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Master of Business Administration- MBA Semester 1 MB0043 Human Resource Management - 4 Credits (Book ID:B1132) Assignment Set- 1 Q1.

What are the objectives of job evaluation? Ans: Objectives of Job Evaluation The decision to measure or rate jobs should only be made with the intent to reach certain objectives which are important to both management and the employee. Although there are many side benefits of job evaluation, the purpose is to work towards a solution of the many wage and compensation related administrative problems which confront the industry. The below-mentioned are some of the important objectives of a job evaluation programme: 1. Establishment of sound salary differentials between jobs differentiated on the skills required. 2. Identification and elimination of salary-related inequities. 3. Establishment of sound foundation for variable pay such as incentive and bonus. 4. Maintenance of a consistent career and employee growth policy/ guidelines. 5. In organizations with active unions, creation of a method of job classification, so that management and union officials may deal with major and fundamental wage issues during negotiations and grievance meetings. 6. Collection of job facts a) Selection of employees b) Promotion and transfer of employees c) Training of new employees d) Assignment of tasks to jobs e) Improving working conditions f) Administrative organization, and g) Work simplification. There are many established methods to carry out job evaluation in a scientific manner. A four-fold system of classifying evaluation systems is presented here. Two are described as non-quantitative and two as quantitative. 1. Non-quantitative evaluation measures, a. The ranking system. b. The job-classification system. 2. Quantitative evaluation measures. a. The point system. b. The factor-comparison system. Q2. What are the major problems faced in benefits management? Ans: Managing Benefits in Organizations Managing employee Benefits is a critical part of the entire compensation policy and particularly so as the cost is completely borne by the company. There is no scientific way of ascertaining its impact on factors such as employee satisfaction and employee retention or productivity for that matter.

In designing Benefits packages organizations need to pay attention to the following aspects: Legal and local laws of the land that require statutory compliance The positioning of Benefits in the total compensation strategy Are the benefits provided consistent with the long term strategic business objectives and plans Are our benefits meeting the needs and expectations of the employees and their dependents Are we competitive w.r.t. the choice of benefits, adequacy and equity and costs vs. the industry / our competitors The components of a benefits package are commonly practiced as; Security and Health Benefits - which focuses on the provisions made by the employer w.r.t. Life Insurance, Worker Compensation, Accident Insurance, Medical Insurance for self and dependents (where different companies could differently categorise dependents, some might include parents as dependents, some might limit it to spouse and children only), other medical coverage, Provident and Pension Plans, Severance Pay etc.. Organizations might even have other health benefits programs like Health Check-up Camps, Dental Camps and other employee wellness initiatives. The modern organizations of today provide for on-campus gymnasium facilities or the reimbursement of gymnasium / health club membership. Other reimbursement plans like reimbursement of telephone bills and broadband bills where these facilities might not be entirely used for business purposes alone. Reimbursement of conveyance costs including providing for pick-up and drop facilities for their employees. Also included are catering of lunch and snacks in addition to sophisticated on-campus food-courts and even departmental stores, all with the objective of helping the employee manage better work - life balance. Another popular benefit is the provision for crche facilities for the infants of employees. While the larger companies can afford a on-campus or adjacent crche which is for the children of only the employees, other companies allow for the reimbursement of the cost of crche for their employees children. Organizations like Cognizant and IBM go a step further by organizing for Childrens camp during the school vacations. Organizations also provide for employee counselling/ assistance programs and facilities. Some might tie-up with professional counsellors to provide remote/ over phone/email counselling services, while some other companies provide for on-campus employee assistance kiosks manned by professional counsellors visiting the facility 2-3 times a week. Some organizations might insist on few benefits to be contributory where the employee might need to bear part of the cost. The challenge in managing benefits is that while it costs a lot it is often taken for granted by the employees. The dilemma of finding the right balance of benefits and cash compensation is a on-going one. Like for Compensation, Benefits too are benchmarked by organizations and implemented keeping the market practices and trends in view. The key to leveraging the investment made by organizations on benefits can be got by adequate communication making employees aware of them. It includes, providing clarity on how to apply for and claim benefits, as well as hold road-shows show-casing the benefits and what the employee can avail of. It focuses on to remind the employees that they are part of the total compensation package. Most large and medium sized organizations manage compensation and benefits through stateof-the-art HRMS (Human Resource Management Systems) and the corporate intranet portals. Employee can enrol on-line for the benefits, ask queries, look up the policies and review the outstanding and balance status of the various benefits. They can view deadlines, apply for the various benefit claims and track reimbursement status on-line. This brings a lot of

