IIPM - ARTICLE AND PUBLICATION: August 2010

Saturday, August 28, 2010

IIPM New Delhi Live - Guest Lecture by Mr. Dhiraj K Sinha on "The market potential of Microinsurance in India" - IIPM Delhi

Mr. Dhiraj K Sinha, Senior Project Manager, Larive India, visited IIPM Delhi campus to deliver a lecture on “Microinsurance”. He explained the basic concept of Microinsurance and its potential in the low income group segment. He explained the various products that are covered in micro insurance. The biggest challenge according to him, is the delivery of microinsurance to the clients. Mr. Dhiraj focused on the four basic models that are followed for the delivery purpose and also explained the students about the advantages and disadvantages attached to each model. As the session ended each student had a better understanding of the subject and recognized the importance of microinsurance as a useful tool in economic development.

Friday, August 27, 2010

The IIPM Mega Event - IIPM & Hairloom present the Home Page Design Competition

Prizes - The lucky winner receives a stay for 2 people at Jim Corbett Riverside Resort for 2 nights and 2 days. Worth Rs 10,000/-

IIPM and Hairloom in association with G40 club at IIPM present - create your own homepage! - A one of its kind event. The event aims at identifying all the whiz kids who would add sparkle to their homepage emphasizing its uniqueness. So let those creative juices flow!

Rules and Regulations

1. The event is open for students pursuing graduation and post graduation in any stream

2. Participants would have to furnish their Name and College Name along with their entries

Step 1

Participants are required to create a homepage (in photoshop/ corel draw/ indesign) and submit their entries in the form of a jpeg image through an email to shagun.gupta@iipm.edu by 13th August 2010. Please ensure that the size of the file is not bigger than 5MB and is of dimension 800 X 600 pixels.

Step 2

The selected entries will then be posted on IIPM’s Facebook Page (http://www.facebook.com/iipmbschool) in an album named Website Design Contest - Shortlisted Entries http://bit.ly/ShortlistedEntries

Step 3

The design that receives the maximum number of likes by facebook users will be declared as the winner! The event closes on 17th August 2010.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

IIPM 4Ps Business & Marketing - Nutrivita PRESENTS 100 MARKETING BRAINS THAT MOVE AND SHAKE INDIA

Jnaneshwar Sen

VP – Marketing, Honda SIEL

Honda’s products are known for their quality and impeccable performance worldwide and the case in India is no different. Be it the City, Jazz or Civic, its products always have been received with open arms by the Indian consumers. But then, for a price sensitive country like India, it’s the automaker’s marketing strategy, which has played a critical role in its success. Moreover, this success has now laid the foundation for Honda’s aggressive plans for the country. Now the company expects its new small car to be launched in 2012 and priced below Jazz, to boost volumes of the automaker in the country.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
“We will change your outlook” - The Sunday Indian on B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED! A must read...
The Sunday Indian:-
B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED!
For Exclusive Footage by Sunday Indian Click Here

Outlook Magazine's B School Ranking Scam Exposed
Business Standard Exposes the Outlook Magazine Money Editor
Don't trust the Indian Media!

IIPM enters into media education
IIPM makes record 10,000 placements in five years
TSI exposes b school ranking scamsters Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Premchand Palety of C fore. - For Complete Sting Operation Video Click Here
Pioneer Exposes the fraud called Mahesh Sharma and Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Barbel Schwertfeger of mba-channel.com
IIPM: An intriguing story of growth and envy
Prof Arindam Chaudhuri of IIPM on MF HUSAIN‎

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

IIPM 4Ps Business & Marketing - Nutrivita PRESENTS 100 MARKETING BRAINS THAT MOVE AND SHAKE INDIA

Vijay Narayan

VP, Marketing & Communications, Havells India

I think the most memorable marketing moment for Havells India was the decision to increase our span in the marketing and advertising world in 2007. That year, we increased our marketing budget by 200%, which was quite a leap forward, as till then, we were not a big name as far as the list of media advertisers went. We chose the game of cricket as our main proposition and started advertising heavily via that mode. Havells had suddenly become a big name in the world of media buying, and this marketing initiative helped us greatly.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Nutrivita PRESENTS 100 MARKETING BRAINS THAT MOVE AND SHAKE INDIA

