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CASESTUDY

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realising business strategy through people Vol.16 No. 7 December 2012

®

INTERVIEW

Devdutt Pattanaik

unravels the power of

myth for India Inc.

Pg 24

HR & LINE

Customer services and

HR walk hand in hand

Pg 42

DEBATE

Is poaching a fair

practice?

Pg 45

HR PRACTICE

IHG imparts ‘Winning

Ways’ in its workforce

Page 46

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COVER STORY

18 The changing face of industrial relationsVeteran HR leaders would be able to easily recall

how labour management issues in the past have

given them sleepless nights. Arguably, industrial

relations has always been one of the toughest HR

domains to handle. Nevertheless, are things

changing for the better?

FEATURES

24 Leveraging the power of mythDr Devdutt Pattanaik has over the years skilfully

blended the world of mythology and corporate

wisdom to bring about a great amalgamation of

management mythos, which has revolutionized the

way we connect myth with reality and wisdom.

28 Beyond wordsWhether a business leader literally lives out of a

suitcase, or it is the first time for a professional to

explore a new geography out of work

commitments- keeping aware of the specific

cultural nuances is as necessary as knowing the

business well…

32 The bible of hiringAbhijit Bhaduri, Chief Learning Officer, Wipro, on

how his new book 'Don't Hire the Best' can help

recruiters globally in finding the right organization fit

and bring the right teams onboard…

HR PRACTICE

46 For the people by the peopleAn organization that is committed to its people and

believes in ensuring a strong workplace culture, IHG

clearly has a well- defined employer value

proposition, which is based on insights and

commitment from their employees.

CO

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34 Functional training treasure unexplored!!Functional training gives the L&D professional

immense opportunity to not just come across as

business partners but also prove that learning can

deliver business value...

38 Do great employees create great

managers?Since a manager's expectations of his team members

and their expectations of themselves are the core

factors that decide how well employees perform at

work, it is interesting to explore the fundamental ideas

behind what inspires a manager and his subordinate

to give their best at work.

42 At your service!"A demotivated employee would not be able to

serve the customers well"…this management

lesson has immensely helped Sudipto Ghosh in

creating joy for his customers as well as his

employees…

December 2012 � 5www.humancapitalonline.com�


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PERSONA

64 Finding his own rhythmOn revisiting the verses he has written on the

slate of his life so far, Shailesh Singh feels

grateful to his will to succeed, conviction of the

mission and a positive mindset for making him a

known face in the HR industry…

COLUMNS

12 Food for thought by Dileep Ranjekar

50 Psychology at work by Manavi Pathak

60 A point of view by Gautam Brahma

REGULARS

8 Editorial

14 Research

16 On the agenda

62 Trends

72 Legal Q & ACO

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CASE STUDY

52 Just another day in corporate IndiaMany a times, in the corporate life, we face

situations where our ethics and morals have to

be kept at bay. However, should we be ready

to compromise our integrity and ethics for a

handsome raise or great perks?

Golden Opportunities 55

Scrum System 59

HRDC 61

Naukri 74

EMPI IBC

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December 2012 ● Volume 16 Issue 7

While HR continues its journey from a transaction-focused function to astrategic business partner, industrial relations, for the large part, seems tostill carry a stodgy, traditional image. To what extent has the shopfloorseen significant transformation recently? Are conventional relationsbetween management and trade unions still unchanged? Whatinnovations are organizations attempting to change the equation? Whatcore challenges still haunt companies? The cover story for this issue, “Thechanging face of industrial relations” attempts to find answers.

In an exclusive conversation with Human Capital, Dr.Devdutt Pattanaik,Chief Belief Officer, Future Group, unveils his thoughts on how themythology and corporate wisdom can combine effortlessly to create acore and deep value system for organizations, which can guide it and itspeople through troubled waters towards continued success. “Leveragingthe power of myth” tells it all.

With business moving beyond borders, professionals of today are facingnewer challenges of globalization, one of which is cross-culturalsensitization. “Beyond words” offers how handy tips by HR leaders onhow one can adjust in a new culture and region and manage diverseteams from different geographies.

In “Functional training..treasure unexplored”, Hemalakshmi Raju, AssistantGeneral Manager – HR, Learning Lead, Manufacturing Excellence &Innovation draws attention to the critical role of functional training andits potential to deliver value to business. She discusses why functionaltraining tends to be ignored and how it can be delivered for optimumimpact.

In HR Practice, Simon Manohar, Director-HR, South West Asia and SaudiPalaces, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), shares the insights into theunique elements of the organization’s culture characterized by its ‘fivewinning ways’. Find out how this leading hotel chain lives by the idiom“For the people by the people”?

Enjoy the read!!

To our readers

P.S: Download the Human Capital mobile app on your smartphone for useful HR bits andbytes every month and join over 5000 other smart users. More details on our website…

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I like to generally browse for therelevant HR topics online, so Isubscribed to your E-zines. In theupcoming issues, it would bewonderful if you can bring aboutmore articles on topics such asperformance appraisal,competency, and talent hunt.ANURADHAHR- Manager, ProPhoenix, AndhraPradesh

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Your publication helps meunderstand how companies actuallyapply the theoretical knowledge ofHR into practice. As a student, itmotivates me to understand theconcepts instead of mugging up theinformation.MANASI SHARMAStudent

The practicalperspective

CORRIGENDUM

With reference to our November

issue's cover story, we would like

to highlight that the correct name

of the organization on page 20

and 22 is Tata Technologies.

I have been in the HR industry foraround seven years and have beenassociated with Human Capitalmagazine for almost four years.There is no other HR publicationthat I refer to, and I am happy toacknowledge that you guys havebeen covering almost all the HRareas from recruitment tosuccession planning. However, itwould be great if we can have morearticles to read on the currenttrends being followed in variouscompanies for learning anddevelopment, engagement andother HR functions.RASHMI ARORAManager-Human Capital, PuriCrawford Insurance Surveyors &Loss Assessors India Pvt. Ltd

Commendable efforts

I like the 'Law at Work' section ofyour magazine, however, only a fewspecific issues are discussed in thesection. Please include more articleson policy matters, compensationand benefits, income tax relatedissues and employee relations. Itwould also be interesting to readwhat the Top 10 companies of theworld are doing for their HRorganizations.RAHUL TIWAISenior Manager-HR, WelspunProjects Ltd

Seek moreinformation!

I read your publication every monthand I appreciate the efforts put in byyour team. The recent articles on'Bridging the Talent Gap' and 'HRlessons from T.V. studios' wereriveting reads in the Novemberissue. As an HR professional, I liketo read articles that show thepracticality of the HR function,instead of portraying HRprofessionals as idle people whocome to office only to browse onFacebook. Most of the content inyour magazine is highly relevant forme. Also, please publish morearticles on the problems that the HRindustry is currently facing globallyregarding employees indulging intounsolicited activities.NANADINI VIJAISIMHASr Manager-HR and Operations,MMSH Clinical Research Pvt. Ltd

Thumbs up!


December 2012 ■ 11


� BY DILEEP RANJEKAR

The artificial divide

Afew years ago, my 24 year old daughtersuddenly arrived at my office, ataround 6.15 pm, to take me home.

However, since my meeting was alreadydelayed, I asked her to make herselfcomfortable in the office, till I got back. Thediscussions in the meeting were full ofarguments followed by spells of laughter.While I was the senior most in the room, mydaughter could hardly see any traces of thatseniority during the interactions. After themeeting was over, my daughter and I left forhome. While we were in the car, my daughteralmost complained, "Baba, you are the samein office and at home. There is hardly anydifference." I laughed, and we began talkingabout something else.

In many ways, I thought it was a greatcompliment. It felt good to know that I didnot apply different norms of behaviour atdifferent places. In fact, that is the only way Iknow how to conduct myself.

However, I am aware of the fact that manypeople in the corporate world do behavedifferently in different situations. They aredifferent with their juniors, different withpeers, different with supervisors, differentwith children, and different with theirspouses. I do understand that relationshipsat home are significantly different than thosewe have at the workplace. One can afford totake a lot of liberties at home but at work, aline needs to be drawn.

But is it really true? Or is it just aperception that we have deeply ingrained inour subconscious minds? Would you listenless at home as compared to when you are atwork? Would you show less respect towardsyour family members compared to yourcolleagues at work? If you think thesedifferences are tenable, then there is a needto seriously review this thought. At both theplaces, the responses to what you do, whatyou say, how you come across - are very

FOOD FOR THOUGHT �

similar. At the workplace, the responses maybe either blunt or at times unspoken - butthey do exist. On the other hand, if at home,you do not listen to what your child is sayingand keep gazing at your BlackBerry orSMSing, the child is bound to get up andsnatch the device to catch your attention, oryou might end up getting chided by yourspouse for such a behaviour. At work, yourcolleagues would feel like doing exactly thesame if you ignore them when they are tryingto grab your attention, however, being in anoffice environment they would choose not toexpress their discontent so explicitly.

And not to forget, we all have a lot of othernotions too. One, it is okay for seniormanagers (bosses) to terrorize people at workand be docile at home. Two, put your best faceforward at the workplace and take people athome for granted.

I personally feel that the divide that wemake in our behaviors between our personaland professional lives is rather artificial. Likemost other things in life, our actions at work,or in our social life, or for that matter, in ourpersonal life are all integrated.

History states that in the industrial world,attempts were made to draw boundariesbetween employees' personal andprofessional lives. However, organizationsoverlooked the fact that what the employeesexperience at home has serious implicationson their productivity and behavior at theshop floor too.

In the world of knowledge workers,organizations that factor several personalrealities in the structuring of employment oftheir people, manage to position themselvesas better employers. A little flexibility such asallowing employees to drop their children toschool or adjusting the timings (wheneverpossible) to suit some other personalconvenience, goes a long way in enhancingthe productivity of the employee. Except in


certain situations, such as manufacturing or customerinterface locations, it is not impossible to build flexibilityin both the location of work and timings. The urban citiesare overflowing with traffic and congestion, and it is aherculean task for most employees to reach their officeson time. However, we are so programmed in our thinkingthat we insist that all employees must report to work andleave during fixed work hours only.

In an era of Internet connectivity and mobile phones,it is prudent to think of conveniences that can allowemployees to work from anywhere without adverselyaffecting their performance. There is a need to structureworkplaces, timings and methods of work in a mannerthat factor the current social engineering effectively. Itwould be imprudent to think that we can design andoperate the workplaces without any regard to people'splaces of living; time spent in commuting, and their sociallife. In any case, workplaces have become a communityof communities. Employees spend a significant part oftheir lives at work and hence it has become an integralpart of their active life.

We have no option but to factor several social realitiesin people's work life. A few critical ones are:� A new social order is steadily emerging among theyounger generation that would deeply reflect in theirwork.� Structuring organizations around hierarchies that arepurely based on position, age, and experience wouldcease to operate-- everything would function aroundrespect, which will be generated through the value addedto the roles. Even at home, children will respect theirparents, not for their age, but more for what their parentshave achieved in their lives.� The current generation of employees is impatient,intolerant and highly articulate about their pleasure anddispleasure. If the organizations want the employees toreach their full potential, these characteristics would haveto be considered while designing the work methods andprocesses.� The concept of working for someone does not holdany excitement for the current generation. Centrality oftheir work, freedom of thought and continuousenrichment of their own profiles is very critical for themas that is what enhances their job worth in the market.� People prefer to be associated with organizations thatare strongly aligned to their personal goals, their socialideology, and organizations that care for their own andtheir family's comforts.

Concepts like work-life balance have undergone a sea-change since the lines between work and personal lifehave blurred beyond recognition. It is a matter of timewhen the lines would completely disappear. Gone are thedays when a family would depend on the solebreadwinner and was completely unaware of his work life.Now there are multiple earners in a family, and each onehas to respect other's priorities and expectations tocoexist.

� FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Dileep Ranjekar, Chief Executive Officer of Azim Premji Foundation, is also apassionate student of human behaviour. He can be contacted [email protected].

HC

RESEARCH �

What impacts productivity?

In a survey conducted by Adobe, among 950 knowledge workers(business, IT and technical professionals) across 750 organizationsin India, concerns regarding workforce productivity andcollaboration have been brought to the fore. Around 50% of therespondents admitted that they have dedicated at least one-quarterof their time at work on document-related issues. Moreover, whereas62% of these participants are highly concerned about a breach inthe document security, 47% have already experienced the same. Thestudy also discusses the grey areas in collaboration where 59% ofthe participants feel that their degree of collaboration throughdocuments is neither high nor good enough. Also, 51% of theseIndian knowledge workers confessed that they spend more thanone-quarter of their time at work manually gathering and analyzingdata from disparate sources such as forms, etc. A lot of time is alsolost in getting the documents approved and signed, as pointed outby as many as 80% of the participants.The survey also highlights the low awareness of tools such as digital

signature and similar usefuldocumentation andcollaboration tools that can putan end to productivity hasslesfor the knowledge workers inIndia. From a positivestandpoint, most of therespondents (around 90%)anticipate an increasing usage ofdevices such as smartphonesand tablets in future to create,manage and review thedocuments.

Is it really allabout values?

Employees often complain aboutthe wide disconnect between theorganizational values and theirpersonal values. The CharteredInstitute of Personnel andDevelopment (CIPD) EmployeeOutlook Report, sheds light on theunderlying reasons accounting tothese gaps. The report suggeststhat only 52%, of the 2,068 UKemployees surveyed, confessedthat the organizational values doimpact positive behaviours at work.The research further claims thatemployees think that businessprofits are given more precedencethan values. Arguably, this is howemployees continue losingconfidence in the organizationalculture, which results in defianceof rules and regulations.It is also surprising to note thatonly 33% of the respondentsaccepted that the rule breakers areadmonished to set examples forothers. Employees participating inthe survey also confided thatdifferent rules for managers andemployees further destroy anemployee's trust in theorganization.


Save now or work later…

The 'live now, save later' attitude inherent among Britishprofessionals has been highlighted in an online survey conductedamong 2,033 UK employees, by leading workplace pension providerin UK- Now Pensions. Whereas 27% of theparticipants acknowledged that theirsaving might fall short once theyreach their retirement age; on theother hand, two in fiveparticipants consider workingon part-time basis afterretirement, to compensate forthe lost savings. One third of theparticipants are not contributinganything to their retirementsavings, as per the survey.

� RESEARCH

Training for inclusivity

Calling All White Men: Can Training Help Create Inclusive Workplaces?,a research report recently released by Catalyst, highlights the role ofinclusion training to encourage positive attitude, and create aconducive work environment for women and minorities to advance.The study, very interestingly, points out that creating awareness amongsenior leadership about the ever-existing inequalities among theworkforce helps in fostering work relationships beyond biases. It hasalso discussed how males in senior leadership often lack such kind ofawareness.Going further, the reportunderlines the positive impactof such inclusion trainings.The research asserts that suchtrainings purposefully engagepeople. In one of the cases,participants' colleaguesaffirmed that the instances ofworkplace gossips reduced by39% after these training labs,due to improved communication among team members and greatermutual respect. A remarkable difference has also been observed in themanagement styles of the leaders after such sessions. While a 17%increase was observed in the managers agreeing to the existence ofinequality that the minorities have to deal with in workplaces; a generalchange of attitude was also seen among them in becoming emotionallycharged and inclusive.


Cyber bullyingraising concerns

Technology has not only modernised the world of work but hascontinually posed fresh challenges for both the employers andemployees. 'Punched from screen', a study jointly conducted byoccupational psychologists from universities of Nottingham andSheffield, discusses the advent of office bullies on text messages, e-mails, over the Internet, to attack their colleagues. The study, that

concludes the results collectedfrom the surveys conducted inseveral UK universities, eight in tenemployees confessed to haveexperienced different forms ofbullying in the past six month,from being humiliated, ignored orgossiped about.Nonetheless, one of thecontributing researchers of thisreport has been quoted saying that

the impact of cyber bullying is comparatively lesser than conventionalbullying, probably due to the remote nature of cyber space.

Gauging therecruitment trends

LinkedIn Recruiting Trends,conducted by LinkedIn TalentSolutions among 3000 professionalsfrom talent acquisition departments(of which 255 were from India),elaborates the recent trends foridentifying and engaging withpotential talent. Interestingly, theresearch points out that Indianmarket and recruiting mindsets arequite different from the othermarkets in the world.The hiring trends, as per theresearch, suggest that hiring in Indiain 2012 is relatively stronger than2011, as asserted by 50% of theparticipants. Also, this year 65% ofrecruiters have maintained their focuson talent pipelines to meet the talentchallenges and fill the gaps.Quality of hires is also a risingconcern among HR organizations as45% of the respondents concede thatquality is the most critical metric forhiring. Additionally, Internet job boardsand social platforms including onlineprofessional networks areincreasingly being viewed as qualitysources for recruitments. To hire thebest talent, 90% of the respondentsconfessed that they are eitherincreasing or maintaining employerbrand investments. The consensusalso suggests that there is a roomfor data-driven decision making,despite India Inc.'s popular image ofbeing more advanced than others inthis regard.


ON THE AGENDA �

Customer Relationship Management

Location: Ahmedabad

Dates: January 7-12

MDP DivisionIIM AhmedabadVastrapurAhmedabad- 380 015IndiaTel: 91-79-6632 4071-7 / 6544 9057Website: www.iimahd.ernet.in/mdpE-mail: [email protected]

Functional Management

Strategic Human Resource

Management

Location: Hyderabad

Dates: January 7-11

ASCI HyderabadAdministrative Staff College of IndiaBella VistaRaj Bhavan RoadKhairatabad,Hyderabad -500082, IndiaTel: +91-40-66533000Website: www.asci.org.in

General Management

Advanced Corporate Finance

Location: Mumbai

Dates: January 10- 12

XLRIAdministratorCircuit House Area (East)Jamshedpur 831 035JharkhandTel: +91-657-398 3333Email: [email protected] Website: www.xlri.ac.in

General Management

MDP for Women Executives

Location: Hyderabad

Dates: January 7-11


General Management

MDP DivisionIIM AhmedabadVastrapurAhmedabad- 380 015IndiaTel: 91-79-6632 4071-7 / 6544 9057Website: www.iimahd.ernet.in/mdpE-mail: [email protected]

Interpersonal Effectiveness and Team

Building

Location: Ahmedabad

Dates: January 7-10

Functional Management

Marketing and Branding- A Three

Pronged Approach

Location: Bangalore

Dates: January 4-5

The Administrative Officer (EEP)IIM BangaloreBannerghatta RoadBengaluru - 560 076Karnataka, IndiaTel: +91 - 80 - 2699 3264 / 3475 / 3742Website: www.iimb.ernet.inE-mail: [email protected]

Strategy & General Management

International Directors ProgramOrganiser: INSEADWhen: January 9-12Where: FontainebleauFees: € 13,500Details: www.insead.edu

Driving Corporate PerformanceOrganizer: Harvard Business SchoolWhen: January 13-16Where: Harvard Centre ShanghaiFees: $8,500Details: www.exed.hbs.edu

Strategic Negotiations: Dealmakingfor the Long TermOrganizer: Harvard Business SchoolWhen: January 13-18Where: HBS Campus, Boston, MA,USA. Fees: $ 11,250Details: www.exed.hbs.edu

Human Interaction LaboratoryOrganizer: NTLWhen: January 20-25Where: DC Metro Area, USAFees: $ 3,450Details: www.ntl.org

Negotiation DynamicsOrganizer: INSEADWhen: January 23-25Where: FontainebleauFees: € 5,900Details: www.insead.edu

Finance for Senior ExecutivesOrganizer: Harvard Business SchoolWhen: January 27-February 1Where: HBS Campus, Boston, MA,USA. Fees: $ 12,000Details: www.exed.hbs.edu

Leading the Effective Sales ForceOrganizer: INSEADWhen: January 28-February 1Where: PhiladelphiaFees: $9,500Details: www.insead.edu

Interpersonal Skills for LeadershipSuccessOrganizer: NTLWhen: February 3-8Where: DC Metro Area, USAFees: $ 3,450Details: www.ntl.org

GLOBAL DIARY

January-February2013


� ON THE AGENDA

Business To Business Marketing

Location: Mumbai

Dates: January 21-23

Incharge (Programmes)National Institute of IndustrialEngineering (NITIE)Vihar Lake, Mumbai - 400087, IndiaTel: +91-22-28573371E-mail:[email protected],[email protected]: www.nitie.edu

General Management

Indian staffing federation, an apexbody of leading staffingcompanies in India, anticipatesthrough one of its recent studiesthat with the organic growth inthe organized sector, the flexistaffing industry would grow torepresent 10% of the organizedworkforce by 2025. This fur therimplies that the industry maygrow from 1.3 million to 9 millionin another decade or so. Thereport also reveals that India isamong the five least protectedcountries when it comes to flexiworkforce, inspite of having anelaborate regulatory framework.Furthermore, India is among thetop five nations in terms of flexiworker base, but among thelowest in terms of penetration at0.32%.

