- JOSEPH’S COLLEGE OF COMMERCE (AUTONOMOUS)
END SEMESTER EXAMINATION – MARCH /APRIL 2015
M.COM – II SEMESTER
P111206: STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Duration: 3 Hrs Max. Marks: 100
Section – A
- Answer any SEVEN questions. Each question carries 5 marks. (7×5=35)
- State True or False for the following statements. If false, correct the statement.
- Strategic human resource management is the process by which managers design the components of a human resource system to be consistent with each other.
- Performance assessment evaluates which employees need training and development and what type of skills or knowledge they need to acquire.
- In determining pay levels, managers should take their organization’s strategy into account.
- Personality tests assess the degree to which job applicants have the necessary skills for successful job performance.
- The objective of compensation practices is to help the organization establish and maintain a competent and loyal workforce at any cost.
- Why do employers turn to private employment agencies for assistance in recruiting?
- What is a management assessment center? How is it beneficial to organizations?
- Explain the difference between recruitment and selection.
- Identify at least five positive reinforcement rewards that a manager could use on a day-to-day basis to reward employees.
- What is validity? How are tests validated?
- State the reasons for the ineffectiveness “ on the job training”. What measure can organizations take to ensure increased effectiveness?
- Mention the ethical issues facing an HR manager?
- Describe the cultural factors that impact human resource management.
- How can safety at workplace be ensured by the HR manager?
Section – B
- Answer any three Each carries 15 marks. (3×15=45)
- How does job analysis support human resource management activities? Briefly describe any two methods commonly used for gathering job analysis data.
- What is the purpose of employee orientation? In a brief essay, discuss how mobile devices, such as iPhones, are used by firms to facilitate both employee orientation and employee training
- Discuss the elements of Performance Management and Critically examine the system of forced distribution in performance management
- What is the difference between wage and salary? What are the various components and processes involved in determinations of an individual’s wage?
- What is a trade union? In case of a trade dispute what are the various mechanisms organizations adopt to resolve it.
Section – C
- Compulsory Case study (1 x 20 = 20)
16.
Inserting the Team Concept into compensation – or not
In his new position at Hathaway Manufacturing, one of the first things Sandy Caldwell wanted to do was improve productivity through teamwork at every level of the firm. As the new human resource manager for the suburban plant, sandy set out to change the culture to accommodate the team-based approach he had become so enthusiastic about in his most recent position.
Sandy started by installing the concept of team management at the highest level, to oversee the operations of the entire plant. The new management team consisted of manufacturing, distributing, planning, technical and human resource plant managers. Together they developed a new vision for the 500-employee facility, which they expressed in the simple phrase “Excellence Together.” They drafted a new mission statement for the firm that focused on becoming customer driven and team based, and that called upon employees to raise their level of commitment and being acting as “owners” of the firm.
The next step was to convey the team message to employees throughout the company. The communication process went surprisingly well, and Sandy was happy to see his idea of a “workforce of owners” begin to take shape.
Team trained together, developed production plans together, and embraced the technique of 360-degree feedback, in which an employee’s performance evaluation is obtained from supervisors, subordinates, peers, and internal or external customers. Performance and morale improved, and productivity began to tick upward. The company even sponsored occasional celebrations to reward team achievements, and the team structure seemed firmly in place.
Sandy decided to change one more thing. Hathaway’s long-standing policy had been to give all employees the same annual pay increase. But Sandy felt that in the new team environment, outstanding performance should be the criterion for pay raises. After consulting with CEO Regina Cioffi, Sandy sent a memo to all employees announcing the change to team-based pay for performance.
The reaction was immediate and 100% negative. None of the employees was happy with the change, and among their complaints, two stood out. Frist, because the 360-degree feedback system made everyone responsible in part for someone else’s performance evaluation, no one was comfortable with the idea that pay raises might also be linked to peer input. Second, there was a widespread perception that the way the change was decided upon, and the way it was announced, put the firm’s commitment to team effort in doubt. Simply put, employees felt left out of the decision process.
Sandy and Regina arranged a meeting for early the next morning. Sitting in her office, they began a painful debate. Should the new policy be rescinded as quickly as it was adopted, or should it be allowed to stand?
Questions:
- Does the pay-for-performance plan seem like a good idea? Why or why not?
- What advice would you give Regina and Sandy as they consider their decision?
- What mistakes did they make in adopting and communication the new salary plan? How might Sandy have approached this major compensation change a little differently?
- Assuming the new pay plan is eventually accepted, how would you address the fact that in the new performance evaluation system, employee’s input affects their peers’ pay levels?
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