Assignment Set 01

Name Registration No. Learning Center Learning Center Code Course Subject Subject Code Semester Module No. Date of Submission Marks Awarded : : : : : : : : : : : Feb. 10, 2011

Deepali Awasare
541010358 Al Hikima Institute, Muscat 02542 Master of Business Administration Human Resource Management MB0043 I

Directorate of Distance Education

Sikkim Manipal University II Floor, Syndicate House Manipal 576104

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Signature of Coordinator

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Signature of Center

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Signature of Evaluator

ASSIGNMENT MBA Semester I Human Resource Management (Subject Code MB 0043) Q.1 Trace the phases of evolution of human resource management. [10 Marks]

Set I

Ans. Managing human resource is a complex process. A better way to understand the philosophy of human resource management demands a thorough understanding about the evolution of the concept itself from the ancestral concept. The historical background to the theory of management techniques of human resources are in vogue since ancient times. But it is from last 100 years the study of human behavior at work and techniques has become important and formal. It has become more structured with certain basic practices established as core and a host of other practices left to each organization to design and implement as per their individual business driven practices. Phases of Human Resource Management: 1. The Craft System The Craft system phase refers to early trends noticed in Egypt and Babylon, where skills based training was provided to people to ensure a steady flow of craftsmen required to build huge monuments. By the 13th century, subsequently the same trend was noticed in Europe and later craft guilds evolved to ensure not only the skill acquisition but regulate the conditions of employment, level of skill and improved production techniques. This has become so much practiced and relevant that in the domestic industry where generations of skilled workers trained and became experts in a particular skill. 2. The Scientific Management Approach This phase was a key part of the industrial revolution typical of the nineteenth and early twentieth century. The principles instilled during this phase were of mass production and organization of work. The work skills were simple and supervisory/managerial skills. This rapidly emerged as the assembly line approach to managing workflow. Philosophy was employees were used efficiently and money was considered as a primary motivator. However, over a period of time this was proved wrong as employee dissent grew and union issues surfaced. It was during this phase that employee welfare as a key HR practice emerged which redressed employee issues like recreational facilities, medical program and employee grievance systems. 3. The Human Relations Approach This phase was the result of the famous studies undertaken by US social scientist Elton Mayo and Fritz Roethlisberger at the Western Electrics Hawthorne plant in Chicago. Page 2 R. No. 541010358 Deepali Awasare

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The Hawthorne Studies: It began in 1927 with a group of studies conducted at the Hawthorne plant of Western Electric, an AT&T subsidiary. These studies were started prompted by an experiment carried out by the companys engineers between 1924 and 1932. During the study, two groups were studied to determine the effects of different levels of illumination on worker performance. One group received increased illumination, while the other did not. A preliminary finding was that, when illumination was increased, the level of performance also increased. However they also found that, productivity also increased when the level of illumination was decreased almost to moonlight levels. Interpretation made by these results was that the employees involved in the experiment enjoyed being the centre of attention; they reacted positively because management cared about them. The reason here was not the physical but the psychological impact of the employees attitude towards the job and towards the company. Such a phenomenon taking place in any research setting is now called the Hawthorne effect. The team then conducted a lengthy series of experiments extending over a six year period. The conclusions they reached served as the bedrock of later developments in the human relations approach to management. Among their key findings were the following:  Economic incentives are less potent than generally believed in influencing employees to achieve high levels of output.  Leadership practices and work-group pressures profoundly influence employee satisfaction and performance.  Any factor influencing employee behavior is embedded in a social system. To understand the impact of pay on performance, one also has to understand the climate that exists in the work group and the leadership style of the superior. 4. Leadership Style and Practices: This phase is a consequence of the Hawthorne Studies, where worker attitudes, morale, and group influences became a concern of researchers. A notable development of the nature occurred shortly after World War II at the University of Michigan. A group of social scientists formed an organization, to study those principles of leadership that were

