Introduction
Industrial relations is a very complex and delicate issue in many organizations now days. An organization cannot progress unless there exists cooperation and relationships that are harmonious between the management team and the organization’s employees.
The term industry basically refers to any undertaking that is productive which a person or a number of people do. Relations simply imply relationships between the workers and their employer. Industrial relations are mainly rooted in the relationship between the worker’s unions and the employers (Bain and Woolven, 1979, p. 2-3)
Industrial relations can best be described as the relationships that exist between the employees, their employers and the government (Bendix, 2007, p. 39 – 50).
This does not leave behind the associations and institutions that play the role of mediation of these interactions. This does not only deal with the practice but also the study of management of labor, the element of collective bargaining and the act trade unionism (Blanpain, 1992, p. 65-70)
Like any other employer, Equity bank that operates in the Eastern part of Africa is faced with several industrial relations pressures. Being one of the fastest growing banks in the region, it is faced with several issues at the work place.
These issues range from the interactions that exist between individual employees, the employer and their workers, interactions between employers and the relationships that exist between the workers unions and the employers ( Kaufman, 1995, p. 5-18)
The aim of this paper is to bring to light all the employee relation issues that put the stated bank under so much pressure and to develop an efficient strategic plan that will be employed in addressing the analyzed issues.
National culture and comparative industrial relations theory
The industrial relations pressures at the bank will be analyzed using the national culture and comparative relations theory. The most important employee relations issues are developed well but there still exists a gap between improvements that have been made in the international industrial relations and the real actual stability of the employee relations sector (Barbash and Barbash, 1989, p. 123 – 154).
The industrial relation pressures at Equity Bank
Management efficiency and effectiveness
The term efficiency in the management context simply means doing things in the right way. On the other hand, management effectiveness is doing the right things. Management efficiency and effectiveness therefore implies doing the right things in the right way. In light of industrial relations, this concept refers to the act of managers handling their subordinates in the right manner at all times.
At this bank, there have been reported many conflicts between managers and their subordinates. The complains range all the way from the top management through the middle level managers up to and including junior supervisors at the branch levels.
The cases reported range from sexual harassment, ethnic and race discrimination, use of abusive language, unfair promotions, and biasness in treating staffs among several other issues.
These issues have coasted the organization part of its quality time in trying to settle the individual cases both internally and externally. Being the fastest growing bank in eastern and central region, it is expected to continue bringing in more and more employees. If the industrial relation pressure between the managers and their subordinates is not sorted out on time, it may become even more costly to the organization.
Career growth
One of the most important things that every employee longs for is the ability to move from one position to the other within the organization. Equity bank has been hard stricken by these issues because of its current promotion policy. There are two basis of promotion in any given organization.
One is performance and the other is seniority. Each organization chooses between the two, which one suits it most. One important thing to note is that each organization is affected in a different way by each factor depending on its internal operating environment.
As a profit making organization, Equity bank has decided to go the productivity way. Many senior workers have been subjected to situations of great crisis with the top management because of this decision.
Some of them claim that it is a subjective way of looking at things by the management and it has seen some junior staffs being promoted faster than the long serving staff. Some of the explanations they give seem to be making some sense. (Lewin, Michel and Sherer, 1992, p. 193-238)
The senior employees claim that the department in charge of performance monitoring only looks at the figures but they don’t look at the surrounding conditions. They claim that workers employed in hardship areas are rated nearly the same as those in fertile urban areas.
Senior workers in hardship areas end up putting in so much but reaping so little. At the end, the junior workers in fertile areas end up rising above the career ladder faster than their senior colleagues.
The affected staffs claim that the leadership team should either revise the promotion policy so that it be based on seniority or it should revise the targets of the branches accordingly. This has caused a lot tension in the organization that has seen some staffs leaving in search for greener pastures.
Productivity
The issue of productivity has also raised a lot of complaints across the board. Operating on the profit maximization goal, the staffs complain that the targets given to them are unrealistic. The issue of high targets and low return has caused great conflict between the management team and the workers. In fact, most workers see this as an intentional goal by the management to throw them from the book of getting end of year bonuses.
