need a presentation to be done for 6-8 slides based on report and proposal made, should show pie chart and graphs

Resolving Conflicts after Merger

Lakshmi Sindhura Mutyala (1711456)

Arti Pathak (1711687)

University Canada West

Professor: Penny Farley

MBAF 501: Business & Academic Writing

September 5, 2018

Proposal to Resolve Conflicts between the Departments and Employees

Prepared for

Dr. Penny Farley

Director of Operation

Mahindra Satyam

Prepared by

Arti Pathak

Senior HR Manager, Mahindra Satyam

Lakshmi Sindhura Mutyala

Senior HR Manager, Mahindra Satyam

Date: September 5, 2018

Abstract

This report focuses on conflict after the merger between Tech Mahindra and Satyam Computers. The aim of this report is to ensure that the conflict between Tech Mahindra and Satyam Computers is fully resolved. This report will start with an introduction giving the context and background of the report. The report will then proceed to the problem statement or the issue that is being investigated in this study. Next, the method used to conduct the research work will be analyzed by the report. Additionally, the report will also provide the solutions to the problems found in the research work. Moreover, the research will have a conclusion summarizing the overall report. The report will further give the recommendations to the problem under discussion and then end with the references.

Table of Contents

CONTENTS Page Number

Introduction 5-6

Background of the research 5

Context of the research 6

Problem Statement 6

Research Methodology 7

Possible Solutions 8

Work plan and Timeline 11

Cost estimates for the research 13

Conclusion 14

Recommendations 14

References 15

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Tables

1. Work Plan and Timeline Table 12

2. Cost Break-Down Table 13

Resolving Conflicts after the Merger

Conflicts are normal phenomena during mergers and acquisition. A conflict is a disagreement that arises when some ideas or opinions of an individual or a group are rejected (Aristos, et al, 2018).  However, organizations should understand that the way they manage conflicts during the mergers determines the success of the process. A merger refers to an agreement between two autonomous organizations to unite into one parent company. The key cause of the conflicts during mergers is varying organizational culture. The fact that organizations have different organizational cultures makes the cooperation of the employees ineffective, which affects the productivity of labor and job satisfaction (Maitram, n.d.).

Whenever there are mergers, employees may feel dissatisfied with the new work structure or the compensation system. The relocation of the employees in regard to their talents also becomes challenging. The whole structure of the organization ought to be dismantled to come up with a new one that accommodates the needs and preferences of each and every employee (Bingöl, 2017).

The merger between Tech Mahindra and Satyam Computers as a new brand identified as the Mahindra Satyam has raised some issues among the managers of the various departments as well as the employees. The decreased sales revenue for Mahindra Satyam due to conflicts leads the organization decided to launch a research and thereafter come up with a report to submit it to the chief executive officers, as well as the directors of the departments (Mahindra Satyam, n.d.).

The management of the Mahindra Satyam was worried about the productivity of the employees in the next financial year, as well as the adaptation of workers to the new work environment (Majumdar, 2009). The purpose of this report is that the management could effectively address the issue for optimum production and employee satisfaction. We are the right people to submit the report as we have completed our master’s in Business Administration from University Canada West and has prior work experience in management field, also conducted various surveys and workshops regarding corporate working culture, hence the mid-level management has agreed that we have more experience on research interpretation, and this is what it takes to present this report.

Problem Statement

The problem that is going to be addressed in this report is the conflicts between Tech Mahindra and Satyam Computers workforce after the two organizations merged to form Mahindra Satyam. The major conflicts are found among the employees of the sales and Human Resource departments, which are: salary not matching with the profile leading to job dissatisfaction, mismatches in the job descriptions and skills of the employees, unrealistic target for the revenue generation from sales.

These are the main problems of conflict in the organization. The causes behind this, after investigation, we find that due to increased number of employees and to meet their requirements for business processes  in the new company the sales department has increased the target  for the salespersons for the upcoming year, which is unexpected and unrealistic (Majumdar, 2009). Therefore, the salespersons due increased target has come under pressure, which they are unable to share with their managers (Fellner, Kallesen, Ruggiero, & Yuen, 2006).

