This document summarizes the findings of a study that interviewed 25 HR managers in large companies in New Delhi about their hiring practices and perceptions. The managers claimed to value merit-based hiring but considered family background as a key factor in evaluating candidates. Considering family background favors middle-class candidates with desirable educational and work histories. The managers also held stereotypes about candidates based on attributes like caste, religion, gender and region that created barriers. While managers saw discrimination as not a major problem, they acknowledged inequality and lack of opportunity for lower castes in the labor market.
Prospects and Threats of Women Entrepreneur in SME Sectors in Urban Area Bang...IOSRJBM
The aim of this paper is to explore the challenges faced by the women entrepreneur in Sylhet city as well as also exploring their prospects. Women also play a vital role for the growth of the economy especially in small and medium sector. The SME sector has higher growth rate than the industrial sector. It contributes big role for developing entrepreneurship and labor absorption. It also plays a vital role in economy and social development. it's contribute significantly for entrepreneurship development, employment generation and utilize the potentiality. Women in Bangladesh are still remaining vulnerable to poverty and social deprivation. Although the situation is now changing. A woman has to invest a lot of time for household work and child rearing but they are investing the extra time to business sector to support their family and also utilizing their hidden potentiality. A structure questionnaire has been used to collect data by survey and the target population is women entrepreneur in Sylhet city. This city has been choosing because a huge amount of remittance comes from abroad. In this study also try to find out the motivational factors that induce them to be entrepreneur. finally put some suggestion to minimize the challenges.
Socio cultural barriers of entrepreneurship in bangladeshM S Siddiqui
The businessmen of Bangladesh are sufficiently intelligent and smart in taking advantage of the business opportunities. These are indicative of the potentialities of entrepreneurship that can be developed through proper policy framework.
Bangladesh can be regarded as a country upholding collectivism, uncertainty avoidance, power respect and masculinity, which are commonly believed to be less friendly for entrepreneurship development.
Prospects and Threats of Women Entrepreneur in SME Sectors in Urban Area Bang...IOSRJBM
The aim of this paper is to explore the challenges faced by the women entrepreneur in Sylhet city as well as also exploring their prospects. Women also play a vital role for the growth of the economy especially in small and medium sector. The SME sector has higher growth rate than the industrial sector. It contributes big role for developing entrepreneurship and labor absorption. It also plays a vital role in economy and social development. it's contribute significantly for entrepreneurship development, employment generation and utilize the potentiality. Women in Bangladesh are still remaining vulnerable to poverty and social deprivation. Although the situation is now changing. A woman has to invest a lot of time for household work and child rearing but they are investing the extra time to business sector to support their family and also utilizing their hidden potentiality. A structure questionnaire has been used to collect data by survey and the target population is women entrepreneur in Sylhet city. This city has been choosing because a huge amount of remittance comes from abroad. In this study also try to find out the motivational factors that induce them to be entrepreneur. finally put some suggestion to minimize the challenges.
Socio cultural barriers of entrepreneurship in bangladeshM S Siddiqui
The businessmen of Bangladesh are sufficiently intelligent and smart in taking advantage of the business opportunities. These are indicative of the potentialities of entrepreneurship that can be developed through proper policy framework.
Bangladesh can be regarded as a country upholding collectivism, uncertainty avoidance, power respect and masculinity, which are commonly believed to be less friendly for entrepreneurship development.
Fostering a Diversity Culture in Business: Npower and the Recruitment of Ethn...CSCJournals
This research delves into a multi layered reality of Diversity in recruitment from NPower. The purpose of this small scale research was to evaluate the practice of diversity in recruitment in the organization to attempt answering wider questions regarding the importance of diversity in business and the challenges in its practical implementation. Although there is a vast amount of literature and research on the sociologically, ethically and economically important subject of Diversity; this research develops the idea further by delving into the organizational practice of the policy, evaluating the problems and challenges in its practical implementation. In order to answer the questions raised by this study, the researcher relied on semi-structured in-depth interviews. Data generated by these semi structured interviews formed the basis for theorising in this inductive research. In addition, statistical data of employee composition by ethnicity was presented to supplement the information provided by the interviews. Having made best use of the resources available and worked within the constraints of a small scale academic project, the researcher asserts that this research, although by no means the final word on this subject, can be a reference or a starting point for further research in the field.
