Industrial Dispute 1947

1. Industrial Dispute Act 1947 Disputes manifest in the form of strikes, lockouts & commonly known as bandhs.
2. Industrial Dispute Act 1947 any dispute or difference between employers & employers, employers & workmen, or workmen & workmen, which is connected with the employment or non-employment or terms of employment or with the condition of labor of any person.
3. Causes for dispute
   • Wage demand:
   • The demand for has never been fully met because of high rate of inflation & equally high cost of living.
   • Wage agreement reached in one company will inspire unions in other plants .
4. Union-rivalry: Most organizations have multiple unions which leads to rivalry among different unions. Here, the problem of authenticity of membership occurs for the manager.( unions put members in such a way that overall the number exceeds the total number of employees in the organization). Secondly, the problem of collective bargain agent.
5. Political interference
   • Labor movement around the world would show that labor union by their nature political.
   • Drawbacks of unions being politicized:
   • Distant ideological issues divide & fragment issues on party lines.
   • Because of wrong political influence the unions sometimes do not sign on the agreement even though it is in favour of workers.
   • Political parties somehow engineers strikes, lockouts to show their political strength, which leads to long lasting disputes.
6. Unfair labour practices
   • Managements unwillingness to talk over ant dispute or matter, enrages the workers.
   • Managements unwillingness to recognize any particular trade union.
   • No enough authority to the officials to negotiate with the workers.
   • When during negotiations for settlement the representatives take the side of management.
7. When management uses such words like they have taken the decision of recruitment, selections & training & that it need not consult employees in any of these matters. Large number of managements have not even taken any step to provide benefits to the workers .
8. Too many laws:
   • Labor legislation is regarded as most dynamic institution. There are about 108 acts both central as well as state ,earning our country the dubious distinction of being highly labor legislated countries in the world.
   • But the employees & industries who are benefited by these laws are very few.
   • Judiciary also do not play a positive role .
9. ???? How to solve disputes ????
   • Collective bargaining.
   • Code of discipline.
   • Grievance procedure .
   • Arbitration.
   • Conciliation.
   • Adjudication.
10. Collective bargaining: it occurs when representatives of union meet with management. They meet to discuss over employee’s wages & benefits, to create or revise work rules & to resolve disputes of labor contract. The bargain is said to be collective in the sense that chosen representatives act as bargaining agent for all employees in dealing with management .
11. Code of discipline: Defines duties & responsibilities of employees & workers. It ensures that employees recognize the obligations and rights of one another. Promotes cooperation.
12. Grievance Procedure: 1. Section head shall try to resolve & if this fails. 2. Departmental heads shall intervene to resolve ,if they fail 3.Division heads intervene, if they fail. 4.Complaint is referred to the union.
13. Arbitration: It is procedure in which the third party studies the bargaining situation, listens to both the parties & gathers information ,& then makes recommendations that are binding on both the parties.
14. Conciliation: In this representatives of workers & employees are brought together before a third party with a view to persuade them to arrive at an agreement by mutual discussion between them.
15. It may be said that conciliator has no power to force a settlement but can work with parties separately to determine their respective positions, explain the positions more fully to the opposition & facilitates reaching of an agreement .
16. Adjudication
    • Refers to mandatory settlement of an industrial dispute by a labor court or a tribunal. Generally Government refers a dispute for adjudication on the failure of conciliation proceedings.

high performing organization (HPO)

Quality Circles

What is Quality Circle (QC)?
Quality Circles are (informal) groups of employees who voluntarily meet together on a regular basis to identify, define, analyze and solve work related problems.
Usually the members of a particular team (quality circle) should be from the same work area or who do similar work so that the problems they select will be familiar to all of them. In addition, interdepartmental or cross functional quality circles may also be formed.
An ideal size of quality circle is seven to eight members. But the number of members in a quality circle can vary.
Other Names of Quality Circles

• Small Groups
• Action Circles
• Excellence Circles
• Human Resources Circles
• Productivity Circles

Objectives of Quality Circles

• Promote job involvement
• Create problem solving capability
• Improve communication
• Promote leadership qualities
• Promote personal development
• Develop a greater awareness for cleanliness
• Develop greater awareness for safety
• Improve morale through closer identity of employee objectives with organization's objectives
• Reduce errors.
• Enhance quality
• Inspire more effective team work
• Build an attitude of problem prevention
• Promote cost reduction
• Develop harmonious manager, supervisor and worker relationship
• Improve productivity
• Reduce downtime of machines and equipment
• Increase employee motivation

Quality Circle Meetings

• Meetings are important part of quality circle's working.
• Meetings are attended by all the members of the quality circle.
• In general, meetings take place once a week or once in afortnight.
• Each meeting lasts for approximately one hour, though variations are possible.
• Apart from the frequency of the meetings, what is important is the regularity of the meetings.

What Takes Place During Quality Circle Meetings?
Any of the several activities may occur during a meeting such as:

• Identifying a theme or a problem to work on.
• Getting training as required to enable members to analyze problems.
• Analyzing problem(s).
• Preparing recommendations for implementing solution(s).
• Follow up of implementation of suggestions.
• Prepare for a presentation to the management.

What Quality Circles are Not? (Misconcepts)

• Quality Circles do not tackle just quality problems.
• Quality Circle is not a substitute or replacement for task forces, product committees, joint plant councils or works committees, quality assurance department, suggestion schemes.
• Quality Circles do not change the existing organizational structure or the chain of command.
• Quality Circles are not a forum for grievances or a spring board for demands.
• Quality Circles are not a means for the management to unload all their problems.
• Quality Circles are not just another technique.
• Quality Circles are not a panacea for all ills.

