hrm case studies catalogues

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On-Site Medical Clinics: Perks orProductivity Boosters?

This case study helps in analysing howcompanies can derive benefits from amandatory cost to enhance savings. Thecase also helps in understanding theimportance of On-Site clinics in the era ofexorbitant medical costs, ever escalatinghealthcare-related expenses of theemployees and companies and enables adiscussion on whether this model issustainable. Or will it meet the fate of itspredecessor – the Company Doctor,abandoned during 1960s.

For many observers, 'On-Site' medicalclinics are the refined version of CompanyDoctor – a practice that has long been outfashioned by high maintenance costs.However, for the HR executives, 'On-Site'medical clinics are a novel concept thatimproves the morale of the employees andfor top managers, this is a cost item whichhas the potential to boost revenues.However, in essence, it is a basic healthcarefacility provided by the companies toemployees and their dependents in thefactory premises. Companies throughsetting up On-Site medical clinics want tocontrol the soaring medical costs, improvethe productivity of the employees besidesenhancing the quality of treatment for theemployees. The On-Site medical clinicsmodel provides better returns for thecompanies on employee health-relatedinvestments compared to any otherexisting model. Some healthcare expertsadvice that On-Site medical clinics shouldnot be confined only for controlling themedical costs and improving theproductivity of the employees but alsofocus on improving personal health andcreating community awareness on diseaseprevention and management. This model,hailed by one and all, however, has itsAchilles Heel – safety and security ofemployees' health records from themanagers. The possibility of managersusing personal medical records ofemployees for undue benefits can neitherbe ruled out nor can be overlooked.

Pedagogical Objectives

• To analyse the significance of On-Sitemedical clinics to the companies in thetimes when medical costs are everincreasing in the US

• To analyse how the On-Site medicalclinics reduce the medical costs andimprove the productivity of employees

• To debate whether On-Site medicalclinics model will be a successfulHealthcare model or it will be withdrawnlike Company Doctor.

Industry Health CareReference No. HRM0041Year of Pub. 2009

Teaching Note AvailableStruc.Assig. Available

Keywords

On-Site Medical Clinics, On-Site clinics,Company Doctors, Health Insurance,Employee Health, Medical Costs in theUS, Outsourcing Healthcare Management

Employees as Brands: The Caseof Google

This case is written primarily to raise aninteresting arguement over a simple, yet,thought-provoking concept – how canhuman resources be leveraged as a sourceof competitive advantage? Illustratedthrough the example of Google, this caseraises many intriguing issues. In a span of adecade, Google has emerged as atechnological powerhouse with twoextraordinary innovations, ‘search’ and‘adwords’, to its credit. The companyattributes this enviable rise to glory to itsmost valued assets – the Google employees.Since its inception, the company hasconstantly hired only the best talent inthe industry, preferring creativity to workexperience. Striving to attract and retainbright and inspiring employees, Googlefocused on motivating its employees bycreating a challenging yet fun-filled workenvironment coupled with a wide array ofperks ranging from free food and a gym toemployee stock options. Additionally tofoster innovativeness, Google has adoptedthe ‘70/20/10’ model, to encourageGooglers to spend 20% of their work timeon a project of their choice. These effortspaid off and Google emerged as the mostsought after place to work for twoconsecutive years (2007 and 2008).However, can a company that has focusedon small teams and individual interactionwith all employees cope up with the samewhen its meteoric climb to success hascaptured the interest of many competitors?The appreciation of Google’sachievements has been accompanied byincreasing apprehensions about the long-term sustainability of Google’s informaland fun-filled culture. Whether Google’ssuccess is a result of its much hyped workculture or vice versa, continues to be anunresolved enigma.


• To analyse the role and essence of HRmanagement across different industriesand their contribution in buildingsuccessful organisations

• To analyse factors contributing toGoogle’s meteoric rise in a short span oftime

• To examine Google’s HR practices anddebate on the replicability andsustainability of these practices

• To understand how Google has beensuccessful in making its employees brandambassadors.

Industry Internet search and NavigationReference No. HRM0040Year of Pub. 2009Teaching Note AvailableStruc.Assig. Available

Keywords

Google, Brands, Employees, HRM, Culture,Motivation, Compensation, EmployeeRetention, Talent Management, Bestpractices, work culture, Organisationalculture, Innovation

Microsoft: Reshaping HRStrategies

Founded in the year 1975, Microsoft is theworldwide leader in software, services andsolutions. Employees at Microsoft arerecognised as the intellectual fuel and areprovided with various benefit plans andresources, which are designed to retain them.Lisa Brummel, who joined as the chief ofhuman resources at Microsoft, in the year2005, started reshaping the company’s HRstrategies. She began to innovate the HRsystem and tailored it to meet the needs ofindividual employees. The case helps toanalyse the importance of innovation inHR practices of an organisation. The casealso offers a backdrop to debate whetherthe reshaped HR strategies of Microsofthelp to satisfy, retain and motivate theemployees at Microsoft.


• To analyse the significance of employeesin a knowledge-based industry

• To analyse how companies attract thebest-knowledge workers and retainemployees in a competitiveenvironment

• To analyse the HR practices at Microsoft

• To analyse the reshaped HR practicesimplemented by Lisa Brummel

• To analyse whether the new HR Strategyhelps to satisfy, motivate and retainemployees at Microsoft.

Industry Software ServicesReference No. HRM0039CYear of Pub. 2008Teaching Note AvailableStruc.Assig. Available

Keywords

Microsoft; HR Strategies; Reshaping HRStratgies; Google; Lisa Brummel;Knowledge-based industry; ComparitiveAnalysis; Steve Ballmer; Mini-MicrosoftBlog; mymicrosoft 1.0; HRM Case Studies;Next Generation Work Place

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Innovative HR Practices atSouthwest: Can they be

Sustained?With 35 consecutive years of profitability,the Dallas-based Southwest Airlines hadbeen the most successful low-fare, highfrequency and point-to-point carrier in theUS. Southwest is known not only for itsinnovation in operations but also for itsHR practices which were nurtured by itslong-standing CEO, Herbert D. Kelleher.He developed a culture aimed at fun andemployee satisfaction. He also devisednumerous employee-orientedorganisational practices, training andmotivational programs. His fun loving wayof treating employees and charismaticleadership qualities made him a supremehero among them even after he steppeddown from the CEO post in 2001 andbecame its chairman. But in May 2008,Kelleher announced that he will step downfrom the post of chairman. Following theannouncement, the entire airline industryis skeptical about the sustainability ofKelleher’s innovative HR practices atSouthwest. The case discusses how a leaderinfluences the HR practices of a firm withhis own leadership style. It also allows fordiscussion on whether it is the right movefor a company to follow HR practiceswhich are highly influenced by a leader.


• To trace out the distinguished HRpractices of Southwest Airlines

• To discuss Herb Kelleher’s role inSouthwest’s HR practices

• To analyse the positive impact ofSouthwest’s HR practices on itsoperational and financial performance

• To evaluate a leader’s role in influencingHR practices of a company.

Industry Airline IndustryReference No. HRM0038CYear of Pub. 2008Teaching Note AvailableStruc.Assig. Available

Keywords

Southwest Airlines; Herbert D. Kelleher;Charismatic Leader; US airline industry;Southwest’s Business Model; Best HRpractices; HRM Case Studies; Southwestsprit; Motivational Programs; Innovative;Fun work Culture; Kelleher; Gary Kelly(Kelly); Coolen Barrett (Barrett); HRDilemma

Google's HR Practices: AStrategic Edge?

