Summer Internship Report on Employee Engagement at

Eicher
Polaris Pvt Ltd.
SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROJECT REPORT ON EMPLOYEE
ENGAGEMENT

AT

EICHER POLARIS PVT LTD

Submitted in the partial fulfilment for the award of the degree

of Master of Business Administration (MBA)

To

IILM Academy for Higher Learning – College of Engineering and

Technology Affiliated to APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University, Lucknow

Faculty Guide Corporate Guide

Ashutosh Singh Snigdha Shukla

Submitted by

L Ng Vane

University Roll no. 1515070011

IILM – CET, Greater Noida

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DECLARATION

I do hereby declare that this project report entitled “EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT”

carried out at EICHER POLARIS PVT LTD has been prepared by me and is being
submitted to Department of MANAGEMENT at IILM COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
AND TECHNOLOGY, Greater Noida under the esteemed guidance of Ms Snigdha
Shukla in the partial fulfilment of requirement of the award of M.B.A.

All the particulars furnished in the project are true to the best of my knowledge and
belief. It has not been submitted by me in part or in full to any other University/Institute.

L NG VANE

University Roll No. 1515070011

IILM – CET

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

It is my proud privilege to express my deepest gratitude to a number of helping

hands for their indefatigable cooperation that enabled me to shape my study. Indeed this
page of acknowledgement shall never be able to touch the horizon of generosity of those,
who rendered help to me.
It’s my utmost pleasure to extend my sincere gratitude to EPPL for offering me an
opportunity to undergo summer internship programme in this esteemed organization.
I offer my sober and earnest regards to MS SNIGDHA SHUKLA, HR
MANAGER, MR SACHIN, MR GAUMTAM KUMAR SINGH, my corporate guide
for their scholarly guidance& kind cooperation. Their keen interest and encouraging words
at every step were a source of inspiration that enabled me to broaden my sphere of domain
knowledge.
I am extremely grateful to Mrs Sunita Shukla & Mrs Ashutosh Singh, Faculty
Member and Guide whose timely guidance and illuminating suggestion inspired me in
shaping the report in its existing form.
I acknowledge special thanks to all the employees and staff members of different
departments in EPPL for their ready to help attitude and support extended during the
course of programme.
This report is a reflection of the knowledge acquired by me during the internship
period.

L NG VANE
UNIVERSITY ROLL NO.
1515070011 IILM CET, GREATER
NOIDA

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ABSTRACT
Employee engagement is the level of commitment and involvement an employee has
towards their organization and its values. An engaged employee is aware of business
context, and works with colleagues to improve performance within the job for the benefit
of the organization. It is a positive attitude held by the employees towards the organization
and its values.

Employee engagement is associated with many desirable outcomes such as job satisfaction,
intention to stay and job performance. Companies with a greater number of engaged
employees typically have lower operating costs, higher customer satisfaction and higher
profits. There is a tangible monetary benefit to companies investing time and resources in
fostering higher engagement within their employees.

The task of precisely defining employee engagement is still ongoing, but it is most often
defined in terms of behaviours exhibited in the workplace. Engaged employees are
prepared to go the extra mile in pursuit of workplace excellence. They are ambassadors for
their organizations, who will speak highly of the company and its people, even when they
are not in a work setting.

An engaged employee is identifiable by workplace behaviours such as losing track of time

as they are so absorbed in the task at hand. This is distinct from excessive overtime in
order to give the impression of ‘hard work.’ Both look the same, but one is productive for
the employer-employee relationship and one is not! Academics would say that not enough
is understood about what drives employee engagement as most research in the area has
tended to focus on business outcomes without investigating underlying causes. As the
impact of engagement on business has been positive and has been linked with higher
profitability, practice has raced ahead of the underpinning research in pursuit of creating a
more engaged and hence profitable workforce.

The idea is not to simply perform an academic exercise, but to critically examine them to
see where the company and its employees might be finely tuned to generate higher levels
of performance.

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The overall results as well as the category wise results of each question would give us an
insight to the problem areas to bring under focus.

INTRODUCTION

Human resource executives in India continue to struggle with talent management issues,
particularly retention. The quest to find the best way to retain employees has taken HR
pundits through concepts such as employee review, employee satisfaction and employee
delights. The latest idea is “Employee Engagement”, a concept that holds, that, it is the
degree to which an employee is emotionally bonded to his organization and passionate
about his work that really matters.

Engagement is about motivating employees to do their best. An engaged employee gives

his company his hundred percent. The quality of output and competitive advantage of a
company depends upon the quality of its people.

It has been proved that there is an intrinsic link between employee engagement, customer
loyalty and profitability. When employees are effectively and positively engaged with their
organization they form an emotional connection with the company. This impacts their
attitude towards the company’s clients, and thereby improves customer satisfaction and
service levels.

Most organizations realize today that a satisfied employee is not necessarily the best
employee in terms of loyalty and productivity. It is only an engaged employee who is
intellectually and emotionally bound with the organization, feels passionately about its
goals and is committed towards its values who can be termed thus. He goes the extra mile
beyond the basic job responsibility and is associated with the actions that drive the
business. Moreover, in times of diminishing loyalty, employee engagement is a powerful
retention strategy. The fact that it has a strong impact on the bottom-line adds to its
significance.

A successful employee engagement helps create a community at the workplace and not just
a workforce. As organizations globalise and become more dependent on technology in a
virtual working environment, there is a greater need to connect and engage with employees

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to provide them with an organizational identity. Especially in Indian culture this becomes
more relevant given the community feeling which organization provide in our society.

