tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55944467634248607152024-03-08T06:46:33.497-08:00AAYAM - An OrientationGyanendra Kumar Kashyaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16108591294203856407noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5594446763424860715.post-84223665894396533312019-09-29T03:27:00.002-07:002019-09-29T03:37:50.765-07:00An Article (370) Who’s Time Was Long Due<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Article 370 gained greater prominence in the public realm
post 5 August 2019, when the Home Minister, Amit Shah, introduced bills in the
Rajya Sabha (and the next day in the Lok Sabha) seeking to repeal the Article
that ill date was considered to be the ‘umbilical cord’ of sorts that tied the
state of Jammu and Kashmir to India. In a politically bold move, the government
headed by Narendra Modi repealed the discriminatory article and integrated the
state of J&K and its people with the Indian Union in its truest sense.</span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">As per the provisions of the article, except for defence,
finance, external affairs and communications, the Parliament of India would
have to seek the concurrence of the state to apply other laws that were
prevalent in other parts of the country; the much celebrated RTI is one such
law. In the absence of the right to information, the leaders of state -
entrusted with the job of bringing about prosperity and development - enjoyed a
complete lack of accountability and enriched themselves. The citizenry of the
state too lived under a separate set of laws including the ones relating to
citizenship, property ownership, etc. Many were forced to live the life a
second grade citizen for decades. The new set of changes, it is expected, will usher
in not only economic development but will also provide a life filled with
dignity. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">In retrospect, the event leading to the enactment of Article
370 (October 1949) needs to seen from the prism of a newly born nation trying
to unify its princely states while leaving behind its dark shadow of partition.
J&K, by virtue of its standstill agreement, had remained independent from
India and Pakistan, until in October 1947 when M A Jinnah sent armed tribes to
attack Maharaja Hari Singh (the then ruler) and the people of J&K. In order
to defend his state Maharaja Hari Singh sought military aid from India and also
chose to accede J&K to India. The instrument of accession to India signed
by Singh sought to hand over defence, external affairs and communications to
the government of India while retaining control of the remaining sectors under
the J&K Constitution Act 1939. Though peculiar this was agreed upon to
after several rounds of negotiations, perhaps with a view that the time was yet
not ripe for complete integration of K&K into India and to have a relook
once things settle down. Though Article 370 has been watered down over the
years, the special status and powers bestowed upon the state continued to
benefit the regional parties on one hand and the separatists and anti-nationals
on the other. Now with the BJP led NDA at the centre repealing the Article in
totality, the special status of the state has come to an end, and at the same
time a new dawn of development has just risen.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">A question that one ought to ask is – why did it take such a
long time to end the special status, which continued to be temporary even after
being in force for close to 70 years? A simple research would show that the
special status was merely used as an alibi to deprive people belonging to SC/ST
from the benefits of reservation in education and jobs. Injustice meted out to
J&K women by depriving her rights of ancestral property, in case she
chooses to marry someone from outside J&K was known to one and all, but
spoken perhaps only in hushed voices. Given the restrictions on purchase of land, no
investors thought it worthy to establish educational institutes, hospitals,
industries, etc. Those speaking of human rights and atrocities on SC/ST did
dare not speak on the plight of the Valmiki community living in J&K;
however educated they may be they were only entitled to work as sweepers. The
hypocrisy of the ‘rights champion’ has been rightly debunked with the repealing
of the Article 370. It’s easy to find champions espousing the cause of refugees
to belittle the government of the day; but sadly, none dared to speak for the
right to a dignified life when it came to when it came to families of West
Pakistan refugees; or for that matter the injustice meted out to thousands of
Gorkhas residing in the state. At the same time let us now hope that Kashmiri
Pandits, who have been forced to live as refugees in their own country, can
resettle in their ancestral land. Why it is that one couldn’t find a credible
voice that spoke of the step-motherly treatment meted out to the people of
Ladakh? Isn’t it true that our discussion on J&K is majorly to do with
Kashmir and those who speak on lending their voices to the voiceless never dare
to question the neglect of the Ladakh region?
If one were to carefully listen to the speech made by the Ladakh MP,
Jamyang Tsering Namgyal in the Lok Sabha it would be an eye-opener for many. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There are the naysayers and also the hyperventilating
flag-bearers of freedom (as Sandipan Deb terms them) who will cry foul, rage
and provide fodder to the enemy next door. The government must not lose its
narrative. It has taken a bold decision and corrected many a historical
‘wrongs’; the ball has been set in motion and we must give it its due time. </span></span></div>
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Gyanendra Kumar Kashyaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16108591294203856407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5594446763424860715.post-90326072603611498982014-07-02T23:57:00.002-07:002014-07-02T23:57:57.495-07:00The other half in the workforce<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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[A part of the cover story in People Matters, published in October 2011]</div>
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<i>In a talent deficit environment,tapping women into the workforce represents a significant opportunity for growth and scale</i></div>
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The working-age population in the 15 to 64 age group in India is expected to increase from 780 million in 2010 to 915 million by 2020 and to a staggering 1 billion by 2030. More importantly, half of them would still be under the age of 28 in 2030. This broadly constitutes India's much trumpeted demographic dividend, which is often lauded as its competitive advantage over the long run. The demographic dividend story may be a good selling point while pitching for investments, but when seen through the statistics and reality of women at work, it paints a contrasting picture.</div>
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Considering the latest data released by the National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO) in terms of declining labor force participation by women over the last five years, it is apparent that the so called demographic dividend is an illusion when it comes to this half of the population. Statistics from the NSSO show that while labor force participation rates have fallen for both men and women, the decline in the rate is much sharper for women in the 15 to 59 age group. In the five years up to 2010, the work participation rate of women (both rural and urban) has been on a decline, coming down by 6% since 2004-05. Interestingly, in the decade from 2000 to 2010, the population of women aged 15 years or more increased by 86.5 million but only 8.9% of them joined the labor force. It is ironic that during a period of economic growth when, ideally, labor participation rate should have increased and as a result the dependency ratio should have decreased, the contrary holds true. Women form close to one-half of the human resources of the country and the sheer decline in work participation rate of this major chunk of human resource, poses serious concerns as it undermines India's demographic dividend theory.</div>
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The fundamental question - given the target of the 11th Five Year Plan to create 500 million skilled workforce by 2022 (by annually increasing the skill development capacity by 15 million) - is how will India achieve this target when the work participation of the "other half"; of the demographic dividend is declining?</div>
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Dr. Sonalde Desai, University of Maryland and NCAER, in her paper,"The other half of the Demographic Dividend" states categorically, &ldquo;India is unlikely to realize its demographic dividend&rsquo; to the fullest extent unless significant strides can be made to increase women&rsquo;s labor force participation through an increase in employment opportunities and a reduction in labor market disadvantages.&rdquo; For India Inc, which is grappling with the problem of talent deficit and employability of candidates, the underlying message is the need for the creation of balanced gender-diverse workforce. Maybe, creating a gender diverse workforce is an opportunity for some to build scale in the near-term and differentiate from competition over the long run.</div>
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<b>The "Gender Dividend"opportunity</b></div>
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As organizations become increasingly talent driven, the greatest hurdle they face is the lack of an employable workforce. Yet a majority of the organizations are underutilizing and in some cases, are downright ignoring the other half of the talent pool - women make up 42 percent of college graduates in India; Census 2011 pegs the effective literacy rate for females at 65 percent. As talent becomes the most valuable resource for business, it makes sense to invest in women, create levers for competitive advantage and leverage on the "Gender Dividend". With less than 25 percent of women in India as a part of the workforce (compared to 50 percent of men), they represent a huge untapped potential which can help bridge the talent deficit. In terms of numbers, organizations in India seem to be overlooking the 250 million women talent pool below the age of 30.</div>
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Reports from research bodies and media corroborate that women representation in the IT/ITeS workforce ranges between 24 to 26 percent at entry levels and gradually declines as one moves to middle, senior and board levels. For new age private sector banks women at the entry level form roughly 20 percent of the workforce. The TCS-People Matters Gender Inclusion Survey 2010-11, found that though women are relatively well represented in the services and the IT sectors, they are mostly concentrated at the entry levels. In the IT sector, 70 percent of the respondents claimed that they have between 15-30 percent of women in their total workforce, while in the finance sector 73 percent of the respondents claimed that the women share of their workforce was up to 15 percent.</div>
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There is no dearth of research which demonstrates that a gender diverse workforce in today&rsquo;s talent deficit scenario is a sound business practice which bears a strong correlation to growth. A report by Future Capital Holding, &lsquo;The impact of working women on India's growth, incomes and consumption; estimates that increasing women&rsquo;s participation in the workforce could be one of the most powerful ways to boost economic growth, incomes and consumption over the long run. More women entering the workforce could make Indians 5 percent richer, than otherwise projected, by 2015 and 12 percent richer by 2025. The report states that consumption gains can be felt in financial services, educational services, retail and entertainment. The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) 2010 Asia Pacific Human Development Report cites that the country&rsquo;s annual GDP growth rate could jump 4 percent if women participation rates were raised to 70 percent, closer to the rate of many developed nations.</div>
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The World Economic Forum's 2010 Global Gender Gap Index shows that the educational attainment gap has almost disappeared (in the Indian context the gap has reduced to 16.7 percent in 2011) but this is not translating into women being retained, developed, and advanced in the workforce. In fact these numbers look dismal. Despite two decades of economic renaissance, India is the worst among the 6 top Asian economies (including China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Malaysia, and Singapore) when it comes to representation of women in the workforce at junior and middle-level positions, according to the Gender Diversity Benchmark for Asia 2011 Report. A comparison of percentage of women representation in total workforce shows that while China has the highest percentage of women represented in the total workforce (50%), followed by Malaysia (47%), Hong Kong (45%) and Singapore (43%); the lowest percentage of women are employed in India (24%), with Japan (37%) being the second lowest. Worse, at 48 percent, India has the most significant drop from junior to middle level positions. These numbers mean that the pipeline is either leaking or is stuck. Either way, it is not good for the bottom line. Churn has a steep price a conservative estimate of the cost of turnover for knowledge workers ranges in 200 percent of salary (Deloitte: The Gender Dividend &ndash;Making the business case for investing in women). Besides this, women are the Market; they roughly control $20 trillion of total consumer spending globally and the number is predicted to rise to $28 trillion by 2014. As businesses prepare themselves to serve a diverse customer base, a gender diverse workforce helps in understanding women as consumers and their impact on the bottom line.</div>
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There is no doubt that if India Inc is to meet its business objectives amidst the war for talent and talent crunch, it has to prepare itself in terms of scaling up its workforce and acquiring the right talent mix. Besides, they need to question as to how prepared they are in attracting and retaining this significant talent pool, where there is an equal risk of competitive attrition and of withdrawing from the workforce entirely. Failure to capture the full economic potential implicit in its demographic (gender) dividend could mean that either large number of prime-age talented individuals are unemployed, underemployed, or otherwise not constructively engaged.</div>
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<b>Are women shying away from work?</b></div>
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Whatever the efforts by companies in attracting and retaining women it takes a beating when one analyses recent findings of NSSO; on the declining work participation ratio of women. While the data can be looked at from a positive perspective to conclude that the decline is primarily due to women choosing to educate themselves for longer periods instead of joining the workforce at the very first opportunity, other corollaries can neither be overlooked nor ignored. It is quiet intriguing that despite increasing levels of higher education in women and the talent crunch across industries, the women participation ratio in total workforce has declined. A number of socio-cultural and labor market factors could also be responsible for this.</div>
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The socio-cultural argument suggests that women's withdrawal from labor force is associated with advancement in the social status of the family. "Higher wealth-status families" choose to educate their daughters, but at the same time, restrict their independence with labor force withdrawal and ask them to conform to the paradigms of "ideal daughter/wife/mother/daughter-in-law"; While one can scoff about such social norms as the relic of another generation, a quick empirical survey conducted by People Matters among white-collared professionals indicates that such display of social status by means of female workforce withdrawal is still a wide-spread trend even in Tier-1 cities.</div>
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However, the hand of gender discrimination in earnings cannot be ruled out in reducing female employment. Indeed, women in India earn 53 percent of that earned by their male counterpart in the private sector and 73 percent in the public sector. The problem is further compounded by the lack of safety for women in public spaces in urban areas, something that inhibits them from working in jobs that demand longer hours or in industries that require night shifts.</div>
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In this backdrop, if India&rsquo;s government and companies are to realize benefits from its demographic dividend, then along with a strong push for education, a comprehensive policy for encouraging job opportunities for women and ensuring income parity and safety are equally important. While the government can initiate steps to address the structural and systemic problems in its training and education system, India Inc should not only implement some "feel good" policies but rather opt for fundamental change in the overall ecosystem of the organization. By metamorphosing themselves into an equal opportunity employer, organizations can reach their required levels of scale. With a growing number of well-educated women entering the workforce, it is but a necessity to find better ways to attract, engage, and retain them.</div>
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<b>Setting the tone</b></div>
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To begin with, organizations have begun building a business case for "gender dividend"; by creating equal opportunities by widening the talent pool, so as to have noticeable presence of women in core functions of business such as sales, services, and customer engagement and developing women for higher levels of leadership. Diversity hiring intent among leading companies has gone up by almost 500 percent since last year, according to a recent study by FLEXI Careers India.</div>
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From the perspective of India Inc, a host of companies, like HUL, Godrej Industries, PepsiCo, Genpact, Kraft, P&G, Deutsche Bank and others have all stepped-up gender diversity hiring. With 20,000 employees, the number of women employees in Godrej is a mere 8-10 percent at the senior level and only 5-6 percent in functional-head roles and 20 percent in junior management; reasons enough as to why the company has stepped up gender diversity hiring and for good measure. Kotak Mahindra Bank too wants to increase the lateral hiring of women employees to 30 percent by the end of this financial year from the current levels of 20 percent. Apparently, a few companies have gone one step further and mandated that for some jobs (like senior research engineer, market development manager, legal counsel, etc.) they would prefer women. Kraft, for instance, has started hiring women for what was hitherto seen as "men-specific"; jobs: finance, legal and in frontline, modern trade roles, finance and legal. For IBM, which keeps trying new ways of hiring talented women, it is not merely about filling the numbers but understanding that there is strong correlation between success in the marketplace and having a diverse workforce. There are other trendsetters in the industry like Genpact which feel that women not only make up half the talent pool, but also about 50 percent of their consumers and clients, and hence ensuring diversity impacts their business in a positive manner.</div>
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Many organizations are walking the talk and are making investments in their intent to create an equal opportunity ecosystem for women to articulate their talent and skills and define what they can do for the organization. If news reports are to be relied upon then in some cases, companies like Microsoft, Alcatel-Lucent, Genpact, IBM, Schneider Electric, and Cadbury-Kraft Foods amongst others, are paying headhunters 30 percent more for women hires than they would for men. Not only this, with increasing number of women climbing the competitive corporate ladder, companies seem to be leaving no stone unturned to lure them and are even offering existing employees an additional bonus as much as 25 percent for referring a female employee.</div>
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While the intent is there, there is a need to define a new ecosystem accentuated by talent deficit coupled with low participation of educated women in the workforce.</div>
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<b>A New Ecosystem</b></div>
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The last generation of workplace innovations introduced policies to support women with young children, internal networks to help women navigate their careers, and flexible work options which broke down structural barriers holding women back from entering the workforce. While these must continue; a flexible and innovative workplace which appreciates the needs of women employees would go a long way in creating a nurturing ecosystem. Given the socio-cultural and labor market dynamics there can be no standalone program or initiative to help advance women into senior roles. The organizational culture and ecosystem must change which requires a serious commitment from the leadership team and a sincere intent to put metrics in place.</div>
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The change in the ecosystem demands CEOs taking the driving seat and making gender mainstream; it deems its place on the CEO's scorecard. The ecosystem must nurture women within the corporate structure and leverage the power of gender diversity. Organizations must be flexible, agile, support innovation and at the same time enable and nurture talented women to become leaders of tomorrow. There must be programs and initiatives in place which help women employees become more self-aware, develop a personal brand and get a better insight into the larger organizational context. The gender inclusion agenda, hitherto considered the domain of HR and personnel management, must be treated as a strategic concern that demands the time and investment from the CEO and the leadership team. The C-suite has a critical role to play in defining a new ecosystem. The required change must come from the CEO and cascade down to the levels including the women network in organizations.</div>
