Resources, Energy, and Growth in the Indian Context

Introduction

It takes nature about 5 million years to produce the fossil fuels the world consumes in 1 year. The modern way of life is dependent on fossil fuels whether it be for furniture, entertainment, comfort materials, etc. However, fossil fuels are non-renewable in nature. Since 1860, geologists have discovered over 2 trillion barrels of oil (318 km³). Since then, the world has used approximately half of it. ^[1]

Once a source starts producing fossil fuels, be it oil or coal, it’s only a matter of time before it a matter of time before it enters a decline. Individual mines and wells have different production rates. When taken together, we find that the production increases after the source has been discovered, reaches a peak and enters a permanent fall. In 1956, Shell geoscientist M King Hubbert predicted that the overall petroleum production would peak in the US between 1965-75.^[2] In 1970, the US oil production peaked and entered a permanent decline. Subsequently in 1974 Hubbert projected that global oil production would peak in 1995.^[3] Various predictions were made by others as trends fluctuated in the intervening years claiming different dates for global peak oil. Hubbert’s theory, and its implications for the world economy, remain the only factual proof about the case.

Evidence is mounting that the world’s oil production is peaking, or is close to it. The rate of discovery of new oil fields peaked in the 1960s. Over 50 years later, the decline in discovery of new oil fields seems unstoppable. 54 of the 65 major oil producing nations have already peaked in production. India said to have peaked in 2007.

Modern cities are fossil fuel dependent. Even roads are made from asphalt, a petroleum product, as are the roofs of many homes. Large areas would be uninhabitable without heating in the winter or air-conditioning in the summer. Suburban sprawl encourages people to drive many miles between work, school and stores. Major cities have been zoned with commercial and residential areas placed far apart forcing people to drive. This concept of Suburbia was designed on the assumption of plentiful oil and energy. Chemicals derived from fossil fuels, i.e. petrochemicals are essential in the manufacture of countless products from phones to footballs. The modern system of agriculture is heavily dependent on fossil fuels, as are hospitals, aviation, water distribution systems, and the military. Fossil fuels are also essential for the creation of plastics and polymers which become the key ingredients in computers, entertainment devices and clothing.^[1] We are so dependent on oil and other fossil fuels that even a small disruption in supply may have far-reaching effect on every aspect of our lives.

Energy

The average Indian uses 6.42 MWH of energy per year, i.e. the equivalent of 2.4k slaves working 24 hours a day.^[4] Materials which store this energy for work are called fuels. Different fuels have different energy densities, i.e. the amount of extractable energy in the material per unit mass or volume. Of these fuels, oil is the most critical. India consumes 211.42 MT of oil per year, which is equal to 267.62 m³. In the year 2011-12, 81% of India’s oil was imported from Saudi Arabia (28.17%), Iraq (14.09%), UAE (10.68%), Nigeria (9%), Kuwait (8.91%), Iran (6.38%), Malaysia (4.97%), Angola (3.98%), Indonesia (3.31%) and few others (10.51%).^[5] Several factors make oil unique. It is energy dense (46.3 MJ/kg), liquid at room temperature, easy to transport, and usable in small engines.

To acquire energy, energy needs to be used. The trick lies in using smaller amounts to find and extract larger amounts. This is called EROEI (Energy Returned On Energy Invested). If more energy is used to get the fuel than is extractable from the fuel, it’s not worth the effort of extraction.

It is possible to convert one fuel source into another, at the expense of energy density contained. For example, there are unconventional fuels such as tar sand and shale, both of which can be converted to synthetic crude oil. However, this requires large amounts of heat and freshwater reducing their EROEI which varies from 1.5-5.

Coal exists in vast quantities and generates almost half of the India’s electricity. India uses almost 535.88 MT of coal per year. Production issues arise as surface coal is depleted and miners have to dig deeper and in less accessible areas. Many use destructive mountain-top removal to reach coal deposits, causing environmental mayhem.

Natural gas is often found alongside oil and coal. Indian gas production is said to have peaked in 2001.^[6] Recent breakthroughs have allowed the extraction of unconventional natural gas, such as shale gas, which might offset the decline in the years ahead. However, it is controversial as it needs high prices to be profitable.

Large nuclear fuel reserves for fission still exist. To replace the 3.57 petawatt hours India currently produces per year by fossil fuels would require 303 nuclear power plants.^[4] At that rate, the known reserves of fossil fuels would last for only 2 years. Experiments with Plutonium based fast breeder reactors in France and Japan have been expensive failures. Nuclear fusion faces massive technical obstacles.

