World cups in one line....

If I were to summarize each world cup in just one line ....

1975 - World still warming up to ODIs ; Clive Lloyd gets it better than them all
1979 - Clive Lloyd and the pack still leagues ahead
1983 - Windies still on the top and then Kapil Dev takes an unbelievable catch to dismiss Richards
1992 - New Zealand blaze their way through the tournament and then, Inzamam -ul- Haq happened
1996 - Sachin carries India through the tournament and then Eden Gardens happened
1999 - Gibbs drops the catch ; Donald drops his brain ; SA drop the cup
2003 - Ganguly's bunch to finals with aggression, a bit excess of it when Zaheer gives away 15
2007 - India out of the cup early ; Pepsi lost tons of money ; No one in India remembers
2011 - Dhoni stands and delivers
2015 - .....

Why Lebron wont win any more championships

Don't get me wrong - i dont hate Lebron; he is the best player in the league. But I don't think he is a great leader or a sportsman as he is made out to be. He will not be a Jordan. It is very unlikely he will win more championships.

All the drama around his "Im coming home" campaign is good business from the NBA perspective. They managed to keep fans engaged even during the summer break and what better opportunity than a year full of big trades.

Coming back to the subject :

1. Lebron's move is driven by money. Period. The core issue at Miami was pay - with Bosh and Wade due for higher pay cheques, there was little room for a new entrant. But then, weren't the big three supposed to be enough? Cant they be the leaders grooming the next generation of players rather than looking for another star? Jordan trusted a team that had players who were far inferior (he was that good!) and displayed the leadership that got them the success. In the case of Miami, if James hadn't stuck by his need for a max contract which would corner Bosh and Wade excessively, they could have carried on their quest. For a team that made 4 consecutive finals with a repeat, it wouldn't have needed massive re building. In any case, we are talking about a potential $ 4-5mn gap in his annual pay -for a guy who makes a lot more through endorsements this gap shouldn't matter - IF winning championships is as important to him as he claims it is.
2. If he did love home so much, he would have stuck by the team and the management in 2010 and gotten other stars to play with him in Cleveland. He wouldn't have left the way he did in 2010, and well, even in 2014, he hasnt changed much. If Miami had agreed to a max contract with Bosh and Wade taking a cut, Lebron would have stayed. So, the "coming home" part is just a hogwash. Jordan stuck by Chicago through all the ups and downs. Kobe and Duncan did too with their teams. Durant seems to be evolving into an inspiring leader as well. Infact, Dwayne Wade should get a lot of credit for accommodating Lebron into Miami and choosing to play the support cast - at a city where had a won a championship already and was the franchise leader. He truly did want to win more championships than just seek individual glory.
3. Basketball is a team sport. No team better than Spurs to underline that fact. San Antonio as a system is so good that they turn the average players into superstars - hence the deep bench that can deliver. 
4. He has just become smarter at handling the media and deflecting the attention through an essay. The mere fact that he had to write one, justifying his move to the world, meant that he wanted to contain the back lash. He probably employed professionals to craft his PR angle and come up with the "Im coming home" campaign. It is well played - who can possibly badmouth someone who claims to love home so much that he wants to give Cleveland their first championship, how benevolent of him.
5. Cleveland had started well with Kyrie Irving's addition to the roster. They were better off building the team with a big guy at the center and another star forward player. Kyrie could have led them to glory. With Lebron coming back, the attention will move back to creating plays around him and the team becomes very beatable - as they were between 2003-10.

Bottomline - There is nothing wrong with the quest for a max contract or moving back home. But he will never be a great leader and a sportsman like Jordan.

Flash Boys

Just finished reading the latest work by Michael Lewis - lived up to the expectation.

Wallstreet jocks continue to be at it - wonder if there is ever an end ..probably not. We will continue to see "innovations" that will be in the "interest of the client" while the regulators are always trying to catch up. Occasionally, the "principled" characters expose the dirty linen but the institutional linkage with the government will keep the ball rolling.

While the world was reeling in the GFC, the HFT guys were having(continue to) a party. In the same vein, as the investors now realize the deal of microseconds, I wonder what's the new play being employed. The smart brains i'm sure have concocted the next game-changer working around the regulations.

Thomas Pikkety and Taleb in the queue next - former an electronic version and latter the paper. Think i'll go with the latter.