empowerment to the employee as well as awareness of the total benefits that he/she and their dependents are eligible for. Some common metrics used to assess the investments made by a company on Benefits: a) Annual cost of benefits for all employees b) Cost per employee per year c) Percentage cost of payroll d) Percentage cost of total costs In these times of economic challenges organizations are closely tracking the investments and driving efficiency. Q3. State the major career development activities found in organizations. Ans: The dynamics of career development in an organizational context has two dimensions: How individuals plan and implement their own career goals (career planning), and How organizations design and implement their career development programs (career management). Career planning is a deliberate attempt by an individual to become more aware of their skills, interests, values, opportunities and constraints. It requires an individual thinking to identify career-related goals and establishing plans towards achieving those goals. Often it is a self-driven process, which every professional (irrespective of the nature of employment) spends some time to dwell on and discuss it with peers or superiors and frame it. It is also viewed from time to time that the individual looks for possible new career options. Having a career plan builds a commitment towards achieving it and is viewed as an excellent personal goal-setting exercise for self motivation. Career management is considered to be an organizational process that involves preparing, implementing and monitoring career plans undertaken by an individual alone or within the organizations career systems. Organizations establish policies that provide for multiple career path options that an employee can choose from and pursue. This is supported with a lot of training and development activities that are agreed to with the manager and planned carefully and executed. A variety of career development activities and tools exists for use in organizations. HR managers should be familiar with these components because the managers often serve as internal consultants responsible for designing the career development systems. Some of the activities described are individual career planning tools and others are commonly used for organizational career management. In general the most effective career development programs will use both types of activities. A variety of career development activates are available for use. Some of the more popular ones include: 1. Self assessment tools:- these are usually technology enabled on-line (on the corporate intranet) tools that form part of the performance appraisal system and allow the individual to identify areas of strengths and parallelly identify career paths that would leverage these strengths the best. E.g. Career Planning Workbooks, Career Workshops hosted by the organizations from time to time. 2. Individual Counselling:- formally the process allows for individuals to discuss this as part of the performance management process with their immediate managers and share and take feedback on the appropriateness of the choices and how to go about pursuing it. Often managers recommend relevant other managers and leaders who the employee can link with to seek advice and support. Organizations also provide for formal mentoring programs to which an employee can enrol and sign up a mentor who can then provide the support and counselling on the best career option and how to go about it achieving it.

3. Information Services: organizations have established policies on what skills and experiences that each job in the organization requires. Jobs with similar skills and experiences are clubbed together to create parallel career paths. For example in a software development firm the career path options for the software engineering team can be designed as follows: Career Paths in a software company

These are typically called career ladders or career paths and they help an employee identify what his options are for future growth and identify the appropriate one based on his personal skills and capabilities/ limitations. These career paths would be supplemented with additional information on skills and experience that one must have for each role/job in the career path. It would also specify the particular qualification or special certifications that the positions demands. An employee aspiring to pursue a career option would need to dedicate time and effort and the expenses towards acquiring the same. Large MNCs (multinational companies) also encourage the reimbursement of these expenses as a annual fixed amount on successfully clearing the exam/certification. The employee however needs to find the time and expend the effort away from work. The actual move of the employee to the new role would however depend on the existence of a job vacancy in that role. The employee can also approach career resource / talent management centres supported by the HR teams for more information on how to plan careers and apply for new roles sand jobs. Organizations usually have formal job posting systems through which the employee receives this information and applies for the job after discussing with his manager. 4. Initial employment Programs Organizations also run internship and apprenticeship programs wherein the individuals aspiring to do a particular job can spend some time as a temporary employee to explore interest and skill fitment for the job/role. (e. g. Anticipatory socialization programs, realistic recruitment, and employee orientation program);

