Dear Bhargavi,
thanks for sharing the case , which is a very good lesson for all the HR persons to maintain a good culture in the organization for the fruit full of the company. Any how we have to think about the workers also as they are the peoples who contribute their efforts towards the company.
Regards
Susant
From India, Mumbai
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2thanks for sharing the case , which is a very good lesson for all the HR persons to maintain a good culture in the organization for the fruit full of the company. Any how we have to think about the workers also as they are the peoples who contribute their efforts towards the company.
Regards
Susant
From India, Mumbai
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Dear Bhargavi,
This is really interesting and useful for the freshers in the field of HR/ HR faternity..........
Thank you very much plz keep updating like this information for us ( freshers) to develop our professionallity...
regards
Anil kakarla
From India, Visakhapatnam
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This is really interesting and useful for the freshers in the field of HR/ HR faternity..........
Thank you very much plz keep updating like this information for us ( freshers) to develop our professionallity...
regards
Anil kakarla
From India, Visakhapatnam
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Dear Bhargavi,
Thanks for posting this. To many friends, it may seem inappropriate that Maruti Suzuki has been named directly and opinions directed against them. But all these things are already in the public domain, and you have only brought it up in this HR Forum. This is welcome. And it may not harm the interests of Maruti Suzuki if all of us patiently follow the threads and gather bits of critical comments for war gaming the turn of events and formalize our way ahead. It can happen in any company, anywhere in the world.
- Pain: Good for health. Every company, worth its name, must compile their worst case studies, brainstorm and come to an understanding of what went wrong, where, why, since when!! Getting into a self-congratulatory chuckle and a false belief of everything being hunky-dory is a sure sign of the impending storm. Pain is not bad because it tells us the problem our body has that needs to be cured. Not having a problem is not ideal for an organization. There are multifarious activities happening in a manufacturing unit: production, security, fire safety, raw materials, logistics, etc., and there would be issues that need to be resolved. As managers, we have to identify them fast, try to resolve, escalate it timely, and advise the management appropriately, in a forthright manner. For heaven's sake, do not sugarcoat for fear of being blamed for the lapse. A stitch in time...!!
- What is in a name? For us Indians, it is everything. Big names are intimidating for sure. And therein comes an aura of invincibility, impeccability, and infallibility. And when the occupants of such titanic ships sleep in a complacent slumber, no one would imagine that an iceberg may be on its way, and their master captain may falter in timely course correction. I too was surprised at the turn of events. I had gone through the grueling spells of TPM and Kaizen to understand the Japanese management methods. Implementation and indigenization of any and every concept must always follow. We as managers must understand that, like technology, even concepts become trite and need to be made specific to the current environment.
- Processes and ISO syndrome. ISO certifications are necessary in today's international business. We all know, following the misty and slippery haze of 9000/14000/18000/TSXXXX, etc., and keeping pace with the grueling audit schedules at the cost of productive interventions in the field is not easy. It comes at a huge cost. Most of the CEOs are, in their heart of hearts, better without them. Thankfully they have now been integrated. But, they all talk about processes and documented procedures. And all HR managers know, it is not rocket science. Well-developed processes, procedures, and systems are the lifelines of any company. What these ISOs do not teach us and cannot fathom is the art of man management. Labor relations are one such aspect. Getting certified and passing the audit muster is no barometer for either spring or autumn in an organization. It lies deep within.
- Managing Labor relations. It is too complex to be fully understood by any one of us. But what is clear is that human beings need to be led and not managed. We lead by personal example, transparency, humanness, shared values, walking the talk, sharing the fruits, and respecting the sensibilities of the people we lead. And we manage them through sticks, policies, backdoor negotiations, and rules. Managing is easy, leading is not, as leading requires us to let go of our comfort zones, restrict our privileges, and devote more time toward our workers. Leading evokes respect, while managing is derogatory. A famous military vow that every army officer has to take goes like this, "safety, honor, and welfare of your country (your company) comes first...always and every time...safety, honor, and welfare of the men you command (workers) come next...your own safety and welfare come last...always and every time." Can we replicate it for the company that we draw our sustenance from?
