T.A. Pai Management Institute Centre for Collaborative Learning

 

                                                        AN INTRODUCTION

TAPMI Centre for collaborative learning (TCCL) is a planned initiative of the institute to create a platform for interaction between itself and the business organizations, where through a variety of events and activities such as industry and organization-specific surveys, studies, discussion forums as well as interventions such as training programmes and consulting engagements, the resultant learning will be used to enhance business performance as well as quality of management education.

These efforts will aim to address specific problems and issues which could contribute to building the organisations’ capability in strategic and operational areas across all functions.

 

THE COLLABORATIVE FRAMEWORK VISUALISED

 

 

PROPOSED ACTIVITIES OF THE CENTRE

 

Exploratory studies

Industry wide surveys on short specific topics Discussion forums for the practitioners on  specific topics Small/large Surveys on specific areas of interest

Problem solving

Case development around problems and issues and analysis of the same for learning Interventions like Training Organisation and employee Development programmes Consulting engagements etc

 

 

THE FORMULA

For the collaborative model, illustrated above, to have a lasting value for the business organizations as well as the institute, it is necessary to devise a formula which will ensure continuity of interaction between them.

The table given below, sets out the key points which can ensure this continuity and the resultant value.

 

CHAIN EFFECT One learning event can lead to another   An example Survey         Intervention        post intervention survey            Organisational Change initiatives

MULTI-DIRECTIONALITY The subsequent learning event could be of a different type   An example Managers’ discussion forum           Organisation-specific study   Consulting           Learning & Development initiatives

PART TO THE WHOLE Participation and contribution to one event earns larger industry-level information and best practices An example An organisation’s data in a survey related to reasons for attrition earns industry-level information and best practices related to this area

LEARNING – KNOWLEDGE SPIRAL All learning leads to new knowledge which can be applied in the current and future context by managers and the faculty. Application leads to new learning and so on… This evolving spiral can result in developing individual competence and organizational capabilities.   An example The methodology adopted for conducting a training exercise can be documented for future use.

 

 

OUR APPROACH AND THE ORGANISATIONS’ TAKE-AWAY

• The primary objective of any engagement will be collaborative learning and its dissemination. However, the direct costs of engagement will be factored along with gain sharing.

• The learning generated would reflect in some form of improved business performance.

• The learning from any engagement will be documented for current and future use.

• Any engagement with the organization will seek to build partnerships.

• Transparency and openness to reviews at any stage of the engagement will be consciously practiced.

• A scientific methodology will be adopted in trying to understand the organisation’s problems.

 

  

 

FEEDBACK ON THE PROPOSAL

 We wish to seek your collaboration from the stage of the centre’s conception itself.  Accordingly, we set forth questions to seek your feedback to formulate the approach and the plans of the centre.

(If you do not wish to disclose the identities of people/organizations, you may not do so)

 

1.  Have you engaged a management institute for carrying out any events or activities mentioned in the note?

• If yes, what was the nature of the engagement and the outcome?

• If no, the reasons there of ?

 

 

 

 

2.  Have you participated in any industry wide surveys? What were your expectations? What has been your experience?

 

 

 

 

3.  Have you conducted any organization-specific study or survey? What has been your experience?

 

 

 

 

4.  Have you engaged outside agencies / management institutes for conducting training programmes in your organization?

• If no, the reasons there of ?

• If yes, what were the programmes- what duration?

• Was the outcome satisfactory?

• If no, what were the areas of improvement?

 

 

 

 

5.  Have you engaged outside agencies / management institutes for consulting  engagements  in your organization?

• If no, the reasons there of ?

• If yes, what was the nature of the engagement ?

• For what duration?

• Was the outcome satisfactory?

• If no, what were the areas of improvement?

 

 

 

 

6.  Do you think that management institutes are equipped to work with  you in

•         understanding the problems and issues of your organization?

•         arriving at solutions and implementing them?

 

  

 

 

7.  Can you rate the management institutes on the following dimensions based on your impressions/ experiences?○

Theoretical Approach	○	○	○	○	○	Practical approach
Prompt response	○	○	○	○	○	Slow response
Adherence to deadlines	○	○	○	○	○	Disregard deadlines
Accurate understanding of problems / issues	○	○	○	○	○	Lack of understanding of problems/issues
Feel comfortable in interactions	○	○	○	○	○	Feel uncomfortable in interactions
Transparent in their  approach	○	○	○	○	○	Closed in their approach

 

 

 

 

 

Can you briefly explain your ratings of the management institutes given above

 

8.  Is our proposition of gain sharing more attractive in deciding on the engagement?

 

 

 

 

9.  Or do you think a commercial proposition agreed at the beginning would be a more professional method of engagement?

 

 

 

                                                 The Taxonomy