Google, based in Mountain View, California,is the world’s most popular search engine.The company was not just known for its

innovative breakthroughs in thetechnology front, but is also known for itsunique culture and innovative HumanResource (HR) policies. In a surveyconducted by BusinessWeek magazine,Google was the most sought after companyby college students, MBAs, women,engineers, and diverse individuals. Googleranked 1st on the 10th annual ‘100 BestCompanies to Work For’ list of Fortune, awell-known international businessmagazine. HR practices at Google is named‘People Operations’, which is designed tounderline the fact that it is not a mereadministrative function, but ensures to builda strong employee-employer relationship.Google’s HR practices clearly reveal theimpressive results of the company’sapproach, which help in increasingemployee productivity. The case facilitatesdiscussion on whether the ‘Best Place toWork For’ culture at Google is to reallyattract and motivate the employees or ifit is with a business motive.


• To analyse how employees help acompany in differentiating itself fromits competitors in knowledge-basedindustries

• To analyse how companies attract thebest-knowledge workers and retainemployees in a competitiveenvironment

• To analyse the innovative HR practicesand the 'Best Place to Work For' cultureat Google

• To analyse the future implications ofGoogle’s HR practices in the long run.

Industry IT IndustryReference No. HRM0037CYear of Pub. 2008Teaching Note AvailableStruc.Assig. Available

Keywords

Google; HR Practices; Innovative WorkCulture; Benefit Packages; Retention;Recruiting Machine; Competition fortalent; Knowledge-based industries; HRMCase Studies; Workplace Design; EmployeeBenefits

Tata Tea and the Employee BuyOut Model

The case discusses about the employee buyout business model adopted by Tatas ontheir exit from plantation business in theirsouthern plantations operations in Munnardistrict of Kerala in India. Tata Tea hadsold off 17 tea estates in the south to thecompany formed by its employees namedKanan Devan Hills Plantation CompanyPvt. Ltd. (KDHPCL). In sharp contrast tothe situation in the tea industry

experiencing closures affecting thousandsof employees, KDHPCL with 13,000employees could not only recover withina year the loss of $ 24 million run up byTata Tea, but could also register a post taxsurplus of $ 50,000 as on March 31st 2006.However, when Tata Tea went ontoimplement a similar model in the NorthIndia Plantation Operations, it met withconsiderable resistance. The case discussesabout the crisis that was facing the teaindustry in India, the role played by Tatasin the formation of the KDHPCL and thechallenges faced by the employees of SouthIndian Plantations Operations inaccomplishing this unique business model.

Pedagogical Objectives:

• To understand the crisis facing the Indiantea industry and to debate on measuresrequired to regain its lost leadershipposition in world markets

• To analyse the case and find out thereasons behind the success of KDHPCL

• To identify the causes behind a similarmodel facing resistance while beingimplemented in the North

• To debate and identify whether the samemodel can go forth in the North or analternative scheme needs to be developedthere.

Industry BeverageReference No. HRM0036BYear of Pub. 2008Teaching Note AvailableStruc.Assig. Available

Keywords

Employee buyout; plantation agriculture;Tata Tea; Tea Industry; Employeemotivation; private incentive; HRM CaseStudy; agribusiness model

Schultz’s Return to Starbucks: ToFend off Rivals?

In January 2008, eight years after quittingas the CEO of Starbucks, Howard Schultzagain took over Jim Donald as the CEO ofStarbucks. It was a challenge for Schultz toturnaround an ailing company which hehad earlier run as a profitable coffee retailgiant. The main focus of Schultz was toimprove Starbucks’ sales in the US byproviding higher customers satisfaction,slowing down the pace of opening newoutlets, streamlining management andaccelerating expansion. It was felt thoughthat reassuming the role of CEO may notsolve the underlying problems at Starbucks.


• To understand the role of leadership inthe success of a company



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• To understand the challenges in replacinga successful CEO

• To understand the role of a CEO in theperformance of a company.

Industry Food and Beverage industryReference No. HRM0035BYear of Pub. 2008Teaching Note AvailableStruc.Assig. Available

Keywords

Howard Schultz; Jim Donald; openeing newoutlets; competition; McDonalds;Leadership; succession planning; Coffee;instores experience; HRM Case Study;commoditization of brands; sliding sales;iconic brand; Michael Dell; Romance andtheatre

Formation of Global TradeUnions: Prospects and

ChallengesGlobalisation has become a cliché of amodern economy. The flexibility createdby open trade between countries has a directimpact on the labour force with changinglabour market practices. The moment hasarrived, when, the trade union movementhas to spearhead towards a global front.The global trade union movementshowcases an intercontinental presencewith a single voice. However, the historyof international trade unionism had beenmarked with adversities such as divisionand closure. On April 8th 2007, a steppingstone for the 21st century global unionwas laid, when Amicus of the UK andTransport and General Workers' Union(T&G) of the UK and Ireland signed anagreement with United Steelworkers(USW) operating in the US, Canada andthe Caribbean to form a transatlanticunion. This proposed union faces aHerculean task of organising internationalsolidarity among the labour force. Whetherthe transatlantic trade union will rise tothe occasion or not is to be seen.


• To understand the trade unionmovement across the globe

• To analyse the role of trade unions in arapidly globalising world

• To analyse the prospects and challengesin the formation of a truly global tradeunion.

Industry Not ApplicableReference No. HRM0034CYear of Pub. 2008Teaching Note AvailableStruc.Assig. Available

Keywords

Trade Unionism; Global Trade Unions;Trade Unions and Globalisation; Labourlaws; Amicus; Transport and GeneralWorkers Union ( T&G); United SteelWorkers; Trade Union Movement; HRMCase Study; Trade Unions in DevelopingEconomy; Trade Unions in DevelopedEconomy; Evolution of Trade Unions

Costco's Employee LoyaltyStrategies

Costco Wholesale Corporation (Costco),the seventh largest global retailer (as of2007), stands out in the crowd as anexceptional retailer, which adoptsdistinctive employee welfare strategies.The company develops programs andemployee benefits that motivate itsemployees and strives to create anenvironment that fosters employeeloyalty. While offering excellentemployees benefits is not viewed veryfavorably by the investment community,Costco's CEO, Jim Sinegal, firmly believesthat keeping employees satisfied and loyalwill result in profitability for theorganisation in the long-run. This is in starkcontrast to the HR policies followed byWal-Mart, the world's largest retailer andanalysts doubt if Costco's HR policies willactually pay-off.


• To understand the various employeestrategies followed by Costco

• To discuss whether in the prevailingcompetitive retailing scenario, asuccessful retailer has to focus oncreating stakeholder value orshareholder value.

Industry RetailReference No. HRM0033CYear of Pub. 2008Teaching Note AvailableStruc.Assig. Available

Keywords

Human Resource Management; HRM CaseStudy; Employee Loyalty; EmployeeBenefit Strategies; HR Model; Firms ofEndearment(FoE); Cult Stock

Mattel’s Workforce StrategyMattel, the world’s largest toy companydesigns, manufactures, markets, anddistributes a wide variety of toys and gamesin 150 countries. CEO Jill Barad’s (Barad)growth-by-acquisition strategy has misfiredand the company has posted hefty losses.Robert Eckert (Eckert), who replacesBarad as the CEO in May 2000, has decided

against a cost cutting strategy to shore upprofits. Instead, he focuses on humanresource (HR) management to turn theailing company around. Eckertcommissions a global internal survey tounderstand what Mattel has been doing rightand what it has been doing wrong from theperspective of workers. He tries to unifythe workforce by creating tangibledevelopment programmes to generate amore skilled and competitive workforceand establish metrics to understand howthe workforce is performing. He also setsup a systematic succession strategy to retainMattel’s homegrown talent.


