Aarti Sharma

Aarti Sharma

Five years of teaching experience in modules such as Basics of Accounting, Investor, Advanced Corporate Finance, Sourcing and Managing Funds, Working Capital Management, Business Analysis & Valuation using Financial Statements and Bank Lending at post graduate level along with Accounting, Advanced Accounting, Business Law, Company Law & Administration, Financial Statement Analysis and Principles of Finance at Undergraduate level. Academic background includes MBA-Financial Management, M. Com – Accounting & Finance and PGDM-Finance after graduation in B. Com (Hons) along with successful qualification of University Grants Commission's National Eligibility Test and Junior Research Fellowship in Management. Expertise in conducting seminars and training sessions on virtual stock market trading. Research interest are in the areas of banking, financial inclusion, electronic payment & settlement systems, mutual funds and financial markets. Other areas of responsibility include examinations, program and editorial coordination of Management & Change, the peer reviewed journal of IILM Institute for Higher Education. Current Activity: Digital Banking

Experience of a lifetime – IILM’s Global Study Program at International School of Management, Germany.

Global Study, , , ,

There’s a big world beyond the IILM campus, and a student can experience it through the golden opportunity given by IILM Undergraduate Business School as Global Study Program.

In order to be a responsible leader in today’s time students need to have first hand experience of cultures, organizations, and business practices around the world. In order to cater to this requirement IILM’s global offerings encompass a mandatory 3 week global study program.

This program was organized for the first time for our stage 1 students of 2015 – 18 batch. Based on the preferences, students were taken to International School of Management, at Hamburg, Germany. The entire program was sponsored by IILM and the partner school except that the students had to bear extra expenditures like food, travelling etc.

On the 8th of August 2016, 50 students collectively from both Lodhi Road and Gurgaon campus boarded Emirates flight for Hamburg, Germany along with the three faculty members. Ms Philipa , International Office Manager, ISM received us at the airport along with a coach to facilitate commutation from airport to the A&O Hostel where the students were given accommodation. While the travel itself, the students were handed over the ISD sim cards so that they can make calls to their parents and inform them about their safe arrival at Hamburg.

In addition with this the students were also explained about the rules and regulations to be followed at the hostel. Each and every student was provided on the same day with a train/bus card to travel nearby location for free of cost.

The students were also provided with a unique identity card inorder to seek entry into International School of Management, Hamburg, Germany.

This three weeks program was a blend of two modules, industry visits and cultural immersions. A highlight of this interesting curriculum is here.

1. Strategic Management: Prof. Qeis Kamran

The course covered the basics of strategic management, key elements, current trends in strategy, strategy thinking styles, the role of resources and knowledge, branding, decision making, organizational politics, international and collaborative strategies, strategy and innovation.  Module also introduced Prof. Kamran’s six forces model which challenged Porter’s five forces. This module was delivered through lectures, case study and visit to Google. The students appreciated the delivery of the course.

The professor made use of case studies such as  Volkswagen’s Clean Diesel Dilemma; University of Michigan; WDI Publishing, inorder to

2. Entrepreneurship & Innovation – Prof. A. Schonknecht

Course content included entrepreneurship and business development, innovation and business ideas, innovation strategy, business model development and business plan development. The module was delivered through lecture mode with the help of ppt.

Industrial and Cultural Visits in Germany 

Google

Learning Outcome: The students were able to relate the concepts learnt in the classroom. They learnt about the various strategies adopted by Google. This visit was a part of the module Strategic Management. A pre and post briefing reinforced the concepts delivered.

Feedback: Well appreciated by the students.

Lufthansa Technik

Learning Outcome: The students were able to witness the manufacturing and servicing of airplanes and learnt about the various ways a product is modified keeping in consideration the customer’s requirements.

Feedback: The students could not relate very well to the visit as it was more apt for engineering students.  It also became tiring for students to walk around the entire facility spread in acres. For all visits, transport arrangements must be looked into in the future programs.


