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As and when you get 5 to 10 minutes you can read
one of these and absorb and comprehend. Spending more time is your choice. |
You can use the time in travel,
waiting for meetings, lunch time, small breaks or at home usefully. |
Through these tools, the
learning bytes are right sized for ease of learning for time challenged
participants. |
The content starts from
practice and connect to precept making it easy to connect to industry and
retain. |
They can be connected to
continuous assessment process of the academic program. |
Practitioners can use their
real life knowledge and skill to enhance learning skills. |
Immediate visualization of the
practical dimension of the concept will offer a rich learning experience. |
AN INTRODUCTION TO DIFFERENTIATED LEARNING TOOLS
Participants in flexible learning programs have
limitations on the nature of the time they can spend on learning. Typically
they are employed fully or partially, pursuing higher studies or have other
social and familial responsibilities. Availability of time is a great
constraint to these students.
To aid
the participants, we have developed four unique learning tools as below:
·
Bullet Notes : Helps in
introducing the important concepts in
each unit
of curriculum, equip
the student during preparation of examinations and
·
Case Studies : Illustrate the concepts through real life experiences
·
Workbook : Helps absorption of learning through questions based on real life
nuggets
·
PEP Notes : Sharing notes of practices and experiences in the Industry
will help the student to rightly perceive
and get inspired to learn concepts at the cutting edge application level.placementinterviews
Why are these needed? |
·
Adults learn differently
from B. School
or college going |
|
|
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students who spend long hours at campus. |
|
·
Enhancing analytical skills through application related learning |
|
kits trigger experiential learning |
|
·
Availability of time is a challenge. |
|
·
Career success increasingly depends on continuous learning |
|
and success |
What· makes it relevant?
·
How· is it useful?
·
·
Where· does this lead to?
·
Easier to move ahead in the learning process.
·
Will
facilitate the student to complete the program earlier than otherwise.Helpsstay
motivated and connected.
When· is it useful?
·
© The ICFAI Foundation for Higher Education (IFHE),
Hyderabad, April, 2015. All rights reserved
No part
of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, used in a
spread sheet, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise – without prior permission in writing
from The ICFAI Foundation for Higher Education (IFHE), Hyderabad.
Ref. No.
POM-CS-IFHE – 042015
For any clarification regarding
this book, the students may please write to The ICFAI Foundation for Higher
Education (IFHE), Hyderabad giving the above reference number of this book
specifying chapter and page number.
While every possible care has
been taken in type-setting and printing this book, The ICFAI Foundation for
Higher Education (IFHE), Hyderabad welcomes suggestions from students for
improvement in future editions.
ii
CONTENTS
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22. M-One- Multimode Mobile Governance:
An Information and Communication Technology for
iii
Introduction
to the Case Study
Participants in ICFAI University
Programs are eager to apply theory into practice. They realize that application
orientation can enhance their learning and subsequent usage of management
precepts and practices. Picking out the principle behind real world events is
critical to this learning.
To fulfill this objective the
institution has introduced the Case Study methodology as a learning tool. A one
page case is developed for learning a concept/topic from an illustration of a
real world occurrence. The case illustrates a situation pertinent to an
individual/a company/an industry or an economy in relation to a concept or issue
covered in the curriculum. The illustration is specific to the point being
discussed.
The case depicts the knowledge
which can be applied as illustrated in the practice of the real world. These
experiences can be distilled to look at a core principle at play by the
participant. While there could be multiple principles at play, the illustration
of each case helps in its better understanding of the concept at a very
fundamental level.
The
learning outcomes expected are:
1.
Real
world is illustrated and connected back to one concept/topic for better
theoretical understanding.
2.
Application
based approach, which significantly enhances absorption and retention.
3.
Exposure
to specific business situations and developments improves perspective.
It may be used for Assessment
iv
1
Change
the Rules of the Game, if necessary
Australian cricketer, Phillip
Hughes (Hughes), aged 25, died in a tragic freak accident on November 27, 2014,
while playing a state match for South Australia against New South Wales,
causing a tremendous shock to cricket fraternity. He was hit on the side of the
head by a bouncer bowled by Sean Abbott at a speed of about 85 km/hour. The
blow had split the main artery carrying blood to the brain, causing brain haemorrhage.
After being hit, Hughes put his hands on his knees, before collapsing and
losing consciousness, never to regain. Battling for two days in the hospital,
he died, putting a promising career in cricket to an abrupt end and sending
shockwaves to the entire cricket players and lovers.
Hughes was born on November 30,
1988 in the town of Macksville, near Sydney. He made his test debut in 2009, at
the age of just 20, against South Africa.
While the
International Cricket Council (ICC), the international governing body for cricket was overlooking
match playing conditions,
decision review systems, bowling reviews and other regulations, Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) made cricket‘s laws and
rules. Only MCC had the
authority to change the laws of
cricket, which was usually done after discussions
with the ICC.
The authorities controlling
sports like Boxing, Motor Racing, which were deemed dangerous, have taken
several precautions and modifications to protect the life of the players
involved. Rules for Boxing have been changed to reduce the length of fights and
to closely monitor fighters both inside and outside the ring.
Formula
One‘s authorities had changed the racing routes. Cricketing enthusiasts said
that, emphasizing on the
safety of players; changes need to be brought in the rules of cricket too.
The
cricket scenario
Some of the |
· |
potential
dangers of cricket: |
|
A very hard leather ball- bowled even at a speed
of up to 100miles/per hour |
|
|
· |
Helmets that do not provide adequate protection
to the batsmen who face balls bowled at |
|
· |
high speed |
|
No formal training given to players, umpires and
sports officials on first aid to rescue the |
|
|
· |
injured |
|
Non-availability of medical team for quick and
optimum care to the players at the ground |
|
|
· |
Absence of facilities to counsel traumatized players |
The four decisional „roles of a
manager‟ are that of an entrepreneur to take innovative
methods to improve the performance
of the firm; as a disturbance handler to take remedial actions for situations
which may affect the credibility of a firm; as a resource allocator; and as a
negotiator to negotiate in the interest of the organization. ICC should come
forward with its decisional roles to ensure the safety of its players.
Discussion
Questions
1. What decisional managerial roles should ICC suggest
to MCC to reduce the dangers of cricket? (Hints-usage of helmets-training to players, umpires- optimum care to
players)
2. Discuss the role of management in the event of a
crisis
(Hints-analysis of the crisis- remedial
actions-decision making-effective implementation)
Course
Reference -Concept- Role of management, Unit- Management: An
Over view, Subject- Principles of Management
Sources:
i.
“It is the
time to grieve for Hughes,” The
Hindu, November 29, 2014
ii.
Dan Diamond, “Phil Hughes
Dies in Tragic Cricket Accident, as Australia Mourns 'Heart-breaking Day',” www.forbes .com, November 27, 2014.
iii.
Arun Venugopal,”Injury Opens Debate on Dangers of
Cricket,” The Hindu, November 26, 2014.
Other Key
words: Organization
Behavior, BC&SS
5
2
Changing
Patterns of Bureaucratic Management
ANZ Motors (ANZ), a Germany based
global car manufacturing company, was founded in 1956 by Charles Grey. Within a
decade of its incorporation, ANZ emerged as the leading car maker in the German
market. ANZ entered the international market in 1968. It was ranked among the
top 10 global car makers by 2008.
In 2009, the company appointed David Loy (Loy) as
its new CEO. ANZ was hopeful of scaling new heights under Loy‘s leadership. Loy had 18 years of industry experience. Under
his leadership, DRV motors, his
previous employer, had emerged as
the 3rd largest car maker in the world. However, ANZ
started witnessing a decline within a
year of Loy‘s leadership.
·
By 2011, ANZ‘s position in the global car market
slipped from the 8th to the
15th.
·
Experts attributed this declining performance to
Loy‘s bureaucratic management style.
·
Employees used the company‘s hierarchical structure as an excuse to delay
decisions.
·
Customers complained of lack of new features and
variants in the company‘s product offerings
In 2012, James Button (Button) was appointed as the
new CEO of ANZ. In his nearly two decade long professional journey, James had
headed the manufacturing and marketing divisions of two prominent
international car makers. Button worked towards
reforming the prevailing bureaucratic model at ANZ (Refer to Chart 1 for Button‘s Reforms).
Chart 1: Button’s Reforms
Button‟s Approach
Changes in the working style
1. Long lunch hours and breaks during work hours were
done away with.
2.
A stricter electronic surveillance was introduced to track the reporting
time of employees Changes in the culture of rigidity and hierarchy
1. Rewards and incentives were introduced to encourage
employees to think out-of-the-box
2.
Employees were given the freedom of approaching the CEO directly Time
bound decision making
1. All the product related decisions were to be taken
within a 2 week time frame
2. All the departments were expected to specify their
deadlines and strictly adhere to the same
3.
Monetary incentives were introduced to reward teams which met their
targets within the specified deadlines
Accountability and responsibility were given
importance
1. Every individual who went through product proposal
was expected to comment on the same.
2. The old approach of passing over a proposal to the
next level with a ‘please advise’ remark was no longer
acceptable.
Despite
its many benefits, industry experts had raised certain concerns over Button‘s
approach, and termed it bureaucratic
(Chart 2: Benefits and Drawbacks):
6
Chart 2: Benefits
and Drawbacks of Button‘s Model
BenefitsDrawbacks
1. Risk of undercutting the top management
1. The time bound approach created sense of
urgency across departments
2. Strict time-frames might lead to lack of inter-
departmental consultation
2. Deadlines were being adhered to
3. The sustainability challenge in the long-run
3. Sales the
global market had increased
from 7% to 10 %
„Bureaucratic management‟ referred
to a highly structured, formal and impersonal organizations managed by clearly defined regulations and lines of authority.
