NAME

PROGRAM
ROLL NO.
SEMESTER
SUBJECT NAME
SUBJECT CODE

VIVEK PRIYADARSHI
MBA
1402007206
1
Human Resource Management
MB 0043

Question 1. Explain the objectives and methods of training.

Answer 1. Training enhances the skills and capabilities of employees in an

organisation. A successful training programme improves the performance of an
employee which in turn enhances organisational performance.
The main objectives of training are:
Improving employee performance. When an employee is recruited by an
organisation, he might not have all the skills required to carry out his job. Training at
this stage helps him learn his job faster and ensures better performance.

Updating employee skills. It is important for the management to continuously

evaluate and adopt any technological advances that can help the organisation
function more effectively and efficiently.

Avoiding managerial obsolescence. Managerial obsolescence is the failure to

adopt new methods and processes that can improve employee and organisational
performance. Rapid changes in technical, legal and social environments have an
impact on the way managers perform their jobs.

Preparing for promotion and managerial succession. Training helps an

employee acquire the skills required to assume greater responsibilities.

Retaining and motivating employees. One way to motivate and retain employees
is through a systematic programme of career planning and development. Employees
feel cared.

Creating an efficient and effective organisation. A manager who has well trained
and well equipped employees needs to spend less time supervising them.

Following are the methods of training:

On the job training
Off the job training
On the job training. Its a real job environment where the trainee is exposed to
actual work situations. The major advantage of this mehod is that the trainee gets
hands on experience of the job that has to be performed. The different types of onthe job training are:

Job Instruction training. In this method trainees can discuss the problems in
performing the job immediately with the trainer.

Apprenticeship and coaching. Individuals seeking to enter skilled trades, like those
of carpenters, electricians etc, are required to go through formal apprenticeship
under experienced employees, before they join their regular job.

Job rotation. In this method the trainee is placed on various jobs across different
functions in the organisation. The trainee gains cross-functional knowledge and is
equipped to take up different jobs.

Committee assignments. In this method, a group of employees are assigned an

actual organisational problem and are asked to find a solution. The trainees develop
their team-management skills, interpersonal skills, communication skills, problemsolving skills and leadership skills while solving problem as a group.
Off job training. Off job training refers to training imparted away from the
employees immediate work area. When training is performed on the job, any
mistake by the trainee might result in damage to the organisation. Hence, off the job
training can be conducted to minimise this damage. The different types of off the job
training are:
(i)
Classroom lectures. This approach is widely used for helping the employees.
The trainer should actively involve the trainees and make the session more
interactive.
(ii)
Simulation exercises. In this training, the trainees is exposed to an artificial
work situation that closely resembles the actual situation. Simulation exercises are of
great help to the employee to learn the task on hand. It can be in the form of case
exercises, experiential exercises, complex computer modelling, Vestibule training
and role play, Following are few types of simulation exercises:

Case exercise In case study a real life problem encountered in the organisation is
presented to the trainees.
Experimental exercise In this method, the trainer simulates situations where the
employees are exposed to actual work problems. The trainer can create a situation
where employees are asked to work in teams. After the exercise is complete the
trainer discusses the behaviour of the employees during the exercise, with the group.
He appraises the trainees about their performance and discusses the exercise with
the help of theoretical concepts.
Computer training Computer modelling is a technique whereby the dimensions of
the job are programmed into the computer. Computer modelling helps in learning
directly. In this training, trainees get real life experience by working on a computer.
Vestibule training In this method, the actual work conditions are simulated and the
equipment use by the trainees is similar to what is used in job.
Role playing Role play is described as a method of human interaction involving
realistic behaviour in an imaginary situation.
Question 2. Discuss the elements of a career planning programme. Explain
some of the benefits of the Career planning programme to an organisation?

