NMIMS Sem 4 April 2025 HRM Assignments

Business: Ethics, Governance & Risk

Q1. “Business should conduct and govern themselves with integrity, and in a manner that is ethical, transparent and accountable” (Principle 1). Prepare an executive summary (in your own words) based on the disclosures given under Essential Indicators and Leadership Indicators, to showcase how the company is delivering on this principle from the Business Responsibility & Sustainability Report – 2023-24 (BRSR) of a company of your choice. You will find this report under Director’s Report section. Please select any ONE company that is listed as Large Cap. For this selection you must refer to the NSE’s Nifty 50 list by market cap. It is required that you include the name of the company in the brief introduction at the beginning. You must also go through the website of the company as well as its sustainability report, if available in public domain for relevant information on Principle 1. DO NOT copy paste.

Q2. Go through the ‘Management Discussion & Analysis’ section under the Director’s Report in the annual report (FY2023-24) of the company selected in question1 and prepare an executive summary  (in your own words) on the following two topics:

Opportunities and threat

Internal control systems & their adequacy

You must mention the name of the company. DO NOT copy paste.

Q3. As Head of Sales in a medium size consumer durables company selling cooling systems and air conditioners you have just bagged a Rs 75 lac worth of order from an out-of-town company, (their first order with you). The purchase executive of the client company agrees to confirm the order on the condition that you will agree to pay for his and his wife’s travel and stay in your city, while visiting your office for finalizing and signing of the contract.

3a. What do you think are the ethical dilemmas involved in this scenario?

3b. Describe the process you will adopt to resolve the dilemmas in this scenario?

Research Methodology

Q1. Samsung mobile phones have been facing a significant decline in market share over the past one year in India, despite the growing overall demand for Mobile Phones. The company’s sales have decreased by 12%, while competitors have seen a growth of 18% in the same period. This decline is affecting the company’s profitability and brand position in the market. This decline is occurring despite an overall increase in industry demand. The problem impacts the company’s profitability, brand strength, and market position. Which type of research study is above  and  what  can  be  the  research  questions  for  this  study?  Explain  which research design you will follow and why?

Q2. You are working in the HR department of Havells India; who have 15 state-of-the- art manufacturing plants spread across 8 locations in India. You have to study the relationship of Annual Increment (three levels 5%, 8% and 10%) and employee productivity (in units). Explain the design of experiment, independent, dependent and extraneous variable (assume any) for the study. What can be the potential threat to internal and external validity in this experiment?

Q3. In recent years, the financial landscape has witnessed significant transformations driven by advances in technology and the widespread adoption of online banking platforms. The emergence of online banking has revolutionized the way consumers engage with banks. With the increasing adoption of digital banking channels, it is crucial to assess how traditional banking methods are affected in terms of customer behavior,  service  demand,  Trust,  Security,  operational  adjustments  and  the response to the socio-demography of consumers.

a. Develop a comprehensive research plan to compare customer satisfaction and service efficiency between online and offline banking.

b. Develop a Structured questionnaire for this study.

Strategic HRM

1. As the assistant to the HR manager at a banking firm, one of your responsibilities is to assist managers in preparing for candidate interviews. During a discussion with a manager, you both agree on the importance of transforming the selection process into a strategic and structured approach. The goal is to focus not just on eliminating unsuitable candidates but also on identifying and selecting the most qualified individual from the applicant pool. Together, you and the manager decide to outline a well-defined selection process to ensure optimal hiring decisions. What key steps should be included in the selection process to ensure it is fair, objective, and aligned with the organization’s goals?

2. As the HR head of a small IT organization, one of your top web developers requests a one- on-one meeting and shares that she feels there is no career growth for her in the organization. She reveals her intention to leave as soon as she secures another job. Recognizing her value and the critical role she plays in the team, you realize the organization cannot afford to lose her. Additionally, you suspect that other employees may share similar sentiments, prompting the need for immediate action. How would you design and implement effective retention strategies to address these concerns and foster long-term employee engagement in your IT firm?

3. As a Senior HR Executive with extensive experience in employee management, you have just concluded a meeting with Mr. Rajesh, one of your six team members, who shared some troubling information. He feels that he is being bullied by a colleague, Mr. Ravi, and is seeking your guidance on how to handle the situation.

