A Study on Effectiveness of the Employee Grievance Redressal System Submitted for the partial fulfillment of the requirement for

awarding the Degree of Master of Business Administration (MBA)

BY Akshat Kaul REGD NO - 200923002

Prepared For IndiSmart Hotel Kolkata Under the esteemed guidance of Mr. Niranjan Updhyay (Internal guide) Professor Department of Management Studies S.M.I.T. Mr. Biswajit Roy (External guide) HR Manager IndiSmart Hotel Kolkata

Department of Management Studies Sikkim Manipal Institute of Technology Majitar, Rangpo, East Sikkim 737132 2010

Preface
The very essence of undertaking the Summer Projects is to expose the young students towards practical learning process which is not only useful but also to infuse them to understand whole gamut of the hotel industry leading towards profitability for the owner, livelihood security of the employees and their family members, evaluation of the organization set up which ensures total quality management of the organization. The process makes the young researchers to familiar themselves with all gamut of the professional setup. The end result is fusing both theoretical postulates with practical knowledge. Besides, this study helps us not only to become familiar with the corporate culture but also provided us a solid platform and base through interactions with the stakeholders leading to the confidence building. This helps students to apply their theoretical knowledge into practical aspects of job. Besides bright student(s) also gets the opportunity to contribute a few innovative ideas for further betterment through discussions. As the students are exposed to the various departments such as the Human Resource, Marketing, Finance, Materials, Production, Personnel and Systems, this helps them to choose the specialized stream that they want to take up in the Second Year of the course.

(i)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:

Firstly, I would like to thank the Department of Management studies of Sikkim Manipal Institute of Technology, Sikkim and specially our Head of Department Dr. Ajeya Jha for his immense contribution and dedication towards his students including me which has helped me to complete this project. Mr. N. Updhyay my Academic Guide was a strong guiding force who helped me to complete this study successfully. Secondly, I would like to thank Mrs. Sanjukta Bose, Director International Institute of Hotel Management, Kolkata and Dr. Suborno Bose, Owner IndiSmart Group for giving me an opportunity to do my project work here. It has been a privilege to me to do my project work in the IndiSmart Hotel, Kolkata under the esteemed guidance of the Human Resource Manager Mr. Biswajit Roy who has helped me immensely during my work here. I would also like to thank all the employees who helped me to make this project a success.

Akshat Kaul Reg. Number 200923002

(ii)

CONTENTS

Chapter Number

Particulars Preface Acknowledgement

Page Number (i) (ii) 01-25 01-08 09-25 26-29 26-27 27-27 27-27 28-28 28-28 28-28 29-29 30-30 30-30 31-70 31-47 48-66 67-70 71-75 71-74 75-75

Chapter 1 1.1 1.2 Chapter 2 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 Chapter 3 3.1 3.2 3.3 Chapter 4 4.1 4.2

Introduction Company/Organization Profile About the Project Work Research Methodology Source Of Data Composition of the Universe Sampling Technique Sample Size Sampling Frame Research Technique Tools for Data Analysis Limitations of the Study Time Frame of the Study Analysis and Findings Analysis and Interpretation (Operational Staff) Analysis and Interpretation (Executive Staff) Findings Recommendations and Conclusions Recommendations Conclusions Bibliography Appendix

CHAPTER1

INTRODUCTIO N

1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Zoom Enterprises Private Limited: This concern started in 1995 and was bought out by Dr. Suborno Bose in the year 2003. The main aim of his concern was to build hotels which would provide On the Job Training to Hospitality students and also cater to the clients. The concern has presently one hotel and one resort and some upcoming small hotels under its fold. Welcome to IndiSmart Hotel: The City of Joy: The Cultural capital of India, Kolkata is a vibrant & Spontaneous city that reaches out to embrace every traveler in the true spirit bon homie that is essential part of the Bengali culture. Amidst the chaos and confusion churns the intoxicating concoctions in a cultural cauldron spiced with piquant humour of the Kolkatans. You are bound to get hooked to it! IndiSmart : Standing tall and majestic in the midst of the intellectual hub of west Bengal, IndiSmart Hotel offers multifarious hospitality experiences which springs from years of experience in imparting world class Hospitality training and education. It was started by Dr. Suborno Bose in the year 2003 with 20 rooms. By the end of 2006 the hotel had 45 rooms and by the end of the 2007 it had 76 rooms. X-Spicy opened up in July 2008 and China One the Chinese restaurant on 26th January 2009 and the Wow caf in mid 2009. For the Generation-X technocrats, it is conveniently located within 10 minutes radius of global IT giants with easy access to the city center. Twenty minutes from the Airport and half an hour from the nearest railway station makes it the most accessible cyber hotel of Kolkata.

Vision Statement of The IndiSmart Hotel: We are in trust business. We must exceed our guests expectation by relentless efforts to deliver highest quality of service to make their stay pleasurable and memorable. Each one of us should be obsessed with our innovative and enthusiastic examples of high quality service and should feel proud of that. Our single minded objective is to make our customers loyal and happy being with us Facilities: 24 hours room service. Bar and Multi Cuisine Restaurant. 24 hours coffee shop. Speciality Chinese restaurant. Free Wi-FI Net connection in all rooms. Banquet Facilities. Tea/Coffee machine in each room. Multi Gymnasium. Laptop on hire. IDD in all room. State-of-the art Business Centre. Doctor on call. Courtesy Coach. On premise ATM. Car rental. Travel Assistance.

 Same day Laundry service. Complementary Night pick up within the electronic complex. Airport pickup and drop. Business Lounge. Credit cards accepted. Accommodation: There are seventy-seven guest rooms including two suites. The rooms are warm, sophisticated and welcoming with well appointed bathrooms. The design used in fresh and contemporary. Each room is equipped with a colour LCD television and free WiFI Internet access, direct fialind IDD telephone, functional work stations with computer data ports for high speed connectivity, in room tea and coffee maker and Executive bar is ideally suited for the tech savvy executives. The IndiSmart hotel guests to atrium style lounge overlooking a beautifully landscaped courtyard. The soothing views of the never ending water bodies in the vicinity is bound to rejuvenate and recharge the weary minds. The neon lit city scape visible from all guest room at night adds a magical moment to your stay at the IndiSmart hotel. Created to provide luxury and comfort in a business style atmosphere makes the IndiSmart hotel, an excellent choice of the discerning elite and business travelers to Kolkata. Rooms and Amenities: There are seventy seven rooms including two suites. The design used is fresh and contemporary. Each room is equipped with colour television, free WiFi internet access, direct dialing IDD telephone, functional work stations with computer data ports for high speed connectivity. Each room is provided with a tea and coffee maker and executive bar. Luxury and comfort in a business style atmosphere makes IndiSmart, an excellent choice of the discerning elite and business travelers to Kolkata.