Manish Sharma

Head – Marketing (Consumer Electronics & Home Appliances), Panasonic India

Manish joined Panasonic India in March 2008, a turning point in his career. Today, he heads the marketing act for Panasonic consumer durables division. He has been instrumental in devising and implementing Panasonic’s marketing strategies for building brand values, channel penetration and sales growth. He has worked towards introducing India specific products. Also, he has been instrumental in celebrity and sports endorsements for Panasonic. After Ranbir Kapoor’s successful stint as the Viera brand ambassador, he managed to rope in Katrina Kaif as the face of Panasonic’s Home Appliances range. The latest feather in his cap has been Panasonic’s foray into sports, with Panasonic becoming the Official Electronics Partner for the Delhi Daredevils Team and also for the Indian National football team. He believes that the most defining marketing moment in his career came during first quarter of 2009, when he took over as Head of Marketing of Panasonic.

Monday, August 23, 2010

Nutrivita PRESENTS 100 MARKETING BRAINS THAT MOVE AND SHAKE INDIA

Ankush Arora

VP-Marketing, General Motors India

It was at a time when out parent company in the U.S. filed for bankruptcy and we in India started a campaign featuring our MD Karl Slym. However, we also carried out an after-sales service programme on a large scale in major cities. The camp wasn’t only focusing on giving the best service to the consumers but also on giving an overall pleasant experience to the user. In fact, the particular camp helped us retain our part of sales as it helped in generating a lot of good word-of-mouth advertising. I was very much astonished by the kind of response it got from the consumers.

Friday, August 20, 2010

“WE WILL HAVE MORE TIE-UPS IN 2010...”

Dr. Nalin Shinghal believes there is a need for more public-private partnerships in the industry

What are your plans for 2010?
This year definitely is an important one as on one hand, we have a religious festival like Kumbh Mela and on the other hand, we do have two important sports events happening in India; and then with the recession being finally over, more and more tourist are expected to come in and we do have big plans with this year. We are targeting all the segments from luxury to middle class customers and then from foreigners to Indians. We would also be rolling out several brands this year, with each of these brands targeted to different groups of audiences. Like we have the Bharat Darshan train, which focuses on pilgrimage; then we have value added trains; trains highlighting specific regions like Kerala, et al.

Last year, you tied up with Cox & Kings; how is that venture doing? Are you open to more such tie ups?
That venture is still on and this March, we would be rolling out a luxury train with Cox & Kings. We are open to more such tie ups as we believe that private and government tie ups are increasingly required in this industry. For instance, there are many places where the railway is present but to develop a good resort, we can tie up with some private players. In 2010, you would see more such tie ups.

What are the potential bottlenecks for Indian travel and tourism industry?
Infrastructure definitely remains the biggest challenge but I think the government is really taking care of it. I would rather say the challenge always remains in making tourism more affordable.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

WHAT’S BUZZING THE BUZZ?!

Be it handycams, mobile phones, laptops or the latest hot wheels, all of them created enough waves in the Indian market in the last fortnight.

Acer Liquid

Singing the right tune?:Acer has introduced one of the world’s first Qualcomm Snapdragon processor based and world’s first Android 1.6 high definition Smartphone which comes with the latest technology to give you a all new-mobile experience. This curvy stylish phone is available in three colours red, white and black. The phone offers a 3.5” WVGA LCD display, 5 MP camera, GPS, WiFi, and Bluetooth connectivity.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS:

Android OS
768 Mhz Qualcomm Processor
GPS
Weighs 135gm
Price: Rs.24,900

VOLVO S80

DRIVE YOUR STATUS: Volvo has launched a new diesel engine luxury car S80 in the Indian auto market. It has a twin-turbo 2.4 litre diesel engine, which gives 205 horsepower and also fulfills the Euro V norms. The exteriors and the interiors are impressive, which give an elegant and distinctive look to the car.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS:

205 Bhp Engine
420 nm Torque
Euro 5
Price: Rs.37 Lakhs (Ex. showroom Delhi)

Manish Wadhwani

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

CAN YOU HEAR ME?

