B-school trends come and go, but one that seems to have legs is the creation of specialized MBA programs, particularly by second-tier schools. The schools find them useful for attracting students and cementing their brand identities at a time when competition among schools for the best students is intense. In recent years, they’ve becoming increasingly common (BusinessWeek.com, 7/19/07) even at high-profile schools. Haas School of Business at the University of California at Berkeley, Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan School of Management, and the Wharton School now offer specialized MBAs, majors, or dual degree programs in areas like real estate, sports management, biosciences, electronic commerce, and health care.

But is a specialized program always a good choice for an MBA student?

Not necessarily. While established programs have placement records on par with those of their general MBAs, many newer programs have not yet established the kind of recruiting relationships that guarantee students high-paying jobs at graduation. And graduates always run the risk of getting hamstrung by their specialties later in their careers, when an industry downturn forces them to look outside their specialties for opportunities.
Chart Your Own Path

Some who have gone through the specialized programs say they are best for those with a firm idea of their future goals, and who are keen to chart their own path. “I knew what I wanted to do,” said Carrie Stern Rathod, who received her MBA from Wisconsin’s Brand ‐ Product Management Center in 2005 and now works for Procter & Gamble (PG), which recruits regularly from the program. “There’s a range of people for whom this program is ideal. If you have an entrepreneurial bent but are not sure you’re ready to take the leap yet, the program might be right.” But, she added, “I think it would be tough if you wanted to go into consulting or something like that.”

For students who aren’t comfortable breaking away from the pack or seeking out professional contacts in unconventional ways, a specialized MBA might not be the best choice. This is especially true at less well-known schools, where big companies often don’t recruit. Students in these programs agree that making industry connections can require a lot of initiative from the student. “If you have a very specific company in mind, you might need to be a trailblazer in making relationships with those companies,” says Rathod.

More : businessweek.com

The Mortgage Banker’s Association (MBA) announced earlier this week that Jonathan L. Kemper, current President and CEO, will be stepping down on December 31, 2008. According to the same MBA statement, during Kempner’s seven years with the MBA, the association doubled its revenues and operating reserve fund.

“This has been an extremely intellectually stimulating and rewarding period in my professional life,” said Kempner. “Navigating the highs and lows of the real estate cycles, with a first rate leadership and wonderful membership, afforded me a rare opportunity to contribute to one of the most important industries in our society. I am very proud for the extraordinary staff I have helped assemble at MBA, as my colleagues’ dedication, intelligence, and expertise make a true difference in the overall quality of life for many Americans. MBA’s mission, I am convinced, will be enhanced with new leadership, and on a personal level I very much look forward to a new position of leadership myself after nearly eight wonderful years at MBA.”

Kieran P. Quinn, MBA Chairman of the Board of Directors had this to say of Kempner, “Jonathan has been an exceptional leader for MBA. He has led a major transformation in our operations, and put in place a first rate staff that is widely acknowledged to be one of the most effective in the Washington association world. He has poured his heart and soul into MBA with the highest degree of professionalism, integrity, and devotion to our members, and always with a personal warmth and sense of humor. The entire MBA family will miss him.”

Quinn also announced that John A. Courson, former MBA Chairman, will become their COO effective August 1, and will assume the position of President of MBA, effective January 1, 2009.

Quinn said that, “John Courson brings tremendous industry knowledge, business savvy, and political skills to MBA. John has worked tirelessly on behalf of our industry for more than 40 years. He has been an advocate ensuring safe and affordable housing for all Americans and for simplifying the mortgage process. We are lucky to have John join MBA and steer our association to represent the real estate finance industry as we continue to build America’s communities.”

Courson, who currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the California Housing Finance Agency, served as Chairman of MBA in 2003 and as a member of MBA’s Board of Directors, the Residential Board of Governors (RESBOG) and the Commercial Real Estate/Multifamily Finance Board of Governors (COMBOG).]

More : dsnews.com

Five post-graduate programme (PGP) students of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A) have set up a Private Equity (PE) and Venture Capital (VC) club to help students get hands-on experience by involving PE/VC players from India and abroad. Unlike finance clubs run by most B-schools in the country, this club exclusively focuses on PE and VC funding.