Dining and Entertainment: X-Spicy, the multi cuisine Restaurant and China One, the Chinese restaurant provides a rainbow of food and beverage items of truly superb taste, quality and style. A well stocked bar cater to the discerning guests. A 24 hour Coffee shop- The wow caf and a health centre add to the recreational value. Meeting, Conferences and Banquets: Choosing IndiSmart Hotel, Kolkata for your conference, meeting and banquets, weeding and special occasions is the right decision. The conference halls are equipped with thestate-of the art infrastructure and audio and visual equipments. The experienced personnel will assist the guests in word and deed in the organization and smooth relation and business event. As a business traveler, you will find all the conveniences of the modern world in the business centre: a multi lingual-office service, computer work stations, high internet access, VCR and LCD computer projection, mobile phone rental, fax, a photo copy service. Marble Room Sunset Lounge Conference Room A/C Hall, 175 persons in theater style, 300400 in banquets. A/C lounge to accommodate 50-60 persons. A/C to seat 10-15 persons, Ideal for Executive Board Room Auditorium conferences and small get together. A/C capacity 30 persons. For big banquets, Capacity in free standing 400. Figure: Table showing the Facilities available.

Organizational Structure:

General Manager

Food and Beverage (Service) Manager

Executive Chef Food and Beverage (Production)

Front Office Manager

Executive Housekeeper

Human Resource Manager

Sales and Marketing Manager

Maintenance Manger

Accounts / Finance Manager

The above chart shows the hierarchy of the IndiSmart hotel. We can see that the Food and Beverage Manager (Service), the Executive chef, the Front Office Manager, The Executive Housekeeper, The Sales and Marketing Manage, The Maintenance Manager and the Finance manager report to the General Manager of the Hotel who in turn is answerable to the Chairman.

The Departmental hierarchy of the four main departments is given below: Front Office Hierarchy Chart

Front Office Manager

Lobby Manager

Front Office Executive (4)

Bell Desk (4)

Housekeeping Hierarchy Chart

Executive Housekeeper

Desk Attendant

Floor Supervisors (5)

KST Supervisor (1)

Room Attendants (14)

Food and Beverage Service Hierarchy Chart

Food and Beverage Service Manager Assistant F&B Manager Captains (4)

Assistant F&B Manager Senior Banquet Steward (1)

Trainee Stewards (3) Senior Trainee Steward (2) Senior Sales Girl (1) RSOT (2) Senior Sales Boy (1) Counter Boys (2) Bartender (1) Stewards (5) Stewards (4) Captains (2)

Bus Boy (2)

Food and Beverage Production Hierarchy Chart

Executive Chef (1)

Sous Chef (1)

Sous Chef (1)

Chef-De-Partie (2)

Chef-De-Partie (1)

Commies (10)

Commies (10)

Apprentices *

Apprentices *

Trainees *

Trainees *

* Apprentices and Trainees are recruited when the need arises

1.2 About The Project Work The project work has been undertaken for partial fulfillment of course requirement for completion of two year Masters of Business Administration program from Sikkim Manipal Institute of Technology. I have selected IndiSmart Hotel, Kolkata as the place for my Project as it is one of the upcoming hotels and has the potential to compete with the established hotels with the likes of Hyatt Regency or even The ITC Sonar Bangla, Kolkata as it is the best connected IT hotel. The topic which was given to me was - A study on the Effectiveness of the Employee Grievance Redresssal System in IndiSmart Hotel. Any workplace has to make its employees satisfied and happy to maintain their productivity level and ensure that they do not go against their employers and hamper the prospects of the organization to excell. A workplace may have employees who may be dissatisfied with the management and have grievances whether psychological, personal or departmental. There should be an adequate machinery established which can look into these grievances and sort it out. Just placing an grievance machinery is not the adequate solution but facilitating it to be effective is the right solution. As it is rightly said that A happy worker is a Productive worker.

Objective of the study The main objective of the study is as follows: Unearthing the problems faced by the employees. Study of the prevalent Employee Grievance Redressal System at the IndiSmart Hotel. To study the effectiveness of the prevalent Employee Grievance Redressal System at the IndiSmart Hotel. To recommend measures to make the system more effective to satisfy the employees. Scope of the Study: The study will be helpful in extracting the problems that the employees are facing at the workplace and the expectation that the employees have from the existent Employee Grievance redressal System. The study also aims to improve the system to the benefit of the employees. This study will be handy for the Human Resource Department in eradicating the grievances of the employees.

Limitation of the study: As it takes time to get in the fold of an organization to know the employees well, time was an important factor hindering the study. Along with time another limitation of the study was that the employees did not open up fully and respond to the topic as it is a sensitive one and one does not want to expose their grievances citing security problems. Grievance what is it all about? According to International Labour Organization Grievance is a compliant of one or more workers with respect to wages and allowances, conditions of work and interpretation of service stipulation, covering such areas as overtime, leave, transfer, promotions, seniority, job assignment and termination of service According to National Commission of Labour Grievance is Complaints affecting one or more individual workers in respect of their wage payments, overtime, leave, transfer, promotion, seniority, work assignment and discharge would constitute grievance In a democratic set up any employee should be in a position to express his dissatisfaction, whether it be a minor irritation, a serious problem, or a difference of opinion in the work assignment or in the terms and conditions of employment. The feeling of discontent or dissatisfaction becomes a complaint when (a) It has not assumed. (b) The matter has been presented in a highly informal way.

A complaint turns into a grievance when (I) There is a feeling of injustice. (II) Expressing the feeling formally, either verbally or in writing and (III) It is related to policies, procedures and operations of the organization. A Grievance can take the following forms: Factual: When an employee is dissatisfied with his job, for genuine or factual reasons like a breach of terms of employment or any other reasons that are clearly attributed to the management, he is said to have a factual grievance. Thus, factual grievances arise when the legitimate needs are unfulfilled. Imaginary: When an employees grievance or dissatisfaction is not because of any factual or valid reason but because of wrong perception, wrong attitude or wrong information he has. Such a grievance is called an imaginary grievance. Though it is not the fault of management, the responsibility of dealing with it still rests with the management. So the problem is not real. It is in the mind or just a feeling towards someone or something. Disguised: An employee may have dissatisfaction for reasons that are unknown to himself. This may be because of pressures and frustrations that an employee is feeling from other sources like his personal life. If an individual has had an bad day in the workplace, that will reflect in the mood at home. We are all humans and are sensitive to the environment that we operate in!

The causes of Grievance can be said to be: Economic Work Environment Supervision Work Group Compensation Increment Grievances can result in the following: Frustration Low Motivation Low Productivity Increase in wastage and costs Absenteeism In discipline

Identification of Grievances: It is beautifully described that good management redresses grievances as they arise; excellent management anticipates and prevents them from arising. An effective manager thus has to be proactive. A manager can know about the problems even before they turn into actual grievances through several means such as: (a) Exit interview: Employees usually quit organizations due to dissatisfaction or better prospects elsewhere. Exit interviews, if conducted carefully, can provide important information about employees grievances. This can help the management to gather feedback and to genuinely incorporate feedback. The management should carefully act

upon the information drawn from such employees. It should be careful that the discontentment is reduced so that no more employees quit the organization because of similar reasons. (b) Gripe Boxes: These are boxes in which the employees can drop their anonymous complaints. They are different from the suggestion boxes in which employees drop their named suggestion with an intention to receive rewards It is normally said that if you want to progress in life, you should be close to critics. These gripe boxes can perform the role of critics for the organisation. The management should carefully act upon the information thus gathered. (c) Opinion Survey: The management can be proactive by conducting group meetings, periodical interviews with employees, collective bargaining sessions etc. through which one can get information about employees dissatisfaction before it turns into a grievance. (d) Open-door Policy: Some organisation extend a general invitation to their employees to informally drop in the managers room any time and talk over their grievances. This can be very effective because it can nip the evil in the bud. That is it can take care of the problem before it gets out of hand. In fact the management should hold formal and informal get together with the employees. The management should also remember that the employees might just need a patient hearing at times.

