Executive Summary

The ACME Laboratories Ltd is one of the Top listed Pharmaceutical in Bangladesh. The
Pharmaceuticals industry faces severe competition within the oligopoly and as a result
organizations are highly performance driven. The often ruthless and competitive HR practice at
Pharmaceuticals organizations requires the HR expert to be able to understand performance
matrices and organizational issues. Hence, the management development programs are often
introduced within organizations and trainings are facilitated. Therefore, it shows valuable
insights on how and why organizations must be more adding values in terms Recruitment, HRIS,
HR Transaction, Performance Appraisal, and Health & Safety Issues and how Human Resource
Division become a Business Partner. The ACME Laboratories Ltd. believes that Human
Resource Capital is the most important part of their company and that is why they take very good
care of it. They maintain a very strict and systematic approach in the recruitment and Selection
Process. They know that business is not about numbers and functions rather it is about people /
employees whom they run it. So the Human Resource Division of the ACME Laboratories Ltd.
continuously develops ideas to manage them and also take initiatives to formulate those. To get
the better outcome from their quality employees they do performance evaluation and perform
necessary tasks to motivate their employees in case of poor performance. They do have training
and development program for the Medical Representatives and Sales Representatives for the
better performance of their Sales Management team. The report provides recommends for both
academia and practitioners. It recommends that management training can also take the time
constrains in industry into consideration and train students to conduct academic projects like
marketing plan within a specific number of hours and thus introduce performance matrices at the
early stage of training. Additionally, it recommends that how The ACME Laboratories ltd. Can
run as a more HR Driven firm. Finally, the report concludes that although the scholarly domain
focuses on theory development and also elaborates the key functions of Human Resources which
are the most important part of the organization to achieve their organizational goals. Therefore
the ACME Laboratories Ltd. follows the systematic way to manage their Human Resource
Functions to be the market leader in the pharmaceuticals industry of Bangladesh.

The Pharmaceutical Industry in Bangladesh

The pharmaceutical industry in Bangladesh is one of the most developed technology sectors
within Bangladesh. Manufacturers produce insulin, hormones, and cancer drugs. This sector
provides 97% of the total medicinal requirement of the local market. The industry also exports
medicines to global markets, including Europe. Pharmaceutical companies are expanding their
business with the aim to expand the export market. The pharmaceutical industry in Bangladesh is
one of the most developed hi-tech sectors within the country's economy. The industry
manufactured about 5,600 brands of medicines in different dosage forms. There were 1,495
wholesale drug license holders and about 37,700 retail drug license holders in Bangladesh. Due
to recent development of this sector, the industry is exporting medicines to global markets,
including the European market. This sector is also providing 97% of the total medicine
requirement of the local market. In the fiscal year of 2019-20, Bangladesh’s pharmaceutical
export revenue was 136 million. Besides, Bangladesh ranks 71st out of 134 countries in the
world in terms of global pharmaceutical exports. Apart from allopathic medicines, Bangladesh
also produces homeopathic, unani, and ayurvedic medicines. At present, there are about 257
pharmaceutical companies in Bangladesh which manufacture about 80 percent of generic drugs.
At present, domestic companies like Square, Beximco, Reneta and Opsonin are dominating the
pharmaceutical market in Bangladesh. The Industry exports active pharmaceutical ingredients
(APIs) and a wide range of pharmaceutical products, covering all major therapeutic classes and
dosage forms, to 79 countries. Along with regular forms like tablets, capsules and syrups,
Bangladesh also exports specialized products like HFA inhalers, CFC inhalers, suppositories,
nasal sprays, injectable, IV infusions, etc. These products have been well accepted by medical
practitioners, chemists, patients and the regulatory bodies of all of their importing nations. The
packaging and the presentation of the products of Bangladesh are comparable to any
international standard. According to a report by Sudip Chaudhuri, EVOLUTION OF THE
PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY IN BANGLADESH, Bangladesh did not reveal any of the
rules, even though the US government at the time pressured them to do so. However, at that
time, out of 4340 registered medicines, about 1700 medicines were banned and removed from
the market. This gave MNCs a chance to reorganize their operations, but a number of
organizations, such as Squibb had to shut down their operations in Bangladesh. In 1995,
Bangladesh signed the TRIPS agreement with the World Trade Organization. Bangladesh, as one
of the least developed countries, received the benefit of manufacturing and marketing medicines
without patents. As a result, Bangladesh can produce medicines at lower costs, making the price
of medicines much lower at the consumer level, which was very important for an
underdeveloped health sector like Bangladesh. Initially, the agreement was valid till 2005, but it
was later extended to 2016. This agreement was later extended again till 2033. This facility
accelerates the growth of the country’s pharmaceutical industry. The revenue of the
pharmaceutical industry of Bangladesh is mainly generated from domestic sales and exports.
There are several reasons behind the current growth of the pharmaceutical industry in
Bangladesh in terms of revenue. Among the industrial sectors of Bangladesh, the pharmaceutical
sector is advancing with the times. Besides meeting the demand for medicines in the country,
Bangladesh is also earning a lot of foreign exchange through exports. Although the
pharmaceutical industry plays a small role in the country’s GDP, it is hoped that if Bangladesh
can sustain this growth, the contribution from this sector to GDP will increase even further in the
future. However, to maintain the growth of the country’s pharmaceutical industry, Bangladesh
needs policy update.
 Introduction of the company