5. Organizational Assessment programs : organizations can proactively establish formal processes wherein an employee can volunteer to participate and understand himself/herself and his/her strengths. Through the use of Assessment Centres organizations can help an employee identify areas for improvement and means of building those skills. So he can achieve his career plans. Certain organizations offer Psychological Testing instruments which profile the employees strengths and roles and responsibilities he / she will best fit into. 6. Developmental programs focus the effort of the employee towards helping the employee to achieve his career goals. The Assessment Centres, Job rotation programs, in-house training, tuition refund plans, and mentoring, all prove effective tools to help the individual along. No matter what tools are used for career development, it is important that employees develop and individualised career plan. For example Raychem requires every person to have a learning or development plan. Q4. Explain the need for human resource planning. Ans: Human Resource Planning Human resource or manpower planning is 'the process by which a management determines how an organization should move from its current manpower position to its desired manpower position. Through planning, a management strives to have the right number and the right kind of people at the right places, at the right time, to do things which result in both the organization and the individual receiving the maximum long-range benefit". The organizations business plan to invest in a particular product/market or a service will drive the HRP activity towards hiring to meet the business need. In the event an organization is divesting or shutting down a particular business unit or a manufacturing division the HRP activities would focus on the redeployment of the workforce that will be rendered unemployed as a result of the business decision. An organization wanting to retain its current market share and revenue projection at status quo would be supported by HRP activities that are limited to only filling positions falling vacant due to natural organizational attrition. Hence the HRP focus in a organizations is closely linked to the business plan and acts as a bridge between what an organization wishes to achieve and how it will go about achieving it w.r.t. the human resources requirements. The scope of HRP is futuristic in nature and usually runs parallel to the annual business planning exercise. It commences prior to the start of the companys new financial year. For example if the business year for a company runs April to March. The business planning and the HR planning activities for the New Year beginning in April is usually completed and in place by the 1st week of April. Once the HR plan is in place it is broken up into a quarterly or even a monthly plan which then is the input for the recruitment team to go and hire accordingly. Steps in Human Resource Planning: The Human Resource Planning process consists of a set of activities, viz. a) Forecasting manpower requirements, either by using mathematical tools to project trends in the economic environment and development in industry, or in by using simple judgemental estimates based on the specific future business plans of the company; b) Creating an inventory of present manpower resources and assessing the extent to which these resources are employed/ optimally; c) Identifying manpower problems by projecting present resources into the future to determine their adequacy, both quantitatively and qualitatively; and d) Planning the necessary programmes of requirement selection, training, development, utilization, transfer, promotion, motivation and compensation to ensure that future manpower requirements are properly met. Thus, it will be noted that 'manpower planning consists in projecting future manpower requirements and developing manpower plans for the implementation of the projections'.

Need for Human Resource Planning Human Resource Planning is a mandatory part of every organizations annual planning process. Every organization that plans for its business goals for the year also plans for how it will go about achieving them, and therein the planning for the human resource: 1. To carry on its work, each organization needs competent staff with the necessary qualifications, skills, knowledge, work experience and aptitude for work. 2. Since employees exit and organization both naturally (as a result of superannuation) and unnaturally (as a result of resignation), there is an on-going need for hiring replacement staff to augment employee exit. Otherwise, work would be impacted. 3. In order to meet the need for more employees due to organizational growth and expansion, this in turn calls for larger quantities of the same goods and services as well as new goods. This growth could be rapid or gradual depending on the nature of the business, its competitors, its position in the market and the general economy. 4. Often organizations might need to replace the nature of the present workforce as a result of its changing needs, therefore the need to hire new set of employees. To meet the challenge of the changed needs of technology / product/service innovation the existing employees need to be trained or new skill sets induced into the organization. 5. Manpower planning is also needed in order to identify an organizations need to reduce its workforce. In situations where the organization is faced with severe revenue and growth limitations it might need to plan well to manage how it will reduce its workforce. Options such as redeployment and outplacement can be planned for and executed properly. Q5. What are the factors that impact recruitment in organizations? Ans: Concepts of Recruitment The ability to identify the correct talent for not just the role/job but also from the organizational values perspective can be summarised as the key recruiting challenge. Figure 4.1 below provides the framework used in organizations to plan and staff the human resources requirements of the company.

