Contents

1. Managerial activities and tools; time management; attributes of a manager, industrial relations and
legislation....................................................................................................................................................1

1.1. Management activity...................................................................................................................1

1.2. Management Tools......................................................................................................................5

1.3. Attributes of a manager...............................................................................................................9

1.4. Time management.....................................................................................................................11

1.5. Industrial relations and legislation.............................................................................................12

1.6. Industrial Relations (IR) & Labor laws........................................................................................16

1.6.1. Scope of IR:................................................................................................................................16

1.6.2. Objectives of IR:.........................................................................................................................16

1.6.3. Industrial Relations versus Employee Relations.........................................................................17

1.6.4. Factors of IR...............................................................................................................................17

1.6.5. Purpose of Industrial Relations Laws.........................................................................................18

1. Managerial activities and tools; time management; attributes of a manager, industrial
relations and legislation
1.1. Management activity

If you want to become a manager, then one of the common questions you might have is – What
are the management activities? Or what are the activities of managers in organizations? A
manager wears many hats and does many activities at a time. Some managers have a team under
them whereas others are more strategy and client focused. Whatever be the management level in
an organization, there are overall different management activities which will have to be done by
a Manager. The activities include:-

i. Planning

The first Activity which a manager has to do is to plan. If you have many things to manage, then
it is better that first you sit down and chalk/write a plan so that if things go haywire, you are
ready.

Managers are people everyone looks up to for directions. So an unplanned manager is a disaster

for the company. Planning has to be done keeping the future in mind and it is one of the
important management activities.

ii. Delegating

Once a plan is ready, then it is not the manager who has to implement the plans, but his
subordinates are the ones responsible to implement the plan. However, if the task has not been
delegated then the work will fail. So a manager who does not delegate effectively, Is poor in his
management activities.

Many times, employees complain that they were unaware of the tasks they had to do because
they were not communicated by the manager. Thus, to delegate those tasks and
to empower employees is the responsibility of the management.
 iii. Training

One of the most common management activities in any organization is to train employees. New
employees are always made to go through rigorous training exercises. These training exercises
are done not only to improve employee capabilities but also to bring the employee in sync with
the companies’ vision and mission and work culture.

If a manager wants to delegate work to employees, then he should take out time to train the
employees as well. This will ensure that the employees know what is expected of them and will
work accordingly.

iv. Motivating

Business is very dynamic in nature and becomes hectic and stressful. At such times, employees
might lose their motivation. It is the job of the manager to judge this and thereby spend time in
motivating the employees.

There are multiple means of motivation in the hands of a manager which includes the 3 R’s –
Remuneration, recognition, and respect. Using these methods and several other tactics,
management can keep their employees motivated which are one of the major management
activities, especially in larger organizations.

v. Organizing

Organizing is a very qualitative process more than quantitative. The best organizer is one who is
able to multi-task. Take an Event Planner or an Orchestra manager as an example. Both these
people are managing multiple things at a time. And all the things run in an organized manner.
Thus, after planning and delegating, organizing becomes one of the crucial management
activities for any management of any firm.

vi. Managing Operations

In the consumer durables and FMCG market, operations can run at a massive scale. At one end
production is happening, at another end sale, and the third end is taken by finance and
collections. Running such huge operations requires a manager who is sound in operational
activities.

In operations, you need to understand the whole process and ensure that the process is running in
a standard manner. One of the management activities is to form standard operating procedures
which can help the organization in scaling up.

vii. Managing Change

One of the toughest things to handle is to change. Every person and employee gets comfortable
in his or her comfort zone. And that is dangerous for an organization. Any growth that comes
within an organization comes through change.

When an employee leaves a team, then change happens. If a new product or process is

introduced, change happens. One of the management activities is to manage the change and get
the employees on board with the change.

I know of an organization where they introduced a new online cash reimbursement system. Each
employee complained that the system will take useless time and won’t work for them. However,
after 2-3 months of adapting, people stopped working manually for their reimbursements and just
submitted the requests online. The cash was reimbursed automatically without any hassle. Thus,
such a change has to be managed by managers.

viii. Taking Responsibility

You can take tough decisions and ensure proper implementation only if you assume
responsibility for your actions. If a team over performs or underperforms, it is to the credit of the
managers of the team. Off course, it is the work of the managers to pass on the credit where due.

