BUS 4.

6 H: HRD Strategies & Systems Unit - 3

HRD APPLICATIONS

CAREER CONCEPTS

Introduction:

Career: Career may be defined as various stages or sequence of jobs a person occupy in a life
time.(or) The occupational positions a person has had over many years.

Career goal: Career goals are future positions strived as part of a career.

Career planning: It is the deliberate process through which someone becomes aware of
personal skills, interests, knowledge, motivations, and other characteristics; and establishes
action plans to attain specific goals. In simple word career planning is deliberate process of one
selecting a career goal and the path to these goals.

Career management: It is a process of designing, implementing goals, plans, and strategies to

enable the organization to satisfy employee needs while allowing the individual to achieve
career goals thus growth process. This means it is the process for enabling employees to better
understand and develop their career skills and interests and to use these skills and interests
more effectively.

Career development: Career development is those personal improvements that one undertakes
to achieve a personal career plan. In other words it is the lifelong series of activities that
contribute to a person’s career exploration, establishment, success and fulfillment.

Factors determining career choice:

Factors detemining career choice

Career Anchor Occupational Orientation

Career Stages
*Technical Career *Realistic Orientation
*Growth stages &
Anchor Infancy stage *Investigative
* Managerial Orientation
*Exploration or
Competence Addoloscent stage *Social Orientaation
*Creativity * Establishment Stage or * Conventional
* Security Adult stage Orientation
* Autonomy * Maintenace or Middle * Enterprising
stage Orientation
* Decline or old age stage * Artistic Orientation
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Career stages:

There are four career stages:

1. Exploration
2. Establishment
3. Maintenance
4. Disengagement

Exploration Establishment Maintenance Disengagement

Developmental Identify Advancement; Hold on to Retirement
tasks interests, skills, growth, accomplishment, planning,
fit between self security, update skills Change balance
and work develop life between work
style and non work
Activities Helping Making Training, Phasing out of
learning independent sponsoring, work
following contributions policy making
directions
Relationships Apprentice Colleague Mentor sponsor
to other
employees
Typical age Less than 30 30-45 45-60 61+
Years on job Less than 2 2 – 10 years More than 10 More than 10
years years Years

Career planning process:

Self
Assessment

Catch hold of
Goal setting
opportunities

Academic
Plan of action Career
options
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Career development process or Model:

•Occupational research written

•Values •Occupational inteviewing
•Experiences •Company/ organizationa
•Skills research
•Personality •Employment trends
•interests •Continuing education

Self Assessment Reality Check

Career
Implementation
Management

•Professional development • Reume/ job/ Search letter

•Maintaining balance •Interviewing
•Managing work issues •Job search strategies
•Understanding organizational •Neteork and support
culture •Evaluate/ Negotiiate offers
•Understanding job cycles

Your Self-Assessment:
How well do you know yourself? What are your values, skills and attitudes? Through self-
assessment you can better understand how you might embrace or reject certain careers. Isn't it
better to discover your interests now, while still in college, than to find out many years later
when stuck in a career field that doesn't hold your interest? The Career Development Center
can help you assess your skills, personality, interests, and values. Your skills and interests may
qualify you for a career, while values indicate qualities and goals one strives for in life. You
may have the ability to be the best worker in your field, but will that career path meet your
personal goals? Will it give you a sense of satisfaction?
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Interests:
How might your interests play a role in your search for a career? Do you know what your
interests are? This piece of the Career Development Model will help you define your interests
and find an occupation in which you would be able to use those interests.
Personality:
Personality tests, such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, help identify your preferences.
Using your personality type can be helpful in finding a career field and company culture that
is most compatible with your style. This is not meant to categorize you, but merely to give you
an understanding of where your tendencies lie such as do you tend towards creating a schedule
or doing things on the spur of the moment? There are no wrong answers or bad types. It is
highly recommended that you make an appointment with a career counselor for assistance
interpreting your inventory results.
Skills:
Once you identify your skills, learning how to transfer them into the workplace and marketing
them to employers is essential. Your list of skills can carry a lot of weight when your
application is reviewed by an employer. You should try to identify the skills you have and the
skills you may need to gain or improve on. The ability to identify and learn new skills when
necessary is, in itself, a skill (e.g. I am a fast learner).
Experiences:
Often interviewers will ask about an applicant's experience. Have they held a fast-paced job in
the past and, if so, for how long? A single year's worth of experience as a short order cook can
show commitment within a fast-paced environment, even when applying for a copyediting
position with a publishing house.
Values:
Your values can make you feel self-worth within your career. A job where not only do you feel
valued by the employer, but where you feel that you have made a difference in either the
company or community can give you satisfaction about going to work day after day. There are
resources that can help you identify personal values.
Reality Check:
The Reality Check portion of the Career Development process builds from a person's Self-
Assessment. The purpose is to inform an individual on academic major and career choices.
During this process you will gather information on employment trends, occupations,
companies, and amount of education required. This information will facilitate decision making,
and stimulate continued exploration allowing one to assess options and discover possible
alternatives.
Occupational Research:
When contemplating a career or major, one of the first steps is to learn more about a field before
selecting it as a final decision. Use resources to explore job qualifications, required education,
job outlook, and compensation.
Occupational Interviewing:
How much do you know about the occupation or major you are looking into? You can use an
informational interview to gather first hand information that will assist you in your choice of
academic major, occupational field, or employer.
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You may wish to use the UST Career Development Center's group on LinkedIn to find
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professionals willing to participate in an informational interview.

