SEC-A Q.

1 In the given case what type of changes are the employees of Bank of Madura bound to go through and how can their fears be overcome? Answer. In this case ICICI Ltd., merged with BoM (Bank of Madura), it is an example of merger & transition management which is a very common activity in Indian corporates today. The kind of change discussed here is Transitional Change and is more intrusive than developmental change as it replaces existing processes or procedures with something that is completely new to the company. The future of the organization (Bank of Madura in this case) is unknown when the transition begins which can add a level or discomfort to employees. There are various types of changes that BoM employees will have to through as discussed below:

The staff strength of BoM is almost double of ICICI despite being one third of the size of ICICI; this means that there is a greater possibility of employees of BoM to be sacked in the near future. Whatever the case, in order to overcome this fear the management has to give a clear vision & objective to the employees. There are large differences in profiles, grades, designation and personnel in these two companies. Thus, it can be assumed by BoM employees that there could be significant changes in these profiles after restructuring. The work profiles & responsibilities are different in various organizations. There will always be an agitation in the employees over change in profiles but the management has to show clear growth path to every employee in order to deal with this fear. BoM has a lot of branches in the rural areas whereas ICICI is urban centric. There could be drastic relocations after the merger. On a macro scale ICICI-BoM merger will increase the geographical market share of the new entity. The management should start with voluntary schemes of Human Capital Transfer, later monetary and non-monetary benefits can be added to make relocations lucrative for the employees. As ICICI has a decentralized approach, it can show to the employees that their new locations will provide them with better job enrichment. BoM concentrates on overall profitability whereas ICICI is more decentralized; BoM employees might fear that the individual performance (of individuals & departments) may be monitored closely in the near future. These two companies have different strategies and size so obviously the organizational hierarchy would be different. If the management can show it to the BoM employees that a decentralized structure is beneficial even for the employees, in the long run, the transition would not be difficult. Thus, we can see that the work culture and respective strategies are different for these two companies. In order to make sure that the transition is smooth, various strategies could be adopted. A change management approach will be discussed subsequently.

Sunil Sukhbir Singh, PCL-I, 2009-11

SEC-A Q.2 What kind of change management issues would ICICI face as the new parent organization? Answer. Change Management has two components, Organizational and Individual. The organizational level of change management is a derivative of individual level of change management because change is an external activity but transition is the process of coming in terms with these changes, from within. It is more of a perception game that the management has to play in order to cater to the psychological needs of the employees. All the major organizational issues are discussed earlier but let us look at various individual or psychological issues that ICICI as a new parent organization has to face:

Possible Reactions: Insecurity, lack of self confidence, that doesnt concern me, denial, enthusiasm, saying good bye, or even attack. ICICI management has to encourage employees, convince them, give them information and promise something in return which is inherently needed by people. Fundamental Needs: It could be of visibility, respect, safety, stability and to maintain personal life. ICICI management has to listen, involve them, give them recognition, and support them. Loss Curve: It could be loss of Identity, our members, what we already know, stability, already tested methods, the feeling of belonging together, title and security. The management needs to convert them into win by giving examples, time, flexibility, confidence and new security. Realistic Expectations: While we expect acceptance, support, constructive feedback, teamwork, involvement, openess for new ideas and friendship, our people expect the same (mirror effect). If the management of ICICI expects too much from its employees and does not return the same in cash or kind, there will always be resistance to performance and in worse case scenario a possible loss of Human Capital. Various Fears: of loss of groups and leaders, fear of change itself, fear of failure and fear to lose motivation have to be dealt with. For this the management needs to communicate, understand, talk and respect fears. A fear has to be acknowledged by both the parties and catered to and not ignored.

