Title: “Contemporary Human Resource Practices in cement
industry “
Name: V.Purendra Prasad
Research Scholar, SKIM, SK UNIVERSITY, ANANTAPURAMU.
Research supervisor: Prof.M.Muthyalu Naidu
Email id: Prasad.sadhana@gmail.com
Postal address: d/no -19-2-119, upstairs, raninagar, old town, Anantapuramu.
INTRODUCTION: Human resource had been an important factor of production. It is the
only active factor of production that can employ other factors in the best possible manner. Every
organization operates by combining resources both material and non material resource. HRM is
concerned with the people’s dimension in management. Every organization is made up of people
acquiring their services, developing their skills, motivating them to high levels of performance
and ensuring that they continue to maintain their commitment to the organization, referred to as
human resource management.
The main purpose of this study to examine the contemporary hr practices implementing in the
cement industry.
Contemporary human resource practices:
1. High performance work systems: Creating high performance work systems is one
change in what human resource management does a focus on productivity and
performance. High performance work systems is an integrated set of human resource
management policies and practices that together produce superior employee performance
.
A) Selective hiring.
B) Employee security.
C) Self managed team.
D) Emphasis on high quality of work.
2. Knowledge work human capital: Knowledge, education, training, skills and of a firms
workers considered called a human capital.
3. Tele commuting or work from home: Tele work is work arrangement in which
employees do not commute to a central place of work. Many telecommuters work from
home, while others sometimes called ‘nomad workers ‘use mobile, tele communication
technology.
4. Flexi time: A work schedule in which employees workdays are built around a care of
midday hours , and employees determine within limits, what other hours they will work
1. Recruitment and selection:
E- recruitment: E-recruitment is the process of personnel recruitment using electronic
resources; in particular the internet. Companies and recruitment agents have moved much of
their recruitment process online so as to improve the speed by which candidates can be matched
with live vacancies.
Social recruiting: social recruiting is the process of sourcing or recruiting candidates through
the use of social platforms or advertising channels such as face book, Google, twitter, job boards,
employee referrals.
Head hunting process: it is a process where the recruiters identify approach specific individuals
for jobs. The company will hunt for the need of a specific person.
Recruiting through internet: most people today go online to look for jobs. One survey found
that on a typical day, more than 4 million people turn to the web looking for jobs.
2. Training and development:
E-learning: E-learning is broadly inclusive of all forms of educational technology in learning
and teaching. E-learning is inclusive of with multimedia learning, technology enhanced learning,
and computer based instruction, virtual learning environments.
Tele training: Tele training is training that
1. Usually conveys live instruction via tele communication facilities
2. May be accomplished on a point –to- point or a point –to- multipoint basis and
3. May assume forms including tele seminars, tele conferences electronic classrooms, including
both audio & video.
Training through management games: Training games started in 1995, with the initial
objective of developing games & simulations to make training routinely more effective
experience but also more entertaining. We still have the capacity to develop new products and to
custom design courses.
3. Performance management:
Electronic performance management: it means “having supervisors electronically
Monitor the amount of computerized data an employee is processing per day, and there by his
Or her performance.
Web-based performance management: This type of performance management generally
Enable managers to keep computerized notes on subordinates during the year, and then to
Combine these with ratings of employees on several performance traits. The software program
Then generate written text to support each part of the appraisal.
540 degree performance management: This performance management adds more external
customers and suppliers.
4. Compensation management:
Competency based pay: competency based pay means the company pays for the employees
range, depth, and type of skills and knowledge, rather than for the jobs title he or she holds
experts variously call this competence, knowledge or skilled based pay.
Profit sharing plan: A plan whereby employees share in the company’s profits. Profit sharing
plans in which all or most employees receive ashare of the firm’s annual profits. Profit sharing
plans boost productivity and morale.
Automating compensation administration: when all the firms managers review employee’s
performance and match these budgetary constraints and formulate pay raise recommendations.
5. Employee safety management:
Safety training: safety training is another way to reduce unsafe acts especially for new
Employees. Company trainers should instruct them in safe practices & procedures.
Reduce unsafe conditions: reduce unsafe conditions is always an employer’s first line of
Defense in accident prevention, safety engineers should design jobs so as to remove or reduce
Physical hazards. Employers increasingly use computerized tools to design safety equipment
Behavior based safety conditions: It means identifying the worker behaviors that contribute to
Accidents and then workers to avoid these behaviors.