Additionally, various sectors suchas retail, telecom, manufacturing,pharma, hospitality and also theagriculture sector are increasinglyadopting the trend of flexi staffing.The report also unravels thatmost flexi jobs in India continueto happen at the lower end of theskill spectrum such as dataoperations, accounts, sales, backend operations, administration andmarketing. Further, it is alsointeresting to note that as muchas 82% of the total flexiworkforce is under the age of 30years, which shows that Gen-Yersare more inclined towards thistrend.

Some of the recommendations inthe report include reducing theclutter of labour laws, unifyingthem into a limited number ofcognate groups, and alsoenforcing best practices andethics among both the organizedand unorganized players.

Business Research & Analytics

Location: MICA Ahmedabad

Dates: January 22–24

Incharge (Programmes)Mudra Institute ofCommunicationsAhmedabad – 380 058IndiaTel: +91-2717 308250E-mail: [email protected]: www.mica.ac.in

General Management

Effective Knowledge Management in

Advertising, Media and Entertainment

Location: MICA Ahmedabad


Incharge (Programmes)Mudra Institute ofCommunicationsAhmedabad – 380 058IndiaTel: +91-2717 308250E-mail: [email protected]: www.mica.ac.in

General Management NEWS ROUNDUP

Anticipating agrowth in flexi

staffing industry

Leadership in Post-Capitalist World:

Creating Societal Value

Location: Bangalore


The Administrative Officer (EEP)IIM BangaloreBannerghatta RoadBengaluru - 560 076Karnataka, IndiaTel: +91 - 80 - 2699 3264 / 3475 / 3742Website: www.iimb.ernet.inE-mail: [email protected]

Strategy & General Management

Communication Skills for Managers

Location: Hyderabad

Dates: January 28- February 1


General Management

Lean Manufacturing

Location:Hyderabad


ASCI HyderabadAdministrative Staff College of IndiaBella VistaRaj Bhavan Road, Khairatabad,Hyderabad -500 082, IndiaTel: +91-40-66533000E-mail: [email protected]: www.asci.org.in

General Management


M ishaps occur, experts opine,situations are analysed and over-analysed, till the time the issueof contention is put on the back-

burner again. Despite the evolution ofindustries, despite the economicliberalization that India has witnessed in thepast decades, despite the overall progressionof the society in general-instances like thelabour union management clash at MarutiSuzuki India Limited (MSIL) still occur. Thisis not a simple HR case study where anemployee has resigned and perhaps an exitinterview can answer the question as to whyhe de he do that.

Industrial Relations (IR) is much beyondpolicy making, management decisions or athousand theories that can be proposedaround the subject. Even a globalorganization has to be mindful of theeconomic conditions, laws, governmentpolicies and external factors pertaining to aparticular geography. For instance, labourunions in India are heavily under politicalinfluence, and oftentimes political parties dotry to cash on the situations amounting toclashes between labour unions and themanagement.

If at the organizational level itself, thereis often an anticipation of the course of eventsgetting haywire, the plight for leadership canjust not be estimated. An IR leader mayprobably never understand what impacts theproductivity in his plant, and the morale of

� BY SWATI BHASIN

The changing face of

industrial relations

COVER STORY �


the workers unless he gets down to theground zero. Nikhil, a Gen-Y HR professional,who has just started his career with an FMCGorganization says, "In IR, as we have all seen,one should not just be ready to get his handsdirty, rather stay prepared to get his handsburned while dealing with sensitive labourissues. I have no qualms in accepting that Iwould rather prefer a comfortablemanagement job as an HR, instead of delvingdeeper into IR." This can be the point of viewof some, but still there are many who areready to face the battle and are eyeing on theupcoming changes on the horizon.

A paradigm shiftOver the past century, the human society hasevolved and so has our country, along with

the businesses and organizations. The wholesaga of IR that began from the days ofIndustrial Revolution, with new chapters of

upheavals added during both the World Wars,is set to enter a fresh phase all together. Since,there are too many changes happening inevery area of IR, some of which are counteringeach other, it is difficult to predict how tideswill turn.

Labour unions and managements havealways had a relationship similar to abickering married couple, where the two can'tstay without each other, yet keep findingexcuses to fight. However, some seasoned HRleaders like G. S. Uppal, Head - IndustrialRelations, Corporate Sustainability andAdministration, Tata Motors Ltd, believe thatthe focus of management on labour hasgradually decreased over the years. As he putsit, "Rapid growth across all the sectors and anacute shortage of white collar employees hasshifted the industry focus on them. With allthe companies vying to attract and retainwhite collar talent, the IR scenario has beenas good as ignored. Due to this, the competentHR professionals prefer to avoid IR, and henceonly mediocre IR practices have taken route.This has led to mediocrity buying peace ratherthan achieving it through propercommunication and management practices."

According to him, the decreasing focus onIR has led to the hiring of contractual labouron a larger scale. "These mediocreprofessionals control the total cost by gettingflexible labour, which in some cases exceedsby 60 per cent of the total workforce, and ispaid a pittance compared to the fewpermanent workmen," he says. The currentupsurge in the trend of hiring contractlabourers can be attributed for most of thecommotion that industries face, mostcommonly being the unintentional yetwidespread discrimination betweentemporary and permanent labour. Lack of

Veteran HR leaders would be able toeasily recall how labour managementissues in the past have given themsleepless nights. Arguably, industrialrelations has always been one of thetoughest HR domains to handle.Nevertheless, are things changing forthe better?

� COVER STORY

welfare facilities and empathy,industries not adhering to StatutoryCompliances, lack of alignment ofworkforce with the companyculture- are some of the otherrepercussions that follow, as Uppalobserves.

Aman Sethi, the author of awardwinning book- A Free Man,mentioned in his blog on New YorkTimes website last year, that thefrequent lockouts at MSIL were dueto the rising dissatisfaction amongthe labourers, and some of themhad developed financialinsecurities as contract labourers.These contract labourers are alsooften ignored by the trade unions.Some of the politicians also blamethis trend of hiring contractualworkforce for the Maruti upheaval.Though contractual hiring ispermitted by law, yet it oftencreates trouble.

Metamorphosis of trade unionsLockout is a dreaded word forindustrialists, managements, andeven governments as it leads to theloss of man-days and bringsbusiness functioning to a standstill.According to the Labour Bureau,Government of India, the numberof man-days lost in 2003 due tolockouts were 2,70, 49, 961 days, anastonishingly high figure for anycountry's economy. However, overthe years these lockouts and strikeshave decreased significantly owingto various factors.

As N. Krishna Mohan, CEO -Sales, Supply Chain & HumanCapital Emami Limited asserts, animportant reason behind lessernumber of lockouts in the presentday is an evolved workforce."Because of the cutthroatcompetition, employees havebecome more responsible and arealso aware of their rights, which hasled to a decline in strikes.Employers also avoid lockoutsbecause decline in production,even for a few hours, results inheavy losses; leave alone a few daysor weeks," he comments.

Also, as he rightly points out,trade unions have becomedefensive in their approach and

20 � December 2012 www.humancapitalonline.com �

G. S. UPPAL

Head – Industrial Relations,Corporate Sustainability and

Administration, Tata Motors Ltd

they have shifted their focus fromstrikes to lawsuits. The wave ofconsumerism has swept everyonealong, and trade unions are noexception, according to Mohan."When the rights of consumers andthe community as a whole areaffected, the rights of workers,unions and managers take a backseat. Hence, there is ban on bandhand restrictions even on protestsand dharnas. Increasingly, tradeunions are getting isolated and seea future for them only by aligningthemselves with the interests of thewider society," he says.

Furthermore, over the years, thefactors leading to trade union andmanagement clashes have alsochanged. Dr Ratna Sen (Faculty-Eastern Institute of IntegratedLearning in Management, Kolkata,and author of book, IndustrialRelations) suggests that in the earlyyears after independence in India,the three most prominent issuesthat disturbed Industrial relationsused to be wages, bonus andpersonal matters (particularlyreinstatement of dismissedworkers), and these three issuesaccounted for as many as 75 percent of the disputes. However,managements are no longerarbitrary and many of these issuesresulting in conflicts have reducedin occurrence due to the evolutionof workforce and industries. Senhas also underscored that asopposed to almost a decade ago,the duration of resolving disputes,along with complexity of the cases,has also comparatively increased inthe present scenario.

Building timeless relationsTo avoid the repercussions ofconflicts, HR organizations haverealized that continuing efforts andpractices directed towards labourmanagement are highly needed tosurvive competition. Undoubtedly,a gradual increase in the dedicatedefforts on the part of organizationshas been seen, over the pastdecade.

Fostering stronger relations hasnot only been one of the most costeffective ways to avoid disputes, but

N. KRISHNA MOHAN

CEO -Sales, Supply Chain &Human Capital, Emami Limited

K.V SINGH

Senior Partner, Kochhar & Co.

COVER STORY �

� COVER STORY

K.V. Singh, Senior Partner, Kochhar & Co.

talks about recent law amendments that have

contributed to the changing scenario of IR.

"In 2010 , the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 was amended to

introduce the concept of 'grievance redressal machinery' to be

set up mandatorily in every industrial establishment employing

20 or more workmen, with a constitution of equal

number of members from both the

employer's and workers' side. The Act also

provides provision for appeal against

decision of the said committee. This

amendment has been able to ensure an

effective and smooth process for employee

grievance redressal.

Further, the government has also extended the benefits of certain labour

welfare legislations to those who were earlier not entitled to such benefits.

For instance, in April 2010, the wage ceiling (for coverage of employees

under Employee State Insurance Scheme), stipulated under the Employee

State Insurance Act, 1948, was increased from Rs 10,000 per month to

Rs15,000 per month. Similarly, earlier the definition of workman (to

whom the welfare provisions of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 were

available) included only those at the supervisory level whose wages

were equal to or below INR 1600 per month. This narrow definition of

workman resulted in depriving a number of workers of the beneficial

provisions of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. In 2010, the aforesaid

wage ceiling was increased to INR 10,000."

also a surviving trick that helps inweathering the toughest storms. Inthe wake of changing economicscenario, Mohan suggests that inthe new age, the management,government and trade unions havebeen responding to the challengesof IR during the times of divestmentor change in ownership throughvarious innovative models andarrangements. As Mohan furtherexplains, some of the coming of agearrangements are-making workersthe owners through the issue ofshares or controlling interests (notas prevalent in India), negotiatinghigher compensation for voluntaryseparation, and decentralization ofIR, as seen in terms of the shift inconsideration of IR issues frommacro to micro and from industryto enterprise level.

Even MSIL learnt lessons fromthe unrest among the workforcethat spanned for almost two years.After the recent chaotic episode, themanagement considered offeringhigher compensations and evenintroduced higher educationschemes for its shop floortechnicians.

On the other hand, Tata Motorsshould be certainly credited forleaving no stone unturned to satisfyits workforce. The decision to shiftthe Nano plant in Singur, WestBengal to Sanand in Gujarat wasconsidered majorly to ensure thewell being of its employees, afterdealing with a long phase ofdifficult times.

Moreover, as Uppal apprises,instances of workers rising to thelevel of managers are not unusualin Tata Motors. “There aredepartmental heads in ourorganization, who have been ex-Full Time Apprentices (FTAs). Infact, one of our business heads hadjoined Tata Motors as a workman.From workers, they becomesupervisors through an internalselection process, and then becomemanagers. This is a result ofincreased training and healthyenvironment that supports careerdevelopment," he shares.

Other practices such as regularGallup surveys, freedom for

workmen to form their collectivebargaining bodies, participativemanagement, joint committeesincluding safety advisorycommittee, transport committee,etc., and nomination of workmenfor Prime Minister's Shram Award,also engage the workers at TataMotors in a meaningful way.

Some IR professionals based insmaller cities who deal with laborermanagement challenges oneveryday basis, feel that theirorganizations lack the mammothset up to execute extensiveengagement practices. ManishSharma, who works with amanufacturing organization inJharkhand, belongs to the sameschool of thought. However, K.V.


RECENT LAW AMENDMENTS

Singh. Senior Partner, Kochhar &Co. (India's leading law firm)contradicts, "In my view, effectiveindustrial relations are notdependent merely upon the size ofthe organization but the HR visionand handling of grievances. The keyto amicable industrial relations ismutual trust, transparency and acommon goal. Risk of conflict canbe mitigated to a large extent byproviding a working environmentthat generates a sense ofbelongingness in the workmen,fosters an environment of mutualtrust and lays down policies thatsupport career growth for theworkforce. As a matter of fact,smaller size of an organization, anda smaller workforce give better


opportunities to the managementto maintain effective industrialrelations."

Hence, even several biggerorganizations are banking uponpractices based on common sense,and innovation that encouragetransparency. At Emami Limited,one of India's leadingconglomerates, personal bonding ishighly encouraged apart from theregular initiatives. "Promotingbonding through regular visits toworker's residence for inculcating

such as Total ProductiveMaintenance (TPM), Quality Circle,World Class Manufacturing (WCM)and brain storming sessions atvarious levels.

Emami Limited also employsvisual management techniquessuch as TPM galleries, LED displays,and newsletters to disseminatecompany information andobjectives across all levels,including shop floors for seamlessunderstanding.

To narrow down the gapsbetween shop floors andboardrooms, the organizations havealso started believing incommunicating business goals tothe laborers so that they work witha focus. Furthermore, Self DirectedTeams (SDTs) on shop floorsempower individuals and motivatethem to work together as a team,towards common goals. The timetested practices such Leanmanufacturing, Kaizen, TotalQuality Circles help in smoothfunctioning of processes to resolvechallenges, even before they arise.

However, Uppal and Mohan,who have 'been there and donethat', both agree that as muchnecessary it is for the HR to stay atthe shop floor to understand anddevise effective practices, equallynecessary it is for the line managersand supervisors to be patient withthe workers and take out time tounderstand them better.

External supportJust like the biological evolution islargely attributed to the favourableexternal factors, similarly evolutionof Industrial Relations also can beaccounted to favourable economiesand laws, and supportivegovernments to some extent. Since1991, India has been majorlywitnessing a more liberal, privatizedand global economy. Furthermore,in its second tenure, the UPAgovernment has been trying tobring about a major reform in thelabour laws with the Chaturvedicommittee that aims to bringsimilar benefits for contract andpermanent labourers, and applysimilar labour laws to the organized

COVER STORY �

safety at home, attending theirweddings, encouraginginvolvement of workers to promoteand create environment friendlyatmosphere within factory premisesby planting saplings, encouragingparticipation of workers' families infactory related functions held by thecompany-- all such measures helpus develop a personal rapport withthe employees," asserts Mohan.Additionally, a cohesive workenvironment is maintained atEmami with the help of practices

Industry veterans highlight the common challengespertinent to Industrial Relations in India.

MISCOMMUNICATION WREAKS HAVOC: Singh shares thathe of ten comes across disputes arising due tomiscommunication between employers and workers. "When themanagement does not involve the workforce in decisions whichdirectly affect their well being and growth prospects, it leads todiscontent and loss of faith. Moreover, 'collective bargaining' (thoughan integral part of the Indian law and vital for the protection of workers'rights) can be used as a potent weapon for unreasonable demands.Such situations may also arise if the trade union is working at the behestof external forces, particularly, political leanings,” he says.

LACK OF INFRASTRUCTURE IN TIER 2 CITIES: Leading industry playersare trying to bridge the infrastructural gaps in Tier 2 locations. "Emamiensures social development in the Tier 2 areas where our factories arelocated so as to improve the living conditions, health facilities andeducation system," shares Mohan. On the other hand, Joint Councils inTata Motors look into all the employee issues relating to housing,transport, hospitals and schools. Uppal further adds, "There are alsopressures relating to workers' compensation and skill gaps in these areas.Employers within these cities need to get together and put a commonfront for the government to focus on these issues. Also, combined

effor ts are required for compliancesunder labour laws."

SHYING AWAY IS NOT THE SOLUTION:"Many companies shy away fromproductivity linked incentives or frommaking workers a part of profit sharing.Or, often HR organizations restrict theirroles when a problem arises and oftenshy away from periodical meetings.

Proactiveness and consistent engagement of the workers is highly

critical," says Mohan.

CHALLENGES THAT STAND TALL


� COVER STORY

and unorganized sector. Thereforms, drawing conclusions fromthe contemporary labour issues,would facilitate the managementsand labourers to work in unison.

Also, lately, Trinamool Congresshas also been successful in bringingdown the number of lockouts thathad been occurring due to unrulygroups under the Maoist influence.Mamata Banerjee, the CM of WestBengal, in her statement issuedrecently, mentioned that thenumber of man-days lost in strikeshas reduced from 68 lakhs in 2009-2010 to 65 lakhs in 2010-2011.

Also, over the years, in a bid tosupport development, industrieshave got support from the judiciaryto maintain peace and discouragehampering of work. For instance,Sen in her book also discusses howmodern day employers can choosenot to pay the workers on strike, achoice that was not so clear to makealmost a decade ago.

In the end, all of us have to agreethat laborers are indispensable HC

resources for industrial growth. Adeveloping country like India has avast scope to improve upon itsindustrial practices and rule out thefactors that negate growth. Havingsleepless nights due to labour issuesis still as much a part and parcel ofan IR professional's job, as it was 20years ago. However, with theevolution of HR strategies, societies

and economies- IR may becomemuch more sophisticated in thecoming years than it is today, evenif that means being integrated in thelarger picture. The only thing thatmanagements will require tounderstand is not to avoid IRcompletely in an attempt to employshort term methods-else a mishapmight be just round the corner!

Adrawing inspiration from ancient Indianmythology and relating it to different aspectsof life and business. We, at Human Capital,catch up with him to explore what hasdemystified the Indians. Here are theexcerpts…

n author, illustrator, mythologist,speaker, and the Chief Belief Officerof the Future Group, DevduttPattanaik has a unique way of

INTERVIEW �

HC: You have always well connected theIndian and world mythology with differentaspects of management with respect to anorganization. How did this idea evolve?DP: Delving deeper into mythology was myhobby. Management was part of my job, as Iworked both as a vendor initially and then asa manager in pharmaceutical and healthcarecorporations. Over time, I realized that theideas I got from reading our mythological texts

■ BY SANNITA CHAKRABORTY SAHA


Dr Devdutt Pattanaik has over the years skilfully blended the world

of mythology and corporate wisdom to bring about a great

amalgamation of management mythos, which has revolutionized the

way we connect myth with reality and wisdom.

Leveraging theLeveraging thepower of mythpower of myth

DEVDUTT PATTANAIK

Chief Belief Officer ■ Future Group

to hoard wealth in a personal capacity that isequal to the GDP of small nations, and stillbe celebrated as a hero in all economicforums.

We delude ourselves that we are logicalcreatures. However, we are not. Hatred is notlogical; yet the world is full of hate. Wepenalize countries who do not conform to ourmyth with punitive economic measures. Wecelebrate 'bell curves' that justify peoplebeing denied employment. How can denyingpeople livelihood be considered fair? We arenot rational. We rationalize.