Summarising:

Identifying Grievances

Exit Interview

Gripe Boxes

Opinion Survey

Open Door Policy

Why Install Grievance Machinery? As Gordon and Fryxell (1993, pp. 232, 233) in Nurse and Devonish (2007) observe: Grievance systems can reduce or eliminate work stoppages during the life of the collective bargaining agreement. Processing a grievance permits resolution of interpretive disagreements without reliance on economic threat by either of the parties. Compliance with the contract is effected by an orderly process that allows the parties to determine whether the labor agreement has in fact been violated. Also To promote industrial peace. To facilitate harmony between labor & management. To uphold justice. To practice voluntary means of settlement at the enterprise level. To prevent labour dispute.

How to write a grievance? All unions where ever they are prevalent have slight differences in their grievance procedures and grievance forms, but certain key components remain the same. Grievances should be clear, direct, and short. They are not the opportunity to go into the blow-by-blow account -- that comes during the hearings -- but "just the facts please." Every grievance should include the six W's: WHO: is involved in the grievance? WHEN: did the grievance occur (give the date)? WHERE: did the grievance occur (department, division, etc.)? WHY: is it a grievance? What has been violated or misinterpreted? WHAT: occurred (briefly -- e.g. suspended, denied vacation, etc.)? WHAT: are your demands? What remedy do you seek to resolve the grievance?

Characteristics of an effective Grievance procedure: The use of grievance procedures is intended to serve the needs of both employers and employees. It is therefore important for organizations to employ effective grievance management systems to address the concerns raised by employees in the interest of promoting justice and avoiding conflict, especially in an unionized establishment. Grievance systems and grievance management should possess certain characteristics and demonstrate the use of certain principles to ensure their effectiveness. One of the cardinal principles of effective complaints and grievance management is that workers must be aware of and have unencumbered access to well-defined procedures that are easy to understand and use. Another principle of effective grievance management is that workers concerns should be addressed in a timely fashion. Grievance systems should also ensure voice, or the opportunity to be heard in the organization. Voice allow employees to assert and protect their job rights. Grievance systems should also specify employees rights to representation and allow for appeal against decisions with which they disagree. (Feuille and Chachere, 1995; Freeman and Medoff, 1984). Effective grievance management ultimately affords workers an ability to assist in shaping decisions at the workplace that affect them. Employees view work systems as fair when these procedures allow them the opportunity to contribute or participate in management decision-making. Feuille and Chachere (1995)

Principles of handling grievance: There should be a fair demonstration of grievance procedure. The laid down principles should be definite and clear. The principles should be simple. It should function promptly and speedily Right attitude of supervisor should exist. Confidence of supervisors is an important factor. Long run implications of the decision should be determined.

Wright and Taylor in Rollinson et al (1996) make an interesting point about handling style for Grievances. They indicate that a joint problem solving approach in which a manager and employee analyse a problem together and try to find a mutually acceptable solution may be well suited to the grievance situation. This, however, begs the question of why this style is appropriate to grievance rather than discipline. The aim of disciplinary interviews should be that of changing behaviour. It can be argued that the more participative and involving approach is also likely to be more successful in bringing this about.

Policies followed in IndiSmart hotel: Open Door Policy Under this policy, any employee can take his grievance to the chief boss that is the General Manager and talk over the problem. As the name suggests, the management keeps its doors open for the employees to share their problems. It is said that this policy can remove the cause of grievance quickly. Though this policy appears to the attractive, it has some prerequisites. The open door policy is workable only in small organizations. In big organizations, the top management does not have the time to attend to innumerable routine grievances daily that is the work of lower-level mangers. Under this policy, the front-line supervisor who should be the first man to know about the grievances of his subordinates is by passed. This provokes him in two ways. First, he thinks the man who skipped him is disrespectful. Secondly, he fears that he will incur his superiors displeasure because of his failure to handle his subordinates will interpret this. But never the less the management of IndiSmart hotel is tolerant towards this policy and the employees are moulded in such a way that they can take their problems to the higher authority.

Step-Ladder Policy Under the step-ladder procedure, the employee with a grievance has to proceed step by step untill he is able to redress his grievance. According to the Model Grievance Procedure, an aggrieved employee shall first present his grievance verbally in person to the officer designated by the management for this purpose. An answer shall be given within 48 hours. If he is dissatisfied with the answer, the worker will present his grievance to the head of the department, who will give his answer within 3 days. If the worker is dissatisfied with the answer, he may ask that his grievance should be referred to the Grievance Committee, which shall make its recommendations within 7 days to the manger. The management must implement unanimous recommendations of this committee. A dissatisfied worker can apply to the management for a revision of its decision within on weeks time. The management cannot always be rigid and follow a single policy but needs to be flexible in its approach by looking at the problem or rather the grievance. For example in cases of harrasment in the workplace an employee should go to the top management taking advantage of the open door policy but in small issues of shifts it should follow the step ladder policy and take the problems step by step to the higher management.

Fig: Step ladder policy Armstrong (2006)

Model Grievance Procedure 1935 The 15th session of Indian Labour Conference held in 1957 emphasized the need of an established grievance procedure for the country which would be acceptable to unions as well as to management. In the 16th session of Indian Labour Conference, a model for grievance procedure was drawn up. This model helps in creation of grievance machinery. According to it, workers representatives are to be elected for a department or their union is to nominate them. Management has to specify the persons in each department who are to be approached first and the departmental heads who are supposed to be approached in the second step. The Model Grievance Procedure specifies the details of all the steps that are to be followed while redressing grievances. These steps are:

STEP 1: In the first step the grievance is to be submitted to departmental representative, who is a representative of management. He has to give his answer within 48 hours. STEP 2: If the departmental representative fails to provide a solution, the aggrieved employee can take his grievance to head of the department, who has to give his decision within3days. STEP 3: If the aggrieved employee is not satisfied with the decision of departmental head, he can take the grievance to Grievance Committee. The Grievance Committee makes its recommendations to the manager within 7 days in the form of a report. The final decision of the management on the report of Grievance Committee must be communicated to the aggrieved employee within three days of the receipt of report. An appeal for revision of final decision can be made by the worker if he is not satisfied with it. The management must communicate its decision to the worker within 7 days.

STEP 4: If the grievance still remains unsettled, the case may be referred to voluntary arbitration.