Factors Affecting Recruitment All organizations, whether large or small, do engage in recruiting activity, though not to the same intensity. Few factors that impact the nature of recruitment: i. The size of the organization- the smaller the organization the more the need to carefully scrutinize the candidate for a job and the fitment to the organizational culture. The risk in case of job-candidate mismatch can prove equally expensive for a smaller organization as compared to the larger one. ii. The employment conditions in the country where the organization is located- critically impacts the recruiting strategy. The methods for recruiting, the selection tools that are most suited and the legal framework that bear on the employer are some aspects that need to be considered. iii. The affects of past recruiting efforts which show the organization's ability to locate and keep good performing people- constantly reviewing the effectiveness of the recruiting methods and the selection tools used, evaluating the success at-work of the new recruits are some methods used by organizations to ensure that quality hiring practices are in-place. iv. working conditions and salary and benefit packages offered by the organization this may influence turnover and necessitate future recruiting; (v) The rate of growth of organizationthe phase in the life-cycle of the firm is a measure of the recruiting effort v. The level of seasonality of operations and future expansion and production programmes ensuring that the recruitment numbers come form a well-planned Human Resource Plan is critical to ensure that there is no over-hiring or under-hiring of the required talent to achieve the organizational objectives. vi. Cultural, economic and legal factors these too affect the recruiting and selection methods that are used. Q6. Assume yourself as an HR Manager. You have been given the responsibility of promoting the rightful employees. For this, performance appraisal of the employees must be carried out. What appraisal method would you choose? Justify. Ans: Management by objectives: one of the most popular individual evaluation methods in use today is Management by Objectives (MBO). In this system, the Manager and employee to be evaluated jointly set objectives/targets in advance for the employee to try to achieve during a specified period. And usually the objectives framed are of quantitative nature. MBO is a very common industry practice. At the beginning of the year clear objectives are laid down for achievement during the course of the year. These objectives are popularly called by the following names: 1. KRA-key result areas 2. KPA -key performance areas 3. Targets 4. Commitments These objectives are designed using the SMART framework as in... Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Results oriented and Time bound. All objectives must conform to this framework. Thereafter the objectives are broken up into half yearly, quarterly and maybe monthly objectives, again keeping in mind the SMART framework. All along the process both the employee and the manger are in consensus of the objectives and the timelines as well as the deliverables. MBO is one of the most effective methods for performance review primarily because it is identified at the beginning of the review period and is regularly reviewed for achievements and modified on-going again in consensus between the employee and the manager.

At the end of the review year, the MBOs are reviewed for completion with the SMART framework. In case of a new employee or someone moving jobs/assignments between teams; after about 6-8 weeks of being in the job this process is undertaken and the objectives are set. The evaluation too is a joint review of the degree of achievement of the objectives. This approach combines the manager and self-evaluation systems. Justification: The above method wil help in tracking the appraisals and rate the employees as per his/her performance, Results-based Appraisal: measures objective results of work. The focus is on the outcome/deliverables from the job, and this alone serves as the measure for success. It may not be possible to use in jobs which depend on team work or where the job is service / support based. Hence through result based appraisal rightful employees will be benefitted with appraisal which he/she deserved without cracking any biasness.