Wind power has a high EROEI, but is undependable. Hydropower is reliable, but most rivers are already dammed. Conventional geothermal power-plants use existing hotspots near the Earth’s surface. They are limited to those areas. In the experimental system, 2 shafts are driven 10 km deep. Water is pumped down one shaft to be heated in fissures then rise up the other generating power. This technology might supply 138µ% of India’s energy. Wave power is restricted to coastal areas. The energy density of waves varies from region to region. Transporting wave generated energy in land is challenging. Also, the salty ocean environment is corrosive to turbines. Bio-fuels are fuels that are grown. Wood has an energy density of 18 MJ/kg, i.e. 39% of that of crude oil, and grows slowly. India uses 216 MT of wood per year. Bio-diesel and ethanol are made from crops grown from petroleum powered agriculture. The energy profit from bio-diesel is 42.2 MJ/kg and that of ethanol is 30 MJ/kg. Some scientists consider turning corn into ethanol. Using ethanol to supply 10% of India’s oil demand in 2012 would require 3% of India’s land, i.e. 5% of the agricultural area of India. To supply all of India’s oil consumption, would take 50% of the land used to grow food.

Hydrogen has to be extracted from natural gas, coal, or water; which uses more energy than is generated from hydrogen. This makes a hydrogen economy unlikely. All of India’s photovoltaic solar panels working at 100% efficiency are expected to generate as much electricity as 9 coal power plants by 2020. The equivalent of 1-4 tons of coal are used in the manufacture of 1 solar panel. 29,293 km² of panels would have to be covered to meet India’s energy demands. As of 2010, there were only 133 km². Concentrated solar power, or solar thermal, has great potential. However, at the moment, only 6.42 km² of installations have been made.^[7] They are limited to sunny climates using large amounts of electricity to be transmitted over long distances.

All the alternatives to oil depend on oil powered machinery or require material such as plastics that are produced from oil. When considering future claims of amazing new fuels or inventions, it must have a working commercial model of the invention. The energy density must be high enough to make it commercially viable to extract energy out of it. It must be easy to store and distribute, reliable, scalable, devoid of hidden engineering challenges and environment friendly. A transition from fossil fuels is a monumental challenge. As of 2013, coal generates 50% of India’s electricity; 10% is from natural gas, 9% is from oil and 31% from hydro. Nuclear and renewables other than hydro only generate 1% of India’s energy demands. It is difficult to replace a system based on fossil fuels with a patchwork of alternatives. Major technological advances, political will and cooperation, massive investment and international consensus would be needed. It would involve a retro-fitting of the $1.8 trillion Indian economy including transportation, manufacturing industries, agricultural systems and officials competent enough to manage the transition. If such a change is put in place, the current way of life must change.

Growth

Humanity has lived on a model of growth since the discoveries of oil and coal. Growth, low or high, produces large increases in total volume over time due to an exponential effect. At a 1% growth rate, an economy doubles every 70 years. At 2%, it doubles in 35 years. At a 10% growth rate, it doubles in only 7 years. If India keeps growing at the current rate of 3.2%, it will double every 22 years. With each doubling, the demand for energy and resources will exceed all the previous doublings combined.

Banks lend money they don’t have, in effect, creating it. The borrowers use the newly created money to build their businesses and pay back the debt with an interest payment, which requires more growth. Due to this debt-created money, most of the world’s money represents debt with interest to be paid.^[8] New and ever-larger generations of borrowers produce growth and thus pay off these debt, inflating the balloon of world economy to the point near its collapse. This system is meant to either expand, or die. Partly through this debt system the effects of economic growth have been spectacular in GDP, damming of rivers, water use, fertilizer consumption, urban population, paper consumption, motor vehicles, communications, and tourism. Economic expansion has also resulted in increases in atmospheric nitrous oxide and methane, ozone depletion, increases in great floods, damage to ocean ecosystems, including nitrogen runoff, loss of rainforest and woodland, increases in domesticated land, and species extinctions.

Conclusion

The Indian Economy grows at about 3.2% an year consuming increasing amounts of non-renewable fuels, minerals and metals, as well as renewable resources like water, forests, soils and fish faster than they can be replenished. At this rate, the economy will double every 22 years. The problem is intensified by other factors: Globalization allows people on one to buy goods and food made by those on another. The lines of supply are long, placing strains on a limited oil resource.^[9] We now rely on distant countries for basic necessities. Modern cities are fossil fuel dependent. Most Banking Systems are based on debt, forcing people into a spiral of loans or repayments - producing growth.

Conservation will save money, but it alone won't save India. If some people cut back on oil use, the reduced demand will drive down the price, allowing others to buy it for less. In the same fashion, a more efficient engine that uses less energy will, paradoxically, lead to greater energy use. In the 19th century, English economist William Stanley Jevons realized that Better steam engines made coal a more cost effective fuel source, which led to the use of more steam engines, which increased total coal consumption.^[9] Growth of use will consume any energy or resources saved through conservation.

