ignou mba ms-23 solved assignments 2010

IGNOU MBA MS-23 Solved Assignments 2010

Course Code : MS-23Course Title : Human Resource Planning Assignment Code : MS-23/SEM-I/2010Coverage : All Blocks

1. Describe the various forecasting techniques and how these techniques are being used in human resource planning Discuss the techniques which have been used in an organization you are familiar with. Briefly describe the organization you are referring to.

Solution: METHODS OF DEMAND FORECAST1.Methods Based on JudgmentUnaided judgment METHOD. It is common practice to ask experts what will happen. This is a good procedure to use when • experts are unbiased • large changes are unlikely • relationships are well understood by experts (e.g., demand goes up when prices go down) • experts possess privileged information • experts receive accurate and well-summarized feedback about their forecasts.

Prediction markets METHOD.Prediction markets, also known as betting markets, information markets, and futures markets have a long history. Some commercial organisations provide internet markets and software that to allow participants to predict.Consultants can also set up betting markets within firms to bet on such things as the sales growth of a new product. PREDICTIONS can produce accurate sales forecasts when used within companies. However, there are no empirical studies that compare forecasts from prediction markets and with those from traditional groups or from other methods.

Delphi METHOD. The Delphi technique helps to capture the knowledge of diverse experts while avoiding the disadvantages of traditional group meetings. The latter include bullying and time-wasting. To forecast with Delphi the administrator should recruit between five and twenty suitable experts and poll them for their forecasts and reasons. The administrator then provides the experts with anonymous summary statistics on the forecasts, and experts’ reasons for their forecasts. The process is repeated until there is little change in forecasts between rounds – two or three rounds are usually sufficient. The Delphi forecast is the median or mode of the experts’ final forecasts. The forecasts from Delphi groups are substantially more accurate than forecasts from unaided judgement and traditional groups, and are somewhat more accurate than combined forecasts from unaided judgement.

Structured analogies METHOD.The outcomes of similar situations from the past (analogies) may help a marketer to forecast the outcome of a new (target) situation. For example, the introduction of new products in the

markets can provide analogies for the outcomes of the subsequent release of similar products in other countries. People often use analogies to make forecasts, but they do not do so in a structured manner. For example, they might search for an analogy that suits their prior beliefs or they might stop searching when they identify one analogy. The structured-analogies method uses a formal process to overcome biased and inefficient use of information from analogous situations. To use the structured analogies method, an administrator prepares a description of the target situation and selects experts who have knowledge of analogous situations; preferably direct experience. The experts identify and describe analogous situations, rate their similarity to the target situation, and match the outcomes of their analogies with potential outcomes in the target situation. The administrator then derives forecasts from the information the experts provided on their most similar analogies. Structured analogies are more accurate than unaided judgment in forecasting decisions .

Judgmental Decomposition METHOD.The basic idea behind judgemental decomposition is to divide the forecasting problem into parts that are easier to forecast than the whole. One then forecasts the parts individually, using methods appropriate to each part. Finally, the parts are combined to obtain a forecast. One approach is to break the problem down into multiplicative components. For example, to forecast sales for a brand, one can forecast industry sales volume, market share, and selling price per unit. Then reassemble the problem by multiplying the components together. Empirical results indicate that, in general, forecasts from decomposition are more accurate than those from a global approach . In particular, decomposition is more accurate where there is much uncertainty about the aggregate forecast and where large numbers (over one million) are involved.

Expert systems METHOD.As the name implies, expert systems are structured representations of the rules experts use to make predictions or diagnoses. For example, ‘if local household incomes are in the bottom quartile, then do not supply premium brands’. The forecast is implicit in the foregoing conditional action statement: i.e., premium brands are unlikely to make an acceptable return in the locale. Rules are often created from protocols, whereby forecasters talk about what they are doing while making forecasts. Where empirical estimates of relationships from structured analysis such as econometric studies are available, expert systems should use that information. Expert opinion, conjoint analysis, and bootstrapping can also aid in the development of expert systems. Expert systems forecasting involves identifying forecasting rules used by experts and rules learned from empirical research. One should aim for simplicity and completeness in the resulting system, and the system should explain forecasts to users. Developing an expert system is expensive and so the method will only be of interest in situations where many forecasts of a similar kind are required. Expert systems are feasible where problems are sufficiently well-structured for rules to be identified. Expert systems forecasts are more accurate than those from unaided judgement.

Simulated interaction METHODSimulated interaction is a form of role playing for predicting decisions by people who are interacting with others. It is especially useful when the situation involves conflict. For example,

one might wish to forecast how best to secure an exclusive distribution arrangement with a major supplier. To use simulated interaction, an administrator prepares a description of the target situation, describes the main protagonists’ roles, and provides a list of possible decisions. Role players adopt a role and read about the situation. They then improvise realistic interactions with the other role players until they reach a decision; for example to sign a trial one-year exclusive distribution agreement. The role players’ decisions are used to make the forecast. Forecasts from simulated interactions were substantially more accurate than can be obtained from unaided judgement. Simulated interaction can also help to maintain secrecy. Information on simulated interaction is available from conflictforecasting.com.

Intentions and expectations surveys METHOD.With intentions surveys, people are asked how they intend to behave in specified situations. In a similar manner, an expectations survey asks people how they expect to behave. Expectations differ from intentions because people realize that unintended things happen. For example, if you were asked whether you intended to visit the dentist in the next six months you might say no. However, you realize that a problem might arise that would necessitate such a visit, so your expectations would be that the event had a probability greater than zero.

