Has The Global Slowdown Affected The Growth Potential For Indian MBAs?



The global economic order has been shuffling cards faster than the speed of light making job opportunities fluctuate in different countries. Situations are changing with each new set of incoming government data. So now, in such a situation how does an MBA having procured his degree from abroad, deal with the slowdown that is gripping the developed countries like the United States of America (USA) and even the United Kingdom? There are a certain things that the student must study in order to decide whether working there after the MBA makes sense. MBAupdates has researched some basic factors that must be used as parameters to decide your stance on working abroad after the MBA.

Economies and Finance

If you have done your MBA from USA or are even planning to do so, make sure to keep in mind that the US government is now promoting the smallest of the jobs to the American citizens vis-a-vis the earlier tendency of employing brilliant minded Indians. At the same time the salaries are now slightly lower than earlier as the employers are not only cutting costs but also taking advantage of the fact that the unemployment rate which is compelling people to take up any job rather than concentrate and bicker for salaries. UK has come out with a new rule that does not allow a non-resident, non-native to work beyond 2 years after their post graduate degree. This demands the student to come back to India to look for a job. Thus, rather than wasting time, coming back to your home country makes more sense; it is the opportunity cost that one must calculate.

Your Own Finance

Do remember that if you want to settle in India, it is recommended to pursue an MBA from India and if you really desire to settle abroad then a MBA from the same land makes more sense.
Reality Check: MBA in India will cost you around Rs 5-20 lakhs while abroad it will cost you anything between 15-20 lakhs or even more depending upon your institute and other aspects like the living costs. This makes it difficult for an India to work abroad especially if they have an MBA from India. Indian MBAs see more and faster growth in Indian than abroad. If you have a loan to pay then always work in the country where you have fetched your MBA from as this offers the best job deal. However, amidst the slowdown you will need to check for the job offer you get and the scope it has for growth. Running a basic cost-benefit analysis will help you assess your situation.

These are the two main factors one must study; the results will be subjective in nature they are based on the person financial background, the loan scene if any and their willingness to settle in the home country or abroad. However, few years back the time was good where student did not have to think about these factors but now when the job preferences in countries are under flux, that calls for assessing your own situation and position first is highly recommended by the MBAupdates.

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Do BA and B.Com Students Make Good MBAs?



Nowadays, the question haunting most students at a very early age is the whether their chosen stream, be it arts, commerce or science will facilitate their final goal of an MBA. However, MBAupdates suggests and requests the students to decide what they really want? However, if their ultimate goal is not a managerial degree then reading this article is futile. But, yes, if you desire to see yourself seated high up on the complex corporate ladder then read on to find out whether a BA, B.Com or B.Sc. will hinder your path to a successful MBA.
Training
If there is any difference between a student of any standard Bachelors degree and a Bachelors in Management student, then it is the training, the drilling exercises, the inherent mode of doing something relevant for very long. Conventional degree students lack the essential training at the earlier years when the mind is more receptive to picking things. Management students at Bachelors level function the same way as real MBA students but at a lower degree, a notch below them.
Time and Effort
Vis-a-Vis, a conventional degree holder who is used to a lesser hours and efforts in their degree course a management student at undergraduate levels is used to more painstaking effort and mostly undergo a credit based course, with interactive presentation, and more frequent industrial visit totalling contrasting the exposure that each gets. Standard degrees employ lower hours at study as compared to a management student at the same level of education making the management student more capable of taking pressure in the MBA coursework and at work in the future too.
Experience
Alas! Finally the main caveat of practical experience and relevant work exposure makes the management learner take the cake away from the degree holder.
  • They learn to interact at a different level as they do real time projects on the subjects like research methodology.
  • Irrespective to which field they are from during junior college they still have to do essential subjects like Account, Mathematics and Statistics irrespective to their tastes and liking for the subject.
  • Their internships and small time work experiences add value to their existing undergraduate level resume.
  • They deal to learn with people and work with groups of people at an earlier age increasing their power to adapt to changing situations and probably adapt to different work environments in the future.
  • The experience is directly proportional to the number of years dedicated at management level study.
MBAupdates concludes on an affirmative note that the standard or the conventional degree holders like B.A, B.Com or even B.Sc. lack the edge in general. However, MBAupdates strongly clarifies its stand that the aforementioned conclusions are drawn only on the basis of the comparison of the course frameworks and has personal abilities and capabilities of the students are not taken into consideration.

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Top 5 Must-Read Books For MBA Students in India



A real MBA is an all-rounder, an aspiring student in his times, popular in college and a leader at work. How does this happen? Does it merely happen by attending a good reputed and ranked business school? No, it happens by gaining knowledge and hearing out other people’s experiences. Not often do we know people of relevance whose experiences we can learn from. But, don’t forget we have books where innumerable applicable and real-life experiences offer abundant knowledge at hardly any cost. Use this to aid you to become the real MBA you desire to be. MBAupdates encourages you to read the following books from Indian management scene.

World Class in India: A Casebook of Companies in Transformation, Gita Piramal

This Penguin India book is a must-have, as it supports the case for corporate India to make necessary changes and amendments in context of the global scenario. It talks about the managers of the now big corporate and their resistance to changes that could have cost fortunes. It is a well-researched book diving into various industries and sub sections attempting to understand the psyche of the corporate Indian leaders.

Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid, C.K. Prahalad

This book by the reputed management Guru C.K. Prahalad offers some great insight into how the developing countries, like the BRIC nations are actually offering more poor population to make great markets out off. The story of the new market begins form the bottom of the pyramid than the top cream section. This is a book with different perspective that will set you thinking.

Count Your Chickens before They Hatch, Arindam Choudhary

This book explores the different angles making it an encompassing read for an MBA. It starts with the need of the hour in terms of managers and human labour, comparatively analysed by the industry specific experts who possess these qualities along with the psychology of the leader unfolded in each page. This book is a great read to understand the Indian business manager.

Winning StrategiesShiv Khera

Winning Strategies edges more towards personal development. It teaches the correct attitude 
that business leaders should have, inter personal skills they should develop, how they should set their goal and how strategies are made based on the personal abilities assessed by an individual. This a definite read for all those suffering from taking that extra step forward due to the feeling of incapability and low self-esteem.

Sack the CEO, Jitendra Jain

This is humorous account fictionalised by the author who aims to talks about the different types of leaders, managers and bosses and how each should be dealt with. It unfolds a strategy, strategy worth lending your ears to.
These are some of the most resourceful chosen books after careful and relevant research by the MBAupdates team.

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Would the Increase in Women Managers Benefit the Nation?


Issues of the men and women have dominated debates since the beginning of mankind. Women were classified to be home makers and the child bearers whereas men were the bread winners, earning a living for their family for basic sustenance and life. Today, things have changed. In fact, MBAupdates thinks that the profile of men has more or less remained the same, but women have added more cookies to their already heavy baskets. Women can multi task, yes it is a fact, and this is exactly what has given them the edge over men when it comes to see-sawing between, home and work. This in fact is the biggest proof of women being better managers than men. Multi-tasking means increasing productivity in two spheres making them better contenders to help increase productivity in the nation, at large. Here are few reasons why MBAupdates gives away the trophy to the fairer sex MBA.
Flexibility Adding To Productivity
Women are known to be more flexible and probably that one reason why women leave their houses after marriage then men. Flexibility and the openness of the mind add more value to their productivity. Since birth, women know they have to handle both home and work and hence their thought processes are less restrictive in nature that attempt to navigate and find ways to reach the result faster and yes, the same result with any compromises MBA.
Women Are More Ethical
Women are known to be more ethical as their efficiency has more finesse than that of men. This is the reason why they do not really resort to unethical and illegal articles at work. Women are lesser corrupt than men by a whopping 40%. Women include more considerations than men do and hence the try to encompass most of the factors that would probably affect their final product even before a project has started lending them the ability to do tasks without any negative assistance.
Tolerance Levels
Women are more tolerant than men and are stronger at handling feeling of dejection, incompetence and failure. Men often take such adjectives on their ego resulting in a depressive state of mind incapable of adding more productivity to any official result at work or any other place. Higher tolerance levels help them deal with a range of diverse problems unlike men who have a lower threshold on tolerating nuances at work.
Women Are More Tactful
As women have the ability to think 360 degrees, they are more tactful while handling people, managing expectations, giving feedback that reflect as being more responsible. This makes top bosses trust women more than men. Women understand the finer elements and threads of relations and expectation based on the value system as they are multi-faceted by nature and profile.
Yes, thus employing more women at a macro country level will definitely help increase the productivity, efficiency through timely execution and a finer understanding of the scope of the work, as women understand expectations better.

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What Do B-Schools Look For In A Candidate While Selection?

 The pressing question of what do B-Schools really look for in a candidate for admission has a rather ambiguous answer. Each business school has its own criteria which undergoes changes each year. There are no criteria fixed by any university, private or public or none listed by the governmental decision-makers on education in the country. This puts prospective MBA desirous students in a fix, in a dilemma with no objective answer. MBAupdates has deciphered the intricacies and researched the opinion of many B-School ex-students and those currently in process of application and admission to boil down to the few indispensableand vital admission gaining criteria for selection by B-Schools.
Experience, Experience, Experience
No matter what people say experience is something that definitely adds oodles of value to your chances of getting chosen in your dream B-School. Having experience in your kitty completes the picture. MBAupdates research shows that having a minimum 2 years’ experience can be lucrative for an admission desiring MBA. Working as an intern or a management trainee reflects your ability to work, your motivation, and your determination about taking up the MBA seriously. Work experience before an MBA looks like a more organised and chalked out system than a one without it.
You scored!                                                                          
Getting a good CAT, CET, NMAT, XAT etc. score is not the ultimately test. MBAupdates estimates that a good qualifying score matters to an extent of 50%, nothing more or nothing less. There are a practically no colleges that take students based solely on the parameter of their score. Thus, beating the world in the common eligibility test is no real guarantee of you getting through the desired program and college. Of course, MBAupdates does not deny the importance of a good score. A good score is necessary but not a sufficient condition. A good score needs many props like experience and overwhelmingly impressive resume.
All-Rounder Resume
There is stark difference in actually being an all-rounder and having an all-rounder appeal for your resume. You resume needs to reflect the correct growth. The resume should show the responsibilities undertaken by you on an increasing trend. You involvement in Extracurriculars should show a rise of nearly 25%at each stage starting from the 10th standard, to graduation, other post-graduation if any and rounding off with a minimum two years of professional work experience. Building a great resume is tough job. However, do remember to highlight extracurriculars at along with each score you write.
Thus, as researched one can notice that none of the above mentioned selection criteria are independent of each other. One’s power is dependent on the others and hence irrespective of the presence each element should be present in your successful selection equation into preferred a B-school.