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BUS 4.6 H: HRD Strategies & Systems Unit - 3

Company/Organization Research:
Who is hiring and where? Answers to these questions can be found by looking up employers
in online and print directories. Most large employers have websites that list employment
opportunities.
When searching out organizations it is important to find one that will provide the right fit
between who you are and who they are and what they do. Questions you may wish to find the
answers to may involve company size, benefits, environment, and whether they are regional,
national, or international. An important, but sometimes overlooked question to ask is, what
exactly do they do?
Information gathered while researching companies can transfer into the interview stage if you
show the interviewer your knowledge of the company.
Employment Trends:
Just as jobs that were hot five years ago may not be that hot today, jobs that are hot today may
not be that hot in five years. While it is difficult to predict various twists and turns the job
market may take in the future, there are certain trends that make themselves apparent in the
present. By making yourself aware of these trends, you are less likely to set yourself up for
disappointment if the occupation you are interested in is in serious decline or amidst tough
competition. Not only do trends show demands, they show information such as whether or not
those employed in a certain field need more education (i.e. graduate degrees) than a few years
ago.
Continuing Education:
You may need to start preparing for graduate school sooner than you realize. Giving yourself
time to think through and apply yourself to the research and application process is crucial to
having the graduate school experience work for you. First, you must ask yourself if additional
schooling will be beneficial to your career and self-interests. If you decide that graduate school
fits into your goals you will need to research different schools and programs, prepare and take
admission tests, organize your graduate school applications and, if necessary, write your
academic resume.
Implementation
Once you've done a Self-Assessment and completed a Reality Check, you are ready to search,
apply for, and land a job. The Implementation phase of the Career Development Model focuses
energy on just those things from creating a killer resume to negotiating and sealing the deal
with an employer. Get an advantage by working on your resume and interviewing skills before,
and even during, your search. Use the available resources to help direct you on your job hunt.
Resume/Job Search Letters:
Generally, when applying for a position, submitting a cover letter and resume is crucial. The
cover letter should not summarize but, rather, highlight the resume making the reader want to
know more. Once an employer decides to look at the resume you have less than a minute to
wow them before they move on to the next applicant. Your skills and qualifications should
jump out and be easy to skim through. Use your minute wisely by learning how to write a cover
letter and resume that will get you invited for an interview. Other considerations must be given
to inquiry letters and portfolios.
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Interviewing:

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Do you know how to conduct yourself or what questions you should ask the employer during
a job interview? You may have spent hours putting finishing touches on your resume, but you
often have less than 15 minutes to make a first impression. Learn how to carry yourself through
an interview by finding out what responses and actions interviewers are looking for. After
reviewing the links to the left you may wish to set up a time to do a mock interview with the
Career Development Center. Mock interviews allow you to practice in an interview-like setting
and receive valuable feedback from one of our career coaches.
Job Search Strategies:
Once your resume and cover letters are ready to go and you've mastered being an interviewee,
you will need to get organized, sit down, and start the actual job search. The question you have
now is, "Where do I start?" The Internet is filled with postings either on company sites or
general job posting boards.
Network and Support:
Find out where the jobs are and make you known. Networking isn't just about mingling with
employers at job fairs. It also involves you getting your name out there to friends and
employers. Because two out of three positions out there are not advertised, ask around to see if
anyone is hiring. The Resource Center contains many directories of regional and national
employers. You may also wish to join a job search support group in order to expand your
network.
Evaluate/Negotiate Offers:
Let's say you've found an employer who wants you to fill their position, but the salary and
benefits don't quite match what you had in mind. However, it is a short commute with free
parking and the work environment seems ideal. Let's also say that at the same time another
company has offered you the same type of job, but with a higher salary, longer commute, and
rigid work hours. How should you evaluate or even negotiate these offers? Figure out what you
are worth and what you are willing to give up in exchange for other personal or material
benefits, and then learn to negotiate in order to achieve your goals.
Career Management:
Perhaps you wish to explore a job or career change and find other options available to you.
Maybe it is not a change you wish to explore, but achieve a better understanding of the
workforce in regards to diversity issues or developing yourself professionally by staying up to
date on the latest research or technologies. Changes in your lifestyle require you to adjust your
life/work balance. Use the pieces of Career Management to guide you though the "working
years" of your life.
Understanding Job Cycles:
After working in the real world you may have redefined what you want in a job. Perhaps your
current job or career doesn't hold your interest anymore, or maybe you feel like you've "done
it all" and wish to explore your options. This is a Self-Assessment through "experience" rather
than research, and you've learned what it takes to make you feel satisfied with your work. Or,
maybe you don't know what it is, but you think your current position isn't it. By exploring
resources you can figure out your next step, whether it is a new job, new career, or even a minor
change within your current work situation.
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Understanding Organizational Culture:

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Are you reporting to the right people? Are you voicing concerns, ideas, and progress to the
proper department or individual? Is redundancy a problem? If you manage a team, is it efficient
or do your team members have problems finding the answers to the questions above?
Organizational Culture is more than just who reports what to who--it involves dress code,
scheduling flexibility, mandatory events, company picnics and professional and personal
relationships in the organization. In other words, it is knowing what makes your organization's
work environment tick.
Managing Work Issues:
What is your company's policy regarding diversity in the workplace? Injuries, and maternity
leave? What can you expect from your employer and co-workers regarding these issues? Are
you aware of government programs to assist you when you experience conflict in the work
place? Do you know your rights and your responsibilities? When you encounter work-related
issues and conflicts, explore the resources available to you.
Maintaining Balance:
Home, work, and personal life. How do you know where to set your priorities? What is the
balance between a happy home life and earning an income to support that life? Maintaining a
balance allows you to apply the right amount of energy to the correct pieces of your life. Figure
out how to maintain this balance without a job change, or if you are willing, make a job/career
change that better suits your lifestyle.
Professional Development:
Explore your work environment and learn more about your field by discovering what other
people in your position practice and are exploring them. Stay up-to-date with the latest
information that affects your job and organization whether it be technology, positive team
management, or task handling techniques. By staying efficient and up-to-date with the latest
skills, you not only expand your skill set, but bring fresh innovations to your job and
organization.

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 BUS 4.6 H: HRD Strategies & Systems Unit - 3

BALANCED SCORE CARD APPROACH

Introduction:

R S Kaplan and D P Norton came out with a popular, balanced score approach in early 90’s
linking corporate goals with strategic actions undertaken at the business unit, departmental and
individual level. The score card approach allows manager to evaluate a firm from different
perspectives.

Theory behind Balanced Score Card Approach:

The Argument runs like this

1. A firm can offer superior returns to the stockholders if it has a competitive advantage
in its product or service offerings when compared to its rivals.
2. In order to sustain a competitive advantage, a firm must offer superior value to the
customers.
3. This, in turn, requires development of operations with necessary capabilities.
4. In order to develop the needed operational capabilities, a firm requires the services of
employees having requisite skills, creativity, diversity and motivations.

Thus, the performance as assessed in one perspective supports the performance in other
areas.

Four Perspectives of the Balanced Scorecard/ Key Performance Measures:

Financial Perspective

Customer Perspective Vision & Strategy Internal Process

Perspective

Learning & Growth

Perspective

The Balance Score Card model requires an evaluation of organizational performance from four
different perspectives.

1. Financial Perspective: This perspective considers the financial measures arising from
the strategic intent of the organization.
2. Customer Perspective: This perspective measures the ability of the organization to
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provide quality goods and services, effective delivery and overall customer satisfaction.