- Ownership. Are we ready to acknowledge that our work and hence that company we work for has only remained a means of our sustenance/livelihood and its well-being do not figure into our scheme of things? They remain the ladder through which we negotiate the snakes and reach to a higher position in another company. Instead of having meetings galore, do we spend enough time on factors really pushing productivity of workers rather than making pie charts and presenting them in good English during review meetings? Are we advising the management correctly even at the cost of earning their ire and disturbing their game of golf or the goblet of chilled wine? As management, are we ready to listen to our line managers, pay heed to the emanating smoke, and support them? There is a famous line, "war is too dangerous a matter to be left to the generals." Labor relations are also sensitive and need a firm grip by the management. If everyone is playing safe and passing the buck - from AM-AGM to VP, who is going to bell the cat?
- Fancy for Cosmetic jargonism. HR seems to have collected such a treasure of fanciful terminologies and OD diagnostics that it has become incomprehensible by the general public, like me. It is scary, to say the least. And the companies, in a bid to outdo the other, compete and rustle after the plethora of such surgeons to get their house in order. Millions spent on such extravaganzas are justified. But, try and take a sanction for some hot water containers or better chairs for the workers' restrooms and you hit a bottleneck! Spend small amounts in a productive manner for the workers, and it yields geometric dividends. Please try it out. How many of us have seen companies spending lakhs on team building events for executives in star hotels but scuttling your bids for a fresh pair of sports uniforms for the cricket team! Penny-wise and...! I sometimes feel, like Indian policymakers and the parliament too, let us freeze any more interventions, any new HR policies and get hold of what is already existing and try to implement it in true spirit. Let our practical approach to problem-solving be simple and not become a host to the complex matrices and unfathomable depths as we come across while negotiating the minefield of appraisal forms.
- Quality of Leaders. As Bhargavi has pointed out, any mismatch between the workers and their managers is bound to create friction. All our workers come from villages, with poor backgrounds and fixed beliefs. They have their own perceptions and expectations. We can drive our production. But we cannot drive the workers. Productivity has to be induced through positive strokes, healthy interventions, and good rapport between the managers and workers. Indian workers are not as demanding as their western counterparts and do not wish parity with the managers, as the western workers are entitled to and is permitted by their culture. Thus our managers can really lead their workers very well, by being a part of them.
I thank you all and wish that such events do not descend in your organizations. Your positive approach would make things easier for the future.
Thanks to Bhargavi. It is a problem relevant for the whole industry and through this forum, lessons must emerge.
From India, Delhi
Acknowledge(0)Amend(0)
Thanks for posting this. To many friends, it may seem inappropriate that Maruti Suzuki has been named directly and opinions directed against them. But all these things are already in the public domain, and you have only brought it up in this HR Forum. This is welcome. And it may not harm the interests of Maruti Suzuki if all of us patiently follow the threads and gather bits of critical comments for war gaming the turn of events and formalize our way ahead. It can happen in any company, anywhere in the world.
- Pain: Good for health. Every company, worth its name, must compile their worst case studies, brainstorm and come to an understanding of what went wrong, where, why, since when!! Getting into a self-congratulatory chuckle and a false belief of everything being hunky-dory is a sure sign of the impending storm. Pain is not bad because it tells us the problem our body has that needs to be cured. Not having a problem is not ideal for an organization. There are multifarious activities happening in a manufacturing unit: production, security, fire safety, raw materials, logistics, etc., and there would be issues that need to be resolved. As managers, we have to identify them fast, try to resolve, escalate it timely, and advise the management appropriately, in a forthright manner. For heaven's sake, do not sugarcoat for fear of being blamed for the lapse. A stitch in time...!!