So called sustainable growth or smart growth won't help, as it also uses non-renewable metals and minerals in ever increasing quantities. Recycling will not solve the problem, as it requires energy, and the process is not 100% efficient. It is only possible to reclaim a fraction of the material being recycled; a large portion is lost forever as waste.

Many economists believe that the free market will substitute one energy source with another through technological innovation. However, the main substitutes to oil face their own decline rates. Substitution also fails to account for the time needed to prepare for a transition. The issues of energy shortages, resource depletion, topsoil loss, and pollution are all symptoms of a single, larger problem: Growth. As long as our financial system demands endless growth, reform is unlikely to succeed.

What should a person do to prepare for such a possible future? The society must fall back to a simpler state, one in which energy use is a lot less. This would mean a harder life for most. More manual labor, more farm work, and local production of goods, food and services. Supplies of food and goods from far-away places must be decreased. Walking and recycling must gain importance. People must get used to using less electricity and debt, and try to avoid banks. Instead of shopping at megastores, local businesses must be supported. Food grown locally must be brought. Gardening to grow one’s own food is also an option, while learning how to preserve it. Should the larger economy fail to function^[10], local currencies will need to be used while developing greater self-sufficiency. None of these steps will prevent collapse, but they might improve chances in a low energy future, one in which we will have to be more self-reliant, as our ancestors once were.^[11]

References

1. There’s No Tomorrow. Incubate pictures. 2012.
   
   
2. Hubbert M K. Nuclear energy and the fossil fuels. Exploration and Production Research Division, Shell Development Company, Houston Texas. June 1956.
   
   
3. Grove N. Oil, the d\Dwindling Treasure. National Geographic. June 1974.
   
   
4. Energy Statistics. Central Statistics Office, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of India, New Delhi. 2013.
   
   
5. Crude Oil Import in India Data and Reports. InfodriveIndia.com. 2014.
   
   
6. Forecasting India's oil and gas reserves and production potential. ASPO International. 1 January 1991.
   
   
7. Fossil and Nuclear Fuels – The Supply Outlook. Energy Watch Group. p 91. March 2013.
   
   
8. Crash Course Chapter 12: Debt. Peak Prosperity.
   
   
9. Galuszka P. Will Shipping Fuel Price Hikes Scuttle Globalization? CBS Money Watch. 5 August 2008.
   
   
10. Jevons paradox. The Encyclopedia of the Earth. 8 October 2006.
    
    
11. Haley J. Some communities are printing their own currency. CNN. 22 April 2009.
    
    
12. Coal. US Energy Information Administration.
    
    
13. Dukes J S. Burning Buried Sunshine: Human Consumption of Ancient Solar Energy
    
    
14. Campbell C J. Peak Oil: A Turning for Mankind.
    
    
15. Oliver Rachel. All about: Food and fossil fuels. CNN. 17 March 2008.
    
    
16. Horgan G P. Wood Energy Economics. FAO.
    
    
17. Bartlett A. Forgotten Fundamentals of the Energy Crisis.
    
    
18. Vitousek P, Ehrlich P R, Ehrlich A H, Matson P. Human appropriation of the products of photosynthesis. 1986.
    
    
19. Galdikas B M. The Vanishing Man of the Forest. The New York Times. 6 January 2007.
    
    
20. Orlov D. Post-Societ Lessons for a post-American Century. 2005
    
    
21. Orlov D. Thriving in the Age of Collapse. 2005.

The Harbor Line - Mumbai Experiences

After 2 years in this Monstrocity, I finally completed my list of all scenic spots / experiences / activities in Mumbai. Below are my 22 favorite recommendations from the list.

1. Prithvi Theatre

Starting with a cliché. But clichés exist for a reason. I don't think anyone exits Prithvi Theatre as the same person as they went in after watching a play there. This place is yet to disappoint me in in terms of the quality of the plays they stage there.

Bonus tip: Go on a weekday and you'll probably find some great actor or musician from our times. If you're lucky, they'll be sitting in the cafeteria and performing for the crowd.

2. Drive an auto

Try it out in Bandra. Even the autowallas are cool in Bandra. Because if Salman Khan can do it, so can I (though I admit my driving skills are slightly better).

3. Drive on the Sea Link

I cannot explain the feeling of driving in Mumbai on a road without traffic. But if there was a highway to heaven, it'd have the sea link on it.

4. Breakfast at Taj Lands End

The finest spread of breakfast in Mumbai. Their Breakfast Lounge offers a view of an exquisite lobby and the most elaborate breakfast in the city. What better way to start the day?

Bonus tip: Try making a salad in a bowl.

5. Belapur Fort

Most of the fort is in ruins now. The only feature of interest is a long plank which goes a distance into the sea. Not for the faint hearted, try if you dare.

6. Kanheri Caves

It's not the destination that matters. It's the journey. Go through a single mountain cut by an ancient Buddhist civilization long before Mumbai was Mumbai. Built in the heart of a forest which in turn is in the heart of Mumbai, this never disappoints.

