Modern Industries Ltd. (MIL) in Bangalore is an auto mobile ancillary Industry.

It has
turnover of Rs. 100 crores. It employs around !000 persons.
The company is professionally managed. The management team is headed by a dynamic Managing
Director. He expects performance of high order at every level. It is more so at the Supervisory and
Management levels. Normally the people of high calibre are selected through open advertisements
to meet the human resource requirements at higher levels. Hoever! "unior#level vacancies are filled
up by different types of trainees ho undergo training in the company.
The company offers one#year training scheme for fresh engineering graduates. During the first six
months of the training! the trainees are exposed to different functional areas hich are considered to
be the core training for this category of trainees. $y then! the trainees are identified for placement
against the available or pro"ected vacancies. Their further training in the next quarter is planned
according to individual placement requirements.
During the last quarter! the training ill be on#the "ob. The trainee is required to perform the "obs
expected of him after he is placed there. The training scheme is broadly structured mainly %eeping
in mind the training requirements of mechanical engineering graduates.
Mr. &a%esh Sharma "oined the company in the year '()* after his $. Tech . degree in paint
Technology from a reputed institute. He as ta%en as a trainee against a pro"ected vacancy in the
paints application department In MI+! the areas of interest for a trainee in ,aint Technology are fe.
Hence! Mr. Sharma-s core training as planned for the first * months only. Thereafter! he as put
for on#the#"ob training in the paints application department. He too% interest and shoed enthusiasm
in his or% there. The report from the shop manager as quite satisfactory.
The performance of the trainee is normally revieed once at the end of every quarter. The Training
Manager personally tal%s to the trainee about his progress! strengths and shortcomings. .t the end
of the second quarter! the Training Manager called Mr. Sharma for his performance revie. He
appreciated his good performance and told him to %eep it up. . month later Mr. Sharma met the
Training Manager. He requested that his training period be curtailed to / months only and to absorb
him as an 0ngineer. He argued that he had been performing li%e a regular employee in the
department for the last one quarter. .s such! there as no "ustification for him to be put on training
anymore. 1urther! he indicated that by doing so! he could be more effective in the department as a
regular engineer. He ould also gain seniority as ell as some monetary benefits as the trainees
ere eligible for a stipend only. The regular employees ere eligible for many alloances li%e
conveyance! dearness! house rent! education! etc. hich as a substantial amount as compared to
the stipend paid to a trainee.
The Training Manager turned don his request and informed him that it as not a practice of the
company to do so. He told him that any good performance or contribution made by the trainees
during the training period ould be duly rearded at the time of placement on completion of one
year of training. 1urther! he told him that it ould set a rong precedence. 2uite often! some
trainees ere put on the "ob much earlier than the normal period of three quarters for several
reasons.
Thereafter! Mr. Sharma-s behaviour in the department became different. His changed attitude did
not receive any attention in the initial period. Hoever! by the end of the third quarter! his
behaviour had become erratic and unacceptable. 3hen he as as%ed by the Department Manager to
attend to a particular tas%! he replied that he as still on training and such tas% shouldn-t be
assigned to a trainee. .ccording to him! those "obs ere meant to be attended by full#time
employees and not by trainees.
The ,aintshop Manager complained to the Training Manager about Mr. Sharma-s behaviour and he
as summoned by the Training Manager. During the discussions! Mr. Sharma complained that
hile all the remaining trainees ere having a comfortable time as trainees! he as the only one
ho as put to a lot of stress and strain4 the department as expecting too much room him. He felt
that he should be duly rearded for much hardor%4 otherise! it as not appropriate to expect
similar or% output from him.
The Training Manager tried to convince him again that he shouldn-t harp on reards as he as a
trainee4 his sole concern should be to learn as much as possible and to improve his abilities. He
should have a long#term perspective rather than such a narro#minded approach. He also informed
him that his good performance ould be ta%en into account hen the right occasion arose. He
arned him that he as exhibiting negative attitude for hich he ould be vieed seriously. His
demand for earlier placement as illogical and he should forget it as he had already completed )
months and had to ait only for 5 months. He advised Mr. Sharma that the career of an individual
had to be seen on a long#time perspective and that he should not resort to such childish behaviour as
it ould affect his on career and image in the company.
Mr. Sharma apparently seemed to have been convinced by the assurance given by the Training
Manager and remained passive for some time. Hoever! hen the feedbac% as sought after a
month! the report stated that he had become more perverted. He as called again for a counselling
session and as given to ee%s time to sho improvement. .t the end of those to ee%s! the
Training Manager met the Department Manager! to have a discussion about Mr. Sharma. It as
found that there as absolutely no reason for Mr. Sharma to nurture a grievance on poor reards. It
as decided that he should be given a arning letter as per the practice of the company and!
accordingly! he as issued a arning letter.
This further aggravated the situation rather than bringing about any improvement. He felt offended
and retaliated by thoroughly disobeying any instruction given to him. This deteriorated the situation
more and the relationship beteen the manager of the department and the trainee as seriously
affected.
In cases of rupture of relationship! normally the practice as to shift the trainee from the
department here he as not getting along ell so that he ould be tried in some other department
here he could have another lease for stri%ing better rapport. $ut unfortunately! in the case of Mr.
Sharma! there as no other department to hich he could be transferred! since that as the only
department here his specialisation could have been of proper use. $y the time he completed his
training! he turned out to be one ho as not at all acceptable in the department for placement. His
behaviour and involvement ere lac%ing. In vie of this! the Department Manager recommended
that he be ta%en out of the department. 3hen Mr. Sharma as informed about it! he as thoroughly
depressed.
6ne of the primary ob"ectives of the Training Department is to recruit fresh graduates ho have
good potential and train them to be effective persons! in different departments. They are ta%en after
a rigorous selection process hich includes a ritten test! a preliminary and a final intervie.
During the training period! their aptitudes! strengths and ea%nesses are identified. Their placement
in departments is decided primarily on the basis of their overall effectiveness there.
Here is a case here the person happened to be hard#or%ing in the beginning but turned out to be
a failure in the end. The Training Manager as conscious of this serious lapse and as not inclined
to recommend his termination. $ut at the same time it as difficult to retain a person hose trac%
record as not satisfactory. He still felt that a fresh loo% be given into this case but he as unable to
find a ay out. He as no faced ith the dilemma hether to terminate or not to terminate Mr.
&a%esh Sharma.
"uestions#
7a8 3here did the things go rong9
7b8 3hat options are open for the Training Manager other than termination of Mr. Sharma9
7c8 Ho could you put Mr. Sharma bac% on the right trac%9
7a8 3here did the things go rong9
Things could have rong in 5 constituents: rigid company policy! the ay th paint department;s
manager;s handled the trainee! the trainee himself! and the ay the training department dealt ith
the situation.
b8 3hat options are open for the Training Manager other than termination of Mr. Sharma9
In this age one onders hy this trainee also as not given the ider training in other departments9
Termination is the ultimate option4 could he be encouraged to or% in other departments to see ho
he fares and hether his attitude ill change.
c8 Ho could you put Mr. Sharma bac% on the right trac%9
.s there seems to be a personality clash beteen the ,aint... Manager and Mr. S! it ill be very
difficult to put him on the right trac% ithout moving aay from the scene in the short term.
Hoever! in the long#term it should be possible for the training manager to influence the ,aint..
manager to give Mr. S another chance.