• The case discusses Mattel’s humanresource (HR) strategy and debates whatMattel has been doing right and what ithas been doing wrong from theperspective of workers

• It outlines Mattel’s new HR developmentprogramme which aims at generating amore skilled and competitive workforceand establishes metrics to understandhow the workforce is performing

• The case also outlines the company’ssuccession strategy to retain Mattel’shomegrown talent.

Industry Toys & GamesReference No. HRM0032PYear of Pub. 2007Teaching Note Not AvailableStruc.Assig. Not Available

Keywords

Mattel; Workforce strategy; Toys andGames; Barbie; Hot wheels; Fisher-price;Robert Eckert; Supply chain; HRM CaseStudy; Human resources management;Performane management system; Talentmanagement system; Leadership; Mattel'sturnaround; Toy commerce; Inventorymanagement

Labour Unrest at Toyota: TheDecision Dilemma

Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC), theworld’s second largest automobilemanufacturer, had entered into the Indianmarket in 1997 through a joint venturewith Kirloskar Group. The new entity wascalled Kirloskar Motor Private Limited(TKM). TKM established its manufacturingfacility at Bidadi near Bangalore in theIndian state of Karnataka. The case dealswith the labour unrest in the Bidadi plant.The workers of the plant went on strike,which was followed by a lockout by thecompany. The conciliation process failedto resolve the dispute. Hence, thegovernment, in order to maintain itsinvestor-friendly image, prohibited the



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strike. On receiving the news, the companylifted the lockout, but placed the conditionthat workers resuming duty will have tosign a good conduct declaration. Thedeclaration stated that the workers would,henceforth, maintain discipline in the plantand ensure full production. The unionagreed to call off the strike, but declined tosign the declaration. The company,however, strictly mentioned that if theworkers did not sign the declaration, theywould not be allowed to enter the plant.According to the union representatives, ifboth the parties remained rigid on theirstands, it would again lead to lockout. TKMmanagement was in a dilemma overhandling the situation. The case discussesin detail, the dispute between the TKMmanagement and the workers’ union andthe developments with respect to it. It willhelp the students to discuss on the possibleways of resolving the dispute by themanagement.


• To discuss about the issues of labour unrestat Toyota’s Bidadi plant

• To discuss about the government’sintervention to resolve the dispute

• To discuss on the initiatives taken byToyota Motor

• To debate on Toyota’s decision dilemma.

Industry AutomobileReference No. HRM0031KYear of Pub. 2006Teaching Note Not AvailableStruc.Assig. Not Available

Keywords

Toyota Motor Corporation; KirloskarGroup; Toyota Kirloskar Motor; Strike;Lockout; Conciliation process;Misconduct; Disciplinary action;Suspension; HRM Case Study; Dismissal oflabour; Labour court; Trade Union;Industrial dispute; Industrial peace andharmony

GM's Employee Separation Plan:Overwhelming Response from

EmployeesGeneral Motors Corporation (NYSE:GM),the world’s largest automaker was foundedin 1908 in Flint, Michigan of US. In 2006GM was in a horrible tangle as the companylost $10.6 billion in the previous year(2005). To counter this GM had initiallyplanned for organizational restructuring.As a part of the organizationalrestructuring the company planned 30,000job cuts and close down of 12 plants by2007. The plan of manpower reductioncomprised with the hourly workforcereduction of 6,500 hours in 2005 andestimated replacements, including Delphi

flow backs. GM management declared itsplan expecting to reduce 30,000 blue-collarjobs by Jan.1, 2007 which was about twoyears ahead of schedule. On Monday, 26thJune, 2006 GM’s management announcedthat 35,000 workers had already opted toleave the company voluntarily, surpassinginitial targets and allowing the automakerto increase its targeted savings to US $8billion annually by the end of 2006. Theoverwhelming response of the employeesfor the accelerated separation plansurprised many people, including GM’smanagement


• To analyse the problems faced by theworld’s largest automobile maker

• To understand the efforts made by GMto turnaround itself

• To get an overview of the globalautomobile industry

• To debate whether GM’s efforts wouldpay off.


Keywords

General Motors (GM); Organisationalrestructuring; Manpowerrationalisation;HRM Case Study; Earlyseparation; Delphi flow backs; Voluntaryretirement; Accelerated separation;Detroit; Lay-off; Other post employmentbenefits fund (OPEB); Pension and benefitfund; Automobile industry; TheInternational Union, United Automobile,Aerospace and Agricultural ImplementWorkers of America (UAW); InternationalUnion of Electronic, Electrical, Salaried,Machine and Communication workers ofAmerica (IUE-CWA); Blue-collar

Corporate Downsizing: The Fordand GM Approaches

Ford, the third largest US based automobilecompany (after GM and Toyota) plannedto retrench its manpower in US in 2006.This announcement came after couple ofmonths of GM’s manpowerrationalization. Where GM mainlyconcentrated on cutting the blue collar jobs,Ford planned to cut 14,000 white collarjobs in North America as it tried to turnaround its flagging business. It had alsoplanned to close 16 factories by 2007,instead of shutting 12 by 2012 as previouslyannounced. Ford expected these measureswould help it to reduce annual costs byabout $5bn (£2.65bn) by the end of 2007.Earlier in 2006 Ford announced it wouldoffer redundancy and early retirement

packages to all of its 75,000 unionized blue-collar workers in the US. This case dealswith the details of employee separationplan of Ford Motors vis-à-vis GM. It alsounfolds how this initiative can bestrategically beneficial in Ford’s turnaroundplan and also enlightens HR aspects of thisEarly Separation Plan.


• To discuss the automobile industry

• To analyse the restructuring strategy ofFord and GM

• To discuss the different phases of Ford’semployee separation plan

• To debate on Ford’s turnaround strategythrough job cut of its employees.


Keywords

Ford; General Motors (GM); HRM CaseStudy; Corporate downsizing; Manpowerrationalisation; Early separation; White-collar; Blue-collar; Turnaround; NorthAmerica; Redundancy; Flagging business;UAW; Alan Mulally; Job cut

McDonald’s: Revamping Its PoorEmployer Image

McDonald’s is a leading fast-food giant inthe world. Since the 1980s, the companyhas been in the eye of the storm as a pooremployer and for exploiting workers. Thecompany faced several protests, boycotts,pickets, strikes, lawsuits and campaigns.In June 2003, a popular publication,Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionaryincluded a word, ‘McJob’ and defined it as a‘low-paying, unskilled, dead-end job’. It wasalso mentioned that such jobs were pre-dominantly found in the fast-food industry.Being the world’s largest fast-foodcompany, McDonald’s initiated a campaignto redefine ‘McJob’ in 2005. The campaignfocused on dispelling the misconceptionamong people about McDonald’s image asa bad employer. A poster campaign in June2006 highlighted the company’sinvestment in people status, flexibleworking hours for parents, competitivepay, promotion options and healthbenefits. Despite all these efforts, criticscontinued to call a ‘McJob’ an un-stimulating, low-paid job with fewopportunities to grow. It was also pointedout that the company had a high staffturnover rate. It remained to be seen if thefast-food giant’s efforts to revamp itsimage as a good employer would pay off.




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• To understand the HR issues in the fast-food industry

• To study the problems faced byemployees at McDonald’s

• To analyse the efforts of McDonald’s inchanging its image as a poor employer

• To understand whether the initiativestaken by McDonald’s would help changeits image as a poor employer.

