Teaching, Training, and Academic Leadership

Undergraduate courses (Bachelor of Marketing, Business Administration, International Relations)

• International marketing
• International trade and commerce
• Business strategy
• Doing business in Asia
• Business(industrial) marketing
• Relationship marketing
• Retailing management
• Innovation management

Post-graduate courses (Graduate/ Master's Programs in Marketing, Global Marketing Management, Applied Business Analytics, and Business Administration)

• International marketing
• Consumer behavior
• Marketing planning
• Marketing strategy
• Marketing research
• Advanced selling system
• Consumer culture and economy
• Marketing strategy
• New venture management
• International business
• Entrepreneurship management
• Innovation and global competitiveness
• Doing business in north America
• Project communication management
• E-commerce Qualitative and quantitative decision making
• International trade and logistics
• Global supply chain management
• Financial institutions and markets
• Business strategy
• Case studies in corporate finance

Doctoral research program courses (Administrative Sciences, Entrepreneurship and Finance)

• Research methodology
• Qualitative research methods
• Consumer behavior theories
• Mixed-method research
• Literature review, theories, and hypotheses framework
• Data collection and development of research instrument
• Retail and operations management

Faculty Development Programs (2007-2025)

• Developing skills in management teaching
• Critical thinking in research and teaching
• Stakeholder engagement: Methodology and tools for socio-economic development
• Innovation, technology, and global competitiveness
• Mixed-method research in business and social sciences
• Qualitative research methods for business research
• Design-based research and research-based learning
• Obscure consumer behavior theories for marketing research
• Skill development for research publications in quality international journals
• Impact of innovation and technology on entrepreneurship and global business
• Cognitive ergonomics, creativity, and concept development in strategic business management
• Skill development for publishing quality books with reputed international publishers
• Development curriculum, course contents, and thematic concept mapping
• Designing online courses on technology platforms
• Developing applied business simulation for hands-on learning strategies
• Qualitative research: Focus group organization, instrument development, and content analysis

In-Company Management Development Programs

• State Handicraft Boards (Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka during 1995-1997)
• State Agricultural Marketing Boards of India (Rajasthan, Maharashtra, undivided Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka during 1997-1999)
• Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative (Fertilizer Marketing during 1995-2000)
• Thomas Cook (a leisure management company in 2000)

Dr. Rajagopal offered a series of faculty development initiatives like workshops, seminars, and courses designed to enhance the teaching, research, and professional skills of educators, equipping them with modern pedagogical techniques and advancements in their respective fields. Faculty development programs provided opportunities for continuous learning, professional growth, and collaboration, ultimately improving the quality of education and fostering a culture of innovation within academic institutions. The salient features of faculty development programs are as follows:

• Workshops and Seminars: Provided training on contemporary teaching methodologies, new technologies (like AI tools), and subject-specific developments.
• Research Training: Offered tools and training to enhance research skills and keep faculty updated on the latest trends in their fields.
• Professional Skills Enhancement: Focused on areas like intellectual growth, communication, and building sustainable professional practices.
• Peer-to-Peer Learning: Facilitated opportunities for peer observation, reflection, and the exchange of constructive feedback.
• Mentoring and Coaching: Provided expert guidance and support to help educators improve their teaching practices and achieve their professional goals.

Training for Government, Cooperative, and Public Sector Executives

(1987-2001)

• Officers of District Rural Development Agencies (Project Directors of DRDAs of various state governments of India. Training programs offered at National Institute of Rural Development, Hyderabad, India)
• Officers of Indian Administrative Services and Allied Services (Training program of Department of Personnel and Training, GOI, offered at Administrative Staff College of India, Hyderabad, India)
• Officers of State Agricultural Marketing Boards (Training programs offered at National Institute of Agricultural Marketing, Jaipur and in-state locations)
• Orientation Program for Agricultural Production Commissioners and Agricultural Extension Officers (Training programs offered at National Institute of Rural Development, Hyderabad, India)
• Administrative and Technical Officers of Craft Development Centers (Training programs organized at National Institute of Rural Development, Hyderabad, India)
• Officers of Handloom, and Khadi and Village Industries Boards of State Governments (Training programs organized at National Institute of Rural Development, Hyderabad, India)
• District Planning Officials of various States (Training programs organized at National Institute of Rural Development, Hyderabad, India)
• NGOs and Social Development Agencies Engaged in Rural Employment and Socio-economic Wellbeing (In various state locations-Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka. These training programs are organized at National Institute of Rural Development and on-site locations)
• Senior and Middle Level Executives of Cooperative Organizations of various states operating in different sectors. These programs were organized at Institute of Rural Management, Anand and National Institute of Rural Development, Hyderabad. Programs were also offered at on-site locations)
• Officers of Irrigation Department engaged in Watershed Management (Training programs organized at National Institute of Rural Development, Hyderabad, India)
• Stakeholders and Policy Makers of Dairy Development Cooperatives of Gujarat, Maharashtra, undivided Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka. (A number of Programs offered at on-site locations in collaboration with Institute of Rural Management, Anand, India)
• Executives of Handloom Cooperatives of Andhra Pradesh (APCO)- of Programs offered at on-site locations in collaboration with Institute of Rural Management, Anand, India
• Managers of Rural Banks and Field Development Executives Engaged in Promotion of Farm-and Non-farm Activities (Training programs organized at National Institute of Rural Development, Hyderabad, India)
• Agricultural Marketing and Standardization Officers (AGMARK)- (Training programs organized at National Institute of Rural Development, Hyderabad, India)
• Business and Strategy Development Executives of Public Sector Undertaking Companies (Training programs organized in collaboration with the Institute of Public Enterprise, Hyderabad, India)