There are a lot of HR things. They are called fads. Those are the bandwagons upon which
we hop. Perhaps it’s time to evaluate whether employee engagement is a fad or a new
knowledge domain for which HR executives can help make their companies a better place
to work.

Objective of the study

1. To analyse the view of the employees of EPPL in terms of how much they are happy
working there in the organisation.
2. To examine the strategies adopted and practices followed in EPPL regarding employee
engagement system
3. Determine effectiveness of employee engagement in an organisation
4. To suggest measurement for improvement.

Scope of the study

Embarking upon the scope of the project assigned to me I was first briefed by the
(Manager HR) Ms Snigdha Shukla on the day one and during that session a well planned
agenda was formulated.

 It suggested that first I ought to observe every minute activity going in the EPPL.
 Next to analyse the employee engagement activities followed by various automobile
industries, FMCG and Consumer Durable Goods companies.
 Following the above was the task to be aware about the structure, functioning and products
of the EPPL.
 After that I undertook the job of employee interaction- the most important part of my
project.
 Employee interaction was in the form of questionnaire fill up.
 Report generation was the ultimate ramification of the questionnaire administration in the
survey.

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RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

SOURCES

“Ms Snigdha Shukla” my respected external guide, was the sole source of
everything which was important for my easier-said-than-done project to materialize. She
guided my footsteps whenever and wherever I stumbled on the way to my objective and
not only this she was also my torchbearer and gave me all the moral and material support.

Available with me was the employees’ database which was a reliable and authentic
source of employees address. And from those documents maintained by HR department I
used to distribute the questionnaire to the employees.

1. Primary Source

It consisted of the first hand source of data collected through the questionnaires from
the respondents.

In this project the primary data was collected through questionnaire method. A structured
questionnaire was administered and employees were asked to fill it. A total of 80
employees responded to the questionnaire.

Questionnaire
The survey was designed to measure the level of agreement employees had with respect
to 39 questionnaire items with two open ended questions, which represented potential
factors that influence employee’s perception about employee engagement. Based on
previous research and current literature, questionnaire items were framed to capture some,
but not all information with respect to the following factors:
 Relation to organization
 Relation to work
 Relation to team work
 Rewards and recognition
 Competency

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Scale Used

Likert - type scaling technique was used for the analysis approach wherein a particular
item is evaluated on the basis of how well it discriminates by adopting favourable or
unfavourable attitude towards the given object. The respondent responded in any of the
following ways: -

 Strongly Agree
 Agree
 Neutral
 Disagree
 Strongly Disagree

Secondary data

The theoretical foundation of the study is based on various secondary sources such as:

a. Websites of EPPL
b. Journals
c. Past records
d.

RESEARCH DESIGN

Exploratory Research

We will augment our knowledge of Eicher Polaris Pvt. Ltd. by interviewing the various
executives in a focused group discussion. Based on a thorough inventory of EPPL internal
processes a questionnaire (Annexure 1) was developed.

Descriptive Research

The responses of the employees would be further used for statistically analysis to bring out
the salient features of data and points out to the week or strong spots for further
investigations.

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SAMPLE DESIGN

Sample size is

The sample population comprises of all the employees working in Eicher Polaris Pvt. Ltd.
Plant office. Total employees responded to the questionnaire, which would be further
used for the analysis.

The sampling would be representative sampling, where all the employees at plant office
Kukas, Jaipur, are considered on a probability basis, and from which information are
obtained and statistical inferences or predictions made about the entire population within
Eicher Polaris Pvt. Ltd.

Limitations

Since the whole population of employees is not considered in sampling and only a segment
is considered, there is a probability of biasness.

The data is not a true representative of the Eicher Polaris Pvt. Ltd.

The employees have attempted to fill the questionnaires as an act of formality.

All the present employees did not fill in the questionnaires.

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CHAPTER 3

4.1. Eicher Polaris – An overview

Eicher Polaris Pvt. Ltd. (EPPL) is a 50:50 joint venture between Eicher
Motors Ltd. and Polaris Industries Inc. The two companies signed a strategic
joint venture agreement in July 2012. Backed by an investment of over INR
350 crore, EPPL combines Eicher’s proven expertise in frugal engineering,
lean business model and in-depth understanding of emerging markets with
the excellent product development capabilities and world class reliability of
Polaris.
Eicher Polaris Pvt. Ltd. will manufacture and sell a full new range of
personal vehicles suitable for India and other emerging markets,
catering to the needs of emerging independent businessmen. Polaris-
Medina, USA and Eicher Motors Ltd., India, combined their R&D facilities
to design and develop the first vehicle that will soon make its way onto
the Indian roads.
In 2013, Eicher Polaris Pvt. Ltd. set up its first state-of-the-art
manufacturing plant in Kukas, near Jaipur, India. Spread over 25 acres,
the manufacturing facility will also house a R&D centre. EPPL’s
corporate headquarters will be located in Gurgaon, NCR.

4.2. Company profile

In July 2012, Eicher Motors Limited signed a strategic joint venture agreement with US
based Polaris Industries Inc., to design, develop, manufacture and sell a full new range of
personal vehicles suitable for India and other emerging markets. The joint venture will
allow Eicher Motors Ltd. to enter into a new vehicle segment. This JV was formed with an
initial investment of ₹350 crore (equivalent to ₹462 crore or US$68.6 million in 2016) and
the new company was named "Eicher Polaris Pvt. Ltd." In 2013, the JV company – Eicher
Polaris Pvt. Ltd (EPPL), set up its manufacturing facility in Jaipur, Rajasthan.
Thereafter, Eicher Motors and Polaris Industries combined their research and
development facilities in their new manufacturing plant in Kukas, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India.