Diversity in IBM means welcoming all people to the workplace regardless of factors unrelated to job performance. IBM's definition of diversity includes all human characteristics that make us unique as individuals. It includes everyone and excludes no one. We are sensitive to the needs of all employees and to the communities in which we operate, as well as Workforce Diversity's all-inclusive theme, ‘None of us are as strong as all of us.’
A Study on Effectiveness of Recruitment ChannelsProjects Kart
The objective of the study is to develop a Recruitment channel, which will be utilized to ensure that GO GO International Pvt. Ltd is able to identify and prepare for filling key organizational positions with qualified candidates, in advance of actual need, and to assist in managing diversity and workforce planning. Another related objective is to have the right people available, at the right place, at the right time in order to ensure smooth ongoing operations. In other words, to develop effective recruitment process which would grow as well as retain talent and maintain leadership continuity· Develop and prepare a pool of talents to meet future business requirements.
Recruiting and retaining employees in the industry is a critical issue. Smart, ambitious, and highly motivated employees are difficult to keep. Attracting and retaining these people is a challenge. Qualified personnel have to be compensated well and require work that develops their skills and matches their personal interests. Since technical employees require challenging and rewarding work, a slightly different plan must be employed to successfully recruit and retain these workers. Some key factors that aid the recruiting of outstanding technical people are salary, benefits, the organization’s reputation, and rewarding work.
Time to focus more on EQ and Spiritual Quotient - Prof. Surendra Nath, IAS (R...Anil Kaushik
One of the qualities in our HR/ER managers should be to aim at maintaining a competitive edge in the market through better management of employee relations. Apart from established functions, HR managers have to develop EQ, spiritual and moral quotient to turn out more seasoned ER managers.
Fostering a Diversity Culture in Business: Npower and the Recruitment of Ethn...CSCJournals
This research delves into a multi layered reality of Diversity in recruitment from NPower. The purpose of this small scale research was to evaluate the practice of diversity in recruitment in the organization to attempt answering wider questions regarding the importance of diversity in business and the challenges in its practical implementation. Although there is a vast amount of literature and research on the sociologically, ethically and economically important subject of Diversity; this research develops the idea further by delving into the organizational practice of the policy, evaluating the problems and challenges in its practical implementation. In order to answer the questions raised by this study, the researcher relied on semi-structured in-depth interviews. Data generated by these semi structured interviews formed the basis for theorising in this inductive research. In addition, statistical data of employee composition by ethnicity was presented to supplement the information provided by the interviews. Having made best use of the resources available and worked within the constraints of a small scale academic project, the researcher asserts that this research, although by no means the final word on this subject, can be a reference or a starting point for further research in the field.
Diversity in IBM means welcoming all people to the workplace regardless of factors unrelated to job performance. IBM's definition of diversity includes all human characteristics that make us unique as individuals. It includes everyone and excludes no one. We are sensitive to the needs of all employees and to the communities in which we operate, as well as Workforce Diversity's all-inclusive theme, ‘None of us are as strong as all of us.’
A Study on Effectiveness of Recruitment ChannelsProjects Kart
The objective of the study is to develop a Recruitment channel, which will be utilized to ensure that GO GO International Pvt. Ltd is able to identify and prepare for filling key organizational positions with qualified candidates, in advance of actual need, and to assist in managing diversity and workforce planning. Another related objective is to have the right people available, at the right place, at the right time in order to ensure smooth ongoing operations. In other words, to develop effective recruitment process which would grow as well as retain talent and maintain leadership continuity· Develop and prepare a pool of talents to meet future business requirements.
Recruiting and retaining employees in the industry is a critical issue. Smart, ambitious, and highly motivated employees are difficult to keep. Attracting and retaining these people is a challenge. Qualified personnel have to be compensated well and require work that develops their skills and matches their personal interests. Since technical employees require challenging and rewarding work, a slightly different plan must be employed to successfully recruit and retain these workers. Some key factors that aid the recruiting of outstanding technical people are salary, benefits, the organization’s reputation, and rewarding work.
Time to focus more on EQ and Spiritual Quotient - Prof. Surendra Nath, IAS (R...Anil Kaushik
One of the qualities in our HR/ER managers should be to aim at maintaining a competitive edge in the market through better management of employee relations. Apart from established functions, HR managers have to develop EQ, spiritual and moral quotient to turn out more seasoned ER managers.
