Good day, Dr. Rameshkumar P. M.. I'm Arjun. I've had a look through your background and your professional record. I'm interested in hearing more about your work and how you see yourself fitting in here with our faculty. Ready to start?

Yes, Sir.

Let us assess a few aspects of your expertise, Professor. To start, could you explain how you utilize tools like SPSS, AMOS, or R-Programming during your research or in teaching marketing analytics?

Yes, it's good questions.

My academic journey was equipped with the strong advanced statistical tools like the PLSS, PSSS and MMOS. As you asked for the questions how I'm going to use for the tools. Usually for my experience, empirical research works. I use the the PLS and SPSS and Amos for the structural equation model and multivated statistical techniques to identify the customers, understand customer understandings and impact of their behaviors various dimensions and I'll demonstrate with my.

Tends to use the statistical tools and simple manner, so I'll help them to make to better understanding of statistical tools. It's not just an alien language, It's everyone can able to be a learn for their business performances as well as their academic understanding for the these kinds of statistical tools. And I'll help them to make a better view about the statistics is just for the Business Research purpose. So this I will be. Using my research works and also I.

Choose the SPSS almost for the 92 of our research work. So when my, uh, my research works and I published the 12 Scopus index with a pure of structural equation models as well as with the multivariate statistical techniques.

Understood, Professor. You seem well-versed in applying statistical tools for both research and teaching. Could you share an example where you simplified the use of a complex tool like AMOS or SPSS for students, ensuring they gained practical understanding for their academic or professional growth?

OK, it's good.

The simple strategical of learning the amounts, the amounts usually we are we are applying for understanding the model validity. So unidimensional confirmation factor analysis, we can validate their questions, the question instructions with the using of unidimensionals and confirmative overall confirmative factor analysis to identify the modal fit indices and confirmatory fit indices like CFI and GFI, GFI and NFI, TLI and. CS and the P close value and ice. Moreover the goodness of fit of high squares values.

Simple tools like inferential statistics as well as their descriptive statistics using the SPSS and almost they can use for the structural equation model. They can apply with the path directions model as well as the direct and indirect effect models For their research works like brand loyalty as well as their customers attitude, understanding their customers attitude, customers behaviors and moreover they can able to understand their awareness, satisfaction level and much more using these kinds of tools.

They can able to validate the convergent reliability and discriminant validity of the questionnaire constructs and the students may be able to understand that stringent process of statistics in the simplest manner using the SPSS and almost the statistical tools. And mostly they are collecting the empirical works. They can be able to play with their research on their UG as well as their post graduations they can use.

That sounds structured and accessible, Professor. Your approach to breaking down complex statistical models into practical exercises for students is commendable. Let's move on to another focus area. In terms of your experience with services operations management, could you elaborate on how you have applied this expertise in academia or research contexts? Specifically, how do you integrate theoretical concepts with real-world operations challenges?

It's good for my operational research and I completed my doctoral degree with the specializations of retail operational time management and with the business analytics and its performances. So for the real practical world I can apply with that a strategical implications for the research works to where I approve where I found that the proactive preactive active strategies for the. Operationalizations where the glitches are they happens that we have to take an technology assistance to sort out the issues. We all know the service paradox recovery elements. So here the service operations or the any kind of operationals you can use for the service paradox elements. So there is a practical exposures we can use for that and I'll help my students to approach with a service recovery paradise elements and never happens of any of our creators to.

Additionalizations and using with that like any kind of analytical tool or tools also that will be a help to them. Thank you.

Thank you, Professor. It's evident that you focus on equipping students with practical strategies and advanced analytics to address real-world operational challenges, such as service recovery and efficiency improvements. Next, let’s discuss your approach to teaching theory and laboratory courses. How do you ensure that both theoretical knowledge and hands-on practical experience are delivered effectively in your teaching methodology?

Yes, usually my teaching uh, method in my institution where I'm currently working, I use the uh, experiential teaching methods. I used to provide the case studies and I used to provide the practical experience to my students. The laboratory demonstrates using the business analytical tools and I also I took the subjects in the current where I currently working in institutions as uh, SPSS and Tally and. LP this all the tools are I'm delivering my students and I'll give them to the practical experiences in the class itself and also the assignments in that manner they can use the real world assignments I'm giving to them. They are approaching with that and they are getting in a real world of experiences and the completing the works and they are engaged with the industry collaborations also and they're getting at a paid internships. So I'll use the same method where.

Going to currently where I'm going to come the institute, I'll use different kinds of teaching methods like a blending and simulations teaching methods and case study methods, All the experiential teaching method, I'll absolutely use this bit institute.

