One of the prime objectives of Electronic Journal of Social and Strategic Studies is to enable young scholars to undertake analysis of issues in International Relations with well researched perspectives. Towards this purpose, a timeline of Indo-Pak relations published by Al Jazeera on 01 March 2019 was found to be quite comprehensive. The link is shared below:
Note: Scholars advised to seek prior written permission from Al Jazzera should they desire to reproduce a part or the full article published by them.Wednesday, April 22, 2020
Sunday, April 19, 2020
Understanding the Evolution of India's Foreign Policy: Pragmatic Purpose to Polemic Principle
Dr Dattesh D. Parulekar delivered a lecture on Tedx on the topic "Understanding the Evolution of India's Foreign Policy: Pragmatic Purpose to Polemic Principle".
Dr Parulekar is an Assistant Professor of International Relations & Strategic Studies at the Department of IR, School of International and Area Studies, Goa University. He specializes in India's Foreign Policy & Diplomacy, Chinese Political Economy, Sino Indian Affairs in the Indo Pacific, African Affairs and Political Economy of Latin America.
The link to his talk is given below:
Saturday, April 18, 2020
COVID-19: Universities are filling the void in International Cooperation
COVID-19:
Universities are filling the void in International Cooperation[1]
The COVID-19 pandemic
is not only a trial for health systems and public infrastructures but also a
test of global cooperation and forbearance. When international organizations
like the United Nations, the G20, and the G7 are struggling to carve out a role
for themselves in the global response to the deadly pandemic, the global
universities are fighting on the frontlines against the deadly virus. Although the
universities are far below the haute politique of international
relations, they are within the trough wrestling to seek out a vaccine, develop
therapeutics, and expedite mass production to effectively dispense the
treatments as widely and as fairly as possible.
The UN
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has pleaded for a unified global response as
nations turn inwards and seal each other off to combat the pandemic. The
silence of the Security Council has sent a signal of shambolic disunity, which
is resonating quite widely. Universities, on the other hand, are charged with
highly qualified teams of researchers who are working tirelessly to find a cure
and mitigate the impact of COVID-19.During the time of dire straits, the
scientists and scholars have become increasingly connected and interdependent, disregarding
concerns such as academic credit.
The universities and research centres are sharing data and collaborating across
national borders in extraordinary new ways.
Doctors,
engineers, scientists, researchers and university students across the world
have shifted gears and are applying their skills and knowledge to fight the
virus. The
Serum Institute of India (SII), the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer by
volume has partnered with the US-based biotech drug research company Codagenix.
The two partners have been working together with the utmost diligence and
meticulous efforts to develop a preventive vaccine against the novel
coronavirus.
At Oxford’s Jenner
Institute, one of the most reputed academic centers for vaccine research in the
world, a team led by Sarah Gilbert has identified a nonreplicating viral
vaccine candidate and is aiming for success in humans by June. The university
has recruited volunteers with human trials already going underway. The human
test is set to begin by April 22. The development of a vaccine is a glaringly slow
process, however, with the support of the international community the
academicians, researchers, and scientists are producing viable candidates and
lab research speedily. The vaccine is being simultaneously tested in animal
models by laboratories in the United States and Australia. There are plans for
large scale productions in China, India, and Italy.
The team of researchers
in Harvard’s Precision Vaccines Program is aiming to develop a COVID-19 vaccine
for the older population. Many institutes in the U.S. such as Tufts University,
Middleburg College and New York University are preparing to convert campus
dormitories to temporary hospitals to provide beds for COVID-19 patients
displaced from existing hospitals.
The Global Institute on
Innovation Districts engaged innovation districts across the world. The
institute effectively responded to what extent their research institutions, R&D
labs, companies, and other actors are advancing in the development of a
vaccine. The institute is focusing on the broad sector of life sciences to
include all research specializations that have been tapped to address the
pandemic.
The
universities are also collaborating with companies and volunteers who are
developing new solutions for creating and ramping the production of Personal
Protection Equipment (PPE). A few universities like North Western University,
University of New Hampshire and Michigan State University are developing 3-D
printed face shield projects.
