BPCS 187 Solved Guess Paper 2026 for Managing Human Resources in BAG and BAPCH

Nature, scope, objectives and functions of Human Resource Management

Question: Discuss the nature, scope and objectives of Human Resource Management. Also explain its main functions.

Meaning and nature of HRM

HRM refers to the policies and practices involved in carrying out the people related aspects of a management position, including recruitment, screening, training, rewarding and appraising. It treats human beings as the most valuable organisational resource and works on acquiring, motivating, developing and retaining them so that organisational goals are met.

Scope of HRM

The scope is wide. It covers job analysis, recruitment, selection, placement, training and development, performance appraisal, human resource planning and human resource development. How large the HR department becomes depends on the nature, size and global presence of the organisation.

Objectives of HRM (Aswathappa, 2015)

1. Societal objectives: meet the needs of society in an ethical and socially responsible manner.
2. Organisational objectives: raise organisational effectiveness by aligning HRM with business goals.
3. Functional objectives: keep the HR function operating in proportion to what the organisation needs.
4. Personal objectives: help employees meet personal goals so their contribution rises.

Main functions of HRM

1. Human resource planning: deciding how many employees are needed to achieve organisational goals.
2. Job analysis: gathering job information in the form of job description and job specification.
3. Recruitment, selection and placement: building an applicant pool, choosing the most suitable, placing them correctly.
4. Induction and orientation: introducing new employees to the organisation and its policies.
5. Training and development: upgrading technical and behavioural skills.
6. Performance appraisal: evaluating employees for promotion, training needs and pay.
7. Labour relations: negotiating with trade unions on pay, benefits and grievances.
8. Compensation and benefits: designing rewards that sustain morale and motivation.
9. Record keeping: maintaining employee information, usually through an HRIS.

Conclusion: HRM is the formal system through which people are managed to raise productivity and profitability. Its scope runs well beyond old personnel management, and its four objectives keep societal, organisational, functional and personal interests in balance.

Sexual harassment behaviour at the workplace and its prevention

Question: Explain sexual harassment behaviour at the workplace and discuss the steps that can be taken to prevent it.

Part A: sexual harassment behaviour (7 marks)

Sexual harassment is a form of threat, pressure, coercion or bullying based entirely on the sex of the victim employee. It may also take the form of a promised reward in exchange for sexual favours. It arises from gender discrimination and is a recognised category of workplace harassment.

The behaviour may be physical, verbal or non verbal. It includes unwanted touch, sexual remarks, advances, showing pornographic material, demands for sexual favours and any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature. Victims may be male, female or transgender.

Types of harassers (Martha Langelan, 1993)

1. Predatory harasser: derives sexual thrill from humiliating others and may coercively seek favours.
2. Dominance harasser: uses sexual extortion to dominate the target and inflate the ego.
3. Strategic or territorial harasser: harasses to protect privilege in a job or a physical space.
4. Street harasser: a stranger who harasses in public places through physical, verbal or non verbal conduct.

Part B: steps to prevent sexual harassment (3 marks)

1. Management should display notices, publish articles and circulate notifications prohibiting harassment.
2. Private employers should write the prohibition into standing orders under the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946.
3. The work environment must be such that no woman has reasonable grounds to feel disadvantaged in her employment.
4. Organisations should frame clear policies, norms and disciplinary action for such misconduct.
5. A committee should be constituted so that affected employees can complain and be heard.

Conclusion: Prevention works better than remedy. Clear notices, statutory prohibitions, a non hostile environment, written policy and a functioning internal complaints committee together give employees real protection.

Job analysis, its uses and methods of collecting information

Question: Define job analysis. Elucidate its uses and the various methods for collecting job analysis information.

Part A: definition and nature (3 marks)

Dessler (2013) describes job analysis as the procedure through which the duties of a position and the characteristics of the people to hire for it are determined. It is a systematic, scientific study of a job that yields two outputs, the job description covering work activities and the job specification covering the skills and experience required.