Answer 2. There are four distinct elements of career planning programme:

Individual assessment and need analysis.
Organisational assessment and opportunity analysis.
Need opportunity alignment
Career counselling
Individual assessment and need analysis. Many people begin their careers
without any formal assessment of their abilities, interests, carer needs and goals.
This phenomenon of people entering their jobs, occupations and careers with little
attention to career planning and then feeling disengaged is known as career drift.
Organisational assessment and opportunity analysis. For an employees goal
and aspirations to be fulfilled, a basic requirement is that the goals must be realistic
and achievable. They have to be realistic not only in terms of the employees own
capabilities, but also in terms of the organisation possibilities.
Need opportunity alignment. The organisation plays an important role in helping
the employee make this alignment. The organisation also has to make its own
alignments to match the aspirations with the organisational opportunities.
Career counselling. This is the final stage of career planning. The supervisor as
well HR department, has to counsel the employee regarding the available
opportunities, the employees aspirations and of course, his competencies.
Following are the benefits of career planning programme to an organisation:
Ensures availability of resources for the future. Career development in an
organisation should be in alignment with the HRP. HRP determines the changing
requirements of an organisation and career development helps in meeting the
resource requirements.
Enhances organisational ability to attract and retain talent. In a competitive
market environment, talented employees have career opportunities. Therefore, an
organisation that shows concern for the employees future by providing them the
best opportunities can attract and retain talented people.
Ensures growth opportunities for all. A comprehensive planning exercise by the
organisation ensures growth opportunities for all the employees.
Handles employee frustration. Todays workforce in more knowledgeable and has
greater expectations. They desire more responsibility and greater challenges. A good
career development programme can help in handling the expectations of the
employees.
Career management. Is the process of designing and implementing goals, plans
and strategies that enable HR professionals and managers to satisfy workforce
needs and allow individuals to achieve their career objectives.

Career anchors. It is attitudinal characteristics that guide people throughout their

careers.
Autonomy/Independence. Desire to have freedom and not to be bossed over.
Security/Stability. Individuals who want to be free from any anxiety of uncertainty or
insecurity prefer to remain in the same kind of job and with the same employer.
Technical/Functional competence. Those with the technical/functional competence
exhibit a strong inclination to develop something which they can call their own, e.g
engineers, scientists, technologists etc.
General management. Have good planning, organising, managing and controlling
skills. They have a broader view of things and play a facilitating role.
Entrepreneurial creativity. Individuals with creativity as an anchor are more often
successful as artists, free lancers, entrepreneurs.
Service. Service as a career anchor drives individuals to take up jobs in not for profit
service organisations.
Pure challenge. People who just love to solve difficult problems.
Life style. For some people, nothing is more important than enjoying life. They have
a disinclination to sacrifice life styles solely for career advancement.
Question 3. Explain the process of job Analysis. Discuss the methods of job
analysis.

Answer 3. An effective and right process of analysing a particular job is good for the
organisation. It helps them maintain the right quality of employees, measure their
performance on realistic standards, assess their training and development needs,
and increase their productivity. Job analysis is the process of breaking down a
specific job into parts and scrutinising each of them to gather the necessary
information. It requires a systematic and efficient examination of the tasks, duties,
responsibilities and accountability of a job. The process of job analysis involves the
execution of a series of related steps.
(a)
Information gathering. First stage in job analysis is to gather all the
necessary information relating to:
Organisation structure.
Role of the job in relation to other jobs in the organisation
Class to which job belongs
A detailed description of the activities and responsibilities involved in the job
(b)
Job specific competency determination. Based on study and observation,
the competencies required fort the job are identified.