But bottom-line is – A manager who takes responsibility is one who is proactive and will get the
work done faster and in a better manner as compared to managers who are reactive and
irresponsible.
 ix. Evaluating

Employee appraisals, growth, retention is all in the hands of the manager. Through proper
appraisals, managers can keep their staff motivated. Furthermore, communications regarding the
future of the organization and the role of employees in that organization will also help the
employee evaluate themselves. Thus, evaluation is one of the main management activities of an
organization.

The above were all the activities done by management and a guide to all future managers of the
activities you will have to do when you manage a team or are a manager in an organization.
Hope the article helped you realize the managerial activities.

1.2. Management Tools

Over the past decades, management tools have become a common part of executives ’ lives.
Whether trying to boost revenues, innovate, improve quality, increase efficiencies or plan for
the future, executives have looked for tools to help them. The current environment of
globalization and economic turbulence has increased the challenges executives face and,
therefore, the need to find the right tools to meet these challenges.

A global survey concluded showed that five management tools were used most often in 2013 are
Strategic Planning, Customer Relationship Management, Employee Engagement Surveys,
Benchmarking and Balanced Scorecards.

i. Strategic Planning:
Strategic Planning is a comprehensive process for determining what a business should become
and how it can best achieve that goal. It appraises the full potential of a business and explicitly
links the business's objectives to the actions and resources required to achieve them. Strategic
Planning offers a systematic process to ask and answer the most critical questions confronting a
management team - especially large, irrevocable resource commitment decisions.

Strategic Planning processes are often implemented to:

 Change the direction and performance of a business
  Encourage fact-based discussions of politically sensitive issues
 Create a common framework for decision making in the organization;
 Set a proper context for budget decisions and performance evaluations;
 Train managers to develop better information to make better decisions
 Increase confidence in the business's direction.
In recent decades, strategic planning has become an increasingly vital tool utilizing both
short-term and long-term planning enabling organizations to stay adaptable. It focuses an
organization’s ability to respond successfully to changes and plan for sustainable viability.
Additionally, companies that never thought of strategic planning - like small businesses and
non-profits - are discovering they need to think about it in order to survive.

ii. Balanced Scorecard

The Balanced Scorecard translates Mission and Vision Statements into a comprehensive set
of objectives and performance measures that can be quantified and appraised. These
measures typically include the following categories of performance [2]:
• Financial performance (revenues, earnings, return on capital, cash flow);
• Customer value performance (market share, customer satisfaction measures, customer
loyalty);
• Internal business process performance (productivity rates, quality measures, timeliness);
• Innovation performance (percent of revenue from new products, employee suggestions,
rate of improvement index);
• Employee performance (morale, knowledge, turnover, use of best demonstrated
practices).

In general, BSC defines what management means by performance and measures whether
management is achieving desired results.
A Mission Statement defines the company's business, its objectives and its approach to
reach those objectives. A Vision Statement describes the desired future position of the
company. Elements of Mission and Vision Statements are often combined to provide a
 statement of the company's purposes, goals and values. However, sometimes the two terms
are used interchangeably.
Mission and Vision Statements are commonly used to:

Internally:
• Guide management's thinking on strategic issues, especially during times of significant
change;
• Help define performance standards;
• Inspire employees to work more productively by providing focus and common goals;
• Guide employee decision making;
• Help establish a framework for ethical behavior.
Externally:
• Enlist external support;
• Create closer linkages and better communication with customers, suppliers and alliance
partners;
• Serve as a public relations tool.