Expectations and intentions can be obtained using probability scales . The scale should have descriptions such as 0 = ‘No chance, or almost no chance (1 in 100)’ to 10 = ‘Certain, or practically certain (99 in 100)’. To forecast demand using a survey of potential consumers, the administrator should prepare an accurate and comprehensive description of the product and conditions of sale. He should select a representative sample of the population of interest and develop questions to elicit expectations from respondents. Bias in responses should be assessed if possible and the data adjusted accordingly. The behaviour of the population is forecast by aggregating the survey responses.

2.Methods requiring quantitative data Extrapolation METHOD Extrapolation methods use historical data on that which one wishes to forecast. Exponential smoothing is the most popular and cost effective of the statistical extrapolation methods. It implements the principle that recent data should be weighted more heavily and ‘smoothes’ out cyclical fluctuations to forecast the trend. To use exponential smoothing to extrapolate, the administrator should first clean and deseasonalise the data, and select reasonable smoothing factors. The administrator then calculates an average and trend from the data and uses these to derive a forecast Statistical extrapolations are cost effective when forecasts are needed for each of hundreds of inventory items. They are also useful where forecasters are biased or ignorant of the situation . Allow for seasonality when using quarterly, monthly, or daily data. Most firms do this . Seasonality adjustments led to substantial gains in accuracy in the large-scale study of time series

Quantitative analogies METHOD.Experts can identify situations that are analogous to a given situation. These can be used to extrapolate the outcome of a target situation. For example, to assess the loss in sales when the

patent protection for a drug is removed, one might examine the historical pattern of sales for analogous drugs. To forecast using quantitative analogies, ask experts to identify situations that are analogous to the target situation and for which data are available. If the analogous data provides information about the future of the target situation, such as per capita ticket sales for a play that is touring from city to city, forecast by calculating averages. If not, construct one model using target situation data and another using analogous data. Combine the parameters of the models, and forecast with the combined model.

Rule-based forecasting METHODSRule-based forecasting (RBF) is a type of expert system that allows one to integrate managers’ knowledge about the domain with time-series data in a structured and inexpensive way. For example, in many cases a useful guideline is that trends should be extrapolated only when they agree with managers’ prior expectations. When the causal forces are contrary to the trend in the historical series, forecast errors tend to be large . Although such problems occur only in a small percentage of cases, their effects are serious. To apply RBF, one must first identify features of the series using statistical analysis, inspection, and domain knowledge (including causal forces). The rules are then used to adjust data, and to estimate short- and long-range models. RBF forecasts are a blend of the short- and long-range model forecasts. RBF is most useful when substantive domain knowledge is available, patterns are discernable in the series, trends are strong, and forecasts are needed for long horizons. Under such conditions, errors for rule-based forecasts are substantially less than those for combined forecasts . In cases where the conditions were not met, forecast accuracy is not harmed.

Neural nets METHODSNeural networks are computer intensive methods that use decision processes analogous to those of the human brain. Like the brain, they have the capability of learning as patterns change and updating their parameter estimates. However, much data is needed in order to estimate neural network models and to reduce the risk of over-fitting the data .There is some evidence that neural network models can produce forecasts that are more accurate than those from other methods . While this is encouraging, our current advice is to avoid neural networks because the method ignores prior knowledge and because the results are difficult to understand.

Data mining METHODSData mining uses sophisticated statistical analyses to identify relationships. It is a popular approach. Data mining ignores theory and prior knowledge in a search for patterns. Despite ambitious claims and much research effort, we are not aware of evidence that data mining techniques provide benefits for forecasting.

Causal models METHODS.Causal models are based on prior knowledge and theory. Time-series regression and cross-sectional regression are commonly used for estimating model parameters or coefficients. These models allow one to examine the effects of marketing activity, such as a change in price, as well as key aspects of the market, thus providing information for contingency planning.

To develop causal models, one needs to select causal variables by using theory and prior knowledge. The key is to identify important variables, the direction of their effects, and any constraints. One should aim for a relatively simple model and use all available data to estimate it . Surprisingly, sophisticated statistical procedures have not led to more accurate forecasts. In fact, crude estimates are often sufficient to provide accurate forecasts when using cross-sectional data .

HR REQUIREMENTS FORECASTING.The organization, I am familiar with is a -a large manufacturer/ marketer of safety products-the products are used as [personal protection safety] [ industrial safety]-the products are distributed through the distributors as well as sold directly-the products are sold to various industries like mining/fireservices/defence/as well as to various manufacturing companies.-the company employs about 235 people.-the company has the following functional departments*marketing*manufacturing*sales*finance/ administration*human resource*customer service*distribution*warehousing/ transportation*TQM

WE USE THE FOLLOWING COMBINATIONS.1.EXPERT -informal internal surveys.managers prepare their own estimates based on workload.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------formal external surveys.planners survey managers, using questionnaires or or focused discussion.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------delphi techniquessolicit estimates from a group of managers, until the estimates converge.============================================2.TREND PROJECTIONS-extrapolationsextending past rates of change into the future.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------indexationmatching employment growth with , say, sales.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-statistical analysis=================================================3. OTHERS-planning and budgeting systems based on strategic and corporate plannings/ budgeting.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------new venture analysismaking comparisons with similar operations.

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2. Explain the various approaches to changing roles. Discuss the factors contributing to role changes in any organization you are familiar with. Briefly describe the organization you are referring to.

