Management Activities Planfor 2021-2022 Academic Year

The planning of conducting co-curricular as well as management activities in the department for 2010-11 academic year is not a complete restructuring of the process which is following in the department over a period of more than one decade, but it is an extension of the continuous effort of taking the students away from a typical, large and routine class room environment and hence the students have too active role in their learning. This keeps students more responsible for their education and potentially engages them more profoundly and more deeply.

Hence, the faculty of Department of Management Studies, MRPG Collegehas overwhelmingly identified some changes in the conduct of management subject related activities especially forthe MBA Program.The new model of conducting the managementactivities in the department are in anticipation of achieving the long-term objectives of creating a high-touch, customized program, with a significant faculty-student interaction. In result of such enormous advantages gained from theactivitiesconducted in the department, the placement component will challenge every student performance to his or her fullest capability.

All the ideas in conducting the management activities are only aiming at creating more engaging experience for students.To be sure, the fundamental functional areas of management such as marketing, finance, HR and other strategic management applications are still essential to follow in the organization of management activities. The planning of organizing the customized programme for MBA students will capitalizes on the Department's strategic choice to remain simple and easy that makes students think about what is necessary for good management and also for improving good decision making skills.

The objective of planning to conduct various management activities does include:

1. To prepare a new menu of management activities designed to challenge every student regardless of previous experience,
2. To constitute student organized clubs and associations that lets each student work closely with one faculty member who will help guide the student’sin selection and organizing of management activities,
3. To enrich the component of every student’s view of global experience through conducting group discussions on various Issues related to Industries and their business performances and
4. To expand academic focus on developing the leadership and decision makingskills of the students.

In addition to the above mentioned objectives, the MBA students also take a series of one-and two-week class room seminars, working closely with a faculty member to build deep knowledge in a variety of leading-edge management topics. Students can also actively take part in critical analytical thinking while the case study discussions are held in the class rooms.Hence, both students and faculty consistently describe seminars and case study discussions as among their most valuable classroom experiences.

To fulfill the objectives all the management activities are categorized into four broad sections.

Section 1	:	Management Activities
Section 2	:	Student Management Clubs
Section 3	:	Group Discussion
Section 4	:	Decision Making Exercises and Leadership Skill Development

Section 1: Management Activities

Classroom teaching is one of the methods that are widely used to expose candidates to various theories and concepts of management. Classroom teaching is more of preaching and no practice. So this method is less preferred by the people who are interested in having more practical approach to learning. Though classroom learning is important and cannot be neglected practicing management concepts is very much important than studying from books. It is vital that students are given practical feel of theories that they have studied. Various techniques and pedagogy is adopted in various management schools that makes help candidate have more practical approach to what he is going to encounter in the corporate world. Hence the objective of this section is to impart management skills in the students with the help of conducting the management activities.
The management activities to be conducted are listed below:

1. Industry/Competition Analysis
2. Case Study Analysis
3. Management games
4. Subject Seminars
5. Workshops

1. Industry and Competition Analysis
   Several key factors must be considered to analyze the industry:
   
   1. General Information

      Geographic Area	:	Whether Local, regional, statewide, national, International Company.	:	Performance and Counselling
      Industry	:	Size, trends, outlook.	:	Compensation and Welfare Management
      Product/Brand	:	Nature and Competition	:	Industrial Sociology
      Buyers	:	Target customers	:	Labour Legislations
      About Company	:	Identify and research most successful Businesses	:	Human Resource Planning
      Regulatory Environment

   2. Industry Overview
      Include:
      • A brief history
      • Factors that affect growth
      • Government regulations
      • Leading businesses in the industry
      • Estimated size of the industry – Dollars? Products/Services sold?
      • Establish trends in sales over recent years
      • Determine current operational/management trends within the Industry.
      • What types of marketing strategies are prevalent within the industry?
      • Is the industry seasonal?
      • Is the industry sensitive to economic fluctuations?
      In addition to the above it is needed to analyze the Industry Developments, News, Innovations, and Government Regulations.
   3. Consumer Market Data
      Include: Demographics:Population/household size, median income, age, sex,race, familystatus, housing status, etc. Psychographics: Lifestyle information, tastes, preferences, and buying habits
   4. Competitor Information
      Include:
      • Who are the major businesses in the industry?
      • Where are they located?
      • How long have they been in business?
      • What is their market share?
2. Case Study Analysis
   Case studies are widely used tool to learn management concepts. Case studies can be hypothetical identifying a problem that is faced by the company or an organization or it can be real case studies that have happened in the industry or corporate. These case studies highlight a problem that a company encountered and seeks feasible solution to the problem. Case studies assist in developing a candidates’ reasoning, logical and analytical ability. It is one of the good learning tools that helps develop a candidate in all spheres of analytical capability.
   The common practice could be adopted in case study analysis will be done in four stages:

   Stage 1	:	Identification of Facts in the Case.
   Stage 2	:	Defining the Problem related to the Case,
   Stage 3	:	Finding Solution to the Problem
   Stage 4	:	Scope for Further Discussions

3. Management Games
   Students involve in some of the traditional techniques commonly used in several management schools to learn various management concepts. But rendering knowledge through management games could be an alternative to traditional learning and teaching methodologies, which in turn may be more acceptable to candidates and the instructors alike.
   Though Management games could be identical to simulation techniques, in management games candidates are confronted with a business situation where they are asked to strategically think and come up with a viable and feasible solution which, fosters the decision making process, planning ability, team work, time management, leadership qualities of a candidate and gives first hand experience to the situations occurring daily in the corporate world that in turn boosts the confidence of candidates.
   Why Management Games?
   Management Games are important and helps students orient themselves to various aspects of management like planning, co-ordination and controlling. If students are made to learn the management concepts with the help of some games and play, it becomes learning with fun and becomes easy for a candidate to understand management concepts.
   Advantages of Management games:
   When a student has played game the concepts that are learnt are inscribed in a better fashion than what is learnt in the class as the candidate has practical experience of the concept. At the end of the play or game a candidate may be asked what management concepts he has learnt from the game. Properly designed games help to improve thinking habits, analytical, logical and reasoning capabilities, importance of team work, time management, communication and leadership capabilities. Use of management games can encourage novel, innovative mechanisms for coping with stress.
   Further, management games orient a student with practical applicability of the subject. Rather teaching about concepts from the books, which sometimes may be difficult for a candidate to understand, these games help to appreciate management concepts in a practical way. So that in case if such situation arises in future where a candidate is working in the organization, if the technique to apply practical skills of management is learnt, it becomes easier to cope up with such situations and find acceptable solutions. For management students these games help to develop his imagination while playing, tests the understanding the concepts studies and gives insight to what corrective actions are required and provides with areas of improvement.
4. Subject Seminars
   Now a day everything is getting advanced every second of time. Everyday starts with something new. Whatever be the field, everything is getting advanced. Lots of researches and studies are carried out various subjects around the world. These updates on various fields cannot be included in the student curriculum. The students have to always keep their eyes on what new things are arriving day by day.This is where the seminars are of great importance.
   Seminars are capable of keeping the students updated with the recent trends. Seminars provide latest information about the things which are happening in management practices. Students cannot improve their knowledge from textbooks alone. They must be take part in various seminars on latest topics. Inviting eminent personalities who have achieved some feat in management related areas to take some seminars for the students greatly help them interact with present and ongoing advancements in the management fields.
   Conducting seminars among students is also a good habit. This would help them to get more information on the particular seminar topic. Seminars also help them to convey their own ideas to their friends and teachers. They will start thinking about new things which they think could be implemented practically. Through conducting seminars they can make others understand what is their idea is all about. Another way of properly utilizing the advantages of seminar is to give the students a chance to take seminar on their subject topics.
   Making students take seminars on the subject topics would always help them more to understand the subject. This would give them a chance to collect more information about the seminar topic they are provided with. The result is that they would learn the subject well. There are also many advantages apart from acquiring knowledge. By taking seminars in front of their teachers and friends, the students will be able to talk before a crowd later in their life without any difficulty (removal of stage feeling). Also they can learn their mistakes and can improve their seminar presentation skills. It is actually a great chance for the students to improve their skills within their curriculum.
   Through seminars students can improve their language. By taking seminars they will become very able to interact with the people which will turn out to be useful in their later life. Conducting the seminars in a proper and better way so that the students can interact in that, it will be the best and the most effective way to study.
5. Team Building Workshops
   A Team Building Workshop usually comprises of a range of activities which demands equal participation of all the group members. This is in the belief that, these activities can help each of the group members know and bond with each other properly. Such workshops are known to accelerate the team spirit, mutual trust, respect, good coordination and finally a high performance delivery.
   In group activities, a team comprises of diverse group of people, with an objective of accomplishing a set task with each and every members of the group synchronized to deliver efforts from their end. And this synchronization is about the group dynamics which is a pre-requisite element for any team to really work and prove effective. There are numerous impediments for a team to build up. A group of person, without having defined a clear organizational goal, may take longer time to actually start delivering it. But, a properly built team can accelerate the natural process of working along together, with clear goals right from the start.
   Team building workshop serves as a platform for the group members to understand the importance of working together. These workshops employ a variety of tools and techniques which adds to the knowledge of all the team members so that they can use the resources provided to them, effectively and intelligently. Another important aspect a person can inculcate from such workshops is to efficiently convert the ideas and enthusiasm into inspiration and delivery.