iii. Benchmarking - is another popular tool, improves performance by identifying and applying
best demonstrated practices to operations and sales. Managers compare the performance of their
products or processes externally with those of competitors and best-in-class companies and internally
with other operations within their own firms that perform similar activities.
Benchmarking improves performance by identifying and applying best demonstrated
practices to operations and sales. Managers compare the performance of their products or
processes externally with those of competitors and best-in-class companies and internally
with other operations within their own firms that perform similar activities. The objective
of Benchmarking is to find examples of superior performance and to understand the
processes and practices driving that performance. Companies then improve their
performance by tailoring and incorporating these best practices into their own operations -
not by imitating, but by innovating. Companies use Benchmarking to:
 Improve performance. Benchmarking identifies methods of improving operational
efficiency and product design;
  Understand relative cost position. Benchmarking reveals a company's relative cost
position and identifies opportunities for improvement;
 Gain strategic advantage. Benchmarking helps companies focus on capabilities critical
to building strategic advantage;
 Increase the rate of organizational learning. Benchmarking brings new ideas into the
company and facilitates experience sharing.

iv. Employee Engagement Surveys, Employee engagement is a critical component of

the health of any organization. To measure and improve that dynamic, we often build a
survey for our clients that easily incorporate the resulting findings into their strategic plan.
a new addition to the top of the list, grew most in popularity in North America where harsh
economic realities have made revenue growth, the most common goal of companies in 2013,
seem increasing difficult to achieve. The survey revealed that only half of North American
executives are optimistic about improving economic conditions in their industries - a decline
of 20 percentage points since 2010. The Employee Engagement Survey is designed to
improve employee morale and, by extension, productivity, retention and customer loyalty.
As Bain & Company summarized:

“Companies are finding that a loyal workforce does more than reduce the costs of churn; it
also delivers more loyal customers…Armed with new evidence proving the link between
motivated employees and customer loyalty, business leaders is prioritizing investments in
employee engagement. They told us they are compensating for long-delayed investments to
upgrade information technology and to tackle complexity in their organizations.”

v. Customer Relationship Management has also grown in popularity due in large

part to executive’s perception that customers are not as inclined to be loyal as they once were
with 67% of executives saying they believed their customers had become less loyal to their
brand. The internet makes it easy for customers and potential customers to compare prices,
which hampers organization’s ability to boost prices while maintaining market share and
consumers are more easily swayed by a lower price. Bain’s finding report that companies
have learned, over time, improvement in both technology and user sophistication have
 increased performance. With the growth of this important need, we also have responded by
offering Customer Insight Assessments to a wide-variety of organizations including
companies and non-profits.

1.3. Attributes of a manager

In any business organization, one of the most effective ways to have an impact on your career
and the people you interact with is to be universally perceived as an accomplished and successful
manager. Most organizations don't throw the term "leadership" around too lightly, but when they
do, it's a sure sign of an exceptional person, and most likely, an accomplished manager. These
are the people who have a real and measurable impact on the organization. How are you
perceived in your organization? What kind of impact do you have?

The performance factors listed below are some of the key attributes of a good manager. How do
you measure-up?

1. Confidence – First and foremost, you must believe in yourself and your team members. A
confident looking and sounding manager instills a sense of commitment and conviction in his
employees. When you are in the workplace, be very aware of what you say and how you
portray yourself to others. Effective managers are consistent in their displays of confidence
throughout the day.