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In the present context, the need for a gender-diverse workforce is vital as it has the potential to address workforce challenges relating to talent pool deficit. Besides the added benefits of diversity in perspectives, and skill sets; the journey to redefine the rules of workforce and workplace ecosystem will help create an inclusive environment where talent can thrive and the organization can reap benefits of demographic as well as gender dividend.</div>
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Gyanendra Kumar Kashyaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16108591294203856407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5594446763424860715.post-23704673954845533602014-06-09T05:00:00.000-07:002015-08-25T03:04:22.647-07:00RESERVATION: Does Not Make Much Economic Sense<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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[Written as a part of a project -2006. This was later published in Strategic Innovators in 2009]</div>
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<i>Businesses need to maximise profits for shareholders and, therefore, require the freedom to hire people who best fit their needs, and not hire by fiat</i></div>
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<b><b>“The goal of development is not to make the strong weak, but the reverse.”</b></b></div>
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What does reservation mean to a layman? Keeping aside the so called intelligentsia, the term is synonymous with Rajeev Goswami, V.P.Singh and his pet project “Mandalocracy …the (in) famous Mandal I ”. The episodes of the early nineties are still fresh in the memoirs of at least a few millions, the wide protest and demonstrations resulted in the prudent dropping of the project from the then Prime Ministers bounty.</div>
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<b><b>"Let others fight for building the asset, we want fixed share of pie when it's built."</b></b></div>
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With the union HRD minister Mr. Arjun Singh announcing 27% reservation to the OBC (other backward castes) in addition to the existing 22.5% reservation meant for the SC/ST, the issue has raised serious eyebrows and of late has been highly debatable. The government’s announcement that it will implement up to 49 per cent reservation in IITs, IIMs and central universities is yet another example of the grotesque manner in which the state is destroying institutions of higher education. There can be no doubt that marginalised groups need to be given access to important institutions; there is also little doubt that the state has not done enough to create opportunities for marginalised groups. But it does not follow from this that an extra 27 per cent reservations for OBCs is a justifiable way of achieving these objectives. The proposed reservation are meant for seeking admissions to the premier educational institutions viz IIT’s, AIIMS, JNU,DU and other Central Universities supposed to be at par excellence. The Cabinet Secretary has returned the draft reservation bill that the HRD ministry had forwarded. Yet, the new reservation proposal has elicited strong reactions and opposition from across the country.</div>
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All this in accordance with the education reservation bill known as the Constitution (104th) Amendment Bill in Parliament piloted by Mr. Singh in December 2005, the Bill allowed for caste-based quotas up to 50 per cent. In addition to this Mrs. Meira Kumar, the Social Justice and Empowerment Minister in the UPA government is on her heels to seek job reservation for the SC/ST/ OBC in the private sector. The Common Minimum Program states, “All reservation quotas, including those relating to promotions, will be fulfilled in a time-bound manner. The Govt. is sensitive to the issue of affirmative action including reservations in the private sector. The government will initiate a dialogue with political parties, industry and other bodies on how best the private sector can fulfill the aspirations of SCs and STs. The Government will fulfill quotas in a time bound manner and to codify all policies on reservations, appropriate legislation will be enacted.” This particularly has been much against the likes of India Inc. The Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh when confronted with stiff opposition from the corporate sector, on the issue relented by saying that the act of reservation would be voluntary and will not be forced on the private corporate sector. They (India Inc) have suggested to the government what has been aptly coined as “Affirmative Action”.</div>
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<b><b>Quota (Reservation): A cure worse than the disease</b></b></div>
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The problem of equal rights and opportunities dogs every democracy, and India is no exception. The support of reservation in private sector, judiciary and armed forces portends major economic and social upheaval. It’s a point of irony to be studied that, Mr Manmohan Singh, the architect of India's economic liberalisation, on becoming Prime Minister, exhorted the corporate sector to adopt a policy of caste-based reservations. The Congress Government in Andhra Pradesh tried to test waters by declaring five per cent reservation for Muslims, which indeed became a blueprint for the UPA Government's policies. The Defence Minister has sent verbal instructions for providing 20 per cent quota to minority (read Muslims) community in paramilitary forces. “ The Armed forces should be at least kept out of this divisive and debilitating policy of reservation.” All these indicate the mere fact as to where are we heading for with this policy of reservation.</div>
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Obviously, the entire game plan seems on the face of it to be a well knit ideology It is but a prima facie that the jobs in the Government sector are shrinking. Economic considerations have forced the Government to even withdraw scheme of pensions for those recruited after December 31, 2001. Hence, proponents of reservation have now targeted the private sector. But the operational grammar of that sector is completely different. What needs to be taken care of at this juncture is that the definition of private sector has changed in the last 13 years (i.e. since early 90’s). Once synonymous with few industrial houses, MNCs and pharmaceutical companies, it now includes BPOs, call centres, IT majors, media companies and biotech to name just a few. Not only economy but also technology has changed dramatically. Does the scheme of reservation fit into this transformed world is a question to be brainstormed and pondered upon before jumping to any discriminatory solution .</div>
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<b><b>India is poor out of choice:</b></b></div>
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Demands for reservation are indicative of a parasitic mindset that overlooks the gospel of construction, "Let others fight for building the asset, we want fixed share of pie when it's built." Moreover, the policy of reservation made more sense in government jobs that are relatively stable. However, private sector is characterised by retrenchment, closure, merger, acquisition and sell-offs. These can affect the fortunes of all employees including those who have gained entry through reservation. Private sector doesn't go by fixed rules of stipulated salary hike and timely promotions. It goes by performance, incentives and the ability to strike a deal with the employer. It is not compatible with reservation. "Brain Drain" occurred when the country offered no scope for employment for those who were both competent and educated. By sealing the prospects of employment in the private sector, we will create new section of "deprived people". Thus “Brain Drain “is a name of the past follies of the government‘s discriminatory policies seeking the benefit of the so called downtrodden and the destitute in the name of the aptly coined phrase” vote bank policy”. Of late as has been proposed by the human resource ministry perhaps with the blessings of the economist and reformist Prime Minister, the proposal in its present form could lead to a new socio-economic class namely the “deprived class”. The welfare of one segment of the society at the behest of another is surely at least on humanitarian ground is uncalled for. We should work towards an economically less disparate and socially more harmonious society.</div>
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Reservation has been a highly misunderstood concept or rather a phenomenon to suit the political biggies. Yet it remains a fact as ever that even the so called followers of the noble Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar have completely failed to unearth the philosophy of Babasaheb Ambedkar for the upliftment of the downtrodden and the destitute who were rightly termed as “Harijans “by none other than the Father of Nation “Mohan Das Karamchand Gandhi” whom we remember as Bapu. Babasaheb Ambedkar did not want reservations because he did not consider it the panacea for the emancipation of Dalits. He was himself a highly educated professional lawyer; and he wanted education, not reservation, to be the instrument of Dalit empowerment. But whether it is secularism or reservations, those who pretend to be the followers of Ambedkar, reinterpret him in the opposite manner.</div>
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<b><b>“Reservations are crutches, we need social physiotherapy.”</b></b></div>
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For the last five and three fourth decades nothing much has been achieved for the alleviation of the needy class of the Indian society be it the SC/ST/OBC/GENERAL category. Except for the election manifestos that make it loud and clear the policies that will be undertaken by the political party (ies) under consideration if they happen to come to power for the next term , implementation is far deviated from the proposed. Yet a 360 degree development remains a distant dream. In the present economic order the positions of OBCs, SC&ST, and Dalits can be alleviated (which are mutually on antagonistic terms) by opening avenues for self-employment or generating regular business.</div>
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The Janata Party Government (1977-79) had set up a commission under parliamentarian B .P Mandal. Its task was to undertake a study and suggest means to ameliorate the condition of the traditionally disadvantaged sections of society. It had suggested 27 per cent quota for OBCs and 22.5 per cent for SC & STs over the already existing reservations. The Indira Gandhi Government that followed and before which the report was presented, threw it into garbage bin. Mrs. Gandhi felt it would reinforce the caste divide in society that had been on the wane since Independence.</div>
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However, VP Singh; imposed the suggestions mentioned in the report, with the sole intention of getting even with his Deputy Prime Minister and rival in the National Front Government, Chaudhary Devi Lal. Mr. Singh's decision was not born out of concern for OBCs, but sheer political vendetta. The blazing protest against Mandal Commission in the cities of northern India split Indian society horizontally. No body wants a repetition of those days.</div>
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“<i>While we believe in harmony and empowerment of all sections, it is neither economically nor socially viable to practice politics of reservation.</i>"</div>
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This is the current perception held by the youths of the present day generation….the peaceful protests by the medical students (to be read and understood as the best of the brains of India) are strong evidences for the above mentioned fact. “Yet the brutality shown by the police towards the peacefully protesting students marks our Democracy’s march towards Mandalocracy”. In a nutshell with regards to the present scenario that has come into effect because of the myopic decision of the government, with public hospitals at a standstill and medical students on the rampage,….…Human Resource Minister Arjun Singh has to ask himself a basic question: “Is there not a better way to work for the uplift of the backward castes, the minorities, the poor and every other underprivileged section of society, than by taking recourse to reservations?”</div>
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The caste based politics that is so very dominant has made the caste card a vital factor in the battle of the ballot. Most parties therefore prefer to jump on to the caste bandwagon rather than take a firm or a reasonable stand on any issue. “Therefore for reasons other than economic, reservations have continued even 57 years after independence.”</div>
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“<i>Give a man a fish and he is hungry again tomorrow; give him a rod and teach him how to fish and he’s set up for life.”</i></div>
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The point is that professional politicians do not want to set people up for life. It is not possible to build a reliable, self-perpetuating vote-bank on the basis of teaching people to be independent. You cannot rely on their gratitude to vote you back to power time and again.</div>
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Nehru once wrote, “So these external props, as I might call them, the reservation of seats, and the rest — may possibly be helpful occasionally, but they produce a false sense of political relation, a false sense of strength, and, ultimately therefore, they are not so nearly important as real educational, cultural and economic advance which gives them inner strength to face any difficulty or opponent.” It is high time for the incumbent union Human Resource Development minister Mr. Arjun Singh, who wittingly profess to be a hardcore Nehruvian to get this lessons right on what once Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru himself remarked “ reservation…….a false sense of political relation”.</div>
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The current announcement also exemplifies the cynicism with which sections of government deal with education. In order to blunt the backlash against reservation, the government is announcing that the number of seats will be increased so as not to reduce the number of seats available in the general category. This is, what might be called, a pure statistical approach to education: increase the number of seats by government fiat, pride yourself on achieving numerical targets without any concern for quality, and make education a totem to be thrown around in mass politics. IITs, IIMs and some of our central universities are a few recognisable brand names left. But instead of ameliorating their problems, these measures will only impede their ability to carry out their mission. For instance, there is an acute shortage of faculty in the IITs and these institutions are already struggling to raise their research profile; our flagship institutions like the Delhi School of Economics are pale shadows of what they once were. In this context, to blithely raise the number of seats is to utterly disregard the conditions that make excellent institutions possible. </div>
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The decision should also be seen in the larger context of the debate over the autonomy and regulation of institutions of higher education. The very day the government made this announcement, the high court in Chennai has passed a controversial judgment considerably enlarging the powers of the AICTE over institutions that are deemed universities. This decision makes a travesty of the concept of a university, which among other things gave institution degree-granting powers. This erosion in the degree-granting powers of universities is part of the same trend that the decision to increase the number of seats exemplifies: let all decisions about whom to admit the criteria of admission and what should be taught, be taken away from educationists, teachers and students, and be put in the hands of political and bureaucratic masters, who will move according to their own political and administrative logic. </div>
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Nehru was right. Reservations have become a substitute for “real cultural, educational and economic advance”, a cheap way of displaying your commitment to justice while you connive in every way possible to make sure that the conditions that produce grievous injustice are not really overcome.</div>
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The real issue is how can we expand the supply of good quality institutions, and how can we ensure that social circumstance or financial deprivation does not prevent students from getting the best education they can. </div>
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For reasons other than economic, reservations have continued even 57 years after independence. Apparently there is an economic reason behind the demand for reservations in the private sector. The rationale for such a demand is the belief that economic reform has replaced the government with the private sector as the key job-creator, and therefore reservations have to shift to where the jobs are. Nonetheless, this whole issue of reservations has stirred a hornet’s nest in the corporate sector which is just striving to become globally competitive. From the corporate perspective, the ‘reservation’ issue has unfortunately come at a time when the domestic market has been opened up and the manufacturing sector as a whole is looking at ways to downsize operations to become globally competitive. </div>
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Looking at the whole issue of reservations in a rational perspective there can be no two opinions that the underprivileged section has to be protected. But the question is: should reservation be the instrument to protect them? Considering the burgeoning unemployment – about 26 million people in India are estimated to be openly unemployed- should reservation be considered as an effective means to resolve this problem of unemployment?.</div>
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Merit and capability should be the yardstick. The concept of reservation without reference to merit can only have a distorting effect on the operations of the private sector. Besides, businesses need to maximize profits for shareholders and, therefore, require the freedom to hire people who best fit their needs, and not hire by fiat.</div>
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Experience is the greatest teacher on any issue we can lay our hands and brains on and reservation is no exception. Experience also shows that such a policy of reservation has not achieved dramatic results. Half a century of job reservation in government services has created only a thin creamy layer of the backward castes who have benefited. Moreover, although caste prejudice could be a barrier to employment, a bigger barrier is lack of education and skills. For centuries the members of the backward community were prevented from acquiring literacy or skills and this was a major cause of their subjugation.</div>
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“Affirmative Action” as proposed by India Inc has to be pursued at the base level and not at the apex level. However while stressing that the private sector has a role to play in fulfilling their social responsibilities, it must also be emphasized that making reservation in services compulsory does not seem to be an appropriate method. We do indeed need affirmative action, but certainly not through the failed route of job reservations. </div>
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Reservation is not an atonement of our past sins and should not be used to compensate for the damage inflicted in the past. However, instead of eradicating this injustice, we are further dividing the society and creating splits. We are trying to heal our past wounds by inflicting new ones. It is still a bitter fact that certain sections of the society are exploited and deprived of their rights. India is a country where wealth distribution is highly unequal. We are still living in a highly unjust social structure. Reservation acts as an antidote to an exploitative and unjust social structure known as the caste system. It fosters discrimination and plants the seeds of division in people's minds -- all this in the name of empowering and protecting the deprived sections of the society. Such division is against the cardinal principles of democracy.</div>
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Since there is a paucity of educational facilities like medical and engineering, such a privilege becomes a decisive turning point in the careers of several young and bright students. For the institutes, this means mean a fall in the revenue. Giving special privileges to someone merely on the basis of their birth into certain castes or tribes is unjust. People who have benefited from such biased treatment would advocate for more and foster caste sentiments in their minds. Those who have lost the opportunity in spite of having good credentials would start feeling bad about their upper caste credentials. This eventually leads to “The Great Indian ( Social) Divide”.</div>
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The benefits are so many and so palpable that the reservation policy has created a vested interest in backwardness. It seems like people want to be considered 'backward' rather than 'forward' in modern India! The more backward you are the more advantages you get. Reservation is now used as a tool for gaining more benefits. The area of reservation has been steadily expanding and newer backward groups and sections of society are mushrooming.</div>