Industry Fast-Food RetailingReference No. HRM0028BYear of Pub. 2007Teaching Note Not AvailableStruc.Assig. Not Available

Keywords

Fast-Food; Exploitation; Workers; Flexibleworking hours; low-paid jobs; McDonald’s;HRM Case Study; McJob; Image; Revamp;Protests; Burger King; Wendy’s; Ray Kroc;McExploitation

Tata Consultancy Services:Building talent pool

In 2007, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)one among the leading global informationtechnology consulting, services and businessprocess outsourcing organisations, had over62,000 employees worldwide and hadaggressive plans to raise its head countfurther.

TCS gave utmost importance to its humanresource functions and consideredrecruitment as an ongoing process. TCSemployed directly from campus as well ashad off-campus recruitments. Thecompany has been investing more than 6per cent of its annual revenues in training,learning and development. In 1997, it setup a state-of-the-art training centre,‘Technopark’ at Thiruvananthapuramwhich offered training to new recruits andTCS staffers at various levels.‘Technopark’ provided the employees withthree kinds of training programmes-technology, attitudes and management.TCS had a Manpower Allocation TaskCommittee (MATC) which determined thecareer path for employees.

The attrition rate at TCS in 2006 was10.6% which was the lowest in the Indiansoftware and IT industry. But as TCScontinued to expand globally, it faced thechallenge of grooming and retaining adiversified talent pool. Also with risingmanpower requirement, TCS wasincreasingly hiring non-technical sciencegraduates, which posed a challenge for itto groom and bring them on a commonplatform


• Managing human resource in anorganiastion

• Understanding the challenges of traininghuman resources.

Industry ITReference No. HRM0027AYear of Pub. 2007Teaching Note Not AvailableStruc.Assig. Not Available

Keywords

HRM Case Study; Tata ConsultancyServices; TCS; IT Industry; India; humanresources; Training; Recruitment; Attrition;Learning and Development; Technopark;diversified talent pool; initial learningprogram; leadership development program

ISO 9000 Implementation: CanSystem Improvement Lower role

Stress?Based on the professional experience andtrue incidents, the case relates to a publicsector manufacturing industry thatflourished in the protected Indian market.After liberalisation of the economy,survival of the company came under threatdue to fierce global competition. Thecompany implemented ISO 9000, theinternational standard for qualitymanagement system, to streamline thesystems, processes and procedures forimproving the quality of products andservices. Successful implementation of ISO9000 resulted in system improvement.Since systematic working reducesdifficulties encountered in roleperformance, it was expected that ISO9000 implementation would result inlowering the stress experienced inorganisational roles. Role stress wasmeasured, before and after ISO 9000implementation, followed by statisticalanalysis of the pre and post ISO 9000samples. Contrary to the expectation, therelationship between system improvementand role stress had manifested itself in threedifferent ways, presenting a dilemma. Thecase illustrates how the change wassuccessfully managed to arrest thedowntrend for the company.


• To understand about the rise and fall ofpublic sector; how globalisationchallenged its survival

• To understand how the right kind ofleadership by a functional head in theorganisation can enable the process oforganisational renewal

• To demonstrate how change can besuccessfully implemented through

Creative Employee Involvement, in theface of stiff Resistance to Change offeredby large traditional organisations

• To learn about the strategies for thesurvival and renewal of organisations

• To develop an understanding aboutdifferent kinds of stress experienced inorganisational roles

• To illustrate how ISO 9000Implementation leads to SystemImprovement

• To understand how ISO 9000Implementation works as a StressLeveler in the organisation

• To demonstrate how a ContingencyVariable alters the relationship betweenthe given independent and dependentvariables

• To understand how ISO 9000Implementation emerges as a StructuralIntervention for OrganisationalDevelopment.

Industry Indian Public Sector Manufac.Reference No. HRM0026BYear of Pub. 2006Teaching Note Not AvailableStruc.Assig. Not Available

Keywords

Structural Theory; OB; ContingencyTheory; Resistance to Change; ManagingChange; HRM Case Study; Role Stress; OD;OD Process; Work Redesign; SystemImprovement; Structural Intervention;Employee Involvement; Operations;TQM; ISO 9000; Strategic Management;Impact of Globalisation; Public SectorDownfall; Public Sector Revival; Strategyfor Survival and Turnaround

Talent Management: The GEWay

As many companies were expanding theiroperations on a global scale, human talentassumed prime importance under suchexpansion. An increasing number ofcompanies had started focusing onnurturing and retaining its talents. GeneralElectric (GE) was a leading globalconglomerate with varied businesses. Thecompany had more than 315,000employees and its operations were spreadover 100 countries. In 2006, Fortunemagazine placed GE on the top of the listof the ‘500 most admired companies’ andFinancial Times rated it as the ‘mostrespected company’. Such recognition wasdue to GE’s innovative talent managementpractices. The case discusses the changingparadigm of GE’s human resourcephilosophy and its present day innovativetalent management practices. It states howthe systematic process of recruitment andselection had helped GE in picking the right

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person for the right job. Its training anddevelopment processes were so formulatedto impart the right measure of technicaland managerial skills to its employees. Itscompensation packages were developed toprovide incentives for superiorperformances and align the employees’ andthe share holders’ interests. Thecompany’s policies were also directedtowards providing support to theemployees so that they could take care oftheir families.


• To discuss the Talent Managementstrategies of GE.

• To discuss the changing HR philosophiesand policies of GE’s CEOs.

• To discuss the various HR tools used atGE.

Industry ConglomerateReference No. HRM0025KYear of Pub. 2006Teaching Note Not AvailableStruc.Assig. Not Available

Keywords

Talent management; General Electric(GE);Jeffrey Immelt; CrotonvilleManagementTraining School; Recruitment andselection; Action learning; Six Sigma;Vitality Curve; 9 Block; Accomplishmentanalysis; Stock appreciation rights; Changeacceleration process; Work out;Compensation management; Performanceappraisal.

Tata: The Most Admired BrandThe Tata Group had grown into one of thetop 100 global brands and the most admiredIndian company mainly by adopting someof the best HR practices. It had evolvedvarious HR models and methodologieswhich enabled it to achieve this, therebycarrying forward the legacy of its founders.This had helped the group in its expansionand growth. It remained to be seen if thegroup could maintain its brand values whilegrowing as a global company.

The case documents the best practices andHR initiatives adopted by the group.


• To discuss the best practices and HRinitiatives adopted by the group

• To discuss how companies can use goodHR practices to build a successful brand.

Industry ConglomerateReference HRM0024CYear of Pub. 2006Teaching Note Not AvailableStruc.Assign. Not Available

Keywords

Employer Branding; Tata Group; RatanTata; JRD Tata; Corporate Branding;TBEM; TCS; Tata Steel; Tata Motors;Balanced Score Card; Brockbank Model;Tata Work Levels; Performance Ethics;Quality of Work Life; Emploee Retention.

Non-compete Clause - MicrosoftSues Google Over Hire

Microsoft, one of the worldwide leaders insoftware, services and solutions that helpedpeople and businesses had startedintroducing non-compete clause in servicecontracts after quite a few of its employeesleft its services to join Google, a pioneerin web search technologies. The case inpoint was the first instance when Microsofttook matters to court.

This case examines the relevance of thenon-compete clause in IT industry in viewof the rapidly changing scenario. The casetraces the proceedings of a lawsuit filed byGoogle and Kai-Fu-Lee for violating thenon-compete agreement that Lee hadsigned with Microsoft.


• The relevance of Non –compete clausein service contracts in IT industry

• To analyse the growing IT industry andneed of introducing work norms.

Industry Software Services andSolutions

Reference HRM0023CYear of Pub. 2005Teaching Note Not AvailableStruc.Assign. Not Available

Keywords

Microsoft; Google; Non-compete clause;Non-compete agreement; Non-competition agreement; Non-competecovenant; Order; Employment contract;Lawsuit; Employee.

