Career Anchors: A Study with Indian Management Students –Mihir Dash*, Suprabha Bakshi** AbstrAct The objective of this study is to ascertain the career anchors of postgraduate management students using Schein’s (1974) Career Anchor Scale, and to identify the priority of these career anchors of Indian management students within different specializations, viz. marketing, fnance, human resource, and operations management. The study additionally aims to identify the differences in patterns of career anchor combinations across the different streams of management students. The study has signifcance and relevance to management students as this will enable them to better decide and choose their career path, thereby enabling them to gain appropriate understanding for prospective careers and job profles in organizations. This study is expected to contribute to the existing body of knowledge that would enable management students to recognize and manage their talent to the fullest in the present-day workplace. Keywords: Postgraduate Management Students, Career Anchors, Schein’s Career Anchor Scale INTRODUCTION A career anchor is ‘that one element in a person’s self-concept that he or she will not give up, even in the face of diffcult choices’ (Schein, 1990). The concept of an ‘anchor’ is essentially a blend of a person’s values, attitude, skills, interests, and competence that can be used to evaluate a person’s suitability for a job or career. Schein had suggested that personality, motivation and values affect career choices and preferences, through the metaphor of an anchor which pulls people towards specifc * Head of Department, Department of General Management, School of Business, Al- liance University, Bangalore, Karnataka, India. Email: mihirda@rediffmail.com ** Department of General Management, School of Business, Alliance University- Bangalore, Karnataka, India.