International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention (IJHSSI) is an international journal intended for professionals and researchers in all fields of Humanities and Social Science. IJHSSI publishes research articles and reviews within the whole field Humanities and Social Science, new teaching methods, assessment, validation and the impact of new technologies and it will continue to provide information on the latest trends and developments in this ever-expanding subject. The publications of papers are selected through double peer reviewed to ensure originality, relevance, and readability. The articles published in our journal can be accessed online.
Signaling value of Skills Education and Hands-on Jobsvaluvox
India ranks among the lowest in percentage of students enrolled for Skills Education. To get some perspective China has about 10 times, and Germany 14 times the percentage of students undergoing vocational training every year.
In the 15-29 year age group, among those in the hands-on labourforce, only 2% would have been formally trained and 8% acquire skills on the job. And of those that receive formal training only 3% secure employment. The starkness of the picture is apparent when one considers the numbers at hand – 12.8 million people entering the workforce every year.
The cost of an ill-trained workforce? Poor productivity. Despite appreciable improvements, workforce productivity for India is amongst the lowest, not just in the world but within Asia as well. The demand-supply mismatch – in terms of the inability of education to be able to feed employable skills into employment – is grave.
10 Metrics & Strategies to Increase Inclusivity in the WorkplaceQuekelsBaro
What does inclusivity mean? Read this post to get clued up on inclusivity and to access strategies and metrics that'll help you increase inclusivity in your workplace.
Employee Profile & Perception of Talent Management in Indian Organizationsiosrjce
IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science is a double blind peer reviewed International Journal edited by International Organization of Scientific Research (IOSR).The Journal provides a common forum where all aspects of humanities and social sciences are presented. IOSR-JHSS publishes original papers, review papers, conceptual framework, analytical and simulation models, case studies, empirical research, technical notes etc.
This study aims to develop our understanding of how generational differences in work related values interact with those attributed to a national culture by investigating workers’ perception of organizational attractiveness in India, China and Thailand. The results show significant differences both between different generations within cultures as well as between the same generations across cultures. By developing an impression of cultural and generational value sets from the ground up we hope to have captured the current state of the acculturation processes in those countries, which may be useful for similar studies as well as to help HR managers in making specific recommendations regarding their recruitment and talent development initiatives in that part of the world.
Key words: cross-cultural; cross-generational; gold collar workers; organizational attractiveness; motivation; talent recruitment.
Assignment 4 Analysis of the Agency’s Policies, Procedures, and P.docxbraycarissa250
Assignment 4: Analysis of the Agency’s Policies, Procedures, and Plans regarding Unions, Privatization, Pensions, and Productivity, Part 4
Due Week 10 and worth 250 points
Refer to the Scenario for Assignments 1, 2, 3, and 4
Write a four to six (4-6) page paper in which you:
1. Determine whether your selected agency should have union representation. Defend your position with at least two reasons. (Title this section "The Agency and Unions")
2. Determine whether your selected agency should privatize its services. Defend your position with at least two (2) reasons. (Title this section "The Agency and Privatization")
3. Analyze at least two (2) of the agency’s policies, procedures, and / or plans regarding pensions. (Title this section "Employee Pension Plans")
4. Recommend at least three (3) actions the agency could take to improve in the areas of productivity and performance evaluation. (Title this section "Recommendations for Improving Productivity and Performance Evaluation")
5. Appropriately incorporate at least four (4) quality sources. A quality source can be either popular, such as a news article, or scholarly, such as peer-reviewed works. In the case of public administration, government websites are appropriate quality resources. Note: Wikipedia, Spark Notes, and similar websites do not quality as academic resources. Visit the Strayer University Library at http://research.strayer.edu to conduct research.