Button initiated numerous reforms in the
existing
bureaucratic framework at ANZ including encouraging new ideas and not being
inhibited by hierarchy in order to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the company‟s functioning.
Discussion
Questions
1. Discuss the characteristics of bureaucratic
management.
(Hints: hierarchical structure-adherence
to rules and regulations-formal structure)
2. What were the advantages
and disadvantages of Button‘s reformed bureaucratic model?
(Hints: created sense of urgency-
adherence to work timings-sustainability challenge)
Course Reference: Concept- Bureaucratic Management/Unit 2-Evolution of Management
Thought/Subject-Principles of Management
Other
Keywords: HRM,
Organizational Behavior
This is an imaginary Brief Case to illustrate the
concept of Bureaucratic Management
7
3 |
WIPRO- The World’s Most
Ethical Company in 2014 |
|
|
Wipro Limited (formerly Western
India Products Limited), established in Maharashtra in 1945 ventured into IT in
1981 and established software products in 1983. The multinational IT consulting
and System Integration Services Company headquartered in Bangalore had a
workforce of 147,452, serving clients across 61 countries as of March 2014. It
was one of India's largest publicly traded company and seventh largest IT
services firm globally with a market capitalization of Rs.1.27 trillion ($20.8
billion). WIPRO delivered solutions that enabled clients to do better business
with its technology expertise and comprehensive portfolio of services.
In March
2014, Wipro was recognized as the world‘s most ethical company by the
Ethisphere Institute, an American
management consulting firm, which promoted best practices in corporate ethics
and compliance. Their assessment was based on the scores generated from five
categories- ethics and compliance programs (25%), reputation, leadership and
innovation (20%), governance (10%), corporate citizenship and responsibility
(25%), and culture of ethics (20%). Based on these parameters, Ethisphere in
2014 had selected 144 companies across 41 industries from 21 countries of 5
continents. WIPRO Limited and Tata Power Company were the only two Indian
companies that ranked in the list.
The
practices of WIPRO that earned world’s prestigious award
·
Integrity
and ethics in thinking and acting of business matters
·
Commitment
to ethical leadership, compliance practices and corporate citizenship
·
Collaborative
work with stakeholders including employees, customers, suppliers, investors
through communication and shareholder satisfaction surveys and web based query
redressed system
·
Institutionalized
checks and balances in all systems- prevention of insider trading
·
Transparency
in company‘s disclosures
·
Code of
Business Conduct and Ethics (COBCE)
· Environmental performance and corporate social
responsibility a part of the company‘s spirit
·
Spirit of
Wipro reflected through its values - Intensity to win, Act with sensitivity and
Unyielding integrity-
·
Embeds
process for employees and non-employees
However
Ethisphere‘s selection process was to be taken with some caution. Most of the
self-reported information from companies was based on element of trust and on
face value. The list did not include some highly ethical companies with serious
social missions. Erblich, CEO of Ethisphere, himself conceded that
‗we have
to find a way to engage more companies‘.
To improve ‘ethical behavior’ and make organizations most ethical,
organizations can help managers improve ethical behavior through commitment,
code of ethics, ethics committees, ethics audits, ethics training and ethics
hotline. WIPRO could win the prestigious award of most ethical company for 2014
by imbibing ethical practices in all its systems by letter and spirit.
Discussion
Questions
1.
Explain
the practices followed by WIPRO that earned the world‘s prestigious award ‗Most ethical company‘.
(Hints-integrity at work-collaborative
work culture- commitment to ethical leadership-transparency)
2.
Write a
note on the social and ethical responsibility parameters adopted by Ethisphere
in determining world‘s most ethical
companies
(Hints-ethics and compliance
programs-leadership and innovation-governance- corporate citizenship and
responsibility)
8
Course Reference: Concept- Mechanism for ethical management/Unit-Social and Ethical
Responsibilities of Management/Subject-Principles of Management
Sources:
i. Susan
Adams, “The World‟s Most Ethical Companies 2014,” www.forbes.com, March 20, 2014.
ii.
Ethisphere,
Worlds Most Ethical Companies –
Honorees, www.ethishpere.com
iii.
Sustainability @WIPRO 2012-2013, The Butterfly journey, http://www.wiprosustainabilityreport.com/corporate-governance
Other Key
Words: Organizational
Behavior, HRM
9
|
4 |
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Frugal Innovation at TATA
Group |
|
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Tata group, Indian Multinational
Corporation, headquartered at Mumbai, was founded by Jamsetji Tata in 1868. It
had 100 operating companies that included Tata Steel, Tata Motors, Tata
Consultancy Services, Tata Power, Tata Chemicals, etc, spread in more than 100
countries. The revenue of Tata companies was $103.27 billion (around INR 624,
757 crore) in 2013-14, with 581,470 employees worldwide. Tata, known for its
innovation, consistently delivered breakthrough products and services, with its
renowned business models.
Frugal Innovation referred to
making better and cheaper products and services, without compromising on
quality and making a flexible arrangement for solving problems. Frugal
Innovation tried to generate more business and social value at low-cost, while
reducing usage of scarce resources. It also played a vital role in solving
several social problems. Nano, Tata Swach and Solar Home Lighting Systems were
some of the examples of frugal innovations brought out by the Tata‘s. A lot of planning was required to
bring in innovative products at cheaper prices.
Nano- the
cheapest car- By using
less number of components, Tata made Nano cost effective and launched in 2008. Nano‘s initial price was INR 1, 00, 000.
Tata
Swach- the lowest cost water purifier – Tata Innovation Labs in collaboration with TCS
launched a filter based innovative water purifier
for low income groups. The filter could purify 3000 liters of water. With an operating cost of INR 30 per
month for a family of five, Tata‘s innovation
fulfilled the basic need of safe,
clean drinking water. When the purification capacity of the cartridge
exhausted, automatic signals were given to replace the cartridge. Swach used
nano technology low-cost and widely available natural ingredients like Rice
Husk Ash to purify water, to meet the internationally acceptable water
purification standards. Tata Power Solar
Home Lighting systems-Low-cost power systems to generate electricity from
sunlight. It contained a rechargeable battery that stored electricity.
Aryvartan Gramin bank lent support in financing for the lighting systems.
Frugal innovations from TATA are
helped in providing low-cost solutions to problems faced by people in countries
like India. These innovations contributed to the development of the country and
were also exported to other countries. Developed countries were also eyeing
frugal innovations of India.
‘Planning’
is a prerequisite for achieving
success and for surviving in a complex and competitive world. It facilitates innovative and creative thinking among
managers. The innovative leader has to decide what to do and then direct the
organizational members how to do it. Several frugal innovations of TATAs, not
only brought solutions to societal problems but also put India in world map for
creativity and planning.
Discussion
Questions
1. What is frugal innovation? Explain the role and
significance of planning in frugal innovation
(Hints- making socially useful
qualitative and cheaper products-planning for innovation-using excellent
business models)
2. Taking
examples from TATA‘s frugal innovations,
explain how innovative and creative thinking in planning helped in bringing out innovative products
(Hints- Nano, cheapest cars- Swach,
lowest cost water purifier- Solar home lighting systems-planning to solve local
problems-producing socially beneficial products)
10
Concept Reference: Concept- Significance of Planning, Unit- Fundamentals of Planning,
Subject- Principles of Management
Sources:
i.
Shambhu Kumar,"Frugal Innovation: The Tata
Way,” Indian Management, December 2014.
ii.
Tata
Leadership with trust, www.tata.co.in/aboutus/sub_index/Leadership-with-trust
Other key
words: Human Resource Management, Social Enterprises
11
|
5 |
|
Managing Organizational
Objectives: Rypple’s Way |
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|
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|
Rypple was founded in 2008 by
Daniel Debow (Debow) and David Stein. This Toronto based company offered
solutions for sales performance, customer service and marketing. Rypple, a
social performance management platform helped managers and employees in
collaborating with individual, team and organizational goals and facilitated
the exchange of feedback. It helped them to improve their work performance in
the course of continuous coaching, real-time feedback and recognition. In 2012,
Salesforce.com acquired Rypple and was renamed Work.com.
In 2011,
while the US economy was recovering, some employee engagement surveys and
research by
popular research organizations disclosed that
employee disengagement had an impact on the productivity hitting the organization‘s bottom line. Rypple could sustain its
productivity during the downturn as it had an
effective system in place for
employee engagement. Rypple had a culture of appreciating employees for doing
well on the job in public or through its built-in social network system. The
secret behind the sustainability of Rypple was the employee engagement
technique adopted by Debow (Refer Chart 1).
Chart 1:
Debow’s three ways of keeping employees engaged at Rypple included:
Make time for
face |
· |
Say thanks: |
Connect work with |
time: |
Employees
were |
meaning: |
|
· Connected teams |
|
appreciated by |
· Reframed jobs to |
for personal
touch |
|
immediate |
connect with
their |
through |
· |
managers |
work |
technology |
By peers through |
· Allowed staff to post |
|
· Example: video |
· |
software |
feedback |
Skype portal for |
Publicly awarded |
· Allowed to share |
|
direct video
access |
|
badges |
stories from |
Debow also ensured giving timely feedback and
coaching. He also introduced ESOP (Employee Share Ownership Plan) to encourage
the employees.
For realizing the organizational objectives, Debow
·
Encouraged
and reinforced employees
·
Connected
people through technology for personal touch
·
Sustained
productivity in times of economic downturn
·
Drove
innovation through improved commitment
·
Helped in
building quality products
·
Improved
employee morale
‘Encouraging participation’ of the employees at all levels of the organization helps in attaining organizational objectives effectively.
Rypple‘s approach in recognizing and
improving the employee
commitment helped the company sustain its
productivity in critical times.
Discussion
Questions:
12
1. Why do organizations focus on employee
commitment?
