A Beautiful Mind

Although he may confess to being slow when it comes to making quick decisions, it gives him the opportunity to focus on a topic in-depth and come up with several good ideas in the process. Prof. Aaron Ahuvia is presently Professor of Marketing at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, where he won the 2007 Distinguished Research Award and was named the 2001 Faculty Member of the Year. He received his PhD in Marketing in 1993, from Northwestern University’s Kellogg College of Business, where he assisted Prof. Phillip Kotler with a revision of his classic textbook, alongside working on his own research. Today, he is amongst the world’s most published authors on consumer behaviour and is passionate about understanding their love for products and brands. In an exclusive meeting with The Human Factor, he shares more on the huge potential for social work in India, and the way forward for the economy.

Q. Tell us about your career journey; how did you zero in on marketing as your specialisation?
A. I was working in corporate finance at Duff & Phelps but I hated it. Maybe if I had stayed with it long enough to get to do more of the actual analysis, I might have come to like it. This is when computers were starting to come in, so I had to spend a lot of time copying numbers out of books into spreadsheets. But I am very bad at such transactions, so I went to Prof. Steve Burnett and shared my experience. He told me to get into a PhD programme in Marketing instead of finding a different job, which sounded like a wonderful idea, and off I went. At that point, I had never worked in marketing, but over the next 25 years I got a lot of chances to do so, both professionally and as a teacher. Click here to read more...

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Engineering Cubed!

It is perhaps a moment of deep satisfaction when an educational trust is successful in the endeavour that it sets out to achieve, and so was the case with Citizens Welfare Association (CWA) established in 2000. With an aim of meeting the demands of a developing India, CWA set up Billabong High International School in 2006 in Thane, Mumbai. Buoyed by its success, with 1700 students presently studying in its 80,000-square feet campus, the ECube Global College was set up in August 2010.

Catering to three streams of engineering, namely, computer, mechanical, and electronics, ECube’s name symbolises the values of the 3Es “enrich, empower, and enlighten.” It has been set up in partnership with Newcastle University, UK, with the mandate of providing global exposure post the course’s first year. Mr. Sandeep Goenka shares about the vision, “In a bid to remove the uncertainties that students feel when they are pass out of school, we decided to provide the comfort of an institute to cater to engineering aspirations, an idea we had been toying with for some time. Moreover, through our international alliance, we wanted to enable a smooth transition for students when they go overseas to study.”

Thus began the journey of ECube, where students spend the first year on the Thane campus, and are expected to apply to enter the second year of the corresponding degree course at the Newcastle University. Click here to continue...

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She Writes Story Contest winner: Dr Geeta Sundar

Dr Geeta Sundar is one of twelve winners of the MSN-Random House She Writes a Story Contest', as chosen by our judges. Her story 'White Chilly' features in the 'She Writes: A collection of Short Stories' published by Random House India and available at all leading bookstores.

Dr Geeta Sundar began hercareer as a consultant in medicine at BL Kapoor Memorial hospital, Delhi. She has also done a course in medico-legal law. She is a regular contributor to Times Wellness as well as a corporate lecturer. Her published works include Health after Forty and A-Z of Bone Muscle and Joint Diseases. She has also written a work of fiction called Premier Murder League. She is both a consultant in medicine and a writer. At present, she is working in Pune.

read an extract from dr geeta sundar's story 'white chilly'

Walking up the gentle slopes of the Talzai hill near my house, my husband and I would see her-fair and petite, running up the hill in her 'navvari' sari and slippers. She would be singing aloud and waving her hands about and was an inspiration to all of us who regularly climbed the hill as part of our daily exercise regimen.

One day on the way down, I decided to speak to her. 'Aji, how old are you?' I asked in Marathi.

Without missing a step she replied in English, '85 years.' And then she revealed the secret to her exuberant health-'I run up and down the hill every day, do six surya namaskars and eat everything!'

I smiled. She had forgotten to add the main ingredient-her positive attitude.