Solution: THE VARIOUS APPROACH ARE: Major Roles During Change The process of organizational change can include a variety of key roles. These roles can be filled by various individuals or groups at various times during the change process. Sometimes, individuals or groups can fill more than one role.Change Initiator It is conventional wisdom among organizational development consultants that successful change is often provoked by a deep “hurt” or crisis in the organization, for example, dramatic reduction in sales, loss of a key leader in the organization, warnings from a major investor, or even actions of a key competitor. It is not uncommon then that someone inside the organization reacts to that deep hurt and suggests the need for a major change effort. Often the person who initiates the change is not the person who becomes the primary change agent.Change Agent The change agent is the person responsible for organizing and coordinating the overall change effort. The change agent role can be filled by different people at different times during the project. For example, an outside consultant might be the first change agent. After the project plan has been developed and begins implementation, the change agent might be an implementation team comprised of people from the organization. If the change effort stalls out, the change agent might be a top leader in the organization who intercedes to ensure the change process continues in a timely fashion.Champion for ChangeChange efforts often require a person or group who continues to build and sustain strong enthusiasm about the change. This includes reminding everyone of why the change is occurring in the first place, the many benefits that have come and will come from the change process. The champion might be the same person as the change agent at various times in the project.Sponsor of ChangeUsually, there is a one key internal person or department that is officially the “sponsor,” or official role responsible for coordinating the change process. In large organizations, that sponsor often is department, such as Human Resources, Strategic Planning or Information Technology. In smaller organizations, the sponsor might be a team of senior leaders working to ensure that the change effort stays on schedule and is sustained by ongoing provision of resources and training.

Factors contributing to role changes in any organization.LEADERSHIP, LEARNING, MOTIVATION & PRODUCTIVITY.

Leadership Senior management must articulate a clear vision of the future “ideal” organization in order to successfully implement CHANGE . Once the vision is established, senior management must establish and create understanding and commitment among organization members to share thevision of the ideal identity – and the actions that are necessary to achieve it. The actual transformation of a system occurs as a consequence of a “vision” of the corporation’s future and the will to achieve it. It has also been suggested that organization leaders have roles to play in order to implement a clear vision: separate from the past, create a sense of urgency, develop enabling structures, communicate, involve people and be honest, reinforce and institutionalize change .

Leadership dimensions and technology First, transactional leadership sees technological change as needing primarily technical solving skills, with little attention given to people problem solving . Under this leadership dimension, the manager lacks the skills required to influence the perception of organizational members exhibiting resistance to the change. Therefore, technical managers handling projects incorporating organizational change need to take time to hear out theprotests and problems of others caught up in the change and listen to the views of subordinateswho are likely to understand the implications of the new technology .

The second approach, transformational leadership, views technological change as needing a combination of technical and human relations aspects. This dimension contends that managers are given the role in translating top management’s vision through exercising skills of pathfinding problem solving, and implementing to introduce technological change .

Learning Learningto change, learning the new organizational vision and goals, organizational designand technology and organizational culture. The initial challenge will be to explore how organizations learn to change. The implementation of a new vision and strategy via the involvement of senior and middle management will depend very much on how the individual players and the organization itself are motivated to learn. When people have the right attitudes and commitment, learning automatically follows. Organizations themselves will also need to be part of the process as they try to learn to reformulate strategy and realign their organizations continuously, if they are to survive in an increasingly turbulent environment .

Learning, organizational design andtechnology The role of the organization at this stage inthe learning process is to create new training and education programs that will be inline with the new strategic vision. Strategic organizational changes that are not supportedby rigorous training and educational initiatives will become harder if not impossible to implement and will result in failure. Successful training can only take place if we emphasizethe importance of developing behavioral objectives before deploying instruction. Nowthe key to performance (becomes) behavioral analysis and task analysis .The idea for training and education in the corporate world is best exemplified byMotorola’s commitment in the late 1980s to invest $120 million annually in training andeducation by creating “Motorola University”. In the words of Motorola’s corporate vicepresident for training and education at that time:

Motivation, AND productivity

REVIEW vision, performance management systemsand technology and the linkage betweenmotivation, performance and culture.To implement a new organizational visionand CHANGE , it hasbeen suggested that organizationsundergo transformational change. By transformational(change) we mean areas in whichalteration is likely caused by interaction withenvironmental forces and will requireentirely new behavior sets from organizationalmembers . Forsenior teams of organizations, it will requirethe following of decision strategies that willlead to superior organizational performance.Such strategies might involve creating valueby introducing new products, penetratingnew markets, introducing flexible manufacturingcapabilities and implementing activity-based costing within a new managementcontrol system framework.The basic idea behind strategic CHANGE is to provide a clear focus andto help establish the gaps in performance andthe areas greatest concern and opportunityfor change management .

The success of strategic organizationalchange will in turn be measured by improvingkey strategic organizational variablessuch as market shares, sales volume, earningsper share, stock price, cost reduction andstakeholders (i.e. suppliers, customers, publicat large, etc.) satisfaction.

Performance management system and technologyPerformance managementsystems are being introduced in orderto monitor the performance of implemented transformational activities in the organization.In a performance management system, strategic initiatives (are) broken into clearlydefined accountabilities and responsibilitiesand then integrated into the performance objective of all employees who are responsible for turning them into actions . For transformational change to occur, every employee in the organization needs to know what his/her responsibilities are, how his/her performance is to be evaluated and how his/her performance will be monitored against a predetermined set ofgoals. At the organizational level, performanceimprovement will occur when management

provides the entire work force with all thenecessary training and technical infrastructureto support the transformational changeinitiatives . All is needed for (strategic organizational)change is to determine the righttraining program, technology (requirements)and the appropriate incentives for each situations.