(Hints: encourage employees-
creativity-cope up with contingencies)
2. Explain the employee commitment approach
designed by Debow at Rypple?
(Hints: connecting teams – praising – feedback)
Course Reference: Concept-Encouraging participation
– Unit – Management by
Objectives/ Subject – Principles of Management
Sources:
i.
Camille Jensen, “Combining Equity with a Sense of Mission Key to Rypple‟s Success,” Axiom News, April 25,
2009.
ii.
Daniel Debow, “Three ways to Boost Commitment at Work,” Fortune, March 3, 2011.
iii.
David F. Carr, “Salesforce Acquires Rypple or
Social Employee Performance Management,” InformationWeek,
2012.
Other
Keywords: Human
Resource Management, Organizational Development.
13
|
6 |
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Vision 2050 |
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|
World Business Council for
Sustainable Development (WBCSD) led by CEO Peter Bakker, aspired to create a
sustainable future for business society and the environment. WBCSD had prepared
2050 Vision Report, compiled by 29 leading global companies from 14 industries
in consultation and dialogue with 200 companies. The basic aim of Vision 2050
was to develop a sustainable future and happy living to the 9 billion
inhabitants of our planet. Vision 2050 visualized transformation of the world
wherein people could live comfortably within the available resources of the
planet.
To achieve the Vision 2050, WBCSD
formulated Action 2020 which developed
‗Societal Must Haves‘ in collaboration with Business, Government and
Society, focusing on 9 priority areas and 5 business solutions, to address the
societal and environmental problems. The priority areas were: climate change,
release of nutrient elements, ecosystems, exposure to harmful substances,
water, basic needs and rights, skills and employment, sustainable life styles
and food, feed, fiber and bio-fuels. The business solutions were
measurable, scalable, replicable,
beyond business and good for business. Millennium Alliance for Humanity and
Biosphere (2012) highlighted in its analysis, stated that WBCSD‘s identification of nearly 40 must-
haves and bringing together of
business and government to realize these must haves for achieving a sustainable
2050 were commendable.
The Must
haves:
·
Incorporating
the costs of externalities into the structure of marketplace
·
Increasing
the agricultural output by 100%, without increasing water or land usage
·
Halting
deforestation
·
Reducing
the carbon emission level of 2005 to half by 2050
·
Improving
energy efficiency and providing access to low-carbon mobility
The plan of WBCSD was to achieve these targets by
2020 to gain confidence to achieve Vision 2050, which would open manifold
business opportunities.
Business
Opportunities:
·
Developing
and maintaining low carbon
·
Zero-waste
cities
·
Improving
and managing bio-capacity, ecosystems, lifestyles and livelihoods
Vision 2050 strongly envisaged
for putting an end to the destruction caused to ecosystem, rising greenhouse
gas emissions and moving towards sustainable agriculture in order to strive for
sustainable economic development and societal well-being.
‘Strategies
and policies’ provide a
direction or a sense of purpose to an organization. Strategic planning involves understanding
present and future trends, determining the direction in which the firm is
headed, and developing the means to achieve the organizational goals.
The strategic planning of WBCSD‘s Vision
2050 had shown the pathway for sustainable development coupled with
societal well-
being.
Discussion
Questions
1. Explain the importance of strategies and policies
in planning
(Hints-provide direction and sense of
purpose- understanding present and future trends- help in achieving
organizational goals)
2. Discuss Vision 2050 in relation to strategies,
policies and planning premises (Hints-action 2020- societal must
haves-new business opportunities)
14
Concept Reference: Concept- Strategies and Policies, Unit- Strategies, Policies and
Planning Premises, Subject-Principles of Management
Sources:
i.
World
Business Council for Sustainable Development, vision2050, Overview,
www.wbcsd.org
ii.
World Business Council for Sustainable Development, Action 2020,
Overview, www.wbcsd.org Wbcsd.org/action2020.org
iii.
Sustainable
Business Case Studies, www.theguardian.com
Other key
words: Strategic
Human Resource Management, Social Enterprises
15
7
How
Rational Decisions turn Irrational Sometimes
On 8th November 2014, at
Bilaspur, in the state of Chhattisgarh, a surgeon sterilized 83 young women in
just six hours without adhering to the established hygiene norms. State
Governments regularly conducted family planning camps to control population
growth. The camp at Bilaspur was one such camps. But what brought the incident
to the headlines was the death of 13 women in the camp the sterilization was
conducted callously by a single doctor overriding many norms. Generally, in
such camps, a team of doctors were given a target of 40 sterilizations and were
advised not to exceed 50. But the number of operations held in this case was 83 and
reports suggested that a total of 1,434 women died from such programs between
2003 and 2012.
India was the first country in
the world to introduce a population control policy in the 1950s and Government
sponsored mass sterilizations had become common in India. Still these efforts
did not show much progress, and population in India continued to grow,
straining the limited resources in the country.
Successive governments failed to formulate rational policies to manage
India‘s population growth.
Features
of Rational decision-making in the case
·
Population
control was essential for economic development
·
It was
also in the interest of poor families, many of them being illiterate and
ignorant, did not understand the importance of family planning programs. Some
motivational initiatives prompted them to accept and practice family planning
methods.
·
For micro
and macro societal development, population control was considered as a rational
decision.
Features
of irrationality of the case
·
The
sterilization deaths proved lack of safety measures and negligence in the
conduct.
·
Women
were forced by health workers to attend the camp for sterilization
·
They were
not being informed about the risks involved and alternative choices
·
Not
adhering to the norms set to perform sterilization
·
Absence
of sterile and hygienic conditions in the camp
·
Use of
adulterated medicines.
·
Patients
were discharged immediately after sterilization and no follow-up care was
provided
What
could have been done?
·
Minimizing
excess dependence on women sterilization as birth control
·
Creating
awareness about contraceptive choices
·
Need for
popularization of easier, safer and non-risky vasectomy for birth control
·
Taking
extraordinary care in conducting such camps
·
Concentrating
more on rational views such as health and safety of women rather than
irrational emphasis such as meeting the targets
Under the rational model of
decision-making, ‘managers’ engage in
‘decision-making’ which is totally rational. But managers may not always be
perfectly rational in making decisions. Irrational models like satisficing, incremental
and garbage-can model either make managers to ignore critical information or
find solutions for short-term goals. In the Bilaspur tragedy, the team was more
ambitious to reach the goals rather than looking at the critical points
underlying sterilizations.
16
Discussion
Questions
1. Why are managers not always rational in
decision-making? Answer the question with reference to the case cited above
(Hints-urgency to realize targets-
pressures from top hierarchy-callousness- monetary gains)
2. Explain the role and importance of managers in
making rational decisions
(Hints-rational decision-making-micro
and macro societal development-motivators)
Concept Reference: Concept: Managers as Decision-makers, Unit- Managerial
Decision-Making, Subject- Principles of Management
Sources:
i.
Jason Burke, “India-Sterilisation-Deaths-Women-Forced-Camps-Relatives, www.theguardian.com, November 12, 2014.
ii. Shanoor Seervai, Gabriele Parussini, “Deaths Put Spotlight on
India‟s Sterilization „Camps‟,” November 13, 2014.
iii. ILNS,”Women
critical after sterilization surgery”, IndiaLive Today, November 12, 2014.
Other key
words: Human
Resource Management, Organizational Behavior
17
8
The
Re-Organizing Decision at Flipkart
Flipkart, an Indian e-commerce
firm headquartered at Bangalore, was founded by Sachin and Binny Bansal in
2007. Flipkart commenced its business operations as an online platform focused
on selling books. In 2010, the company expanded into newer product categories
including movies and mobiles. It introduced the
cash-on-delivery option in the same year. As of
2014, Flipkart offered about 20 million products under more than 70 categories.1 It had about 26 million
registered users and nearly 20,000 employees in 2014. Flipkart‘s
valuation rose from $2.5 billion
in 2013 to about $11-$12 billion by December 2014. When Flipkart started it was
a small company and operated as a flat start-up firm. The increase in the
number of employees
brought about a re-organization
within the company as new layers including directors, vice-presidents and managers were introduced (Refer to Chart 1
for Flipkart‘s Management Organizational Structure).
Chart 1:
Flipkart‘s Management Organizational Structure
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Sachin Bansal |
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Binny Bansal |
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(CEO) |
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(COO) |
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CFO |
VP, HR |
President, |
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VP, |
VP, |
President, |
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Products |
Marketing |
Engineering |
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VP, Retail |
VP, Operations |
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Sr. Manager, |
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Payments |
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AVP, |
Director, Flipkart |
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Adapted from
http://forbesindia.com/media/images/2012/Jun/img_65730_flipkart_one.jpg
In February 2015, the company decided to re
-organize into 3 businesses or units. This was the biggest re-organization in the company‘s 7.5 year
history (Refer to Chart 2 for Flipkart‘s Re-organized Structure).
Chart 2:
Flipkart‘s Re-organized
Structure
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Mukesh |
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1. To
continue as the |
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Sachin Bansal |
Binny Bansal |
Marketplace, Retail and |
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CEO. |
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(CEO) |
(COO) |
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2. Increase focus on new |
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projects
and strategy |
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3. The
involvement in |
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Sr. VP, Head of |
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Senior VP, |
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day-to-day management |
New |
Supply
Chain |
Engineering |
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Marketplace |
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was
expected to reduce |
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Adapted from Mihir Dalal,
“Flipkart Reorganizes into 3 Units,” Livemint, February 7, 2015 |
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This re-organization was introduced to achieve
the following objectives: |
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To enter new business ventures and keep pace with
the aggressive growth and the dynamic |
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operational environment |
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To split technology into – innovation or research
and development and day-to-day |
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technology |
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To allow Sachin and Binny to focus on charting the
company‘s long-term path. For example, |
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Sachin shall focus on
generating advertising revenues, mobile payments and exploring new |
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1 The Flipkart “tory, |
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18 |
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·
To build
a massive logistics and supply chain organization in order to maintain the
competitive edge over players like Amazon and Snapdeal
·
Despite
these positive developments, experts had raised certain concerns:
·
The jump
in valuation created a significant pressure over the company to consistently
deliver a high revenue growth
·
Flipkart
had to spend a considerable amount to recruit senior management executives as
nearly 5 senior executives parted ways with the company between
September-December 2014.
