Assignment 02

Introduction
While not only having to attend to the largest work from home all time from their workplaces has
altered not only people physical but their mental environment as well which came to be just a few
months ago. Also, beyond having to deal with above mentioned situations employees of almost all
companies present all around the world are going through the same issues as Sri Lankan companies with
isolation and uncertainty as well as grief from the deaths of loved ones around the world even though
the death rates are at a minimum in Sri Lanka. In response to the said situations, some of the
organizations such as WHO or UNICEF by the large scale and companies that individuals work for from
the small and familiar scale are creating wellness programs, relief funds to support people in general
and more importantly their employees. “For many companies, the first step was transitioning employees
to the work-from-home environment” is a well-placed quote by a Managing Director at a foreign
consulting company called JLL Consulting. Apart from the mentioned relieves, employees at workplaces
are being allowed to work from home with beyond technical adjustments to online meetings on video
calls.For the first example I am choosing to discuss about Hemas holdings plc which is one of the leading
public corporations in Sri Lanka with its influence in many areas including Health care products to luxury-
hotel properties. As the second example, I am hoping to explain how Sampath bank faced the challenges
of WFH and how they came up with solutions to those challenges.

Task 01;

What is leadership?
In any case no matter whether employees are working from home or working in an office environment,
one of most essential essence to an ongoing company and paid workers is the leadership. If I were to
turn the definition of the leadership into words, it is the performance of inspiration and preparation for
anything that would come in the way and having the willingness to act on any challenges and being able
to lead the others through those challenges to a possible solution. While above mentioned are more
than necessary concerns, in the businesses what is more relatable and is expected of a leader is the
profit and it is obviously noticeable that those who are viewed as effective leaders are always the ones
who worked towards the goal of raising the company’s bottom line and more importantly, leaders who
achieve it.

It has always been up to debate whether anyone could become a leader. While some there are some
people who natural to the role of a leader, my argument would be that any person could become a
leader by improving needed and particular skills to the role. I would also state that in a great situation of
devastation and uncertainty of life such as the COVID 19 pandemic that recently occurred, people step
up and make suggestions which in return gives them the leadership in the crises and they persuade
others to follow the suggested course of action. This means that everyone possesses the traits and
qualities that helped them to step into the role of leadership. Leaders are known to operate
independently allowing them to manage the limitations of what they have to deal with and in times like
this it can be taken in many varieties such as mental and physical health of their employees. And it is
obvious that an organization’s employees are its most valuable resource. Most employees are struggling
between endless distractions. Simply such as holding down their jobs and trying to homeschool their
kids since the schools are closed, or to actually do their job with the distractions of their kids.

Challenges that comes with work from home, the solutions and leaders rule in
them.
Therefore, the most needed role of a leader should be to listen to their employees and to their new
found challenges in these troubled times. Other part of the employees are ones who live alone. They
may feel isolated and away from their families and it could easily lack the sufficient energy and
motivation to accomplish their work. There could be employees who worked at positions such as front
desk officers whose jobs that seemed like they vanished into thin air. Therefore, it comes down to the
leader to assist teams such as this with new projects to keep them occupied and to keep the company
productivity high and to make these employees feel like they’re still valued members of the company.
And of course, to express to them that you are there to help and support them in any way needed.
Therefore, the very first way of support that employees expect from their leaders would be to exhibit
empathy. An interesting fact about leadership is that more than 70% of effective employee engagement
is directly linked to the leadership. Many researchers have come forward with information that it’s best
to approach the role of the leader with an approach that suits the situation which allows them to
improvise and make the best decisions at the time. This come to the second way of leaders could
support their employees by resisting to micromanage the work from home employees. Another proven
fact is that more than 20% of employees leave their companies within 45 days and the reason for this
depends on their onboarding experience. Therefore, the third most important approach for a leader in
these work from home times is to pay special attention to their newest employees and to make them
their first priority. Some main challenges to talk about when it comes to banking and financial industry
are as follows,

Trust in the employees:

One of many and main challenge and an element would be for the organization to keep faith in its
employees to deliver proper and fast results since a sudden reason like a pandemic does not give the
management or the employees time to develop and inherit faith between each other. And being an
industry, which works directly with money banking organizations have a tendency to abandon a facility if
they stumble upon a doubt in the employee’s honesty.