"Songs stuck in the head"

An earworm, sometimes known as a brainworm,[1] is a catchy piece of music that continually repeats through a person's mind after it is no longer playing.[2] Phrases used to describe an earworm include musical imagery repetition, involuntary musical imagery, and stuck song syndrome.

Happens with most of us...at least for people like me who are highly distracted. From last evening, that bloody "paani paani" Honey Singh song is stuck in my head(ok don't judge me, or, you know what, go right ahead!) and I am getting pissed off!

Couldn't get rid of it during an exec meeting today...have struggled through this problem as a student during exams - especially when i was trying to solve a problem. I will confess that earworms have troubled me even during interviews!

Eight tracks that have earworm'ed me the most (dare not list more with the risk of enduring them again)

1) "Call me maybe"
2) "Lungi Dance" (Bollywood)
3) "Who let the dogs out"
4) "Gangnam style"
5) "Baby doll" (Bollywood)
6) "Happy"
7) "Titanium"
8) "Paani paani" (bollywood)

How does one get rid of earworms - apparently by taking up a task that engages your brain for a level of challenge. But the trick is to not pick up something too complex, allowing the tune to make it's way back in to your head. Solving anagrams is supposed to help . Alternatively scientists claim, it helps to find a place where one can sing the song loudly - I don't think this will help or is even possible in most of our daily lives!

I'm experimenting with posting a blog in the middle of work - hope this works!


(Think it just did....)

Indian Elections!

A single party with absolute majority - first time in the last 30 years. Goodbye to coalition politics, compromises, divisive agendas. All the past governments were focussed on holding on to their seats rather than focus on delivering the mandate.

Why does the outcome make a difference

1) India was on the cusp of a civil break down - maybe an extreme view - but the frustration of the people was crossing the tipping point. I am glad that the faith in the democratic system is restored and the country can still hope for a change. Now it is up to Modi to deliver - not an easy task considering the mess that the previous rulers have left behind.

2) End of  dominance of the first family and an uninspiring leadership. This will set the tone for the coming years, not just this election but in future as well

3) Hope is a big thing - and that's precisely what the elections have brought back to the country. Hope can go a long way in turning things around and rooting out corruption.

4) Restoration of the trust deficit - which has seeped into all layers of the society. It will take a while to be restored ; we may still need to pay bribes to register our assets, we may still see power cuts due to inefficient planning, we may still see bad infrastructure - but we will be patient this time around because we hope that all of this will change in the visible future.

5) Calling out of the "Aap" tards - They should have delivered in Delhi before going national.  They have played with the trust of the nation who saw a glimmer of hope when they came to power.

Now what next

1) Stoking the economy towards growth - the markets have clearly shown their support. Will have to see how long this will hold. It is paramount that inflation is reigned in and reforms are brought in multiple sectors. Demonstrated value add and exits will bring back a lot of investments to the table. Red tape clearance across the country will take a while - but this is where the absolute majority helps as the government no longer needs to turn a blind eye in some states.

2) Can the Gujarat model be replicated around the country - eagerly waiting to see how this will turn out. I have personally not visited Gujarat but going by the opinions published, it is clear that the state has transformed. Infrastructure around the country needs a huge boost - quick clearances, decisions and project completions are the need of the hour.

3) Foreign relations - I am not an extremist, but i believe that the nation has needed an authoritative leader who will not be messed around with. It is important that the neighbouring states as well as China and the US do not view the leader of India as a puppet (as was the case in the last decade), but a leader who will react in the interests of the country.

4) Good governance - I have friends who have joined the public services (IAS/IPS/IRS etc) and i know these guys are amongst the smartest and the most capable. I hope that the new government will recognize the capability and allow them the freedom to bring in the transformation. I was glad to hear Modi's pitch on delegation and team work. Leave it to these smart guys and they will deliver.

5)Inclusive growth - This indeed is the biggest challenge facing Modi. Vajpayee government lost out in spite of good performance because the majority of the "voting class" felt otherwise. Performance of the incumbent government has been so poor in the past few years, i wonder if any class of the society has been spared of frustrations. Biggest contributor being the inflation and meteoric rise in the cost of daily food. Dal (Lentils) at Rs 95 (2$)/kg , Onions at Rs 60 (1$)/kg and rice (don't remember the price points), but these essentials for an indian household had gone by up by almost 40-50% which derails the household economics. Modi's government will have to ensure that all the crappy dole outs in the name of "mnrega" or whatever are reviewed strictly and the objective is oriented towards moving people out of poverty.

