Army schooling for executives

The Army Institute of Management, Kolkata (AIMK) is gearing up to provide tailor-made courses to executives who have finished college a while ago but want to do additional courses to face the changing world scenario.

"A management student reaches a senior managerial position, but by that time management strategies would have changed so much that the need to upgrade to understand and compete with the changing scenario becomes mandatory," explained K K Choudhuri, director of Army Institute of Management at Kolkata (AIMK). Hence the need for executive or continuing education.

The institute's short-term courses were developed to give professionals exposure to new management strategies, acquiring knowledge wider in scope than what is covered in most university curricula, and refreshing knowledge learned in colleges years ago. This is ensured at AIMK through management development programmes (MDPs).

The programmes target executives in functions such as marketing, sales, business development, customer care, product and brand management and retail. Some programmes have been developed for managers in manufacturing, project engineering, real estate, finance and other service sectors.

The courses range from 2-3 days, 8 hours per day, with the batch size being 20-30. "The executives who usually avail these courses are almost always middle to senior professionals, or general managers of companies, sponsored by their respective companies," said Choudhuri.

The executive education programmes at AIMK combine lectures, multimedia supported presentations, case studies and panel discussions, with course fees between Rs 4,000 and Rs 7,000.

Around 60 per cent of the teachers comprised AIMK faculty. and the balance 40 per cent senior-level professionals from companies.

Companies which in the last 6 months had sponsored professionals for AIMK courses included NTPC, NICCO, Tyre Corporation, Indian Explosives, Sky Tech Solutions, MSTC, ONGC, Jaya Shree Textiles, UBI, SAIL, CESC, WBSEB, National Insurance Co Ltd, Tata Refractories Ltd, BSNL, BPCL, Uco Bank, ITC Sonar Bangla, OFB, Syndicate Bank, ITC, SAIL, Allahabad Bank and Oriental Insurance. AIMK also conducted executive education at company campuses.

In December 2006, AIMK conducted in-company courses for ONGC and Mumbai Port Trust. "In February this year, AIMK will conduct soft skills courses," said Choudhuri.

"Soft skills have become important and a level-playing filed has emerged as technology is no longer a constraint. Soft skills make for managerial effectiveness and lead to enhanced business."