HRM Case Study 1
Harsha and Franklin both of them are postgraduates in management under different streams from
the same B-School. Both of them are close to each other from the college days itself and the same
friendship is continuing in the organization too as they are placed in the same company, Hy-tech
technology solutions. Harsha placed in the HR department as employee counsellor and Franklin
in the finance department as a key finance executive. As per the grade is concerned both are at the
same level but when responsibility is concerned Franklin is holding more responsibility being in
core finance.
By nature, Harsha is friendly in nature and ready to help the needy. Franklin is silent in nature
ready to help if approached personally and always a bit egoistic in nature. They have successfully
completed 4 years in the organization. And management is very much satisfied with both of them
as they are equally talented and constant performers.
Harsha felt that now a day’s Franklin is not like as he uses to be in the past. She noticed some
behavioural changes with him. During general conversations, she feels that Franklin is taunting
her that she is famous among the employees in the organization, on the other hand, he is not even
recognized by fellow employees.
One morning Mr. Mehta General Manager Hy-tech technology solutions shocked while going
through the mail received from Franklin about his resignation. Mr. Mehta called Harsha
immediately and discussed the same as she is close to Franklin. By hearing the news Harsha got
stunned and said that she does not know this before she also revealed here current experience with
him. Mr. Mehta who does not want to lose both of them promised her that he will handle this and
he won’t allow Franklin to resign
In the afternoon Mr. Metha took Franklin to Canteen to make him comfortable after some general
discussion he starts on the issue. Franklin, after some hesitation, opened his thinking in front of
Mr. Mehta. The problem of Franklin is
1) when he comes alone to canteen the people from others don’t even recognize him but if he
accompanied by Harsha he gets well treated by others.
2) one day Both of them entered the company together the security in the gate wished them but the
next day when he came alone the same security did not do so.
3) Even in meetings held in the office, the points raised by Harsha will get more value so many
times he keeps silent in the meeting.
It happens to Franklin that he has to face such degradation in each day of work which totally
disturbs him. Franklin also questioned that ” Harsha and myself have the same qualification, from
the same institute, passed out in the same year both with first class. We have the same number of
experiences in this organization. Moreover, the responsibilities with me are more valuable than
those of Harsha. After all these things if I am been ignored or unrecognized by the fellow
employees my ego does not allow me to continue here”.
By listening to this statement Mr.Metha felt that it is not going to be very difficult to stop his
resignation. Mr. Mehta explained Franklin the reasons for such partial behavior of the employees.
After listening to Mr. Mehta Franklin said sorry for his reaction and ready to take back
his resignation. And he called Harsha and spoke with like before.
Questions for HRM Case Studies: Case Study 1
Find the reason that Mr. Mehta would have given to Franklin.
Solution for HRM Case Study 1
Mr. Mehta listening to this case understood the situation and realized the reason behind the partial
response given by the employees towards Franklin and Harsha. As Franklin said both Harsha and
Franklin are passed out from the same college in the same year. Both of them joined the company
together both have the same experience. Even in performance-wise, both stands in the same level
i.e. both are constant performers and good performers.
Franklin analyzed all the above-said similarities between him and Harsha. He also stated that he
holds more responsibility than that of Harsha. One thing Franklin did not notice or analyzed is the
job profile of Harsha. It is true that Franklin holds more responsibility than that of Harsha but when
it comes to direct interaction with employees Harsha wins the employees’ attention in this aspect.
Harsha being a counsellor in HR she faces the employees every day. She developed good rapport
among the employees due to her friendly nature. She is always remembered by the employees
whenever they face any problem as she gives good counselling and most of the time she suggests
the best solutions for such issues.
Franklin though holding a key position in finance his profile does not allow him to interact with
the employees. Though he has a helping tendency he does only when someone approached him
personally. As the employees of other departments do not have any relation with him they never
approach him for help.
Mr. Mehta having a good experience understood these things when Franklin explained his
problems one by one. Later he relates each situation, explained by Franklin with the above said
reasons and made Franklin understood the reality.
Mr. Mehta said that the security in the gate or the employees in the canteen who recognized Harsha
and not Franklin would have interacted with her during counseling or approached her for any
issues. And as usual, she would have counselled well or solved the issues of them that is the reason
why they treat her and wish her whenever where ever they meet her. When it comes to the case of
Franklin they would have hardly met him or interacted with him.
When it comes to the point that even in-office meetings Harsha, points are valued so Franklin
keeps mum. For this, Mr. Mehta replied that the points put forward by her would be related to
employees or from the employees’ point of view which actually the management wants to know
so they give value to her points. And as quoted Fraklin after, one or two such incidents keep silent
in the meeting. He never made an attempt to raise some suggestions so management does not have
any option to listen to that suggestion.
After listening to all the explanations given by Mr. Mehta Franklin realized his mistake and felt
proud of the Rapport developed by Harsha among the employees. He said to Mr. Mehta that he
will take back his resignation. And rushed to Harsha to make an apology and to meet her as a
friend as like his college days.
HRM CASE STUDY-2
Watson Public Ltd Company is well known for its welfare activities and employee-oriented
schemes in the manufacturing industry for more than ten decades. The company employs more
than 800 workers and 150 administrative staff and 80 management-level employees. The Top-
level management views all the employees at the same level. This can be clearly understood by
seeing the uniform of the company which is the Same for all starting from MD to floor level
workers. The company has 2 different cafeterias at different places one near the plant for workers
and others near the Administration building. Though the place is different the amenities,
infrastructure and the food provided are of the same quality. In short, the company stands by the
rule of Employee Equality.
The company has one registered trade union. The relationship between the union and the
management is very cordial. The company has not lost a single man day due to strike. The company
is not a paymaster in that industry. The compensation policy of that company, when compared to
other similar companies, is very less still the employees don’t have many grievances due to the
other benefits provided by the company. But the company is facing a countable number of
problems in supplying the materials in the recent past days. Problems like quality issues, mismatch
in packing materials (placing material A in the box of material B) incorrect labelling of material,
not dispatching the material on time, etc…
The management views the case as there are loopholes in the system of various departments and
hand over the responsibility to the HR department to solve the issue. When the HR manager goes
through the issues he realized that the issues are not relating to the system but it relates to the
employees. When investigated he come to know that the reason behind the casual approach by
employees in work is
• The company hired new employees for a higher-level post without considering the potential
internal candidates.
• The newly hired employees are placed with higher packages than that of existing employees
in the same cadre.
Questions:
1. Narrate the case with a suitable title for the case. Justify your title.
Solution for HRM Case Case Study 2
Employee Equality is not the need for every hour. In the above-said case, Watson Ltd had provided
all facilities to employees at each grade in an equal manner. But still, the employees started creating
certain issues like materials are meeting the quality supply schedule is not met etc. And the HR
manager said that the policy of hiring new employees for the higher post without considering old
potential employees is the major problem.
“Employee recognition VS Employee equality”. As the HR manager states that employees are
not been recognized for the potential rather the company has gone for new recruitment. Because
of which the company faces problems.
2. The points rose by the HR manager as the reason for the latest issues in the organization is
justifiable or not. Support your answer with Human resource related concepts.
Yes, the points raised by the HR manager is justifiable because “Human beings are social Animals
as popularly” said by many Human resources Scholars. So human minds demand social
recognition, self-respect, consideration, etc for their work and performance.
3. In the above-said case, even the company provides and stands by the concept of employee
equality when it fails to recognize the potential talents of existing employee they felt
dissatisfaction towards the organization and they showed in the way of quality issues and
slow down production.
Related HR concept.
Slow down Production:
The concept of slow down production is a type of employee’s strike. The Industrial Relations sates
that when the employee wants to show their dissatisfaction to the management but don’t want to
go for strike they follow slow down strike. The impact of which will be understood after a
particular time period.
Employee Recognition:
Human beings can be easily motivated by Rewards and recognition than that of money. In this
case, also the employee is not satisfied even after all facilities just because of the reason that they
are not recognized.
Hawthrone Experiment:
In the four types of test conducted by Elton Mayo, the remarkable hike in production is recognized
in the stage when they consulted the employees for the management decisions regarding them. The
same thing was missing in Watson Ltd. Before the new hires if the management consulted the
employees both management and employees would have avoided this issue
Hygiene Factor:
The theory of hygiene factors states that there are certain factors related to employees the presence
of which will not create a major impact but the absence of such things will lead to a de motivation
to the employees. Employee Recognition is one such factor when the management fails to do so it
will Detroit the employees to a great extent.
3. Help the organization to come out from this critical issue. If you are in the role of HR manager
what will be your immediate step to solve this case.
If I was in the post of the HR manager I will try to discuss the issue and ask for the reason from
the management for new recruiting rather than considering available potential talents. I will
personally analyse the reasons provided by management and if acceptable I will discuss the same
with the employees. Everything is possible with a discussion. So I will discuss and convince the
employee that this won’t happen again in the organization. I will also initiate the collective
bargaining process for reasonable salary hike for the existing employees.