7. Global Vipassana Pagoda

If you've stayed in the city for too long, at some point you will want to get "away from it all". The Pagoda is the only place that offers a solace that is the very opposite of the nature of this city.

Bonus tip: They have 10 minute Vipassana sessions through the day. Try it out. Gives you a calm seldom bestowed upon a Mumbaikar.

8. Stay at Taj Mahal Palace

Unarguably the finest hotel in Mumbai. This hotel boasts not only of the guests of the highest order, but Sea Lounge which offers a view of the rising Sun in Mumbai, a carriage-parking-space converted to a swimming pool, and quite literally anything you can ask for will be delivered. They live to serve.

Bonus tip: Ask for the Indonesian rice at the Shamiana. You're welcome.

9. Film City

They conduct tours for the public but you need to book fast as there are limited spots everyday. The booking system is effective though not too professional or transparent. But they won't cheat you.

Bonus tip: Hang around the gates for a while. You're not allowed to smoke inside so you're likely to find your favorite actors coming out for a whiff.

10. UFO Revolving Restaurant

It's just a restaurant with a revolving floor. Not much novelty there. But if the concept excites you as it did me, you're going to make a trip to Kandivali. Though that might be the only thing you'd ever goto Kandivali for. #NeverNorthOfAndheriAgain

11. Kharghar Hills

They open it only for 2 hours in the morning between 5 - 7. And its completely worth the early morning trip to Kharghar. The most bautiful view of the city awaits you infront of a Sun rising from behind the mountains. If happiness had an image, it'd be there. At sunrise.

Bonus tip: Take the right from the diversion and walk. You'll know where to stop.

12. Esselworld

No. Not Imagica. Esselworld. 3 reasons. (1) It's every 90s kids dream. (2) It has "Top Spin". Imagica doesn't. (3) Esselworld mein rahunga main. Ghar nahi jaunga main.

13. Get Wet in the Rain

You haven't embraced Mumbai if she hasn't drenched you in her rains. At some point you need to let go and embrace her love and that day, you become a true Mumbaikar. I did it by Powai lake. Can't imagine a more appropriate place.

14. Trendy Taste

If you haven't gone to college in Vile Parle, then you are probably unaware of this place. Its a shop that promises to bring back memories for the 90s kids. And yes, there's a new discovery of twisty potatoes waiting for you that makes you say - French Fries, but better.

15. Mumbai Marathon

It's a one-of-a-kind unique experience in Mumbai. I admit I have only thought of running it and the mere thought has made me lose a pound of weight. I have since then tried to ride it on a bicycle but only managed half the distance. Then I just drove it.

16. Stand Up Comedy

No it's not going to a stand-up comedy show. Mumbai offers more. You can goto an open mike event and perform. Try it out. It'll be one of the most self-discovering experiences you ever have.

17. Comic Con

Presently the only city in India that offers Comic Con. The only place where geeks can hope to get laid. But don't let that be your only incentive. The energy at Comic Con is unlike any other.

Bonus tip: Get the VIP pass. It's worth the money.

18. Shadow Dabbawallahs for a day

By far the most challenging of my tasks. But to get a feel of the spirit of the city, shadow a dabbawallah for a day to understand a day in their life. It'll teach you a lot about respect, Mumbai, and ethic. A record of consistency takes sacrifices, discipline, and rigor. And no one does it better than a Mumbai dabbawalla.

19. DDLJ at Maratha Mandir

Every day at 10:30 AM DDLJ screens at Maratha Mandir. And every day scores of fans fill up the auditorium and whistle when Raj appears playing basketball in what is too short to be shorts. The fans still cheer when Simran catches the train and sing along with "na jaane mere dil ko kya ho gaya". The magic continues.

Bonus tip: Get the dress circle. Always get the dress circle.

20. Khotachiwadi

It's Mumbai's Diagon Alley. You won't find it if you're not looking for it. Hidden in a small alley at Grant Road, it's the remnants of about 26 bungalows from Portuguese times. They're slowly being torn down to give way to sky scrapers. So try it out while it lasts.

21. Vasai Fort

Some people find ruined forts haunted. Some find them romantic. It's definitely Mumbai's most preferred pre-wedding shoot location. But if walls could tell a story, you'd find them shouting in Vasai Fort.

22. Nehru Science Center

There's nothing too special about the overall place. It's a science museum, if such a thing interests you. But there's a "giant heart" which you can step into. Now what can be better to kiss someone inside a giant heart?

No pictures for this one. Go see it for yourself.