The history of The ACME Laboratories Ltd. established in 1954 when a proprietorship firm was
resolute to making ethical drugs. It underway with the modest introduction of a few oral liquid
products. Late Hamidur Rahman Sinha was the founder of the firm and had been the main
fanciful of the organization since its inauguration until his sad death in February 1994. After its
preliminary years of trials and misfortunes, the firm was converted into a private Limited
Company in the year 1976 and the correspondingtransformation, replacement and expansion
(BMR&E) work on the small old unit started in 1976 at a large new premise at Dhamrai, Dhaka.
Commercial Operation at the new modernized plant equipped with sophisticated and advanced
facilities began toward the end of 1983. Many challenges were faced and overcome successfully
to transform the company from a very small unit to what it is today a giant in its field. ACME
continuously seeks to expand its production facilities, add employees, and increase it sales and
marketing efforts. According to the latest statistics, out of 250 to 300 pharmaceutical 11
companies in the country, ACME is the second largest manufacturer and exporter of Human,
Herbal and Animal Health Pharmaceutical Products in Bangladesh. The ACME has also
attempted to strengthen its network of international marketing operations to export its products
abroad. We are positive about our perpetual growth and success. At present, ACME’s product
lines contain three categories. These are allopathic, herbal and animal health. Each category
contains various products. The main activities of ACME are to Contract built-up, Sales &
Distribution. ACME is exporting medicines to 16 countries in all dosage forms and competitive
price. Its head quarter in Bangladesh and It has market coverage Sri Lanka, Nepal, Myanmar,
Philippine, Afghanistan, Hong Kong. ACME's plant is located at Dhamrai, about 40 km N.W. of
Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. ACME Laboratories is the one of theleading manufacturer and
exporter of Human, Herbal and Animal Health Pharmaceutical Products in Bangladesh. The
ACME Laboratories Ltd, the pharmaceutical and the leading company of the ACME Group, is a
manufacturer and global exporter of human, herbal and veterinary pharmaceutical products.
Since 1990 the company has accomplished an average growth rate of 25% compared to 13%
registered by the pharmaceutical sector of the country. Now the company is very much focused
on the customer satisfaction and overall good consumer relationship. Therefore, the company is
very much concerned about the quality management issues to present the better brand value not
only nationwide but also in the world.

Vision
The ACME's vision to achieve significant business in medicament products by 2011 with a
strong presence in domestic and international market. Considering the above vision, under the
umbrella of ACME group, The ACME Specialized Pharmaceuticals Ltd. is an innovative and
vision driven company designed to conform global standards like WHO GMP, UK-MHRA and
US-FDA. The finest and largest solid dosage forms manufacturing facility is under construction
by active guidance of European Consultants.

Mission
Our holistic approach is to ensure Health, Vigor and Happiness for all by manufacturing ethical
drugs and medicines of the highest quality at inexpensive prices and reaching out even to the
remotest areas by proper distribution network. We view ourselves as partners with doctors, our
customers, our employees and our environment.

Company’s Goals
The ACME Laboratories Ltd. is committed to maintain state of the art manufacturing amenities
for ensuring best quality products to the customers. The company is fanatical to increase sales
growth, increase productivity, increase profit margin, improve company image & customer
satisfaction, and ensure continual improvement.

Strategic Human Resource Management:

Strategic human resource management is a process that helps the human resources department
maximize the potential of its workforce through strategic planning, talent management,
leadership development, organizational design, and performance management. In the past,
strategic HR management was an administrative function. Today, HR managers play a critical
role in ensuring that the organization has the right people that help improve business
performance and ensure that it delivers on its mission. It means that HR professionals need to
understand its goals and objectives. How they can best help the organization achieve those goals,
and what actions will allow them to do so. This article will help you better understand what
strategic human resource management is and how a smart plan can bring tremendous value to the
organization.

 The ACME Laboratories Ltd have an amazing human resource team who are overlooking all
the sectors of the company
 They have an important role in the company in terms of decision making by the board of
directors in the meeting for the long term strategies.

 HR department is helping all departments and especially doing external scanning before
recruitment helps them to grind the best candidates from the available ones.

