4.

707 HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Assignment focus on:

Understanding Human Resource Management

Prepared for: Mr Bob Beaver

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Table of Contents

1.0 Company Profile: ............................................................................................................ 3

2.0 Section one ...................................................................................................................... 4
2.1 Job Description- Distribution Manager ....................................................................... 4
1. Purpose of the position: .................................................................................................. 4
2. Functional Relationships:................................................................................................ 4
3. Authorities....................................................................................................................... 4
4. Key performance areas: .................................................................................................. 5
2.2 Interview question based on past behaviour ............................................................... 5
2.2.1 Score Sheet........................................................................................................... 7
2.3 Article helpful in recruitment ...................................................................................... 7
3.0 Section two...................................................................................................................... 8
3.1 Induction and orientation programme ......................................................................... 8
3.2 Dealing with cultural differences .............................................................................. 10
4.0 Section Three ................................................................................................................ 12
4.1 Performance Management......................................................................................... 12
4.2 Appraisal error........................................................................................................... 13
5.0 Section Four .................................................................................................................. 14
5.1 Repatriation ............................................................................................................... 14
5.2 Potential problem in repatriation ............................................................................... 14
References ................................................................................................................................ 16

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1.0 Company Profile:
Selected Company: Mahindra Automotive
Location : India

Mahindra Company was founded in the year 1945 as a steel trading company in Mumbai, India.
In 1947 the company introduced the iconic Willys jeep into the Indian market which made it
the first company to launch a utility vehicle in India. Since then the company has grown and
diversified into 20 key industries ranging from agribusiness, IT and logistics, Farm equipment,
automotive, defence vehicles, vehicles, aerospace, Finance and banking to name a few. The
company employs approximately 200,000 people spreading over 100 countries across the
world. The company has an annual turnover of more than USD 16.9 billion as of financial year
ending 2015 (Mahindra N. Z., 2016).

Mahindra Automotive manufactures utility vehicles, light commercial vehicles, passenger

vehicles, tractors, farm equipment and two wheelers apart from various specialized vehicles
for the defence sector in India. The company also has a joint venture with Navistar for
manufacture of trucks and diesel engines. In 2010 the company also bought 70% shareholding
in the Korean vehicle manufacture company SsangYong. The company manufactures the
largest number of tractors in the world at 300,000 units annually. Mahindra also manufactures
scooters and motor bikes in the two wheelers segment in India The company has its presence
in Europe, Africa, South America, South Asia, Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East
(Mahindra N. Z., 2016).

The company has adopted a 5 S framework as their innovation philosophy which is enumerated
as (Mahindra &. M., 2016):

1. Space- mental and physical space to deliberate over solutions to precarious

complications.
2. Self-indulgent creativity- Solving problem zealously which are outside your work area.
3. Simplicity- finding simple solutions for complex problems
4. Sans (without)- overcoming complex situations even though there is lack of sufficient
capital, technology or resources.
5. Sustained experimenting- Constant experimentation for robust and sustained
innovation

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2.0 Section one
2.1 Job Description- Distribution Manager

Company: Mahindra NZ Ltd.

Position: Distribution Manager
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Responsible to and reporting to: Regional Sales Manager

1. Purpose of the position:

To organise the storage and distribution of vehicles and spare parts in Auckland by
implementing appropriate inventory control strategies. Implementation and adherence to op-
plans and procedures to ensure that right products are delivered to the right location at the
right time and at the right cost. Supervision and control of transportation, warehousing and
logistics in addition to training of staff for efficient and uninterrupted service delivery
(Prospects, 2016).

2. Functional Relationships:

The functional relationships for this position will be with workshop manager, area sales
manager, dealership relationship manager/ account manager, operations manager, logistics
and transportation team, training team, security manager.

3. Authorities

Scheduling and roster for the staff of distribution team, assigning of responsibilities and
authority to subordinate staff, fixing the key performance areas and performance metrics for
the team, authorise leaves for his team, authority to sign off receipts and delivery of goods, to
send requisitions, to take necessary and adequate disciplinary action, expense approval for the
department.

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 4. Key performance areas:

Key Result Area Performance Standard Control Information

Manage the distribution Six sigma quality by use of Daily inventory report to
operations process Information Technology Regional sales manager and
Systems to manage and copy to all functional heads.
control stock levels, achieve
delivery schedules,
minimise wastage and
transport costs
Manage the transportation of Six sigma quality standard Daily delivery report
goods to and from the to be maintained in delivery including in-transit items to
warehouse quantity and meeting line manager with copy to
delivery timelines. all functional managers
Devise transport routes and Routes with low congestion Documented manual with all
deploy drivers and shortest distance to be information and monthly
identified and drivers review for any adjustments
deployed according to their
skills and performance
records. GPS on every
vehicle
Reduce transportation costs Reduction of 10% in Weekly cost sheet with
transportation costs by variance analysis to be sent
optimising load balancing to line manager
Insurance, Health and safety Compulsory health and Monthly report to line
safety training and rigorous manager
adherence to rules.
Coordinating adequate
insurance for vehicles and
material

2.2 Interview question based on past behaviour

I was working as Manager- Sales for the automotive division with the Mahindra & Mahindra
group and posted at the head office at Mumbai, India. I was in-charge for the business of
vehicle sales in New Zealand and hence involved the recruitment process of staff for New
Zealand. I considered the position of the ‘distribution manager’ as critical for our operations
in the country and wanted to choose a person who is passionate about his work and can
handle challenging situations effectively and calmly. In my quest to find the suitable

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candidate, I had prepared certain questions which would reveal the skills acquired and
experience gained through past behaviour in certain circumstances which are crucial for this
position.

One of the most significant behaviour based question which was put forward by me to
understand how he overcame the challenge was “give me a specific instance when you had
too many urgent delivery requests and you were challenged with prioritizing your jobs
and meeting deadlines?”

The answer given by the candidate was:

“I had a situation in my current workplace which occurred around three months ago, that
during the peak festival season when there is highest demand from every dealership and
every requisition is an urgent one because there are many discount and specials therefore,
dealerships want to sell as many units before the season ends.

Around two weeks prior to the end date I was faced with a situation where 1500 vehicles
were to be despatched and delivered for 50 dealerships within 2 days spread across the
national capital region of Delhi. The situation was very stressful as we could potentially loose
customers if the vehicles were not delivered on two auspicious days. In this situation first of
all I analysed the situation in terms of what resources are needed, how much work time we
have, do we need extra staff or overtime from existing staff, stock situation at various
dealerships, transportation trailers availability etc.

As per my calculations we needed 24 trailers which would deliver 8 vehicles each and make
4 trips (on an average 3 hours per trip) in a day. We had 14 trailers on contract hence I
checked with the contractors about the availability of 10 more trailers for two days. I was
able to arrange them after due deliberations and due to my good relations with the
contractors. After this, I prepared a priority list of deliveries according to stock levels and
location of dealerships.

Then I had a team meeting with the distribution and warehouse staff to appraise them with
the situation and the plan to counter that situation. I asked for any suggestions which were
than suitably incorporated in the final plan, this enabled me to get the unanimous agreement
for the plan and was also successful in motivating the team for the challenge. I also assured
them of overtime salary for the extra hours worked and a special reward from the General
Manager in the national Reward and Recognition event.

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Thereafter, I had a meeting with the Regional Sales Manager and discussed the challenge
alongwith the plan to overcome the challenge and the team’s positive response for the plan. I
also got approval for overtime pay and special reward for the team. The RSM also approved a
substantial budget for food and refreshments for the team on those two days.

As a result of this planning we were able to execute all the deliveries within the available
time and all the stakeholders were very satisfied at the end of the exercise.”

The answer given by the candidate reflected crisp understanding of the situation, rational
analysis of the challenge, formulation of an appropriate plan, motivating the team, presenting
solutions for critical situations to the management and most importantly a passion for his
work. I was able to conclude that this candidate is a team player with a rational mind and
strong will power to handle a tough situation.

2.2.1 Score Sheet

Situation Action Result Weightage Rating Score

specific instance Analysed the Team worked as 10/10 5/5 50
when there were situation, planned a self-driven
too many urgent and prioritised, cohesive unit
delivery requests involved and and all task
and the challenge motivated the completed within
was to prioritize team, took deadlines
jobs and meeting approval from the
deadlines? management

2.3 Article helpful in recruitment

I had read an article written by Lou Adler who is the CEO of ‘The Adler Group’ a consulting
and search firm facilitating companies to implement Performance-based Hiring posted on
Linkedin.com (Adler, 2014). This article guided me to use the interview for recruitment
rather than just for assessment of a candidate. The article listed five steps which can help in
improving the quality of shortlisted candidates. I used a few of them as given below:

1) Clarify the expectations of the job- Instead of merely listing the skill and experience
requirements for the post, I clearly defined what the individual needs to do (key
performance areas) to be successful in the job role and how it is vital to the overall
business strategy (Adler, 2014).

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 2) Represent the job offered as a career move- instead of aggressively pitching the job
to convince good candidates, an interview should be used an opportunity to
understand the vacuums in the candidate’s previous job profile and offer to fill in
those voids such as larger team, overseas posting, growth prospects, higher overall
impact on business etc. (Adler, 2014).
3) Treat all candidates with respect- I assumed the candidate is competent and I am a
facilitator rather than assuming him to be incompetent and I becoming an
interrogator. This helped me in getting the best out of the candidate and easing the
atmosphere during the interview (Adler, 2014).

3.0 Section two

3.1 Induction and orientation programme

Induction and orientation programme is the initial and the most important step after
recruitment which welcomes a new employee in the organisation. It is a crucial and
indispensable final step for the hiring process. A well planned induction programme delivers
the first impression about the organisation and its culture and helps in establishing clear
fundamentals in respect with the ethical principles, integrity and corporate social
responsibility (businessballs, 2016).

A robust induction programme helps in reducing anxiety and nervousness associated with a
new environment apart from improving the morale and sentiment about the new job and the
organisation as a whole. It also initiates the employee with the precise information to ensure
clarity on possible areas. It also ensures that all legal formalities are completed which are
required as per the statute (SignatureStaff, 2016). A good induction should include:

• Overview of company policy and procedures

• Formal introduction key managers
• Visit of the direct and indirect workplace with special focus on important facilities
• Health and safety policy and procedures
• Instruction on procedures required to complete day to day tasks
• Give clear understanding of the role and its importance in achieving business
strategies

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The induction programme for this job was devised for four days of which two days were
planned in India and two days in New Zealand. The details of the plan are as follows:

Day 1- Mumbai, India

Time Location Activity Implementation
9.00 - 9.30 Head Office Welcome and introductions Corporate HR
9.35- 11.00 Head Office Overview of the organisation and its Corporate HR, VP-
culture HR
11.00-11.30 Break

11.00-12.30 Head Office Complete all statutory and joining Corporate- HR

forms and documents
Brief Workshop on NZ work culture,
cultural values, language, social
behaviour, weather, transport etc.

12.30-1.30 Head Office Lunch with Regional Sales Manager, Corporate- HR

HR manager, Area distribution
Manager

1.30- 2.00 Break

2.00-3.00 Head Office Tour of HO with short meetings with Corporate- HR
finance, payroll, facilities, security
and other functional managers
3.00- 4.00 Head Office Achievements, mission and vision CEO-Automotive
overview division

Day 2- Mumbai, India

Time Location Activity Implementation
9.30- 12.30 Automotive factory Tour of the manufacturing Production Manager
plant
12.30- 1.30 Automotive factory Lunch with Production Production Manager
Manager and other key
production team
1.30- 2.00 Break
2.00- 4.30 Regional Office Introduction with the logistics Manager- Sales
team, operations process
download and discussion on
role Key performance areas
and its importance in overall
business strategy

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Day 3- Auckland, New Zealand
Time Location Activity Implementation
9.00- 10.30 Auckland Welcome and introductions, HR, Regional
Regional overview of business in NZ, vision, Manager-Sales
Office goals and objectives
10.30-11.00 Break
11.00-12.30 Auckland Completion of documentation HR
Regional required
Office Interactive session on NZ work External
culture, cultural values, social Consultant
behaviour, language, weather,
transport etc.

12.30-1.30 Lunch
1.30- 3.00 Auckland Tour of regional office and brief HR
Regional interactions with all the functional
Office managers
3.00- 3.30 Break
3.30- 4.30 Auckland One on one meeting with the line Line Manager
Regional manager to discuss specific job
Office responsibilities and its importance
for the business

Day- 4 Auckland, New Zealand

Time Location Activity Implementation
8.30- 10.30 Warehouse Meeting with logistics manager to Logistics Manager
understand operational processes
and procedures
10.30-11.00 Break
11.00-12.30 Warehouse Introduction with the team Logistics Manager
Tour of the warehouse
12.30- 1.30 Break
1.30- 2.30 Warehouse Meeting with C& FA and transport Logistics Manager
contractors
2.30-3.00 Break
3.00-4.30 Warehouse Meeting with the distribution team Logistics Manager
and detailing about the work area

3.2 Dealing with cultural differences

People may view the same situation in different ways and also react in different ways
according to their national culture, value and belief systems, attitude, language etc. Therefore,
understanding the culture for the country in which an individual is going to work is very
important as it can make or break the relationship with the team and the organisation as a

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whole (Paul Saunders, 2009). In order to help the new distribution manager to deal with the
different culture, I gave him a few pointers:

1) Get as much information as you can about their cultural values, attitudes, social
behaviour and communication style and how they perceive our cultural values e.g.
they may construe humour as not being serious at work or adherence to working hours
may be different than back in India. I also suggested that he should ask for advice
from the sales manager, the HR counsellor or a friendly colleague (Paul Saunders,
2009).
2) Do not create any stereotypes and consider every person as an individual with a
particular behaviour programmed by their own cultural values. Your actions should be
guided by your understanding of their cultural values and beliefs rather than creating
rigid boundaries. These values influence the behaviour but are not the only factor to
shape the behaviour (Paul Saunders, 2009).
3) Quickly understand as to who the decision makers are and what the level of their
authority is. This may be quite different from the levels in India. Also, different types
of decisions may take different amount of time than in India. Understand who can
make what decisions as it may be at a different level than in your own organization
e.g. as New Zealand is rated as a low power distance country as per the Hofstede’s
cultural dimensions (Hofsteed, 2016) than India which means that decision making is
more de-centralised and it is not normal to expect instruction coming from top level in
the hierarchy rather it is expected that you would make your own decisions (Paul
Saunders, 2009).
4) Be more structured and explicit in communication rather than being quiet, if there is
any ambiguity about what is appropriate. As New Zealand is more of an individualist
culture therefore, the communication is more direct and explicit rather than indirect
and implicit (Paul Saunders, 2009).
5) Do not try to imitate the accent and the speed should be slow while speaking. Ask
how they would like to be addressed, work on correct pronunciation of words and do
not assume anything ask questions and be flexible (Paul Saunders, 2009).

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4.0 Section Three
4.1 Performance Management

Performance Management is a phrase which illustrates the process formulated by a Company

to ensure that all employees are in sync with the desired level of performance to be delivered
by them in their respective roles within the team, in addition to the expected performance
levels to achieve personal objectives working in tandem to accomplish Organisational goals
(Performance Management, 2015). The focus of performance management process is on
learning, improvement and development so that a high performance workforce is evolved
which is able to sustainably accomplish the business strategy (What is Employee
Performance Management ?, 2013).

(Beaver, 2016)
In our company, the performance management process is continuous process undertaken by
the line managers throughout the year rather than an annual ritual completed by the HR
department (What is Employee Performance Management ?, 2013).

The process management process developed for this person was as follows (What is
Employee Performance Management ?, 2013):

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 • Individual objectives were calibrated with the strategies of the business and
organisational objectives. This enables him to get a clear understanding of his overall
contribution and its importance in the big picture.
• Specific and measurable performance indices with reasonable targets and clear time-
frame were tabulated in agreement him.
• Career development plans were discussed and action plan documented.
• Rigour of monthly assessment established which included coaching, mentoring and
feedback. This would ensure regular assessment which would highlight any variations
in performance and adequate time for improvement in development areas identified. It
will enable in building a robust annual appraisal which is based on data and therefore
more objective.
• Reward the employee based on the performance appraisal

4.2 Appraisal error

Appraisal errors are aspects which lead us to being myopic during the appraisal process and
finally effect the ratings (Armstrong, 2012). During the appraisal process I noticed that an
error known as ‘Insufficient Information’ is being committed by me. I was conducting
quarterly evaluations and taking into account the performance data for that particular quarter
only for rating purposes. I realised that it would be more appropriate if in addition to the
current quarter’s data, we also consider all the previous quarter’s data elapsed for the
financial year. This would enable us to give a better understanding of the progression of the
performance and also to assess the reasons for substantial variance if any.

I immediately modified the performance evaluation process and incorporated the desired
changes in agreement with HR department and the distribution manager. This modification
enabled us to take a more rational view of the performance through comparison with previous
performances and also highlighted the reasons for positive or negative variances.

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5.0 Section Four
5.1 Repatriation

Repatriation is the process of return of employee from the host country to the home country
after completion of job posting. It is one of the most challenging aspect which I faced after
three years of posting the distribution manager in New Zealand. A well planned repatriation
would have meant career growth and personal spinoffs from the knowledge gained overseas,
and the organisation benefits through incremental addition of employees with international
expertise. However, there are problems of reverse culture shock, high attrition rates after
repatriating, lack of suitable job positions, ill-planned integration programmes which lead to
dissatisfaction among the repatriated employees (Solomon, 2000).

The steps which I took to help the distribution manager to repatriate successfully after three
years were (Solomon, 2000):

1) Upload the quarterly performance assessments on the corporate HR database, so that

potential hiring units can access the same for assessment in addition to annual
appraisals
2) I arranged participation in a training programme for high performing managers in
India six months prior to his repatriation, so that he can get enough visibility and can
get an opportunity to network with the line managers and HR managers from various
businesses within the organisation.
3) On arrival of the manager in India, a welcome party was arranged to felicitate and
recognise his achievements.
4) Repatriation counselling was arranged to overcome any adjustment issues.
5) Helped in expediting processing of pending payments related to repatriation.
6) Helped him find an appropriate job posting with the assistance of corporate HR.

5.2 Potential problem in repatriation

When an employee is expatriating to a new country, it is expected that he will require a

certain amount of time for adjustment to the new environment, but the same is not expected
when he is repatriating to the home country (Repatriation: common challanges and how to
overcome them, 2015).

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The potential problem area which I dealt with while repatriating the distribution manager was
finding an appropriate position for him within the organisation. The challenge was to help
him identify a position which is commensurate with the knowledge, skills and experience that
he has acquired at the overseas posting. The other most important aspect was that if the job
posting would take long than he might get dis-oriented and start looking for options outside
the organisation.

In order to overcome this potential problem, I had a meeting with the VP- Corporate HR who
suggested that he can be interviewed for a new project which has been rolled out for the
highly specialised division manufacturing vehicles for the defence sector. A skype interview
was arranged for him with the production manager- defence vehicles division and he was
finally selected for the position of stores and distribution manager. This role was much bigger
and challenging from the previous role as the volume of inventory and delivery were
humungous. Hence, a potential problem was averted as the manager now had a job role
assigned to him which he could take up as soon as he arrives in India and relocate his family
accordingly.

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References
Adler, L. (2014, March 27). Five Things Hiring Managers Can Do to See and Hire Stronger
People. Retrieved from Linkedin.com:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140327212634-15454-five-things-hiring-
managers-can-do-to-see-and-hire-stronger-people
Armstrong, S. (2012, April 11). 10 Rating Errors to Avoid in Performance Reviews.
Retrieved from HR.BLR.com: http://hr.blr.com/HR-news/Performance-
Termination/Performance-Employee-Appraisal/zn-10-Rating-Errors-Avoid-in-
Performance-Reviews/
Beaver, B. (2016). Human Resource Management Workbook. Auckland: AIS.
businessballs. (2016, June 2). induction training and induction checklist. Retrieved from
businessball.com: http://www.businessballs.com/inductiontrainingchecklist.htm
Hofsteed, G. (2016, June 2). the hofstede centre strategy, culture, change. Retrieved from
geert-hofstede.com: https://geert-hofstede.com/india.html
Mahindra, &. M. (2016, May 31). Innovation at Mahindra. Retrieved from Mahindra rise:
http://www.mahindra.com/about-us/innovation
Mahindra, N. Z. (2016, May 31). About Mahindra. Retrieved from mahindra.co.nz:
http://www.mahindra.co.nz/about-mahindra
Paul Saunders, D. M. (2009, July 24). 10 Steps for Dealing with Different Cultures. Retrieved
from datamation.com: http://www.datamation.com/career/article.php/3831671/10-
Steps-for-Dealing-with-Different-Cultures.htm
Performance Management. (2015). Retrieved from hrinz.org.nz:
http://www.hrinz.org.nz/Site/Resources/Knowledge_Base/I-
P/Performance_Management.aspx
Prospects. (2016, May 31). Job profiles Logistics and distribution manager. Retrieved from
Prospects: https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/logistics-and-distribution-
manager
Repatriation: common challanges and how to overcome them. (2015, January 14). Retrieved
from Cultural Awareness International: http://culturalawareness.com/repatriation-
common-challenges-and-how-to-overcome-them/
SignatureStaff. (2016, June 2). The Importance of inducting new Employees to your
workplace. Retrieved from Signaturestaff.com:
http://www.signaturestaff.com.au/blog/importance-of-employee-inductions-to-a-
workplace.html
Solomon, C. M. (2000, March 17). Repatriation Planning Checklist. Retrieved from
Workforce: http://www.workforce.com/articles/repatriation-planning-checklist
What is Employee Performance Management ? (2013). Retrieved from PeopleStream.com:
http://www.peoplestreme.com/what-is-performance-management.shtml

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