It’s clear that you emphasize experiential learning and blending it with technology and real-world applications, which is a strength. Would you elaborate on a specific instance where your methodological approach significantly improved student outcomes, like a notable success story with these techniques?

Yes, my students, the notable success for the experiential teaching method I use usually in my academic institute where I'm currently working in the DJ Vaishnava College. The students are not at all the participating in any kind of the conferences or the workshops where outside the institutions they're conducting. So I made them my students to inculcate them to participate the various kinds of the conferences and workshops and colloquiums and. Kind of seminars the students were participated and they got in a very successful rewards and recognitions from the state other states rather than the Tamil Nadu institutions and that the most notable examples. The students are all published with the 32 of research articles for the postgraduates students where I currently working over the you know four years the students were not published any papers and I made.

Them to implemented a what called a beautiful of process to them approaching the publications and using their own itself for the statistical tools learning.

That's an impressive accomplishment, Professor. Taking students from limited participation to publishing numerous research articles demonstrates the effectiveness of your teaching methods and your ability to inspire and guide students to excel. Let's move forward. Can you share your approach to student evaluations and exam duties? How do you ensure these methods are fair and contribute to both learning and accurate assessments of student performance?

The competition is required as a fair and ultimately the factor the teachers the the basic duty they have to do for the evolutions of the students performances. So we are for the students students fraternity benefit us. So we have to make an effective teaching tools and effective student mentoring relations while maintaining these mentoring relations the students can able to provide.

Yes.

UH, outcomes the effectively, so I maintain the outcomes, uh, the students feedback the, my, uh, past outcomes of the students, I always maintain the 100 percentage. So this is the demonstrates my expertise in my institutes. So I'll always do collaborate with my students to mentor as a mentoring and I'll guide them to progressions as well as uh, theoretically and horizontally for.

The growth. So evolution is a very, very important tool for them to maintain their progressions. So there can we can identify where they are the lag and where we can improve them. And if they are the advanced learners, we can provide the different kinds of scope to them. If they are the slow learners, we can provide them a scope to improve where they are the lag and we can bridge their gaps and we can provide the various kinds of assistance to them.

Thank you, Professor. Your focus on personalized mentoring, along with addressing diverse student needs, such as supporting both advanced and slower learners, reflects a deep commitment to fostering individual growth and academic success. Now, moving to your guidance on student projects and research, how do you ensure that students not only complete their research projects effectively but also develop critical thinking and independent research capabilities?

MMM, yes, it's more important questions for that. The students doing the research projects, it's not just the project, we have to make them to be independent, do the research works. So usually my students may do the research works to understand their reality, why they are supposed to use to research works. It's not just for the academic requirement, it's a need for their industries, need for their current year of changes. So I help them to make to understand what is.

Of the research, the students are the independently doing and independently they are understanding.

I see, Professor. You emphasize independent research and providing a structured blueprint allows students to navigate through empirical, exploratory, and theoretical research effectively. Your approach indeed fosters critical thinking and self-reliance. Next, I’d like to hear how you ensure strong communication and structured teaching in your classrooms or lectures. What specific strategies or methods do you employ to engage students and deliver complex topics effectively?

Mm-hmm. So for the communications of the complex topic, I used to the chat board or what you call the, the presentations methods I used to deliver these students. And also at the same time, I'll give the brainstorming methods, the critical topics the students need to understand the simplest manner they have to do their brainstorming. So, so I make them simulate and the brainstorm the sessions and I make the quiz programs to my students so they can participate. I, I.

And hundred parties, 100 percentage participation. So so my students will participate today for the 100 percentage that will help them to what complex of complex.

Two complex topic they can understand very effectively and easily they can understand and then they can remember in the long term according to the Blooms taxonomies.

Thank you, Professor. Your emphasis on brainstorming, interactive activities like quizzes, and incorporating Bloom’s Taxonomy demonstrates a well-structured approach to engaging students and simplifying complex topics for long-term retention. Lastly, let us touch upon your contributions to research publications. Having published multiple research papers, how do you ensure their relevance and acceptance in reputed journals? Could you walk us through your strategy for maintaining high publication standards?

