TATA Consultancy Services (TCS): Organisation Culture

TATA Consultancy Services (TCS) Organisation CultureUnderstanding an presidencys finis from an utilisationee as advantageously up as focus point of view is as important as understanding unrivalleds own contemplate profile and responsibilities to perform well in any structural setup. Given the continuously changing surroundings, employee insights on his or her cogitation culture is very important for an organization to best define and upgrade its utilization and objectives.To call for successful implementation of these objectives, it is pertinent to emphasize the importance of culture in motivating and maximise the value of its human and intellectual assets.Organizational culture basis be outlined as the name of sh ard values, beliefs, and assumptions considered existence the appropriate way to think and act within an organization.Seven key characteristics of what the organization values capture the essence of culture (1) Innovation and risk taking, (2) Attention to de tail, (3) Outcome orientation, (4) People orientation, (5) aggroup orientation, (6) Aggressiveness, and (7) Stability.OrganizationTATA Consultancy Services (TCS)Culture of TCS relevant from the employees perspectiveThe Culture of TCS is spy to be lavishlyly life-threatening as is the case with or so TATA gathering Companies. The culture harmonize to the confused interviews was form to be highly net be givened although the job responsibilities and positions of employees were clearly defined. This succored the employees settle down in the organization quickly and effectively along with heavy(p) providing them the autonomy to bring out the best in themselves due to highly net bailiwicked nature of the environment. This is well exemplified by the fact that even the CEO of the confederacy is addressed by his first name. The culture of TCS is in any case the one that supports growth and instruction by providing and facilitating platforms for individuals to innovate and expe riment even if that is non a direct use up of their project. One of the most striking feature of this familiarity is that employees are referred to as chaps and not employees. This reflects the pride the union wants to experience in being associated with the concerned individuals and holds them as important and superior as the familiarity itself. withal since TCS is huge organization with approximately 170,000 employees, many-a- dates underutilization of human re acknowledgments is observed before the project al fixing. Hence periods of inactivity is observed in much(prenominal) cases. The size of the company and its well defined hierarchy is centralized at high management level and localized at domain or vertical level. The company is overly study to be too customer driven even when its not a part of the customer necessary or specification.TCS overall is an employee driven company, The Company provides the best in the class facilities to work and learn. TCS has a fur cate teaching and development cell, which encourages the associates (yes the employees are called associates) to learn and develop their technical, managerial, interpersonal communication and some another(prenominal) skills. The company provides a good mix of talent and challenging work which appeals to the associates. In the interviews, we didnt find one thing that was petty(a) on culture practices at TCS. The employees are well paid, well satisfied and love the culture. The company has the terminal attrition ration of 9% for the last 4 quarters is a proof of the culture that prevails there. apart from the training and growth prospects, TCS also provides timely work review, assessments, discordant bonuses, leaves and also growth opportunities. The boundary of management and associates is low and the management is easily assessable. The level of respect for both employee is very high and is maintained with the high to low management and associates.Interview Guidelines-The i nterviews should be demeanored along different levels of hierarchy.The interviews should be conducted from equal participants from male/ feminine employeesThe interviews should be conducted in such(prenominal)(prenominal) a way that there should be equal participation from two the freshers and experienced.Avoid conducting the interviews during peak operative hours, to avoid any responses based on immediate happenings.Try and match the interview on different days of the week and at different timings.Interview Transcripts actor Vanshika Shrivastva epithet Asst. System Engg.Working with TCS for 2 YrsQ How do you define the work culture at TCS?R The work culture at TCS is bifurcated in two aspects there is the organization work culture which follows the Tata Group ethics and beliefs, good encyclopedism airwave and also a healthy trust to work at. The other is the project specific work culture, as there are different lymph node, the project culture varies according to the guest a nd the work needs. further the overall culture is filled with learning and growth option.Q Can you magnify with examples what are the learning and growth examples provided to you by TCS?R TCS has the work evaluation process twice a year, once for the appraisal and once for the review, which back ups employees assess their functional capabilities, There are timely seminars, webinars, trainings, workshops and other such events to promote learning. TCS also encourages its employees for continuous learning and certification drives to promote a more(prenominal) competitive and make better working atmosphere.Q Are there any specific training program or surgical incision taking care of these?R Yes, there are various training programs available for the associates we have a learning and Development cell which conducts trainings across various technological platforms, also around better working skills, communication theory skills, managerial skills, work life balance etc. Plus apart f rom this, the HR department of every project keeps a emailprotected event once every month to promote a healthy working culture.Q What are the most striking features you find in the workplace at TCS?R TCS is my first formation and I dont have any plans to change it in the near future. This is basically for the ethics and culture of work that we find with the company. We do not call anyone sir/mam even the CEO is called by the first name. Also TCS does not call its employees as employees they call us associates. Plus the timely review process at various levels, the apt compensation and the services