Icampus.strayer.edu
Login: c9468652853
Password: [email protected]
Running head: AGENCY’S LAW AND ETHICS OF HIRING A DIVERSE WORKFORCE 1
AGENCY’S LAW AND ETHICS OF HIRING A DIVERSE WORKFORCE 4
Agency’s Law and Ethics of Hiring a Diverse Workforce
Delores Blango
Strayer University
Dr. Pantaleo
PAD-530 Public Personnel Management
November 17, 2019
Laws Affecting the Agency
Law of discrimination based on the age impacts the agency’s personal management. The Age Discrimination Act of 1967 prohibits the employers from discriminating individuals who are above forty years. In United States, there are penalties and charges for the individual who are involved in discrimination. The act also applies to the businesses, which have more than 20 employees and those operating overseas and interstate. Some of the actions show’s discrimination against age a demoting or fired because they have reached at the age of 40 years. Age discrimination can also come with other factors such as the race of the individual, ethnicity and nationality (Cumming, Dannhauser & Johan, 2015). Age discrimination can bring anxiety and hatred because some of the people feel that they are not valued. Similarly, another law is Whistleblower Protection Act (WPA). The aim of the act was protecting federal employees and ensuring that their rights have been improved and protected. The employers have changed the ways of handling business because of the issue of whistle blowing. It is something, which is very common and the Human Resource Managers have to make ...
Why You Should Replace Windows 11 with Nitrux Linux 3.5.0 for enhanced perfor...SOFTTECHHUB
The choice of an operating system plays a pivotal role in shaping our computing experience. For decades, Microsoft's Windows has dominated the market, offering a familiar and widely adopted platform for personal and professional use. However, as technological advancements continue to push the boundaries of innovation, alternative operating systems have emerged, challenging the status quo and offering users a fresh perspective on computing.
One such alternative that has garnered significant attention and acclaim is Nitrux Linux 3.5.0, a sleek, powerful, and user-friendly Linux distribution that promises to redefine the way we interact with our devices. With its focus on performance, security, and customization, Nitrux Linux presents a compelling case for those seeking to break free from the constraints of proprietary software and embrace the freedom and flexibility of open-source computing.
Essentials of Automations: The Art of Triggers and Actions in FMESafe Software
In this second installment of our Essentials of Automations webinar series, we’ll explore the landscape of triggers and actions, guiding you through the nuances of authoring and adapting workspaces for seamless automations. Gain an understanding of the full spectrum of triggers and actions available in FME, empowering you to enhance your workspaces for efficient automation.
We’ll kick things off by showcasing the most commonly used event-based triggers, introducing you to various automation workflows like manual triggers, schedules, directory watchers, and more. Plus, see how these elements play out in real scenarios.
Whether you’re tweaking your current setup or building from the ground up, this session will arm you with the tools and insights needed to transform your FME usage into a powerhouse of productivity. Join us to discover effective strategies that simplify complex processes, enhancing your productivity and transforming your data management practices with FME. Let’s turn complexity into clarity and make your workspaces work wonders!
The Metaverse and AI: how can decision-makers harness the Metaverse for their...Jen Stirrup
The Metaverse is popularized in science fiction, and now it is becoming closer to being a part of our daily lives through the use of social media and shopping companies. How can businesses survive in a world where Artificial Intelligence is becoming the present as well as the future of technology, and how does the Metaverse fit into business strategy when futurist ideas are developing into reality at accelerated rates? How do we do this when our data isn't up to scratch? How can we move towards success with our data so we are set up for the Metaverse when it arrives?
How can you help your company evolve, adapt, and succeed using Artificial Intelligence and the Metaverse to stay ahead of the competition? What are the potential issues, complications, and benefits that these technologies could bring to us and our organizations? In this session, Jen Stirrup will explain how to start thinking about these technologies as an organisation.
Accelerate your Kubernetes clusters with Varnish CachingThijs Feryn
A presentation about the usage and availability of Varnish on Kubernetes. This talk explores the capabilities of Varnish caching and shows how to use the Varnish Helm chart to deploy it to Kubernetes.
This presentation was delivered at K8SUG Singapore. See https://feryn.eu/presentations/accelerate-your-kubernetes-clusters-with-varnish-caching-k8sug-singapore-28-2024 for more details.
State of ICS and IoT Cyber Threat Landscape Report 2024 previewPrayukth K V
The IoT and OT threat landscape report has been prepared by the Threat Research Team at Sectrio using data from Sectrio, cyber threat intelligence farming facilities spread across over 85 cities around the world. In addition, Sectrio also runs AI-based advanced threat and payload engagement facilities that serve as sinks to attract and engage sophisticated threat actors, and newer malware including new variants and latent threats that are at an earlier stage of development.