2. Positive Attitude – A positive attitude in the workplace is essential. It always sends a good,
powerful message to your employees and by its very nature, invites employees to mimic your
same positive attitude. It can be infectious to be around. Being open-minded and expecting
success from everything you and your employees do in the workplace increases the likelihood
that you achieve your individual and team goals.
3. Effective Listening – Listening is a very important attribute of a good manager as well as a
good employee. Being a good listener means you have the desire and ability to focus on what
employees are saying by giving them your full attention. Good managers are also able to
confirm back to the employee that they are following what’s being communicated at that
 moment. Just as importantly, an effective manager is able to be respectful of an employee's
opinions without interrupting or becoming negative.
4. Ability to Coach – Coaching is one of those skills that can make a tremendous difference in
an employee's career, and because of this, providing coaching insights and feedback is an
important skill for managers to have at their disposal. To perform this skill at a high level, you
need to have strong observation skills in the workplace, with an easy-going ability to indicate
to employees what they are doing well through positive reinforcement, and what needs to
improve regarding projects, tasks, goals, skills, and work flow through informal and formal
coaching sessions.
5. Effective Verbal Skills – Proven managers understand the power of words. They are able to
easily and effectively articulate their point of view in as few words as possible. By
minimizing slang and industry jargon, a strong manager is able to paint word pictures
through their use of simple-to-understand words and phrases.
6. Enthusiasm – Engaged managers are enthusiastic about the workplace and their team of
employees. This visible energy comes through in how they approach their job responsibilities
and interact with the team. Team meetings are highly charged, positive events with the
expectation that employees become as enthused as management. This level of enthusiasm
becomes contagious in the workplace.
7. Action-Oriented – This type of manager has a take-charge attitude and is not afraid to take
some risks with his employees. Being action-oriented also means you can think and react
quickly to situations in the workplace. Because of this action orientation, a good team manger
is also flexible in making decisions, and if necessary, based on what’s happening at-the-
moment, able to change course quickly and effectively. Action-oriented managers also have a
tendency to become mentors in the organization and participate in many volunteer activities
both in and out of the workplace.
8. Good Organization Skills – Administratively, the skilled manager knows what’s going on
around the workplace with every employee that works directly for him. Meetings,
presentations, one-on-one sessions, and even casual conversations, are all well organized and
designed to maximize the value of everyone’s time. Good organization breeds efficiency in
the workplace, and as a result, higher levels of productivity.
9. Empower others – A sure sign of a confident manager is their ability to delegate
responsibility to others. Empowering others instills a sense of confidence that is tough to
replace. It’s a great way to cross-train employees while allowing them the opportunity to
make decisions on their own and live with the consequences, both positive and negative.
10. Problem Solver – One of the most often overlooked skills of an effective manager is the
ability to solve problems quickly and efficiently. It could be something as simple as
assigning tasks or determining project responsibilities or as difficult as removing an
employee from a project.
One of the bigger challenges is solving problems of motivation. Skilled managers have a
strong sense of what motivates their employees and due to their excellent communication
skills, are able to successfully find solutions to these types of problems.

1.4. Time management

Time management” is the process of organizing and planning how to divide your time between
specific activities. Good time management enables you to work smarter – not harder – so that
you get more done in less time, even when time is tight and pressures are high. Failing to manage
your time, damages your effectiveness and causes stress.

It seems that there is never enough time in the day. But, since we all get the same 24 hours, why
is it that some people achieve so much more with their time than others? The answer lies in good
time management.

The highest achievers manage their time exceptionally well. By using the time-management
techniques in this section, you can improve your ability to function more effectively – even when
time is tight and pressures are high.

Good time management requires an important shift in focus from activities to results: being busy
isn’t the same as being effective. (Ironically, the opposite is often closer to the truth.)

Spending your day in a frenzy of activity often achieves less, because you’re dividing your
attention between so many different tasks. Good time management lets you work smarter – not
harder – so you get more done in less time.

“Time management benefits are:

  Greater productivity and efficiency.

 A better professional reputation.

 Less stress.

 Increased opportunities for advancement.

 Greater opportunities to achieve important life and career goals.

Failing to manage your time effectively can have some very undesirable consequences:

 Missed deadlines.

 Inefficient work flow.

 Poor work quality.

 A poor professional reputation and a stalled career.

 Higher stress levels.

Spending a little time learning about time-management techniques will have huge benefits now –
and throughout your career.

Key Points

Time management is the process of organizing and planning how much time you spend on
specific activities.

1.5. Industrial relations and legislation

i. Industrial Relations

Definition: The Industrial Relations or IR encompasses the relationship between the

management and workmen and the role of a regulatory body to resolve any industrial dispute.

As the name implies, Industry Relations comprises of two words, Industry, and Relations.
Where industry covers the production activity in which the group of workmen is engaged in,
while the relations show the relationship between the management and the workers within the
industry. IR plays a significant role in today’s working scenario where the harmonious
relationship between the employers and employees is needed to have an uninterrupted
production. The Industrial Relations mainly cover the following:

 Regulatory body to resolve industrial disputes.

 Collective Bargaining.

 The role of management, unions and government.

 Labor Legislation

 Worker’s Grievance Redressal system.

