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A monograph on a groundbreaking example of sustainable construction in the manufacturing industry

BHRM 41114 - Human Resource Development

Department of Human Resource Management

University Of Kelaniya

Group Members

1. V.P.N Badungodage BM/2007/010 – Performance Evaluation Systems

2. M.D.D Baig BM/2007/011 – Framework for the HRD Process

3. S.J.L Madusanka BM/2007/146 – Training Needs Analysis

4. M.D.V.S Mendis BM/2007/153– Performance Evaluation Systems

5. M.D.S Mudannayake BM/2007/156 – Evaluation and Feedback

6. W.D.S Suboda BM/2007/262 – Implementation of Training Programs

7. M.K.M.E Perera BM/2007/180– Implementation of Training Programs

8. P.A.C.H.K Weerakoon BM/2007/283– Implementation of Training Programs

9. W.G.I.L Wijesinghe BM/2007/299 – Introduction to the Assignment &

the Company

10. M.V.L.C.S Karunarathna BM/2007/314 – Designing the Training Programs

Each group member took the responsibility of collecting information and developing the

allocated subtopics and in addition to that every group member has participated in to the

field visit and help with their group members in completing the report.

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Introduction to Human Resource Development.

Human Resource Development (HRD) is the framework for helping employees develops their

personal and organizational skills, knowledge, and abilities.

HRD includes such opportunities as,

Employee training,

Employee career development, 

Performance management and development,

Coaching,

Mentoring, 

Succession planning,

Key employee identification, tuition assistance,

Organization development.

The focus of all aspects of Human Resource Development is on developing the most superior

workforce so that the organization and individual employees can accomplish their work goals in

service to customers. Organizations have many opportunities for human resources or employee

development, both within and outside of the workplace.

To get a better understanding about the practical approach of above mentioned topic, we all

visited MAS Intimates Thurulie factory located at MAS Fabric Park – Thulhiriya.

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Introduction to MAS Intimates –Thurulie

MAS Intimates Thurulie, MAS’

eco-manufacturing plant geared for exclusive manufacture of lingerie for UK high street retailer,

Marks & Spencer (M&S) was declared open on 25th April 2008.

Housed at MAS Fabric Park (Thulhiriya), MAS Intimates Thurulie is the first lingerie

manufacturing facility producing goods for goods UK retailer M&S which has been designed to

reduce carbon emissions and aims to become carbon neutral.

It features the biggest installation of solar panels to date in Sri Lanka, which will provide around

10% of the total electricity required for the plant. The remaining electricity will be mini-hydro,

sourced through a green power agreement that MAS pioneered for Sri Lanka earlier this month.

The facility will also use net-metering allowing the MAS fabric park to utilize the solar

electricity it generates when the factory is not in operation.

Dian Gomes, Managing Director of MAS Intimates, expressed pride at MAS’ union with the

M&S “green” initiative saying: “Our relationship with M&S is based on the values we share.

With Thurulie this long and productive relationship finds new ground. When M&S launched

Plan A, MAS was the first to commit to the construction of an eco-apparel manufacturing

facility. It was a revolutionary venture – as always, MAS has forged ahead and set new

standards. The global environmental crisis cannot be ignored. MAS is proud to be a pioneer in

finding solutions. Thurulie is just the beginning of our eco journey.”

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Commenting on the occasion Sir Stuart Rose, Chief Executive of M&S and Chief Guest at the

opening said:  “The MAS factory is a truly exciting development in clothing production. It really

has been a partnership of two like-minded companies, M&S and MAS, and will trial a

completely new approach to manufacturing and set standards for others to follow. Not only has it

been designed to be carbon neutral, use less electricity and less water than a similar scale

clothing factory, it will also produce great quality lingerie products – what our customers would

expect from M&S – whilst ensuring its workers are treated well through its leading standards in

employee welfare.”

