Conceptualise and Get Sacked - Case study solution

Conceptualise and Get Sacked

HSS Ltd. is a leader in high-end textiles having headquarters in Bangalore.

The company records a turnover of Rs 1,000 cr. Plus a year. A year back, HSS set up a unit at Hassan (250 km away from Bangalore) to spin home textiles. The firm hired Maniyam as GM-HR and asked him to operationalise the Hassan unit.

Maniyam has a vision. Being a firm believer in affirmative actions, he plans to reach out to the rural areas and tap the potentials of teenaged girls with plus two educational background. Having completed their 12th standard, these girls are sitting at homes, idling their time, watching TV serials endlessly and probably dreaming about their marriages. Junior colleges are located in their respective villages and it is easy for these girls to get enrolled in them. But degree colleges are not nearby. The nearest degree college is minimum 10 km and no parents dare send their daughters on such long distances and that too for obtaining degrees, which would not guarantee them jobs but could make searching for suitable boys highly difficult.

These are the girls to whom Maniyam wants to reach out. How to go about hiring 1500 people from a large number who can be hired? And Karnataka is a big state with 27 districts. The GM-HR studies the geography of all the 27 districts and zeroes in on nine of them known for backwardness and industriousness.

Maniyam then thinks of the principals of Junior Colleges in all the nine districts as contact persons to identify potential candidates. This route is sure to ensure desirability and authenticity of the candidates. The girls are raw hands. Except the little educational background, they know nothing else. They need to be trained. Maniyam plans to set up a training centre at Hassan with hostel facilities for new hires. He even hires Anil, an MBA from UK, to head the training centre.

All is set. It is bright day in October 2006. MD and the newly hired VP-HR came to Hassan from Bangalore. 50 principals from different parts of the nine districts also came on invitation from Maniyam and Anil. Discussions, involving all, go on upto 2 PM. At that time, MD and VP-HR ask Maniyam to meet them at the guest house to discuss some confidential matter.

In this meeting, Maniyam is told that his style of functioning does not jell with the culture of HSS. He gets the shock of life. He responds on expected by submitting his papers.

Back in his room, Maniyam wonders what has gone wrong. Probably, the VP-HR being the same age as he is, is feeling jealous and insecure since the MD has all appreciation for the concept and the way things are happening. Maniyam does not have regrets. On the contrary he is happy that his concept is being followed though he has been sacked. After all, HSS has already hired 500 girls. With Rs 3,000 plus a month each, these girls and their parents now find it easy to find suitable boys.

Question:

1.                  What mad the MD change his mind and go against Maniyam? What role might the VP-HR have played in the episode?

Managing director planning model

Some managing directors control sections of a company while others are in charge of the activities of the entire company or organization. They provide training and guidance to employees while delegating responsibilities to those employees. Managing directors are sometimes in charge of hiring and creating work schedules. If work goals are not met, the director is sometimes in charge of firing employees as well. Managing directors hold meetings and give presentations in these meetings. They must also make sure there is financial security in the company.

Managing directors must support the partnerships and the company's alliances while representing the company to the public, stakeholders, major customers, professional organizations and any business partners. When the director plans and implements the company's calendar of events, these include such activities as fundraisers, official administrative acts and other special events. Sometimes called the chief executive officer, the managing director must be able to freely communicate with the chairman of the board of directors of the company or organization. He has to let board members know of any changes to the company.

The Managing Director is responsible for many aspects of the business.

Primarily the Managing Director will be responsible for implementing company policy and any changes to it. As the aims of business are focussed towards growth, profits and increasing shareholder return it is the responsibility of the MD to ensure that the company strategy is geared towards this. It is also the role of the Managing Director to convene a Board of Directors and manage any communication between the Board and the Chairperson/Shareholders.

On a secondary level there are a number of other responsibilities that the Managing Director may have. The Managing Director will be responsible for representing the company in public at events or with the press. They will be responsible for leading, coaching and mentoring other board members and supporting their professional development. The MD will work alongside other board members to identify operational performance measures and will require an understanding of finance related issues in order to analyse company performance.