In summary - faith has been restored in the system.

The last time i saw the country in joy was during the 2011 World cup victory. It's that same feeling again today.

Hope they just don't mess it up now!

Cheers to India!

NBA 2014 predictions

Trying to make a call sooner this year on what I see will be the outcome of the playoffs.

Given that a lot of teams are still hovering around the 7-8-9 position, the team names might change, but i really dont see any of those teams making a championship run.

Eastern Division -

East has the lopsided set of rankings, where the no.8 position has a 44.7% win percentage as against the more balanced western division, where the equivalent has a win rate of 60%. Says a lot about the quality of teams in the west.

Nevertheless -

Round 1:

Miami - Atlanta : 4-0 win for Miami
Indiana - Charlotte : 4-1 win for Indiana
Toronto - Washington : 4-2 win for Toronto  (this will be an interesting series with two high flying point guards)
Chicago - Brooklyn: 4-3 win for Chicago (expect a total slug fest here, both teams play hard. Expect a few T's in this series)

Round 2:
Miami-Chicago : 4-2 win for Miami (recap of the series last year....famed rivalry will motivate Noah to have a go at the Heat team)
Indiana - Toronto : 4-2 win for Indiana

Conference Final :
Miami - Indiana : 4-3 win for Miami (this is a recap of the last year, but i still give the edge to Miami given that Lebron continues to dominate the game)

Western Division -

Most of the teams I have liked to follow in the past have been from this division and it still continues to be a formidable bunch of teams.Really hoped Minnesota to do much better, but Kevin Love alone cannot get it done. Coming back to the playoffs

Round 1 :

San Antonio-Phoenix : 4-0 win for San Antonio (clinical play by Spurs)
OKC - Dallas : 4-1 win for OKC
Clippers - Golden State : 4-3 win for Clips (this will be a hard fought series, but I give the edge to Blake Griffin and Doc rivers)
Houston - Portland : 4-3 win for Portland ( this series can go either way and a lot will depend on the health of Dwight Howard. The blazers started the season very well and have it in them to get past the rockets)

Round 2:
San Antonio - Portland : 4-2 win for San Antonio (the blazers will grind it out and may even push it to a 7 game series)
OKC - Clippers : 4-2 win for OKC (Clips cant stop Durant who is back to being unstoppable)

Conference finals :

San Antonio - OKC : 4-3 win for San Antonio (OKC will make the spurs work very hard with their athleticism. It will boil down to the SA defense and Kawhi Leonard guarding KD. This is a rematch of the conference finals two years ago, except that OKC still had Harden with them then)

NBA Finals :
San Antonio - Miami - Rematch of the 2013 series. This can again go either way as it did the last year. San Antonio had almost won game 6 and the championship, but then such is the beauty of the game. Ray Allen got a lucky pass and then the rest is history.

I cant make a prediction on the finals, but I truly want San Antonio to win this series because they have it in them. Popovich and the trio deserve another crown and I will only cheer for them.

Redbus

Truly impressive story. As Mahesh Murthy puts it "no iit/iim whiz kids", just a bunch of people willing to work hard and create "Value" (such an over-used word, especially by us MBA's).

Why am I happy about the story

1) Demonstrates to all aspiring entrepreneurs that it is all about identifying a problem and solving it with passion. Yes, you need investment to support your livelihood when the company is not generating revenues, but the focus is not just on multiples. I dont think the founder team ever aimed only for a sell-out/listing. Dont drink the start-up koolaid; just identify a problem and focus on solving it.

2) Success stories are good for the ecosystem. Bangalore has always been panned for being just a back office for IT Services and not being the right comparison to silicon valley. Stories like redbus (and of course inmobi/flipkart etc) help create more positive energy in the city

3) And of course the financial returns; the ESOPs im sure have been effective and the team members can pride themselves in getting what they deserved for taking a risk and believing in making an impact on people's lives.

We are more alike than we are different

I will not take credit for the statement, but when a senior colleague said this, it struck me as a powerful statement.

It's true isn't it.  Given all the cultural, regional , racial differences that we may have in the global workplace today, we are still more alike than we are different.