MMM, yes, as of now I published the acute Q3 and Q4 and peer reviewed journals alone. And my strategies to publishing the papers and relevance is towards to my publications. I'll make into the my screen related. And since my specialization is a marketing, I'll focus to find the publications and the consumer behavior research and marketing and Business Research methods. Learners in the Q1 and Q2 journals, so I maintain the standards of my publications with the proper structures and methods of my papers using the empirical research as well as the theoretical papers publishing in the Q1 and Q2 and Web of Science and ABDC journals. And I'll always to keep keep concern about development research that will be an contribute to the intuition's growth, so I maintain. That publishing in the Q1 and Q2 alone and and not at all to publish any of a discontinued journals. And I never pay attention to publishing in the delicious or the what do you call that a cloned journalist? Because presently in the market there are the various kinds of the clone journals are there. So the person who have the ethical policies and the research policies are there, we have to publish the papers. A pure research way we conducted. That research alone we should publish. So I maintain the a proper of my research work, although I do publish, so it's not to publish of any generated or not from the copy plagiarized content to publishing. So we should maintain and we should adhere the institutional policy and the research policies to publish the research papers, our own research works as well as the industrial collaborations research works we need to publish in the Q1Q2 science.

ABDS and most reputed journals in the international as well as the national publishers. Thank you.

Thank you, Professor. Your rigorous approach to publishing in accredited, high-quality journals while adhering to ethical research policies highlights your commitment to impactful and credible academic contributions. That concludes the skills assessment for now. Thank you for sharing your detailed responses. Let’s move forward.

Thank you.

You're welcome, Professor. To begin, could you describe a foundational concept in marketing that you particularly enjoy teaching and why?

Uh, particularly I enjoy in the marketing today is, uh, umm, the philosophy is marketing that are very interesting, sound interesting. So they usually the people are, uh, understand the marketing. It's only just to meet the seller and the buyer. It's not a marketing, It's a seller and buyer. The meet, the marketing is a process of communications and creating an awareness and bringing the product to the customers and make them to buy the product. And how? What are the strategies we are? Creating to them to buy the product. So how we going to understand their feedbacks and how they are to using the product and what's the behaviors are they changing this all the continued process to conducting that we call the marketing. So here the marketing which consists the four PS. So the four P is about to be a marketing makes the product price place promotions. That's the sounds very, very, very interesting. So so product price plays promotions.

So this makes, uh, without any mix, there is no marketing usually, Sir. And when it extended the three more piece, it sounds very interesting. So, so that's why I very, very much interested about the marketing mix, which is the four as well as which they extended the three PS.

It's compelling that you emphasize the holistic nature of marketing as a process of communication, awareness, and strategy—beyond merely transactions between buyers and sellers. The framework of the 4 Ps, as well as the extended 7 Ps, indeed deepens the understanding and practical implementation of marketing concepts. Thank you for sharing.

Professor Rameshkumar, I see you completed a PhD in Commerce with a focus on Marketing from Madras University in 2019. Could you discuss one of your key research publications or findings from your doctoral work? How do you see this research contributing to your teaching in marketing?

Sorry to interrupt, we're down to the last 5 minutes.

Oh, sorry. OK, OK, no issues. I'll complete that itself.

I completed my doctoral degree in the University of Madras. Actually it started in the year of 2015 itself in the University of Madas where I enrolled my post graduations. I started doing the research works in the business which related to the agricultural and suddenly my research supervisors Professor Ashanti, Madam and Professor and ahead in the University of Madhalika she beautiful guided to me.

I should start the research in the retail aspects. So I started the retail business analytics. So retail business analytics, what I usually do, I adjust the concentrated for the customers perspective. So when it's a business perspective, so I started to the business perspective how the businesses, retail businesses are adopting the Internet of Things. So the Internet of Things IoT plays a vital role for every business to. You to to make the simplest and business performance seamless of business experiences to the customers. They everyone started to adopting the IoT. So IoT make them to compete in the market and they are the position in the leader of the market. Those who are the adopter like the Max Reliance and Chroma every retail stores nowadays are they adopted the artificial intelligence and the business analytical. What is the reason they are the adopting? They need to understand the customer needs and what are the customers are the purchasing the product and what's the feedback. So they regularly using the feedback observations and they are providing their customers needs and wants. So the basic of duty of marketing that about to understand the customers requirements and wants. So they used to conducting the research, the feedback survey methods. So in my research work, I use a Business Research, analytical and Business Research. So, so business and I retail business analytical the IoT adoptions of IoT and how it make to perform the retail businesses specifically I targeted the in Chennai supermarket store. So so I took that subject. I took that research works and when I completed my doctoral degree in the year of 2020 and I got appointed in the assistant professor in advance Vaishnav College in Chennai that I also taken a subject.

