Being a real manager

Management study, popularly known as MBA, is the buzzword of the 21st-century educational system. A job after completion of an MBA is generally assumed to be a posh desk job with a lucrative package, excel sheets, power point presentations, laptops and conference rooms with modern-day amenities.
Terms like branding, strategy, rural marketing, five forces model and root cause analysis associated with an MBA course are not redundant.But, to apply them to a larger term called ''operations'' at the ground level needs to be tackled first.
"Unlike other studies, the first year as a ''management trainee'' in an organisation is not merely a dilemma of theory and practice. It is rather a matter of perception and reality, something missed out by ''budding managers'' and something left unsaid by the facilitators," says Kuntal Hansaria, management trainee at the Tata Teleservices Ltd.
Business schools do provide an attractive launching pad. But, success comes only through hard work and perseverance. Dean, Faculty of Management Studies, University of Delhi (DU), professor O P Chopra says, "Management students do get attractive job offers and salary packages. At the same time they have to work hard, be really competent and dedicated towards their job."
Chopra adds, "We give a very realistic picture to our students. For instance, we tell them about Hindustan Levers Limited, which makes its employees station in specific locations all over rural India, where no modern-day amenities are available. Similarly, in GE Capital, one may have to even share one''s desk and computer with others."
An MBA course gives an insight into the various functions of an organisation. It gives one an understanding of the basic jargons and frameworks related to a manager''s job.
The incharge, S P Jain Centre of Advanced Management Research, Faculty of Management Studies, DU, South Campus, professor Raj S Dhankar says, "Students have to earn their place in the organisation. One has to work hard and accept challenges to reach to the top."
Associate, CB Richard Ellis, South Asia Private Limited, Parul Trehan says, "Management is learnt on the job and not in the B-School. Moreover, we do need to do constant learning coupled with hard work."
Case studies are a common phenomenon at the campus to bring in the practical perspective in the MBA course. According to Kuntal, most of these projects were either ''in-house'' or internet-based or library-based, or based on secondary research taken from seniors.