Some examples

*Management - Promoter-run companies show the same pattern of management - be it australia, india, china or the states. Obviously there will be differences in culture, but the management behaviour tends to be very similar and most promoter-ceo's tend to show the same behavior. One would think that an American company vs an Asian company run by promoters would show different levels of professionalism? Probably not.

*Employee behavior - Our motivations are very similar; we are all driven by similar aspirations and are emotionally affected in a similar way.

*Relationships - Family relationships take precedence(or not) in a very similar fashion for people from most cultures

There are many more, but the bottom-line is very simple - if we are all so similar, why do we have issues at all. It boils down to empathy and communication. The lack of it leads to prejudices and create a chain effect on the drift in relationships and mutual understanding at the workplace.

Very simple, see the other person as you and just make sure your words mean the same as they mean to the other person. Coz in the great words of Amitabh Bachchan - "English is a phunny language. Bharoin becomes baron and baron becomes bhairon because their minds are very narrow"

Why Miami will win the title again

The Playoffs have sure lived up to expectations. Lets take a closer look at the match ups :

Semi Final Lineup

Bulls vs Heat - While the Bulls have managed to get under the skin of James & company, with the injury problems plaguing them, they just dont have the firepower. Only a matter of game 5 for Miami to close the round and move on. Would it have made a difference if Derrick Rose had played? - Well, i definitely think so. Rose could have provided some offensive support and at least made sure that the hard earned playoff semi final berth is not being squandered.

Pacers vs Knicks - The Knicks are an offense powerhouse and not that great on defense. In fact very similar to OKC.  They have always rallied on the shooting of Carmelo and it is only natural that he will have a few bad nights. Given the intensity of the playoffs, that will cost them this round. The Pacers are gritty (like Memphis) and take the game to the paint, converting high percentage shots. Of course, Paul George is high on confidence and even if he misses, he knows he has the big guys to support him. For NYK, Chandler will not be enough to counter that.

OKC vs Memphis - This series has been very entertaining, especially given two different styles of basketball at play. OKC with finesse and shooting capabilities of Durant against the defensive big guy line up of Memphis. Gasol and Randolph are just too much to handle for the Thunder team and Ibaka will not be able to contain both. Like i mentioned above, this series is very similar to the Knicks and Pacers match up. Memphis have been very impressive, converting high percentage shots and most importantly playing defense that is hard to break. Memphis will take this series by Game 6.  Is the Westbrook injury costing Thunder a lot - probably yes, but I would have still given the edge to Memphis going to game 7.

GSW vs Spurs - GSW has surprised all of us with their aggression and the hunger to play in the big league. Curry and Thompson have been just unbelievable  managing to rattle the veteran Spurs who know how to win the ring. While the series is leveled right now, I give the edge to Spurs to win the series, simply because they know how to win the playoffs. The experience of this team, backed by the best coach in the league, the Spurs will hold an edge. They need to find an answer to Curry's insane run of 3-pointers that they just cant seem to contain. This series should end by game 6, but hats off to GSW for displaying the level of basketball of the highest standard. The future for GSW, they need defense in the front court - a center/power forward who will take care of business in the paint defensively. Bogut does have the potential to do that.

Where does that leave us with the next round :

Heat vs Pacers - This will be a closely fought series. The Pacers know how to beat the Heat. The deciding factor, will be Chris Bosh. He hasn't been playing very well so far in the series. It is simple, if Bosh comes to the party, then Heat will take the series. In either case, I think it will go down to game 7 and Heat will win.

Memphis vs Spurs - This is a match up I would love to watch. The series will go down to the game 7 again, and the deciding factor will be Tim Duncan. He is old and not at his quickest best. Having said that, he has won championships and is mentally a strong candidate. Popovich will sure have his strategy mapped out. Each shot will be contested heavily and we will see a lot of perimeter shooting from Parker and Ginobili. I think the Spurs will take the series.


NBA Finals :

Spurs vs Heat - Oh what a match up. Two teams who are mentally strong and have been there before. At this point, I think the trio of James-Wade-Bosh will trump the Duncan-Parker-Ginobili lineup. It will be a hard fought series, but I expect it to close by game 6 with the Heat winning the championship.


Standard Disclaimers apply - Injuries can make a lot of difference to the predictions as they evidently have throughout this season.

Personally, I am not a fan of Miami Heat. I would like to see the Spurs win the title for Greg Popovich and the team that he has built.

