Tuesday, February 27, 2001
EVER SINCE India opted for liberalisation and globalisation, almost all the sectors have been witnessing an upsurge in consumption, increase in growth rates and in competition as well. The education sector is no exception. It is witnessing a boom. Parents are willing to spend more money on the education of their wards. The general awareness is high and parents are also equally demanding in aspects like quality of education, placement offered by these organisations, etc. The boom in the industrial sector (IT in particular) services sector, the entry of multinational companies and various other factors have contributed to a demand for educated and skilled personnel. It is only natural that the implications of these developments have resulted in the demand for education – quality education in particular. However, if one were to make an assessment of our educational organisations, we may realise that very few of them have fully geared themselves up to capitalise on this opportunity. In this modern dynamic world, nothing but change is permanent. It is ironical that academicians who preach (even on topics like how to manage the complexities of change) have seldom changed. Out dated syllabus, inability to attract quality personnel, lack of vision, and future-oriented outlook and mismanagement are the various causes for the sorry state of affairs.
One of the causes for this absence of dynamism in the places of learning could be lack of leadership. It is quite some time since we have heard of a charismatic, effective leader in the area of education who could make things happen. We hear about lectures, articles and discussions on the need for effective leadership in other areas. But we really have to scratch our heads to remind us of any discussion highlighting the need for effective leadership in the education sector. Many of our Vice-Chancellors in universities are faceless figures who occupy the office and retire from the chair, without making any kind of an impact. While we have heard of Narayana Murthy or Dhirubhai Ambani, seldom have we heard of a leader in the education field. Many of our universities are white elephants that spend huge amounts of money to maintain and employ their staff. For all the tax money spent on them, year after year, they only contribute to the number of unemployed, (many of whom are unemployable). The leaders at the helm of affairs of these organisations seldom have the time for introspection. Neither do they have the time for vision, strategy and planning. But, nevertheless, the atmosphere in these have become so bad that even a committed leader may have time only for administrative work. To duck politics and have a smooth sailing, is perhaps their greatest challenge.
How can I make my organisation survive and grow? What are the ways in which I can enhance the revenue of my organisation and help it become self sufficient? How do I provide the means for my staff to achieve these objectives? How can I help my staff develop their skills and align their personal goals with that of my organisation? How do I monitor their progress and assess their achievements? What do I do to improve my organisation’s performance? How do I become the No. 1 in my respective area? These are the questions the leader of any organisation should ask himself. Leadership in academics also shares its qualities with other types of leadership. An academic leader should be dynamic and outcome-focussed and concerned with change and development. His job is to manage the staff, give them the kind of support to enable staff learning. His job also includes directing the organisation and managing the complexities. Thus an academic leader has to be optimistic, vigilant, outward looking, dynamic, and committed.
Academicians should concern themselves with the future. They are the ones who create leaders to head the other sectors in our economy. Therefore, academic leaders should adopt a future- oriented outlook to enable their organisation excel and also to enable their students succeed in their life. To be forward- looking, a leader ought to closely monitor trends and changes in the external environment. Above all, it also involves challenging the assumptions and confronting the status quo. It means the willingness to change, to implement change. It also means the willingness to take risks. Finally it also involves preparing the staff for change and creating the right environment for change. To innovate, to instil the spirit of innovation in others, to enthuse others and make them work towards the future direction are the challenges an academic leader should unhesitatingly assume. To sum up, this involves the application of existing knowledge to new situations.
Academicians should also change their way of thinking. In India most academicians are cautious. They doubt and more often criticise and are pessimistic by nature. Academic leadership however demands optimism. It demands a clear vision – a picture of what you want your organisation to be in the future. A vision is an ideal, excellent image of your organisation which you wish to pursue. A vision, if actively pursued, has the power to both intellectually and emotionally charge the staff and the leader of the organisation. Negative visions focus on what needs to be avoided. Positive visions focus on dreams and beautiful dreams in particular. Visions not only capture the imagination, they also chalk out the path and direction of change.
