Describe the Concept of Key Performance Indicators |

Q. 5 Describe the concept of Key Performance indicators (KPIs). Enlist some KPIs for teachers working in Primary Schools

Course: Management Strategies in Educational Institutions (8615) 

Level: B.Ed (1.5 Year)

Semester: Spring, 2019

Assignment No.1

Answer:

Performance Appraisal is the systematic evaluation of the performance of employees and to understand the abilities of a person for further growth and development. Performance appraisal is generally done in systematic ways which are as follows: 

1. The supervisors measure the pay of employees and compare it with targets and plans.

2. The supervisor analyses the factors behind work performances of employees.

3. The employers are in position to guide the employees for a better performance.

Objectives of Performance Appraisal

Performance Appraisal can be done with following objectives in mind:

1. To maintain records in order to determine compensation packages, wage structure, salaries raises, etc.

2. To identify the strengths and weaknesses of employees to place right men on right job.

3. To maintain and assess the potential present in a person for further growth and development.

4. To provide a feedback to employees regarding their performance and related status.

5. To provide a feedback to employees regarding their performance and related status.

6. It serves as a basis for influencing working habits of the employees.

7. To review and retain the promotional and other training programmes.

Advantages of Performance Appraisal

It is said that performance appraisal is an investment for the company which can be justified by following advantages:

1.  Promotion:  Performance Appraisal helps the supervisors to chalk out the promotion programmes for efficient employees. In this regards, inefficient workers can be dismissed or demoted in case.

2.  Compensation:  Performance Appraisal helps in chalking out compensation packages for employees. Merit rating is possible through performance appraisal. Performance Appraisal tries to give worth to a performance. Compensation packages which include bonus, high salary rates, extra benefits, allowances and pre-requisites are dependent on performance appraisal. The criteria should be merit rather than seniority.

3.  Employees Development:  The systematic procedure of performance appraisal helps the supervisors to frame training policies and programmes. It helps to analyses strengths and weaknesses of employees so that new jobs can be designed for efficient employees. It also helps in framing future development programmes.

4.  Selection Validation:  Performance Appraisal helps the supervisors to understand the validity and importance of the selection procedure. The supervisors come to  know the validity and thereby the strengths and weaknesses of selection procedure. Future changes in selection methods can be made in this regard.

5.  Communication:  For an organization, effective communication between employees and employers is very important. Through performance appraisal, communication can be sought for in the following ways:

a. Through performance appraisal, the employers can understand and accept skills of subordinates.

b.The subordinates can also understand and create a trust and confidence in superiors.

c. It also helps in maintaining cordial and congenial labor management relationship.

d. It develops the spirit of work and boosts the morale of employees.

All the above factors ensure effective communication.

6.  Motivation: Performance appraisal serves as a motivation  tool. Through evaluating performance of employees, a person’s efficiency can be determined if the targets are achieved. This very well motivates a person for better job and helps him to improve his performance in the future.

Past Oriented Methods

1.  Rating Scales: Rating scales consists of several numerical scales representing job related performance criterions such as dependability, initiative, output, attendance, attitude etc. Each scales ranges from excellent to poor. The total numerical scores are computed and final conclusions are derived. Advantages – Adaptability, easy to use, low cost, every type of job can be evaluated, large number of employees covered, no formal training required. Disadvantages – Rater’s biases

2.  Checklist:  Under this method, checklist of statements of traits of employee in the form of Yes or No based questions is prepared. Here the rater only does there porting or checking and HR department does the actual evaluation. Advantages – economy, ease of administration, limited training required, standardization.

 Disadvantages – Raters biases, use of improper weighs by HR, does not allow rater to give relative ratings

3.  Forced Choice Method:  The series of statements arranged in the blocks of   two or more are given and the rater indicates which statement is true or false. The rater is forced to make a choice. HR department does actual assessment. Advantages – Absence of personal biases because of forced choice. Disadvantages – Statements may be wrongly framed.

