MULTI-GENERATIONAL DIVERSITY IN WORKFORCE: THE DOUBLE EDGED SWORD!

Workforces are progressively becoming more diverse in age demographics, creating professional environments that possess experience and maturity as well as youthful exuberance in abundance. Companies which employ workers in wide ranges of age have the distinct advantage of creating a dynamic, multi-generational workforce -- with a diverse range of skill sets -- that is very much beneficial to the company.

A workforce comprising of contrasting age demographics creates an environment where each generation brings various skills and talents to the table. For example, young employees are more likely to have a strong grasp on the use of high-tech business mediums such as social networking, online product demonstrations and webcasting. Whereas, more mature professionals often have exceptional interpersonal skills and perform well in environments where traditional in-person communication is used. This diverse range of skill-sets provides an extra edge to a company that caters to a multi-generational demographic.

While younger generation employees may be credited with having good working knowledge of the latest business technology, more mature members of a workforce possess the advantage of traditional business skills. This diversity provides businesses with the ability to communicate and deal with customers across all age spectrums. For instance, one customer may prefer the fast pace of email correspondence, while another may appreciate the traditional formal business letter. A generationally diverse workforce can cater to both types of clients. Moreover, in a mixed-age workforce, where companies value knowledge, experience and skill above age, seniority and gender, employees of all age groups get ample opportunities to teach, share with and learn from one another.

So, we can infer that for organizations, a workforce comprising of employees belonging to very different age groups is necessary to survive and prosper in today’s world. But, it is imperative to note that, in order to cash in on this diversity factor, HR professionals all over the globe have to face a gigantic challenge of engaging & retaining professionals who are in different phases of their careers and have dissimilar priorities. Achieving this, in case of, HR professionals in India might be nothing less than a Herculean Task!

One might argue that organizations across the world have always had to manage a multi-generational workforce. While that is true, India’s current demographics are creating some unique challenges. Even as the world is greying, India is getting younger. By 2020, the average Indian will be only 29 years of age as compared to 37 in China and the U.S., 45 in Western Europe and 48 in Japan. Presently, more than half of India’s population is less than 25 years of age.

Given India’s population of over a billion, these make for very large numbers. What’s more, this large crop of new workers comes with a mental make-up very different from that of the earlier generations. Experts opine that this difference between generations is far more striking in India than elsewhere because of the country’s rapid pace of liberalization and increasing globalization since the 1990s. India has also leapfrogged through astounding advances in technology, including the adoption of mobile phones, the Internet and social media.

“India has gone through more changes in the past 20 years than most countries witness over a century,” says Amit K. Nandkeolyar, Assistant Professor of Organizational Behaviour at the Indian School of Business. Pointing to India’s vast socio-economic and cultural diversity, Nandkeolyar adds: “Employees come from different regions, religions, linguistic traditions, castes, communities, culinary tastes, races and genders. A generational difference adds another layer of complexity. This creates a workforce that can find itself divided in more ways than comparable workforces in most countries.”
The current generation in India joining the ranks in the workforce has seen abundance in options and affluence early in life. They are also more independent and more conscious of global opportunities. This may be reflected in the decreasing loyalty toward their employers and the increasing focus on short-term goals. Globally, the shift has not been so pronounced.

In India, the gap between the outlook of people who are taking decisions and those who are getting impacted by these decisions is broadening, resulting in a mismatch.

The Indian HR professionals must keep in mind that there is a lot at stake if this gap broadens further. The evolving inclinations of the current generation in India, pose perplexing challenges for organizations trying to attract, engage and retain them. If organizations don’t address the issues arising due to a multi-generational workforce, it may result in “a lower engagement rate, decrease in productivity and a higher attrition rate.” It might also lead to a situation of unrest among the workforce, ultimately resulting in a much lower output from the investment in human capital.

Senior executives of various top tier organizations state that if organizations don’t take appropriate steps, they will lose out on the best talent and new ideas, severely impacting the organization’s competitiveness. At the national level, India stands to lose out on the human resource that can take it forward.

Do you have it in you to be an Entrepreneur?

What does it take to be an entrepreneur? 

Is it being born a genius or having a Type-A personality? 

Is it being an overzealous extrovert who spends all their time dabbling around on projects?