Master of Business Administration- MBA Semester 1 MB0043 Human Resource Management - 4 Credits (Book ID:B1132) Assignment Set- 2 Q1. What are the objectives of human relations? Ans: Objectives of Human Relations A human Relations Programme thereby attempts at enhancing employee motivation and workplace morale through an improved three-way communications and through employee participation in the decision making processes. Human relations seek to emphasise 'employee' aspects of work rather than technical or economic aspects. For example while it might be in the best interest of an organization to have a employee skilled and completely proficient in one job/ set or responsibilities, todays organization provides opportunities for employees to multi-skill and acquire knowledge of new yet related jobs/responsibilities. These acts as a motivator for employees as they benefit by learning new skills / jobs and given an opportunity can perform and excel in another job. It also seeks to make employment and working conditions less impersonal. The human relations approach emphasises policies and techniques designed to improve employee morale and job satisfaction. For example it is common place in organizations to provide for / encourage employee empowerment where-in the team brings about creative measures to reduce cost/ improve customer satisfaction. Such teams design and implement self-driven initiatives to bring about the business result. It is believed that this is accompanied by increased employee efficiency and reduction in employee dissatisfaction. An understanding of emerging workplace human behaviour can be summarised as: i) Assist the manager to develop a better realization of how his own attitudes and behaviour play a part in everyday affairs of the team and its morale; ii) Assist the manager to develop a keener sensitivity towards the team members and interpersonal dynamics iii) Partner with the managers in helping him drive the business goals and take part ownership of work challenges and how best to resolve them iv) Enable him to anticipate and prevent problems, or at least to resolve more effectively those that he cannot avoid; and v) Network with other teams with related dependencies and help resolve inter-team business impacting challenges This Scope of Human Relations springs up from the problems which have many different causes and perspectives. Halloran has stated these as: Every person brings a unique set of talents, ambitions and work experience to a job. These personal attributes change over time, often as a result of the degree of success or failure the person experiences in the work world. Matching so many unique sets of personal qualities to a standardized technology can create problems. The organizational aspects of a company, such as its size, geographic location, economic health, and degree of automation, define the scope of work and the activity in each work division. These frequently arbitrary, structural definitions often cause difficulties in human relations. Innovations in technology and production methods generally require the restructuring of job roles and responsibilities. Radical changes in basic organizational structure can cause severe strains between employees and management and create intense problems in human relations.

Promotion of individuals to positions of greater responsibility and authority generally creates a need for changed behaviour patterns between the new supervisors and their former peers, which in time, can create human relations problems. Inexperienced employees may not be able to perform their roles or tasks in work groups in a competent manner. The time they take to adjust can not only create problems with production schedules, but can also create particular kinds of human relations problems between them and their co-employees and supervisors. The variety of causes of human relations problems lead to the conclusion that no one programme or single approach can create conditions for good human relations. Therefore, as shared earlier it in common for organizations and individuals in organization to constantly innovate and resolve challenges that will benefit both the organization as well as the employee. This helps understand the key HR objectives which can be best illustrated by understanding the functions that HR attempts to fulfil in any organization: i) Human Resource Planning estimating the need for resources in order achieve the desired business results. HR plans can be both short term/immediate as well as long term / strategic. The HR team partners with the line managers to understand the business goals and targets for the year and then together plan the HR needs in order to meet the goals. ii) Acquisition of human resources staffing the organizations with the right mix of skills and competencies at the right time. It also includes HR initiatives like promotions and internal job posting to fulfil this requirement for human resources. Staffing teams in organizations are usually a separate group of specialists who work closely with the line managers to understand the skills and competencies needed for the job and engage together to select the best talent for the open positions. iii) Training and employee development focuses on managing training activities to upgrade skills and knowledge as well as soft skills like team building and leadership. The training team is again a group of HR specialists who propose the training program and consult with the line managers to ensure that the program achieves the desired outcomes. iv) Building performance management systems focuses on the right processes to set goals for performance as individuals/teams and related measurement methods. This is a core HR activity and is supported by the HR generalist. v) Reward systems establishing appropriate compensation systems and reward mechanisms that would reward the desired outcome and results in accordance with the corporate values. This again forms a part of the HR generalists tasks. How employees progress in a organization how they are paid w.r.t. internal and external market factors, what employee benefits are offered, are some aspect that this function redresses. vi) Human Resources Information Systems that would take care of the operational transactions from the time an employee joins till the time the employee exits, like personnel files, compensation administration, payroll, benefits administration and issuing letters and testimonials. This task is supported by as separate HR operations team who act as a HR helpdesk and provide information to the employees/managers. Q2. Why is it important to handle grievances carefully? Ans: Importance of Grievance Handling What might happen if an organization does not provide some method by which a employee can voice his complaints and obtain a explanation? The employee will be unhappy, his productivity is impacted, he openly begins to share his discontent with not just his colleagues but also outsiders, friends, relatives, maybe even customers and vendors. Just as the employee has all the right to voice a grievance, as employer (or the management) owes it to the employee to respond suitably to the grievance. It is but commonsense that the resolution