U N S A T I S F I E D

Work with Grievance Verbal Referring Immediate Superior Time limit for answering 48 hrs Department Head Time limit for answering 3days Grievance Committee Time limit for answering 7 days

W O R K E R

Higher Management for Revision

Voluntary Arbitration

Union may ask for voluntary arbitration

Decision binding on both parties

Figure: Model Grievance procedure

An effective grievance procedure should have the following points: 1. Conformity with existing legislation: The procedure should be designed in conformity with the existing statutory provisions. Where practicable, the procedure can make use of such machinery as the law might have already provided for. 2. Acceptability: The grievance procedure should be accepted by all the employees. In order to be acceptable it should fullfill: A sense of fair play and justice to the worker. Adequate participation of the union where it is present. 3. Simplicity: The procedure laid down should be a simple one and should be undrstood by everyone in the workplace. The steps laid down should be as few as possible. The information should be conveyed to all at the workplace through pictoral represenation where possible. 4. Promptness: The grievance of an employee should be addressed promptly to ensure his productivity level does not get hampered. The grievances should be settled as far as possible in the lower level itself. There can be various grievances which may be reffered to appropriate authorities. 5. Follow Up- The Human Resource department should review the working of the procedure laid down and should introduce necessary change to make it more effective. Another advantage of follow up is that the faith of the employees increases in the system and they inherit a perception that the system is there for their all round betterment.

Grievance redressal procedure followed in the IndiSmart Hotel The grievance procedure followed in the IndiSmart hotel is a simple one. Any employee who has problem or any grievances reports such grievance to his immediate supervisor and that supervisor tries to resolve it otherwise it is reported to the departmental head. The departmental head sits down and tries to resolve it through mutual dialogue along with the representative of the workman committee and if still the problem persists, it is reported to the general manager and he sits down with the aggrieved personnel/personnels and tries to address their grievances. Usually the problem gets solved at this stage but if the problems still persists if any the chairman Dr. Suborno Bose is consulted and his decision is binding.

CHAPTER 2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

2.0 Research Methodology

2.1 Source of Data: The data was selected through the following methods: Primary Source: The primary data collection was done through interviews which were quite informal in nature looking at the sensitivity of the topic and also through questionnaires survey. Direct informal interviews gave me a chance to interact with the employees who gave some ideas about their day to day departmental problems on operations and other constraints. The idea was to understand the extraneous factors which might influence their work, at times. While collection of data/information the limitations of the employees were taken care of. However, even it was there, it was not prudent to delve with it. It was of course assumed the interaction had has used optimum platform for revelation of the fact subject to individuals internal sensitivity. Yet, the sensitivity aspects, if there were any, was taken care of while framing the questionnaire, which was helpful and conducive. There was no element of coerce method to generate data as a result it was a WIN-WIN platform for both interviewees and interviewers, as full freedom was exercised to the employees to express their views and record their information.

Secondary Data: The secondary source of data which helped me are: The brochure of the IndiSmart Hotel. The official website of the hotel http://www.indismart.in The official website of the IndiSmart Woodbourne resort, Goa http://www.woodbourne.in Research Journals form the internet Research papers from the internet IndiSmart Literature 2.2 Composition of the Universe/Population: A population is any entire collection of people, animals, plants or things from which we may collect data through sampling process. It is the entire group we are interested in, which we wish to describe or draw conclusions about. This study has been done in the IndiSmart Hotel, Kolkata. 2.3 Sampling Technique A sampling technique is a mechanism by which the sampling unit of a study is selected from sampling frame of the population. The sample has been selected through simple random sampling method. The main departments targeted are as follows: Food and Beverage Service Department Food and Beverage Production Department Housekeeping Front Office Maintenance ** Sales and Marketing ** Human Resource Department **

** Will be treated as one single whole department and the rest as SEPARATE departments in the study. 2.4 Sample Size: The size of the universe comprising of the above five departments comes up to 100 therefore the sample size has been taken as 40. 2.5 Sampling Frame:

TYPES Management

NUMBERS 25

SAMPLE SIZE 15

PERCENTAGE 37.50

SAMPLING TECHNIQUE Simple Random

Lower level Total

75 100

25 40

62.50 100%

Simple Random

2.6 Research Technique: Any research work needs to be done in stages which should be planned in such a way that the results derived can be implemented. First step was to go through the literature to get knowledge on my topic. Second step was to gather as much data from the shop floor and to evaluate the same. And then the next step is to form a questionnaire for the lower level and based on this, evaluation would be done and then the management would be made to fill out another questionnaire based on the results of the first one. The next step would be analysis and recommendations.

2.7 Tools for data analysis: The data that is collected over time needs to be analyzed and interpreted to extract the meaning from them. Analysis of data helps us to place data in ordered form combining them with existing information and extracting meaningful information which would be helpful to us. The collection of primary data was very tedious looking at the nature of the research, which was followed by identification of tools. Observation: Observation facilitates for assessment of the individual traits such as, personality, his /her attitude and degree of interest towards work. Therefore, it can be safely resolved the better understanding about the employees we come to know their personal and departmental problems or grievances that they face in heir daily operations. Also they may ventilate positive feeling. To have accuracy in our study it would be prudent to have structured questionnaire. Structured Questionnaire: Structured Questionnaire along with observation is a handy tool for data analysis. The questions were prepared in such a way that the lower level employees had to choose one out of the many choices. The management was questioned on the basis of the results received. Unstructured Interview: Along with the above two tools unstructured interviews were also used to gather information to the optimum possible extent. Different employees were questioned about the prevalent system and the extent to which it is effective.

2.8 Limitations of the Study The limitation of the study was the time factor and the sensitivity of the topic. It takes more than ten weeks to get familiar with the working of the organization and to be familiar with the employees to get information on the working of the organization. Besides, another limitation was the sensitivity of the study In which the employees did not want to speak much and even if they did they only gave some information on anonymity basis. 2.9 Time Frame of the Study The study was designed to be completed within 10 weeks beginning from 24 th May 2010 to 31st July 2010.

CHAPTER 3 ANALYSIS AND FINDNGS

3.1 Analysis and Interpretation (Operational Staff)

1) Inter-departmental Relationship: The respondents opinion towards the Inter-Departmental relationship is as follows: S.NO 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. OPINION Very Good Good Average Satisfactory Unsatisfactory TOTAL NO. OF RESPONDENTS 2 7 15 00 1 25 PERCENTAGE (%) 8 28 60 00 04

GRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION:
R espondent's O pinion

0% 4%

8% Very G ood 28 % G d oo Ave e rag S atisfactory

60%

U nsatisfactory

Inference: From the above table and the subsequent graphical representation it is clear that interdepartmental relationship is average as 60 % of the respondents have given this response.

2) Grievances against the prevalent departmental hierarchy: The respondents opinion towards the prevalent departmental hierarchy is as follows: S.NO 1. 2. OPINION Yes No TOTAL NO. OF RESPONDENTS 8 17 25 PERCENTAGE (%) 32 68

GRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION:
R on en O in esp d t's p ion

32% Yes N o 68%

Inference: From the above table and the successive graphical representation it is clear that 68% of the respondents do not have any grievances with the prevalent hierarchy.

3) Are Infrastructural facilities adequate for you to work?

The respondents opinion towards the question is as follows: S.NO 1. 2. OPINION Yes No TOTAL NO. OF RESPONDENTS 12 13 25 PERCENTAGE (%) 48 52

GRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION:
Respondent's Opinion

48%

Yes No

52%

Inference: From the above table and the consequent graphical representation it is clear that 52% of the respondents are not happy with the infrastructural facilities.