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associated with highest productivity. Past World War II years, HRM focus was intensified on employee productivity and on the availability of the competent managerial personnel. Here the conclusion was supervisors of high-producing units behaved differently from those of low-producing units. Different style of noted of high-producing supervisors were   They provided more emotional support to subordinates Plan, regulate and coordinate the activities of subordinates, but did not become directly involved in work tasks.  Exercise general rather than close supervision. There was virtual disappearance of owner managers in this phase and growth of professional managers capable of managing according to professional code has aroused in this phase 5. Organizational Sciences Approach: This phase has brought the focus to the scientific process within organizations that can impact employee experience, and less on just the individual. Todays organizations focus on building their processes and policies and compete to emerge as preferred employers (best employer). Here the competing organizations woo the employees through advertising more and better employee-friendly initiatives like work-from-home jobs, careers for married couples, global work assignments and internal job postings and world class workplace infrastructures from in-campus cricket grounds to gymnasiums for employee wellbeing. Today`s HR is based upon organizational sciences approach.

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ASSIGNMENT MBA Semester I Human Resource Management (Subject Code MB 0043)

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Q.2 Explain the various techniques and methods used in selecting employees. 10 Marks Ans. Different types of positions require different kinds of selection techniques. Choosing the right techniques will help to recruit the best person for the position. The selection techniques depend on the particular skills, attributes and knowledge required for the position. There is no shortcut to fair and accurate evaluation of a candidate. However it should be emphasized that the systematic approach must be used to the selection of employees. There are various hiring procedures but organization should use the proper selection methods to ensure they hire quality candidates. It is important that to match the selection method with the selection criteria that are key to the position. Following are the various techniques and methods in selecting employees  Preliminary Interview: Preliminary interviews or initial interviews, also known as screening interview. It is a short interview conducted over telephone or face to face. Its objective is to eliminate those candidate who do not meet the minimum criteria laid down by the employing organizations or if there are large number of candidates. It helps in short listing of suitable candidates for the further interview.  Application Blank: It is a template to get information from the prospective candidate. It is the first tool to screen the applicants and gather the verifiable basic historical data from the candidate. Application blank provides data on education, work experience, names and addresses of previous employers, references, reasons for leaving prior jobs, organizational memberships, and hobbies. This enables the recruiter to qualify the candidate to the next level in the selection process. The blank aids in the interview by indicating areas of interest and discussion. It also is an excellent document to store the information for, later reference.  Check of References: The use of references is common in most selection procedures. It involves minimum of effort and time/money. The objective is to obtain evaluation of prior employers and professional colleagues, who have known the candidate in a professional capacity. Checks on references are made by mail or telephone, and occasionally in person, and by using a reference form.  Skill / Psychological Tests: The use of psychological tests is common in the lower levels in an organization as it serves as excellent qualifying criteria. It is also very useful in jobs that are dependent on a skill or a specific competency, as it makes fair assessment of the individual. There is a direct relationship between the size of the firm and the use of such

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tests in hiring. Most of the larger companies do a more detailed and accurate selection procedure to utilize some form of employment testing.  Employment interview: Interview format is determined by the nature of the organization. However it is a prominent method of selecting employees. It is defined as a two way systematic conversation between an interviewer and applicant, initiated for obtaining information relevant to a specific study. It involves not only conversation, but also learning from the respondents gesture, facial expressions and pauses, and his environment. Interviewing requires face to face contact or contact over telephone. Types of Interview: There are four kinds of interview, which are explained below 1. Preliminary Interview: Preliminary interview is conducted to decide whether a more detailed interview with the candidate will be worthwhile. Here the applicants are given the information on job details; this also makes the candidate to decide whether the job will suit him. This method saves the companys time and money. 2. Stress Interview: Stress Interview is a technique that deliberately places the job candidate in a stressful situation to observe how the applicant reacts to the situation. Here planned and intentional efforts are made to create pressure. Methods used are making candidate wait needlessly for interview, criticism for candidates opinion and keeping silent for extended period. The interviewer conducting the stress interview should be trained and with good interviewing skills to select the candidate. 3. Depth Interview: Conducted usually one -to- one basis, this is an intensive and searching interview aiming at studying the respondents opinion, emotions or convictions on the basis of an interview guide. Depth interview covers the areas such as work experience, academic qualifications, interest and hobbies. This is generally a lengthy procedure designed to encourage free expression of affectively charged information. The interviewer should totally avoid advising or showing disagreement. 4. Patterned Interview: In this type of technique there is a structure which consists of combination of direct and indirect questions, which is asked to each candidate. Asking the same questions to each candidate allows the interviewer to compare and contrast candidates backgrounds against each other as well as against the position requirements. It also gathers information on the first two areas of assessment, the Page 6 R. No. 541010358 Deepali Awasare