HC: Your knowledge of different mythologiesis varied and diverse. What drove you to delvedeeper into the Indian mythology?DP: There are two reasons for this. First, noIndian seemed to have worked on it. Second,Western writers wrote bizarre things aboutIndian mythology, not realizing that they wereforce fitting western template on the Indiancontent. It was a hobby initially but the moreI read, the unhappier I became with what Iwas reading. The subject was exotic; however,the inter-disciplinary nature of the subjectwas not being realized. So students ofHumanities did not connectwith the students ofAnthropology orPsychology

helped me in becoming a better manager.Soon, I realized this can be of value to all. Somanagement and mythology came together.The tipping point was Kishore Biyani ofFuture Group (Big Bazaar) asking me to joinhis team as the Chief Belief Officer, a titledesigned to get people curious about the roleof mythology in management. It was here thatI learnt that I too had the capability tomanage a team. My experiences in thebusiness world also gave me the opportunityto explore and understand both power andleadership closely. However, the most cruciallearning was the fact that the struggle forpower only led to the creation of a gapbetween what was thought, said and done.And, because I did not come from anacademic background, both in the businessworld and the mythological world, Iquestioned the fundamentals. This curiosityfurther grew into something deeper.

HC: Mythology is a myth, yet leadership isall real, how do you manage to mix both andbring out something which is not onlylogical and acceptable in today's era but isrelevant in the organizational context?DP: Myth is a subjective truth. Leadership isalso a subjective truth. What you address asreality is your subjective truth; it may not bemine. I may have a different subjective truth.However, the Western thought, influenced bythe scientific revolution of the 16th century,does not value subjective truth. Subjectivetruth is considered prejudiced and biased.And therefore, a management system basedon scientific principles end up being devoidof any feelings - it is impersonal anddehumanizing like many corporates andindustries and institutions. We are sospellbound by 'science' that we nowdo not believe in our own truths,unless we can prove it. This iscolonial hangover. Incidentally,the West has started to moveon, with subjects such aspostmodernism and criticalthinking, and even quantumphysics questioning what isreal and what is not. Thisobsession with 'logic' isabsurd. Human beings arenot logical. Otherwise, whywould a human being want

� INTERVIEW

December 2012 � 25


who wrote on the same topics. I startedjoining dots and realized the pattern was farmore complex and grand than ever imaginedbefore. There are no Indian institutes thatteach mythology, and over time I realized thatWestern institutes that teach mythology havegot their fundamentals steeped in pre-colonial Western traditions. So I decided towalk the path alone, and was lucky that mythoughts were appreciated by scholars andgeneral public.

HC: What learning can a leader take from theMahabharata in terms of performancemanagement?DP: Your question reduces Mahabharata to aparable like Hitopadesha that will give goodlessons to leaders. If that was so, everyonewould have simply read the book and goneabout being a great leader. Mythology is a mapof the mind. When you understand the mapof the mind, you know how to deal withpeople. When you know how to deal withpeople, you will know how to make them

perform. At best, you can say thatMahabharata tells us that even if you perform,you can be sidelined and fired. Krishna mayhave established Dharma on the earth butthat did not stop him from getting cursed byGandhari, the mother of Kauravas, that hewould witness the destruction of his familyand his city. Not quite logical, is it? Yet rings abell too!

HC: Please describe the 'my world versusyour world' paradigm. How is it relevant inthe organizational perspective?DP: Management science focuses only oninstitutional vision and does not care forindividual vision. Hence, we tend to focus onshareholder value; every other value of theemployee or vendor or customer is secondary,playing handmaiden to the boss. In otherwords, institutional models do not care for myworld or your world, only its world. This is thecost of objectivity. Is that good? You decide!

HC: Eastern and western leadership stylesdiffer greatly when it comes toorganizational culture. Do you agree? Howcan this gap be lessened using mythologicalreferences and instances?DP: Western leadership styles are goal based.You matter only because you help the leaderreach a goal. Eastern leadership is bothChinese and Indian, and both are verydifferent from each other. Chinese leadershipis order based. Indian leadership is about gazeor belief. The point is not to achieve anobjective; the point is to find a way to behappy all the time. Achievement is merely asubset of happiness. Also, Indians understandmythology, they can decode things easily. Inthe West, if they accept one belief, theydisregard another. This makes that beliefexclusive, whereas Indians have always beeninclusive, which allows them to understandmythology better.

KNOWING DEVDUTT PATTANAIK….

Though the world has progressed bothscientifically and technologically, onecannot deny the fact that myths doplay an important, perhaps a criticalrole in our lives. However, whatmakes the life and career of DrPattanaik worth reading is the fact thathere is a man who has beenfortunate to build a successfulcareer out of his hobby. After adegree in medicine and a quickcourse in comparativemythology from the Mumbai University, he spent over adecade in the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors, untilKishore Biyani of Future Group (Big Bazaar, Pantaloon,Central) appointed him as their Chief Belief Officer. DrPattanaik’s hobby of delving into the sacred andmythological world of stories, symbols and rituals gavethe world not just a new designation to ponder about, butalso a realization that organizations are now showing a hugeleap of faith in relating to beliefs and also running businessbased on that. He spends a great deal of time as a leadershipcoach, mythologist and author focusing principally on theareas of myth, mythology, and management.

INTERVIEW �

BOOKS THAT UNRAVEL THEWORLD OF MYTH

Jaya (most popular)

Myth=Mithya

Shiva-An introduction

Pregnant King

Vishnu

Goddess in India

Indian mythology


A UNIQUE DESIGNATION TO HAVE…..

In one’s corporate life, one often hears of designations

such as CEO, CFO, CMO, etc., but a CBO or a Chief Belief

Officer?

The designation wasspecially created by theFuture Group to drawpeople towards thevalue of ‘belief ’ inbusiness. Pattanaik isof the opinion that beliefis subjective truth and is the cornerstone of mythology,and hence belief plays an important role in business andmodern management. When asked about his role as aCBO, he says that his role is to draw attention to the invisiblecultural lever that shapes our decision. One core reasonthat led to the creation of the designation is also his stronginclination towards mythology, his ability to bring thewisdom of mythology and relating it to the modern life,business and. Dr Pattanaik stresses that mythology is aboutbeliefs and beliefs influence behaviors, which in turnimpacts the overall organizations, hence the need to buildbelief within the people in the organization.

HC: You are an author, illustrator,mythologist, speaker, and the Chief BeliefOfficer of the Future Group. How do youmanage to inculcate a sense of belief in one'sown abilities and sense of leadership inemployees at Future Group?DP: You reveal the western approach to belief:Belief is something we have or do not have. Inthe Indian thought, belief is what makes uswho we are. We all believe in something.Otherwise, we cannot functions. Most timeswe are not even aware of our beliefs. How canyou change your beliefs unless you are awareof what you believe in? Why would you wantto change other people's beliefs unless you areinto propaganda and mind-control or youbelieve your belief is the right belief? The sameapplies to the employees. I believe thatopenness of thought, at the Future Group, issomething that other organizations canbenefit by adopting the same. A great way toinculcate a sense of belief in one's abilitiesespecially among employees is by recognizingtheir strengths, and unfortunately, very fewIndian organizations pay attention to thiswhile hiring their manpower.

HC: You had once said, "Does the leaderdomesticate his team or does he inspirethem? And the difference between the two iscreating growth." Please elaborate.DP: Rules are tools of domestication. Theytame our mind and compel us to work in aparticular way. No one enjoys it, which is whywe hate filling up forms or templates. Yet, werely on them to create efficient organizations.However, they do strip us of freedom, hencethe power. Inspiration is when we follow rulesnot because we have to but because we wantto. In fact, when you are inspired rules aremerely hygiene to ensure efficiency. They arenot control mechanisms like a leash of a dog.

HC: It is said that you have often demystifiedIndia, her culture, her principles to youngIndians in your team and elsewhere bymaking them stop, think and question. Pleasecomment.DP: The colonizers were the first to 'explain'India using their templates. These writingseither made us defensive or apologetic. Thenwe started 'explaining' India to ourselves andto others using the western template. This hasresulted in a whole bundle of confusion.Naturally, India is confused.

Are we followers of Gandhi or worshippersof Lakshmi? Are we the people who abused theDalits or the people who wrote the lofty linesof the Veda? A new lens was needed to see and HC

� INTERVIEW

understand India. I believe mythology is thelens. It explains India to the Indians. It alsoexplains the West to the West. However, sinceI am not white skinned, I will not be allowedto explain the West to the West. So I guess Ihave to be content explaining India toIndians. Similarly, when it comes toemployees, it is imperative for leaders to buildconnect with their audience and the best wayto do so is speaking their language.

HC: To conclude, what tips do you have forIndia Inc. to nurture better leaders in theIndian organizational scene?DP: I have just one tip for India Inc. and thatis to be aware of the fact that westernmanagement models only help legitimizepublic actions rooted in personal insecurities.To be an effective leader, it is essential to letpeople be themselves. When I interact withemployees at the Future Group, I share myprinciples and allow them to figure it out forthemselves. A leader should help people growrather than just get the work done. Inspirationis the key for a leader. Learn to inspire andcreate growth.

It is quite true that people across the worlddo smile in the same language. However,despite the shrinking global boundaries,individuals are often rendered clueless

GLOBAL HR �

beyond wordsWhether a business leader

literally lives out of a suitcase,

or it is the first time for a

professional to explore a new

geography out of work

commitments - keeping aware

of the specific cultural

nuances is as necessary as

knowing the business well…

� BY SWATI BHASIN

when they have to conduct themselves in aforeign land, and interact with peoplehailing from varied cultural backgrounds.More so, when the interactions andexchange of information is majorly for abusiness purpose, it becomes all the morenecessary to take note of the finer nuancesand understand their significance to fosterstronger professional relations.

The leader's viewpointMany business leaders would vouch for the

fact that giving due respect to the culture andheritage of the country being visited caninstantly get you in the good books ofbusiness associates across geographies,however, on the other hand, doing otherwisemay put you in trouble in some conservativenations such as China, Japan and Arabcountries where natives are generallyfastidious about the behaviors of foreigners.Manoj Biswas, the Geographic Unit HR Leadfor Accenture, India, has been a globetrotterhimself due to work demands. According tohim, while comprehending a country'sculture, it is important to understand thehistory of that geography and how thatcountry has evolved. While talking of China,

28 � December 2012

in particular, a country that he has visitedseveral times, he explains, "China has had avery stormy history, and had communism asone of the basic themes of governance for thelongest period of time. With that kind ofaggressive history, your trust in the externalworld decreases. Consequently, China hasbeen mostly inwardly focused. They are notthe kind of people who will open up easilywith anyone." Biswas further adds whilegiving a valuable tip, "For any leader, it isimportant to come in the circle of trust oftheir foreign associates by showing anunderstanding of their culture. Once you arein their circle of trust, doing business withthem becomes a lot easier."

Undoubtedly, HR leaders have an addedadvantage in striking a chord with businessassociates coming from different ethnicbackgrounds, given their extraordinarypeople skills. Anuraag Maini, EVP and Head- HR and Training, DLF Pramerica LifeInsurance, has also gradually learned toappreciate different ideologies and culturesduring his 25 years of experience acrossvarious industries. He has had interestingencounters where he realized that in someregions, a professional dressed in casualattire may not give an impression ofunprofessionalism. For instance, once whenhe was out on his business travels, he met abusiness analyst though working in an MNC,yet unapologetically inked with tattoos anddressed in informal attire; and Maini laterunderstood that where this gentlemanworked, performance and skills were givenmore precedence, rather than the dress codeof employees.

Maini has also been often challenged tobring across diverse teams together whilepaying heed to every individual teammember's cultural background. "I wasconducting a workshop in Dubai where thecompany's regional headquarter was amelting pot of people from 15 differentnationalities, including people from Asia,Middle East, Africa and Europe. Obviously,there were people from developed, under-developed and developing countries. Tocreate a learning environment where eachparticipant's views can be respected byunderstanding his context and figuring outways in which he can apply the learning backat work despite the diversity is quitechallenging yet highly important," he shares.

Power of cultural trainingsCorporate cultural trainings greatly resolve thecommotion of employees who might be

� GLOBAL HR

According to MANOJ BISWAS, when visiting a new

place, one should :� Learn the dos and don'ts in the professional space. For

example, asking personal questions is considered

intrusive in the West, unlike India, where candid

conversations are encouraged.

� Pay special attention on the topics of interest to initiate

engaging discussions, for example, while trying to sell

services in India, you can star t the conversation by

talking about cricket, however, in Europe, one should

probably start the discussion with politics or fashion,

while the most interesting topic in the US has to baseball.

� As a leader while settling in a new geography, invest the

initial three to six months in understanding the cultural

background and building trust in your teams and clients,

otherwise the chances of failure are likely to be high.

ANURAAG MAINI, on the other hand, strongly

asserts that :� Always be open-minded and listen a lot.

� Be willing to experience and appreciate the local culture,

food, language, history, monuments, and festivals. This

helps bonding with the locals as they appreciate our

effor ts.

� Be mindful about language differences - even English is

spoken in many different accents.

LEADERS SUGGEST


��


getting unnerved with the thoughts ofvisiting an alien country and unforeseenproblems that can possibly occur. As Mainirightly puts it, "Cultural training enables theemployees to interact with each otherirrespective of the cultural diversity in theworkplace. This eventually results inbuilding a healthy bond amongstemployees and in the inclusive growth ofthe company." Many organizationsincluding Accenture, General Motors,Proctor and Gamble, Maruti Suzuki India HC

Limited, Larsen and Toubro, and Samsungdo provide cultural trainings where thenumber of frequent business travellers andexpatriate employees is quite high. "InAccenture, we believe that our employees areour brand ambassadors. Depending on thetime span for which an employee would bevisiting a foreign country, he is given culturaltrainings for longer or shorter durations, andthe training curriculum is designedconsidering the do's and don't's in aparticular country, behavioural gestures,among many other aspects," informsBiswas. For the expatriate employees, asBiswas apprises, the employees are givenlanguage trainings too, along with similartrainings for their families, so that it wouldbe much easier for them to relocate. As Mainifurther adds, the study of demographics andpolitics also forms an integral part of suchtrainings.

Pay heed!Manas, who works with a leadingautomobile company based in India withoperations in Japan too, recently visitedJapan for a year-long training. Thoughinitially confounded, yet he coped in an aliencountry because he and his colleagues werealways mindful of the strict rules andregulations of the nation. Unlike India,where many such rules are not followed asstringently, he advises that one has to bemuch more careful in the foreign countries.

Furthermore, as Allan and Barbara Pease,have rightly elucidated in their book, TheDefinitive Book of Body Language, "Thebiggest cultural differences exits mainly inrelation to territorial space, eye contact,touch frequency and insult gestures," soarming oneself with such information andhandy trivia can be extremely helpful forfrequent business travellers.

Nothing can contribute more to globalbusinesses, than a diverse workforce whereevery employee brings value to the table inhis own way, yet understands theimportance of inclusiveness. In the words ofMaini, "Diversity has subsequently movedaway from a 'nice-to-have', to a 'must-have'for companies as part of the strategicbusiness imperatives." As globalization hasnow become a household term,professionals can no longer shy away frombreaking out of their comfort zones andexploring new horizons for themselves andtheir organizations, even if that involves ahuge amount of learning of different culturesand societies.

��

GLOBAL HR �

WHEN IN ROMEDO AS THE ROMANS DO!

A business traveller can easily impress the locals with somebit of homework and research about what pleases them…

TAKE A BOW: As is commonly known, Koreans, Japaneseand Chinese professionals would appreciate their foreignguests to greet them with a bow instead of a handshake, whichis rather considered moreappropriate in America,Europe and Australia.

MIND IT!: It is a goodidea to research wellabout theconservative Araband African nations,because anythingfrom red ink inMadagascar toinappropriate dresssense to forbidden use ofthe left hand in the Africanculture while greeting, may be offensive to the hosts.

PUNCTUALITY: Punctuality is universally acceptable. It isadvisable to be always on time for business meetings to scorean extra brownie point.

DURING MEETINGS: Always make a point to carry businesscards. It is also important to stay aware about the hosts'dispositions. For instance, while negotiating, the Japanesehave a tendency to say 'Yes', even when they are not convincedabout something. Moreover, the Japanese, along with theKoreans, are highly specific about maintaining hierarchy. Also,the South Americans prefer to start their meetings with awarm-up conversation.

■ BY SANNITA CHAKRABORTY SAHA

THE

BIBLE of hiring

part from being an HRprofessional of greatcalibre, you are also awriter? What drove you to

RECRUITMENT �

Awriting?AB. Writing is an opportunity to shareideas and also learn from feedbackthat one gets from the readers. I havealways enjoyed writing. Since myearly days at school, I have been intowriting. In 2005, when my first novelMediocre but Arrogant waspublished, I also launched mywebsite abhijitbhaduri.com. Ibecame my own publisher! Thishelped me explore varied themesand write on topics that Ipassionately believed in.

HC: What lessons does your book'Don't Hire the Best' offer recruitersacross the globe?AB: India runs the world's largesthiring event - General AssemblyElections. Millions of recruiters hirecandidates who may one day run thecountry. Hiring, at the heart of it, is away of making a decision aboutpeople. Whether it is about choosing

Abhijit Bhaduri, Chief Learning Officer, Wipro, on how his new book'Don't Hire the Best' can help recruiters globally in finding the rightorganization fit and bring the right teams onboard…

Finding the right fit is veryimportant when it comes to hiring.Yet, hardly any organization assessescandidates on their values fit. Thiscan be a recipe for disaster. The bookcan be used by people to decide onhow to make career choices. They candiscover what kind of a career willmake them happy. They can alsomake more informed choices aboutchoosing an employer with whomthey will enjoy working.

HC: You have vast experience ofleading HR teams in many top notchorganizations. What is that commonthread that you have carried withyou through your journey?AB: I have been lucky to work fororganizations that are known fortheir ability to groom leaders. I havehad the privilege of seeing many ofthese iconic leaders at close quarters.An organization that grooms andbuilds leaders is the one that isalways going to be an aspirationalemployer. This kind of anorganization can truly offer careers.Other employers will always offer


a tutor or domestic help, we all makedecisions. Most hiring tends to focuson what is written on the résumé, fore.g., work experience andeducational qualifications. When wefind someone who has studied in atop educational institute or workedin a top firm, recruiters, in general,tend to assume that the individual isright for and every role. However,when an employee begins his stint atwork, all that matters is thepersonality of the individual. Thereare plenty of qualified people aroundwho don't succeed in their careersbecause their personality comes inthe way. Ability to take risks, manageone's emotions, handle stress, is noteasy to teach in a short span of time.Similarly, the fit with the culture ofthe organization and the individualdetermines how happy and engagedthe person will be. Assessing thepersonality of the individual is a keystep of hiring that is missed out orhandled by people using thumbrules. In my book, I have suggested amethod on how to assesspersonalities.

ABHIJIT BHADURI

Chief Learning Officer ■ Wipro

jobs and buy out talent - untilsomeone else pays more. Peoplewant to build careers when theyenjoy doing what they have to do andare happy with the employer. I havelearned that being happy at work is aprecondition to being successful. Youcannot be good at doing somethingyou do not enjoy.

HC: You are of the opinion thatthere's no organizational processmore important than recruitment.How do you justify this statement?AB: Recruitment impacts anorganization's success greatly. Theleaders that it recruits impact theculture of the firm, and their abilityto attract and retain talent. Businessmodels can be copied. The talentcombination of each firm is asunique as one's fingerprint or theDNA. The gaps that are overlookedat the time of hiring cannot alwaysbe addressed later through training.Some behaviors are difficult to train.They may take years to build. Mostpeople who hire only know how toassess technical skills. Soft skillsaccount for more than 60 per centof an individual's success. Yet, veryfew people know how to assess thesesoft skills.