Strategic Workforce Planning

Imagine knowing that your right hand person, is at a high risk of leaving. Imagine if you could predict who was at a high risk of leaving your organization, 12 months before the resignation arrives, regardless of location, department, level, gender, ethnicity and person. Imagine if you could easily find your 10 leading performers who are at risk of leaving. What if you could know not only who is at risk of leaving but also why? And how much it is expected to cost you? What if you could know that one more hour in the day or one more vacation a year could keep your employees engaged and improve your bottom-line? Strategic Workforce Planning takes you to the future by helping you find this information. Let us begin by understanding the concept of Strategic Workforce Planning through a small Case.

Plan Appétit is a newly opened 100 seat restaurant in the financial district of Vancouver. Based on a market study, the restaurant anticipates reaching full capacity at the end of its first year. All full capacity, the restaurant would serve about 900 patrons per day, or 6,300 patrons per week, or 25,200 patrons per month. As per the planned marketing effort, the restaurant anticipates a 10% increase in clientele each month. With these marketing insights, the restaurant manager creates a staff augmentation plan. The restaurant manager now knows how many staff members will need to be added each month. This means the restaurant can conserve funds by not hiring all the staff all at once. It can instead divert those funds into other activities to grow the business.

Strategic Workforce Planning is understood as a core process of human resource management that is shaped by the organizational strategy and ensures the right number of people with the right skills, in the right place at the right time to deliver short-and long-term organization objectives. Sibson Consulting uses this definition to construct a framework to implement Strategic Workforce Planning as shown in Exhibit 1.

It typically starts with the organization’s business strategy, operations plans, and people management strategies. This implies that organizations engage in rational planning activities – or at least are in a position to articulate some elements of these strategies in structured coherent ways. Qualitative and quantitative workforce information is then gathered which should assist in providing an understanding of the current situation and what needs to be change to meet these strategic requirements in the future. Such information includes the number of staff that the organization estimates will be required, their location, and their skill requirements.

The next stage involves data analysis and clarification of the picture. This typically sees HRM and business managers contributing their observations and predictions around resourcing requirements. These discussions should result in agreement about what the plan is trying to achieve, which is then reviewed against available resources. To do this, planners will need to review the supply of labor, internally and externally, assess the potential capability of the workforce to develop any requisite skills, and then identify areas where recruitment will be needed. An example of this process in action at Siemens, along with the role played by the HR function, is outlined below.

Siemens is a global engineering and technology services company employing over 400k employees worldwide with revenues of nearly €73.52 bn in 2010-11. Business environment analysts identify the markets that are attractive to Siemens and as the company develops its strategies to take advantage of market opportunities, people implications are identified on either a business unit or geographic basis. The workforce plan is used to identify not only people resources to deliver business objectives, but also the HR resources needed to support this. The HR business partner engages business unit management teams on workforce planning implications of their business strategy, examining the type of competence that will be required in the next year and making an assessment of their availability in the marketplace. The HR specialists establish the process for workforce planning, the consistent application of tools and systems across business units, and performance/progress reports over the period of the plan.

Whilst the literature concerning workforce planning is dominated by strategic concerns, the success of the process is underpinned by good relationships between business and workforce planners at the strategy level and between HR business partners and an organization, which drives the process, and securing line manager input, i.e. those who know locally and operationally whether plans are realistic, can be challenging, especially for geographically diversified organizations. Given that line managers are usually tasked with the delivery of the workforce plan, they will need to be clear as to the future direction of the organization and how it will impact their team/department. Consequently this will require them to have a vehicle for creating dialogue with managers concerning these micro-needs.

Finally workforce planning increasingly has to account for wider demographic issues that are beyond the control of the organization. Different stages pose complex work-life challenges for employees which have implications for workforce planning. Where older workers are concerned, they possess a range of attitudes towards retirement and planning for it and that a “one size fits all” approach is not possible. This highlights the tensions organizations face in meeting work-life requirements and operational requirements within existing resource capabilities.

References

1. CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel Development) 2010, Approaches to change: building capability and confidence. CIPD, London.

2. CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel Development) 2010, Workforce Planning: Right People, Right Time, Right Skills. CIPD, London.

3. Sibson Consulting 2009, Strategic Workforce Planning. The Segal Group Inc., New York.

4. Gilmore, S & Williams, S 2009, Human Resource Management, 2nd edn. Oxford University Press, Oxford.

5. Acas 2014, Age and the workplace. Acas, London.

6. Malik F, McKie, L, Beattie, R & Hogg, G, 2010, A toolkit to support human resource practice. Personnel Review, 39/3: 287-307, Bingley.

7. Flynn, M, 2010, The United Kingdom government’s “business case” approach to the regulation of retirement. Ageing and Society, 30/3: 421-43, Champaign.

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Indian Girl in a Foreign Land

Written as a Ethics Case Study for business-school discussions and deliberation.

