NMIMS Semester 3 April 2024 HRM Assignments

Organisation Culture

1. Reflect on an organisation you are familiar with, whether through first-hand experience, academic case studies, or widely available information. In this organisation, are employee engagement, sense of ownership, and commitment to organizational goals notably strong? Could these positive traits be indicative of how property rights are organised to fortify the culture of the organization?

2. Investigate how organizational ethics and the culture of an organisation interact with and influence each other. Could the integration of ethical principles and values within the organizational culture serve as catalysts to instil a sense of integrity, trust, and responsibility among employees?

3. Zion Inc. is a successful technology company known for its innovative products and services. However, the organization has recently encountered challenges with declining employee performance and low workplace engagement (bottom quartile engagement score in the sector benchmarking exercise) . The leadership team recognizes the urgency to address these issues and takes the initiative to focus on reshaping the organizational culture and leadership practices. The current culture at Zion Inc. revolves around a number driven sales pitch, high-pressure work environment that places significant emphasis on individual achievements rather than teamwork. This approach has led to a lack of collaboration and effective communication among different teams, resulting in inefficiencies and a sense of disconnection among employees. To initiate the journey of cultural transformation, the leadership team introduces a series of strategic interventions. Primarily, they emphasize the significance of collaboration among employees. They form cross-functional teams that promote knowledge-sharing, problem-solving, and collective decision-making, with the aim of breaking down existing silos and fostering a culture of unity. Recognizing the importance of shared values, Zion Inc. reevaluates and refines its core principles. The leadership ensures that these values resonate with the employees and serve as guiding principles for decision-making and behaviour, fostering a keen sense of purpose and direction for the entire organization. Furthermore, to enhance leadership effectiveness in driving cultural change, the leadership team undergoes training in transformational leadership. This training equips them with the necessary skills to inspire and empower employees, foster open communication, and create a positive and motivating work environment. To gather valuable insights from employees, Zion Inc. establishes various feedback mechanisms, including surveys, suggestion boxes, and open-door policies. These mechanisms encourage employees to share their ideas, concerns, and suggestions for improvement, empowering them to actively participate in shaping the organizational culture. In addition, the company introduces a recognition and rewards program to celebrate employee achievements and contributions. This initiative is designed to boost employee morale, motivation, and overall job satisfaction, reinforcing a positive work culture. As a significant step towards enhancing the workplace environment, Zion Inc. embarks on a “Great Place to Work” certification journey. The company aims to attain this prestigious certification by implementing practices and policies that enhance workplace culture, employee satisfaction, and well-being. Through anonymous employee surveys and feedback, Zion Inc. assesses its strengths and areas for improvement, further contributing to the cultural transformation.

a. Zion Inc. aims to measure the effectiveness of its cultural interventions and the “Great Place to Work” certification on employee engagement and business performance. As the People & Culture Business Partner, suggest key performance indicators (KPIs) for leadership to assess the impact of these interventions in driving positive organizational outcomes.

b. Discuss the role of leadership in driving the cultural transformation at Zion Inc. How can effective leadership align the culture with the company’s values and inspire employees to embrace the new cultural norms, particularly in the context of the certification journey?

Organisational Theory, Structure and Design

1. An organisation is considered as a system where different interrelated components interact with each other to attain common goals. What according to you are the various components of an organisation as a system? Give suitable examples.

2. The Neoclassical Approach is developed by Elton Mayo and his associates. What do you think is the assumption of this approach? In this context explain the important features of this approach that managers should be aware of. Add corporate examples.

3. Without an effective organisational structure, employees would not be clear about their job roles and there would be no chain of command to follow. Keeping the above scenario in mind, explain with examples:

a. Discuss the key features of the line and staff organisational structure.

b. Explain which features are needed to create a Matrix Organisation Structure.

Compensation & Benefits

Q1. The major elements in the “wage structure” of a mid-sized manufacturing company are as follows:- a) Basic Pay; b) Yearly Increments to Mgl staff based on Pay grade c) Individual Incentive scheme to workmen and d) Benefits include i) Pickup & drop facility by Co’s own Transport Dept ii) free lunch in Co’s Canteen iii) Medical Benefit as per ESI scheme for workmen category & actuals for Mgl staff & other statutory b’fits like PF & Gratuity. The company manufactures electrical components for the auto industry and lately it has not been doing too well because of increased competition, mainly from Chinese companies. Accordingly, the Co has requested you to recommend suitable cost saving measures to increase the profitability. What will be your recommendation?

Q2. Preeti and Susan were Chartered Accountants and they had about twenty years of experience each in working with reputed Audit & Financial Consultancy firms. Both resigned from their positions and started a small Audit firm of their own after taking a loan from a bank. Since they were a “start-up” company they employed a few qualified people and also paid them better than the market rate. Initially they struggled, but after some time their financial condition got better and by the end of seven years they reached a very stable position. By that time, they were employing fifteen people who had been inducted into the Co at different levels drawing different pay. However, as there was no regular pay structure, there was wide disparity in the pay drawn by different employees. To rectify this situation, both Preeti & Susan decided to request you to give a framework for employee’s pay fixation.  The category of the people employed by the Co is given below:- i) Partners  Chartered Accountants who had about 10 yrs of experience – 3 ii) Jr Partners  Cost Accountants having different yrs of experience – 2 iii) Audit Assistants  Graduates with Accountancy as major (diff experiences) – 6 iv) Clerk  Ordinary graduates – 3 v) Office Boy  Higher Secondary -1

Q3. Sunil was in his final year of the Diploma Course in Mechanical Engineering when he got a decent job in a medium sized Engineering company manufacturing components for the auto industry.