Motivation, performance and organizational culture

The rules and principles governing how peopleaccomplish their jobs in an organizationcan have profound impact on the latter’sability to introduce any type of strategic organizationalchange. As was stated earlier, thebiggest challenge for management is to havetheir change initiatives supported by theemployees of the organization. These changeinitiatives are likely to encounter seriousresistance from various levels in the organization,and especially middle management.

At the individual level, it has been arguedthat the organization members’ willingnessto buy into a culture of change can be facilitatedby applying the principles of behaviormodification. These principles, derived fromoperant conditioning concepts, are notapplicable to all behavior modificationattempts. In designing jobs, organizationshave to assess individuals’ capabilities toadapt to change. For example, it has beenadvanced that the degree to which individualswill translate organizational change initiativesinto higher performance achievement(BM) is related to their “locus” of control..

3. Describe the selection and placement process of any organization you are familiar with. Discuss the retention policy of the organization. Briefly describe the organization you are referring to.

Solution:dsafsdgf RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION PROCESS-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------PROCESS ELEMENTS FOR ALL POSITIONS ---------------------------------------------!------------!----------------------STEP 1

PREPARING JOB ANALYSESPREPARING JOB DESC ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------STEP 2

PREPARING JOB SPECS -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------STEP 3

DECIDING TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT[ MEETS ALL GOVERNMENT REGULATION ON EMPLOYMENT CONDITIONS]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------STEP 4

ADVERTISING [COPY/MEDIA PLAN] except for senior positions [ head hunting][ MUST REFLECT TRUTH, NO FALSE INFORMATION, NO GENDER BIAS, NO DISCRIMINATION,NO AGE BAR, ETC]

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------STEP 5

INTERNAL APPLICANT EXTERNAL APPLICANT except for tech [ outsourcing ]ONLINE APPLICANT and senior positions [ head hunting] --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------STEP 6

SIFTING APPLICATIONS -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------STEP 7

PERSONAL INTERVIEW-INDIVIDUAL PER TO PER -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------STEP 8

-PANEL INTERVIEW ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- STEP 9

-SELECTION BOARD only for senior positions-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------STEP 10

TESTING [ BEHAVIORAL]-PSYCHOLOGICAL procedural element for all positions except senior position -PERSONALITY procedural element for all positions except senior position -ABILITY procedural element for all positions except senior position -APTITUDE procedural element for all positions except senior position -PSYCHOMETRIC procedural element for all positions ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------STEP 11

TESTING [ TECHNICAL ] only for tech. positions------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------STEP 12

ASSESSMENT CENTRE only for senior positions -POTENTIAL-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------STEP 13

OBTAINING REFERENCE procedural element for all positions----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------STEP 14

CHECKING REFERENCE procedural element for all positions-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------STEP 15

MAKING DECISION procedural element for all positions [ NO DISCRIMINATION, NO COLOR BAR, NO SEX DISCRIMINATION,PURELY ON MERIT ]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------STEP 16

OFFERING EMPLOYMENT procedural element for all positions-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------STEP 17

PREPARING EMPLOYMENT procedural element for all positions

LETTER-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------STEP 18

-HR sends out letters to the unsuccessful candidates.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------STEP 19

-HR CHECKS REFERENCES.

[ ABIDE BY LAW ]---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------STEP 20

-HR SENDS OUT OFFER LETTERS TO SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------STEP 21

-THE LINE MANAGERS / AGREE TO THE START DATEAND INDUCTION PROGRAMME.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------STEP 22

PERSONAL FILE CREATION

-HR CREATES ''PERSONAL FILE ''.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------STEP 23

HANDOVER TO HR / ADMINISTRATION-THE LINE MANAGER HANDS OVER THE RESPONSIBILITYFOR PAYROLL ADMIN AND INDUCTION TO HR.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------STEP 24

-HR PREPARES WELCOME PACK / EMPLOYEE MANUAL.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------STEP 25

ARCHIVING OF APPOINTMENT FILES.

-HR ARCHIVES SELECTED CANDIDATES FILE.

-HR DESTROYS UNSUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES FILESAFTER 6 MONTHS.

[ BY LAW, ALL OLD FILES MUST BE DESTROYED ]=================================================================================================================

This procedure is intended to give staff and management of organisations clear and straightforward guidance on recruiting potentialemployees on a fair and equitable basis. It will help you to:

*recruit and select the best candidate for every vacancy;*ensure that access to employment opportunity is based on fair, objectiveand consistent criteria;*identify discriminatory practices;*monitor and measure the effectiveness of your recruitment practices, and*increase your overall professionalism in the recruitment & selectionprocess.