The lack of opportunities and experience in the PE and VC space led five students to set up the club called ‘Leverage’. With around 50 students interested in being members, the club will be a forum for students interested in all aspects of private equity and venture capital.

“We came up with an initial skeletal structure of the PE club by looking at institutes like Harvard and others from the Ivy League. But the end product has been entirely our idea of how a PE club should be. Although we prefer to call it an interest group for the time being, we plan to run a full-fledged club with more activities soon,” says Anirudh Singh, a member of the club.

“PE as an industry has boomed in India and we plan to invite speakers to the campus, hold conclaves, workshops and other events to provide a platform for the students and corporates to interact. Also, we are looking forward to hold intra-institute events, where the students can write an investment proposal and a panel of faculty members can judge them.

We have no restrictions when it comes to corporates as we would be involving both top- and middle-level players to encourage more and more activities in the field of PE and VC,” says Gagandeep Singh, another member of the club.

As part of formalising the club, the students are holding the first intra-institute event called the ‘Zen of Investing’, where the club plans to invite alumni working in the area of private equity, besides involving the faculty and students for the activity.

The club also has plans to tie-up with Post-Graduate Programme in Management for Executives (PGPX) students to getter a better perspective of private equity. “The PGPX students would be able to share their experiences about private equity and with their support, we plan to involve ourselves with the corporates in a deeper way through various activities, including projects and case workshops,” adds Anirudh Singh.

The club is in talks with a few corporates, who have shown interest in sponsoring the club.

“We are considering more options for funding besides the institute and the corporates we are in talks with. Currently, we are in the stage of gauging the responses from the people about the club,” says Anirudh Singh, before adding, “Although we have started out PE and VC, we may consider branching out to other areas like micro finance later.”

More : business-standard.com

Leading business process outsourcing (BPO) firm Genpact has roped in professors from the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Lucknow to give its employees lessons in management skills and improving productivity.

Through electronically enabled interactive sessions, workers at Genpact’s operation hubs in Delhi, Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Jaipur will learn the finer nuances of management, soft skills and strategic planning from senior professors of the business school.

This is an e-certificate programme in general management (e-CPGM) and there are 119 participants, most of whom have worked for one to three years.

“The objective of this programme is to develop managerial capabilities among people who are at the early stages of their career to enable them to effectively undertake managerial responsibilities,” said Ajay Singh, course director of IIM Lucknow.

The programme is divided into 12 modules. Keeping in mind the requirements of the industry, the modules are designed to create managerial and leadership competence among the professionals. There are 120 hours of e-enabled interactive sessions.

Singh said the programme was being run from IIM Lucknow’s Noida campus, which was being developed as a centre of excellence in the area of executive education.

The India headquartered Genpact operates service delivery centres in India, China, Hungary, Mexico, the Philippines, the Netherlands, Romania, Spain and the US.

Suryadatta Institution, Pune offers MBA courses to graduates, and professionals. Fresh graduates can pursue MBA through Suryadatta admission test (SAT).

Suryadatta Institute of Business Management and Technology (SIBMT) offers two years full time PGDM in Retail + FMCG, Telecom + IT and Services + IT Enabled Services.

Suryadatta Institute Of Management and Mass Communication (SIMMC), offers two years full time PGDM in Marketing + International Business (IB), Human Resource + International Business (IB), Finance + Marketing, Marketing + Information Technology (IT), International Business + Information Technology (IT).

Suryadatta Education Foundation’s Suryadatta institutes are offering management education since 2000. The contemporary education backed by industry training and overall development is the key factor of Suryadatta students who are trained in simulated environment and fine-tuned in accordance to the requirements of present corporate world, says a press note.

More : navhindtimes.com

American companies more and more the definition is for himself to play a more active role in shaping public policy, particularly in regard to policies which have a direct impact on U.S. companies. Kotler [12] is itself the mandate includes the strategic management of environmental management, and management of these controllable factors such as marketing mix, to this end, it occurs to implement the policy power and the formation of public opinion as extensions of the logic of modern marketing.

