Dear Friends,
A question everybody, who has any interest in HR directly or remotely, is asking is: what went wrong in a plant of such a reputed organization in terms of people management, which made its own employees enemies of each other? Why did Awanish Dev, who sacrificed his life for the cause of his profession and the organization, want to leave the organization a few months before this incident?
The industry and HR community have still not come out of the shock from the Maruti disaster. A lot has been written on it by psychologists, management experts, employers, and even unionists. Every section of society has its own view towards the incident, and so do we.
Firstly, whatever the reasons for this inhuman and barbaric act, the murder of Awanish cannot be justified by any theory. Violence has no place in any civilized society or industry where each person comes to earn their bread by discharging their duties. Secondly, the death of a person, whoever they are, should not be undignified by any person under the influence of vested interests. Thirdly, the accused in the case should be simply treated as criminals and nothing else. Fourthly, the mastermind behind this bloody episode should also be exposed and punished for inciting the workers to execute the dirty plans. Lastly, by learning from the past, we need to relearn how to create a trouble-free future.
Now, let us address larger questions. The last two decades have not produced sufficient skilled IR professionals. The skill of handling people in the manufacturing sector has lost its shine because organizations considered it redundant. Even the incidents of labor unrest in the country over the last seven years were not enough for organizations to pause and rethink. Grappling with "business challenges" and the desire to make the balance sheet fatter than the previous day did not allow HR personnel to do their jobs honestly. Their job was to add a human touch to all decisions. Did we do that? This is a question for soul searching. From maintaining harmonious employee relations with sensitivity, HR has been pushed into an era where employee relations are supposed to be maintained electronically by technology and not by heart.
Soul searching also needs to be done from another angle. Are we fair enough with the working class, who are the engine of industrial growth? Are we treating them with dignity and equality?
Despite writing quick comments on the incident in the last issue, which evoked an enormous response, BM did not think to put a full stop.
This issue covers the feature of the Maruti case study, which will help readers understand the intricacies of human behavior in the workplace and prepare themselves to handle employee relations in a way that leads to workplace harmony with dignity and respect for both partners in business.
From India, Bangalore
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53A question everybody, who has any interest in HR directly or remotely, is asking is: what went wrong in a plant of such a reputed organization in terms of people management, which made its own employees enemies of each other? Why did Awanish Dev, who sacrificed his life for the cause of his profession and the organization, want to leave the organization a few months before this incident?
The industry and HR community have still not come out of the shock from the Maruti disaster. A lot has been written on it by psychologists, management experts, employers, and even unionists. Every section of society has its own view towards the incident, and so do we.
Firstly, whatever the reasons for this inhuman and barbaric act, the murder of Awanish cannot be justified by any theory. Violence has no place in any civilized society or industry where each person comes to earn their bread by discharging their duties. Secondly, the death of a person, whoever they are, should not be undignified by any person under the influence of vested interests. Thirdly, the accused in the case should be simply treated as criminals and nothing else. Fourthly, the mastermind behind this bloody episode should also be exposed and punished for inciting the workers to execute the dirty plans. Lastly, by learning from the past, we need to relearn how to create a trouble-free future.
Now, let us address larger questions. The last two decades have not produced sufficient skilled IR professionals. The skill of handling people in the manufacturing sector has lost its shine because organizations considered it redundant. Even the incidents of labor unrest in the country over the last seven years were not enough for organizations to pause and rethink. Grappling with "business challenges" and the desire to make the balance sheet fatter than the previous day did not allow HR personnel to do their jobs honestly. Their job was to add a human touch to all decisions. Did we do that? This is a question for soul searching. From maintaining harmonious employee relations with sensitivity, HR has been pushed into an era where employee relations are supposed to be maintained electronically by technology and not by heart.
Soul searching also needs to be done from another angle. Are we fair enough with the working class, who are the engine of industrial growth? Are we treating them with dignity and equality?
Despite writing quick comments on the incident in the last issue, which evoked an enormous response, BM did not think to put a full stop.
This issue covers the feature of the Maruti case study, which will help readers understand the intricacies of human behavior in the workplace and prepare themselves to handle employee relations in a way that leads to workplace harmony with dignity and respect for both partners in business.
From India, Bangalore
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Dear Mr. Ramkishore,
You have raised several valid points. The pall of gloom is still cast. An incident of such severity could not have happened overnight. Something must have been brewing inside that the common man is unaware of. Once the judicial process is over, a white paper should be published at the government level so that the erring parties are brought to light, and people would come to know the facts.
V. Raghunathan
Navi Mumbai
From India
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You have raised several valid points. The pall of gloom is still cast. An incident of such severity could not have happened overnight. Something must have been brewing inside that the common man is unaware of. Once the judicial process is over, a white paper should be published at the government level so that the erring parties are brought to light, and people would come to know the facts.
V. Raghunathan
Navi Mumbai
From India
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