Business Research problem
Problem definition:
The study is about how performance appraisal system is viewed at HCL.
Appraisal can be done in many ways and varies in each organization. It is a way to assess employees and let them know where they stand by understanding individual & mutual objectives and organizational goals. The strengths and weakness of employees are assessed and performance gap identified. It is a two way process: employer gives feedback to employee and the latter can speak about any problems he/she is facing. These appraisals help the organization to decide whether the employee will be able to handle further responsibilities and their suitability for promotions and various incentives offered.
Background:
This study will be conducted at HCL Technologies, a global IT services Enterprise Company located at Chennai. This enterprise has been able to meet its ever increasing customer expectations. It is one of India’s original IT garage start-ups and has ventured into various sectors like BPO, IT infrastructure services, ICT, voice, video solutions etc.
In 2005, a new radical philosophy ‘Employee First, Customer Second’ was introduced in HCL which focussed on its employees. This aimed at having transparency, accountability and being value driven in its organization system. The concept behind this was if employees were satisfied then customers will be also be given importance.
The various ways in which PA is done at HCL are opinion polls, open 360 degree feedback, Employee First council (EFC), i4excel, U&I, weekly polls etc. Employee friendly services like Smart Service Desk (SSD), Career power, O2 league of Extraordinary, MITR (24 hour online counselling to HCLites and family members), F.U.N.D.O.O.F.R.I.D.A.Y. etc. are also provided.
Hypothesis:
A hypothesis statement has been formed on a similar research topic.
Null hypothesis (H0):
PA has no positive impact on career growth.
µ0 ≤ 0
Alternate hypothesis (Ha):
PA has a positive impact on career growth.
µ0>0
Assume a 95% level of significance.
Objectives:
The objectives for this study are enlisted below:
- To understand the PA methodology followed at HCL.
- To understand appraisee & appraiser’s perspective of PA system.
- Understand/analyze whether appraisee & appraiser perceive the existing PA system as an important tool for career growth.
- Changes that appraisee and appraiser want to see in the PA system of the organization.
How to achieve these objectives:
Kind of research to undertake:
The research is exploratory in nature. The problem is unknown and so the views of appraisee and appraiser on various aspects of PA will be collected. An initial research needs to be conducted about PA methods at HCL and then the study can be conducted to find the perceived views about the system. A proper conclusion cannot be reached based on the views given by appraisee and appraiser and further research will need to be done.
Sampling plan:
The population under this study are all employed in HCL Technologies – Chennai. The sampling done for this study will be stratified random sampling. First the elements of the population are divided into 2 strata (groups): appraisees and appraisers. These strata further can be sub-divided based on age group, gender, experience and job position, depending on the responses received from the data collection methods. Random samples can be taken from these strata.
Methods of data collection:
There are various ways of data collection. For the study under consideration, 2 data collection techniques are going to be used –
– Primary Source:
This is data that we collect and is usually very reliable as it cannot be tampered with. Though there are various ways of doing so in this technique, only two are considered:
Face-to-face Interview:
This is conducted on a one-to-one basis where we can get elaborate answers and venture into new areas based on the answers provided. In this study, an interview can be conducted with both appraisee and appraiser though appraisers will be main concentration in this method.
Paper-pencil-questionnaire:
This can be sent to a large number of people at a time. For the study, a mix of fixed alternative questions, frequency determination question, category scale, Likert scale, numerical rating scale etc will be required. However the scale may vary based on the question and open ended questions are also possible in certain cases.
– Secondary data:
Data from records provided by the company relating to the topic will come under this study. This can be used to get further insight into the study and furthering it.
Broad areas of study –
– Appraisee:
- Perceived fairness in the system
- Comfort factor during the system
– Appraisee & appraiser
- Various ways and frequency of appraisals done – how to improve on it
- Training need – how is it assessed
- Appraisee understanding of how they are doing (meeting their short term goals)
- Confidentiality maintained
- Negative comments balanced by positive comments wherever necessary to motivate the individual
- Promotion aspects post appraisal.
Tools for the study:
Statistical analysis on the hypothesis can be done using the Z test, chi square and graphical methods.
Possible Outcomes of the study:
The possible outcomes of this study on PA are:
- We will have a clear understanding of how the appraisee feels about the PA system prevalent at HCL.
- A thorough knowledge about various factors that appraisee feels about the system.
- We have a proper idea of how the staff feels about their career growth and whether this system helps them in moving forward.
- Further changes that the appraisee feels can be implemented. This can lead to subsequent research.
Long-term scope of the study:
Based on the objectives of the study, the scope is:
- This study will be useful for the company to take subsequent actions and also do further research on the topic.
- The study also helps to find the reach and effectiveness of the performance appraisal system
- The perceptions of the system from appraisee and appraiser’s view point can be understood.
- The standards of the appraisal system can be improved based on the findings of the study.
Limitations of the study:
Resource and time will be some of the major constraints during the execution of this study. So there will be a limited number of respondents and only a branch of the enterprise will be covered in this study. The results obtained from this study may not hold good when seen from a long term perspective because of the dynamic human nature. The result of this research is totally dependent on the accuracy and authenticity of information provided by the respondents and the organization.