Faculty & Research

Kirti Sharda

Biography

Prof. Kirti Sharda is a faculty in Organisational Behaviour area at the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM Ahmedabad). Prof. Sharda has a Doctorate from IIM Calcutta (Fellow Programme in Management) with a specialisation in Organizational Behaviour. She has been a Gold Medallist at both graduation (Psychology) and post-graduation (Industrial Psychology) levels with an Honours degree in Psychology as well. Her doctoral thesis, “Configurations of Business Process Outsourcing Firms” was chosen as a “Highly Commended Award Winner” in 2009, by Emerald/EFMD Outstanding Doctoral Research Awards. Her current research is centred on leadership in organizations.

Prof. Sharda’s primary teaching interests lie in the areas of leadership, interpersonal and team effectiveness, self-awareness, and psychology for management. Prof. Sharda offers core and elective courses on Individual Dynamics, Interpersonal and Group Processes, Self-Awareness, and Leadership at IIMA. Prof. Sharda has been trained in participant-centred learning methods (with an emphasis on case method teaching) at Harvard Business School. She is certified in the use of various psychometric assessments and creates pedagogies based on process-work including T-group method, Gestalt OD practices, theatre techniques, psychodrama, storytelling, mindfulness practices, and other forms of experiential designs that facilitate greater awareness of behavioural processes in organisations.

As a part of IIMA's Executive Education she is Faculty Chair for the programmes: “Managing the Self  in Organisations: Towards personal transformation and growth”; “Inner Theatre: Exploring the dynamics of your inner self” and “Women in Leadership Roles: Navigating the matrix.” She has been a Faculty Coordinator and Facilitator for the Harvard-IIMA Case Method Teaching Seminar.

Prof. Sharda offers academic modules, advisory and consulting services on leadership development, enhancing team effectiveness, and psychological well-being as a part of her industry-academia interface activities. She has worked on a variety of executive education, research and consulting projects in private and public sector organisations, including, Siemens, KPMG, Novartis, Deloitte, Vodafone, IBM, ACT Fibernet, Indian Statistical Services (ISS), Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Larsen & Toubro, Asea Brown Boveri (ABB), ICICI Bank, State Bank of India, Federal Bank Limited, Ambuja Cement, Cairn Energy, British Oxygen Corporation and Indian Aluminum Co., Ltd., Mahindra & Mahindra Limited, Tata Telecom, Taj Hotels, Hewitt Associates, Metlife, Ayush Sector, Prasar Bharati, Dainik Bhaskar, Life Insurance Corporation of India, Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, Gujarat Government Schools, Armed Forces Programme, Gorkha Breweries (Nepal), Aster Retail (Dubai), IIMA General Management Programme (Dubai). She is also affiliated with the School of Social Sciences, Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences as a member, Board of Studies for Psychology.

Prof. Sharda has developed teaching cases on issues related to workplace diversity and discrimination, leadership, team effectiveness, employee motivation, and talent management which are available through IIMA Case Centre and Harvard Business Publishing. Her research papers have been published in leading national and international journals. Prof. Sharda is a co-author of the book: Trucking Business Management: Cases and Concepts.

She has held various administrative responsibilities at IIMA, including Chairperson, Placements; Chairperson, Communications Advisory Committee; Chairperson, Psychological Well-Being and Support Services Task Force; Chairperson, OneTeam at ExEd Task Force. She is currently serving as Chairperson, PGP (MBA Programme) at IIMA.

Prof. Sharda is on the Board of Governors, IIM Kashipur.

Area

Primary Area : Organisational Behaviour

Contact

Email : kirti@iima.ac.in

Phone : +91-79-7152 4922

Secretary : Suresh Mannem

Phone : +91-79-7152 7975

Website : Personal Website

Education

Fellow Programme in Management, Behavioural Sciences, IIM Calcutta - (Awarded "Highly Commended Award" by Emerald/EFMD Outstanding Doctoral Research Awards 2009)

Master of Arts, Psychology, M.S. University, Baroda - (Awarded Late Prof. T.K.N Menon Gold Medal)

Bachelor of Arts , Punjabi University, Patiala - ( Awarded University Gold Medal )

B.A, Psychology Hons. , Punjabi University, Patiala

Teaching

  • Leadership Skills
  • Enhancing Effectiveness in Interpersonal Relationships and Teams
  • Self-awareness and Individual Dynamics
  • Entrepreneurial Mindset
  • Organizational Diagnosis and Change
  • Psychology for Management