4.3. The Company Product and Services

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The Eicher Polaris Multix (or Multix) is a personal utility vehicle manufactured
by Eicher Motors and Polaris India (the Indian arm of Polaris Industries). The vehicle was
announced in June 2015, and the first vehicle was delivered on 26 August 2015. Multix is
promoted by its manufacturer as "India's first personal utility vehicle", able to be used as
a people carrier, a cargo carrier and also a power generator.
4.4. About Multix
Multix is purpose-built for the independent businessman. Son, brother,
father, shopkeeper, dreamer, doer, gambler, winner, hero—he plays many
roles. His road to success is lined with twists and turns, a series of ever-
evolving challenges that he adapts to and overcomes without fail.
Unfortunately, there was no single vehicle that could support him through
his unpredictable journey—until Eicher Motors identified the problem and
decided to do something about it.

Collaboration with global ATV experts Polaris Industries Inc. resulted in the
perfect partnership: Eicher Polaris Pvt. Ltd. And this powerful collaboration
resulted in the perfect solution. Multix. From family to business, Multix is
purpose-built to take care of your ever-evolving needs. It seats a family of 5
comfortably. With 1918 litres of extendable carrying space, it is ideal for
business trips. Thanks to its X-Port TMfeature, Multix can generate 3 kilowatts
of electricity. It’s the first of its kind. It’s a game changer. It’s the new 3-in-
1.

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Design

The Multix was designed with the aim of being used for both family and business
purposes, and has been called a "3-in-1" vehicle. Its cargo capacity is 400 litres. Multix
also generates 3 kilowatts of electricity and can thus be used as a power generator as well.

Variants

The Multix has two variants, the AX+ and the MX. With the exception of doors (and the
overall weight of the vehicle), both the variants are identical. AX+ has open doorways,
whilst MX has doors. The curb weight of the MX is 100 kg more than that of AX+.

Multix AX+
With open doorways and carrying space, the AX+ makes extra room for passengers and
the tools of your trade. Its sturdy roof protects against the harshest weather, while its
tubular frame ensures safety.
Available in two colours

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Rich Red
Pure white

Multix MX

The MX makes ample room for the tools of your trade. Its built-in music
system is perfect for family road trips and vacations. The MX is fully
loaded, built for those who juggle roles and value flexibility.

Available in 4 colours

Rich red

Pure white

Bright yellow

Soft silver

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Unique Features of Multix or its USP

Every feature of the new 3-in-1 Multix fulfils a specific purpose. From comfort to safety,
styling to economy, space to electricity, it multiplies utility like no other vehicle.

1. Power Generation

Utility x Versatility x Electricity

A power take-off unit, the X-PortTM helps Multix generate 3 kilowatts of electricity so that
you can power your home, water pumps, music systems, winnowing fans, chaff cutters and
other essential machinery. It’s not just a vehicle, it’s a powerhouse.

2. Space

3- Minute Seat Configuration x Family x Business

Multix goes from carrying a family of 5 to carrying the tools of your trade in 3 minutes.
It’s as easy as one, two, and three.

 Unscrew hooks + dislodge rear seat

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 Dismantle rear glass + unfold rear seat on to the floor + fix seat into place
 Remove rear cover for ample carrying space

3. All road capability

High Ground Clearance x Pro-RideTM Suspension System x Indian Roads

High ground clearance (172 mm) and the Pro-RideTM independent suspension system
ensure an exceptionally smooth ride quality. Multix makes the toughest of back roads feel
like slick city streets.

4. Comfort

Generous Cabin Space x Ample Carrying Space x Smooth Ride Quality

With 122 mm of legroom and ample cabin space, Multix is ideal for long-distance and
daily travel. It can seat up to 5 people. Its adjustable seats can be used to create extra room
for business trips. Combine this with a bump-free ride, and you’ve got comfort like never
before.

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5. Safety
Strong Tubular Frame x Efficient Handling x Damage Resistance

Multix’s body is highly durable and damage-resistant. Its tubular frame is built to
withstand most hits, bumps and bangs. Multix’s robust inner frame keeps passengers well
protected. With its precise handling, Multix tackles the roughest terrain with ease,
making safety a standard fit.

6. Economy
Diesel Engine x High Mileage x Low Maintenance

The four-stroke, direct-injection BS III diesel engine delivers a mileage of 28.45 kmpl.*
The body is made of FlexituffTM, a highly durable material, resistant to rust and easy to
repair at affordable rates. Multix needs very little attention, a promising quality in any
partner, on or off the road.
*As certified by ARAI under Rule 115 of CMVR, 1989
7. Styling
Tubular Frame x Muscular Lines x 4 Colours

Rugged lines and sharp angles mark Multix' s tubular frame body. The build emphasizes its
height and muscle.
Available in 4
colours Rich Red
Bright Yellow
Pure White
Soft Silver
*The AX+ is only available in Rich Red and Pure White. The MX is available in all 4 colours.
4.5. Market Potential

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4.6. The company team

1. Siddhartha Lal

Chairman Eicher Polaris Pvt. Ltd.

- Managing Director & Chief Executive of Eicher Motors Ltd., the flagship
company of Eicher Group in India.
- Chairman of Eicher-Polaris Private Limited (EPPL), a recently formed
50:50 strategic joint venture between Eicher Motors Ltd. and US based
Polaris Industries Inc. that will design, develop, manufacture and sell a
full new range of personal vehicles.
- Chairman of VE Commercial Vehicles (VECV); a joint venture between
Volvo group and Eicher Motors Ltd. (EML).

