MBA-Programmes and MBA-Students of Kannur University (India) and Riedlingen University (Germany)

Contents

II Abbreviations

III List of Figures

1 Introduction
1.1 Characterisation and meaning of the study
1.2 Aim and structure

2 Description of the school systems in India and Germany
2.1 India
2.2 Germany
2.3 Comparison

3 Description of the MBA Programmes in India and Germany
3.1 Kannur University
3.2 Riedlingen University
3.3 Comparison

4 Comparison of the student situation on the basis of a survey
4.1 General aspects
4.2 Selection criteria of the MBA programme and university
4.3 Career advancements and expectations
4.4 Results of the comparison between the MBA students

5 Career expectations in India and in Germany
5.1 Economic situation
5.1.1 India
5.1.2 Germany
5.2 Job opportunities on the basis of a survey
5.2.1 Regional aspects and companies of Kerala
5.2.2 Regional aspects and companies of Baden Wuerttemberg

6 Conclusion

IV Appendix A: Questionnaire for students

V Appendix B: Questionnaire for companies

VI References

VII Declaration

II Abbreviations

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III List of Figures

Figure 1: Number of international students in Germany in the tertiary sector

Figure 2: School system in India

Figure 3: School system in Germany

Figure 4: School enrolment in Germany and India

Figure 5: Fees for the professional course MBA at Kannur University

Figure 6: Catchment area of the Riedlingen University

Figure 7: Curriculum of the MBA programme at the Riedlingen University

Figure 8: Gender distribution of the MBA students

Figure 9: Average age of the MBA students

Figure 10: Language skills

Figure 11: Average distance to the University campus

Figure 12: How do MBA students at the Riedlingen University finance the fees

Figure 13: How do MBA students at the Kannur University finance the fees

Figure 14: Factors for choosing the university

Figure 15: Kind of courses the MBA students prefer

Figure 16: Personal aspects for the MBA study

Figure 17: Desire for a doctorate after MBA

Figure 18: Desire for go abroad after study for work or further education

Figure 19: Important factors for the choice of an enterprise after MBA study

Figure 20: Which branch is interesting for the students after MBA

Figure 21: Pre-capita income of the federal states of India

Figure 22: Unbundling to branches in India

Figure 23: Qualifications companies expect from MBA students

Figure 24: Unbundling to branches in Germany

Figure 25: Qualifications companies expect from MBA students

Figure 26: Position after MBA study in German companies

1 Introduction

1.1 Characterisation and meaning of the study

One of the most important aims of Europe for a standardization and transparency of education was claimed by the Sorbonne Declaration in 1998 and concretised and expended through the Bologna Process.^[1] This process purposes three main aims:

- the promotion of mobility
- international competitiveness
- international employability

The Department of Education of the 27 European Nations concluded the implementation of a consecutive, two stage graduation system called “bachelor” and “master”.^[2] In global thinking standardization and therefore comparability is getting more and more important. 2006 an overall of 22,300 international students in Germany reached a graduation and qualified them to get a profession in Germany (Figure 1). This responds to 8.8 % of all alumni in the tertiary sector.^[3]

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Figure 1: Number of international students in Germany in the tertiary sector

Source: Figure modified according to the data from Statistisches Bundesamt Deutschland (15.02.2009), www.destatis.de

Not only the education system in Germany is getting more and more international, also the companies are rising for the global market. In the near past German companies zoomed into the growing market of China, but recently India is increasing its importance.^[4] With a GNP of 1,098,945 million USD and in real terms a market growth over 13.6% the Indian market is coming into view of many German companies like Bosch, SAP or Deutsche Bank which enlarge their activities to India.^[5] At the other side more and more Indian companies settle down in Germany or even buy German companies.^[6] In this context not only the impact of an international education in India and Germany is getting more important, also the partnership between Indian and German universities.^[7]

For this reasons the Riedlingen University (Germany, Baden Wuerttemberg) and the Kannur University (India, Kerala) have built a partnership with an exchange programme for the respective students. Within this exchange programme the students as well as the professors have the chance to get to know the other educational institutions, culture, country; the different way of life.

1.2 Aim and structure

The aim oft the present study is to get a general overview of the differences and the similarities between the Indian and German students and the MBA programmes. As a further step the following career expectations of the students will be analysed.