of a problem rests on management. The earliest and clearest opportunity for issue resolution is found at the first stage, before the grievance has left the jurisdiction of the manager. For this reason, many firms have specifically trained their managers on how to handle a grievance or complaint properly. If the dispute or grievance constitutes a managerial problem it can often be resolved by the manager himself with the help of the HR team. The following steps discuss how a grievance can be redressed: 1. Receiving the grievance: The manner and attitude with which the manager receives the complaint of grievance is important. The basic premise is that the manager should at the outset assume that the employee is fair in presenting his/her opinion/complaint. The complaint should not be prejudged on the basis of past experience with this or other employees. When a employee approaches the manager with a issue the manager needs to make himself available to listen it all out and provide him/her the undivided attention. Research confirms that managers who were more task-oriented, as contrasted with managers who were more people-oriented, tended to experience a significantly higher number of grievances being filed in their units. 2. Reviewing the grievance: Once a complaint is received all facts supporting the issue needs to be gathered. Proper record keeping such as performance ratings, job ratings, attending records, and suggestions are reviewed. In addition, with the increasingly legal implications of modern labour-management relations, the manager should keep records on each particular grievance. All action taken, discussions with the employee, summary and what is agreed to all of it needs to be recorded. 3. Analysis and decision: With the problem defined and the facts in hand, the manager must now analyze and evaluate them, and come to some decision. It is important for the manager to involve others in the process to ensure that it is fair and is the best solution. The manager must include the views of his own manager as he might not be aware of all the implications of the problem and its resolution. Involving HR too is a recommended process in all organizations. HR can then seek finance or legal counsel if required, before any decision is taken. All involved in the decision making process need to be aware that the decision may create an undesirable precedence within the department as well as the company. 4. Response: Often it might not be possible to provide a positive resolution to the problem. If the solution decided is adverse to the employees views, attention needs to be given to the method of communication. Employees dislike managers who will take no stand, good or bad. Clearly communicating the message and sharing as much information as possible about the decision making process helps in establishing credibility to the process used to make the decision. The manager can also invite HR or his manager to sit-in on the conversation with the employee. As far as possible this should happen in a face-to-face meeting. In the event an employee wishes to take the appeal beyond to the next stage of the procedure he must be allowed to do so. The manager must have the opportunity to explain his decision to the other members so they can take a well-informed decision. 5. Follow up: The objective of the grievance procedure is to resolve a disagreement between an employee and the organization. Open communication is important for this process. The purpose of phase is to determine whether the employee feels that the problem has been sufficiently redressed. If follow up reveals that the case has been handled unsatisfactorily, then redefinition of the problem, further fact-finding, analysis, solution and follow up are required. At this stage the manager can step aside and allow someone else in a position of authority like the HR or the managers manager to lead the process and close it. Among the common errors of management encountered in the processing of grievances are: 1. Lack of in-depth review of the issue and its facts; 2. Expressing policy/management opinion prior to the time when all pertinent facts have been discovered; 3. Failing to maintain proper records;

4. Resorting to authoritative orders rather than having open conversations with the employee; and 5. Watch out if making exceptions / setting a precedence which could then become a rule. Q3. How can we evaluate the effectiveness of training programs conducted in organizations? Ans: Evaluation of Training Effectiveness An objective of training evaluation is to determine the payoff from the training investment. It focuses on the improvement of the participant in the training programme to perform jobs for which they were trained, what was effective and what was not, whether the trainees required any additional on the job training, and the extent of training not needed for the participants to meet job requirements. There are various approaches to training evaluation. To get a valid measure of training effectiveness, the manager should accurately assess trainee's job performance two to four months after completion of training. However this focus is not easy to establish and track in most organizations. Per Kirkpatricks study, training effectiveness of outcomes can be measured: 1. Reaction: Evaluate the trainee's reaction to the programme. Did he like the programme? Did he think it worthwhile? 2. Learning: Did the trainee learn the principles, skills and fact that the supervisor or the trainer worked them to learn? 3. Behaviour: Whether the trainee's behaviour on the job changed because of the training programme. 4. Results: What final results have been achieved? Did he learn how to work on machine? Did scrap page costs decrease? Was turnover reduced? Are production quotas now being met? etc., Structured interviews with the immediate supervisor of the trainees are acceptable methods for obtaining feedback in training. The supervisor is asked to rate the former trainee on job proficiency directly related to the training objectives. Another approach is to involve the use of experimental and control groups. Each group is randomly selected, one to receive training (experimental) and the other not to receive training (control). The random selection helps to assure the formation of groups quite similar to each other. Measures are taken of relevant indicators of success (e.g. words typed per minute, units of work produced per hour etc.) before and after training for both groups. If the results shown by the experimental group are significantly greater than those of the control group, the training can be considered as successful. Another common method is the longitudinal or time series analysis. A series of measurements are taken before the programme begins and continues during and post completion of the programme. The results are then plotted on a graph to ascertain changes if any, have occurred and continue to remain as a result of the training investment that was made. In addition, preand-post tests are administered to the training groups. Prior to the training, a test related to the training material is applied, and the results of this pre-test are compared with results on the same or similar test administered after the programme has been completed. Q4. Explain the general procedures followed in the case of a disciplinary action. Ans: Procedure for Disciplinary Action Though there is no specific procedure to be followed. Different organizations use a variety of formal and informal methods to resolve these matters. The following steps are recommended