In 2007, M&S announced Plan A, its company-wide eco-plan, in response to big issues such as

climate change and sustainable sourcing. One of the commitments within Plan A is to support the

development of green factories with its suppliers. M&S has supported the development of the

MAS Intimates plant through advice from its store development team in the UK and sponsorship

of the solar panels and the architects’ design costs.

Features of the new MAS Intimates plant include:

The use of extensive daylight to help light the premises;

Energy efficient lighting and LED based task lights reduce the energy used for lighting;

Low energy cooling systems to replace air conditioning in addition to other cooling

measures such as green roofs (roof with vegetation on top), cool roofs (roof with high

solar reflectivity), and strategically positioned courtyards with wide arrays of greenbelts

to cool the microclimate.

The use of eco bricks in construction to help maintain a cool interior.

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These combined features will enable the facility to save around 40% on electricity compared to a

similar scale factory. It will also reduce its water usage by approximately 50% by capturing

rainwater to be used in toilet facilities, waste water management systems and low-flow fixtures.

MAS Intimates Thurulie will also become the world’s first lean and green manufacturing facility,

designed for MAS’ lean manufacturing standard. Based on the renowned Toyota Production

System, the MAS Operating System (MOS) is geared towards the elimination of waste both in

material and process in order to achieve higher efficiencies.

MAS Chairman Deshamanya Mahesh Amalean declared that “We have always excelled in

ethical business practices and MAS Intimates Thurulie brings in the environmental focus to

complement our excellent work in social sustainability. Today MAS has set a tough global

benchmark to show what the future of manufacturing will be – ethical, efficient and sustainable.”

MAS Intimates Thurulie will initially employ 520 people with an expected increase in operations

with 1,300 employees by 2010.

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A Framework for the Human Resource Development (HRD) Process

Human Resource Development (HRD) is the framework for helping employees develop their

personal and organizational skills, knowledge and abilities. And a set of systematic and planned

activities designed by an organization or HR department to provide its members with the

necessary skills to meet current and future job demands.

Functions of HRD

Training and development (T&D)

Organizational development

Career development

1) Training and development (T&D)

Training – improving the knowledge, skills and attitudes of employees for the short-term,

particular to a specific job or task.

Employee orientation

Skills & technical training

Coaching

Development – Preparing for future responsibilities, while increasing the capacity to perform at

a current job

Management training

Supervisor development

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2) Organizational development

The process of improving an organization’s effectiveness and member’s well-being through the

application of behavioral science.

Focuses on both macro- and micro-levels, and HRD plays the role of a change agent

3) Career development

Ongoing process by which individual’s progress through series of changes until they achieve

their personal level of maximum achievement.

Career planning

Career management

Librarian’s Role in HRD

A “front-line participant” in HRD

Implements HRD programs and procedures

On-the-job training (OJT)

Motivational lecture

Career and employee development

Integrates HRD with organizational goals and strategies

Promotes HRD as a profit enhancer

Tailors HRD to corporate needs and budget

Institutionalizes performance enhancement

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A Framework for the HRD Process

HRD efforts should use the following four phases (or stages):

• Needs assessment

• Design

• Implementation

• Evaluation

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Training Needs Assessment

A training needs assessment can be defined as determining the gap between what an employees

must be able to do and what he or she can or is currently doing. A training needs assessment

(also called a “training needs analysis”) therefore identifies the gap between what the job expects

an employee to do, on the one hand, and what the employee is actually doing, on the other. A

training needs analysis discovers whether there is a discrepancy or conflict between what an

employee ought to be doing and that which he or she can do

Introduction to training needs assessment

Before training design issues are considered, a careful needs analysis is required to develop a

systematic understanding of where training is needed, what needs to be taught or trained, and

who will be trained. Unless such a needs assessment has been adequately performed it may be

difficult to rationally justify providing training. Such a needs assessment should enable an

explanation to be given on why the training activities should be done, and also show that training

is, in fact, the best solution for the performance problem or development need.A needs

assessment can be an important tool for any trainer or organization planning a programmed or

course. Accurate needs assessment can help develop a programmed or course based on the real

needs of the people that it is serving. As time is often limited in training programmers, courses

which take learners’ needs into account can ensure that what is most useful for learners is

covered.