2. Lalit Malik

Director Eicher Polaris Pvt Ltd.

- Former Vice President- Corporate Development of Max.

- From April- December 2008, Lalit also worked at AIG as Head of Business Strategy,
Business Development, Insurance (cross sell) for the Consumer Finance Group of AIG
in India.
- Before joining AIG, Lalit worked at Ernst & Young from August 2006 to March 2008,
as an Associate Director responsible for Business Development/ Sales of all the EY’s
offering to the existing and potential clients.
- Associated with GE Money from April 2004 to Aug 2006 as the Financial Controller.
- Also worked at Escorts Tractors Ltd. (JV with Ford Motor Co., USA) in the Finance
function from Feb 1995 to June 1997.
3. B. Govidarajan

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Director Eicher Polaris Pvt. Ltd.

- Joined Royal Enfield in June 2011 as the Senior Vice President - Industry for
his second stint with the company.

- He is also spearheading the set up of Royal Enfield’s second plant at Oragadam near
Chennai and is implementing extensive cost management in sourcing and operations.

- Chief Operating Officer of Patil Rail Infrastructure Ltd (2011).

- Started career with TTG Industries in June 1989 and then joined Brakes India Ltd in
June 1992.

- Joined Royal Enfield as Manager - Engineering in 1995 and was responsible for Power
train unit Manufacturing System Engineering.

- General Manager - Manufacturing at Royal Enfield (2004) where he was responsible

for the entire manufacturing activity and the implementation of the Lean and Quality
Management Systems.

- In 2006, he was promoted as Divisional General Manager at Royal Enfield.

4. Bennet J. Morgan

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Director Eicher Polaris Pvt. Ltd.

- President and Chief Operating Officer of Polaris Industries Inc. since April 12, 2005.

- Served as a Vice President of ATV Division at Polaris Industries Inc. from

November 2004 to April 12, 2005 and its General Manager, ATV Division.

- Served as a General Manager - PGA Division of Polaris Industries since 1997.

- An Independent Director of Generac Holdings Inc. since October 31, 2013.

5. Mike Dougherty

Director Eicher Polaris Pvt. Ltd.

- Vice President, Asia Pacific and Latin America, Polaris Industries Inc.

- Involved in International business for more than 20 years.

- Joined Polaris in 1998 and has been primarily been involved in

advancing company’s International business.

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- Polaris’ first expatriate employee when he moved with his family to

Paris, France in 2000.

- Led the formation of Polaris France, UK and Scandinavia, Europe.

- In 2004, Mr. Dougherty was promoted to Vice President, ATV division.

6. Pankaj Dubey

Director Eicher Polaris Pvt. Ltd.

- Managing Director and Country Head at Polaris India Pvt. Ltd... , 100%
subsidiary of Polaris Industries Inc.

- Joined Polaris India Pvt. Ltd. at the time of the company’s inception
in January 2011 and introduced Indian Motorcycle and Polaris Off road
vehicles in India.

- Prior to joining Polaris India Pvt. Ltd., Mr. Dubey has worked in India’s
top automotive companies such as Yamaha Motors, LML, and Hero; which
have enriched him with diverse experience in the area of Sales,
Marketing, Channel, Vendor and Business Development.

- Mr. Dubey also had a stint in an IT company, Intex Technologies where

he was instrumental in diversifying and launching the mobile phone
division as Business Head, which is now one of the top handset
companies in India.

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7. Radhesh C Verma

CEO Eicher Polaris Pvt. Ltd.

- CEO, Eicher Polaris Pvt. Ltd., a newly formed joint venture

between Eicher Motors and Polaris Industries.

- Business manager with years of experience in Strategy, Business

development, Marketing, CRM and Sales function.

- Business turn-around specialist and goes about his task in a systematic

manner. He has strong bias for customer in whatever he does and has a
knack of spotting opportunities in crowded markets.

- Radhesh is known for making sharp strategic shifts in businesses

and driving disruptive growth across through strong differentiation
and innovation.

- During his stint with Metro Cash & Carry, Radhesh reshaped the
business model for Reseller business resulting in doubling of top line in 2
years, with a healthy bottom line improvement.

- For ICI Paints, now Akzo Nobel, he championed the Applicators

constituency and drove sustained disruptive growth and equity for
Dulux.

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CHAPTER 3

3.1. CRITICAL REVIEW OF LITERATURE

1. McKinsey & Co. (1998) study entitled The War for Talent that reported that a shortage of
skilled employees was an emerging trend. Today, there is widespread agreement among
academics and practitioners that engaged employees are those who are emotionally
connected to the organization and cognitively vigilant. How employees feel about their jobs,
their supervisors, their peers, top management, and many other factors affects their individual
productivity, and collectively the ability of the organization to achieve its objectives.
2. Robinson (2006) recommended that there is considerable evidence that many employees are
greatly underutilized in the workplace through the lack of involvement in work-based
decisions.
3. Beardwell and Claydon (2007) found that Employee involvement is seen as a central
principle of ‘soft’ HRM, where the focus is upon capturing the ideas of employees and
securing their commitment. Critics have argued that employee involvement has management
firmly in control and very limited real influence is given to employees. According to Lawler
and Worley (2006) for a high-involvement work practice to be effective and for it to have a
positive impact on employee engagement, employees must be given power.