Section 2: Student Management Clubs

The students are formed into three different clubs and having the formal membership registration of the respective clubs. Three clubs are identified for making the students associated with the club membership. The following are the three clubs formed by the students:

1. Marketing Club
2. Finance Club
3. Finance Club

1. Marketing Club
   The club strives to learn about trends, terminology and processes applicable to the general marketing environment. Through understanding market, student will gain immense exposure to the marketing industry and learn how to better prepare for future challenges.
   Activities include:
   1. Company Market Trend Analysis
   2. Market Survey& Competition Analysis
   3. Launch of Products and Services
   4. Brand Management Practices
   5. Brand Equity Exercises
2. Finance Club
   Finance club is to inform the recent changes and developments taken place in the areas related to various financial markets. The club has to assess the impact of dynamics taken place in the areas of finance on various businesses and industry.
   Activities include:
   1. Analysis of Financial Markets (National & International)
   2. Trend in Investment Portfolio
   3. Financial Product Innovations
   4. FundsPerformance in Stock Exchanges
   5. Budgeting and Accounting Procedures of Company
3. Human Resource (HR) Club
   The HR club provides its members a forum to explore and learn about various aspects of the Human Resources Management. The club's mission is to provide a platform to discuss the skills and performances of human resources in the organizations across the world.
   Activities Include:
   1. Analysis of Human Resource Management Trends (Recruitment, Selection, Training and Development)
   2. Compensation and Welfare Administration
   3. Management of Industrial Relations
   4. Evaluation of Performance Appraisal System
   5. Industry Institution Interaction and Sharing of Knowledge

   Section 3: Group Discussion

   Group discussion helps to identify an issue and helps candidates learn and augment their communication, logical, reasoning and convincing abilities. This exercises brings to the fore the capabilities a candidate posses and also points out the area of improvement for a candidate. It helps to improve planning abilities of a candidate. Further it also helps to enhance listening skills and instills a feeling of team work among the candidates. This exercise also brings to the certain traits such as facilitator, communicator, moderator etc.

   The Process of Group Discussion:

   The Group-Discussion (GD) is a process in which all candidates are divided in to groups of 8 – 10 candidates each and every group is assigned a specific topic to discuss. The group of candidates carries the entire discussion forward on its own, and the supervising Panel neither intervenes nor participates in the discussion. The GD is left to evolve itself while the Panel observes and assesses the performance/ attributes all the candidates from a distance.

   The candidates display their knowledge, viewpoints and exchange ideas on the given subject matter among themselves. This happens in a dynamic situation in which every candidate wants a time period of 15 Minutes or so. The medium of the GD almost, always, is English. For identification, either the candidates wear chest numbers or their nameplates are displayed in front in a semicircular formation

   The topics of discussion will create the nature of environment for discussions. The topics may be either any of the following categories.

   1. Abstract Topics
   2. Current Topics
   3. Argumentative Topics
   4. Open Discussion Topics

   Section 4: Decision Making Exercises and Leadership Skill Development

   Through this section, students can becomemore actively engaged in the classroom and can learn to work successfully in groups to addresscomplex problems. Moreover, students can extend their learning beyond the classroom as they applytheir decision skills to real-world problems. Without a doubt, decision skills can be introducedsuccessfully in a broad range of classroom settings, a fact which lies at the heart of our hope forstudents to become active and creative decision makers.

   
   Key Decision-Making Exercise Activities
   • Establishing the decision context
   • Identifying values
   • Understanding uncertainty
   • Quality of information
   • Creating alternatives