Hamburg City Tour:

Learning Outcome: The students were informed and explained about the Hamburg city’s        heritage and culture.

Feedback: Liked and appreciated by the students

 

Hamburg Harbor:

Learning Outcome: The students got to experience Germany’s largest port – its gateway to the world. They were able to understand the significance of the port in Germany’s economy.

Feedback: Great visit, fully enjoyed by the students.

Overall the students had a great 360 degree experience in terms of classroom learning, industry visits, cultural immersions, hostel lifestyle, traveling using public transport etc.

 

Observation Study at Zara H&M Retail Outlets

Observation Study at Zara & H&M Retail Outlets

Uncategorized, ,

Our students had visited the retail outlets of H&M and Zara at Select City Walk Mall, Saket. The students had a different experience by visiting these stores not merely as a customer but as an observer.

We all know that Five years behind Zara, the Swedish high-street giant has opened its first store in India. The Zara comparison has got everyone talking. After five years in the country and with 16 stores now open, this July, Zara became the first apparel brand to cross the $100 million sales mark in India. When the H&M store opened at the end of last month, Indian newspaper Business Standard contrasted the queues at H&M with photos of relatively quiet Zara and Gap stores.

Thus, the purpose of the visit was to conduct an observation study on following parameters and further make a comparative analysis of both the retail stores on the same parameters.

– Store Overview
Store Size (single floor or multiple floors)
Location in the mall
Display
Current Ambience / Theme in terms of colour scheme, music, spacing and type of lighting
Convenience Shopping for customers (multiple billing desk, spacing, trail rooms, in store lifts / elevators and availability of shopping bags)

– Product Mix
Apparels – Men, Women and Kids
Accessories
Beauty and Personal Care

– Customer Observation
Footfall
Gender
Age group

– Brand Marketing
Demonstrations
Banners, Posters, Digital Display
Promotional Offers
Packaging ( Signature Covers )

– Pricing
– Apparel Colour Scheme and Pattern Study
– Signature Colour / Patter, if any

Valuing the ‘Value based Education’

Alumni, IILM Graduate School of Management, IILM Institute for Higher Education, IILM Undergraduate Business School, IILM University

Value Education, a process by which values are inculcated among people. It is transmitting a set of values which often come from religious customs or societal or cultural ethics. “Life is precious”, everyone knows that.  However, If life is so precious, the values governing the life are equally important. Morals and Values are nothing, but a code we adhere to for living in a society which is civil and just.

 

Values in education are the virtues that make up a human being. Values mould our behaviour, relationships, choices, and the sense of who we are. The greater the positivity in our values, the greater will be the positivity in our actions. This is one of the reasons for value based education being included in all types of learning, because it plays a great role for student’s becoming successful in their self chosen careers.  Education is the vehicle of knowledge, success and self preservation. Education not only provides a platform for success, but also the knowledge of social conduct, character, strength and self-respect. The greatest gift that education bestowed upon us is the set of values (Indrani, Beena, 2012)

 

In today’s “Market Oriented” society, Children are groomed to be professionals to grab the top paying jobs in the market. Therefore, while it is necessary to teach the child to fish instead of giving him a fish it is values that make a man. These values include the simple difference between right and wrong, a belief in God, the importance of hard work and self-respect.

 

Liberalization, globalization and industrialization, have led to rapid changes in almost all social sciences, thereby leading to vast changes in the value systems, attitudes of people and the overall education system. The greed for money, power, fame, success and other materialistic attributes have led to a scenario of moral degeneration worldwide. The following characteristics prove the downfall of values and moral in today’s world.

 

  • Lack of respect for the sanctity of human life.
  • Breakdown of parental control of children in families
  • Lack of respect for authority, seen through the brazen breaking of the law and
  • Total disregard for rules and regulations
  • Crime and corruption
  • Abuse of alcohol and drugs
  • Abuse of women and children, and other vulnerable members of society.
  • Lack of respect for other people and property.

