A Project Report on

Organizational Restructuring Of An Event

Company

Prepared by:-

Firdaus Shabana, X017, 2016-18

Submitted to

Prof. Gaurav Marathe

 ACKNOWELEDGEMENT

I am thankful to Prof. Gaurav Marathe, IIMRanchi, who guided me to complete

this research project.

This research project is an action research carried out in an organization which was

going through organization restructuring and development. Further, I would like to

thank the Director and the employees of the company who cooperated while

carrying out this research. I would also like to thank my friends, faculties of IIM,

Ranchi for valuable contribution in preparation of this project report.

Firdaus Shabana
 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Doon Decors & Exhibits is an event management company and is operational since
1983. The company does turnkey projects with government and high profile
weddings in Jharkhand, Bihar,Chatisgarh, Oddisa and part of Andhra Pradesh.

Company is managed by second generation now. The new director is progressive and
firmly believes in efficient systems and processes in place. He felt the need of HR
intervention.

We took this consulting project and carried out Organizational Restructuring and
Development process. In the beginning of this project we realized that the learning
outcomes are immense in this project. Hence we decided to do research paper in the
same. I conducted action research as this is an organizational restructuring and
development project hence action research can help to record, study and analyze the
changes.
 Sr. No. Contents Page

1.0 Introduction 5

2.0 About the company 5

3.0
2.1 What is Action Research 7
2.2
3.1 Brief History Of Action Research 7
4.1
3.2 Action Inquiry Cycle 8
4.0 Research Methodology 10
5.04.2 Objective Of Paper 11
6.0 Research Problem Identification 11
4.3
7.0 Data Collection 11
8.0 Joint Diagnosis 14
4.4
9.0 Joint Action Planning 15
10.0 Action 15
11.0 Data Gathering After Action 16
12.0 Conclusion 17
13.0 Limitations 17
14.0 References 18
 ACTION RESEACH ON AN EVENT COMPANY

1.0 INTRODUCTION

Doon Decors & Exhibits (P) Ltd is an event management company which has given
Organization Restructuring and development consulting project to I Lead HR
Solutions. I Lead HR Solution along with consulting carried out action research for
academic purpose so that the all the events can be recorded, studied and analyzed.

2.0 ABOUT THE COMPANY

2.1 Profile

Incepted in the year 1980 as Doon Tent House now DOON DECORS & EXHIBITS
(P) LTD. is engaged in providing various organization services for different events
and occasions. This is a family owned business
They provide our services in the domestic regions of Jharkhand ,Bihar, Chattisgarh,
Orrisa, Madhya Pradesh, Andra Pradesh. Their services are highly acknowledged by
the clients, for their features of complete

set up and organization in a timeliness and efficient manner. To ensure the

effectiveness and transparency of our services, they have a team of diligent and
qualified personnel. All of them possess a good understanding of latest market trends
and have the ability to easily comprehend clients’ specific requirements.

Meeting Customer's Requirements

The company, gives prime importance, to their customers and consider them as the
best promoters of to range of event organizing services. So, they strive to achieve
highest level of customer satisfaction with reliable services. Meeting customer’s
requirements within the pre-determined time period.

Round The Clock Quality Services

They possess a team of professionals to ensure the effectiveness and result

orientation of quality services. The company offers 24x7 client service to achieve
complete satisfaction to the valuable clients. Deliverables in short notice without any
compromise in the quality is one of their strength. Provide customized services for
specific needs of clients. Commitment towards client satisfaction and superior event
management is goal.

Facilities And Methodology

They possess all the facilities that are required to successfully provide best services.
Some of the facilities include durable and classy tents, power backup facility and
accessories. In addition, they also have efficient supervisors who ensure systematic
completion and arrangement of the event. Further, they follow a proper methodology
to execute the undertaken assignment. They expertise in feasibility study of the
client requirements basis with they illustrate all the expenses and other obligations to
clients. Only after confirmation from clients, they progress further in executing the
project. Maintains continuous communication with the client, from the initial stage
of the event/project to its completion.

Spectrum of Services

We offer a spectrum of services which includes:

 Tent house
 Theme Wedding
 Theme party
 Corporate Seminar
 Industrial Events
 Government Events
 Event organizer
 Water proof pandal ,German Made and MS Hanger Structure (AC & Non AC)
 Generator services
 Fair & Exhibition
 Temporary waterproof shed for warehouse purpose

Some of the salient features of these services are as follows:

 Timeliness completion
 Transparent dealings
 Simple and royal looks
 Impeccable arrangements
 Combination of traditional and corporate values

Management Structure

The management structure comprises of various professionals who lead the

organization and a number of skilled as well as semi-skilled specialists and
personnel. Every staff member of the company is highly talented and has acquired
expertise in assorted fields of operations. Before hiring individuals to be a part of the
management structure, they do assessment on following concepts:
 Skills / trade competences
 Physical activeness
 Psychological preparedness

All these concepts are extremely crucial in their business profile. Further, they also
provide training to needful personnel if required. Management structure also
includes experienced liaisons officers, who ensure the swift processing of documents
related to the work.

