Management on Demand in the Indian Education Sector

Education and learning in India are undergoing a transformation. Riding on technological innovations such as Learning Management Systems and E-learning solutions, the sector has witnessed the rise of unicorn startups. Further, learning is increasingly available for consumption “on demand.” Neither does one need to wait to be batched into groups for a learning session, nor wait for the availability of a facilitator to teach.

Though there does not appear to be an interdependence between the two, the education sector is also witnessing the increasing adoption of “management on demand.”

What is Management on Demand (MOD)?

This is how Management on Demand, which claims to be the largest management company in Italy, defines its “manager on demand” service:

“…with our Manager on Demand service we allow companies to have quick access to the professionalism of highly experienced managers. With this method, also called fractional management, companies can obtain flexible and immediate managerial support, only for the time strictly necessary, and without having to hire a manager with an employment contract.”

Some people make a distinction between fractional management and management by demand. A fractional manager, typically, handles multiple assignments at the same time, either dividing hours in a day, or days in a week, or weeks in a month, between them. A manager on demand, on the other hand, is likely to be completely devoted to the organization hired by, for the engagement period.

Pros and Cons of management on demand

• Provides the company access to specialized expertise.
• Does not create a long-term drag on the financials, as hiring is only for the period of requirement.
• Professionals offering themselves for MOD roles operate as individual businesses and would have an interest in leaving a good impression for references and future contracts.
• Could take time for the manager to become effective and adjust to the company’s culture, workstyle and processes, delaying results.
• Sometimes the required resources may not be available when needed.

Drivers of the MOD trend in Indian education

What is driving the enhanced interest in MOD in the Indian education sector?

Increasing subjects and specialization in K-12

Greater exposure to the world is opening up the minds of youngsters. Also, greater financial security is encouraging many to experiment with their subject choices at a young age. Even schools, in a bid to offer choices to their students and also to stand out from the crowd, try to be creative.

Some of these are experiments. Some are short-term requirements. Some have a low take-up. To ensure that choice is available without the resources being unutilized and creating a drag on financials, schools are opting for the MOD route.

Does anyone want to learn Russian? Or Mandarin?

Increasing learning channels

The education ecosystem has relied on subject specialists to impart education to students. A Geography teacher would teach Geography, year after year, to multiple cohorts, the same being true for most other subjects. This applies even to the centres of additional learning, like coaching centres.

While the primacy of the subject-expert continues, technology-driven channels of learning have gained prominence on account of their flexibility. These channels often need expertise beyond the subject for a one-time setup, after which they can keep running on their own till reviewed and refreshed. Some of these needs, not being a continuous requirement, are filled by institutions through the MOD mechanism. An example is that of the academic writer, who creates the material for study, the voiceover script if it is an e-learning module, the quizzes and assessments, and even the promotional material for the course.

The rise of education as a business

Technology has taken education, traditionally the domain of schools, colleges and universities, out of the academic setup and into the business world. Unacademy, PhysicsWallah and upGrad are multi-billion-dollar Indian enterprises, serving the hunger for various types of learning. Some serve competitive exams like the UPSC and banking, some serve JEE and NEET aspirants, some focus on specific streams like software coding, and some offer a variety of soft-skills-related learning opportunities.

These are run as business enterprises. Like any business enterprise, these companies leverage MOD as and when it suits their business needs, and that seems to be often. Apart from content-related positions, MOD often covers management positions as well as positions that deal with the regulatory environment, which can be complex.

The Future Outlook

With technological advancement continuing apace and the complexity of curricula and learning needs increasing, management on demand can be expected to become more popular in the Indian education sector.

Not sure how to leverage MOD for the best results?

Talk to Ushankk. Our management on demand practice, along with the fractional management variant, has served many of our clients well. We see it as an area of growth.