Prof. Rejie George Pallathitta voted Professor of the Year in 2021 by IIMB students: InsideIIM

Professor Rejie George Pallathitta, IIM Bangalore faculty in the Strategy area and IIMB Chair of Excellence, has been voted ‘Professor of the Year in 2021’ by the students of IIM Bangalore, as reported by InsideIIM. Prof. Pallathitta has won this accolade once again since last winning it in 2019.

Insideiim.com is a website launched in May 2011 as an attempt to help MBA aspirants and current MBA students get an inside perspective of business schools which are perceived to be the best in India.

InsideIIM had launched the ‘Professor of the Year Competition’ this year, through which the efforts that various B-school professors across the country put to ensure that their students meet their fullest potential and achieve great heights, especially at a time when the country and the world are ravaged by the pandemic, are recognized. MBA students of the current batches in 2021 were asked to nominate their favorite professors on campus for the title as a small token of gratitude for professors. An overwhelming response from the student community was received.

In this time of crisis, great leadership has been shown by the faculty members of these B-schools to ensure that learning never stops. They went beyond just teaching, found solutions and created new learning environments for their students to continue learning.

IIM Bangalore students are full of praise for their most favorite professor, who they claim, have made online classes a joy to attend. Prof. Pallathitta is popular for being enthusiastic, polite and encouraging. He explains a topic from multiple perspectives and helps students analyze and learn, the students shared. His students feel that he made online classes, even during the pandemic, an immersive experience for them. While some appreciate his style of teaching, others highlighted his effort in pushing the students to achieve their dreams. His knowledge on the subjects he teaches and the preparation he takes for his classes are valued too.

“His style of teaching brought out the various aspects of Strategy throughout the course. He pushed me and my peers to think beyond the literature which enhanced our learning”, says one student.

Another student expressed his appreciation by pointing out: “He has excellent engagement, energy levels and patience. His pre-class preparations are thorough that gets cascaded to the class. His knowledge on the subject of Competition and Strategy is phenomenal.”

There are students who say Prof. Pallathitta makes the classes interesting and makes students set high goals for themselves. “One of the rare teachers who does not form opinion on individuals. Every person feels special in his classes.”

IIMB students also complimented him on being very effective while taking online classes as well. “In today’s competitive landscape, being in such a dynamic marketplace, Prof Pallathitta gave us strong fundamentals on Competition and Strategy. The sessions with case studies will help us with real-world business situations. Prof Pallathitta also took us through Corporate Governance and Ethics which is another important subject in order to understand today’s corporate world. He delivered both these subjects online seamlessly and made the learning experience very enriching.”

Another student, who admires Prof. Pallathitta for his enthusiastic lectures with strong foundation along with tips for enhancing knowledge, says his recommended books on each topic is a great value addition.

Professor Rejie George Pallathitta has a PhD in Strategy from the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Tilburg University, The Netherlands. His research interests are in the areas of Corporate Governance, Strategic Management and International Business. He has published in journals such as the Strategic Management Journal, Journal of International Business Studies, Journal of Business Research, Long Range Planning and Asia Pacific Journal of Management. He has presented his research work at several international conferences.

Co-authored papers of Prof. Pallathitta have been recipient of the Distinguished Paper Award, and finalist of the Carolyn Dexter Award at the Academy of Management Meetings in 2016 and 2017, respectively.

Prof. Pallathitta teaches courses in Strategic Management and Corporate Governance at IIMB. He has also been the past Chairperson of IIMB’s Centre for Corporate Governance and Citizenship (CCGC) and IIMB’s PhD programme, and has been involved in the guidance of several doctoral students.