GROUP DISCUSSION

[gaurav1987]

WHAT IS GROUP DISCUSSION ?

The candidates who qualify in the written part of entrance tests for
selection in MBA course are asked to appear in the Group Discussion
(GD) and Personal Interviews (PI). In most cases, the Written Test
(WT) carries a weightage of 75%, while the combined weightage of the
GD & PI phase of selection is 25%, most of which is carried by the
GD. First introduced as a selection tool in the British armed forces,
the Group-Discussion later reached India's Services recruitment
processÂ*Â* to spread the level it has.

THE PROCESS
The Group-Discussion is a process in which all candidates successful
in the Written Test (usually 8 times the number of seats) are divided
in to groups of 10 – 2 candidates each, and every group is assigned a
specific topic or a Case Study to discuss. The group of 10 – 2
candidates carries the entire discussion forward on its own, and the
supervising Panel neither intervenes nor participates in the
discussion. The GD is left to evolve itself while the Panel observes
and assesses the performance/ attributes all the candidates from a
distance. The candidates display their knowledge, viewpoints and
exchange ideas on the given subject matter among themselves. This
happens in a dynamic situation in which every candidate wants a time
period of 25 Minutes or so. The medium of the GD almost, always, is
English, though sometimes, a choice is given to the group to speak in
Hindi or English (but a majority opts for English). For
identification, either the candidates wear chest numbers or their
nameplates are displayed in front in a semicircular formation.

Selection
Generally, the Panel recommends only two candidates from a particular
group for selection. Occasionally, one or three aspirants may be
successful, depending on exceptionally bad or good individual
performances, and on whether the level of the GD was very low or very
high respectively. Those, who hold top positions in the Written Test
may have a little advantage, but usually the WT marks are not
disclosed (expect in a few MBA Entrance tests like the Jamnalal
Bajaj, Mumbai) and so nobody knows exactly where he or she stands
before the GD begins.

Subject Matter
The topic for the Group-Discussion generally is from current affairs.
The issues in public domain, where different and even mutually
exclusive viewpoints may co-exist, get precedence as topics. In some
entrance exams, two current affair topics to choose from are given.
The topic may also be in the form of some famous saying
like, `Nothing Succeeds Like Success' or some punch line.

TYPES OF GDs
Normal -A topic is given to the group. The GD coordinator and the
students are asked to discuss it for a duration of 15-20 minutes. A
variation could be a GD where the students are asked to decide the
topic amongst them. In either case, the students will normally be
given a time of 2-3 minutes for preparation before the GD actually
starts. The students will be seated in a circular or a semi-circular
pattern.

Case Study- A printed case study is given to the group and the
candidates are allowed a time limit of 3-4 minutes to read and
comprehend the passage. Then the group is asked to discuss the
questions based on the case study given. Here again the students are
given a time of about 20 minutes to discuss the topic. Case studies
normally pertain to standard business situations and are full of
facts and figures. Thus the GD coordinator attempts to examine the
comprehension power of a candidate along with the communication
skills.

Role Play-A role-play type of GD is one where a situation is
described and each person in the group is asked to assume a specific
role in a situation. In such cases, you must completely step into the
role and your reasoning will have to be consistent with role you have
assumed. The participation, in this specific case, needs to
appreciate the gravity of the situation and generate appropriate
reasoning to facilitate decision making for the group.

STRATEGIES FOR GDs
How to decide a Topic?
Avoid random method while selecting a topic.

Selecting a topic is another way evaluators use to judge
participation in Group Discussions.

The evaluators give the group the task of selecting the topic and
then discussing that topic for a specified length of time.

Think of the most suitable approach to do it whether by all
participants suggesting topics and one selected randomly, or by
participants suggesting different areas that could be discussed and
rationale given for the final selection.

Try and think of logical ways to select a topic as a group, setting
up criteria as the basic for consideration or selection.

Some of the criteria that you could use for selection of a topic
could be:

1. The topic should be general in nature so that all group
members are able to speak about it.

2. It should be interesting so that it motivates everyone to be
involved in the discussion.

3. It should be topical i.e. it should be current so that it is
relevant to today's situation.

4. It should be such that a discussion is possible i.e., at
least two points of view emerge.