ASSIGNMENT MBA Semester I Human Resource Management (Subject Code MB 0043)

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candidates skills and abilities, and personal preferences. One advantage of a patterned interview is that systematic and chronological information is obtained, and hence this yields to statistical analysis.  Approval by the Manager: In approval by the manager technique, when the manager takes over, the emphasis tends to switch toward more specifically job oriented worker characteristics such as training and relevant past experience. Medical Examination: The medical examination is an examination which varies from a very comprehensive examination and matching of an applicants physical capabilities to job requirements to a simple check of general physical appearance and well-being. The objectives here are 1. To ascertain the applicants physical capabilities. 2. To protect the company against unwarranted claims under workers compensation laws, or against lawsuits for damages. 3. To prevent communicable diseases from entering the organization. Induction/ Orientation: Induction is concerned with introducing or orienting a new employee to the organization. Induction programs could be of duration of 1-3 days and even up to 1/3/6 months depending upon size and type of organization. Common objectives of an Induction program are: 1. Overview of the organization, its history, its heros and important stories in the life of the firm like mergers, acquisitions, JVs, expansion in new countries etc. 2. Organization Vision / Mission and Objectives statement, its structure, hierarchy of the top and the senior management, structure of the teams/divisions. 3. Overview of the HR policies and processes and introduction to the facilities team like IT team and other relevant teams per the location of joining. 4. Handover to the manager and induction at a team level on specificities related to the job and its responsibilities.

Organizations also build processes by which the new employee provides feedback on the on- boarding experience and use this information to improve the induction process.

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ASSIGNMENT MBA Semester I Human Resource Management (Subject Code MB 0043)

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Q. 3 A company is being set up by a group of 3 professionals. The business objective is to sell mobile phones of a Chinese company which has come up with an inexpensive range of handset ranging from Rs.1200 to Rs.7000. They need to submit a human resource plan to their investors. Explain the process of Human Resource Planning system for this company, which covers all important steps needed for HRP. Ans. Human Resource Planning is a process by which a management determines, how an organization should move from its current manpower position to its desired manpower position. It consists in projecting future manpower requirements and developing manpower plans for the implementation of the projections. The process of HR Planning begins with considering the organization strategies and objectives. Here the company is being set up by a group of 3 professionals and its objective is to sell mobile phones of a Chinese company which is available in inexpensive range of handset ranging from Rs.1200 to Rs. 7000 Since the group wants to start a business, so before doing Human Resource Planning, they should do the Business Planning; they should decide what the goals are for the year and what the long-range goals are. Once the business plan is ready then should go about achieving them and therein the planning for the human resource. The organizations business plan to invest in a particular product/market or a service will drive the HRP activity towards hiring to meet the business need. Business planning is done, considering the following Set the objectives of the company Set the short term goals Set the long term goals

  

Once the goals and objectives are set, then they should do Human resource planning. Human Resource planning is the predetermination of the future course of action chosen from a number of alternatives. It should estimate future organizational structure and manpower requirements, plan the job requirements and job descriptions. HR planning is the processes including forecasting, developing and controlling by which a firm course that it has the right number of people and right kind of people at the right places at the right time doing work for which they are