at the disposal are really good at TCS.Q What is the hierarchy like at TCS, in terms of working?R The hierarchy is very well defined at this organisation. Apart from the technical associates like me, there are managerial hierarchies. I report to my police squad terzetto, he reports to the project lead, the project lead reports to the project manager and the project manager reports to th e group manager. further the best part is, all the managers for the project/domain are present at the same location and are accessible to everyone. So the hierarchy is put across well and is also easily accessible. histrion Ashish RustagiDesignation IT AnalystWorking with TCS for past 4 yrs (onsite at US for past 1 yr)Q How do you like the work culture at TCS?R TCS is my second employer, I found the work atmosphere here challenging and refreshing at the same time.Q How would you rate the work ethics at TCS?R TCS is very high on work ethics, like any other Tata group company.Q Throw some light on your relation with peers, seniors and juniors.R At TCS there are no seniors, juniors when it comes to work, everyone is asked to make a contri providedion to every work, the team work is the driving force here. A team comprises of a good mix of people. So its always challenging and fun as I mentioned.Q How does TCS help you shape your calling?R TCS provides you immense opportunities to lea rn and develop your skills. As TCS serves a number of varied clients, so learning in every field is encouraged. The managers are given some technical training so that they sack understand the associates better and the associates are given managerial training to maintain small management at work.Q How do you find TCS in providing learning and development opportunities?R TCS has a rich culture with learning, the learning and development cell has their weekly and monthly trainings. These trainings are conducted by industry specialist and sometime in house faculty. Even the initial learning program was a fantastic builder for confidence and learning platforms.Q How does the organisation looks towards the employees?R TCS believes that their best assets are their employees Employees are given all sought of comforts to help them shape their future and also help the organisation grow. With good services, Timely appraisals, proper work review, other team building activities makes you come t o home with a smile.Q What is your take on the overall organisational structure at TCS?R TCS is divided into various segments, with multinational presence the company is divided into service segments called verticals. Apart from this, the various departments work hand in hand and with strength of over 170,000 associates is still one of the best places to work.Participant Siddharth KhetawatDesignation Associate ConsultantWorked with TCS for 6 yrs (recently left TCS)Q Why did you leave TCS?R TCS was the first company I worked for I had to move on to higher studies.Q Do you have plans to get back to TCS later on your studies?R I would love to do that, if I get an opportunity.Q How did you find the culture at TCS?R TCS game me the perfect footing to work and provided great facilities to sharpen my skills. The infrastructure was well established, and it always snarl good when you know everything is in place where you work.Q How was the management at TCS?R The management was very well established at TCS, they had a clear goal and mission stated and in my 6 historic period I learned that the long term plans were very well implemented.Q Do you have anything that you thought was lack at TCS culture?R Its like answering one of the things for apple you never know what you need till the time they give it to you. Same is the case with TCS, I always thought TCS gave the best work place for associates, Till they included the quarterly appraisal and reviews, then I thought its the best contingent thing, till they gave the TCS social service Maitri wing. Finally even before leaving, TCS gave me an opportunity to sign a 6 months working deal and sponsor me a big amount of money for my education. Its a great place to work and I am glad I was associated with themQ Did TCS provide sufficient learning grounds?R Indeed, TCS gave a great variety of learning platforms. I did 4 certifications from TCS including an auditors certificate for 6 sigma. Now being an engg. Where can I get such an opportunity? It just reflects the amount of diversity TCS offers someone who is ordain to learn.Participant Ragini MishraDesignation Group Lead (BFS2.2 domain)Worked with TCS for Past 14 yrsQ Such a long time with TCS?R I worked initially for 6 years with TCS, when I was posted in London for the project. The client that I was working for gave me an offer and looking at the better prospects then I decided to join. But only 18 months into the job I realised that the money might be better but the culture was something that was not what I was used to. So I came back to TCS and since then have been arise up the ladder.Q You started your career at TCS as asst. System engg trainee. And now a group lead.. So from engineering to management . How was the journey?R Firstly the journey still continues, I joined TCS as a programmer like everyone else. Then climbing the ladder was easy. As TCS gives opportunities to learn and do everything that one wishes, I was inclined towards man agement, so after a few years as a technical associate I walked up to my manager and asked told him about it. He advised me to take up the training sessions from the LD department for managerial skills. And since then it was a great transformation.Q How did TCS help you shape your career?R TCS provided an excellent ground for me to build my career. When I moved into lower management in the project, I was invited to learning sessions with mid level and upper level management to sharpen my skills and learn. And it proved a great experience and the participants were from the same union as me and all started with experience with TCS as an associate.Q Does TCS stand by the Experience Certainty tag?R Oh hi bet we do it better than anyone else in the industry. We stand tall to our mission, vision and practices. And ensure that the client in projects experience certainty in our work and commitment. We believe in providing services of top most quality to our clients so that in turn they can provide better services to their clients.Q How does the work culture appeals to you at TCS?R TCS is an employee driven company. Here we believe in putting the Clients and employee first. The company ensures