Ethnographic Study of Students of Symbiosis Institute of Telecom Management (SITM) and the SITM culture

Background/Objectives: Every B-school has distinct traits, more so for an institute offering a niche program. This ethnographic study examines such characteristics of students of Symbiosis Institute of Telecom Management (SITM). Methods/Statistical Analysis: The study started with a series of semi-structured interviews of twenty alumni of SITM located pan-India and abroad, having a work experience in the range of two to twenty years. The interviews were targeted to encourage the alumni to reminisce about their memories of two years spent at SITM. The resultant narratives were then codified firstly with open coding and then with axial coding. Findings: Six main traits emerged – viz. international telecom seminar (‘Communique’), annual telecom forecast (‘Prevision’), various projects (research project, summer project, other projects), vast syllabus and hectic schedule, lighter moments at SITM and finally the alumni rapport – related to the grooming process of SITM students. The final outcome of study i.e., the theme of well-rounded grooming of a student emerged when the traits were compared and contrasted in aniterative manner. Applications/Improvements: This study is centered around one specific B-school. Hence, bringing out more such studies – each for a particular institute – would provide a wholesome picture of the community called B-school.