Human Asset Management atSAS – A Success Story

Human resource management had been agreat success at SAS Institute, the world’slargest privately held software solutionsprovider, based at Cary, North Carolina.Since inception, the company designedinnovative methods and benefit packagesto retain employees. Attrition was alwaysmaintained at less than 5% at SAS, whilethe industry average was about 20%. Forevery vacancy announced by SAS, therewas an overwhelming response fromprospective employees. The customerretention was also high at SAS and wasreflected in the 98% subscription renewalof SAS’ software by its clients. The profit

and sales at SAS had seen continuousgrowth for almost three decades. Thereason for all these was the company’s focuson managing the creativity in employeesand reducing the hassles that employeesfaced while at work. SAS encouragedcreativity, emphasized on an egalitarianatmosphere and also had day care andhealth care centers, recreation facilities andflexible working hours for its employees.The case discusses the HR strategiesadopted by SAS and highlights its policy ofcreating satisfied employees to createsatisfied customers.

The case provides ample scope fordiscussion on whether SAS’ successfulpolicies and strategies can be adopted byother companies across the world, whereattrition has been a cause of grave concern.


• To discuss about best practices in HRMand success story of SAS

• To highlight the reasons for low attritionrate in SAS.

Industry Software Business IntelligenceReference HRM0022CYear of Pub. 2005Teaching Note Not AvailableStruc.Assign. Not Available

Keywords

SAS Institute; Human asset management;Employee retention; Creative capital;Attrition management; Employee benefitschemes; Employee training andmotivation; Egalitarian work culture;Customer satisfaction; Customer retention;Best HR practices; Forbes’ Best companies; Best companies for working mothers;Business Intelligence software provider.

The Tata Group: HR ChallengesThe Tata Group, one of the largest andmost respected business conglomerates inIndia, had an outstanding heritage ofadopting some of the best HR practices.Over the years, the Group had expandedrapidly and a common HR platform wasneeded across the group. A Group HRStrategy was formulated and implementedacross the group, with great success. Withmany Group companies expanding globally,executing the HR policies across thevarious entities would be a challenge. Itremained to be seen if the Tata Group wouldmaintain the founding ethics and values inits quest for growth and global expansion.

The case allows for discussion on challengesfaced by large conglomerates in adoptingstandardized HR policies. It also allowsdiscussion on issues pertaining to employerbranding and how the brand equity could besustained in a globalised scenario.





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• To discuss Tata’s HR initiatives as a modelemployer

• To discuss how the Tata brand equitycould be sustained in its quest for growthacross the globe and if the brand wouldsuffer dilution in its pursuit for growth.

Industry Business HouseReference HRM0021CYear of Pub. 2006Teaching Note AvailableStruc.Assign. Not Available

Keywords

Employer Branding; Tata Group; RatanTata; JRD Tata; Corporate Branding;TBEM; TCS; Tata Steel; Tata Motors;Balanced Score Card; Brockbank Model;Tata Work Levels; Performance Ethics;Quality of Work Life; EmployeeRetention.

Google’s HR DilemmaGoogle’s high growth rate is creating newHR challenges for the company. Googlehas built a culture where a well-chosen eliteaccommodates flexibility, shifting rolesand, above all else, urgency. As Google growsin size and strength, it is a challenge tomaintain the pace of innovation andconvey a sense of empowerment toGoogle’s engineers and product managers.There is a risk of the organisation losingits dynamism and becoming morebureaucratic. The case discusses Google’srecruitment process, its efforts to enticethe best talent in the industry, its uniquework culture and its efforts to maintainthe pace of innovation. Can the fastgrowing company also develop aninventive streak in human resources as itcompetes for an increasingly tight supplyof search-programming talent?


• The case traces Google’s HR policy,recruitment, work atmosphere and itsefforts to manage innovation

• It also discusses Google’s efforts tomaintain the feel of a small team, theinnovative edge and the challenges itfaces in the process.

Industry Online CompanyReference No. HRM0020PYear of Pub. 2006Teaching Note Not AvailableStruc.Assig. Not Available

keywords

Google; HR; Team; Innovation; Supply oftalent; Search programming; Recruitmentprocess; Work atmosphere; Stock options;Employee retention programme; Data-based discussions; Hiring; Business.

Employee attrition in IT/BPOSector: Cost and Consequences

There was a heavy exodus of employeesfrom one organisation to another especiallyin the IT/BPO sectors in India and thebiggest challenge for the HR managers wereto retain employees.

The battle for head hunting had becomefierce and the organisations adopted allpossible means to recruit the availabletalent pool. The rampant practice ofpoaching and bulk recruitment withlucrative offers was important catalysts toaccelerate the high attrition rates. Themushrooming placement consultancies andjob web websites had played a big role ascatalyst too. Formulation of amicableretention strategy was a good option but,there was no clear cut formula to devisethe strategy. A particular strategy couldwork for few organisations and could failfor others.

Therefore, was the employee supposed toshoulder the entire blame for attrition? Inthe years to come; it would be reallyinteresting to see how the answer to thisquestion would evolve.


• To discuss about the Indian IT sectorand how outsourcing has changed thetrend in Indian software industry

• To understand the reasons for attritionand ways to improve the turnover ratein Indian IT-ITES sector.

Industry IT BPOReference No. HRM0019BYear of Pub. 2006Teaching Note Not AvailableStruc.Assig. Not Available

keywords

IT/BPO Sector; MNC; Employers concern;Employees perspective; initiatives ofretention; reasons for attrition; cost ofturnover; Employees’ psychology; SagarChakraverty; HR Challenge.

24/7 Work Culture in the US:Working to Live or Living to

Work?The case focuses on the increasing workpressure and the demands of the job foremployees working 24/7 in the US. The40 hour weeks once thought to be the pathto glory are now practically considered parttime. Family, health and leisure - time forthings critical to human flourishing is beingsqueezed by longer hours of work. Thoughthe trend of alternative work schedules inthe US is on a rise still the competition inthe fast globalizing world economydemanded long working hours. This 24/7work culture amongst the Americans puts

forth the issue: whether they work to liveor live to work?


• To discuss about the effect of 24/7 workculture in the US

• To understand the implications of the24/7 work culture on individuals

• To understand the alternatives adoptedby various companies against the 24/7work culture in the US.

Industry Not ApplicableReference No. HRM0018BYear of Pub. 2005Teaching Note AvailableStruc.Assig. Not Available

keywords

Work time; work hours; organisational;culture; technological change; leisure;health hazards; family life; flextime; shifts;alternative work pattern; job sharing;women; full-time; part-time; leave.

HR at Genentech – A VeritableParagon

Genentech, Inc. is a leading biotechnologycompany that discovers, develops,manufactures and markets humanpharmaceuticals for significant unmetmedical needs. The company hasheadquarters in South San Francisco,California and is traded on the New YorkStock Exchange under the symbol DNA.Genentech Tops the Fortune’s 2006 “100Best Companies to Work For.” This casediscusses in detail the nature ofbiotechnology industry and the role ofhuman resources in the industry. The casefurther details the work life at Genentechand the role of its culture, recruitment andbenefits offered in making the company achosen place to be worked for.


• To discuss the nature of thebiotechnology industry

• To elucidate the work culture atGenentech.

Industry BiotechnologyReference No. HRM0017BYear of Pub. 2006Teaching Note Not AvailableStruc.Assig. Not Available

keywords

Biotechnology industry; Human resources;work life; organizational culture; values;recruitment; interview process; diversity;employee benefits; HR challenges;communication system; health carefacility; flexible work; time; campusrecruitment.