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4. Penna (2007) presents a hierarchical model of engagement. This model indicates that staff is
seeking to find "meaning" at work. Penna defines "meaning" as fulfillment from the job.
Fulfillment comes from the employee being valued and appreciated, having a sense of
belonging to the organization, and feeling as though they are making a contribution, and is
matching with the underlying theoretical framework of Robinson. Penna states that the
organization becomes more attractive to new potential employees and becomes more
engaging to its existing staff.
Me ani ng
Leadership,
Trust and Respect
Promotion Opportunities

Learning and Development

Pay, Working hours, Conditions

[Increasing engagement with organisation]

Figure: Penna’s (2007) Hierarchical Model
5. Kular et al. (2008) explored Five key areas: What does ‘employee engagement’ mean?; How
can engagement be managed?; What are the consequences of engagement for organisations?;
How does engagement relate to other individual characteristics?; How is engagement related
to employee voice and representation?

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6. Robertson-Smith and Markwick (2009) throw light on what engagement is and reveals that
it is an important yet complex challenge, and there remains a great deal of scope for
discussing the various approaches.
7. Simpson (2009) discussed that the current state of knowledge about engagement at work
through a review of the literature. This review highlighted the four lines of engagement
research and focuses on the determinants and consequences of engagement at work.
8. Susi & Jawaharrani (2011) examined some of the literature on Employee engagement,
explore work-place culture & work-life balance policies & practices followed in industries in
order to promote employee engagement in their organizations to increase their employees’
productivity and retain them. Work-life balance is key driver of employees’ satisfaction.
9. Ram & Gantasala (2011) investigated the antecedents and consequences of employee
engagement in Jordanian Industry.
10. Bhatla (2011) focused on the need for such employees and how their presence can improve
the progress and work efficiency of the organization as a whole .Also focused on the
challenges faced by the HR managers to improve employee engagement for an organization’s
survival.
11. Shashi (2011) reinforced the importance of employee communication on the success of a
business. She revealed that an organization should realize the importance of employees, more
than any other variable, as the most powerful contributor to an organization’s competitive
position.
12. Bijaya Kumar Sundaray (2011) focused on various factors which lead to employee
engagement and what should company do to make the employees engaged. Proper attention
on engagement strategies will increase the organizational effectiveness in terms of higher
productivity, profits, quality, customer satisfaction, employee retention and increased
adaptability.
13. Siddhanta & Roy (2012) explored implications for theory, further research and practices by
synthesizing modern 'Employee Engagement' activities being practiced by the corporate with
the review of findings from previous researches / surveys.
14. Singh & Shukla (2012) tried to find out what variables are significant to create an engaged
workforce. The study was exploratory in nature and the data has been collected from a tin
manufacturing organization.

DIMENSIONS OF EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

In 2006, The Conference Board published an article ‘Employee Engagement – A review of
current research and its implication’ on the basis of some major studies conducted by
Gallup, Towers Perrin, Blessing White, The Corporate Leadership Council and others. It
identified following key drivers related to employee engagement as:

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 Trust & integrity – managers should communicate well and go by their words.
 Nature of the job – employees should find their job challenging enough to motivate
themselves.
 Line of sight between employee performance and company performance – employee should
have clear understanding as to how they contribute to the company’s performance.
 Career growth opportunities – employees should have clear career path and growth.
 Pride about the company – employees should feel esteemed by being associated with the
organization.
 Co-workers / team members – relationship with colleagues significantly increase employee
engagement level.

3.2. IMPORTANCE OF ENGAGEMENT

Engagement is important for managers to cultivate, given that disengagement or alienation

is central to the problem of worker’s lack of commitment and motivation. Meaningless
work is often associated with apathy and detachment from ones works (Thomas&
Velthouse ).In such conditions, individuals are thought to be estranged from their selves.
An organization’s capacity to manage employee engagement is closely related to its ability
to achieve high performance levels and superior business results.

In the workplace research on employee engagement(Harter,Schmidt&Hayes,2002)have

repeatedly asked employee whether they have the opportunity to do what they do best
every day. While one in five employees strongly agree with this statement. These work
units scoring higher on this perception have substantially higher performance. Thus,
employee engagement is critical to any organization that seeks to retain valued employees.

As organizations globalize and become more dependent on technology in a virtual working

environment, there is a greater need to connect and engage with employees to provide
them with an organizational identity.

Engaged employees are more likely to stay and be an advocate of the company’s product
and services. They contribute to the overall success of the organization. A greater number
of loyal employees ensure low recruitment and training costs, in effect enhancing the
productivity of the organization. They are also more willing to put in extra effort when the
organization needs it. Their impact on the working environment is also significant as they
are more focused on organizational benefit than personal goals. This consequently reduces
feelings of acrimony and internal rivalries. They also project a positive image to new

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recruits and this motivates the latter to perform better and assimilate them in the office
culture. Research also shows that engaged employees in customer-facing roles are more
likely to treat customers in ways that positively influences customer satisfaction.

3.3. CATEGORIES OF EMPLOYEES

There are three different types of employees. They are engaged, not engaged, actively
disengaged.

