For the case in view we are going to discuss case of Pranali.
Pranali has following profile:
Age: 33 years, Qualification: B.B.A. She was from Pune Maharashtra. 4 years experience as a tele-caller in one of the BPO Company. Company entered into contract with educational institutes and council prospective customers - students for particular cases. Company preferred students from particular city of Maharashtra like Pune, Nashik, Kolhapur, and Mumbai. She worked with team of five members, each supposed to call a student, asked them about qualification, family background, financial situation, interest, job experience if any and guide them accordingly.
Team was supposed to complete the given target of 600 calls in a day, individually 150 calls a day. In case if anyone is absent or sick in that workload would be shared in a team. After completion of target they were supposed to report to team lead. The productivity was good because of teamwork, coordination and targets were always achieved.
She was happy and satisfied. Initially she got many rewards for work and prizes in cultural events. After 4 years she was searching for new opportunity as current salary was less according to her. She cracked an interview of one company with same profile and salary hike. New company was also providing educational services to the student where targeted students were from Maharashtra as well as outside of Maharashtra. The Emphasis was on process based approach. They used to divide available data state wise and distribute among five members including Pranali. Pranali was responsible for Maharashtra state. She was supposed to complete near about 300 calls in a day and submit report at the end of day. Process as well as methods of analyzing calls was different. Due to no team work and higher expectations from individuals, her workload as well as responsibility increased. Process based approach; different methods of analyzing calls impacted her performance.
For motivation they offered incentive scheme but performance tracking system were lacking somewhere.
Increase in workload, absence of motivation and team work she got frustrated and resigned after 1 year.
Questions
1. Analyze & interpret the case as a HR Head.
2. Which organizational culture is most effective and why?
3. Do you think it should depend on nature of work?
4. Do you think teamwork motivates member to perform well?
5. Positive and negative sides of both people oriented and process oriented approach?
From India, Pune
Pranali has following profile:
Age: 33 years, Qualification: B.B.A. She was from Pune Maharashtra. 4 years experience as a tele-caller in one of the BPO Company. Company entered into contract with educational institutes and council prospective customers - students for particular cases. Company preferred students from particular city of Maharashtra like Pune, Nashik, Kolhapur, and Mumbai. She worked with team of five members, each supposed to call a student, asked them about qualification, family background, financial situation, interest, job experience if any and guide them accordingly.
Team was supposed to complete the given target of 600 calls in a day, individually 150 calls a day. In case if anyone is absent or sick in that workload would be shared in a team. After completion of target they were supposed to report to team lead. The productivity was good because of teamwork, coordination and targets were always achieved.
She was happy and satisfied. Initially she got many rewards for work and prizes in cultural events. After 4 years she was searching for new opportunity as current salary was less according to her. She cracked an interview of one company with same profile and salary hike. New company was also providing educational services to the student where targeted students were from Maharashtra as well as outside of Maharashtra. The Emphasis was on process based approach. They used to divide available data state wise and distribute among five members including Pranali. Pranali was responsible for Maharashtra state. She was supposed to complete near about 300 calls in a day and submit report at the end of day. Process as well as methods of analyzing calls was different. Due to no team work and higher expectations from individuals, her workload as well as responsibility increased. Process based approach; different methods of analyzing calls impacted her performance.
For motivation they offered incentive scheme but performance tracking system were lacking somewhere.
Increase in workload, absence of motivation and team work she got frustrated and resigned after 1 year.
Questions
1. Analyze & interpret the case as a HR Head.
2. Which organizational culture is most effective and why?
3. Do you think it should depend on nature of work?
4. Do you think teamwork motivates member to perform well?
5. Positive and negative sides of both people oriented and process oriented approach?
From India, Pune
Dear Shubham,
Replies to your questions are as below:
1. Analyze & interpret the case as an HR Head.
Reply: - Reply can be given as a general HR professional and not as an HR Head. The case study says that "Due to no teamwork and higher expectations from individuals, her workload as well as responsibility increased. Process based approach; different methods of analyzing calls impacted her performance." Further, it also says that "For motivation they offered incentive scheme but performance tracking system were lacking somewhere."