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3. Internal Business Perspective: Internal business processes are the mechanism through
which performance expectations are achieved. Internal businesses perspective provide
data regarding the internal business results against measures that lead to financial
success and satisfied customers. To meet the organizational objectives and customer
expectations, organizations must identify the key business processes at which they must
excel
4. Learning & Growth Perspective: This perspective focuses on the ability of the
organization to manage its businesses and adapt to change. In order to face the
challenges of changes in the environment and customer expectations, organizations
take on new responsibilities that require its employees to develop new skills and
capabilities.

Key Areas/ Perspectives Examples

• EVA
(Economic Value Added)
Financial Perspective • Profitability
• Growth

• Differentiation
Customer Perspective • Cost
• Quick Response

• Product
Internal Organizational Development
Business/ Operational • Demand
perspective Management
• Order fulfillment

Innovation & Learning • Leadership

Perspective • Organizational
Learning
• Ability to
Change
Limitations:

1. Difficulty in assigning ‘Weightage’ to the different perspectives.

2. Establishing the cause and effect relationships among these perspectives.
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Objective Setting in Balance Sore Card Approach:

Long term Shareholders value

Financial
Improve Improve Improve Improve
Perspective Cost Cost Cost Cost
Structure Structure Structure Structure

Customer Customer Value Proposition

Perspective Price Quality Availability Selection Functionality Service Partnership Brand

Internal Operations Customer Innovation Regulatory &

Management Management Processes Social Processes
Perspective Processes Processes

Human Capital
Learning/ Information Capital
Innovation Organizational Capital
Perspective Culture Leadership Alignment Teamwork

Working of Balanced score card Approach:

In practice, the balanced score card approach works something like this:

1. The development of the score card begins with the establishment of the organizations
strategic intent, including the vision and mission.
2. Next, the design of the balanced score card is determined by identifying the specific
measures related to the four perspectives. The specific strategies that should be
formulated and implemented to realize that vision are also determined.
3. The following step involves mapping the strategy through the identification of
organizational activities that are derived from the strategies. For example, achieving
financial growth may be expressed in terms of sales growth and revenue growth.
4. In the final stage, metrics that can be used to accurately measure the performance of the
organization in the specific areas are established. In example above metrics for revenue
growth may be expressed in terms of sales to new customers, sale of new services or
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products or entry into new markets.

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QUALITY OF WORK LIFE

Introduction:

Quality of work life (QWL) is becoming an increasingly popular concept in recent times. It is
a multi faceted concept. It means having a work environment where an employee’s activities
become more important by implementing procedures or policies that make the work less
routine and more rewarding for the employee. There a relationship between QWL and
productivity. It basically talks about the methods in which an organization can ensure the
holistic well being of an employee instead of just focusing on work related aspects. The people
involved get a sense of satisfaction in their work. Work then becomes not a burden but a means
by which abilities of a person can find expression. Mass production technology has made
workers job monotonous and it is of little meaning to them. Results of low QWL are
absenteeism, low performance, poor morale and occasional sabotage. Ultimately it is the
organization that suffers due to lack of QWL.

Its origin:

After industrial revolution the importance of human factor reduced because of the vast
mechanization. Various problems like job dissatisfaction, boredom, absenteeism, lack of
commitment etc came out. Most management theories gave emphasis on production,
manipulating the skills of the employees.

Concept & meaning:

i. QWL is any conscious effort for improving working conditions, work content and its
safety, security, wages and benefits etc.
ii. QWL can be said to all the original inputs which aim at improving the employee’s
satisfaction and enhancing organizational effectiveness.
iii. QWL is a concern not only to improve life at work, but also life outside work,
iv. It is nothing but having a work environment where an employee’s activities become
more important. This means implementing procedures or policies that make the work
less routine and more rewarding for the employee. These procedures or policies include
autonomy, recognition, belongingness, development and external rewards.
v. Simply speaking through QWL the people involved get a sense of satisfaction in their
work. Work then becomes not a burden but a means by which the abilities of person
can find expression.
vi. QWL is just humanizing the work.
vii. QWL = The sum of total of physical (working conditions), psychological and economic
factors which affect the job.

Objectives of QWL:

i. To improve the standards of living of the employees.

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ii. To increase the productivity.

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iii. To create a positive attitude in the mind of the employee.

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iv. To increase the effectiveness of the organization (Profitability, goal accomplishment

etc.)