- What is in a name? For us Indians, it is everything. Big names are intimidating for sure. And therein comes an aura of invincibility, impeccability, and infallibility. And when the occupants of such titanic ships sleep in a complacent slumber, no one would imagine that an iceberg may be on its way, and their master captain may falter in timely course correction. I too was surprised at the turn of events. I had gone through the grueling spells of TPM and Kaizen to understand the Japanese management methods. Implementation and indigenization of any and every concept must always follow. We as managers must understand that, like technology, even concepts become trite and need to be made specific to the current environment.
- Processes and ISO syndrome. ISO certifications are necessary in today's international business. We all know, following the misty and slippery haze of 9000/14000/18000/TSXXXX, etc., and keeping pace with the grueling audit schedules at the cost of productive interventions in the field is not easy. It comes at a huge cost. Most of the CEOs are, in their heart of hearts, better without them. Thankfully they have now been integrated. But, they all talk about processes and documented procedures. And all HR managers know, it is not rocket science. Well-developed processes, procedures, and systems are the lifelines of any company. What these ISOs do not teach us and cannot fathom is the art of man management. Labor relations are one such aspect. Getting certified and passing the audit muster is no barometer for either spring or autumn in an organization. It lies deep within.
- Managing Labor relations. It is too complex to be fully understood by any one of us. But what is clear is that human beings need to be led and not managed. We lead by personal example, transparency, humanness, shared values, walking the talk, sharing the fruits, and respecting the sensibilities of the people we lead. And we manage them through sticks, policies, backdoor negotiations, and rules. Managing is easy, leading is not, as leading requires us to let go of our comfort zones, restrict our privileges, and devote more time toward our workers. Leading evokes respect, while managing is derogatory. A famous military vow that every army officer has to take goes like this, "safety, honor, and welfare of your country (your company) comes first...always and every time...safety, honor, and welfare of the men you command (workers) come next...your own safety and welfare come last...always and every time." Can we replicate it for the company that we draw our sustenance from?
- Ownership. Are we ready to acknowledge that our work and hence that company we work for has only remained a means of our sustenance/livelihood and its well-being do not figure into our scheme of things? They remain the ladder through which we negotiate the snakes and reach to a higher position in another company. Instead of having meetings galore, do we spend enough time on factors really pushing productivity of workers rather than making pie charts and presenting them in good English during review meetings? Are we advising the management correctly even at the cost of earning their ire and disturbing their game of golf or the goblet of chilled wine? As management, are we ready to listen to our line managers, pay heed to the emanating smoke, and support them? There is a famous line, "war is too dangerous a matter to be left to the generals." Labor relations are also sensitive and need a firm grip by the management. If everyone is playing safe and passing the buck - from AM-AGM to VP, who is going to bell the cat?
- Fancy for Cosmetic jargonism. HR seems to have collected such a treasure of fanciful terminologies and OD diagnostics that it has become incomprehensible by the general public, like me. It is scary, to say the least. And the companies, in a bid to outdo the other, compete and rustle after the plethora of such surgeons to get their house in order. Millions spent on such extravaganzas are justified. But, try and take a sanction for some hot water containers or better chairs for the workers' restrooms and you hit a bottleneck! Spend small amounts in a productive manner for the workers, and it yields geometric dividends. Please try it out. How many of us have seen companies spending lakhs on team building events for executives in star hotels but scuttling your bids for a fresh pair of sports uniforms for the cricket team! Penny-wise and...! I sometimes feel, like Indian policymakers and the parliament too, let us freeze any more interventions, any new HR policies and get hold of what is already existing and try to implement it in true spirit. Let our practical approach to problem-solving be simple and not become a host to the complex matrices and unfathomable depths as we come across while negotiating the minefield of appraisal forms.
- Quality of Leaders. As Bhargavi has pointed out, any mismatch between the workers and their managers is bound to create friction. All our workers come from villages, with poor backgrounds and fixed beliefs. They have their own perceptions and expectations. We can drive our production. But we cannot drive the workers. Productivity has to be induced through positive strokes, healthy interventions, and good rapport between the managers and workers. Indian workers are not as demanding as their western counterparts and do not wish parity with the managers, as the western workers are entitled to and is permitted by their culture. Thus our managers can really lead their workers very well, by being a part of them.