While some entrepreneurs do possess these traits, they seldom define the characteristics of many successful entrepreneurs. Not everyone is born with an intellect that would transform the world. Some opine that, that student who couldn’t make it through college, like Bill Gates or Richard Branson, is more likely to succeed as an entrepreneur than the lifelong overachiever.

So, if you’re not a born prodigy or overachiever, what are the personality traits which would indicate that you can be an entrepreneur? Here are the five common personality traits that the entrepreneurs usually possess.

1. Passion

Most entrepreneurs are not in it for the money. While there have been many icons who have made more money than most of us we’ll dream of, think Bill Gates or Steve Jobs, the truth is that most entrepreneurs usually work an insane amount of hours for little or nothing. 

Why would they put themselves through all this? Because they are impelled by the desire to either solve a problem or make easier.

How passionate are entrepreneurs? Experts say that most entrepreneurs are fuelled “by an unshakable sense of purpose.”

Throughout all the trials and tribulations they come across, entrepreneurs give themselves a pat on the back as they realize that they’re on a mission for the greater good. No matter how bad it gets, it’s their passion that motivates and drives them through between the paydays and during all those times when everyone else tells them to quit.

2. Resilience

Sir Winston Churchill once said, “Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.” It’s an unfortunate fact that as an entrepreneur, you’re going to fail numerous times in the beginning. While for most people, something that drastic would be too much to handle, an entrepreneur has the astounding ability to get up, dust themselves off and move ahead. Instead of giving up, an entrepreneur would learn from their failures. What went wrong? How can I learn from my mistakes? How can I succeed the next time? These are the type of questions an entrepreneur would ask themselves. An entrepreneur doesn’t stay put in face of rough tides. They’re resilient, thrive off of the negativity and bounce back with more vigour.

If you need any proof on the resilience of entrepreneurs, just go through the stories of successful entrepreneurs like Walt Disney, Donald Trump, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Richard Branson, Henry Ford or Thomas Edison. They all experienced major setbacks at some point in their careers only to come out to be some of the most successful and well-known entrepreneurs in the history.

3. Strong Sense of Self

Any entrepreneur can tell you that there are numerous problems one has to overcome. May it be not being able to secure enough funding, proving the naysayers wrong or facing the competition head on, being an entrepreneur is no walk in the park. And, being passionate and resilient can only take you so far. This is why entrepreneurs must also possess an extremely strong sense of self.

Being self-confident and self-motivated are also the key traits for most entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs don’t think that their idea might be good. They know that it’s good. And, they are motivated enough to illustrate to others that it’s worth the time and money to go forward with it. While they understand that they cannot do everything on their own, they also realize that they are the only ones with the ability to make their idea a reality.

Dhirubhai Ambani once said, “If you don't build your dream, someone else will hire you to help them build theirs."

According to a study conducted by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation on behalf of LegalZoom, “91% of the entrepreneurs are confident that their businesses will be more profitable in the next 12 months.”

4. Flexibility

Ability to adapt to changes and challenges is crucial for any venture. In fact, most entrepreneurs would tell you that their idea or business plan was drastically different than when it began. An idea may be brilliant, but in reality it isn’t effective if the details aren’t right. Entrepreneurs must be flexible enough to make the necessary adjustments to make that idea feasible. Furthermore, entrepreneurs must be prepared and willing to tweak their plan with the arrival of new information.

Jeff Bezos of Amazon says “If you’re not stubborn, you’ll give up on experiments too soon. And if you’re not flexible, you’ll pound your head against the wall and you won’t see a different solution to a problem you’re trying to solve.”

Bezos also warns: “The thing about inventing is you have to be both stubborn and flexible, more or less simultaneously. The hard part is figuring out when to be which!”

5. Vision

Entrepreneurs have an eye for the opportunities that nobody else can see. They are always on the lookout for fresh ideas or ways to improve an existing product or service. And, chances are that’s the first & foremost reason as to why they chose to become an entrepreneur in the first place. At some point in their lives they must have noticed something that could have been better than its existing self. But, for entrepreneurs, just saying that something could be better isn’t enough. They actually put the wheels in motion. In other words, entrepreneurs bear the uncanny ability to see the future before it happens. So, to be an entrepreneur, one must have the vision that nobody else does and also, the vision to see it through.