The development of the ability to influence public policy begins with a sensitivity to the emergence and dissemination of strategic issues. These issues are strategic, they are relevant to the objectives of the company or the company’s ability to give them [1], their sources and processes outside the organization, and its effects can be imposed by laws or regulations. As a proactive and influence public policy in a dynamic environment are likely to increase the chances for the design of a developing country public issue. But today, the complex and dynamic environment, proposes that the need for a systematic procedure that strategic problems can be identified earlier in their development and rapid responses that can be made [1]. In this paper, we motivations and the framework for society’s reaction, so that effective programs can be developed to influence the social environment.

Unless, an effort to intervene, he agrees that the level of development [2], a strategic problem can be codified in law or an impact on government vis-à-vis a company. An example of an intervention is that the operator of Indianapolis mine, has opted to work with national legislators when drafting the bands mining legislation, the result was the creation of a better informed and fair the resolution of conflicts inevitable environmental regulatory efforts of groups [19]. Another example is that of the tobacco industry, whose reaction and response when confronted with tobacco smoke and health of the controversy, including defensive maneuvers [15].

The Indian Institute of Travel and Tourism Management (IITM) provides a short duration of course, after which the candidates can be empanelled as a guide. Guide license has been granted both at the state and central level by the Department of Tourism. They hold examination according to their needs and advertise in leading newspapers. The test consists of Erlangen in general knowledge, history and culture, etc.. For further details contact directly to the tourism department of your choice.

In recent years, employment opportunities is increasing dramatically in this industry in the country. All travel services, including travel operators, travel agents, hoteliers, restaurateurs, adventure tourism and leisure providers, the manufacture and sale of craft items, etc.. require professionalism.

The Government of India Tourist Office and the Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management (IITTM), New Delhi, Gwalior and Kurukshetra University offer training tourist guides. These are short term (3-4 months) courses for graduates with a background in art / archaeology / history. Tourism and Travel Administration / Management Course is supported by several institutions, including DU, Delhi, Vikarm University, University Utakl, Sri Venkateswara University, Kurukshetra University, Garhwal University, Annamalai University, Lucknow University, SNDT Mumbai, and so on.

NOW that the IIMs have more or less ruled out a legal recourse against the HRD Ministry’s directive to impose a fee cut in their PGP (Post-Graduate Programmes) courses, the country’s premier business schools are busy considering various options to make up for this revenue loss.

“One of the options before us is to increase the number of Management Development Programmes (MDPs),” said Prof Prakash G. Apte, Director, Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore.

In an exclusive interview with Business Line today, he said that the board of governors would meet in the next four days. “IIM-Bangalore will work out its finances then. We have not yet received the break-up for the planned and non-planned grants.”

But would increasing the number of management development programmes not impose a huge load on the already over-burdened professors who are handling various PG courses, executive education programmes and consultancy assignments?

(IIM-Bangalore, for instance, has about 70 professors for 700 students (400 in the PGP, 300 in the PGP in Software Management and 40 PhD students) and this year, the institute has conducted about 45 MDPs.)

Prof Apte said that they might even consider reducing the number of offerings for the students so that more staff time is available for corporate training programmes.

On whether the institute would recruit more teachers, he said: “Yes, that would be one option,” but expressed doubt about finding the right kind of talent in the industry.

But this too would require Government permission. And what about additional funds for the salaries? With the cut in allocation in this year’s Interim Budget - from Rs 79.73 crore last year to Rs 45 crore in 2004-05 - the IIMs would have to tread this path carefully.

Meanwhile, the Government is also insisting that the IIMs increase intake of students.

This might be one way of boosting their revenues, but Prof Apte said: “We can take about 40 more students, provided we have the right infrastructure like hostel rooms, mess, etc.”

An extension of the knowledge base, more than anything else, strength of will of the Indian economy in the 21 century, as it is a conscious move to a central pillar of the knowledge of the nation’s Development planning.

This was the message that resonate in every conversation in recent weeks with companies and researchers throughout India.

At the opening of the annual summit of partnership, the Confederation of Indian Industry in Kolkata invited donors mid-January, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced a plan to establish a Commission of knowledge. His agenda specific to know, but Mr. Singh’s message was loud and clear: the time for Inde’s leap is here.