(c)
Developing a job description. A description of the tasks, responsibilities
duties and functions of the job is prepared. This forms the job description.
(d)
Developing a job specification. The job specification provides a complete
list of competencies and qualifications required to match the job description.
The following are the methods of job analysis:
(a)
Observation methods. In this method, individuals performing the job are
observed and relevant points are noted. It includes what was done and how it was
done. Time and motion study is the best example of observation method. In this
method, the observer knows what has to be noted and what can be ignored.
Otherwise whole observation method can result in a lengthy but superfluous
document.
(b)
Individual interview method. This method is employed when the job in
question is complex and has varied tasks. It is effective when the interview is
structured and the analyst is clear about what information has to be obtained from
the interview. An unstructured interview might help in gathering all the information
about the job but it will be very time consuming.
(c)
Group interview method. In this method the employees performing the same
job are interviewed in groups. Information which might have been missed during
individual interview will come up during group interview. It is less time consuming.
(d)
Questionnaire methods. In this method, the analyst gives a long structural
questionnaire to be filled by the employees. Both objective and open-ended
questions are included. It is a good method to take the information from employees
without disturbing them on their job. Sometimes the analysis part becomes
problematic, especially when there is no clarity.
(e)
Technical conference methods. This is a method of gathering all the job
related information from Experts (Supervisors) and not from the employee(s).
(f)
Diary method. In this method, incumbents of that particular job make
immediate note of the activities they perform. A lot more information can be gathered
about the job from this method. This exercise takes longer time to complete as there
are many activities which take longer time intervals.
(g)
Functional job analysis. Beginning in the 1940s, Functional job analysis
(FJA) was used in U.S. Employment service job analysts to classify jobs. The most
recent version of FJA uses seven scales to describe what workers do in jobs. (1)
Things, (2) Data, (3) People, (4) Worker instructions, (5) Reasoning,(6) Math and (7)
Language. Each scale has several levels that are anchored with specific behavioural
statements and illustrative tasks. It is a methodology for collecting job information.
Question 4. Discuss the objectives of Discipline. Explain the action-penalties
of Discipline.

Answer 4. Discipline is employee self-control which prompts him/her to willingly cooperate with the organisational standards, rules, objectives etc. The aims and
objectives of discipline are:
To ensure and enable employees to work in accordance with the rules and
regulations of the organisation.
To ensure that employees follow the organisational processes and procedures in
spite of their different personalities and behaviour.
To provide direction to the employees and fix responsibilities.
To improve organisational performance by improving the efficiency of each
employee.
To maintain a sense of orderliness and confidence in the employees towards each
other and towards the management.
To maintain common feelings of trust and confidence in the employees towards each
other and towards the management.
There are varying penalties for first, second and third offences of the same rule.
Following are the commonly practiced actions in business organisations:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Oral reprimand
Written warning
Denial of increments, promotions and pay hikes
Pay reductions and disciplinary demotions.
Suspension
Discharge or dismissal

1.
Oral reprimand. The penalties are listed in the general order of severity, from
mild to severe. For most cases, an oral reprimand is sufficient to achieve the desired
result. The supervisor must know his or her personnel in determining how to give a
reprimand. For one person, a severe session may require only a casual mention of
a deficiency. If the offence is more serious, the reprimand may be put in written form.
2.
Written warning. When an oral warning or counselling to the employee does
not produce the desired result, the manager may issue a written warning to the
employee. The employee is normally asked to acknowledge the receipt of written
reprimand, irrespective of whether he agrees with the content of the letter or not.
3.
Denial of increments, promotions and pay hikes. In some incidents the
management may refuse promotions, increments or pay hike by blacklisting the
employee for a specific period of time. This is usually treated as a punishment for a
certain period of time.
4.
Pay reductions and disciplinary demotion. This is usually more severe
than the denial of pay hikes and promotions because the employee loses part of
existing benefits and privileges received by him from the organisation.
5.
Suspension. A few offences normally require the direct suspension of the
employee without any prior warning, depending upon the nature of the misconduct

committed by the employee. The decision regarding suspension is generally made

by higher authorities.
6.
Discharge or dismissal. This is the severest punishment of all. Both
discharge and dismissal culminate in termination of employment. When the conduct
of an employee is deemed to be mismatched with the faithful discharge of his duties,
and undesirable or against the interest of the employer to continue him in
employment, dismissal will be justified.
In case of discharge, an employer terminates the
employment of an aberrant either by giving agreed advance notice or by paying
money in lieu of such notice.
Question 5. Suppose you have joined as an HR and you have been assigned a
task to carry out the grievance handling procedure in your organisation. What
according to you are the causes of grievance? Describe in detail the grievance
handling procedure.
Answer 5. Grievances can arise out of the day to day working relations in an
organisation. Relations with supervisors and colleagues also determine employees
job satisfaction. The causes of grievances are as follows:
(a)
Economic. Wage fixation, over time bonus, wage revision etc. Employees
may feel that they are paid less when compared to others.
(b)
Work environment. Poor physical conditions of workplace, tight production
norms, defective tools and equipment, poor quality of materials, unfair rules, lack of
recognitions etc.
(c)
Supervision. Relates to the attitude of the supervisor towards the employee
such as perceived notion of bias, favouritism, nepotism, caste affiliation, regional
feelings etc.
(d)
Work group. Employee is unable to adjust with his colleagues, suffers from
feelings of neglect, humiliations.
(e)
Miscellaneous. These include issues related to certain violations with respect
to promotions, safety methods, transfer, disciplinary rules, fines, granting leave,
medical facilities, etc.