Mr. Rajesh explained that Mr. Ravi greets everyone else in the office with a cheerful “good morning” but pointedly ignores him. He also mentioned that Mr. Ravi organized a farewell lunch for a departing employee last week but excluded Mr. Rajesh from the event. Additionally, Mr. Rajesh revealed that Mr. Ravi has been making derogatory remarks about him to other colleagues. For example, after a chance meeting at a grocery store, Mr. Ravi shared details about the medications in Mr. Rajesh’s shopping cart, including those for a private medical condition, with the entire office. Mr. Rajesh also showed you an email sent by Mr. Ravi to the department, blaming Mr. Rajesh for the loss of one of his key clients. This has led other colleagues to distance themselves from Mr. Rajesh on  collaborative projects. Clearly  upset, Mr. Rajesh left  your office seeking reassurance and resolution. You recognize the need to address the situation promptly.

Questions:

How would you manage this situation to involve employees and foster positive relations between Mr. Rajesh and Mr. Ravi?

Managing the Situation to Foster Positive Relations Between Mr. Rajesh and Mr. Ravi

What proactive industrial relations policies should the organization implement to prevent and address such issues effectively?

Employee Development & Talent Management

1. Rajesh, a seasoned executive at a textile firm, faces a performance slump. His manager, concerned, explores various  employee  development  programs.  The manager then decides to use on-the-job training for Rajesh. The manager must decide the best approach to re-energize Rajesh, considering his experience and potential. Analyze the suitability of different employee development programs for Rajesh’s situation, considering his experience and the need to revitalize his performance.

2. Software company in Bangalore is looking to fill a senior management position. The company is considering internal talent acquisition techniques to identify suitable candidates from its existing workforce. Evaluate the suitability of different internal talent acquisition techniques for filling a senior management position in the software company context.

3. A young engineer, Priya, joined a tech startup in Bangalore after graduating. Initially enthusiastic, she faced challenges and learned from early mistakes. After 5 years, feeling stagnant, she pursued further education to enhance her skills and secure a leadership role. Please answer the questions below in context of the case given.

a) How do the Exploration and Establishment stages contribute to an individual’s career development?

b) What challenges might an individual face during the Maintenance stage, and how can they overcome these challenges to avoid stagnation?

International HR Practices

Q1) XYZ Multinational Corporation is an IT company headquartered in the United States with operations across 15 countries. The company often sends its employees on international assignments for 2-3 years. Recently, several employees who returned to their home country after completing their assignments reported challenges in readjusting to the home office environment. Complaints included a lack of career progression, feeling undervalued, and difficulty in applying the skills acquired abroad. This led to an increase in employee dissatisfaction, turnover, and loss of organizational knowledge. The HR team is now tasked with designing a Repatriation Programme to address these issues and improve the reintegration experience for returning employees.

Questions:

What are the key challenges XYZ Corporation faces in managing the repatriation process, and how can it design an effective repatriation programme to ensure smooth reintegration, retention of repatriated employees, and alignment with organizational goals, including methods for evaluating its effectiveness?

Q2) XYZ Corporation, a multinational company headquartered in the United States, operates in 15 countries, employing a culturally diverse workforce. The company recently implemented a unified performance management system across all locations. However, regional managers have raised concerns about the system’s applicability due to cultural differences in performance expectations, feedback mechanisms, and evaluation criteria. As part of its performance cycle, XYZ Corporation has established the following phases: goal-setting, performance monitoring, feedback and coaching, and annual appraisals. In its first year of implementation, the following issues were observed:

Employees in some regions were hesitant to set ambitious goals due to fear of penalties for underperformance.

Feedback sessions were  either too  formal  or lacked  clarity  in  communication, leading to misinterpretations.

The appraisal process did not account for local performance metrics, which are significant for evaluating employee contributions.

Question: Based on the case scenario, analyze the challenges XYZ Corporation faces in implementing an international performance management system. Propose a revised performance cycle that addresses these challenges, ensuring cultural inclusivity and alignment with global objectives. Your answer should include:

Challenges identified in the case

Key modifications to the performance cycle phase

Expected benefits of the revised system

Q3 (A) ABC Tech Solutions, a mid-sized IT company, is facing challenges with its newly implemented software tools. Employees are struggling to adapt, which has caused delays in project timelines. The management decides to conduct a series of training programs to address this issue. However, feedback from employees indicates that the training sessions are too theoretical, lacking practical relevance to their day-to-day tasks.

Question:

As a training consultant, analyze the issue faced by ABC Tech Solutions and propose two practical  solutions  to  make  the  training  programs  more  effective.  Justify  how  these solutions would enhance the learning outcomes.

Q3 (B) GlobalConnect, a multinational corporation, is sending a team of employees from its headquarters in Canada to set up a new office in Japan. The team has limited exposure to Japanese business practices and work culture. To prepare them for the assignment, GlobalConnect is considering a pre-departure training program.

Question:

Suggest two components that should be included in the pre-departure training program to ensure the team’s success in Japan. Explain how these components would help the employees adapt effectively to the new environment.