As many as 16 players vying for the attention of consumers in a market, how can anyone get noticed? Ask Indian telecom service providers and they will tell you how…

Though there is a cost involved in this branding exercise, telecom players in the country are not leaving any stones unturned to ensure the maximum mileage for their respective brands! In fact, telecom service operators are taking up 60% of the prime time advertising spots (not to mention that each campaign that is rolled out by a service operator on an average requires Rs.20 crore) exactly the way the FMCG brands do or have done in the past. So, does that mean that there are lessons that the FMCG brands need to learn from their telecom counterparts or vice versa? Well according to Ashwin Varke, CD of Lowe, “for once FMCG players need to spend more to match the telecom counterparts”.

The same attitude has been reflected in the way these telcos are going for brand endorsers scouting and the price seems to be no barrier. While Airtel has always had more than one face to talk about its brand (Shah Rukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Shreyas Talpade, Vidya Ballan, Madhavan, Phew! The list goes on), Aircel has roped in ace cricketer M. S. Dhoni to communicate its message. “Aircel as a brand stands for values and simplicity and we find the same values are displayed by our ambassador as well,” says Gurdeep Singh, COO, Aircel. Even Virgin Mobile has got Ranbir Kapoor and Genelia D’Souza on board as its brand ambassadors. In fact, the latest buzz in the town is that Aamir Khan has been roped in as brand ambassador by Etisalat (a UAE based service provider that has just launched its services in India) for a whopping Rs.35 crore.

However, D. Ramakrishan, Head of Cartwheel (the agency that churns out creative for RCOM) differs in his approach as he says that, “Quite honestly, there is still a lot that telcos can learn from FMCG brands, given that they have been around for much longer and have been less flirty with communication and therefore are more focussed. What FMCG players can perhaps learn from telcos is probably how to inject more excitement and energy into their brands through innovation.”

Further, as this sector still continues to be in its infancy, with most operators harping about the hygiene factor like voice, it’s not difficult to talk about the benefits. “These challenges are very different from the ones that the FMCG sector would for instance face. Take for example washing powders. They earlier were talking about cleanliness, then they touched upon the fact that the clothes would not just be clean but also retain the colour and now they are talking about the anti-stain stuff in the form of Daag Acche hai,” adds Sagar. It’s probably this insight that was used by Aircel when they became a national brand from being a regional player. “There was a clear diktat from the company that we would not talk about voice at all and touch upon other things that mobile telephony has to offer and hence we started with talking about our pocket internet card,” says Gullu Sen, Vice Chairman, Dentsu India. Another important factor that telcos have now started to touch upon is the quality of service. As Manjit Singh, ED, MTNL puts it, “Brand is not created overnight. It’s the quality that makes the difference. Quality of service which you provide to the customer actually makes your a brand”.

Be that as it may be, but as far as differentiation is concerned, Indian telcos have certainly done a pretty good job with almost all brands having made a specific positioning in the mind of the end user. In fact today, one can certainly hear them all, loud and clear!

Surbhi Chawla

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

IT’S GOING TO BE A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

‘When times are good, you should advertise. When times are bad, you must advertise.’ Though some marketers were not swayed by the logic then, they have now realised that the fastest way to set things right is with a powerful dose of a great advertisement

An interesting billboard went up in Manhattan in New York a few days back. The advertisement showed Oracle President Charles Phillips posing with a lady named YaVaughnie Wilkins with a quote below the picture that read, “You are my soul mate forever.” The only problem was, Charles was the only person who knew not that he would be featuring in this ad; for it was Ms. Wilkins – with whom he had had an eight-year long affair – who had decided to make things public after he dumped her! She even put a website address on the billboard: charlesphillipsandyavaughniewilkins.com where, if you wanted, you could check out the couple’s snaps, letters and cards sent to each other! Be it an interesting advertisement, adultery or advertisement of adultery, if done well, they never ever fail to capture the attention of the world. Last year, a lot of companies lost faith in the power of a good advertisement; and due to very bad times, a lot were forced to cut down their advertising budgets. But the fact remains, even though advertising is the tip of the whole marketing iceberg, it’s a very important tip nevertheless. And everywhere, companies are once again putting back their faith in this medium of marketing. For like Ms. Wilkins, they realise – the fastest way to set things right is with a powerful dose of a great advertisement.