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Since the reservation is meant for the minorities and the oppressed, the percentage of seats reserved should also be kept accordingly. Since reservation is meant for the deprived, showing such privileged treatment to the 'creamy layer' from among the 'backward' castes defeats the whole purpose. In fact, people from these creamy layers steal the reserved seats from their other backward counterparts for whom these reservations would have actually made a difference. However, an important and notable aspect is whether these reservations actually reach the people for whom they are really intended? Does reservation empower the deprived sections of the society or is it being misused?</div>
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The fundamental problem with the Indian economy is that the education system is one of the most flawed systems in the country. If there is one sector which is in dire need of reform, it is that education system. The most urgently required reform is to get the government out of it—lock, stock, and barrel. The recent move by the government to further increase quotas in the so-called elite institutions with a view to social justice is akin to scuttling the lifeboats even as the ship is sinking. The dysfunctional Indian education system is the saddest and costliest example of governmental ineptitude and malfeasance. The solution to the problem of the Indian educational system has to have at its core getting the government to let go of its chokehold on the system.</div>
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The government of India does not believe in abundance. It treats the citizens as if they are incompetent children who will not be able to work out solutions for themselves without the patronizing paternalism of the socialistic control of every aspect of economy. There must be no subsidies for higher education. Higher education, for all intents and purposes from the point of view of an individual, is a private good. For those who cannot afford higher education even though they are qualified for it, they have to be given loans by banks and these loans have to be guaranteed by the government. The basic point is simple: the credit constraint that the poor face with regard to higher education can be released with little effort. This the government must do and if done competently, it will take only one generation for the every poor family to become non-poor. Reservation should and must not come into the picture at any point of time, it is no solution.</div>
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Allocating quotas and reserving seats for economically backward classes (and for other historically discriminated and disadvantaged groups) in higher educational institutions is economically inefficient, morally wrong, strategically flawed, and tactically ineffective. The policy does not help the underclass and ends up victimizing both the underclass and the so-called privileged class. The policy epitomizes what is called a “lose-lose” solution, while foregoing a “win-win” situation.</div>
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All economic policies create gainers and losers. If the gainers gain more than the losers lose, then it is theoretically possible for the gainers to compensate the losers for their loss so that after the compensation, the losers are not any worse off than before and the gainers are better off than before. This is in accordance to Prof. Kaldor and Hicks Compensation Principle to do away with the Pareto Indeterminacy. Such a policy effects what is a called a “Pareto improvement” and is therefore an economically efficient policy. Conversely, if the losers lose more than the gainers gain, then the policy is economically inefficient and there is an overall welfare loss.</div>
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Quotas, if they have any effect on the system, effectively replace qualified candidates with otherwise unqualified candidates. Unqualified candidates who enter the system are by definition unable to benefit from the opportunity to the extent that a qualified candidate would have done. The quota candidates are unable to compete within the system. Aside from the welfare loss in terms of wastage of real resources, the quota students suffer psychologically. This reinforces the perception—within both groups—that the group which enjoys the quota is intrinsically inferior. This is perhaps the most pernicious of all the unfortunate effects of a quota system in higher education.</div>
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This brings us to the point why quotas in higher education for disadvantaged groups is morally repugnant policy. It penalizes certain people based on their group membership. Discrimination based on caste, creed, origin, color, etc, is morally wrong. So is reverse discrimination. The right thing to do is to remove discrimination, not impose it from up on high. </div>
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<b><b>The Dual Aspect of the Problem and its Proposed Solution</b>:</b></div>
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The two facets of the problem are: </div>
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Seats are limited. If they were unlimited, there would have been no need for quota. They are limited because the government does not allow free entry into the higher education business. </div>
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Students from certain groups are unable to gain entry into the supply constrained system, and once inside they are ill prepared to compete within the system. If they were qualified, they would not need quota protection in the first place, and would be able to compete once there. </div>
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Get the government out of the business of controlling the supply of higher education. It is undeniable that certain segments of the population are ill prepared to compete for seats in higher education. The fact is that they have not had the opportunity to prepare themselves for higher education. The solution therefore is that they have to be provided help in preparing for higher education, which basically means that they have to be given assistance at levels that precede higher education. They are handicapped at the level of higher education because they are handicapped at the earlier stages of education. If their handicap in the school level is addressed, there is no need to make special provisions for them in the post-school levels. The policy makers need to understand the distinction between the equality of opportunity and the equality of outcome: the former is a necessity for social justice and can be obtained, while the latter is neither possible nor desirable.</div>
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Quotas are economically inefficient. Merely increasing the numbers from these groups by fiat will do no good, and indeed may end up harming the groups. “Robbing Paul to feed Peter” is no solution to the continued existence of the politically motivated social evil. The evil in all its present form is the manifestation of the political vendetta of the political parties which grab the power. The nation can no longer withstand the social division based on discriminatory grounds. The social welfare has to be undertaken with due courtesy paid to the “Social Welfare Function” as proposed by Prof. Bergson and the recommendation on the same made by Prof. Arrow.</div>
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<b><b>Concluding Words…</b></b></div>
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To end I quote Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru “ I dislike any kind of reservation… if we go in for reservation on communal and caste basis we (will) swamp the bright and able people and remain second –rate or third rate….the moment we encourage the second rate we are lost ….this way lies not only folly but disaster.” 1990 Mandal I… 2006 Mandal II…. A deeply divided India awaits the views of the Supreme Court of India.</div>
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Gyanendra Kumar Kashyaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16108591294203856407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5594446763424860715.post-79539226678808576262013-11-06T21:40:00.001-08:002013-12-27T05:04:36.681-08:00Rahul Gandhi: Damned if he speaks, damned if he doesn't!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i><i>He doesn't give full length interviews, doesn't socialise on social media and critics dub him as a clueless kid; however, Rahul Gandhi’s recent statements offer invaluable lessons in communications - what not to speak and when not to speak </i></i></div>
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Damned if he speaks damned if he doesn't. Rahul Gandhi, the Congress vice-president, may have a point here that political commentators complained when he had too little to say and now when he’s talking, they continue to complain. However, his very own actions and words are to be blamed as to why he’s often mocked at and misunderstood. The Gandhi scion has been in active politics for almost a decade now; yet he has shown no inclination to express his views on key policy issues. Rather than entering into debates on real issues and laying out a policy framework, he is apparently more than happy stating, restating the age old problems and yes the various references to his mother - thereby always reminding all of us of his surname and lineage. </div>
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Sample the statements: “Dalits need Jupiter’s escape velocity on Earth”, “Poverty is a state of mind”, “My opinion about the ordinance is that it is complete nonsense. It should be torn up and thrown away”, “India is a beehive”, "My mother came to my room and cried... because she understands that power is poison", or for that matter “If India is computer, Congress is its default programme” and you know exactly why opposition, media and political pundits are emboldened to say that he is a huge disappointment, a clueless kid and at best a diffident politician. </div>
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While the opposition and critics may say that he avoids policy discussions (and they are largely right in saying so), yet towards the fag end of September 2013, for once he did address a policy issue in his by-now-legendary “nonsense” press conference on convicted MPs ordinance. He didn’t stop there, a few days later he followed this with his masterstroke political-physics (escape velocity) metaphor; in short making himself a subject of much mockery. We know the marginalised lot (Dalits, as Rahul Gandhi referred to them at a rally in UP) needs to be empowered, but isn’t the escape velocity metaphor indigestible. No wonder it was criticised left, right and centre. </div>
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Interestingly, whenever he is in a tight spot or perhaps wants to sound more emotional he unfailingly makes a reference to his mother. The recent one being at a rally in Gujarat, post his ‘nonsense’ remark, he said, “My mother (UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi) also told me that I used very strong words and that I could have said the same thing in a nice manner. As an afterthought, I agree it was a mistake to use harsh words but I have a right to raise my voice." Well there is nothing wrong in accepting one’s mistake but it seems the Gandhi scion has made it a habit of being reminded of the same by his mother. </div>
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What perhaps the young Gandhi has failed to understand is that while he unfailingly avoids policy deliberations, and if at all he makes one his timing of the same is grossly miscalculated. His latest impetuous reaction on the ordinance clearly shows a glaring communication as well as generational gap within the party. Let us give him the benefit of doubt; he may not have intended to undercut and insult the prime minister, but this is exactly the message that went out to the electorate. And in politics public perception matter more than reality. For a party that has pinned its 2014 electoral hope on Rahul Gandhi, such statements will only add to the misery. </div>
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While his frustration at times may be well justified, but as a leader he needs to show respect, humility and sensitiveness. The Gandhi scion has rather donned the hat of a party outsider; he needs to be reminded that he is the party vice-president and he should raise his reservations/voice on policy issues when they are being discussed at various levels within the party and the government and not as and when it incenses him. </div>
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As the de facto leader of the party Rahul Gandhi is expected to be its face and articulate its position on several matters, but he has over the years preferred to remain a backroom boy, with a few ill-timed dramatic exceptions here and there. It goes without saying, if you can’t lead or think you have been forced to lead, better quit and give way to deserving candidates. But then, perhaps once again his mother needs to remind him of this and ask him to hand over the reins to the capable and deserving lot. And perhaps, as an obedient son he’ll follow suit. </div>
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Of late, he’s been addressing a number of rallies. Leave aside the content, which is the point of discussion in newsrooms, he’s gradually becoming combative. Here is a lesson for him and future leaders (political as well as corporate) – the product offering / promises need to be fresh with added advantages. It’s good to criticise the opposition’s policies, but the criticisms should be complemented with concrete arguments and must also tell the masses what better you have to offer. A clear cut argument would imply that you have given the entire matter much thought and importance; else it will be seen as mere tantrums and you run the risk of losing all credibility.</div>
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Political as well as corporate leaders need to a take a note: tokenism will no longer work; actions need to match the words.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Gyanendra Kumar Kashyaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16108591294203856407noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5594446763424860715.post-31471007209360585222013-11-05T07:38:00.000-08:002013-11-05T07:38:03.320-08:00What's the DNA of the leaders of tomorrow?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i>Leaders of the future will need a host of new skills and
competencies if they are to succeed. What can organisations do?</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
‘What leadership skills are required for the future? Do we
have the leadership to make the transition? How do we ensure that we hire,
develop and retain the people with the right skills – intellectually,
technologically and emotionally? How can we prepare the next generation of
leaders, fast enough and well enough, to meet the company’s strategic goals?’
These and many more of such questions are bombarded at HR leaders once CEOs
emerge out of their strategy sessions.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
So what do business leaders look for in leaders of tomorrow?
Is it intellect? Or is it a set of behavioural competencies? Or is it the ‘know
it all’ attitude? What are the key traits that organisations should look for in
a potential leader so as to not lose out in the race for innovation, the march
to globalization and the war for talent?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
According to Hay Group’s Leadership 2030 research the
leaders of the future will need a host of new skills and competencies if they
are to succeed. It states that leaders of the future will need to be adept,
conceptual and strategic thinkers, have deep integrity and intellectual
openness. Also the leaders have future must find new ways to create loyalty,
lead increasingly diverse and independent teams over which they may not always
have direct authority. An interesting observation that the report makes is that
leaders will have to relinquish their own power in favour of collaborative
approaches inside and outside the organization.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
In the light of the Hay Group research report, organisations
which see themselves as being ‘built to last’ perhaps need to opt for constant
renewal. This implies that leaders must continue to develop themselves and
their successors. Chuck Stoner, a Professor of Management at Bradley University
in his book Building Leaders: Paving the Path for Emerging Leaders, says
“Although new leaders can offer fresh perspectives and innovative ideas, they
are often unprepared to handle all the obligations that accompany their new
roles.” The question then is how can leaders of tomorrow handle all the
obligations? Jim Collins, author and business consultant, in his book, Good to
Great, offers a possible solution. He stresses upon the fact that a new leader
should first focus on Who, and then on What—getting the right people in the
right places on the leadership team, and when the people are in place, then
decide what to do.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
In a 2011 white paper Future Trends in Leadership
Development, Nick Petrie, Senior Faculty, Centre for Creative Leadership,
emphasises on four trends of leadership development. The trends are – vertical
development, transfer of greater developmental ownership to the individual,
collective rather than individual leadership and innovation in leadership
development methods. But how will this help? With specific reference to
collective leadership, Nick says, “The question will change from, ‘Who are the
leaders?’ to ‘What conditions do we need for leadership to flourish in the
network?’ How do we spread leadership capacity throughout the organization and
democratize leadership?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Organisations can create the required framework and
environment to build future leaders; leaders on their part need to be flexible,
collaborative and able to leverage subject matter expertise. The most important
aspect however is their willingness to continue their learning. A Mercer &
Oliver Wyman (global professional services firms) research paper, What the
future demands: The growing challenge of global leadership development, rightly
summarises that leadership is not about possessing a body of knowledge but
about having the capacity to keep learning and to change and evolve – while
staying humble.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Going forward, perhaps what will differentiate potential
leaders from the rest would ideally be a mix of specific competencies, passion
and above all humility.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Gyanendra Kumar Kashyaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16108591294203856407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5594446763424860715.post-35332245089688647552013-10-26T08:48:00.001-07:002013-10-26T08:48:41.404-07:00Why 'resignation' is the most googled word?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i>There is nothing wrong with
searching ‘resignation’ on Google, but it’s something employers should worry
about</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
1.2 trillion searches. 146
languages. What did the world search for in 2012? Zeitgeist 2012, a list
brought out by Google after analysing over a trillion queries, answers exactly
what the world searched for in the year. From Whitney Houston to Gangnam Style
to Superstorm Sandy -- web surfers’ attention across the world wavered between
the tragic and the silly in 2012.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
In the Indian context, it was the
likes of Sunny Leone, Ek Tha Tiger, Kerala and Sensex that dominated the
searches. The question that arises is: Can organisations derive any benefit
from this search volume on Google? Does the Zeitgeist list, or for that matter,
Google Search Trend, have anything in store for employers and recruitment
firms?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Probably yes. Sample this: Google
Trends over the last one month shows that ‘resignation letter’, ‘resignation
format’, and ‘sample resignation letter’ are popular search terms keyed in by
most net users in South India. In fact, the worldwide trend also shows that
Philippines, Singapore, and the UAE are searching in huge volumes for
resignation letter formats. For the record, India ranks 5th in this list, (and
Canada last) of maximum number of resignation letter searches.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
So why are so many South Indians
googling ‘resignation’? Is it that employees in this part of India are more
dissatisfied? Or is it because there are more job options here?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
According to the Google Search
Trend Report, Bangalore and Chennai lead the race when it comes to
‘resignation’-related search, followed by Hyderabad, and Mumbai. Perhaps, there
is no direct correlation between these searches and job dissatisfaction. It probably
also has a lot to do with the availability of jobs in Bangalore and Chennai, as
compared with, say, a city like Kolkata. Interestingly, in terms of states,
Haryana leads the pack, followed by Uttar Pradesh. This could be due to the
development spree witnessed in Gurgaon and Noida, which are fast emerging as
corporate hubs.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Employers, however, should take
note of the increase in ‘resignation’-related searches. The least that they can
do is to initiate an employee engagement survey within the organisation, and if
the scores are low, take the necessary measures. Better to have a happy
workforce than a not-engaged, or worse, actively disengaged workforce –
whatever may be the reason.</div>
</div>
Gyanendra Kumar Kashyaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16108591294203856407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5594446763424860715.post-40696765052659933482013-10-26T08:37:00.002-07:002013-10-26T08:37:46.268-07:00Should CEOs micromanage hiring?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i>The answer depends on what state and stage the business is
in</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Most of the CEOs don’t have a hands-on approach to hiring.