‗Organizing’
referred to a managerial function
that dealt with the allotment of duties, coordination of tasks, delegation of authority etc. Flipkart decided to
organize itself into 3 units. This re-organization involved a change in
responsibilities, new focus areas and change in reporting structure within the
company.
Discussion
Questions
1.
Discuss
the importance of organizing for an organization.
(Hints: focus on new ventures-chart out
future growth plans-keep pace with the dynamic market environment)
2.
Discuss the salient features of Flipkart‘s re-organization model.
(Hints: division into 3 business
units-increased focus on technology-focus on logistics and supply chain)
Course
Reference: Concept-Organizing
/Unit 8 –Fundamentals of
Organizing/Subject-Principles of Management
Sources:
i.
„About Us‟, www.flipkart.com
ii.
Itika Sharma Punit,
“Organizational Structure to Keep Evolving, Says Flipkart,” www.business-standard.com, November 29, 2014
iii.
Mihir Dalal, “Flipkart Reorganizes into 3 Units,” Livemint, February 7, 2015
Other
Keywords: HRM,
Organizational Behavior
19
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9 |
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Otis India’s Decentralization
Move |
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The Otis Elevator Company was a
manufacturer of vertical transportation systems, predominantly escalators and
elevators. It was founded by Elisha Otis in 1853. Otis was acquired by United
Technologies Corporation Inc., an American multinational conglomerate in 1976.
Otis India was founded in 1953 and was headquartered in Mumbai. In 2014, Otis
India had more than 2,600 employees and had more than 80 service centers across
the country.
In 2008, Johnson Lifts, a
privately held, Chennai -based company ousted Otis India from its number 1 position. The company‘s slower response due
to its centralized nature of operations was cited as one of the reasons for
this slip in position. Stephen D‘Souza, Director, service Operations said,
―People in the field had to approach t he
head office for everything.‖2 In 2012, Otis India appointed Sebi Joseph as
Managing Director. Sebi Joseph designed
a strategy to change the company‘s operating style (Refer to Chart 1 for Sebi
Joseph‘s Decentralization Strategy).
Chart 1:
Sebi Joseph‘s Decentralization
Strategy
Adapted
from P.R. Sanjai, “Management Case|Decentralization Benefits Otis India,”
Livemint, March 25, 2014
The
salient features of Otis India‘s decentralized structure included:
·
The
company was divided into four geographical regions, each operating as a profit
and loss entity
·
Each
region had an independent team and was headed by a director or regional head
·
Each
geographical region was given independence to make its own decisions
·
Cross-functional
regional teams coordinated functions like sales and service divisions
·
The teams collaborated to devise a ‗go-to market‘
strategy for the Indian market
Sebi
Joseph‘s decentralization strategy reaped many benefits for Otis India:
·
Resulted
in faster actions and drew customers closer
·
Energized
the regions to ensure faster response time and service excellence
·
Decisions were taken at the local level. The
Directors at the company‘s headquarters played an advisory role
2 Di eye du Ga guly, Ho “e i Joseph is Re lai i g Otis Ele ators’ No. 1 Positio ,
THE ECONOMIC TIMES, September 20, 2013
20
·
New
equipment orders increased 44% between March 2013 and March 2014
·
Otis
India regained its number 1 position w.r.t. bookings value
·
It bagged
the Hyderabad Metro Rail Ltd. project for supplying 520 escalators and 260
elevators in 2013
„Decentralization‟ referred
to an organization where employees were allowed to participate in the decision making process. Otis India had
been operating under a centralized framework. Under Sebi‟s
leadership,
the company adopted a decentralized operating style which helped the company
regain its position and bag prestigious projects in the country.
Discussion
Questions
1.
Discuss
the features of a decentralized organization.
(Hints: localized decision-making-faster
decision-making-quicker response time)
2.
How did Sebi‘s decentralized operational style
benefit Otis India?
(Hints: the company regained its number
1 position-bagged prestigious project like hyderabad Metro Rail project)
Course
Reference: Concept-
Decentralization/Unit 9- Strategic Organization Design/Subject-Principles of
Management
Sources:
i.
P.R. Sanjai, “Management Case Decentralization
Benefits Otis India,” Livemint, March 25, 2014.
ii.
Dibeyendu Ganguly, “How Sebi
Joseph is Reclaiming Otis Elevators‟ No. 1 Position,” The Economic Times, September 20, 2013.
iii.
“OTIS HISTORY,” http://www.otisworldwide.com/d30-history.html
Other
Keywords: HRM,
Organizational Behavior
21
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10 |
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The New Organizational
Structure @ Infosys |
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Infosys,
an India based global consulting and IT-services firm was incorporated in 1981.
Infosys was co-
founded by Narayana Murthy along with Nandan Nilekani and 5 other
engineers. It was headquartered at Bangalore,
Karnataka. Murthy served as the company‘s CEO from 1981 to 2002 and later
stepped in as the
Chairman from 2002 to 2011. The
CEO baton was passed on to Nilekani in 2002 and he was succeeded by
another co-founder, S. Gopalakrishnan, in 2007. In 2011, S.D. Shibulal,
one of the co-founders, stepped in as the company‘s
new CEO. Shibulal was succeeded by Dr. Vishal Sikka (Sikka) who took over as
the CEO on
August 1, 2014. Sikka was the first non-founder CEO of Infosys. Before
joining Infosys, Sikka was the Executive Board member of SAP, a globally
leading provider in business software.
Sikka‘s appointment was
accompanied by the following changes at Infosys:
·
In June
2014, Murthy and Gopalakrishnan voluntarily stepped down from the positions of
Chairman and Executive Vice Chairman, respectively
·
Murthy
and Gopalakrishnan continued on the
company‘s Board as Non-executive Chairman and Non-executive Vice Chairman
till October 2014 to ensure a smooth transition
·
Twelve
company leaders were elevated as Executive Vice Presidents and were entrusted
additional responsibilities
In
February 2015, Sikka announced a realignment of the company‘s organizational
structure (Refer to Chart 1 for
Organizational Realignment). As a part of the new structure Infosys would be
organized into- sales, business-enabling functions and delivery functions
Chart 1: The New
Organizational Structure Proposed by Sikka
Guiding
Principles
“Renew and New” Change existing ways
.
of delivering IT services
+
Scout for newer opportunities for growth
The
Proposed Structural Changes
„Sales Function‟
Would
continue to focus on industry segments like financial services, manufacturing,
etc..
„Delivery Function‟
1.To be
structured around 7 service lines including digital integration services,
management consulting services, etc.
„People
Movement and Realignment of Roles‟
1. Sanjay Purohit, head of Edge Verve, the company‘s wholly
owned subsidiary dealing with
platforms and products, would
head the company‘s management consulting services
2.
Michael Reh , would head Edge Verve, in addition to his current position as
Senior VP and Global Head of Finacle
(Infosys‘s banking product)
3. Ravi Kumar S, head of cards and insurance, would head the delivery
function
Expected
Sharpen competitive differentiation
Improve operational excellence
To create a ‗next
generation services
Boost the company‘s growth
Nurture
innovation
Increase agility
in the market
Adapted
from various sources
Sikka also introduced the following initiatives:
·
He formed
a skunkwork or a small team of about 8-12 employees to collate digital proof of
concepts (PoCs). The team aimed at targeting valued projects, from existing and
new clients.
22
·
Focused company‘s investments on next generation
technologies including artificial intelligence
and automation
·
Recruited
more than 200 new employees in the sales team in order to sell and market its
new strategies and products
·
The
company hired about 13,000 new employees in the last quarter of 2014 to counter
the growing attrition rate
·
Incentives
like 100% bonus and about 3,000 new iPhone 6s for the best performing employees
were introduced
·
Employees
to be re-trained at the company‘s Mysore
based training centre to align them with
Sikka‘s vision
The new organizational structure was expected to be
effective from April 1, 2015. The ability of this new structure to improve the company‘s agility and market position remained to
be seen.
‘Organization
Structure’ referred
to the defined relationships between the tasks, information, people and control processes of an organization.
Sikka proposed a new organizational structure and introduced new initiatives.
The impact of these structural changes and initiatives remained to be seen.
Discussion
Questions
1. Discuss the importance of organizational structure.
(Hints: impact on the various
departments-impacts on company‟s
performance)
2. What structural changes did Sikka propose at
Infosys?
(Hints: the focus of the sales
function-structuring of the delivery function)
Course Reference: Concept- Organizational Structure/Unit 10-Strategic Organization Structure/Subject-Principles of Management
Sources:
i.
Debojyoti Ghosh, “Infosys Charts
Organizational Realignment to Boost Growth,” Forbes
India, Feb 6, 2015
ii.
Venkatesh Ganesh, “Infosys
Targets Return to Glory Days as Market Perception Turns Positive,” Business Line, December 22, 2014
iii.
“Infosys Announces Realignment of Organizational Structure,” www.infosys.com, February 5, 2015
iv.