HC: You have said, "Traditionalresume and interview-based hiringoften does not account for the mostimportant factor: personality".Please elucidate.AB: Many recruiters depend oninterviews only to make their hiringdecisions. Unfortunately, very feware trained to assess personalities. Weneed people who are trained in thisaspect. Many firms usepsychometrics for this, however, theymiss the right instrument. Hence,they do not find what they arelooking for. In my research, I havemet many people who have devisedsimple ways to assess the mostimportant aspects which affectssuccess or failure. The ability tomanage emotions, resilience, dealingwith difficult interactions withcolleagues or customers,determination and grit all puttogether in a personality make theright fit. Therefore, skilled

� RECRUITMENT


interviewers know that the trick liesin not just asking questions thatchallenge the candidate, but infiguring out whether his or heranswer reveals a fit between thecompany's expectations and thepersonality of the interviewee.

HC: What is the secret of goodhiring?AB: There are four elements to thejob. The first is to identify the kind ofeducation, previous work experiencecompetencies and personality of theindividual is apt to succeed in thenew role. Second is to create ways toassess the person's fit to the role.It is important to assess theskills of the individual aswell as his willingness

to execute his assigned tasks. Thirdis to assess the fit of the individualwith the culture of the organization.Fourth is to run a detailed referencecheck with his previous managers orcolleagues to validate their opinionon the person. References must betaken from at least three to fourindividuals who have managed himand whom hehas managed. Finally, ensure he hasa smooth onboarding to help himsucceed in his role. HC


As learning professionals, ifwe were to ask ourcustomers, participantsfrom line functions, about

the most memorable trainingprogram they have attended, what doyou think their response would be?Chances are that most of them wouldtalk about a soft skills programconducted by an entertaining trainer,some executive developmentprogram they attended at a premierbusiness school or a fancy leadershipretreat that was conducted in someexotic location. I would be surprisedif even a tiny minority would talkabout a program, which helped themenhance their functional skills.

LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT �

� BY HEMALAKSHMI RAJU

Is it that programs focusing onfunctional capability building are notimportant? In my view, the issue hereis twofold. As learning professionals,� We do not focus enough onoffering adequate number offunctional programs� We do not participate actively tomake it an interesting and effectivelearning experience that would leavea lasting imprint on the participants'minds

However, ignoring this huge areaof learning would be to our own peril.If at all we are to move anywherecloser to those most dreaded threeletters, ROI, this would be one sureway. Also, this would give us a huge

opportunity to strengthen our role asbusiness partners in a very activemanner.

What is functional training?It is common to find people equatingfunctional training with technicaltraining. That is misconception.While technical training would forma sizeable portion of functionaltraining, there's much more to it.

An easy way of understandingfunctional competencies is job-specific competencies that driveproven high-performance andquality results for a given position.They are often technical in nature,e.g., coding and data base

Functional trainingtreasure unexplored!!


LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT �

Leadership

Managerial

Functional

Skill requirements at different levels of

organizational hierarchy

Functional training gives the L&D professionalimmense opportunity to not just come acrossas business partners but also prove thatlearning can deliver business value...

administration for softwareprofessionals, robotics maintenancefor a maintenance engineer in anautomobile plant. However, youwould agree that for an individual todo his job well he / she would alsoneed to be well-versed with certainprocesses and procedures as well aspossess mastery of relevantbehavioral skills. For e.g., CRMoperations is a key process knowledgefor sales and service professionals.Similarly influencing skills is animportant behavioral capability forsafety managers. I had recentlyconducted a two day program on'influencing skills' for our safetymanagers based on need that hadcome from the head of safety. Whilesome of the generic models andframeworks of influencing were used,there was extensive customizationthrough role plays and other activitiesto make it relevant for them.

Hence rather than going by thetitle or type, the objectives of theprogram would determine whether acertain program is functional or not.

Why is functional training

ignored?There could be three reasons for this-� Myth that it is solely relevant foremployees at junior levels� Perception that it is relevant onlyfor line executives� Doubting our own abilities to doa decent job with regards tofunctional trainingMyth 1 - Functional training is forjunior grade employees only

Most of you would be familiarwith this model with respect to skillsrequirements at different levels -

As per this model, as an executivemoves up the hierarchy, skill needsare more towards managerial andleadership capabilities. There is nodisputing the fact that at senior levelsthey need to be more strategic intheir outlook and approach.However, we need to bear in mindthat we are talking about multiplelevels within senior leadership itself,and not only the top C levelexecutives. For instance, we haveclose to 100 senior executives in AGM

and above grades in themanufacturing function at TataMotors. Considering the way inwhich technology and processes arechanging and competition is comingup, they need functional skillsenhancement as well. This wasstrongly echoed by many of oursenior executives in a focused groupdiscussion conducted some monthsago.

Also functional skillsenhancement is a key requirement ofjunior levels. Considering that morethan 50 per cent of the organization'sresources fall in this grade, we cannotafford to ignore their needs.

A paradigm is to look at the broadspectrum of learning and not justclassroom training. Some suggestiveways of implementing the same are-� Delivering structured on-the-jobtraining� Supporting and anchoringknowledge sharing platforms such ascommunities of practitioners� Facilitating participation in studymissionsMyth 2 - Functional training is forline functions only

A common myth is to think thatfunctional training is only for linefunctions such as manufacturingand sales. However, this is not true.Even staff and corporate basedfunctions such as finance, HR,

internal audit, etc., need functionaltraining. For example, a program onbehavioral event interviewing is afunctional training for HRprofessionals.Myth 3 - Learning professionals'capability to add value to functionaltraining

In many organizations,functional trainings, especiallytechnical ones, are handled by lineteams themselves. Coming from abehavioral science background, I too

doubted my ability to lead thefunctional training vertical initially.

However after working onmultiple projects, I realized that thereis real value that one can add here.In addition to sound understandingof the business and the particularfunction some key requirements ofthe L&D professional are as follows -� Ability to act as a consultant andclarify on objectives and the businessvalue of the program� Strong skills in instructionaldesigning, to repurpose the contentdump that comes from technicalexperts and convert them intoeffective training modules� Expertise in creating andimplementing knowledge and skillassessment� Ability to create processes andplatforms to facilitate transfer oflearning� Expertise to create frame worksfor measuring business impact

Key pointsKeep it simple - People need to seethings happen fast and also feel theimpact of the same. Hence keep yourdiagnostic and design process simplewithout diluting focus.Identify business impact and resultstargeted through the training - Tomeasure business impact, one has tofocus on the same right from the


diagnosis stage. At Tata Motors, theapproach prescribed by the sixdisciplines of breakthrough learningis used. The L&D team creates aplanning wheel for each functionalprogram by seeking responses to thefour questions as mentioned in themodel.

In addition to these, surroundfactors aspects which would facilitateas well as hinder transfer of learningat the work place post training arealso mapped.Identify the key sponsor and makethat public - Identifying a keysponsor is an essential step to assurethe success of any functionaltraining. One may call this person thechief sponsor, or dean. This personneeds to be an influential memberwith respect to that functionaldomain. More importantly, he / shealso should have formalaccountability, through Key ResultAreas (KRAs), for the final deliverableof the program.Nominate a team of subject matterexperts - In addition to the keysponsor; we also need a set offunctional experts, to work closely onthe program. To sustain the interestlevels of the SMEs, it might be a goodidea to have a reward scheme in

HEMALAKSHMI RAJU

Assistant General Manager -HR Learning Lead ■ ManufacturingExcellence & Innovation

Hemalakshmi Raju leads the

Manufacturing Excellence & Innovation

vertical in L&D at Tata Motors Limited.

She has 15 years of experience in the

people development space across

various organizations. She has worked

with a wide cross section of people

across multiple age groups and social

sectors.

transfer of learning. This is oftenignored and can lead to lack ofsupport post the program. Themanager cannot just be an FYIholder, but his role with respect tohandholding in the post programstage needs to be detailed out andcommunicated in advance. One alsoneeds to ensure that the managergets whatever support needed forgood handholding.Use multiple media andmethodologies - We need to moveout of the paradigm of pureinstructor led classroom training. Onthe job training would be a key aspecthere. Also as mentioned earlier, non-traditional approaches such ascommunities of practitioners wouldbe of a value, especially ingeographically spread organizations.Build evaluation at different stages-Since this involves knowledge andskill building, evaluation at differentstages is essential to ensureeffectiveness and success. Evaluationcan be through pre and post tests,online tests as well as on the jobperformance tests.

To conclude, functional traininghas a huge potential to deliver valueto business. This will enable allemployees to deliver better in theirroles by enhancing their knowledgeand skills. Even if the L&Dprofessional is not a functionalexpert, he can delve confidently intofunctional training. In addition, to beable to deliver tangible businessvalue, functional training alsoenhances the positioning of thelearning professional and thelearning function itself.

It's time we bring back focus onthis highly critical aspect and startreaping the rich benefits of functionaltraining. It would ensure that we areoffering a comprehensive and holisticsolution to business, involvingcapability enhancement infunctional, behavioral and leadershipareas. It would also make us businesspartners in the real sense and supportin building a work force which is bothpresent and future ready.

Reference

The six disciplines of breakthrough learning -How to turn training & development intobusiness results - second edition - Calhourn Wick,Roy Pollock & Andrew Jefferson - Pfeiffer

� LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT

HC

place. At Tata Motors, we have anonline reward system where in theyare rewarded for their quantum andquality of efforts. Linking it to theirPMS may also be explored.Partner with managers - It ispossible in large organizations thatsome of the managers are neitherfunctional sponsors nor SMEs.Involving the manager is essential toensure effective implementation and

Do you remember R. K. Narayan'sclassic novel, 'The Guide'? RailwayRaju, the protagonist is a criminal whoon being released from prison takes

refuge in an ancient temple by the riverside ofa remote village. By a fortuitous turn of events,the villagers misjudge him to be a saint andrepose their faith in him. Caught in a dilemmaof wanting to be free, and the guilt at thethoughts of disappointing them, he ultimatelysuccumbs to their expectations at considerablecosts to himself.

The effect of managerial expectations onsubordinate behavior and subsequently onperformance was comprehensivelydocumented by Livingston in 1969. Heconcluded that what managers expect of theirsubordinates and the way they treat themlargely, determines the subordinate'sperformance and career progress. Driven by hishigh expectations, the Pygmalion managertreats his subordinates in such ways so as toincrease the subordinate's self-confidence. Inturn, the employee is motivated to excel at hisjob making the original prophecy come true.From the time Livingstone first proposed thatan individual's expectations may powerfullyinfluence another's behavior, a myriad oftheories dealing with Self-Fulfilling Prophesies(SFP) have emerged. The most famous amongthese is the Pygmalion effect - named afterGeorge Bernard Shaw's play - which posits that

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT �

� BY PROF. P.D. JOSE

Do greatemployeescreate greatmanagers?Since a manager's expectations of histeam members and their expectationsof themselves are the core factors thatdecide how well employees perform atwork, it is interesting to explore thefundamental ideas behind whatinspires a manager and hissubordinate to give their best at work.


human behavior and achievementsmay be positively or adverselyshaped by expectations of theirsupervisors. In other words, peoplewill internalize the negative orpositive labels assigned to them andperform accordingly. Thisphenomenon has been validated ina number of contexts.

The Pygmalion effect alsospawned a set of associated theories,among them the Galatea effect whichposits that directly inducingsubordinates to expect more ofthemselves enhances theirperformance. The story goes thatPygmalion fell in love with an ivorystatue he had crafted and it came tolife after his incessant appeals to thegoddess Venus. In both cases, thepayoff for the organizations is betterperformance and higherproductivity. In most studies ofexpectancy effects in the classroomand work situations, Pygmalion andGalatea effect have been viewed asdownward flowing. In the Pygmalioneffect, it is the supervisor who mustconvey the expectations to thesubordinate while in the Galatea

effect, though the supervisor is moretangential to the process, theexpectations of the subordinate needto be raised by an external agencyfrom a credible source.

What if these effects were to bereversed? Do the expectations of thesubordinates influence theperformance of leaders? If yes, whatimplications exist for themanagement? These are questionsworth exploring. It is proposed thatwhen the expectations of thesubordinate are positive (optimistic)and the outcome too is positive; it iscalled reversed Pygmalion or theExtended Galatea Effect (EGE).When the subordinate expectationsare negative (pessimistic) and theoutcome is negative, this is called theconfirmed failure effect.

How does this work? We canhypothesize as follows: Subordinatesconvey their high expectations of asupervisor's potential performanceconsciously or otherwise.Simultaneously, they also tend tofacilitate the supervisors' leadershipprocess and effectiveness byexhibiting increased levels of

maturity and facilitating easiercontrol and coordination. In short,by giving the best, the subordinatecan muster in terms ofadministrative/technical inputs, andthus leave the manager free tograpple with the problems of a higherorder such as planning andcoordination, the subordinate alsoincreases the probability of thesupervisor's success.Simultaneously, the belief thatpositive outcomes will result fromthe supervisor's leadershipmotivates subordinates who puts ingreater effort and achieves enhancedperformance. The supervisor is thenmotivated to put in greater effort inachieving the desired outcome.

On the completion of the task,both the supervisor and thesubordinate evaluate the outcomeagainst their initial expectations.From the view point of thesubordinate, a positive outcomereinforces his earlier predictioncompleting the SFP process for thesubordinate. In short, the realizationof high subordinate expectationjustifies the subordinate's high initial

� PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT



expectations, reinforces them andrevalidates his decision to treat thissupervisor as special.Simultaneously the supervisor tooevaluates the outcome. A positiveoutcome will increase his feeling ofself-efficacy leading to increasedmotivation and enhancedperformance.

Evidences of reverse Pygmalion

in the classroomExamples of student expectationsinfluencing teacher performance inthe classroom are visible in a numberof everyday classroom situations. Myown experience has been that inmost classroom situations coursesoffered by some faculties are morepopular. These faculties normallyalso get high ratings from thestudents. In other words, mostrelationships between 'teacherexpectations' and studentperformance in classrooms may bemore accurately construed as'student effects' on teachers ratherthan 'teacher effects' on students.

The extended Galatea effect inthe classroom may be hypothesizedto work as follows. The expectationsof the new entrants to the course areraised as a result of feedback receivedfrom the seniors and other sources.These expectations are conveyed tothe teacher unwittingly. Theteacher's performance in the class isfacilitated (paying more attention,more attendance, raising morequestions, etc.). Constant feedback,mostly non-verbal, is also given tothe teacher. Simultaneously, thelearning process of the student isfacilitated as a result of these positiveattitudes. As the learning increasesand achievements (good grades inthe exam) are visible at the outcomeevaluation stage this is attributed tothe effectiveness of the teacher.

Extended Galatea Effects (EGE)

at the workplaceIn the Galatea effect, productivity ofthe subordinate is increased byraising the self-expectations of thesubordinate using an outside agencyother than the immediate supervisor.However, it can be hypothesized that

productivity can also be enhanced byraising the self-expectations of thesupervisor using the subordinate,which the subordinate plays the roleof the Pygmalion. However, if thesubordinate is given feedback fromexternal sources that the induction ofa new manager may significantlyimprove the organizationsperformance, will it make thatprophesy a reality?

The extended Galatea effectappears to be most useful insituations where employee moraleand self-esteem are low - a situationcommonly observed inorganizations or departments on thedecline. In contexts where employeeshave low morale and low self-esteem,introducing a change agent whilesimultaneously manipulating theexpectations raises the employees'assessment of the probability of asuccessful turnaround. This in turncreates favourable conditions for afaster revival.

While managing turnaroundsituations, EGE can be used to anadvantage. A planned intervention -such as the appointment of a newmanager with a successfulreputation, or a restructuring effortunder the leadership of a trustedmanger - may be the trigger forcreating a change in expectations. Inmany turnaround situations, this canbe tremendously facilitating.Imagine the entry of a manger with areputation for turnaround. Theemployee's expectations about hisleadership are based on externalinformation about his successfultenure elsewhere. High expectationsabout possible revival, whilesimultaneously motivatingemployees, also may make it easierto push through the tough restrictingmeasures. When ultimately the firstpositive signs of turnaround arevisible, evaluating the situationreinforces the group's beliefs aboutthe leadership, creating a virtuouscycle. This may also imply that whenoutsiders with a positive reputationare chosen to lead change efforts, itincreases the probability andquickens the pace of organizationalrevival.

Of course, turnaround situations

PROF. P.D. JOSE

Associate Professor ■ Indian Instituteof Management Bangalore

P.D. Jose is an Associate Professor of

Corporate Strategy and Policy at the

Indian Institute of Management

Bangalore. Earlier he has been a member

of the faculty at the Administrative Staff

College of India, Hyderabad. Jose has

been a visiting faculty at Cardiff Business

School, IIM Kozhikode, and Gothenburg

School of Business, Economics and

Law. Jose is greatly interested in issues

related to business strategy and its

linkage to sustainable development

including corporate social responsibility.

His recent research involves examining

how Indian firms are reporting on

sustainability issues.

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT �


are complex and cannot be adequately explained byresorting to EGE alone. An organization may still fail inspite of confidence building measures because offundamental flaws in other aspects of management andcontrol. Conveying high levels of expectations onlymotivates the employee to put in a more persistent effort.The ultimate outcome will depend on a number ofexternal variables such as ability, clarity and achievabilityof goals, and other environmental factors beyond theindividual's control. On the other hand, raisingexpectations gives it advantages in terms of increasedstock market support, and an increased ability to raise therequired resources from outside sources.

Limiting processes in EGE in work situationsThe analysis of self-fulfilling prophesy as a psychologicalprocess that raises the expectee's self-efficacy andconsequently the productivity is a restricted explanationfor behavior in work situations. This analysis does nottake into consideration other variables such as authoritythat may lead to conforming behavior. The subordinate'scompliance to the supervisor's expectations may resultfrom their belief about the manager's control over valuedresources such as pay rises, promotions or favorableevaluation reports. The extended Galatea effect makes theimplicit assumption that enhanced performance resultsfrom high expectations and is not in any way influencedby reward or punishment systems. However, the originalquestion still remains - would high expectations be stillinstrumental in giving better performance if the expectorhas no control authority over the expectee?

Second, EGE in the work situation is triggered byraising the 'shared expectations' of the subordinates. Thisis considerably more difficult than manipulating theexpectations of a single individual. There may also beindividual differences within the group resulting in bothpositive as well as negative expectations. It is also possiblethat the skeptics may contaminate and lower theexpectation level of colleagues in the course of theirinteractions. It is not clear how the supervisor would reactto these conflicting signals.

Third, as Livingstone noted in 1969, expectations mustpass the text of reality before they can be translated intoperformance. Too high an expectation may erode thecredibility of the source of those expectations, will notraise productivity, and may trigger indifference and evenscorn. It is important that the expectations raised insubordinates are realistic and achievable so that it willserve as a motivator to the supervisor.

Finally, if the above propositions are true, it raises somefundamental questions regarding workplace motivationand performance. There is ample discussion on how toxicbosses compromise and destroy the performancepotential of employees, but not all the blame may be laidon the bosses. The reversal of this theory implies that toxicemployees too may exist in organizations and they maycompromise the ability of the boss to succeed.

(Note: The author acknowledges Professor Deepti Bhatnagar of IIMAhmedabad, who provided the inspiration for the original work.)

HC

� PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT


What helps in strengtheningbrand loyalties in this eraof cutting edgecompetition? A celebrity

endorsement, featuring popularBollywood actors or the best ofcricketers, cannot save a bad productfrom disappearing from the market, orgive the reassurance of multiplyingthe sales figures. All the same, it is alsonot possible to bring across path-breaking technology with everyproduct, because that too, will beimitated sooner or later by thecompetitors. So, what helps theconsumer in making the ultimatedecision of choosing one product overthe other? It is the ease with which hecan sustain a meaningful relationshipwith a particular brand. This largely isa task for the service organizationsthat give businesses an extra edge inthe market. Moreover, as often notedby the industry moguls, it is only the

HR & LINE �

� BY SWATI BHASIN

AT

YOURSERVICE!"A demotivated employee would not be ableto serve the customers well"…thismanagement lesson has immensely helpedSudipto Ghosh in creating joy for hiscustomers as well as his employees…

people perspective that can surviveand sustain organizations.