Instead, they prefer to either leave it to the HR or hire executives only after
a certain level. When Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer said that she would be
personally reviewing every single hire in the company, a lot of HR
professionals were complaining that such micromanagement will actually hinder
the internet giant’s road to recovery.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Now, the larger question that comes to the mind is whether
CEOs should really review every new hire for their company and instead focus
their energies on more pressing issues. Google co-founders Sergey Brin and
Larry Page reportedly also personally review the resume and hire every new
employee. Maybe Mayer’s Google experience rubbed off on her.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
But does such a proposition make sense? If one is a CEO of a
small start-up, then it makes sense for him to review every new hire. This is
because the CEO will be working with these folks personally, so it’s important
to make sure that they fit with his/her vision for the company. Having said so,
there is a big difference between a company with 15 employees and a company
with thousands of employees.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
For an organisation with thousands of employees and a
competent HR department, there is no reason for the CEO to be directly involved
in the hiring process. Unless the hiring is for a strategic position, tinkering
with a system would only raise eyebrows and keep more pressing issues that need
urgent attention at bay. In essence, what many HR professionals argue is that
if the system isn’t broken, then don’t fix it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Another school of thought believes that many CEOs spend very
little time on recruiting, tacitly relegating it to a tactical fire drill
instead of a core component of the company’s strategic plan. This is a mistake
because it encourages staffing over recruiting. It is argued that CEOs must
lead by building a well-managed recruiting function that is closely monitored
and measured. Those in support put forth the view that CEOs who set the bar on
intake of talent, retention of talent are setting their organisations up for
success. Some others believe that it is best to have one person interview all
potential employees and set a high bar of consistency for the organisation. It
doesn’t necessarily have to be the CEO.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
To interview or not to depends largely on the state the
business is in and the strategic importance of the potential hire.</div>
</div>
Gyanendra Kumar Kashyaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16108591294203856407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5594446763424860715.post-81781783639398181892013-10-24T11:33:00.002-07:002013-10-24T11:33:40.214-07:00CEO Compensation: How much is too much?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i>What could be the possible reasons for the ‘gravity-defying' executive compensation and are they justified?</i><br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
James Gorman, CEO, Morgan Stanley,
perhaps ruffled a few feathers, when in an interview to FT (October 2012) he
said that in the industry the compensation ‘is way too high.’ He argued in his
interview that, ‘What the Street has historically done is when revenues went
up; they kept the comp-to-revenue ratio flat. When revenues went down, they
increased the comp-to-revenue ratio because they said, ‘We might lose all our
people. We have to increase it.’” Further according to AFL-CIO’s Executive Pay
Watch Report, the ratio of CEO-to-worker pay between CEOs of the S&P 500
Index companies and U.S. workers widened to 380 times in 2011 from 343 times in
2010. These two when read in conjunction lends credence to why shareholder
voices cry foul and often use terms such as ‘fat paychecks’ and ‘gravity-defying’
for the high levels of executive compensations. Yet, despite the fact that
corporations in the US have been widely criticized for their approach to
executive compensation, the fact remains that executive pay keeps climbing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Is India any different when it
comes to executive compensation? Not really. According to Grant Thornton
International Business Report (conducted by Experian in May-June 2012) 78
percent of respondents affirmed that senior executives at large public
companies were paid ‘too much.’ A recent study by consulting firm Hay Group,
titled the 'Top Executive Compensation Report 2012-13', with insights from 158
organizations, reveals that as compared to the top management team – CEOs are
paid 3 times more than all other senior executives. This multiplier goes up to
more than 4 in industries such as Basic Resources and Retail. Yet another
global study by Aon-Hewitt reveals that that India has the widest gap between
the salaries of CEOs and entry-level graduates. In India, a CEO's compensation
is on an average 675 times that of the minimum wage earned by entry-level
graduates. The US comes second with a 423 times difference. China,
interestingly, ranks far lower in the list with the ratio at 268 times. Why is
it that the ratio is so skewed? Sridhar Ganesan, Rewards Practice Leader, Hay
Group India, reasons, “Impatience for business results has lead to recruitment
of ‘Ready-made CEOs’ and is one of the reasons for variance in the compensation
multiplier across sectors.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
It is argued that if an
organization does not pay CEOs at or above the market, they will leave and go
to a competitor. However, Charles M. Elson et al, Director, John L. Weinberg
Center for Corporate Governance at the University of Delaware, in their new
research question the transferability of executive skills set. They argue that,
“There is no conclusive empirical evidence that outside succession leads to
more favorable corporate performance, or even that good performance at one
company can accurately predict success at another.” If this be so, then does it
imply that CEOs are paid higher because they are more competent that their
peers?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
A recent paper from the
University of Pennsylvania and New York University on relationship between
executive pay to executive skill, concludes that particularly in big firms, a
high salary doesn't necessarily mean that a CEO is more competent than his or
her peers. Taking all these into consideration, one may be tempted to reason
that a higher CEO pay would result in shareholder wealth maximization. But here
too, there are not enough researches that paint a positive picture.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Nevertheless, CEOs and their ilks
are paid highly so that they are motivated enough to face the business
challenges and, instead of making value-destroying choices, choose actions that
generate the maximum value for the organization. In the present global business
context, it would make more sense to keep executive compensation (a business
expense) reasonable and competitive.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Gyanendra Kumar Kashyaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16108591294203856407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5594446763424860715.post-33797268880436636422013-10-24T11:17:00.001-07:002013-10-29T03:27:35.056-07:00Packaging Vs Content - What is more important <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
R Venkataswaralu, for the last few days, after he made the
yearly appraisals open to his employees, seemed to be more pensive than his
usual self. Quite expectedly, a few of the employees who got more than what
they deserved were making merry while the others who thought they deserved more
but got less were discontented. The worst that Venkat (an acronym for
Radhakrishnan Venkataswaralu) had to face as a result of his decision was the
resignation of a few of his key people, those who had helped Venkat and his
‘strategic group’ steer the company through the rough tides of the global
meltdown. Perhaps Venkat failed to realise and appreciate their contribution
while preparing and finalising their appraisal (both monetary and
non-monetary). He was perhaps much too taken in by packaging rather than
content.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Well, nothing much should have been expected of a fabulous
marketer (or rather ‘salesman’ - that is what the disgruntled lot prefer to
call him) that Venkat was who was forced to don the cap of the CHRO (Chief
Human Resources Officer). Packaging was his key word and when it came to taking
key decisions of human ‘capital’ rather than human resource or assets he
invariably gave into packaging, for that was what he had been walking and
talking for the last two decades or so. Not that the dissatisfied lot were
putting the blame entirely on him for he had little clue about the importance
of ‘people’, the emotional damage, and the tangible cost to the company in
terms of knowledge and experience that chose to walk out of the company gates.
Subramanium, who for the last two years was associated with the advertising of
the company, firmly believed that packaging was the best marketing strategy
that could be used to glamorise a product and attract the attention of the target
audience. He often advised his colleagues on the importance of packaging and
never failed to chant his favourite one-liner – “sometimes packaging is so
important that it costs more than the product itself.” (Do not confuse – the
product is YOU). It was no surprise then that Subramanium was siding with his
CHRO. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Having reached the office early on a weekend (once again -
quite unusual of him) he was recollecting the past days when Shantaraman and
his team would discuss and debate on product development while he and his team
would assist them hand in glove on the marketing aspect of the product. The two
teams which complimented each other so well would never fail to appreciate the
smallest of value additions. The then CHRO, Srikant Manjhi, who chose to call
it a day (well, that is what the other employees are made to believe), when the
company was going through its roughest patch (the reasons for the same yet
remain unknown to Venkat) would always have a word of encouragement for the two
respective teams and that was evident in the appraisals as well as the annual
meets. The post-appraisal days during Manjhi’s tenure saw the least ruffle - a
manifestation of the fact that all was well with their respective appraisals.
Venkat who was asked all of a sudden to step into Manjhi’s shoes has ever since
failed to replicate the magic spell and people skills of Manjhi. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Though the company has managed to sail through the rough
tides, the order books from the West are not doing great; in the recent past,
there have several complaints regarding of not abiding by the product
development compliance norms; key people including Shantaraman have quit. As he
looks around, he fixes his eye on the last group photograph still pegged on the
office cabin wall. Shantaraman, Manjhi, and Venkat all side by side; ‘three
musketeers’ he uttered. What could have possibly gone wrong, he questions
himself after a long lull. Why is that Manjhi and Shantaraman put in their
papers and why is it that after the recent appraisals employees are not happy
and resignation letters continue to pour day in and day out? Why is it that
Subramanium is hearty and happy while Raghavan is disillusioned? Amidst all
this uproar, the office peon makes his entry and keeps on the table few
résumés; Venkat asks for a glass of water. Going through the résumés of
potential candidates who would (if selected) take over the roles of the likes
of Shantaraman, the only question and thought that keeps him preoccupied is
what is he going to look for in a potential candidate. Is it the candidate
(read – the content, talent et al) or the packaging? Is he the right person
indeed? Still grappling with these thoughts, he lays his hands on Friday’s
edition of the Corporate Dossier and two interesting words ‘Management Mythos’
seems to have attracted his eyeballs. He read the entire article in one go, and
then said, “All this while I have behaved just like Sage Uttanka….” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Very true. Like many other Uttankas in the marketplace,
Venkat too had focused solely on the packaging, ignoring the content, and
perhaps this is one reason why Subramanium is happy and hearty while Raghavan,
who is a lot more talented and certainly deserved better than what he was
rewarded, was disillusioned. As he accepted the glass of water, he seems to
have realised his folly and considers the day as an opportune time to amend his
ways. But he is indeed faced with a unique dilemma. All his life he has lived
on packaging so how could he all of a sudden change his track? How does one
identify the real in a world filled with counterfeit as well as me-too
products? What does it take to judge real content? Having made up his mind to
undo his past wrongdoings he makes a hurried call to Manjhi (and thanks himself
that he was in contact with Manjhi on a personal level) and explains the
peculiar situation that he is faced with. Manjhi, for his part offers his ‘guru
mantra’ to a dear friend in need. He then calls Raghavan to his cabin and asks
him to help him in selecting potential talent who could work with him and help
the company reach its glory of yesteryears. Raghavan, for once hesitates, but
nevertheless obliges his CHRO, considering the future of his source of bread
and butter. Having learnt his lessons the hard way, Venkat now seems determined
to usher in a fresh round of talent and also wants to change the existing
appraisal methods. He is keen on defining and demarcating the fine line of
difference between ‘desire’ (read packaging) and ‘deserve’ (read content).<br />
<br />
PS: <span style="background-color: yellow;">The case study was written for HUMAN FACTOR. </span></div>
</div>
Gyanendra Kumar Kashyaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16108591294203856407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5594446763424860715.post-67185639765126363422013-10-12T02:08:00.000-07:002013-10-12T02:08:07.643-07:00Why organisations need to be focus on employee engagement...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br /><i>Organisations across the world are losing money because their employees aren't fully engaged. An insight into what the recent Gallup and other studies reveal on the importance of employee engagement…</i><br /><br /><span style="text-align: justify;">It's nothing short of an obsession. Workplaces, conclaves, seminars, industry gatherings, you name one, and you would invariably find an obsession with employee engagement - everything seems to link to it. The reasons are simple, engaged workers are more productive, perform better, motivate others and, perhaps most importantly – stay.</span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Deliberations apart, what is the ground reality. Gallup, as it does unfailingly, has once again come up with its employee engagement scores, and as expected, it paints a not so rosy picture. Though the survey results are for the American workforce, its reverberations are equally true for other economies too. Entirely consistent with other, equally downbeat, employee engagement surveys, Gallup’s data shows 30 percent of employees as engaged, 52 percent as disengaged, and 18 percent as actively disengaged. Simply put, the findings indicate that 70 percent of American workers are ‘not engaged’ or ‘actively disengaged’ and are emotionally disconnected from their workplaces and less likely to be productive.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Can we put to a cost to it? Yes! Gallup estimates that these actively disengaged employees cost the U.S. between $450 billion to $550 billion each year in lost productivity. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
What is it in India? According to an April 2012, Gallup study India does not have enough engagement to spare. As of 2012, 32 percent of employed Indians are actively disengaged and 60 percent are not engaged. Only 8 percent of all Indian workers are engaged - or involved in, enthusiastic about, and committed to their work. The disengaged employees, actively or otherwise, are more likely to steal from their companies, negatively influence their co-workers, miss workdays, and drive customers away.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
A recent study by Towers Watson further reveals that only two in five workers (39 percent) in Asia Pacific are highly engaged at work. The rest, three-fifths of the workforce, are struggling to cope with work situations, do not provide adequate support and emotional connection. The study goes on to state that organisations with highly engaged employees report loss of an average of 7.6 workdays per year, whereas organisations with disengaged employees lost 14.1 workdays, or almost twice as many workdays per year. Significantly, disengaged employees are more likely to leave their organisations. Research shows that 58 percent of disengaged employees compared with 17.1 percent of employees with high engagement, are high retention risks. And this comes with a huge cost- the bureau of National Affairs estimates that U.S businesses lose $11 billion annually due to employee turnover. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
But who are these disengaged lot? The recent Gallup study provides a few interesting insights. Women are more engaged than men – 33 percent women were engaged, 50 percent not engaged, and 17 percent actively disengaged; while 28 percent men were engaged, 53 percent not engaged, and 19 percent actively disengaged. Remote employees were 32 percent engaged, 50 percent not engaged, and 18 percent actively disengaged. On-site employees were 28 percent engaged, 51 percent not engaged, and 20 percent actively disengaged. At a time when there is a lot of talk on millennial, the study finds that the most engaged generations are those leaving and entering the workforce. Traditionalists (defined as those at the oldest end of the spectrum, comprising 4% of the working population) were 41 percent engaged, followed by millennial at 33 percent. The study notes that more educated employees were not necessarily more engaged, perhaps because higher education levels bring with them higher expectations.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
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What does an engaged workforce mean for an organisation? David MacLeod and Nita Clarke in their seminal work, 'Engaging for Success: enhancing performance through employee engagement' for the UK government found a compelling correlation between employee engagement and operating income. Their study reveals that companies with low engagement scores earn an operating income 32.7 percent lower than companies with more engaged employees, while companies with a highly engaged workforce experience a 19.2 percent growth in operating income over a 12 month period. A study conducted by Corporate Leadership Council, that studied the engagement level of 50,000 employees worldwide concluded that engaged employees grow profits as much as 3x faster than competitors and that engaged employees are 87 percent less likely to leave the organisation. Further studies conducted by the likes of Tower Watson, Kenexa and LSA Global Learning Solution too have findings on similar lines. In this context McLean & Company's study states that a disengaged employee costs an organisation approximately $3,400 for every $10,000 in annual salary. </div>
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A simple cost benefit analysis makes a strong case to have an engaged workforce. As Kevin Kruse, author of Employee Engagement 2.0, would have loved to state - high engagement among employees improves morale, reduces turnover, and improves profitability. For once, now I understand why employee engagement is an obsession.</div>
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Gyanendra Kumar Kashyaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16108591294203856407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5594446763424860715.post-27700666956342373342013-10-02T09:12:00.000-07:002013-10-02T09:12:08.775-07:00What a leader can learn from Narendra Modi<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br /><br /><i>Narendra Modi's rise in the political landscape of the country offers a few insights into what it takes to break the clutter and make a mark for oneself in the leadership space...</i><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">
