Unveiling The Toxic MBA Culture Behind The Shiny Packages: 1 SPJIMR Student Commits Suicide Due To Academic Pressure

Every year, many candidates appear for the CAT (Common Admission Test) for admission into top MBA colleges in India. The headlines about crores and lacs of packages in the topmost companies entice young professionals and students, gravitating them toward the course. However, only those who have done it know the reality of the toxic MBA culture, which will be covered in this article.

First Things First – What makes an MBA such a Revered Degree?

MBA is a two-year postgraduate program in business administration that provides fast-track promotion to individuals in the workplace and to leadership and management positions. In foreign countries, an MBA mandatorily requires a few years (typically 2+ years) of work experience for eligibility. However, such a mandate does not exist in India.

This means a graduate student can go for an MBA right after graduation, or a working professional can choose to do it a few years into the industry.

There are several entrance tests to get admission into various MBA colleges, but the most common one is CAT, which is the first step to admission to prestigious IIMs and other colleges like MDI Gurgaon, FMS Delhi, SPJIMR Mumbai, etc.

In 2023, 2.88 lacs students appeared for CAT, a number which is only increasing year after year. Mind you, an MBA is not a cheap degree to acquire. When done from a top institution, it costs a minimum of INR 22 lacs, with the average being INR 25 lacs for a 2-year degree.

Most students opt for an education loan to pursue this course. Since good jobs are almost always guaranteed post-MBA, banks provide loans at low interest rates to attract students into opting for them. 

Despite the cutthroat competition, a tedious entrance procedure consisting of an entrance exam, a personal interview, and high fees, an MBA is still a revered degree in the country. What makes it so is the high payout associated with it.

The final placement reports of top institutions boast 100% placements with average packages reaching over 30 lacs in the best companies, which naturally entices people. A middle-class young adult, earning barely enough to meet the expenses, aims to pursue an MBA and, thus, earn and live lavishly.

However, behind those glitzy headlines and inflated package numbers lies a grim reality unknown to most. The toxic MBA culture can shake up the spirits of the best minds. In one such unfortunate incident, a student of SPJIMR died by suicide due to academic pressure.

SPJIMR Student Dies by Suicide

On Friday at approximately 7 p.m., a 22-year-old MBA student committed suicide in Malad West. Dhruvil Vora, who passed away, was in the first year of the degree. It is alleged that he jumped from the seventh floor of his residential building, Vasudeo, in Kachpada.

His studies were the source of acute stress, as indicated by the preliminary investigation. No note has been discovered at his residence. His family transported him to Tunga Hospital in Kandivali West, where he was declared deceased. On Friday, the Malad police submitted an accidental fatality report.

According to the police, Dhruvil resided in a hostel and pursued his education in Vile Parle. He returned home on Friday and conversed with his mother and sister in a manner consistent with his usual behavior. He departed under the guise of repairing their scooter, but he ultimately committed suicide by jumping from the building.

Surprisingly (or not), the incident has not been reported by any news media channel. The first source of information was an MBA community forum on Instagram called MBA Social. The story reported above was taken from a Free Press Journal article, which does not mention the name of the college.

SCMHRD Pune Student Committed Suicide

Five days ago, a first-year MBA student from SCMHRD committed suicide, stressed by job search in this volatile job market.

The Incident Unveils the Toxic MBA Culture

This incident, grossly underreported, sheds light on the toxic MBA culture in the country’s premier business schools. The pressure of academics, placements, having a social life, and extracurriculars, all while bearing the burden of a heavy load, takes a toll on people.

Let’s dive into every aspect of what makes an MBA so toxic.

Student-Run Placement Bodies

The worst thing to exist in these colleges is the placement body being run and controlled by students almost entirely. 

Placements in MBA are all the more important as it is a post graduate program for which many people leave their jobs and take loans. Hence, securing a good job is crucial to them. Exploiting this vulnerability are the placement committee members of these colleges, who are none other than the select students themselves.

From a batch of 500+ students, some 15-20 students are selected by the senior placement committee to join the placement committee after a rigorous process that mandates them to stay up multiple nights continuously and push themselves beyond their limit.

After they are selected, they basically have all the power to make or break a student’s placement. There are little to no checks in place to ensure the power does not get abused by these students.

Promotes the Culture of Ass-Kissing: In MBA, if you want good company shortlists, you have to be in the good books of the seniors who are placed in those companies. Party with them, make friends with them, ensure they are praised.

Being in the good books of the placement committee favours people too. Going against them can prove disastrous.

The system rewards “networking” more than merit and talent.

Ragging, disguised under the name of Informal Induction 

Second-year seniors welcome the first-year students by informal induction, a three-day proceeding that is meant to give the students a sneak peek into their MBA and corporate life.