 There are lots of candidates available in the market however, only few good candidates
available who can take this company to greater heights

Human Resource Division of the ACME Laboratories Ltd

The Acme laboratories have a specified structure of their Human Resource Division which they
maintain very strictly. In the Human Resource Department the post goes like > Head of HR, >
General Manager, > Assistant General Manager, > Manager, > Senior Executives, >Junior
Executives / Executives.

Recruitment & Selection Process organization wide

The Acme laboratories Follows the key individual roles listed below have been identified as key
to the recruitment and selection process:

Hiring Manager (HM)

 Identifies hiring need, develops the position description, Recruitment Plan, organizational chart
and other recruitment related documents.
May serve as Search Committee Chair and identifies Search Committee members.

 Conducts recruitments showing good faith efforts to broaden diversity.

 Ensures understanding of collective bargaining agreements’ specific provisions with respect to

filling of bargaining unit positions.

After the HR Manager identifies the Hiring need then He process the Advertisement for the
specified post with the permission of Head of HR. Then the jobs are advertised on the Websites
and the Newspaper. Next stage is screening the CV’s of the candidates and select the candidates
for the written test or interview. Then HR manger verifies the references and other academic
compatibility issues. Then Short-listing the candidates for Panel or board interview to negotiate
the salary, preferable job location and all other issues. After all those stages finally they select
the candidates for the company who is better matched with the requirements. ACME do have a
good systematic procedure but not necessarily follow that rule all the time. ACME do not
maintain that much hard and Fast Rules in recruitment and selection process. In most of the cases
due to Internal references the actual qualified candidates don't get chance which is not ethical.
Sometimes the unqualified candidates got selected due to political pressure and internal reference
which leads to low performance and output from those candidates. So to keep the good brand
value of organization wide they need to be much stricter in these issues to ensure the better
quality and service.
 Selection Process

Since the company doesn’t face any problem in selection procedure or there is no major
weakness in their selection process. But I can say that the company can update their selection
procedure to find out more qualified personnel by following way:

Selection Techniques:

 Leadership

 Problem solving

 Verbal communication

 Written communication

 Time management

 Decision making

 Negotiating & influencing skills

 Analytical ability

All these skills of a potential employee can be measured by conducting.

Training and development:

 Training and development describes the formal, ongoing efforts that are made within
organizations to improve the performance and self-fulfillment of employees through a variety of
educational methods and programs, training can be both compulsory and voluntary.

 For a company like ACME training and development program is essential to increase the
quality of employees and thus this skilled employee’s will help the company to grow.

 ACME have designed different training programs department-wise (such as special software
training for IT dept. or promotional training for marketing department.

 New employees of ACME are often introduced to corporate values (Quality, customer focus,
fairness, transparency, continuous improvement, and innovation) on orientation program.

 ACME is continuously trying to give required training to employees so that they can cope up
in the competitive business world. ACME offers both in-house and external training for
employee’s based on their needs.

 For internal training employees don’t get any allowances however for external training all
costs are supported by the company.

 In training program ACME have freshen up session with test to check whether employees’
have learned the required skills.

In-house training:

In-house training of ACME gives some basic training such as IT training, alignment and social
training, value training to both existing and new recruited employees. ACME basically focus on
a particular subject and skills based on different department’s need such as ACI arranges
training for conflict resolution, training on recruitment interviews and communication for HR
executives.
Implementation of in-house training: In-house training is inexpensive and easy to conduct for
ACME, Given below are the different types of in-house training methods provided by ACME for
its employees.

i. On the job training: On the job training is provided to new recruiters of ACME to enhance
their skills, efficiency and to make employees comfortable in the organization. Different
department’s mid-level managers of ACME are in charge of this training and provide all the
advises regarding jobs to new employees. In ACME culture they describe on the job training
process as ‘Transformation to Professional’ where employees get experience on real working
conditions and sense of familiarity in the organization.

ii. Job Rotation: Senior HR managers of ACME decide whom they will send for job rotation
and then select potential skilled executives then HR managers rotate these prospective employees
to different departments usually on weekly basis, and sometimes on a daily basis. .

iii. Monthly Seminars and Day-long training: ACME conducts monthly seminars to let
employees know about upcoming products or new promotional activities as well as to let
employees know about ACME performance on that particular month. In the monthly seminars
ACME show employees the result of environmental scanning and make employees aware of the
impending threats from competitors as well as ACME plan for defensive actions against
competitor’s taken action, employees suggestion are also given prioritized and HR managers tell
the employees what they expect employees to do for company’s upcoming events and wellbeing.

External Training:

 ACME has bring in external training providers who are better informed, educated and better
suited to broaden employees’ collective skill as well as new ways of thinking

 ACME also have ‘Faculty Preference Training’ where they bring in specialists from India and
Europe to give training to prospective senior executives, most of the time Faculty preference
training is part of ACME Succession planning.