The latest edition of the OT/ICS and IoT security Threat Landscape Report 2024 also covers:
State of global ICS asset and network exposure
Sectoral targets and attacks as well as the cost of ransom
Global APT activity, AI usage, actor and tactic profiles, and implications
Rise in volumes of AI-powered cyberattacks
Major cyber events in 2024
Malware and malicious payload trends
Cyberattack types and targets
Vulnerability exploit attempts on CVEs
Attacks on counties – USA
Expansion of bot farms – how, where, and why
In-depth analysis of the cyber threat landscape across North America, South America, Europe, APAC, and the Middle East
Why are attacks on smart factories rising?
Cyber risk predictions
Axis of attacks – Europe
Systemic attacks in the Middle East
Download the full report from here:
https://sectrio.com/resources/ot-threat-landscape-reports/sectrio-releases-ot-ics-and-iot-security-threat-landscape-report-2024/
SAP Sapphire 2024 - ASUG301 building better apps with SAP Fiori.pdfPeter Spielvogel
Building better applications for business users with SAP Fiori.
• What is SAP Fiori and why it matters to you
• How a better user experience drives measurable business benefits
• How to get started with SAP Fiori today
• How SAP Fiori elements accelerates application development
• How SAP Build Code includes SAP Fiori tools and other generative artificial intelligence capabilities
• How SAP Fiori paves the way for using AI in SAP apps
LF Energy Webinar: Electrical Grid Modelling and Simulation Through PowSyBl -...DanBrown980551
Do you want to learn how to model and simulate an electrical network from scratch in under an hour?
Then welcome to this PowSyBl workshop, hosted by Rte, the French Transmission System Operator (TSO)!
During the webinar, you will discover the PowSyBl ecosystem as well as handle and study an electrical network through an interactive Python notebook.
PowSyBl is an open source project hosted by LF Energy, which offers a comprehensive set of features for electrical grid modelling and simulation. Among other advanced features, PowSyBl provides:
- A fully editable and extendable library for grid component modelling;
- Visualization tools to display your network;
- Grid simulation tools, such as power flows, security analyses (with or without remedial actions) and sensitivity analyses;
The framework is mostly written in Java, with a Python binding so that Python developers can access PowSyBl functionalities as well.
What you will learn during the webinar:
- For beginners: discover PowSyBl's functionalities through a quick general presentation and the notebook, without needing any expert coding skills;
- For advanced developers: master the skills to efficiently apply PowSyBl functionalities to your real-world scenarios.
Smart TV Buyer Insights Survey 2024 by 91mobiles.pdf91mobiles
91mobiles recently conducted a Smart TV Buyer Insights Survey in which we asked over 3,000 respondents about the TV they own, aspects they look at on a new TV, and their TV buying preferences.
A tale of scale & speed: How the US Navy is enabling software delivery from l...sonjaschweigert1
Rapid and secure feature delivery is a goal across every application team and every branch of the DoD. The Navy’s DevSecOps platform, Party Barge, has achieved:
- Reduction in onboarding time from 5 weeks to 1 day
- Improved developer experience and productivity through actionable findings and reduction of false positives
- Maintenance of superior security standards and inherent policy enforcement with Authorization to Operate (ATO)
Development teams can ship efficiently and ensure applications are cyber ready for Navy Authorizing Officials (AOs). In this webinar, Sigma Defense and Anchore will give attendees a look behind the scenes and demo secure pipeline automation and security artifacts that speed up application ATO and time to production.
We will cover:
- How to remove silos in DevSecOps
- How to build efficient development pipeline roles and component templates
- How to deliver security artifacts that matter for ATO’s (SBOMs, vulnerability reports, and policy evidence)
- How to streamline operations with automated policy checks on container images
Observability Concepts EVERY Developer Should Know -- DeveloperWeek Europe.pdfPaige Cruz
Monitoring and observability aren’t traditionally found in software curriculums and many of us cobble this knowledge together from whatever vendor or ecosystem we were first introduced to and whatever is a part of your current company’s observability stack.
While the dev and ops silo continues to crumble….many organizations still relegate monitoring & observability as the purview of ops, infra and SRE teams. This is a mistake - achieving a highly observable system requires collaboration up and down the stack.