Conduct safety & health audits: reducing unsafe acts is no substitute for eliminating
Hazards .managers should therefore routinely inspect for possible problems using checklist As
aids.
Review of literature:
Recruitment and selection:
Udeshi K.J (1960) has done a study on recruitment
and selection plan for cement Industries. Stressing the need for carrier path for employees and
suggested that objective of carrer path is to develop every officer in to confident, efficient and
knowledgeable incumbent of the present job as also to enable Him to realize his/ her maximum
potential. Officers should make full use of the opportunities’ that exists for meaningful learning
when an officer is performing his job. After he has availed of on the job training he should be
provided with institutional training and to reinforce this learning by proper Placement.
Gannon (1971) examined the relationship between several Methods by which individuals heard
about job openings and voluntary turnover? Among his Findings, individuals who were referred
by a current employee or who had applied directly (“Walk-ins”) without knowing if there
werejob openings were Less likely to quit than Individuals who responded to job advertisements
or who Were referred by an employment Agency
Surya Narayana (1974) has done a study on recruitment and selection in Allahabad Bank. The
researcher says that till 1976 no direct recruitment of officers was permitted in Allahabad bank.
Thereafter as per the government Directives up to 25 percent of the officer vacancies are being
filled through direct recruitment.
While Gorter and Ommeren (1994) pushed the analysis one steps further. The authors
concluded that two main recruitment strategies can be identified: a sequential use of search
Channels, in which the first search channel chosen is Usually the informal channel and
Additional search channels are activated one After the other; and an “adding to the pool
“Strategy in which the first search Channel chosen is basically advertisement and later one or
more search channels Are activated in order to enrich the pool of available applicants.
Calif reported by Starcke (1996), also projected growth in Internet Recruiting. The firm's
research showed that of 210 companies polled in phone Interviews, 93per cent say they expect to
use the Internet more intensively for Recruiting in the future. The Austin Knight survey also
showed two-thirds of the Companies surveyed consider the Internet more cost-effective than
most or all other available recruitment methods. Companies that had used the Internet Longer or
posted more jobs rated the Internet's cost effectiveness higher than did other firm.
Mencken & Winfield (1998) had explored the advantages and disadvantages of informal and
Formal recruiting practices in external labor markets. The data was analyzed from
1981Metropolitan Employer-Worker Survey (MEWS). Based on random-digit-dial telephone
survey of 2,713 adults, the authors had constructed seven dichotomous dependent variables. The
empirical analysis of their study found that quality was the stronger motivator than cost for
informal Recruiting, hiring managers viewed the volume of applicants as the central Advantage
of formal recruiting techniques and the employment agencies were seen as having the advantages
of both informal and formal recruiting—high Quality and large volume. At the same time,
authors also found that cost made Employment agencies less attractive to hiring managers for
whom quality rather Than volume was the primary concern.
Bartram (2000) presented a snapshot of Internet development as recruitment and selection
medium. He examined the role of the Internet within a traditional Recruitment cycle. At the socalled “attraction stage,” he wrote, the Internet helps to draw people into a large pool by
providing a virtual stage for a job posting.
Kinder (2000) examined a new model for decomposing e-commerce. The paper
Suggested that use of the Internet in recruitment processes is likely to change
The Interface between internal and external labor markets for many firms. The
Paper predicted that the conceptions behind current research programs in labor
Market theory may require rethinking in the Internet era.
Training and development:
S.K. Bhatia (1967) discussed the main objectives of training &development in cement industry.
He Suggested a shift from knowledge to attitude while designing the training programmers He
identified three areas of training, technical skills, knowledge of organization and external
systems, conceptual and inter personnel skills. The emphasis on different skills should vary with
the type of employees.
Dr.Nadler, Carroll and Jones (1970) have used the term “HRD” mainly referring to training,
education and development. According to them is focused On the present job education and the
future job and development is concerned With providing learning experiences to employees so
that they may be ready to Move to new directions and dimensions that the organizational change
Requires.
NARASIMHAN K (1989) conducted a study at Hindustan aeronautics Hyderabad. It has
been conducted that HRD facilities technology Improvements through training and development.
