C ASE STUDY- ROLE NEGOTIATION AT BOKARO STEEL PLANT

SUMMARY The case study is all about the Role Negotiation between The Bokaro Steel Plant. Their main objectives of Bokaro plant is to understand each other role in the area of employees service, eliminating hardship, treating employees as human beings and image building of departments along with an improvement in the service rendered to the employees. Almost 32 persons were participated putting their effort for 2 days working in the particular exercise continuously for 11 hour. The time schedule was fixed for microlab, image building, image sharing and clarification ,empathy building (positive image)expectation in home group, exchange of expectation and clarification, discussion in home groups, consolidation by a joint team and listing joint recommendations, signing of agreement and preparation for dialogue with the top management. Role negotiation has three phases with top management and the top purposes of these exercise was to give the judgment on and lead to mutual understanding by keeping positive image in mind. The starting of the microlab exercise with the executive of different departments was very interesting ,as everyone shared their pleasant and unpleasant experiences and also came out with their own strength ,weakness and perception about their own and other department including other perception about their department. The group formed for this particular exercise shared their positive image, strength and building their empathy. The image drawn of executive department related to empathy building exercise was helpful, service oriented, humane, effective communicators, change agents, accountable, adaptable, easily accessible, more involved in production by creating conducive environment and actively solving problem. And the image drawn by finance was: poor record keeping, good team work, problem solving attitude, projecting good image at the cost of other, wrong pay fixation with subsequent corrigendum, partiality, shifting of blame, bureaucratic approach, ad hoc decision and for all problem blame others. The image or personals guess by finance EDP related to empathy building was:

wrong pay fixation with subsequent corrigendum, poor record keeping, inconsistency in application of rules, shifting of blame, blamed personnel department for all problems, bureaucratic approach, projecting good image at cost of others, good team work and problem solving attitude. After generating the image of empathy by personnel department. They started to draw out the image of finance and EDP and their individual image drawn out was timely, punctual, understanding and helping. The personnel image drawn was : The effective, sincere, honest, cooperative, open, communicative,

prompt in payment of certain item, good finance, management and effective cost control, rule oriented, lacking human touch, less accessible, low initiative on communication with employees and other department, lack of problem solving approach, more centralized

functioning, no involvement in plant problem, subordinate oriented approach and lack of coordination with departments isolated, this shows the personnel image drawn which points out the negative part of finance and EDP department. The positive image or strength generated was: Effective cost control, strong budgetary, promptness in making payment, good team spirit, good system of timely job rotation, team spirit, tactful, human approach, motivating force, cooperative. After deriving the positive image and empathy the home group was formed to reduce the negative image and increase the positive image to make home group more effective in their role performance. The ideas and view where exchanged and clarification were sought. The home group of executives department continued with Time schedules prescribed for various payments Enquiry counters as the shop floor. Prompt response to final settlement Prompt payment of travel and conveyance allowance. Disbursement of salary and PF at shop floor Time keeping system Preparation of computerized statement of income tax ,PF absenteeism rate ,leave ledger and final settlement, Issuing order regarding appointment ,promotion ,transfer and separation Certifying claims of employees regarding LTC/LLTC Certifying claims for payment of PF/gratuity/leave salary etc Maintaining good personal relation and coordination Working of final settlement cell

No change was made in this because they were the positive image which did not require any type of changes. The negotiations were conducted on acceptance of each other expectations. In second round of role negotiation one team consolidated and integrated the points on which there was unanimous agreement and which could be implemented without any external help with both the group. The group agreed to implement the final contract and consolidated points which were not within their competence and needed the approval and support of the top management. Payment of medical advances

Final settlement through signal window clearance system Decentralization of the pay account section Decentralization of the OD section

The recommendation was discussed with the top management regarding all points and the recommendation was approved. The top team gave their full support in the implementation of the recommendation. The task force was constituted with five executes to ensure implementing within 15 days and decided to review the implementation after 2 months.

PROBLEMS Some of the problems arise in the role negotiation at Bokaro steel plants are as follows: The 32 persons participated in the role negotiation, they had to work 11 hours, spread over 2 days for obtaining the objectives. Image generated through empathy building exercise was poor record keeping. The personnel guess of image by finance through empathy building exercise was wrong pay fixation with subsequent corrigendum. There was problem solving attitude Partiality was done in payment Shifting of blame in the field of finance No one accepts their mistake, everyone blames each other for all the problems that had or will arise. The personnel guess of image by finance in empathy building was blaming personnel department for all the problem. Projecting good image at the cost of other Inconsistency in application of rules Lacking in human touch Less accessible because of distance location Low initiative on communication with employees and other department.

Lack of problem solving approach Inefficient More centralized functioning No involvement in plant problem Lack of co-ordination with the department, isolated. Time for giving pay clearance in final settlement cases Insisting on individual order Arising for pay slips in support of claims Discrimination in making payment Late arrival of the payment staff at payment counters Raising superficial objection regarding eligibility for payment in compensation cases. Delay in enquiry proceedings regarding suspended employees from their payment. Delay in replying representation Delay in sending DA rate orders Sending incomplete claims files for PF/gratuity payment Delay in processing cases for final settlement No availability of sufficient copies for ensuring prompt action

EFFORTS The efforts done by the executives from different departments are as follows: They put efforts in giving the employees error free service They tried to eliminate hardships

Treating employees as human beings Image building of department They tried to improve in the service rendered by them to employees They exchanged their Image and seek clarification. Empathy building Discussion done in home group Signing of agreement and preparation for dialogue. Working continuously for 2 days(11 hours). Sharing pleasant and unpleasant experiences with each others to know their strength and weakness. Trying to find out the individual perception about their department. More involvement in production. Trying to make their home group role eefective Preparing list for the reduction of negative image and developing/increasing positive image. Started reducing negative images like: Time for giving pay clearance in final settlement cases. Insisting on individual orders Asking for pay slips in support of claims. Discrimination in making payments Late arrivals of the payment staff at payment counters Delay in replying representations Delay in sending da rate orders. Sending incomplete claims files for PF/gratuity payments.

Delay in processing cases for final settlement.

Implementation was done for the unanimous agreement without any external help They insisted to help the top management to implement the points as the points were not within their competence and needed the approval and support of the top management.

The final contracts was done and asked to accept those points The recommendation was derived after long discussion and was asked to accept management to top

The rules and procedures was agreed to simplify and reduced delay and hardship to the employees.

SUGGESTION Some of the steps to be taken to reduce these problem like: Improve the record keeping style Good team work to be formed among employees Problem solving attitude should not be shown Wrong pay fixation with subsequent corrigendum should be reduced Partiality done with employees should be stopped and reduced immediately Avoid shifting of blames on others. Stop blaming others for all problem instead of looking for the solution. Giving reward to one who has worked hard and deserves the reward Giving more time to employees, spending more time with them. Should be always ready with the solution

Both centralized and decentralized functioning should be done Coordination should be made with every department.