A recent survey discloses 93% of graduating management students from Indian business schools are unemployable. Several business schools have closed due to their chronic non-viability. This action research study in an Indian business school employs local systemic intervention, and the viable systems model to diagnose the school’s chronic pathology. Theories of neurotic organizations, psychic prisons, and escalation of commitment guide the critical review mode and help in acquiring a deeper understanding of the school’s dysfunctionality. The liberating systems theory and the challenge of getting national accreditation influence the problem-solving mode that includes initiating actions for operationalizing a ritualistic vision statement, re-designing academic processes aligned to the vision, making a shift from an ineffective commoditized approach to a personalized strengths-based approach to placement, and professionalizing the admissions process by making it competency-based. In the critical reflection mode, I share phenomenological insights on nuances of successful entrepreneurship, the disloyalty of loyalists, the syndrome of “operation successful, but the patient died”, the coupling of time with the principle of equifinality to influence decision choices, leadership’s confusion with populism and finally drawing a few key messages from the Indian sacred text of the Bhagavadgita. The significance of the study lies in providing a proof of concept for transforming a business school from non-visible to a viable system and in the transportability of the approach to other non-viable business schools and organizations across industries and geographies. The study provides a solution to the huge social costs associated with the unemployability of graduating management students.

最近的一项调查显示，来自印度商学院的93％即将毕业的管理专业学生失业。几所商学院因长期无法生存而关闭。这项在印度商学院进行的行动研究使用本地系统干预和可行的系统模型来诊断学校的慢性病理。神经质组织，精神监狱和承诺升级的理论指导着严格的复习模式，并有助于加深对学校功能失调的理解。解放系统理论和获得国家认可的挑战影响了解决问题的模式，其中包括采取行动来实施仪式性愿景声明，重新设计与愿景一致的学术流程，从低效的商品化方法转变为基于个人优势的个性化方法，然后通过使其成为基于胜任力的专业化招生流程。在批判性反思模式下，我分享了对成功创业的细微差别，忠诚主义者的不忠诚，“经营成功，但患者却死了”的综合症，时间与平等原则相结合影响决策选择，领导者困惑的现象学见解。以民粹主义为主题，并最终从印度《博伽梵歌》的神圣文本中汲取了一些重要信息。该研究的意义在于为将商学院从不可见的系统转变为可行的系统提供概念证明，以及该方法在跨行业和地域的其他不可行的商学院和组织中的可移植性。该研究为与管理专业毕业生失业相关的巨大社会成本提供了解决方案。