Once the vision is chalked out, the next step involves evolving a strategy to achieve the objectives and goals and thereby ultimately fulfil the vision of the organisation. Strategic planning for an academic organistaion is also very similar to that of any other commercial organisation. It needs a dispassionate assessment of the strengths and weaknesses. This analysis has to be conducted both at the institutional and department level. The strengths and weaknesses have to be analysed in the light of the external threats and opportunities. The boom in the education sector can be perceived as an opportunity. The fall in demand for certain traditional courses like literature, economics and political science also needs to be considered. The boom in the IT sector and it’s implications for the educational sector in the long run and the short run is yet another factor. The entry of foreign universities in a very big way could become a major threat in the future. The attitudes of the students, their outlook and finally the needs and demands of the industry and society where the students are likely to be employed are the factors that need consolidation. The existing strengths of the organisation ought to be evaluated in the light of their capability to cash in on various opportunities.
Priority areas need to be identified for future growth, consideration and rationalisation. What are the areas in which the organisation needs to develop and what should be the course of development? In other words, an environmental scan in the light of the strengths and weaknesses of the organisation is what is required as a precondition for evolving a suitable strategy for the organisation.
Strategic plans look great on paper. But they may remain mere paper plans unless and until they get implemented. If the strategy demands development of strengths in certain areas the strategy should get reflected in the pattern of resource allocation. Implementation of the strategy and finally exercise of control through evaluation of the same are very important. If an institution wishes to be known as the best in a particular subject area, it has to go ahead and recruit the best faculty available. It has to create the necessary infrastructure. It has to actively encourage basic and applied research in the area. It also needs to be included in ancillary courses to strengthen teaching of the related areas of the subject. It has to develop liaison with the relevant industry to enable placement and also to modify the course contents to suit the needs of the outside world. Thus the broad and fine details of the plan have to be spelt out to enable implementation.
Considering the skills demanded on the part of a modern academic leader, the question arises in our minds as to who is best suited for the job – a hard core academician or a generalist? A modern academic leader has to be a shrewd strategist with analytical skills. He also has to be excellent at communications to communicate the mission of the organisation to the faculty, staff and other relevant persons. He should also be good at managing personnel – knowledgeable persons in particular.
He should be good at negotiating and should be a public relations and marketing man as well. In other words, he should possess all the qualities that a modern CEO of a Business Group needs to possess. In addition he needs to understand his area of operation, i.e., academics.
In India, educational institutions fall under various categories. The first type is Government owned or Government funded. These organisations are witnessing a steady decline in terms of parameters like number of student admissions and quality of education imparted.
Marred by political interference and other problems, they face a very serious image problem. It is Government funding alone which keeps them afloat. One of the main reasons for the sorry state of affairs is the mismanagement and the refusal on their part to change and manage change. The other set of organistions which fall under the second category are privately owned and are of recent origin. These organisations boast of better management.
However, motivated by commercial reasons they have lost sight of the long term objectives. A lack of vision for the future and an action- oriented strategy to realise the same is perhaps, what is lacking in these organisations. Neglect of very important aspects like building of a good team of faculty, changing course content to suit the modern needs are pointers to the lack of a long term outlook. The over emphasis on an exam-oriented approach rather than a balanced approach is also a pointer to their myopic outlook. There are a few exceptions to the type of organisations listed above, which maintain high standards of excellence and have also gained international recognition. However such organisations are very few in number.
The educaton sector in India at present, is witnessing a boom. A recent survey indicates that Indians spend more on education than on food. In the past however the situation was just the opposite. For the first time since independence, a good percentage of Indians have been thrilled at the prospects that a degree can offer to them in foreign countries and in liberalised and globalised India as well. There has been a mushrooming of engineering colleges, medical colleges, art colleges and other institutions imparting professional education.
Most educational organisations in India are more concerned with day to day administration. But to take on the challenges of the future, there has to be a sea change in the approach towards the management of these organisations. Professional management has to replace the existing approach which is crippled by lack of dynamism. Strategic management of higher educational institutions is what is required to face domestic and international competition. Given the competitive, challenging and dynamic environment,only those organistaions that are managed well by leaders of vision will survive in the future.
SUKANYA ASHOKKUMAR
Sukanya Ashokkumar 