Need for HRD Interventions in Higher Education System--an Empirical Study.
| Author | Gurkoo, F.A. |
Introduction
Human resource constitutes the basic input to any system. Its significance to the educational system is quite overwhelmingly fundamental since educational administration is purely concerned with the development of the human resources to feed other sectors of the human activity. Progressive organizations worldwide have treated their people as their most important asset and probably have therefore become what they are today. The effective management of human resource is the key strategic issue for organization to face challenges of competition (Shah & Manzoor, 2015). Our colleges and universities, however, continue with the traditional form of HR governance. In the wake of globalization coupled with the emergence of private sector, the question of survival and the maintenance of standards for the universities are going to be hard tasks for the educational administrators in the near future, given the competition around them and the ever squeezing funding from the state governments. The scenario ahead is likely to bring new tensions together with unprecedented opportunities. To enable the universities to benefit from the changed circumstances will require new designs of human resource development. This calls for adoption of the HRD philosophy by the top brass of the educational institutions. Successful implementation of HRD philosophy, among others, involves the process of establishing an integrated system of HRD mechanisms. HRD mechanisms include: performance appraisal, potential appraisal, career planning, performance rewards, feedback and counseling, training, employee welfare, quality of work life, job rotation etc. The HRD subsystems or mechanisms deliver the results when put to work together in an integrated system. In an integrated system the outcomes of performance appraisals provide inputs for training needs assessments, rewards, career planning, and feedback and performance coaching. Mufeed & Qurrat (2015) and Mufeed & Jennifur (2016) stressed that HRD mechanisms are instrumental in creating learning organizations with a focus to improve individual's performance and attain overall institutional efficiency.
HRD Mechanisms
The study of HRD mechanisms attempts to measure the extent to which these mechanisms are implemented seriously. If implemented properly integrated HRD systems can contribute significantly to positive cultural changes, increased productivity and excellence in organization. Apart from training and development dimensions with which it is generally associated, HRD interventions can be effectively used to achieve behavioral changes, work culture, productive efficiency, quality and integration. The HRD mechanisms both for managerial and non-managerial cadres which are in vogue in the organizational context are: performance appraisal, feedback and counseling, potential appraisal, training and development, career planning and development, rewards mechanisms, employee welfare, quality of work life, job rotation, quality circles, workers participation and grievance mechanisms etc. Research studies indicate that the HRD system, barring a few exceptions, has not been adopted in its integrated form properly as yet at the organizational level. As far as universities are concerned HRD mechanisms need to be implemented to an optimum level since these mechanisms have a significant role in developing the personnel who have prime responsibility of developing the human resource of a country to meet cross sector demands.
Research studies report a mixed response on the status of HRD mechanisms. However, very few studies have reported its status at a good level. While Bhardwaj and Mishra (2002) in their empirical study found that senior managers obtained higher scores on 'HRD mechanisms', Rohmetra (1998) found 'the position depressing in the sample bank'. Shakeel (1999) found the status of 'HRD mechanisms' in both the sample universities at a Tow' degree. Rao et al (2001) in the study of 12 organizations that opted for audit of their HRD practices found that the integrated systems approach had not been implemented properly. The systems are not well integrated. The HRD subsystems, however, have evolved and matured to a substantial degree. The staff working in a university or any higher educational institution can broadly be divided into i) teachers ii) officers and iii) administrative staff. The HRD needs of all the three cadres are to be addressed in different perspectives, although some mechanisms for their development can be identical in some cases.
HRD Mechanisms for Teachers & Officers
Development of employees' competencies is a continuous process and most of it should take place on the job in the work place. The role of teaching staff in influencing the quality of educational process and its product is beyond question. S. Radhakrishnan, the then President of India, while discussing the role of teachers in education sector said, "the teacher acts as the pivot for the transmission of intellectual traditions and technical skills from generation and helps to keep the lamp of civilizations burning". Teaching is a complex activity and requires a good subject knowledge besides possessing necessary pedagogical techniques. While the competence in former is subject to change from time to time, the latter also needs to be improved. Mere possession of highest degrees is not sufficient for teachers. They need to have proficiency over their professional skills. Most of the teachers also feel that teaching can be adequately done without depending on any other academic source. But instances are rampant where university teachers with the highest academic excellence fail miserably in the class room (Sharma, 2000). This cadre continuously needs to update their knowledge. Otherwise, teachers of educational institutions tend to be rigid, conventional and conformistic with the passage of time. This is because in most educational institutions the teachers are expected to keep on teaching the same subject year after year.
Most of the literature on HRD initiatives in public and private sector suggests the mechanisms for managerial cadre. In fact, the mechanisms and systems were, right from the inception of integrated HRD initiatives in corporate sector with a professional outlook, devised for managerial/officer's cadres in 1975. The published work for this section of employees is in such abundance that some researchers/experts even feel that the literature on HRD was biased in...
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