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Grooming Future Leaders: TheInfosys Way

The case highlights the leadershipdevelopment initiatives at InfosysTechnologies (Infosys), one of the mostreputed IT companies in India. InfosysLeadership Institute (ILI) established in2001 was fully dedicated to this initiativeand every year over 100 potential leaderswere groomed. There was a systematicselection process to shortlist candidates forthe three year leadership developmentprogram at ILI. The interventions andleadership development program was basedon the ‘nine-pillar’ model and formulatedincorporating the best practices inleadership development followed bysuccessful global companies.

According to a study in 2002, it wasestimated that by 2006 most globalorganizations would lose 40% of their topexecutives. The case also discusses theleadership development initiativesundertaken by many global and Indiancompanies. On August 20th 2006, N.R.Narayana Murthy, the co-founder ofInfosys, who turned 60, the retirement ageat Infosys, stepped down from the post ofChairman. How successful the leadershipdevelopment initiatives at Infosys wouldbe in grooming future leaders who could fitinto the shoes of its founders?


• To discuss the leadership developmentinitiatives undertaken by Infosys andother global and Indian IT & softwarecompanies

• To highlight the ‘nine-pillar’ model atInfosys

• To debate how successful the leadershipdevelopment initiatives at Infosys wouldbe in grooming future leaders.

Industry Information Technology &Software

Reference No. HRM0016AYear of Pub. 2006Teaching Note Not AvailableStruc.Assig. Not Available

keywords

Infosys; India; Narayana Murthy; InfosysLeadership Institute; human resourcemanagement; leadership development;Nine pillar model; training anddevelopment; mentoring; best practices;interventions; overall development;attrition.

Infosys Technologies: Trainingfor Retaining

The annual demand for the software andIT professionals in India had skyrocketedsince the last two decades. While demand

was tremendous, retaining the workforcewas a significant challenge and the industrysuffered from high attrition rates. Also thedynamic nature of the industry required itsworkforce to upgrade frequently intechnology and skills. Infosys TechnologiesLimited, one of India’s biggest IT &software companies provided IT services,solutions and consultation globally andemployed over 49,000 employeesworldwide. Infosys has remained successfulover the years in keeping the attrition ratelower as compared to the industry averageand has been recognised world over for itsefforts in training its employees.

This case discusses and describes in detailhow Infosys trains its employees, speciallythe fresh recruits. The selection criteria ofInfosys and various stages of itsrecruitment process have been identified.The 14 ½ week rigorous training modulefor freshers which Infosys conducts atInfosys U, one of the largest corporatetraining centers in the world has beendescribed. The training moduleencompasses both technical and soft skillstraining and gears the fresher for achallenging career. Infosys impartscontinuous training to its employees basedon specific requirements as they progressin their career paths. It was rated as the‘Best Employer in India’ in 2001 and 2002by leading Indian business magazines andas the world’s best in employee trainingand development by The American Societyfor Training and Development forconsecutive three years 2002, 2003 &2004. These and various such recognitionshave been the testimony of Infosys’scommitment towards its employees.


• To emphasise the importance ofcontinuous training in an organisationat various hierarchical levels especiallyin the IT and software industry

• To discuss the spin-offs of massiveinvestments in training employees,particularly the fresh recruits.

Industry IT & Software industryReference No. HRM0015AYear of Pub. 2006Teaching Note Not AvailableStruc.Assig. Not Available

keywords

Infosys; India; Narayana Murthy; softwareindustry; recruitment; training;development; demand; softwareprofessionals; attrition rate; up-gradation;technology; skills; human resource;behavioral competencies; technicalcompetencies; technical training;behavioral training; soft skills; e learning;quality process training; personaleffectiveness; Infosys leadership institute;Infosys U; global business foundation

school; campus connect; corporatetraining center; over-all development.

“J-THREE” (Japan’s Big ThreeAutomakers) in US: From

Japanese Style to AmericanStyle

Many Japanese companies operating in theUS prefer to hire Japanese executives insenior management positions thanAmericans since their style of managementdiffers. However, of late, the J-Three(Japan’s Big Three Automakers - Toyota,Honda and Nissan) have been hiring manyAmerican executives for seniormanagement positions for their operationsin America. The fact that both themanagement styles differ, presents achallenge to these companies as to howbest they can integrate both the styles.The case examines the various differencesbetween both the styles of managementand also analyses the reasons behindJ-Three’s preference of Americans overthe Japanese.


• To discuss the growth of the ‘J-Three’(Japan’s Big Three Automakers) in theUS automobile market

• To understand the differences betweenAmerican and Japanese styles ofmanagement

• To analyse whether the growth ofJapanese automobile companies in theUS has been the result of Japanese styleof management

• To analyse the rationale behind Japanesecompanies hiring American executives

• To discuss the problems the companieswould face in integrating both the stylesof management

• To discuss as to what would be the mostappropriate style that J-Three shouldadopt given their aggressive growth plansin the US.

Industry AutomobileReference No. HRM0014Year of Pub. 2006Teaching Note Not AvailableStruc.Assig. Not Available

keywords

Management styles; Competitiveadvantage; Keiretsu; Decision making byconsensus; Relationship management;Lifetime employment; Productdevelopment; Leadership; Impact ofculture; Change management; Recruitment;Toyota; Honda; Nissan.

Culture Change Management





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Programme (CCMP) atCyberabad Police

Commissionerate, Governmentof Andhra Pradesh, INDIA

In 2003, for the first time in India, theCyberabad Police Commissionerateinitiated ‘Culture Change ManagementProgramme’ or CCMP. The programmefaced age-old inertia from the policepersonnel who had been trained to followthe service manuals developed in the 19thcentury by the erstwhile British rulers. Themanuals were developed with a specificintention to use the police as an oppressiveforce and alienate it from the Indian massesto maintain the British stranglehold onIndia. The CCMP was adopted to ensurequality policing in the CyberabadCommissionerate by making the policepeople-friendly and improving the workingenvironment at the police stations. Underthe programme, Cyberabad Policeembarked on a vision of achievingexcellence in service delivery andimproving the image of police throughenhanced practices, supervisionprocedures, decentralisation of power,creation of a system to enforceaccountability apart from changing the roleand functions of the police in the society.The transformation entails redesigning andredefining of workflow processes andushering in an attitudinal change amongthe police personnel. CCMP has yieldedquite a few tangible results with much ofthe potential yet to be realised.


• To understand the historical context ofIndian police system

• To understand how a very important armof a government machinery can becorporatized in terms of articulating avision, setting goals/objectives,measuring the performance vis-à-vis thegoals, etc.

• To elucidate the importance of ‘Quality’leadership in any Change ManagementProgramme

• To delve into Customer RelationshipManagement in public utility services.

Industry Not ApplicableReference No. HRM0013Year of Pub. 2006Teaching Note Not AvailableStruc.Assig. Not Available

keywords

Change management; Resistance tochange; Indian policing; Culture ChangeManagement Programme (CCMP); Vision;mission and goals; Attitude change;Corporatisation; Cyberabad PoliceCommisionerate; ISO certification; FirstISO certified Police Station; Community

partnerships; Culture; Training; Learning;Challenges for CCMP.

Peter F. Drucker – BusinessManagement and Beyond

Peter Drucker is phenomenal. He is widelyrecognised as the ‘father of modernmanagement’. He has inspired countlessnumber of management practitioners,entrepreneurs and academicians of nearlyeight disciplines. His authority on‘management’ is so comprehensive thatmany CEOs of Fortune 500 companiesthink, ‘when in doubt, consult Druckez’.This case is intended to serve as anintroduction to Peter Drucker’smanagement philosophy and his views oncontemporary and emerging societies. Thecase attempts to cover Drucker’s seminalthoughts on various managementdimensions and discusses the two sets offundamental assumptions regardingmanagement, as a discipline and a practice,and why Peter Drucker came out with anew set of assumptions.


