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MUM PhD student receives grant and publishes article Manjunath Rao, a PhD candidate at Maharishi University of Management, and his doctoral thesis advisor, Associate Professor Andrew Bargerstock, published a paper in the fall 2011 issue of Management Accounting Quarterly , the refereed online journal of the Institute for Management Accountants (IMA). Last September Mr. Rao was one of two PhD students nationwide to be named Lean Accounting Student of the Year by the Lean Enterprise Institute. The article, “Exploring the Role of Standard Costing in Lean Manufacturing Enterprises: A Structuration Theory Approach,” presents the theory and research plan for Mr. Rao’s dissertation. “Manjunath’s research has garnered significant attention by experts in the field of lean accounting,” said Dr. Bargerstock. In June 2011, the IMA invited Mr. Rao to give a poster presentation of his research plan at its annual conference in Orlando, Florida. In December, he received a $4,000 research grant from the IMA to examine the nature of an apparent contradiction between accounting theory and practice in mature lean manufacturing plants. Mr. Rao is attempting to understand the nature of this discrepancy and demonstrate the need for change. This will enable companies to become more current in the way they do business. The system of lean management focuses on adding value to customers while streamlining operations and eliminating waste. Mr. Rao utilized Giddens’ structuration theory, a general social theory model, to test the relevancy and completeness of questions on his survey. In his dissertation, Mr. Rao will show how Giddens’ theory mirrors Maharishi’s Consciousness-Based Samhita concept that explains the relationships among the knower, the known, and process of knowing. “For a long time there was a debate in Western sociological sciences regarding objective versus subjective approach to knowledge,” said Mr. Rao. “Giddens adopted a reconciliatory approach by stating that objective and subjective approaches are two sides of the same coin. He formulated the structuration theory wherein he introduced three concepts: structure (object), agency (subject), and systems (wherein duality of structure and agency interact). This three-concept model clearly overlaps with the Samhita model where Maharishi speaks of the same three concepts using the language of Maharishi Vedic Science: Chhandas (object), Rishi (subject), and Devata (process or systems).” Manjunath Rao is a Certified Cost and Works Accountant from India and a Certified Management Accountant (CMA), with MBA and Masters in Accountancy degrees from the U.S. He hopes to complete his PhD in Management by June 2012. © Copyright 2012 Maharishi University of Management
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