I, a former op, would like to extend an invitation to all application developers to join the observability party will share these foundational concepts to build on:
Securing your Kubernetes cluster_ a step-by-step guide to success !KatiaHIMEUR1
Today, after several years of existence, an extremely active community and an ultra-dynamic ecosystem, Kubernetes has established itself as the de facto standard in container orchestration. Thanks to a wide range of managed services, it has never been so easy to set up a ready-to-use Kubernetes cluster.
However, this ease of use means that the subject of security in Kubernetes is often left for later, or even neglected. This exposes companies to significant risks.
In this talk, I'll show you step-by-step how to secure your Kubernetes cluster for greater peace of mind and reliability.
Alt. GDG Cloud Southlake #33: Boule & Rebala: Effective AppSec in SDLC using ...James Anderson
Effective Application Security in Software Delivery lifecycle using Deployment Firewall and DBOM
The modern software delivery process (or the CI/CD process) includes many tools, distributed teams, open-source code, and cloud platforms. Constant focus on speed to release software to market, along with the traditional slow and manual security checks has caused gaps in continuous security as an important piece in the software supply chain. Today organizations feel more susceptible to external and internal cyber threats due to the vast attack surface in their applications supply chain and the lack of end-to-end governance and risk management.
The software team must secure its software delivery process to avoid vulnerability and security breaches. This needs to be achieved with existing tool chains and without extensive rework of the delivery processes. This talk will present strategies and techniques for providing visibility into the true risk of the existing vulnerabilities, preventing the introduction of security issues in the software, resolving vulnerabilities in production environments quickly, and capturing the deployment bill of materials (DBOM).
Speakers:
Bob Boule
Robert Boule is a technology enthusiast with PASSION for technology and making things work along with a knack for helping others understand how things work. He comes with around 20 years of solution engineering experience in application security, software continuous delivery, and SaaS platforms. He is known for his dynamic presentations in CI/CD and application security integrated in software delivery lifecycle.
Gopinath Rebala
Gopinath Rebala is the CTO of OpsMx, where he has overall responsibility for the machine learning and data processing architectures for Secure Software Delivery. Gopi also has a strong connection with our customers, leading design and architecture for strategic implementations. Gopi is a frequent speaker and well-known leader in continuous delivery and integrating security into software delivery.
Generative AI Deep Dive: Advancing from Proof of Concept to ProductionAggregage
Join Maher Hanafi, VP of Engineering at Betterworks, in this new session where he'll share a practical framework to transform Gen AI prototypes into impactful products! He'll delve into the complexities of data collection and management, model selection and optimization, and ensuring security, scalability, and responsible use.
Climate Impact of Software Testing at Nordic Testing DaysKari Kakkonen
My slides at Nordic Testing Days 6.6.2024
Climate impact / sustainability of software testing discussed on the talk. ICT and testing must carry their part of global responsibility to help with the climat warming. We can minimize the carbon footprint but we can also have a carbon handprint, a positive impact on the climate. Quality characteristics can be added with sustainability, and then measured continuously. Test environments can be used less, and in smaller scale and on demand. Test techniques can be used in optimizing or minimizing number of tests. Test automation can be used to speed up testing.
PHP Frameworks: I want to break free (IPC Berlin 2024)Ralf Eggert
In this presentation, we examine the challenges and limitations of relying too heavily on PHP frameworks in web development. We discuss the history of PHP and its frameworks to understand how this dependence has evolved. The focus will be on providing concrete tips and strategies to reduce reliance on these frameworks, based on real-world examples and practical considerations. The goal is to equip developers with the skills and knowledge to create more flexible and future-proof web applications. We'll explore the importance of maintaining autonomy in a rapidly changing tech landscape and how to make informed decisions in PHP development.
This talk is aimed at encouraging a more independent approach to using PHP frameworks, moving towards a more flexible and future-proof approach to PHP development.
PHP Frameworks: I want to break free (IPC Berlin 2024)
Iim calcutta indian social structure - in the name of globalisation meritocracy, productivity and the hidden language of caste
1.
2. A study conducted to understand the social
attitudes of Indian employers and hiring
managers in the formal sector.
Follows similar attempts made in the US by
Kirshenmann and Neckerman (1991), Devah
Pager (2003).