• To discuss the management fads and theneed to give up the ‘one solution fix itall’ mentality

• To discuss the merits of Peter Drucker’snew set of assumptions regardingmanagement when compared with thetwo old assumptions.

Industry Not AvailableReference No. HRM0012Year of Pub. 2004Teaching Note Not AvailableStruc.Assig. Not Available

keywords

Peter Ferdinand Drucker’s philosophy;Management by objectives; Theory andpractice of management; Managementthinkers; Fundamental assumptions;Business management; Core competence;Information based organisation; Evolutionof management; Management balancedscore cards; Management fads; Knowledgesociety; Taylor; Gilbreths; Gantt; Weber;Fayol; Mayo; Maslow; McGregor; Skinner;Lewin; Likert; Argyris.

Xerox’s Turnaround: AnneMulcahy’s “Organizational

Change”Once a leader in the copier industry, XeroxCorporation was losing market share dueto increase in competition from Japanesecompanies. Rick Thoman, an ex-IBMexecutive, was brought in 1999 to bring anoutsider’s perspective to the company andto return the company to profitability.

However, he was not successful and toturnaround the fortunes of the companyAnne Mulcahy (Mulcahy), a Xeroxveteran, was appointed as the new CEO in2001. Mulcahy brought about severalorganisational changes, which resulted insteady increase in the company’s profits.

Pedagogical Objective

• To discuss the organisational changebrought by Anne Mulcahy, which resultedin Xerox’s turnaround.

Industry PhotocopierReference No. HRM0011Year of Pub. 2006Teaching Note AvailableStruc.Assig. Available

keywords

Xerox Corporation; Need for turnaround;Palo Alto Research Centre; Businessstrategy; Small Office Home Office(SOHO); Document centre; Accountingmis-statements; Cost reduction;Organisational change; Bankruptcy;Securities and Exchange Commission;Employee retention; Six Sigma; Outputmanagement solutions; Strategy and generalmanagement.

Hiring the CEOs: The ChangingParadigms

For years, companies like GE (GeneralElectric Inc.), Unilever and McDonald’shad been grooming internal candidates totake on the responsibility of CEO’s (chiefexecutive officers). At the same time,many other companies were finding thatthe experience of their top managementcandidates was not preparing them for thejobs they were expected to fill. With theincreasing rate of failure among topexecutives, more and more companies werelooking for outside candidates to managethe business enterprise successfully. Theturnaround of IBM (International BusinessMachines Corporation), under theleadership of Louis Gerstner, an outsider,was one of the best examples. By 2004,the trend had been to prefer an outsiderrather than an internal candidate for thetop positions. But research studies showedthat the internal candidate at the topposition was likely to perform better thanan outsider. With the rising accountabilityto the shareholders and falling supply ofable managers, the pressure was tremendouson the directors of a company to selectthe right candidate.


• To discuss the changing trends in CEOrecruitment.

Industry Not ApplicableReference No. HRM0010





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Year of Pub. 2005Teaching Note AvailableStruc.Assig. Not Available

keywords

Recruitment; CEO (chief executiveofficer); Internal succession; Recruitingoutsiders; Jack Welch of GE (GeneralElectric Inc); Unilever; McDonald’s; Coca-Cola; Douglas Ivester; Jacques Nasser(Ford); Richard Thoman; Louis Gerstnerof IBM (International Business MachinesCorporation); Steve Jobs (AppleComputers); C Michael Armstrong; GiorgioArmani; Walt Disney Co.; Michael Eisner

BP: Evolution of a New CorporateCulture

BP (British Petroleum) has traversed a longpath from being a typically old-fashionedBritish company in the 1970s and 1980s,to a modern, aggressive corporate entity.By 2004, BP has become the second largestcompany in the world with operations inmore than 70 countries.


• To discuss the transformation of BP’sorganisational culture that has helpedtransform it into the world’s biggestenergy company.

Industry Energy and UtilitiesReference No. HRM0009Year of Pub. 2004Teaching Note AvailableStruc.Assig. Not Available

keywords

BP (British Petroleum); Corporate culture;Organisation culture; Work culture;Restructuring; BP transformation; Changein culture; Project 1990; Performancecontracts; Parallel fast track; Corporategovernance; Liberal work culture;Knowledge sharing initiatives; BP’sknowledge management framework.

Allen & Co.: People as ProfitCenters

Allen & Co., one of the leading investmentbankers specialises in forging long-lastingand lucrative relationships with thecorporate leaders. Ever since its inception,the firm believed in people and theircapabilities. Allen & Co.’s unique businessproposition was its operating style thattreated the senior bankers of the firm as‘profit centres’. With this uniquerelationship marketing, the company wasable to strike many historical deals thatmade it the leading broker in theentertainment and technology sector.


• To discuss the human resource practicesof Allen & Co.

• To discuss the role of relationshipmarketing in the making of a firm.

Industry Banking and FinancialServices

Reference No. HRM0008Year of Pub. 2004Teaching Note Not AvailableStruc.Assig. Not Available

keywords

Allen & Co.; Investment banking; Highnetworth individuals; Asset managementcompanies; Sun Valley conference;Relationship managers; Herbert A Allen;Venture capital financing; Moneymanagement; People as profit centres;Relationship marketing; Entrepreneurship;Employee compensation; Investmentmanagement.

Indian Call Centers (B):Addressing Employee Attrition

This is the second of a two-case series (204-132-1 and 304-389-1). The Indian callcentre industry faced the problem ofincreased employee attrition; 30-35% in2003, compared to 20-25% and 10% in2002 and 2001 respectively. The majorcauses for attrition included lack of jobenrichment, erratic work timings, workload, work-related stress and ailments, etc.


• To discuss the various strategiesemployed by the Indian companies tocheck the high levels of attrition

• To discuss attrition as a consequence ofthe high growth in the industry

• To evaluate the current retentionstrategies and to suggest new ideas

• To discuss on the widespread opinionthat the nature of the job is such thatthe current breed of employees are notmotivated to stay for long, therebydiscuss whether this problem could bemitigated if the nature and processes ofjobs are altered

• To discuss whether the same problemcould surface in smaller cities, wherecompanies are setting up officesperceiving an increased job loyalty.

Industry Information TechnologyEnabled Services (ITES)

Reference No. HRM0007Year of Pub. 2004Teaching Note Not AvailableStruc.Assig. Not Available

keywords

Information Technology enabled servicesin India; Indian BPO (business processoutsourcing) sector; Call centres in India;Employee attrition in Indian call centres;Reasons for attrition in Indian call centres;Stress in Indian call centres; Work relateddisorders in Indian call centres; Top Indiancall centres; Manpower versus revenues ofIndian call centres; Retention strategies inIndian call centres; Rewards and recognitionto retain call centre employees; Innovativeapproaches towards employee retention.

Indian Call Centers (A): RisingEmployee Attrition

This is the first of a two-case series (204-132-1 and 304-389-1). In 2004, callcentres were the fastest growing segmentof the Indian Information Technologyenabled services (ITES)-BPO (BusinessProcess Outsourcing) sector with historicgrowth rates of 112% in revenues andabout 75% in employees. The competitiveadvantage that India enjoyed was thecombination of a huge pool of technicallyqualified English speaking graduates whowere willing to work for lower pay thantheir counterparts in the US or the UK.However, the Indian companies now facedthe problem of increasing attrition amongits workforce – 30-35% in 2003, from 20-25% in 2002 and 10% in 2001. Thisproblem, if left unchecked could seriouslyaffect India’s competitive advantage ofhigh quality, low-cost service offering.