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ASSIGNMENT MBA Semester I Human Resource Management (Subject Code MB 0043)

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economically most useful. Human resource plan must incorporate the human resource needs in the light of organizational goals. And it should be based on following 1. Human Resource plan must be directed towards well defined objectives 2. Human resource planning must ensure that it has the right number of people, at the right time, doing work for which they are economically most useful. 3. They should have well-defined job analysis and job description 4. Human Resource Planning should have the way for an effective motivational process. 5. A human resource plan should take into account the principle of periodical reconsideration of new development and extending the plan to cover the charges during the given long period. Human Resource Planning System The steps in the HRP process is a systematic set of activities carried out in a chronological manner. Each step needs to be evaluated and debated with all possible information gathered from the external as well as internal environment. 1. Purpose of Human Resource Planning: Human Resource Planning fulfils individual as well as organizational goals. It provides balance between the future human resources needs and the future enterprise needs. And this is done with the clear objective of maximizing the future return on investment in human resources. 2. Estimating/Forecasting the future Manpower Requirements: The first step in the process is to arrive at the desired organizational structure at a given point in time. Mapping this structure with the existing structure helps in identifying the gap in resources requirement. The number and type of employees needed have to be determined. In addition to the structure there are a number of external factors that affect this determination. They include business forecasts, competitor strategy, expansion plans, product/skills mix changes, profit/revenue growth projections, in addition to management philosophy and government policies. This step also includes an analysis of the external labour/talent environment, its demographics, demand/supply of the required talent, and cost considerations. Forecasting provides the basic premises on which manpower planning is done. Forecasting is necessary for various reasons, such as:

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ASSIGNMENT MBA Semester I Human Resource Management (Subject Code MB 0043) 

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The challenges of the general economic business cycles have an influence on the short-range and long-run plans of all organizations. These are inflation, wages, prices, costs and raw material supplies. An expansion / growth initiative might need the business to use additional machinery and personnel, and a re-allocation of facilities, all of which call for adequate advance planning of human resources. Changes in management philosophies and top management leadership styles. The use of new technology (such as the introduction of automatic controls, or the mechanization of materials handling functions) requiring a change in the skills of workers, as well as a change in the number of employees needed. Very often, changes in the quantity or quality of products or services require a change in the organization structure. Plans have to be made for this purpose as well.

 

3. Auditing Human Resources: Once the future human resource needs are estimated, the next step is to determine the present supply of manpower resources. This is done through what is called "Skills Inventory". A skills inventory contains data about each employees skills, abilities, work preferences and other items of information which indicate his worth to the company. Skills inventory are also referred to as competency dictionaries. This information is usually retained as part of the performance management system with the HR department. This step in the HRP system helps identify the existing profile of the manpower and its efficiency. It helps highlight where the organization is vs. where it ought to be. The step concludes with identifying clear gaps in the skills / manpower mix required to meet the upcoming business objectives. 4. Job Analysis: After having decided how many persons would be needed, it is necessary to prepare a job analysis. The recorded details of training, skills, qualification, abilities, experience and responsibilities, etc. as needed for a job are studied. Job analysis includes the preparation of job descriptions and job specifications. 5. Developing a Human Resource Plan: This step refers to the development and implementation of the human resource plan, which consists in finding out the sources of labour supply with a view to making an effective use of these sources. Some important considerations at this point are:    Page 10 Specific roles/disciplines being hired for, of them which roles are pivotal for the business Competencies and capabilities needed Manager vs. employee hiring

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ASSIGNMENT MBA Semester I Human Resource Management (Subject Code MB 0043)     Hire internally vs. External sourcing Planning for new skills through training existing staff vs. hiring new teams In case of surpluses, planning for redeployment / reduction in workforce as required Succession planning for key positions in the company

Set I

HR planning is a highly important and useful activity without clear cut planning, an estimation of the organizations human resource needs is reduced to more success work. 1. Planning defines future manpower needs and this becomes the basis or recreating and developing personal 2. Employees can be trained, motivated and developed in advance and this helps in meeting future needs for high quality employee 3. Change in technology has attached more importance to knowledge and skills resulting in surplus manpower in some areas and shortage in other areas. HR planning helps in creating balance in such a situation. 4. Jobs are becoming more and more knowledge oriented. This has resulted in a changed profile of H.R because of increased emphasis on knowledge, recruitment costs have also increased.