3. Kirshenmann and Neckerman (1991) : role
played by employers in the production of
unequal outcomes by race and gender.
Employers believed that black men were
unreliable, unruly, poorly educated an low
skilled.
4. Devah Pager (2003) : Prejudice in the minds
of the employers remains a problem in the
distribution of jobs. Low skill and educational
deficits contribute to low employment rates
among the Blacks. But even those who are
qualified face suspicion!
5. A qualitative study
Undertaken among 25 human resource
managers based in New Delhi
Sample size small, but firms are
big, responsible for a significant number of
hiring decisions in any given year
6. Of the 25 firms about 22 of them employ
19,00,000 ‘core workers’ (on direct
payroll), and data on contract and temporary
employees for 63,000 workers.
Purpose was to explore employer’s
perception of the labour force, challenges
involved in hiring policy.
7. Asked questions on their opinions on the
reservation policy, whether this policy
instrument should be extended to the private
sector ?
8. All interviewees reiterated the fact that
‘workers should be recruited strictly
according to merit.’
Traditional practices of recruitment …
decided on the basis of personal ties, village
ties and caste identity, in other words, on
inherited privilege of some sort.
Modern practices came in with the growth of
professions in the West and their elaborate
system of credentialism.
9. Qualification now essential, competition built in
to the system.
The promise of merit as a publicly declared
value, and the sole legitimate basis for
employment… an attempt towards becoming
modern
Creation of the Civil Services in the colonial
period… a step to distribute jobs fairly, do away
with corruption
10. Though this became a practice in the public
sector, Indian employers in the private sector
joined in this practice quite late.
But today they believe that as India becomes
an economic powerhouse in the modern
world, an adherence to practices that
promote meritocracy in hiring and
recruitment is essential. To do so otherwise
would be detrimental for the larger national
good.
11. A major media company, headquarters in
Delhi, bureaus in 16 states
80 year old firm, a workforce of 3000 core
employees, another 800 employees hired
through outsourced contracts
Recruit new employees at the national
level, and locally for their auxilliary bureaus
Publicly listed company, majority of their
shares owned by the Indian family
12. Claims to having a diversified
workforce, ‘irrespective of divisions of
caste, creed and colour…’
Prefer and hire people ‘who are more
exposed to the world’… exposure after all
stimulates the power of imagination
Relies on projecting a cosmopolitan image as
part of its market appeal… prefers people
who are worldly, sophisticated and well
educated.
13. In principle, individuals with this kind of
cultural capital could come from any
background, but in practice institutions that
produce cosmopolitanism are rarely
accessible to members of SC/STs.
Public institutions that privilege the written
exam as a marker of merit, often forget that
it does not favour the minorities and the
lower castes.
14. A 20 yr old company, a small family owned
firm with 150 people, sells processed
agricultural products.
As a fairly new company it claims to value and
espouse modern management practices
The HR Director alleges that there is no
relationship between quality of work and
background characteristics like caste.
15. There is an acknowledgement that if not in this
company, caste and community does matter in the
private companies. A person who is a thriving
businessman is often helped in his business by his
own caste/community members or by his friends
who belong to the same caste.
Caste is found in ‘smaller organisations’, in ‘rural
areas’. Casteism or in-group preference has not
disappeared completely. However an evolutionary
trend is in progress.
16. As globalisation creates competitive
pressures, conservative, backward practices
are bound to give way. Firms most exposed
to international competition have abandoned
discriminatory tradition.
However, the language of merit masks many
forms of institutional discrimination that
prevent all members from competing on a
level playing field.
17. Every hiring manager interviewed in this
project was of the view that ‘family
background’ was critical in evaluating a
potential employee.
This would contradict the idea of ‘merit’ as
understood classically in terms of rising
above one’s station at birth and one’s family
of origin.
18. When an Indian hiring manager is seeking
information on the candidate’s background, it
includes everything apart from the
candidate’s educational or work experience.
For eg. … family background entails looking
at …’good background’, ‘educated
parents’, ‘brother and sister
working’, ‘preference for those from urban
areas’ etc. (HR Mgr, MNC)
19. ‘Family background or the setting in which
the candidate is raised makes a difference
between success and failure in a job
applicant.’ (HRM, of a firm which sells
multiple products) This is especially so for
managerial positions.