Strategies for improvement for QWL:

Providing job
security

Rewards and
Job enrichment
recognition

QWL
Flexible work Career growth
timing palns

Increased
Open
employee
communication
participation

(or)

1. Self managed work team:

• Autonomous work group or integrated work team
• Plan, coordinate & control activities with the help of team leader
• Employee participation
Improves QWL
2. Participative Management:
• Allow to participate in management participative schemes like quality circles.
• Developing positive attitude
Improves QWL
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3. Worker – Supervisor relationship:

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Through social association and belongingness, achieve work results.

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4. Promotion:
• Opportunity to move in to job with high job satisfaction and prestige.
• Orderly, logical and prompt source of recruitment for the management to fill
vacancies.
5. Recognition:
• Treat workers as human beings rather than employees.
• Rewarding system, Job enrichment, Offering membership etc
6. Organization health program:
• Educating employee about health problems.
• Results in reduction of absenteeism, hospitalization etc.
7. Alternative work schedule:
• Work at home, flexible working hours, part time employment etc.

Factors affecting quality of work life:

Some people consider QWL as the existence of a certain set of original conditions and
practices. They agree that high QWL exist when

i. Democratic management practices are prevalent in the organization

ii. When employees jobs are enriching.
iii. They are treated with dignity and safe working conditions are present.
iv. Others equate QWL with the impact of working conditions on the employees well
being.

Implementation of QWL:

i. Management and employee’s cooperation - A worker management committee on work

improvement can function effectively to increase cooperation.
ii. Action plans developed must be followed to completion.
iii. Support of middle managers by top management and bottom level employees to
implement the program.
iv. The objectives of QWL should be a joint one, i.e., for workers it is to improve QWL;
for management it is to improve organizational efficiency.

Barriers to QWL:

i. Resistance to change both by management and employees.

ii. There is a general perception that QWL. Implementation will cost much to the
organization
iii. Continuous increase in QWL may result in less productivity, i.e., after a certain level
the productivity will not increase in proportion to the increase in QWL.

Conclusion:
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QWL basically is all about employee involvement, which consists of methods to motivate
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employees to participate in decision making. This help in building good relationship, to retain
good talent, organization with low stress levels.

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BUS 4.6 H: HRD Strategies & Systems Unit - 3

QUALITY CIRCLES

Introduction:

Quality circles (QC) 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 so 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 7 to 8
members, but the number of members in a Quality circle may vary.

Other names of QC:

• Small groups
• Action circles
• Excellence circles
• Human resources circles
• Productivity circles

Objectives of quality circles:

i. Promote job involvement

ii. Create problem solving capability
iii. Improve communication
iv. Promote leadership qualities
v. Promote personal development
vi. Develop a greater awareness for cleanliness
vii. Develop greater awareness for safety
viii. Improve morale through closer identity of employee objectives with organizations
objectives
ix. Reduce errors
x. Enhance quality
xi. Inspire more effective team work
xii. Build an attitude of problem prevention
xiii. Promote cost reduction
xiv. Develop harmonious manager, supervisor and worker relationship
xv. Improved productivity
xvi. Reduce downtime of machines and equipment
xvii. Increase employee motivation

QC meetings:

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

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What takes place during QC meetings?

Any of the several activities mentioned below may occur during QC meetings. They are

i. Identify a theme or a problem to work on

ii. Getting training as required to enable members to analyze the problems
iii. Analyzing problem(s)
iv. Preparing recommendations for implementing solution(s)
v. Follow up of implementation of suggestions.
vi. Prepare for a presentation to the management.

What QC is not? (Misconception about QC)

i. QC does not tackle just quality problems.

ii. QC is not a substitute or replacement for task forces, product committees, and joint
plant councils or works committees, quality assurance department, and suggestion
schemes.
iii. QC do not change the existing organizational structure or the chain of command
iv. Quality circles are not a forum for grievance or a spring board for demands
v. QC is not a means for the management to unload all their problems.
vi. QC is not just another technique
vii. QC is not a cure for all ills.

