C.S. Venkata Ratnam

Human resource management in developing economies: a comparison of India and Thailand

This paper reports the results of surveys of firms that were conducted both in India and Thailand. The surveys centred on a wide range of human resource management practices (staffing, training, compensation and evaluation). The sample consisted of both the subsidiaries of multinational corporations and locally owned companies. Statistical analysis suggests pronounced differences in employment practices between India and Thailand in some areas, while considerable similarities in other areas. The study controls for a variety of organizational factors (e.g., firm size, ownership (foreign versus domestic), union status).

Multinational companies in India

This article presents the changes in the government policy concerning multinational companies (MNCs) since liberalisation in 1991. It also presents an overview of the structure of MNCs in India and the attitude and apprehensions of domestic businesses concerning MNCs. Issues relating to employment, wages, working conditions, unionisation, collective bargaining, industrial relations, social security, human resource development and the perceptions of the social partners concerning ILO declaration on social policy and code of conduct in respect of MNCs in India have been discussed. The paper concludes with the assertion that India has opened up its economy with far less discrimination than most other countries, including the Far East and South East Asian economies at their commensurate state of development. It was observed that MNCs have grown in India and Indian businesses are also growing into MNCs. The practices of MNCs cannot be considered unique as some of the domestic private businesses also were seen ...

Sources of diversity and the challenge before human resource management in India

Analyses the magnitude and complexity of the challenge of diversity in managing people in the Indian workplace. Considers the challenges for human resource management in the 1990s, and highlights the major issues and opportunities in coping with these challenges. Aims to provide direction for future empirical studies.

Affirmative Action in Employment for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes in India

Focuses on affirmative action programmes in India for people belonging to the scheduled castes and the scheduled tribes in the sphere of employment. The constitutional safeguards and the measures initiated to give effect to them are briefly reviewed. Examines the progress achieved in realizing the goals in terms of the fulfilment of the quotas (i.e. reservation targets) and discusses the problems in implementing the affirmative programmes. The extremely complex Indian experience sheds light on various unique measures initiated to give effect to public policy concerning affirmative action programmes. It affords many lessons for other countries wishing to pursue similar objectives.

Women in trade unions in India

This paper on women in labour unions in India highlights the occupational segregation suffered by women in union structures. The authors explore and document the extent of female participation in trade unions in India. They suggest that less than 8 per cent of the 380 million workforce in India are unionized and women account for a very small fraction of trade union membership. They provide a number of reasons for the low female membership and participation in unions. In the occupations where women are organized, the incidence of union leadership among women varies considerably. On the positive side, the authors note that India has been a pioneer in organizing women in the informal sector such as workers’ cooperatives, self help groups such as Working Women’s Forum and Self Employed Women’s Association etc. In fact, they find that these unions are creating social unionism, thereby rewriting the meaning of trade unionism. The focus is on broad objectives of empowerment, development and fighting for their rights rather than the business unionism in North America (that is, focus on the bread and butter issues alone). The initiatives dictated by the Indian Constitution such as reservations or quotas for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes may have to be applied to labour unions and the private sector employers in the case of women in India. Policy makers and managers can learn a great deal from the theories discussed above.

Human resource management in the new economy in India

Although India has only recently captured the attention of both foreign firms and management scholars based outside India, mainly as a result of the economic liberalization of 1991, the fact is tha...

Ethical Issues in Change Management: An Empirical Study

This research was conducted to study the ethical issues involved in managing change-related issues and assess whether people in organizations perceive them to be ethical. Besides assessing peoples perceptions of ethicality, it also explored the reasons people give for judging a situation as ethical or unethical. Research was conducted using scenarios involving ethical dilemmas related to lay offs, skills obsolescence, misinfor mation and preference for younger over older employees. Results show that the respondents were divided over three situations, namely, lay offs, misinformation and preference for younger employees. The issue of skills obsolescence was considered unethical by most. The reasons given for judging a situation were different, implying that the ethical and unethical were not treated as two ends of a continuum.

Diversity Blues! An In-basket Exercise

C.S. Venkata Ratnam is the former Director at International Management Institute, New Delhi. E-mail: csvenkataratnam@imi.edu C. Chandra is Professor of Business Communications & Cross Cultural Management at International Management Institute, New Delhi. E-mail: vchandra@imi.edu Dr Paul, Director, Global Business School (GBS) was in a pensive mood. Earlier in the morning, he was in a self-congratulatory mood while reviewing the year’s admissions into Executive MBA with Amit (Associate Dean, Placement) and Goodwin (Associate Dean, Executive MBA Programme). For the first time in the history of GBS, they had 20 suitable applications from overseas— mainly developing countries of Asia and Africa—for a class of 60. If he takes them all, one-third of the class will be foreigners. This will be a major plank to publicize the internationalization at GBS compared to even the best and the better known schools like Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad and Indian School of Business, Hyderabad, respectively. The problem, however, is that all of them being nominees of the Government of India under the International Technical Exchange Program (ITEC), they would be paying only a fifth of the tuition. The government wants the partner educational institutions in India to help subsidize foreign students sponsored by them—mostly civil servants in respective countries—as part of its strategy of building bilateral relations for economic diplomacy. The mood was to accept all 20. Then the telephone rings and his secretary Mini tells that Board Member Pai

Book Reviews : Denise Tsang, Business Strategy and National Culture: US and Asia Pacific Microcomputer Multinationals in Europe, Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd, 2002, 251 pp., £ 59.95 (Hb)

own understanding. A few chapters of the book present the usual matter on the current banking scenario and bank management, such as entry of new players, all-out competition, deregulation of interest, prudential regulation, nonperforming assets, corporate planning, SWOT analysis, ratio analysis, and CAMEL rating. However, it is not clear from the text whether the authors desire to develop a framework of managing banks under emerging challenges, or intend to inform readers about the fundamental tools and techniques of bank management. Even as a basic text, the book leaves much to be desired regarding both the aspects. The second edition of the book claims to

The Politics of Labour Reforms in India

Labour policies and labour laws in India are focused rather narrowly on the 8 per cent organized labour. In the pre-liberalization era labour was protected in labour markets and capital in product markets. In the post-liberalization era both remain less protected, if not altogether unprotected. The shift in focus from labour markets to product markets in the context of liberalization is viewed with concern by organized labour. For over three decades comprehensive labour reforms have eluded India. The need for aligning labour laws with industrial policies is recognized, but the government is hesitant to take political risks. Unions want more protection, while employers want greater freedom and flexibility in dealing with labour. This paper exposes six myths, identifies key concerns and presents an agenda for labour reform.Labour policies and labour laws in India are focused rather narrowly on the 8 per cent organized labour. In the pre-liberalization era labour was protected in labour markets and capital in product markets. In the post-liberalization era both remain less protected, if not altogether unprotected. The shift in focus from labour markets to product markets in the context of liberalization is viewed with concern by organized labour. For over three decades comprehensive labour reforms have eluded India. The need for aligning labour laws with industrial policies is recognized, but the government is hesitant to take political risks. Unions want more protection, while employers want greater freedom and flexibility in dealing with labour. This paper exposes six myths, identifies key concerns and presents an agenda for labour reform.