Orientation:
Most of the Sri Lankan companies halted after the WHO announced that COVID 19 as a pandemic just
like in every country in the world. Which did not really give anyone to get ready to do anything. And
then started the phase of work from home. I wouldn’t matter whether it’s an employee of a medicine
company or a bank, every employee requires the tools to do their job.

Security:
The banking sector could be counted as the most most paranoid out of all industries and there would be
no blame for it. There ought to be and are some concerns about how transaction and trade specific data
are handled. With not having proper tools to secure and with the possibility of homes being far more
vulnerable than offices. Therefore, the most important data could be in cyber risks. Or even being in the
reachability of non-essential personnel such as family members or friends.

Lack to face to face interaction:

It matters not whether it’s the banking or medicine industry, some of their customers are not as open
minded as other. Such as in many cultures like in Sri Lanka’s, people are used to doing their business in
person. It could be whether their lack to trust in the technology or how they are used to doing the
business with an actual person.

With the help of the companies and its management, are to take charge of these matters and deal with
them differently as every challenge requires its own sort of solutions. This is where the leaders come in,
the responsibility of the employees that work under the leader falls on them.

The value chains

Let’s start by figuring out what value chain actually is: a value chain can be explained as the full process
of activities of a business or a service provided. And in general, raw material used, manufacturing and
marketing can be taken as the activities. There are five key activities as well, which are: inbound
logistics, operations, outbound logistics, marketing and sales, service. The supporting activities would
be: firm infrastructure, Human Resources management, technology and procurement. More explained
description of the value chain in the two industries that we talk about are as follows,

Value chain of banking Sampath bank and hemas

The key activities are similar in many ways, in sampath bank and hemas can be taken as the
development and the maintenance of customer relationships, processing of transactions, provision of
financial advice and products development. The support activities are a must to be followed throughout
all phrases. More details mentioned below,

Marketing
Much the same as different organizations, promoting has an extraordinary centrality for the financial
business and Diversified Corporate; Consumer, Healthcare, Leisure, and Mobility (hemas) as well. Rivalry
has become exceptional in this area and there are a few global parts in the market. As such showcasing
gets significant for banks to conquer serious weight as well. Pulling in and holding clients requires more
spotlight on promoting. Also, division is significant for banking and insurance agencies as division makes
it simpler for them to serve the different purchaser portions. The banks and insurance agencies target
diverse client sections with reasonable plans and administrations. Brand picture is additionally a
significant worry for the financial brands.

Sales
Deals is a significant capacity in the financial worth chain which is a result of the significance of deals for
banks. The financial business is profoundly serious and separated from entering new business sectors
and finding new clients, it is significant that the banks additionally hold their current clients. The
business work serves a significant function now where it doesn't simply sell yet in addition works at
client commitment and maintenance. Another significant thing about this capacity is that it is the
primary touch point between the bank and its clients. This present capacity's presentation likewise
importantly affects the bank's picture among clients. Deals and administration staff being the principle
association between the bank and the clients are likewise mostly answerable for showcasing. And when
it comes to hemas, they have their sales center located in Colombo which allows them to offer lifesaving
healthcare products Islandwide with a highly dedicated team of members and pharmacists on site

How they cooperate with planned clients and serve them influences the money related establishment's
picture. Presently a day's online deals have likewise gotten more pertinent than any other time in recent
memory in the financial business. Be that as it may, the human touch actually assumes a center function
in driving deals. The part of the business staff in driving deals and income is enormous. Another factor
that has developed the part of deals staff in the financial business is the extension of budgetary
administrations. Banks are dealing with their business staff all the more effectively and utilizing
innovation and mechanical preparing to assist them with overseeing deals all the more productively.