Training and Development has not only yielded tangible benefits of increased Productivity but
intangible Benefits of increased working Relationships such as positive attitude towards Change,
increased Motivation to take up newer jobs, higher involved in work and in the Organization and
pride of work.
Anglin (1995) compiled the discussions of leading professionals in the field of Instructional
Technology. The contents of the discussions were instructional Designs, research and evaluation
in Instructional Technology, future prospects for instruction technology and professional
development in the field of Instructional Technology. All discussions rated positivism towards
the Effectiveness of Instructional Technology
McLagan PA (1989) an ASTD (AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR TRAINING AND
DEVELOPMENT) sponsored study by pat Mc Lagan sought to identify the hr roles and
competencies HRD function. This study documented A shift from the more traditional training
and development topics to a function That included career development and organization
development issues.
.
Compensation management:
Schwab (1980) being strategic about compensation implies support of the Business strategy and
sensitivity to anticipated environmental pressures. But such a general characterization does not
provide much leverage for Research or theory building nor does it offer much guidance for
managing Compensation. And the folly of undertaking research based on poorly defined
constructs is well recognized.
Lawler (1981) while not the longest is perhaps the most inclusive. It includes the market
position (level of pay relative to competitors) internal versus external Orientation, hierarchy (the
steepness of the pay structure and the basis, job versus skills - for the pay structure reward mix,
and the basis of rewards (Performance versus seniority, groups versus individual, criteria used,
etc).
Dyer (1985) the term strategy is often used to refer to everything considered Important. The
danger is that if it refers to everything, it may mean nothing. Generally, strategy refers to the
overarching, long-term directions of an Organization that is critical to its survival and success.
Strategies take Advantage of the opportunities’ and threats in the external environment by
marshaling internal resources in some coherent, consistent direction.
Gehart and Milkovich (1992) in his own analysis says compensation management is all about
developing a positive employment relationship and psychological contract that adopts a total
compensation approach This recognizes that there are a number of ways in which people can be
Compensated.
Brown (2003) sees compensation as a return in exchange between their Employees and
themselves as an entitlement for being an employee Of the organization or as a reward for a job
well done .employees pay does Not depend solely on the jobs they hold.
Anyebe (2003) the task in compensation administration is to develop policies and the terms of
attracting, satisfying, retaining and perhaps motivating Employees.
Armstrong (2005) stated that compensation management is an integral part of Human resources
management approach to productivity improvement in the Organization. It deals with the design,
implementation and maintenance of Compensation system that are geared to the improvement of
organization, Team and individual performance
SAFETY MANAGEMENT:
IN 1970, ‘OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ACT, (OSHA) ‘was passed in United
States of America as a comprehensive national Safety law, safety took a new direction and
meaning as result of (OSHA). Similar steps were followed by other countries, such as United
Kingdom (health and safety at work act, 1974), Australia (Victoria occupational health and
safety act, 1985)
Powell and Canter (1985) observed that “more than half of the Industrial accidents are
attributable to deficiencies in the human and management component than to unforeseeable
weakness in the Technical component “these findings prompted further studies to Improve safety
management in iron and steel industry.
Dumas (1987) discovered that programmes of quality and Programmes of safety have similar
components. He concluded” safety is a dimension of quality, after everything, the elimination of
defects includes the elimination of practices of unsafe work.”
Gupta (2002) points out the major causes of this accident as, Indifferent attitude of the
management towards safety and lack of Enforcement of existing regulations by regulatory
bodies. Learning Lessons from Bhopal disaster, most of the industrial organizations In India has
made considerable investments in safety related Infrastructure, equipment and training.
Enforcement rules and Regulations also been made more stringent with number of Amendments
in the acts and rules.
Glendon and McKenna (1995) suggest that organizations with a positive Safety Cultures are
characterized by effective communication. Such Communication is Founded on shared beliefs of
the importance of safety and Mutual trust as well as Confidence in effectiveness of preventive
measures.
Cox and Oliver (1999) also found that management influenced work force Appraisals o f
commitment across manufacturing, dairy produce, Transportation. Management also consistently
influenced training across three Industries but only influenced workforce personnel actions &
responsibility In the manufacturing and diary produce materials. As well as providing insight in
to the role of management in work place safety.