4) Rating of colleagues/work group with whom work is shared The respondents have rated their wok group in the following manner:

S.NO 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

OPINION Very Good Good Average Satisfactory Unsatisfactory TOTAL

NO. OF RESPONDENTS 01 9 11 04 00 25

PERCENTAGE (%) 04 36 44 16 00

GRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION:
R s o d n O in n e p n e t's p io

1% 6

0 4 % % V ry G o e od 3% 6 Go od Ae g v ra e S tisfa ry a cto

4% 4

U sa n tisfa ry cto

Inference: From the above table and the resultant graphical representation it is clear that 44% of the respondents rate their colleagues as Average and another 36% as Good

5) Impartment of Training The opinion of the respondents towards training is as follows:

S.NO 1. 2.

OPINION Yes No TOTAL

NO. OF RESPONDENTS 17 08 25

PERCENTAGE (%) 68 32

GRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION:

Respondent's Opinion

32%

68%

Yes

No

Inference: From the above table and the subsequential graphical representation it is clear that 68% of the respondents feel that the training imparted is adequate for them as they do not have any problems in using the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). 6) Rating of the equipment used at work: When asked about the rating of the equipments that they use at work the candidates responded in the following way:

S.NO 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

OPINION Very Good Good Average Satisfactory Unsatisfactory TOTAL

NO. OF RESPONDENTS 00 02 13 08 02 25

PERCENTAGE (%) 00 08 52 32 08

GRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION:
R s o d n O in n e p n e t's p io

8 % 3% 2

0 %

8 %

V ry G o e od Go od Ae g v ra e 5% 2 S tisfa ry a cto U sa n tisfa ry cto

Inference: From the above table and the succeeding graphical representation it is clear that 52% of the respondents rate their equipments that they use at work as average and another 32% as satisfactory. Most of the respondents said that the equipments need to be refreshed

7) Satisfaction with the growth opportunities: When the candidates were asked about the growth opportunities in the IndiSmart Hotel they responded in the following way:

S.NO 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

OPINION Very Satisfied Satisfied Neutral Dissatisfied Highly Dissatisfied TOTAL

NO. OF RESPONDENTS 00 05 09 11 00 25

PERCENTAGE (%) 00 20 36 44 00

GRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION:
R p n en O in n es o d t's p io

0 % 4% 4

2% 0

3% 6

V ry S tisfie e a d

S tisfie a d

Nu l e tra

D issa tisfie d

H h D ig ly issa tisfie d

Inference: From the above table and the later graphical representation it is clear that 44% of the respondents are dissatisfied with the growth opportunities and another 36% preferred to be neutral. 8) Compensation package: When the employees were asked about whether the compensation provided is adequate or not the response received is as follows:

S.NO 1. 2.

OPINION Yes No TOTAL

NO. OF RESPONDENTS 03 22 25

PERCENTAGE (%) 12 88

GRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION:
R po e es nd nts O ion pin

1% 2

Ys e 8% 8 N o

Inference: From the above table and the successional graphical representation it is clear that 88% of the employees are dissatisfied with the compensation package that is being provided to them in return of their services towards the organization which needs to be increased.

9) Are the recreational facilities provided adequate? The response received towards the question was asked is analysed below: S.NO 1. OPINION Yes NO. OF RESPONDENTS 04 PERCENTAGE (%) 16

2.

No TOTAL

21 25

84

GRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION:
R esp n en O in n o d t's p io

1% 6

8% 4

Ys e

N o

Inference: From the above table and the ensuing graphical representation it is clear that 84% of the respondents are not happy with the state of the recreational facilities that is being provided.

10) Protection against health and safety hazards: The opinion of the respondents opinion is as follows: S.NO 1. 2. OPINION Yes No NO. OF RESPONDENTS 13 11 PERCENTAGE (%) 52 44

TOTAL

25

GRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION:
R esp n en O in n o d t's p io

4% 6

5% 4

Ys e N o

Inference: From the above table and the following graphical representation it is clear that 52% of the respondents are satisfied with the protection that is being provided against the health and safety hazards.

11) Management of abilities: Whether the abilities of the employees are being managed in a proper way or not the response was as follows: S.NO 1. 2. OPINION Yes No NO. OF RESPONDENTS 18 07 PERCENTAGE (%) 72 28

TOTAL

25

GRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION:
Respondent's O pinion

28%

72%

Yes

N o

Inference: From the above table and the following graphical representation it is clear that 72% of the respondents feel that their abilities are being managed in a proper way.

12) Grievances towards the management: On being asked about the grievances towards the management there were quite a few and below the most important of the grievances of the operational staff are enlisted. S.NO 1. 2. OPINION Salary Structure Staffing NO. OF RESPONDENTS 20 17

3. 4.

Stress Others

07 13

GRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION:
Respondents Opinion
25 20 15
S e e i r 1 s

10 5
re

0
S tr

ff i ng

es s

uc tu

S ta

S tr

Inference: From the above table and the following graphical representation it is clear that Salary structure and the staffing problems are the main grievances. 13) How is the management made aware of the grievances of the employees: S.NO 1. 2. 3. 4. OPINION Hierarchy Head of the department Departmental Meeting Human Resource NO. OF RESPONDENTS 17 02 03 01 PERCENTAGE (%) 68 08 12 04

S al ar

th

er s

5.

Department Not Possible TOTAL

02 25

08

GRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION:

Respondent's O pinion
18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0

e i r

1 s

Departmental

14) Effectiveness of the prevalent employee grievance redressal system: On being asked this question the employees responded in the following way: S.NO 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. OPINION Very Good Good Average Satisfactory Unsatisfactory NO. OF RESPONDENTS 00 01 04 17 03 PERCENTAGE (%) 00 04 16 68 12

Not Possible

Head of the

Department

department

Hierarchy

Resource

Meeting

Human

TOTAL

25

GRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION:
R esp n en O in n o d t's p io

1% 2

0 4 % %

1% 6

Ve G o ry o d Go od Av ra e e g Sa tisfa ry cto U sa n tisfa ry cto

6% 8

Inference: From the above table and the subsequent graphical representation it is clear that 68% of the respondents have adjudged the prevalent employee grievance redressal system as satisfactory.

15) Is extra duty being imposed upon you? The response to this question is as follows: S.NO 1. 2. OPINION Yes No TOTAL NO. OF RESPONDENTS 16 09 25 PERCENTAGE (%) 64 36

GRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION:
R s o d n O in n e p n e t's p io

3% 6

6% 4

Ys e

N o

Inference: From the above table and the successive graphical representation it is clear that 64%of the respondents state that extra duty is imposed on them

16) Recommendations from your end: The main recommendations of the operational staff to increase their productivity so that the ultimate aim of earning profit for the organization is fulfilled taking care to eradicate their problems are as follows: S.NO 1. OPINION Staffing NO. OF RESPONDENTS 16

2. 3. 4. 5.