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ASSIGNMENT MBA Semester I Human Resource Management (Subject Code MB 0043) Q.4 Explain Thayer and McGhee Assessment of training requirement model.

Set I

Ans. Assessment of Training Requirement: The first step in designing a training and
development program is to conduct a needs assessment. Both the organizations demands and that of individuals needs are to be considered. New kind of jobs with diversification of product lines and new technology or a shift in organizational culture or ways of conducting business is common organizational needs. On the other hand in individual need based training factors considered are demands that pertain to individuals growth and development, including induction training for new hires, or training necessitated by job rotation due to an organizations internal mobility policies. Thayer and McGhee Model: The Thayer and McGhee model is based on three factors: 1. Organization analysis 2. Task analysis 3. Individual analysis Organization Analysis: Total Organization Analysis is a systematic effort to understand

exactly where training efforts needs to be made in an organization. It involves a detailed analysis of the organization structure, objectives, human resources and future business plans, and an understanding of its culture. Here the step is establishing a clear understanding of both short-run and long-run business and people goals. Long-term objectives are broken down into specific strategies and short-term goals for each of the units/departments. Short-term goals are constantly in need of adaptation to the changing environment, both external and internal. Requirements of organization analysis are a. An adequate number of employees available to ensure fulfillment of the business operation. b. Employee performance is up to the required standard. c. The working environment in their units/departments is conducive to fulfillment of tasks. In order to ensure the first two requirements a human resource inventory needs are to be made with respect to positions, qualifications, vacancies, replacements and training time required for replacements. Various efficiency and productivity indexes, or ratios, cost per unit etc, can be

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worked out to determine efficiency and adequacy, in terms of under-manning or over-manning, of the workforce. It also includes diagnosis of the organization climate or culture. Rules, procedures, systems and methods all contribute to the making of the environment. It is also determined by the attitude that the people have in the organization. These attitudes result from the persons experience both within and outside the organization, and training inputs should be effectively used to effect the changes of attitude and of the organizational climate. In analyzing the organization climate, both direct and indirect methods could be used. Direct methods are observation, use of questionnaires, and interviews. Reliance or indirect methods would not give a clear understanding of the attitudes and predispositions of employees. In fact, factors such as low absenteeism and low turnover are not by themselves indicators of positive or negative attitudes, and high or low morale. So careful analysis should be made to study each indicator in a particular situation in conjunction with more direct methods like attitude surveys. Task Analysis: It consists of a detailed examination of each job, its components, its various operations and the conditions under which it has to be performed. The focus here is on the task itself and the training required to perform it, rather than on the individual. This will indicate the skills and training required to perform the job at the required standard. It also provides data about a job or a group of jobs and the knowledge, skills, attitudes and abilities needed to achieve optimum performance. Standard of Performance (SOP): It is an expected performance of a job. Unless such standards are attained, not only will inter-related jobs suffer, but organizational viability and the expectations of the job will be affected. If the standards set for the performance of a job are known, then it is possible to know whether the job is being performed at the desired level of output or not. Knowledge of the task will help in understanding what skills, knowledge and attitudes an employee should have. Methods: Task analysis entails not merely a simple listing of the various job components, but also of the various sub-tasks and standard of performance. Conventional methods of job analysis are usually suitable for task analysis. They are: 1. Literature review regarding the job. 2. Job performance. 3. Job observation,

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ASSIGNMENT MBA Semester I Human Resource Management (Subject Code MB 0043) 4. Data Collection regarding job interviews.