I thank you all and wish that such events do not descend in your organizations. Your positive approach would make things easier for the future.
Thanks to Bhargavi. It is a problem relevant for the whole industry and through this forum, lessons must emerge.
From India, Delhi
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First, the reason provided here for the latest violence is that the supervisor made some caste-based comments on the worker. This claim is false because the supervisor also belongs to the same caste.
Secondly, this movement appears to be pre-planned as they were well-prepared for the attack and...
Thirdly, whatever the reason may be, you don't have to resort to violence to fulfill your demands. There may be some failures on the part of the management and HR, but labor politics is also responsible for the same. I have witnessed many instances where unions demand many things that are not always feasible or sometimes support workers who are at fault.
This is a good study, but I hope that it also covers the perspective of HR/Management on how they feel when they are being blackmailed by these unions.
Thanks & Regards,
Prakash Rathi
From United States, Ashburn
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Secondly, this movement appears to be pre-planned as they were well-prepared for the attack and...
Thirdly, whatever the reason may be, you don't have to resort to violence to fulfill your demands. There may be some failures on the part of the management and HR, but labor politics is also responsible for the same. I have witnessed many instances where unions demand many things that are not always feasible or sometimes support workers who are at fault.
This is a good study, but I hope that it also covers the perspective of HR/Management on how they feel when they are being blackmailed by these unions.
Thanks & Regards,
Prakash Rathi
From United States, Ashburn
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Dear Bhargavi,
I appreciate the write-up and understanding about the matter, which gives us a different perspective on the incidence. I am not aware of the sources from where you have collected the data, but I would like to mention that HR managers are not allowed in most organizations to administer justice because policies are formulated by top management, and we are required to implement them. Therefore, we have very limited options to execute things based on the ground reality.
I suggest that senior officials of any organization must understand the ground reality, which can only be achieved by involving lower-level management.
Regards,
Amit
From India, Delhi
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I appreciate the write-up and understanding about the matter, which gives us a different perspective on the incidence. I am not aware of the sources from where you have collected the data, but I would like to mention that HR managers are not allowed in most organizations to administer justice because policies are formulated by top management, and we are required to implement them. Therefore, we have very limited options to execute things based on the ground reality.
I suggest that senior officials of any organization must understand the ground reality, which can only be achieved by involving lower-level management.
Regards,
Amit
From India, Delhi
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Thank you, Bhargavi,
It was very informative and also empowering HR professionals to take the right action during challenging times, such as industrial disputes. The concerns you emphasized are not only affecting MSL but also its vendors and ancillaries.
The case you discussed also includes a story about a GM HR. He was known to be very humble, favoring mainly contract workers, and skilled in negotiation. A good labor leader can make a difference!
Thank you,
Raj
From India, Delhi
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It was very informative and also empowering HR professionals to take the right action during challenging times, such as industrial disputes. The concerns you emphasized are not only affecting MSL but also its vendors and ancillaries.
The case you discussed also includes a story about a GM HR. He was known to be very humble, favoring mainly contract workers, and skilled in negotiation. A good labor leader can make a difference!
Thank you,
Raj
From India, Delhi
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HI Bhargavi Hope it needs to reach each and every HR person to know the management behaviour in respect of handling workers. keep on posting. KHS
From India, Hyderabad
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From India, Hyderabad
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Thanks, Bhargavi for sharing the valuable case study of MSL. I would like to raise a point here - HR professionals are just the middlemen between boardrooms and human resources, even in MSL. The gentleman who lost his life was in the same position. The policies, after discussions from the boardrooms, do not result in positive outcomes. This is the main problem in our country. We talk a lot about the betterment of working conditions, but it all seems to be in vain. Our Indian professionals associated with the MSL have already taught them a lot about managing the industry here.
Mukesh Sharma
9759093500.
