B-Schools tend to be very careful and extensive about their MBA Selection procedures. One of the main reasons for this is that each batch that graduates from the college is under a huge amount of scrutiny to find out if they match the expectation about the college itself. Therefore, it is extremely important for each candidate to show the B-Schools that they are as close to the finished product as possible.
One of the stages in the MBA Selection procedure that is followed by most of the top B-Schools is the Group Discussion. The Group Discussion (GD) is an important selection parameter in the final admission round for top B-schools. Most of the best B schools including some of the IIMs, XLRI and MDI conduct GD along with Personal Interview in the final admission round.
Thus, it is important to be as prepared as possible for the Group Discussion Round. One of the major modes of preparation in the Group Discussion Round depends on identifying and preparing for as many Group Discussion topics as possible. The preparation for various Group Discussion topics has a two-fold benefit. It helps in harnessing information that can be used as well as develops the mindset required to analyze the Group Discussion topics.
There could be different types of Group Discussion topics which we have classified below under four broad fields:
These are majorly the Group Discussion topics that are tested in the MBA Selection procedures. It is by no means, exhaustive list but it represents a starting point in terms of the Group Discussion topics to begin the Group Discussion Preparation.
Some Group Discussion Topics about Business and Economy are given below. Candidates would be well advised to go through the list and make a list of points that come to mind thinking about the topic. Following this, the candidates should research about the topic and some adjoining topics to build a good knowledge base in these topics.
Some of the topics may be slightly more open such as the topic about Steve Jobs mentioned above. These topics allow the candidates to express themselves completely although the crux of the argument should always be about business.
Managers are expected to remain up to date with the latest happenings which could affect the business. Therefore, it is important to be knowledgeable about the latest happenings and how it could affect different businesses. These Group Discussion topics can be quite tricky if the candidate is not aware of the context giving the candidate more incentives to remain on top of the current affairs.
Over the course of a group discussion, people tend to express their true point of view regardless of what they started with. This point is even more important in the Group Discussion topics related to social issues. Group Discussions about these types of topics are generally allowed to be somewhat free-wheeling such that the candidates can express their true points of view.
There are some Group Discussion topics which are asked simply to check the candidate’s ability to think on their feet. These abstract group discussion topics may seem rather random but may have some management angle to them that the candidates are expected to draw from the topic itself.
It is important for candidates to have some idea about the group discussion topics that can possibly be asked before the Group Discussion Preparation truly starts. This represents the real first step in the Group Discussion Preparation as the Group Discussion topics give you an idea about the way in which the candidate is supposed to think.
Out of the all the types of Group Discussion topics, the abstract group discussion topics are generally considered to be the most difficult. The reason for this is obvious, the sheer unpredictability of the Group Discussion topics in the abstract group discussion causes the candidates to depend entirely on the candidate’s ability to think on their feet.
Several colleges are also moving towards case study-based Group Discussion topics. These types of Group Discussions help in identifying candidates who are quick in grasping and analyzing information apart from the communication skill which is tested in all types of Group Discussions.
There are several different types of Group Discussion topics and it is good for the candidate to be aware of all the different types of topics so that they can prepare accordingly for each type of topic.