Set I

For blue-collar employees, more precise industrial-engineering techniques, like time and motion studies, are to be used, and for white-collar employees, work sampling observation, interviews, and job performance data analysis are to be employed. The focus in task analysis approach to identifying training needs is with the clear objective of enhancing the performance standard of a given task. This information is then utilized to establish the training program for the employee. It helps identify the skill required, either in terms of education or training, to perform the job, knowledge, and finally attitudinal pre-dispositions such as the attitudes, towards safety, or interpersonal competence that will ensure that the job is performed optimally. Individual Analysis: Here the focus is on the individual employee, his abilities, inputs required for job performance, or individual growth and development in terms of career planning. The common source for this needs analysis usually forms parts of the performance assessment process. Clues to training needs can also come from an analysis of an individuals or a groups typical behavior. The primary sources of such information are:  Observation at place or work, examination of job schedules, quantum of spoilage, wastage, and clues about interpersonal relations of the employees   Interviews with superiors and employees Comparative studies of good vs. poor employees, to identify differences, skills and training gaps    Personnel records Production reports Review of literature regarding the job and machines used. Job-knowledge tests, work sampling and diagnostic psychological tests also provide information about employees.

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ASSIGNMENT MBA Semester I Human Resource Management (Subject Code MB 0043) Q.5 Write short notes on: y y Succession Planning Career Planning

Set I

Ans. Succession Planning Succession planning is a process for identifying and developing internal people with the potential to fill key leadership positions in the organization. Succession planning increases the availability of experienced and capable employees that are prepared to assume these roles as they become available. The philosophy here is the top talent in the organization must be managed for the greater good of the organization. Objectives tend to be core to succession planning are
y y y y

Identify those with the potential to assume greater responsibility in the organization Provide critical development experiences to those that can move into key roles Engage the leadership in supporting the development of high-potential leaders Build a data base that can be used to make better staffing decisions for key jobs

Succession planning involves periodical review of top executives and those in the next-lower level to determine several backups for each senior or key position in the firm. It also involves an examination of strategic plans and HR forecasts for all identified key positions. A review of all positions those are critical for the business for its continuity that is not just the senior level positions but review of all potential candidates who might be able to move to these positions either right-away or in the near future. This exercise is carried out by the senior management or committee of top managers of the unit/subsidiary and facilitated by the HR team, who then outlines a developmental activity for them. These activities include a formal assessment of the performance of potential candidates and written individual development plans for the candidates. All members in a committee voice opinions about the potential candidates that are proposed. After the approval on a potential candidate further planning for grooming the candidate is done by determining and clarifying the requirements of the managerial position and development plans. These development plans then translate into the individuals development plan and HR along with the immediate manager work with the individual to execute the same. A succession planning exercise concludes with an organization chart of all key positions with listing of possible potential candidates and the readiness rating for each potential candidate.

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ASSIGNMENT MBA Semester I Human Resource Management (Subject Code MB 0043) Benefits of Succession Planning: 

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It provides a clear context to strategic business planning as the key positions for the businesss success are planned. Provides a more systematic basis to judge the risk of making particular succession and developmental moves. Bring focus to systematized succession a plan that scientifically identifies potential candidates to ensure business continuity. Enables the identification of high potential and future leaders, whereby the thereafter the manager/HR can engage with them for leadership development initiatives. Reduces randomness of managerial movements. Helps anticipate problems before they get started and thereby avoid dysfunctional situations. Provides scientific approach for arriving at succession decisions as part of the overall human resource planning exercise connecting formats (data, timing) with process (judgment, discussions, analyses) Helps plan for internal promotion opportunity Provides early warning if succession does not exist for a position allowing for lateral hiring from the market.