The following guidelines may help a supervisor while dealing

with grievance:
Treat each case as important and get the grievance in writing.
Talk to the employee directly. Encourage him/her to speak the truth. Give him/her a
patient hearing.
Discuss in a private place. Ensure confidentially if necessary.
Handle each case within a time-frame.

Examine company provisions in each case. Identify violations, if any. Do not hold
back the remedy if the company is wrong. Inform your supervisor about all
grievances.
Get all relevant facts about the grievance, examine the personal records of the
aggrieved worker. See whether any witnesses are available. Visit the work area. The
idea is to find where things have gone wrong and who is at fault.
Gather information from the union representative, what he has to say, what he wants
etc. Give short replies, uncovering the truth as well as provisions. Treat him properly.
Control your emotions your remark and behaviour.
Maintain proper records and follow up the action taken in each case.
The essential requirements of a good grievance procedure are:

Legality sustainable
It should be ensured by the organisation that its grievance procedure is in
conformity with the existing laws of nation.
The procedure cannot violate any of the rights of the employees guaranteed
by the law.

Mutually acceptable
In order to be effective, the grievance procedure must enjoy the confidence of
all the relevant parties, i.e, the management and the unions. It should not be
like a battleground. Procedure must ensure equity, justice and openness.

Easily understandable
The grievance procedure must be reasonably simple and easily
understandable.
Known to all the employees of the organisation.
If someone has some grievance, then he/she should know who is to be
contacted.

Highly flexible
The grievance procedure should be flexible enough to respond to the reported
grievance quickly. The number of stages in the grievance procedure should be
kept to the minimum.

Question 6. Write a short note on the following:

(a) Index /trend analysis
(b) Delphi technique
Answer 6. Index /Trend analysis. Trend analysis forecasts the requirement for
additional manpower by projecting trends of the past and present to the future. It
makes use of the operational indices for this.
Historical relationship between the operational index and the Demand for labour.
Operational indices used are:
o
Sales
o
Number of units produced
o
Production of clients serviced

o
Production / Direct Labour hours
Trend analysis can be used for forecasting overall organisation, Aub-units, or Indirect
(Staff) and Direct (Line) manpower requirements.
The Index/ Trend analysis involves the following steps:
1.
Select the appropriate business/operational index. Select a readily
available business index, sales level that is known to have direct influence on the
organisational demand for labour.
2.
Track the index over time. Once the index has been selected, it is necessary
to go back in time for at least four or five most recent years.
3.
Track the workforce size over time. Record the historical figures of the total
number of employees.
4.
Calculate the average (or most recent) ratio of the business index to the
workforce size(Employee Requirement Ratio). In this step, the ratio of number of
employees required for each thousand rupees of sales is obtained by dividing each
years number of employees by the level of sales.
5.
Calculate the forecasted HR demand. Multiply the annual forecasting for the
business index times the average employee requirement ratio for each future year to
arrive at forecasted annual demand for labour.
Delphi Technique. This method is essentially a group process to achieve a
consensus forecast. This method call for selection of a panel of experts either form
within or outside the organisation. A series of questions is prepared form the
responses received from a prior set of questions in sequencing manner.
The procedure of Delphi technique involves the following
steps:
1.
To start with, it requires selection of a coordinator and apanel of experts from
both within and outside the organisation.
2.

The coordinator then circulates questions in writing to each such expert.

3.

The experts then write their observations.

4.
The coordinator then edits those observations and summarises, without
however disclosing the majority opinion in his summary.
5.
On the basis of his summary, the coordinator develops a new set of
questionnaire and circulates those among the experts.
6.

Experts then answer such set of questions.

7.
The coordinator repeats the process till such time he is able to synthesise
from the opinion of the experts.