a) An accurate statement of the disciplinary problem. b) Collection of data or facts supporting the report of the offence. c) Review policy and past similar incidents. d) Identify corrective action to implement; take legal counsel to ensure that the local laws of the land are not in conflict e) Apply the action f) Follow-up on the disciplinary action. a. Accurate Statement of the Problem: The first step is to ascertain the problem by seeking answers to the following questions: 1. Does this case call for a disciplinary action? 2. What, exactly, is the nature of the violation or offence? 3. Under what-conditions did it occur? 4. Which individual or individuals were involved in it? 5. When, or how often, did the violation occur? In other words, an executive must first find out that a violation has occurred and that is entirely the fault, or at least partially the fault, of one or more subordinates. The next step is to determine and state the nature of the alleged violation of a rule, a regulation, a policy; to determine whether a request or order has been ignored or broken, and assess the seriousness of the specific offence which has been committed. It is also necessary to know exactly who and what was involved in the violation-whether a particular individual or group. Finally, it is desirable to know when and/or how often the violation occurred. b. Collection of data or facts support the report of the offence: Before any action is taken in a case, it is essential to gather all the facts about it. A thorough examination of the case should be made within the stipulated time limit. The facts gathered should be such as can be produced before a higher authority, if and when needed. c. Review policy and past similar incidents: The kind of penalty to be imposed for an offence should be determined beforehand. Should it be simple reprimand, a financial or non-financial penalty? Or should it be demotion, temporary lay-off or outright discharge? d. Identify corrective action to implement; take legal counsel to ensure that the local laws of the land are not in conflict: When a decision has been taken to impose a penalty, the punishment to be awarded should be such as would prevent a recurrence of the offence. If the punishment is lighter than it should be, it may encourage the violation of the same rule or another; if it is greater than it should be, it may lead to a grievance. e. Apply the action: The application of the penalty involves a positive and assured attitude on the part of the management. "If the disciplinary action is a simple reprimand, the executive should calmly and quickly dispose of the matter. But when severe action is called for, a fortnight, serious and determined attitude is highly desirable. f. Follow-up on Disciplinary Action: The ultimate purpose of a disciplinary action is to maintain discipline, to ensure productivity, and avoid a repetition of the offence. A disciplinary action should, therefore, be evaluated in terms of its effectiveness after it has been taken. In other words, there should be a more careful supervision of the persons against whom a disciplinary action has been taken. Q5: Trace out the growth of Human Resource Management in India. Ans: HRM in India As it stands today the Indian organization could not have hoped for more. In addition to being strategically positioned on the corporate world map as a low-cost, highly skilled destination, the Indian corporate is emerging as a base for committed, intelligent and a knowledgeable