BRIC BY BRIC - Dominance of the BRICS Countries in the World Economy

The BRICS nations have commenced their quest to command as the United States’ hegemony recedes over the World Economy.


On July 15th, 2014, the BRICS nations, Brazil, Russia, India, China & South Africa signed the long-anticipated document to create the $100 billion BRICS Development Bank and a reserve currency pool worth over another $100 billion. Both will help to counter the influence of Western-based lending institutions and the dollar. While the New Development Bank is seen by conservative western economists and policy advisors as an unwelcome competitor to the World Bank and IMF, some in the left politics consider it as beneficial. Fidel Castro in particular wrote favourably of the bank for its potential to assist the development of third world countries. This move by the five major emerging economies might be a signal that the uni-polar world of almost 25 years is coming to an end paving the way for a multi-polar world with developing nations having more freedom, choice and more flexibility in trade, diplomacy and development, which is a desirable state of affairs.


Some international media houses are claiming that the New Development Bank is born out of a political gridlock. They might not be far off the mark!


Some geopolitical experts view this as a move to counter the prejudiced praxes of the IMF such as appointing a European Managing Director since its inception, or using the non-revised quotas for assigning voting power. It may be imperative to note that the USA holds 17% of the IMF’s voting power and its nod is necessary to get the 85% supermajority to bring about radical reforms. Interestingly, the proposed reforms would only dilute the U.S. voting power to roughly 16.5%, still enough voting power to veto any future IMF proposals that require a supermajority.


Thus, it may be aptly inferred that the BRICS nations, which represent 40% of the world population & 18% of the World Economy have actualized an appropriate alternative to the World Bank & the IMF. The new Development Bank may also help the BRICS nations in advancing political agenda in the way the World Bank & IMF do for the US and simultaneously weaken the ability of the US & the European Union to control the politics and economies of other nations.


So, the creation of the New Development Bank may be considered as throwing down the gauntlet at the feet of the West as it is the first serious challenge to the global economic setup established at Bretton Woods some 70 years ago.


These steps taken by BRICS nations might be tiny & tentative but display their desire to transform the global economic scenario in their own interest as they advance in economic clout. As, predicted by many financial experts, this group of diverse nations is quickly moving up the ranks on the global economic chessboard aiming for the bull’s eye, i.e. dominance of the global economic setup keeping in mind the benefit of emerging economies looking for financial assistance.


But, all this might only be possible when the BRICS nations first deal with the serious economic problems at home. The new Indian regime under the leadership of Mr. Narendra Modi would be hard-pressed to implement reforms to boost the stalled national economy. While China has held up a consistent growth rate, Brazil, Russia & South Africa are growing sluggishly. If these countries drag themselves out of the slowdown pit, and all their initiatives get off the ground, they will surely create a new future for the world economy in which they would be the crown princes, the benevolent saviours of the third world countries and the challengers who broke away from the shackles of and overthrew the Western dominated Economic establishment to create multi-polar world having a more diluted power distribution.

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Little Boy & Fat Man: Angry Avengers or the Only Suitable Solution?