Pitfalls and Problems:

i. Lack of faith in and support to Quality Circle activities among management personnel
ii. Lack of interest or incompetence of leaders/facilitator
iii. Apathy, fear and misunderstanding among middle level executives
iv. Delay or non-implementation of Circle recommendations
v. Irregularity of Quality Circle activities
vi. Non-application of simple techniques for problem solving
vii. Lack of or non-participation by some members in the Circle activities
viii. Circles running out of problems
ix. Inadequate visibility of management support
x. Non-maintenance of Quality Circle records
xi. Too much facilitation or too little
xii. Language difficulty in communication
xiii. Communication gap between Circles and departmental head
xiv. Change of management
xv. Confusing Quality Circle for another technique
xvi. Resistance from trade unions

Structure of Quality Circles Program:

Six Basic Elements
i. Circle participants or members.
ii. Circle leaders/deputy leaders.
iii. Program facilitator.
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iv. Steering/advisory committee.

v. Top management.
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vi. Potential members and non-participating management/members.

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Roles and Responsibilities of Various Elements

Role of Participants or Members

i. Theme/problem should be related to work.
ii. Do not bring in the personal issues or problems as the themes of quality circles.
iii. Demonstrate mutual respect.
iv. Take training in all the aspects of quality circles.
v. Acquire the necessary skills in various quality circle tools and techniques.
vi. Participate wholeheartedly in problem-solving process by giving ideas and views
voluntarily and suggesting the solutions.
vii. Attend all the meetings of quality circle. When unavoidable to attend the meeting,
seek prior permission of the quality circle leader.
viii. Participate in implementing the finalized solutions.

Roles of Leaders:
i. Decide date and time of each quality circle meeting and inform to all the members.
ii. Ensure maximum attendance of all the members in the meetings.
iii. Conduct the meetings effectively.
iv. Motivate the members for their full participation in the proceedings of quality circle
meetings and related activities.
v. Facilitate the members in data collection.
vi. Maintain the records of quality circles meetings and other related activities.
vii. Interact with other quality circle leaders.
viii. Interact with the quality circle facilitator frequently.
ix. Make presentations of solutions to the management. Involve the members in making
the presentations.
x. Seek management approvals of the solutions.
xi. Ensure implementation of the approved solutions with the active involvement of the
members.
xii. Arrange first time training and later on, the refresher training of the members and self
in the quality circles group process, tools and techniques.

Roles of Facilitators:
i. Act as an effective link between the quality circles and the management.
ii. Coordinate the work of several quality circles through their respective leaders.
iii. Act as a resource person for the quality circles being facilitated.
iv. Arrange for obtaining necessary expertise from other agencies and quality circles.
v. Keep the motivation and morale level of all the leaders and members at the highest
level.
vi. Review the progress of each circle periodically and lead them appropriately.
vii. Continually update the knowledge and skills pertaining to the working of quality
circles by studying the relevant literature and attending the training programs.
viii. Transfer the knowledge and skills to the leaders and the members.
ix. Arrange for additional training to the leaders and members as required.
x. Arrange for necessary monetary budgets and keep the required records.
xi. Facilitate and guide the quality circle leaders and members to make the management
presentations.
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Roles of Steering Committee (Management)

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i. Formally announce the launching of quality circle initiative in the organization.

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ii. Provide full support and encouragement to quality circle movement in the
organization.
iii. Provide leadership and guidance to develop the quality circle models, structure and
policies.
iv. Design the opportunities for presentations by the quality circles.
v. Facilitate the approval and implementation of the solutions presented by quality
circles.
vi. Sanction the necessary monetary budgets for smooth working of quality circles.
vii. Provide the logistic support as needed (presentation venues, meeting rooms, time,
finance, training facilities etc)
viii. Plan out and execute various training programs for the existing and prospective
quality circle facilitators, leaders and members.
ix. Give due recognition to quality circles, their members and their work by way of
prizes, felicitations and other means.
x. Develop guidelines for measuring the effectiveness of quality circles and also the
quality circle initiative as a whole.
xi. Review the performance and progress of quality circles periodically.

