CaseStudyPlightofanIntelligentManagementTrainee

XLookCompanyisafastgrowingtextilecompanywithanannualturnoverofRs1,200million
andhasastrongworkforceof950employees.TheHRpolicyoftheorganizationprovidedclear
guidelinestotheHRdepartmentregardinghowdifferentHRfunctionsaretobeperformed.As
regardstherecruitmentofmanagerialpeople,thepolicyrecommendeddirectrecruitmentfor
entrylevel categories like junior managerial positions preferably through campus interviews
while the suggested course for filling the senior managerial positions was through internal
promotions.
MrMalhotra,atopperintheproductionengineeringdiscipline,waschosenasamanagement
trainee by the company in one of its campus interview programmes. As per the terms and
conditionsofhisemployment,Malhotrawastoundergoonthejobtrainingforaprobationary
period of one year. His eventual appointment as an assistant manager in anyone of the
engineeringdepartmentswouldbedecidedonthebasisoftheperformanceevaluationtobe
conducted at the end of the probationary period. He was posted to the Research and
Development (R&D) department and was reporting to Mr Ravi Shankar, the head of R&D.
Malhotra was keen to excel in the job and worked with zeal and vigour. Obviously, his
behaviourandperformancewaswidelyappreciatedbymanyinthefirmincludinghisownpeers
in the training programme. Mr Ravi Shankar was also impressed by Malhotra's smartness,
commitmentandcontribution.Thus,RaviShankarwaswillingtorecommendMalhotra'sname
foranyoftheimportantassignmentsofthecompanybefittinghisknowledgeandsincerityafter
hecompletedhistrainingperiod.Quiteunexpectedly,thepostofdesignmanagerinthefirm
suddenlyfellvacantduetotheuntimelydemiseofitsincumbent.MrRaviShankarstrongly
believedthatMalhotrawouldexcelinthispostgivenhisknowledge,skillandcreativitydespite
hislackofexperienceandthus,stronglyfavouredhimforthepost.Inthisregard,hesoughtan
exemptionfromtheexistingHRpolicywhichstipulatedthatthetraineesoughttobeconsidered
only for assistant manager cadre after they complete their training programme successfully.
Further, he also requested the management to instruct the HR department to conduct an
immediateevaluationofthetrainingperformanceofMalhotratomakehimavailableforthe
vacantpositionontime.
ThemanagementobligedRaviShankarandinstructedtheHRdepartmenttoconductthepost
trainingevaluationforMalhotraandsendareportinthisregardtoitattheearliest.TheHR
departmentpromptlyconductedtheevaluationandforwardeditsreport.Asthereportwasvery
positive,managementmovedinquicklytoappointMalhotraasthedesignmanagerbytreating
hiscaseasanexceptionalone.
However,thedecisionofthemanagementdidnotgodownwellwithotheremployeesincluding
management trainees asthey began to feel that Malhotra was unduly favoured. Even those
peoplewhoearlierappreciatedMalhotra'sperformanceandbehavioursoonchangedtheirmood
andturnedagainsthim.Consequently,theybegantoexpresstheirdissatisfactioninallpossible
formsandforums.Managementcouldclearlydiscernthegeneralmoodoftheemployeesand
becameanxiousoverthenegativefalloutofitsdecision.Ithasalsowitnessedaperceptible
decline in the team spirit, interest and commitment of the employees, in general, and the
managementtraineesinparticular.
Withthemountingcriticismofitsaction,themanagementbegantothinkthatithasnochoice
otherthanbacktrackingonitsowndecision.Afterdillydallyingforsometime,themanagement
finallydecidedtoshiftMalhotratoalowercadreandkeephimthereforsometimebeforebeing
elevatedagaintosomehigherposition.However,thenewsofhisimminentremovalfromhis
newpositioncompletelydemoralizedtheyoungandenergeticMalhotraandhebegantowonder

how his removal would be viewed and interpreted by other trainees. To avoid his
unceremoniousexitfromthepresentpost,Malhotraresignedhisjobvoluntarilyandthefirm
abruptly.
Malhotra,abrilliantengineeringgraduate,whojoinedtheorganizationwithhighhopesand
provedhimselfanexcellentemployeeduringthetraining,nowfindshiscareerinshambles.
Sadly,themanagementofXLookalsolostanefficientandenterprisingemployee.Lookingback
at the whole episode, the company realized that it had notproperly considered the human
element involved in all its decisions concerning Malhotra and was merely guided by the
mechanicalelements.
DiscussionQuestions
Q1. Accordingtoyou,whatistherootcauseofproblemintheMalhotraepisodeandwhois
tobeblamedforhispresenttroubles?
Q2. IfyouhadbeenMalhotra,whatwouldhavebeenyourresponsetothesedevelopments?
Q3. Whatstepsshouldthemanagementtaketoaverttherecurrenceofsuchsituationinthe
future?