1. Engaged - Engaged employees are builders. They want to know the desired expectations
for their role so that they can meet and exceed them. They are naturally curious about
their company and their place in it. They perform at consistently high levels. They want
to use their talents and strengths at work every day. They work with passion and they
drive innovation and move their organization forward.
2. Not engaged - Not engaged employees tend to concentrate in tasks rather than the goals
and outcomes they are expected to accomplish. They want to be told what to do just so
that they can do it and say they have finished. They focus on accomplishing tasks vs
achieving an outcome. Employees who are not engaged tend to feel their contributions
are being overlooked and their potential is not being tapped. They often feel this way
because they don’t have productive relationships with their managers or with their co-
workers.
3. Actively disengaged - The actively disengaged employees are the cave dwellers. They
are consistently against ‘virtually everything’. They are not just unhappy at work they
are busy acting out their unhappiness. They sow seeds of negativity at every opportunity.
Everyday actively disengaged workers undermine what their engaged co-workers
accomplish. The problems and tensions that are fostered by actively disengaged workers
can cause great damage to an organization’s functioning.

3.4. THE TEN C’S OF EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

How can leaders engage employees’ heads, hearts, and hands? The literature offers several
avenues for action; we summarize these as the Ten C’s of employee engagement.
1. Connect - Leaders must show that they value employees. Employee-focused initiatives
such as profit sharing and implementing work–life balance initiatives are important.
However, if employees’ relationship with their managers is fractured, then no amount
of perks will persuade employees to perform at top levels. Employee engagement is a

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direct reflection of how employees feel about their relationship with the boss.
Employees look at whether organizations and their leader walk the talk when they
proclaim that, “Our employees are our most valuable asset.”
2. Career - Leaders should provide challenging and meaningful work with opportunities
for career advancement. Most people want to do new things in their job. For example, do
organizations provide job rotation for their top talent? Are people assigned stretch goals?
Do leaders hold people accountable for progress? Are jobs enriched in duties and
responsibilities? Good leaders challenge employees; but at the same time, they must
instil the confidence that the challenges can be met.
3. Clarity - Leaders must communicate a clear vision. People want to understand the
vision that senior leadership has for the organization, and the goals that leaders or
departmental heads have for the division, unit, or team. Success in life and organizations
is, to a great extent, determined by how clear individuals are about their goals and what
they really want to achieve.
4. Convey - Leaders clarify their expectations about employees and provide feedback on
their functioning in the organization. Good leaders establish processes and procedures
that help people master important tasks and facilitate goal achievement. Good leaders
work daily to improve the skills of their people and create small wins that help the team,
unit, or Organization performs at its best.
5. Congratulate - Business leaders can learn a great deal from Woo den’s approach.
Surveys show that, over and over, employees feel that they receive immediate feedback
when their performance is poor, or below expectations. These same employees also
report that praise and recognition for strong performance is much less common.
Exceptional leaders give recognition, and they do so a lot; they coach and convey.
6. Contribute - People want to know that their input matters and that they are contributing
to the organization’s success in a meaningful way. First, an employee understands of the
connection between her work – as operational zed by specific job-relevant behaviors –
and the strategic objectives of the company had a positive impact on job performance.
Second, an employee’s attitude towards the job and the company had the greatest impact
on loyalty and customer service than all the other employee factors combined. Third,
improvements in employee attitude led to improvements in job-relevant behaviour; this,
in turn, increased customer satisfaction and an improvement in revenue growth. In sum,
good leaders help people see and feel how they are contributing to the organization’s
success and future.

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7. Control - Employees value control over the flow and pace of their jobs and leaders can
Create opportunities for employees to exercise this control A feeling of “being in on
things,” and of being given opportunities to participate in decision making often reduces
stress; it also creates trust and a culture where people want to take ownership of
problems and their Solutions.
8. Collaborate - Studies show that, when employees work in teams and have the trust and
cooperation of their team members, they outperform individuals and teams which lack
good relationships. Great leaders are team builders; they create an environment that
fosters trust and collaboration. Surveys indicate that being cared about by colleagues is a
strong predictor of employee engagement. Thus, a continuous challenge for leaders is to
rally individuals to collaborate on organizational, departmental, and group goals, while
excluding individuals pursuing their self-interest.
9. Credibility - Leaders should strive to maintain a company’s reputation and demonstrate
high ethical standards. People want to be proud of their jobs, their performance, and
their image.
10. Confidence - Good leaders help create confidence in a company by being exemplars of
high ethical and performance standards. Practitioners and academics have argued that
Competitive advantage can be gained by creating an engaged workforce.
Leaders should actively try to identify the level of engagement in their organization,
find the reasons behind the lack of full engagement, strive to eliminate those reasons,
and implement behavioural strategies that will facilitate full engagement. These
efforts should be ongoing. Employee Engagement is hard to achieve and if not
sustained by leaders it can wither with relative ease.

3.5. FACTORS LEADING TO EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

The critical factors which lead to employee engagement are;

1. Career development

Opportunities for personal development - Organizations with high levels of engagement

provide employees with opportunities to develop their abilities, learn new skills, acquire
new knowledge and realize their potential. When companies plan for the career paths of
their employees and invest in them, then they prove to be the assets of the organization.

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Effective management of talent - Career development influences engagement for employee

and retaining the most talented employees and providing opportunity for personal
development.

2. Leadership

Clarity of company values - Employees need to feel that the core values for which their
company stands are unambiguous and clear.

Respectful treatment of employees - Successful organizations show respect for each

employees’ qualities and contribution regardless of their job level.

3. Empowerment

Employees want to be involved in decisions that affect their work. The leaders of high
engagement work places create a trustful and challenging environment in which employees
are encouraged to dissent from the prevailing orthodoxy and to input and innovate to move
the organization forward.

4. Image

How much the employees are prepared to endorse the products and services which their
company provides its customers depends largely on their perception of the quality of those
goods and services. High levels of employee engagement and are inextricably linked with
high levels of customer engagement.