“Infosys: Sikka‟s „Renew and New‟ to the
Rescue,”www.dnaindia.com, January 9, 2015
Other
Keywords: HRM,
Organizational Behavior
23
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11 |
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Facebook and its
Organizational Culture |
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Facebook, an online social
networking service, was headquartered at Menlo Park, California. Facebook was
founded by Mark Zuckerberg along with Eduardo Saverin, Chris Hughes and Dustin
Moskovitz in February
2004. The company was originally known as ‗The
Facebook‘ and was renamed Facebook.com in August
2005. The company held its
Initial Public Offering (IPO) in May 2012. It was one of the biggest IPOs in
the history of the internet and technology sector with a market capitalization
of more than $104 billion. It had about 890 million daily active users and
nearly 1.19 billion mobile monthly active users by December 2014.
Facebook‘s
growth and success was attributed to its organizational culture (Refer to Chart
1 for the components of Facebook‘s organizational culture)
Chart 1: Components of Facebook‘s Organizational
Culture
Company’s Beliefs
1. Empower people to share and make the world more open and connected
2.
Create and build a shared
identity and vision as the company
grew
Company’s Beliefs
1. Company‟s beliefs were not considered as the sole responsibility of the
HR department
2. New employee orientation was regarded as a serious process
Company’s Beliefs
1.
Employees were allowed to pose a
question directly to the company‟s leadership
2. Employees were allowed to even ask controversial or sensitive questions
in these meetings
Company’s Beliefs
1.
Culture was of significance to an
organization
2. Culture
grew only if tended to
Company’s
Beliefs
Employees
were encouraged to participate in social activities
Company’s Beliefs
1.
Fewer hierarchies and greater
collaboration
2. Focused on 2 aspects:
„How did
the company want to be known as it grew?‟
„What was communicated to the outside world about working at Facebook?‟
Facebook’s
Mission
The
Onboarding
Process
Conducted
Weekly
All-
hands
Meetings
Conscious
Attention
to
Culture
Encouraged
Social
Activities
Employed
Unique HR
Strategies
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How was it
Achieved? |
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· Worked on the principle of „move fast and |
break things‟ which |
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allowed the company to surpass competitors in the
social- |
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networking arena |
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·
Employees were encouraged to act quickly and take risks |
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irrespective of its consequences |
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How was it
Achieved? |
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· The new recruits directly learnt about the |
culture from the |
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company‟s
longest-tenured employees from various departments. |
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These employees interacted with every new recruit
to ensure that |
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the
company‟s purpose and meaning were thoroughly |
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understood. |
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· All
employees underwent the same extensive on boarding |
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process |
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· Zuckerberg and the |
How was it Achieved? |
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management team hosted an
honest and |
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open Q&A session for employees |
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· Every
employee had direct access to the CEO |
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·
Employees openly expressed their frustrations or concerns |
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which were addressed in this public forum |
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How was it
Achieved? |
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· Before
opening a new office, a „landing team‟ was sent to help |
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set up
key aspects of the company‟s existing culture into the new |
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location |
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·
Created a uniform work environment. For instance, at its India |
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office, one of the initial activities undertaken
by the team |
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included
painting their own walls with Facebook‟s values |
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· Facebook organized |
How was it Achieved? |
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activities like clubs, |
an annual Game |
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Day (outdoor field day for all employees) |
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·
Introduced policies like a $600 rent subsidy per month to |
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those who lived within 1 mile of the office in
order to |
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encourage a close community living culture |
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· Had a
mailing list titled „social‟, dedicated to non-work |
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related discussions |
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How was it
Achieved? |
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· Less emphasis was laid on „titles‟ to ensure |
unobstructed flow of |
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ideas. Open offices spaces were created to allow
employees to sit |
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and
interact |
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In
2014, Facebook offered an incentive of about $20,000 to its |
top women employees in a bid to help them balance their
· personal and professional lives.
Employees were eligible for nearly $4,000 as a cash incentive whenever
they became parents-biologically or by means of
· adoption
The company offered 4 months of paid paternal leave with considerable
flexibility
Adapted
from various sources
24
Despite its contribution to the company, experts have raised certain concerns over
Facebook‘s organizational culture:
Incentives like paid paternal leaves for parents
were often unclaimed. The company had not revealed the proportion of employees
who fully claimed the allotted paternal leave
Policies like egg-freezing were viewed as
incentives to discourage employee poaching
‘Organizationalv Culture’
referred to a system of shared
values, assumptions, beliefs and norms that
united the members of an organization. Facebook focused on fostering an
employee-friendly culture by
encouraging open communication, reducing
hierarchies and encouraging social, non-work related interactions etc. which
contributed to the company‘s growth.
Discussion
Questions
1. Discuss the importance of organizational culture.
(Hints: impact on the company‟s revenue-impact on the growth of the company
in the log-run)
2. What
elements of Facebook‘s organizational culture were critical in its success?
(Hints: the on boarding
process-conscious attention to culture- unique hr strategies-encouraged social
activities
Course Reference: Concept- Organizational Culture /Unit 11 –Effective Organizing and Organizational Culture/Subject-Principles of Management
Sources:
i.
Kevin Colleran, “Lessons From
Facebook: How Culture Leads to Growth,” www.blogs.wsj.com, February 5, 2013
ii.
Joshua Brustein, “Facebook‟s Egg Freezing Policy
Isn‟t an Evil Plot,” www.bloomberg.com, October 15, 2014
iii.
Samantha Nielson, “Why Did Facebook‟s Shares Fall
After its Initial Public Offering,” www.marketrealist.com,
Jan 14, 2014
iv.
Ami Sedghi, “Facebook: 10 Years of Social Networking,
in Numbers,” www.thegaurdian.com,
February 4, 2014
Other
Keywords: HRM,
Organizational Behavior
25
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12 |
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Staffing at Myntra |
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Myntra.com, an Indian e-commerce
company of fashion and casual lifestyle products, headquartered in Bangalore
was founded in 2007. It had a spacious office, spread over five floors and
80,000 sq ft.
Myntra.com merged with Flipkart
in May 2014 but continued to function and operate independently. Myntra‘s web site had over 700 Indian
and International brands e-tailing 1.5 lakh styles and received 3
million visits every day and held
35 per cent market share and together with Flipkart, it accounted for 60 per
cent of the online fashion market in India.
Myntra‘s
staff in 2014 consisted of 2000
employees whose average age was 28 years. It planned to recruit 2,500 employees during 2015-16, for
middle/senior management positions to support its growth. The company was also
looking to hire creative professionals —
fashion photographers, fashion content writers, art directors and creative
directors. To meet the staffing challenges, Myntra adopted the following
measures
·
Recruited
fresh graduates from the Indian Institutes of Technology, Indian Institutes of
Management, Indian School of Business and National Institutes of Fashion
Technology
·
Around
30-35 employees in Myntra had degrees from foreign universities, including
premier institutes like Stanford and Harvard to bring in fresh perspective and
diversity to the team.
·
Conducted
five rounds of interviews for any position
·
More than
30% of its recruitment was through employee referrals only
·
Looked
for candidates with flexibility, professionalism, data orientation and
non-hierarchical attitude
·
Adopted
open work culture
·
Offered
all its employees ESOPs, health and life insurance and child care support
facility
·
Facilitated
a free transfer to the city where the employee was relocated.
„Staffing‟v is identifying the manpower required and attracting
qualified candidates to fill positions in
the
organization,v to facilitate achievement of
organizational goals. While staffing, it is necessary to take into account the
internal factors as well the external environment. Myntra, is in full swing to
face the challenges in staffing and grow in fashion market and expected to
surpass the giants in the field.
Discussion
Questions
1.
Discuss Myntra‘s staffing plans to grow in fashion
and lifestyle market
(Hints-recruiting from IITs and IIMs-
stringent interview techniques-open work culture-employee benefits)
2.
What is
staffing? Explain the process and purpose of staffing.
(Hints-identifying and attracting
manpower- selection process-achieving organizational goals-facing challenges)
26
Concept Reference:
Concept-Staffing, Unit- Human Resource Management and staffing, Subject-
Principles of Management
Sources:
i.
Sangeetha Chengappa, “On
Hiring Spree, Myntra to Offer ESOPs,”
The Hindu Business Line December 10, 2014 , Business Line
ii.
Sangeetha
Chengappa , “Myntra to Double Office
Warehousing Space,”, Business Line ,
Dec 12, 2014,
iii.
Experiences of people
working in Myntra, |
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Other key
words: Human
Resource Management, Recruitment, Training and Development
27
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13 |
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Nadella’s Compensation |
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Satya
Nadella, originally from Hyderabad, an Indian-American, had become the Chief
Executive Officer of
Microsoft on February 4, 2014,
succeeding Steve Ballmer. Before that, he held leadership roles in both
enterprise and consumer businesses across
the company. He had a bachelor‘s degree in electrical engineering from Mangalore University, a master‘s
degree in computer science from the University of Wisconsin and a master‘s
degree in business administration from the University of Chicago.
In just 10 months, on December 3, 2014, Nadella‘s pay package was hiked to
$84 million per annum (nearly INR 520 crores), making him one of the highest
paid CEOs in the world. Nadella‘s pay
package included a
base salary of $918,917 plus bonus of $3.6 million
and stock grants valued at $ 79.8 million.
Executive compensation revision
was usually tied to performance and so was Nadella‘s.
Microsoft ascertained the views of its shareholders in their annual
shareholder meeting before taking the final decision for which 72% of
shareholders had participated in the voting. The average support for such moves
was 91.5%, whereas Nadella could win less than 70% votes. Against this
backdrop, executive compensation was to be evaluated.
Why
Microsoft wanted the hike
·
Attract
and motivate for better performance
·
Incentive
for future performance
·
Retention
strategy
·
Create
sustainable long-term shareholder value
·
Build ownership
of the company
The
critical points in the case
·
Any
motion that received approval from less than 70% shareholders needed
reconsideration
·
His
predecessor, Ballmer‘s pay package
was $ 13 million per annum
·
Microsoft‘s shares dipped by 38 percent to close at $48.08 on December 3,
2014 after the announcement.