Sunil Sukhbir Singh, PCL-I, 2009-11

SEC-A Q.3 Suggest the kind of Change Management approach ICICI should use in order to win the confidence of the employees of Bank of Madura? Answer. As we have discussed earlier that any change management approach has two sub-sets, organizational and individual change management. Organizational change happens when Individual change management is smooth. Thus, in this case ICICI can follow the ADKAR approach of Individual change management:

Awareness of the need for change: This answers the question as to why the change is necessary. The management of the new parent company ICICI will have to align the employees of BoM with their corporate vision. They will have to explain how this change will benefit each employee in the long run and have to set the realistic expectations. Desire to support and participate in the change: Change is never easy and it can neither be ignored nor be forced. There should be bargain and mutual agreement on the perspective of desired change. In this case, BoM has been merged with ICICI; both the companies have different working style, strategies and culture. It is imperative for ICICI to involve BoM employees in the transition process and encourage them to participate. This can only happen by answering a simple question as to WIIFM (Whats in it for me)? If the management can answer this question to the BoM employees there is no reason why this transition would not be smooth. Knowledge about how to change (the learning process): Now, if BoM employees agree intrinsically or even are neutral to this change, then this change process has to be executed. If BoM employees are not imparted enough know how of the new processes and culture, the transition would not be smooth. Ability to implement the change: Implementation of change is the second part of execution. Now, ability to implement change within the organization may sometimes be difficult. However, as in this case ICICI has hired the services of Hewitt Associates as their consultant, chances are that the change would be smooth. Sometimes outsourcing the change management to experts is the best option. Reinforcement to sustain the change: Now, it has been seen in the past that the mergers & corporate restructuring goes smooth initially but later could not sustain it. The reason can be a lack of corporate commitment or lack or reinforcement. The corporate commitment is almost imperative for successful transition; however, reinforcement is

Sunil Sukhbir Singh, PCL-I, 2009-11

also needed to sustain this change. In order to sustain transition ICICI can have quarterly follow-ups and Redressal mechanism to address the need of reinforcement.

SEC-B Q.2 Describe the various points to be kept in mind for effective team building? Give a real life example, where you played a role of an effective team member or team player. Answer. The process of working with a team to clarify its task and how team members can work together to achieve it is Team Building. To build an effective team these points should be kept in mind:

Commitment to common objectives: If all the members of a team are not on the same page about the objective of the team, the team is bound to fail as the priority & commitment of each member would be different. Thus, team members have to be aligned to the common objective if necessary, by the team leader. Defined goals, roles and responsibilities: Once the objective is clear, the roles & responsibilities for each member has to be decided based on their skills & other competencies. If team members are assigned roles they are not competent in, the chances of success of a team may decrease. Effective decision systems, communication and work procedures: In order to succeed a team should have clearly defined work procedure and decision making hierarchy to avoid any sort of confusion. Thus, it is almost imperative to have effective & predefined communication procedures. Good personal relationships: Unless & until team members have good rapport with each other, a team may not be effective. In order to be effective, team members should have good interpersonal relationship, any personal grudges if there is, should not be a hindrance at work. Defined decision making processes: One of the features of an effective team is autonomy at work; however, sometime this may result in confusion because of loose team hierarchy. It is the duty of the team leader to predefine the decision making process so that later there should not be a confusion at a critical decision making moment. Provide each other with open, direct feedback: It is important that each team member should be open to direct feedback in a constructive manner. It is easier said than done, but an effective team can have a mechanism for direct feedback on timely basis.

Sunil Sukhbir Singh, PCL-I, 2009-11

Hold each other accountable: As the success & failure of a team is the responsibility of all the team members, they should be held accountable for each others success & failure. This philosophy if adopted would drastically improve the team effectiveness by increasing the co-operation among team members, as they will easily be able to relate to their objective. Managing time and effort: Any team has an objective which is time bound. The effectiveness of a team is measured in terms of managing an objective within the specified time. Thus, it is important that the time & efforts required for each member is defined and measured, so that it can be controlled effectively. Manage conflicts effectively: A conflict within the team can negatively impact effectiveness unless channelized properly. A conflict can be a difference in opinion, ideas, perception, motivation etc. Generally, if a conflict is constructive it results in competitive spirit among team members and thus enhances effectiveness. However, a negative conflict may be a hindrance to the synergy of a team. Thus, it is the responsibility of a team leader to effectively manage conflict by ways of reward & recognition towards the team objective. Fully utilize diverse strengths, styles & viewpoints: No two humans are similar but are both special. Each and every team member has some or the other strength or style of working or viewpoint. If team is managed in a way by which team members are assigned complementary jobs or profiles, it can greatly improve the team performance. Effective Leadership: Although discussed in the last point, it is the most important aspect of an effective team. So, an effective selection of team leader is the most important part of an effective team.