The leadership team on the other hand claims that it has provided the staffs with all they need in order to provide goal oriented results. The workers on the other hand claim that the current working environment cannot allow them to meet their targets. This has led to constant misunderstandings between the management and the rest of the working force which needs to be sorted out soonest possible.
Overtime
Another great concern has been that of overtime working hours. Most workers claim that most of their overtime dues are not paid and if paid, then the compensation is very low. They argue that the client base is growing at a faster rate than the recruitment process. This leads them to a lot of over work and the over time is not compensated accordingly.
The management on its side claims that some of the staffs just delay to finish their work in order to make a few cents out of over time hours. The managing director said that those working in main cities enjoy spending their evenings making some overtime earnings as they wait for the time jam to clear. This issue remains a thorn in the flesh for the bank’s harmonious operation.
Punctuality and attendance
This issue has affected the field officers especially in charge of credit and sales. The policy of the bank states that they have to report in the office before going to the field. Most of them claim that this policy is inconsiderate bearing in mind that sometimes they have to catch up with their customers early. Most of them need exemptions from this provision.
The management on the other side is trying to cub the idea of staffs staying in their houses and claiming to be in the field. They claim that clocking in and out is a practice that should be adhered to by all staff at all times. According to the leadership, this is meant to cub unauthorized absence. Some staffs claim that they come out of the field too late under some occasions hence this can not apply to their job description.
Customer service
There is a complaints book in every branch in which customers are expected to record all their concerns regarding the service they get from the staffs and the products that are at their disposal. Because of the belief that the customer is the king, the organization tries to avoid customer dissatisfaction by all means. Most staffs complain that in many instances, the organization favors the client at the expense of the staff.
Many claim that the staffs are treated as liabilities while clients are viewed as assets. The management claims that the customer is the future of the organization and hence they have to be satisfied under all costs. The worst scenario happened when some staffs were fired because of customer’s negative reports yet they were being followed up as the bank’s loan defaulters.
The staffs claim that the bank has like thrown them in a river full of crocodiles and let them to swim there. They feel insecure on their jobs and claim that they are discriminated against. This issue has caused unsettled disputes between the two parties that need to be handled with care to avoid any form of breaking.
Discrimination
This is one of the most serious relations issues within the bank that has now escalated from the staff up to the client. There is a general view that a majority of workers in the bank come from a single ethnic community. The same goes ahead to claim that a majority of promotions are given to members from the single ethnic community.
As a bank that is growing globally, claims of both ethnic and racial discrimination should not be heard leave alone practiced. This is an urgent issue that calls for quick intervention. This is why the following strategic plan is developed in order to handle this concern among the others that have been raised as pressing industrial relations issues facing the bank.
Strategic plan for Equity bank industrial relations pressures
Introduction
The team working to implement Equity bank activities in East Africa came together with assistance of experts from new line management consultants to develop this strategic plan. It provides Equity bank with a five year program implementation that will help in addressing issues of employee relations within the organization in the context of specific management or employee (or other stake holder) goals.
Background
Equity bank started as a building society that was operating in the republic of Kenya way back in 1984. Later on it transformed in to a micro financial institution before becoming an all inclusive Nairobi securities and Uganda securities public listed commercial bank (Olsen, 2007, p. 59-118)
The bank takes its services to the people to through its well structured financial services that are flexible, accessible and affordable. The bank has since then won several awards nationally and globally due to its financial model that is unique and transformational.
Purpose statement
We exist to transform the lives and livelihoods of our people socially and economically by availing them modern, inclusive financial services that maximize their opportunities.
Vision
To be the champion of socio-economic prosperity of the people of Africa.
Mission statement
We offer inclusive customer focused financial services that transform livelihoods, gibe dignity and expand opportunities.
