SOP for Ph.D.

in Management
I am an engineer by profession, but an artist by passion. I like to think
differently, innovate artistically, beautify processes and improve people�s lives.
Show business has always fascinated me, for this very reason, I have been working
with a Mumbai based theatre group called �Banjara� as their financial advisor. My
primary responsibilities at Banjara included gathering & distributing funds. I have
also worked with directors, producers and designers to convey cohesive vision of
Banjara�s productions. During my tenure at Banjara, I gained both valuable insight
and had hands on experience with the workings of the entertainment industry. I
gained sufficient practical experience in stage management, marketing and publicity
for theatres, venue design and planning, financing, preproduction and facility
management.

Simultaneously, I have been working for Polaris Financial Technology Limited as a

consultant since July, 2011. My job responsibilities at Polaris included optimizing
�Business Process Management� product for Barclays and Llyods Banking Group.
Altogether this has been a resourceful experience for me since I multitasked and
learned various techniques and technologies used in business process optimization.

The Ph.D. Program at MIT Sloan would provide the kind of exposure needed to broaden
my thinking and undo my insular prejudices that might be still prevalent in me. In
an institution of such confluence of people from every culture, nationality,
religion and ideology, I am sure that exposure to these kinds of diverse influences
would aid in the overall development of my personality. I also believe that I have
a better chance of updating and scaling up my knowledge through this program. I
hope to gain solid training in conducting critical research, build teaching
experiences, and develop presentation skills. The versatility of courses in this
program amazes me, and fosters my keenness in joining this program. I believe that
this program along with my determination, hard work, perseverance and dedication
will help overcome all hurdles in my future endeavors.

I'm particularly interested in the application of contemporary management science

and technology in media and entertainment (M&E) industry. Aspects of management
related to entrepreneurship, strategy and innovation shall be within the scope of
the research, which I want to pursue. My intention is to develop and apply models
and concepts, so as to illuminate and eradicate management issues and challenges
facing M&E. To achieve my goal I need to acquire strategic, entrepreneurial as well
as scientific research skills. I believe that the PhD program in Technological
Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Strategic Management at your university would
best suit my needs, primarily because of the interdisciplinary nature of the
program.

Although I cannot prematurely predict the course this research might take, however,
I expect that it will unleash the hidden potential of the M&E industry. This
research could either enter into an entrepreneurial or a sociological precinct,
nevertheless I anticipate that it will serve the public interest. Moreover, I
expect that the research will address the following subjects and issues. First is
the predominant issue of political and external influence on M&E. Though not
willing to evade those controversial questions linked to such a remark, I hope to
offer as a scientist, an unbiased portrayal of how modern media is largely
controlled by powerful people or vice-versa.

In addition, as a researcher, I wish to understand and illuminate the dramatic

transformation taking place throughout the M&E industry due to rapid change in
technology, what famous economist, Joseph Schrumpeter, defined as �creative
destruction�. Traditional business models have been turned upside down or, in some
cases, simply ceased to exist. Therefore, it is imperative to find out, which
segments of the M&E industry are profoundly suffering from technology disruption
and why?
Last but not the least, by means of this research I intend to reinvent the live
entertainment industry, for symbolic exchange of thoughts between the medium and
the viewer only occurs when the medium is real.
My objectives are to:
? Acquaint myself with various research methodologies.
? Study the M&E industry in detail and comprehend the issues facing the industry.
? Conceive new technologies in order to revolutionize the world of entertainment.
? Develop new business models to manage operations efficiently, and also lay
foundations for innovation and growth.
? Establish new models by integrating liberal arts, technology and management
principles.
? Identify new revenue streams.

The research at your institution will definitely influence growth in both the
creative and cultural industries. The result would be, a population assigning
greater importance to the free time they have and a consequential willingness to
spend more of their income on the 'experience' economy. Bold as it may seem, but
when we are bold we can venture into unexplored territories and conjure miraculous
deeds. I believe that when the destination is challenging, the journey would be
absolutely epic. For example, Robert Goddard�s revolutionary idea of building
liquid-fuelled rockets was rejected and mocked by his peers, who thought that the
idea was outrageous and impossible. However, the fact is, that Goddard believed in
his idea to such an extent that he could make the impossible possible.

The primary reason for embarking on a Ph.D. program at your institution over
traditional MBA, is that institutional management is rooted into analytics and
engineering. I have no disdain for these, but meaning is connected to other, more
icy territories such as arts, culture and humanities. Moreover, I do not aim to be
a trained professional in the field of management. I would rather conceive
revolutionary ideas, with the intention of producing new knowledge that is relevant
to practice. Besides, my passion is academia and a Ph.D. would really help me
pursue such a career in future.
Throughout my career, since the first exam I wrote, I was perceived as an average
student. How-ever, my perspective towards my own abilities has been entirely
different. I believe that the Indian education system is substandard and inadequate
to judge someone� intelligence and creativity. The reason is, instead of
encouraging students to find answers for themselves, the system offers them the
solution, and in return expects them to memorize and replicate the solution exactly
the way it is. Therefore, I think of it as a creativity killer. Unfortunately, the
system dragged me in, and so, I was left with no other option except memorizing the
answers that were given to me. I wanted to perform admirably, yet ended up with
mediocre grades, because deep down inside I wanted something else. I always wanted,
and I still want, to discover the solution on my own. However, what�s done cannot
be undone! Therefore, rather than ruminating about the past, I choose to
optimistically visualize the future. I have reasons to believe that the education
system at MIT, unlike ours, is much more advanced and flexible in terms of
research-oriented work.

I aver that I shall utilize every opportunity given to me to the best of my

abilities. I will be much obliged if I am admitted into your institution. With the
guidance of your eminent Professors, state-of-art infrastructure, intellectual
capacity and an amicable environment, I sincerely believe that my objectives will
be met to the fullest.