4.  Forced Distribution Method:  here employees are clustered around a high point on a rating scale. Rater is compelled to distribute the employees on all points on the scale. It is assumed that the performance is conformed to normal distribution. Advantages – Eliminates Disadvantages – Assumption of normal distribution, unrealistic, errors of central tendency.

5.  Critical Incidents Method:  The approach is focused on certain critical behaviors of employee that makes all the difference in the performance. Supervisors as and when they occur record such incidents.

 Advantages – Evaluations are based on actual job behaviors, ratings are supported by descriptions, feedback is easy, reduces regency biases, chances of subordinate improvement   are high. Disadvantages – Negative incidents can be prioritized, forgetting incidents, overly close supervision; feedback may be too much and may appear to be punishment.

6.  Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scales: statements of effective and ineffective behaviors determine the points. They are said to be behaviorally anchored.  The rater is supposed to say, which behavior describes the employee performance. Advantages – helps overcome rating errors. Disadvantages – Suffers from distortions inherent in most rating techniques.

7.  Field Review Method:  This is an appraisal done by someone outside employees’ own department usually from corporate or HR department. Advantages – Useful for managerial level promotions, when comparable information is needed, Disadvantages – Outsider is  generally  not familiar with employees work environment, Observation of actual behaviors not possible.

8.  Performance Tests & Observations:  This is based on the test of knowledge or skills. The tests may be written or an actual presentation of skills. Tests must be reliable and validated to be useful. Advantage – Tests may be apt to measure potential more than actual performance. Disadvantages – Tests may suffer if costs of test development or administration are high.

9.  Confidential Records:  Mostly used by government departments, however its  application  in industry is not ruled out. Here the report is given in the form of Annual Confidentiality Report (ACR) and may record ratings with respect to following items; attendance, self  expression, team work, leadership, initiative,  technical ability, reasoning ability, originality and resourcefulness  etc. The system is highly secretive and confidential. Feedback to the assesses is given only in case of an adverse entry. Disadvantage is that it is highly subjective and ratings can be manipulated because the evaluations are linked to HR actions like promotions etc.

10.  Essay Method:  In this method the rater writes down the employee description in detail within a number of broad categories like, overall impression of performance, promote ability of employee, existing capabilities and qualifications of performing jobs, strengths and weaknesses and training needs of the employee.

 Advantage – It is extremely useful in filing information gaps about the employees that often occur in a better-structured checklist.

Disadvantages – It its highly dependent upon the writing skills of rater and most of them are not good writers. They may get confused success depends on the memory power of raters.

11.  Cost Accounting Method:  Here performance is evaluated from the monetary returns yields to his or her organization. Cost to keep employee, and benefit the organization derives is ascertained. Hence it is  more  dependent upon cost and benefit analysis.

12.  Comparative Evaluation Method (Ranking & Paired Comparisons): These are collection of different methods that compare performance with that of other c-workers. The usual techniques used may be ranking methods and paired comparison method.

•  Ranking Methods: Superior ranks his worker based on merit, from best to worst. However how best  and why best are not elaborated in this method. It is easy to administer and explanation.

•  Paired Comparison Methods: In this method each employee is rated with another  employee in the form of pairs. The number of comparisons may be calculated with the help of a formula as under.

N x (N-1) / 2

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Diifferent Approaches of Management |

Q. 2 Explain evolution of different approaches of management.

Course: Management Strategies in Educational Institutions (8615) 

Level: B.Ed (1.5 Year)

Semester: Spring, 2019

Assignment No.1

Answer:

The three approaches to the evolution of management. The approaches are:

1. The Classical Approach

2.  The Behavioral Approach

3. The Quantitative Approach.

1. The Classical Approach:

The classical school represented the first major systematic approach to management thought. It was distinguished by its emphasis on finding way to get the work of each employee done faster. It is primarily based upon the economic rationality of all employees.