Products
The items offered by the banks are likewise a significant aspect of their worth chain. From credits to
stores, banks give a few sorts of items and administrations. Be that as it may, in a financial setting,
instead of simply having an extraordinary item portfolio, it gets audacious for the banks to offer
incredible assistance. Banks give a progression of items and administrations, some of which are
unmistakable and a few impalpable. From stores and advances to Mastercards and unfamiliar trade
administrations, banks offer an enormous assortment of items and administrations. In any case, in the
financial world, the words items and administrations by and large mean something very similar.

Transactions
Another primary activity down the value chain of the banking industry is transaction. Technology has
made this task easier. Millions of transactions are carried out every day throughout the world online and
offline. From ATMs to online payments, several millions exchange hands in the form of transactions.
Variety of payment clearance systems and settlement systems are used by banks globally. Some of them
are ACH networks, ATMs, bankcard networks and check clearing systems. Another method of
transaction prevalent in the banking sector is the internet-based bill payment system. The debit and
credit cards have remained at the forefront of this growth in electronic payments. Banks also offer
payment services for online businesses. However, apart from banks, other online payment solutions
have also emerged led by PayPal. Digital technology has aided the proliferation of banking and payment
solutions

Technology
The function of innovation has become progressively significant in the financial world. In particular, a
few of the most significant advancements have occurred during the last a few decades. Advanced
innovation can likewise be a wellspring of upper hand for the banks since it conveys benefits all the
more effectively. Innovation has made banking simpler and furthermore improved the bank's
profitability. A few of the administrations can be profited of on the web and clients don't generally need
to go to the branch to get these administrations. Presently, banks are utilizing innovation is each part of
business including deals, promoting, client care and different capacities. The bank sites assume a
significant part in driving brand mindfulness, deals, promoting just as client securing and maintenance.
Advanced innovation has driven the degree of purchaser accommodation higher in the whole financial
industry including the Asian market

Human Resources
In spite of the developing function of innovation, HR keep on assuming a significant part in the worth
chain of the financial business. Their significance in the financial business is higher on the grounds that
trust assumes a significant function in the financial climate internationally. Banks train their business
staff and oversee them deliberately. Not simply staff preparing, banks are likewise giving exceptional
consideration to generally the board of human resources. They are utilizing advanced devices and
innovation to plan successful preparing programs and to convey them proficiently. Human asset the
board is basic in each industry and in the financial business to the productivity of staff influences
accomplishment to an exceptionally enormous degree.

Infrastructure
Framework additionally assumes a key function in the financial business. From physical foundation to
innovation and especially IT, framework assumes a significant part in the development and working of
the banks. Because of expanded rivalry, the significance of IT in banking industry has additionally
developed. With developing dangers identified with information security and protection, banks are
currently zeroing in vigorously on keeping up a solid and impervious IT foundation. Server farms are
additionally a basic aspect of the IT frameworks of the banks. The banks have staggered security
structures set up to ensure customer information.

Task 02;

Pros and cons

Telecommuting can be an engaging vocation move. It kills the greater part of the conventional parts of
going to work, such as driving and dressing in business clothing, while at the same time lessening social
association and standard methods for responsibility. Contingent upon your favored work style and
culture needs, it could either be the best thing for you or the most noticeably terrible. In this way, in
case you're pondering a work at home work, there are a few interesting points before making the
change. In this article, we list the most well-known upsides and downsides of telecommuting to assist
you with deciding whether this is the correct profession move for you.

While telecommuting can be profoundly engaging and accompanied numerous advantages, there are
likewise expected downsides to consider when changing to a work from home position.

Pros
 Work life balance
Much of the time, telecommuting can assist you with cultivating your work-life balance by permitting
you to plan your work around your own life. Working distantly can manage the cost of you additional
time in your home to deal with fundamental errands that advantage your way of life.

 More independence
Telecommuting can give self-sufficiency and autonomy in your employment that may be missing in a
physical work environment. Moreover, these kinds of jobs require self-control and inspiration enough to
oversee time mindfully and complete occupation errands.