Down under

Over the last year, work has been taking me to Sydney quite often and it continues to be a unique experience working with the Aussies.

As a travel enthusiast, I attempt to stay the weekends and travel around a bit. Sharing some bits that have caught my interest.

History and demographics -

It's well known that the Aussie outback acted as a prison to accommodate the rising number of UK prisoners . It has indeed come far from the convict-land identity and evolved to be a beautiful efficient country. Some interesting facts to note :

• 80% of the island is uninhabitable; the population of the country is 22 million(huh!) and 20% of the nation lives in and around Sydney. The nation is RICH in resources. 

• Interestingly, Terra Australis was not first discovered by the British. The Dutch had made their way to the west coast in early 1700's but found the land uninhabitable and left. Little did they know, had they dug deeper, they would have found a wealth of gold reserves on the western region. History may have taken a different turn. 
• The aboriginals like most pagans have very similar elements of nature worship. Can also find the "swastika" amongst the various symbols that are part of the culture. The population has far diminished now and I believe that the northern territories have a more concentrated habitation. Of course, they are they invented the boomerang! Interestingly, the boomerang is always thrown in the direction of the sun during a hunt, as a decoy to slow down the game, and not as a weapon directly. 
• The other iconic cultural item - "didgerdidoo" was actually named by the Brits simply based on the sound that the instrument made. The instrument is a creation of  nature. Termites eat into branches making them hollow, and the aboriginals tap branches on a tree to find such stretches and then chop them off. Of course they are cleaned, painted and used as a musical instrument.
• The national symbol has the kangaroo and the emu - not only because they are native to the country, but also because neither animal can move backward. An indication of a nation that will only surge ahead.
• Flora & Fauna - The forests of Australia have some fauna from the jurassic age dating back millions of years. Some of it continues to be protected to avoid exploitation.
• Tasmanian Devil - Of the unique animals found in the region, the Tasmanian devil is also known to suffer with a type of facial cancer leading to dwindling numbers. Scientists havent figured out a cure yet and continue to research.

Nicknames 

The Harbour bridge is also called "Coat Hanger" - simply because when it was built during the Great Depession era, it was meant to drive some positive economic activity but in reality the depression continued.

The Anzac bridge across the Darling Harbour is called "Madonna's Bra" (http://www.sydneyrocks.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/anzac_bridge_5.jpg)

Finally , the party culture - the Aussies love their watering holes and there are some really nice bars around the George Street area. But nothing beats the view at the Opera House bar. One just cant get enough of the place.

To close this piece, I must comment on the local way of greeting - "How ya going" !

I really dont know how this term came to be used. Maybe it was a combination of "How are you " and "Where are you  going" or "How are you goin wherever you're goin" - I dont know. Of course I'm kidding. I sure have heard Russel Peters pick on this.

Cheers!

 

Connecting with the dork..

It is all the mind. Who we are, what we are capable of and what we end up as - destiny is a function of your thoughts and personality.

Have been catching up with Sidin Vadukut's books lately. Been very impressed with his play of fiction woven into real life innuendoes. One common trait throughout the book, is the protagonist's character - always full of confidence, always worrying about simple things (Raveena Tandon's video), looking at the humorous side of situations, etc.  It may be obvious that some of it is a reflection of the author's real attitude in life.

What I draw from reading the books - take it easy in life . There will always be pressure and stress, each person has his/her own limits before blowing out, but don't forget to think about Anoushka Sharma during those times(assuming you're a guy...donno what works for girls).

Cheers!

Lil Wayne - Mirror Feat. Bruno Mars - sounds so Indian!!

"Fire away Fire away"

It's been on the loop for a very long time and I am still not over this track. Guetta has just proved to be this musician beyond the stereotypical DJ who just changes the beats for an existing song.

All his original tracks have been such massive hits, the man's got some serious music talent  bringing out some great collaborations. For example

1) When was the last time you 'actually' listened to the lyrics of a song produced by a DJ
2) When was the last time, a song produced by a DJ not called a "remix" or " abcd beat mix"
3) When was the last time, you actually looked forward to a new track from a DJ

Greek company

We have been reading millions of articles on the plight of Greece and how they brought it on themselves (including the Michael Lewis stories).

