hrm exam prep jan 2011 students semco, planning,bs n hr strat, challenge etc

7/27/2019 HRM EXAM PREP JAN 2011 STUDENTS Semco, Planning,Bs n Hr Strat, Challenge Etc

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EXAMINATION GUIDE

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

MBA

1.1. Structure of the Examiatio !a"erStructure of the Examiatio !a"er

The #ia$ a% Su""$emetar& Examiatio "a"er' are ma%e u" of ( Sectio'

SECTION A ma)e' u" *+ , of the "a"er

Thi' 'ectio i' -a'e% o a ca'e 'tu%& a% co'i't' of THREE ue'tio'.

Stu%et' are reuire% to a'/er A00 three ue'tio' a% a""$& their )o/$e%e of theor& to the ca'e.

SECTION B ma)e' u" 2+ , of the "a"er a% a$'o co'i't' of THREE ue'tio' of /hich 'tu%et' are reuire% to a'/er a&

T3O ue'tio'

Oce aai 'tu%et' are reuire% to a""$& theor&.

(. A'/eri the ue'tio'(. A'/eri the ue'tio'

Stu%et' mu't -ear the fo$$o/i i mi% /he re'"o%i to HRM reuiremet' at MBA $e4e$5

Rea% the Ca'e 'tu%& at $ea't 6 time' -efore attem"ti a'/er'. U'e a hih$ihter to em"ha'i7e im"ortat8'a$iet

a'"ect' of the ca'e8'ceario

Do ot mere$& re"ro%uce iformatio from Ca'e 'tu%ie'9 'ceario' etc. :ou mu't 'u""ort9 ;u'tif& a% moti4ate u'i

a""ro"riate theor&.

Do ot "ro4i%e o"iio' a% arumet' /ithout ;u'tificatio

E''a& t&"e ue'tio' %o ot reuire a' much 'u""ort a' Ca'e 'tu%& ue'tio' -ut mu't 'ati'f& the reuiremet' of the

ue'tio

Refereci i' ot reuire%

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CASE STUD: < DEMOCRAC: IN ACTION AT SEMCO

Ricardo Semler was 21years old (and one of the youngest graduates from the Harvard Business School MBA programme) when h

too his father!s place as head of the family "usiness# Semco# "ased in Sao $aolo# Bra%il# in 1&'

His father Antonio# had founded Semco in 1&* as a machine shop+ the company went on to "ecome a manufacturer of marine pump

for the ship"uilding industry# with ,million a year in revenues when Ricardo Semler too over -oday# Semco!s revenues are ove

,2.. million a year from a diverse set of "usinesses ranging from industrial machinery# cooling towers# and facility management

environmental consulting and /e"0"ased HRM outsourcing and inventory management services Semco prides itself on "eing

premier provider of goods and services in its marets# provides goods and services only in marets that are comple and thus difficu

for competitors to enter# and therefore has loyal customers who are willing to pay higher prices it charges

n addition to growing over 3. percent a year and generating its own cash to support this growth (Semco is a private company)# Semc

is very profita"le

Semler is the first to admit that Semco!s phenomenal success is due to its human resources 4 its employees n fact# Semler so firm

"elieves in Semco!s employees that he and other top managers at Semco are reluctant to tell employees what to do Semco has n

rules# regulations# or organisational charts+ hierarchy is eschewed+ and worplace democracy rules the day 5mployees have levels o

freedom and autonomy unheard of in other companies# and flei"ility and trust are "uilt into every aspect of human resourc

management and Semco

Semler "elieves in employees! willingness and desire to "e productive and efficient# mae significant contri"utions to Semco# an

ensure its continued profita"ility (which also "enefits the employees in terms of their own compensation) -hus employees hav

maimum freedom and determine issues ranging from where and when they wor to how they are paid -his approach flies in the fac

of contemporary management thought# yet Semco!s ongoing success has made it a living case study in the "usiness community

