Do business schools in India know the real business world Exploring some perspectives on academia-industry collaboration

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to explore academia-industry collaboration with reference to business schools in India. It attempts to explain the nature and extent of collaboration, challenges and issues in this regard, and strategies for improving the collaboration. Motivation for the study was found in the literature and the global and national debates at various forums on the training and preparedness of management graduates for industry jobs, relevance of management research for business, and the declining popularity of management courses; particularly in the Indian context. Interviews were conducted to gather qualitative data from 15 academicians and an equal number of industry experts selected using purposive sampling. Through these interviews, an enormous need to improve industry-academia interface emerged. The respondents discussed concerns, ideas and recommendations on various aspects of the collaboration which could be useful for business school administrators, faculty members as well as business managers in building synergies through teaching, research, consultancy and training.