Manu
Prakash, who is an Associate Professor of Bioengineering at Stanford University,
focused largely on low-cost medical devices. In March, he returned from Europe
where the pandemic was taking a toll. After returning he started an open-source
project to modify full-face snorkel masks into reusable Personal Protection
Equipment (PPE) for health care workers.
Pandemics like COVID-19
eventually generate opportunities for global cooperation. The United States and
China should have put aside their differences and tackled the pandemic
together. When the COVID-19 threatened the world and WHO stumbled, the two
countries could have united for coordinating a global response to the pandemic.
The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) based in the United States
should have assisted China in investigating the origin and nature of the
“mysterious virus” when Chinese counterparts were inordinate and required more
expertise assistance in the research. As China leads in the manufacturing and
exporting of active pharmaceutical ingredients, she could have cooperated with
the United States to mitigate the disruption of the drug supply chain. The
COVID-19 pandemic is a reflection of the incompetency of international
institutions and national leaders and their governments.
Nations eschewed
Multilateralism. After inequality persisted for decades, disaffected voters in
numerous countries have elected populist leaders in recent years. In
authoritarian positions, these leaders turned to nationalist norms and shrugged
off the international responsibilities and constraints imposed by international
organizations. Defeating the COVID-19 pandemic demands international cooperation
on all levels, however, the reinforcement of nationalist trends makes the
mechanism of delivery substantially weak.
When health
organizations and institutes continue to work on solutions for the COVID-19
pandemic, the world is reminded that this type of global and real-time
coordination doesn’t happen in isolation. It’s through communication networks
of small geographic innovation in areas of advanced research, rapid prototyping
and commercialization that success is achieved.
Many experts in the
world warned of humanity’s vulnerability to a pandemic before the coronavirus
outbreak. In the famous 2015 TED talk, Bill Gates highlighted the vast
financial resources that are employed for nuclear deterrence instead of funding
for pandemic preparedness. Contrarily, governments continued to see national
security in military and warfare terms, and the production of essential
pharmaceuticals was outsourced to the less expensive providers in the name of
private profit and public economy. Only strong international universities and
institutions can effectively respond to the deadly pandemic. It’s pertinent to
exacerbate global inequities and marshal the resources required to effectively
contain the future global crisis of this kind. COVID-19 will not be the last
pandemic. With more robust global institutions, developed and underdeveloped
countries alike can ensure that the next one is less disastrous.
[1] The article was originally
published on the Geopolitics Magazine on 16th April 2020.
[2] Ms. Saraswat is pursuing her
Bachelors in Global Affairs (Hons.) at the Jindal School of International
Affairs, O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat, Haryana, India. She can be
reached at 19jsia-anushka.s@jgu.edu.in.
Wednesday, April 15, 2020
Imagining Post-COVID19 World: Forestry, Fishery and Wildlife
Imagining
Post-COVID World:
Forestry,
Natural Resources and Pollution Control
Dr N Krishnakumar[1]
The
Post-COVID19 world will present challenges that have been compounded by
existing environmental issues as well as those that will emerge during this
phase when the world is battling to control the pandemic. Some concerns in the
mentioned dimensions are briefly mentioned below.
Shift in
Priorities: Natural Resources Management
Post
Covid19, a lot of shifts in priorities and shifts in sectoral approaches would
be needed. Natural resources management should get enough attention like
conservation of forest resources, conventional forestry, agriculture, Animal
husbandry and allied sectors. There is a need to strictly implement policies
relating to use of natural resources in the most prudent way possible.
Investments
for NRM has also to be stepped up, though finding financial resources for this
may pose challenges. Investments to natural resources management may even
shrink further as the priorities now will be in health sector and allied
services. There is no doubt that health sector has to get primary attention.
Fear looms large that mutated version of corona viruses may surface again, and
unless human beings get the herd immunity we may have to face the situation
till the situation tapers through a disciplined lockdown.
Diversion of
Forest Land for Development
We
should put a halt to diversion of forest lands for non-forestry purposes. Every
diversion of natural resources have to stop. Doing so may actually help
reordering of nature as the lockdown itself has shown recovery of Ozone layer
and other such indications.