What perceptions do people have of these needs?

Education and training needs, as opposed to a basic needs such as the need for food, are often

difficult and complex things to understand – for example, looking at the list above, think how

complex a set of needs are present in a person wanting to build self-awareness, self-confidence

and motivation! A further complication is that people may not be aware that they are in need.

Hence trainers often talk of four different types of educational and developmental needs:

Felt

Expressed

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Normative

Comparative.

Doing needs assessments

A training needs assessment typically involves a three-step process that includes organizational,

task and person analysis. However there are many ways of doing such a needs

assessment/analysis. Lists of steps to follow and handy techniques for the assessor abound!

Though such checklists are useful.

Guidelines on doing needs assessment

Following are seven basic guidelines:

1. Assess whether training needs (rather than other needs) are a priority.

2. Determine whose needs are being expressed.

3. Collect your information from as many sources, from as wide a base, and in as many and

varied ways as possible.

4. be careful about putting words into employees’ mouths.

5. Check (and recheck) your understanding with the employees!

6. Don’t stop at a superficial understanding of needs. What are employees telling you? Probe and

question why they feel they need something.

7. Determine who can reasonably be expected to meet the needs (if indeed they can be met). Tell

employees whether you can or cannot meet their needs.

When doing needs analysis it is easy to capture the needs expressed by the most vocal of the

group being consulted. If you are doing a needs assessment in a workplace unfamiliar to you it is

easy to listen to the needs expressed by the person or people who are most ‘public’ and most

accessible (and who may appear to be the ‘leaders’). It is not so easy to find out the needs of the

quietest person in a group or of those who are less visible.

Designing The Training Programme.

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In MAS Thurulie Employee Relations (ER) function is responsible for employee training and

development. ER function which is headed by Waruni (HR Executive) plan, design and

implement the training programmes within the company. When designing the training

programme, ER function together with the management of Thurulie considers about the

following requirements.

Training Objectives.

Contents of the Training Programme.

Selection of Trainers for the Training Programme.

Selection of Training Methods and Techniques.

Training Delivery, Venue etc.

Training Objectives.

Training objectives of each training programme will depend on the employee training

requirements. For an example

“Train and develop all staff to be more competent in their chosen field and to train them on other skills they may

need to improve their job function whilst ensure development & execution that are aligned with the company

strategy.”

“Portray the professional Image of an executive in an internationally renowned company.”

“Fine tune the social and business ethics essential in a corporate environment.”

Contents of the Training Programme.

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When designing the Training Programme the ER staff will include the contents to each training

programme depending on the training objectives and the target employee group for the training

programme.

Few examples for Training contents are as follows.

Personal Branding

Social & Business Etiquette

Art of Entertainment – Presentation

Good Grooming and Corporate Dress Sense

Selection of Trainers for the Training Programme.

After the Training Objectives and Training contents were developed, the designers will now look

for possible trainers. In this situation trainers can be both inside and outside. MAS Thurulie has a

cadre of qualified and effective trainers who are also the employees of Thurulie. Those trainers

have relevant and updated knowledge and skills in order to train the floor level employees.

Thurulie HR Team, mainly the ER function use the support of both inside as well as outside

trainers accordingly to make the training programme efficient and effective. If the management

feels that it is not practical to send all the floor level employees to a separate training programme

and if they feels that it is more effective to conduct the training in-house, Thurilie use their inside

trainers and carry out on-the-job training without affecting their production targets.

If the HR team couldn’t find effective resource persons within their tea to conduct certain

training programmes such as advanced training programmes for senior managers, Specific

training programmes on machine operating etc. the HR team send those employees for outside

training programmes within the country or abroad.