Sudipto Ghosh, ExecutiveDirector-Service India Region,Lenovo India, takes pride in the wayLenovo prepares its serviceprofessionals to face the everydaychallenges. In one of the Beijing callcenters of Lenovo, for instance, everyexecutive has an A4 size mirror at theworkstation, so that the executive cansee himself smiling in the mirrorbefore answering calls to servicecustomers in the best of spirits. "Ikeep telling my team mates that theirjob is not only to serve the customer.They have to go an extra mile tosatisfy the customer by solving hisproblem," explains Ghosh, "Our rolecan be compared to that of a doctor,who cannot expect his patients tovisit him in a cheerful mood. Thepatient has a problem and that is whyhe is visiting the doctor. Similarly, it



� HR & LINE

is only natural for a customer to get agitatedwhen his computer is not working, whichhas become a lifeline for people given thedemanding lifestyle in the modern age."

Ghosh is of the opinion that like a goodphysician who would guide his patient tomaintain steady health in general, and notjust focus on the current ailment, it hasbecome necessary for the serviceprofessionals to counsel the customers andempower them to resolve their problems ontheir own. Being in the industry for so long,Ghosh can recall numerous instances whenhe has been happy to help customers fromdifferent walks of life-be it the parents of astudent who had an exam the next day, or aPR professional who landed a prestigiousjob in the Indian Commonwealth Games,and sought help from Lenovo when hersystem became dysfunctional at theeleventh hour, or be it the founder of Infosys,Nandan Nilekani himself, who did not forgetto acknowledge the efforts of the serviceengineers even at the time of his farewellwhen he was surrounded by anoverwhelming crowd of his own employeesand associates. "Our role in the biggerpicture has increased over the years. Now,our commercial customers want the salesteams to be accompanied by service teams,so that they can make an idea of the serviceswe provide which is an integral part of anybusiness relation," asserts Ghosh.

Being at ground zeroJust like online education can neverundermine the importance of a Guru for anystudent throughout the world, similarly noamount of automated processes ortechnology for that matter can substitute agood manager. Ghosh rightly opines that thespeed of the boss is the speed of anorganization, and he is the one whopropagates the culture of the organization.He feels that the right management styleinspires, motivates and guides the peopleand processes in the right direction.

Talking of his domain in particular, hesays, "I strongly feel that any role in theservice industry highly depends on feedbackand corrective action. Unlike sales, whereyou have to achieve the set target of a billiondollars, and you can be satisfied that youhave achieved your goal; the targets in theservice industry are not quantifiable. So forme as a leader, there can never be a finishingline in the business. At the most, you can bea frontrunner." To deliver well in an assignedrole and to feel the customer's pulse, Ghosh

suggests that feedback and the correctiveactions are the most critical standpoints forthe managers. He adds, "The day we feel thatwe are not open to feedback and all theservice channels are working well, it is theend of the game!"

All his sales and marketing colleagues arefree to approach Ghosh for any businessrelated matters, howsoever trivial. Escalationmetrics and Customer Delivery Score (CDS)make the whole process all the moretransparent across hierarchies and processesfor him. Though he does not mind issuesbeing escalated, but it heightens the pressurebecause of the sense of urgency attached."Otherwise escalation loses on its purpose.I am happy to get all the escalations till thetime I am able to solve everything for thecustomer," says Ghosh.

Performances are also analysed on thebasis of CDS, which is a comprehensive dataof customer surveys conducted afterattending the consumer's grievances. "Forme and the organization also, CDS becomesvery important, because no matter how rosy


The customer supportexecutives know that for a job welldone consistently, they might not beappreciated, however, they have agood chance to be reprimanded foreven a single mistake. So it doesrequire a lot of self motivation on thepart of employees.

”

“

a picture we try to put up, this score speaksvolume of the customer's voice. Service is allabout perceptions and the customer's voiceis the final word," Ghosh elucidates.

It is also important to note that theservice organizations cannot work inisolation. So for leaders and managers, itbecomes all the more challenging to take theresponsibility not only for the actions of theirown team mates, but for people across thelength and breadth of the organization.Ghosh explains the process in comparisonto a Formula 1 race, where in a race of oneand a half hours, the racer is competing inthe most challenging conditions and hecannot win unless he has the support of histeam on the pit stop to change his battery,tyres, etc., in the shortest possible time."Similarly, after identifying the root cause ofthe problem, a service executive will have toarrange for an engineer or spare parts or

According to Sudipto Ghosh, the '7Cs' define the must have

attributes for any professional in the services industry…

COMMITMENT: A commitment that has been given to a

customer to fix the problem in a particular span of time has to

be fulfilled, come what may!

COMPREHENSIVENESS: This quality is necessary to

understand the customer's problem correctly.

CONCERN: It is important to develop sensitivity towards the

issue that the customer is experiencing.

CLOSURE OF ISSUES: It is essential to collaborate teams for

closing issues end to end.

CONSTRAINT MANAGEMENT: No organization can have

unlimited resource. Nevertheless,

despite the constraints, solutions

must be provided to customers to

reassure their faith in the product

or service.

COST: As a business organization,

we have to always stay mindful of

the budget. The option to change the product is always open,

but that is not the solution every time. We have to provide

good service, however, at a reasonable cost.

CONFIDENCE: And last but not the least, confidence is vital to

make the right impression on customers.

HAPPY TO HELP!

facilitate for other requirements," saysGhosh, "Additionally, service professionalshave to be the watchdog of quality."

People challengesThe more a leader collaborates with the HR,the better people strategies he can come upwith. Ghosh says that it is unimaginable forhim to sustain services without HR. "I wantto reiterate that service is all about deliveringa great overall experience to the customer.So training and development of peoplemakes a significant difference, for which weregularly meet with the HR teams. In fact,HR strategies are undoubtedly an importantagenda during the quarterly reviews todiscuss varied aspects ranging fromdevelopmental topic, stress management,team work, and handling customers," heshares.

As far as other challenges are concerned,Ghosh discusses how it is a thankless job inthe service industry, to a large extent. "Thecustomer support executives know that fora job well done consistently, they might notbe appreciated, however, they have a goodchance to be reprimanded for even a singlemistake," he comments, "So it does requirea lot of self motivation on the part ofemployees. Moreover, even one unsatisfiedcustomer can hugely influence other'sopinions, all thanks to the social media,which impacts hundreds and sometimesthousands of perceptions."

Ghosh who has been highly instrumentalin setting up new service centres, contactcentres, regional or support warehousesthroughout his career, discusses the ordealshe faces while sourcing the right talent. "Weare a technical call centre and we needhardware IT professionals. The serviceengineers have to be out on the field, so aftergaining some experience, they prefer to shiftto the BPOs, which offer them a comfortablejob in a good office environment minus therigors of the field job. Consequently,sourcing the right people with the rightexperience becomes a problem for us," heshares.

No organization can ignore the dauntingtask of preparing its own people to build long-term relations with the people that matter themost for the growth of its business. And, forthe leaders involved in the process, such asGhosh, the responsibilities increasemanifold. Such is the importance ofmaintaining the well-being of a serviceorganization, with the right leadership visionand people strategies, for a brand. HC

HR & LINE �


By hook or by crook

SUBRAMANIAM SURYANARAYANAN

National Head-HR■ Tata AIG General Insurance

CHIRAG BUCH

Chief Operating Officer & Head - HR■ Bharti AXA General Insurance

Is it fair to target a competitor's pool of talent?

� BY SANNITA CHAKRABORTY SAHA

Suryanaranan brings with him 16 years of

eminent experience with more than a decadespent with Tata AIG. He joined Tata AIG in

2008, and since then has been instrumental

in managing all the HR functions of thecompany.

Buch has over 18 years of varied experience.As Head- HR, he is responsible for building a

strong performance-oriented culture in theorganization apart from being the COO- IndiaDirect. Prior to this, he was with AXA Business

Services Pvt. Ltd as CEO.

A good way for quick inroadsIt is a 'war for talent'. Companies resort to poaching asthey look at ways and means to gain competitiveadvantage.

The companies are looking to stayahead by differentiating on products,processes, technology and a host ofother things, and hence having theright resources with right knowledgeand skillset is most critical.Companies are always on the lookoutfor resources who can hit the groundrunning, and the employers arewilling to invest substantial amountas compensation, as they believe thatthese individuals will be able to bringin the scarce knowledge and expertise,which would enable them to gain the marketadvantage.

New companies setting up their operations in Indiatypically like to reduce the time taken to launch theiroperations, gain competitor's perspective, and hence eyethe right talent in a competitor organization, who in turncan bring all the relevant knowledge and skills to makequick inroads.

Companies who are not investing in building theirpeople capabilities will continue to be vulnerable topoaching as new companies or existing competitionwould look to acquire talent quickly. There may be variedviews about poaching, including that it is an unethicalpractice. However, this will continue as long as there iscompetition and one organization is trying to get a headstart over the other. On the other hand, due to poaching,the loosing company begins to strengthen and createprograms for greater engagement of their key talent.

Poaching contradicts a company's ethicsPoaching employees from other organizations is not afair practice as it contradicts the mission and vision

of any organization that believes in building andmaintaining long-standing relationship

with its employees. Poaching tarnishesthe image of the organization as it only

demonstrates lack of trust towards itsexisting employees. It leads to cost escalation, as thesame resource pool is moving fromone company to another within theindustry. This will not bring newtalent in the industry and stem the

growth and development of theindustry in the long term. It will also

create paucity of new ideas andinnovation in the company in particular and

industry in general.Every organization has its own unique work

culture, processes and procedures, that are well-imbibed in its employees in due course of time. Thus,poaching employees from one's competitors leads tocommotion both within and outside of theorganization. Day to day functioning of theorganization also gets affected owing to internal andexternal disparity of work culture.

As a long-term strategy for any organization, it ismuch better to invest in human capital, grow thepipeline, focus on employee development to meetthe organization's current and future needs, ratherthan 'poaching' from the other organizations tobridge the current resource gap. The former is a lotmore sustainable for an organization's success in thelong term.

� DEBATE


T

HR PRACTICE �

he hospitality sector which employsscores of people each year isincidentally a major contributor tothe Indian economy as it garners a

place for being a big foreign exchange earner.Hence, it is essential that the hospitalityindustry builds and promotes a culture thatcan motivate both internal and externalcustomers, which in turn will not only justraise the standards of the brand but also help



for theby thepeople

uplift the image of the sector as a whole, bothwithin the country and internationally. TheInterContinental Hotels Group is one suchbrand in the hospitality sector that believesin bringing their brand to life by providingtheir guests with memorable experiencesthrough their people. For an organization thatis striving to be one of the best companies inthe world, they are convinced that throughtheir core purpose of 'Great Hotels Guests

An organization that is committed to its people and believes in ensuring

a strong workplace culture, IHG clearly has a well- defined employer

value proposition, which is based on insights and commitment from

their employees.

� HR PRACTICE


Love', it is not far when they can boast of it.For any organization, people are its most

important asset and it is no different for IHGthat believes in hiring only passionate people,training them to deliver a great guestexperience, engaging them in the business,and recognizing everyone for their hard workand dedication. In its journey towardsbecoming one of the best companies in theworld, IHG lives by a set of behaviors basedon their values, as they have aptly termed itthe 'Winning Ways'. Simon Manohar, Directorof Human Resources - South West Asia,InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG)elucidates on what the 'Winning Ways' standfor, "They provide a strong sense of sharedpurpose, and are critical to driving ourbusiness performance forward, as well asmaking IHG a great, enjoyable place to work."However, drilling the 'Winning Ways' to amere set of behaviors is sure to take away thecrux of this initiative, which underlines thatit is more about how employees at IHGbehave every day and which eventuallyreflects in the way they behave with theirguests. "These behaviors reflect on the factthat the values are important for the Group,and are developed through research with ouremployees across the world into how theybehave at work every day - and how theywant the people they work with to behave",adds Manohar.

How it came about…Conceptualized by the employees, it is aframework that helps to shape the way workis done at IHG. The 'Winning Ways'functions like a guide as employees bring thewinning ways to life each and every day, inthe way they conduct themselves with theirguests and with each other. It was launchedfive years back, after having spoken toemployees across the world and gatheringtheir thoughts on their experiences ofworking at IHG. And, since the employeesthemselves were involved in developing thewinning ways it did not face any push backand was easily accepted by all. "Hundredsof employees around the world wereinvolved in coming up of these five winningways. Once they were refined and defined,they were simultaneously launched acrossall the IHG hotels globally, on the same daywith great fanfare," asserts Manohar.However, the refining and definingprocedure was not a cakewalk. More than 60focus group workshops were conductedacross the globe wherein employees atvarious levels participated and came up with

what mattered to them the most whenworking with IHG. Their responses were thentabulated and based on the consistency andfrequency across all the 60 focus groups, thetop five were shortlisted along with thedefinition of what each of the winning waysmeant to the employees. Apart from this, datafrom the IHG employee survey was alsoassessed in addition to connecting withpeople outside the business. If this was notenough, IHG's participation in a global studyby the Corporate Leadership Council wastargeted to assess the traits of other globalorganizations that make them distinctive asemployers. Accordingly, the winning ways

1

2

3

4

5

THE FIVE WINNING WAYS…

DO THE RIGHT THING� We keep our promises and we do not let people down� We seek out the facts and trust our judgment� We take decisions even when they are difficult

SHOW WE CARE

� We treat people as individuals� We look and listen for the little thingsthat make a difference� We use our experience to find new

ways to deliver great service

AIM HIGHER

� We put our hearts into learning newthings

� We challenge ourselves and thosearound us

� We always look for ways to improve

CELEBRATE DIFFERENCE

� We welcome different perspectives and listen to everyone’sideas

� We are respectful of all cultures and look to learn from others� We play an active role in the communities in which we operate

WORK BETTER TOGETHER

� We work hard to develop excellent working relationships� We think about what we do and how it might affect others� We trust and support each other


HR PRACTICE �

along with their definitions came about.

The culture withinFor an organization to succeed, it isimportant that its employees arecompatible with each otherand do not work inisolation. IHG hastherefore created anenvironment whereeveryone can bringin their uniquepersonalities to thejob they do. This inturn helpsemployees to liveup to the values -the 'Winning Way's -the behaviors thathelp to win.

Just as consumers get tochoose every day, employeesalso have a choice. Not only wherethey choose to work, but also how they feelabout their work each day. "An employeecommitment is what we offer that willencourage people to choose to join and chooseto stay with us. It is what's in it for them to workfor IHG", says Manohar. However, he does agreewith the fact that people need to find inspirationin their jobs to bring out the winning waysbehaviors to life. So to find out what kind of aworkplace would inspire them, IHG came with

an innovative idea, wherein several questionsrelating to the workplace were asked toemployees across the world, across all brandsand corporate offices. The findings gave a clear

message which eventually led to settingIHG apart from other employers.

"From the findings, we discoveredthat employees want room to

be themselves. They wantedto be treated as anindividual and berecognized for what theydo - they want to make adifference," sharesManohar. And with itcame the promise of'Room to be Yourself',where individual passionsand talents were encourage

and appreciated. To add to this,IHG also has a fantastic coaching

and mentoring process that identifiesstrategic talent within the corporate office

and hotels. These are all interconnected to thewinning ways, which has only one agenda andthat is to make IHG a great place to work andeventually a great company to be associatedwith. One cannot ignore the fact that IHGalways strives to develop excellent workingrelationships and find newer ways to delivergreat service. And, when there are happieremployees, it is bound to create happiercustomers.

SIMON MANOHARDirector-HR ■ South West Asia and Saudi PalacesInterContinental Hotels Group (IHG)

IHG is on a journey to become one ofthe best companies in the world. We willachieve this through all of us delivering ourcore purpose of GREAT HOTELS GUESTSLOVE. Our purpose is the reason we arehere – the reason to come to work. We area service-led company delivering greathotel experiences to our guests through ourbrands and our colleagues.”

“

The competencyon which employees are

assessed on

� Be Brandhearted� Think ahead� Champion change� Lead & develop

(self & others) � Drive results � Work collaboratively


� HR PRACTICE

Employees wereasked

� What’s great about IHG?� What’s special about working here?� How are we different

from competition?� What do people really

want from their time

at work?

“Room to beyourself” makes four

promises to the employees� Room to have a great start� Room to be involved � Room to grow � Room for you

What makes itspecial…

� Simple and easy to comprehend� Practical� Measured periodically� Way of life� Owned by employees� Central to ways of working � Part of the annual appraisal

system

The journey…."It's been five years, and the journey since hasbeen great," says Manohar. The first yearbegan with an interesting competition, whichwas held globally which involved winning allfive 'Jigsaw puzzle pieces' which representedthe five winning ways and then a goldennugget to complete the circle. For each Jigsawpuzzle piece, the hotel had to submit a seriesof sustainable actions with evidences of livingthe particular winning way. Once all the fivepuzzle pieces were won, the hotel needed towork with the participants of their teamsagain on projects that were aligned to thecorporate social responsibility.These actions were thensustained over aperiod of time. Tonail the success ofthe initiative,about 95 percent of thehotels were ableto achieve andput together allthe five piecesof the puzzle andthe goldennugget in theinitial year itself.

Speaking on theimpact of the winning wayson the employees, Manohar proudly asserts,"By living our winning ways on a daily basis,every employee has been impacted to deliverthe winning ways. We even have winning wayshero recognition awards for our people and'The monthly front of the house' and 'Heartof the house employee awards' based on thecriteria of the living examples ofdemonstrating our winning ways." He adds,"Another way by which employees areimpacted is through the annual appraisalsystem. We have six competencies that everyemployee is assessed on, each of these sixcompetencies is supported by two of thewinning ways and the winning waysbehaviors are also assessed along with thecompetencies".

Aids in personal growth of employeesGoing ahead, the 'Winning Ways' which havenow been inducted into the annualperformance review process automaticallyhelps the employees in their personal growthand development, The winning ways also re-enforces the strengths and develops the areasof improvement in employees. In fact, it has adirect bearing on demonstrating the behaviors

on these competencies. Every employee alsohas the winning ways as part of their personaldevelopment plan (PDP). "Allcolleagues are trained on howto write a great PDP andthe managers aretrained on how tohave the PDPconversation aswell. Personald e v e l o p m e n tdiscussions areheld periodicallybetween themanager and the

employee tomonitor the

progress ofthe plan" saysManohar. In India,IHG has introduced a PDPweek, once a quarter where inthe manager / supervisor hasa one to one chat with theemployee. Since, PDP is aflexible document, it can beused throughout the careerspan of an employee and thedevelopment activities can getadded on as and when one

activity is complete.

Belief in values …As an organization, IHGbelieves that values arenot just words, butwhat they live by inthe hearts of everyemployee at work.Manohar validatesit by saying,"Organizations donot create values,people createvalues, and the bestways for us is to keepour promises and notlet people down, takedecisions even when they aredifficult, treat people asindividuals, and work hard to developexcellent working relationships". Hence, "Anemployee commitment is what we offer thatwill encourage people to choose to join, andchoose to stay with us. It is what's in it forthem to work for IHG", concludes Manohar.And, when the heart of the company lies inits people, it is bound to rule the hearts of theguests it services the world over. HC


� BY MANAVI PATHAK

The beauty advantage

Ioften ponder if the doors of opportunitiesopen automatically for people who arebestowed with good looks. Some of us

would like to believe that it really does. Infact, it is not uncommon for people, ingeneral, to get swayed by appearances. Beingattractive gives one an added advantage inour society whether it is a job or amatrimonial alliance. If beauty andappearance did not count, then why wouldpeople dress up appropriately for interviewsor important business meetings?