For the retail business paper and that helps me to demonstrate the students to enable to understand the practical and real world of examples with my help. So I make them to emphasize the various kinds of research works with the retail perspectives and they can understand what is the kind of what kind of the retails are they using and what are the strategy required to use the retailers and how the retail distribution channels are the working and how the retail operationalizations are the working. So this all.

Them to understand.

Thank you, Professor Rameshkumar. From what I gather, your doctoral research on retail business analytics and the adoption of IoT in retail operations, specifically within Chennai supermarket stores, showcases a deep dive into understanding customer behaviors and enhancing retail business performance. Fascinating work. You mentioned incorporating this into your teaching to help students understand the practical and real-world applications of retail strategies and distribution channels. Could you elaborate on how you design your curriculum or classroom approach to bridge this gap between theory and practical industry knowledge?

Watch off so I can bridge this gap the theories and the practical knowledge. So we used to conduct the any kind anyone kind of the research works. So usually the students were never participated to do the research work in the undergraduation levels. So I emphasize my students to participate the research works to do the simplest research works to understanding the retails of theories and the practical knowledge. So retail theories are so much of A complicated when make them.

To understand using the a brainstorming and stimulate simulations methods. So the simulations method they use for the research works. A simple empirical research works and projects works. They can able to understand that complicated theories and they can approach with their real world.

Understood. It’s admirable how you actively encourage undergraduate students to participate in research to connect complex retail theories with practical applications through methods like brainstorming and simulations. This experiential approach certainly builds their analytical and critical thinking skills. One follow-up, Professor: When students work on these empirical research projects, how do you evaluate their understanding and ensure their work reflects both academic rigor and practical relevance?

Our scheduled time for the interview is now up. Before we conclude, do you have any questions related to the role or the company?

Yes, uh, I have a questions related to that. So what is, uh, my role it's about to the assistant professor to hear so am I, uh, know that.

On on where should I come to the VIT?

Umm, no, you have been asked that before, uh, previous questions as I require. Can I answer for that one?

Professor Rameshkumar, the role is for a Professor of Marketing. It will involve teaching, mentoring, guiding projects, and contributing to research and publications. The location and other logistical details would typically be communicated by the hiring department or HR. You can expect further instructions regarding reporting details once the recruitment process advances. Do you have any other questions or concerns?

Of course, Professor Rameshkumar. If you’d like to revisit or elaborate on any previous question, feel free to share your response now.

MMM. So you have been asked for that, the questions that, uh, how I'm going to be gonna use that. Uh, students make the make to demonstrate to their works. So, uh, when uh, research publications, I make them to demonstrate to understand complicated theoretical frameworks. So the students usually to participate in the research. Presentations in the collection. Seminars, Conferences.

And these kinds of forums so they can able to get the confidences to understand the complicated tools. So, so they used to publish the papers. When they are the publishing the paper that is a reward and recognitions to these students. So how they are they achieve to understand the complicated topic using the practical experiences.

Thank you for elaborating further, Professor. It’s clear that you place significant emphasis on empowering students to engage with complex theoretical frameworks through active participation in research, seminars, and conferences. Encouraging them to publish their work not only helps build confidence but also drives academic rigor and rewards excellence. Your approach to integrating theoretical learning with practical application while nurturing confidence and recognition certainly aligns with the qualities we seek in a Marketing Professor. Thank you for sharing this. Would you like to discuss anything further or clarify any aspect before we conclude?

Umm, thank you. And so this is my key expertise. I'll, uh, demonstrate, uh, my, uh, where I'm going to working in a institute in 100 percentage. So I'll show the commitment towards to my institutions and development towards to the institutions and, uh, follow with the students paternity development.

Professor, could you outline your three-year research roadmap and specify how your work could contribute to advancing the field of Marketing while aligning with institutional goals?

Good. So for my three years road map, so I'll, uh, uh, first one, one year I'll find out to a funding, uh, project for the social science and the business, uh, research funding agencies. So I'll, I'll start this, submit the proposals for the Icss are and other agencies to submit the proposals and. After that, the second year I'll publish the papers in the Q1 and QTWO.

And in the during the second year itself, I maintain the second proposal to submitting the institutional policy as far as the institutions policies in the RBA and other repeated funding agencies, global, global level. And also I'll publish in the Web of Science for the third year and the ABDC journals. So purely in the customers relative studies with the empirical papers alone, I'll start to publish.

Your roadmap demonstrates a focus on securing funding and publishing in high-quality journals. Given this plan, how would you ensure the scalability of your research efforts by mentoring junior students to contribute to a consistent pipeline of impactful publications?