Determinants of Internship Conversion Among Management Graduates: Evidence from India

Internship is a mandatory 2 months’ industry stint stipulated in the curriculum of the two-year MBA Program in India. Successful interns are given a pre-placement offer (PPO) to work in these organizations as fulltime employees. This paper examines the experiences of interns of a top public business school in North India to understand the factors which impacted their success/failure in securing a PPO. Results show that proactivity to overcome adversities, networking and innovative solutions to practical business contexts as important determinants of internship conversion. Poor organizational processes, unfair practices and poorly crafted internship programs resulted in unsatisfactory internship experiences of the students. This study identifies methods by which students can gauge their job-fit and thereafter identify key success factors to secure a PPO.