The paper refers to two universities, one in Germany one in India. To understand the personal aspects of the MBA students it is necessary to describe the educational system of the two countries first, presented in Chapter 2. The following Chapter 3 specifies the MBA programmes of the two universities. The next two Chapters are based on a survey arranged and accomplished during a student exchange of Riedlingen University and Kannur University in India in spring 2008.^[8] In Chapter 4 the comparison between the MBA programmes in Germany and India are shown. Three greater categories are discussed; personal aspects; criteria for choosing the university; and career expectations.

Chapter 5 describes the views of local companies and the job opportunities for MBA students.^[9] A conclusion will complete the paper.

2 Description of the school systems in India and Germany

2.1 India

The education system which was established through the British colonial power has kept their structure after the Indian Independence in 1947. The coexistence of multiple forms of schools, public, semi-public and private institutions, formal and informal, shape the Indian education system (Figure 2).

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Figure 2: School system in India

Source: Figure modified according to the data from Diehl, E./Betz J.:Indien, 1997, p. 18

The Right to Education Bill of 2005 enables the admittance for every child from 6 to 14 years. The beginning of the four steps in the Indian education system is a five year lasting basic education, which is nearly attended by all boys and girls.^[10] After the basic education the secondary education from the sixth to the eighth class follows. Eight years of education are ordered by the state, the primary und upper primary schools. Year 9 and 10 are parts of the secondary school. The senior secondary school is represented through Year 11 and 12. Since the introduction of a national binding structure in 1986, called ‘ten plus two structure’, the admittance to universities is possible.

In India a good education is very important as the Indians know that a good education can be an advantage and ensure a better way of life. Therefore the children of the higher middle class are often sent abroad to get better education.^[11] For girls and women education often is unwanted, though. It is not the traditional understanding to send the girls to school if they have to care for the family and their children in the future.^[12] This is the reason why the part of women in the school enrolment rate is lower than the part of the men.^[13]

There are more than 380 universities and equated facilities like the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bangalore.^[14] Nearly 11 million of students are registered in India.^[15]

Education is a concurrent subject in the Indian Constitution, each state also have a State Council of Education research and training and its own education policy. The consequence reflected differences of the illiteracy rates between different states.^[16] The alphabetisation in Kerala is with 99% the highest of India, in Bihar only 53% of the population can read.^[17]

2.2 Germany

The beginning of the German education system is to find in the early Middle Ages. The young clergymen were educated in abbeys or Latin schools. Only children of the upper nobility and later the upper class had the chance of getting an education.^[18]

The implementation of a compulsory education was an important milestone. Pioneers were the Prussians.^[19] There the compulsory education was implemented in 1763 in the ‘Generallandschulregelamt’.^[20] The other states adapted this law for the compulsory education very slowly however.

Like the Indian education system the German system can be divided into four steps (Figure 3).^[21] After the pre school the education starts with the ‘Grundschule’ the primary education. The following 6 years in the first ‘Sekundarstufe’ are compulsory. The second ‘Sekundarstufe’ is the highest school education and allows you to enrol at a university which belongs to the ‘Tertiärbereich’. The ‘Quartiärbereich’ is defined by further education.

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Figure 3: School system in Germany

Source: Figure modified according to the Bildungsberichterstattung, 2008, p. 23

The competence of the school systems and higher education institutions is due to the cultural sovereignty of the Federal States of Germany. Therefore the curriculum can be formed different from state to state.^[22] The rate of the school enrolment is very high with 89%.^[23] The number of illiterates is very low but the estimated number of semi illiterate adults amounts about 4 million people (5% of the population).^[24]

2.3 Comparison

Figure 4 shows the noticeable differences between the school enrolment of boys and girls in Germany and India. In 2006 nearly 90% of the German children had to go to school. In India only 62% of the children get the chance of visiting a school. The differences between the gender shows that in both countries more boys have the chance to go to school than girls.

The compulsory education for boys and girls is regulated by law in both countries. In Germany the according bill was passed 180 years earlier than in India. Because of the geographical conditions in India the control of observing the law is more difficult. Furthermore it is very important for poorer families in India that even the youngest children have to help with farming to ensure their survival.^[25]

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Figure 4: School enrolment in Germany and India

Source: Figure modified according to Human Development Reports (15.02.2009), http://www.hdr.undp.org/en

3 Description of the MBA Programmes in India and Germany

3.1 Kannur University

The Kannur University was established in 1996 by the Act 22 of the Kerala Legislative Assembly.^[26] The objective of the Kannur University is to build in the state of Kerala a teaching, residential and affiliating University as well as to provide for the development of higher education. The Kannur University is unique in the view of being a multi-campus university with campuses located at various locations under the jurisdiction in Kannur.^[27]