5. Equal opportunity and fair treatment

The employee engagement levels would be high if their superiors provide equal
opportunities for growth and advancement to all the employees.

6. Reinforcement of people focused policies

Continuous reinforcement exists when senior management provides staff with budgets and
resources to accomplish their work and empowers them.

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7. Communication

The Company should follow the open door policy. There should be both upward and
downward communication with the use of appropriate communication channels in the
organization. If the employee is given a say in the decision making and has the right to be
heard by his boss then the engagement levels are likely to be high.

8. Quality of working relationships with peers, superiors & subordinates

If employees’ relationship with their managers is fractured, then no amount of perks will
persuade the employees to perform at top levels. Employee engagement is a direct
reflection of how employees feel about their relationship with the boss.

9. Perception of the ethos and values of the organization

‘Inspiration and values’ are the most important factors that influence engagement.
Inspirational leadership is the ultimate perk. In its absence it is unlikely to engage
employees.

10. Performance appraisal

Fair evaluation of an employee’s performance is an important criterion for determining the

level of employee engagement. The company which follows an appropriate performance
appraisal technique (which is transparent and not biased) will have high levels of employee
engagement.

11. Pay and benefits

The company should have a proper pay system so that the employees are motivated to
work in the organization. In order to boost his engagement levels the employee should
also be provided with certain benefits and compensation.

12. Health and safety

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Research indicates that the engagement levels are low if the employees do not feel secure
while working. Therefore every organization should adopt appropriate methods and
systems for the health and safety of their employees.

13. Job satisfaction

Only a satisfied employee can become an engaged employee. Therefore it is very essential
for an organization to see to it that the job given to the employee matches his career goals
which will make him enjoy his work and he would ultimately be satisfied with his job.

14. Family friendliness

A person’s family life influences his work life. When an employee realizes that the
organization is considering his family’s benefits also, he will have an emotional attachment
with the organization which leads to engagement.

15. Co-operation

If the entire organization works together by helping each other i.e., all the employees as
well as superiors co-ordinate well then the employees will be engaged.

3.6. MEASURING EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

Employee engagement can be measured from two dimensions;

How employees feel (their emotions towards the company, the leadership, the work
environment etc).

How they intend to act in the future (will they stay, give extra effort etc).

 Employee engagement can be revealed in several ways, including ‘pulse’ to annual

surveys, tracking changes in the attrition rate, increase in the number of employee
referrals and growth in productivity and business.
In many organizations the age old employee satisfaction surveys were considered the
most popular method for measuring how happy an employee was in the organization.
This is slowly being replaced by surveys that can effectively measure employee
engagement. For example, employee opinion survey.
 The analysed results help us gauge the level of employee engagement within the
company. It also helps to identify the weak areas. After each survey Action Planning

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Group is formed within the organization that comprises a cross-section of people

from across the company; all departments and all levels are fairly represented. This
group then works on different projects leveraging the strengths identified by the
survey.
 Conducting a survey without planning how to handle the results can lead employees
to disengage. It is therefore to feel the pulse; the action plan is just as essential.
 Employee engagement should be measured at regular intervals in order to track its
contribution to the success of the organization.

3.7. INCREASING EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

a. Provide Variety - Tedious, repetitive tasks can cause burn out and boredom over
time.
b. If the job requires repetitive tasks, look for the ways to introduce variety by rotating
duties, areas of responsibility, delivery of service etc.
c. Conduct periodic meetings with employees to communicate good news, challenges
and easy-to-understand company’s financial information. Managers and supervisors
should be comfortable communicating their staff and able to give and receive
constructive feedback.
d. Indulge in employee deployment if he feels he is not on the right job .Provides an
open environment.
e. Communicate openly and clearly about what’s expected of employee at every level-
your vision, priorities, success measures etc.
f. Get to know employee interests, goals, stressors etc. Show an interest in their well
being and do what it enables them to feel more fulfilled and better balanced in work
life.
g. Celebrate individual, team and organizational success. Catch employee doing
something right and say,” Thank-You”.
h. Be consistent in your support for engagement initiatives. If you start one and then
drop it, your efforts may backfire. There’s a strong connection between employees’
commitment to an initiative and management’s commitment to supporting it.

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CHAPTER 4

4.1. Concept of Employee Engagement in EPPL

The people are the most important assets and through their capabilities and use of their
knowledge.
The human resource department of EPPL experiments and conducts surveys to develop
new concepts relating to employee well being, satisfaction and organizational behaviours
for the development of the employees in the organization.

Engagement of an employee is an important factor of consideration for every organization

for the prosperity and integrity of the organization. Satisfied knowledgeable workforce is
therefore instrumental in achieving organizational success. If an employee is not satisfied
in any of the factors which are basic ,prior and unavoidable like good and secured job,
working environment ,salary, proper and effective interpersonal communication among all
the level of the organization, scope of development ,recruitment policy, reward and

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appraisal system ,organizations discipline, training facility, recreation facility, complete

understanding of the work, goals and values, decisions making policies then they will feel
de motivated to work and the organization will not get the desired output even from the
best employee working within it. In other words, job dissatisfaction leads to psychological
withdrawal, dispensary visits, poor mental health, poor performance, lower attractiveness
of the job and absenteeism, they will find opportunities elsewhere, where they can avail a
better job that can satisfy all their needs. This will in fact lead to the increase in the level of
absenteeism.