Since the new employees who has come from Satyam Computers, due to increased number of employees and less work, have other works to do instead of their own expertise work, thus leading to job and profile mismatching (Majumdar, 2009).

Tech Mahindra has increased the number of employees due to merger and at the same time there is business, thus the company has less profit. Because of this, the company is unable to pay their employees properly, leading to force the employees either to leave the job or continue with less salary (Majumdar, 2009).

There are many factors that necessitated the onset of the research. The first was a decrease in the sales turnover of the previous trading period by 10% (Money control, n.d.). Secondly, profits had decreased in the organization.  

Research Methodology

The research employed various techniques and methods to ensure that the data collected was reliable and valid. The research involved all the members of Mahindra Satyam. Questionnaires with specific questions on the causes of the conflict in the organization produced and issued to every member of the organization. Every employee responded to the questionnaire and to ensure that there was privacy, each staff member filled the questionnaire in the company hall. The employees were divided into groups, but issued with similar questionnaires (Khan, Iqbal, & Hussainy, 2016).

The research did not only utilize questionnaires. Interviews were conducted especially with the various heads of the departments and the employees who had reported that they were uncomfortable with the organization’s progress. The interviews involved a one-on-one dialogue or a video call as well as phone calls in case the respondents couldn’t make to the interview venue. Questions were asked of the interviewees and their answers noted. Moreover, the research also collected some data from various companies and websites on the causes of conflict and how to effectively handle them (Khan, Iqbal, & Hussainy, 2016). The research involved various methods to ensure that the most accurate information was garnered. The accuracy of information ensures that the solutions raised to address the problem are effective (Staff n.d.). 

There are some limitations associated with this report. First, the research work was limited to the organization only. This means that some outer forces necessitating the conflicts were not researched effectively. Secondly, the research work was conducted in respect to the allocated budget. This means that the research had to be completed with the allocated resources and without any further costs. Third, some of the employees did not mention the main cause of the conflict during the research. Additionally, some employees were unhappy with the management activities but they did not mention the exact individuals they were dissatisfied with (Lundqvist, 2012).

Possible Solutions

The research established various solutions to settle the conflicts in the Mahindra Satyam Company. The solutions were enacted through the cooperation of the research team and the staff members of Mahindra Satyam. To ensure these were effective, there was no any member of the organization who was excluded. As mergers often bring conflicts in different phases detailed research and meetings with the department employees, management was considered. After consideration, the team has come up with a few possible solutions that can be in resolving the issue (Bingöl, 2017).

Like Team Meetings, Team Outings, Workplace activities and Training were taken into consideration of possible solutions as these will help us to discuss issues with employees directly. These activities will help us in getting the employee participation with each other and an opportunity to work together to win the action given, which forms friendly and healthy workplace relationships. Hence the listed above solutions are the possible ways to overcome the conflicts.

Hence the listed above solutions are the possible ways to overcome. However, the best possible solution is team meetings as each person idea includes, which help us create a better understanding of the issue (Ackermann, Eden, & Pyrko, 2016). As mergers often develop conflicts about the workplace or its culture as it is between different companies employees working together.

The Best Solution

Conflicts are inevitable in the organization. However, too many conflicts can ruin the organization. The varying opinions, beliefs, and values among the employees should not be a source of conflict but unity as they should encourage one to learn from the other (Staff n.d.).  Additionally, the employees should hold team meetings every week to ensure that there is cooperation and settlement of any differences that might be found among them.  Employees should further be trained on how to settle their differences and work together a team despite their diversity. Diversity is supposed to promote productivity in the organization and not conflicts like in our case (Lundqvist, 2012).