 ACME also assist their training program with collaboration of Bangladesh Institute of
management (BIM) to yield drastic improvements in employees’ productivity.

 ACME have a preferable location for external training and they send employee’s to different
parts of Bangladesh for training purpose.
 Performance Appraisal
The performance appraisal plays an important role in identifying the productivity of workers; it
also helps the corporate for its overall growth. Performance Management System (PMS) is a
process of managing performance of the employees within the organization by giving them
trainings and providing them with the expertise through which they may become able to work
effectively and achieve the tasks that are necessary to be done .It is the systematic evaluation of
the performance of employees and to know the skills of an individual for further growth and
development. Performance appraisal is usually wiped-out systematic ways which are as follows,
the supervisors measure the pay of employees and compare it with targets and plans, the
supervisor analyses the factor behind work performance of employees, and therefore the
employees are within the position to guide the workers for a far better performance. The main
purpose of performance management is to support and develop employee effectiveness. It is a
constant practice where managers and employees work together to plan, monitor, and review an
employee’s work objectives or goals and his or her overall involvement to the organization.
Many Pharmaceutical company like ACME got to affect problems with performance appraisal
process (PAP) to stay competitive within the global market. Several international scholars
discussed ‘Performance appraisal’ as a discrete, formal, organizationally sanctioned event,
usually not occurring more frequently than once or twice a year, which has clearly stated
performance dimensions and/or criteria that are utilized in the evaluation process (DeNisi and
Pritchard, 2006). Performance appraisal is considered as one of several key elements of
performance management. Cardy and Dobbins (1994) define performance appraisal because the
process of identifying, observing, measuring, and developing human resources in organizations.
Performance is usually judged subjectively because performance in many roles isn't amenable to
objective assessment (Ferris and Judge, 1991). In the performance appraisal context, distributive
justice refers to the fairness of the evaluation received, whereas procedural justice refers to the
fairness of the process used in determining the evaluation (Greenberg, 1986). Performance
appraisal is a crucial process for influencing both the extrinsic and intrinsic motivations of
employees and their attitudes towards companies. Given the pervasive nature of process in
performance appraisal processes, it is important to examine its impact on employees' attitudes
and behaviors. Because people's attitudes and behaviors are determined by their perceptions of
reality (Lewin, 1936), this study focused on the consequences of perceptions of performance
appraisal process. There are total six criteria in performance appraisal and one criterion is bonus
for employee which works as a boost in terms of rating. These criteria are effective for the entire
department. The criteria are:

1) Job achievement and quality of job: For the sales department how much sales they make
that will be counted. For the other department the quality of job will be seen that means how
accurately employee do their job
2) Leadership and man management: The next criterion for performance appraisal is
leadership which is how accurately you lead your team and setting the right people for the right
place.

3) Time Management: One of the most important criteria of performance appraisal. Employee
need to finish their task within the given time. The management department also see the arriving
and leaving time of every individual of ACME employees .

4) Effectiveness of planning: How effective is your planning. An effective plan can trap the
better future for the organization. Effective planning makes the organization successful.

5) Communication of skill: How good is your communication skill? Do you successfully

communicate with your boss, peer, subordinate, and customer?

6) Pro-activeness: Pro activeness is beginning with the end in mind. It means that employee do
their task before the actual time. They should not wait for the supervisor’s command.

7) Honesty and Integrity: How honest and integrate you are that will effect in performance
appraisal.

The last one works as a bonus. Every criterion allocated is 10 marks and then it will multiply
with weightage that are set by the area manager according to the position. The sample of
performance appraisal is given below:
If employees get 6 out of 6, they will get 6 increments. Due to the confidential information about
the appraisal process, the increment procedure needs to further clarification. In ACME only the
supervisor and subordinate are rate for the particular employee. Those rating are process by the
area manager. Every employee of ACME is graded according to their positions in the company.
The higher level employee has different grade that will lead the better increment.

Questions:

1. Human Resources help employees build competencies needed to successfully achieve

strategic objectives?
2. Does ACME company do proper HR Planning for achieving targets?
3. Do you think HR Audit & Planning in the organization helps to analyze the effective
utilization of human resources?
4. Does the HR department works well as a team?

Conclusion:

The ACME Laboratories Ltd, the pharmaceutical and flagship company of ACME group, is a
manufacture and global exporter of human, herbal and veterinary pharmaceutical products. From
the very beginning, the company had faced many challenges and defeat successfully to convert
the company. From a very small unit, it is a giant organization today. Human resource division at
The ACME Laboratories Ltd is vast and elaborative which compromises the overall management
process. Strong recruitment and selection process and teamwork is the secrets ACME’s success.
Since its setting up in 1954, ACME Laboratories Ltd has been working relentlessly with a vision
to ensure Health, Vigor and Happiness for all and they are truly focused on it with optimism
about perpetual growth and success with time