This evolved that people are motivated by economic incentives and that they will rationally consider opportunities that provide for them the greatest economic gain. The classical school can be broken down into three historical philosophies of management.

B. Administrative Management Approach:

Scientific management focused primarily on the efficiency of production, but administrative management focused on formal organization structure and the delineation of the basic process of general management. This approach is also known as functional or process approach andis based primarily on the ideas of Henry Fayol (1841-1925).

Henry Fayol is recognized as the first person to systematize the administrative approach activities into six groups, all of which are closely dependent on one another.

2. The Behavioral Approach:

The behavioural approach on the human relations approach is based upon the premise of increase in production and managerial efficiency through an understanding of the people.

The human relations approach of management involves with the human behaviour and focused attention on the human beings in the organization. The growth and popularity of this approach is attributable to Elton  Mayo (1880- 1949) and his Hawthorne experiments.

The Hawthorne experiments were carried out at the Hawthorne plant of the western electric company. These experiments were carried out by Elton Mayo and the staff of the Harvard Business School, main researchers was Elton Mayo, White Head, Roethlisberger and Dickson. The first of Mayo’s four studies took place at a Philadelphia textile mill.

The problem he investigated was excessive labour turnover in a department where work was particularly monotonous and fatiguing. The workers tended to sink into a dejected, disconsolate mood soon after being assigned there eventually they would lose their tempers for no apparent reason and impulsively quit. At first Mayo thought the reason for the worker’s behaviour must be physical fatigue.

So, he instituted a series of rest periods, during the workday. In course of trying to schedule these  periods in the most efficient manner, management experimented withallowing the workers to do the scheduling themselves.

The effect was dramatic. Turnover fell sharly to about the same level as that for the rest of the plant, productivity shot upward and the melancholy moods disappeared.

Similar results were obtained at the Hawthorne plant of the western electric company. Mayo’s another studies made at the Bank hiring room and at an aircraft factory. Hence the Mayo’s study showed that the role played by social needs is more responsive to the social forces operating at work than the economic rewards.

3. The Quantitative Approach:

This approach involves the application of modern quantitative or mathematical techniques for solving managerial problems. This approach is also known as decision theory approach, mathematical approach, quantitative approach, operational approach etc. These quantitative tools and methodologies are designed to add in decision- making relating to operations and production.

According to Lindsay, these techniques assist the management for improving their decisions by:

(i) Increasing the number of alternatives that can be considered.

(ii) Assisting in faster decision-making based upon objective analysis of available information.

(iii) Helping management in evaluating the risks and results of different courses of action.

(iv) Helping to bring into optimum balance the many diverse elements of a modern enterprise.

The technique generally involves the following 4 steps:

(i) A mathematical model is constructed with variables reflecting the important factors in the situation to be analyzed.

(ii) The decision rules are established and some standards are set for the purpose of comparing the relative merits of possible courses of actions.

(iii) The empirical data is gathered which would relate parameters in the goal utility.

(iv) The mathematical calculations are executed so as to find a course of action that will maximize the objective function or the goal utility.

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Need and Scope of Management | Features of Management |

Q. 1 Elaborate need and scope of management. Discuss different features of management. 

Course: Management Strategies in Educational Institutions (8615) 

Level: B.Ed (1.5 Year)

Semester: Spring, 2019

Assignment No.1

Answer:

The term ‘management’ has been used in different senses. Sometimes it refers to the process of planning, organizing, staffing, directing, coordinating and controlling; at other times it is used to describe it as a function of managing people. It is also referred to as a body of knowledge, a practice and discipline. There are some who describe management as a technique of leadership and decision-making while some others have analyzed management as an economic resource, a factor of production or a system of authority.

Objectives of Management:

The primary objective of management is to run the enterprise smoothly. The profit earning objective of a business is also to be kept in mind while undertaking various functions.