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RETENTION POLICY

The organization, I am familiar with is a -a large manufacturer/ marketer of safety products-the products are used as [personal protection safety] [ industrial safety]-the products are distributed through the distributors as well as sold directly-the products are sold to various industries like mining/fireservices/defence/as well as to various manufacturing companies.-the company employs about 235 people.-the company has the following functional departments*marketing*manufacturing*sales*finance/ administration*human resource*customer service*distribution*warehousing/ transportation*TQM

========================

AT THE RECRUITMENT/SELECTION LEVELSelect the right people in the first place through behavior-based testing and competency screening. The right person, in the right seat, on the right bus is the starting point. Offer an attractive, competitive, benefits package with components such as life insurance, disability insurance and flexible hours. Provide opportunities for people to share their knowledge via

training sessions, presentations, mentoring others and team assignments. Demonstrate respect for employees at all times

Offer market oriented /better compensation benefits.Offer potential career development opportunities.Offer job enrichment - job enlargement - job rotation opportunities for new experience.Provide tuition reimbursement.Offer competitive vacation and holiday benefits. Listen to them deeply; use their ideas; never ridicule or shame them. Offer performance feedback and praise good efforts and results. People want to enjoy their work. Make work fun. Engage and employ the special talents of each individual. Enable employees to balance work and life. Allow flexible starting times, core business hours and flexible ending times. (Yes, his son's soccer game is important.) Involve employees in decisions that affect their jobs and the overall direction of the company whenever possible. Recognize excellent performance, and especially, link pay to performance. Base the upside of bonus potential on the success of both the employee and the company and make it limitless within company parameters. (As an example, pay ten percent of corporate profits to employees.) Recognize and celebrate success. Mark their passage as important goals are achieved. Staff adequately so overtime is minimized for those who don't want it and people don't wear themselves out. Nurture and celebrate ORGANIZATIONAL TRADITIONS.. Have a costume party every Halloween. Run a food collection drive every November. Pick a monthly charity to help. Have an annual company dinner at a fancy hotel. Provide opportunities within the company for cross-training and career progression. People like to know that they have room for career movement. Provide the opportunity for career and personal growth through training and education, challengine assignments and more. Communicate goals, roles and responsibilities so people know what is expected and feel like part of the in-crowd. According to research by the Gallup organization, encourage employees to have good, even best, friends, at work.Now that you have the list, why not work to make your organization one of the few, the best, that truly honor and appreciate employees. If you treat your employees wonderfully, you will never lose them.============================================================Retention Practices of the COMPANY , I AM ASSOCIATED.

Be a company people want to work for- BRANDING THE COMPANY.

1. Adopt a "give and get back' philosophy.

2. Measure what counts and pay for it.

3. inspire commitment to a clear vision and definite objectives.

Select the right people in the first place.

4. Understand why some leave and why others stay.

5. Redesign the job itself tomake it more rewarding.

6. Define the results you expect and the talent you need.

7. Ask the questions that require proof of talent.

8. Use multiple interviewers andreference checking.

9. Give a realistic job preview.

10. Reward employee referrals of successful new hires.

11. Hire and promote managers who have the talent to manage people.

12, Hire from within when possible.

13. Creatively expand your talent pool.

Get them off to a great start.

14. Give new hires the "red carpet treatment."

15. Communicate how their work is vital to the organization's success.

16. Get commitment to a Performance agreement.

17, Challenge early and often.

18. Train for autonomy and initiative.

Coach and reward to Sustain commitment.

19. Proactively manage the Performance agreement.

20. Recognize results.

21. Train managers in career coaching and expect them to do it.

22, Give employees the tools to take charge of their careers.

23. Know when to keep and when to let go.

24, Have more fun!

THE PAY FOR PERFORMANCE COMES IN THE SHAPEOF -base pay increase-merit increase-bonus for performance-management scope performance awards.

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4. Explain the concept of HR Audit. Describe the Auditing process of your organization or any organization you are familiar with. Distinguish between HR Audit and Financial Audit. Briefly describe the organization you are referring to.

Solution:vdsvshdf WHAT IS HR AUDIT ?

The Human Resources (HR) Audit is a process of examining policies, procedures, documentation,systems, and practices with respect to an organization’s HR functions.

Its limitations. explain the ways and mean of making this process more effective and efficient for development of the organization------------------------------------------------------------PURPOSE

The purpose of the audit is toreveal the strengths and weaknesses in the human resources system, and any issues needingresolution. --------------------------------------------------------------------LIMITATIONS

The audit works best when the focus is on analyzing and improving the HR function in theorganization - IF NOT IT IS A TOOTHLESS DOCUMENT.

The audit itself is a diagnostic tool, not a prescriptive instrument. It will help you identify what you aremissing or need to improve, but it can’t tell you what you need to do to address these issues. It is most

useful when an organization is ready to act on the findings, and to evolve its HR function to a level whereits full potential to support the organization’s mission and objectives can be realized.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------FOR EFFECTIVENESS/ EFFICIENCY

Like any other function, the performance and contribution of HR should be auditedregularly. The questions to which answers should be obtained are:

1. What strategic contribution is being made by HR to the achievement of business/corporate objectives?

2. To what extent are there well articulated and agreed HR strategies which are aligned to the business strategy and which are integrated with one another?

3. What role does HR currently play? Is this role appropriate in the context of the organization?

4. To what extent has the responsibility for HR issues been devolved to the management?

5. How well does HR reconcile the need for devolution with the need to ensure that organizational, ethical and legal obligations and requirements are being mf consistently?

6. What evidence exists that HR is being innovative in a practical and business way, based on an analysis of the business and people needs of the organizational and benchmarking?

7. How well is HR performing by reference to quantitative measures such as added value per employee, absenteeism and attrition?

8. How well is HR performing in terms of service delivery in fields such as recruitment, training, reward management, health and safety, the management of equal opportunity and diversity, advice on employment law and legal obligations, the provision of employee assistance programmes and the maintenance and use of personnel information systems?