Depending on which side of the political spectrum you belong to, you may either be a staunch supporter or a critic of Narendra Damodardas Modi, the BJP’s official PM candidate for 2014 general elections. Cliché it may sound, while you might love him or hate him, but you certainly can’t ignore him. So much so that even his detractors would agree that Modi is a perfect blend of an astute politician and a shrewd businessman. His decisiveness, clarity of thought, personal integrity and missionary zeal, is beyond doubt. It needs no mention that, it is because of these unique selling propositions that the party decided to ignore a few well-reasoned opposition to his elevation. </div>
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Leaving aside the internal party dynamics, a recent survey of 100 chief executives conducted by Nielsen for The Economic Times revealed that 80 percent want Modi to become prime minister. What is it that makes Modi the leaders of masses as well as classes? What are the lessons that business leaders can learn from him? </div>
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The very reason why Modi scored a hat-trick in 2012 Gujarat elections is due to his extraordinary leadership skills. The charismatic leader possesses a number of leadership traits, and business leaders could well learn a few lessons from him and implement them too. A few take-aways</div>
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<b>The Art & Science of Communication </b></div>
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Modi has mastered the art of communication. He is one of the few politicians who has used technology to connect with his people. So be it Google+ hangouts, projected 3D public speeches or for that matter twitter, he's virtually left no stone unturned in using the current technology. It is his novel delivery mechanism that has forced leaders of India Inc as well as foreign diplomats, who once shunned him as a political bezonian, to seek a minute of his indulgence now. </div>
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Seen in an organizational perspective, while one-to-one interaction with each and every employee may be impossible (and more so because of a global workforce), leaders need to be aware of the current trends in technology and use it to their advantage. A technologically naive person can never work for the betterment of his/her organization. Be it a small or big organization, or a huge economy; wise and correct use of technology can invariable help reach out to a larger employee base and bridge the communication gap. </div>
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<b>Identify opportunities and take risks</b></div>
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As a business leader, it is important to see opportunities when they knock on the door and grab them. Undoubtedly, opportunities come with a few risks, but it is the bigger picture that needs to be considered. Many were left wondering when Modi offered a red carpet to Tata. They couldn't figure out what Modi had envisioned when he invited Tata to shift his plant to Sanand. By providing land to industry at throw away prices, as he is accused of, Modi invested in a long term profit. Post this event, Modi became a business darling and investments poured in to Gujarat regularly after that. </div>
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While making decisions, leaders besides keeping the present in mind need to have foresight. They need to envision the future and take decisions that are in sync with future goals. </div>
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<b>Quick decision making </b></div>
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When Tata's decided to relocate their dream project, Modi moved with Usain Bolt-like speed and got the MoU inked within 96 hours of Tata's announcement to quit Singur. It is said that Modi makes it a point to return the call of large businessmen within 24 hours. For urgent calls, the response comes within three hours. If something cannot be done, Modi says so without beating around the bush. It’s a well known fact now that it is primarily the speed and the single-window clearance of Modi that make investors in India and abroad flock to Gujarat.</div>
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In a competitive business environment, it is not only about identifying opportunities, but a lot also depends on the speed with which decisions are taken. Procrastination should be the last word when it comes to decision making.</div>
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<b>Be confident and play to your strengths</b></div>
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Modi is never low on confidence and that is probably one reason why he is able to inspire confidence in the electorate. Be it his rally in Hyderabad or for that matter his address on August 15, he exuded confidence and despite chinks in his armor he focussed on his strength - his development card. It is rare to see a political leader who unfailingly hard sells his state as an investor friendly destination, and in doing so he minces no words.</div>
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As a business leader it is important to be confident about one's organization, product, and project and let it pass on to the target audience. For the success of the brand / organization, it is equally important to hard sell and never let go an opportunity. </div>
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<b>Set an example </b></div>
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If a leader wants his /her team to be honest, hardworking, and sincere; it goes without saying that it must begin with him. The leader needs to be honest, hardworking, sincere, set an example and make the first sacrifice. It is this track record of Modi in office that is the envy of his adversaries. He has been equally successful in selling ideas to both the masses and the classes. He firmly believes in letting his work do the talk. The biennial Vibrant Gujarat - brain child of Modi-and its success is a point in case. Likewise a true business leader too needs action.</div>
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<b>Have a team</b> </div>
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No one is bestowed upon with all the qualities needed to a successful leader. In fact, a leader is but the representative of his/her team at disposal. A team has members with complementing qualities and it is up to the leader as to how to leverage the talent in the team. And that’s what makes all the difference! It's worth learning a lesson or two here, from Modi. His extravagant use of technology in the 2012 election is well known. Did Modi have all knowledge about it? No! He employed right people who helped him plan out his entire campaign strategically and innovatively. And did that work? Well...</div>
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Gyanendra Kumar Kashyaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16108591294203856407noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5594446763424860715.post-34615660620454173602013-10-02T09:08:00.000-07:002013-10-02T09:08:11.979-07:00Why organisations must strive to build high-trust culture?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br /><i>As trust takes a dip, invariably it is the implementation of organisational strategy that would go for a toss</i><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">
Political rhetoric and sloganeering aside trust deficit is for real. Almost everywhere we turn, trust is on the decline. According to Randstad's World of Work 2012 - Asia Pacific, trust is in short supply, it states that, a third of employees across the region don't trust their leaders. Add to this the fact that only a meager 11 percent of employers rate trust as the most important attribute of a successful leader - clearly underestimating the importance of trust. An Employee Outlook survey conducted by UK's CIPD in 2012 reveals that only 36 percent felt a level of trust in their senior leaders. A more recent Edelman Trust Barometer 2013 finds that while 50 percent of respondents trusted business in general to do what is right, only 18 percent trusted business leaders to tell the truth. Cut to India, according to a study, Learning Across Culture in the Human Age, conducted by Right Management and Tucker International, rates Indian business leaders the worst at building and maintaining trusting relationships.</div>
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With organisations facing challenging times and continued economic uncertainty, trust becomes even more important. While leaders - social, political and corporate - agree that trust is important, they more often than not think it to be just another one of those 'soft issues'. In his book, ‘The Speed of Trust’ management consultant and author, Stephen Covey challenges the assumption that trust is merely a soft social virtue - a nice to have. Instead he demonstrates that trust is a hard economic driver, a learnable and measurable skill that makes organisations more profitable, people more successful and relationships more energising. </div>
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Given the crisis and importance of trust, it becomes all the more important to ponder over a few questions - is there a measurable cost to trust, what is the return on trust and is there a tangible benefit to high trust? </div>
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Experts reckon that trust is perhaps the most important element of a successful workplace. Companies whose employees trust them tend to have a more engaged workforce and a high efficiency work environment. On the flip side, organizations that have lost employee trust are not as successful. While high-trust creates flatter organisations distributing information, responsibility and influence across the workforce; a low trust creates hidden agendas, politics, interpersonal conflict, and protective communication. In a low trust climate, everything slows down. Ultimately it creates disengagement and unwanted employee turnover, which in turn causes low morale and impacts productivity. </div>
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In fact, in its 2010, Ethics & Workplace survey, conducted by Deloitte, 65 percent of Fortune 1000 executives believed that trust will be a factor in voluntary employee turnover in the near future. Trust facilitates the implementation of strategy. Doesn't it stand to reason that if levels of trust between employees and their managers, or the organisation in general, are low; it will be more difficult to implement policies, practices, and eventually strategies of which they are a part?</div>
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Return on trust, RoT, too can be measured by examining the financial performance of high-trust organizations. Research by the Great Places to Work Institute, publisher of the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For list, has shown that between 1997-2011, high trust companies outperformed the Russell 3000 and S&P 500, posting annualised returns of 10.32 percent versus 4 percent and 3.7 percent, respectively. Additionally, those best companies provide 4 times the returns than market average for comparative low-trust companies and typically experience a 50 percent lower turnover rate. Yet another recent Watson Wyatt study shows that high trust companies outperform low trust companies by nearly 300 percent - reasons enough to build a high trust organisation. </div>
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In a global, virtual and multicultural world, trust is bound to become a powerful element for collaborative climate. As organisations strive to create an atmosphere of trust in untrusting times, it must be kept in mind that creating a high-trust climate must go beyond one-on-one relationships with employees, to building credibility around the entire organization, its people, its brand and its reputation. </div>
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a</div>
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Gyanendra Kumar Kashyaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16108591294203856407noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5594446763424860715.post-90438358279817643572013-09-10T09:17:00.000-07:002013-09-10T09:17:25.712-07:00Why women’s need greater representation in corporate boardroom<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i>Good corporate governance calls for greater women representation; the government’s recommendation </i><i>for women directors to be mandated on corporate boards in the companies Bill is a progressive step</i></div>
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‘Women in the Boardroom: A Global Perspective’ a survey conducted by The Deloitte Global Centre for Corporate Governance, categorically notes that support for boardroom gender diversity is spreading in many regions, although support has come more from governments and regulators rather than from shareholders. The much awaited Companies Bill 2012, which got its nod from the Rajya Sabha on August 8, 2013 in a few of its provisions resonates what the study has found. The Bill divided into 29 chapters, 470 clauses and 7 schedules; in one of its clauses makes it mandatory for company boards to have a woman representative, something that will give a greater representation to women in corporate decision-making. Unquestionably, the move is more in sync with the requirements of the corporate world in a globalised environment.</div>
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A look at the state of representation of women in corporate boardroom makes all the more sense. Industry body Assocham in a study titled 'Corporate Women: Close the Gender Gap and Dream Big' has noted that out of 1,112 directorships of 100 companies listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange, only 59 positions -- or 5.3 per cent -- are held by women. Further, Deloitte’s November 2011 report, ‘Women in the Boardroom: A Global Perspective’ too has a similar observation. Well, India’s biggest competitor, China at 8.5 per cent had more women in the boardroom. A study, ‘Board Diversity in India’ conducted by Hyderabad-based The Institute of Public Enterprise makes an interesting observation – none of the boards of Sensex companies is led by a woman. The study further notes that, of the women directors 50% are independent directors. This makes India 38th in the world in terms of women representation on boards. </div>
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As per McKinsey & Co’s report titled, ‘Women Matters’ companies in Asia’s leading economies have ‘strikingly’ few women in senior jobs, thereby missing out on a vital pool of talent to fuel the regions’ growth. According to the report in India women’s representation on boards and executive committees are 5 per cent and 3 per cent respectively (lower than that of China which has the representation at 8% and 9%). However, despite low women representation at senior level, gender diversity is not yet high on the strategic agenda for most companies. While over 500 companies have signed on to the global WEPs (Women’s Empowerment Principles) across the world, in India, only six of an estimated nine lakh-registered companies have committed to the WEP principles. It will be interesting to note that the new Companies Bill making provisions for appointing women to top positions by setting targets and benchmark will actually make any difference in the mindsets of corporate in the years to come. For records, women now hold 17.1% of the boardroom seats of the Fortune 500, according to the latest 2020 Women on Boards Gender Diversity Index released in October 2012. </div>
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A recent research from the Credit Suisse Research Institute indicates that companies with more women on their boards outperform those with fewer or no female directors. For instance, Credit Suisse found that net income growth over the past six years averaged 14% for companies with women directors compared to 10% for those with no female board members. Reasons enough that India Inc makes for the opportunity cost. </div>
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Is availability of talent a problem? Perhaps not, there are several qualified women out there. The problem perhaps lies in the process of identifying and grooming potential women directors; it is not a structured or formal one. It is cliché that the talent management process must work toward developing the required skills and competencies and create a pipeline of potential women directors – but somehow there has been a failure to identify talent pool and prepare them for serving on boards. </div>
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Can this be tackled, and if so how? Will not the government’s mandatory norm be counterproductive, in the sense that entry standards would have to be lowered? </div>
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The nomination committee needs to take lead in answering these set of questions. It can do so by either spending money and advertising or seeking the services of executive search firms to systematically create a database from which to choose. A more structured and formal search process coupled with the government’s norm would certainly see more women representation on corporate boards without jeopardizing the entry standards. </div>
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Gyanendra Kumar Kashyaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16108591294203856407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5594446763424860715.post-13848527358683356162013-04-25T00:03:00.000-07:002013-04-25T00:03:21.779-07:00Wooing employees via Employer Branding<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i>Gyanendra Kumar Kashyap</i></div>
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<i>‘Times’ have changed; thanks to the demand and supply gap in
terms of talent, organisations are investing millions in branding themselves as
‘employers of choice’…</i></div>
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Branding, as a concept as well as a technique to be on the
top of mind recall, has primarily been associated with consumer products and
services. However, given the dramatic changes in the workforce trends and
immense competition in the labour market, organizations are applying the
principles of branding to human resource management to create an emotional
relationship between an employer and employee. </div>
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Employer brand, as it is referred to, is about capturing the
essence of an organization in a way that engages current and prospective
talent. An employer brand conveys the
‘value proposition’ the
totality of the organization’s culture,
systems, attitudes, and employee
relationship along with encouraging people to embrace and share
goals for success, productivity, and
satisfaction both on personal and professional levels. In essence, it is
a differentiator that helps an organization differentiate itself from its peer
by creating its branded factors as its USP (unique selling proposition) for
employee satisfaction and happiness resulting in retention, productivity and
efficiency.</div>
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Is employer branding therefore an indispensable strategy or
a mere fad? Literature survey and reports in the media lends a belief that
employer branding offers a fine blend of the science of marketing with the art
of human relations management and is one of the strongest bulwark against the
scourge of unbridled employee attrition.</div>
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<b>The Building Blocks</b></div>
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What does it take to build an employer brand – one that is
able to communicate and ingrain in minds of employees the most critical value
proposition that their organization stands for and in effect help increase the
likelihood of employees becoming brand ambassadors and advocates? </div>
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Invariably, Employee Value Proposition, EVP, is at the heart
of developing and managing an employer branding. Employer Value Proposition
speaks about the direct and indirect benefits of working with the brand. It
also speaks about the core aspects of the association. EVP is influenced by the
organization's values, culture, leadership, environment, and talent and reward
programs. Once an organization’s EVP is formulated, it is then gradually
integrated with the HR process to ensure delivery of the brand promise and
consistent employee experience. </div>
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Like any other consumer brand that expresses inherent
qualities and images, an employer brand too is representative of the corporate
identity to its current and prospective employees, headhunters, and other
stakeholders who get associated with the people side of the corporate. Hence it
becomes all the more important to have a consistency between the internal and
external aspects of employer brand. The internal factors are the culture, HR
practices, and the overall employment experience that a current employee has.