Pollution
Control and Urban Landscape
Urban
sprawls have to be regulated. Pollution regulation through strict monitoring of
industries is a must. It is heartening to hear that water bodies like ponds, pools,
lakes and rivers are improving in the period of lockdown. Taking a leaf out of
the lessons in diminishing rate of air pollution, air traffic and road traffic
have to be regulated. Pooling of vehicles to decrease pollution have to be
encouraged.
Working
from homes have to be encouraged. Perceptive analysis of work-from-home
experience that is being gained may help in this dimension. However, this
should not adversely affect employment rate as it would affect productivity.
Zoos, Wildlife
and COVID19
One
theory on the origin of Corona suggests that it came from animals and bats to
humans. The probability that it could spread back into animal kingdom can
therefore be not discounted. Two major concerns in this aspect are:
·
Zoonotic
diseases remain a serious threat. Bronx zoo had reported corona in a tiger. This
calls for extensive screening and testing for corona in zoo and safari animals.
·
Impact
of corona on free ranging larger wildlife and their habitats required. At least
keystone species in important PAs to be covered under a rapid assessment.
Forestry and
Fishery
In
the forestry and fisheries sector, below mentioned aspects need serious
consideration:
·
An
ecosystem assessment across forest types, in forest soils, pollen and seeds, flowers
as carriers to be studied.
·
Impact
of corona virus after the lock down period, in terms of species recovery, species
fluxes and density diversity increases including invasives, due to minimal
human interference to be studied, to support management decisions. Impact of
hands off forestry in small forest patches and plantations need assessment.
·
Impact
of stray cattle as vectors ,transmitting diseases in wild life area need study
for fine tuning the grazing policy in forests
·
Research
to confirm status of urban parks ,as green lungs and health zones ,for Covid
recovery patients
·
Creation
of new knowledge base in forests for pests and diseases ,and viruses in
particular
·
Research on social issues with reference to tribal and
fringe villagers ,to asses corona impact in tribal hamlets and schools
·
Forest
road expansions and extensions to stop.
·
Research
on forest river and stream fauna,particularly fishes due to corona !!.
·
Scale
the veterinary research and support staff for management of zoonotics.
·
Regulated
tourism and ecotourism policy in PAs and forest zones
·
Research
into medicinal plant based research to support viruses controls
·
Existing
forest and wild life Acts to be strengthened to safe guard natural ecosystems
Agro, Farm and
Homestead Forests
Agroforestry,
Farm forestry, homestead forest to be given renewed impetus to prevent urban
migration. Rural youth should be discouraged from migrating to urban areas in
search of jobs. Rural youth can be engaged as fire watchers, wild life trackers
and NTFP based vale addition enterprises initiated in rural areas particularly forest
villages.
It
is hoped that these aspects will generate a healthy debate in scientific
circles to help embark upon a world that would be healthier, greener and more
sustainable than the point that we had reached before the pandemic visited the
Earth.
[1] Dr
N Krishnakumar is a former Indian Forest Service officer who headed the Forest
Force in Tamil Nadu as PCCF. The views expressed are his own.
Tuesday, April 14, 2020
Imagining the Post-COVID19 World: Importance of Educational Reforms
Imagining
the Post-COVID19 World: Importance
of Educational Reforms
Dr R Srinivasan
COVID19 figures are
just under two million as on date and the universe is already concerned about
economic down swing. The credit for the concern, justifiably, must be given to
our ability to communicate. It is but natural that saving humanity from the
scourge of COVID19 ought to be the immediate objective. The real objective,
however, should be to get our engines of economy firing on all cylinders from
the day COVID19 is brought under control, if not before.
In the developed West
the resuscitation may take lesser time since established knowledge and
technical wherewithal for such resurgence already exist. Unless political
leadership bungles these so badly, the developed nations should get back to
their status sooner the pandemic is under control. In the developing and
underdeveloped countries, the story is likely to be different and substantially
more difficult.
One of the key
challenges that developing world faces is in their ability to transform into
knowledge economies. Peter Drucker made an important observation when he said, “Traditional
economic factors such as monetary capital, physical labor, and raw material,
are becoming less important in comparison to the capability of adding value
through knowledge development, improvement, and innovation”[1].
Further he summarized the importance of knowledge capital as a key ingredient
in economic growth when he said, “The economic challenge of the post-capitalist
society will therefore be the productivity of knowledge work and the knowledge
worker”.
