IMT-11: MANAGING PEOPLE

PART - A

Q1. Do you agree that HRM is faced with several challenges in today's world? What are the steps that organizations should take to handle these challenges? 

Q2. Discuss the issues that an HR department faces in the context of its structure in an organization. 

Q3. In the times of economic recession, how would you balance the supply and demand of Human Resources in your organization?

Q4. An HR Audit is expensive, and though organizations are not legally bound to take it, they still pursue it. Why?

Q5. 'The purpose of training is to achieve a change in the behaviour of those trained and to enable them to perform better.' Discuss.

PART - B

Q1. Which appraisal system would you recommend to your organization for appraising its employees and why?

Q2. Write a short note on The Employees' State Insurance Act, 1948.

Q3. 'Separation means cessation of service agreement with the organization.' Discuss the different ways of separation in light of this statement. 

Q4. Why is the quality of work life important for the employee and the organization?

Q5: Discuss how the recommendations of the National Commission of Labour can be used effectively in private organizations.

PART - C

Q1. 'Morale is high when there is improved employee contribution, lower labour turnover and absenteeism.' Discuss.

Q2. Design a systematic transfer policy. 

Q3. What steps would you take to tackle human relations problems in your organization? 

Q4. Why do you think it is important for an organization to involve employees or employee representatives at all levels of the decision-making process? 

Q5. Discuss how collective bargaining evolved in India.

Case Study - 1

Human Resource Planning - What is that?

You are a human resource consultant. The newly appointed president of a large paper manufacturing firm has called you:

President: I have been in this job for about one month now, and all I seem to do is interview people and listen to personal problems. 

You: Why have you been interviewing people? Don't you have a human resource department?

President: Yes, we do. However, the human resource department does not hire top management people. As soon as I took over, I found out that two of my vice presidents were retiring and we had no one to replace them.

You: Have you hired anyone?

President: Yes, I have, and that is part of the problem. I hired a person from the outside. As soon as the announcement was made, one of my department heads came in and resigned. She said she had wanted that job as vice president for eight years. She was angry because we had hired someone from outside. How was I supposed to know she wanted the job?

You: What have you done about the other vice president job?

President: Nothing, because I am afraid someone else will quit because they were not considered for the job. But that is only half my problem. I just found out that among our youngest professional employees, there has been an 80 per cent turnover rate during the past three years. These are the people we promote around here. As you know, that is how I started out in this company. I was a mechanical engineer.

You: Has any one asked them why they are leaving?

President: Yes, and they all give basically the same answer: They say they do not feel that they have any future here. Maybe I should call them all together and explain how I progressed in this company.

You: Have you ever considered implementing a human resource planning system?

President: Human resource planning? What is that?

Q1. How would you answer the president's question- 'Human resource planning? What is that?'

Q2. What would be required to establish a human resource planning system in this company?

Q3. What measures should the president take to retain good young employees?

Case Study - 2

The New Boss 

One of the largest NGOs in Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal is the Environment Protection Agency. The grant management section of its water division was formed seven years ago. The main functions of this division are to review applications for grants, engineering designs and requests for change. It also inspects the operation and maintenance of wastewater treatment facilities. Four engineers, one technician and one secretary-cum-programmer reported to Prem Sharan, head of the section. Prem was 36 years old and had headed the section since its inception. He had earned a good reputation for his technical acumen and dedication. Three of the engineers had joined the section recently. The senior engineer, R. Sundaram, had been working there for the last four years. Prem had personally trained him. Because of his experience and expertise, Prem had allotted to him the areas with the most complicated projects. The other three engineers were given less complex regions. They were asked to work closely with Sundaram and learn all they could about the section's work.

At the beginning of the year, Prem decided that the new engineers had gained enough experience to undertake more difficult tasks. He divided the territory on a geographical basis. This section worked fine and the section was able to meet all its objectives.

Three months ago, he accepted an offer with larger responsibilities and growth possibility from a large organization in the private sector. He gave two months' notice to the top management. Time passed, but the top management did not even advertise for a new section chief. People in the section speculated as to who might take over. Most of them hoped that Sundaram would take over. On the Monday of Prem's last week, top executive met with him and the section employees and announced that they had decided to appoint a temporary section head till a new one could be hired. The person chosen was Shyam Mehrotra, a senior engineer from another EPA division. This came as quite a surprise to Sundaram and other people in the section. Shyam had no experience of the section's work. His background was in technical assistance. In his previous job he was required to do research in certain treatment processes so that he could provide more technical performance information to other divisions within the EPA.

Q1. What was the rationale behind Shyam's choice? 

Q2. If you were the CEO, what action would you have taken? 

Q3. Assess Prem's role as the section chief.

Q4. Was it proper for Prem to leave EPA?