Selection of Training Methods and Techniques.

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Selection of training methods and techniques will depend on the training requirement. Normally

MAS Thurulie conduct following types of training methods and techniques.

On-the-job Training.

Coaching.

Apprentice Training.

Lectures.

Outward Bound Training.(OBT)

The HR Team will select the training method based on the training requirement of the target

employees. For an instance if the training need is to develop soft skills they will use training

methods such as coaching, Role play, Lectures etc. and if the training need is for Technical skill

development the HR Team will select training methods such as on-the-job training, Apprentice

training coaching etc. If the training need is to develop leadership skills, teamwork the HR team

will organize an OBT Training.

Training Delivery, Venue etc.

Training delivery and the venue will depend on the nature of the training programme. MAS

Thurulie is using technological aids such as use of multimedia, Power point presentations etc.

also to deliver and effective training programme to the employees.

Mainly On-the-Job Training will be carried out for the floor level employees who are involved

with sewing. Coaching, Apprentice Training and Lectures will mostly for the executive level and

above. OBT Training will be conducted for both executive as well as floor level staff. In order to

carry out OBT Training Thurulie has a dedicated ground area in their factory premises and they

go for outside places as well.

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Implementation of Training Program

MAS Thurulie maintains Annual Training Plan and organize that plan in to annual calendar.

They assess their plan once a month and measure the progress. By considering all the factors

(time, venue, trainers, trainees etc) the management implements the training program.

Throughout the implementation process management is responsible for effective supervision of

the program. Trainees and the Manager is requested to fill Pre Evaluation form contents

objective of attending program, way of applying learning to enhance their job. In simply the

management is responsible for implementing all the decisions which we have mentioned above.

Evaluation and Feedback

After every training programme they conduct an evaluation for both executives & non

executives. And also they have a performance management system. They evaluate performance

annually. They have evaluation forms set to evaluate the training programmes. Through this,

effectiveness of the training can be measured. Every participant is being given evaluation forms

after every training programme. Objective of this evaluation is to check whether the training

programme is worthy for employees or not. They normally measure performance at the end of

each year. They measure-overall performance by rating 1, 2,3,4,5 (five rating scale). To give

promotions Performance management system will beneficial.

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Performance Evaluation System of MAS Company at Thulhiriya

Performance Evaluation

Employee performance evaluation is both an evaluative process and a communication

tool.

The performance evaluation process which should be done with a great care and

understanding, helps employees to see how their jobs and expected contributions fit

within the bigger picture of their organization.

Performance Evaluation at MAS Thurulie

MAS Thurulie believes that the most effective employee performance evaluation

processes accomplish its goals and have additional benefits.

According to them employee performance evaluations are communication tools that

ensure the supervisor and her reporting staff members are clear about the requirements of

each employee’s job. The employee performance evaluation also communicates the

desired outcomes or outputs needed from each employee’s job and defines how they will

be measured.

Performance appraisal includes following types of methods:

360-degree appraisal

Manager evaluation

Behavioral observation scale

Management by objectives

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MAS has been used 360-degree appraisal method for some time back. 360-degree feedback, also

known as multi-rater feedback, multisource feedback, or multisource assessment, is feedback

that comes from all around an employee. Here by the word "360" they mean the 360 degrees in a

circle, with an individual figuratively in the centre of the circle. Feedback is provided by

supervisors, subordinates and peers. It comprises of a self-assessment and, in some cases,

feedback from external sources such as customers and suppliers or other interested stakeholders.

Here even managers are given feedback by their direct reports, or a "traditional performance

appraisal," where the employees are reviewed only by their managers.

The results from 360-degree feedback are often used by the person receiving the feedback to

plan training and development. Results are also used by some organizations in making

administrative decisions, such as pay or promotion. When this is the case, the 360 assessment is

for evaluation purposes, and is sometimes called a "360-degree review.

However 360-degree method is a very complex, time consuming and expensive method.

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