Case study: Pearl Engineering Company

Pearl Engineering Company was a large heavy-engineering unit. It attached great importance to the
recruitment and training of its senior supervisors. Apart from selecting them from within the organization,
the company recruited, every alternate year, about ten young engineering graduates and offered them
training for a period of two years, before they were appointed as senior supervisors. Such appointments
were made to about 40 per cent of the vacancies of senior supervisors that occurred in the organization.
This was considered necessary by management as a planned programme of imparting vitality to the
organization. Besides, many of the old-timers, who had risen from the ranks, did not possess the necessary
academic background with the result that they could not keep pace with the technological changes.
Management also believed that in the rapidly changing condition of industry, a bank of technically
competent supervisors played a pivotal role, besides serving as a pool from which to select future
departmental managers.

Engineering Graduates were selected from amongst those who applied in response to an all-India
advertisement. For the selection of one engineer, on an average, eight applicants were called for interview.
A selection committee consisting of the General Manager, the Production Manager, the Personnel Manager
and the Training Officer interviewed and selected the candidates. The selection interview was preceded by
a written test and only those who secured 40 per cent marks qualified for interview.

The engineers thus selected had to undergo a two-year intensive theoretical and practical training. A wellstaffed and equipped Training Institute was directly responsible for the training of the graduate engineers,
besides training trade apprentices and operatives required by the company. Lectures on theoretical subjects
were given at the Training Institute and practical training was imparted in all the works departments under
the guidance of qualified and experienced instructors. A few lectures by senior officers of the company
were also arranged to acquaint them with the company policies on different matters. During the last quarter
of their two-year training programme they were deputed to work fulltime to familiarize themselves with the
conditions in departments where they were to be absorbed eventually.

On successful completion of training, the graduate engineers were offered appointments, depending on
their performance and aptitude as revealed during training. On placement in the work departments,
however, most of them faced some difficulty or the other.

According to management, some of the heads of departments, who were themselves not qualified
engineers, did not have sufficient confidence in these younger men. They preferred the subordinates who
came up from the ranks to hold positions of responsibility. A few discredited them saying that it would take
years before these youngsters could pick up the job. Besides, some of the employees, whose promotional

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opportunities were adversely affected by the placement of graduate engineers, tried their best to run down
the latter as a class, sometimes working on the group feelings of the workers. Some of the supervisors who
were not graduate engineers also spoke derisively of them as "the blue-eyed boys" of the organization.
Management knew that many of the graduate engineers were not utilized according to their capacity or
training, nor was any attempt made to test or develop their potentialities. They also knew that many of the
graduate engineers were, therefore, dissatisfied with their work life. Some of them who did not get equal
promotional opportunities as their colleagues placed in other departments, were looking for better jobs
elsewhere.

On the other hand, according to management, the young graduate engineers were themselves partly
responsible for the hostile attitude of others in the organization. Some of them failed to appreciate that a
newcomer invited hostility in the beginning and it took time before he was accepted as a member of the
work-group. They did not realize that they would be fully productive only after gaining about five to seven
years experience in the organization. A few thought that they belonged to a superior cadre and threw their
weight around. They did not bother to understand and appreciate the problems of the rank-and-file of
employees who worked under them.

In spite of these drawback, the General Manager of the company felt that these men were a set of
disciplined supervisors. They had a sense of pride in their profession, and with the extensive training they
had received, they would be able to take up any responsible position in the organization in course of time.

The General Manager could not allow the situation to continue especially when it was a difficult and costly
process to recruit and train young engineering graduates of the requisite type and calibre. He knew that the
prosperity of the company, to a large extent, depended on these young men. In addition, a large number of
lucrative employment opportunities were available to these young engineers elsewhere and there was a
systematic raid on them, He, therefore, called a meeting of all heads of departments to review the situation.

Questions:

1.

Identify the issues related to manpower planning as evident in the case.

2.

Discuss the strategies to tackle the percentage of internal promotion at the organizational

3.

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level.

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What type of additional training programmes should be imparted for direct entrants?

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4.

Suppose you are the head of the personnel division. What would be your suggestions in the
meeting which has been called by the General Manager?