The external factors are what a prospective employee feels about the
organization. Instances of inconsistency between the promises made to the
external world with respect to what is happening internally can create
conflict. The new joinees will expect what was promised through branding and
the current employees on the other hand might feel cheated by the practices
followed. Eventually, inconsistency in ensuring delivery of brand promise will
leave both the current and future employees unhappy. </div>
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How can organizations ensure the delivery of brand promise
as well as consistency of employee experience? Articles published in the media
and other survey reports lend a perception that the key lies in communicating a
set of unifying attributes that help employees in identifying with their
employer. Organizations take concerted efforts to engrain them internally as
well as externally. A few organisations have moved a step further; the EVP is
incorporated in the internal and external communication, including the
communication used in the context of lateral hiring and campus hiring. It
enables them to attract the right profile of talent – who will be effective and
highly engaged in their organization. </div>
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Organisations also use internal mapping and external brand
image to chart out the important attributes that resonate with majority of
employees to create its value proposition for its employees. There are others for
whom the key constituents of employer brand are its set of core values – which
includes open communication, generosity, and leading by example; and vision of
the organization to build and sustain reputation. </div>
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<b>What do you communicate?</b></div>
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There is no doubts on an organization’s employer brand being
a very important mode of communicating to the current and potential employees
the position and value of a firm. The approach as to how an organization wants
to ‘position’ itself is not a ‘one shoe fits all’ strategy. Depending on the
industry, the life-cycle stage and the economic dynamics, the branding strategy
can be different. For example, in the creative industry an employer brand
typically aims to communicate the creative environment in the workplace and a
fun place to work. A technology or a beverage brand has mass marketing
campaigns. The employer brand in the professional services industry, however,
targets professionals and not masses. The messaging in an employer brand in the
professional services industry therefore is aligned to what professionals can
relate to, such as the promise of developing technical expertise and longevity
of careers. </div>
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<b>Are you investing enough?</b></div>
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Though, the importance of building an incredible employer
brand is beyond doubt, there is an investment that has to be made into
developing and managing the brand. And thus the primary question: Are you
investing enough?</div>
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<b>Who is the ‘employer brand’ manager?</b></div>
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While there is no unanimity or even general consensus as to
who should own the process of creation and execution of an organization’s employer
branding campaign, it is a given fact that building a strong employer brand
cannot be the sole responsibility of Human Resources or the Marketing
department for that matter. As a matter of fact the entire philosophy of
‘employer brand’ has to be co-owned. The initiative must follow the top down
approach, starting from the leadership at the helm and must include Human
Resources, Marketing and Finance. In fact, everyone in the organization should
be encouraged to take up the role of an ambassador of the brand.</div>
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<b>How is the campaign propagated?</b></div>
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The success of any brand campaign, however brilliantly
designed, to large extent depends on how well it is propagated, whether or not
it has been able to reach its desired target audience. This becomes all the
more critical when speaking from an organization’s ‘employer brand’
perspective; for the basic aim of the entire philosophy is to attract, retain
and engage current and potential talent. There is no dearth of media vehicles
to propagate its employer brand, however not all serves the purpose. Like a
consumer product brand which has the leeway of resorting to ‘road blocking’;
organizations use a similar concept when they reach out to campuses or job
fairs or job sites – where they can
register their presence in the minds of the required target talent space. </div>
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In order to portray their organization as an employer of
choice, organisations cite career website, word-of-mouth and social media as
three top channels that their organizations invest in to promote their employer
brand.</div>
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<b>How do you measure effectiveness?</b></div>
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All organizations are different. There is no preset standard
of measurements that suits every organization. But how does an organization
measure the effectiveness of its employer brand campaign? From an organisation’s
perspective it is important to measure the employer branding impact on
individual productivity. For some a measure of a better employer brand would be
the ratio of number of offers given to people to the number of people who
finally joined. Examples of traditional metrics that have been used to measure
ROI on employer branding activities include: cost per hire, engagement levels,
time to fill, retention rates, turnover rates, absenteeism, headcount, time to
productivity, total costs of labor to revenue, candidate satisfaction rates
etc.</div>
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<b>Conclusion</b></div>
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An effective employer brand in essence embodies all that the
organization has to offer vis a vis what the employees expect from the
organization. Having an effective
employer brand helps organizations attract, engage and retain talent. Studies
show that having an employer brand significantly impacts savings by enhancing
retention (reducing replacement hire costs) and engagement levels of new hires
and existing employees. In an environment of economic uncertainty coupled with
talent crunch, an effective ‘employer brand’ is perhaps a panacea to ride over
the tide.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Gyanendra Kumar Kashyaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16108591294203856407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5594446763424860715.post-15463481646226135942013-04-22T22:26:00.003-07:002013-04-22T22:26:39.921-07:00How to deal with erring star performers?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Gyanendra Kumar Kashyap</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i>Star performers are the ones who surpass goals more often
than not, are technically superior, are quick to grasp new organisational
missions and have risen through the ranks by producing exemplary results. However, a few of them have bad attitude,
which if left unchecked can destroy the organisational culture and team. How do
we handle such performers without losing them? </i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Yes, Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli besides being captains
for their respective franchisee teams, Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers
Bangalore, are undoubtedly star performers for their teams. While star
performers prove to be an asset to the organisation, but like most superheroes,
star performers too have a dark side and at times with their behaviour and
attitude cause a problem. The 12 April, 2013 verbal duel that the two star
cricketers engaged themselves in does raise a question or two about how to
manage such star performers. The two players in question are highly talented
and fiercely competitive; however the entire episode paints a picture that the
two insisted on having their own way often contemptuous of others. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Cut the picture to an organisation, there are numerous
examples of star performers who are arrogant, demand special treatment and
absolutely no one wants to work with this individual. The failure to deal with
such individuals or allowing them to have a free run, does have a negative
impact on the cultural fabric of the organisation besides undermining the
performance of the entire team in the long term.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Besides raising an ethical question, as such disruptive
behaviour by star performers if left unchecked can run counter to the
organisational values, the key question is - how should organisation deal with
such star performers? Should the organisation retain the employee just on
account of performance or should it take necessary measures to change the
behaviour of such star performers? Those in the know argue that in both the
cases, there is the probability of a backfire and the organisation can face the
risk of losing their star performer. According to Peter Cappelli, Professor of
Management at The Wharton School, the trade-off between talent and disruptive
behavior depends on how important teamwork and morale are in the organization's
culture.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Coming back to the above question, Tiziana Casciaro and
Miguel Sousa Lobo – authors of the Harvard Business School study “Competent
Jerks, Lovable Fools, and the Formation of Social Networks” contend most
employees would rather work with someone less competent because that person may
be more pleasant, more open to other’s ideas and more willing to share their
own. They may even be perceived as more trustworthy. What if the organisation
decides to change the behaviour – how should the organisation go about? A few
suggestions (not exhaustive to say the least):</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Hold the star performer accountable for performance as well
as behaviour:</b> Not holding employees accountable for their behaviour just
because they perform well makes the company’s values meaningless.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Adopt a team based performance recognition system:</b> Sometimes
star performers walk away with all the credit for a job done well without
acknowledging the contribution of others in the team. The star performers need
to be gently reminded of the benefits of sharing credit when it is due. This
will improve their relations with others in the team and also gain them their
respect and admiration.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Focus on interpersonal skills:</b> The star performers should be
made to realise that developing interpersonal skills holds the key to good leadership
qualities, which is needed along with technical expertise to reach the top.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Regular feedback</b>: Erring star performers should be given
regular feedback on how their behaviour is affecting others by both their
supervisor and other team members; this will help them to modify their conduct.
Coaching and counseling activities can be resorted to. Besides the 360 degree
approach it is equally important to have direct feedback sessions with star
performers so they know the exact consequences of not changing their behavior.</div>
</div>
Gyanendra Kumar Kashyaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16108591294203856407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5594446763424860715.post-67419702809583533862013-04-22T00:48:00.001-07:002013-04-22T00:48:45.086-07:00On Rankings: Do we need a new Ranking?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i>Gyanendra Kumar Kashyap</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i>There is no dearth of players in the B –school ranking
market, each claiming to be more authentic than the other; yet questions are
often raised over the credibility of such rankings. Nevertheless year on year
the list of ‘the most authentic ranking’ goes on increasing. Does a new set of
ranking matter and if so what is it that makes it more credible & acceptable
– a few questions…</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Like it or loathe it, rankings are an integral part of
business school world. Be it either the aspirants, or the influencer or the
alumni – each one assesses the impact of the business school’s ranking in the global
market. This is all the truer for the aspirants, for more often than not they rely
on these rankings to shortlist their target schools. Perhaps this must have been the guiding
philosophy as to why, globally and in India too, a host of business newspapers
and magazines started to rank MBA programs and the business schools that
offered them. Ever since, media organisations have started ranking business
schools using varying methodologies, looking at criteria including how schools
select their students and how eager employees are to hire their graduates,
student/faculty ratio, graduate and alumni salaries, number of full-time
professors, tuition fees, notable alumni, infrastructure, library holdings,
student satisfaction, and so on. However, there is considerable debate about
the legitimacy of rating systems, specifically the various methodologies used
to rank the programs. The critical question is: which ranking is the best and
which one is the most accurate?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
It is beyond doubt that glaring differences in rankings of
B-schools, probably because of the varying weight-age assigned to various
parameters, does raise questions pertaining to authenticity and reliability.
Nonetheless, identifying a good B- school matters a lot in the long run and it
is here that rankings at least have the merit of providing potential applicants
with certain data that would otherwise be unavailable. In essence, rankings
(though subjective and debatable) help candidates to sift through the huge
amount of information available and the sheer number of institutions offering
MBAs and select the few programs they wish to find out more about.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b>A few questions</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Unfailingly and on an annual basis, a number of media
organisations come up with their version of best B-schools; as such there is no
dearth of B-school rankings. Thus the important question is: should there be yet
another B-School ranking when there are already a multiplicity of these
rankings studies out there? Is there really a need to add to the existing
clutter of the profusion of B-School rankings out there in the marketplace? Will
a new version of who is best and who is second best mean anything to anybody (read
the influencers and potential applicants)? Add to this reports such as "B-schools
and Engineering colleges shut down - Big Business Struggles," by The
Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) which states
that more than 180 B-schools have already closed down in 2012 in the major
cities and another 160 are struggling
for their survivals. So will this new
set of ranking help view B-school rankings in perspective and look beyond the
stereotypical rankings; will it be elegant in its simplicity and profound in
its methodology? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
In essence the questions that seek immediate answer are -
why do we need a new B-school ranking and more so how the new set of rankings
will be an invaluable guide to each and every MBA aspirant in the country. What
is it that will be its key differentiator? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Why the difference?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The inconsistencies in ranking and the movement of B-schools
year-on-year on a particular league raise questions about the methodology and
the lack of validation therein. The methodology of a few of the rankings is well-constructed,
it takes into account parameters such as infrastructure, international exposure,
quality of faculty, research, diversity, pedagogy, alumni, etc.; but it is
either because of supply of sketchy data that questions the credibility of such
rankings. Also more often than not, over reliance on reported data (i.e. lack
of validation) is a cause of discrepancies. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b>How do you differentiate?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
MBA rankings are hugely influential for graduates when
ascertaining the degree of respect that employers hold for their business
school, and subsequently their MBA degree. Consequently, a lot of MBA aspirants
browse through rankings with a great deal of interest. It is well known that methodology of each
ranking is subjective in its choice of criteria, and that the difference
between a school ranked 25th or 30th is probably not that great. An interesting
question is how does a hiring manager choose a B-school – is ranking the most
influential factor when identifying the school? What are the parameters that it
chooses to base its decision on? Is it the student profile or the academic
excellence of the institute that organisations consider more? </div>
</div>
Gyanendra Kumar Kashyaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16108591294203856407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5594446763424860715.post-76929589982919019492013-04-16T21:52:00.000-07:002013-04-16T21:52:45.332-07:00Can money buy you motivation?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Gyanendra Kumar Kashyap</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i>Research shows that pay ceases to matter if the employee has
all the basic necessities of life...</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
For most of us, money is a fundamental reason to work because
it is measureable and tangible. Hence, it becomes a motivator by default though
it may not be the primary one for many employees. But, would we continue to do
what we were doing if we were not compensated for our efforts? It is at this
point that questions like ‘does money really affect motivation?’ crops in. Thanks
to the complexity of human behaviour, there is no definitive answer to this
question. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Daniel Pink in his book, ‘Drive – The Surprising Truth About
What Motivates Us,’ convincingly argues that money does not motivate people who
work for us. Generally, people are more motivated to work harder when they have
the ability to work on their own terms, he said in his book. This is not to suggest
that money doesn’t motivate; in fact, to underplay the importance of money and
benefits as motivation for workers would be a mistake. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The author states in his book that employees expect to be
paid fairly, but over-paying employers do little to motivate them to work
harder towards achieving company goals. In a similar vein, Entrepreneur quotes
Ian Larkin, a professor of business administration at Harvard Business School,
as saying, “Money is highly motivational for people… But saying money is the
only thing we should use is also silly.”