ADVERTISING – A MARKETER’S BEST FRIEND

Recession or no recession, all gurus preach that marketing budgets should not be cut. They could be channelised from one stream to the other. Sure, tough times demand decrease in advertisement frequency and increase in use of other marketing efforts like direct marketing, which give more immediate sales impact.

However, nothing builds brands stronger and faster than ‘correctly themed’ advertisements; and this year, a lot of companies are doing just that. Not surprising then, that most researches this year are suggesting an increase in the advertising expenditure by 15-20% in India.

One of the first to join the bandwagon is Naukri.com. Remember its Hari Sadu advertisement. He is back and Naukri says it’s OK to call your irritating bosses names, for jobs are back and you can now switch once again. So fear not and express yourself! The underlying message being bidding goodbye to recession. The ‘bad boss’ brings ‘good news’ this time. ‘Hope’ is the new mantra for attracting consumers this year. Federal Express has launched a new ad campaign this year for India, Brazil, Mexico, Japan and UK, showing the world the power of hope. Its new tagline for ads this year is ‘FedEx delivers to a changing world’. It shows how the economy is witnessing an upturn and FedEx, as always, is one they can depend on to stay in business and survive.

The world is a different place today. A whole lot has changed. New rules have been written, old ones rewritten, and to survive you need to change. After 125 years, Oscar Mayer (a division of Kraft Foods) has decided to come out with a new ad campaign, even if it meant pushing aside its most famous and till date highly popular ad jingles. It knows that what worked till last year probably won’t this year. The campaign this year has a new tagline, ‘It doesn’t get better than this’. The ads show cheerful scenes from suburban life… very warm, very comforting, suggesting that good times are just around the corner. This time around, the world needs a heavy dose of ‘hope’ and advertisers are working overtime to infuse some through their ‘happy, homely ads’.

Monday, August 16, 2010

THE GRAND PROMISE – SIX BRANDS IN 90 DAYS!

Budgets, sponsors, spending, marketing plans and all that the CWG 2010 calls for appears to be in safe hands... But still we ask – will brand India shine?

What is the total marketing budget that has been earmarked for CWG and what exactly are your plans for the same?
We will cumulatively proceed with the process. Budgeting is of course the first step. I am not quantifying the budget only internally as then there are the special Rs.60 crores which have been allocated for overseas promotion by the Ministry of Tourism. We think that the Incredible India branding along with the CWG is a tough approach but will be more effective. Secondly, from the marketing perspective of the CWG 2010, especially with the inflow of more than a lakh and a half tourists, we look at synergising the foreign exchange inflow with the other events of CII & FICCI alongwith the delegations by the respective Ministers of Trade & Commerce – India and the Minister of Foreign Affairs. So along with the association with industries, we are using this platform to market the CWG 2010.

But what is the overall opportunity available for associations of brands during the games?
There are a lot of opportunities especially in terms of construction, materials, hospitality, and equipment et al. The budget allocated for marketing is around Rs.700-800 crore, so the opportunity is big enough. Like one of the interesting sector with a huge opportunity is the temporary outfits sector, like tents, which is more than a Rs.100 crore opportunity.

How many brands have come on board till now to associate with CWG? Could you name them?
What has happened is that more tenders have been loaded on the sites and some of the major opportunities, the charge, the offerings are in the automated sectors – automobile, fuels, tyres. In terms of telecom, we still have the landline association (although MTNL is the cellphone partner!). Then for banking area, we have Central Bank of India on board, but still we are in dialogue with top four public sector insurance companies and some of the private sector companies as well.