Hence the human resource management conducts a survey on the employee satisfaction,
every year, to find out the various factors of sin whish employee feels satisfied. This
survey also helps them to find out in which an employee feels satisfied. Survey also helps
them to find out new factors apart from the standardize factors that are usually being
prescribed as factors of satisfaction. Therefore these factors eventually help the
department and the management to take proper action in future for the well being,
motivation, satisfaction and development of the employees working within it from the
human relations and organizational behaviour point of view.

Employee training & development, competency mapping through HRRA, career

progression, succession planning is given utmost attention by top management for
developing a world class workforce. HR programs are tailored to meet these objectives.

4.2. Workforce Focus

In alignment with the company's vision, mission and values, EPPL's workforce focus aims
at creating a flexible, knowledgeable & satisfied workforce. The company achieves high
performance by creating agile & flexible organization design, understanding workforce
needs through various listening and learning posts, promoting innovation and creativity
through Cross Functional Teams, motivating employees through performance management
and professional development and providing a safe and supportive environment.

4.3. Employee engagement activities in Eicher Polaris Pvt Ltd.

1. Rewards and Recognition (Kudos)

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EPPL believes that motivating employees in the right way can have a direct impact to the
productivity of the organization. That is why they organize different award ceremonies
throughout the year. Some of the significant recognitions are as follows:

a. Value Champion of the Month (VCM)

This programme is mainly focused on the white collar employees for their continuous
improvement and engaging them with the organisation. The rewards are given to the best
performers on monthly basis. To achieve its aim and objectives of being the most loved
brand and enriching the lives of millions; EPPL continuously works to achieve its 7 values-
customer centricity, respect, lean ways of working, passion, speed, innovation and
trust. Employees are encouraged to provide KUDOD points to each other in terms of the
above mentioned values in their relationship. Kudos can be treated as an effective tool of
motivation.

b. Kaizen
c. You Make a Difference

The 'U Make a Difference' award program recognizes individuals and teams who
exemplify excellence and the ability to reach above and beyond the expected to "Make a
Difference" in the organization.

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The awards acknowledge that outstanding contributions to the organization's vision can
take many different forms and they provide all members of the company the opportunity to
formally recognize each other's efforts and contributions throughout the year. These
awards are an important aspect of company's culture of recognition.

A 'U Make a Difference' award is an honor for members of the company community
who, through their performance, commitment and service make the university a great place
to learn and work. The rewards are given every year by the Board of Director to the
employees for their outperformance.

d. Shabbash
2. Meetings
a. Employee connect
This activity is a platform where all the employees of the organisation meet together at one
place and share the opinion of each for the improvement. Here the employees can also
raise their voice about any problems they face in their working environment. Solutions are
the main focus of the organisation rather than the problems.
b. Communication meeting
Communication meeting is done with the associates to update about the plant.
c. Safety committee meeting
Safety is very important part of any organization in this present era. So EPPL also takes
care of this very aspect to save its employees as well as to maintain the safety level in
company premises. Keeping in view the nature of the job and activities performed, safety
of employees assumes a critical role observance of safety rules and practices is the
responsibility of all EPPL employees. An unsafe act of one employee endangers other, as
well as himself. Therefore, certain safety rules have been developed for all the plants.
d. Canteen committee meeting
e. Transport committee meeting
3. Sports event
Sports can help the employees to refresh themselves from the monotonous routine work.
EPPL considers Sports as an effective tool to build team spirit and leadership ability. They
also arrange intra and inter tournaments of volleyball and cricket at regular interval.
4. Environment month

Environment Month was observed with full enthusiasm by the organization. Staffs and
associates participated in plantation drives to make their surrounding green. The theme
resolute for the World Environment Day 2015 is 'Seven billion dreams.'
Saplings were implanted by the members of the organization. The authorities motivated the
employees to plant more and more trees in order to make the surroundings green.

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Staffs and associates raised slogans and displayed posters regarding different
environmental issues and were encouraged to participate in drawing and poster making
competitions with environment-related topics.

Marathon race were also held on account of environment month where all the members
of the company took part. This activity make the employees take a relief from work stress
and build the feeling of competition and sense of achievement to the winners. This also
helps in growth of the employees as there is rewards and recognition to all participants.

Every Thursday in the course of environment month there was Skit with the theme of
saving environment from one department in a week.

5. Talented Tuesday

Talented Tuesday is a weekly event held for the staffs where any members can share
anything of his talent and share the opinion to other members and executives. There would
be a presentation by the employees based on what is happening in the work and what have
been done for the improvement n what are still required. The presenter is rewarded with

6. Training and Development

Within the company, training and development is divided into two areas. Manager and
leadership training is one area with another involving the delivery of programs to ensure
that company values and methods are understood and practiced worldwide. The second
area involves training specific to manufacturing at Multix’s manufacturing plant in the
company like safety of the associates in operating the equipments and machineries.

7. Ocular evidence
---Rally for the publicity of the brand and the organisation is also held to make aware of
the public with the upcoming vehicle Multix. Here the employees as well as the associates
take the initiative.

8. Medical fitness and camp

Camp of medical fitness for employees is held for their health and wellbeing. Blood
donation is done in this camp.

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EPPL organized a free medical camp at the Company. The health camp was organized
with the objective of providing free medical examination/check-up to the employees. Our
Tiens distributors, company officials, Cardiologist Dr. Mary Magdalene and lab
technicians kindly volunteered to contribute towards achieving the following objectives:

 Measurement of pulse, blood pressure, height, weight and BMI.

 Blood sugar monitoring to screen diabetes.
 Blood donation

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