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Be it the Expectancy Theory or researches conducted by
psychologists like Daniel Kahneman, each one point out that money motivates only
to an extent. According to the Expectancy Theory, money will motivate employees
as long as their personal goals are being satisfied and the perception that
their pay is dependent upon their performance. Kahneman said money does not
increase people’s happiness after they have got all the basic necessities of
life.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Timothy A Judge, an organisational scientist and his
colleagues in their 2010 meta-analysis, “The relationship between pay and job
satisfaction” published in the Journal of Vocational Behaviour, gave the most
compelling answer to this vexed issue. The results indicate that the
association between salary and job satisfaction is very weak. The reported
correlation (r=.14) indicates that there is less than 2 per cent overlap
between pay and job satisfaction levels. Furthermore, the correlation between
pay and pay satisfaction was only marginally higher (r=.22 or 4.8 per cent
overlap), indicating that people’s satisfaction with their salary is mostly
independent of their actual salary. The findings are in sync with Gallup's
engagement research (October 2011), which reports that there is no significant
difference in employee engagement by pay level. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
So does money demotivate? It’s a tough question and there is
no consensus about the degree to which higher pay may demotivate. A few studies
throw some light on this aspect. Edward L Deci, Professor of Psychology - University
of Rochester, and others in their seminal work, ‘A meta-analytic review of
experiments examining the effects of extrinsic rewards on intrinsic motivation’
conclude that tangible rewards tend to have a substantially negative effect on
intrinsic motivation and even when tangible rewards are offered as indicators
of good performance, they typically decrease intrinsic motivation for
interesting activities. Similar studies conducted by Yoon Jik Cho, Assistant
Professor – University of Georgia and James Perry – Distinguished Professor-
Indiana University, Bloomington, conclude that employees who are intrinsically
motivated are three times more engaged than employees who are extrinsically
motivated (such as by money).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The meaning of money (and hence it being regarded as a
motivator or demotivator) is largely subjective and our relationship to money
is highly idiosyncratic. If companies want to motivate their workforce, they
need to understand what their employees really value — and the answer is bound
differ for each individual. Motivating employees solely based on money will
indeed turn out to be a herculean task.</div>
</div>
Gyanendra Kumar Kashyaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16108591294203856407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5594446763424860715.post-33223135867512622162013-04-11T23:17:00.003-07:002013-04-11T23:17:50.374-07:00Mandatory CSR spending - a blessing or a burden<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i>Gyanendra Kumar Kashyap</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i>It’s a Rs. 120 billion question - Does it make sense to
thrust upon CSR spending on India Inc., or should they be allowed to take a
voluntary call on it…</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
In the new Companies Bill that was passed in the Lok Sabha
towards the fag end of the winter session, it is precisely the Clause 470 of
the Bill that aroused interest and skepticism in equal measures. As per the
clause it has been made mandatory for corporates that make an average profit of
at least Rs. 5 crore or have a worth exceeding Rs. 500 crore, or their turnover
exceeds Rs. 1,000 crore in the last three years to spend 2 % of the net profit
on CSR. It is herein that the debate on conscience versus action, heart versus
mind and numbers versus results sets in. What is the worth of CSR kitty that
the government decided to make it mandatory? A report by SMC Global Securities
Limited states that in the last financial year the combined net profit of
listed companies in India was to the tune of Rs. 4, 37,167 crores, at 2% the
CSR kitty amounts to Rs. 8,700 crores. The March issue of Forbes India categorically
states that the government expects Rs 63 billion to flow in from India’s top
500 listed companies, going by the government’s 2% norm. If this list is
further expanded to the top 1,000 corporations, add MNCs, co-operative banks
and SMEs, and then we are talking about at least Rs 120 billion. Undoubtedly
such a large sum generated year on year has the potential to alleviate many social
as well as environmental issues ailing the nation. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
While there may be an overlap between philanthropy and CSR,
Indian corporate led by Tatas and Birlas have been voluntarily investing in
CSR. Hence, the provision to make CSR spending mandatory is more of an
intrusion and it is apparent that by doing so the government is trying to
abdicate itself of its social responsibilities. Will not the mandatory
provision disrupt the business plans of a many companies? Going by an ETIG
research, India Inc will have to scramble to meet the target as only two
companies in the Nifty - Ambuja Cement and ITC - currently spend 2% of net
profit towards CSR. While not all Tata group companies have disclosed their
expenditure on CSR, Tata Steel's sustainability report mentions that the Tata
group companies spend 4% of their net profit towards CSR. In fact, the new
imposition takes out the sanctity of CSR making it more of a forced exercise
and more so a new form of tax on profits. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Does it not make sense that corporations take up social
responsibilities on a voluntary basis rather than making it mandatory? Those in
support of the move argue that by mandating CSR in the Companies Bill, the
government has created a process whereby companies are forced to spend on
social returns along with financial returns and they are forced to report on
such spends. Such a mandatory provision, however noble its intentions may be,
could lead to irregularities in revenue accounts and perhaps more corruption. The
other point worth considering is will not the mandatory clause give government
officials a strong tool to harass companies. Jagannadham Thunuguntla,
Strategist & Head of Research, SMC Global Securities Limited, says “While
the objective behind CSR is noble, but proper system and procedures need to be
implemented for effective usage of such massive amount. Else, there is always a
risk of misuse of noble intentions.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Is there a way out? There are a few who argue that if the government
wants, it can increase the rate of corporate tax to 32 percent from the current
30 percent rather than making it mandatory for companies to spend 2% on CSR.
According to media reports, a number of companies are lobbying for tax breaks
on CSR investment. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
While reporting CSR spends in their annual reports and
making it public is a measure of good corporate governance, enforcing spending
on CSR would perhaps not motivate companies to become more socially
responsible. In essence CSR should be done with passion and dedication, and not
because it is thrust upon. </div>
</div>
Gyanendra Kumar Kashyaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16108591294203856407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5594446763424860715.post-23490752099416624252013-04-11T23:13:00.000-07:002013-04-11T23:13:06.757-07:00How to make a good impression in the exit Interview?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i>Gyanendra Kumar Kashyap</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i>Don’t use the time
and space to retaliate or get emotional, rather consider exit interviews as an
opportunity to make one last good impression...</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
It’s that time of the year, when a number of organisations
see a lot of old ones’ giving way to the new faces. No matter how wonderful an
organisation is, it is but inevitable that at one point or another, an employee
will quit or will be asked to do so. While this can be unfortunate - or
fabulous, depending on the person and the circumstances; the turn of events
that follow the decision can be a learning experience for both. The secret lies
in exit interview. On the one hand it gives the organisation an inexpensive and
valuable opportunity to collect data, devise policies to improve employee
retention and nurture a culture that values employees input; on the other had
it teaches the employee a few lessons on how to make a smooth exit. A few suggestions
for the rookie’s as to how to go about the exit interview:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Don’t burn bridges</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The most important rule of all, ‘Don’t burn your bridges!”
Irrespective of the situation at your job, it is best advised to take the high
road and leave things on a positive note. Do not use exit interview as a platform
to retaliate or get overly emotional. As far as possible make your comments
constructive and ensure that you include the positive parts of your time in the
organisation. You just never know what the future holds in store and honestly
you may need a reference from this former employer. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Be honest, give constructive feedback</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
If you are asked for a feedback, don’t hesitate. “Being
truly honest will hurt and offend,” says a good friend, who has had his own
share of experience. However, it is important to know that recommendations
(constructive feedback / possible solutions) and not rants are appreciated.
While sharing meaningful dialogue with the former employer is good, keep the
conversation short and sweet and that will indeed help you avoid revealing too
much and digging yourself a hole. This
will help set a positive tone and prevent you from leaving people with an
unfavourable impression of you that could tarnish your professional reputation.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Post a positive outlook</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Treat, exit interview as an opportunity to make one last
good impression. Show that you are positive about the future but at the same
time communicate in clear terms that you harbor no negative feelings toward the
organisation. Emphasize more on what
lies ahead and use that as the fulcrum to stress the reason as to why you are
quitting (if this is the case). This serves a dual purpose, it saves you from
having to say anything at all about the job you're quitting, and it helps you
stay honest, too.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Ensure that you make a smooth exit, and once you do so, the negativity (if you harboured any) will fade into the distance. It is only
then that you can put all of the positive energy where it belongs - into your
new job. </div>
</div>
Gyanendra Kumar Kashyaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16108591294203856407noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5594446763424860715.post-61370442437993959692013-03-27T22:37:00.000-07:002013-03-27T22:37:59.351-07:00REVISITING MILE SUR MERA TUMHARA<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i>It would be a real challenge to come across an Indian who
has not resonated with India's unofficial anthem, <b>'Mile Sur Mera Tumhara, To
Sur Bane Hamara</b> ' that was first promoted on Doordarshan in 1988. 22 years
later, the same iconic song that had the entire nation humming to its tunes was
revived as ‘<b>Phir Mile Sur…The Song of India</b>.’ Both of them focuses on
reconstructing the cultural fabric (in an environment dominated by chauvinism
and parochialism) and sends across a positive message of patriotism and unified
India.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Gyanendra Kumar Kashyap</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Circa August 15, 1988; for the first time ‘<b>Mile Sur Mera
Tumhara</b>…” was aired on the then only available channel, viz Doordarshan; and
since then for the last two decades the audio visuals of Bharat Ratna Pandit
Bhimsen Joshi (reciting ‘Mile Sur Mera Tumhara) and Dr. M Balamuralikrishna at
Kovalam beach, Chennai (erstwhile Madras, reciting ‘Isaindhal namm iruvarin
suramum namadhakum…) has never failed to mesmerise the listeners. Without an
iota of doubt, the song captivated and enthralled the entire generation by
showcasing the diversity of India and established the message of unity. It goes
beyond saying that the second song of “The Trilogy” (consisting of <i>Freedom
Torch- The Spirit of Freedom, Mile Sur and Raag Desh</i>) became the unofficial
national anthem of India. Cut the picture to 26 January 2010; the simple eight
line stanza (translated into 16 languages) was once again aired in almost all
the available channels, albeit in a slightly different format. For once, those
who could vividly recall the opening lines sung by Pandit Bhimsen Joshi and M Balamuralikrishna
must have been surprised. Surely the legends were missing; but nonetheless the
present rendition by none other than Amrita Surendranath and Kailash
Surendranath (who had earlier worked along with the legendry Suresh Mullick of
O&M Advertising) too deals with the concept of national integration. ‘Phir
Mile Sur’ has in it the freshness that reflects
the enthusiasm of modern India, a tune and lyrics that every Indian today can
relate to and which would further ignite the passion for India and its
diversity. Like its predecessor which used a combination of music and images to
instill in feeling of pride in Indians from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, Phir Mile
Sur too speaks a common and universal language - that of love for the
motherland and its people. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Bhairavi, the raga that is common to both Hindustani and
Carnatic classical music, is apparently the common theme in both the versions.
While there are many who believe that the original ever beautiful song ‘Mile
Sur Mera Tumhara’ replete with the spirit of unity in diversity version was
better but nonetheless it is a sheer delight to see the Sarod maestro Ustad
Amjad Ali Khan and his two sons Amaan and Ayaan Ali Bangash play the same raga
(in the backdrop of the Charminar) spreading the same message of love and
harmony. Times have changed, it is true (howsoever sour it may sound) that the
generation of today may not be able to recognise the maestros of 80’s and early
90’s; and this perhaps necessitated the idea to reinvent the best patriotic ad
till date. In other words the current version is but a rediscovery for today’s
younger demographic against the backdrop of the events which have rocked and
shocked the nation (26/11 et al). Set amidst the backdrop of the hotel Taj (the
centre of 26/11 episode), Big B’s baritone voice serves the purpose well. Commenting
on the initiative, Kailash Surendranath, the brain behind <i>Phir Mile Sur</i>, said,
“It has been an incredible journey creating ‘<b>Mile Sur Mera Tumhara</b>’ which was a
mosaic of so many different personalities from various walks of life and
regions in India. Today, we feel the same emotions gushing, after a span of two
decades. So many things have changed in India - growth, prosperity, the
economic scenario, however, as citizens of this wonderfully diverse country,
our feelings for India have only grown stronger and we hope that Phir Mile Sur
will further strengthen this bond. ” </div>
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<br /></div>
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The locations, the people, the costumes et al have been
successful in reliving the nostalgia. Consider Ustad Zakir Hussain; Pandit Shiv
Kumar Sharma and Rahul Sharma playing the santoor (in the backdrop of Qutab
Minar), Anoushka Shankar, the ever improving Siva Mani drumming away on water –
leaves one and all mesmerized . However, there have been few changes here and
there (for matter – the lyrics) which have not gone down well with admirers of
the 1988 version. “There is no new patch in terms of contents and execution. If
they really wanted to create that nostalgia then they should have kept the
lyrics intact and shot it with kids as they represent the future of the nation,”
says an ad veteran. The veteran is not alone; a Brand Guru and Director of an
ad agency shared similar concern. He said, “The ‘Indian’ feel which binds
billions of people through a smartly executed “<b>Mile Sur Mera Tumhara</b>"
campaign around two decades back is completely missing in the present “avatar”
<i>Phir Mile Sur</i>.” It is indeed true that the present version is heavy on the
Bollywood front with 22 of India’s biggest superstars (out of 68 of India’s
icons who have lent their support to this initiative) and lacks the
participation of stalwarts from the filed of business, science & technology
et al. A quick realization that India today is no longer juts about Bollywood
and sports, it has got a whole new dimension to it. It does make sense that the
new team should have used a new metaphor to represent India. One who has seen
the new version would agree that the length of the commercial is bit too long
and fails to captivate the viewers.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Once again, one is bound to question whether or not the
present version evokes the same nostalgia. Let’s not mince words: To some
extent the nostalgia related to '<b>Mile Sur Mera Tumhara</b> is evoked… it gives an
opportunity to revive the old memories through <i>Phir Mile Sur</i>. The lyrics, according
to a few, are the positive linkage in the current version. Despite few
shortcomings what is worth acknowledging is the fact that each artist speaks of
a cause. Phir Mile Sur captures the true spirit of contemporary India and will
hopefully also resonate with new generations. The present version, in a way
reflects the enthusiasm of modern India, a tune and lyrics that every Indian
today can relate to and which would further ignite the passion for India and
its diversity... “<b>Mile sur mera tumhara to sur bane hamara</b>…” and this is the
essence of both the versions in letter and spirit.</div>
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Gyanendra Kumar Kashyaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16108591294203856407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5594446763424860715.post-66870149179299795082013-03-25T22:06:00.001-07:002013-03-25T22:06:47.586-07:00Give rewards & recognition a ‘fair’ chance<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
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<b>Gyanendra Kumar Kashyap</b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<i>Fairness in rewarding and recognising employees for
their contribution holds the key to productivity and employee morale</i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
It is the last few days before the financial year 2012-13
draws to close. At the workplace there
are talks about rewards, recognition and yes the often repeated appraisal.
There is inherently nothing wrong with either of these. However from an
organisational perspective a more loaded question is, “Are employees being
rewarded fairly for their efforts?” What is more important here is not whether
the organisation (read management) believes that employees have been rewarded
fairly but whether employees think they have been rewarded fairly or not. What
if the entire process of reward and recognition is unjust – does it impact the
organisational fabric? A number of research points out that reward and
recognition programs effect employee motivation and productivity. As a matter
of fact employee rewards and recognition are positively correlated with the
motivation and productivity. It is specifically herein that the fairness (as
opposed to injustice and favouritism) component in rewards and recognition
arises.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Off the record chit chat with friends did give me reasons to
believe that the reward and recognition process is not entirely just and fair;
yet I had every reason to believe that not all is bad, until I read this story.