workforce. This has been achieved by the help of a strong foundation provided by the Indian education system at the primary, secondary, technical and at professional level. It is a undisputed fact that the Indian Institute of Technology, the National Institute of Technology and the famed India Institute of Management are among the world-class institutions to name a few. Quality education and research are encouraged on these campuses and across the country, which mould and contribute to the practices in Indian organizations. The HRM practices in Indian organizations are a parody of sorts. There is a strong foundation that is a simple extension of the HR practices from the established western organizations and the developed countries. However there is a equally strong cultural impact on the hiring practices, compensation standards, benefits and statutory benefits, performance linked rewards and payout, which though in-step with international HRM practices have a flavour their own. We will discuss a few distinct differentiators that impact HRM practices in Indian organizations: The Indian culture is one that is deeply rooted in its societal and collectivistic values whereby there is a natural urge to collaborate at the workplace, work in teams and groups with ease. The diversity that is seen in the Indian society w.r.t. diverse religions and states are reflected in the ability of the Indian to accept diversity of views and thought without inhibitions. Not much effort needs to be expended to practice tolerance towards others points of view. The tolerance for ambiguity and uncertainty however is low in the Indian which requires a lot more detailing of jobs and roles and responsibilities. There is need therefore to establish definite boundaries of authority and responsibility. Work culture-wise, the natural ability to work hard and long hours, perseverance and the need to earn money impact the way the work is organised in Indian organizations. It is not uncommon for the Indian to compromise personal time with family / friends to instead attend to work and satisfy a customer. There is a overwhelming sense of service that manifests itself at the workplace. Availability of a large educated group of individuals of different calibre of knowledge and skill allows the country to undertake different nature of work beginning with lower skilled activities such as BPOs(Business Process Outsourcing) and moving up the value curve to far more advanced activities ....KPOs (Knowledge Process Outsourcing). Compensation and benefits costs continue to provide a competitive advantage for India making it a preferred business location the world over. There is a natural expressed need to belong. This again is typical of the Indian and has brought about a significant amount of customisation of the workplace and its norms to allow for cultural events and activities through the year. There is a lot more scope for socialising that exists in the Indian organizations. Current trend in the over populated urban part of the country are quickly fading out to tire 2 and tire 3 cities and town where the cost of living and wage levels are not as competitive, further expanding the Indian resource base for hiring and building talent, contributing to the overall gain of the country. HRM in India however is not structurally well-researched and hence a lack of theoretical information to track and document its progress. Unlike in the emerged countries like the USA and the UK where the research networks are mature and well established. Research is yet at its infancy in India and there is a lot of dependence on the emerged countries in emulating best practices in the way people are hired and managed. Today the organizations of Indian origin have their unique HR strategies that work best for them. Work more and earn more is a common and accepted philosophy at the Indian workplace. Work is respected and revered and almost worshipped in Indian organizations. Benefits are basic yet

equitable and adequate. There is a high focus on cash in hand as opposed to benefits and perks. Our statutory and legal frameworks, as a result, are a lot more liberal and less restrictive as compared to the emerged countries. An open society drives openness at the workplace and hypocrisy is largely discouraged, leading to well structured policies and processes that drive workplace behaviour. Diversity for India is a challenge very different from its existence in the rest of the world. Diversity initiatives in India normally focus around challenges related to gender diversity. Its only in the past few years that there is a pattern of women in the Indian corporate. Today this is a key issue. There is a lot of strategising and initiatives in all Indian MNCs as well as Indian domestic firms toward wooing this critical potential talent for organizational advantage. Q6. Assume yourself as an HR Manager of a publishing house. You find that the morale of the employees is generally low. What steps would you take to improve employee morale? Ans: In this case we can bring a policy, Behavior-based Appraisal: this appraisal focuses on the appraisal of what an employee does on the job. It evaluates behavior and measures what an employee should do differently. This is common in customer facing organizations, like the hospitality / NGO companies. As the focus is on the assessment of behavior rater/manager bias remains a challenge here as well. We can choose a method to track appraisals through one of the appraisal method: Behaviourally anchored rating scales: this most prevalent technique which is a variation of the critical incident approach is the behaviourally anchored rating scale (BARS). This technique is also called the behavioural expectation scale (BES). Managers give descriptions of actually good and bad performance, and HR specialists/consultants group these into categories (five to ten is typical). The items are once again evaluated by managers (often other than those who submitted the items). A procedure similar to that for weighted checklists is used to verify the evaluations (outstandingly good, for example) with the smallest standard deviation, hopefully around 1.5 on a 7-point scale. These items are then used to construct the BARS. The final output is a set of statements for each item from among which the manager chooses the most appropriate one for the employee based on his/her performance.

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