A person with multiple interests beyond profession, Prof Singh has pursued a wide variety of societal causes. These include promoting Right to Information Act, Whistle Blowers' Protection Act, Rain Water Harvesting, Transparency in economy, Curbing Corruption and Consumer & Investor Protection. This also led him to address issues of Corporate Governance both in teaching and in general life. He is an advocate of removal of death penalty and for regular investigation of each custodial death and every alleged fake encounter.
Prof Singh has also been a keen observer of Political and Economic affairs of the nation. He has written several Working Papers on Democracy in India. His article entitled 'Fifty Years of Democracy in India: An Overview' was published in Liberal Times, a Forum for Liberal Policy in South Asia, published by Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung of Germany. He was invited to participate in a seminar on 'Elite Groups on Management of World Problems' organized at Gummersbach, Germany.
In August 2001 Prof Singh proposed the concept of a 'Universal Time' suggesting de-linking measurement of time from geography for application in global events and astronomical research. This proposal was posted on the Social Innovation Forum of World Future Society in an article entitled: gTime, gDate and gCalender for which he holds the Intellectual Property Right.
Educated at University of Delhi, Delhi and at Univ of Akron, Ohio, Prof Singh holds a PhD in Industrial and Organizational Psychology. He combined experience of University Teaching at Department of Psychology, University of Delhi, with Corporate Personnel Management and Consultancy-cum-Training for Productivity Improvement at National Productivity Council (NPC), New Delhi. After having served as Director, Behavioural Science and Regional Director for the North East States at NPC, he joined IIMA in 1984 from where he superannuated in October 2005 as Professor, Organization Behaviour and International Management. During this period he received several honors, including Fulbright Scholarship and International Labour Organization Fellowship.
His professional specialization is in Design, Development and Growth of Organizations based on Participative Systems and Human Processes in organization including focus on communications, conflict resolution and leadership. Later years, he focused on issues of survival of small organizations in globalized economy and challenges before born global organizations. As a Teacher, he developed special programs on Corporate Leadership and International Growth, Leadership Influence and Power, Cross-Culture Communication and Corporate Governance.
As a Researcher, he was engaged in exploring issues of organization growth, effectiveness, culture, participative systems and structures. His publications range across numerous national and international journals and include articles in Vikalpa, India; Journal of Applied Psychology, USA; Organization Studies, UK and International Labour Review, Switzerland. Some of his research based writings include: Field Experiences with New Forms of Work Organizations, Choosing HRD interventions; HRD OD interface; Police Performance, Image and Effectiveness. At macro level he addressed issues in Aviation Growth and on Philanthropy. To promote case method of learning in management education, he developed 'Asian Toys: A Role Play' that is registered with the European Case Clearing House at Cranfield University, England.
As a Consultant he focussed on Organization Analysis and issue of Mission-Vision Choices in redesigning organisation structure and processes and Assessment Centers for Managerial Selection and Development. He rendered Consultancy help to several corporate business, service and government organizations. His work spans Engineering, Chemicals, Textiles and Tourism sectors. His notable assignments include work with Thomas Cook, India; Christian Medical College, Vellore; Bongaigaon Refinery & Petrochemicals Ltd., Assam; MARG, Mumbai and Hindustan Brown Boveri (ABB), Vadodara.
As a Trainer, he designed several In-company programs. Among these were designing, developing, coordinating and delivering a program on 'Training of Trainers' on behalf of Asian Productivity Organisation in Kathmandu, Nepal and 'Modern Management Concepts' in Bangkok, Thailand. He also contributed to Learning Material for Deakin University, under the auspices of Association of Professional Engineers, Scientists and Mangers, Australia.
His Special Assignments include an International Project on 'Strategies for Work and Learning' on behalf of International Labour Organization, Geneva; A Survey of Workers' Participation in Management on behalf of Ministry of Labour, Govt of India and Preparation of the Expert Group Report on Workers' Participation in Management in collaboration with National Labour Institute and Central Board for Workers Education. He also carried out a project on Challenges in Adult Education on behalf of Directorate of Adult Education, Govt of India.
He participated in several international conferences, notable among them are: Einer Thorsrud Memorial Symposium in Oslo, International Seminars at Hanoi University of Technology, Institute of Political Economy, Lodz University, Poland, Catholic University at Belo Horizonte, Brazil and Centre for the Study of Work Teams, Univ of North Texas, USA. Prof Singh has been Editor of Productivity, a Journal of National Productivity Council, India, made a film on Decision Making Styles under the auspices of Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi and developed a computer based Survey of Organisational Effectiveness.
His contribution to Institution Building includes setting up of a Management Education Institute in Jodhpur and guiding and supporting an Educational institute in Ahmedabad.
As an Administrator, he supervised development and operation of Online Single Point facility for Data Access and Library Services and Development of the Library Network linking Management Libraries across the country. As Admissions Chairman, he initiated the process of wider access to Common Admissions Test of IIMs to Non-IIM Management Schools.
As Community Service he has been associated as Trustee Consumer Education & Research Centre, Trustee, Testing Organisation for Research in Chemicals and Health Hazards; Governing Body Member of Consumer Coordination Council, India; Trustee, Marwar Education Foundation; Life Member, Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage and Member, Rotary Club of Ahmedabad. His association with Professional organizations include: Fellow, All India Management Association; Life Member, Ahmedabad Management Association and Life Member, HRD Network.
Among his general writings, he has occasionally contributed humour and satire articles in different Forums. Post retirement, he is a keen observer of International Conflicts and their resolution. His leisure time interests include Golf, Travel, Watching Short Videos, Listening Music and Experimenting with food preparations.
Contact information: jpsingh@iima.ac.in
(Bio provided by J P Singh in 2019)
Date of Birth: October 17, 1943