<b>False Glory</b> (http://www.openthemagazine.com/article/nation/false-glory) and its
subsequent telecast on CNNIBN is a clarion call on the need to revisit the
finer nuances of fair reward and recognition and its impact of employee morale
/ motivation. The story dwells on how a
senior CRPF officer, a senior Indian Police Service officer and an inspector
connived to get themselves nominated for the prestigious President’s Police
Medal for Gallantry (PPMG), while sidelining two brave soldiers who were the
real heroes. All this while there is
clear evidence to suggest that the senior IPS officer and the inspector did
nothing to deserve the award. The story goes on to state that, “the injustice
went unopposed for about a year, the overlooked jawans did not raise an
objection. They were resigned to their fate, telling themselves that this was
how the system worked. They stayed on in the force, but their morale fell. On
crucial operations, they lost their will to take any initiative. It affected
the morale of other jawans as well.”</div>
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<br /></div>
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The question then is – does the same happen in organisations
too? Well seen from an organisational perspective, this perhaps is not a new
phenomenon. It’s no secret that the playing field among workers isn’t level in
most workplaces. Favoritism and taking undue credit of good works done by
juniors is perhaps not new. A survey conducted by Georgetown University’s
McDonough School of Business found that 92 per cent of senior business
executives have seen favouritism at play in employee promotions, including at
their own companies (84 per cent). About a quarter of the polled executives admitted
to practicing favouritism themselves.</div>
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<br /></div>
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But how does such behaviour impact an organisation and its
employees? The fact is that employees who don’t feel they are fairly rewarded
are likely to become de-motivated to perform, frustrated, resentful and seek to
leave the organisation at the first opportunity. True that with the current
economy, this may not happen right away, but while these employees may stick to
their current jobs, they will not put forth their best of efforts towards
achieving organisational goals. Also, by focusing attention on particular
employees, it’s easy to overlook growth opportunities and unique skill sets
offered by others. If the yardstick for success has nothing to do with
performance then there’s every chance that the organisation may lose good
people, if they feel their talents are going unnoticed. </div>
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<br /></div>
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What is the way out? Simply put, managers (or those assigned
with the task) must be sincere (and not be manipulative – as in the story
above) in deciding as to who should be rewarded and for what. While it makes
sense to gather accurate details in highlighting performance and avoiding
insincerity in work, it is equally important to figure out who is the actual
performer. There may be situations where people are getting recognised for a
work done by some other person. It is important to get beneath the surface and identify
who has actually performed the job and recognise their effort. This would
prevent unfair treatment being meted out to unrecognised employee.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
</div>
Gyanendra Kumar Kashyaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16108591294203856407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5594446763424860715.post-21395117248316029682013-03-18T00:21:00.001-07:002013-03-18T05:55:47.820-07:00Mind your words…for words are all that you have<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i>Gyanendra Kumar Kashyap</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<i><b>Why is it important to communicate with courage, innovation
and discipline...</b></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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Sometimes in December 2007, Airtel chose to express itself
differently. “Barriers break when people talk…fences fall when people
talk…walls crumble when people talk,” is how Airtel communicated its
philosophy. For those who were accustomed to the brand’s ‘Express Yourself’
campaign, the new communication was a mere extension keeping in line with the
brand’s philosophy. Apart from students of advertising, the ad campaign has
lessons as to how to effectively use the power of words to communicate. Be it a
mere marketing campaign or an outstanding advertisement, or a powerful sales
pitch, or for that matter an electrifying election campaign; what stands out in
each case is the ‘power of words’ and yes the tone in which they were communicated.
Words, by themselves, have the inherent power to move, inspire, uplift, give
hope to the hopeless; on the contrary they can pull apart, demoralize, hurt,
deflate, destroy and belittle. Words and how they are communicated are powerful
instruments; they can show great wisdom and knowledge or utter stupidity. Communication,
as they say is neither easy nor intuitive. True, it’s one of the most important
skills that we have, but isn’t it equally true that it is this skill that we
happen to screw up the most. Hence, when communicating, care must be taken to
speak empowering and positive words; for negative words can trigger the fight /
flight / freeze response which further leads to reactive, defensive thoughts
and behavior. So much so, organizations have set up ‘corporate communication’
department and have hired PR firms for effective communication with both
internal and external customer / shareholder. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Powerful communication in the political arena have helped leaders build their political careers and have even helped a few swing
the mood of the voters on the penultimate day; on the contrary there have been
instances of leaders who have had to bequeath their chairs, or have had to bear
the unwanted brunt of media criticism when their words are blown out of proportion
(in the Indian context Shashi Tharoor and Narendra Modi are two such examples).
In the organizational context, there have been instances wherein dialogues
between management and employee representatives were unnecessarily prolonged
because of the lack of clarity in communicating their stands. Nearly all of
management issues arise due to lack of effective communication. Chances
regarding misunderstanding and misrepresentation can be minimized together with
proper communication system. Depending on the existing organizational dynamics an
organization and its lead communicators can choose either of the four
communication styles: the listener, the creator, the doer and the thinker. The
listener is an effective communicator because he is steady, understands there
is more than one way to achieve the same results and is willing to listen to
other perspectives. The creator is another effective communicator because he is
enthusiastic, creative and skilled in persuasion. The doer is assertive,
goal-oriented, verbal and competent in problem-solving. The thinker is
analytical, slow to react and contemplative. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Are there returns on investment in effective communication?
A communication ROI report, ‘Capitalizing on Effective Communication’ by Towers
Watson (2009/10) stated that, "Companies that communicate with courage,
innovation and discipline, especially during times of economic challenge and
change, are more effective at engaging employees and achieving desired business
results." Further the report said that most effective communicators had 47
percent higher total returns to shareholders over a five-year span than the
least effective communicators. </div>
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<br /></div>
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The success or failure of an organization clearly depends on
how it communicates. If it wants the barriers of misunderstandings to break /
crumble, it must communicate. Effective communication invariably depends on the
choice of words; communicators on both sides of the table must realize that its
words and words alone that they have to either make or mar. </div>
</div>
Gyanendra Kumar Kashyaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16108591294203856407noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5594446763424860715.post-34650562202124555312013-03-17T23:35:00.000-07:002013-03-17T23:35:35.106-07:00Business Ethics – more in letters less in spirit<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><i>Gyanendra Kumar Kashyap</i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i>The Cobrapost sting shows that banks which claim to abide by
ethical standards on papers give a damn to banking norms and are engaging in
fraudulent practices</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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Log on to the corporate home page of banks and you would
invariably find ‘Code of Business Conduct and Ethics’. Read further and you
would have statements such as, “The Group expects all its employees, officers
and Directors to act in accordance with high professional and ethical standards”
and “This Code of Ethics / Conduct intends to ensure adherence to highest
business and ethical standards while conducting the business…” Well there is
inherently nothing wrong with the code or its wordings; it’s only that when
such organisations portraying high levels of ethics in business conduct are
themselves involved in fraudulent acts. Such incidences, however few they may
be, do lend credence to the segment of commentariat who believe that business
ethics is an oxymoron.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The recent pan–India undercover investigation by Cobrapost alleges nation-wide money laundering racket being run by HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank
and Axis Bank. The sting operation
alleges that the bankers, among other things, take cash and invest in gold and
insurance products, open account to route cash into banks' investment schemes,
don't adhere to KYC norms, stash away black money in bank lockers, and split
money into tranches to get it into the banking system without being detected.</div>
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<br /></div>
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The banks on their part, however, assured customers that
they have high standards of business conduct and that they are investigating
the allegations. Sample ICICI Bank’s official response on allegations made by
Cobrapost on money laundering reads, “ICICI Group conducts its business with
the highest level of compliance to legal and regulatory requirements. All
employees of the Group are trained and required to adhere strictly to the Group
Code of Conduct, including AML and KYC norms. We have demonstrated our
commitment to this by following a zero tolerance policy towards any violation.”
Official responses of the other two banks are on similar lines.</div>
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<br /></div>
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At a time when there is so much of discussion around black
money, the sting leads us to question the ethical posturing of these banks and
their leaders at helm. The banks in question are led by stalwarts who are all
spotless and thus the severity of the case. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Could such operations be carried out without a nod from the
top or is it a case of lack of oversight? If professionally managed banks can
engage in such fraudulent activities what about the others? Did the CEO fail to
communicate and promote clean and ethical conduct? Is ethics and ethical
practices merely a discussion point during boardroom meetings? Does it not
trickle down to the lower rungs of the organisation? Do the middle managers and
their juniors not share the same conviction that exists at the board level? Does
the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics merely exist in letters and not
practiced in spirit? While the answers to such questions can vary, the essence
is that there exists a gaping ethics hole among middle and junior level managers
in India Inc.</div>
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<br /></div>
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For those who have seen the footage of the sting it must be
clear that none of the managers asked for any personal gratification. Perhaps
it was the need to meet the targets and obviously better performance against
their names that made them violate the laws. Many in the know are slyly putting
the onus on massive pressure to meet targets and performance-oriented bonuses
for the unethical practices indulged in by retail banking executives. Such
apprehensions cannot be entirely wished away.
According to ‘India banking fraud survey -2012: Navigating the
challenging environment’ conducted by Deloitte, “About 73 per cent of the
respondents cited ‘lack of oversight by line managers or senior managers on
deviations from existing process/controls’ as one of the major reason followed
by ‘current business pressure to meet targets’ and ‘difficult business
scenario’ as other two major reasons for increasing fraud incidents.” </div>
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<br /></div>
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Are their lessons to be learnt? Will the banking regulator
act harshly or will the banks be let off with a few lakhs of fine? Leave the
regulators and allow them to do their jobs; the episode should ideally force
captains of India Inc into some soul searching and see to it that the
discussion on ethical practices come out of the boardroom and be communicated
to the lowest denominator. While it is unthinkable that any of these CEOs would
ever promote such behaviour under any circumstance but one thing is for sure
that the sting puts under a cloud the reputations of these iconic bankers. As
few commentators have put it, these iconic bankers must candidly argue the
business case for ethical conduct in every corner of his company and eschew
short-term (target based) success for long-term sustainability. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Interestingly out of the 145 companies in the Ethisphere® Institute’s,
a leading international think thank based out of New York, Worlds Most Ethical
Companies 2013, only two Indian companies are featured. You perhaps guessed it
– they are none of the above mentioned banks. Time for the banks and India Inc
in general to learn, adopt and practice ethical behaviours from Tata Steel Ltd
and Wipro Ltd.</div>
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<br /></div>
</div>
Gyanendra Kumar Kashyaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16108591294203856407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5594446763424860715.post-53180987660820801972013-03-15T00:03:00.000-07:002013-03-15T03:44:04.554-07:00A not so Happy Women’s Day…<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i>Gyanendra Kumar Kashyap</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i>It’s a day to celebrate; yet the larger picture is lost in
oblivion as no one wants to miss out on gesturing empty symbolism... </i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Happy Women’s Day - well I haven’t wished anyone a happy
women’s day. I understand that many a newspapers are flooded with colourful
advertisements featuring insurance to automobile companies and yes the ministry
of women and child development, TV channels and radio stations are saluting women
with special programmes and e-commerce websites are offering special discounts
to the fairer sex. Yes, there are efforts from every corner to make women feel
that this day, March 8, is a special one for them. Nevertheless I have not been
able to arrive at, as of now, any justifiable reason to wish my female
colleagues a happy women’s day. If at all I have to, it may be – a not so happy
women’s day.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The front page article in The Times of India,
based on a survey commissioned by the newspaper states that 94 per cent of
women find Delhi unsafe or very unsafe. As per the findings of the survey
96 per cent of the respondents don’t feel safe after sunset. If you thought
that safety issue is more pronounced outside the office premise, then take note
– the survey candidly states that 63 per cent feel that their office has no set
up to fight sexual harassment. Agreed that these are mere statistics, however
the moot point is that post the 16 December 2012 incident such responses are an
indicator to the fact that there is need for more when it comes to the society
approach towards women. Dedicating a day and merely luring the customer in
women via advertisements is perhaps not the right way forward. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="text-align: left;">Isn't</span> it a blot that just after two and a half months when
Delhi gang rape shocked the nation, yet another gang rape in the satellite town
of Ghaziabad a few days ago, March 2 to be precise, and molestation of a women
journalist just a day before the international women’s day celebration has come
to fore. Are not such incidences a reflection of the nation’s inability to
protect its women? </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
How does the corporate world figure out when it comes to
women at workplace? While each company may portray themselves as great
employers, Defining Success 2013 diversity survey – released on the eve of
Women’s Day - conducted by Accenture breaks certain claims. The survey states that 42 per cent Indian
women cited lack of opportunity for growth (learning, increased responsibility,
etc) within their positions as one of the reasons for lower job satisfaction
while 46 per cent feel they are underpaid. It goes on to state that for 68 per
cent of women poor work culture is a top reason for quitting and 58 per cent state their work going unnoticed as
a major reason. A significant 31 per
cent of the respondents find their working hours or workload to heavy – well
questioning the work life balance philosophy that companies like to preach. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Following the horrific December 16 gang rape and taking a
cue from the government, India Inc’s leading industry chambers – Federation of
Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry, FICCI, and Confederation of Indian
Industries, CII set up high profile committees on women’s safety. For a change
the government appointed Justice Verma committee and Usha Mehra committee
turned their reports in a time bound manner and the Centre has already issued
an ordinance ratifying several amendments to criminal laws proposed by the
Justice Verma panel. What is intriguing is that neither FICCI nor CII – both of
which had constituted special committees to suggest strategies to ensure safety
of women – have moved beyond the drawing board stage. Apparently it seems that
constituting a committee on the lines of the government was merely meant to
earn a few brownie points. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
It is in public knowledge across the world that India is a
horrible place for women; nevertheless it is International Women’s Day and in
our case it is more about symbolism than real content. It’s a special day, or
at least that is what is made out to be, and so be it companies, politicians or
even actors – none wants to miss out on the cutesy gestures of empty symbolism.
</div>
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Gyanendra Kumar Kashyaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16108591294203856407noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5594446763424860715.post-4480729706133463482013-03-13T01:19:00.000-07:002013-03-13T01:19:31.970-07:00Are you hiring culture-misfit people?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><i>Gyanendra Kumar Kashyap </i></b></div>
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<b><i>Don’t hire solely based on job-fit, do ensure that the
candidate in question is not a culture-misfit…</i></b></div>
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89 per cent of hiring failures are due to poor cultural fit;
46 per cent of all new hires fail within the first 18 months, states a study
conducted by Atlanta based research and management consulting firm Leadership
IQ. The study further states that 75 per cent of the new hires would succeed if
they fit in with the organisational culture. Now this is an eye-opening statistic,
which brings to light a valuable lesson: One of the major ways that companies
can ensure successful hiring is to pay careful attention to whether the new
hire fits the company’s culture. There is no dearth of examples where newly
hired, talented senior executives fail pretty spectacularly. It is found that
despite their functional capabilities they don’t align with the very foundation
of what the organisation as a whole stands for. </div>
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Agreed that job fit is an important criterion for hiring but
it makes more sense to complement job fit with culture fit. When candidates who
seem to be perfect on every level fail, not being aligned to the organisational
culture – cultural misfit – can be one plausible reason. The question then is
what should organisations do when hiring people?</div>
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Trade pundits have often argued that the key in hiring is
not necessarily finding people who thrive in uncertainty but rather finding
people who thrive in the kind of organisational culture the organisation strives
for. The hiring manager or the selection committee should resist the urge to
hire people just because they share the same personality traits and background
as theirs. In fact they should look for a fit with the organisational culture
as assiduously as they sort for experience and skills.</div>
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This requires yet another set of question or perhaps yet
another round of one-to-one interaction. So how can companies go about adding
another layer of questioning to evaluate how a candidate fits their culture?
The possible question, apart from the one meant to test functional abilities,
could be: Is the organisation’s work meaningful to the applicant? Is the
applicant’s value in harmony with the values of the company? Indeed there is a
greater likelihood that employees will stay with an organisation where the work
feels meaningful. Additionally, when the organisation’s values are in sync with
the employee’s values, the employee feels a greater sense of harmony at work. </div>
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Do such efforts help? Yes, they do. In fact candidates who
are selected on the basis of culture fit, in addition to job fit, contribute
faster, perform better and stay longer with the organization. And when hiring
managers neglect culture fit, the company and the employee share the burden.
Despite being high on technical and functional skills, individuals who are not
a fit (in terms of organisational culture) can be toxic to the culture, and
when groups of people are hired that lack the necessary fit, it often results
in a fragmented or schizophrenic-type culture. Well if you believe that job fit
is enough and that culture fit can be imbibed upon by training &
development, here’s a caveat: culture fit cannot easily be altered through
training and development.</div>
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Isn’t it true that in the case of people centered
organisations, an employee delivers an experience that is aligned with the
organisation’s culture and brand? The bottom-line is that culture matters and
hence job fit should be complemented by culture fit when hiring.</div>
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Gyanendra Kumar Kashyaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16108591294203856407noreply@blogger.com1