Human resource practices at Semco revolve around maimi%ing the contri"utions employees mae to the company# and this "egins "

hiring individuals who want# can# and will contri"ute Semco strives to ensure that all selection decisions are made "ased on releva

and complete information 6o" candidates are first interviewed "y the company as a group+ the candidates meet many employee

receive a tour of the company# and interact with potential coworers -his gives Semco a chance to si%e up candidates in ways mor

liely to reveal their true natures# and it gives the candidates a chance to learn a"out Semco 7nce finalists are identified from the poo

multiple Semco employees interview them five or si more times to choose the "est person(s) to "e hired -he result is that Semco an

new hires mae very informed decisions and are mutually committed to maing the relation a success

7nce hired# entry0level employees particularly in the 8ost in Space programme# in which they rotate through different positions an

units of their own choosing for a"out a year

n this way# the new hires learn a"out their options and can decide where their interests lie# and the units they wor in learn a"out th

new hires At the end of the year# the new employees may "e offered a 9o" in one of the units in which they wored# or they may see

position elsewhere in Semco Seasoned Semco employees are also encouraged to rotate positions and wor in different parts of th

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company to eep themselves fresh# energi%ed# and motivated and to give them the opportunity to contri"ute in new ways as the

interests change

5mployees at Semco are free to choose when and where they wor Semler reali%es that employees have lives outside the worplac

and gives them the freedom to manage their wor and free time+ he does not epect them to wor ecessive hours either /hat i

epected of all employees and all units at Semco is performance

$erformance is appraised at Semco in terms of results 5very si months# all "usiness units are re:uired to demonstrate that the

continued operation is producing value for Semco and its customers f a unit cannot do so# the unit will "e dis"anded Similarly# a

employees and managers must demonstrate that they are maing valua"le contri"utions and deserve to "e ;rehiredltimately# all we care a"out is performance An employee who spends

two days a wee at the "each "ut still produces real value for customers and

coworers is a "etter employee than one who wors ten0hour days "ut creates

little value

5mployees also can choose how they are paid from a com"ination of 11 different compensation options# ranging from fied salarie

"onuses# and profit sharing to royalties on sales# royalties on profits# and meeting annual self0set goals =lei"ility in compensatio

promotes ris taing and innovation# according to Semler# and maimi%es returns to employees in the form of their pay and to th

company in terms of revenues and profita"ility

=lei"ility# autonomy# the a"ility to change 9o"s often# and control of woring hours and even compensation are some of the ways "

which Semler strives to ensure that employees are involved in their wor "ecause they want to "e+ turnover at Semco is less than

percent annually And with human resource practices geared towards maimi%ing contri"utions and performance# Semco is well poise

to continue to provide value to its customers

Source: (George and Jones; 2006:527)

=ue'tio 1 >(?@

?ritically analyse the Selection process used at Semco and discuss the contri"ution that this type of selection can provide in givin

Semco a competitive advantage

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=ue'tio ( >(?@

Semco maes use of performance appraisals for management development using >pward =eed"ac where ;each manager

performance is anonymously appraised "y all employees who report to him or her# and then appraisals are made pu"licly availa"le

Semco(?@

-here is a perception that HR people do not want to thin strategically and are reluctant to em"race the HR function into the overa

strategy of the "usiness

@iscuss the importance of this perception fading and eamine the significance of aligning an organisation!s HR strategy with its overa

"usiness strategy

ESSA: =UESTIONS

=ue'tio 1 >(?@

Sustaina"ility refers to the a"ility of a company to survive and succeed in a dynamic competitive environment 5valuate the implication

that sustaina"ility challenges have for an organisation!s HRM practices

=ue'tio ( >(?@

-o "e perceived as one of the "est employers in the maretplace# organisations must strive towards o"taining and retaining a

worforce that possesses a uni:ue nowledge "ase

@iscuss the importance of o"taining the right people for an organisation and how this o"9ective should form the "asis of a recruitment

policy

=ue'tio 6 >(?@

-he success of any organisation ultimately depends on having the right people in the right 9o"s at the right time 5valuate the

importance of Human Resource $lanning and discuss why HR $lanning must "e seen as a process following form the strategic plan of

the organisation

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hrm exam prep jan 2011 students semco, planning,bs n hr strat, challenge etc

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