Response by Taj employees to 26/11 a case study at Harvard

[noksss]

The heroic response by employees of Mumbai's landmark Taj Hotel during the 26/11 terror attacks is now a case study at Harvard Business School that focuses on the staff's selfless service for its customers and how they went beyond their call of duty to save lives.

The multimedia case study 'Terror at the Taj Bombay: Customer-Centric Leadership' by HBS professor Rohit Deshpande documents "the bravery and resourcefulness shown by rank-and-file employees" during the attack.

The study mainly focuses on "why did the Taj employees stay at their posts (during the attacks), jeopardising their safety in order to save hotel guests" and how can that level of loyalty and dedication be replicated elsewhere.

A dozen Taj employees died trying to save the lives of the hotel guests during the attacks.

"Not even the senior managers could explain the behaviour of these employees," Deshpande is quoted as saying in HBS Working Knowledge, a forum on the faculty's research and ideas.
Deshpande said even though the employees "knew all the back exits" in the hotel and could have easily fled the building, some stayed back to help the guests.

"The natural human instinct would be to flee. These are people who instinctively did the right thing. And in the process, some of them, unfortunately, gave their lives to save guests."

A documentary-style account of events, the case includes video interviews with hotel staff and footage of the attack.

It shows how leadership displayed by people in the bottom rank to the top levels in the organisational hierarchy helped in saving lives.


It also focuses on the hotel's history, its approach to recruiting and training employees, the Indian culture's "guest is God" philosophy and how the hotel would recover after the attacks.
Another key concept of the study is that in India and the developing world, "there is a much more paternalistic equation between employer and employee that creates a kinship."

Terming it as one of the "hardest cases" he has worked on, Mumbai-native Deshpande said it was hard to see people confront their trauma again.

"We objectify it, keep emotion at a distance, but after 15 minutes of questions with a video camera in a darkened room, there are deeper, more personal reflections of what happened," he says in the HBS Working Knowledge.
Deshpande said Taj employees felt a sense of loyalty to the hotel as well as a sense of responsibility to the guests.

He cites the example of a general manager who insisted on staying put and help direct a response to the attack even after learning that his wife and sons had died in a fire on the hotel's top floor.

"Nothing in the employees' training could have prepared them for such an unprecedented situation," Deshpande said.
Deshpande has taught the case in the School's Owner/President Management Executive Education programme.

It can also be taught as an example of managing the post-crisis recovery of a flagship corporate brand, he added.


link:Response by Taj employees to 26/11 a case study at Harvard - The Times of India

 

[Capt.Popeye]

The heroic response by employees of Mumbai's landmark Taj Hotel during the 26/11 terror attacks is now a case study at Harvard Business School that focuses on the staff's selfless service for its customers and how they went beyond their call of duty to save lives.

The multimedia case study 'Terror at the Taj Bombay: Customer-Centric Leadership' by HBS professor Rohit Deshpande documents "the bravery and resourcefulness shown by rank-and-file employees" during the attack.

The study mainly focuses on "why did the Taj employees stay at their posts (during the attacks), jeopardising their safety in order to save hotel guests" and how can that level of loyalty and dedication be replicated elsewhere.

A dozen Taj employees died trying to save the lives of the hotel guests during the attacks.

"Not even the senior managers could explain the behaviour of these employees," Deshpande is quoted as saying in HBS Working Knowledge, a forum on the faculty's research and ideas.
Deshpande said even though the employees "knew all the back exits" in the hotel and could have easily fled the building, some stayed back to help the guests.

"The natural human instinct would be to flee. These are people who instinctively did the right thing. And in the process, some of them, unfortunately, gave their lives to save guests."

A documentary-style account of events, the case includes video interviews with hotel staff and footage of the attack.

It shows how leadership displayed by people in the bottom rank to the top levels in the organisational hierarchy helped in saving lives.


It also focuses on the hotel's history, its approach to recruiting and training employees, the Indian culture's "guest is God" philosophy and how the hotel would recover after the attacks.
Another key concept of the study is that in India and the developing world, "there is a much more paternalistic equation between employer and employee that creates a kinship."

Terming it as one of the "hardest cases" he has worked on, Mumbai-native Deshpande said it was hard to see people confront their trauma again.

"We objectify it, keep emotion at a distance, but after 15 minutes of questions with a video camera in a darkened room, there are deeper, more personal reflections of what happened," he says in the HBS Working Knowledge.
Deshpande said Taj employees felt a sense of loyalty to the hotel as well as a sense of responsibility to the guests.

He cites the example of a general manager who insisted on staying put and help direct a response to the attack even after learning that his wife and sons had died in a fire on the hotel's top floor.

"Nothing in the employees' training could have prepared them for such an unprecedented situation," Deshpande said.
Deshpande has taught the case in the School's Owner/President Management Executive Education programme.