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Does Learning a Foreign Language Help MBAs


In an increasing universal work culture, where work is now become globally interconnected any additional skill that bridges the domestic and international gap in any way is more than welcome. What differs one country from another is the culture, the food, the work life but the most important point of difference is the language. English no more holds the roost for being the most spoken language in the world. Hence, there is a requirement for new languages.
Need for a Foreign Language
Log on to some offbeat job site or community website that shows freelance and part time job openings. You will see a lot of such jobs as translators and copy makers in certain specified languages. Markets have undergone evolution, the countries that used to communicate in English have been taking a backseat whereas the developing countries like China and the other BRIC nations are moving forward in business and enterprising requiring professional equipped to handle their native languages. Knowing the native language of a country helps bringing in the business, striking deals and closing negotiations of favourable terms. Hence, corporate and organizations prefer bilingual and multilingual mba professionals.
Important foreign languages for MBAs
From the detailed research and survey MBAupdates attempted it was observed that the languages in demand are Mandarin, Japanese and Spanish. These are the languages that are in demand. As the countries speaking these language are the countries taking a piece of the world with their development goals. You do not need to be great at reading or writing; just talking it fluently by learning through different ways can help you get the essential skills you need to know a new language.
How Does It Help MBAs
If you are an ambitious MBA looking for a good job opportunity abroad then here is a small but effective gateway. Learn a few, or even a single foreign language based on which country of the globe you intend to settle down it. First of all, if you have an additional skill of a foreign language, your resume looks more complete; secondly, the foreign language prefers you over the rest of interviewees, and thirdly, research shows language skills help basic post MBA salaries by nearly 15%-20%. The reason why this is considered an asset by employers is because languages are the keys to the hearts of many. Many a business deals and projects are one by making the client feeling more familiar, at home giving the MBA a new kind of business exposure! And this is best done with none other than the key to the client’s native languages.
Amidst the major, complex and detailed credit based MBA programs that students undergo, learning a new language is a rather relatively easier task, it is not too much of an investment and languages can be learnt effortlessly. Yes, learning a foreign language definitely helps MBAs. Talk a new tune, now! Do read the helpful tips and basics on language learning for MBAs complied by MBAupdates.

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Does Higher Education Reduce Crime?


In the equation of crime, crime itself is the dependent variable, which is dependent on 20% education and 80% subjective personal circumstances. Education mba alone cannot mitigate the effects of crimes. Yes, crime is partially dependent on education. India is a vast country, a country filled with educated and uneducated people, with an average low literacy rates. In the other side, you have the United States of America, which too has been witnessing a discernible incline in crime rates, but wait; doesn't USA have higher literacy rates? Then why is it that the crime rates are seeing an increase. So what really results in crime?

Taking the education factor into consideration it should be accepted that higher education, that is , higher the child goes into the education system lower is the likelihood of crime as the individual is develops a stronger civic sense,  desires to be a better citizen, learns about rules, regulations and punishment. At the same time the higher the student climbs the ladder of education, higher are his chances of earning a better salary and thus lower is the possibility of him not being able to satisfy any of his needs. If he has the means, his desires are satisfied and hence education does play a partial role. If it did play a full role in reducing crime then no one in developed countries would have committed crimes. Take for instance the hate crimes, along with the other uncontrolled shootings that happen. Most of the criminals are highly educated.

Circumstances, the individual external situation and internal feelings play a major role in influencing crime. Individual situations can be caused by any family, relationships, friends, community etc. Internal situations can be caused to due to medical or psychiatric conditions and other mental disorders. Statistics show crimes arise mainly out of the inability to get the basic necessities. In a slowing global economy, mba, job and money matter, and the incapability to get these spur the crime rates. In times like these the job satisfaction levels are very low which tend to create an uneasy feeling prompting illegal alternatives as the short best quick route to the desired goal. A very abstract thought playing on the mind, is the contribution of the minority community in crimes. Research and survey have shown that crimes within and amongst minority communities have seen a steady rise. This could throw light on a very clear relationship between the lacks of benefits, opportunities and decent lifestyle with the need to commit crimes to get the basics.

Culminating so brings us to a totally different solution. To reduce the crime the government must try increasing jobs in general and specially to the minority groups and communities. Educational seats are already provided via the quota system but additional benefits could help the population at large feel more equated and at peace. Nonetheless, the attitude and mentality of the people can be honed with effective training, ideas and correct moral education. Thus, criminal activities are caused not singularly due to the lack of education and neither can higher education reduce crime single-handedly.

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