(1)

Vats was not a frequent bar visitor. He was rather known as an introvert and kept to himself. Some people did have the luxury of his time, but when it got too much for him he’d play songs by Rebecca Black and Justin Bieber just to shoo people away from his room. He didn’t have too many close friends, neither did it seem that he wanted to make any. However, when Pasha, one of the few who had been able to penetrate into his shell asked him to join the gang for a night at the local bar, Vats conceded. After all, another mad week of presentations and assignments had ended and Vats didn’t have anything better to do. Besides, he thought it good to remind himself every once in a while why staying aloof was the right way.

It was another crazy night at Hembrom’s. The entrance proudly held the title, “Divided by boundaries, united by spirit.” Pretty appropriate for a bar frequented by international tourists, Vats thought. He took a seat at the corner of the table, his brain trying to understand that of others. Pretty soon, a very elated Adra joined the table by his side. Vats didn’t particularly like Adra. To a very reserved Vats, Adra seemed like Daddy’s spoilt showboaty child who hadn’t been slapped by life yet. The thought was confirmed when he smelled fumes of smoke which had left Adra’s lips moments ago. No matter how cute this girl was, smoking was a huge turn-off for Vats. Cursing himself for being there, Vats relented. Yet he was unable to conceal his frown when Adra could not help expressing the heights of ecstasy she’d managed to reach in that one puff. Thankfully, Vivek took the cigarette away.

Vats could see that Adra was drunk, or atleast acting as if she was. She never looked in Vats’ direction, engulfed in her own happy world. When the group moved to the dance floor, Vats noticed Adra stepping aside to talk to the old bald Asian man at the bar. He tried to point it out to Pasha, who was absorbed in his own world. Vats decided to move to Adra’s side, ‘just in case,’ he thought.

As Vats approached her, he noticed Pushpam already by her side. They introduced Vats to what turned out to be a very drunk Japanese businessman. The conversation, atleast from Pushpam’s side, remained confined to a selection of cuss words in Hindi, which the Japanese man found very delightful. Vats rolled his eyes as the old man excused himself to make a trip to the washroom. As he left, Adra continued with Pushpam’s train of words. If it weren’t for the loud music, someone sober enough would’ve come to shut her up. But then, it was a Friday night and no one really cared. Leaving Adra beside a known friend, he returned to the dance floor.

Meanwhile, another chain of events occurred there. Christine, one of the Americans in the group, was having what Vats was told a “bad headache.” Someone sober and willing had to take her back and Vats quickly volunteered. So did Aaron. As the three of them were about to leave, Vivek called them back and asked them to take a very jumpy Adra along. Unwillingly, Adra sat in the cab and they were off.

Vats had always liked the front seat of the cab. The drivers never spoke and he was away from all the chatter behind. He could easily ignore everything on the backseat and focus on his thoughts. Why did he decide to visit the bar tonight? Was it out of desperation arising from self-inflicted loneliness? Or was it just an attempt to invite some welcome change? Why did all these people go to bars? Did everyone there like to be there? Why don’t cafés and bookstores attract such crowds? What is it about alcohol that makes people lose control and think that they are having a good time? Vats saw the roads going by, oblivious to voices falling in his ears. Before he could think of answers to his questions which would satisfy him, they were back at the campus entrance. The hostel was a small walk away.

As soon as Adra was able to put her high-heeled sandals on the ground, she ran and jumped on the rock near the campus gate. Vats and Aaron looked at each other, neither knowing what to do. Christine stepped in. She lovingly took Adra by her side and they started walking hand-in-hand, like sisters. But even Christine couldn't keep Adra’s mouth shut while Adra went on babbling about the hot guy in the group whom she could want to “do.” After a moment’s pause Adra clarified that she would never cheat on her boyfriend, even if for the hot guy who looked like a movie-actor. She went on to describe how much she loved her boyfriend who also, she pointed out to Vats, was “IIT.” ‘It’s IITian not IIT,’ Vats considered explaining, but then thought better of it. As they headed towards their wing, Adra mentioned that she wanted to say goodnight to Olzhas. Christine asked Adra to speak to him the next day. Adra explained that Olzhas often came drunk to disturb her in the middle of the night. She wanted to return the favor. Vats considered demanding Adra to go back, but that would only result the drunk Adra to abuse him and send him back. After all, who was he to command her? Vats asked Aaron to escort Christine back, while he accompanied Adra to Olzhas’ room. As soon as Christine and Adra went out of sight, Adra conjured a small perfume bottle from her white leather handbag. Vats wasn’t used to girls carrying even tissue papers in their bags, let alone liquid fragrances. But then, this was a part of the new culture he was here to experience. He watched as Adra emptied his month’s supply of deodorant on herself. This was going to be more than a simple goodnight, he thought.

Despite a waiting elevator, Vats followed a galloping Adra on the stairs. When they reached, Adra looked confused for a moment, and asked Vats to stand hidden. Vats didn’t ask why, but agreed. He was curious to see what happens. Vats hid himself beside the door. He saw the door open and heard Olzhas’ deep husky voice, ‘get in here.’ The door closed.

