Reshaping strategic vision, one case study at a time

Reshaping strategic vision, one case study at a time

Dr Manjit Sandhu opens up about his 30 years journey in academia and how it has shaped his teaching methodology. He also speaks to why strategy is so important when introducing a new product or service to the market.

For Manjit Sandhu, after almost 30 years in academia, retirement loomed large on the horizon. Yet, when the opportunity arose for him to join RMIT Vietnam, he jumped at the chance to discover a new culture and to be a part of a new institution.

“I love what I do, and I am lucky enough to be pretty good at teaching. My choice to have a new ‘adventure’ in Vietnam revitalised me – In a way, it’s given me a fresh set of eyes to continue my research and follow my passion,” Dr Sandhu notes.

Dr Manjit Sandhu, Senior Lecturer at RMIT Vietnam Dr Manjit Sandhu, Senior Lecturer at RMIT Vietnam

Dr Sandhu teaches both the Strategy and International Strategy courses for the Master of Business Administration and the Master of International Business. His core teaching principles focus on a student-centred approach, using motivation and inspiration to bridge theory and practise.

Explaining, Dr Sandhu says, “a classroom needs to be fun, and I utilise an action-research method, meaning I focus on tackling real world problems.”

Focusing on the issues faced by industry today, Dr Sandhu introduces numerous case studies to his students. “Cases are deeply practical as they highlight specific issues – like the failure of Astro in Indonesia, FDI in the Indian retailing sector, economic transformations within Vietnam, Lego’s success in Korea and the future of the automobile industry. There is so much that students can learn from how we apply the strategy concepts and theories to the cases.”

Dr Sandhu hopes that as his students take in his lessons, that they begin to have a different view of what strategy means. “I have been involved in developing strategy for many years,” Dr Sandhu states, “and what I have found is that organisations in the real world tend to focus on two things, budget and a plan, which they believe is strategy. Firstly, a plan is not a strategy and I see that there is too much focus on who will do what, when, and for how much.” He further explains that strategy is “about winning – it’s about how can I sell more than my competitors. This question is followed by ‘how can I differentiate myself in the market, how can I cut costs or add value to my product or service.’”

An MBA or MIB leaves an indelible mark on our graduates looking to make a difference in the business world! If you are looking for business insights, such as how employing a proper strategy can elevate your company, check out RMIT’s postgraduate programs.

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