RateMyProfessors.com: Does This Site Really Help in Choosing Classes?

Submission: Group- 5|| P39006| P39022| P39043| P39050| P39088| P39229

Situation Analysis: Ram & Rahim use the ratings in ratemyprofessors.com to choose their
electives in the odd semester. They use the ratings given by students who’ve attended the
respective professors’ lectures.
Q1. What assumptions can you make about managerial decision making, as it relates to the
Millennial generation from the case?
Given that the two students belong to the millennial generation, they’re active in social
media, seek the internet’s help in the initial stages. One among the assumptions on their
decision is the rating of the students would reflect the perspective of theirs. That is, the
factors like helpfulness, easiness, clarity and hotness are very relative to individuals.
Secondly, they do not read the reviews but only rely on the ratings that are given. This goes
along with the above said assumption. Though it is impossible to read all the reviews, the
figures would not align with what they are expecting as ease/ helpfulness/ hotness.
Q2. Did Ram and Rahim follow a logical and rational managerial decision-making process
in determining their class schedules? Why or why not?
Though the assumptions and biases are discussed above, this is one of the practical methods
to follow. This is one suitable alternative for an intuition/ gut feeling based selection. The aim
of Ram and Rahim is to choose electives that has less strain on their schedule, easy course
work and interesting lectures. Thus the factor of easiness that is given for each professor is
used by them.
One logical or practical approach would be to study the least rated or the bad reviews that any
professor had received. As individual factor approach would be subjected to personal
reception, the least rated would tell us what is wrong or not liked by them mainly. This is a
classical approach of how some would choose products in Amazon or Flipkart. This would
let us to identify some traits of professors that is prevalent or receipted by most of the
students.
Q3. Identify the group influence that the information provided on RateMyProfessors.com
placed on Ram and Rahim?
The group power or influence that Ram and Rahim are using is the millennials’ online
presence and huge interest on using technology. Ram and Rahim who assume that their
interest and paradigm would be the same of the other students nationwide, believe that the
rating would help them choose their suitable course.
Q4. Describe the types of interpersonal influence that the information provided on
RateMyProfessors.com placed on Ram and Rahim?
Among the three type of interpersonal influences – Informational influence, Utilitarian
influence and value expressive influence, the two are dealt with in the case. Ram and Rahim
want to choose informed choices and reduce uncertainty in their elective choices thus
informational influence is found here. The value expressive influence here stems from a
desire of the students to enhance self – concept through the input of others.