Indian Institute of Management Sambalpur

PGP TERM V, 2023-24

Course Outline

Course Title : Understanding Government: A Managerial Lens

Credits : 1.5

Type : Elective

Session Duration : 90 minutes

Faculty :

________________________________________________________________________

Introduction

Today’s Managers have to interact with Government Systems on a day-to-day basis. A war in some part
of the world or a political development in a remote country can impact the way businesses and organizations
operate. A desire to stay away from politics or government, therefore, does not make managers immune from
being impacted by public policies. In making sense of the political and public policy universe, most managers
may end up relying on mainstream and social media rather than more informed academic discussions. The
contemporary political systems have evolved over centuries. So, current issues agitating society have historical
and philosophical backgrounds. But these underlying issues are generally not discussed in any depth in the media
or in popular conversations. Knowledge-gaps may also emerge because of lack of interest and time in reading
contemporary books in the non-fiction segment and lack of focus in social science subjects during school and
College education. For most students reading of these subjects may end in school with some superficial learning.

The main objective of the course is to help students develop a depth of understanding of the public policy
universe and to sustain future interest in engaging with issues of the day. It is in the safe setting of class room
discussions and assignments that students will be expected to form views and develop a flair for engaging with
public policy, beyond the information overload of shallow knowledge-claims disseminated by interested parties.
This is a Philosophical and argumentative course and will build the thinking, researching and debating skills of
the students.

1
Prerequisites

Good language skills, broad reading of non-fiction books and articles, interest on contemporary debates in the
world would give the student a head-start.

Course Competencies/ Learning Outcomes

After attending the course students will be better equipped to understand the basis of State power, formulation of
public policy and their effect on society, businesses and organizations. They will learn to go beyond political
rhetoric and propaganda into more abstract understanding of issues of the day. They will also develop a habit for
reading and for engaging with contemporary issues affecting society.

1. The Justification and limits of State Power.

2. Democracy, Rule of Law and Economic Growth
3. Crisis of Democracy in the World
4. The debate on Meritocracy
5. Corruptibility of Power and how to cope with it
6. Corruption in India
7. AI and future society
8. Social Media- bane or boon?
9. Thinking with Facts
10. Improving Public Delivery System- the Indian Police
Evaluation Scheme

The minimum components for evaluation should be three out of which End Term are
compulsory for a half credit course (1.5 Credit)

Evaluation Parameter:
 Assignment/Project Work
 Term Paper
 Quizzes
 Class Participation
 Class Discussion/ Presentation
 Mid Term
 End Term