the best assertable working environment with challenging and target driven associates. I was personally touched by the company culture when I was given a 3 months maternity leave and my Husband who also is a TCS employee was given a 1 month leave. No other organisation can understand you as good as TCS does.Functional and Dysfunctional aspects of TCS culture/organizations culture in the light of its missionTo help customers achieve their business objectives by providing innovative, best-in-class consulting, IT solutions and servicesTo make it a joy for all stakeholders to work with usFunctional AspectsWell Defined Job ResponsibilityClear HierarchyHigh Values and moral philosophyEmployee FocusCustomer DrivenHighly open and networked cultureLearning EnvironmentDysfunctional Aspe cts hearUnder-Resource UtilizationInflexible Project AllocationRegional BiasAllocation of sottish Branch exploit PlanStress Management at TCSthe workplace has become a high tautness environment in many organizations cutting across industries. Employees are experiencing high level of straining due to various factors such as high workload, tight deadlines, high targets, type of work, lack of job satisfaction, long working hours, pressure to perform, etc.Interpersonal conflicts at the workplace, such as boss-subordinate relationships and relationships with peers, are also a source of sieve.Experts believed that the dysfunctional aspects of stress could directly impact an organizations performance and also affect the well-being of its employees. Stress at the workplace is linked to absenteeism, higher attrition, and decreased productivity. Stress lead to fatigue, irritability, poor communication, and quality problems/errors.High stress levels also affected the morale and motivation of the employees. Prolonged exposure to stress without effective coping mechanisms could lead to a host of physical and mental problems. For instance, stress could lead to stress-induced gastrointestinal problems, irritable bowel syndrome, tartity, acid reflux, insomnia, depression, heart disease, etc.Moreover stress could push the victim toward high risk behavior such as smoking, drinking, and substance abuse. Stress-related illness leads to increase in absenteeism and attrition affecting the profitability of the organizations.Organizations cutting across industries are gearing up to provide employees with a stress-free healthy environment. The efforts to address this issue are more pronounced in some industries than others. Experts felt that, though stress at the workplace is a global phenomenon, professionals in some industries are more susceptible to stress than others.For instance, surveys conducted in 2006 and 2007 in the UK and the US respectively, found that employees in I nformation Technology (IT) industry (including the ITeS outsourcing industry) are the most stressed. Accordingly, these organizations had started implementing various unconventional methods to decrease stress at the workplace.Even in India, organizations had woken up to this menace and were resorting to novel methods including teaching the employees dancing and music, trekking, etc, to reduce stress at the workplace. For instance, Tata Consultancy Services Ltd. had started different clubs like Theatre Club, Bibliophile Club, Adventure Trekking Club, Fitness Club, Sanctuary Club, practice of medicine Club and Community Services Club, etc.TCS should focus on increasing self-awareness and provided the employees with guidance on how to negociate with stress through a series of workshops by experts. In addition to conducting stress management workshops, TCS should also conduct off-site picnics, games, and inter-departmental competitions. Some companies were also using a system of ment ors and promoted open communication to reform interactions and camaraderie at the workplace. Employees in most of the established companies had access to in-house counseling centers. It can also employ nutritionists to provide healthy food at the role canteens and counsel the employees on healthy eating habits and lifestyle. TCS can also consider employing psychologists to counsel their employees.Experts felt that organizations are resorting to creative methods to address the issue of stress at the workplace, but more action was required on this front, both in terms of assessment of the home and implementation of concrete steps to tackle the problem.Under-Resource UtilizationWhen new employees join TCS they are put on workbench cause of lack of projects availability. It creates a lot of tension amongst them because they are mostly freshers. The duration of the bench time usually varies from a month to even a year. Keeping the resource idle for such a long time makes them unprodu ctive.TCS has around 170000 employees and substantial amount of people on bench. TCS should be scrawny they should focus on recruiting people as per requirement of the projects.TCS should also engage people in internal projects and trainings so that people have enough stuff to do at home and they should not be idle.Inflexible Project AllocationAfter the allocation of Projects to employees its really hard for employees to get release from the projects. They also have hard time dealing with lower management. It finally leads to employee dissatisfaction.The Project Allocation Process should be more transparent and employees should not have hard time to choose/change their projects as per company norms and employee interest.Regional BiasThere is a regional bias especially in some office locations of TCS wherein people perform conversation in their local languages at office and people from other regions of the acres find it really awkward to adjust in the office environment. It happe ns majorly because majority of the people at office are from local region and they have bias towards conversations in their local languages.HR of the respective locations should conduct regular sessions to let employees know about the company policies and ethics to be followed in the company.Allocation of Base BranchThe issue with the allocation of base branch is also a major problem at TCS wherein employees find it difficult to find a transfer request being accepted. Even the female employees are the victims wherein they dont have option to choose Base Branch of their choice.The Allocation of Base Branch should be make after taking options from the employees and there should be guidelines to let employees decide the base branch and change after serving after certain duration at the respective location.