 

 

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ASSIGNMENT MBA Semester I Human Resource Management (Subject Code MB 0043) Career Planning

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Career refers to changes or modifications in employment during the foreseeable future. So the career planning remains a lifelong process. Career is defined as an individually perceived sequence of attitudes and behavior work-related activities and experiences over the span of a persons life. In normal parlance the term career has both an internal and an external focus. An internal focus refers to the way an individual views his/her career and the external or objective focus refers to the actual series of job positions held by the individual. In an organizational context career development has two dimensions, which are as follows   Career Planning Done by individual employee Career Management - Done by organization

Career planning is a self-driven process and is a deliberate attempt by an individual for self assessment and to gather information about oneself or become more aware of his/her skills, interests, values, opportunities and constraints preferred environments. It requires an individual thinking to identify career-related goals and options and establishing plans towards achieving those goals. Having a career plan builds a commitment towards achieving it and is viewed as an excellent personal goal-setting exercise for self motivation. During this phase one has to identify and evaluate possible occupations, explore alternatives. Career management is organizational process that involves preparing, implementing and monitoring career plans. Organizations establish policies that provide for multiple career path options and an employee can choose and pursue from it. This is supported with a lot of training and development activities. HR managers serve as internal consultants responsible for designing the career development systems. A variety of career development activities and tools exists for use in organizations. Some are individual career planning tools and others are commonly used for organizational career management. In general the most effective career development programs will use both types of activities. Self Assessment Tools: These are usually technology enabled on-line tools that forms a part of the performance appraisal system and allow the individual to identify areas of strengths and career paths that would leverage their strengths the best.  Individual Counseling: This is a process for individuals to discuss as part of the performance management process with their immediate managers and share and take

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feedback on the appropriateness of the choices and how to go about pursuing it. Organizations also provide for formal mentoring programs to which an employee can enroll and sign up a mentor who can then provide the support and counseling on the best career option.  Information Services: organizations have established policies on what skills and experiences that each job in the organization requires. Jobs with similar skills and experiences are clubbed together to create parallel career paths.  Initial Employment Programs: Organizations also run internship and apprenticeship programs wherein the individuals aspiring to do a particular job can spend some time as a temporary employee to explore interest and skill fitment for the job/role. (e. g. Anticipatory socialization programs, realistic recruitment, and employee orientation program);  Organizational Assessment Programs: Through the use of Assessment Centers organizations can help an employee identify areas for improvement and means of building those skills. So he can achieve his career plans. Certain organizations offer Psychological Testing instruments which profile the employees strengths and roles and responsibilities he / she will best fit into.

Developmental programs focus the effort of the employee towards helping the employee to achieve his career goals. The Assessment Centers, Job rotation programs, in-house training, and tuition refund plans, and mentoring, all prove effective tools to help the individual in career planning.

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ASSIGNMENT MBA Semester I Human Resource Management (Subject Code MB 0043)  Q.6 Discuss Individual evaluation methods used for performance appraisal.

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Ans. In individual evaluation methods the employee is evaluated one at a time without directly comparing him/her with other employees. Following are the Individual Evaluation Methods used for performance appraisal Graphic Rating Scale: This is the most widely used performance rating technique which is based on rating scale. The rating scale is of 3, 4, 5 or even 10 point rating scale. The evaluator is presented with a list of assessment characteristics and asked to assign a number rating on each of the characteristics listed. The number of characteristics varies from a few to several. It aims to measure the quality of performance and ability to do the present job. The ratings can be in a series of boxes, or they can be on a continuous scale (0-9) or so. These ratings are then assigned points. For example, outstanding may be assigned a score of 4 and unsatisfactory a score of 0. Total scores are then computed to get the evaluation of the candidate. In some cases evaluators also provides supporting comments for each rating in a sentence or two. Forced Choice: In forced choice technique, the evaluator chooses from a set of descriptive statements about the employee. The statement items are grouped in such a way that the evaluator cannot easily judge which statements apply to the most effective employee.HR specialists/consultants prepare the items for the form, and managers or other HR specialist rate the items for applicability by determining which statements describe effective and ineffective behavior. The Manager then evaluates the employee. The HR Department adds up the number of statements in each category, and they are summed into an effectiveness index. Forced choice can be used by superiors, peers, subordinates, or a combination of these in evaluating employees. Essay Evaluation: Here the evaluator describes the strong and weak aspects of the employees behavior. Typically this is combined with another form, such as a graphic rating scale. The essay summarizes and elaborates on some of the ratings, or discusses added dimensions which are not captured by the scale. Essays can either open ended or there are guidelines on the topics to be covered. The essay method can be used by evaluators who are superiors, peers, or subordinates of the employee to be evaluated.