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:

i. Attend all meetings and be on time.
ii. Listen to and show respect for the views of other members.
iii. Make others feel a part of the group.
iv. Criticize ideas, not persons.
v. Help other members to participate more fully.
vi. Be open to and encourage the ideas of others.
vii. Every member is responsible for the team’s progress.
viii. Maintain a friendly attitude.
ix. Strive for enthusiasm.
x. The only stupid question is the one that is not asked.
xi. Look for merit in the ideas of others.
xii. Pay attention- avoid disruptive behavior.
xiii. Avoid actions that delay progress.
xiv. Carry out assignments on schedule.
xv. Give credit to those whom it is due.
xvi. Thank those who give assistance.
xvii. Do not suppress ideas- do express.
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xviii. Objectives and causes first, solutions next.

xix. Give praise and honest appreciation when due.
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xx. 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:
i. Brainstorming.
ii. Pareto analysis.
iii. Cause and effect diagram (or fish bone diagram or Ishikawa diagram).
iv. Histogram.
v. Scatter diagram
vi. Stratification
vii. Check sheet
viii. Control charts and graphs

Benefits of QC

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

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Organizational Development

Introduction:

Organization development (OD) is a deliberately planned, organization-wide effort to increase

an organization's effectiveness or efficiency. For example, Vasudevan has referred to OD
being about promoting organizational readiness to meet change and it has been said that OD is
a systemic learning and development strategy intended to change the basics of beliefs, attitudes
and relevance of values, and structure of the current organization to better absorb disruptive
technologies, shrinking or exploding market opportunities and ensuing challenges and chaos.
Organization development is an ongoing, systematic process of implementing effective
organizational change. OD is known as both a field of science focused on understanding and
managing organizational change and as a field of scientific study and inquiry. It is
interdisciplinary in nature and draws on sociology, psychology, and theories of motivation,
learning, and personality. It is worth understanding what OD is not. It not training, personal
development, team development, HRD (human resource development), L&D (learning and
development) or a part of HR although it is often mistakenly understood as some or all of these.
OD interventions are about change so involve people - but OD also develops processes, systems
and structures. The primary purpose of OD is to develop the organization, not to train or
develop the staff.

Core values of OD:

Underlying organization Development are humanistic values . If articulated the humanistic
values are as following.
1. Providing opportunities for people to function as human beings rather than as resources
in the productive process.
2. Providing opportunities for each organization member, as well as for the organization
itself, to develop to his full potential.
3. Seeking to increase the effectiveness of the organization in terms of all of its goals.
4. Attempting to create an environment in which it is possible to find exciting and
challenging work.
5. Providing opportunities for people in organizations to influence the way in which they
relate to work, the organization, and the environment.
6. Treating each human being as a person with a complex set of needs, all of which are
important in his work and in his life.

Objectives of OD:
i. To increase the level of inter-personal trust among employees.
ii. To increase employee's level of satisfaction and commitment.
iii. To confront problems instead of neglecting them.
iv. To effectively manage conflict.
v. To increase cooperation among the employees.
vi. To increase the organization problem solving.
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Different contexts in which OD is used:

i. Change agent: A change agent in the sense used here is not a technical expert skilled
in such functional areas as accounting, production, or finance. The change agent is a
behavioral scientist who knows how to get people in an organization involved in solving
their own problems. The change agent can be either external or internal to the
organization. An internal change agent is usually a staff person who has expertise in
the behavioral sciences and in the intervention technology of OD. The change agent
may be a staff or line member of the organization who is schooled in OD theory and
technique. In such a case, the "contractual relationship" is an in-house agreement that
should probably be explicit with respect to all of the conditions involved except the fee.
ii. Sponsoring organization: The initiative for OD programs often comes from an
organization that has a problem or anticipates facing a problem. This means that top
management or someone authorized by top management is aware that a problem exists
and has decided to seek help in solving it. There is a direct analogy here to the practice
of psychotherapy: The client or patient must actively seek help in finding a solution to
his problems. This indicates a willingness on the part of the client organization to accept
help and assures the organization that management is actively concerned.
iii. Applied behavioral science: One of the outstanding characteristics of OD that
distinguishes it from most other improvement programs is that it is based on a helping
relationship." Some believe that the change agent is not a physician to the organization's
ills; that s/he does not examine the "patient," make a diagnosis, and write a prescription.
Nor does she try to teach organizational members a new inventory of knowledge which
they then transfer to the job situation. Using theory and methods drawn from
such behavioral sciences as industrial/organizational psychology, industrial
sociology, communication, cultural anthropology, administrative theory,
organizational behavior, economics, and political science, the change agent's main
function is to help the organization define and solve its own problems. The basic
method used is known as action research. This approach, which is described in detail
later, consists of a preliminary diagnosis, collecting data, feedback of the data to the
client, data exploration by the client group, action planning based on the data, and
taking action.
iv.
Systems context: OD deals with a total system — the organization as a whole,
including its relevant environment — or with a subsystem or systems — departments
or work groups — in the context of the total system. Parts of systems, for example,
individuals, cliques, structures, norms, values, and products are not considered in
isolation; the principle of interdependency, that is, that change in one part of a system
affects the other parts, is fully recognized. Thus, OD interventions focus on the total
culture and cultural processes of organizations. The focus is also on groups, since the
relevant behavior of individuals in organizations and groups is generally a product of
group influences rather than personality.
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Benefits of OD:

