Group Discussion to help reject students seeking admission to management institutes are just that. Even the cynics get convinced when you provide a argument about the 'need' for a way to pick a few from among many equals. Leave the top rung institutes, institutes are aplenty, and it is not like a IIT type situation for sure. This post is about how in a market that breathes the 'shortage' mindset, you can increase aspirational value by creating a fallacious shortage. Even after at least two decades have passed since shortages are a thing of the past, this mind set is available to sellers of every ware.
Management institutes conduct GD's for selection of students. Many of them conduct several rounds, I think the idea is simply to create an impression, very successfully that " what is difficult to get must be very good" and therefore the converse being considered true too. Thankfully IIM's have got rid of it, many good B schools need it to push students of the 'management quota' into regular merit lists required by managements or regulators, and students, whether in intellectual Bangalore or wise Patna, still swear by it and prepare for it!
Another possible myth is that Faculty are well trained to make objective assessments.
Can you apply this ploy to your product or service? Do you already do it? Let me know. I am sure many will rubbish this post...that is because they need to. Am eager to get brickbats as much as I am to get bouquets, only then can I grow
Though i enjoyed GD butI am not that great fan of Group Discussion.its a chaos around the table with everyone trying to get a piece of the decibel noice. I am not sure how the judge pick the right candidate from the group. How about having a candidate allowed to speak impromptu fo 3 mins on a abstract or currrent topics without him/her allowed to prepare. max of 1 min prepration....
ReplyDeletesir ,got a little confused. There was a potpourri of some controversial topics embedded in this. GD, management quota in MBA colleges which i suppose is the lifeline of a private MBA college.. :).... This lifeline is always used in 2nd rung college and not the premier insitute hopefully. Hence you can always some amoutn of crap in the middle and bottom institue. But you do get some solid yellow mental from these craps too :)
ReplyDeleteGD is only one element of the whole selection process. A scenario is created, and you get to see closely how candidates behave in a group..
ReplyDeleteSome of the second rung B schools have used it well to assess some disruptive traits in certain candidates which shows up. In some instances some of the candidates dont even open their mouth during the discussion.. In one of the selection panel I participated, the candidates were asked to write their impressions of the group discussion. The candidate who had kept quiet had let out an emotional outburst on how he gets bulldozed by others.. But this we found - was more an excuse but the basic handicap was communication.. which was seen in the personal interview as well.
The candidate worked himself out through the write up - we had asked everyone to write on their reflections of group discussion. ashok kumar
If GD is the only criteria for selecting Candidate / Employee then i would have accepted your views.
ReplyDeleteIn any selection process which is followed in india we have to clear Written test, few rounds of Interviews before we get selected.
In these type of scenarios GD is part of the process and its has its own importance as
1. It helps to find if the candidate is in sync with the group / Team.
2. If Candidate is able to stand up , get noticed in a group and have is views heard by the group / Team.
3. If candidate is comfortable with team play as its very important in present world.
4. If the candidate accepts the view of the group / Team or has his own unbiased views.