Pitfalls and Problems

• Lack of faith in and support to Quality Circle activities among management personnel
• Lack of interest or incompetence of leaders/facilitator
• Apathy, fear and misunderstanding among middle level executives
• Delay or non-implementation of Circle recommendations
• Irregularity of Quality Circle activities
• Non-application of simple techniques for problem solving
• Lack of or non-participation by some members in the Circle activities
• Circles running out of problems
• Antagonism of non-members towards Quality Circle operations
• Inadequate visibility of management support
• Complexity of problems taken up
• Non-maintenance of Quality Circle records
• Too much facilitation or too little
• Language difficulty in communication
• Communication gap between Circles and departmental head
• Change of management
• Confusing Quality Circle for another technique
• Resistance from trade unions

Structure of Quality Circles Program
Six Basic Elements

• Circle participants or members.
• Circle leaders/deputy leaders.
• Program facilitator.
• Steering/advisory committee.
• Top management.
• Non-participating management/members.

How Do Quality Circles Operate?

• Appointment of a steering committee, facilitator and QC team leaders.
• Formation of QCs by nomination/voluntary enrolment of QC members.
• Training of all QC members (by an expert consultant).
• Training of non-participating employees (by an expert consultant).
• Problem data bank and identification of problems for QC work.
• QC problem resolution by QCs through standardized techniques.
• Presentation of QC solutions to management.
• Evaluation of award/recognition.

Code of Conduct for QCs

• Attend all meetings and be on time.
• Listen to and show respect for the views of other members.
• Make others feel a part of the group.
• Criticize ideas, not persons.
• Help other members to participate more fully.
• Be open to and encourage the ideas of others.
• Every member is responsible for the team’s progress.
• Maintain a friendly attitude.
• Strive for enthusiasm.
• The only stupid question is the one that is not asked.
• Look for merit in the ideas of others.
• Pay attention- avoid disruptive behavior.
• Avoid actions that delay progress.
• Carry out assignments on schedule.
• Give credit to those whom it is due.
• Thank those who give assistance.
• Do not suppress ideas- do express.
• Objectives and causes first, solutions next.
• Give praise and honest appreciation when due.
• Ideas generated by the group should not be used as individual suggestions to suggestion scheme.

Problem Solving Tools and Techniques Used by Quality Circles
Given below are the most commonly used tools and techniques. These are called the old QC tools:

• Brainstorming.
• Pareto analysis.
• Cause and effect diagram (or fish bone diagram or Ishikawadiagram).
• Histogram.
• Scatter diagram
• Stratification
• Check sheet
• Control charts and graphs

New QC Tools
Quality circles started using additional seven tools as they started maturing. These are:

1. Relations diagram.
2. Affinity diagram.
3. Systematic diagram or Tree diagram.
4. Matrix diagram.
5. Matrix data analysis diagram.
6. PDPC (Process Decision Program Chart).
7. Arrow diagram.

Benefits of QC

• Self development.
• Promotes leadership qualities among participants.
• Recognition.
• Achievement satisfaction.
• Promotes group/team working.
• Serves as cementing force between management/non-management groups.
• Promotes continuous improvement in products and services.
• Brings about a change in environment of more productivity, better quality, reduced costs, safety and corresponding rewards.

Individual and Group Behavior

STAGES OF TEAM DEVELOPMENT

• Stage I: Orientation or forming

• Stage II: Conflict or storming

• Stage III: Collaboration or norming

• Stage IV: Productivity or performing

• Stage V: Changing or transforming

Types of Team

•Problem-solving Teams

–Groups of 5 to 12 employees from the same department who meet for a few hours each week to discuss ways of improving quality, efficiency, and the work environment

•Self-Managed Work Teams

–Groups of 10 to 15 people who take on the responsibilities of their former supervisors

•Cross-Functional Teams

–Employees from about the same hierarchical level, but from different work areas, who come together to accomplish a task

•Very common

•Task forces

•Committees

•Virtual Teams

–Teams that use computer technology to tie together physically dispersed members in order to achieve a common goal

hrp mini guide: vol 1

1.HRP dynamics

• Is the first component of HRM strategy
• All other functional HR activities are derived from and flow out of the HRP process.
• Has its basis in considerations of future HR requirements in light of present HR capabilities and capacities.
• Is proactive in anticipating and preparing flexible responses to changing HR requirements.
• Has both an internal and external focus.

2.HRP planning issues or why HRP

• How do we manage staffing in times of recession or expansion?
• What impact does technology change, mergers or relocation have on staffing issues?
• Do we always have the right people in the right jobs at the right time?
• How do we get our human resources: buy them or make them or both?

3.Major objectives of hrp

Preventing understaffing and overstaffing

Ensure the organisation has the right employees with the right skills at the right place at the right time

Ensure the organisation is responsive to changes in its environment

Provide direction and coherence to all HR activities and systems

4.Environment Scanning

4.1 External environment Scanning

The systematic monitoring of the major external forces influencing the organization. These forces are

Economic factors

Competitive trends

Technological changes

Political and legislative issues

Social concerns

Demographic trends

Techniques

–Tracking trends and developments in external environment,

–Documenting implications for management of human resources, and

–Ensuring implications receive attention

Examples of external influence on staff

4.2 Scanning the internal environment

Cultural audit - audit of the culture and quality of working life of an organization

How do employees spend their time?

How do they interact with each other?

Are employees empowered?

What is the predominant leadership style of managers?

Scanning Techniques

Internal scanning involves

Informal discussions with key managers

Conducting employee attitude surveys

Monitoring key indicators

ØEmployee performance

ØAbsenteeism

ØTurnover

ØAccidents

Identifying nagging personnel problems

Assessing managerial attitudes regarding HR

4.3 Benchmarking

The process of comparing the organization’s processes and

practices with those of other companies.

5.HRP MODEL