Training is described as the planned activity directed at giving information and instructions meant to enhance the performance of recipient. It can also be aimed at helping the recipient to reach a needed knowledge or skill level (Ackermann, Eden, & Pyrko, 2016). Team training was adopted as the best solution due to a number of reasons. First, training of the employees will enable them to respect the culture and believes of everyone. This has a crucial role in promoting diversity which is the key to the growth and development of every organization. Additionally, training will bring all the employees together hence creating mutuality and cooperation as they are trained as a team (Bingöl, 2017).

  Team Meetings, Team Outings, Workplace activities are not as effective as training since one cannot effectively relate with people as there is no established way or knowledge of handling them. Hence, team training is the basis for any other collaborative activity in the organization as one will know the boundaries that should exist within the established relations. It is imperative to first train the employees how they should put their differences together and unite towards a common goal. Knowledge is power and it is only through training that the employees can understand one another hence efficiency in teamwork (Bingöl, 2017).

Training of the employees involves various activities. It is worthwhile noting that employee training should be a multi-dimensional task that observes all the individual differences of the participants. Training should involve workplace activities which includes all employee’s participation, it should involve team building activities and workshops, cooperate culture and work ethics which will define healthy working culture. Also, training should involve motivational activities associated with rewards especially when the employees demonstrate the expected behavior. The aim of each trainer is to train motivated employees (Armstrong & Landers, 2018). The training environment ought to be conducive to training so, as to have successful training sessions. For every trainee to be motivated, his/her views should be given attention to feel appreciated. The trainer is not supposed to compare some trainees with other trainees or with himself/herself, this lowers the morale of the trainees hence leading to the poor training process. The trainer should use positive reinforcement to train the trainees. This will make them to pay more attention and to feel appreciated despite their differences. The trainees can also be separated in accordance with their area of specialization. This will ensure that no trainee is given the training that does not meet his/her skills and knowledge (Armstrong & Landers, 2018).

Work Plan and Timeline

Below is the plan outlined for every term which will be conducted in four phases (per quarter) starting from April 2018 – March 2019 for Employees of Sales and Human Resource Department. However, keeping business in mind and employees working hours, the trainings and activities will be in batches and held on every Wednesday for five hours.

Work Plan and Timeline Table

Cost Estimates for the Research

Mahindra Satyam’s expenditure on their employees which includes salary, insurance, training and others expenses is CAD $ 600 million annually (Mahindra Satyam, n.d.). According to the article, the training cost for the employees should depend on the return, which, according to the available data in case of Mahindra Satyam is CAD $ three million (Kumpikaitė, 2007).

Cost Break-Down Table

The costs of this research were derived after looking at famous companies that had conducted similar studies. The industry of the companies whose research budget was considered had to be technological. Additionally, the number of employees and organizational structure had to correspond with the case companies. The management further involved research experts to evaluate the efficiency of the budget. The research experts approved the budget of the research and that is what led to its implementation (Staff, n.d.).

Conclusion

It is evident that the report effectively shows how conflicts in organizations can be addressed. Specifically, the report has shown how the conflict emerging from the merger between Tech Mahindra and Satyam Computers as a new brand known as Mahindra Satyam can be solved. The report has clearly shown that the problem exists and there should be actions to address it. The report gives the possible causes of the conflict in the organization and comes with the strategies to avoid it, settle it and also control it. It is our belief that the issue of conflict in Mahindra Satyam is effectively resolved.

Recommendations

• The management of Mahindra Satyam should ensure that there is respect in the whole organization. Respect involves how people are treated, rewarded, encouraged, handled, and communicated to.

• Mahindra Satyam should take conflicts as a ladder to growth and development of the organization and not stumbling blocks.

• Mahindra Satyam should provide all the employees with adequate resources either psychological or physical.

• Mahindra Satyam should be trained on effective communication skills.

• The different cultures, beliefs, opinions, and values of employees should be respected.