9. To what extent does HR express proper concern for ethical considerations, the interests of all stakeholders (employees as well as management), enhancing the quality of working life and achieving a satisfactory work/life balance?

10. What ' contribution has HR made to the improvement of the employee relations climate?

11. How well is HR regarded by its customers management, line managers, employees generally, employee representatives, as measured by formal assessments or opinion surveys?

12. Is the HR function well organized and properly staffed with qualified professionals who are actively concerned with continuous professional development?------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Who should conduct the audit?The team that is responsible for the audit should represent a cross-section of the organization’s staff,including line staff, middle and upper management, and those responsible for HR functions.or you may use an external consultant to assist.------------------------------------------------------------------------How should it be conducted?The audit process consists of a series of questions covering the eight primary components of the HRfunction:-Roles, head count, and HR information systems (HRIS). Recruitment. Documentation. Training, development, and career management. Compensation and benefits. Performance measurement and evaluation. Termination and transition. Legal issues and personnel policies9. Health / Welfare systems10.Employee Relations11. Safety12. Resourcing

PLUS ANY OTHER ITEMS PERTAINING TO YOUR ORGANIZATION

The team works to collect information to answer the HR audit questions in each of these categories. Thefocus is on how these activities and tasks are actually performed in the organization. The first step is tocollect all the pertinent information. The process of getting information, in and of itself, can be quiteinformative.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------How are needed improvements identified?Once information is gathered, the audit team reviews each major section and notes disparities betweenpaper (what we think or say we do) and practice (what we actually do, as revealed by the answers to theaudit questions). This can then be compared to best practice (what we should do to best support ourorganization’s mission).----------------------------------------------------------------------How is follow-up and correction done?ACTION PLAN WITH TIME FRAME.

Improving the HR system takes some time. A workplan — with a timeline, accountability, and

deliverables — should be created after the team reviews the completed audit and identifies areas whereimprovement is needed. Follow-up and review should be a regular management function, performed onan ongoing basis.=============================================================THE ORGANIZATION, I AM ASSOCIATED WITH,USES THE HR AUDIT ANNUALLY BEFORE THE HR PLANNING.


=======================================================1.0 Recruitment and Selection- Are new staff provided with a comprehensive induction?-------------------------------------------------------------------------2.0 Staff Development2.1 Do you have a way to identify the staff development needs of your staff?(eg surveys, reviews, performance management)

2.2 Do you have adequate resources in your budget to provide neededdevelopment opportunities for staff?

2.3 Do you believe you allocate adequate resources to staff development?2.4 Do the staff in your work area get the development they need todo their jobs effectively?

2.5 Do you monitor the results of staff development activities in order toassess their effectiveness?

2.6 Are new staff offered mentoring support?

2.7 Do staff at all levels in your work area access training and development?-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------3.0 Performance Management3.1 Are probationary staff appraised regularly?

3.2 Have all staff been provided with realistic objectives that are linked to thecompany's objectives?

3.3 Are staff clear about what is expected of them in their work roles?

3.4 Do all staff participate in performance reviews at least annually?

3.5 Does the review process evaluate their performance against expectations?

3.6 Are the comments recorded with a copy to the staff member?

3.7 Does the review process identify future objectives and training needs?

3.8 Do staff have access to support and assistance for improvement if theirperformance is less than expected?

3.9 Are departing staff given an exit Interview prior to their departure?---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------4.0 Employee Relations4.1 Do you have a clear understanding of the company’s industrial frameworkso that you can carry out your human resource management role effectively?

4.2 Do you believe that the company’s industrial framework (enterpriseagreements, awards, policies and procedures) provides you with the flexibilityyou need to manage?

4.3 Is there a positive climate in your work area where staff are motivated intheir work?

4.4 Are the communication channels between management and employees inyour work area sufficiently consultative so that disputes are avoided andffective problem solving is fostered?

4.5 Are you comfortable working with the company’s disciplinary measuresand grievance procedures?

4.6 When operational changes are introduced into your work area or doyou take into consideration the impact on staff?-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------5.0 Safety and Health

-Do staff participate in regular safety and health training programs?----------------------------------------------------------

6.0 Human Resource Information Systems6.1 Do you regularly consult the Concept system to obtain information toobtain information to help you deal with personnel issues?

6.2 Have you, or an appropriate member of your staff, taken the opportunityto participate in a training program for Concept?

6.3 Do you and your staff use the Human Resource web site to access (andupdate) human resources information that will help you deal with HR issues?-------------------------------------------------------------General QuestionsWhat do you think your work area does best in terms of its human resources DEVELOPMENT?What do you see as the major human resource DEVELOPMENT problem areas in your work area and what is being done to address them?-CAREER PLANNING-PROMOTIONS-COACHING-MENTORING==================================================================

ONCE THE AUDIT IS CONDUCTED

-WE REVIEW THE FEEDBACK.

-THE FEEDBACK IS DISCUSSED WITH THE SENIOR MANAGEMENT/DEPARTMENTAL HEADS.

-WE DEVELOP AN ACTION PLAN FOR THE NEXT 12 MONTHS.

-HUMAN RESOURCE PLANNING-MANPOWER PLANNING

-THIS ACTION PLAN IS DISCUSSED WITH THE SENIOR MANAGEMENT/DEPARTMENTAL HEADS/ FINALISED.