Executive Education and Consulting

Case Method Teaching Seminar (CMTS)

- Organized by Harvard Business Publishing and IIMA Case Centre

Select Open-enrollment Programmes

  • Developing Entrepreneurial Mindset and Leadership (Faculty Chair)
  • Corporate Theatre: Developing Creative Competencies through Storytelling and Film-making (Faculty Chair)
  • Managing Interorganizational Relations and Networks (Faculty Chair)
  • 3-TP: Emerging Leaders' Programme
  • Mid-Career Training Programme
  • Leading Professional Services Firms
  • Strategic Human Resource Management Programme, Dubai
  • Strategic IT Outsourcing
  • People's Issues in Outsourcing
  • Supply Chain Management

Select Customized Programmes

  • Siemens, Novartis, Dainik Bhaskar, Aster Pharma (Dubai), L&T, ICICI Bank, AYUSH Sector, Gorkha Breweries (Nepal), Prasar Bharati, State Bank of India, Ambuja Cement, MetLife Global Operations Support Center, Tata Telecom, LIC, Mahindra & Mahindra, KPMG, Cairn, IOCL, Government Schools (Gujarat State), Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), and others
  • Relationship Alignment Exercise for IBM and Vodafone 

Research Area

Diversity and Inclusion

Team Effectiveness

Organizational Neuroscience

Entrepreneurship

Professional Experience

Member, Board of Governors - IIM Kashipur

Member, Board of Studies for Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences

Global Colloquium on Participant-Centered Learning (GloColl), Harvard Business School

Indian Society for Applied Behavioural Sciences (ISABS) - Professional Development Programme

Research, consulting and executive education programmes for a variety of public and private sector organizations

Journals

Dass, Rajanish., & Sharda, Kirti., Relationship Alignment in Strategic Outsourcing, http://www.iitcoe.in/index.php?option=com_docman&task=cat_view&gid=14&Itemid=20, Posted November 2013.

Sharda, K. 2012. Managing Talent at Lupin Limited. Vikalpa: The Journal for Decision Makers. Jul-Sep 2012, Vol. 37 (3).

Sharda, K. & Chatterjee, L. 2011. Configurations of outsourcing firms and organizational performance: A study of outsourcing industry in India, Strategic Outsourcing: An International Journal, Vol. 4 (2).

Books

Roy, D., Raghuram, G., Jain, R., Tripathi, S., & Sharda, K. 2016. Trucking Business Management: Cases and Concepts, New Delhi: McGraw Hill Education (India) Private Limited.

Articles in the Media

Sharda, K. 2017, (February 20). Shadows in Trumpland. liveMint: View from IIMA.

Sharda, K. 2016, (May 9). Attraction at the workplace. liveMint: View from IIMA.

Cases

Sharda, K. 2020. A case of HIV at Woodworks Ltd. Case no: OB0241 (A), (B), (C), IIM Ahmedabad

Sharda, K. 2019. Suvasi Textiles. Case no: OB0235, IIM Ahmedabad

Sharda, K. 2016. Shivani Carriers Pvt. Ltd.: Employee Motivation at the Bottom of the Pyramid. Case no: OB0224, IIM Ahmedabad

Sharda, K. 2016. Managing Talent at Lupin Limited (B): Exploring New Horizons. Case no: OB0209 (B), IIM Ahmedabad

Sharda, K. 2011. Managing Talent at Lupin Limited. Case no: OB0209, IIM Ahmedabad.

Chapters

Sharda K. 2018. The Neural Correlates of Decision-Making: Review and Research Agenda. In Ray P., Sarkar R., Sen A. (Eds.), Economics, Management and Sustainability. Springer: Singapore, pp. 231-264.

Sharda, K. 2016. Driver Management Practices in Trucking Industry. In D. Roy et al. (Eds.), Trucking Business Management: Cases and Concepts, New Delhi: McGraw Hill Education (India) Private Limited, pp. 14-23.

Daftuar, C. N., & Sharda, K. 2000. Business Strategy and Business Maturity. In C. N Daftuar (Ed.), Behavioural Quotient. Vadodara: Council of Behavioural Research, pp. 138-143.

Academic Conferences

Bhayana, C., Gupta, V., & Sharda, K. 2020. Exploring dynamics within multigenerational teams with millennials: A research framework. Indian Academy of Management, Tiruchirappalli, India.