We have seen your presence in Facebook, Twitter and on an outdoor medium. So, what are the other platforms which are you using for the promotion of the games?
We have our affiliation with FICCI, CII and Assocham alongwith a CWG club. So alongwith these trade associations, we are taking delegations to different countries. Along the Queens Baton relay, we talked to various associations over a period of 240 days associations. We are setting up trade shows and have already identified key areas and key cities where we would like to conduct road shows. We have also a local CWG association and we are also participating in the Ministry of Tourism’s Incredible India brand exercise, like the one which we used in South Africa recently. There is a tremendous history behind our relationship and we want to make it official in terms of leveraging it as an economic relationship.

Apart from hearing about Hero Honda’s association with CWG; we haven’t heard much about the association of MNCs (like Coke and Pepsi) with the games. What are the reasons for it?
A lot of international companies and brands have shown interest in associating with us. From Adidas to Reebok, we have all the biggies’ offers and some of them are now coming to close the offer in terms of partnerships and co-partnerships et al. I cannot mention their names as we are covered under the code of conduct in terms of secrecy, but, we have some top international brands vying for it. But one thing which has really overwhelmed us is the response that we have received through the Commonwealth Club of India. A lot of companies from UK, South Africa, Canada and Australia are coming to India under the umbrella of CWG, and are trying to partner with the Games through sponsorships programs which include both the cash elements as well as the other elements. So it’s always a good sponsorship package which we are trying to get. Over the next 90 days, you will see at least six international brands on board with us...

Saturday, August 14, 2010

“The equivalent of two Valdez spills is gushing into the Gulf, per week!”

John Hocevar, Oceans Campaign Director, Greenpeace USA, talks to B&E’s steven philip warner about the damage done and the consequences thereof of the most recent BP Oil spill holocaust

B&E: There has been a lot of talk, especially with Obama promising a lot with green technologies. But nothing has happened that can be called a sweeping influence to the fuel consuming masses. Are we there yet?
JH: President Obama has said that we need to end our addiction to oil, and to develop renewable energy sources like wind and solar. While this is a laudable goal, it is meaningless without action to back it up. Decisions are being made now which will have lasting impacts. But there are matters much more serious and threatening to consider using the thinking cap. For example, plans are still moving ahead to allow drilling in the Arctic in 2011. If we cannot even handle a spill in the Gulf of Mexico, where we are probably better prepared than anywhere else on earth, how can we deal with a spill in the remote, pristine waters of the Arctic, where the Coast Guard acknowledges they have no capacity to respond? Policies only make sense on ground. And if they are kept limited to just the coffee table, there is little that can help avert a second BP-like crisis or crises.

B&E: So what immediate step do you recommend to save the ecology?
JH: We need an immediate ban on offshore drilling, and we must improve the safety of and ultimately begin phasing out existing wells.

B&E: But do you think this will go well with the oil companies?
JH: Which right policy does? There will surely be objections.

B&E: You are quite known as a lover of ocean life. You must be keeping track of what the recent BP disaster has caused. How about an experience that you’d want to share?
JH : I was at Grand Isle, Louisiana, one of the growing number of places unlucky enough to win a “heavily oiled” classification on the government maps tracking the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. Despite BP’s efforts to keep it under wraps, we’re went there to document the impacts of the spill. Walking through Grand Isle State Park, we came across a tidal flat that was littered with tens of thousands of dead hermit crabs. It was a depressing scene, and took me all the way back to my first visit to the beach, over 35 years ago, when discovering hermit crabs at Rocky Neck State Park in Connecticut helped inspire a life-long love of the ocean. Now, I realise it can seem a little odd to wax poetically about hermit crabs when we’re talking about the biggest environmental disaster in North American history. Today, entire communities along the Gulf Coast are reeling, and many species – sea birds, turtles, and even a population of sperm whales – are being pushed to the brink of extinction. The problem is that it’s all connected. Hermit crabs are a bellwether for the health of the Gulf of Mexico. When the sediment fills up with oil, so do the shells of the hermit crabs, and they suffocate. So if all the hermit crabs on a beach die, it’s pretty safe to say that the entire top layer of sand is full of oil – and no longer able to sustain life other than bacteria. The true cost of oil really doesn’t end at the gaspump! We have to realise that.

Friday, August 13, 2010

Hayward’s wayward BP ways?