Dr Gordon Patzer, International Experton Physical Attractiveness Phenomena,after three decades of research on physicalattractiveness concluded that humanbeings are hard-wired to respond morefavorably to attractive people. "Goodlooking men and women are generallyregarded to be more talented, kind, honestand intelligent than their less attractivecounterparts," says Patzer. Experts inhuman behavior have long argued that anindividual's physical appearance affectshow he is perceived and treated by others.Barring a few exceptions, most empiricalstudies support the contention thatphysically attractive individuals arefavorably treated as compared to their lessattractive counterparts. So if you thoughtintelligence is the key to career progression,then here is the new flash: Good looks witha dash of smartness can help people scorea good job, and earn the money they havealways dreamt off. Let us examine why andhow.

What is beautiful is good!The principal explanation of attractivenessadvantage in social psychology is the 'whatis beautiful is good' stereotype. The core

PSYCHOLOGY AT WORK �

argument in this is that individuals makeinferences about other person's traits andqualities based on their physicalappearances. Physically attractive people areascribed a range of positive traits such ashigh intelligence, honesty, likeability,friendliness, and leadership skills. Incontrast, unattractive people, both adultsand children are ascribed negative traits.

Also, related to this concept is the'extended halo effect'. Individuals may wantto benefit by being associated withphysically attractive people either throughfriendship or marriage, and it may be a'payoff' in the long run because it transmitspositive social status onto others than thephysically attractive person herself. Astereotypical example is of a man whobenefits socially because he has a beautifulwife.

Gordon Patzer has explained the entireprocess in four steps. Physical attractivenessphenomena occurs through a four-stepprocess whereby: (1) Physical attractivenessoccurs as an informational cue (2) fromwhich extensive information is inferred (3)that triggers assumptions, expectation,attitudes and behaviors, and (4) then causepowerful or pervasive effects andconsequences. Recently, on an International platform, theCEO of Deutsche Bank had been quotedsaying that the presence of women in histeam contributes to his excellence. Althoughthis statement was subject to immensecontroversy, the main idea that wasconveyed here was that 21st century careerprogression does not thrive merely on talent,but also depends on a lot many factors."From dressing sense, to communicationskills and non-verbal aspects such as body


language, everything holdsimportance. A complete package iswhat the corporate world looks for,"remarks Alyque Padamsee,Advertising Guru.

Although some of us would liketo believe that this phenomenon islimited only women, however, this isnot true, as experts believe thatphysical attractiveness phenomenaand its related consequences are notlimited to gender, age or race.

Big differencesBeing good-looking is useful in somany ways. Studies haveshown that in addition towhatever personal pleasure itgives to the individual, beingattractive also helps one earnmore money. Attractivepeople earn on an average ofthree to four per cent morethan people with belowaverage looks, according toDavid Hamermesh, Professorof Economics at theUniversity of Texas at Austinand the author of the bookBeauty Pays: Why attractivepeople are more successful. Arecent article in PsychologyToday (The truth about whybeautiful people are moresuccessful: 2012) reportedthat beautiful people tend tobring in more money for theircompanies and are thereforeseen as more valuableemployees and hard workers.Hamermesh also believes thatattractive people tend to havedesirable personality traitssuch as - higher self-confidence -a direct result of theirgood looks that appeals to mostemployers. There is also a possibilitythat beauty and the attractivenessaspect of one's personality arepositively related, and that it is thegeneral sparkle of one's personalityand not one's beauty, that increasesthe earnings. Catherine Hakim,professor of sociology at the LondonSchool of Economics and the authorof the book Erotic Capital, addedfurther evidence by suggesting thatprofessional women who use theirerotic capital: Beauty, sex appeal,

� PSYCHOLOGY AT WORK

AN INTERESTINGINCIDENT....

I have an attractive friend who flies frequently forwork and whose employer buys first class ticketsfor her. She tells me that 99 per cent of the malepassengers who sit next to her try hard to pick aconversation with her, at some point during theflight, and half of them end up asking for her phonenumber. At times, she simply closes her eyes andpretends to be asleep to avoid being bothered.

'No one bothers me when I sit in the last rowof the Economy class. Sometimes, I am luckyenough that no one is sitting next to me on eitherside, so I can stretch my body across three seats,close my eyes, and sleep for real,' confesses DarioMaestripieri, Ph.D., a professor of comparativehuman development, evolutionary biology, andneurobiology at the University of Chicago.

Psychology Today : The truth about why beautifulpeople are more successful (2012)

charm, dress sense, liveliness andfitness - tend to get ahead at work.According to her, "Beauty premiumis an important economic factor inour careers," citing a US survey thatfound good looking lawyers earn 10-12 per cent more than less attractivecolleagues.

There is no escaping the force ofan individual's physical image atwork. Social psychologists and careerexperts agree that you are judged notonly for your abilities, but also yourclothes, style and grooming. Thereare certain jobs especially in areas

such as hospitality, client servicingwhere good looks and an attractivepersonality are an added bonus. Inthese sectors, success depends a loton how you present yourself. Severalgrooming experts and imageconsultants share that increasingamount of candidates applying forjobs have begun to give importanceto personal grooming and style.Personality grooming is not limitedto a selected few, it is becomingincreasingly popular. This was not sofew years back.

Although majority accept that

beauty and a good personality canact as a stepping stone to success inthe workplace, on the other hand,few findings have refuted thisconception. Researchers in ColoradoUniversity have found that only insome specific jobs, good lookingwomen are likely to receive favor. Itwas also reported that in male-dominated work fields, women haveto face bias because here 'good looks'do not play a role, and it is here thatfunctional knowledge andexperience is considered moreimportant. Based on the above

findings, it can be concludedthat the bias in favor of thephysically attractive is robust.Since it is not fair to basehiring decisions on non-job-related factors such asattractiveness, training thehiring managers to avoid thisbias is one way to reduce thisinequity.

To conclude For better or worse, physicalattractiveness does play amajor role in achievingworkplace success. Althoughthe findings presented hereare perhaps somewhatpolitically incorrect, thesocial code stresses that wehave to rather believe andassert that beauty does notplay a role either in staffselection, promotion or insalary negotiations. However,research cites a completelydifferent perspective. Thesefindings should be a warningto those employers or

managers who may besubconsciously favor the moreattractive candidates. It is thereforeimportant that we become aware ofthis phenomena (and not deny it anylonger), and protect people from thiskind of discrimination whereverpossible. In addition, though thebeautiful have an advantage over therest of us, yet there is plenty of roomto catch up too. HC

Dr Manavi Pathak is an Organizational Psychologistand Consultant. She can be reached [email protected].


Aditya Shrivastava waslooking at a photographthat hung on the wall in hisbedroom. It was his own

photograph, where he was dressed asthe young Mahatma. Far fromproviding an answer, the photographseemed to puzzle him all the more.

Aditya was the Recruitment Headat Srinidhi IT Services (SIS), a strong50,000 workforce organization. Hehad been a part of this organizationalmost since its inception, mentoredby the Head of HR, Madan Mohan. Itwas in the early 90's when Aditya, ayoung MBA then, met Madan in thecampus during the placement week.

It was the fourth day of theplacement week and young Adityahad not been able to crack any of theinterviews so far. He had wanted tojoin one of the big legacyorganizations, so as to learn theextant HR practices, and also build astrong brand name for himself. Hehad specifically distanced himselffrom most of the youngorganizations that were visiting thecampus. Madan, however, wassuccessful in changing hisperception. "Do you want to be partof a dream, or do you want job

Just another day in

corporate IndiaMany a times, in the corporate life, we face situations where our

ethics and morals have to be kept at bay. However, should we be

ready to compromise our integrity and ethics for a handsome raise or

great perks?

� BY PROF. L. GURUNATHAN

CASE STUDY �


security?" asked Madan, who wasthen the HR- Head of an IT startup-Dreams IT limited.

This statement coming fromanyone else would have soundedsuch a cliché, however, coming fromMadan it sounded so genuine toAditya. Again, the options availablein those times were limited, even thehuge difference in CTCs acrossindustries was unheard of.Consequently, making choices was alot easier, unlike today.

In a short span of time, Madanmade such an impact on Aditya thathe eventually became an integralpart of Madan's team. Madanbelieved in building a strong team,and Aditya was the newest memberin the team with just two years ofexperience. The other two teammembers were with Madan for muchlonger time, and were ready to gowherever he went.

"Over the years, Dreams ITLimited became very conservative

and afraid of growth, though it was agood organization to work for.However, around that time only, SISwas going through some leadershipoverhaul, and the thirst for growthand willingness to compete with thebest was evident in the leadershipteam. Madan wanted to join there,and I agreed to follow suit," Adityawas reminiscing, "Personally, it wasa challenging time for me. Dreams ITLimited was located in Delhi and mywife was expecting our first child.Both of us did not want to relocate,at least for the next six months.However, when Madan insisted, Iagreed! My wife stayed back in Delhiwith her parents, who I knew wouldtake good care of her. Eventually, Imoved to Hyderabad with Madan."

"Madan was a charmer," Adityathought to himself, while still on hisjourney down memory lane, "Heknew what to say and when to say it,and could convince anybody in theworld to listen to him. For him, HR

was about people and not about thesystems. As Madan often told me, 'Itis not the systems Aditya, it is thepeople who work for the systems. Youthink our PMS or our recruitmentsystems work? No!'"

At SIS, Aditya was put in chargeof PMS, and Madan was the HeadHR. The other two members were incharge of talent acquisition andmanagement, and compensationand benefits, respectively.

A decade went by and Adityacontinued to head PMS with severalteam members reporting to him. Inthe meantime, the organization alsocontinued to grow in size. However,as time passed by, Aditya got boredof managing PMS, and wanted toexplore other avenues. He wanted toswap places with the other twomembers in Madan's team. However,Madan refused to make any suchchanges. "It is not about what you aredoing; it is about how convincing youare in your role! So stop worrying andfocus on the challenges ahead withinyour function," he had firmly said.

Despite the word of reassurancefrom his mentor, Aditya was stillyearning for some change. Heactually began to feel that it was timefor him to look beyond theorganization, as he has learnt enoughand was ready to seek newerchallenges. Aditya had contemplateda change of job even earlier, and eachtime he discussed this with Madan,he landed himself with a decent payrise and a stern advise from Madanagainst considering a job change.However, these actions on part ofMadan only confused Aditya furtheras he did not see himself deservingof those ad hoc raises, and neitherdid he consider himself to be anindispensable employee.

It was the summer of 2009 whenAditya met Sreekumar, an employeeat SIS and an ex-student and juniorfrom Aditya's institute. "I wish tohave a word with you in private,Aditya," Sreekumar had requested.Aditya proposed to meet Sreekumarat his office but Sreekumar preferredmeeting at Aditya's home. They metthat evening. Sreekumar began theconversation with a graveexpression, "My job at SIS is to learn

� CASE STUDY


about the HR systems, and frankly, Ihave a lot of free time after I havecompleted my assigned tasks. So, Imade a few inquiries, and found outthat the amount SIS is spending ontraining and development, andrecruitment is way above what ourcompetitor is paying." Adityainterrupted, "Indeed! It is a hallmarkof our organization that we focus ontraining." "But Aditya that is not theissue; the issue is that the candidateswe recruit are from the sameinstitution as two of our closestcompetitors," Sreekumar interjected.

Aditya nodded and said, "I agree,Sreekumar. I too have shared thisconcern with Madan many a times.The productivity of our employees isnot very different from that of thecompetitors', as per the data sharedby our consulting partners. However,Madan feels that the data cannot betrusted.""Aditya, I have managed to get holdof something more serious, and I amafraid I have to share this with you. Icalled a few vendors involved inrecruiting, and I discovered thatmany of our long-term vendors didnot exist at all. I am afraid that theyare all bogus! The situation is not verydifferent in the T&D as well, althoughthere the issue is probably aboutbogus bills and not partners,"confessed Sreekumar.

"What are you claimingSreekumar! Are you…? Is it justblasphemy?" asked Aditya, unable tohide his shock and disbelief in theallegations being made. Sreekumartried to calm down his colleague andadded, "Aditya, I wanted to share thiswith you for just one reason. I wantedto check if you are aware of this. Infact, the actual reason I wanted tomeet you is to check with you if thisis a normal industrial practice. Maybe it is, and I am not aware of it. But,I am uncomfortable about it."

"But Sreekumar, how did you gethold of all this information? Whywould anyone share this data withyou?" demanded Aditya. "Actually,no one did. I stumbled upon twodifferent files with details of list ofrecruitment partners and relatedexpenditure. I just called one suchvendor to discuss the details of

payments, only to realize that thereis no such vendor. In fact, I checkedwith the accounts as to whom thesecheques are addressed to,"Sreekumar elaborated.

"Sreekumar, do not pursue thisfurther unless I get more data. Let metake over from here. However, I mightstill need your help, but at a laterstage. What you have discussed todayis too explosive. We need to alertMadan about this," Aditya said whileconcluding the discussion.

Aditya spent the evening in astate of shock, while trying to answerhis own questions, 'How cansomeone do this to Madan? Afterall,he is like a father figure to us. Howcan the other two do this?'

He called Madan a few hourslater. Madan asked him to come overto his home. Aditya shared the entirediscussion he had with Sreekumar,and how Sreekumar stumbled upona huge corporate crime. On hearingthis, Madan's face grew pale. Adityasympathized as he could understandhow difficult it would be for hismentor to stand such a betrayal. Allthat Madan had to say was, "Aditya,I cannot speak much about thisnow." "I understand sir," respondedAditya and postponed the discussionfor another day.

The next day, Madan sent forAditya over the phone.

"Aditya, I spoke to both of them.They had embezzled the companyfunds. It is a serious crime and theyshould be punished," informedMadan and further added, "However,they are like my children. To reformthem and not destroy the reputationthat this HR department has gainedover the years, I have asked themnever to repeat such an offence, andthey have given their word. I want toforgive them and give them a chanceto start afresh. The chapter is closed.I do not want you to discuss thisfurther with anyone."

Aditya was a bit stirred up andsuggested, "Sir, the money would berunning into crores if they have beendoing this over a long time. I thinkyou are letting them off to easy. Iwould…" Madan stopped him in themiddle of sentence, "Aditya, you aretoo young and too upright for this

Dr L. Gurunathan holds a doctorate inManagement from IIM, Ahmedabad. AtXLRI, he handles courses in executivecompensation, and strategic humanresource management. He also, consultsand trains organizations in these areas.He has trained public sector corporationssuch as Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd,NTPC, BALCO, Novo Nordisk and Dr.Reddy’s Laboratories, Tech Mahindra,Computer Science Corporation,Accenture and Ma Foi Ltd. He has beeninvolved in designing a pay forper formance scheme for TourismCorporation of India Ltd. He has alsoworked with Nuclear Power Corporationof India Ltd to analyze their humanresource management and recommendchanges.

L. GURUNATHANFaculty ■ PMIR, XLRI Jamshedpur

CASE STUDY �


world. No one is perfect. This moneycannot be paid back by them. Eventhough they committed the crime, Itake the responsibility of the wholeepisode, since I groomed them. Youwant their families to suffer or youwant them to start afresh? I havechosen the latter. The reason I calledyou is not to discuss the penalty. I donot want you to discuss this furtherwith anyone. It is for your own good."

As Aditya prepared to leave,Madan added… "By the way, I had tolet Sreekumar go. He may notunderstand but he was capable ofdestroying my reputation and the HRdepartment that I built. In one stroke,he could kill everything. I called himand appreciated him for what he did,but what he did was not part of hisjob description. We cannot have suchpeople in here."

"But sir…" Aditya tried to speak,but Madan intervened again, "I amensuring that he will get a goodrecommendation from me, and hewill have a choice of goodorganizations to go to. It is just thathe cannot continue to stay here.

Please understand that he cannothave a good career with two of thesenior HR managers who wouldalways remain worried that he wouldspill the beans. It is for his good."

Aditya came back to his room. Hedid nothing much that day and leftthe office at 6:00 pm sharp. He calledSreekumar on his mobile and theyboth met at his home.

Sreekumar began, "Aditya, had Iknown that you will rush to Madanstraightaway, I would have warnedyou. I am surprised that you did notrealize that something like this couldnot go on without the topmanagement's support. Only youwere kept in the dark. As for me, I amhappy that I got a decent exit. This istoo serious. I cannot start a career inan organization like this. Today, I wastaking to Pramila, a batchmate ofmine. She told me was that most HRdepartments are corrupt and thatthere is a cut that goes to the financedepartment to get everything going.Given that there is an extraordinarygrowth, adding an extra crore to thecut, may not be a big issue."

� CASE STUDY

Aditya broke his silence after along time, "Sreekumar, I apologizefor letting you down. I did not expectmy mentor to behave like this. I amstill in a state of shock; but I mightneed your help. Do you, by anychance, have any documentation tosupport your case?"

"This looks too deep. However, asfor documentation, I do have acouple of proofs to substantiate theclaims. Many of the recruitment andtraining agencies cannot be createdovernight. Their details will be in theaudited financial files," Sreekumarreassured his friend.

As Aditya went about collectingdata, he realized that he had to go tothe finance department andeventually to the top management toget what he wanted. He wanted tohave some evidence, so that he couldconvince the top management toinvestigate. He was confident thatthe top management would nottolerate this kind of fraudulentactivity within the organization.

During the next two days, Adityamanaged to gather some scanty


evidence about fictitious trainingpartners with some help from thefinance department. However, todelve further, he had to seekpermission from the topmanagement.

That weekend Madan met Aditya,and started the discussion, "Aditya,what you are doing has to stop! Iunderstand something wrong hashappened. But, you seem to be soinsistent on punishing these guysthat you are failing to realize that itwill take me lesser time to createproblems for you. I am not sayingthat I will do it, but these guys are notgoing to take an embarrassmentkindly. They will make life difficult foryou." Aditya interrupted, "Are youwith me or not, Sir? We are sitting ona corporate crime. This cannot gounpunished."

"Aditya, I am with you on thepunishment. However, not in themanner you want it. These peoplehave established themselves. Makethem pay, but do not destroy theircareers," Madan continued

impatiently, "By the way, who is notcorrupt in this organization? Do youthink we get projects because we bidat the lowest cost? Rather, we getmost projects because we oblige theright guys with the right gifts! Thequestion is not that there iscorruption, but whether it is withinpermissible level…a level where itcan stay in control. I assure you thatI will bring down the corruption, butplease understand that life is verycomplicated. Both you and I havebenefited from this indirectly. Whydo you think you managed to getpromoted so fast or get good raisesperiodically? Give me the time andspace. If you go ahead and complainabout it you may get a few momentsof adulation. But, that's about it!"

Aditya came out a confused man.Obviously he was being watched. Hisenquiries at the finance departmentdid not go unnoticed. He was not surehow far this was going. On one hand,Aditya could just go about mindinghis business, trusting Madan to'reform' others. On the other hand, he

felt he should stand up and make thetop management conduct a properenquiry, and punish thoseresponsible, even if it meantdisgracing Madan. Or, should hesimply quit? After all, he was thinkingabout it for some time. Then again,Aditya was not in favor of offendinghis mentor, though he was confusedwith the ethical stance of his mentor.

That evening, he called a fewfriends over for dinner. Most of themdescribed such fraudulent activitiesas commonplace, and that nothingcould be done about them. "If youwant to destroy yourself fine; butthen don't you see pirated movies ordownload pirated music? It is all thesame…just the scale is larger," one ofhis friends commented andcontinued. "Why do you thinkpeople take up recruitment? It is wellremunerative, given the scale atwhich we are hiring!"

Aditya got more confused. He feltbetrayed by his mentor. But thequestion that stood tall was- 'Whatshould he do next?'