THIS FINALISED ACTION PLAN IS INCORPORATED INTO THE HR PLANNING.=================================================Financial auditing is an accounting process used in business. It uses an independent body to examine a business' financial transactions and statements. The ultimate purpose of financial auditing is to present an accurate account of a company's financial business transactions. The practice is used to make sure that the company is trading financially fairly, and also that the accounts they are presenting to the public or shareholders are accurate and justified.

The results of the financial auditing procedure can be presented to shareholders, banks and anyone else with an interest in the company. One of the main reasons for a financial AUDIT is to ensure that the trading company is not practicing any deception. This is the reason that the financial auditing body is an independent third party.The financial auditing process usually takes places once a year, most commonly at the end of the financial year. All financial aspects of the company are inspected, and a follow-up audit may also be undertaken after the year end in order to compare results. The financial auditing company has the difficult task of maintaining objectivity while being paid by the company they are auditing.Financial auditing is usually a thorough process, but in some cases, failures occur. The recent Enron scandal was a case in point, in which a company hid important facts and figures from both stakeholders and the banks.

Financial audits are typically performed by firms of practicing accountants due to the specialist financial reporting knowledge they require. The financial audit is one of many assurance or attestation functions provided by accounting and auditing firms, whereby the firm provides an independent opinion on published information. Many organisations separately employ or hire internal auditors , who do not attest to financial reports but focus mainly on the internal controls of the organization.External auditors may choose to place limited reliance on the work of internal auditors.

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5. Discuss the forecasting demand for employees, Describe the factors that influence demand forecasting process in any organization you are familiar with. Briefly describe the organization you are referring to.

Solution: HUMAN RESOURCE PLANNING Right number of people with right skills at right place at right time to implement organizational strategies in order to achieve organizational objectives In light of the organization’s objectives, corporate and business level strategies, HRP is the process of analyzing an organization’s human resource needs and developing plans, policies, and systems to satisfy those needs Setting human resource objectives and deciding how to meet them Ensuring HR resource supply meets human resource demands.

HRP Process Interfacing with strategic planning and scanning the environment Taking an inventory of the company’s current human resources Forecasting demand for human resources Forecasting the supply of HR from within the organization and in the external labor market Comparing forecasts of demand and supply Planning the actions needed to deal with anticipated shortage or overages Feeding back such information into the strategic planning process.

1.Basic Human Resources Planning Model 2.Organizational Objectives 3.Human Resource Requirements 4.Human Resource Programs 5.Feasibility Analysis

Strategic Human Resource Planning -Links 1 & 5: HR objectives are linked to organizational objectives and planning -Designed to insure consistency between organization's strategic planning process and HRP. -So objectives of strategic plan are feasible and -HR programs are designed around what organizational objectives and strategies require in terms of human resource goals

Operational Human Resource Operation Planning model. -Steps 2,3, & 4 -Ensure HRP programs are coordinated and allows the organization to meet its human resource requirements.

HR PLANNING

Link 1: Determine Demand (labor requirements) How many people need to be working and in what jobs to implement organizational strategies and attain organizational objectives. Involves forecasting HR needs based on organizational objectives Involves consideration of alternative ways of organizing jobs (job design, organizational design or staffing jobs) Example - Peak production could be handled by temporary workers or assigning overtime. Machine breakdowns assigned to maintenance department or handled by machine operators.

Link 2: Determine HR Supply (availability) Choose HRM programs (supply) Involves forecasting or predicting effect of various HR programs on employee flowing into, through and out various job classifications. First determine how well existing programs are doing then forecast what additional programs or combination of programs will do Need to know capabilities of various programs and program combinations.

Determine Feasibility Links 3 & 4 Capable of being done Requires knowledge of programs, how programs fit together and external environmental constraints (e.g., labor force, labor unions, technology created skill shortages) and internal

environmental constraints (skill shortages within the organization, financial resources, managerial attitudes, culture) Do the benefits outweigh the costs Difficulty in quantifying costs and benefits.

Revise Organizational Objectives and Strategies Link 5 If no feasible HR program can be devised, the organization must revise strategic plans.

HRP should be: Done to guide and coordinate all HR activities so they work together to support the overall strategy Responsive to internal and external environment Planning - done in advance Strategic - linked with higher level planning.

Human Resource Forecasting Process of projecting the organization’s future HR needs (demand) and how it will meet those needs (supply) under a given set of assumptions about the organization’s policies and the environmental conditions in which it operates. Without forecasting cannot assess the disparity between supply and demand nor how effective an HR program is in reducing the disparity.

Forecasting as a Part of Human Resource Planning DEMAND FORECASTING / SUPPLY FORECASTING -Determine organizational objectives -Demand forecast for each objective -Aggregate demand forecast -Does aggregate -supply meet-aggregate-demand? -Go to feasibility analysis steps

Choose human resource programs External programsRecruiting External selection Executive exchange Internal programsPromotion Transfer Career planning Training Turnover control

Internal supply forecast External supply forecast

Aggregate supply forecast Internal Supply Forecasting Information Organizational features (e.g., staffing capabilities) Productivity - rates of productivity, productivity changes Rates of promotion, demotion, transfer and turnover.

External Supply Forecasting Information External labor market factors (retirements, mobility, education, unemployment) Controllable company factors on external factors (entry-level openings, recruiting, compensation]

Demand Forecasting Information Organizational and unit strategic plans Size of organization Staff and Managerial Support Organizational design

Considerations in Establishing a Forecasting System How sophisticated Appropriate time frame Subjective versus objective forecasting methods.

