Mop Term Paper

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2010-01-0046MOP Term paper

Mop term paper

A shy, reluctant to blurt out his random thoughts during the class, but still obsessed to

make his headway only through the drudgery of the fact memorization of Harvard

business school cases to make a good class participation (CP, accounting up to 40 % of

class grades), Mr. Abdulla Ibne Husain, is on the verge of separation after the first

semester result of the MBA 2010 class. He is already reached to the minimum threshold

of allowed 3 LPs to avoid probation after first year of Lums MBA programme, owing

to the much touted highly competitive relative grading system.But after that shocking

results, Now he has realized only hard work is not going to save him. Matter of survival

has forced him to look for the smartwork by virtue of which some of his class peers has

triumphed successfully in securing better grades despite their mediocre class participation

and below average mid term results. Understanding the rule of the game is pre requisite

to become a serious contender for any reward or title. CP is the Major chunk of class

grades. This subjective system of Grading, solely on the discretion of the Instructor, is

maneuvered and allowed to be maneuvered consistently by the students. In order to make

system visibly transparent for rest of the participants in this game, teacher assistant sits at

the back to note down whatever a student blurt. However this apparent objective

assessment of class participation is outmaneuvered and manipulated by two ways .ACP

(at the end of the class student rushing to instructor to interact) is one of the unwritten

rules of the game played regularly during class sessions at Lums. It is a major influencing

factor for positively changing the teachers perception of the student. If you are failed to

make a convincing participation during the class air time, ACP is the best leveraging tool

to be availed. At the end of the class, one knows the swing of the class and instructors

pre-determined disposition, owing to his teacher assistant notes which he spreads on the

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table at the beginning of the class rather than based on the rationale of the class

discussion, you can toe your line along the tides by moulding your already stated

comments. You can engage the instructor by saying this is what you actually want to say.

However this is the crude and least yielding dividend one can reap if followed all the

time. The best practice which yields higher return is to engage the instructor by passing

on comments: Sir you have conducted the case superbly, the insights you have brought

in the class are the real value addition to my learning. This appreciative comment in

front of the few flocking ACP specialist around the instructor will turn his attention

towards you. Who so ever puts any query there, now he will be hell bound to engage you

in the discussion intermittently via eye contact to further impress you with his intellect

.Your job is done. Now you only have to node your head in affirmation to his comments

with laudable expressions while yours thoughts will be wondering around the next class

case facts or in locating the source to get the case solution. This is the best time to

enhance your visibility as right after this he is going to mark the cp grade. There is no

such thing like objective grading of CP, based on mere comments noted down by TAs at

all. What actually makes the grade is mere your impression in the mind of the CP grading

authority. If you want to further stand out among the ACPIER, then it is better to tread

along the instructor while engaging him in discussion of his liking all the way to his room

after the class .This will soften him up further and reciprocity will be hurled back by

giving you more air time in the class. The second arsenal which will complement and

have a cumulative dividend for the initial stage setting by ACP right after the class is

visiting the instructor office. This is the time you can further strengthen your image by

discussing topics of instructors area of interest while slipping through information in

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between about your previous job or professional knowledge by moulding to his subjects

scope .Next time when he will give you CP chance in the class he will have favorable

biasness towards your comments and will not talk back to grill you. This is the best ploy

against the new instructors teaching Operation Management, FRA, MACS and PM, and

equally effective for the seniors as well. However maximum yield can only be assured if

your style meshes with the style of the instructor. If he is religious you have to show your

presence in the mosque. If he is on the other extreme you have to give impression of

being enlightened moderate both by attire and by smartly articulating liberal views

during discussion to make a lasting 30 session imprint.

This newly dawned reality on Abdulla, whose fate was hanging in balance, gave him the

ray of hope. Only hard work along with added mental pressure of separation was not

going to rescue him. He accepted the challenge to sail through against the tides but with

the time tested life jacket of ACP. He started focusing more on analyzing the Style of the

instructor than on analyzing the cases. Rushing to the teacher right after the class and

flocking around him became his norm. Visiting the office of every teacher after 3rd to

gain the ground and then around 7 th or 8th class session to secure the best grades before

the ist cp feedback after ten session were the best practices he learned and exercised. This

turned out to be a panacea for him. His quartile started improving dramatically .He was in

first and second quartiles after first 10 sessions feed back. He has turned the tides. He

made his way through second year. AB is in fourth year. I asked Abdulla, can you share

with me what is the key behind this massive turnaround. He winked by replying: I have

learnt to do the smart work, donkey work is for those who dose not follow the implicit

rule of the game. We all know what the word smart stands for in SDSB LUMS.

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