An organization is known by thephilosophy it espouses, itsability to methodically follow

it and stand the test of time. Whatmakes the case so typical is becauseof what gets manifested on differentoccasions--personal beliefsoverriding, while ignoring all tell-talefactors. Most professionals normallyare able to sense the underlyingoccurrences within an organizationand more so within one's ownfunction. In my view, despite being aprofessional with achievements andstanding, Aditya fails to pick up thesignals and gets clouded by his blindfaith and belief on his boss, more sobecause he was personally mentoredby him right through his career. Hewas naïve enough in hisunderstanding that even whenpresented with the data, he could notbelieve that his mentor could be apart of such a large-scale malpracticewithin the organization. The fact isthat he was totally oblivious of anywrongdoing within the organizationand his own function, and even thefact that his own colleagues were all

a part of the larger malaise impactingthe organization.`

While, it would be very easy todiagnose what ails the organizationand prescribe a solution, it isimperative that the entire eco-systembe studied before suggesting whatneeds to be done. The most effectiveway to analyze the case at a macrolevel would be to ascertainorganizational mechanisms, whichlook into the code of ethics--thechecks and balances built into thesystem, the role of audits (bothinternal and external), and mostimportantly the core philosophyunder which the business operates.

Since, Aditya operates in a systemwhich has nurtured him, given himgrowth, provided him goodcompensation, and is closely alignedto his mentor; so it becomes obviousthat working his way out of thesituation would be quite tricky andfraught with some element of risk,because by association, he becomesa part of the issue here! There are noeasy solutions to offer.

At an individual level, there

should be a strong value system andbelief in integrity and a sense ofconviction in whatever one aims todo and achieve in his role and career.Especially, being part of the HRfunction, one is not just the guardianof the core values and culture of theorganization, but is also itsconscience keeper. Therefore, both atthe individual and functional level,the need to be honest and fair in alltransactions is paramount to haveany authority, moral or otherwise,and to undertake any corrective orpreventive actions.

In this case, Aditya has found outthat there are fraudulent activitiesbeing carried out by the top-notchHR leaders. The seriousness of thisissue can be calculated not only interms of the magnitude or the scale,but also in terms of the long-termimplications on the organization.

My understanding is that Adityais caught up in an organizationwhere there is probably nomechanism to report suspicious orfraudulent behaviors. He is expectedto research and provide proofs for the

CASE STUDY �


claims that he is making. There is nothird party taking the initiative toresearch and decide on the validity ofthe claims of the fraud. Therefore,from an immediate perspective, heneeds to understand the culture,alignments and the organization'sability to deal with some of the ethicalchallenges it faces. While there couldbe easy alternatives of waiting for anappropriate opportunity for him toquit and look at other options; as aprofessional, it would in no way helphim strengthen his conviction andself-confidence, in order to take astand when confronted with toughchoices.

It is therefore imperative for Adityato investigate thoroughly and reportthe case to the right authority, alongwith his findings, to ensure that thefacts are put up and worked towardsa logical closure withoutcompromising on the code ofconduct and ethics, with exemplarycounter action which becomes adeterrent. It is easier said than done,but for his own level of self-assurance,he needs to make his choice and actaccordingly.

From a long-term perspective, heneeds to impress on the leadership ofthe organization to develop a robustsystem built on strong values andsound business principles to developprocesses that puts on track allfinancial dealings, especially wherethere are payouts, a three stage checkand balance mechanism, whichensures probity in all financialdealings. In this particular instance, itwill ensure a robust system withvendor selection and encourage aculture of transparency and fairness.Also, there should be mandatory andcontinuous internal checks andaudits to prevent any unwarrantedbehaviors.

Simultaneously, everyorganization must put in place adisciplinary policy, which deals withdefaulters in the most suitable way.The policy should clearly state thecode of conduct and actions to betaken in case of violation. The optionof introducing a whistle blower policyhas to be institutionalized, which willencourage individuals to reportmalpractices and simultaneouslyprotect the individual and ensure a

strong check to stop all suchmalpractices. This will provide therequired confidence to individuals toreport any wrong doing without anyfear of retaliation or being victimized.

To reduce the chances ofmanipulation and manualinterventions, there is a strong needto introduce a system-basedapproach with appropriate software.All transactions and sensitiveinformation should be tracked onsystems. It would be a long-drawnprocess, but the need is to prioritize.The processes that would requireimmediate attention could be in thearea of compensation, performancemanagement and confidentialpersonal data at an employee level.Similarly the processes that deal withfinancial payouts, contracts, vendorpayments and the book of accountsalso should be managed through thesystem with sufficient checks andbalances. The need is to clearlyestablish mandated delegation ofauthority to manage data andprocesses, and work on a schedule foraudits.

There are no easy choices forAditya. He needs to take a stand andif that means he needs to take on hismentor, he has to be doubly sureabout his data sources and the factsof the case. At a professional level, hewill be assailed with apprehensionson job security and his own safety andtherefore, he needs to tread carefullybut sure work towards taking actionswhich will hold him in good stead inthe long run. His bigger challenge willbe to manage his own personal beliefsand convictions and be prepared toovercome a sense of misplaced loyaltyand the feeling of being let down. Hismettle will be tested and he could endup with a setback and be forced tolook at options outside of theorganization, if he is not able to takethe case to a logical closure. However,most organizations do not condonemalpractices and with his experienceand understanding, Aditya wouldneed to work on bringing about a self-transformation to take the requiredsteps and make a difference.

In my view, the softest pillow is aclear conscience, and Aditya wouldneed to do whatever he can to bringabout a change.

Raghavendra joined Infosys BPO inAugust 2008 as Vice President andHead of HRD. In his current role, Raghuis anchoring a number of initiatives andinterventions to support developmentof business strategy through aligningthe HR functional role to dovetail withbusiness plans. He comes with awealth of experience of over 25 +years straddling different industryverticals & organizations such as J.K.Synthetics, Blue Dar t and RamcoSystems.

RAGHAVENDRA K

Vice President and Head - HR■ Infosys BPO

� CASE STUDY


Alok is a fellow of Sumedhas Academy

for Human Context, and also on its Board

(sumedhas.org). In a career spanning

over 19 years, Alok has worked in a

number of challenging and rewarding HR

Leadership assignments in companies

such as Ranbaxy Laboratories, Motorola,

Deutsche Bank Group, AstraZeneca

Pharma India Ltd, and Metro Cash &

Carry Pvt. Ltd. He is currently the Chief

People Office with India Value Fund, in

the private equity sector. Alok continues

to anchor several OD and talent-

leadership effor ts, par ticularly in the

domains of organization renewal &

transformation, handling mergers,

acquisitions and divestitures, and

leadership development. He holds a post-

graduation degree in PM&IR from TISS,

Mumbai.

ALOK MEHTAChief People Office with■ India Value Fund

Before we jump into what heshould do next, let us try andunderstand what Aditya

must have gone through, and howhe must have felt:� Disillusionment: This processcan be very hard hitting, henceAditya is bound to feel disillusionedwith the HR function of hisorganization. Some of theassumptions that he must havemade:� "I always thought that the HRwas a noble, humble and caringfunction, that many called the'conscience keeper' for theorganization". Well this myth wasbusted, and Aditya began raisingdoubts on the value and the growingsuspicion on the potential damagethat HR can do to the reputation ofan organization.� "Mentors are Gods can do nowrong". Mentors are humans, andputting them on any pedestal willonly add to the commotion!However, there is indeed a lot tolearn from the mentors, i.e., both,what to do and also, what NOT todo.� "The Big world out there is likethis only". Poor Aditya, must havegot caught in this last belief, andlead an impoverished life. If he seesthe world at large only through thislens, he will find it difficult to trustand build relationships in hispersonal as well as professional life.� Betrayal: Living with a sense ofbetrayal can be very harmful foranyone. And if this person (Aditya)has relied on just this one person forhis learning, growth and currentprofessional and personal standing,and he almost feels indebted to him,getting out of this downward spiralcan be a long and tedious process.� Looked down upon: Sreekumar,who first unearthed the allegedmalpractices, may have beenrelieved to leave SIS. However, hecould be wondering as to whyAditya did not leave SIS muchearlier. Was he involved in this messas well?

Under the pressure of the heavythoughts followed by all theseassumptions, Aditya would actuallybe wondering and feeling damned

if he does something to help thesituation, and damned also if hedoes not! He must clear the clutterin his mind, and ask himself a fewquestions:1) Do I have strength ofconviction?2) Am I prepared to face theconsequences of my actions?

Assuming he comes out of this'rite of passage', he must thereforeact. First, Aditya must find himselfa new job! This could take time, buthe must do that. At the end of theday, integrity and professional prideis what drives most of us to workevery day. And if ever, integrity isnot valued, and even asked to bediluted, self respectingprofessionals should: 1- Try andmake the change happen. 2. Bringthe perpetrators to book. …..blowthe whistle.

Aditya must take anappointment with the CEO/MD ofthe organization and also theindependent director if they haveone. He should talk about this issuein each of the meetings, with a clearconscience and evidence. By theway, if he does not get theseappointments, he should know thatthis place if not for him!

I would like to believe that thisis not just another normal day inCorporate India. And, myexperiences thus far corroboratethe same. However, I have heard ofsuch stories in the past as well, andthat hurts for various reasons:� The HR as a function is verypowerful. It has the power to touchthe lives of employees and theirfamilies. It is also an integral part ofthe organizational strategy, and isvalued as an equal partner.� These 'mentors' and rolemodels can make or break thecareers of the young mentees. And,if the growing professionals do notfind their own anchor to show themthe right direction, they tend to goastray with the assumption andexperiences that tell them that 'thisindeed, is another normal day inCorporate India'.I stay hopeful, and this hopelives in me through many more'Adityas'. HC

CASE STUDY �


In August 2012, The Atlantic magazinecarried a long article by Anne-MarieSlaughter with the rather depressing title

"Women Still Can't Have It All". Anne-Marieshould know a thing or two about thechallenges that a woman faces in managinga career and home. She has held seniorpublic positions under the Obamaadministration alongside her tenuredfaculty position in a large US university andmanaged a family of four including twochildren. She rues that there are nocomforting role models that establishes thefact that a woman can be at the pinnacleof her chosen professionwhile also managing ahome. When she scoursthe corporatelandscape forsuccessful womenprofessionals, shefinds that most ofthem are either notmarried or have nochildren. The fewthat do havechildren are out-of-the-ordinary 'superwomen' thatthey cannot really be rolemodels for the averagewomen professional. Shesuggests few changes thatorganizations and societiescan make, to make life easierfor the working women.

Anne-Marie quotes a study byeconomists, Justin Wolfers & BetseyStevenson, that on an average women in the

A POINT OF VIEW �

Empowerment through redesign:Can women have it all?� BY GAUTAM BRAHMA

US are less happier in 2012 than they werein 1972. With all that is supposedlyhappening to empower women in theworkplace and in educational institutions,why should this be so? This has to be seenalongside the findings of Prof. Stewart D.Friedman of the Wharton Business School,University of Pennsylvania. In a remarkablelongitudinal study, he has been surveyinggraduating students every year, from 1992onwards, on the likely success factors forworking couples. Over the years, he hasfound that men are becoming more

accepting of the possibility ofwomen being able to succeed

without compromising ontheir career growth.Paradoxically, women arebecoming less accepting ofthis possibility. This is

disappointing. Especiallybecause domestic

chores, supposedlythe ballast that tieswomen down, aregetting sharedmore equitably inthe typical US

home. The Bureauof Labor Statistics

has determined thatworking women now

spend an average of2.6 hours a day on home

and family chores whilefor men, the figure is 2.1.

Betsy Myers of Bentley Universitysuggests, that women who 'have it all' fall


into three groups: women who are late bloomers (i.e.,those who complete child-rearing before entering thegrowth phase of their profession), women who are partof 'power couples' (i.e., married to an equally successfuland rich spouse, which makes it possible to outsourcequality child care) and women who have a stay-at-homespouse. It is possible that women professionalsintuitively understand this and since most workingwomen do not fit into these categories there is a generalgloom about the possibility of 'having it all'.

So what are the biggest barriers that womenprofessionals face? Ann-Marie quotes

Jolynn Shoemaker, Director of Women inInternational Security, USA: "Inflexible schedules,unrelenting travel, and constant pressure to be in theoffice". Unfortunately some of these cannot be wishedaway from the jobs that many women do. After allnurses, store cashiers and school teachers have to beavailable all the time at their place of work. However,these pain points can be managed in at least some ofthe jobs. Ms Slaughter suggests how: Work-schedulescan be redesigned to match school-schedules or at leastthe default schedule for face-to-face meetings shouldbe adjusted to factor in school schedules. Workassessment can be outcome-based and not linked tophysical presence in the office. And the default mode ofinteraction across geographies should be throughtechnology and not travel. Due recognition should begiven to the working woman who disciplines herself tofollow a very long workday in order to meet family andwork obligations, just like today, we admire the officeathlete who is disciplined enough to manage office workand marathon running. Women on their part shouldthink of their career not as a steady upward slope but asa sequence of steps, some longer than others, and treatthe plateaus as 'investment intervals', which they areusing to sharpen their saw for a modified career.

Many would look at these solutions as wishfulthinking or consolations to treat unfortunate careerbreaks as renewal opportunities. And indeed this maybe true, however depressing. However, there is anevidence that some of these are coming about. Forinstance, there is some evidence to show that stockperformance of companies that have a better genderbalance is better than those where men arepredominant. Also, even the legal profession notoriouslywedded to the 'billable hour' is shifting to outcome-based pricing. The steady success of companies offeringconferencing tools is proof of the growing alternativesto travel. HR professionals will have to play their partthrough advocacy of progressive policy measures andappropriate mentoring and counseling of marriedemployees both men and women. It is possible thatmaybe someday in the not too distant future, womenreally will be able to have it all.

Gautam Brahma is a management consultant.

HC

� A POINT OF VIEW


TRENDS �

What it is…The importance of utilizing the fullest potential of internal talent is alwaysthe hottest topic of discussion in the HR circuit. Even so, an exhaustiveexchange of information and ideas often fails to offer a silver bulletto meet the organizational demands and employeeexpectations. Nevertheless, the concept of 'talent marketplace'has greatly revolutionized the idea of creating an alignmentbetween business demands and inspiring the ever soambitious talent. As flexibility is increasingly becoming apivotal point in all major HR strategies, consequently, it is alsoan integral part of the internal talent markets, which arebased on the idea of offering freedom to select few resourcesto choose their own projects and assignments depending ontheir interest areas and expertise.

� BY SWATI BHASIN

Global organizations are fast catching up with the concept of creating

internal talent markets not only to satisfy their top talent, but also to find

the right fit for the right job in a much easier way…

The panacea for future

Application of the conceptIn one of its research papers, Kelly Services has highlighted how the old HR model iscollapsing in organizations. The author of the research also points out how and whyresources in organizations must be the best as they can be, and employers must be able toattract and retain them as and when required. These two standpoints form critical basis of

creating internal talent markets.Time and again, many organizations have realized the importance of such asystem for effective talent management. For instance, after grappling with ahigh attrition rate in 2010 (17.5 per cent), Infosys intently focussed ondesigning internal job markets to facilitate the employees with informationon availability of roles and rewards.Some of the key steps in setting up of talent markets in organizations are:� Identifying top talent: Since the idea of talent marketplace is based on ameritocratic approach, the first step for HR is to identify the top performers,who would be ready to accept diverse challenges that will take their careers toa new high. Be it for knowledge workers or sales professionals or employeesin any other domain, the KPAs or similar metrics can help in screening thehighly valued resources for the organization.

� Scanning personalities: In organizations such as Hilton, the requisite details of the employeesare noted which later come in handy for such a process, for instance-qualification, skills,experience, etc. These details help in forming an idea of where these employees fit the best,


� TRENDS

Advantages of the strategyFor many HR organizations, to have a talent marketplace within the organization can be like adream come true, as opposed to struggling and sourcing the right people outside in the highlycompetitive talent markets. Some of the obvious benefits can be:� Great retention strategy: Many knowledge workers such as R&D professionals are always onthe lookout of projects and assignments that will help them gain recognition beyondboundaries. So, the freedom to choose the next project to work on builds loyalty towardsemployers, not only in these professionals, but also for many other creativeminds, such as advertising professionals, creative professionals in thehospitality sector, and more or less, for all the job roles where deliveringperformances demands flexibility and freedom.� Internal talent mobilization: For global organizations, internal talentmarket facilitates in internal talent mobilization, letting managers deploytalent across the length and breadth of the organization.� Engaging top talent: Such strategies definitely engage the top talent asthey look forward to working towards a revered career path.� Healthy competitive spirit among employees: If such a system is put inplace, it would inspire the workforce to deliver outstanding results in theirroles, in order to gain the freedom to achieve the power to choose their owntasks.� Alignment of goals with career aspirations: As mentioned earlier, theidea majorly revolves around business goals, and how resources can be bestutilized to fulfil the vision of the organization.It can be conclusively said that it is all about looking within, more than looking outside, andthe internal talent marketplace highly relies on this strategy.

Use

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and similar set of information is also collected during similar exercisessuch as career mapping.� Finding the right job fit: Once the top talent is identified, andrequisite details are drawn together, the next step involves matchingcompetencies and career aspirations with the available internalopportunities, so as to excite and engage the internal talent with avast reserve of opportunities to choose from. The choices made by

the professionals are then communicated to their managers.All in all, as the talent strategy of IBM rightly puts it together, the most important

pillars of building highly effective internal talent markets are-a technologyplatform, talent-classification system, governance mechanism and the managersto supervise the functioning of the system. It can also be added here that cross-skilling of employees can further empower them to choose from a wider set ofroles available, and also benefit the business consequently.

� BY SWATI BHASIN

PERSONA �

Finding his ownRHYTHM


An enthusiastic HR professionalwho has just stepped into thecorporate world would havecertainly prepared a blueprint of

his career map in his mind. Working in thebest of the organizations, getting the mostchallenging assignments to show one's truepotential, partnering in the business to addmeaning to the role assigned, developinghuman capital to contribute to the progressof an organization, and working withdiverse workforce across different sectors,arguably, would be the most importantpoints on the checklist of manifesting thisblueprint into reality. Albeit, some leaderslike Shailesh Singh, Director-HR, Max LifeInsurance, have already lived this life, whichmight be a dream for many. Singh, likemany others in his league, have reachedthus far, by writing his success story pageby page, to reach the pinnacle and evennow, his eyes are still set on the sky to aimhigh and reach higher.

Stepping up into the professionalspaceBehind every successful career is asupportive organization. However, very fewprofessionals acknowledge the contributionof their employers in their individualcareers. Singh, not only cherishes thewonderful times he spent in his previousorganizations, but is also thankful to theexperiential learning and the platform forconsistent growth that he was accordedwith, in every company he has beenassociated with.

Singh started out in 1992, aftergraduating from IRMA, when he wasdeputed to a cooperative organizationcalled Rajasthan Cooperative DairyFederation. "I worked with the localpersonnel department in reviewing andsetting up new HR processes. Thisorganization was not doing very well untilthe National Dairy Development Board(NDDB) took over its management. Overthe next two-three years, we succeeded inturning around the business," Singh shares.By now, he had already been through therigors to understand the people perspectivein the businesses.

While talking of his thousand milejourney, he reminisces, "My belief in qualitytook roots in Eicher. Learning about theintegration of all functions and processeswithin an organization, in order to achievecontinuous improvement was somethingthat I gained here, and has remained with

me ever since."As he retrospects his stint in GE, and

discusses his challenging assignments androles handled there, the gleam in his eyessubstantiates the conviction he holds in theorganization. Having spent a considerablepart of his professional life in GE, Singhconfesses that he has been largelyinfluenced by both the practices and valuesof the organization. He is also of theopinion that as an HR professional, he

gained the necessary vision in GE whichwas highly required to understand peopleagendas. "GE is truly a global leader interms of developing HR and leadership

� PERSONA

On revisiting the verses he has written on

the slate of his life so far, Shailesh Singh

feels grateful to his will to succeed,

conviction of the mission and a positive

mindset for making him a known face in

the HR industry…

RAPID FIRE

Favorite quote : "If you don't understandmy silence, you can't understand mywords."Leaders who inspire : Mahatma Gandhi andJack WelchEveryday motivation : I have got a lot fromthis world, so I owe a lot in return.Favorite sportsperson : Sachin TendulkarManagement style : Focused andcollaborativeIf not in HR, you would have been : ApoetA destination you are yet to explore : KashmirFive years down the line : I see myself aspart of a country or community movement.



practices. An HR professional trulyhas the opportunity of partneringvery meaningfully on the businessagendas. Also, the leadership focuson 'driving for results', 'keepingthings simple' and 'challengingorganization bureaucracy' are othervalues followed in GE that I wouldvouch for," he says.