Tomas, Melia, and Oliver (1999) found that supervisors played an important Role in the
accident prevention process by transferring the elements of safety Climate to members of the
workforce. Evidence for this came from support For a tested model in which the casual chain ran
from the “safety climate” to “Supervisor response” to “co-workers response “to “worker
attitude” and then to “safety behavior”, “risk and finally “accidents. Finally from a Study in the
steel industry.
Thompson et al. (1998) suggests that senior managers support Safety through indirect means
such as establishing safety policies and Procedures, setting Production goals etc.. While
supervisors act as the link between management and shop floor, they monitor worker compliance
to safety and provide feedback to workers concerning their Behavior.
NEED FOR THE STUDY:
Human resource management is very important in all organizations. The Creative abilities,
capacities and knowledge of human resource is very important in case of manufacturing industry
especially in Cement industry Human resource practices are very important forGoodproductivity.
Cement Companies play an important role ‘In development of nations. Huge Competitions are
there for cement Companies, so cement companies need to adopt new trends in Human resource
practices for expanding the market globally. Human resource practices have to be viewed as a
dynamic process, which need to be kept aligned with the changing realities in the Environment.
The underlying emphasis, in human resource Practices, therefore would be Work for the
appropriate fit between Work and people from time to time. From the above literature it has been
found that many of the studies have concentrated on conventional human resource practices such
as recruitment and selection, training and development, performance management,
Compensation management, employee safety management, employee Empowerment, industrial
relations, welfare and labor laws management, etc.
Most of the studies are in the area of financial Management, marketing management is very
limited that limited studies are found in the area of human resource management. Moreover in
the area of human resource management also much of the research has been undertaken on
industrial relations, welfare and labor law management, Training and development, employee
retention, performance management, Wage and salary administration etc. Very few studies have
concentrated on Contemporary human resource practices like e-recruitment, tele –recruiting,
Internet based training, virtual classroom training, benchmarking, and 540 Degree performance
appraisal, safety training, competency based salary, Work from home, flexi timings. Hence the
present study has been undertaken on such “contemporary human resource practices” in Indian
cement industry.
RESEARCH METHOD:
SAMPLING METHOD:
The sampling method choosed for this study is stratified random Sampling. The size of sample
amongst 30 % of total population in Ultratech cements Pvt .ltd Company.
Table: 1
Details of sample
Company
Executives
Total
Ultratech
cement
218
Employee strength
Field staff
Frontline
executives
Sample Total
(30%)
Sample
(30%) Total
65
51
168
242
Total
Sample
(30%)
72
628
Sample
Chosen
(30%)
188
DATA ANALYIS: The data is analyzed by calculating, mean Score method and for testing
hypothesis chi-square statistical tool has been applied with the help of SPSS.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION:
TABLE-1
RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION
S.no
1
Companies
Ultratech
limited Cement
Company
I am aware e-recruitment practice in our organization
Strongly
agree
7
3.7%
Agree
Uncertai Disagree
n
116
57
7
61%
30.0%
3.7%
Strongly
disagree
1
0.53%
Total
188
100%
Source: Field data
INFERENCE:
From the above table we can observe that 61% of respondents have aware about e-recruitment
process in the organization. So the organization is providing awareness of contemporary hr
practices.
TABLE-2
RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION
S.No
1
Companies
Ultratech
limited Cement
Company
I am not satisfied with the tele-recruiting practice in
our organization
Strongly
Agree
Uncertai Disagree Strongly
agree
n
disagree
5
27
107
46
3
2.6%
14.3% 56.91%
24.4%
1.5%
Total
188
100%
Source: Field data
INFERENCE:
From the above table we can observe that 56.91% respondents are not satisfied with the
Tele-recruiting process in the organization. So the organization need to satisfy the
Employees by providing guanine recruiting process.
Table: 3
RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION
S.N
1
Companies
Ultratech
limited Cement
Company
Our organization recruits through internet by online
recruiting selects the right person
Strongly
Agree
Uncertai Disagree Strongly
agree
n
disagree
29
23
23
86
27
15.4%
12.2%
12.2%
45.7%
14.3%
Total
188
100%
Source: Field data
INFERENCE:
From the above table we can observe that 45.7% respondents are disagreeing with the
organization online recruiting process.
Table: 4
RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION
S.N
1
Companies
Ultratech
limited Cement
Company
I am aware of human resource information system
to improving productivity in our organization
Strongly
Agree
Uncertai Disagree Strongly
agree
n
disagree
51
23
41
32
41
27.12%
12.2%
21.8%
17%
21.8%
Total
188
100%
Source: Field data
From the above table we can observe that 27.12% strongly agree with the human resource
Information system to improving productivity in the organization.
Table: 5
RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION
S.N
1
Companies
Ultratech
limited Cement
Company
Our organization provides implements phone and
video interviews to select the candidate
Strongly
Agree
Uncertai Disagree Strongly
agree
n
disagree
37
31
29
51
40
19.68% 16.48% 15.42%
27.12%
21.27%
Total
188
100%
INFERENCE:
From the above table we can observe that 27.12% disagree with implements phone and
Video interviews to select the candidate in the organization.
Table: 6
TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT
S.N
o
1
Companies
Ultratech
limited Cement
Company
I am aware of internet based training provides to the
employee in the organization
Strongly
Agree
Uncertai Disagree Strongly
agree
n
disagree
27
30
52
46
33
14.3% 15.95%
27.6% 24.46%
17.55%
Total
188
100%
INFERENCE:
From the above table we can observe that 27.6 % uncertain or not known about internet
Based training provides to the employee in the organization.
Table: 7
TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT
S.No
1
Companies
Ultratech
limited Cement
Company
We have audio-visual based training in our
organization
Strongly
Agree
Uncertai Disagree Strongly
agree
n
disagree
27
36
43
57
25
14.36% 19.14% 22.87% 30.31%
13.29%
Total
188
100%
INFERENCE:
From the above table we can observe that 30.31% are disagree about audio-visual training
in the organization.
Table: 8
TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT
S.No
1
Companies
Ultratech
limited Cement
Company
Our organization provides virtual classroom to
enhance training and development
Strongly
Agree
Uncertai Disagree Strongly
agree
n
disagree
28
32
53
46
29
14.89%
17.02%
28.19% 24.46%
15.42%
Total
188
100%
INFERENCE:
From the above table we can observe that 28.19 % are not known about virtual
Classrooms enhance training and development practices being implemented in the
Organization.
Table: 9
TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT
S.No
1
Companies
Ultratech
limited Cement
Company
Our organization provides video conferences, tele
training to the employees
Strongly
Agree
Uncertai Disagree Strongly
agree
n
disagree
34
36
43
49
26
18.08% 19.14% 22.87% 26.06%
13.83%
Total
188
100%
INFERENCE:
From the above table we can observe that 26.06% are disagree about video conferences,
tele –conferences to the employees provided in the organization.
Table: 10
TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT
S.No
1
Companies
Ultratech
limited Cement
Company
Our organization provides training matches the job
requirements and employs present specifications
Strongly
Agree
Uncertai Disagree Strongly
agree
n
disagree
23
30
47
49
39
12.23% 15.95%
25% 26.06%
20.7%
Total
188
100%
INFERENCE:
From the above table we can observe that 26.06% are disagree that the organization provides
training matches the job requirements and employees present specifications.
Conclusion:
The study on “contemporary human resource practices in the cement industry” has been
examined in the Ultratech cement Ltd Company. So overall in the cement industries
Contemporary practices are not implementing properly compared with software Companies.
This report described the 10 contemporary practices result by asking Questions to the selected
employees in the organization.
References: 1. Agarwala, Tanuja (2002), “Innovative Human Resource Practices and
HRD climate: A comparison of automobile and IT industries,” in pareek, osmangani,
Ramanarayan & Rao T.V. (Eds), Human Resource Development in Asia, New Delhi: Oxford &
IBH: 3-10.
2. Aquinas P.G. (2006) “Human Resource Management” Vikas publishing house New Delhi1
3. Rattans Reddy.B (2007). “Effective Human Resource Training and Development strategy
“Second Revised & Enlarged Edition, Himalaya Publishing House.
4. Alan Clardy (2008) “Human Resource Development and the Resource – Based Model Of core
competencies: methods for diagnosis and assessment “, Human Resource Development Review,
Vol .7.no. 4, p387-407 (2008)
Websites: 1. www.google.co.in
2. www.shrm.com