CS Final Group III : Human Resources Management and Industrial Relations - June 2008

CS Final - Group III • Human Resources Management and Industrial Relations • June 2008

This Paper has 33 answerable questions with 0 answered.

Roll No………
Time allowed : 3 hours	Maximum marks : 100
Total number of questions : 8	Total number of printed pages : 3

PART—A (Answer Question No.1 which is compulsory and any two of the rest from this part.)

PART—A
(Answer Question No.1 which is compulsory
and any two of the rest from this part.)

(a)

As a part of its golden jubilee celebrations, the Institute of Company Secretaries of India has organised a symposium on ‘Personnel Management and Role of Company Secretary’. You have been invited to present a paper on this occasion. Draft a synopsis of your paper in about 250 words.

(0)

(10 marks)

(b)

Briefly mention the types of analysis used for the identification of training needs.

(0)

(5 marks)

(c)

“The supervisor often finds himself caught between the devil and the deep sea.” Comment.

(0)

(5 marks)

(a)

Infotech Ltd. is a distributor of Microsoft software alongwith hardware like Jet–Flash pen drives. It employs 11 officers and 150 sales executives, service technicians and some staff. For promotion purposes, it follows the system given below :

—	In January, functions and objectives are mutually agreed upon by the employer and employees. Sales targets are fixed.
—	In November, the employees are asked to self–appraise their achievements.
—	By December, the Vice–President (Personnel) finalises the rating of each employee on the basis of sales performance. New targets are also fixed.
While the management is satisfied with this simple arrangement, the employees’ association has reservations over its efficacy. Now answer the following —

(i)	Who is right and who is wrong ? Why ?

(ii)	Suggest some worthwhile changes in the system.

(0)

(5 marks each)

(b)

Briefly mention the steps that may be followed to design employment tests for an enterprise.

(0)

(5 marks)

Write notes on any three of the following :

(i)

Scope of positive and negative disciplines in HRM

(0)

(ii)

Problems of employees who refuse promotions

(0)

(iii)

Designing the performance appraisal programme

(0)

(iv)

Principles of learning in training and development programmes.

(0)

(5 marks each)

(a)

In a company meeting of Logistics India (P) Ltd. at Mumbai, the Company Secretary viewed that ‘the right–angle method’ is the best for HR planning for the year 2008–09. Do you agree ? Critically evaluate the method.

(0)

(6 marks)

(b)

Explain any two of the following :

(i)

Steps in job analysis.

(0)

(ii)

HRM as a profession.

(0)

(iii)

Linking pin role of an HR Manager.

(0)

(3 marks each)

(c)

State, with reasons in brief, whether the following statements are correct or incorrect :

(i)

The two terms – ‘personnel management’ and ‘human resource management’ – are synonymous.

(0)

(ii)

Herzberg strongly emphasised on the halo–effect as the prime motivator for performance.

(0)

(iii)

If employees are properly selected, there is no need for orientation programme.

(0)

(1 mark each)

PART—B (Answer Question No.5 which is compulsory and any two of the rest from this part.)

PART—B
(Answer Question No.5 which is compulsory and any two of the rest from this part.)

On 30^th November, 2007 (Friday), Brilliant Lights Electric (P) Ltd., Bangalore was to celebrate company’s foundation day and Kannada Rajyotsava. But a fatal accident in its machine shop spoiled the festivities. Murthy, a contract labour of six years standing, fell into the vertical turret lathe after slipping from upper plain platform. Aghast, two fellow workers including Bhaskar Rao, President of workers’ union shouted and fainted. The lathe was stopped. But churned to pieces, Murthy died in ambulance on way to hospital. Grief stricken management officials and workers cremated him the next day.

The work was resumed on Monday morning with the help of the union. But on Tuesday noon, all the 25 workers of the machine shop ran out in panic gasping that they had seen Murthy turning in the lathe with blood oozing out of his mouth. The Factory Manager, Personnel Officer and General Manager tried to pacify horror stricken workers, but in vain. Actually, they themselves dared not to enter the machine shop.

On union’s advice, the Factory Manager arranged a turret–purification pooja next day. This helped a little, many workers reported seeing Murthy’s ghost roaming here and there.

