Soni Jha - Teaching

My teaching philosophy

My fundamental teaching philosophy is to enable students to solve real-world business problems that often present themselves amidst ambiguity, uncertainty, and information overload. Consequently, the goal of my teaching is to give my students tools that can help them systematically analyze information to distill relevant insights and promote critical thinking that would aid them in their managerial decision-making processes. I ardently believe in the Socratic method, but instead of asking questions, I try to help my students ask me the right questions. As The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy beautifully demonstrates – the key to finding the right answers is to know you have asked the right question.

I am deeply passionate about teaching. My grandfather and both my parents were teachers. Even as a kid, I loved teaching younger children around me. I worked part-time in adult education (primarily teaching English as a Second Language) and freelanced as a curriculum designer and a volunteer teacher (for calculus, statistics, and chemistry) in India for ~6 years until I came to the US for graduate studies.

Published teaching cases

Jha S., & Prakash, R., Narula, R. 2024. "HealthX Africa: Empathetic Leadership as an Asset in Telehealth." WDI Publishing

Second Place Winner: 2024 Health Tech Global Case Writing Competition, William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Jha S., & Mudambi, R. 2023. “Winning a war without an armor: Tesla’s open innovation strategy in emerging markets.” In Doh, JP., Luthans, F., & Gaur, AS. International Management: Culture, Strategy, and Behavior, 12th edition, McGraw Hill: NY.

Jha, S., Moreira, S., & Mudambi, R., 2022. "Lavazza - The challenges of foreign market entry in a brand intensive industry." Ivey Publishing

Nominated by Ivey Publishing for EFMD Global Case Competition 2023 - Hidden Champions Category

Teaching interests

International Business
Strategic Management
Business Analytics

Courses Taught

Purdue University Fort Wayne (2023 onwards)

Principles of Management (BUS 302) [in-person and online]

Strategic Management (BUS 485) [in-person and online]

Fox School of Business, Temple University (2022-2023)

Global Business Policies (BA 4101) [online instruction]

Global Business Policies (BA 4101) [in-person instruction]

Courses Assisted

Fox School of Business, Temple University

Prof. Marilyn Anthony with Global Business Policies (BA 4101) in Fall 2021

Prof. Ram Mudambi with Fundamentals of International Business (IB 3101) in Fall 2021

Young India Fellowship, Ashoka University

Prof. Rishikesha T. Krishnan with Managing a Business, Spring 2018

Select student testimonials

"I'm one of those guys who gets nervous while doing a presentation. I used to skip class just to avoid presenting in class, but Professor Jha is strict in a good way. She wants us to participate and it is a very good thing. She genuinely cares about everyone, and I will never forget all the lessons you gave me, such as the importance of speaking confidently because you are the only one who knows about it, and I also learned a lot from your speech about yourself before becoming a professor and also overcoming fear. It inspired me to think in a different way. It boosted my motivation and reminded me to think optimistically and that we can always change ourselves. Professor Jha, thank you very much for your time and effort. You're the best!!"

"One of the greatest lessons that I have learned in this class is how to work with groups. Of course, this is something that I have been doing in college since my first semester but this time it was a bit different. Typically when I work with a group it is only for one, maybe two assignments. However, in this class, we worked in groups for the majority of the semester. So, I really got to know my group members and learn how they work."

"Before entering this class, I was very unsure of the material we were going to learn but I have learned SO much from this class."

"In the beginning of the semester, I was scared because firstly I had missed the first class and secondly, the groups were already formed. But, you created a very inclusive culture and did not let me feel left behind."

"Professor, you did an excellent job with creating a safe space, where students are allowed to practice and make mistakes, and give one another friendly criticism and feedback, so we can improve in time for the final presentation. One of my biggest challenges is public speaking, I tend to freeze up and panic when I am in front of a large group, but the comfortable and non-judgemental space that was created in this class, helped me loosen up and lessen my fear of presenting, and speaking. I believe that any experience is a good experience, and any experience is meant to help you improve in different ways, I believe your teaching style paired with the environment you fostered in this classroom, helped not just me, but definitely, multiple other students in this class to conquer their fears, improve in a multitude of ways, and become even more prepared to enter the real world upon graduation. Thank you, Soni"

"This course at first seemed quite boring at first, to be honest. My perception going in was that this class would consist of random international business rules. In the end, I actually really appreciated the way the class was set up and executed. The group work had a small learning curve but eventually, our group came together to create a really solid presentation and memo. I think a major component and takeaway from this class was the ability to effectively cooperate in a team. Communication and accountability were key to our success however it was a process to achieve it. The content of this course was not at all what I expected. I actually really enjoyed learning about company strategy."

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