From India, Dehra Dun
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Mukesh Sharma
9759093500.
From India, Dehra Dun
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Dear Bhargavi,
Thank you so much for sharing the insightful case study with us. In this case study, it emphasizes the importance of the relationship between HR and employees. When problems arise, it is crucial for HR to handle them carefully. In the modern business environment, discussions may arise, but it is essential to delve deep into the issues. The case study highlights a significant corruption incident within a department, which was effectively managed by top-level management through violence.
It is evident that employees' efforts and skills directly impact a company's production and profits. Therefore, companies must not ignore any issues concerning their employees, especially in the context of Japanese firms. I mention Japanese firms because their HR policies, such as providing lifetime employment, may not align with the current situation. As the saying goes, "we can play with fire, but we can't play with the employees."
Thank you.
Best regards,
[Your Name]
From India, Ernakulam
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Thank you so much for sharing the insightful case study with us. In this case study, it emphasizes the importance of the relationship between HR and employees. When problems arise, it is crucial for HR to handle them carefully. In the modern business environment, discussions may arise, but it is essential to delve deep into the issues. The case study highlights a significant corruption incident within a department, which was effectively managed by top-level management through violence.
It is evident that employees' efforts and skills directly impact a company's production and profits. Therefore, companies must not ignore any issues concerning their employees, especially in the context of Japanese firms. I mention Japanese firms because their HR policies, such as providing lifetime employment, may not align with the current situation. As the saying goes, "we can play with fire, but we can't play with the employees."
Thank you.
Best regards,
[Your Name]
From India, Ernakulam
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Dear Bhargavi,
You have unveiled the truth of industries in our country. It is all the same as what the Britishers were doing, what the Landlords (Jamindars) had done, and what is still happening in UP, MP, Bihar, Jharkhand, and in many northern and southern states. Contractors are also engaging in similar practices in our country. This reality of exploitation and autocracy is derived from modern management sciences developed in the USA, Europe (Britain, France, Germany), and other countries.
Many industries/companies are practicing the same methods that management has been implementing in MSL. In Pithampur (Near Indore), Madhya Pradesh, the industry that was once Kinetic Honda and is now Mahindra Motors, is following similar practices.
Many industries are opting to employ only contractual labor, while managers have permanent positions. The salary/remuneration given to employees/workers is rarely increased, and if increased, it is only by a small amount. However, for managers, the increments can be substantial, ranging from 20000 to 500000, sometimes doubling or tripling.
Managers often suggest that tasks that take 2 minutes should be completed in 1 minute or that two jobs should be done in 2 minutes. They aim to implement KAIZEN or other systems developed in the USA and Japan but do not adopt the salary structures prevalent in Japan.
Thank you, Bhargavi
From India, Indore
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You have unveiled the truth of industries in our country. It is all the same as what the Britishers were doing, what the Landlords (Jamindars) had done, and what is still happening in UP, MP, Bihar, Jharkhand, and in many northern and southern states. Contractors are also engaging in similar practices in our country. This reality of exploitation and autocracy is derived from modern management sciences developed in the USA, Europe (Britain, France, Germany), and other countries.
Many industries/companies are practicing the same methods that management has been implementing in MSL. In Pithampur (Near Indore), Madhya Pradesh, the industry that was once Kinetic Honda and is now Mahindra Motors, is following similar practices.
Many industries are opting to employ only contractual labor, while managers have permanent positions. The salary/remuneration given to employees/workers is rarely increased, and if increased, it is only by a small amount. However, for managers, the increments can be substantial, ranging from 20000 to 500000, sometimes doubling or tripling.
Managers often suggest that tasks that take 2 minutes should be completed in 1 minute or that two jobs should be done in 2 minutes. They aim to implement KAIZEN or other systems developed in the USA and Japan but do not adopt the salary structures prevalent in Japan.
Thank you, Bhargavi
From India, Indore
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Case Study, Transforming HR Through Technology.doc
Case study - HR and technology for better Employee relations.pdf