Research Areas

The research action wing of the SPJIMR bases its functioning on the following principles :

• SPJIMR views itself as a professional educational institution as distinct from a graduate school. Therefore, an interventionist approach that would help influence practice is a major objective.
  
  
• Faculty is encouraged to strengthen research efforts through a joint 'community' effort that also involves students. The resulting teamwork makes for shared learning and helps foster interdisciplinary co-operation.
  
  
• Research, in its cumulative impact, aims at testing and modifying wherever necessary, existing theories (which have much too often grown out of the western context) and in the process, promotes the development of theoretical perspectives which might be more relevant to the Indian context

All research activities of the Institute are divided into four categories:

• Independent Research
  
• Internship research efforts
  
• Research within MDPs
  
• Theme-based field research
  

Independent Research

Following the social audit of Bhilai Steel Plant operations, SPJIMR's stand-alone research projects took strong roots. Consequent upon this project in 1990, the Institute was commissioned by ASSOCHAM to prepare detailed reports on two seemingly unconnected areas : 'rural development' and 'international competitiveness'. The findings bore out the view that the business sector needed to integrate its activities with the rural sector as well as fit itself into the larger international business community.

While the Institute received accolades for both reports and in the process earned considerable publicity, many of the activities that currently make up the Institute's rich and diverse portfolio, have directly resulted from that effort.

The Institute is currently involved in the following two projects:

• "Corporate Social Responsibility Makes Business Sense" for CII-ICICI
  
• "Corporate Social Responsibility of Pharmaceutical Companies in India: Practices, Perspectives and Way Forward" for OPPI
  

Internship Research

Taking a cue from practices in medical education, fifteen percent of the total time spent by the students during the two-year programme is devoted to rigorous and comprehensive research in the companies that the candidates are likely to join after the programme. This idea was first mooted and implemented by the Manufacturing Management Programme in 1992

The results of the autumn projects and internships have been satisfying both to the companies on account of their usefulness and relevance, as well as to the students for the learning involved. These efforts have benefited the Institute in strengthening and modifying available teaching material and offering pointers on how management theories and materials developed in the west need to be customized to improve substantially the effectiveness of the Institute's Programmes.

Research within MDP's

The Principles of Management have grown out of an inductive process, i.e., through a process of observation. This insight has been directly applied to the executive development programmes of the Institute and has developed into an important methodology.

Participants are encouraged to examine their respective company environments and assess as to what new theories could emerge. Just as importantly, real life situations that arise within such projects are used for future teaching as well.

Theme Based Research

Students doing a PG programme are required to undertake research activities. Such research could be a part of a course, a competition or a specialization dissertation project. Such efforts have been incorporated into studies on two distinct areas, viz. (i) international competitiveness and (ii) development of deprived sectors of the society - rural & urban.