On a flight recently, I happened to sit next to a senior Greek lady, who was returning from her trip to Athens. She had gone to visit her ailing mother and does not actually live there. We got talking about how life has been disrupted due to the current crisis.  She mentioned how
1)Everyone has moved their money out of the banks and are storing cash at home
2)The crime rates (incl robberies) have risen dramatically because of the above reason, as well as, for the fact that unemployment is high
3)Certain essential medicines are not available anymore and importing them is harder, because a doctor needs to prescribe them specifically
4)Airlines are gradually closing down service to Athens, making it harder for people to travel in from overseas
5)The elections are a mess, because each party is believed to be backed by a lobby from a country with interests in Greece
6)And of course, the hatred for the Germans! - the Greeks do believe that the western european super powers have an interest in controlling Greece for the resources and have hence contributed to creating the current economic situation.

It was interesting to hear first hand, the change in life for an average Greek citizen. For an average citizen, it must be very hard to come to terms with impending hardships.

Never say Never

That's what they call the documentary covering Justin Beiber's story. Quite impressive, the kid has had a fairytale journey and he seems to be handling it well so far. It is well known that he was a youtube phenomenon and Usher helped create the star out of this kid.

How and why did this happen? Was it a good business move by the production company. I think so!

Amongst musicians you have bands and artists catering to pretty much every segment. The youth segment (both high teens and young adults),  working class segment, the family segment, middle aged and the old age segment*. If i can pin an artist or a band to each of these segments(for example), it would probably be 1)Miley Cyrus/Nicki Minaj 2) Black eyed peas/Eminem/Usher 3)Country music bands/artists 4)Beach boys 5)Classical artists,  in that respective order.

What probably was missing, was a young teen sensation. The last kid who was famous in this category was Aaron Carter (younger brother of Nick Carter - the backstreet boy) who had a few hits. I dont remember if there was anyone else after that. There was a clear market gap and it only made sense to look out for a talent that could address this and the money would just follow. Beiber literally has no competition in the segment he caters to. Great place to be in!

While Beiber is on his way to young adulthood, transforming as an artist towards newer music, I think the production companies are scouting right now to find a replacement in this category.



*Just a rough segmentation by demographics

Trades

Ray Allen to Miami - Looks like the Heat will be an offense powerhouse inside the paint and at the 3 point line. Unless this is a move to hedge any lost form or injuries to Mike Miller or Shane Battier

Steve Nash to LA - Honestly, Nash deserves a ring and I only hope he gets one before he retires. Two time MVP and a great team player. He may just be able to get more out of Gasol and Bynum through his killer passes.

USA Basketball - Again nothing short of a dream team. Again a USA-Spain final on the cards, with an overwhelming win for team USA

Of Blog names...

So not unusual to find a blog titled  "random"or "arbit" or "delusions" or a combination of these.

Having been a culprit myself, I am renaming my blog. May read a bit odd, but what the hell, I am a fan of alliterations.

Delayed post on NBA 2012

So Lebron finally gets the ring. Irrespective of public opinion, the guy did deserve a ring. He kept coming back and taking his game a level up every time he was pushed down. I recently caught up on the movie "More than a game" - shot pretty much on home video, which tracks Lebron's growing years as a basketball player. In terms of skill and talent, he was clearly unique.

He can guard the ball, play power forward, post up and shoot 3's at will. What was probably missing was the mental strength that saw him missing clutch shots in his years at Cleveland. He was tested again this year in the series against Boston, but he just came out of it much better. On a player like Lebron, there are immense pressures and expectations, given his talent. But crossing the last mile takes much more mental composure and confidence than just talent. Probably why it took him 7 years to get his first ring, while Wade (drafted in the same year) drove his team to a championship in his third year. Probably coz Wade had marginally lesser expectations and was shouldering a team with the support of Shaq ( in his sunset years). In clutch situations, he also seems more confident that LBJ.

Will we see a Miami dominance in the next few years. The next couple of seasons I am sure (assuming no one goes down with injuries). Eric Spoelstra has put together a great team that is defensively as great as their offense. Something that will see them getting the better of other talented teams.

Prometheus

Finally caught the movie last weekend. Loved the premise and the visualizations. But the movie seemed to lose track at the end with the alien reproduction bit.


Was Charlize Theron a robot too? Interesting possibility.

