:30 PM and thus make up for 40 extra days in a year as compared to our counterparts. Hence, by utilizing our time and resources more wisely, SOIL is able to reduce the length of the program by 7 months.
With change being the only constant, dynamic MBA curriculums are the need of the hour. The curriculum at SOIL is designed with the help of its 32 consortium partners who understand this changing need. Courses such as Sustainability & Green Capital, Enabling Values Centered Innovation and Whole System Thinking SOIL ensure that the leaders of tomorrow understand the changing world and hence adapt accordingly. Since wisdom cannot be taught, use of case based pedagogy and group assignments ensure development of problem solving and decision making skills by facilitating the application of theoretical concepts to real-life situations.
With organizations requiring its work force to learn faster and apply those learnings in business context, this compact yet enriching fast track experience prepares students to multi task and develop better time management abilities. Students in SOIL gather all-round understanding of business instead of specializing in a core field and hence are more flexible when put on different assignments in the work place. The short tenure of the program helps them get back in the changing business environment and apply their learning first-hand.
Companies constantly look for skill, knowledge and potential in the candidates they recruit. Even though knowledge can be gained in a classroom, one acquires skills primarily by dirtying his/her hands at work. At MDI, 3% and at IIM Indore, 9 % of the class has an experience of more than 48 months and the statistics at other business schools are similar. This not only disturbs the balance of a class but also results in lesser peer learning. Applying what you learn to your past experience is equally and sometimes much more important than learning something new and applying it for the first time.
On the other hand, with only 10% of the students with less than 6 months of experience, the student community at SOIL carries with itself a very rich work experience. 25% of the SOIL students have over 48 months of experience with an average of 62 months. The Business Leadership Program (BLP), with strength of 61 students, has an average work experience of 46 months and 47% of BLP students did not switch even one job before joining SOIL. In the Human Leadership Program (HRLP), 63% of the students with an average experience of 34 months had not switched even one job before joining SOIL.
When the top companies in India are going through a tough time in retaining their talent, SOIL holds a talent pool which believes in values and the importance of sticking to an organization and making a difference. The average maturity level of a SOIL student as compared to one from a 2 year MBA is much more which will help him/her make a difference in the workplace from day 1.
Prior work experience and the rigorous course at SOIL helps students relate to cases and discussions in class in context to their earlier job and point out the mistakes that they have committed. Not only does this self-realization make the students more aware of their actions but also make them better equipped to face similar challenges in their new roles. A bouquet of transferrable skills which one learns with a job at hand is ready to be used by companies which hire them, thus saving enormous ramp up time.
As a student of SOIL, one learns much beyond simply developing their business acumen. The schools focus on developing students to become better human beings who transform into inspired leaders of tomorrow has had a great impact on my personal development. The five pillars of SOIL: Mindfulness, Compassion, Ethics, Diversity and Sustainability have gone a long way in the way my thoughts and actions have evolved.
Be it food or a piece of paper, electricity or fuel, we at SOIL would never let it go waste. Our belief in involving community and in adding value to individual lives, which results in appropriate decision making, is what differentiates us from others. The concept of triple bottom line captures an expanded spectrum of values and criteria for measuring organizational (and societal) success: economic, ecological, and social. We at SOIL understand the impact of an unsustainable operation in more realistic ways than our peers from different business schools. Through the Social innovation program we have worked with the community and made a difference in a few lives. It has made us realize the importance of one, and how big changes can happen because of the power of one.
When the going gets tough, the tough get going. It is my sincere belief that for a developing country to grow into a stronger nation tomorrow, people with grit, integrity and character are required at every stage of nation building. I believe that SOIL is one such step in building leaders of tomorrow who have unshakable character, who understand the difference between right and wrong, who will think about others before themselves and who have the strength to swim against the tide. This is what is taught and practiced at SOIL. This is what, today and tomorrow, will differentiate us from the rest.
References:
1. IIM Indore Placement report:
http://www.iimidr.ac.in/iimi/media/pdf/2011%20PlacementReport.pdf2. MDI Gurgaon Placement report:
http://www.mdi.ac.in/placement/profiles.asp?id=33. IMT class profile:
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