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Case Study: Sreeram Institute of Science and Technology

Sreeram Institute of Science and Technology, is one of the prestigious institutes in the field of Engineering
and Applied Sciences, located in Kottayam, District Kerala. Within a period of 6 years it has secured 2nd
best position of engineering college within the District. The management of SIST (Sreeram Institute of
Science and Technology) decided to go for different professional programmes from 2006 onwards. They
have decided to launch one MBA, four semester residential programme with four specializations like
Finance, Marketing, Human Resource Management and Systems. They named the institute as Sreeram
Institute of Management (SIM) The programme got adequate response from the local level and even from
the entire state. Students from all over Kerala joined in MBA programme. The institute appointed 5
Faculties, Dean and an Administrator with Assistant Administrators to govern the institute initially.
Since the institute doesn't have a permanent building at the time of programme launch, they started the
course in a guesthouse-converted building with a syndicate room, a conference room, Dean's room, a
faculty room, a general administration room and a classroom having the capacity of 60 students. The
institute was well aware of the fact that they were running with limitations of infrastructure and facilities
those compared to other business management schools in and around Kerala. In spite of limited
infrastructure and facilities, the visibility and image secured already by the Sreeram College of Engineering
(SCE), SIM (Sreeram Institute of Management) got around 50 students in the 2006 academic year. The
management of SIM has strictly adhered to the quality of the students in the selection process and they
restricted the admission to 50 seats against the total allotment of 60 seats.
The programme was launched from July 1st 2006. Since the students required better business and
orientation, the dean announced one week Student Personality Development programme from 1st July. The
Dean of SIM has planned two day Personality Development and Attitude Building training module in the
Hilly Valley Resort Kuttikkanam, located near Peeru Hills. The Dean of SIM realized the importance of
Students Development Programme; especially to the Kerala students, who, in general do not have high
confidence on their communication skills. Since the Dean of the institute is from the field of Human
Resource Management and well versed with the training and development programme in addition being a
visualiser and a trainer, meticulously planned a 'Boot Camp' - Students Training Programme with the
support of a an outside professional trainer and with the help of internal faculties.
In accordance with this some of the faculties in SIM had difference of opinion on conducting the training
programme at Hilly Valley Resort Kuttikkanam. They were of the opinion that these modules can be run
during the weekends within the campus with the available Engineering College Seminar Hall and the free
ground. It would have provided better preparation and breathing space to the students who have come from

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distant places and different background. Further it reduces the expenditure on training programme. The
activities incorporated in the training module could have been delivered with all the facilities now available
within the institute. The perceived better time management and programme management with the internal
arrangements. While, the Dean insisted to conduct the training programme outside the college environment.
The objectives of this training programme was to imbibe group culture, eliminate inhibition, develop
mutual understanding, encourage team attitude, inculcate self awareness, induce leadership qualities,
conscious responsible behaviour, create work motivation and goal orientation. More than an ice breaking
session, the programme visualizes and envisaged the development of individual mission statement from
each student, that help them to orient themselves to achieve personal goals integrating professional goal.
The journey started at 8.35am in the morning. The bus was supposed to reach at 10.30am at Kuttikkanam
Hilly Valley Resort. Since the students had to board from different places and because of some contingency
situation in between the journey the bus had to halt at various places and got delayed by one hour. The bus
reached only at 11.30 at to Kuttikkanam. The commencement of the training programme was delayed by
one hour. Against the preplanned schedule the students were asked to engage in the training and
development programme after having single cup of mango juice. The students were asked to attend the
training programme leaving their luggage and belongings inside the bus. As per the Direction of the Dean
student started attending the training programme. The two trainers who were been waiting for the
commencement of their programme could only start their programme delayed by one hour fifteen minutes.
The first session started with grouping exercise, name-calling exercises, clapping exercises, voice based
exercises and outbound song development exercises. The students got a large amount of opportunity for
mutual understanding and developing many insights like importance of team work, attention, listening,
awareness, concentration, leadership by removing inhibition from day to day interaction with their peers.
The training programme was supposed to finish at one O'clock in the after noon for lunch. But the training
programme went on till 2.15pm with the singing exercises. The lunch started at 2.25pm and ended at 3.O'
clock. The afternoon session started only at 3.15pm. The delayed programme thus went on deviating from
its preplanned schedule. The students had to manage their 45 minutes time for lunch, basic needs and
taking their luggage from the bus and settling down in their respective rooms. Though the students felt
uncomfortable in such a hectic schedule they hesitated to share the same with the faculties and the Dean
accompanied. Mean while, the Dean requested the students to adjust with the time and programme schedule
by showing the example of time management and stress management.
The second phase of training programme went on till 7.15pm on the same day. The trainer conducted many
programmes like, writing A to Z alphabets to find out one article from each letter etc. The trainer engaged
students in several group activities. The activities in the training programme had induced better learning

