|
Part
- I
No denial from here that
BPO involving call centers, back office processing, etc., has made a
major impact in urban India. Cities like Mumbai, Kolkatta, Bangalore,
Delhi, Pune and many others are zooming with the BPO buzz 24 hours a
day, 365 days a year. Employing millions of Indians and the curve is
still on an up trend.
No, I am not heading
towards the anti-BPO outcry in US and the implications of those in
India. My concern is a bit educational.
Since we have a big
business, an entity of the service industry here contributing to the
country's GDP, thanks to the huge pool of English speaking graduates who
generate revenues by servicing clients in the US, UK and other
countries. We also need to look at the other side of the coin where the
issues related to this industry needs to be addressed. Young guns easily
making 10K+ as salary but have no clue whether they are spending the
money rightfully. Are they shaping a career for themselves or simply
getting exploited by the inexperienced management team in many BPO
organizations? Many managers are simply unable to earn the respect of
the title, which they have got not because they deserve it, but simply
due to a crazy number pressure game played by the Human Resources team
of many BPOs. Today, if the people are not managed with strategy, time
is not far where India might lose the competitive edge to another
nations. How do we manage and groom this industry and take it to the
next level?
Management graduates and
aspiring MBAs, you need to look at this question very carefully, as
there is an opportunity with a huge responsibility. B-school deans and
curriculum developers for all management courses, don't you think its
time that our courses should be designed to meet this industry's
requirement?
There is a desperate need
for good managers to stabilize the middle management in these
organizations where they can give a direction to the youth jumping onto
the BPO bandwagon, not only to achieve targets of the organization, but
also to bring in values and ethical practices. The case study approach
is an excellent tool, which if modified keeping the BPO firms in mind,
can develop managers of caliber for the future. An excellent pay package
involving flexible work hours is a definite attraction. |
