Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Vidya, a Bachelor of Commerce graduate, secured admission to one of India’s premier business schools (B schools) called Best-Known School of Management (BKSM). Not long after her joining BKSM, she was struck by the calibre of her experienced peers. This, in turn, made her anxious about her placement. Hence, she reached out to one of her seniors, who had also joined BKSM as a fresher, for advice.

In conversations with the senior, Vidya learned that freshers were often advised to join student committees to strengthen their curriculum vitae (CVs) for placements. Confident of making it to one, she started preparing. Despite her confidence, she could not secure a spot in the prominent committees she aspired to join.

Frustrated and angry, Vidya began believing that committee selections were biased. Since the processes were entirely student-run, with minimal administrative oversight, she felt that she had no avenue to raise her concerns. Anjali, Vidya’s roommate in BKSM, told her about Why MBA, a social media platform where students often voiced their grievances anonymously.

Question 42

Vidya secretly recorded her next committee interview. The very next day, Vidya was selected for the same committee for which she had recorded the interview. Relieved, she decided not to post anything on Why MBA.

However, a few days later, a post went viral on Why MBA about BKSM, accusing the student committees of unfair practices, claiming that seniors selected juniors based on personal preferences rather than objective criteria. The post created a stir in BKSM, making Vidya anxious.

Vidya’s anxiety stemmed from the fact that Anjali, her confidant, knew about Vidya’s intent to publish her interview transcript on Why MBA. Hence, Vidya feared that Anjali might assume that she was behind the viral post. Worse still, if Anjali shared Vidya’s earlier intent with anyone at BKSM, her reputation and relationships could be damaged.

What BEST can Vidya do in the current situation so that she is NOT negatively impacted by the viral post?

Solution

Vidya’s immediate concern is not the fairness of committee selections but the possibility that Anjali may wrongly associate her with the viral post and share information about Vidya’s earlier intentions with others. The best response would therefore be to address this concern directly with the person whose misunderstanding could harm her reputation. Option E is correct in this because discussing the matter with Anjali allows Vidya to clarify that she did not publish the viral post and prevent a misunderstanding from damaging their relationship. It addresses the source of her anxiety without unnecessarily involving other people or drawing further attention to the issue.

Option A is inappropriate because identifying the person behind the post would not resolve Anjali’s suspicion about Vidya. Option B may appear to be an attempt to distance herself from the allegations, but it could look opportunistic and would not directly resolve the misunderstanding. Option C dismisses the possibility of information spreading based on Anjali’s limited social circle, which is not a reliable solution. Option D unnecessarily draws the committee into the matter and risks damaging Vidya’s relationship with its members by revealing that she secretly recorded the interview. Thus, Option E is the most appropriate response because it directly addresses the misunderstanding that is causing Vidya’s anxiety.

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