Institution Building: Intrepreneurship in Academe

Somehow, manufacturing doesn’t seem to grow naturally into a potential field of distinction for IIMA as other areas an uphill struggle. During the 1980s, the author found himself informally engaged in precisely such an effort. While much has been achieved there is still a long way to go before IIMA becomes synonymous with industrial management. The author’s purpose is to look back and recount those incidents from his personal experience as a research associates at IIMA from the mid-70s onwards to which some present day situations vis-à-vis “industrial management” can be traced. Among these are the origins of manufacturing policy and Japanese management, including just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing at IIMA. The visit of Harvard University President Derek C.Bok at the time of IIM’s Silver Jubilee celebrations is also touched upon. The author concludes by pointing to a need to change the concept of the Institute and to strike a balance between the teaching of placement friendly courses and those such as manufacturing where management innovations are rife. The challenge is to plant the seeds of a synthesis in PGP so as to reap benefits in MDPs, research and even consulting.