Salary Structure Maintenance Training Others

15 06 05 10

GRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION:

Respondent's Opinion
18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0
ur e nc e ffi ng in g S tru ct ai nt en a Tr a O th er s ta in

e i r

1 s

al ar y

Inference: From the above table and the successive graphical representation it is clear that the employees recommend that the salary structure, staffing along with training has to be improved for a better functioning of the organization.

3.2 Analysis and Interpretation (Executive Staff)

1) Rating of the equipment used at work: The respondents have rated the equipments used for work as follows: S.NO 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. OPINION Very Good Good Average Satisfactory Unsatisfactory TOTAL NO. OF RESPONDENTS 01 06 07 01 00 15 PERCENTAGE 6.66 40 46.66 6.66 00

Graphical Representation:
Respondent's Opinion

7%

0%

7% Very Good Good Average 40% Satisfactory Unsatisfactory

46%

Inference: From the above table and the consequent graphical representation it is clear that 46.66% of the executive staff rate the equipments as Average and 40% as Good. 2) Rating of team members. The respondents have rated their team members as follows:

S.NO 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

OPINION Very Good Good Average Satisfactory Unsatisfactory TOTAL

NO. OF RESPONDENTS 02 10 02 01 00 15

PERCENTAGE 13.33 66.66 13.33 6.66 00

Graphical Representation:
R s o d n O in n e p n e t's p io

1% 3

7 %

0 %

1% 3

V ry G o e od Go od Ae g v ra e S tis c ry a fa to U s tis c ry n a fa to

6% 7

Inference: From the above table and the following graphical representation it is clear that 66.66% of the executive rate their team members as Good and 13.33% as Very Good and Average.

3) Are continuous risk assessments carried out in the department? The response to the above asked question is as follows:

S.NO 1. 2.

OPINION Yes No TOTAL

NO. OF RESPONDENTS 09 06 15

PERCENTAGE 60 40

Graphical Representation:
R espondent's O pinion

40%

Yes N o 60%

Inference: From the above table and the successive Graphical Representation it is clear that 60% of the executives have stated that continuous risk assessments are carried out in the respective departments.

4) Satisfaction with the growth opportunities: The response to the above asked question is as follows;

S.NO 1. 2.

OPINION Yes No TOTAL

NO. OF RESPONDENTS 12 03 15

PERCENTAGE 80 20

Graphical Representation:
R s o d n O in n e p n e t's p io

2% 0 Ys e N o

8% 0

Inference: From the above table and the ensuing graphical representation it is clear that 80% of the respondents are satisfied with the growth opportunities provided to them.

5) The salary structure is adequate for all the employees: On being asked this question the response received is as followed

S.NO 1. 2. 3. 4.

OPINION Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Total

NO. OF RESPONDENTS 02 09 04 00 15

PERCENTAGE 13.33 60 26.66 00

Graphical Representation:
R s o d n'sO i i n ep ne t pno

S og Ar e tr n ly ge 2% 7 0 % 1% 3 Ar e ge D ar e is ge 6% 0 S og D ar e tr n ly is ge

Inference: From the above table and the succeeding graphical representation it can be seen that 60% of the respondents Agree that the salary structure is adequate for the employees. 6) Is stress a major concern for the employees? The response received for this question is as follows:

S.NO 1. 2.

OPINION Yes No TOTAL

NO. OF RESPONDENTS 09 06 15

PERCENTAGE 60 40

Graphical Representation:
R esp n en O in n o d t's p io

4% 0

Ys e N o 6% 0

Inference: From the above table and the sub sequential graphical representation it is clear that 60% of the respondents feel that stress is a major concern for the employees.

7) Grievances: The following are the grievances that the executive staff has:

S.NO 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

OPINION Salary Structure Staffing Maintenance None Others

NO. OF RESPONDENTS 06 03 02 05 05

Graphical Representation:

Respondent's Opinion
7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
ur e ffi ng nc e ne S tr uc t ai nt en a O th er s ta N o

e i r

1 s

al ar y

Inference: From the graphical representation above it can be seen that Salary Structure, Staffing, Maintenance and to some extent Training form the major grievances. Five of the respondents have stated that they do not have any grievances from their side.

8) What has been done to ease the problems that the employees face due to inadequate staffing?

The respondents response to the question is as follows S.NO 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. OPINION More Staff On Job Training Training Helping hand Others NO. OF RESPONDENTS 05 02 04 03 05

Graphical Representation:

Respondent's Opinion
6 5 4 3 2 1 0
Tr ai ni ng ha nd ta ff ng Tr ai ni H el pi ng O th er s S
S e e i r 1 s

or e

Inference: From the above table and the pursuing Graphical Representation it can be seen that more staff has been asked to reduce the in adequacy and also the On Job Trainees from the various Institutions are called in when required. Training is imparted to the staff so that they can handle the pressure and even sometimes the executives also come in and help the staff.

9) Is a fair chance being given to the employees to showcase their problems?

O n

Jo b

The response is as follows: S.NO 1. 2. OPINION Yes No TOTAL NO. OF RESPONDENTS 12 03 15 PERCENTAGE 80 20

Graphical Representation: Respondent's Opinion

20% Yes No

80%

Inference: From the table above and the following graphical representation it can be seen that 80% of the employees state that the employees get a fair chance to present their problems to the higher authorities by means of Hierarchy and Departmental meets.

10) Are you responsive to the complaints of your team members?

The employees responded in the following manner: S.NO 1. 2. OPINION Yes No TOTAL NO. OF RESPONDENTS 15 00 15 PERCENTAGE 100 00

Graphical Representation: Respondent's Opinion

0% Yes No

100%

Inference: From the above table and the graphical representation it can be seen that all the executives feel that they can address the problems of the employees effectively.

11) Are problems/grievances discussed effectively in the staff meetings? The response is as follows:

S.NO 1. 2.

OPINION Yes No TOTAL

NO. OF RESPONDENTS 14 01 15

PERCENTAGE 93.33 6.66

Graphical Representation:
Respondent's Opinion

7% Yes No

93%

Inference: From the above table and the following graphical representation it is clear that 93.33%of the employees sate that problems grievances are discussed effectively in the staff meetings.

12) Have steps been taken to improve the quality of training? The response is as follows:

S.NO 1. 2.

OPINION Yes No TOTAL

NO. OF RESPONDENTS 10 05 15

PERCENTAGE 66.66 33.33

Graphical Representation: Respondent's Opinion

33%

67%

Yes

No

Inference: From the above table and the dependable graphical representation states that 66.66% of the respondents feel that training has been improved but steps have to be taken to make it much better. 13) Are the employees being recognized for their services towards the organization? The response received is as follows S.NO OPINION NO. OF PERCENTAGE

1. 2.

Yes No TOTAL

RESPONDENTS 15 00 15

100 00

Graphical Representation:
R s o d n'sO in n epnet p io

0 %

10 0%

Ys e

N o

Inference: From the above graphical representation it can be seen that all the respondents feel that the employees are recognized for their effort towards the betterment of the organization.