B&E’s Steven Philip Warner talks to various global oil & climate experts from the likes of Goldman Sachs, Credit Suisse, Standard & Poor’s, Argus Research, JBC Energy & Varda Group to find out what awaits BP’s fate? Will BP, which as recently as two months back was the second most valued oil major in the world, disappear?

He still does. And the main one comes in the name of the bill on the clean-up and litigation, which bears the potential to dent huge holes in BP’s pocket. After setting-up a relief fund of $20 billion, in cooperation with the Fed, many experts are forecasting future outflows that could create suicidal pressures on BP’s bottomlines. London-based Kim Fustier, Global Oil & Gas Analyst, Credit Suisse tells B&E, “These total to $28 billion, $35 billion and $49 billion post-tax respectively. We have cut the FY2010-11 EPS outlook for BP by 13% on average to reflect higher clean-up costs and a higher cost of debt. We have cut two quarters of dividends in the second and the third quarter.” BP also has total committed acquisitions amounting to $8.9 billion (as of mid-April 2010), which will further reduce heavily its surplus cash balances, which stood at $5.3 billion, as at the end of March 2010. There is some relief in the form of committed undrawn credit lines amounting to $5.25 billion, however, most of this will fructify only in late 2011 and 2013.

Till date, BP has spent $1.70 billion in the clean-up act; the liabilities are scheduled to touch $6.44 billion for 2010 and $7.08 billion for 2011 (estimates by Credit Suisse). At current oil price levels and debt-equity ratio of the company ($77 per barrel and 30.8% respectively, as on June 22, 2010), the company can afford to pay up anywhere between $6–$7 billion, without disturbing its balance sheet. In defense of BP’s financial competence, Michele della Vigna, Energy Analyst of Goldman Sachs tells B&E, “BP’s cash balances, operating cash flow generation, and bank lines should collectively be sufficient to meet liquidity needs. BP’s near-term financing needs are covered by committed bank lines of more than $10 billion, which would likely obviate the need for BP to turn to the capital markets at a time of stress.” Sounds like the BP ship is prepared for the next iceberg.

But clear and present hope for Hayward’s big oil ship is like spotting a Rolls Royce in Charlotte’s poor suburbs in Northern Carolina. If oil prices fall even slightly below the $70 billion mark, and if BP maintains its current debt-equity ratio, then it can pay up nothing more than $5 billion per year, without raising more capital. In that case, it will either have to opt for higher debt or equity dilution, and in the worst case – sale of assets.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Obama does a Putin with BP!

...and arm-twists BP with open threats – is this ethical, if not illegal?

In a sequence of events reminding one more of the mafiosi-like Putin administration, Obama and his White House staff – with Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel leading from the front – first hounded BP officials (read a detailed story on BP in our strategy section in this issue), then threatened them, and finally arm-twisted them to set up an escrow account of $20 billion for providing relief to the claims arising out of the BP oil spill.

There are many reasons why this particular case of money jostled out by Obama from BP is unethical and even illegal – despite the general public viewpoint – and one believes done purely for playing to the galleries for benefit at the hustings. Firstly, in the capitalist setup that the United States operates in, it is the insurance company (Jupiter Insurance Inc. in this case) that covers the spill that needs to be steamrolled by Obama and not BP. It doesn’t matter that Jupiter Insurance is more or less owned by BP; equity ownership always comes with zero additional liability – that is, BP cannot be legally asked to pay a penny more than its investment in Jupiter Insurance.

Secondly, if 11 people died in the BP spill, the 440,000 who die every year in the US due to tobacco use and the $200 billion this industry costs US every year are bigger reasons why Obama and Emanuel should be threatening the powerful cigarette manufacturers to pay much more than the total of $206 billion they have to pay over 25 years under the Master Settlement Agreement they brilliantly signed with 46 US states in 1998, when the Democrats were in power.

Is Obama doing that? Not at all. While the BP CEO Tony Hayward was chastised openly by Rahm Emanuel for attending a yacht race and publicly humiliated by Obama (who said his meetings with affected parties have educated him on “whose ass to kick”; and that he would have kicked out Hayward), Obama himself was playing golf at Andrews Air Base. And Putin? He was watching with amusement the Moscow court proceedings against oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Are you satisfied with the performance of your Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh? How would you rate his performance?