Economically, India is at its best post-war period. The currency reserves exceed $ 131 billion - sufficient funds for imports rose by nearly two years. And the knowledge base has been too long without continually expanded is a strength.

“Think big, bold feel about our country,” said Singh, his audience, mostly corporate India.

India is on the cutting edge of knowledge, not only before the command of the English language. The level of competence in English, without the benefits of knowledge in many areas, none other than the ability to work for low English Master.

It would not be a nation globally competitive. Japan launched its leap without much spoken English and second in the world of the economy. Thus, China.

India is now better placed than postwar Japan and China. His brain is enormous power and English is an official language by far across the country. The association represents the new generation of specialists in India with their Western counterparts in technological capacity, economy and ingenuity of each platform oratory is rare in developing countries.

It is this combination of brains and language, that India is the main meeting point for the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), otherwise known as information technology capable of services (IT-ES).

With this advantage, the Indians have the brain bank working more software, keeping accounts and Back-Office, functions for Western groups.

Today, American schoolchildren Santa Barbara after Michigan and Massachusetts are learning math and science online every day by the guardians to rest in places like Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu in the South India. The potential of this new service line is so great that “approximately U.S. $ 10 million-$ 12 million to the economy this year.

India, the assets in emerging countries tutoring, “said the president’s career launcher, Satya Narayanan, supra, was on January 16 at national level will be put into circulation daily, The Indian Express, mental strength is its superior in comparison with competitors like the Philippines, Singapore and one in Asia - Pacific countries.

Launcher is a career 10 Online brain, that school in Massachusetts, USA. There is also some 20 years, earns $ 350 per month for a pocket money tutoring online and USA children, as tutors say that the Americans in their own curriculum is never difficult, because “we Indians are intellectually superior.”

These allegations prahlerisch it may seem. But how is beyond try to study, many American and European certificate India brain power by one against competitors in the allocation of work in India demand for high intellectual performance for the recruitment of graduates of Indian universities learning.

“The best of India is comparable to the best in the world,” says Dr. G. Prakash Apte, director of the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB), it was found that 200 super-brain of each year.

The support of this thesis, Pawan Kumar, a graduate of the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, is now President and Chief Executive Officer of software developer VMoksha Technologies, said that in the years 1980, software, state - US field and was a “person outside India, India was thought likely to produce software.”

We now but the situation has changed, America and the world are in India hit the doors of orders. This country deserves $ 12.5 billion last year, outsourcing services, with an increase of 16.5 billion dollars this year. In addition, Indian people overseas, many of them in key positions of jobs in global companies, pump $ 4 billion-$ 5 billion per year.

India brain Well, Mr. Kumar said, is reflected in the structure of the population and the number of graduates license and other specific qualifications Indian universities and institutes of higher learning.

More than 500 million Indians are under 25 years. About six million of them deserve a bachelor of science, economics or art each year and 400000 others deserve to graduate engineers. Nearly half of these graduates of engineering software specialization.

In addition, 1200 young men and women specializing in the areas of management and technology just over half a dozen institutes of engineering, technology and management, as IIMB, across the country.

There are signs indicating that the budget for increased spending on health, education, Mid-day meal, the use of state guarantee schemes and other emergency aid for the common people. This is a continuation of the policy over the past 50 years. He was the municipal development and the cooperative movement in the sixties, garibi hatao in the seventies and human development in the eighties. But the man in the situation has not changed much. This is because the Government is temperamentally proximity of the rich. Route Jawahar Rozgar Yojana place before sarpanch home. The house under Indira AWAS Yojana is built for his brother.

