Top MBA Colleges in Kochi, Kerala | Best MBA Colleges in Kochi, Kerala

A short term loan that is used until a person or company secures permanent financing or removes an obligation that is currently existing is called as a bridge loan. Bridge loans allow users to meet their current obligations by providing them with immediate cash flow. They are short-term loans that has relatively higher interest rates and are usually backed by a collateral like real estate or inventory. In UK, it is usually called as bridging loan, caveat loan or swing loan. They are typically more expensive than other conventional methods of financing. Also, they come with a higher rate of interest, points and other costs that are amortized over a shorter period, and various sweeteners like equity participation by lender in some loans. Bridge loans are arranged quickly in a short period of time with relatively less documentation. Bridge loans in real estate is used for quickly closing property purchases, to retrieve real estate from foreclosure or to take advantage of short-term ...

The process of buying an undervalued company with an intention to sell off its assets and generate profit for the shareholders is known as asset stripping. The individual assets of the company such as its equipment, real estate, intellectual property or brands, would be more valuable than the company as a whole due to certain factors like poor management or economic conditions. Its result is often a dividend payment for the investors and either a less-viable company or bankruptcy. Asset stripping is an action that is often engaged in by corporate raiders who buy undervalued companies to extract value out of them. This was very popular during 1970-1980s and is still seen in some of the investment activity conducted by private equity firms. This activity makes a company weak, especially one that has less collateral for borrowing and may have its value-producing assets stripped out, making it less able to support the debt the company has. The proceeds gained from asset stripping wou...

Cost advantages that are reaped by businesses when production becomes efficient is known as economies of scale. Businesses achieve it by increasing the production and lowering costs as costs are spread over a large number of goods which can be both fixed and variable. Generally, the size of the business matters when it comes to economies of scale as the larger the business is, more would be their cost savings. Economies of scale could be internal and external where internal is based on management decisions and external ones are based on outside factors. Considered to be an important concept for any business belonging to any industry, it represents the competitive advantages and cost savings held by larger businesses over smaller ones. There are various reasons why economies of scale mean lower per-unit costs. Firstly, the specialisation of labour and integration of technology helps in boosting production volumes. Secondly, lower per-unit costs comes from ...

Acqui-hiring or Acq-hiring or talent acquisition, a combination of the words acquisition and hiring, is referred to the process of acquiring a company to recruit its employees with or without showing interest in its current offerings or their continued operation. Those companies that engage in buying say it is talent acquisition and it typically comes with a per head price. The process also provides a relatively favourable exit strategies for employees with the prestige of being bought by a bigger company which is combined with the typical hiring process. Acqui-hiring has been increasingly becoming common in VC-based startup companies especially within the tech-sector. As of March 2013, Facebook was the largest performer of this process with over 12 in the last five fiscal quarters. Other brands like Twitter, Yahoo and Google are also ranked alongside Facebook for similar practices. This activity is facilitated by acqui-sourcing which is the process of identifying organiza...

A qualitative methodology that is used to describe consumers based on psychological attributes is called as psychographics. It has been applied in the study of personality, values, attitudes, opinions, interests and lifestyles. Though psychographics is often equated with lifestyle research, it has been argued that it should apply to the study of cognitive approaches including attitudes, interests, beliefs and opinions while lifestyle should apply to the study of overt behaviour.   As this research method focuses on interests, activities & opinions, they are sometimes abbreviated as ‘AIO variables’. The study of individuals or communities using psychographic can be valuable in marketing, demographics, opinion research, social research and prediction. Psychographic attributes can be contrasted with the variables of behaviour like purchase data and usage rate, along with organizational descriptors or firmographic variables like industry, number of employees and fu...

Solution selling is a methodology used in sales where a salesperson focuses on the customer’s problems to address it with appropriate offerings of the company rather than just promoting it. Here, the solution for the problem is linked to the product and its benefits received from using it. Solution selling is usually used in sales where products are a part of the elements making a solution to a customer’s problem. The term was developed by Frank Watts in the year 1975. He began teaching “solution selling” as an independent consultant and then presented his sales process to Xerox Corporation as a one-day workshop in the year 1982. Next year, Electronics magazine portrayed his method as an unmistakable trend in the distribution of systems-related products. Solution selling has become somewhat a generic topic in the marketplace with its core brand carrying distinct characteristics. Those brands that follow this method generally apply an approach like that of consultative sa...