Clientele

Clients are mostly from Government, Bigger Event Companies and High Profile
Weddings

WHAT IS ACTION RESEARCH

“Action research is either research initiated to solve an immediate problem or

a reflective process of progressive problem solving led by individuals working with
others in teams or as part of a "community of practice" to improve the way they
address issues and solve problems.[1] There are two types of action
research: participatory and practical. Denscombe (2010, p. 6) writes that an action
research strategy's purpose is to solve a particular problem and to produce guidelines
for best practice.
Action research involves actively participating in a change situation, often via an
existing organization, whilst simultaneously conducting research. Action research can
also be undertaken by larger organizations or institutions, assisted or guided by
professional researchers, with the aim of improving their strategies, practices and
knowledge of the environments within which they practice. As designers and
stakeholders, researchers work with others to propose a new course of action to help
their community improve its work practices”.

BRIEF HISTORY Of ACTION RESEARCH

It has not been yet established who has coined the term action research. The credit of
creation of the process is often attributed to Lewin (1946), and whilst he appears to
have been the first to publish his work using the term he may have earlier encountered
it in Germany from work performed in Vienna in 1913 (Altrichterand
Gestettner,1992). Alternatively Deshler and Ewart (1995) suggest that action research
was first used by John Collier to improve race relations at the community level when
he was the Commissioner of Indian Affairs prior to and during the Second World War,
and Cooke (undated) appears to provide strong support for this. Then Selener (1997:9)
indicates that Buckingham's (1926) book Research for Teachers advocates a
recognizable action research process, so it is unlikely we will ever know when or
where the method originated, simply because people have always investigated their
practice in order to better improve it. Action research is difficult to define for two
linked reasons: first, it is such a natural process that it comes in many different guises,
and second, it has been developed differently for different applications. Almost
immediately upon Lewin's coining of the term in the literature, action research was
seen as a general term for four different processes: diagnostic, participant, empirical
and experimental (Chein, Cook and Harding, 1948). By the end of the century Deshler
and Ewart (1995) could identify six main kinds developed in different fields of
application. It was in use in administration (Collier), community development (Lewin,
1946), organisational change (Lippitt, Watson and Westley, 1958) and teaching
(Corey, 1949, 1953) in the late 1940s and early 1950s; it appeared in political change,
conscientization and empowerment in the 1970's (Freire, 1972, 1982), in national
development in agriculture soon thereafter (Fals-Borda, 1985, 1991), and most
recently in banking, health and technology generation via the World Bank and others
such as Hart and Bond (1997).

Educational action research is principally a strategy for the development of teachers as

researchers so that they can use their research to improve their teaching and thus their
students' learning, but even within educational action research distinct varieties have
emerged. Stephen Corey advocated a strongly technical form in the USA, and two
other main trends are a British form more orientated to the development of teacher
professional judgement (Elliott and Adleman, 1976; Elliott, 1991), and a socially
critical, emancipationally orientated variety in Australia (Carr and Kemmis, 1986).
Other related varieties have since been added, perhaps most recently Sachs' (2003)
notion of the "activist professional". It was this kind of diversity led to educational
action research being described as "a family of activities" (Kemmis, 1981), for as
Heikkinen, Kakkori and Huttunen (2001:22) concluded, 'a multi-paradigmatic
situation seems to exist amongst action researchers'.

THE ACTION INQUIRY CYCLE

It's important to recognize action research as one of a number of different kinds of

action inquiry. Action Inquiry is a generic term for any process that follows a cycle in
which one improves practice by systematically oscillating between taking action in the
field of practice, and inquiring into it. 0ne plans, implements, describes, and evaluates
an improving change to one's practice, learning more about both the practice and
action inquiry in the process.

Almost all the improvement processes follow the same cycle. Problem solving for
instance, begins with identifying the problem, planning a solution, implementing it,
monitoring and evaluating its effectiveness. Similarly, medical treatment also follows
the cycle: monitoring of symptoms, diagnosis of disease, and prescription of remedy,
treatment, monitoring and evaluation of results. Most development processes also
follow the same cycle, whether it's personal or professional or of a product such as a
better mouse trap, a curriculum, or a policy. It is clear, however, that different
applications and developments of the basic action inquiry cycle will require different
actions in each phase and will start in different places.