Health care medicines meant for primary health centre are sold on the black market. Thus, Rajiv Gandhi had said that only 15 paise out of a rupee sent from New Delhi reached the addressee. IMF, the first deputy director Anne Krueger warned, “The Indian government is a wide variety of subsidies for the poor, benefits non-poor, as many groups. These subsidies should be reviewed because they seek only to the growing budget deficit. ” There is no pressure inside the system, this would be money to versickern on small people. The government links, west Bengal, it has succeeded in building a pressure group of the Communist Party at the grassroots level. The failure of these systems is almost certain, in the absence of a portion of these frameworks. We need better opportunities to achieve the common man. The root of the problem lies in the nature of the market. We must make the free market, so that Indian companies to reach out globally, effectiveness and India in the world, No. 1 economic power. But the market follows the diktat of purchasing power is concentrated among the rich. There is no place for the common voice of men on the market. There is thus a contradiction between the two objectives that we have before us. The government wants uPA manage this contradiction by an increase in corporate and income tax such as the introduction of a process of education in the last budget. This approach is probably cancelled because only 15 paise of every rupee spent will probably reach the poor. In addition, taxes as the education process of our businesses are not competitive in the global marketplace. Sub-contracting provision of NGOs, the rate of delivery of 15 to 25 or even 50 paise, but companies still need to impose not made the world more competitive. How should we less interference in the market and, at the same time, support for sharing the man? Wild Horse Finance Minister should think otherwise. The market is like a wild horse. This may be the driver to his destination, if they can prove the reins. The Minister of Finance should be a tax system for enterprises to create jobs. It can do so by a reduction in tax rates of consumption labour intensive units. At present, our businesspeople prefer to avoid automatic that the problems of labour laws and trade union militancy. The intensity of the use of Indian industry is declining. The Minister of Finance could, for example, that a device pay wages and salaries of more than 40 per cent of its turnover will be entitled to 25 per cent reduction of excise duty. The businessman is offset, where the problems of employment of large numbers. In addition, lower rates of duty that can be imposed on sectors such as handlooms labour, agro-processing and garment manufacturing. On the reverse, capital-intensive industries, in a relationship of eating can be heavily taxed. The growth of bottles Soft-Drink industry has resulted in the closure of the street corner fruit juice manufacturers and providers of tenders coconuts. Textiles handlooms pressure are similar to those of large companies in the textile and discard the work of Weber. These offers should be heavily taxed to eat, so that work units can survive intense. The government in both policy areas. Establishment of an educational process leads to greater burden of taxation and entrepreneurs zerfrisst able to invest, vis-a-vis its foreign competitors. The introduction of higher excise duties on alcoholic beverages and major textile mills increased production costs and has the same effect. Both taxes have a negative impact on global competitiveness. But the introduction of an increase in excise is preferable, because this range to avoid leaks, tax and spend approach. Employment is generated, net of taxes to be collected and without the participation of sarpanch and the village-level workers. A similar policy must be implemented in regard to small industries. The Reserve Bank of India has a policy of 40 per cent of the credit should go to priority sectors. But the share of priority sectors, despite the continued decline in broadening the definition of this sector. The reason is that bank managers, earn profits from its branch. The Bank has contributed to huge administrative burden in managing large numbers of small accounts. There is a contradiction between two objectives, there is the director of the institution. On the one hand, he must show to win, on the other hand, he worked in the service sector priorities. Grand loans finance ministers have for the industry profitability on loans to SSIs. A tax of one per cent should be imposed on large loan and the amount spent on cross-subsidies to its branches, the SSIs credits to cover rising administrative costs. The branch loan on SSIs obtain grants and benefits. Such cross-subsidisation of taxing large SSIs is ready not to be confused with the fiscal subsidies such as life and fertilizers, general tax revenue. Like the government high rates of air conditioning to Class II, Class subsidize, it should tax similar to large borrowers and to subsidize small borrowers, without an increase in the average cost of credit in the economy . The high level of taxes on large units to do so, they are no longer competitive in the global economy. The India can not approve the machine flooded with fabric from abroad to the closure of the two Handwebstühlen and the local textile mill. This problem should be solved by a parallel increase in import duties. So, both imported and manufactured mechanically national substance is expensive in the domestic market and hence the handgewebten to survive. Consumers should be asked to bear the high cost of this substance as a taxpayer, for the generation of employment. Indeed, the tax burden as a whole must not go down when the government closed the welfare programs are in tandem and reduce taxes in proportion. The challenge is the budget is intended to ensure common prosperity of mankind, without resorting to government machinery. The market must be in the right direction, incentives for employment generation. The author is a former professor of economics, Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore.