Innovative Trends in HRM

Dr. Ajit Kumar Kar

www.ajitprofile.webs.com

Agenda
MOONLIGHTING
(Outsourcing, rising unemployment)

No Email Days, Virtual Water Coolers

(Managing virtual workforce and global teams)

Arbejdsglde
(Happiness at Work)

Ageing Issue
(HR Strategies developed )

Strategic HRM- BEIJING OLYMPICS !!

(An innovative look, positive trend in china)

THE HOTHOUSE EFFECT

(Managing Creativity )

Moonlighting

Dual or multiple job

holding
Scenario:

US , % of the workforce
6% in 2002 ,9 % in 2007
Mortgage payments reason peculiar to US

European commission
most moonlighting is
undeclared work
working on framework
to deal with problem

 Outsourcing

exacerbates already high

unemployment levels
Govt.s in Europe (esp.) time
sharing policies

COUNTRY

STATUTORY
WORK
HOURS

US

40

Canada

40-48

Australia

40

Germany

48

France

39

Sweden

40

Time-sharing policies are aimed at stimulating employment

through a reorganization of working time.
Time-sharing policy gives the employer the incentive to opt for
more
workers with fewer hours per capita.

Reducing legal working week may lead to a situation of

underemployment

 Implications

for HR professionals How to

handle moonlighting ?
For this we need to understand pros and cons
for Organization
PROS

CONS

It may reduce turnover in areas where

responsibilities are tedious /monotonous

Risk of losing proprietary & confidential info

to competitors

Balance your organization, providing more

flair in lackluster areas

Working two positions may lead to

exhaustion and burnout.

If we cant afford to pay our staff more,

allowing them to moonlight may help retain
them

Workers may commit minor infractions or

serious offenses, such as starting their
second occupations on company
time before completing their first ones

A Policy :
Instead of banning moonlighting, create a fair and comprehensive written policy to
address confidentiality concerns and the use of company resources. This way, you can
reap all the benefits of moonlighting with none of its disadvantages.

No Email Days

Growing incidence of virtual

teams Challenges for an HR
professional
Team feeling and Team spirit
Non personal approach to
working
Dealing with introverts
Finding substitutes to tools like
Mgmt. by walking & talking

US
Cellular
Symptoms of cyber

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

indigestion
Hurting Productivity
NO e-mail Fridays
Reaction to change
Amazing Discoveries !!
Next corporate vice !

PBD Worldwide Fulfillment Services:

PBD on NBC

Virtual
Water
Coolers
Building Trust & Cohesion
Social side
Dilbert Effect (1990s theory by

Dilbert cartoonist Scott Adams stating that

companies tend to systematically promote their
least-competent employees to management
(generally middle management), in order to limit
the amount of damage they are capable of
doing.)
Enter Instant Messaging
Company sanctioned IM s/w
Dilemma

HR strategies for Managing a Virtual Workforce

1. Face to Face meetings
2. Performance Feedback
3.Clear agenda for virtual meetings
4.Focus on similarities to build cohesion
5.Encourage social interaction

Arbejdsglde

pronounced : ah-bites-gleh-the
Arbejde means work and glde means happiness (Danish)

Chief

Happiness Officer
Six actions that make us
happy at work

Being positive
Learning
Being open
Participation
Finding meaning
Love

Swap Jobs
Southwest Airlines
Employees

regularly swap Jobs

Baggage

handlers may get to follow a pilot for a day

Pilots as Counter staff, Executives as Ground staff etc

Fosters mutual respect, engages people

Learning culture imbibed, Reduces Conflicts etc

The

Love Airline

Hire for attitude, train for skill

Which

comes first for SW airlines? Employees,

Customers or Shareholders?

HRM and Ageing Issue

Generation

Birth Years

Veterans

-1945

Baby
Boomers

1946-1964

Gen X

1965-1980

Gen Y

1981-2000

Gen Z
2001
Major Issues:
Insufficient supply of skilled workers to replace the retiring baby-boomers
A depletion of leadership and management positions over the coming 15 years
Mounting pension cost leading to unsustainable dependency ratios
Increasing healthcare and support cost
Issues different in different countries

Strategic HRM- Beijing Olympics

Research : HRM alignment with stated goals and strategies .. areas of concern
Contracts between laborers & employers
Olympic Pay Rates
Punishing contractors
Goals:
Peoples Olympics
Image enhancement
Facts:
Migrant workers at venues in Beijing :30000
Pay rate : 50-80 Yuan per day
Safeguards
Welfare
Objective a success. Positive trend bodes well for the future
New Goal to be set : Realigning HRM with organizational goal of Sustainability

The Hothouse Effect

HRMs role in Managing Creativity

5 criteria that define a hothouse
1)
2)

3)

4)
5)

Sustain high level of innovative creativity

for a significant period of time
Draw on the knowledge and innovations of
the broader cultural zone to which they
belong
Spawn geniuses whose achievements
climax the work of other practitioners at all
levels
Establish a new way of doing things
Achieve recognition and establish a lasting
legacy

CHAI-T

Dimensions:
1) Values/Mission
2)Ideas/exchange
3) Perception/learning
4) Social/Play

Dr. Barton Kunstler has come up with the creative hothouse assessment instrument tablet. to
help organizations to assess their creative position or disposition. It is being used more to find
companies who are in the hot zone and to study their models so as to get ideas for replication. The
author has identified 36 factors grouped under the four dimensions. Basically, a questionnaire has
been formalized which will help identify where our organization currently is in terms of creativity.

Insights

Patronage
Return

On Investment
Schools
Internet Culture
Virtual Organizations

References
http://www.pbd.com/Default.aspx
The Hothouse Effect by Barton Kunstler
Happy Hour is 9 to5 by Alexander Kjerulf
http://www.news.com/2100-1023-976068.html
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3495/is_12_44/ai_59427280
Wikipedia
http://www.masteryworks.com/newsite/news/news_article.htm
Labour management consensus in Quebec report:
www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/cs/sp/hrsdc/edd/reports/1997000364/qlme.pdf
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/olympics/200801/18/content_6404691.htm
http://www.worldpress.org/Asia/2254.cfm