“We should craft and develop our own management culture befitting the high intellectual legacy of the country,” J.J. Irani, director, Tata Sons Ltd., says.
He was delivering the 15th foundation day lecture of the Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode (IIM-K), on its campus at Kunnamangalam, near here, on Saturday.
Exhorting the students to free their management thoughts from the centuries-old colonial hangover, Dr. Irani said the country was looking for fresh, independent and indigenous thinking from upcoming managers and management students.
Pointing out that different sets of values could coexist in a country without one undermining the other, Dr. Irani urged the students to stick to the basic values while practising business.
He said values were like beacons to moving ships in the sea of business. “They will show you the safe harbour when you are in the midst of turmoil,” he said adding that one should play the game of business strictly adhering to the values even if the competitors failed to do so.
Answering questions from students on a range of things, including the looming threat of an environmental disaster, Dr. Irani said the whole globe was heading for such a disaster unless every nation woke up to the reality of the alarming climate change taking place around world.
Criticising the insincerity of politicians on the grave issue, he said: “Politicians work to win votes and not to save the earth.”
Calling upon the young managers to prepare to cater to the expanding aspirations of the country, Dr. Irani stressed the need for ensuring inclusive development of the country. “You are not here because you are intellectually superior to those who are denied a chance to study here, but because a lot of people, including your parents and teachers, and the government gave you a chance to study here and never forget that,” he reminded the students.
Dr. Irani inaugurated a classroom block, named after the management guru C.K. Prahalad. IIM-K Director Debashis Chatterjee spoke.