Research, innovation
and application of science in the developing countries needs to be ably aided
by a strong educational system from early school onwards which promotes merit. Schools
and higher educational institutions in public as well as private sector must be
evolved to become world class centers of knowledge with excellent supportive
infrastructure. The purpose of education should not merely be to produce
graduates but to produce skill at all levels that can be applied for the
development of society.
In the light of the
COVID19 environment, we find reports indicating that big firms are leaving
Chinese shores and that they will search for suitable countries to relocate.
Enthusiastic analysts are either hinting at or openly pointing at India as the
most favorable destination. Their arguments include India’s economic potential
and infrastructure growth in recent years. They also enthusiastically point out
that India can offer a larger and younger pool of manpower almost on par with
what was available in China. These forecasts are also getting debated and
analyzed across social and print media. Scholarly attention obviously is in
tow.
Such a euphoric
forecast needs to be also analyzed on the basis of certain realities. Without
going into elaborate discussion on the educational sector in India (for, such a
discussion would go beyond the space limit here), it would suffice to point at the
headlines of some reports:
1.
60% of engineering graduates unemployed
– Times of India reported on 18 March 2017 that less than 1% of engineering
students participate in summer internships, just 15% of engineering programmes
are accredited by the National Board of Accreditation and more than 60 percent
of technical graduates remain unemployed[2].
2. In June 2018, the Economic Times
reported that 94% of engineering graduates are not fit for hiring[3].
3. On 21 March 2019, India Today reported
that Over 80% Indian engineers are unemployable, lack new-age technology skills[4].
4.
In so far as non-technical graduates are
concerned, a survey by Wheebox, People Strong and CII in December 2019 found
that employability of Indian graduates jumps to 47% in 2019 from 33% in 2014[5], a
rise of 14 percent over a five year period.
As the moral of these
reports show, the challenges present before India (or for that matter, any
other nation in the developing part of the world) are: how to revamp the
education system in order to produce substantial number of graduates who are
skilled and employable? More importantly, can that be done in a short while,
since the COVID19 opportunity may not come again (yes, we pray that it never
comes again).
There is no doubt that
the silver lining from the dark cloud of COVID19 is casting its promising glare
on India. Hence, educational sector reform is an important aspect India must
look at this juncture. This point is equally applicable to any other nation
that is looking forward to gaining from this unique situation created by a
pandemic. The strength of the educational sector and its ability to produce
skilled and employable man power will significantly decide whether in the
post-COVID19 phase a country emerges victorious or not.
Coincidentally, India
embarked upon certain important reforms in the educational sector in the recent
years like granting 'Institution of Eminence' status to three public and three
private institutes in the country; making PhD a must for teaching at university
level for the entry-level designation of Assistant Professor from 2021; and,
introducing Prime Minister’s Research Fellowships at IITs and IISc. The
University Grants Commission has even embarked upon evaluating PhD thesis
submitted for qualitative content from 2019. Additionally, the government announced
a National Skill Development Mission in 2015. A separate ministry with a set of
institutions like National Skill Development Agency (NSDA), National Skill
Development Corporation (NSDC), and Directorate General of Training (DGT) were
also constituted. In 2020 Budget, the government set INR 3000 crore outlay for
National Skill Development Mission activities. The above initiatives clearly
indicate that the government is fully seized of the importance of knowledge as
fundamental to economic progress and greater social justice.
There are innumerable
challenges in gearing up to be a world class economy, particularly in the
aftermath of a pandemic like COVID19. But then, creating a world class economy
can never be worth just an ordinary day’s toil. There are other supplementary challenges
too that need to be addressed by the society. Commercialization of education
must be stopped by voluntary and regulatory methods. The spirit of the reforms
introduced by the government must be further strengthened by private endeavor.
India can fulfill its
destiny by becoming a world leader for it is endowed with tremendous potential.
To do so, our common objective should be to underwrite the purpose that the HRD
Minister said while launching Institutions of Excellence Program:
"The #InstituteofEminence are important
for the country. We have 800 univ, but not a single university in top 100 or
even 200 in the world ranking. Today's decision will help achieve this.