Corporate 'Paap' and Ethical dilemmas

There are innumerable discussions around Corporate and business ethics but most of them tend to be centered around a person's behavior within the firm and I have not come across much on the behavioral rules for the members in the top management of a company towards employees.

'Employee:management' behavior varies across industries. Traditional manufacturing industries who employ 'labor' have their own way of managing people and the ethical aspects take a backseat when employee management resembles ring master behavior. Although at times unethical, the harsh methods are the only solution for multiple labor problems in these sectors. The unethical behavior equating to corporate paap is quite high in these industries and go unchecked usually. However, there is a constant scare of labor union backlash, curbing the limit of corporate 'paap' that one can commit!

The other end of the spectrum are the advanced industries like Financial services/Management consulting where employee management is structured around giving massive independence and any infringement or bossing around irks employees(although it still happens). The beaten around topics of corporate ethics are mostly relevant to these industries where the focus is on being responsible for the independence and not misusing it. However, there isn't too much talk on the ethical aspects in employee management. There is probably no need of it because smart people working with smart people usually dont need a rule book. Additionally, the HR departments have a very active complaints mechanism because they recognize that people are the core strength of the company. If ever, any manager were to adopt sly practices of employee management, the HR has the teeth to counter them effectively. The corporate paap in these lines of work is limited to

The IT services industry was a place where all the parameters of an advanced sector were relevant. But it has fast transitioned into a commoditized space leading to a mixed situation at large companies.  The IT services firms have seen an exodus of the truly smart people and quantity over quality has become the norm (natural transition). So what happened to the culture in these firms during this transition?

It must be noted that the cultural transition in these firms has to be seen in separate categories :
1) Global firms who grew their Indian arms so much, that the headcount in India far outnumbers any other region in their operations - IBM/Accenture/CSC etc
2)Indian firms that went global - Infosys/TCS/Wipro/ etc..

In either category, given the change in culture, the only way for an individual to rise up corporate the ladder has to do with the head count that you command and (funnily enough) not linked to the economic impact you have on the firm's financials. So, when all that matters is headcount, the shrewd managers do employ any tactic that will get them through each year with more people reporting to them. Add to the fact that the performance management framework is not robust(most of these companies have increased headcount at an insane rate), the manager is at complete liberty to "screw" team members he hates(remember that in a commoditized industry, skill differentiation tends to be lower) or promote team member he/she may have a personal affinity with. The HR backbone, which is meant to be the normalizer has been very weak in most of these firms, thus allowing a free hand to managers.

Therefore there are situations where managers can get away with the most ruthless decisions , which can be equated to what i call "Corporate paap". Increasingly witnessed in the IT industry where the deliverables are intangible and the quality of the leaders is increasingly average. Many a times, the HR in some firms directly indulge in manipulation and unfair practices, because who is to check! Who will police the police.

While I understand that "this is life" ..."deal with it" ...yada yada, why not tighten the focus on ethics in the corporates, why not build in checks and balances that look into the ethical practices of most of the business leaders within the firms? Is it it impossible or just not worth the time or effort?

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"Ethical dilemma"

What sparked this discussion on this topic? Few years ago, during the crisis times, I happened to witness a situation where a particular "Director" decided to not give a raise to any of his team members in the name of crisis, but did choose to fly around on multiple trips around the country in business class to attend an annual gathering at various cities. Simple back of the envelope calculation will tell you that each trip costs about INR 40k and 4 such trips in a quarter will cost the company INR 160k. I did see that he particularly decided to lower the rating for a couple of software engineers(who btw, make approx INR 30k a month and are happy with an increment of INR 3k/month) in the name of crisis.  Anyone who lives in a metros will tell you how hard it is to lead a life with that salary and any increment can make a significant difference to the employees(particularly at the entry levels).

In summary, while INR 160k was spent on "non critical business" travel, the denial of the increment to the employee at best save the firm 36x2 = INR 72k . What am i missing here?!  The leader has the power to overrule an increment (for completely external reasons beyond the control of the employee), but had the luxury of enjoying some perks that are not tightly monitored? Could the leader use his/her conscience?

Every time a company goes into a cost transformation mode(read cost cutting), there is a framework that ensures that the right actions are taken to control costs. These are , in most cases, not watertight, leading to potential situations like the one above. It is saddening to see a downward trend in the quality of leadership, especially in the IT services space, that not so long ago was a revered industry.