Some of the different developments of the basic action inquiry process include action
research (Lewin, 1946), action learning (Revons,1971), reflective practice (Schon
1983), action design (Argrys, 1985), experiential learning (Kolb 1984), the PDCA
cycle (Deming 1986), PLA, PAR, PAD, PALM, PRA1, etc (Chambers, 1983),
deliberative practice (McCutcheon, 1988), praxis research (Whyte, 1964;1991),
appreciative inquiry (Cooperrider; Shrevasteva, 1987), diagnostic practice (Generic in
medicine, remedial teaching, etc.), action evaluation (Rothman 1999), soft systems
methodology (Checkland 1998), and transformational learning (Marquardt, 1999).

There are several reasons for the production of the many different kinds of action
inquiry because some people have recognised and conceptualised the cycle without
knowledge of the other versions already in existence, and one can name the same
cycle and its steps in many different ways. Also people have developed versions
customized to particular uses and situations because there are many different ways of
using the cycle, and one can perform each of the four activities of the cycle in many
different ways. Thus different kinds of action inquiry tend to use different processes in
each step, and have different outcomes that are likely to be reported in different ways
to different audiences.

What kind of process one uses and how one uses it, depend on aims and
circumstances, and even with 'the same' aims and circumstances, different people may
have different skills, intentions, time-lines, levels of support, ways of collaborating,
and so on, all of which will affect the processes and outcomes. The important point is
that the kind of action inquiry used is appropriate to the aims, practices, participants,
situation (and its enablers and constraints).

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

The current work employees action research methodology.

Problem
Identification Joint Diagonosis

Consultation
with HR Joint Action
Specialist Planning

Data Gathering
and preliminary Action
diagnosis

Feedback to Client Data Gathering After Action

OBJECTIVES OF PAPER

 To study the change process through Action Research method. I will record,
study and analyze those changes.
 To analyze the role of management and the existing teams in the organization.
Also understand the coexistence of old and new teams.
 To draw action plans and suggestions to how New Processes and Effective
Trainings can help the organization to experience the change

RESEARCH PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION

Day to day involvement in the operations by the Promoter supported by a lack of

defined processes, procedures and defined roles of the employees. This is proving to
be a bottleneck for moving the company on a growth trajectory. The employees work
as a family and many have been with the company for a very long duration.

▫ Inconsistencies in the way business is conducted

▫ We just deal with problems as they come up.

▫ We have so much paperwork and lack processes!

▫ Processes and systems are very basic.

▫ How do we mentor or develop employees?

▫ What should I pay for “a job”?

▫ It’s hard to find right skill!

▫ Primarily Loyalty based!

▫ Promoter mindsets!

HR was consulted to understand the gaps in processes and introduce apt processes.

DATA COLLECTION

To understand the problem in depth we started with the audit which we ran for three
weeks.
We first tried to understand the organization structure. The current organization
structure is as follows

Promoter/Owner Promoter/Owner
1st Gen 2nd Gen

Warehouse Warehouse Client interface

Manager 1 Manager 2 manager Office Support
Account 1 Account 2
Staff
(Kokar) (Cheshire Home) (BNR, Celebration)

approx 50-60 Approx ??

Supervisor
labourers labourers

In house Drivers -
7

Outsourced
Vehicles

One can notice that there were two leaders. Which is alarming? We studied the
personality of both the directors (Father and Son). Father was still a firm Old school
thought believer and Son wanted to apply new approaches to work effectively. Our
first journey started with Audit.

Scope of Work

The scope of this audit is to Conducted a detailed As-Is analysis of the organization
and its HR processes

Header

The audit is done by Firdaus Shabana, for all the warehouse of Doon Decors &
Exihibits. Kokar,Cheshire home and Imam Kothi.

Background

The purpose of the audit is to understand the gaps in the daily functioning of the
organization and to identify the process gaps.
Approach

The audit was carried out at office, warehouse and event locations. The approach is to
do gap analysis.. Review the same with the management and then accordingly advice.

Report Summary

We interviewed all the 44 employees and studied the current processes. There are
several gaps in the current processes. Below are the details;

FIVE REGISTERS ARE MAINTAINED

1) Issuance & Receipt (warehouse)

2) Issuance & Receipt (for office)

3) Expenses

4) Laundary

5) Attendance

OBSERVATIONS

1) Register does'nt have check and balance. The "entry and exit" dates are
mismatched.

2) No Challan System

3) Expenses are not maintained for a period (Dates are not mentioned on entries.
Issues - How will accounts figure

out, which expense is of which period.

4) No proper work allocation. Staff is not clear on Job

Role.

5) No proper delegation
6) No accountably

7) No Inventory system in place

8) No basic rule like entry pass system. Anyone can enter the premises.

FEEDBACK/ RECOMMENDATION FOR ACTIONS

1) Urgently hire Senior Warehouse Manager, Two Client Servicing Executive

and two Account Executives.