Sharda, K. 2016. Making of a good soldier: Sensemaking efforts in armed conflict. International Academy of Management and Business, Montreal, Canada.

Anand, T., Bhatnagar, D., Vohra, N. & Sharda, K. 2012. Why Wouldn't You Seek Help at Work? An Exploration of Avoidance Factors of Help Seeking at Workplace. Accepted at International Society for the Study of Work and Organizational Values Conference 2012, Goa, India.

Anand, T., Bhatnagar, D., Vohra, N. & Sharda, K. 2012. Culture and help seeking: a comparison of Indian and American help seekers in the software industry. International Academy of Cross Cultural Psychology Conference 2012, Stellenbosch, South Africa.

Anand, T., Bhatnagar, D., Vohra, N. & Sharda, K. 2012. Help Seeking at Workplace: Exploring Perceptions and Inhibitions. Academy of International Business, Southeast USA Chapter 2012 Annual Conference, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA.

Anand T., Bhatnagar, D., Sharda, K., & Vohra, N. 2011. Interpersonal help seeking in software industry: A cross-cultural study. Presented at International Academy of Management and Business Conference 2011, San Francisco, USA.

Sharda, K., & Chatterjee, L. 2009. Back to the drawing board: Exploring gestalts of work designs in outsourcing firms. Accepted at 24th Cardiff ERU Annual Conference, Cardiff.

Sharda, K. 2009. Sensemaking and institutionalization: From concepts to practice. Accepted at Indian Academy of Management Conference held at XLRI, Jamshedpur, India.

Sharda, K., & Chatterjee, L. 2009. Configurations of outsourcing firms and performance:Exploring organizational gestalts. Presented at 2009 Academy of Management Annual Meeting, in Chicago, Illinois.

Sharda, K., & Chatterjee, L. 2007. Configurations of business process outsourcing firms and organizational performance - A conceptual framework. Presented at 7th Hawaii International Conference on Business held at Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

Chatterjee, L., & Sharda, K. 2006. Walking the tightrope: Gender and career issues in new age employment. Presented in seminar organized by Prudential Process Management Services, U.K. and Loughborough University, U.K.

Sharda, K. 2005. Bounded Rationality in Management and Psychology - International Winter Institute at IIM Bangalore, organized by Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany

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Working Papers & Projects

Sharda, K. 2016. Talent Management Systems in Indian Pharmaceutical Firms: Exploring an Emerging Typology. W.P. No. 2016-03-52, IIM Ahmedabad.

Sharda, K. 2016. Sensemaking and Institutionalization in Armed Conflict: Applying Concepts to Practice. W.P. No. 2016-03-18, IIM Ahmedabad.

Sharda, K. 2011. Back to the drawing board: Exploring gestalts of work design in BPO firms. W.P. No. 2011-02-04, IIM Ahmedabad.

Desai, T. A., & Sharda, Kirti. 2009. Understanding the business type: A comparative analysis of management students and business executives. W. P. No. 2009-11-03, IIM Ahmedabad.

Sharda, K. & Chatterjee, L. 2009. Configurations of business process outsourcing firms and organizational performance. W. P. No. 2009-12-02, IIM Ahmedabad.

Sharda, K. 2009. Strategic orientation of outsourcing firms: Demystifying key differentiators. W.P. No. 2009-12-03, IIM Ahmedabad.

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Academic Presentation

Panelist for discussions on Core issues in peace process between India and Pakistan and Branding Pakistan organized by Lahore University of Management Sciences, Pakistan.

Guest speaker on Knowing self: A life-long journey at L&T Power, Baroda, India.

Valedictory Address at seminar on OD Interventions: Challenges and opportunities organized by The M. S. University of Baroda, India.

Panel Moderator for learning session on Storytelling for learning and change organized by IIMA HR Leadership Conclave Series, IIM Ahmedabad.

Awards & Honors

2009 - Highly Commended Award Winner by 2009 Emerald/EFMD Outstanding Doctoral Research Awards

1998-2000 - Late Prof. T.K.N. Menon Gold Medal for obtaining Rank 1 in Faculty of Education and Psychology, The M. S. University of Baroda (Master of Arts, Psychology), 1998-2000

1995-1998 - University Gold Medal for obtaining Rank 1 in Punjabi University Roll of Honour for being Distinguished Student of G.C.G. College, Patiala. (Bachelor of Arts - Psychology, Economics, Geography), 1995-1998

IIMA