Employing Local Systemic Intervention for Evolving a Transformational Organization Strategy-Action Research in an Indian Business School

Abstract

A recent survey discloses 93% of graduating management students from Indian business schools are unemployable. Several business schools have closed due to their chronic non-viability. This action research study in an Indian business school employs local systemic intervention, and the viable systems model to diagnose the school’s chronic pathology. Theories of neurotic organizations, psychic prisons, and escalation of commitment guide the critical review mode and help in acquiring a deeper understanding of the school’s dysfunctionality. The liberating systems theory and the challenge of getting national accreditation influence the problem-solving mode that includes initiating actions for operationalizing a ritualistic vision statement, re-designing academic processes aligned to the vision, making a shift from an ineffective commoditized approach to a personalized strengths-based approach to placement, and professionalizing the admissions process by making it competency-based. In the critical reflection mode, I share phenomenological insights on nuances of successful entrepreneurship, the disloyalty of loyalists, the syndrome of “operation successful, but the patient died”, the coupling of time with the principle of equifinality to influence decision choices, leadership’s confusion with populism and finally drawing a few key messages from the Indian sacred text of the Bhagavadgita. The significance of the study lies in providing a proof of concept for transforming a business school from non-visible to a viable system and in the transportability of the approach to other non-viable business schools and organizations across industries and geographies. The study provides a solution to the huge social costs associated with the unemployability of graduating management students.