System Sophistication Organizational size large organizations require more complex forecasting systems and likely to have the required skilled staff Organizational complexity complex career paths and diverse skill requirements lead to more complex forecasting systems Organizational objectives the greater the gap between current HR situation and desired HR situation the more sophisticated the system Organizational plans and strategies the complex the plans are the more complex the forecasting system.

Forecasting Time Frame Depends on degree of environmental uncertainty Factors creating uncertainty (shortening time frame)

many new competitors, changes in technology, changes in social, political and economic climate, unstable product demand Factors promoting stability (longer time frame)strong competitive position, slowly developing technology, stable product demand.

Subjective VS. Objective Forecasting Objective is inappropriate when:Lack expertise to use objective methods Lack the historical data or HR data base is inadequate Forecasting horizon is too long for the available objective method.

Demand Forecasting Methods Delphi Method Staffing Table Approach Regression Analysis Time Series Analysis Linear Programming.

Supply Forecasting Methods Skills Inventory Replacement Charts Succession Planning Flow Modeling/Markov Analysis Computer Simulations

THE DIFFICULT factors, YOU MUST KEEP IN MIND WHILE ''HR PLANNING''.FACTORS COULD INCLUDE --- GOVERNMENT/ ECONOMIC/LEGAL/SOCIAL

-as the economy grows/declines, the demand for HR resourceschanges not only in quantity but also in quality/ types.

-social pressure to provide the right environment for employees.

-political pressure to employ local population, irrespective of skills/ knowledge.

-legal challenges to recruitment / compensation on discrimination .

-technology changes means getting right type of peopleor provide the right type of training.

-competitive pressure to get the right talent at the right

compensation.

-CORPORATE strategic planning seeks strategic HR planning.

-BUDGET constraint put pressure on HR to get the best resources for the least.

-sales / production increases in business, puts pressureon HR to recruit more.

-sales / production decreases in business, puts pressureon HR to rationalise recruitment.

-new venture means demand for new type of skills/ knowledge.

-acquisitions / mergers means rationalization of HR.

-Organization development means HR implementing new structure, new culture, new systems etc.

-Job redesign means HR implementing new methods, new process, new systems etc.

-Globalization means managing HR diversity, new culturechange, new training etc.

-HR challenges / difficulties include *managing retirement*managing voluntary retirement schemes*managing terminations*managing leave of absence.*managing part time workers/ causals.*managing layoffs

-Balancing the INTERNAL SUPPLY ESTIMATES AND EXTERNAL SUPPLY ESTIMATES.

*INTERNAL SUPPLY ESTIMATES-staff skills inventories-management inventories-replacements requirements-transition requirements

*EXTERNAL SUPPLY ESTIMATES-labor market supply-community attitude

-demographic trends

*MANAGING WORK OPTIONS-shorter weeks-flexitime-telecommuting-virtual organizations.


DEMAND / SUPPLY OF HUMAN RESOURCES1.EXPERT -informal internal surveys.managers prepare their own estimates based on workload.-formal external surveys.planners survey managers, using questionnaires or or focused discussion.

-delphi techniquessolicit estimates from a group of managers, until the estimates converge.\2.TREND PROJECTIONS-extrapolationsextending past rates of change into the future.

-indexationmatching employment growth with , say, sales.

-statistical analysis

3. OTHERS-planning and budgeting systems based on strategic and corporate plannings/ budgeting.-new venture analysismaking comparisons with similar operations.

-computer modelsusing multiple variables.

INTERNAL DISCUSSIONS

Discuss with the various other departments like sales/ production/distribution/accounting/ IT etc about their requirements-for manpower-recruitments-replacements-trainingetc etc

Once you get their departmental requirements, HRM develops

*INTERNAL SUPPLY ESTIMATES FOR EACH DEPARTMENT/TOTAL-staff skills inventories-management inventories-replacements requirements-transition requirements

*MANAGING WORK OPTIONS FOR EACH DEPARTMENT / TOTAL-shorter weeks-flexitime-telecommuting-virtual organizations.

HR Planning includesCURRENT SITUATION/ ANALYSIS OF COMPANY HR1.Assessment / Audit of the current manpower profile-numbers-skills-ages-flexibility-sex-experience-capabilities-character-potential

and also-normal turnover,-staff movements planned-retirements-succession planningetc.2. KEY SUCCESS FACTORS OF HR3. HR [ SWOT ] ANALYSIS-STRENGTHS-WEAKNESSES-THREATS-WEAKNESSES4. HR MARKET [ DEMAND/SUPPLY] -SKILL AVAILABILITY

1.HR OBJECTIVES2.HR STRATEGY3. HR PLANNINGThese include -Recruitment/ Selection PLAN-Induction / Orientation PLAN-Training / Developement PLAN-Compensation PLAN-Salary administration PLAN-Payroll Administration PLAN-Performance Appraisal PLAN-Performance Management PLAN-Industrial Relations PLAN-Promotions PLAN [ IF ANY ]-Terminations PLAN-Transfers PLAN-Staff amenities. PLAN-retraining plan-early retirement plan-redundancy plan-changes in workforce utilization plan-career path plan-succession plan.-personnel and career plans

LASTLY BASED ON THE ABOVE PLANS, YOU DEVELOP HR BUDGET.The elements in HR department budget would vary with-company policy-budget process-company accounting system-nature of the business operation

-HR PLANNINGetc

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ignou mba ms-23 solved assignments 2010

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experts final forecasts

accurate sales forecasts

combined forecasts

rules experts

experts reasons

structured analogies

structuredanalogies

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