 

“Seven sins: wealth without work, pleasure without conscience, knowledge without character, commerce without morality, science without humanity, worship without sacrifice, politics without principle,” Mahatma Gandhi. Surprisingly, these have become a part of every person’s life in today’s world.

 

The solution for these problems stems from their root causes itself. We know that children today are tomorrow’s citizens. Good education to the present day children, the future of the next generations will be well. Education seems to be the solution for all types of the problems. Living in the modern century, use of science and technology in the proper way will curb all difficulties to solve all the problems of the non-moral and value things. The main objective of the study is to inculcate moral and value based education in schools and colleges and to know the attitude of intermediate students towards moral values.

 

The objective of education in a country like India, which has an incredible heritage and  diversity in geography, values, culture and beliefs, rarely seen in this wide world, should be to educate a student of the value system which is indispensable to live successful life (Das, Sayan, 2008).

 

Considering the above mentioned fact, apart from schools, value education is now being propagated at the college level also. To quote an example, Commissionerate of Collegiate Education, Andhra Pradesh State, has launched value education for the promotion of ethical values among degree college students.

Under this programme, all degree colleges across the State will conduct value education classes for the students of degree first and second year compulsorily from this academic year onwards (The Hindu, 2013).

 

Education is an effective weapon. Education is a weapon, whose effect depends on who holds it and at whom it is aimed (Joseph Stalin).

 

Through education we can change the world. Following few steps can help us mould today’s students into civilized citizens of tomorrow.

 

  • Including moral values in the curriculum.

 

  • Stories, illustrations, poetry, and novels can inculcate moral values in the students. Role play of a good story can facilitate a better understanding for the students.

 

  • Students can also be educated through posters, advertisements and dramatizations.

 

  • Giving course training to students to develop moral values in the society.

 

  • Educating all women in the society. Mother is the first teacher. Motivate every woman to know about moral values, may be through a special course like “Gandhian Studies” (Indrani, Beena, 2012)

 

Values do not only talk about our attitude and behaviour towards other people but also other species on the earth such as plants and animals.

 

To cite an example, United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has developed a module on values education for its multimedia teachers’ education program on “Teaching & Learning for a Sustainable Future.” This module provides an opportunity to understand the importance of human values and attitudes in shaping the future. It also provides ideas and examples for two categories of strategies for exploring values in the classroom – values clarification and values analysis (UNESCO, 2010).

 

This module is delivered using four activities namely, “The Elephant Dilemma” which reflects the values about the animal conservation through a case study ‘The Elephant Dilemma in Africa’; “Towards and Ethic of Sustainability” depicting the basic relationships that people have with the Earth and with each other and lastly, “Values Education Strategies” to develop principles for dealing with values-laden issues in a professional and ethical way (IUCN, WWF and UNEP, 1991).

 

According to Father of Indian Nation, M. K. Gandhi:

 

“If wealth is lost nothing is lost

If health is lost something is lost

If character is lost everything is lost”

Best of all things is character.

 

Values and ethics help to build a great character. Thus value education completes this need very easily with an impact on the young minds making the world a better place to live in.

REFERENCES:

 

 

Das, Sayan (2008). Value based education. http://theviewspaper.net/value-based-education/ accessed on 18th May, 2015.

Indrani, Beena (2012). Importance of Value Education in Modern Time. Education India Journal: A Quarterly Refereed Journal of Dialogues on Education, ISSN 2278-

2435, Vol. 1, Issue- 3.

 

IUCN, WWF and UNEP (1991) Caring for the Earth, WWF, IUCN, WWF and UNEP, Gland. https://portals.iucn.org/library/efiles/documents/CFE-003.pdf, accessed on 21st May, 2015

 

The Hindu (2015). Value Education for Degree Students. http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-andhrapradesh/value-education-for-degree-students/article4822142.ece accessed on 12th May, 2015.

 

UNESCO (2010). Teaching and Learning for a Sustainable Future http://www.unesco.org/education/tlsf/mods/theme_d/mod22.html?panel=1#top

accessed on 29th April, 2015.