SECTION A [25 MARKS] Read the Following and Answer the questions that Follow: T

ata Sky Tata Sky a combination of Indian behemoth Tata Group and Britains Sky television brand, was the second firm in India to offer direct-to-home satellite television and other services. After two years of rapid expansion, management wanted more speed, but bureaucracy and conflict were limiting efficiency. Because we are neither simply entertainment nor telecom nor consumer household, we have people with backgrounds in different industries and very different working styles, said Charanjit Lehal, senior training manager. Nobody was speaking the same (figurative) language, and it was affecting efficiencywe could see a pattern of meeting after meeting, and quick decisions were not being made. Executives observed the following types of behaviors:

People avoided each other instead of confronting problems.

Employees returned from meetings with other functions complaining about the list of unrealistic projects they were being asked to accomplish. Team problems were being escalated to high-level executives rather than being resolved at an earlier stage. Top executives requested evaluations on all 120 managers in the company. They were assessed on fourteen competencies, and the one that was found lacking was communicating productively. Many managers responded that they had no inclination to communicate, and could not dialogue effectively. We decided to attack this gap with a constructive measure, Lehal said. We knew we wanted a new interventionthe only concern was that we choose the right one. The training course After perusing dozens of training courses, Tata Sky learning and development team led by Bhaskar Bhattacharya, vice president of learning and development, piloted three different workshops conducted by external trainers. Based on feedback and results, they chose to move forward with Vital Smarts Crucial Conversations Training in May 2008. About Tata Sky Tata Sky is a satellite television provider that has redefined the television viewing experience for thousands of families across India. The service aims to empower the Indian viewer with choice, control and convenience through its wide array of programming choices and interactive features offered in DVD quality picture and CD quality sound. The company is a joint venture between the Tata Group and the STAR Group and operates under the Sky brand owned by British Sky Broadcasting. Lehal found the skills taught in the course were clear. The tests and exercises were effective at engaging participants. He also liked how the action items required by the course helped each participant customize the principles to their specific needs. Based on the courses value, Lehal was able to secure executive approval by demonstrating how the results would lead to a return on investment. In addition to the results and the skills, Lehal found the training integrated seamlessly across cultures. There was no cultural confusion between the American-based course and Tata Skys Indian employees. Dialogue is a necessity for any conversation, Lehal said. The core content of the course has universal application. He acknowledged that, speaking generally; Americans may be direct in conversations while people from eastern cultures may build more background beforecoming to a main point. While techniques differ, we still need to get on the table what you are trying to say and what I am trying to say, and that is what this course teaches, he said. Lehals experience was that with sufficient preparation cultural differences did not present significant challenges. Based on advice from a Vital Smarts master trainer, he also surveyed participants before they attended the course and built real-life examples for use in the course from their anonymous responses. This ensured they saw immediate application to their work environment. Lehal conducted two-day workshops at each of Tata Skys four regional offices, focusing on the customer service function before moving to other functions. About eighty managers completed the workshop in 2008, with many more scheduled for 2009. Out the silence shown by one person and this tool helped me engage him into meaningful dialogue.

I feel [my] team has bonded once again.

I put crucial conversations skills in to motion the very next day, and it has certainly helped clear the air. When asked whether he would recommend Crucial Conversations, Lehal was somewhat surprised by the question: What other workshop offers so much skill development, such excellent audiovisuals, with so much of the course absolutely interactive. And is so well structured in terms of the workbook, videos, exercises, self-testing, and post-training? All of these things Ive recommended to my peers at other organizations. Moving forward with Crucial Conversations at Tata Sky, Lehal is focusing next on intact teams from human resources, IT, supply chain, finance, and more. Conclusion Tata Sky is seeing the change in behavior they hoped for after boosting its managers communications skills. This course is breaking down passive or aggressive cultures that had been found in various divisions, Lehal said. Its become a very successful culture-building intervention. Some results from the training:

a)Two teams had been struggling to cooperate. One reported that the other had been moving to silence and withholding their point of view, but is now stepping up to crucial conversations.

b) One manager told Lehal when she came into the training that she was looking for a new job because she was being made a scapegoat in her team. She was in complete silence mode and avoiding the issue. After the training she talked to her supervisor about it and is still with the company.

c) The head of a service function was so impressed by the word-of-mouth on the course among his managers that he asked Lehal to conduct it for his senior team of general managers and vice-presidents.

d) On a personal level, employees have shared with Lehal that the course has helped them sort out communication problems with their parents left behind when Tata Sky moved them to a new city, or with their teenagerscertainly a challenge that transcends culture. Following are testimonials e-mailed after the course: I could relate the program the very next day at the office.