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exposure and insight on innovation and creativity to students. The trainers had to run their activities beyond
the stipulated time frame. Mean while the CEO of the institute and an Academic Council member visited
the training programme. The Academic Council member was from USA. After the training session without
having any short break the Professor from abroad conducted another 45 minutes session. The students were
not informed about the new session and after the session the CEO also joined the programme. The entire
programme thus went on till 8 O' clock. Considering the hectic Schedule, the Dean informed the students
the there wouldn't be any campfire activity based on the scheduled programme. Actually the students were
expecting the campfire for better interaction and relaxation. But, after the dinner, the decision on campfire
changed again and the Dean informed the students that there would be campfire. The students got surprised
to see the change of decisions in activities in every moment on the programme schedule. The campfire
conducted couldn't serve the purpose since there was heavy wind. The students were slept only after 11 O'
Clock.
The Dean informed one of the faculties that he has cancelled his programme on the second day and she
would have to run the programme. As per the instruction she started better preparation to run the training
with more hours. She had to spend more time during night to organize one and a half-hour training module
on communication skill. Due to the modifications in the programme schedule on every moment the
students started asking about the surety of the module to the teachers. Since the Dean had charted the
programme they showed their inability to express anything on the module. They reserved their comment.
The second day programme started with the Yoga and meditation programme at 7.15. The proposed time
was 7.00am. More over there was no sufficient space for the 50 students to undergo yoga and meditation.
Hardly 27 students underwent the yoga and meditation and the rest of them had to wait in the restaurant
idly. Since the Dean himself got engaged in yoga and meditation he couldn't engage students in any of the
activities. More over the faculties didn't have any direction to do anything. It went on for the lucky guys
who could find enough space in the hall. The Dean taught few steps of Pranayaama and meditation training
within a period of 45 minutes.
The second module started soon after the breakfast at 9.30am. Though it was supposed to start at 9.00am.
The lady faculty started her training module on communication with the assistance of other faculties. She
conducted training module with jumble words on group wise. The individual presentation of three groups
on their jumbled words in right form and forming a sentence by their on completed at 11.00am. Hardly 15
minutes to complete the programme with the remaining two groups individual presentations and leader
presentations. The lady faculty requested the Dean for 15 minutes to complete the module. But the Dean
asked her to wind up the session and asked her to do the session in the class. The leady faculty got totally
dissatisfied with the decision and lost her entire pleasure on the programme. Sitting for a while, she got
aloof from the programme. The Dean started a movie 'IQBAL' soon after the 'incomplete communication'

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module. The hall faced another problem of sound system. The service trainees of the resort tried to get the
sound system run. But they failed in their effort. The films started only at 11.30am. The students didn't get
enough time for break and relaxation. The tea/coffee and the snacks were supplied right in their seat and the
programme run with shortage of time. The film was played without proper sound effect. Since the
programme was running short of time and had to be finished at 2.O clock in the afternoon, the film ended
on half way without serving the purpose. The students got assignment of learning from the film and the
Dean asked them to write it and present it on next day. At 1 O' Clock he started another training programme
on rabbit and tortoise. The students got another assignment to right the learning from the game. More over
he asked each student to submit their learning from the entire programme. The programme ended at 2.30pm
beyond the stipulated time. In the second day all the activities went on half way. Half of the students didn't
get the benefit of yoga and meditation. The communication programme had to be stopped half way. The
film went on without sound and stopped on half way. The Rabbit and Tortoise also had to wind up half way.
The students openly shared their displeasure and uncomforted with the programme. They complained the
faculties for not giving proper attention on their basic needs.
The entire training and programme went on with mixed impression from the students and the faculties.
Some of the faculties lodged complaint against the Dean to the Director about their concerns and anxieties
on Dean's behaviour. They reported to Director that they were mere the spectators of the entire programme.
They complained that many of the faculties who have good training experience in prestigious business
schools and corporate sectors were ignored in the training programme and unnecessarily spent money on
external trainer. This programme, they felt, was imposed on them instead of incorporating their suggestions
and ideas. There was low-level information sharing at the down level. Only a few faculties, who were close
to the Dean, got the information about the programme and others were not informed. Others came to know
the programme only a day before the event. Everything went on with the centralized ideas of the Dean. He
behaved just like a dictator. The faculties requested the Director for his immediate Intervention in the
matter and take adequate action. The Director called the Dean immediately and asked him to send an
immediate report incorporating faculties and students opinion in this mater.
The Dean came to know that the faculties reported the matter to the Director. The Dean became so
annoyed. Director entrusted one of the faculties to give a detailed report incorporating the views of
faculties, trainers and students on this programme within 24 hours. More over he ordered an enquiry at
administrative level the cost incurred in the entire programme.
Questions:
1.

'Failure to plan is planning to fail,' how do you comment on this statement with reference to the
case study? How do you relate absence of planning in the present day business context?

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2.

Discuss the significance of participation in formulating the plans. How do you ensure participation
of people in the planning exercise?

3.

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To what extend decision-making is important in organizing any event or programme? What is the
decision making style of the Dean?

4.

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Discuss the importance of Information sharing, which is key to effective management of training
programmes?

5.

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If you were in the Deans position, how will you plan and manage this training
programme? By Keeping in mind the management principles, management functions,
management approaches, principles of communication, work motivation and leadership theories,
develop a plan of action for the effectiveness of training and development programme.

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