As he was moving ahead,holding on to his valueswas as necessary to him asmoving up the ladder, andnever did he disappointhis own self in this regard.

Shining as a leaderAll of us have a chance tolearn something new eachday and bring about achange. The people whoshine out don't get betteror more opportunities,rather, they don't let go ofthe ones that come theirway. Singh has also beenwise enough to take holdof the favorablecircumstances at the righttime, and capitalize on hisqualities of hard work andperseverance to emerge asa successful leader.

In 1997, Singh came toGE Capital from SRFFinance, where he was leading theintegration of SRF Finance into GE."This was a fairly challengingassignment and includedreorganization and rightsizing. Theprocess lasted over three years andthe new organization was named asGE Capital TFS," he recalls.

One of his career achievementswhich he truly cherishes was whenhe got promoted as the HR-Head forGE Energy for Africa, India andMiddle East region (AIM region),based out of Dubai in 2000, whichwas his first international posting.Here, he was instrumental increating the leadership team of GEEnergy for the AIM region. Whilesuccessfully aligning hisperformance goals with theorganizational aspirations, heplayed a critical role in laying thefoundation for instituting GE's keyHR processes in this emerging

He found 'the action' in thisorganization overwhelming andphenomenal. "At Max LifeInsurance, my priorities are tostrengthen the leadership at alllevels of the organization, simplifyprocesses and empower people forlong-term success. In my currentrole, the challenges of leading HRfor a retail and financial services

business, while managingon thin margins andmaintaining an executionfocus gets me all chargedand excited each day," hehappily shares. He alsofeels that he has beenfortunate enough to workwith a solid leadershipteam and learn many newthings, while applyingsome of his previouslearning.

Working acrossdiverse sectorsChoosing to work acrossdiverse sectors was a wisecareer move on Singh'spart to develop his skillsand potential. "Learninggets richer as one worksacross multiple sectors. Ibegan with thecooperative sector in

NDDB. It was fulfilling to contributeand partner with the neediestsections of the society and thereby,playing a small role in theirupliftment," shares Singh. Accordingto him, NDDB, GCMMF and Amulare towering examples of realhuman resources development asthey show how professionalmanagement can help farmerscompete with the biggest MNCs ofthe world.

While working with GE Capital,Singh was exposed to the speed andcompetition of the financialservices. Later, when he moved toGE Energy, he was quite happy tobe acquainted with very differentmind frames of engineers and othertechnology professionals. "Typically,I could observe that they would havelonger stints in their jobs and werefairly deep in the functionalexpertise. Bonding was the key to

NAME : Shailesh Singh

TITLE : Director - HR

ORGANIZATION : Max Life Insurance

AGE : 44 years

EXPERIENCE : 21 years

YEARS IN HR : 21 years

EDUCATION : PGDRM-IRMA; BA- PoliticalScience (Hon.), DelhiUniversity

In briefIn brief

PERSONA �

region and partnering in the growthof the energy business from $700million in 2000 to over $ 3 billion in2005, at the time of his transition toGE Energy India.

"In India, I had the opportunityto build a new region again. Thisrequired hiring the region leadershipteam that had the necessaryexpertise and bandwidth to propel

this emerging region. It alsoinvolved significant championingwith global leadership team."Figures were speaking loudly forSingh's success as the India regionsoon grew from $150mn in 2005 toover a billion dollars in 2010, andby this time he was ready to moveto a new role as the HR Leader forIndia Supply Chain. "In this newrole, I was actively engaged increating a supply chainorganization, hiring seniorleadership team and leading thefoundation for a multi-modalfactory in Pune, which is now underconstruction. The factory is a$200mn investment in India by GE,being one of its biggest investmentsso far," Singh shares.

When he recently assumed hisrole as the HR- Director in Max LifeInsurance, it was undoubtedly oneof the high points of Singh's career.


engage them fully for theorganization," explains Singh. Onthe other hand, while working in themanufacturing sector, he got toobserve the workmen much closely.He could realize that the issues ofthis particular segment could bevery basic and getting on the groundzero was the only way to manage theoperations smoothly.

During his internationalassignment in Dubai which lastedfive years, Singh had the opportunityto work with over 20 differentnationalities and that helped himdevelop much higher sensitivity andlearning of global cultures andpeople. "It also helped meunderstand the variety ofinternational regulations applied indifferent countries and shed my owncultural inhibitions," he affirms.

Singh confesses that his move toMax Life Insurance was intentionalas he wanted to challenge himselfwith financial services. He alsoadmits that he has often comeacross several people challengeswhile working in the Insurancesector. "To me, the biggest challenge

� PERSONA

in the insurance sector is highattrition, which to a large extent isakin to running while you arebleeding. Also, the ability to attractgood talent for the sector appearsto be another common challengefacing most players. While Max LifeInsurance is amongst the best in thesector, I feel there is a need for doingmore with regard to thesechallenges," he opines.

Outside of workBorn in East Champaran in Bihar toa farmer family, Singh is proud tohail from a place where MahatmaGandhi started the Indigomovement during the freedomstruggle. He recounts his earlychildhood days, "My parents havehad significant influence on me.Being from a humble background,my mother taught me 'to be fair',while I learnt to work hard from myfather." He further adds, "I did myschooling from Sainik School,Tilaiya and being a topper, and anactive participant in debates andsports, I was lucky to have enjoyeda fair share of attention from my

teachers, always." By the time hisschooling finished, Singh hadalready qualified for the IndianArmy and was certified as 'fit tobecome an officer'. Seemingly, theglimpses of a future leader werealready apparent in the way he wasunknowingly building his persona.

A firm believer in work-lifebalance, Singh likes to take out timeto bond with his team memberswhile out on business travels orwith his kids over the weekend."The time I spend with my lovelykids and wife is a great energizerfor me," he says. Talking of thecandid interactions with hiscolleagues, he shares, "While onbusiness travels-- logisticschallenges, delayed flights, andsimilar hassles can be a littletroublesome; however, once at thedestination, it is great fun to be withcolleagues, engage with them andappreciate the kind of diversity wehave. One always comes backhighly spirited and with strongerconviction of going back sooner orlater." He enjoys the simplepleasures of life and recounts that

PERSONA �

the best trips with his team mateshave been the off-site meetingswhere colleagues get to spend goodtime travelling together in buses ortrains and getting to know eachother well. "Such trips always leavebehind fond memories to treasure,"he says.

Singh is always on a constantquest to find his inner balance anddoes not mind putting an extraeffort to rejuvenate his mind, bodyand soul. He loves to playbadminton and tennis and this lovefor sports dates back to hisschooling days. According to him,being a sportsperson, he hasdeveloped passion, the winningspirit in him, and the ability to fightback. He further opines and shares,"A balance between body and soulis important for long-termfulfillment and satisfaction. Weneed to be aware of what we wantto do in life and steer ourselves inthe right direction."

While talking of his otherhobbies, Singh says, "I also loveHindi and Urdu poetry.Furthermore, I find great respite inmusic. In fact, I have had earlierenrolled myself for formal classesto learn the harmonium and table,however, that task remains

unfinished!" A great admirer ofIndian classical music and ghazals,Begum Akhtar remains his favoriteartist in the musical arena.

Always ambitiousApart from a short stint in NDDBwhere Singh thought that he wasn'tfully deployed and consequentlychallenged the status quo only to

PERSPECTIVESPerforming well across different sectors

Get your act together as soon as you can, and then hire a team that can

deliver according to your game plan. Also, stay aware of the nuances

while working across diverse sectors.

Aligning organizational goals with people strategies

Set clear people strategies aligned to the

organizational priorities, plug in milestones

and a rhythm, and measure line managers

on people actions regularly.

Handling talent crunch

� Raise the bar on key HR processes

� Plan well to map talent requirements

� Develop a target talent pool proactively

� Engage line managers to improve the

organizational ecosystem to hire, retain and

develop employees

choose to transit out of NDDBeventually; Singh can hardly thinkof any other low points in his career.A large part of his smoothprofessional journey can beattributed to his desire to evolvecontinuously. "I believe incontinuous learning. For me, the barcontinues to go up in everythingthat one does in life. I prefer to bein the company of people who areintellectually gifted and can engagein variety of conversations. I also liketo constantly explore the vastreservoir of knowledge throughmagazines and management books.I guess I am still a student eventoday, and will stay that wayforever," he asserts.

A sculptor of his own career,Singh is diligently working towardshis current goal to become thestrongest HR partner in the sectorwho can help Max Life Insurance inbecoming the most admired lifeinsurance company. "In partnershipwith the CEO and senior leadershipteam, the HR team is clearly gearedtowards creating an eco system inMax Life Insurance that nurturespeople agendas and simultaneouslygenerates good business," heconcludes. Probably, finding anothergoal is what fuels the inspiration ofan ambitious person. HC



While employees assume they perform better than they actually do,

managers have a different story to tell altogether….


HR ISSUES �

Appraisal blues get bluer

IN A DILEMMA

Radha, a manager with a law firm, is in a dilemma. Rajivjoined the legal department in mid-2012. Prior to hismove here, he was in the technical department. I ratedhim as per his performance in his current department,which was average. He was thoroughly upset as he felthe was an outstanding performer. I need to know whereI went wrong, Should I have appraised him on hisTechnical KRA or on Creative KRA.

BE HOLISTIC

In this case, the overall performance of bothdepartments should be considered. Radha must discuss with Rajiv's earliermanager about his previous performance, and both of them should sittogether, take a holistic view and then jointly give feedback and rate Rajiv.

THE GOOD BOSS

Rohit, a manager, with a telecom giant believes in being the eternal good bosseven if it means not sharing timely feedback, and delay in communicatingindividual and team targets. His team was kept in dark, and post appraisals all

they had were questions on why they were not informedabout their targets and where they lagged. Rohit says, "I onlywanted to be a good boss, but now they are bad mouthingme because they have fared badly. They all want to quit. Whatdo I do now?"

DO IT TIMELY

The hallmark of a good manager is regular communication ofexpectations and sharing of timely feedback. Rohit must thusimmediately have a chat with his team to instill confidence,and communicate the expectations and targets to avoidfurther damage. Needless to mention, Rohit too needs toundergo coaching to understand what makes a good boss.


HR solutions have been shared by Rajorshi Ganguli, Vice President - HR, Global Generics,

Dr Reddy's Laboratories Limited

� HR ISSUES

I WAS HONEST

Radha, an HR Manager, shares herpredicament, "During the appraisals,Rohit seemed convinced when he wastold that his performance was averageand hence was not promoted to thenext level. I showed him hisperformance graph as well as thefeedback shared by his team leader.However, I soon got to know that hehas posted his resume online and islooking for a job. He is also vocalabout his dissatisfaction with thecompany's appraisal system."

MEET & DISCUSS

One cannot be prevented from looking out yet it would help if Radha canimmediately facilitate a joint discussion between Rohit, his manager andherself. This face-to-face communication will help in understanding the gapsthat may have arose, and together take joint action for the future. Also, I caseof grievances Rohit should be encouraged to candidly discuss in the meeting.

CLEARLY COMMUNICATED

Ramesh, a team leader with a prominent BPO, was confused. Post theappraisals, Rita, a top performer in the team resigned saying that she didnot agree with the appraisal process. She met all her targets, yet she wasnot incremented well. I explained to her that appraisal is not just aboutperformance. She is a constant late comer and her unscheduled leaves are

a dampener. I explained to her,but she is not ready to accept.

MAKE THE FACTS KNOWN

What goes into an appraisalmust be clearly stated to everyemployee to avoid suchsituations. In this case, itappears that probably Rameshdid not point out to Rita thatcoming late to work or takingunscheduled leaves may affecther overall performance andrating. When it comes toperformance, most employeessee their side of the story from

'what' they have achieved instead of 'how' they have achieved. It isadvisable that whenever managers find dysfunctional behaviors within theirteam, they must clearly communicate that such behaviors must be rectifiedelse it could have a bearing on their performance. These communicationsshould be made round the year and recorded rather than just taking it upat the end of the year.


LAW AT WORK �

Ours is private limited telecomcompany registered underCompanies Act, 1956 &

covered under Shops &Establishments Act located inHyderabad, A.P. We want to know theexact amount of benefit to be givento women employees while they optfor Maternity Leave. We are providingthe basic pay of their CTC duringtheir ML period. We are entitlingthem 12 weeks of maternity leave. Asper our CTC structure, the basic payis fixed @ 40% of CTC. For example,An employee whose Gross CTC (fixedpart) is INR 48000/- p.m., the basicpay comes to INR 19,200/-. So, we arepaying @ 19,200/- p.m., during MLperiod. Is it justifiable? Actually, whatamount shall an employee be eligiblefor during ML?Please note that under the MaternityBenefit Act, 1961, the maternitybenefit is required to be paid to thewoman employee for the period of heractual absence for a maximum of sixweeks immediately preceding andincluding the day of her delivery andfor the six weeks thereafter, calculatedat the rate of average daily wagepayable to such employee. The termaverage daily wage refers to theaverage of the woman's wagespayable to her for the days on whichshe has worked during the period ofthree calendar months immediatelypreceding the date from which sheabsents herself on account ofmaternity, or one rupee a day,whichever is higher. Please note thatunder the Act, the term "wages" hasbeen defined to include allremuneration paid or payable to anemployee in terms of her contract ofemployment. The term wages includecash allowance and house rentallowance, incentive bonus and themoney value of the concessionalsupply of food grains and otherarticles.

Accordingly, please compute theaverage daily wages earned by the

Q & A

Krishna Vijay Singh is a senior partnerat Kochhar & Co., one of the leadingand largest law firms in India withoffices at New Delhi, Gurgaon,Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad,Mumbai, Dubai, Riyadh, Jeddah,Singapore, Tokyo and Atlanta (USA). Thefirm represents some of the largestmultinational corporations from NorthAmerica, Europe, Japan and India (manyof which are Fortune 500 companies)in diverse areas of corporate andcommercial laws.

K. V. SINGH

Senior Partner ■ Kochhar & Co.

woman employee in question basedon the average of the wages paid to herfor the days on which she had workedduring the period of three calendarmonths immediately preceding thedate from which she absented herselffor the maternity leave. Further, inorder to compute the amount payableto a woman employee as maternitybenefit, kindly include the house rentallowance, incentive bonus and themoney value of the concessionalsupply of food grains and otherarticles, if any payable to suchemployee, to the basic remunerationto which she is entitled. However, thesame does not include bonus otherthan incentive bonus, overtimeearnings, contribution paid or payableby the employer to any pension fundor provident fund or for any othersocial security benefit required to bepaid under any law in force and theamount of gratuity.

Please let me know, how many timesa woman employee is eligible to availthe Maternity Benefit? A womanemployee initially availed the benefit& gave birth to a baby girl, on a secondinstance, she availed the benefit dueto a miscarriage (6 weeks leave withpaid salary). Is she eligible again toavail the benefit as she is now sevenmonths pregnant. Please clarify mydoubts? (Srinivas Rao)Please note that the Maternity BenefitsAct, 1961 does not prescribe any limiton the number of times a femaleemployee can avail the maternitybenefit in terms of the said Act. Pleasenote that the Maternity Benefits Act isa welfare legislation and entitles everywoman employee to maternity benefitfor a maximum period of 12 (twelve)weeks, of which not more than 6 weeks(six) shall precede the date of herexpected delivery. Thus, the womanemployee is question is entitled tomaternity benefit irrespective of thefact that she has availed the same ontwo previous occasions. HC


� LAW AT WORK

Maternity Benefits Act:An overview

The Maternity Benefits Act, 1961("Maternity Act") is an importantlabour welfare legislation that seeksto regulate employment of womenfor periods before and after child-birth and provides for maternity andother benefits for womenemployees. The Act is based on thepremise that women employees,who today, form a huge part of theworkforce, should not be forced tochoose between motherhood andemployment. In other words, theyshould not be placed in adisadvantageous position solely onaccount of their inability to workduring or after pregnancy. Inaddition to compulsory maternityleave, the Act also ensures sustainedfinancial support (in the form ofmaternity benefits) to womenemployees during the pregnancy ora few weeks thereafter, when it is notpossible for such employees towork.

The Maternity Act is applicableto shops, factories and mines,commercial, industrial oragricultural establishments. In mostof the states, the Act has been madeapplicable to establishments inwhich ten (10) or more persons areemployed, or were employed, onany day of the preceding twelve (12)months. However, the Act does notextend to the unorganized sector,leaving out a large part of theworkforce.

Under the Act, the employers areprohibited from knowinglyemploying a woman during the sixweeks immediately following theday of her delivery, her miscarriageor medical termination ofpregnancy. In all a pregnant working

woman can avail twelve (12) weeksor three (3) months of maternityleave, out of which six (6) weeksmust follow the date of delivery.Prior to the delivery, women mayalso request the employer not toengage them in work that is ofarduous nature or that may involvelong hours of standing, which mayinterfere with the pregnancy orhealth of the employee.

Maternity leave as aforesaid isavailable to all female employees,irrespective of their period ofemployment with the organization.Maternity leave is often confusedwith maternity benefit (viz.,financial benefit during maternityleave). It is important to understandthat only a woman employee whohas worked in the establishment forat least eighty (80) days during thetwelve (12) months immediatelypreceding the date of her expecteddelivery is eligible for the 'maternitybenefit'. The maternity benefit iscalculated at the rate of averagedaily wage for the period of actualabsence. Women employees areentitled to maternity benefit for aperiod not more than twelve (12)weeks, out of which not more thansix (6) weeks must precede the dateof her expected delivery. Similarly, Incase of miscarriage or medicaltermination of pregnancy, thewomen employee is entitled to leavewith wages at the rate of maternitybenefit (as mentioned above) for aperiod of six (6) weeks immediatelyfollowing the day of her miscarriageor medical termination ofpregnancy.

If a woman employee is sufferingfrom an illness arising out of HC

pregnancy, delivery, premature birthof child, miscarriage, medicaltermination of pregnancy, she is alsoentitled to a leave with wages for aperiod not exceeding one (1) monthin addition to the aforesaidmaternity benefits and leave. In theevent of death of the woman, therequisite amount of maternitybenefit is payable to her legalrepresentative.

In addition to the above, womenemployees are also entitled toreceive a medical bonus of Rs. 1000/- if no pre-natal confinement andpost natal care is provided for by theemployer free of charge. Anemployer has to allow two (2) breaksof fifteen (15) minutes each to everywoman employed in theestablishment for nursing the child.

To ensure continuedemployment of a woman employeewho is on maternity leave, the Actprohibits the employer to dischargeor dismiss her during or on accountof her absence from work. Theemployer is also prohibited fromvarying the conditions of her serviceto her disadvantage during suchperiod. However, the Act allowsdismissal if the same is for anyprescribed gross misconduct. Insuch a circumstance, the employermay also forfeit medical benefit and/ or bonus. This little windowavailable to the employers to sackwomen employees on the groundsof 'misconduct' is sometimesmisused. Therefore, civil society andnon-governmental organizationshave time and again demanded acomplete prohibition on dismissalof women employees on maternityleave.

R.N.I. No. 66615/97Postal Regn. No. DL-SW-1/4022/2012-13-14

Date of posting: 9-10 December 2012 atPSO Kotla Road, New Delhi-110002

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