 Image Courtesy www.moristowngreen.com

Yesterday, Japan marked the 69th anniversary of Little Boy's visit to the city of Hiroshima and would be marking the anniversary of Fat Man's visit to Nagasaki on Friday. The nasty "Little Boy" took the lives of about 140,000 people over the course of four months while "Fat Man" extirpated 70,000 three days later and many more in the days that followed. The final tally stands at 292,325.
Yes, you guessed correctly,Little Boy & Fat Man are the 9,700 pounds & 10,300 pounds atomic bombs dropped by the United States on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima & Nagasaki which resulted in the surrender by the Japanese Forces on September 2,1945, thereby ending the World War II.
But, apart from providing the Allies with a much needed victory, the bombardments also ushered the world into the Nuclear Warfare Era. An Era, in which a constant threat of being obliterated looms over the head of every nation.
Although, after the end of the Cold War in 1991, the threat of two superpowers annihilating each other has subsided, but the focus now is over precluding proliferation and nuclear terrorism. Well the responsibility to hinder the holocaust lies with the planet pioneers. Yours truly would like to stir a debate over what really was the intent behind the extermination.
Was it payback for Pearl Harbor(a surprise attack by the Japanese resulting in 4111 DEATHS & INJURIES & loss of HUNDREDS of air crafts and battleships which ultimately LED TO THE USA's ENTRY into the World War)? or
Was it an optimal solution to end the World War in the Pacific without going through with the planned invasion?
Was the USA a brilliant belligerent or a riled retaliator?
According to hiroshimatessa.weebly.com -
"In the History lessons in American institutions, it is inferred that the bombing of Nagasaki & Hiroshima was a consequence of the attack on the Pearl Harbor. In a speech, the then US President Harry S.Truman mentioned that Hiroshima & Nagasaki were industrial centers where weaponry was produced & targeting them was a strategic decision. But,the U.S. Strategic Bombing Survey states, "all major factories in Hiroshima were on the periphery of the city – and escaped serious damage.”
The truth behind all this is anybody's guess.
But, there maybe another reason which is being put forth to justify the massacre. Even before the surrender of Nazi Germany on May 8, 1945, plans were underway for the largest operation of the Pacific War, Operation Downfall, the invasion of Japan.
A study conducted with the help of US Military Officers estimated the invading Allies would suffer between 1.7 and 4 million casualties in such a scenario, of whom between 400,000 and 800,000 would be dead, while Japanese casualties would have been around 5 to 10 million. Alot of questions arise after reading all these facts.
Wasn't there any other option to end the War without sacrificing this many number of lives?
Wasn't there any other option to avenge the unprovoked killing of thousands of US sailors which would not have required massacring civilians?
How different would have been the world if the nuclear weapons weren't used for the first & last time almost seven decades ago?
Let's all try to commemorate the victims of every conflict which took lives of innocents and pray that in future, a nation's ambition to conquer doesn't lead to the annihilation of its own people!!
©Copyright 2014 GarrulousGautam

INDIA ON IT’S WAY TO BECOME NUMBER ONE!!

Yes, India has managed to retain its 2^nd position as a country with highest number of rapes reported and MAY VERY SOON BECOME NUMBER ONE!!

We should thank all the abominable a**holes and oblivious onlookers.

 

Violence against women is a global pandemic but India may be leading the pack.

Crimes against women have increased by 7.1% since 2010.

According to latest estimates, in India, a new case of rape is reported every 22 minutes.

In India, rape is very rarely reported, due to the extreme social stigma cast on women who have been raped. Despite this, India stands 2^nd in the list of countries with highest reported rape incidents.

Nearly one in three rape victims in India is under the age of 18. 

One in 10 is under 14.

A report from National Crime Records Bureau states that, 25,000 and 24,206 cases of rape were reported across India in 2012 and 2011 respectively. 

A point worth noting is, out of these, around 24,470(2012) were committed by a relative or a neighbour.

Statistics show that, among Indian cities, New Delhi has the highest number of rape-reports.

OF THE MORE THAN 600 RAPE CASES REPORTED IN DELHI IN 2012, ONLY ONE LED TO A CONVICTION.

There are more statistics available for public consumption, but let’s try to see the real picture here.

India has been the rape capital of the world since its inception as a Republic.

It is estimated that during the partition of India, around 100,000 women were kidnapped and raped.

Sexual violence has become a common phenomenon during riots, as seen recently in the 2013 Muzzaffarnagar riots.

But, in the past few decades, there has been a tremendous increase in cases of rape, acid throwing and domestic violence against women. This may be due to the perpetrators’ lack of fear for the consequences of their actions and a reprehensible silence of the society.

What’s more shameful than this is that most of these callous criminals have gone scot free due to the lax laws and considerably mild penalties.

It should be noticed that there is a competition going on between the public figures of the nation to see who makes the most idiotic remarks on these unfortunate happenings!

In the aftermath of the 16^th December 2012 tragedy, Botsa Satyanarayana, a Congress Party leader was quoted as saying, “Just because India achieved freedom at midnight does not mean that women can venture out after dark.”

Even the CBI Director Mr Ranjit Sinha, although in a totally different context made a remark, “if you can’t prevent rape, enjoy it”.

This kind of mistake may be expected from a semi-literate politician but not from a senior IPS officer!

Even the society isn’t far behind in their treatment of the victims.

It is a known fact that rape victims in India, especially in rural areas, are often subject to shaming and considered unfit for marriage.

A lot of people protested in December 2012, some participated in demonstrations, bravely faced water cannons, some denounced with putting Black Dots as their profile pictures on Social Media Sites.