The factory had three main units which were, i) Foundry section which prepared the moulds for casting ii) Casting & Finishing section where the machine parts were cast and cleaned iii) Engineering section where the casting was machined according to the client’s requirements. There were also the usual supporting departments like Purchase, Accounts, Maintenance and Despatch.

Sunil was appointed as a “Trainee Engineer” in the Foundry section and was asked to look after the Spare Parts function of the Foundry. The job was not difficult but cumbersome as the Foundry required thousands of mainly small items like linseed oil, sand, special resins, nails of various sizes etc. which were difficult to keep track. However, Sunil put in a lot of effort to understand the entire process and since he was quite intelligent, within a short time, he developed a complete mastery of the entire system. His Supervisor was therefore very pleased and so confirmed him in the position of “Junior Engineer” after expiry of only six months instead of twelve.

For the first three years Sunil gave his best to create a good name for himself and to build the foundations of a good career in the organization. He made many suggestions in the procurement process of Spares and also introduced manufacturing of some critical spares in-house which till date were being procured from outside at considerable cost. All these innovations earned him a very good name and so at the end of three years the management gave him an out of turn promotion to “Assistant Engineer”.

At this time, he found that other “Assistant Engineers” in the Engineering and Casting sections got considerably more than him as salary and other allowances. His Supervisor told him that this difference was expected as he was working in a “Supporting” department whereas the others were linked with the direct production process. Sunil felt his job was also no less demanding and challenging than the others and he had also contributed in many ways to bring considerable cost savings for the organization. Therefore, he felt that his salary should also be at par with them. So he requested the Chief Engineer (Foundry) for a transfer to the production area but his request was summarily rejected as he was too valuable to be released.

Sunil wanted a change of duties, not only for the better pay but also because he had mastered the work in his section and it was no longer challenging. He was also sure that he could contribute much in a new area. After six months he appealed again to the Chief Engr (Foundry) for transfer but it was again refused without giving him a chance to be heard. So, he felt that the organization was not allowing him to grow and this made him very frustrated. As a result, he lost all his initiative and stopped giving suggestions.

At this time, he also found that some of his classmates were earning more than him and this made him more frustrated. Thus, at the end of the fifth year, Sunil discreetly started applying outside. He confided about this to his Supervisor but he advised him to wait and stay in the company as he had a very good future. However, Sunil declined his suggestion as he felt that he was being ignored and Co prevented him from showing his potential. By the end of another year he got a good offer and left.

Q3a) Would you blame the Supervisor only for Sunil leaving the company?

Q3b) Do you feel that “compensation” is the only issue why Sunil Left?

Performance Management System

Q1. Radhika Enterprises is in the online textiles company in India. The company has been formed 3 years ago. The online sales have been good though the company is yet to make profits and is incurring losses since the last 3 years. The company now plans to invest a greater amount in building the brand “Radhika” both through social media and TV advertising. The company is also thinking of starting one retail store in Delhi in Year-1 and based on the response will open another store in Mumbai in Year-2. There are 100 employees working in this company and the company does design, production and distribution of textiles, cloth and clothing though local manufacturers in rural India. Prepare the Balanced Score Card with 1 goal each for the 4 quadrants of the Balanced Scorecard, i.e., Financial, Customer, Business Process and Learning & Growth quadrant.

Q2. Netra Ltd is a startup company that focuses on social media content for different Corporates. You are to design a ‘Graphic Rating Scale Appraisal form’ for junior management employees in the company.

Q3. A Performance Management System (PMS) utilizing such a tool provides a structured and

b) Administration Manager at Zing Ltd

Manpower Planning, Recruitment & Selection

1. As a Training Manager of a fast-growing tech company, you are tasked to select a trainer for a training program to enhance the leadership skills of mid-level managers. The company has a diverse workforce, including remote employees. Outline the skills you will be looking for the trainer for creating a comprehensive leadership-training program that caters to different learning styles and accommodates remote participants.

2. You are the HR Manager of a well-established manufacturing company that has been using traditional methods of performance appraisal for many years. The management team is considering a potential shift to more modern performance management approaches. Your task is to provide an in-depth analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of traditional performance appraisal methods in the context of your organization.

Q.3 a) You are the Human Resources Manager of a rapidly expanding technology company that values fair and accurate employee performance appraisal. However, you’ve noticed that various biases and cognitive effects can impact the objectivity of performance evaluations. Analyze any three challenges faced while appraising the performance of employees and explain how each one can potentially distort the assessment process.

Q.3 b) You are the Recruitment Manager of a dynamic multinational corporation aiming to attract top talent in the competitive tech industry. The company recognizes the need for modern recruitment methods to identify and select the best candidates. Select any three of the modern recruitment methods and explain why you have selected these three methods.

Industrial Relations & Labour Laws

Q1. Labor legislation in India cover varied heads. What are the heads under which labor legislation be categorized?

Q2. Organization should be guided by a specific principle in wage administration. Discuss “human capital theory” from the contemporary perspective.

Q3. You have been appointed as management representative in a collective bargaining session with the representatives of trade union of your company.

a) Discuss the steps involved in collective bargaining.

b) Discuss key factors in the success of collective bargaining.