 Disciplinary policy and practice.

 Industrial Relations Training.

ii. Importance of Industrial Relations

1. Increased Productivity: With amicable industrial relations both the workers and

managers continue to work on their respective position and contribute towards the overall
productivity of the firm. Thus, IR ensures the continuity of production.

2. Reduced Industrial Disputes: An effective IR helps in the reduction of industrial

disputes as both the management and the workers maintain harmonious relations with
each other and work in unison towards the accomplishment of production objective.

3. Increased Morale: The peaceful industrial relations boost the morale level of the
employees as they feel that their interest coincides with that of the employer’s, and their
efforts will result in the overall profitability of the firm.

4. Minimization of Wastage: A good IR ensures reduced wastage as the resources – Man,

Machinery, Material are fully utilized and are effectively contributing towards the overall
productivity of the firm.
 Thus, an effective IR is required to ensure higher production at less cost and increased
profits. It covers the system, rules, and procedures to protect the interest of the workmen
and the employers and to regulate the behavior of the employer i.e. the way he treats his
workmen.

iii. The Functions of Industrial Relations

There are four main functions which industrial relations play and which can be used by managers
to ensure that relationships with employees are positive.

a. The Function of Open Communication

Communication is important to any relationship, including a business relationship. Employees

will typically spend a very large chunk of their days at work and so it is important that they feel
perfectly comfortable with their manager and satisfied with the kind of work that they do.

The ABC rule really helps here. ABS stands for Always Be Communication and it is an
important rule of thumb to remember when relating with employees. A manager should inform
their team that the work of the manager is to make work a little easier for the employee and help
them with whatever they need. They should also seek to be clear about what they need from
employees.

One way that you can stay on top of things with your team is to conduct surveys on a weekly
basis where your employees can give you feedback with the benefit of anonymity. It helps to
maintain the flow of communication and it engages your employees in an environment that is
both safe and anonymous for them.

b. The Function of Recognition

Sometimes something as simple as saying some kind words to your employees can go a long
way. In fact, most employees feel starved of recognition at their places of work. When you show
them gratitude and appreciation it will mean a lot to them. It also a kind of reinforcement
strategy, where you reinforce the good work that they do by recognizing them for it. That
inspires them to want to do more of it.
But don’t just give the praise in private. Give it in public as well for a much grander effect.
When you praise your employees in public, the rest of the team also gets inspired. When you
reward your team for work well done then a culture of reward and appreciation begins to develop
between you and your employees, which motivates them to work even harder at their tasks.

c. The Function of Constant Feedback

You should offer feedback as frequently as you can to your employees. You can tell them about
the great work they’re doing as well as offer some constructive criticism on what they need to
improve. That is another essential part of a strong relationship between an employee and a
manager.

Believe it or not, your employees actually want and value your feedback. They want to learn
more and grow in their capabilities and sills and feel like they are moving ahead, not just at their
place of work, but in life as well. When you give them guidance and little tips on what they need
to do to get where they want, they will appreciate you. Hold as many feedback sessions as you
need to do this and make sure you employees constantly feel like there is growth and
development in their work and themselves.

d. The Function of Investment

You should always show your employees that you care. You shouldn’t care about them as your
employees, but also as people. They need to know that you take their fulfillment seriously, both
personally and professionally. When you want your employees to succeed, they will respect you
more and will be more engaged in their work and in the company generally.

When an employee is happy and feels fulfilled in his personal life, his productivity at work is
likely to improve. So, if you want to see your employees do better, make a grand gesture of
investing in their personal lives and you will see massive improvements.

There are many ways in which you can invest in the personal lives of your employees, in
meaningful ways. For example, you can offer gym memberships that encourage your employees
to take care of their bodies and to be happier in the process. You can encourage them to pursue
their hobbies, and to do things that they find interesting outside of work. You could even offer
time off from their job, so that they can do some volunteer work.

1.6. Industrial Relations (IR)

Industrial relations are the relationships between employees and employers within the
organizational settings. The field of industrial relations looks at the relationship between
management and workers, particularly groups of workers represented by a union. Industrial
relations are basically the interactions between employers, employees and the government,
and the institutions and associations through which such interactions are mediated.

