“What do human values mean to me as a prospective professional in management?”

MBA students from over thirty B-Schools in the country pondered on this question, as they participated in a nation-wide essay writing competition organized by Spandan.

Spandan is a foundation promoting human values in management and society. It has been very active in the fields of work ethics and good management education since its founding in 2002.

Twelve of the participating sixty students were selected for the onsite final round; of these three were Amrita students enrolled at the School of Business, Amritapuri campus.

Parhiban, Bimal S. Kumar and Arjun Soman travelled to Delhi for the final presentations at the Indus Business Academy.

Bimal won the second prize in the nation-wide contest; Arjun was adjuded third.

The judges in the panel included professors from IIMs as well as delegates from industry.

“It was Prof. Vaidyanathan who encouraged us to participate. He mentored us every step of the way,” shared the winning students.

In his essay and subsequently his presentation, Bimal called for greater emphasis to be placed on values such as compassion, trustworthiness, sincerity and alertness. He highlighted the importance of knowing what is right, what is wrong, and in always choosing to do the right thing.

“These are the basic virtues that I believe in, being part of the value-based education system at Amrita,” he said.

“Successful organizations in history have been led by strong values, so also successful individuals. For sustainable development in business and professional life, as a prospective professional, I strongly believe that values play the most important role,” he added.

Arjun, who won the third prize, focused on the importance of reciprocal respect between a company and its employees, each giving their best to the other. Emphasizing that candidates should be hired for their values, he said that the company’s values should be clearly expressed and well respected.

“Companies really need to follow an incentive-based performance appraisal system to inculcate those values in their employees, and thereby create a good working environment. I would strive, as a manager, to put in place such a system within the sphere of my influence,” he noted.

All three students were happy to have the opportunity to travel to North India and participate.

“Overall, it was a truly wonderful experience! After the event, all of the judges, coordinators and participants came up to us and remarked that our presentations were very good and that they stood apart.”

“This was something we felt proud about. We were able to create an impact. We got a lot of guidance and support from our faculty members and friends. Amma’s blessings were with us.”

February 6, 2012
School of Business, Amritapuri