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GROUP DISCUSSION

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Group Discussion

• A GD is a methodology used by an organization to gauge whether the candidate has certain personality traits and/or skills that it desires in its members.

• In this methodology, the group of candidates is given a topic or a situation, given a few minutes to think about the same, and then asked to discuss it

among themselves for 15-20 minutes.

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Some of the personality traits the GD is trying to gauge may include :-

Ability to work in a team                 

Communication skills  

Reasoning ability  

Leadership skills  

Initiative  

Assertiveness  

Flexibility  

Creativity  

Ability to think on one’s feet

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FP’09Why GDs

• To get to know you as a person and gauge how well you will fit in their institute.

• How you function as a part of a team. As a manager, you will always be working in teams, as a member or as a leader.

• How you interact in a team becomes an important criterion for your selection. Managers have to work in a team and get best results out of teamwork.

That is the reason why management institutes include GD as a component of the selection procedure.

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• To check on your interactive skills and how good you are at communicating with other people.

• To check how you behave, participate and contribute in a group, how much importance you give to the group objective as well as your own, how well do you listen to viewpoints of others and how open-minded are you in accepting views contrary to your own.

• The aspects which make up a GD are verbal communication, non-verbal behavior, conformation to norms, decision-making ability and cooperation.

You should try to be as true as possible to these aspects.

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FP’09Types of GD

• GDs can be topic-based or case-based.

Topic based Gds can be classified into three types :-

1. Factual Topics

2. Controversial Topics 

3. Abstract Topics 

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FP’09Factual Topics

• Factual topics are about practical things, which an ordinary person is aware of in his day-to-day life.

• Typically these are about socio-economic topics. These can be current, i.e. they may have been in the news lately, or could be unbound by time.

• A factual topic for discussion gives a candidate a chance to prove that he is aware of and sensitive to his environment.

E.g. The education policy of India, Tourism in India, State of the aged in the nation.

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Controversial Topics 

• Controversial topics are the ones that are argumentative in nature. They are meant to generate controversy.

• In GDs where these topics are given for discussion, the noise level is usually high, there may be tempers flying.

• The idea behind giving a topic like this is to see how much maturity the candidate is displaying by keeping his temper in check, by rationally and logically arguing his point of view without getting personal and emotional.

E.g. Reservations should be removed, Women make better managers

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FP’09Abstract Topics 

• Abstract topics are about intangible things.

• These topics are not given often for discussion, but their possibility cannot be ruled out.

• These topics test your lateral thinking and creativity.

E.g. A is an alphabet, Twinkle Twinkle little star, The number 10

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Case-based GD

• Another variation is the use of a case instead of a topic.

• The case study tries to simulate a real-life situation. Information about the situation will be given to you and you would be asked as a group to resolve the situation.

• In the case study there are no incorrect answers or perfect solutions.

• The objective in the case study is to get you to think about the situation from various angles.

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FP’09Why should we have GD?

• It helps to understand a subject more deeply. • It improves ability to think critically. • It helps in solving a particular problem. • It helps the group to make a particular

decision. • It gives the chance to hear other person’s

ideas. • It improves listening skills. • It increases confidence in speaking. • It can change a person’s attitude. 

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FP’09A group discussion

consists of:

• Communication Skills • Knowledge and ideas regarding a given

subject • Capability to co-ordinate and lead • Exchange of thoughts • Addressing the group as a whole • Thorough preparations

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FP’09GD Tips

• Initiating a GD is a high profit - high loss strategy.

When you initiate a GD, you not only grab the opportunity to speak, you also grab the attention of the examiner and your fellow candidates.

If you can make a favourable first impression with your content and communication skills after you initiate a GD, it will help you sail through the discussion.

But if you initiate a GD and stammer/ stutter/ quote wrong facts and figures, the damage might be irreparable.

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FP’09Body of the group discussion

• Different techniques to initiate a GD and make a good first impression:

i. Quotes

ii. Definition

iii. Question

iv. Shock statement

v. Facts, figures and statistics

vi. Short story

vii. General statement

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Summarization/ Conclusion

• Most GD do not really have conclusions. A conclusion is where the whole group decides in favor or against the topic.

• But every GD is summarized. You can summaries what the group has discussed in the GD in a nutshell.

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FP’09Keep the following points in mindwhile summarizing a discussion:

  • Avoid raising new points.

• Avoid stating only your viewpoint.

• Avoid dwelling only on one aspect of the GD.

• Keep it brief and concise.

• It must incorporate all the important points that came out during the GD.

• If the examiner asks you to summaries a GD, it means the GD has come to an end.

• Do not add anything once the GD has been summarized.

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GD Do’s

• Speak pleasantly and politely to the group. • Respect the contribution of every speaker. • Remember that a discussion is not an

argument. Learn to disagree politely. • Think about your contribution before you

speak. How best can you answer the question/ contribute to the topic?

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GD Do’s

• Try to stick to the discussion topic. Don't introduce irrelevant information.

• Be aware of your body language when you are speaking.

• Agree with and acknowledge what you find interesting.

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GD Don'ts:• Lose your temper. A discussion is not an

argument.

• Shout. Use a moderate tone and medium pitch.

• Use too many gestures when you speak. Gestures like finger pointing and table thumping can appear aggressive.

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GD Don'ts:• Dominate the discussion. Confident speakers

should allow quieter students a chance to contribute.

• Draw too much on personal experience or anecdote. Although some tutors encourage students to reflect on their own experience, remember not to generalise too much.

• Interrupt. Wait for a speaker to finish what they are saying before you speak. 

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FP’09MBA GD Topics

• The Age of Information • Is Philosophy just an

armchair theory? • Success is all about

human relations • Borderless worlds -

Dream or reality? • Quality is a myth in

India. • Education and success -

Is there a correlation? • We don't learn from

history, we repeat it • Death of  Socialism

• Role of women in development

• Kids today are not what they used to be

• The role of NGOs  in economics and politics

• Repeated elections - Should taxpayers pay for it?

• Management Education - Is it necessary  to succeed in business

• Generation X - Drivers of our future or are they our lost souls?

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FP’09Do You Have