After a long career gap, I am back and I am back teaching the same dreaded subject - Management Information Systems from Laudon. In the past two years - I have broken all career stereotypes and taught courses ranging from Generative AI to Ethics. Loved teaching each one of them because I believed in them, loved each bit of them...but MIS using Laudon, I wondered why it was more bitter than ever this time!
The sequence of events of my single day might reflect this ecky feeling!
And conspicuously, the day started with a wish to find a nice silk fabric in South Delhi without much wild goose hunting. Multiple friends had recommended me the "Nalli Saree Shop". I was reluctant - I had heard of its price range! And the time constraint was steep. So one night before, I visited Nalli online website and found I might just use it instead of wasting my time visiting the store. And then, the next morning - I don't know why - I just put "Nalli Sarees" on my map - and off I went. The map made me go merry-go-round of South Ex until I realized - Nalli was right in front of me from where I parked my car and started revolving around the market using my map thereafter. Nalli had shifted ...but never bothered to change their location online! Bravo!
In I went... and was instantly taken over by warm salespeople smiles and received a very reasonable understanding from them on which floor I needed to be on just a look at my bag full of sarees. Parking myself on the right floor for the right product, it took me a few light and friendly conversations on my saree color matching exercises - my fellow ladies discussing their to-buys or not-to-buys with anyone in a close radius - I getting clues from a young girl in how I could use those fabrics to create cheaper-than-fabindia Dupattas. They knotted my saree tassels for free - even though they were aware my sarees were not bought from Nalli. No issues at all - just smiles. Billings were all modern - but the Nalli's dos and don'ts on returns etc were all old and bold style written placards. They dictated the rules and customers never seem to complain! I ...smiling all wide there...just didn't want to take the lift back. In slow motion...I chose to tread the old mahogany stairs down each floor with all the Indianness and smiles and hullabaloo.
I realized it was such a happy experience only after I opened Laudon's first chapter at night and read about the smart shelves, presumably in trend among big retailers! And I wondered, why it was more bitter than ever...
Laudon has a habit of showing moonshot technologies view at the most typical of places! Smart shelves- equipped with wide angled low lying cameras - cashierless counters - smartphones guiding customers to the right aisles - object recognition to alert when did we park our cars in the parking - Gosh, you are killing me! Literally! Of course, it is Generative AI written all over the "smart shelves" and that is why, my love for GenAI also ends at its Maths!
I wonder if my students will ever know what they will be missing in the future! Wish I could unteach MIS to them after teaching it!
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