These widespread protests led to a relatively speedy conviction of the perpetrators and amends in the Indian Penal Code.

But, rapes are still happening in every part of the country, some even more barbarous than the past ones.

It’s as if the rapists are leaving no stone unturned to show their monstrosity.

We all know that our near & dear ones might become the targets someday (God Forbid), but while every sensible citizen denounces these crimes against women vocally, intentionally or not, people do sometimes turn a blind eye to these instances.

Even if half of the post December 16^th protesters had roamed the city streets as look outs, several rapes (or even other crimes) may have been prevented.( Not criticizing the protesters!! At least you people did what most could not!)

A cure may not emerge all of a sudden but let’s be hopeful.

And while we are doing that, let’s all pledge to open our eyes, be alert; ready to raise our voices & if push comes to shove, even becoming sentinels of all those in need of help.

©Copyright 2014 GarrulousGautam

WHERE HAVE ALL THE JOBS GONE???

*DISCLAIMER:

No particular community has been targeted or mocked here.

I am in total support of reservations as long as they focus on social upliftment of genuinely oppressed people.

I abhor the caste system or any other form of discrimination against any human being.

Here is a pic which depicts the current scenario of India where unreserved category people have to fight for jobs whereas reserved category people get those same jobs with less than 1/3rd marks!!

Currently, 49.5% seats are reserved in all government institutions and Public Sector undertakings.

How is a reserved category engineer/ doctor equally qualified as those who scored more than twice as him in the requisite qualifying examination???

Does the government really think that they can work properly when half their employees are not competent enough???

And the number of these incompetents is rapidly increasing due to all these free educational facilities which only very few enjoy while the general category guy struggles for the same resources!

It happens every day that all the posts mentioned in an advertisement are for reserved category only. The government has really succeeded in making general category people feel left out!!

It cannot and should not be conceived that all the people belonging to reserved category are narcissistic opportunists.

Millions of them genuinely need these resources, but they are deprived of this chance while some have been using the caste certificates for generations!

Many of us may have read about a certain Top Level Bureaucrat & representative of the Indian Government being harassed in a foreign nation. But, a lot of us don’t know that the aforementioned “Star” of Indian Government  is a multi-millionaire and comes from a prominent family of Top Level Bureaucrats and has been given each and every privilege possible (for one  such  privilege  even the Supreme Court Of India  said that rules were altered in order to favour a particular candidate by the  Government!!! Ultimately resulting in unfair dismissal from service of another Bureaucrat!!! ).

Some might be shocked to know that this Bureaucrat belongs to Scheduled Caste Category!

Here, the question arises that when one generation from reserved category has gained substantial prosperity by being selected in a good government job, why do their kids still use a caste certificate???

Are they unaware of others from their own community who did not have an upbringing as good as theirs and need those jobs more than them???

Article 46 of the Constitution states that "The State shall promote with special care the educational and economic interests of the weaker sections of the people,

AND (DOES NOT SAY “ONLY”), in particular, of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes, and shall protect them from social injustice and all forms of exploitation.”

This statement has been exploited by vote hungry politicians for almost half a century now!

The Constitution does not state that people from certain castes should enjoy benefits EXCLUSIVELY without any consideration to their economic background.

The Supreme Court, in its 16 November 1992 judgment in the Indra Sawhney case, ruled that reservations in promotions are unconstitutional, but allowed its continuation for 5 years as a special case.

A point worth mentioning is that there are NO SEATS RESERVED ON BASIS OF CASTE IN THE INDIAN ARMED FORCES!!!

Is this because the government thinks that incompetence can be tolerated in domestic administration but not on the issue of National Security?

Or the government forgot about ensuring a "level" playing field in the Armed forces??

There shall be no equality until these so called "under privileged" ones keep sucking up all the jobs! The only thing these pro-reservationists are achieving is sowing the seed of hatred as every deserving candidate who didn't get selected because someone with a caste certificate took his job will might even loathe the genuinely oppressed reserved category guy!!

I did not intend to write this long a post but there’s so much that is unsaid and unknown about this crisis and I could have continued on but it wouldn’t have made a difference as the ones who could do something may not even be able to read this blog whereas their counterparts with caste certificates are surfing the Net on their free laptops provided by the Government!!!
©Copyright 2014 GarrulousGautam