Core values
- Professionalism
- Integrity
- Creativity and innovation
- Team work
- Unity of purpose
- Respect and dedication to customer care
- Effective corporate governance
Current products and services
- Personal banking
- Business banking
- Corporate E-banking
- Cash back services
- Retail internet banking
- Swift codes
- Loans
- M-kesho
- Mobile banking
- ATM card
- Trade finance
- Treasury services
Achievement and challenges
Equity bank has had several achievements in the resent past, it boasts of several awards globally due to their unique financial services. The bank has been invited to several international bodies and forum to share of the secret to their success. In January 2010, the CEO was named the on top 50 emerging market business leaders.
In October 2009, the bank was named as the microfinance bank of the year 2009. In September 2009, the bank received the Africa investor series awards 2009. In September 2009, the equity chairman was awarded the global prize in agriculture. In July 2009, Equity received the African business award.
In May 2009, it was named as the most sustainable bank of the year. In April 2009, it was recognized as the best bank in Kenya 2008/2009. In March 2009, it received the AI financial reward, and in early 2009, it emerged as the best bank overall 2009 & 2008 inter bank sports champions. There are several other achievements that can be found on the bank’s website.
Even though the bank boasts of several achievements, it is being faced by several human relations pressures that have been discussed at the beginning of this paper. The main goal of this plan is to develop a road map to handling the challenges that are faced by the bank in industrial relations matters.
Context analysis
The bank currently operates in three countries of Eastern Africa namely Kenya, Uganda and southern Sudan. The entire region has over one thousand ethnic and cultural groupings that reside in the area. Each country has its own political governance and the countries have several political parties that operate in them (Franz and Sarcina 2009, p. 238 – 248)
The region is diverse and hence it has varied climatic conditions ranging from good equatorial rainy farming land to arid and semi arid areas. Each area support different economic activities meaning that different banking products suit different climatic regions.
Swot analysis (Puiu, Stanciu and Sirbu, 2009, p. 68-73)
Strength
The smart tailor made Equity bank services that are affordable, flexible and accessible to all give the bank an upper hand in its operations within the region.
Weaknesses
The poorly designed human relations policy within the bank has been a great course of conflicts within the work force. This has affected the harmonious internal operations of the bank very much.
Opportunities
More than fifty percent of the middle and low class people in the region are not banked. This being the target of the bank, it gives Equity bank a great opportunity that can be utilized for growth purposes.
Threats
The high competition from the big international banks is the main threat to the operations of Equity bank within the region.
Strategic direction
The strategic direction of the bank is to look for the best way forward to handle the industrial relations pressures. Since these pressures had already been discussed in the first section, we will just name the objectives and then go to the implementation matrix direct (Davies and Ellison, 1999, p. 42-53)
Goal one – To improve management efficiency and effectiveness
Goal two – To review the policy on career growth
Goal three – To review the balance score cards for productivity
Goal four – To plan for overtime
Goal five – To review the punctuality and attendance policy
Goal six – To check on customer service issues
Goal seven – To review the human resource policy to check on discriminatio
Implementation matrix
Critical success factors
- Networking and collaboration- in order for this plan to succeed there will need to be collaboration between the employees of equity bank, the management team, the board of directors, the workers union and the government among other stake holders (Armstrong and Lucas, 1985, p. 192 – 214).
- Resource release- this is an undertaking that is expensive and it can’t be carried out without the needed resources. The finance department should be able to authorize and release any funds needed for the implementation of the plan.
Monitoring and evaluation
- Continuous monitoring and evaluation
- Documenting lessons learnt
- Annual reviews
- Quarterly/ area/ branch reviews
- Monthly reports
- Weekly reports
Conclusion
This paper sought to identify the industrial relations pressures evident at Equity bank. It has gone ahead to analyze each issue within the given contextual frame, and finally developing a simple and very clear strategic plan for dealing with those issues.
The paper finally ends by identifying the key success factors to the plan and the monitoring and evaluation tools that can be used to put the plan on check. Each part of this paper has to be treated with all seriousness for the overall success of the entire plan (marc, 2004, p. 14-19)
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