SUBMITTED BY

Name- SADIQUR RAHMAN

ID-1910665
MBA-509
Sec-1
SUBMITTED TO
Name- Dr. Nazmul Amin Majumdar
Adjunct Professor
Department of HRM
Independent University Bangladesh
Letter of Transmittal

28 August, 2021

Dr. Nazmul Amin Majumdar

Adjunct Professor

School of Business and Entrepreneurship

Independent University Bangladesh

Subject: Submission of the MBA509 Report

Dear Sir,

I am very pleased to submit the assignment that was prepared with great effort and
commitment, incompliance with course requirements, and instructions. The assignment was
completed by utilizing the knowledge that we had gained from the course. Writing this
assignment was indeed truly a comprehensive learning experience.

I hope that this task on our part will be appreciated. Now that all the necessary research and
analysis is complete, we believe that it can be viewed for assessment. I am really hope that
this assignment is acceptable to you and will also be informative as well.

I found this work of doing research and analysis very interesting and challenging. I have tried
our best to complete this assignment meaningfully and correctly, as much as possible.

Sincerely,

Name: SADIQUR RAHMAN

ID: 1910665

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Acknowledgment

I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the course instructor of Independent

University Bangladesh, IUB School of Business and Entrepreneurship, Department of HRM
for providing such a professional yet learning platform for exposing our talents and potentials
in the field of Business. I am feeling very obliged and therefore special thanks to our
honourable Dr. Nazmul Amin Majumdar who gave us the opportunity to think and to show
creativeness that we have in us and also making us realize what we are able to do in the
future. My journey with you in this course has been truly a worthwhile learning experience.

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Contents
Letter of Transmittal...............................................................................................................................i
Acknowledgment...................................................................................................................................ii
1 Introduction........................................................................................................................................1
1.1 Major Competitors of BPBL.....................................................................................................2
1.2 Industry BPBL Belongs to........................................................................................................3
1.3 Challenges of Berger Paints Bangladesh Limited......................................................................4
1.4 HRM approaches & Prospects..................................................................................................5
 Initial Screening.......................................................................................................................6
 Written Employment Test.......................................................................................................6
 Work Sample Test...................................................................................................................7
 Interview For entry level positions.........................................................................................7
 Salary Negotiation...................................................................................................................7
1.5 Performance Management Appraisal..........................................................................................8
 Problems and Challenges........................................................................................................8
 Approaches & Prospects.........................................................................................................9
A process of Performance Management in Berger is discussed below..........................................10
Design.............................................................................................................................................10
Integration......................................................................................................................................10
Implementation..............................................................................................................................10
Motivation......................................................................................................................................11
Reward systems.............................................................................................................................11
Communication..............................................................................................................................11
Monitoring.....................................................................................................................................11
2.1 Role of Management and HR Leaders in Berger......................................................................12
3.1. Critically discuss.....................................................................................................................13
3.2 Conclusion................................................................................................................................14
Reference........................................................................................................................................15

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Problems and issues Berger Paints Bangladesh Limited

1 Introduction
Berger is among the names from the paints industry and also the nation's major firm with
ingredients and products dating back into 1760. A national, Louis Berger based pigment and
Dye Company in England. Louis Berger and Sons Limited grew quickly with a solid
reputation for entrepreneurship and innovation culminating in maximizing the procedure for
earning Prussian blue a profound blue dye, a color broadly employed for the uniforms of
several European arenas .Production of this dye and pigments evolved to generation of
coatings and paints, which until now, remains the core work of Berger .The firm grew
quickly by setting branches all around the world and throughout Berger and acquisitions
along with other top coating and paint manufacturing businesses. Berger's assignment in 2008
was to Increase its earnings by 100% using all the five year. To achieve this Berger boosts its
sales division to boost the earnings through advertising and large number of endeavors and
traders. The business may improve its earnings. The business recently introduced a
manufacturing system that was guide referred to as'' for its creation of 27 moving colors of
Robbialac Acrylic Plastic Emulsion, 10 sunglasses if 15 colors of Weather Coat and
Robbialac Synthetic Polyvinyl Distemper.

These are think about moving objects as the averages earnings of those 52 sunglasses are less
compared to their batch dimensions. So production of those sunglasses from mill increase the
inventory amount which increase the product price per unit and fixes the funds. The goals of
the system was to decrease the strain on factories manufacturing capability by ensuring that
the creation of the moving colors from client requirement and from warranties that the place
delivery from depot. Berger's among the prime Goals would be to provide best client support-
connecting customers to engineering through technical services such as free technical
information about surface preparation, color consultancy, particular color schemes etc..
Berger has established Home Decor Service from which can find a range of services to
reinforce consumer satisfaction. Investment in plant and engineering Capacity is more
evident from Berger Paints Bangladesh Limited in Savar's mill. The mill is an addition to the
capability of Berger.

