The Pre Interview Test (PIT) and Personal Interview Process (PI), for HRM & LR, TISS Mumbai for the selection of the Batch of 2019-21 in less than a week. As candidates from across the country prepare to the best of their abilities to get their ticket to TISS, Dr. P. Premalatha, Chairperson, Centre for Human Resources Management and Labour Relations talks about the course, the pedagogy, and what makes a candidate the right fit for the Tata Institute of Social Science. Q1. Management institutes across India offer an MBA in Human Resources. What makes MA Human Resources Management and Labour Relations at TISS Mumbai different from the rest?
The M. A. Human Resource Management and Labour Relations program is embedded in a strong fieldwork ethos. The immersed fieldwork practice combined with state of the art classroom inputs leads to an industry ready professional. During the fieldwork phase, students are exposed to work practices in different sectors of the economy. They are able to appreciate the ways in which human resource management practices align to organisational strategy in different sectors. The grounded integration with practice in their early career enables participants to emerge as HR leaders across the profession.
Q2. Could you elaborate on the admission process? How does the panel ensure whether the candidate is an 'institute fit'?
Candidates admitted to the institute over the years have had a balance between academic achievements, social sensitivity and a perspective on how human resources contribute value to organisations. Overall, candidates who are selected to the program have an understanding of organisations as social systems located in broader economic and cultural currents. They also have a basic appreciation of organisations as contested realities. They understand that technology, global economic trends and social changes transform the nature of organisations. They also have an orientation of accepting change and diversity as the basic tenets of organisations.
Q3. What is the nature of the curriculum that a student undergoes in the HRM&LR course at TISS, Mumbai? What is the teaching methodology used to equip students with the best and most relevant HR Practices?
The curriculum of the M. A. HRM & LR program draws on connections between advances in knowledge and state of the art practice. The effort is to build a bridge between concept and practice so that participants are able to appreciate the complex, human reality of organisations. Participants are encouraged to undertake research under the mentorship of faculty members to strengthen their ability to connect evidence with management practice. The curriculum is supplemented by a range of contemporary workshops to ensure that participants are industry-ready by the time they join organisations. The effort is to nurture a thinking participant who has a tremendous amount of learning agility to connect diverse elements of practice.
Q4. What kind of job profiles do students get to work in after graduating from the HRM & LR Course?
Participants graduating from the program pick up top-notch entry-level management jobs in leading organisations. Typically, participants have found jobs in all sectors of the economy such as consulting, services, manufacturing and start-ups. The program has strong corporate relations with all leading corporations, who have found the graduates of the program to be an important component of their talent pipelines. Graduates of the program are recognized for their leadership skills, adaptability, ability to engage with business volatility and the finesses in bringing a grounded, human touch to organisations. The program offers graduates the opportunity to craft their careers in strong, meaningful and empowering ways.
Wishing all the candidates appearing for the PIT-PI Process 2019 all the best!
Dr. Premalatha is the Chairperson of the Centre for Human Resources Management and Labour Relations at TISS, Mumbai. She has been in academics for nineteen years, having previously worked with NMIMS, Mumbai and ICFAI Business School, Bangalore. She was also a Visiting Faculty in Indian Institute of Management, Indore and Indian Institute of Management, Ranchi.
Her areas of interest for teaching, research and consultancy assignments are Individual Dynamics and Leadership, Group and Organizational Processes, Human Resource Management, Learning and Development, Competency Management, Assessment Center, Human Resource Planning, Appreciative Inquiry and Qualitative Research Methodology.