Example: As I was once a sportsman, I will share an incidence from my college days when I used to play cricket. I used to be a balling all rounder (Better with Ball than with a Bat), in an inter college cricket match we lost the toss and fielded first. As against my normal balling position of a fierce, fast pacer in the death over, I was asked to open the balling attack. I controlled my instincts and balled within the line & length asked by my captain. We were able to restrict the other team to a not so good score of 120 runs in a 20 over match. Apparently, chasing that paltry total we lost 6 wickets for 80 runs in 10 over. I was next batsman and there was no recognized batsman after me. We were doing fairly well as per the run rate but we had very few wickets in hand. As I was also sort of a pinch hitter (explosive batsman with lesser reliability), my captain asked me to hold the other end and said that we can manage this total if we can adopt to our roles as per the situation of this match. We did exactly that and won the match with 4 wickets and 3 over to go. It can be interpreted that either a person can satisfy his/her ego or can work towards the team objective by adopting roles being demanded as per the situation. I did the

Sunil Sukhbir Singh, PCL-I, 2009-11

latter and we won because our team became effective because of the efforts of the individual team members.

SEC-B Q.3 Define Assertive Communication. What are the characteristics of assertive behavior? Explain how assertiveness can be deciphered through behavior, verbal cues and body language. Answer. The Oxford Dictionary defines assertiveness as a quality possessed by someone who states confidently, is confident and forceful (if necessary), exercise ones rights. There are few key words in these definitions, thus, we can say that Assertiveness is Interpersonal Behavior (verbal and non-verbal) in which a person confidently expresses himself/herself and his/her needs in such a way that the rights of others are not infringed upon and his rights are exercised. Characteristics of Assertive Behavior

An individual with Assertive Behavior is highly enthusiastic and understanding. He usually has high feeling of self-esteem and is aware of his personal needs and rights. He states his needs, wants and feelings in an honest manner. At the same time, he is also sensitive to others needs and rights. He will first listen to others attentively before firmly communicating his message. Takes action towards achieving the result without denying others rights. Pro-active and solution oriented to always find a positive way forward. Makes statements to convey respect for the listener. Sends messages that have no hidden agenda what he says is what he means to say. Has the ability to initiate, continue and terminate conversations.

The Assertiveness can be depicted through behavior as mentioned:

Sunil Sukhbir Singh, PCL-I, 2009-11

Stand up for your basic rights. Assume responsibility for your own feelings By continually stating your own feelings, needs, wants and desires While listening to other people use the active listening style & demonstrate empathy Identify the problems in Behavioral terms & focus on brainstorming solutions Be willing to evaluate options within boundaries Be aware of the choices and the consequences which can generate trust Make requests and ask for favors, refuse unreasonable requests. Accept both compliments and feedback.

The Assertiveness can be depicted through verbal clues as mentioned:

Agree on matters assertively. Use factual descriptions instead of judgments & avoiding exaggerations Keep a level, well modulated tone of voice & being specific Stand up for your opinions and stick to them. Resist giving into interruptions before completing your own thoughts. When saying No is decisive.

The Assertiveness can be depicted through body language as mentioned:

Beware of others body language as well as your own. Maintain a good posture and eye contact but do not stare Keep your posture open, relaxed and make sure that your expressions match with the message you are conveying. Stop self-limiting Behaviors, such as smiling too much, nodding too much, tilting your head, or dropping your eyes in response to another persons gaze.

Sunil Sukhbir Singh, PCL-I, 2009-11

Sunil Sukhbir Singh, PCL-I, 2009-11