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To not forget about the Double Tight Can unit in its own Chittagong factory. All, jointly with
a commitment into D & R to ensure it is the most center of Applied & Basic Research in
Resin Technology and Paint, evidence the dedication that Berger has for the business. Using
its supply Berger, Community has reached every corner of Bangladesh. Nationwide Dealer
Network, endorsed by 7 Revenue Depots strategically located in Dhaka, Chittagong,
Rajshahi,Khulna, Bogra, Sylhet and Comilla has an unmatched capacity to respond to paint
demands in nearly anywhere in Bangladesh.

The invention and Growth driveway is reflected. The product range comprises, technical
paints of exceptional Marine Paints, Color Bank, their weather conditions, Textured
Coatings, Heat Resistant Paints, Roofing Compound and Epoxies. Berger will continue to do
so and has been the leader. Berger's among the prime Goals would be to provide best client
support-connecting customers to engineering through technical services such as free technical
information about surface preparation, color consultancy, particular color schemes etc.
Berger has established Home Decor Service from which can find a range of services to
reinforce consumer satisfaction. Additionally the firm That the" Channel I functionality
award 2004" for the effort in boosting the youthful Architects and architects throughout the
hamburger painter's artwork of the nation Young and promotion architects award. This award
recognized Berger's role.

1.1 Major Competitors of BPBL

Berger runs its service in a competitive atmosphere with equally neighborhood and multi-
national companies. Presently the business holds 56% market share although the rest of 46%
market share holds by the various other multi-national as well as neighborhood firms. It's
plainly shown that Berger paints Bangladesh Ltd remains in the leading position among all
various other competitors in the paints industry. The majors participant of the paints sector
are; Eastern Paints, Elite Paints, Romana Paints, Roxy Paints, Aqua Paints, Pailac Paints,Al-
karim Paints, Uzalla Paints, etc. Amongst this company just Asian Paints is international and
others are all neighborhood manufacturers. Asian Paints has actually begun its operation in
Bangladesh extremely recently. Already it expands its company with massive ranges of shade
as well as product accuracies. But still Berger paints Bangladesh Ltd holds its leading
placement with solid circulation networks, reliable and also reliable management group and
also personnel.

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1.2 Industry BPBL Belongs to

Berger Paints is one of the oldest names in the paint industry and one of the most
technologically advanced companies in the country. With more than 250 years of rich
heritage, Berger manufactures world class paints for all kinds of substrates. Bangladesh‘s
paint industry has been growing at a double-digit rate for the past several years riding on the
increasing demand from the construction sector. A recent study reveals its market size based
on demand is estimated at Tk 1,000 crore and domestic production capacity Tk. 920 crore.
Leading private commercial bank Prime Bank conducted the study. The demand supply gap,
according to the study, is Tk 80 crore. The paint industry in Bangladesh is still growing for
which now RAK group a UAE based conglomerate is going to set up a paint factory in
Bangladesh. Only a few players Berger, Asian, Roxy, Pailac, Aqua and Elite etc. are
operating in the market with over 90 percent market share. The Prime Bank study shows
Berger alone holds almost half the market share, followed by Companies Market Share (%)
Asian Paints 13 %, Roxy 09 Rak 8 %, Pailac 7 % Aqua 7 %, Elite 5 %.

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1.3 Challenges of Berger Paints Bangladesh Limited

Recruitment and selection are one of the most important duties of the HR department since
the workforce eventually determines the productivity and effectiveness of the organization.
In Berger recruitment process consists of several steps. Due to the pandemic almost, every
step has been affected and HR had to re-implement and re strategize their processes. One of
the problems the organization are facing is sourcing their employees and specially root level
workers. Most of them has difficulties to travel and the ongoing threat to the lives due to
pandemic also plays a big role in the process.

The challenges also involve negotiating the compensation packages because different people
have different kind of needs now. A senior person can be looking for a stable or a secured
job, compromising his salary right now.  On the other hand, a fresh graduate may not be so
much happy in finding out that the basic wages have gone down during this period and the
job market is so overcrowded with unemployment and competition.

Evaluating and conducting interviews and recruitment programs can also be a challenge that
HR is trying to improve every day. The matter of safety reasons and the overall chaos has
brought many disturbances and hence needed to be proceeded with alternative ways. The
strategies and new ways of proceeding in every step of the recruitment process in Berger is
further discussed below.