Thereupon, the union and management engaged an industrial psychiatrist. He gave psycho–medical treatment to affected workers for four days. Besides, after mutual discussions with the union and factory inspector, the management forthwith:

—	Paid Rs.2 lakh compensation to the widow of Murthy, on the basis of Murthy’s wages @ Rs. 6,000 per month;
—	The union/staff added Rs.2 lakh to it;
—	Monthly pension @ Rs.4,000 was given to the widow of Murthy;
—	There was no wage cut for anyone; and
—	A memorial–statue of Murthy was installed in the factory compound.
Surprisingly, everything turned normal thereafter. Yet everyone recalls it with chill down the spine. Analyse the above situation and answer the following :

(i)	For an Industrial Relation (IR) Practioner, what are the lessons from this incident ?

(ii)	Did the company practise collective bargaining on compensation ?

(iii)

Was there a breach of any provision of the Factories Act, 1948 in this case ?

(iv)	Who should have paid the compensation – the Company, or the Union or the Contractor ?

(0)

(5 marks each)

(a)

State, with reasons in brief, wherever required, whether the following statements are true or false :

(i)

Indiscipline is the workers’ problem with the management and grievances are the management’s problem with the workers.

(0)

(ii)

Making workers feel responsible and worthy, contributes to making work a pleasant pass time.

(0)

(iii)

Wealth and status of an employee determines his wages as per the Payment of Wages Act, 1936.

(0)

(iv)

Marxist and social relations approaches form the basis of industrial relation systems of the voluntary retirement schemes in India.

(0)

(v)

Inadequacies of legal machinery together with patronage of political parties are the prime causes of industrial conflicts and strikes in India.

(0)

(vi)

The Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act was passed in 1945.

(0)

(vii)

Hicks model of collective bargaining focuses on the length and costs of work stoppages.

(0)

(viii)

Adjudication machinery for industrial disputes resolution means that all disputes are finally adjudged by conciliation and mediations as per the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947.

(0)

(ix)

As per the Payment of Bonus Act, 1965, bonus cannot be forfeited.

(0)

(x)

The Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970 applies to all establishments where work is of casual or intermittent nature.

(0)

(1 mark each)

(b)

“Industrial relations in India are largely regulated, shaped and structured by the State.” Comment.

(0)

(5 marks)

(a)

“Arbitration as an alternate dispute resolution mechanism has not been very successful in India.” Comment.

(0)

(5 marks)

(b)

The standing orders of Dynamic Ltd. provide for deemed resignation of an employee if he remains absent from duty for 15 continuous days and does not resume work despite service of notice on him or applies for leave of absence. Is this provision legal ? Discuss with the help of decided case law.

(0)

(5 marks)

(c)

What are the rights of workers under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948 ?

(0)

(5 marks)

(a)

“The Japanese Model of Workers’ Participation in Management (WPM) still remains a guide for WPM in India.” Discuss.

(0)

(8 marks)

(b)

Hereunder is a list of events in a voluntary retirement case :

(i)	10^th January, 2008	:	Pramod, Cashier, Bharat Bank, New Delhi applies for voluntary retirement under the Bank’s Golden Handshake Scheme.
(ii)	8^th February, 2008	:	Letter conveying Bank’s acceptance of voluntary retirement delivered to Pramod.
(iii)	9^th February, 2008	:	Staff gives farewell party. After taking dues, except cash security of Rs.50,000, Pramod leaves bank for good.
(iv)	15^th February, 2008	:	Bank refuses to pay Pramod his security deposit and orders him to assist the Manager in cash handling work increased due to issue of recent IPO share offers.
(v)	17^th February, 2008	:	Pramod refuses insisting that he has retired and is not bound by Bank’s orders.
(vi)	18^th February, 2008	:	Bank chargesheets Pramod for disobedience of orders
(vii)	28^th February, 2008	:	Pramod dismissed from Bank’s service; cash security forfeited.
(viii)	25^th March, 2008	:	Pramod challenges dismissal and forfeiture.

Who is legally right ? Why ?

(0)

(5 marks)

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