The economist seems to be going from strength to strength. The soft-spoken, mild-mannered Sikh gentleman has a picture-perfect clean image. Though perceived to be pro-reforms, he has maintained a balance between sweeping economic reforms and populist, pro-poor measures. Not the proverbial Indian politician, Dr. Singh keeps away from party matters as far as possible and concentrates on running the government. Having faced a lot of flak for his non-interference in the manner in which the Union agriculture ministry has handled the price rise issue, his government has been crucially undecisive about ways to tackle the growing Maoist influence. However, a weak Opposition has been God-sent for this man of few words.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Cooking-up new rules for the game!

The introduction of the word ‘career’ in the lives of women is swiftly redefining the virtues of a good relationship for today’s new-age couples…

“Shalabh was asked by his mom if the girl he had chosen for marriage would let go of her pursuit of happiness through lifework (read career) whenever needed, and he immediately replied in the affirmative to avoid further discussion,” recollects 30-year-old Priya Madaan when talking about the over-rated virtue or vice (depending on which school of thought one subscribes to) of women’s decisions regarding their work-life that gives them a high in life. Today’s women are caught between the traditional people, who are utterly disdainful of women who choose their careers over becoming the 24/7 homemaker and support system for the family even when there are no financial constraints, and the other more modern people, who are instead frowning upon the ladies giving up their work-life for the simple pleasures of life such as one’s marriage, motherhood or for simply managing the household.

25-year-old Shruti Bhatia, a recipient of the excellent performer award, quit her job at the mere confirmation of her eight-months-later wedding date. Unusual in the professionals’ world, the simple reasons, tells Shruti “of wishing to make a home, socialise more with old and new families and figure out a comfortable way of pursuing a career” invited surprise and criticism from those who for a decade or two have only epitomised the ‘perfectly juggling’ avatar of women.

But what Shruti did is somewhat closer to what 41-year-old Jennifer Wilkov and 42-year-old Kimberly Mylls, authors of a recent book, Boys Before Business: The Single Girl’s Guide to Having It All, suggest. Advising the wives (as well as the husbands) to ‘put themselves first, their relationship second, and their career last’ for having a lasting relationship, the authors feel that this way the women would actually perform better because of the love and comfort back home. So, according to the authors, staying late at work and cancelling a scheduled date with the spouse to stay behind the desk for longer are actions that must be avoided! Also, the advice usually given to men apply equally to career women – do not bring workplace problems back home with you!

While one may crib about the title of the book that anticipates how most often women are required to put the men first and not vice versa, there are a lot of privileges that women enjoy and men don’t complain about. For instance, several organisations in our country allow women comfortable work hours. “Lesser number of working hours for women is not a part of our mainstream Human Resource policies, but my team manager with the help of HR has revised my working hours to suit my responsibilities and priorities at home. This hasn’t affected my performance at all. In fact, I am more focused and grateful to my organisation because of this concession at work,” says 33-year-old Shweta Pandey (name changed) working in the sales division of a Telecom company.

Albeit all contentions and advises lead to ‘considering’ the relationship a top priority, what probably is worth introspecting is that nothing can slip off one’s priority list unless you actually don’t hold it there anymore!

Swati Hora

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
“We will change your outlook” - The Sunday Indian on B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED! A must read...
The Sunday Indian:-
B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED!
For Exclusive Footage by Sunday Indian Click Here

Outlook Magazine's B School Ranking Scam Exposed
Business Standard Exposes the Outlook Magazine Money Editor
Don't trust the Indian Media!

IIPM enters into media education
IIPM makes record 10,000 placements in five years
TSI exposes b school ranking scamsters Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Premchand Palety of C fore. - For Complete Sting Operation Video Click Here
Pioneer Exposes the fraud called Mahesh Sharma and Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Barbel Schwertfeger of mba-channel.com
IIPM: An intriguing story of growth and envy
Prof Arindam Chaudhuri of IIPM on MF HUSAIN‎