Students are asked to dress up in business formal (shirt, pants, and blazer) and stay up all night to do the tasks assigned by seniors. These include making presentations, running around the campus, interacting with other students and professors, and performing arts like dancing, singing, acting, etc.  

The new cohort will be burdened with mandatory assignments set against impossible-tight deadlines. As the newcomers endure sleepless nights, mandatory meetings become regular (with no exceptions to be excused from the forum).

During these meetings, they are subjected to severe critiques that lack constructive points. They are frequently threatened with disbarment from all future college activities/placements. The meetings typically conclude with an assignment and continue for hours without a clear conclusion.

The seniors could often initiate random disciplinary actions against a student and throw in a “sit up straight comment” while pretending to fume in anger for extra laughs. While it may sound harmless, it takes a toll on many people, especially fresh graduates who did not know what to expect. 

Fake compulsory case competitions with no outcomes, “informative sessions” that lack critical information, group discussions that are moderated and conducted solely for the purpose of amusement, and numerous other activities that the second years have planned will be implemented during this period.

Being yelled at by second-years, many of whom would be younger in both age and professional experience, is not an experience anyone looks forward to.

Running around the campus in formals in severe heat, doing meaningless tasks in the name of bonding and exposure, is more stupid than I can ever express in words. First-years are not even allowed to smile when the induction is going on.

On the last day, the seniors, who once breathed down your neck, throw confetti and hoot in celebration, disclosing how everything was just a prank.

Individuals who are feeling frustrated may exhibit adverse reactions when informed of the hoax. Consequently, in order to mitigate the impact, the most powerful weapons are deployed. The cohort is informed that this was an MBA initiation process, and the two batches have since formed a bond over the shared stress, pressures, and challenges of the MBA life (yes, the same stress, anxieties, and challenges created by the seniors).

Clarify that it has been an integral component of the college from the outset and is now complete. Consequently, the new class is authentically prepared to commence their journey.

Ragging is defined as “the act of senior students engaging in harassment, humiliation, or abuse of new entrants or junior students.” It frequently manifests in a malignant manner, during which the newcomers may be subjected to psychological or physical torment.

The marketing specialists at MBA colleges may have struck gold by rebranding ragging. It is possible that our colleges are not genuinely concerned about ragging despite the ineffective anti-harassment committees and the tedious tasks they require us to execute.

Variations of this process are present in MBA colleges throughout India, including the old, new, and infant IIMs, as well as the top private colleges. It has persisted for centuries and will persist until a definitive stance is adopted.

Worth tied to placements and shortlists

For most students, the primary purpose of pursuing an MBA is to get a good placement. After all, there is a hefty loan that needs to be paid back. 

In MBA colleges, the definition of good placement is quite narrow and only includes consulting and finance domain placements.

The process works: Upon admission, the students are meant to prepare their CVs for the summer internship cycle that takes place around September. Marquee companies come on campus and select a student for internships in their firms.

Many students are extended pre-placement offers (PPOs) if the internship goes well. 

So, the goal of every first-year student is to make a good CV to secure shortlists from top companies and eventually an internship.

However, the culture of the colleges is such that only a few companies and domains are revered as the best and “dream.” These primarily include MBB (the holy trinity of consulting – McKinsey, Bain & Co., and BCG). These companies are the first ones to release their shortlists, and the news spreads like wildfire.

Those students who get the shortlists are instantly declared as the smartest, and those who do not get the shortlist (which is entirely a numbers game) end up feeling demotivated and left out.

It is bizarre that even those who join MBA to pursue something else (say marketing or entrepreneurship) are not immune to the peer pressure and the rat race that pushes them to apply for these jobs.

Very few students are actually able to escape the trap of this toxic MBA culture.

Academics are just about stress management and do not focus on retention

One year consists of three terms, and each term comprises eight courses. Two exams are administered each semester: midterms and endterms, along with quizzes, assignments, and projects. Therefore, in essence, there are six examinations and twenty-four subjects that must be acquired within a nine-month period, with the primary emphasis on placements.

How can you anticipate that the children will truly acquire knowledge of the subject matter in this setting? The majority of students are satisfied with reviewing the faculty PPT and papers from previous years. The environment is not conducive to the acquisition of knowledge; rather, it is conducive to the efficient management of time and tension.

You must deliver your best performance, or you will be defeated by your peers. A lead of 1-2 marks can significantly impact your grade. The majority of your colleagues have been high performers in the past. If you take a few days to unwind, you may encounter significant congestion.

Secondly, while a number of professors are exceptionally knowledgeable, and conversing with them enhances one’s comprehension of the subject matter, there are a variety of instructors that you may encounter, such as a sadistic individual who is anticipating your failure, a professor who consistently completes his class 10 minutes after the designated time and consumes the break, and a professor who is knowledgeable about the contents of her book but not about anything else.