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ASSIGNMENT MBA Semester I Human Resource Management (Subject Code MB 0043)

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Management by Objectives (MBO): It is one of the most popular and most effective individual evaluation methods in use today. At the beginning of the year the Manager and employee to be evaluated jointly set clear objectives/targets in advance for the employee to achieve during a specified period usually a year. The objectives framed are of quantitative nature and are popularly called by the following names: 1. KRA-key result areas 2. KPA -key performance areas 3. Targets 4. Commitments These objectives are designed using the SMART framework i.e. Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Results oriented and Time bound. Then the objectives are broken up into half yearly, quarterly and even monthly objectives, keeping SMART framework. All along the process both the employee and the manger are in consensus of the objectives, timelines and the deliverables. At the end of the review year, the MBOs are reviewed for completion with the SMART framework. In case of a new employee or someone moving jobs/assignments between teams after about 6-8 weeks of being in the job, then again this process is undertaken and the objectives are set. The evaluation too is a joint review of the degree of achievement of the objectives. This approach combines the manager and selfevaluation systems. Critical Incident Technique: In this technique, HR specialists and operating managers prepare lists of statements of very effective and very ineffective behavior for an employee. These are the critical incidents. The HR specialists combine these statements into categories, which vary with the job. Once the categories are developed the statements of effective and ineffective behavior are provided to the managers. The manager maintains a log for each employee right through the evaluation period. The manager records behaviors of critical (outstandingly good or bad) in each of the categories. This log is used to evaluate the employee at the end of the period. The manager can be specific in making positive and negative comments, and it avoids recency bias. The critical incident technique is normally to be used by superiors than in peer or subordinate evaluations. Checklists and Weighted Checklists: The checklist is a set of objectives or descriptive statements. If the employee possesses the trait listed and manager believes that then he

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Deepali Awasare

ASSIGNMENT MBA Semester I Human Resource Management (Subject Code MB 0043)

Set I

checks the items, otherwise it is left blank. A rating score from the checklist equals the number of checks. Managers or HR specialists familiar with the jobs to be evaluated prepare a large list of descriptive statements about effective and ineffective behavior on jobs, similar to the critical incident process. Judges who have observed behavior on the job sort the statements into the ones describing behavior that is scaled from excellent to poor (usually on a 7-11 scale). When there is reasonable agreement on an item it is included in the weighted checklist. The weight is the average score of the raters to the checklists use. The Managers or other raters receive the checklists without the scores, and they check the items that apply, as with an un-weighted checklist. The employees evaluation is the sum of the scores (weights) on the items checked. Checklists and weighted checklists can be used by evaluators who are superiors, peers, or subordinates, or by a combination. Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scales: the most prevalent technique which is a variation of the critical incident approach is the behaviorally anchored rating scale (BARS). This technique is also called the behavioral expectation scale (BES). Managers give descriptions of actually good and bad performance, and HR specialists groups these into categories (five to ten is typical). The items are once again evaluated by managers (often other than those who submitted the items). A procedure similar to that for weighted checklists is used to verify the evaluations (outstandingly good, for example) with the smallest standard deviation, hopefully around 1.5 on a 7-point scale. These items are then used to construct the BARS. The final output is a set of statements for each item from among which the manager chooses the most appropriate one for the employee based on his/her performance.

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R. No. 541010358

Deepali Awasare