14) What are the steps taken towards improving the working conditions of the workplace? The steps taken towards improving the condition of the workplace are as follows: S.NO OPINION NO. OF RESPONDENTS

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Cleanliness Flexible Shifts Maintenance Training Others

06 04 03 06 05

Graphical Representation:

Respondent's O pinion
7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
s an lin es s nc e hi ft in g ai nt en a T ra O th er s le S in

e i r

1 s

le xi b

C le

Inference: From the above table and the graphical representation it can be seen that the major steps taken to improve the working conditions of the work place are cleanliness of the area has been improved, flexible shifts have been put in place, better maintenance of the workplace alongwith better training is being imparted.

15) Rate yourself in solving the grievances of the employees

The respondents responded in the following manner: S.NO 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. OPINION Very Good Good Average Satisfactory Unsatisfactory TOTAL NO. OF RESPONDENTS 00 06 09 00 00 15 PERCENTAGE 00 40 60 00 00

Graphical Representation: Respondent's O pinion

0% 40%

Very G ood G ood Av erage Satisfactory U nsatisfactory

60%

Inference: From the above table and the graphical representation it is seen that 60% of the executive respondents rate themselves as Average in solving the grievances of the employees while 40% rate themselves as Good.

16) Rate the effectiveness of the prevalent employee grievance redressal system.

S.NO 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

OPINION Very Good Good Average Satisfactory Unsatisfactory TOTAL

NO. OF RESPONDENTS 00 03 12 00 00 15

PERCENTAGE 00 20 80 00 00

Graphical Representation:
R s o d n O in n e p n e t's p io

0 %

2% 0

V ry G o e od Go od Ae g v ra e S tisfa ry a cto U sa n tisfa ry cto

8% 0

Inference: From the above table and the subsequent graphical representation it is clear that the respondents have rated the prevalent employee grievance redressal system as Average.

3.3 FINDINGS:

The findings from the questionnaire put up to the Operational Staff and then to the Executive Staff are as follows: Operational Staff: The Inter-Departmental relationship has been found out to be Average. It has been found out that 68% of the employees have grievances with the prevalent departmental hierarchy. 52% of the employees feel that the infrastructural facilities that are provided to them for work are not adequate. 44% of the employees rate their work group as Average, 36% to be Good and 16% as Satisfactory. It can be seen that 68% of the employees do not have any grievances with the level of training that is imparted to them. About the quality of the equipments that is used by them for work most of them have rated it as Average and some as Satisfactory. 44% of the employees are dissatisfied with the growth opportunities that are provided to them whereas nine of them who bring up a value of 36% have stayed Neutral. On the question of the compensation package a total of 88% were not satisfied with it and wanted it to be increased. The employees are satisfied with the recreational facilities provided baring 5 personnels who amount to 16%.

 44% of the employees are satisfied with the health and safety protection that they are given. 72% of the employees feel that their abilities are being given their due recognition. Salary structure, shortage of staff along with stress which results from these have emerged as major problems. 68% of the employees make the management aware of their grievances through the prevalent hierarchy. The prevalent employee grievance redressal system has been rated satisfactory. 64% employees said that they are being made to do extra duty. The recommendations which the operational staff have made are increase in salary, better staffing, proper maintenance, and more training.

Executive Staff: The Inter-Departmental relationship has been found out to be Average.

 67% of the employees have rated their team as Good. It has been found out that continuous risk assessments are carried out. 80% of the respondents are satisfied with the growth opportunities. It is agreed by 60% of the employees that the salary structure is adequate for the employees. 60% of the employees agree that Stress is a major concern for the employees. When asked about their grievances the executive staff stated that Salary, Staffing, Maintenance pose the major grievances for them. More staff, On the Job Trainees and better training are being imparted to reduce staffing problems. Fair chance is given to the employees to present their problems/grievances to the management. All the respondents state that they are responsive to the complaints of their team members. Staff problems are effectively addressed. Steps have been taken to improve the standard of training. The employees are recognized for their efforts that they give towards the organization through performance appraisals.

 Cleanliness, Flexible shifts and better maintenance are steps taken to improve the working conditions of the workplace. 60% of the employees rate themselves as average in solving the grievances of the employees. The respondents rate the prevalent employee grievance redressal system as Average.

CHAPTER 4

RECCOMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION

4.1 Recommendations:
After going through the analysis and findings that have been derived, there are some suggestions that could be made and are as follows.

 Interdepartmental relationship which is rated as average by the operational staff should be improved as when the interdepartmental relationship is strong the roots of the organization get stronger and problems can be done away with effectively at the grass root level itself. A concrete hierarchal structure should be laid down which all the employees would follow and be clear so as to who is the immediate superior to be reported to in case of any problem. The organization should go on a maintenance drive to eradicate the problems which are caused due to improper infrastructure which cause hindrances to the staff during operations. Cooperation is an important key for the success of any organization which the employees should be made to understand through frequent departmental meets. Proper and continuous training should be imparted to the employees in accordance to the laid down Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) so that they do not have any problems thereafter during operations. The machinery or the equipment which are being presently used have to be replenished in due time as it has been rated Average by a majority of the respondents. Machinery malfunction can cause huge problems during operations if not addressed promptly. Growth opportunities should be optimum for all the employees. An employee who is productive in his work and has brought profit for the organization should be rewarded accordingly. The frequency of the appraisal system should be increased so that the employees have growth in their mind and they would work on for the success of the organization and even personal success

 A well defined salary structure needs to be laid down which would clearly show the various positions along with the corresponding salary. Although pay increase guidelines should place greater emphasis on merit. Also minimum wages should be laid down in accordance with the Minimum Wages Act 1948. Appointment letters need to be handed out to the employees as soon as possible in accordance with the laid down norms so that a feeling of belongingness is ignited in them. A stress management expert should be engaged who would help the employees in all the levels to get over stress. Working late should be discouraged as it takes a toll on the body and increases the risk of heart problems. The organization should review each employee and rate them and take action as necessary. It should also go on a recruitment drive in which the departmental heads should also be included to review the candidate before the final selection so that skilled employees are recruited with optimum skill level. All the employees need be made aware of the Employee Grievance Redressal System through their respective Head of Departments and of their rights. Halo effect, Stereotyping or any form of Favoritism should be done away with as it diminishes a persons capability to excel. Top management should be engaged in assessing the risk involved in each department as it is the moral and legal responsibility of the employer. Written health and safety policies are to be formulated to show that the management is concerned about the protection of the employees from hazards at work.

 As far as staffing issues are concerned an effective Human Resource Planning should be undertaken along with an effective manpower assessment. The facility should be maintained properly through facility cleanliness. Appropriate inlets for air should be installed wherever required. If possible an Industrial Relations expert should be engaged to train the Head of Departments which would make them well equipped in nipping the grievances of the employees in the bud. There would a factor of cost involved but in the end it is the organization which benefits. A brain storming session should be convened where in the Head of Departments would participate along with two lower level employees and ideas would be extracted so as to how can the redressal system be made more effective and the best ideas would be incorporated. It should be kept in mind that the employees are made aware of the changes through the Head of Departments. Some lower level staff should be elected and an employee complaint box should be installed where in the employees can feely express their grievances anonymously without anyone knowing their names. Through this the reporting of grievances would be more and the managers would come to know what are the grievances and can act on them effectively.

Also for peace and harmony between the workers and the management workers participation in management should be encouraged. Also by this process the workers may work with more dedication if they are told why decisions are taken

and what the significance is and the chances of grievances related to work are less likely to crop up.