Part B: uses of job analysis (7 marks)

• Employee selection: assessments and interview questions are designed around actual job duties.
• Training and development: training needs and content are identified from the job itself.
• Job description and classification: duties are recorded and similar jobs grouped together.
• Job evaluation: the worth of a job is established, which helps fix salary.
• Performance appraisal: actual performance is compared against criteria drawn from the analysis.
• Job design and HR planning: the personality and skills a job demands become visible.
• Working conditions: hazardous or risky elements of the job are documented.

Methods of collecting job analysis information

1. Observation: the analyst watches the employee directly. Accurate for physical work, weak for cognitive tasks such as problem solving.
2. Interviews: structured or open ended, held with employees, supervisors and subordinates. Flexible, but details can be missed.
3. Surveys: paper and pencil questionnaires. Cost effective and quick for large groups, limited by how the questions are framed.
4. Job diaries: employees record daily activities themselves. Useful for jobs that are hard to observe such as loco pilots, but time consuming.
5. Participation: the analyst performs the job personally. Not workable for roles needing high proficiency.
6. Existing data: earlier reports, task sheets and records of similar posts are reviewed and verified.

Conclusion: Job analysis is the foundation on which every other HR function rests. Its uses run from selection to safety, and observation, interviews, surveys, diaries, participation and existing records supply the raw information.

The process of training and development in an organisation

Question: Discuss the process of training and development in an organisation.

Meaning

Training is a learning process involving acquisition of knowledge, sharpening of skills and concepts, and change in attitudes and behaviour so that employee performance improves. Training is short term and job focused, while development is a longer term educational process aimed at both job performance and the personality of managerial staff.

Step 1: assessment of training and development needs

This step identifies who needs training and why. Needs surface through performance deficiency, individual or group interviews, assessment centres, induction of new employees and individual analysis. The objectives and the competencies expected after the programme are fixed here.

Step 2: designing the programme

Decisions are taken on participants, trainers, methods, level of training, learning principles and location. Participants may be nominated by departments, supervisors, themselves or HRM. Trainers may be internal experts or external faculty. Learning principles include motivation, individual differences, practice, reinforcement, feedback and transfer of learning.

Step 3: implementation

The programme is conducted as designed. The common obstacles are loss of working hours, employee resistance, difficulty in finding suitable trainers and logistics. The trainer monitors location, schedule, supervision and trainee participation.

Step 4: evaluation

Evaluation checks validity, transfer validity, intra organisational validity and inter organisational validity. Aswathappa (2015) sets out four levels of evaluation, namely reaction, learning, behaviour and results, measured through questionnaires, written tests, performance appraisal and productivity data.

Conclusion: Needs assessment, design, implementation and evaluation form a cycle rather than a straight line. Handled properly, the cycle turns training spend into measurable individual and organisational performance.

Employee turnover and strategies for retention

Question: Explain the concept of employee turnover and describe the strategies to reduce it and ensure retention.

Part A: employee turnover (4 marks)

Employee turnover is the ratio of employees who leave the organisation, whether by choice or by established norms, within a given time frame.

1. Voluntary turnover: the employee resigns because of illness, relocation or a better offer elsewhere.
2. Involuntary turnover: retirement on completion of term, or termination for indiscipline or absenteeism.
3. Desirable turnover: under productive employees are replaced by fresh talent and skill.
4. Undesirable turnover: skilled and productive employees are lost.

Part B: retention strategies, the eleven As (6 marks)

1. Acquire the right candidate, since a correct hire settles faster and stays longer.
2. Accommodate a diverse workforce to lift creativity and culture.
3. Affirm teamwork through group assignments that encourage brainstorming and reduce conflict.
4. Assist in financial stability by having in house experts guide employees on money matters.
5. Adequate training and development, so employees feel valued while their skills are upgraded.
6. Aided mentorship, where corporate mentoring spreads knowledge and prepares future role holders.
7. Appraise change by inviting employee feedback during transformation, which lowers resistance.
8. Appreciate work life balance, recognising the right presence at the right place when it is needed.
9. Attentive concern through services such as child care centres and gymnasiums.
10. Appealing wellness programmes, which build loyal and committed employees.
11. Agreeable assessment, meaning fair and empathetic evaluation across all parameters.

Conclusion: Turnover may be voluntary, involuntary, desirable or undesirable, and only the undesirable kind needs fixing. The eleven As give an organisation a practical checklist for cutting that loss and holding on to capable people.