Following are the broad objectives of management:

1. Proper Utilization of Resources:

The main objective of management is to use various resources of the enterprise in a most economic way. The proper use of men, materials, machines and money will help a business to earn sufficient profits to satisfy various interests. The proprietors will want more returns on their investments while employees, customers and public will expect a fair deal from the management. All these interests will be satisfied only when physical resources of the business are properly utilized.

2. Improving Performance:

Management should aim at improving the performance of each and every factor of production. The environment should be so congenial that workers are able to give their maximum to the enterprise. The fixing of objectives of various factors of production will help them in improving their performance.

3. Mobilizing Best Talent:

The management should try to employ persons in various fields so that better results are possible. The Employment of specialists in various fields will be increasing the efficiency of various factors of production. There should be a proper environment which should encourage good persons to join the enterprise. The better pay scales, proper amenities, future growth potentialities will attract more people in joining a concern.

4. Planning for Future:

Another important objective of management is to prepare plans. No management should feel satisfied with today’s work if it has not thought of tomorrow. Future plans should take into consideration what is to be done next. Future performance will depend upon present planning. So, planning for future is essential to help the concern.

Scope or Branches of Management:

Management is an all pervasive function since it is required in all types of organized Endeavour. Thus, its cope is very large.

The following activities are covered under the scope of management:

(i) Planning

(ii) Organization

(iii) Staffing.

(iv) Directing

(v) Coordinating and

(vi) Controlling

The operational aspects of business management, called the branches of management, are as follows:

1. Production Management

2. Marketing Management

3. Financial Management.

4. Personnel Management and

5. Office Management.

Different Features of Management:

Now let's briefly discuss each feature of management.

1. Continuous and never ending process

Management is a Process. It includes four main functions, viz., Planning, Organizing, Directing and Controlling. The manager has to Plan and Organize all the activities. He had to give proper Directions to his subordinates. He also has to Control all the activities. The manager has to perform these functions continuously. Therefore, management is a continuous and never ending process.

2. Getting things done through people

The managers do not do the work themselves. They get the work done through the workers. The workers should not be treated like slaves. They should not be tricked, threatened or forced to do the work. A favorable work environment should be created and maintained.

3. Result oriented science and art

Management is result oriented because it gives a lot of importance to "Results". Examples of Results like, increase in market share increase in profits, etc. Management always wants to get the best results at all times.

4. Multidisciplinary in nature

Management has to get the work done through people. It has to manage people. This is a very difficult job because different people have different emotions, feelings, aspirations, etc. Similarly, the same person may have different emotions at different times. So, management is a very complex job. Therefore, management uses knowledge from many different subjects such as Economics, Information Technology, Psychology, Sociology, etc.

Therefore, it is multidisciplinary in nature.

5. A group and not an individual activity

Management is not an individual activity. It is a group activity. It uses group (employees) efforts to achieve group (owners) objectives. It tries to satisfy the needs and wants of a group (consumers). Nowadays, importance is given to the team (group) and not to individuals.

6. Follows established principles or rules

Management follows established principles, such as division of work, discipline, unity of command, etc. These principles help to prevent and solve the problems in the organization.

7. Aided but not replaced by computers

Now-a-days, all managers use computers. Computers help the managers to take accurate decisions. However, computers can only help management. Computers cannot replace management. This is because management takes the final responsibility. Thus Management is aided (helped) but not replaced by computers.

8. Situational in nature

Management makes plans, policies and decisions according to the situation. It changes its style according to the situation. It uses different plans, policies, decisions and styles for different situations.

The manager first studies the full present situation. Then he draws conclusions about the situation. Then he makes plans, decisions, etc., which are best for the present situation. This is called Situational Management.

9. Need not be an ownership

In small organizations, management and ownership are one and the same. However, in large organizations, management is separate from ownership. The managers are highly qualified professionals who are hired from outside. The owners are the shareholders of the company.

10. Both an art and science

Management is result-oriented. Therefore, it is an Art. Management conducts continuous research. Thus,it is also a Science.

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