Omnichannel marketing is referred to the process of integrating an organization’s channels, processes and strategies to gain the ability to engage with its consumers at any time, from any place and from any device. It has become key to the success of marketing as customers engage with the organization in different ways like in a physical store, via websites, mobile apps, virtual catalogs and social media. They also interact with businesses through smartphones, tablets, computers and laptops. The challenge for businesses is to make all these interactions seamless, effective and consistent for all its customers. Consumers expect more personalised communication when interacting with businesses through various channels and devices and those who do not keep up that level lose their ground to its competitors. One of the biggest challenges faced by organizations taking up omnichannel marketing is to break free from traditional marketing campaigns. This strategy requires an entir...

A Service Level Agreement ( SLA ) is a contract defining the level of service expected by the end user from the service provider. It is output-based where its purpose is to define what service the customer will receive from the service provider. For example, Internet service providers commonly include service level agreements within the terms of their contracts with customers to define the level of service being offered, in simple language. SLA helps service providers to manage customer expectations and define the circumstances when they will not liable for any performance issues. It also benefits customers as they can compare the performance characteristics of one vendor with other. SLA is considered as one of the two foundational agreements the service provider has with its customers. The basic content in SLA includes a statement of objectives, a list of services to be covered as per the agreement, monitoring process and service level reporting, steps for reporting iss...

Net Promoter Score (NPS), an index ranging from -100 to 100 measures a customer’s willingness to recommend a brand’s products/services to others. It also helps in understanding a customer’s overall satisfaction with the brand’s product/service and their loyalty towards the brand. This metric predicts business growth and helps in customer experience management programs. NPS is calculated using 0-10 scale as the answer to key questions. Based on the response, it is classified into Promoters, Passives and Detractors. Promoters fall under a score of 9-10 indicating the loyalty of customers who will keep buying and referring to a brand’s product/service to others thereby boosting a brand’s growth. Passives fall under a score of 7-8 which means customers are satisfied but are enthusiastic about the brand’s offerings. These customers tend to choose over the brand’s competitors’ products/services. Detractors are customers who provide a score of 0-6 because they are unhappy with a b...

I learned plenty from some of the books listed below that I didn’t get to learn in my MBA! I hope you enjoy this list and find something useful to pick up next time you’re at the bookstore. 1. How To Win Friends & Influence People How To Win Friends & Influence People will teach you how to do it successfully. You might think charm and charisma are natural traits, but this book actually gives you a step-by-step guide on how to woo anyone. 2. The Corner Office The Corner Office was actually one of my MBA textbooks. It’s an easy read, but full of great perspectives and advice from prominent leaders. If you need something that’s ooey-gooey feel-good and chock-full of quotables, this is it. It’s reading you can pick up to take a break from the numbers and figures, without feeling like your shirking work. 3. Why Popcorn Costs So Much At The Movies This book introduced me to more technical economic concepts, like price elasticity. When those terms came up in my econom...

Project risk management involves the processes aimed at conducting risk management planning, identification, qualitative and quantitative analysis, responses, monitoring a project, etc. Here is a brief guide on the processes involved in project risk management •     Risk identification – It includes the identification and determination of the possible risks associated with the project and also proper documentation of the properties and effect of each one. •     Risk quantification – This step includes the evaluation of the risks that are identified in the first step and risk interactions to analyse the possible project outcomes. It is the primary method to determine which risk need the response. •     Risk response development – It includes clearly defining enhanced steps to utilize opportunities and to respond to threats. Threat response can fall into categories of risk avoidance or risk transfer. •   ...

A research report is drafted with the purpose of presenting the facts in its true form for the people to understand. The research report requires reader orientation, purpose orientation, time orientation, and technology orientation. The steps in writing a report are listed below. • Organization of thought – It involves how the report has to be presented in the most important starting point in the journey of preparation of a research report. • Acquaintance with research – Full acquaintance with research is important. It is facilitated by notes and accuracy and adequacy are vital. • First draft – It concentrated on a substance that is the fullness of facts where all the facts of value are to be brought together. It should also have balance, proportion, and development in facts. • The second draft – After writing the first draft, a revision is made for writing the second draft. In the second draft, the researcher should concentrate largely on form and language. • Third dr...

Organisations should institutionalize the innovation process to help sustain a competitive advantage and to ensure future success. The internal environment should have creative thinking as central to the values, assumptions and actions. Here are the positive effects of an innovation culture in organisations. ·         Promotes individual growth – With an employee’s willingness to invest time for creative energy at work, an innovation culture promotes individual growth. When the employee believe that their own development and growth are valued by the employer, his is more likely to make innovative contributions. ·         Builds confidence – Experimenting with innovative solutions are more likely to instil confidence in employees. And along with encouragement, there are greater chances for developing one’s skills and abilities. ·         Optimizes work environment – Bring...

