Dr. Murali Manohar



Dr. Murali Manohar, Professor & Dean, D Y Patil Agriculture & Technical University

 

I am Dr. Murali Manohar, a person with more than 3 decades of experience both in India and abroad, with multiple academic qualifications. A major part of my professional experience has been at Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, for over 27 years (an IoE as accorded by the GOI and QS & THE-ranked University) and a couple of foreign assignments. Currently, I have also been working with D Y Patil Agriculture & Technical University, Talsande, Kolhapur, as Professor and Dean (School of Commerce & Management) and Dean of Research since December 24, 2021.

 

The research experience includes publishing papers in reputed international journals published by Springer Nature, Emerald, Elsevier, etc. I am also a reviewer for leading journals published by top publishing houses across the globe. As of this date, four research scholars have secured their Ph.D. degrees under my guidance, and one is in the reviewing stage (all at Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore). At my current organization, I am guiding six Ph.D. scholars.

 

 

Could you tell us about your educational and professional journey?

 

I have completed an MBA., M. Com., M.Phil., FDPM (IIM-A), and Ph.D. from various places in India. The most memorable one should be the Faculty Development Program in Management done at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, in 1998 on a fellowship secured. This program was conducted for 11 months at IIM-A on the basis of ITP at Harvard Business School.

 

The professional journey took a turn from industry to academics in 1991 when I failed to secure a visa to the USA. I became an academician at Warangal to teach the BBA program and later moved to Vellore Engineering College at Vellore (currently Vellore Institute of Technology) in 1994, when they started their MBA and MCA programs under the University of Madras.

 

The academic exposure at IIM A changed me into a more professional academician, focusing on research and teaching in a blended manner. The adoption of the case method of teaching for an MBA was a result of my program at IIM A.

 

During 2003, I got an opportunity to be a faculty member (Asst. Professor) with the Ministry of Higher Education, Government of Ethiopia, under UNDP assignment. I worked at the University of Hawassa and established a BBA program at the newly established university. I worked until 2005 and returned to VIT.

 

Another major opportunity came to me as a visiting professor at the University of Cologne from October 2011 to March 2012 under DAAD fellowship assistance. Note worthy aspect of my academic career includes a credit transfer for MBA program offered by VIT Business School with (UMD) University of Michigan, Dearborn campus. Under this program, I could offer MS thesis guidance for more than 15 students who have done their internships at UMD for a period starting 2013 till 2018.

 

 

Could you elaborate on your specific areas of expertise and a few of your publications?

 

I have expertise in multiple functional areas of management, to be specific: marketing, strategic management, information systems, and analytics. I have completed a Ph.D. in e-commerce from Sri Venkateswara University. I have more than 100 publications in reputed national and international journals.

 

Most of the articles are indexed in ABDC and Scopus journals published by leading publishing houses like Springer Nature, Emerald, Elsevier, etc. Recognized in terms of citations, H-index, and i10-index in Scopus, Google Scholar, Research Gate, and Vidwan leading research platforms. I also published a couple of books and book chapters with leading publishers not just in India but abroad.

 

Some of the top-notch referred articles published by me and my scholars include:

 

         Critical Success Factors for Implementing Lean Practices in IT Support Services

         Knowledge retention in the IT service industry

         Why Indian manufacturing SMEs are still reluctant in adopting total quality management

         Critical success factors in gaining user customer satisfaction in outsourced IT services

         A Survey on Internet of Things: Case Studies, Applications and Future Directions

 

 

What are your primary duties as a professor and dean at D Y Patil Agriculture & Technical University?

 

My responsibility as Dean of the School of Commerce and Management includes creating various UG and PG programs in Commerce and Management. We have started BBA (honors) and MBA as per the new guidelines of NEP 2020 ever since 2021.

 

Made revisions as per the guidelines issued by UGC from time-to-time. Both of these programs offer dual specialization in various streams of management.

 

We are also planning to start B.Com. in collaboration with professional bodies like ICAI, ICSI, etc. from next academic year 2025-26, as we feel the increasing need for accounting professionals in the near future to carryout not just be accountants  but analysts with large corporate across the globe.

 

I am also the Dean of Research at D Y Patil Agriculture & Technical University and started offering a Ph.D. program in January 2022 in multiple fields of Agriculture and Engineering (Computer Science, Computer Applications), Food Technology, Food Sciences, Management, and Agri-Business Management. We also introduced research in inter-disciplinary fields such as Lean Management, Construction Management, etc. at our university. We select the scholars based on the guidelines of the UGC.

 

 

With your three decades of experience in academia and industry, what do you consider to be your most significant achievements or milestones?

 

The most significant achievements or milestones secured during the last 35 years of professional experience across the globe include the following:

 

         Securing the Paul Harris Fellowship from Rotary International for visiting North Yorkshire under the Group Study Exchange Program to be at Yorkshire from April to June 2000.

         Securing admission for FDP at IIM A in June 1997 and successfully completing the same in April 1998.

         Be a part of Vellore Engineering College to transform itself into Vellore Institute of Technology, which was declared a university in 2000, followed by securing various achievements like an Institution of Excellence from MHRD in 2021.

         Obtaining the UNDP assignment with the Ministry of Higher Education in Ethiopia during October 2003 to July 2005 for establishing the Business Program at the University of Hawassa.

         Being the Convenor of India’s leading sports and cultural event at VIT “Riviera” for a period of 3 years starting in 2008–2010, followed by being an advisor to their tech and management fest "GRAVITAS,” is always a cherishing moment of my administrative roles at VIT.

         The most challenging role that I have played at VIT includes securing the ACBSP and AACSB accreditations for all the programs offered by VIT Business School from leading US business accreditation agencies as a member of the Core-Committee of Accreditation for AACSB and Co-Champion for ACBSP during 2018–2021.

         The last but not least is my administrative role as Director of Library (Learning Resources) at VIT, which includes moving from industry standard LMS - LIBSYS to KOHA, an open-source software. Also adding the number of e-journals and e-books for all four campuses of VIT.

 

 

Could you tell us about any prominent awards and accolades you have been honored with throughout your distinguished career?

 

         The most prominent ones include securing various fellowships from the US and Germany to enrich myself and shape future generations of students in India.

         Delivering invited talks on various emerging themes across India, in particular at Central University, industry bodies, leading professional bodies, etc.

         A biographical profile appeared in the 32nd edition of Marquis Who’s Who Publications, brought out in January 2015, USA.

 

 

What advice would you give to aspiring academics and researchers looking to make a mark in the field of management?

 

We are living in a world that is transforming quickly; hence, all academics and researchers should adapt to the changes happening around us, in particular in terms of technology, the impact of technology, publication trends, etc. I strongly believe that there is no end to learning, so always keep your eyes and ears open to learn.


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