Despite the fact that the teachers are extremely accomplished and hold Ph. D.s, they may often lack a genuine connection with the students. 

Writing on hands, using phones, making cheat chits, determining a time for the meeting in the restroom to discuss answers – anything is acceptable as long as it contributes to the enhancement of the grade.

MBA, in essence, is the process of converting jargon into common sense. The most critical skill required to endure the degree is “THE ART OF GLOBING.” Globing is essentially beating around the b

ush, extending a one-line answer to a page.

One might think this type of faff would end after school or at a bachelor’s. But it is widely practiced across B-schools.

You must comprehend the following three points:

(a) Globing facilitates the immediate attention of peers, professors, and companies.

(b) Everyone has to globe to get marks. There is no exception.

(c) In the end, all individuals, regardless of how technically sound they are, become Globe-Masters.

Poor Infrastructure

There are regular wifi problems that plague the institution, along with other issues such as extreme heat in summers (particularly in campuses situated in North India where the mercury can touch 50 degrees celsius in summer months).

There are insects found in food multiple times, and the college has no response but to say sorry without solving the root of the problem.

Washrooms often remain dirty, basic appliances such as washing machines do not work and are not repaired within time, water is unhygienic and undrinkable.

The Creme de la Creme of the country indulges in state and regional divide

The concept of community or “comm” is common in these colleges. There are Bongcomm, Malcomm, Marcomm, Telcomm, Tamcomm, Gujcomm, etc., which, as the name suggests, are communities of Bengali, Malayali, Marathi, Telugu, Tamil, and Gujarati people, respectively.

These community groups do not merely exist for support, but have influence on college politics as well. In student elections, these cohorts often determine a candidate’s win or loss, simply on the basis of their region.

Imagine – a country which is already plagued by community stereotypes, its brightest minds are only indulging in this more, rather than coming together and fight against it.

Conservative Mindset

The students like to present themselves as liberal individuals with progressive perspectives. However, they persist in their judgmental stance and duplicity.

They are more prone to hearsay than middle-aged Indian aunts. It is amusing how fast rumours spread in these colleges. 

Rather than engaging in meaningful discussions about work and politics, students like to spend their time by drinking alcohol and smoking up mindlessly, while discussing the affairs of a student whom they would have never talked to in their life.

These kind of gossips actually affect the self-confidence and image of the person being gossiped about.

Networking precedes over genuine friendships 

Networking at an IIM is primarily about feigning interest in someone in order to capitalize on their acquaintance at a later time. Those who would wave to you enthusiastically on the first day are highly likely to harbor a pure yet proficiently concealed hate for you.

Only a small number of individuals are interested in forming genuine friendships. The remaining individuals are merely interested in learning more about you for their benefit. After their work is derived, you become a stranger to them.

In the haste of pairing students to firms, their whole lives are reduced to a few columns on an Excel sheet. The inclusion of a single small filter on that sheet by your ideal company could derail all your prospects of being shortlisted. Additionally, what is the rationale behind these ostensibly peculiar criteria for shortlisting?

This is due to the fact that in this preposterous universe, there appears to be a penalty for everything. Do you have prior employment experience? That is an issue. Lacking employment experience? That can also be a problem. Engaged in engineering studies? We regret to inform you that we are unable to accommodate your request. However, if you are not an engineer, we will assign you tasks that require a high level of analytical thinking, which an engineer could have completed more efficiently.

What if you were unable to achieve a score of 90% on your 12th exam due to illness? Or perhaps you took a gap year to start some business on your own? Your illness and failed venture are of no concern to companies.
Their assessment of your qualifications for a shortlist will be based on your percentages in 10th, 12th, and graduation. Additionally, any academic lapse will result in your downfall.

By the way, if you are an engineer, you are already at a disadvantage, as employers prioritise candidates who are “diverse.” Additionally, even good marks  in your resume can be ineffective if you are not affiliated with IIT or SRCC. 

Everything is judged on the basis of cover, with no regard to what the student is actually capable of.

Conclusion

While an MBA can give your career much-needed boost, it is crucial that you take this path with proper contemplation, well-aware of both pros and cons. Cons are more than pros.

Those days are gone when MBA used to promise high packages. This year’s turbulent job market has proven that no IIM tag can save you if you do not have the required skills or caliber.

Even after getting the dream job and salary package, life does not suddenly become rosy, as proven by the suicide of a young individual from IIM who was working in McKinsey, one of the highest regarded companies in these colleges. The incident took place in March this year and sent shock waves throughout the country.

However, nothing changed on ground. The working conditions did not improve for anyone.

The companies that offer high packages do it at the expense of one’s personal life, demanding 14+ hours of work everyday, with no consideration to health.

Moreover, the percentage of students getting such high packages is few. Also remember that the college inflates the salary figures to make headlines.

The toxic MBA culture has been around for decades, and it is only continues to worsen.