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1.4 HRM approaches & Prospects
Before 15 to 20 years ago newspaper advertising was a common scenario in Bangladesh
where employees and employers both connected through newspaper medias and the whole
process was very time consuming and lengthy. With time and development of technology
now there are many job platforms online through which people can find their jobs easily
sitting in home or even with a mobile in hand.

Recruiters now can also locate potential employees from all over the country and even abroad
and it is even much easier to communicate through emails and exchanging WhatsApp
numbers if necessary or even connect through Facebook and LinkedIn. Due to digitalization
recruiters can also analyze the profile of the potential employees very easily.

On the other side it is also easier for the people to analyze the job recruiters and the company
through multimedia presence, where one can understand and know about their goals and
mission and what are the objectives and culture of the organization.

Now that the pandemic is going on online hiring and job interviews are becoming the
common norm of the HR practice where interviews are conducted online. Since it is now hard
to travel due to lockdowns and safety concerns due to the virus, HR in Berger are
emphasizing technologies and digitalization to continue their processes.

There are various software and programs that also helps to analyze the Manpower planning of
the organization keeping in all the records of turnover and succession management and such
processes. The whole recruitment process in Berger invested their time to develop a system
and process that will be conducted virtually and incorporate technological assistance into the
system.

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  Initial Screening 

Initial screening is done after sorting out the CVs that are collected from different sources for
example BDjobs, LinkedIn and other sub job portals. Qualifications of the candidates are
matched with the provided job descriptions and organizational requirements.  After the
potential candidates are sorted out, they are invited to attend their initials interview.
Since pandemic is going down the initial phase of interview is conducted online through
Zoom application where candidates can join the interview board on a virtual online meeting
space by clicking on the provided link whether in his mail or phone number. Candidates are
also sorted out based on his geographical location now as well since hiring employees that
live far away might be difficult now for both company and employee to manage due to the
unrest regarding the COVID and lockdowns.

 Written Employment Test 

The second phase is the written exam that the candidates will next have to face initially
who passed the first phase. Written tests are divided into different sections where examiners
will investigate the grammar of the candidate, his mathematical skills, and his general
knowledge in overall.

The format of the exam can also vary depending what type of position they're hiring for.
Senior positions eventually have case studies that help the HR to understand the decision-
making ability after candidates on the other hand for creative positions require exams that
will eventually identify their creativity.

Most of the time marketing candidates are given presentations to prepare, while content
writers are given some topics to write about and architects and engineers may require
showcasing their previous achievements or performing in new tasks to prove themselves. A
link is provided to their email where they can give exams on Google forms and submit any
tasks given to them.

Internet technology and online facilities have made it so easy that it can reduce the need for
travelling to attend exams and will also save the management team a lot of time as well
evaluating the papers with automated software and systems that are now available.

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Questions are structured in such a way that is open ended and time bound and especially if
plagiarism can be identified it can be cancelled. Exams for senior positions usually have open
ended questions that require qualitative intelligence and decision-making choices.

 Work Sample Test 

Many job positions for example the engineers and the architects require samples of their
previous work or given new assignments to submit to the company. Sometimes physical
exams for such are also conducted but since this is the time of covid-19 the company
emphasizes on previous job experiences and the performance in exams taken.

Berger is also looking for alternate ways to analyze the potential employees. Many new
software and online portals can be found that are used that have different kind of question
formats for different people of the industry. Even many third-party companies are also now
handling such processes and platforms and providing outsourcing options for taking exams
for the organizations. 

 Interview For entry level positions

After HR sorts out the results of the final candidates, a final interview takes place where the
Managing Director and Head of the HR department and the Line Manager of Berger are all
present to conduct the interview session. Since the interview takes place through online
portal it is very hard the judge the physical confidence and expressions of the candidates. 

Similarly, the candidate can also feel nervous because it is a new system and there are other
technological aspects for example the internet connection, the power supply of electricity,
technological adaptability-all these play a vital role in the overall situation which can go for
or against the candidates favor and it also requires effort from the management side as well.
The HR in Berger has carefully identified and analyzed these scenarios and takes and
considers action accordingly.

 Salary Negotiation

A predetermined range is usually planned before in case of salaries that are negotiable. Then
the HR decides the amount based on experience and caliber. Some positions have fixed
salaries where there is little space to negotiate.  Negotiation is conducted face to face while
maintaining all the COVID protocols.

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1.5 Performance Management Appraisal
 Problems and Challenges
As we can see that there are lockdowns now and then and many parties and agendas are even
calling for strikes and especially the transport services are so unpredictable that sometimes it
is very hard to reach our destination.  