Improving ranking needs sustained planning, complete freedom & public institutes
getting public funding (sic),"[6].
Some areas that warrant
further contemplation and action in this regard are:
1. Quality
of Public Education: More than two thirds of children in
India go to government schools[7]. They
need quality in infrastructure as well as teaching staff if they are to realize
benefits of economic prosperity.
2.
Quality
in Teacher Training: Even though India has about 17000
Teacher Education Institutes with the capacity to produce 94 lac teachers
annually, the quality of teachers turned out by these institutes is in serious
question. The CEO of Niti Ayog made a pertinent observation in this regard when
he said, “reforms must be driven by administrative will and executed through a
well-established governance mechanism, clearly establishing ownership and
accountability for set work streams across multiple agencies”[8].
3.
Private
Sector Involvement in R & D: As compared to
developed countries, the number of private sector sponsored R&D
institutions in India are few. Also, the number of projects commissioned by
them through universities is still fewer. Unless this trend changes where
private sector sponsors research not merely in sciences but also in social
sciences and humanities, wholesome development of the society will remain an
uphill task. In a global comparison, India has a mere 0.63 percent share of
Private Sector R&D as compared to Japan (3.28%), USA (2.79%), Germany
(2.88%) and South Korea (4.23%) of its GDP[9]
[figures for 2015).
Mankind has faced
larger calamities and braved bigger storms. Small Pox, plague, Spanish Flu,
Ebola, HIV are just few examples. When we look around we find that there are a
plethora of other challenges too that we are engaged with. Take malnutrition,
for example, which claims millions of children annually[10].
Unless we emerge
victorious from COVID19 better prepared for economic revival as a knowledge
economy, we would find it hard to address inequality and social justice, in
addition to unemployment and lower growth rates. We must remember that history
has portent lessons of countries that foresaw their future and worked for it,
before actually emerging victorious.
[1] Drucker,
P. F. (1993). Postcapitalist Society. New York: Herper Collins Publishers.
[7] 65%
of all school-going children in 20 states, about 113 million, continue to get
their education from government schools, according to District Information
System for Education (DISE) and education ministry data. https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/private-schools-gain-17-mn-students-in-5-yrs-govt-schools-lose-13-mn-117041700073_1.html
[10]
UNICEF Global Nutrition Report 2018 says, “Nearly a quarter of children under
five years of age, 150.8 million, are stunted, 50.5 million children under five
are wasted and 20 million newborn babies are estimated to be of low birth
weight. At the same time, 38.3 million children under the age of five are
overweight. At least 124 of 141 countries struggle with overlapping burdens,
while millions of children under the age of five suffer with coexisting forms
of malnutrition”. See: https://globalnutritionreport.org/reports/global-nutrition-report-2018/conclusion-critical-steps-get-nutrition-track/
Saturday, April 11, 2020
COVID19: A Time for Corporate Introspection
COVID19:
A TIME FOR CORPORATE INTROSPECTION
Dr
R Srinivasan
Introduction
Winston Churchill is
quoted to have said “An optimist sees an opportunity in every calamity; a
pessimist sees a calamity in every opportunity”.
This maxim applies to
the corporate sector aptly in all circumstances, especially when the world is
locking itself down in the era of COVID 19. World Bank while assessing the
global slowdown said, “Global growth is
projected at 2.5 percent in 2020, just above the post-crisis low registered last
year. While growth could be stronger if reduced trade tensions mitigate
uncertainty, the balance of risks is to the downside. A steep productivity
growth slowdown has been underway in emerging and developing economies since
the global financial crisis, despite the largest, fastest, and most broad-based
accumulation of debt since the 1970s. These circumstances add urgency to the
need to rebuild macroeconomic policy space and undertake reforms to rekindle
productivity”[1].
The Corona Pandemic has not helped the World Bank outlook. On the contrary, there
are fears that the economic impact will worsen the global economy and take the
levels perhaps below the melt down figures of 2008. Kenneth Rogoff said that
2008 was like a dry run COVID19 in his analysis in the Guardian[2].
The Dow Jones
Industrial Average tumbled 6.3 percent, or more than 1,300 points, to close the
day at 19,898.92, its first close below 20,000 since 2017 and the broad-based
S&P 500 dropped 5.2 percent to finish at 2,398.10, while the tech-rich
Nasdaq Composite Index tumbled 4.7 percent to 6,989.84, reported ET[3].
