Exam Human Resource Management

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Exam Human Resource Management
8 of December 2005 This Exam consists of two parts: Part 1 – questions from the book, Part 2 – Case with questions Write clearly!

Part 1: Questions from the book Question 1 (10 points). Give definitions (in your own words) of the next: - job enlargement - job extension - job rotation - job enrichment

Question 2 (10 points). As a Human Resource Manager give advice to the CEO (chief executive officer) what to do with a dysfunctional manager.

Question 3 (10 points). What is the main focus of HRM? Explain why.

Question 4 (10 points). Give explanation of the four approaches of employee development.

Question 5 (10 points). Explain why a training program might be important for an employee. And how do you measure the success of a training?

Part 2: Case and questions Remark: answer your questions from a HRM point of view!! NISSAN: NEW DRIVE AT THE WHEEL In 1998 car-maker Nissan was heading for a brick wall at high speed. Its market share in Japan had been sliding for 26 years, and while its key domestic rivals Honda and Toyota were reporting record profit. Nissan had not been able to make a profit for seven of the eight previous years. Daimler Chrysler had declined to buy Nissan, even for the symbolic amount of one dollar, while Ford, too, had lost interest. Eventually it was French car-maker Renault who took the opportunity to gain a controlling stake in March 1999. Just three years later, Nissan was one of the most profitable automobile manufacturers in the world, even surpassing Toyota, and was set to recapture the number two market share position in Japan. Seldom has a turnaround been so dramatic, so complete and so attributable to one person – Carlos Ghosn. Between 1992 and 1998, three different presidents behind the wheel at Nissan, but none were able to get the skidding company under control. No fewer than four restructuring plans were announced, but

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nothing seemed capable of avoiding the imminent crash. So when Renault eventually stepped in and sent the 45-year-old, non Japanese speaking, Brazil-born French/Lebanese Carlos Ghosn to take control of Nissan in 1999, his task was widely hailed as “Mission Impossible”. Later in that year, the assessment was toned down to “Mission Improbable”, and in 2002 Fortune named Carlos Ghosn “Asia’s Businessman of the Year”. What did he do that predecessors were incapable of doing? According to one senior executive at Nissan, “Ghosn stresses action, speed and results. He follows up closely. If there are any deviations he goes after them immediately. He is relentless in following up.”In his own words at the time: “I have one goal, that Nissan will be profitable in 2001 ….This is not like buying a Persian rig: the guy says he wants 100, but if he gets 50 he will be happy. We want 100, and we are going to get 100. If we do not get it in 2001, that’s it, we will resign….From now on, financial objectives will accountability.” Accountability is Ghosn’s credo. He sees no value in business relationships that are not characterized by clear and controllable targets. Starting at the top, the number of directors on the board was reduced from 43 to nine. The traditional lifetime employment and seniority-based reward system was completely revamped. Several hundred managers received stock options instead. Promotion and rewards were linked to performance against an annual set of objectives. Ghosn created six program directors with worldwide profit responsibility for a range of cars under their management. Externally, by the end of 2002, Nissan’s 67 investments in Keiretsu (group) companies were reduced to 25, while all 1400 cross-shareholding with other Japanese companies were undone. The 300 global banking relationships were centralized into a single treasury function. The number of suppliers was reduced by half to 600, with each remaining supplier to at least a 20% cost reduction over three years. The pressure was equally fierce inside the company. Headcount was reduced by almost 20%, dropping from 148.000 to 127.000 employees, and five manufacturing plants were closed. Yet, at the same time Ghosn planned to introduce 28 new car models within three years. In order to achieve all that, one of Ghosn’s first action in office was to install nine cross-functional teams with up to ten middle managers and hundreds of sub-team members, to work out the entire “Nissan Revival Plan” within only two months. Team members were not responsible for implementation, but their recommendations had to be aggressive, specific, backed up by numbers and not respectful towards current practices. Any team that did not live up to these targets was sent straight back to work. In May 2002, having achieved the turnaround one year ahead of schedule, Ghosn unveiled the new Nissan 180 plan – by 2005, Nissan would increase car sales almost 40%, from 2.6 to 3.6 million vehicles, reach 8% operating profit on sales (top of industry), and have reduced net automotive debt to zero. To industry insiders, this sounded like “Mission Impossible” all over gain, but if anyone could pull off this assignment, it would be Carlos Ghosn.
Sources: Business Week, January 18 2000, June 21 2001, January 13 2003; Interview with Carlos Ghosn in Harvard Business Review, January-February 2002; Yoshino, 2002

Question 6 (30 points) A. “Closing down five plants and dropping from 148,000 to 127,000 employees.” Describe how to handle this from a HRM point of view? B. At the same time 28 new car models were introduced. Describe what this means to the Nissan organization (also from a HRM point of view). C. What issues are affecting the business strategy of Nissan?

Question 7 (10 points) For Ghosn it seemed to be a “Mission Impossible”, at least that is what the Press thought. To recruit a CEO like Ghosn, what is important to be successful in the job? Give a description.

Question 8 (10 points) A “45-year-old, non Japanese speaking, Brazil-born French/Lebanese” is taking over control of Nissan. What does this mean for the employees and the management of Nissan? Use information from the case.

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