Nadella’s
performance measures
·
Initiatives
to bring out diversity in Microsoft
·
Transparency
in reporting detailed figures to federal government
·
Reorganizing
Microsoft with 18,000 job cuts
·
Wall
Street analysts felt that Nadella was moving the company forward
The best „criteria of judging managerial
performance‟ relate to the ability to set goals, to plan programs that
would help in accomplishing the goals and succeed in achieving the goals.
Managers should be appraised on the basis of how well they understand and undertake
managerial functions. Satya vNadella, CEO of Microsoft passed
the test and had become one of the best paid CEOs of the world for his
performance.
28
Discussion
Questions
1.
Discuss
the criteria for judging performance of CEOs
(Hints-Past performance- stakeholder‟s approval-leadership
abilities)
2.
Analyze the factors that led to the hike in Satya
Nadella‘s executive compensation
(Hints-past performance- motivation
technique- retention strategy- sustainable shareholder value)
Course Reference -Concept- Criteria for Appraising Managers, Unit- Performance Appraisal
and Career Strategy, Subject-
Principles of Management
Sources:
i.
”Satya Nadella to get $84 Million Pay Package,”
India Today in Tech, December 4, 2014
ii.
“Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella‟s $84 Million Pay
package Gets Approved”, NDTV Gadgets, December 04, 2014.
Other Key
Words: Performance
Measurement and Rewards System, Human Resource Management
29
|
14 |
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Organization Development at
Wanxiang |
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Wanxiang Group Corporation, the
largest automotive components supplier company in China, headquartered in
Hangzhou, China, was founded in 1969 by Lu Guanqju (Lu). Born into a farmer's
family and a dropout of school, Lu along with six other farmers set up a
tractor repair shop with a meagre investment of $ 500. Over the years he
started manufacturing universal joints, and the company was named Wanxiang. It
developed gradually and started manufacturing more complex and sophisticated
parts and module systems.
It was considered as one of 520
key enterprises in China and owned well equipped Technical Center, Laboratory,
Incubation Center, and Postdoctoral Work Station. The group consisted of more
than 40,000 employees with total revenue of more than $ 16 billion as of 2014.
It expanded its business from auto parts to agricultural engineering, bridge
and road construction, hotel management, financial services and power plant
construction. All of its products have gained ISO9000 and QS9000 Quality System
Certification. It even got approval to manufacture electric cars. Wanxiang
acquired assets of US-based hybrid automaker Fisker for $149.2 million in a
U.S. bankruptcy auction in February 2014. Analysts said that with the
acquisition, Wanxiang would be in a position to compete with electric car
manufacturer Tesla. Wanxiang gained competitive advantage through the
management practices and strategies it had adapted (Refer Figure 1).
Figure 1: Management Practices and Strategies
adapted by Wanxiang
Adapted from various sources
‗Organization
Development’ is a
change effort that is planned and focused on an entire organization, aimed at enhancing organizational
effectiveness. Waxing could rise from an automotive components supplier to a
manufacturer of an electric car because of its planned and focused efforts.
Discussion
Questions:
1.
Explain
the importance of planned efforts in Organization Development
(Hints-sustaining competition-turning
the adversaries as benefits- adapting relevant strategies)
2.
What are
the management practices followed by Lu Guanqju to take Wanxiang to new
heights?
(Hints- developing new products- pushing
into new markets- using cheaper parts- building alliances constantly)
30
Course Reference: Concept- Organization Development/ Unit- Organization Change and
Organization Development/ Subject-
Principles of Management
Sources:
i.
Norihiko Shirouzu, Ben Klayman, “Exclusive: China's Wanxiang to Relaunch Fisker Karma Car with 2012
Design – Sources”, www.reuters.com, September 18, 2014.
ii.
Thomas
Hout, David Michael, “A Chinese Approach to Management,” HBR,
September 2014
iii.
Samuel Shen, Norihiko Shirouzu, “China's
Wanxiang Plugs Fisker Bid, Open to Tesla Ties,” www.reuters.com, January 23, 2014.
Other
Keywords: Organizational
Behavior, Organization Development
31
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15 |
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Facebook’s New-fangled offer for freezing of eggs |
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Facebook, an online social
networking service, headquartered in California, was founded in 2004 by Mark
Zuckerberg. It was the second most accessed and popular website, after Google
with $134 billion market capitalization and 13 billion active users in 2014. As
of Sept 2014, of 8348 employees 69% were male and 31% female.
In October 2014, understanding
the nature and special needs of its women employees, Facebook offered novel
benefit of Ocyte-cryopreservation, in simple
terms ‗freezing of eggs‘, as a part of surrogacy benefits.
Under this benefit, Facebook
would cover the cost to preserve the eggs of the female employees, or the
partners of male employees. Facebook planned to cover costs up to $20000 per
employee under surrogacy benefit. Doctors recommended two rounds to store 20
eggs, which would cost $10000 per each round of freezing plus $500 for storage
for every year. In addition it also offered adoption and surrogacy assistance
to its employees. It was felt that this policy would cut down recruiting and
hiring costs and also help in retention (Refer Table 1 for Benefits and
barriers)
Table 1 Benefits and barriers of Egg freezing
Benefits |
Barriers |
|
|
Growth in career |
Very Expensive |
|
|
Gender equality in workplaces |
Female conservatism |
|
|
Freedom and choice of having children at their
will |
New initiative- takes time for acceptance |
|
|
Grow at work and contribute for organizational
development |
Doctors
sceptic –No guarantee of the
procedure |
|
leading to successful pregnancy |
|
|
Forward-looking approach to bring women to top in
the |
Interference in personal life |
companies |
|
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|
Good work-life balance initiative |
Health issues |
|
|
Facebook understood the different needs of its
women employees and to utilize their potential optimally, had granted this
benefit.
Organizations
need to understand ‘the nature of its
people’ and frame its policies and engagement accordingly. People have
different needs and objectives. Managers lead their subordinates in a way to
fulfil organizational goals as well as the personal needs of the employees,
looking at their individual differences, personal dignity and the multiplicity
of roles they undertake. Facebook had initiated this challenging move to retain
its talented female employees and get the best out of them.
Discussion
Questions
1. Explain the way in which Facebook tried to
understand the special needs of its female employees and rewarded benefits to retain and empower them
(Hints-special needs of women- bearing
and rearing children- balancing work- reaching higher goals- contributing
higher levels of performance-empowering women- special benefits like egg
freezing)
2.
Every
individual plays multiple roles. Organizations must look not only at the
employee role but
also consider the employee as a whole person.
Justify the statement in the light of the benefit of
‗freezing
of eggs‘ granted to its female employees.
(Hints-Multiple roles of women-
balancing work and family- special benefits- freezing of eggs-getting best out
of women workforce)
32
Course Reference: Concept-The nature of People /Unit- Managing and the Human Factor/Subject- Principles of Management
Sources:
i.
Danielle Friedman,” Perk Up: Facebook and Apple Now
Pay for Women to Freeze Eggs”, NBC News.com,
October 14, 2014.
ii.
Mark Tran, “Apple and Facebook offer to
Freeze Eggs for Female Employees,” October 15, 2014.
iii.
Jessica Bennett, “Company-Paid Egg
Freezing Will Be the Great Equalizer”, TIME, October 15, 2014.
iv.
Facebook
newsroom. company information
Other
Keywords: Human
Resource Management, Organization Behavior
33
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16 |
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Motivating Employees through
Unique Rewards |
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Savji Dhanji Dholakia (Dholakia),
the founder and chairman of Hari Krishna Exports Pvt. Ltd, a diamond
manufacturing and exporting company, hailed from Surat, Gujarat. After gaining
experience for 10 years in diamond polishing work, he formed the company in
1991. Though a school drop-out, he was a visionary and under his leadership
Hari Krishna Exports revenues grew from INR 1 crore in 1991 to INR 6000 crores
by 2014. His company had 1268 employees from 21 states in India, some of whom
were not very educated but were highly skilled with an average monthly salary
of INR 70000-80000. The diamond polishing industry in
India in general was on decline
but Hari Krishna Exports was one company that attracted talented people. The
diamond industry insiders credited Dholakia‘s
business practices for the success of Hari Krishna
Exports (Refer Figure 1). To
motivate the employees, Dholakia gifted cars, apartments, diamond jewellery
worth Rs. 4 lakhs as Diwali gift during October 2014.
Figure 1 Business Practices of Dholakia
Adapted from http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2014/oct/21/-sp-surat-diamond-merchant-india-generous-boss-diwali-hari-krishna
One of the important ‘motivational techniques’ is rewards,
which may be defined as material or psychological pay-offs for the
accomplishment of tasks. Extrinsic rewards such as money, perks and amenities,
promotion and recognition, are the pay-offs granted by the management.
Intrinsic rewards such as satisfaction and achievement are the internal
feelings generated in individuals through the performance of challenging and
interesting jobs. Dholakia, the Chairman of Hari Krishna Exports, Gujrat, is a
trend setter and with his HR strategies coupled with value based business
practices, could earn a high place in society and motivate his employees to
high performance by giving them rich rewards.
Discussion
Questions
1.
Discuss
rewards as an important motivational technique for higher performance?
(Hints- motivation techniques- extrinsic
and intrinsic rewards- performing challenging jobs)
2.
Analyze
Dholakia as trend setter and HR strategist in giving away rich rewards to his
employees (Hints-retaining talented employees- keeping personal touch-
designating extraordinarily- rich and unique rewards and facilities)
Concept Reference: Concept-Motivational Techniques, Unit- Motivating employees for Job
Performance, Subject-Principles of Management
Sources:
i.
Aparna Joshi, “Meet the Indian boss who gave cars,
apartments and diamonds to employees,” October 21, 2014.
ii.