Vats could hear muffled sounds from inside, and it didn’t sound like a simple goodnight. After 2 minutes, Vats wondered if he should knock, wait, or leave. He considered the dignity of a drunk committed Indian girl in a foreign land, his own responsibility and his friendship with Olzhas. He raised his hand to knock, but then decided against it. If she was old enough to drink, she was old enough to take care of herself after drinking. After all, she was 2 years elder to him. Age doesn’t translate into maturity, he thought. As the voices from inside started taking a course which he did not wish to listen to, Vats turned and started walking back. After 5 steps he heard the door open and Adra came appeared. Vats noticed her clothes – intact. But she’d left her handbag inside. ‘You go. I’ll come later,’ Adra said. Vats wanted to say that he was going anyways, but decided against it. Adra went inside again and before Vats could hear anything, he left.

(2)

Vats returned to his room, not knowing what to do. He could go back to Olzhas’ room and force Adra to come back. But he was her peer, not her superior. He could physically carry her back, but what would stop her from rushing back as soon as he left her. He could drag her back and forcefully keep her until Pasha or Vivek returned. That seemed like the most reasonable option. But Vats hadn’t ever physically forced a girl for anything against her will. At some level, this seemed inappropriate. But he could also not let her be. If not for her then for the boy who loves her and believes that his girl will take care of herself. But why should Vats even consider this? The girl was old enough to make her own decisions. Wasn’t she? She was drunk. And Vats was given the responsibility to take her back to her room. Vats failed at that. Did getting drunk give a person the right to make stupid decisions? Did her getting drunk make Vats liable to take care of her?

Vats realized this was a confusion he could not handle and waited for Pasha to return. Vivek, his girlfriend Arshita, Kaushik and Pasha came back together. Vats called Pasha aside and told him the situation. The first thing Pasha did was take Kaushik and Vats up to Christine’s room and make sure she was safe. ‘You can’t trust Aaron,’ Kaushik angrily said. Then they all assembled at Arshita’s room and took a detailed account of what happened from Vats. Vats could not help feeling guilty. He was given one job and he failed. But he truly didn’t know what to do. Maybe Vivek or Kaushik would have done something better. But Vats faced this issue the first time and caved. Maybe he should have banged Olzhas’ door and made sure Adra was not left alone with him. None of them was paying any attention to Vats, he didn’t understand if it was because there was a larger issue at hand or because they blamed him. If they did, they wouldn’t tell him.

Arshita called Adra’s phone and put it on speaker. A tired sleepy voice replied. Arshita asked where she was. Adra replied that she was in her room. They all knew it was a lie. Arshita asked Adra to come to her room. Adra said she’d be there in 10 minutes. Adra lived next door to Arshita. It shouldn’t take her 10 minutes to walk 2 steps.

As they waited, Vivek said that people lose some control on getting drunk, but not so much. Kaushik explained that Adra had too many shots and mixed drinks. Vivek maintained that you could never be so drunk to not give a thought about whom you share a bed with. He mentioned that Adra knew what she was doing and by her moral standards, she wasn’t doing anything wrong. She had the right to live her life by her own choices and she was doing so. There was nothing wrong in that.

Kaushik mentioned that if she was old enough to drink, she was old enough to take her own decisions. At 24, living in a foreign land away from her family, she should have the responsibility to take these decisions herself. No one was obligated to take care of her when she was drunk.

Arshita didn’t speak too much. She said that had she been in Adra’s place, she’d have expected Vivek or any of her friends to come for her. But when asked would she ever have been in Adra’s place, she had no reply.

Pasha wanted to go and bring Adra back. He said by any moral standard or opinion, what was happening was wrong and someone should correct it. But Vivek was able to stop him saying that confronting would be worse than letting it be.

Vats stayed in a corner, dejected, listening to everyone’s opinions. He only thought whether it was his fault or not, and what he could or should have done differently to avoid it.

They waited for two-and-a-half hours, but Adra never came. Not knowing what to do, they dispersed back to their rooms.

(3)

The next day, Vats looked back on the matter. He thought Kaushik and Vivek were right in their arguments. After all, it wasn’t his fault she wanted to “do” someone. She was old enough to smoke, drink and abuse. Vats was in the same environment as her, and he made different choices. He decided it wasn’t his fault, but he’d stay away from Adra hereon.

No one spoke of the incident for a few days. At one point Chen did mention that he heard footsteps in the corridor at 7 AM, which was unusual on a Saturday morning. But Olzhas’ friend Michan said he was up and went to get some water.