For lower level workers, the company wants
to know if the standards of the company
match with that of the applicant.
20. Trainability is an important factor… this too
depends upon the subjective perception of
the interviewer about the traits of the
candidate
Family background matters because the
respondents felt that ‘merit is formed within
the crucible of the family’.
21. For the hiring mgr who cannot know the
applicant very well, the success of the job
applicant’s family stand as proof that the
individual is reliable, motivated and worthy.
Number of family members, their level of
education, education of parents
especially, questions about locality, schooling
etc are important because these characteristics
ar the source of ‘soft skills’ that are an asset to
the firm.
22. Screening applicants based on family
background creates employment barriers for
the dalits, OBCs and others lower down in the
hierarchy as they do not have desirable
educational or occupational biographies.
Even for those living in the cities, the children
go to state run, non English medium schools
23. Even those from the rich families are also not
preferred because it is believed that they would
turn out to be ‘pampered’, ‘lazy’, ‘using
connections’ to get in, they would have ‘an inner
pride which makes them arrogant’ and therefore
unsuitable.
Thus the central importance of the meritocratic
model is the ‘family background’ which works in
favour of the middle classes. It has no space for
those at the very top or the bottom.
24. HR Managers have firm ideas about qualities
that different regions inculcate in their
inhabitants
The HR Managers feel anxious about
- Social consequences of throwing together
combinations of antagonistic local groups of
workers.
- Solidarity within the workforce based on
caste, tribe, village membership which may
come together against the management .
25. Relations that the Company forges with the
workers and the community around it allows
it to stereotype its workers (eg Kilim
Chemical Company)
In a self consciously modern private
airline, the emphasis is on stylish
appearance, fluency in English and cultural
sophistication Physical appearance is integral
for the right kind of employee. (eg National
Airlines)
26. Recruitment in rural areas show a caste bias;
workers disappear for a month during
agricultural season, leads the HR Mgr to hold
strong views (eg Security Services)
Caste an important factor in organising the
local labour force; Unions are structured by
caste. The firm tries to temper the power of
caste/ethnic base organising by developing
paternalistic relationship and by recruiting
ethnically diverse groups. (eg India Motors)
27. Hiring also shows preference for specific
groups, regional ethnicities and
religions(Preference for Malayali Christian
nurses, exclusion of SCs/Muslims who do not
fit because of a mind set )
28. No one in the entire category of research
subjects was favourably disposed towards
reservation as policy of hiring.
Reservation policy inserts ascriptive criteria
into the hiring process and short circuits the
competitive processes essential to the
market.
Defeat the purpose of national
growth, international investment etc
29. Some thought that discrimination is not a
problem in the development of India’s labour
market.
The idea is that if a person is capable enough
he/she does not need reservations
Yet managers are aware that inequality is
persistent, that low caste individuals have
less opportunity than others in the labour
market.
30. Employers feel that education and not
affirmative action will uplift the lower caste
population.
Integrated schooling which bring both the
high and the low castes together over a long
period of time… may break down caste
barriers
31. Pitfalls of reservation are many :
- Destroys initiative as well as productivity
- Trade unions will make trouble which will
ultimately cost the company.
- Damage competitiveness, as it can be seen in
the government firms. It has the potential to
spread a watered down ethic.
- Undermine the self confidence of the low caste
or minority students who come to believe that
they are not really good enough
32. Reservation has become the privilege of one
class of dalits- those in the urban areas.
33. Though meritocracy has spread around the
globe along with competitive
capitalism, ascriptive characteristics (now in
the garb of family background) continue to
matter.
Commitment to modern labour management
practices turn a blind eye to the uneven
playing field that produces merit in the first
place.
34. Commitment to merit is voiced along with
convictions of how merit is distributed
according to caste, community, regional
considerations. Hence stereotypes replace
individual’s qualities.
Merit is after all produced through the
intervention of a large number of factors.
35. The distribution of credentials particularly in
the form of education is hardly a function of
individual talent alone. It reflects differential
investment in schools, healthcare, nutrition
etc. Institutional discrimination of this kind
condemns the low caste to a life of poverty.
As long as the playing field is tilted, there
would be no meaning of meritocracy
conceived of as a fair game!