Management Development

Recently I visited the management development center of an IT major. Every door was locked and needed an authorized electronic ID card to open. It was a delight to see the high tech class rooms with the audio & video equipment. There were class rooms with comfortable, lean back, rotating chairs. The rooms were spacious and designed in the typical rectangular shape with the faculty stage in the front.
What was surprising was there were no spaces where the participants of the MDP programs can work in small groups. It was as if they were expected to come and sit in the class room listen to the faculty and go home! In these modern days when learning, especially collaborative & experiential learning is the talk of the town, running a management development centre with classrooms designed only for lectures don't seem appropriate.

Mintzberg, a prominent management researcher and thinker has long been arguing for enabling managers to become leaders. He has been arguing against the case method and the MBA (the American model). He would be aghast if he finds that there are companies which still prefer the lecture and may be a discussion in a traditional class room to train their managers.

It made me wonder what is happening to management development in India.