Required: a. Discuss the Human Resources development programmes launched by Tata Sky. (10 marks)

b. Evaluate the Human the Training and development challenges encountered by the Tata Human resources department. (15 marks)

SECTION B [25 MARKS] Read the Following and Answer the questions that Follow:

Increasing employee engagement through Human Resources Development Introduction The statistics indicated that Harrods needed to take action to improve employee engagement and reduce its employee turnover. Following its investigation, Harrods carried out its first comprehensive employee survey to find out what they thought about working at Harrods. The employee survey has now become an integral aspect of Harrods Human Resource Management programme. The survey results were used to create strategic plans for change focused on improving employee engagement and trust. Harrods Leadership Leadership is important in shaping the culture of an organisation. There are two opposite poles in terms of leadership, these are autocratic and democratic. Autocratic leaders tell employees what to do. On the other hand, democratic leaders encourage input from employees, listen to their ideas and enable them to make decisions. Both styles have their place, depending on circumstances. For instance, in a crisis situation, such as a sharp drop in sales, immediate action is needed. In such circumstances an autocratic approach is required. However, when there is more time available, a democratic approach is often favoured. Harrods leadership focus is at the democratic end of the spectrum. Employees are listened to and their advice and ideas are used to make continuous improvements. The culture is thus one of trust and respect and is the key to Harrods employee engagement. Harrods management is committed to fully developing its people so that employees, the business and its stakeholders are fully satisfied. There are three main elements of the democratic leadership approach at Harrods, which encourage the development of its employees:

Talent spotting. This involves identifying talented people who can make important contributions to Harrods. Laura Gorse who works in the Learning and Development Department at Harrods illustrates this: I had been training new starters my total enthusiasm for the role must have been spotted by Harrods. At the time I was unsure about a new opportunity so I didnt push myself but Harrods nudged me in the right direction and gave me a chance to succeed.

Mentoring and coaching. Mentors and coaches are people who act as advisors and guides, usually to those less experienced than themselves. Mentoring and coaching takes place through structured feedback and advice as well as through informal conversations. Line managers at Harrods are encouraged to communicate targets and advice to employees more formal setting, to agree objectives and to give advice about improvements and new ways of working. Acting as a coach helps the line managers to develop their managerial skills, build relationships and reinforce trust at Harrods.

Support networks. Managers meet regularly with other managers to share ideas and issues. Benefits of Human Resource Management Research into Human Resource Management indicates that the factors that really motivate employees are intrinsic ones which are based on meeting the personal needs of an individual. Human beings have a number of key psychological needs including:

The need to feel that you can do something well.

The need to be part of a group.

The need for respect and encouragement from others. These needs are typically met from non-financial rewards, for example, by providing opportunities: a) for promotion, b) to make decisions, c) to contribute to a team, and d) to do a variety of tasks. Harrods recognizes these intrinsic needs and encourages job rotation, job enlargement and job enrichment to provide career development opportunities. Job rotation involves periodically changing jobs and work areas to develop new skills in different areas of the business. Crossdepartmental experience is viewed as important for personal development. Harrods offers a range of many different types of job opportunity including face-to-face customer operations, merchandising, recording and reporting of sales and online customer communications. Job enlargement involves encouraging and supporting staff to take on new and more challenging tasks. Job enrichment involves building existing job roles by enabling employees to engage in a wider variety of interesting tasks, for example, taking on some team leadership workforce has resulted in many tangible benefits. Conclusion Human Resource Management should be seen as a strategic function of an organisation. It helps to build a competitive edge for an organisation by positively engaging its employees. Key ingredients of effective Human Resource Management are having in place an appropriate leadership style and effective two-way communications with employees. This creates an open and honest environment where employees feel that their ideas are being listened to and that they can make a contribution to decision making. Engaged employees are more likely to be proud to work for their organisation and therefore will believe in and live out the values of the organisation.

Required:

1. Describe what is meant by the term Human Resource Management. (3 marks)

2. Explain the benefits to a business of increasing employee engagement. (6 marks)

3. Analyse the different ways that Harrods uses to engage its employees in decision-making. Which methods do you feel would create the most impact? (6 marks)

4. Evaluate the effectiveness of employing a democratic leadership style on the success of Harrods. (10 marks)