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The objective of OD is to improve the organization's capacity to handle its internal and external
functioning and relationships. This would include such things as
i. improved interpersonal and group processes,
ii. more effective communication,
iii. enhanced ability to cope with organizational problems of all kinds,
iv. more effective decision processes,
v. more appropriate leadership style,
vi. improved skill in dealing with destructive conflict, and
vii. Higher levels of trust and cooperation among organizational members.
viii. These objectives stem from a value system based on an optimistic view of the nature of
man — that man in a supportive environment is capable of achieving higher levels of
development and accomplishment. Essential to organization development and
effectiveness is the scientific method — inquiry, a rigorous search for causes,
experimental testing of hypotheses, and review of results.
ix. Self-managing work groups allows the members of a work team to manage, control,
and monitor all facets of their work, from recruiting, hiring, and new employees to
deciding when to take rest breaks. An early analysis of the first-self-managing work
groups yielded the following behavioral characteristics:
a) Employees assume personal responsibility and accountability for outcomes of
their work.
b) Employees monitor their own performance and seek feedback on how well they
are accomplishing their goals.
c) Employees manage their performance and take corrective action when
necessary to improve their and the performance of other group members.
d) Employees seek guidance, assistance, and resources from the organization when
they do not have what they need to do the job.
e) Employees help members of their work group and employees in other groups to
improve job performance and raise productivity for the organization as a whole.
x. Organizational self-renewal: The ultimate aim of OD practitioners is to "work
themselves out of a job" by leaving the client organization with a set of tools, behaviors,
attitudes, and an action plan with which to monitor its own state of health and to take
corrective steps toward its own renewal and development. This is consistent with the
systems concept of feedback as a regulatory and corrective mechanism.
Process of OD:
Wendell L French and Cecil Bell defined organization development (OD) at one point as
"organization improvement through action research". Lewin's description of the process of
change involves three steps:
"Unfreezing": Faced with a dilemma or disconfirmation, the individual or group becomes
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aware of a need to change.

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"Changing": The situation is diagnosed and new models of behavior are explored and tested.

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"Refreezing": Application of new behavior is evaluated, and if reinforcing, adopted.

OD interventions:

"Interventions" are principal learning processes in the "action" stage

of organization development. Interventions are structured activities used individually or in
combination by the members of a client system to improve their social or task performance.
They may be introduced by a change agent as part of an improvement program, or they may
be used by the client following a program to check on the state of the organization's health, or
to effect necessary changes in its own behavior. "Structured activities" mean such diverse
procedures as experiential exercises, questionnaires, attitude surveys, interviews, relevant
group discussions, and even lunchtime meetings between the change agent and a member of
the client organization. Every action that influences an organization's improvement program in
a change agent-client system relationship can be said to be an intervention.
There are many possible intervention strategies from which to choose. Several assumptions
about the nature and functioning of organizations are made in the choice of a particular
strategy. Beckhard lists six such assumptions:

1. The basic building blocks of an organization are groups (teams). Therefore, the basic
units of change are groups, not individuals.
2. An always relevant change goal is the reduction of inappropriate competition between
parts of the organization and the development of a more collaborative condition.
3. Decision making in a healthy organization is located where the information sources are,
rather than in a particular role or level of hierarchy.
4. Organizations, subunits of organizations, and individuals continuously manage their
affairs against goals. Controls are interim measurements, not the basis of managerial
strategy.
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5. One goal of a healthy organization is to develop generally open communication, mutual

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6. People support what they help create. People affected by a change must be allowed
active participation and a sense of ownership in the planning and conduct of the change.
Bottlenecks or Problems faced during OD:

The change agent must address himself to all of these hazards and obstacles. Some of the things
which will help him are:

1. A real need in the client system to change

2. Genuine support from management
3. Setting a personal example: listening, supporting behavior
4. A sound background in the behavioral sciences
5. A working knowledge of systems theory
6. A belief in man as a rational, self-educating being fully capable of learning better ways
to do things.

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