My most memorable classroom experience in IIM Indore was of a session of Organizational Behaviour - II in my term-II. A role play was designed for that session. Some external actors were also hired for this purpose.
I was made the Chairman of a company which used to make toys. And few other classmates were made the Directors of various departments such as Finance, Marketing, Operations, HR, etc. The company had been very successful in the past. But recently it was going through very tough times because few children had died due to swallowing of a particular part of a particular toy. Although the toys were as per the required standards and had passed all the safety checks, there had been huge protests by the parents of the deceased as well as several NGOs. The Christmas and holiday season was coming ahead. This toy was the most profitable product of the company. The Board was left with 2 options. Either to roll back all the units of that particular toy which would lead to huge losses. Or to continue selling the product. But if the company chose the second option and there were more deaths, then it would be worse for the brand image and reputation of the company.
Through this roleplay, I learned some useful things which I should do while leading a team during a crisis situation and also what actions should be taken when one is at the top management position of a company.
Which ABG company would you want to work for and why?
I want to work for UltraTech Cement Limited. It is the largest in India and also one of the leading cement producers globally. I want to work for this company because this brand embodies the attributes of ‘strength’, ‘reliability’ and ‘innovation’ which inspire engineers to build homes, buildings and structures which are very important for developing India. There is one more reason why I want to work in UltraTech. My father is a mechanical engineer working in SAIL. Through him, I have learnt the importance of steel in the infrastructural development of India. So, I want to work for a company which is directly linked with the infrastructural growth of the country.
- Arnab Das