References

Ackermann, F., Eden, C., & Pyrko, I. (2016). Accelerated Multi-Organization Conflict

Resolution. Group Decision & Negotiation, 25(5), 901-922. doi:10.1007/s10726-016-9472-z. Retrieved September 5, 2018 from https://eds-b-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.myucwest.ca/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=0&sid=a318d938-5baf-40d7-acb5-ed366decc65e%40pdc-v-sessmgr01

Aristos, D., Georgios, S., Miltiadis, C., & Grigorios, K. (2018). The impact of mergers and

acquisitions on corporate culture and employees: The case Aegaean & Olympic air.

Academy of Strategic Management Journal, 17(1), 1-13. Retrieved August 21, 2018

From https://eds-a-ebscohost-

com.ezproxy.myucwest.ca/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=0&sid=cb99724d-86d6-40ff-

af44-e487f9b1b6c8%40sessionmgr4008

Bingöl, H. B. (2017). Conflict management strategies in mergers and acquisitions: A

comparative case study of industry-specific human diligence. Ileti-S-Im, (26), 203-

245. doi:10.16878/gsuilet.324858 Retrieved August 21, 2018, from https://eds-a-

ebscohost-com.ezproxy.myucwest.ca/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=0&sid=fd59c370-

ab0a-4eb7-bfb3-7447ff0d6a2d%40sessionmgr4010

Fellner, K., Kallesen, R., Ruggiero, A., & Yuen, B. (2006). Improving revenue through fare

rationalization and a new business process between revenue management and sales. Journal of Revenue & Pricing Management, 5(2), 118-127. doi:10.1057/palgrave.rpm.5160027. Retrieved September 5, 2018 from https://eds-a-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.myucwest.ca/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=0&sid=f1bd795a-08c2-4e3b-af48-7a9ec22177c0%40sessionmgr4010

Khan, K., Iqbal, Y., & Hussainy, S. K. (2016). Causes, effects, and remedies in conflict

management. South East Asian Journal of Management, 10(2), 152-172. Retrieved September 5, 2018 from https://eds-a-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.myucwest.ca/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=0&sid=f299713a-f0f9-41ac-8d60-fbdce322d3ab%40sessionmgr4006

Kumpikaitė, V. (2007). Human Resource Training Evaluation. Engineering Economics, 55(5),

29-36. Retrieved September 5, 2018 from Kumpikaitė, V. (2007). Human Resource

Training Evaluation. Engineering Economics, 55(5), 29-36.

Lundqvist, S. (2012). Post-merger integration issues: The importance of early appointment of

new managers for successful PMI. Problems of Management in the 21St century, 362-80. Retrieved August 21, 2018, from https://eds-a-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.myucwest.ca/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=0&sid=4784dac0-198a-4e15-841a-eda28bab0bb6%40sessionmgr4010

Majumdar, S. (2009). Satyam: Tech Mahindra people challenge. Rediff India Abroad. Retrieved

August 21, 2018, from http://www.rediff.com/money/2009/apr/16satyam-tech-

mahindras-people-challenge.htm

Mahindra Satyam. (n.d.). Mahindra Satyam. Moneycontrol. Retrieved August 21, 2018, from

https://www.moneycontrol.com/financials/mahindrasatyam/profit-loss/SCS

Maitra, R., Asamwar, M. (n.d.). Merger of Tech Mahindra and Satyam Computer Services Ltd.

With particular reference to HR issues. Journal of Business and Management. Retrieved August 21, 2018, from http://www.iosrjournals.org/iosr-jbm/papers/ies-mcrc-volume-2/14.pdf

Staff. (n.d.). 2017 Training industry report. Training. Retrieved August 21, 2018, from

https://trainingmag.com/trgmag-article/2017-training-industry-report/

Terason, S. (2018). The effect of conflict management in Thai public- sector sport organizations

on employee job satisfaction and perceived organizational performance. Academy of Strategic Management Journal, 17(1), 1-9. Retrieved September 5, 2018 from https://eds-a-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.myucwest.ca/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=0&sid=c831d193-7969-4da1-8b7d-d19e54e6316a%40sessionmgr4006