Few days later Vats found Olzhas at the dinner table alone and taking the opportunity, asked him what really happened that night. Olzhas replied that Adra came to him depressed, saying she felt very lonely in the foreign city. They talked for half-an-hour and then Adra went back. Vats didn’t pursue the topic. Nevertheless, he started noticing a change in Olzhas’ behavior when he was around Adra. He’d hug her more often and keep an arm around her. Adra would seldom run her palm across his arm. The way they looked at each other also seemed to be different from how people normally looked at friends. But Vats had decided to keep himself away from this.

‘I have better things to do,’ Vats thought, and returned to his quiet little world where there were no bars, drunk girls, or friends with opinions.

Gamification

A Revolutionary Phase for HR Management or a Myth?

Since the dawn of the 2^nd decade of the 21^st century, Gamification has emerged as a concept to induce certain types of behavior in participants. It is the construction and use of rules, often called game mechanics, to engage participants in the game. It is based on the belief that human beings possess a natural aptitude for competition, success, position, assertiveness, justice, and cessation.

We see a new trend emerging in India of the movement of services to products.¹ Customers today are not paying for commodities, but the value, i.e. the contribution of the product to make their lives easier. This phenomenon encompasses the HR industry which performs the crucial role of providing learning to today’s workforce.

Consider the numerous emerging educational websites in the world such as Alison and Coursera.² They are breaking existing models of how learning is delivered. They propose a model where classrooms are used not for content delivery by teachers but for discussions. Coming to social media, enterprises are trying to make their presence felt on Facebook and Twitter which were initially deemed to be for consumers.

These new phenomena require new learning methods for employees and companies must adapt to newer techniques to train their employees. Traditionally, companies in India have had an assembly line approach to learning. An employee enters the organization, gets stamped with certain course delivery and certifications, and is made a part of the workflow.

Today each action that a company takes, including learning, is questioned by the management and stockholders alike in terms of how that action provides the company with a strategic advantage. Every action the company takes needs to make it a differentiator and give it some strategic advantage. In this space, commodity learning is hardly going to help. With the influence of these factors, we see 2 trends emerging.

1.       The spending on learning is increasing

2.       Technology is enabling agility in learning

So what if learning could be productized, so as to stop redesigning it every time? What if social gamification and mobile concepts could be incorporated in training? What if India could come up with entrepreneurs providing solutions to help the CLOs (Chief Learning Officers) and CEOs address learning as a strategic imperative as opposed to a process checkpoint. Innovation will come from companies which don’t have a very large hiring volume, but the impact of each employee in those organizations is very high. Companies such as SAP SE, Yahoo!, which put a lot of value to the impact each person brings to the table naturally spend a lot of time ensuring a high productivity and efficiency of the employees. Another trait of such organizations is that they spend a lot of time in recruiting their employees.

Traditional business houses such as Tata, Bajaj, etc. are starting to put their confidence in such concepts.³ Some Indian segments fall in a Goldilocks zone for innovation, such as the BPO industry. Although hiring is done in large numbers, the assets are the people themselves.

The social layer of Gamification has already been built.⁴ This resonates when an enterprise incorporates Gamification and amplifies the value creation.

Today a lot of CHROs (Chief Human Resources Officers) are on notice from the CFOs. CFOs are increasingly asking the CHROs to either prove that HR is a strategic function valuable for the company, or be outsourced.⁵ HRs today are looking at 3 goals.

1.       How can the companies be more connected?

2.       How can neutral networks of learning be created inside the organization?

3.       How can performance be improved?

An excellent example of innovating in the area of performance management with Gamification was at Rypple before it was acquired by Salesforce.com. Rypple questioned why feedback has to be given annually or semi-annually rather than a regular process.⁶ As the CHROs face outside pressure to demonstrate strategic value, they look at the norm and experiment while breaking the norm. During these experiments, some would indeed work and come out as the best industry practices for current times. Some experiments may not work, but that will only open doors for more innovation.

A CHRO who has had a certain pedigree, probably had the best training at the best schools. But that becomes irrelevant for current times. Earlier their knowledge would have been relevant for 20 years, but today they have to reinvent themselves and their thinking every few years. Already, new forums such as LinkedIn groups are emerging where CHROs and CLOs get together and engage with academia and trainers. This has been possible due to democratized access to information which is growing at an exponential rate. Some roles are bound to go extinct in this process, but this will help create a better evolution of the CHRO.

References

1. Ganesh V, 28 July 2013. Moving away from IT services to products. Business Line, The Hindu.

2. 11 July 2014. True Activist.

3. 20 May 2014. Tata Interactive Systems recognized among ‘Top 20 Content Development Companies 2014’ globally. TATA Interactive Systems.

4. 19 July 2013. The Landscape of Learning: Gamification in Indian HR. People Matters Online.

5. Benko C, Gorman T, Steinberg A R, 2014. Disrupting the CHRO: Following in the CFO’s footsteps. Deloitte Review, Issue #14.

6. Debow D, 20 June 2011. Rypple Re-invents the Performance Review. Performance Reviews, Saesforce Work.com.