People are also falling sick and getting affected by this virus.  Many people even must give
time to their families running after hospitals or even must go to their villages where they
reside for many emergency purposes.  All these factors need to be taken under consideration
when the HR department evaluates and analyzes the performances of their employees during
this period.

Managers in Berger are trying to keep their employees as relaxed as possible and not to feel
the pressure as that will reduce their efficiency and hamper their productivity. Employees are
assured that no matter what happens both workforce and owners will work together.

Since the economy is not healthy there are also issues of compensation as well as stress issues
that exists in the workplace. The HR team also introducing new kinds of performance
appraisal procedures that includes customer feedbacks for sales team and peer feedbacks for
group projects and such. Berger is also trying to make these processes free from bias and
preferential choices which often hampers the authenticity of the scores.

Due to the pandemic going on the use of technologies are getting rapid, because of which
many senior employees are finding it hard to adapt. Therefore, HR managers have a lot to
deal with while managing and evaluating all these factors.

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  Approaches & Prospects
Managing the performance of your employees and making sure they're on the right track
influences the competencies and efficiency of the organization. Therefore, HR leaders and
management should review their employee performances to see if they lack any deficiency or
needs any modification or changes to be made. 

The more the performances are integrated and evaluated considering the corporate objectives
the more realistic and easier it will get. The evaluation process should emphasize on the
behavior of the employees, the traits, and skills they have and whether they are achieving the
organization goals that are set.

Evaluation can be done through many processes such as Graphic Rating Scales, Weighted
Checklists, Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scales (BARS), Behavioral Observation Scales
(BOS), Critical Incident Method, and Management by Objectives (MBO). Managers in
Berger evaluates the performance of their workforce from a 360-degree perspective where
both internal and external constraints and factors are considered.

If the performance of an employee is not sufficient then they are communicated with that
employee and appropriate measures are taken to improve them. If any employee is doing well
regarding his performance, then he is acknowledged and rewarded accordingly as well.

Such practices specially during this pandemic has increased the productivity and efficiency of
the workforce both in papers and open eyes. New way of appraising that involves scores from
other parties has greatly reduced manager biasness and falsifying records. Open
communication and identifying the needs of the employees in Berger has both helped
management and workforce to tackle their weaknesses and pro-actively solve them.

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A process of Performance Management in Berger is discussed below.
Design
The design process in Performance Management requires the HR of Berger to consult within
the department and may take help from expertise such as industry experts and top
management discussions. The design process takes into consideration the job description and
the job specifications and the key skills that are required to perform the jobs efficiently.

The more knowledge, experience, and resources the HR team has the better they can design a
performance management system for their workforce.  It is also important to understand that
the planning phases may have to go through several changes and customizations depending
on the results.  

Integration
The Performance management of Berger employees are designed and planned according to
the goals and vision of the organization. For example, if the organization’s objective is to
provide quality services and products, then Performance Management is revolved around the
workforce efficiency and the quality of services that they can deliver.

The HR structure and the culture also reflects the organization goals and facilitate ways that
will make the process easy and convenient. For example, technologies now are one of the
biggest factors in today's world which can be used to increase efficiency and productivity
through skilled workforce.

Implementation
When implementing those processes to achieve the goals, different management processes
may be required.  For example, the marketing objectives may require innovative ideas and
processes to motivate their employees and participate in bringing new ideas to the table and
conduct their operations accordingly.
In case of financial department perhaps autocratic leadership and rigid structure and
management processes are more efficient for making financial decisions and investment
processes. Time management is also very crucial here since Berger simultaneously looks to
achieve different goals and pursue various objectives. So, all the processes and techniques
and such issues are approached and dealt professionally keeping all the records and
documents where required.

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Motivation
HR leaders in Berger try to motivate their employees by compensating and rewarding them
fairly and looking after their mental welfare and providing safe and a good environment to
work in. The Organizations also practiced sustainable processes which will not only utilize
the resources to its fullest, but also bring new ideas and efficient ways for doing work in the
future.
Reward systems
Reward system is the basic and yet most powerful factor that can influence the productivity
and motivation of your workforce and ensure productivity and efficiency.  
To provide excellent quality and services organizations must provide competitive reward
systems to their employees. The compensation packages in Berger fairly reflect the hard work
and dedication that is put by the employees and should include other fringe benefits such as
medical expenses, provident fund, paid vacation etc. to improve their standard of living and
wellbeing.
Communication
Performance Management also includes proper and efficient communication with employees
and the workforce. Perhaps the workforce may require extra attention and also, they may
have things or problems to share. It is possible that not all employees will be able or can
perform the processes as planned. Therefore, it is the duty of the HR in Berger to find out
those gaps and provide necessary solutions and feedback to overcome them.
One such example can be the use of technology and automation processes which many senior
employees may not be comfortable with.  So proper training and development processes
should be provided for them to tackle such situations. Communication not only solves
problems or ensures the process is going right but also it brings new ideas and solutions for
the organization to considerate and imply.
Monitoring
Lastly monitoring requires honesty, dedication and being proactive in decision making and
implementing ideas so that if any error occurs within the process that can be solved
immediately. It also reduces the future complexities that may arise if ignored or missed.
It requires experiences from leaders to supervise and correct and tackle any problems within
the process.