2) Define organization structure

3) Conduct job evaluation and define job description

4) Employee Life Cycle Management

5) Workforce Management

6) Capability building which will include training and coaching employees

7) Define new processes and scrape all the existing processes.

8) Monthly meetings to review the new processes

8.0 JOINT DIAGONOSIS

1. Since there is no proper job role defined, holding people accountable

was difficult.
2. Employees were performing the task without any set processes. Task
was delivered without any planning.
3. Efficiency and effectiveness both were inconspicuous.
4. No workforce management in place.
5. SOP’s not defined and documented
6. No HR policies defined and documented
7. No training in place
9.0 JOINT ACTION PLANNING

1. Understand the competencies to define the job roles for existing and
new employees
2. Set up basic processes like attendance, issuance and receipt mechanism,
challan system and voucher system for reimbursement.
3. Do proper job evaluation to ensure that employees have proper
distribution of work load. Also to see that employees work efficiently
and in an effective manner.
4. Do proper workforce management.
5. Define and document SOP’s for Warehouse and Site
6. Draft policies.
7. Introduced payroll management system.

10.0 ACTION

1. Interviewed all the employees to understand their job role. Analyzed the
competencies required to perform that job and accordingly
recommended few movements within the organization.
2. Attendance was taken very casually. We ensured that all the supervisor
reports into the office and provide the attendance sheet everyday which
further get uploaded in the softcopy.
Issuance and Receipt: Introduced a new format for issuance and
receipt which has all the details like issuance date and receipt date
together (unlike previously, the issuance date use to be on one page and
receipt on another page).
Challan System: Introduced challan system. Which means that all the
employees who were involved in the material management will have to
sign challan. If anyone denies his duties, he will have to report to the
director and provide explanation for the same.
Voucher System : Currently the reimbursement was taken care by the
Warehouse Incharge. He was not that educated. He use to mention all
the expenses in the register and without any supporting document. We
introduced voucher system. If anyone is taking any amount he needs to
fill the voucher and for any reimbursement one has to provide bills.
3. We utilized classification method to do job evaluation. Which means
we had to design the organogram, grading system and classify jobs as
per the categories include executive, managerial, skilled and semi-
 skilled.
4. Did workforce management by analyzing if any excess or understaffing
exist. We did this after doing job evaluation.
5. We wrote SOP’s after consulting the respective in charges and
employees from the their function
6. Drafted policy, in consultation with the Director.
7. Introduced payroll management system with PF, ESIC.

11.0 DATA GATHERING AFTER ACTION

1. At the time of interview with employees we found that there were

some issues from leadership as well. Processes were planned but
never properly executed by the management. With our intervention
employees showed enthusiasm in implementation of processes.
2. Attendance: After the implementation of the attendance system we
realized that it is very difficult to cross check the attendance of staffs
who were working on site. Client was not ready to invest in any
software which can help to have rhobust attendance system.
3. Issuance and receipt: We did audit after the process was
implemented. This process was running smoothly (New Warehouse
Manager was made accountable)
4. Chalan System : This process was running smoothly however
during the time of continuous events and marriage season there were
certain gaps noticed.
5. Voucher System: Implemented successfully. However further it
was noticed that the warehouse manager delegated the task to the
incharge. If not reviewed frequently, possibilities of dilution of
process.
6. Organization Chart, Grading System, Job Role, Job Evaluation,
SOP’s , Policies and salary process are still with the client for
review.

12.0 CONCLUSION
 a) Any improvement or new process can be only suggested by doing
detailed study and gap analysis which give real time understanding
b) The Consultant must not carry any pre notion about anyone in the
organization while carrying out audit. Reality may be different. I would
like to give an example* below

*MAJOR CHALLENGE WHICH WAS CONCERN OF CLIENT

“The challan system is the major challenge. There are three level of
employees involved. Warehouse Incharge who issues material from the
warehouse.Driver who is responsible to transport the material to site and site
supervisor who receives the material at site.

The Director was of opinion that Drivers were not ready to sign the challan
and hence he is not able to make anyone accountable for lost properties.

During our audit we interviewed all the employees and found that the site
supervisors were actually skeptical of signing the challan.

We counseled the site supervisor to implement the challan system.”

c) HR consultant must make recommendations basis detailed gap analysis.

d) Its is important that the leader must play an important role in the change
management. Loose commitment of leader will not help in desirable
results. Hence stake holder buying management is important while
conducting such consulting project.
e) HR consultant can only advice and recommend.

13.0 LIMITATIONS

As the project duration was only six months we could not witness complete
implementation.
14.0 REFERENCES

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Action_research

http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=s1517-
97022005000300009&script=sci_arttext&tlng=en

David Tripp

Murdoch University

As this is an action research hence most of the information was carried out
during practical implication.