As we all know a Business plan is a vital document used by many businesses. There are different types of Business plan available. Strategic Business Plan is one of the very important plans which helps the organizational growth and sustainability. The strategic business plan is more or less similar to an internal business plan. What makes strategic business plan differ from other plan is the nature of the plan. Strategic plans are more focused towards the long-term goals of an organization. For writing a Strategic Plan you need to do an extensive research about your target market and audience, study about your competitors, market trends and draft your plan well aligned with these external factors. Writing a Strategic Business Plan gives a lot of advantages. Strategic plans always come with milestones hence the results are always quantifiable. Since the plan requires a lot of research about industry and trends, this plan not only gives you guidance on your business goals but also...

A Consolidation Model is built by merging the financial results of multiple business units into one single model. Usually, the first worksheet of this model is a summary or consolidated view that shows the highest-level figures (monthly and yearly revenues, productivity rate,  costs and profits etc.) in the form of tables, graphs or charts. Other tabs in the model display financial data by various business units, departments, or product lines by years, quarters or months. There are two types of models available in the consolidation model, one is ‘Variable interest model’ and the second one is ‘Voting interest model’. Though this model is a very simple model with only a few inputs, in the real-world business scenarios, consolidation models can be quite complicated and involve numerous data sources and in-depth calculations. Below given are the various steps defining how to build a consolidation model? • Generate workbooks with labels corresponding to the respective project...

The advancement of IT and technology has made a huge impact in all walks of life. Business and management is one such sector that witnessing tremendous transformations with the implementation of the emerging trends in IT. Below listed are the top IT trends that are influencing the business sector. • Cloud computing – It is the utilisation of computing services, both software and hardware over a network. Cloud computing help reduce the IT infrastructure cost of a company and promotes virtual storage of data across an organization. • Mobile Apps – A tech advancement that has been receiving tremendous acceptance from all type of industries, mobile applications make devices like smart phone and tablets access and interpret information with the utmost convenience. This allows businesses to tap into a wide demographic while also being accessible at the fingertips of their customers. • User interfaces – Touch screen technology has revolutionised user interface and enco...

Personal interview marks an important step during the assessment of a candidate during the MBA admissions. An interview is the ideal platform for the candidate to impress the admission officials with his potential. Even though intimidating, if prepared well, the candidate can score well and get an admission at the institution. Here are some tips to follow while preparing for an MBA interview. • Focus - It is important to focus your energy on the interview process. Process the question and form a clear answer only after careful consideration. Process the question and form a well-thought and relevant answer, rather than quick and confusing ones • Be Spontaneous – Do not lose your cool when faced by unexpected questions. Thinks about the question carefully and give an appropriate answer. Often these type of questions are asked to catch you off guard and gauge your reaction. • Keep it interesting – Interviews look for a candid and engaging interview where the candidate can show...

Business research methods involve gathering information about the industry, its competition and the opportunities available to stay on top. And, hence studying about business research is vital for gaining success as an entrepreneur. Below listed are the 5 major business research methods widely practiced to gather beneficial information. • Focus groups – These are primary and the qualitative research types. Focus group methods are highly controlled by the individuals involved in it. • Interviews – This is one of the customization type of information gathering which occurs in one-on-one or three-on-one groupings.  • Case studies – A primary and qualitative type of research, this is considered highly enlightening for the right companies as it will provide them a perspective on customer’s feelings and experiences. • Data collection – These are secondary and quantitative research types which ranges from library to published statistical data. • Website ana...

Studying human resource management offers a broader range of knowledge, skills and understanding required for a career in HR. Also, as employees are considered as a valuable asset in many organizations, the scope of human resource management as a profession is gaining importance extensively. Following are the top benefits of studying HR management. • Improve employee turnover – Hiring the right people is vital for a company. An HR management student will be trained in identifying the right candidate for the job as well as helping them in managing their personal as well as career goals. • Handle conflict – Studying how to handle workplace conflict and finding a resolution for it is a key lesson. The HR professional will be equipped to assist both the management and the employee to resolve conflicts. • Employee satisfaction – For ensuring employee satisfaction, the HR personnel will be taught to conduct surveys, focus groups and set up interview strategies. • Improve empl...

Entrance exams are the first step for every MBA aspiring student to gear up for the best b-school they want to go for. There are many entrance exams that one can appear for like CAT, MAT, and GMAT etc. with so many competitive examinations in front of you, one may wonder how to crack these in the best way possible manner. You must prepare for it much earlier and keep in mind few things to ensure you put in your best to score well. 1. Be efficient while you answer your questions. It is not about answering all the questions, it is about fetching a percentile by answering the question you are sure to be right about. 2. Improve your quantitative ability as the difficulty levels is said to be reasonable and easily cracked with practice. 3. The verbal ability section needs a much more verbal and language concept approach well enough to attempt the right way 4. Manage your time well with practice and learn to be more accurate over time. 5. Don’t give up on mock tests as it ...