“Meet the Diamond Merchant Everyone‟s Talking
about,” Seasonal magazine, Issue 42, December 2014
Other key words: Human Resource Management, Organizational Behavior, Performance
Management and Reward Systems
34
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17 |
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Alexander the Great’s
Leadership |
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Educated by the philosopher
Aristotle, Alexander was born in Macedonia in July 356 BC to Philip II of
Macedon and Olympias. When his father was assassinated in 336 B. C, he took the
reins of the kingdom, and led his army to victories across the Persian
territories of Asia Minor, Syria and Egypt and became 'great king' of Persia at
the age of 25. He created an empire that stretched across three continents and
covered around two million square miles. Alexander's conquests spread Greek
culture, also known as Hellenism, across his empire.
In his short span of thirteen
years of rule, he showed exemplary leadership traits, but towards the end, he
deviated from these principles, leading to his downfall.
Strengths
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
Weaknesses·
·
·
·
·
·
Visionary, team builder, mentor and great conqueror
Took responsibility for shortcomings of his followers as he felt he
could have prevented them
Goal oriented and quick decision-maker
Finest strategist and tactician
Genius for analyzing a situation and instantly making a judgment
Adaptability to changing situations and circumstances
Selected able sub commanders
Motivational Leadership with superhuman ability to
inspire his men to reach pinnacles of achievement
Fostered strong group identification
Paranoia and ferocious temper.
Senselessly slaughtered thousands who stood in his way
Stubborn
Greed for conquest
Though had good logistics, failed in the end
because he did not have enough food and water to fight
Army rebelled against the prospect of further conquest of India
Alexander the Great led his army
by example with great confidence and courage which led to his triumph. At the
age of 25, Alexander ruled an expansive empire. But as his greed to conquest
had not ended, he continued his
campaign driving farther east. When he reached India, his troops refused to
fight further as they were exhausted. Alexander was compelled to return and on
his way back, he died of a fever caused due to the wounds he encountered in the
battlefield, in Babylon in June 323 BC.
‗The key
elements of a leadership’ are using power in a responsible
manner, ability to understand people,
ability to inspire followers to
accomplish a task and the style adopted by the leader. Alexander‘s
leadership shows both the
positive and negative aspects of leadership. In his early times, he showed
exemplary leadership but when his greed to conquer increased, he deviated from
the well-being of his followers. They rebelled against him and that led to his
downfall.
35
Discussion
Questions
1. Discuss the traits required for exemplary
leadership
(Hints- vision- team building- genius-
adaptability- concern for followers)
2. Analyze the factors and circumstances that led to the downfall of
Alexander the Great (Hints- greed to conquest- stubbornness-ferocious temperament-
followers rebellion)
Concept
Reference:
Concept-Key Elements of Leadership / Unit-Leadership / Subject- Principles of
Management
Sources:
i.
“Alexander the Great (356 -323 BC),” “http://www.bbc.co.uk
ii.
Manfred Kets de Vries, “11 Leadership Lessons
from Alexander the Great”, INSEAD, November 18, 2014.
iii. 5g.
“Alexander the Great”, www.ushistory.org/civ/5g.asp
iv.
Stephen English, “Top 10 reasons
Alexander The Great was a great commander”, http://theworldofalexanderthegreat.com,
September 11, 2012.
Other key
words: Human
Resource Management, Organizational Behavior, SHRM
36
|
18 |
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Managing Communications |
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Carlsberg, a Danish brewing
company founded in 1847 by J. C. Jacobsen was headquartered at Copenhagen,
Denmark. Under the leadership of Jorgen Buhl Rasmussen (Rasmussen), the CEO of the Carlsberg
Group the company became the
fourth largest brewer in the world, with 40000 highly skilled engaged employees in 2014. Carlsberg‘s business was
focused in Western Europe, Eastern Europe and Asia with
strong market positions. It catered to the needs of all
its customers with more than 500 brands
In 2012, Carlsberg launched a
website to communicate with all its stakeholders highlighting the importance of
collaboration for sustainable achievements. It shared all the vital information
through this website effectively, which motivated employees to perform well,
competing with each other. Employees shared their success factors in improving
the products and environment. Carlsberg could also get connected with the
society too. Rasmussen was able
to lead Carlsberg to new heights because of his effective communication style
(refer Fig 1 for Carlsberg‘s effective
communication styles).
Figure 1: Carlsberg’s effective communication
styles.
Adapted
from www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/sustainability-case-studies-carlsberg-website
Rasmussen moved Carlsberg forward
by focusing on collaboration, training and compliance with company rules. He
used to communicate effectively on healthy drinking.
‘Effective
communication’ is
crucial for the smooth functioning of an organization. It helps in planning and organizing the managerial
activities. It is a means of conveying important data and information and
assists in the achievement of organizational goals. It helps managers in
leading, directing, motivating and controlling. Carlsberg through its website
communicates with all its stakeholders effectively and able to retain its
talented employees and also remain as market leader.
Discussion
Questions
1. Explain the importance of communication in
leading
(Hints-concentrating on focus areas-
communicating strong points and undermining the negative points)
2. Discuss how Carlsberg‘s communication channel
helped the company remain as market leader
(Hints-promoting responsible
drinking-sustainable package solutions- communicating with stakeholders
effectively)
37
Concept Reference: Concept-Significance of communication, Unit- Managing Communications,
Subject- Principles of Management
Sources:
i.
Katharine
Earley, “Carlsberg makes
Website about its
Social Enterprise Achievements”, The
Guardian
Sustainable Business Case Studies, May 15, 2014.
ii.
”Communicating Sustainability – Lessons Learnt from
the Best”, http://oneplanetblog.com, October 21, 2014.
iii.
Carlsberg's
Full Year Results-2014, 18 February 2015, www.carlsberggroup.com
Other key
words: Human
Resource Management, Organizational Behavior
38
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19 |
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Uber |
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Uber, an internet- based taxi
firm, headquartered in San Francisco, California was founded in 2009. It
provided taxi service to customers on request. Its motto was to expand globally
and serve locally. As of 16 December 2014, its services were available in 53
countries, in more than 200 cities worldwide. Uber, as on December 2014 was
valued at more than US $ 40 billion. It assured better, faster and cheaper
service than a taxi. Uber Taxi, UberX, Uber Black Car, Uber SUV were some of
its products. It provided cashless & convenient payment mode through
mobiles and credit cards and receipts were e-mailed to the customers. When more
than one customer used its service at the same time, the charges were equally
divided among
them. Uber helped the customers find their
destination, by connecting the customer with the nearest available driver who would help in finding the location. All the
details of the driver‘s name and number were
texted to the mobile app and customers could get
any required information easily. It was as simple as ‗request, ride, and pay via smart phone‘.
But, several complaints and
violations of laws against Uber were gradually coming to light, warranting
strict control measures. Refer Figure 1 for the complaints.
Figure 1- Complaints against Uber
Germany
¨
Drivers did not have proper
permits
¨ Not
properly insured
¨
Not subject to checks
¨
Uber had been banned in Germany
for violation of laws and could face fine of 250,000 Euros
India
¨ Not
following safety norms
¨
On Dec 5, 2014, a Delhi executive
was raped
¨
Adversely affected its Brand
Building
¨
Uber had been banned in Delhi and
Hyderabad and advisory for other states to ban Uber was given out
Other Countries
¨
A CEO in Washington kidnapped in
July by Uber driver
¨
In Toronto, an appeal for ban of
Uber appeared for violation of laws
¨
Protest in France for its sexy
promos
Serious charges were levelled against Uber and violations of law were on the
rise. Travelling in Uber‘s taxis was posing a risk and no government could
take it easy with such allegations and there was an urgent need for adopting
control mechanisms.
Controlling plays an important role in helping
managers detect irregularities, identify opportunities, handle
complex situations, decentralize authority,
minimize costs, and cope with uncertainty. Managers use different types of controls depending on the situation. In ‗feedback
control‘, otherwise known as post
action control, corrective action
is taken to adjust the performance. Accounting records, disciplinary action are
some of the examples of feedback control. Governments are expected to take
punitive actions on all erring companies and protect the consumers of
services/products of erring companies like that of Uber.
Discussion
Questions
1.
What is
feedback control? Explain the concept taking example from Uber.
(Hints-detecting irregularities-
handling complex situations- corrective action- Uber-irregularities-no valid
permits- safety norms overlooked- executives raped- control mechanisms)
2.
What
remedial actions do you suggest to improve the safety of working women while
travelling?
(Hints- monitoring public and private
transports- registration of cabs- adopting strict control mechanisms)
Concept Reference: Concept- Feedback control, Unit- The Control Function, Subject-
Principles of Management Sources:
i.
Arindam Majumder, “Branding missteps dog Uber”,
Business Standard, December 09, 2014.
ii.
Ben Knight, “Car sharing service Uber banned in
Germany,” www.theguardian.com, September 02, 2014.
iii.
“Two down, nine to go: Uber banned in Hyderabad,
India”, www.thenextweb.com, December 10, 2014.
Other key
words: Human
Resource Management, Operations Management
39
20 |
Zero and Minimum Inventory
Policies of Big Basket |
|
|
BigBasket, an online food and
grocery store was founded by two brothers VS Sudhakar and VS Ramesh along with
two other entrepreneurs Hari Menon and Vipul Parekh during 1999-2000. The
Bangalore based store was initially launched with the name Fabmart. Due to low
accessibility of internet in 2003, the store was set offline and was renamed as
Fabmall. Subsequently in 2006, it was acquired by Aditya Birla group and was
merged with US-based Indiaplaza. In 2012, BigBasket opened its branches in
Hyderabad and Mumbai. Its products list included 10,000 products covering 1000
brands in the categories of fresh fruits and vegetables, rice and dals, spices
and seasonings, packaged products, beverages, meats and personal care products.