• To discuss the challenges being faced byIndian call centres with the emergenceof attrition problems and whether or notthis would affect India’s currentcompetitive advantage

• To discuss the issues related tocompensational and non-compensational factors of attrition andwhich of these needs greater attentionin retention strategies

• To discuss if the inherent nature of thejob is causing attrition in call centres,then what should be done by thecompanies to reduce attrition.

Industry Information TechnologyEnabled Services (ITES)

Reference No. HRM0006Year of Pub. 2004Teaching Note AvailableStruc.Assig. Available

keywords

Information Technology enabled servicesin India; India BPO (business processoutsourcing) sector; Call centres in India;Employment in Indian call centres;





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Employee attrition in Indian call centres;Reasons for attrition in Indian call centres;The growth of call centres in India;Functions of a call centre; Categorisationof Indian call centres; Stress in Indian callcentres; Work-related disorders in Indiancall centres.

Employee Retention in IndianBPO Industry: The New InitiativesThe Indian BPO (business processoutsourcing) industry faced an attrition rateof 30% to 40%, costing the industry Rs.300 crore in recruitment and training.Added to these were the costs of failedservice levels. The total loss due to attritionwas estimated to be 25% of the annualrevenue. A synergy between incentives,higher education programmes, careergrowth programmes, selection of rightperson for the right job and changes in theorganisation environment helpedorganisations in bringing the attrition rateunder their control to some extent. But allthese efforts had cost implications. Thehigh cost involved in employees’ retentionwas eroding the cost competitiveness ofIndian BPO companies.


• To discuss the efficiency of the measuresundertaken to curtail employee attritionin the Indian BPO industry

• To discuss the alternative measures tocurtail the attrition without eroding thecost competitiveness.

Industry Business Process OutsourcingReference No. HRM0005Year of Pub. 2004Teaching Note AvailableStruc.Assig. Not Available

keywords

BPO (business process outsourcing);Recruitment and training; Attrition rate;Compensation, bonus; incentives; Careerplan and growth; Job rotation andenrichment; Promotion and motivation;Higher education; Employee turnover;Employee retention initiatives; Humanresource management; Pay package;employee compensation; HCLTechnologies; GTL; Tracmail; VertexIndia; Wipro Spectramind; Progeon;Daksh; Psychometric tests.

Southwest Airlines: GeneratingCompetitive Advantage throughHuman Resources ManagementTexas-based Southwest Airlines wasconsidered the most successful airlinecompany in the US. While the entire USairline industry was reeling under heavy

losses following the September 2001terrorist attacks, Southwest was successfulin posting modest profits. Moreover, whenthe major carriers started laying offthousands of employees, Southwest keptrecruiting. Many credited this competitiveedge of the company to its founder HerbKelleher, who had instilled a unique cultureof ‘fun at workplace’. He strongly believedthat a happy workforce was a productiveworkforce and hence put his employeesahead of even the customers.


To discuss the following issues: (1)Southwest’s faith in human resources(HR) as a means for competitiveadvantage; (2) the concept of HRbranding for one to be an employer ofchoice; (3) the importance oforganisational culture in shaping HRpractices; (4) Southwest’s empowermentand individuality processes; (5) if havingfun at work was a great motivator, whyis that we have not heard many suchsuccess stories at higher levels; and (6)compare and contrast Southwest’smanagement style with that of othercompanies such as SAS Airlines, Semco,People Express, etc.

Industry AirlinesReference No. HRM0004Year of Pub. 2004Teaching Note AvailableStruc.Assig. Not Available

keywords

Southwest Airlines; People management;Herb Kelleher; Corporate culture;Southwest spirit; Competitive advantagethrough people; Southwest’s recruitmentpolicy; Training; Graveyard video; Spiritweaver.

Team Building at MindTreeConsulting

MindTree Consulting, now a big name inthe IT industry in India, was awarded theprestigious SEI-PCMM level 5 in the year2003. It was also among the top three bestemployers list of the Hewitt study in India.Subroto Bagchi, now the COO andPresident of US operations, sowed the seedsfor the company in 1998 that was formallylaunched in August 1999.


• To discuss how Bagchi and KrishnaKumar, the founders of the companycould build the team of like-mindedpeople to start the next generationsoftware service company deliveringknowledge-based services to itscustomers

• To discuss the events that consistentlyadded to the synergy of the team.

Industry Software ConsultingReference No. HRM0003Year of Pub. 2004Teaching Note AvailableStruc.Assig. Not Available

keywords

MindTree Consulting; Team building; Bestemployers in India; SEI-PCMM level 5;Subroto Bagchi; Business plan; Socialresponsibility; People function; MindTreehouses; Most admired management team;Hewitt’s study; Ashok Soota; MindTree’sclass values.

Ricardo Semler’s EmployeeEmpowerment Strategies at

SemcoAntonio Curt Semler founded Semco in SaoPaulo, Brazil in 1953. The company wasprimarily into the production of marinemachinery. After his son, Ricardo Semler,became the chief executive officer, Semcodiversified into other businesses likebanking, environmental services ande-business. Ricardo desired to change Semcointo a democratic organisation for whichhe adopted the philosophy of employeeempowerment. Ricardo was against theautocratic style of management, and wasfor participative management. UnderRicardo, Semco’s revenues rose from $35million in 1990 to $160 million in 2003.Semco soon came to be known as the‘unusual kind of workplace’.


• To discuss the role of top managementin employee empowerment

• To discuss how Ricardo Semler’s beliefin employment empowerment helpedhim in developing his business and madeSemco a preferred place to work.

Industry Marine Industry MachineryManufacturing

Reference No. HRM0002Year of Pub. 2004Teaching Note AvailableStruc.Assig. Not Available

keywords

Employee empowerment; Brazil; Marinemachinery; Democratic organisation;Ricardo Semler; Leadership; Organisationstructure; Autocratic management; Semco;Participative management; Maverick;Matrix organisation; Unusual kind ofworkplace; Brazilian economy;Organisational change.





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KaroshiThe Japanese word ‘karoshi’ means ‘deathfrom overwork’. The first reported caseof karoshi was in 1969. The victim, a 29-year-old male married worker in theshipping department of Japan’s largestnewspaper succumbed to a stroke. In the1980s, deaths of several high-rankingbusiness executives still in the prime oftheir lives were reported. Since then the‘karoshi’ phenomenon has drawn mediaand public attention in Japan. In 1982, aJapanese doctor labelled this phenomenon‘karoshi’. By the 1990s ‘karoshi’ hadbecome a buzzword. The National DefenseCouncil for the Victims of Karoshiestimated that annually about 10,000workers were victims of karoshi. Most ofthe victims died of heart failure and a fewwere driven to suicide. The main reasonfor the incidence of karoshi was thedisproportionately long working hours inJapan, which is rooted in the very natureof the Japanese Production Managementsystem itself.


• To discuss the business implications ofthe karoshi phenomenon, the need fora change in the working hours andwhether there is a need to change thenature of the Japanese ProductionManagement system

• To discuss the flaws in HR Practices ofJapanese companies.

Industry Not ApplicableReference No. HRM0001Year of Pub. 2003Teaching Note Not AvailableStruc. Assign. Not Available

Keywords

Karoshi; Dentsu; Oshima; Death fromoverwork; Overwork; Suicide; Overtime;Workaholism; Unpaid overtime; Stress;Globalisation; Bubble economy; JapaneseProduction Management; Toyota; Kaisen.


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