The MBA programme was found in 2000 as a full time study. The current administration of the MBA is managed through Prof. Dr. P. T. Raveendran. Six lecturer and professors are responsible for the MBA Programme. The teaching language is English like the official language in India. The students have learned English in Pre School and often from their parents. The duration of the study is two years. The students can choose different specialisations:

- Marketing
- Finance
- Information Technology and Systems
- International Business Management

The fees are very complex. In Figure 5 the basis fees in Rupees’ are shown. The students have to pay more fees for example to get revaluation of answer papers like obtaining unclaimed degree certificates, matriculation fee, etc. The students do not have the chance to calculate how high their fees will be; only a forecast is possible. See Chapter 4.1 for true statements.

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Figure 5: Fees for the professional MBA course at Kannur University^[28]

Source: Figure modified according to Kannur University (10.02.2009), http://www.kannuruniversity.ac

3.2 Riedlingen University

The Riedlingen University was found in 1996. It is officially licensed, in April 2008 the Riedlingen University was accredited by the FIBAA, and specialised on extra-occupational study.^[29]

Due to the fact that the University Riedlingen has only distance education programmes, the catchment area is the entire of Germany. As the domicile of the university is located in Baden Wuerttemberg there is an aggregation in this area (Figure 6).

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Figure 6: Catchment area of the Riedlingen University

Source: Presentation during the kick off event from the Riedlingen University in Heidelberg (15.10.2007)

A special education method was established in Riedlingen, a system between self-studying, attendances times and web based training^[30]. More than 70% of the subject matters the students have to absolve by their own. 20% are taken place during attended lectures and the last 10% are based on online lectures. The mixture of these different ways targets to working students, who have had a first study and/or job training. The students have the ambition to qualify themselves for managerial functions by doing further education.

The MBA degree course started in March 2006 with the two specializations:

- Marketing and
- Human Resources.

[...]

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^[1] cf. Statistisches Bundesamt Deutschland (11.02.2009), http://www.destatis.de

^[2] cf. Statistisches Bundesamt Deutschland (11.02.2009), http://www.destatis.de

^[3] cf. Statistisches Bundesamt Deutschland (11.02.2009), http://www.destatis.de

^[4] cf. Klinger-Paul, C.: 2006, p. 21 et sqq.

^[5] Cf. Auswärtiges Amt (15.02.2009), http://www.auswartiges-amt.de

^[6] cf. Wamser, J. / Sürken, P.: 2005, p. 15 et sqq.

^[7] cf. Klinger-Paul, C.: 2006, p. 29

^[8] See surveys Appendix A and B.

^[9] The Indian companies were not very cooperative to fill in the questionnaire. The survey of the Indian companies will therefore be not representative.

^[10] cf. Zotz, 2006, p. 20 et sqq.

^[11] Great Britain and the USA are most popular.

^[12] cf Statistisches Bundesamt Deutschland (11.02.200), http://www.destatis.de

^[13] cf.: Schlesiger, C/Matthes, S.: 2008, p. 20 et sqq.

^[14] cf.: Matthews, S.: 2008, p. 14 et seq.

^[15] The number includes only the students with an Indian nationality.

^[16] cf.: Matthews, S.: 2008, p. 16.

^[17] cf.: Schlesiger, C/Matthes, S.: 2008, p. 22

^[18] cf.: Schlesiger, C/Matthes, S.: 2008, p. 20 et sqq.

^[19] cf. Statistisches Bundesamt Deutschland (11.02.2009), http//www.destatis.de

^[20] cf. Statistisches Bundesamt Deutschland (11.02.2009), http//www.destatis.de

^[21] The pre school also known as Kindergarten can’t be add to the four steps. In some states the pre school also built his own field. They differ five steps.

^[22] The general education system is given from the government.

^[23] cf. Statistisches Bundesamt Deutschland (15.02.2009), http://www.destatis.de

^[24] cf. Statistisches Bundesamt Deutschland (15.02.2009), http://www.destatis.de

^[25] cf. Kishore, 2008, p. 40 et seq.

^[26] cf. Kannur University (15.02.2009), http://www.kannuruniversity.ac

^[27] cf. Kannur University (15.02.2009), http://www.kannuruniversity.ac

^[28] Abbreviations: T– Theory; P– Practical; D– Dissertion; Pr– Project; ML – Mark List.

^[29] The FIBAA (Foundation for International Business Administration Accreditation) is one of the six agencies, who work for the German accreditation council.

^[30] The model is known as the „Riedlinger Modell“.