It can also be taught as an example of managing the post-crisis recovery of a flagship corporate brand, he added.


link:Response by Taj employees to 26/11 a case study at Harvard - The Times of India

While the subject of the study is unprecedented, it is not surprising. i've known a number of people who have worked with the Tata Group (in various companies) who seemed to possess an unusually high degree of identification with the group ideals. And the reason was not pecuniary, as a matter of fact; till well into the 80s, the Tatas were far from being among the best paying employers (even at Director level).
It has much to do with Corporate values. And i can say that in the time of JRD Tata, this was clearly visible and demonstrated. In case of the Ratan Tata regime, it seems to be the same, AFAIK. i say this because i am less proximate to Corporate matters in India now.

Everywhere we see organisations write down their mission statements, quality statements and so on. Few if any, are willing to enunciate their organisational/corporate values.

The Tatas from the time of Jamshedji Tata have been known to run their businesses as social stake-holders rather than financial stake-holders. Members of the Tata family have historically had very small (even miniscule) share holding in the group companies. The shares are held by trusts with little personal access by family members. The trusts are populated mainly by persons of high achievement in different fields. And surpluses have regularly been given to institutions all across the country, many of which have been set up with generous Tata help. This undoubtedly has permeated the Tata group and created some spirit of selflessness that was visible in the Taj in the 26/11 incident. Undoubtedly the individual employees who were there in that horrific time, themselves possessed high personal values that were "in synch" with the corporate values. Which is why they did what they did. That is the essence of "esprit de corps". And that was on display then.

About the Taj itself; though i've not visited post 26/11, that institution has been part of my life from a boy simply walking past on Apollo Bunder and sometimes being taken for a family treat, to blowing up part of ones "subaltern income" on a girl friend to entering the portals, sometimes as a host- sometimes as a guest with associates. Its been a while.

When the Taj reopened fully after 26/11, i felt driven to write:

For me as an Indian; among my icons, there are two “Taj”s. One the ‘Taj Mahal’- a symbol of imperial splendour; and the ‘Taj’- a symbol of initiative, industry and integrity.

Today is a proud day for us Indians: 63 years of Independence and the day that “The Graceful Lady of Apollo Bunder” has returned with her dignified beauty.
Actually she never went away from us; she was just busy, quietly taking care of her home and immediate family as well as her extended family (through the welfare trust). Now i can see her again in all her grace. Sheer joy!
Today, i pay homage to her children who are no more and I salute the children who resolutely stand by her (and us).

The ‘Taj’ forever; for India.
Proud to be Indian, proud to feel ‘Taj’Indian.


i am not in the least surprised to read about the study and the subject thereof.

 

[KS]

While the subject of the study is unprecedented, it is not surprising. i've known a number of people who have worked with the Tata Group (in various companies) who seemed to possess an unusually high degree of identification with the group ideals. And the reason was not pecuniary, as a matter of fact; till well into the 80s, the Tatas were far from being among the best paying employers (even at Director level).
It has much to do with Corporate values. And i can say that in the time of JRD Tata, this was clearly visible and demonstrated. In case of the Ratan Tata regime, it seems to be the same, AFAIK. i say this because i am less proximate to Corporate matters in India now.

Everywhere we see organisations write down their mission statements, quality statements and so on. Few if any, are willing to enunciate their organisational/corporate values.

The Tatas from the time of Jamshedji Tata have been known to run their businesses as social stake-holders rather than financial stake-holders. Members of the Tata family have historically had very small (even miniscule) share holding in the group companies. The shares are held by trusts with little personal access by family members. The trusts are populated mainly by persons of high achievement in different fields. And surpluses have regularly been given to institutions all across the country, many of which have been set up with generous Tata help. This undoubtedly has permeated the Tata group and created some spirit of selflessness that was visible in the Taj in the 26/11 incident. Undoubtedly the individual employees who were there in that horrific time, themselves possessed high personal values that were "in synch" with the corporate values. Which is why they did what they did. That is the essence of "esprit de corps". And that was on display then.

About the Taj itself; though i've not visited post 26/11, that institution has been part of my life from a boy simply walking past on Apollo Bunder and sometimes being taken for a family treat, to blowing up part of ones "subaltern income" on a girl friend to entering the portals, sometimes as a host- sometimes as a guest with associates. Its been a while.

When the Taj reopened fully after 26/11, i felt driven to write:

For me as an Indian; among my icons, there are two “Taj”s. One the ‘Taj Mahal’- a symbol of imperial splendour; and the ‘Taj’- a symbol of initiative, industry and integrity.

Today is a proud day for us Indians: 63 years of Independence and the day that “The Graceful Lady of Apollo Bunder” has returned with her dignified beauty.
Actually she never went away from us; she was just busy, quietly taking care of her home and immediate family as well as her extended family (through the welfare trust). Now i can see her again in all her grace. Sheer joy!
Today, i pay homage to her children who are no more and I salute the children who resolutely stand by her (and us).

The ‘Taj’ forever; for India.
Proud to be Indian, proud to feel ‘Taj’Indian.

Count me in as one of the proud members of the 'TATA' family.

 

[makikirkiri]

Count me in as one of the proud members of the 'TATA' family.

TATA Code Of Conduct ehh?