In UK, USA, Japan,
India and EU, business is coming to a halt with hardly a trickle of output.
Nations are wringing their hands and placing further restrictions while at the
same time trying to reach out or enhance medical equipment producers to
supplement national reserves. In the organized sector, corporates have downed
their shutters. IT majors have asked their people to work from home.
Transportation and logistics chain are standing still except for a teeny weeny
segment catering for essential services. LOCKDOWN is translating into lockout,
though no employer or government is willing to look at the status as a lockout.
In these times of
cataclysm, an unforeseen opportunity is available to the corporations and big
brother industry – an opportunity that may well translate into higher
productivity when the world turns around firmly from the pandemic. The purpose
of this article is to look into some of those vistas that a promising future
presents. Broadly, we will consider Production and Processes as the two fields
we will explore. It is necessary to emphasize that the scenarios being discussed
are in the pre-COVID19 scenario when the corporate, presumably, was in its full
form of operations.
Production
Maintenance
of buildings and infrastructure. A number of compromises
are accepted and even ‘unsafe’ equipment are milked to prudent capacity in
order to meet production targets. While we work from home, it would be better
that those friendly calls from foremen, those little notes from section
heads/junior managers or even work men are pulled out and synthesized. A
dedicated team (if one doesn’t already exist in the company) now goes through
these in order to make detailed plans, identifying suppliers for replacement,
contractors for installation, permits and passes that need to be obtained from
various authorities, etc.
We should not finalize
the plans just by such expert committees alone. This is also an opportune
moment to consult with the people who actually work on these equipment hands on
and take their advice if they have a better one.
There are two benefits
of doing so: one, the man on the field will feel important. Two, the industry
may benefit from a more practical suggestion than those availed through
‘experts’.
The scenarios presented
in the box are representative. The scenarios will be far truer and lengthier
when such a focused “audit” takes place.
Processes
Rarely in the daily
life of a corporate can the luxury of time be indulged than during the present
calamitous era of COVID19. Many a friends of mine who are up to their neck in
the corporate world have, however, a different opinion. COVID or no COVID, they
just want to get back to their offices fast. The reason stated by them is the
cause of this paper. Their ‘video or con-call’ starts at 0800 and continues
till about 2100 or more on a daily basis!! They would rather be at work in
their office.
There is no activity
more damaging to productivity than a prolonged conference. From Harvard to
Timbuktu, there is as yet not even an iota of proof that calls and con-calls
have produced anything more than humor, some well-intended and mostly
acrimonious[4].
Instead of perennial con-calls (my apologies if the way I spell this appears
satirical!), the following activities may serve to bolster productivity and
help in the reconstruction of business when COVID19 is bid adieu.
Review Performance:
Performance Assessment Reports, by whatever name they are called are a standard
HR tool to assess retentions/promotions/adieus. However, most of the managers
who write them, like the ones who review them, have been chased and hounded
over production targets when these assessments were due. This is a time when
the appraisal process itself can be holistically reviewed to see whether it
matches the organizational objectives or has come to stay as a bureaucratic
tool to chastise angels and celebrate demons, (or vice versa if you please). This
is also a time when the senior management, assisted by HR, can re-review them
to see if they have missed a man who should have been promoted or raised a man
who didn’t much deserve. The luxury of contemplation can be indulged now.
Reinforce
Sales/Marketing Ethics. Yes, ethics. A number of middle
and lower level managers either step to the left or right of this domain
particularly when QE reports are due. A review of sales figures can now be
undertaken to find sudden spurts in the third month of any quarter. If
consistently seen with reference to a particular Branch or office, time to
check. In the process, if it is seen that certain procedures for checks and
balances need to be strengthened, now is the time. It is also a time when
random sampling can be used to contact high value customers to find out their
honest assessment about the marketing/sales team as well as the product.
