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.:15/08/2007
Communications and New Media (CNM) Programme
presents a talk on
Rightsizing of Tata Steel
by
Mr
Rajeev Kumar
Fulbright Professional and Doctoral Fellowship
Texas A&M University, Texas, USA
Ph.D. Candidate
Tata Institute of Social Sciences,
Mumbai, India
Friday, 24 August 2007, 10.30 am
CNM Seminar Room, AS6 #03-33
11 Law Link, Singapore 117589
Abstract of the Talk
Liberalization of the Indian economy in 1991 let loose the winds of change on the industrial front. An era of patronage gave way to an era of performance. Tata Steel, the sole profit making steel company in the private sector, adopted a proactive "rightsizing" strategy to gear up for the future. The rightsizing strategy had the elements of both - reduction in force and organizational redesign. Between 1992 and 2001, the workforce was reduced by 38% and was followed by the de-layering of the executive hierarchical structure from 13 layers to 5. Two separately published teaching cases on downsizing and de-layering at Tata Steel illuminate the nuances of strategic communication planning and execution in support of these business change objectives. These Gold Quill award winning cases focus on the role of visionary leadership, culture, communication structure and processes, and business ethics in communicating change.
The presentation will concentrate on how internal publics were persuaded to downsize and the teaching points that emerge from the cases followed by what might a metaphorical analysis of communication in downsizing reveal about the management of downsizing.
About the Speaker
Rajeev Kumar strives to be a domain specialist in the evolving discipline of organizational communication management.
He holds a Masters degree in Philosophy in Social Sciences (Organizational Communication). He also holds Masters Degrees in Communication Studies as well as Defense Studies. He specialized in Media Research. Currently, he is working on his doctoral thesis that focuses on metaphor based analyses of communication in corporates that downsized.
He is also qualified in Creative Writing, Computer Management, French Language, Journalism, Video Production and Research Methodology.
After 28 years of distinguished military service, he prematurely retired as a Colonel in 2006 to avail of the Fulbright Professional and Doctoral Fellowship at Texas A&M University . Besides his combat experience, during his army career, he has held varied posts and assignments.
He was instructor at the Infantry Armament Training School and later faculty at the renowned Defense Services Staff College, Wellington, where he taught the Masters in Defense Studies degree course to middle level officers of Indian and international armed forces.
While on staff at the Directorate of Military Training, Army Headquarters, he was involved in macro level development, monitoring and evaluation of training policies and programs of the Indian Army.
He was deputed to the United Nations Iraq-Kuwait Observer Mission as a military observer after the first Gulf War in 1991-92 and was awarded the United Nations Medal for Peace.
He has held the appointment of Director Media at the Army Headquarters, Delhi, wherein he managed operational publicity for the Indian Army in print, electronic and web media.
He is an active member of the All India Management Association and has delivered talks at the Delhi Management Association seminars as well as in business colleges. He is a prolific writer and wrote extensively for military journals. His published teaching cases in organizational communication based on his research on communication in downsizing won him the Gold Quill Award in 2006 from the International Association of Business Communicators, San Francisco. He is also member of the International Communication Association and National Communication Association (USA).
Convenor: Dr Lim Sun Sun
Tel : 65164670 / 65164671
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