Prof. Shaheema Hameed-My Work, My Motivation

Dr. Shaheema Hameed is an Assistant Professor (Management), Banasthali Vidyapith, India. Her doctoral research focused on the managerial competencies of the Z Generation in India. Her areas of specialization are Human Resource Management and Business Communication. She has presented her work at various national and international forums and has published in various national and international journals.  She has won 7 awards for her research work- 3 international and 4 national. She holds a key interest in the Generation Z demographic of India, sustainability issues and the study of competencies. She is also an accredited Trainer of English to speakers of other languages.

Inkpothub: How did you feel after getting the best paper award?

Prof. Shaheema Hameed: Receiving an award always feels great. The award received at SIMSARC 2019 is the 7^th award that I have received for my contribution to research. I feel humbled and motivated to contribute more to the field of academics and research. Winning an award gives the feeling that all the hard work and sleepless nights and days of work have finally borne fruit. It is also a motivating factor for the students we teach as they are inspired to perform better and consider a career in academics.

  Inkpothub: What are your research interests?

Prof. Shaheema Hameed: My current research applies personal interaction with subjects to test insights from behavioral, managerial and leadership competencies in the contexts of workforce induction and harmonious work culture in India. I am keenly involved in research pertaining to the Generational Cohort theories, Competency Mapping and the Z Generation.

Inkpothub: What is VUCA World? Explain about it in the research context.  

Prof. Shaheema Hameed: The acronym VUCA originally originated from U.S. military academy (Whiteman, 1998) and has become an acronym that is used in all organizational sectors which embrace change. VUCA stands for volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. Volatility refers to the unpredictable and frequent changes on a large scale (Shaffer & Zalewski (2011), Bennett & Lemoine, 2014). Uncertainty means the unpredictability of events (Shaffer & Zalewski (2011), Kinsinger & Walch, 2012) where the organizations have no idea as to the events that may occur. Drucker (2012) Shaffer &Zalewski (2011) refers to the ‘complex environment as a “threshold of chaos”, characterized by technological disruption and globalization.’ Ambiguity identifies ‘a lack of knowledge of cause and effect where there is no precedent on which to base predictions or more than one unknown factor influencing an event’ (Shaffer & Zalewski (2011) Bennett &Lemoine, 2014).

Inkpothub: What is the implication of your latest work ‘on leadership competencies of the Z generation in a VUCA world.’?

Prof. Shaheema Hameed: This is the initial exploratory study of Leadership competencies of the Z generation in India in a VUCA context. The results of the study present findings that have been supported by literature in various countries outside India. The study reveals that the Core and Global Leadership competencies of the Z generation are limited to the workplace and cannot be applicable in leading themselves or leading others. Hagemann, Bawany et al., (2016) state the urgent need for the development for new leadership competencies in order for the Z Generation to lead effectively in a VUCA. The findings of the present study provide supportive evidence to research studies and reports of Core and Global leadership competencies of the Indian Z Generation in a VUCA world.

Inkpothub: “The Rise of Women Sociopreneurship in India: Evidences of Entrepreneurship from Holy Scriptures”. What is your research space in this broad area?

Prof. Shaheema Hameed: As a researcher, I feel it is essential to contribute to society. This particular paper was developed to explore the latent competencies of the female in the field of entrepreneurship. The Holy Scriptures such as the Vedas, the Holy Quran and the Holy Bible give ample instances of women taking the lead and establishing successful ventures. To the best of my knowledge, this has hitherto not been explored in an academic context. This was the motivating factor towards the development of this research paper.

Inkpothub: What key characteristics you consider for having a research collaborator?

Prof. Shaheema Hameed: Associating with people in the field of research is always an enriching experience. Through various conferences and workshops, I am associated with diverse people in the field who have contributed to my development as a researcher. I feel that an optimistic attitude, a thirst for knowledge for its sake and a dedication towards completion of projects on time is extremely important. Also, a diverse network of academicians and experts from different subject domains and eminent publishers goes a long way in increasing interest in your research work.

Inkpothub: Writing research papers is a big and long task. It is time-consuming. What keeps you motivated?

Prof. Shaheema Hameed: The feeling that I am making a difference in my own way through my work is my motivating factor. I am blessed with a strong support system of my husband, children, parents, friends, and colleagues who have instilled a strong work ethic and have provided moral support in the course of my many projects. I manage my time by staying consistent and taking out 3 days a week exclusively for research. My work in itself is my biggest motivator.