4.2 CONCLUSION

This project is covered on the topic Effectiveness of the Employee Grievance Redressal System in IndiSmart Hotel which is an IT hotel in Kolkata. This study was undertaken in the hotel as it is a private sector and Grievances are bound to come up. This topic was challenging as well as a sensitive one. The data had to be collected very carefully so that the employees are not at risk. Many employees have only the data without divulging their names. The questionnaires were divided into two part one for the operational staff which would cover twenty five staff. This was directed to extract the problems or grievances and to study the prevalent redressal system. The second part was directed towards fifteen executive staff in which it was seen what progress has been made toward the grievances which surfaced. Also recommendations were sought from the employees. After the analysis it has been seen that the prevalent system has been rated Average by a majority of the employees. Recommendations have been given like the introduction of a well laid down salary structure alongwith the introduction of Minimum Wages in accordance with the Minimum Wages Act 1948. If the recommendations which have been incorporated are implemented IndiSmart could go on to be a property with minimum grievances.

Bibliography:

Journals Feuille, P. and Chachere, D.R. (1995), Looking fair or being fair: remedial voice procedures in nonunion workplaces, [Online] Journal of Management, Vol. 21 No. 1, pp. 27-42. Available at http://www.emeraldinsight.com [Accessed on 3rd June 2010] Hook, C.M., et al (1996), Supervisor and manager styles in handling discipline and grievance, [Online] Personnel Review, Vol. 25 No. 3, pp. 20-34. Available at http://www.emeraldinsight.com [Accessed on 8th June 2010] Nurse, L., Devonish, D. (2007), Grievance management and its links to workplace justice [Online] Employee Relations, Vol. 29 No. 1, pp.89-109. Available at http://www.emeraldinsight.com [Accessed on 12th June 2010] Websites http://193.134.194.11/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_protect/---protrav/--safework/documents/publication/wcms_110306.pdf , (n.a.). [Online] Available at http://193.134.194.11/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_protect/---protrav/--safework/documents/publication/wcms_110306.pdf [Accessed on 22nd June 2010] Safety and Health at work, (2010), [Online]. Available at http://www.ilo.org/global/Themes/Safety_and_Health_at_Work/lang--en/index.htm [Accessed on 24th June 2010] Industrial Relations and Economic Performance Grievances and Productivity, (1984), [Online]. Available at http://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/handle/1721.1/48091/industrialrelati00ichn.pdf?sequence=1 [Accessed on 26th June2010] Books

Armstrong, M. (2004) A handbook of Human Resource Management, 9th Edition, London, Kogan Page Limited. Aswathappa, K., (2007) Human Resource and Personnel Management text and cases, 6th Edition, Noida, Tata McGraw-Hill Bramham, J. (1998) Human Resource Planning, 2nd Edition, Institute of personnel and development. Nieto, L. M. (2006) An Introduction to Human Resource Management An Integrated Approach, 1st Edition, New York, Palgrave Macmillan. Torrington, D., Hall, L., Taylor, S., (2002) Human Resource Management, 5th Edition, Edinburgh, Pretince Hall. Torrington, D., Hall, L., (1995) Personnel Management Human Resource Management in action, 3rd Edition, United Kingdom, Pretince Hall Government of India Acts Referred to: The Factories Act 1948 The Industrial Disputes Act 1947 The Payment of Wages Act 1936 The Workmans Compensation Act 1923 The Trade Union Act 1926 All the Acts were downloaded from http://www.labour.nic.in (the official website of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India)

APPENDIX

Dear Respondent, As part of the partial fulfillment of the requirement for awarding the Degree of Master of Business Administration (MBA), a study is been carried out on the

topic Effectiveness of the prevalent Employee Grievance Redressal System. So, in that concern, I need your kind co-operation and support with your valuable views on the topic to accomplish the work. I assure you that all the information given by you will be kept secret and will be used only for research purpose and not for any other matter. I shall be highly obliged if you do the needful in this regard. Akshat Kaul MBA, SMIT.

Questionnaire for the Operational Staff: Name/Employee Code:

Designation: Department: Q1) Rate your inter-departmental relationship with the other departments. Also state a reason. Very Good Good Average Satisfactory Unsatisfactory

Q2) Do you have any grievances with the prevalent departmental hierarchy? Yes No

Q3) Are the infrastructural facilities adequate for you to work. Please provide a reason if No. Yes No

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Q4) On the following scale, rate your colleagues /work group with whom you work. Very Good Good Average Satisfactory Unsatisfactory

Q5) Is training imparted to you on a regular basis? If No what problems do you face during operations? Yes No

Q6) On the following scale, rate your equipment that you use at work. Very Good Good Average Satisfactory Unsatisfactory

Q7) How satisfied are you with the growth opportunities that is provided to you? Very Satisfied Satisfied Neutral Dissatisfied Highly Dissatisfied

Q8) Is the compensation that is provided in return of your services sufficient? Yes No

Q9) Are you satisfied with the recreational facilities that the organization equips you with? Yes specified norms? If No has it been reported? Yes No No

Q10) Are the employees protected against the health and safety hazards according to

Q11) Do you feel that your abilities are being given the required attention in proper way? If No has it been noticed? Yes No

Q12) Briefly state your grievances.

Q13) Briefly state how is the management made aware of your grievances.

Q14) Rate the effectiveness of the prevalent employee grievance redressal system. Very Good Good Average Satisfactory Unsatisfactory

Q15) Is extra duty being imposed on you apart from your shift timings? If yes what are the problems that possibly arise. Yes No

Q16) What measures do you recommend which would help in eradicating your grievances and enhance your productivity. Briefly state.

Questionnaire for the Executive Staff: Name/ Employee Code: Designation:

Department: Q1) On the following scale, rate the equipment that is used at work. Very Good Good Average Satisfactory Unsatisfactory

Q2) On the following scale, rate your team. Very Good Good Average Satisfactory Unsatisfactory

Q3) Are continuous risk assessments carried out in your department? If Yes how and if No why not. Yes No

Q4) Are you satisfied with the growth opportunities that are provided to you? Yes No

Q5) The salary structure of the organization is adequate for all its employees. Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

Q6) Do you feel that stress is a major concern for the employees? If Yes what has been done to reduce it. Yes No

 . Q7) Briefly state your grievances . . Q8) What has been done to ease the problems which the employees face due to inadequate staffing? Q9) Are the employees given a fair chance to present their problems to the management? If Yes how? Yes No

 . Q10) Do you feel that you are responsive to the complaints of your team members? Yes No

Q11) Are problems/grievances discussed effectively in the staff meetings? Yes No

Q12) Have steps been taken to improve the quality of training? Yes No

Q13) Do you feel that the employees are being duly recognized for their services towards the organization? If Yes how and if No why not. Yes No

Q14) Enumerate the steps taken to improve the working conditions of the workplace.

 Q15) Rate yourself in solving the grievances of the employees Very Good Good Average Satisfactory Unsatisfactory

Q16) Rate the effectiveness of the prevalent employee grievance redressal system. Very Good Good Average Satisfactory Unsatisfactory