Supply chain management played a
major role in e-grocery business, BigBasket had on-time delivery rate of 99.5
percent in 2014. It was able to differentiate itself from the competitors by
adopting policies such as guaranteed delivery times and built-in penalties for
late/incomplete deliveries. BigBasket was among those firms that invested
heavily on technology. It adopted different inventory policies for managing
different category of products. It followed zero inventory policy for fruits
and vegetables and minimum inventory levels for packaged food products (Refer
Chart 1).
Chart 1:
The inventory and supply chain management model of BigBasket:
Inventory
model Supply chain model
·
Trained
its staff on ways to handle fresh produce
·
Fresh
produce was kept for minimum time in storage
·
Efficiently
managed chilling/freezing equipment‘s
·
Used
direct sourcing inventory model to reduce costs for better working capital
management
·
Used
technology for forecasting customer buying patterns and ordering purchases
·
Managed
inventory turnover at 40-45 times a year
·
Set
inventory levels and re-ordering levels to manage stocks at warehouses
·
Picking,
packing, storage was tech-assisted
Benefits
Reaped:
·
Routing
was done automatically
·
Followed
scheduled slot-based delivery
·
Drivers
were given devices with apps to reach the locations easily
·
Vehicles
were tracked using GPS enabled devices
·
Updated
its customers by tracking the delivery vans
·
Followed ‗no-questions-asked‘ policy if a customer
ordered ten items and were delivered only nine items, 50% of the value was
credited to his account and billing was done only for nine items
Built ability to carry more than 10,000 SKUs
(Stock-Keeping Units)
Developed efficient inventory model
Could increase margins by maintaining optimum
logistics and supply levels
A strong team of 600 employees was created to work
on inventory models
Efficient management of inventory
and delivery system aided by technology helped Big Basket in achieving the
record of meeting 75,000-80,000 orders per month. Further, it anticipated to
increase its sales to INR Rs.350 crores during 2014-2015 financial years. It
had plans to extend its range of products by including pesticide-free/organic fruits
and vegetables.
40
‘Inventory
control’ involves
stocking the materials and resources needed for the execution of organizational
activities and maintaining the inventory at proper level to overcome the
problem of uncertainty of supply and demand. Big Basket‗s efficient inventory and supply chain model facilitated
them in meeting their customers
demand on time and in maintaining a delivery track
record of 99.5 percent.
Discussion
Questions:
1.
What is
the significance of inventory control in an organization?
(Hints: on time delivery- competitive
advantage-build efficient model
2.
Highlight
the key elements of Big Basket‘s
inventory model?
(Hints:
reducing storage time –
technology-tracking delivery vans and updating customers
Course
Reference: Concept-Inventory
Control – Unit – Control Techniques/ Subject
– Principles of Management
Sources:
i.
Raghavendra Kamath, Anusha Soni,”Meet the New-Age
Grocers,” Business Standard, March 17, 2014.
ii.
Devina Joshi, “Long way to Go”, Business Standard,
July 14, 2014.
iii.
“Basket in The Media”, BigBasket.com.
Other
Keywords: Project
Management.
41
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21 |
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Mathematical Predictions on
Ebola |
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Ebola, predicted as a high risk and highly contagious
killer disease, caused by Ebola viruses, was on decline as of February 2015. It received attention as 25 to 90 per cent of
those infected with the disease have died and through them the virus spread to
many more. By February 2015, this outbreak had 23,034 reported cases resulting
in 9,268 deaths and was centered in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia of West
Africa. No specific treatment or vaccine for the virus so far had emerged
(Refer Figure 1 for the nature of the disease).
Figure 1 Nature of Ebola
Mathematical models in operations research were
found to be useful to contain the spread of the disease.
Mathematical
predictions helped
·
In making
predictions on number of people infected by Ebola patients
·
In
determining the infectious nature of the disease
·
In
minimizing potential deaths in future outbreaks
Predictions
were made on the basis of:
·
Grouping
people into four categories- susceptible to the disease, exposed but not
showing the symptoms of the disease, Infected with the disease, removed from
the disease(either killed or cured)
·
Estimates
were made on the number of people who might catch the disease, remain
infectious, or die due to the disease
·
Data was
fed to the computer to determine the extent of the disease
But though done with meticulous care, mathematical
models, fortunately, went wrong and the number of people affected by Ebola was
not as high as predicted by the models.
Why
mathematical predictions went wrong?
·
Fewer
unreported cases than assumed in the models
·
More
precautions were taken than expected, for example, traditional practices of
burial of Ebola patients were minimized
·
Much
higher spending on control of the disease
·
High
estimates were made to get attention. People might not take serious note in
future occurrences
‘Mathematical
models’ in operation
research are able to provide managers a definite framework for solving their problems because of the
advanced computing machines and their ability to handle voluminous data with
complex relationships. Though mathematical predictions went wrong on Ebola, the
alarming situation in West Africa could be contained to a great extent.
42
Discussion
Questions
1. Discuss the importance of mathematical models in
operations research (Hints-making predictions- decision-making- planning and control)
2. What are the pros and cons of mathematical models
in the case of Ebola?
(Hints-determining the infectious nature
of the disease- predictions on the severity- early warning-future setbacks-
limitations on accuracy
Concept Reference: Concept-Mathematical Models, Unit- Productivity and Operations
Management, Subject-Principles of Management
Sources:
i. "Ebola data and statistics - Latest available situation summary,” World
Health Organization. February 13, 2015".
ii. H.J., “How disease forecasts can go wrong”, The Economist,
February 04, 2015.
iii. Jaime Astacio et al, “MATHEMATICAL MODELS TO STUDY
THE OUTBREAKS OF EBOLA”,
https://ecommons.library.cornell.edu/bitstream/1813/31962/1/BU-1365-M.pdf
iv. How
disease forecasts can go wrong, 4 Feb 2015, www.economist.com/blogs.economist-explains/2015/02econo ,
Other key
words: Operations
Research, Project Management
43
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M-One- Multimode Mobile Governance: |
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22 |
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An Information and Communication Technology for |
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Citizen-Government Engagement |
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In 2014, Karnataka government
launched Mobile One App (M-One), a technology platform to offer different state
and central government related online services along with some private
services. This was an initiative taken by the Karnataka government after the
launch of investor-friendly i-4 (Information Technology, Information
Technology-enabled Services, Innovation and Incentives) policy. M-One was not
limited to urban areas, but could be used by people who were in remote areas
and those who were travelling.
M-One, a
platform to connect through computers, laptops, tablets and over phone,
landline or mobile
(smartphone) also had a voice
portal to converse in local and English language. The model was developed by the Karnataka state government‘s centre
for E-governance in association with IMImobile (a mobile
technology solutions provider
based in Hyderabad). IMImobile built the model on cloud and it was integrated
with the Karnataka State Data Centre. The model enabled the government to
connect with telecom, digital and other third-party service providers such as
Wipro, GE Healthcare and Practo.com. About 1,00,000 users were connected
through the model. The benefits of the model were:
·
Paying
utility bills such as electricity, property tax
·
Applying
for the driving license, passport, pan card
·
Paying
traffic challans, booking railway or bus tickets
·
Providing
maternal and childcare solutions and Tele-Intensive Care Unit solutions
·
Fixing an
appointment with a specific doctor
·
Recharging
phone through pre-paid or post-paid recharge options
·
Giving
crop alerts and solutions to farmers
·
Offering
Tele-Intensive Care Unit (ICU) solutions (where a doctor with the help of
camera and IT solutions monitors a remotely located patient)
·
Opening
accounts in Banks (also extended to open accounts for Jan Dhan Yojana program)
The Karnataka government intended to further
develop the information systems model and streamline its working in next five
years. However, the model had some drawbacks such as:
·
Transaction
fee was charged for recharging phones (Rs.5 for recharge of <Rs.500 and
Rs.10 for recharge > Rs.500)
·
Farmers
had to subscribe for some of the crop alerts and solutions
·
Booking
appointment was available for only some doctors
·
Phone
numbers of doctors were not displayed
·
All the
services were restricted to their specific locations (Bengaluru people could
access only Bengaluru Electricity Supply Company and Water Supply and Sewerage
Board)
·
Banking
services were limited to only some banks such as Canara, ICICI, Axis and Punjab
National Bank
Nevertheless, Karnataka was the
first state to develop e-governance. The initiatives under the models that set
benchmarks were, Bhoomi- an online system for land records management; Kaveri-
an e-registration system of the Department of Stamps and Registration;
e-swathu- software to list urban local bodies properties.
44
‘Management
Information System’ is
designed to facilitate complex interaction among people, computer and communication technologies and to quickly provide
relevant data or information collected from both internal and external
organizational sources. MobileOne launched by the Karnataka government served
as platform to quickly provide the information needed by citizens.
Discussion
Questions:
1. How does management information system help in
organizational operations?
(Hints: facilitates easy operations-
uses internal data stored in the computer systems-increases the efficiency)
2. In what ways the launch of Mobile One assisted
the Karnataka government?
(Hints: paying bills – booking doctor appointments – banking services)
Course Reference: Concept-Management Information Systems – Unit – Management
Information Systems/ Subject – Principles
of Management
Sources:
i.
“Anita Babu, “Karnataka e-governance Initiative has Miles to go to Fulfill Promises,”, Business Standard,
December 11, 2014.
ii.
“President Lauds Karnataka e-Governance
Initiatives,” The Hindu Business Line, December 8, 2014.
iii.
Sowmya Aji,
Varun Aggarwal,”Karnataka app M-One to give Access to 4,000-Plus
Services,” ET Bureau, The
Economic Times, November 27, 2014
Other
Keywords: IT &
information Systems
45
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