We crossed each other every day after that and she would smile and wave at us until one day she wasn't there anymore. I had grown so used to seeing her that at every bend of the hill my eyes would eagerly scan the road ahead, seeking her. But the days stretched to months and she did not return.

Then after three months I spotted her on a bench. I immediately went and sat next to her. I had come alone for the walk that day. 'Where have you been, aji? We missed you!'

A beautiful smile spread across her face. 'Complete your walk and then come and join me here-I'll tell you.'

My curiosity was aroused, but I obediently finished my trek and on the way down joined her on the bench.

'Please tell me what happened?' I noticed the crutches resting under the bench.

'One evening I decided to take a short cut down the hill, slipped, and fell very hard. I was unable to get up as I had fractured my leg. A few well-wishers took me to a hospital and I had to be operated on and a rod inserted into the main bone in my left leg. The people were kind and took care of me till I was discharged from the hospital.'

What about your family, they must have been there with you too?'

'No, I have five children but they are all abroad. They called and wanted to come, but I told them I could manage with the help of my maid.'

'And what about your husband?' I asked gently.

'He passed away five years ago-,' She paused. 'Would you like to hear my story?'

I really did not have the time but some force held me back. 'Yes,' I said. 'I'd love to.' Share5

in her own words: dr geeta sundar

Have you always been a writer?

I have always enjoyed writing-essays, humour articles, health articles since school days. But took to serious writing ten years back when I started writing books. I started with health books and then went on to fiction. And now I intend taking my writing career as seriously as my medical career.

What made you start writing?

I am a medical consultant and had kept busy with my practice and running my home for several years after marriage but the writing bug kept trying to surface until finally one day it seriously got to me.

What inspired you to enter She Writes?

I had just returned from US, and saw the competition announcement on my hotmail. There were four days left for the competition to end and since I love challenges, I decided to enter.

Why did you choose the category you did?

I always wanted to write about my mother and she is the inspiration behind my story 'White Chilly', although two other women are also behind it. And 'Experience is the name we give to our mistakes' fitted into the story.

Do you have a writing routine - e.g. do you have favourite places to write/favourite times of day/do you write longhand or on a computer?

I am a busy consultant and have a swivel chair with my lap-top to one side, and table facing patients to the other and in between patients I turn to my lap top and write a few lines and I also try to snatch an hour or two whenever and wherever I can.

Who is your favourite author?

Jane Austen, Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, Munshi Premchand, Jeffrey Archer and PG Wodehouse in equal measure.

Which book has inspired you the most?

Munshi Premchand's -'Premchandki Sarvasreshtha Kahanian' in Hindi-a book of short stories.

Which key piece of advice would you give to any other budding writer?

Avoid using complex words and flowery language and maintain a good flow.

HR FACTORED ED COHEN

Global Talent Leader Ed Cohen tells Jisla Xavier the need for corporate and academic worlds in India to have a greater connect with each other Issue Date - 01/07/2011

Mr. Ed Cohen has over 30 years experience in strategic leadership, influencing change and culture, and talent development. He is a leading business coach and has authored a best-seller titled ‘Leadership Without Borders’. Mr. Cohen has also helped two companies attain the number one ranking in the American Society of Training and Development BEST Awards. In an exclusive interview with The Human Factor, he talks about career, the lessons learnt and much more.

Q. You have played different roles in diverse businesses. Did you always know that this is what you wanted to do in life?

A. I did. I always knew that I want ed to do something in education and learning. Growing up, I wanted to be a doctor but when I got to college I did not want that, so I got into the business line. I did accounting for a couple of years and found out that the thing that I really loved was working with people. So, I left accounting and joined the education and learning world in 1982.

Q. What attracted you towards HR?

A. What initially attracted me is not the thing that actually kept me going throughout my career. When I was six, I was injured in a fire and had to spend six months in a hospital. My first grade teacher would come to the hospital every day after school and tutor me. She did it without any extra pay. This drew me towards teaching. When I went into learning, I discovered that I was able to articulate and communicate in a way that people could learn effectively, and it excited me.

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