Training and Skill Development Pedagogy

While imparting training to executives, the learning effectiveness has been developed through careful selection of learning activities, application of best practices in both delivery and content of programs, and particularly effective learning relationships between learning approaches and moderations of learning stages by the professors. Delivering applied management courses/ workshops effectively requires learning autonomy wherein participants can develop logical path of problem solving through preferred self-learning techniques. This may lead to the learning insight to ‘think global' for students and ‘teach local' strategy for professors familiarizing students to deal with local management situation. The pedagogy of managerial training has been widely focused on inductive learning by analysis the operational scenarios and creative challenges. The training programs have been oriented to bridge available information, technology, and practices while analyzing the unified leadership framework and leader-member exchange (LMX) patterns to critically examine the challenges and make appropriate decisions.

Pedagogically, all executive training programs embed an applied teaching philosophy to critically examine deeply held beliefs, values, and strategies about knowing, doing, and being in managing the development activities and achieving operational leadership. Imparting training and skill development integrate inductive concepts in collective thing, co-intelligence, and convergence of traditional and contemporary practices. It serves as a reflective pedagogy, a tool for professional growth to implement evidence-based development and reflect the specific discipline and context of trainer-trainee engagement.​

Dr Rajagopal has some selected academic videos on his You Tube channel which contains TV interviews and some classroom sessions.

Dr. Rajagopal has developed several simulations, of which following simulation have been played, tested, and endorsed by the students. In contributing to the technology development in management teaching following applied learning tools have been developed and administered in classrooms of various courses.

• Simulator for decision making in business-“Strategic Moves: The Business Chess”
• Team game on competitive strategy development- “Scenario Cards- Leading in Dynamic Competition”
• BESTMARK (Business Enterprise Strategy Transition in Marketing)- Simulator for developing competitive strategy.
• Market Runway-Strategy Development Board Game
• New venture development simulation titled WE First. In this concept WE represents Women Entrepreneurs. This simulation is based on women entrepreneurs technology start-up. Students learn decision making analyzing the underlying challenges in the venture set-up and make efforts to develop competitive strategies.

Dr Rajagopal has developed a program in Excel using complementary random numbers on various variables affecting marketing strategy of a competitive firm. Annotations for variables and interrelationship of variables are provided in the supporting Excel file. This simulation exercise has been named BESTMARK (Business Enterprise Strategic Transitions in Market). While playing simulator, if students change the value of one variable (e.g. price) all variables such as volume of sales, inventory cost, market share and profit also changes. It is necessary to optimize the market share and profit using the best combinations. This simulator is operated on individual computers and on Cloud environment. This simulation is periodically upgraded in the context of the case study and real-time market data. This exercise is administered in graduate courses in marketing strategy, competitor analysis and sales management.

A marketing strategy is composed of several interrelated elements. The first and most important is market selection: choosing the markets to be served. Market Runway is a game of developing competitive strategies to meet the challenges of a competitor. This board game is played between two competitors in fray to become the market leader. This game outlines the manner in which the managers can thrive on developing marketing strategy in reference to the 11-Ps marketing mix to attract and satisfy the target market(s) and accomplish an organization's objectives.

Dr. Rajagopal has developed a simulation game on marketing strategy based on the principles of chess. The game can be played in reference to corporate cases. The concept of the simulation game has been demonstrated various academic events, and the game has been prima-facie tested in the course. The automation of the game in LAN/Cloud/Windows NT environment is on. The game has been titled as “Strategic Moves: The Business Chess" (A Game to Build Logical Aptitude for Business Decisions). The game is useful for the students of Masters Program to refine their skills in building marketing strategy under competitive situations. Currently the process of development of the simulator is in progress. This game should be played between two teams or individuals-a competitor and a challenger in a given marketplace. Each player should hold an icon that represents the team on the board. Both teams should choose a market and a product (say salt, milk, butter or a mobile phone). The game has to be played with the strategy charter listed on different perspectives for each of the 11 P factors of marketing mix comprising product, price, place, promotion, packaging, pace, people, performance, psychodynamics, posture, and proliferation. There are several situations for each of the above Ps listed in the strategy charter that influence the competitive strategy. Each player should hold the strategy charter and select respective strategies for each move. Each player (team or individual) should pick a strategy and announce to the challenging player (or display number) if appropriate, otherwise may skip his turn giving opportunity to another player. Each player will get an idea card that can be used twice in the entire game in case the players found none of the strategies listed in the charter of his choice. Players should move the icon house by house each time they take the decision against the competitor. There are some predetermined market situations (Market Interventions) exhibited in the game board and players must take an appropriate decision to resolve the problem. The player who reaches the end of the game first is declared as market leader.

Managers require skills to take quick decisions in the market to move ahead in the competitive market situation and lead in the target market. In order to refine the competitive skills of the managers, Dr. Rajagopal has developed a card game based on the rules of simple playing card games. The game has been titled as “Scenario Card: Leading in Competition”. The theoretical motivations to this game have been the choice theory paradigms and behavioral settings in team working. The Scenario Card game consists of 52 playing cards with difference strategy choice to be played in a given environment. There are 12 competitive scenarios stated in a case associated to the game and serves as background for the teams to choose their scenario(s) during the play. There are 4 sets of Scenario Cards proposed in a pack to enable 4 teams to play simultaneously in 3 different competitive scenarios in different rounds. This game is developed for working managers to help them refine their choice matrix and play the most appropriate strategy in a given competitive market environment.