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2.1 Role of Management and HR Leaders in Berger
HR leadership in Berger is now playing a vital role more than ever in restructuring the overall
corporate strategies during this covid-19. A leader leads a path for his workforce to follow
and motivates them during hard challenges and find solutions for a better outcome.

HR leaders must find solutions to different problems for example what kind of people are
they going to hire. Are they going to hire people who would work for a reduced
compensation package during? Are they going to hire people with the technological skills
even paying them a little bit more?  Does the organization have the financial capability to
back their plans- all these are very critical issues that HR leaders must face.

HR leaders assist in manpower planning and forecasting for the organization and hire the
right people with the right skills for the organization.  HR leaders also with the help of other
departments have find ways to conduct their operations online for example daily meetings an
even providing training and using the online portals for various uses.

Smart leaders help organization to manage their overall financial cost and investments and
plays a vital role in providing their feedback and statistical reports regarding their plans. They
are also basically responsible to keep the workforce motivated and understand different
policies of the company and plans they will be undertaking during this pandemic.

Other aspects such as keeping the motivation and moral high and manage the stress of the
workforce are very challenging things for HR especially during this period. 
Concerns regarding compensation and benefits are also a big concern for HR as they must be
within the budget they are given. HR leaders in Berger are now forecasting and planning
their workforce requirements according to the needs and position of the company during this
pandemic. During this pandemic HR professionals in Berger are highly prioritizing
candidates with technological skills and with knowledge about the internet.  HR leaders are
also trying to use different strategies such as hiring more part-timers. Promoting within the
organization through succession management rather than hiring an expensive Senior
Management person from outside is also increasing. HR in Berger is also thinking about
work from home activities to be incorporated in its usual working day plans.

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3.1. Critically discuss
One of the vital insecurities that employees are facing right now is regarding their job itself. 
They are unsure of their position within the organization and confused about the management
goals and objectives in most cases. Another job insecurity may be due to the results of
compensation packages which are being revised the again due the current situation of the
pandemic and finding jobs as well.

Job insecurity may arise due to the recent changes of business processes using modern
technology and the communication has also become digitalized. So, employees with that lack
of knowledge and adequate skills are finding it difficult to adapt with the situation and new
situation. Management and organization should be clear about their communication in
making their workforce understand about the current situation. Organization needs to give
training and development opportunities to their employees. Training can be provided virtually
now through online seminars and different merit courses that can be sponsored by the
organization. HR leaders all over the world are trying to tackle various challenges that they
are facing right now.

One of the core strengths and strategies revolving their communication and business
processes has been through digitalization and use of technology. If the workforce becomes
competent and has the necessary skills to operate efficiently through the help of
technology, they will become more skilled, and their job insecurities will be reduced since
they will be competent.

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3.2 Conclusion
Other leaders have emphasized on developing their workforce in such a way that is safe for
the employees to work in a post COVID era.  This involves the safety measures and
precautions that needs to be taken and the necessary knowledge and training that will be
provided to the employees as well. Many modern factories and organizations are also going
for green initiatives and eco-friendly measures in the workplace that also has proven to raise
motivation and decrease job insecurities in many cases. Berger can possibly look into these
factors as well when planning and strategizing their future business goals and take effective
decisions for the welfare of its workforce and organization.

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Reference
Berger Paints. (n.d.). (Berger) Retrieved December 2019, from http://www.bergerbd.com/
Annual Report 2012. (n.d.). (Berger) Retrieved December 2014, from Bergerbd:
http://www.bergerbd.com/images/corporate_info/BAR2012.PDF
Annual Report 2017. (n.d.). (Berger) Retrieved December 2019, from Bergerbd:
http://www.bergerbd.com/images/corporate_info/BAR2011.PDF
Sobhan. (2014, November). (Z. I. Faiyaz Mahmud, Interviewer) Dhaka, Bangladesh
Rahim, M. A. (n.d.). Paint industry thrives on real estate boom. 5(158). Retrieved from
http://archive.thedailystar.net/2004/10/30/d41030050147.htm

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