From an HR point of view, the analysis has been done. It throws light on why employees quit the company.
2. Which organizational culture is most effective and why?
Reply: - A culture of measurement is always effective. When an employee joins the company, he/she needs to be told how the performance will be measured, who will measure it and when it will be measured. Secondly, a culture of motivation and teamwork is also important. Pranali quit the company because she was demotivated. However, the case study is silent on whether someone from HR spoke to her any time and tried to understand her frustration.
This is the problem in most of the organisations. They arrange the training on teamwork or even motivation skills but still, the gap between HR and the employee remains. The biggest motivator for the employees is to listen to them.
3. Do you think it should depend on the nature of work?
Reply: - Culture of the company does not depend on the nature of work. Whatever the work might be, employees need to have clarity on the nature of the work. Pranali was not told how her work will be measured and whether she was accustomed to the process type of work.
4. Do you think teamwork motivates member to perform well?
Reply: - Yes, teamwork motivates but not necessarily for all the jobs. It depends on the nature of the job. In some jobs, where individual excellence is necessary, there is no need to push teamwork through the throats of such employee.
5. Positive and negative sides of both people-oriented and process-oriented approach?
Reply: - People-oriented and process-oriented approaches should go hand in hand. One cannot have either approach only. Striking a balance is not an easy task. This is what leadership is.
Final comments: - When an employee joins a job most of the time, he/she carries the baggage of the past job on his/her head. Pranali exact did this. She was not accustomed to the process-based work. She failed to adjust to the new approach. Added to this was the lack of teamwork. Did she put forth to her Manager, the requirement of teamwork amongst the members and how it is taking toll of her performance?
Lastly, nowhere the case study mentions the role of the HOD of Pranali's manager. Did he counsel her? Did he make any attempt to understand her? If not, then disconnect between the manager and Pranali speaks volumes.
Thanks,
Dinesh Divekar
From India, Bangalore
7881Replies to your questions are as below:
1. Analyze & interpret the case as an HR Head.
Reply: - Reply can be given as a general HR professional and not as an HR Head. The case study says that "Due to no teamwork and higher expectations from individuals, her workload as well as responsibility increased. Process based approach; different methods of analyzing calls impacted her performance." Further, it also says that "For motivation they offered incentive scheme but performance tracking system were lacking somewhere."
From an HR point of view, the analysis has been done. It throws light on why employees quit the company.
2. Which organizational culture is most effective and why?
Reply: - A culture of measurement is always effective. When an employee joins the company, he/she needs to be told how the performance will be measured, who will measure it and when it will be measured. Secondly, a culture of motivation and teamwork is also important. Pranali quit the company because she was demotivated. However, the case study is silent on whether someone from HR spoke to her any time and tried to understand her frustration.
This is the problem in most of the organisations. They arrange the training on teamwork or even motivation skills but still, the gap between HR and the employee remains. The biggest motivator for the employees is to listen to them.
3. Do you think it should depend on the nature of work?
Reply: - Culture of the company does not depend on the nature of work. Whatever the work might be, employees need to have clarity on the nature of the work. Pranali was not told how her work will be measured and whether she was accustomed to the process type of work.
4. Do you think teamwork motivates member to perform well?
Reply: - Yes, teamwork motivates but not necessarily for all the jobs. It depends on the nature of the job. In some jobs, where individual excellence is necessary, there is no need to push teamwork through the throats of such employee.
5. Positive and negative sides of both people-oriented and process-oriented approach?
Reply: - People-oriented and process-oriented approaches should go hand in hand. One cannot have either approach only. Striking a balance is not an easy task. This is what leadership is.
Final comments: - When an employee joins a job most of the time, he/she carries the baggage of the past job on his/her head. Pranali exact did this. She was not accustomed to the process-based work. She failed to adjust to the new approach. Added to this was the lack of teamwork. Did she put forth to her Manager, the requirement of teamwork amongst the members and how it is taking toll of her performance?
Lastly, nowhere the case study mentions the role of the HOD of Pranali's manager. Did he counsel her? Did he make any attempt to understand her? If not, then disconnect between the manager and Pranali speaks volumes.
Thanks,
Dinesh Divekar
From India, Bangalore
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