Cost-to-Process
(CTP). This is a concept I would like to talk about at this juncture. We are
pretty familiar with CTC, cost of production, cost of sales, etc. However, it
is not difficult to appreciate that even processes incur costs. Take for
example, the need for certain stores in the production line. How does the
workman demand? How fast is it processed? The intangible phenomena is actually
worked by people who get paid to move this cycle. Can they actually move it
faster than now? With time in hand, this question can be studied and company
specific models can be evolved for implementation when normalcy returns. Use
the opportunity to propagate to the last man down the line that efficient
processes and efficacy of business actually mean the same.
T&D.
Training and employee enrichment is an activity that can be done at peace.
Virtual Conferences and training sessions, limited in time of course, can be
formalized to impart training to employees while they sit at home in front of
their mobile/tab/laptop/tv screens. Virtual feedback on how to utilize the
knowledge for enhancing productivity would pay dividends.
I am reminded of a boss
of mine who would insist a personal interview before and after a training
program. He had just two questions to ask.
Before the training
session: What do you expect to learn?
After the Training
Session: State any one point you learnt and tell me how will you implement?
I had seen many of my
colleagues opting not to go for Executive Development Programs so long as he
was the boss!!
Compliance
Regime. The compulsions of time and targets would have
resulted in striking compromises in compliance regime in the so called peace
time. While waging the war on Corona, it would be good to visit compliance
policies and their execution. Take for example, Effluent Treatment. When global
warming is threatening life on earth, it would do well to emerge as a Green
Company. Apart from advertisement value, the service to community will set you
apart. Innovative ideas to emerge as one during these times can pay rich
dividends.
Legal
Battles. There is no corporate that doesn’t have a folio of
cases and a troop of legal minds to fight its cases in courts. It is time now
that the senior executives visit details of each case to review the company
stand. It is also time to foreclose cases where a bit of generosity to an
employee can bolster company image.
Ancillaries/Subsidiaries.
This is the time for senior management to interact with them, notwithstanding
the wealth of information already available through middle level managers. What
problems do they face in interacting with the company, what their observations
for betterment, have they faced any specific trouble with any individual
employee (in official capacity), how are they coping with the lockdown? Is
there that the ‘big brother’ can do for them? These are but few questions.
Interactions at leisure now can yield inputs that may help energize activities
in future.
Support
staff. are actually what their nomenclature suggests –
support. COVID19 time is a good time to tell support staff that we are
concerned. Even state/provincial authorities can be approached for centralized
assistance to their families in terms of medicines, provisions, etc. A dollar
spent on them in their hour of need will repay thousands in due course. We must
remember that loyalty is a two way passage. What comes down will certainly go
up!! Incidentally, we should not forget the housekeeping/security/other such
contractors. Since most of their labour is likely to on daily wages, reaching
out to them will earn the kind of goodwill that only a challenging time like
now can present.
CSR.
Nothing builds company image like good CSR initiatives. In other times, top
management may not have the time to innovate. But as Churchill said, CSR is the
order of the day in crisis times. An assessment of the outlay having been
taken, corporates can divert substantial amounts for substantiating medical and
paramedical equipment/accessories. Big house can even create medical
facilities, donate ambulances, critical care equipment and carry out huge
sanitization drives in conjunction with state administration. Smaller entities
can supply and add on to these resources in any manner that is feasible.
CSR can also look to
providing for SHGs of women who are into tailoring, for example. Such units can
be provided the cloth and raw material necessary for manufacturing safety
attire, scarves, masks, aprons, etc for the medical community which is fighting
to save mankind. Such an initiative will not merely bolster small and micro
industries, but will provide financial relief to families dependent on them.
Conclusion
The objective of this
article is to rekindle the thought process of corporate minds. Every success
story is necessarily written by blood and sweat. More importantly, it is
co-written by the capacity to introspect and evaluate one’s own self in times
of crisis. Corporates, it is accepted, exist because some business needs to be
carried out and profits earned. But beyond those profits, there is a necessity
to introspect from an angle that is out of the box, for such introspection when
opportunity affords it, can turn the corporate’s business as well as social
image gainfully. By avoiding wasteful exercises in merely consuming time in the
lockdown scenario of COVID19, much could be changed for better productivity if
we avail the opportunities presented by compulsions of time.
[3] https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/stocks/news/covid-19-impact-dow-jones-sheds-more-than-1300-points-in-latest-us-stocks-rout/articleshow/74701979.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst
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