1.6.1. Scope of IR:

 Labor relations, i.e., relations between labor union and management.

 Employer-employee relations i.e. relations between management and employees

 The role of various parties’ viz., employers, employees, and state in maintaining
industrial relations.

 The mechanism of handling conflicts between employers and employees, in case

conflicts arise.

 Improvement of economic conditions of workers,

 State control over industrial undertakings with a view to regulating production and
promoting harmonious industrial relations,

 Socialization and rationalization of industries by making the state itself a major

employer,

 Vesting of a proprietary interest of the workers in the industries in which they

are employed.
 1.6.2. Objectives of IR:
 To promote and develop congenial labor management relations to enhance the
economic status of the worker by improving wages, benefits and by helping the
worker in evolving sound budget

 To regulate the production by minimizing industrial conflicts through state control

 To socialize industries by making the government as an employer

 To provide an opportunity to the workers to have a say in the management and

decision making

 To encourage and develop trade unions in order to improve the workers strength

 To avoid industrial conflicts and their consequences

 To extend and maintain industrial democracy

1.6.3. Industrial Relations versus Employee Relations

 Industrial relations generally refer to the laws, duties and employer and labor
union obligations in a union work environment.
 Industrial relations commonly involve three parties: the employee, employer and
the union
 Employee relations typically refer to laws, duties and employer obligations in a
nonunion work environment.
 Employee relations involve just the employee and employer is parties to the
working relationship.
1.6.4. Factors of IR

Institutional factors: These factors include government policy, labor legislations, voluntary
courts, collective agreement, employee courts, employer’s federations, social institutions like
community, caste, joint family, creed, system of beliefs, attitudes of works, and systems of
power status.
 Economic factors: These factors include economic organization, like capitalist, communist
mixed etc, the structure of labor force, demand for and supply of labor force.

Technological factors: These factors include mechanization, automation, rationalization,

computerization Social and cultural factors: These factors include population, religion, customs
and traditions of people, ethnic groups, and cultures of various groups of people

Political factors: These factors include political system in the country , political parties and their
ideologies, their growth, mode of achievement of their policies, involvement in trade unions
Governmental factors: These factors include governmental policies like industrial policy,
economic policy, labor policy, export policy

Collective Bargaining Collective bargaining is the process that labor unions and employers
participate in to negotiate a labor union contract. These contracts also are called collective
bargaining agreements. They are negotiated for a finite period, usually two to four years, and
intended to be renegotiated upon expiration of the multiyear term. The employer, labor union and
employees are bound by the terms and conditions of a labor union contract, which sets out
employees' wages, benefits, working conditions and seniority-based matters.

1.6.5. Purpose of Industrial Relations Laws

Industrial relations laws are different in every nation but in general the purpose of such law is to:

i. promote the welfare of the workers and economic prosperity of the nation
ii. pursue higher productivity to create economic conditions for high employment, improved
living standards, low inflation and international competitiveness and
increasing globalization through a flexible and fair labor market

iii. enable wages and conditions of employment to be determined as far as possible by the
agreement of employers and employees at the workplace through enterprise bargaining

iv. to provide a safety net of minimum wages and conditions of employment

v. to provide a framework for determining wages and conditions of pay according to job
roles performed, in Australia this framework in referred to as Industrial Awards
 vi. providing a framework of rights and responsibilities for employers and employees

vii. Ensuring freedom of association, including the rights of employees and employers to join
an organization (e.g. a union), or not to join an organization that provides assistance to
the worker.

viii. enabling an independent statutory body (for example an "Industrial Relations

Commission") to prevent and settle industrial disputes as far as possible by promoting
conciliation between parties, or by arbitration if this fails

ix. assisting employees to balance their work and family responsibilities effectively through
the development of mutually beneficial work practices with employers (see work-life
balance)

x. respecting and valuing the diversity of the work force by helping to prevent and
eliminate discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual preference, age, physical
or mental disability, marital status, family responsibilities, pregnancy, religion, political
opinion, national extraction or social origin; and

xi. ensure international obligations in relation to labor standards are met