 No commute
Work-from-home positions mean you can wipe out your drive. Regardless of whether you telecommute
a couple of days during the week, you travel less.

 No extra expenses
This advantage can have a few sweeping impacts. For example, when you dispose of driving, you can
diminish your fuel and transportation costs. Working from home can likewise assist you with decreasing
different costs like work attire, dinners and even childcare. Saving money on the expenses of childcare
can be particularly profitable to guardians telecommuting.

 Increased productivity
At the point when you work autonomously in a calmer climate, you might be more gainful. Expanded
profitability identifies with a few additional variables including the capacity to move around your home
uninhibitedly and take breaks at whatever point you want to. Having the option to move back from your
work when you have an inclination that you need a break can assist you with remaining inspired and
decrease wear out.

 Better technical skills

Working from home frequently requires utilizing specialized applications, for example, internet meeting,
correspondence and group joint effort stages. You can create specialized abilities that you may not
normally use in a physical work environment.

 Better communication skills

Telecommuting requires predictable correspondence among groups and chiefs, which probably requires
more messages, calls, video calls and visits in informing stages. Customary utilization of specialized
instruments will improve your abilities.

 More flexibility
You have a great deal of adaptability with most working from home positions. For example, many work-
from-home positions are unaffected by ordinary business hours, making it simpler to take care of life
functions like clinical arrangements. Work-from-home jobs can be a tremendous advantage for
guardians who work unusual timetables to oblige their families.

 No office distractions
You have no office interruptions when you telecommute. Office commotion like colleagues talking, office
hardware running or telephones ringing can be profoundly diverting in a workplace. A home office
doesn't have these equivalent interruptions.

 Better location collaboration

Working from home can be a preferred position to multi-divisional organizations that have office areas
around the globe. The capacity to speak with experts in differing regions can open extra ways for
business improvement. This can be helpful to your vocation as you can work with an assortment of
industry experts that you can gain from.

 Building professional networks

Having the option to work with a different scope of individuals can bring about adding to your expert
organization. You can create proficient connections through systems administration that can prompt
future progression openings.

 Lesser work absences

Since telecommuting offers adaptability, it can likewise decrease work unlucky deficiencies. Regardless
of whether you're wiped out or need to plan a significant arrangement, telecommuting can decrease
how regularly you have to take a vacation day.

 More job opportunities

Distant positions can open up extra openings for work for people with constraints to working in
customary jobs. For example, individuals with incapacities that keep them from voyaging or working
extended periods can fabricate their vocations distantly. The capacity to work from anyplace can
likewise mean an expansion in accessible positions in enterprises like innovation, medical care and
training.

Cons
 More isolation
You can turn out to be very detached telecommuting on the off chance that you invest most of your
energy without anyone else, working freely. The way to dodging dejection and seclusion as a
telecommuter is to plan trips and functions with loved ones. Some far-off work environments offer
normal group functions to support socialization.

 Home office costs

Some distant positions require explicit gear like headsets, webcams or programming to perform
fundamental undertakings and tasks. In the event that you need to set up a work area, seat and other
furnishings, you can hope to take care of some underlying expenses to get your home office sorted out.
Minimize your expenses by spending just what you have to play out your work.
  Changes if productivity
Albeit telecommuting can help increment your efficiency, it can likewise be a test to it. With the
opportunity to move around and take breaks at whatever point the mind-set emerges, it may be hard to
remain zeroed in on the errands you're taking a shot at. This can at last prompt slower profitability. One
approach to battle this is to execute profitability apparatuses like time trackers and errand the board
applications.

 Home distractions
Interruptions like the TV, pets or family errands can influence how you play out your work. Such a large
number of interruptions can prompt a diminishing in your efficiency and inspiration. You can keep away
from this by restricting whatever you find diverting in your home. Use commotion dropping earphones
and play loosening up music to shut out clamors like traffic and neighborhood movement.

 Less face to face times

With separation and work environment disengage comes less publicity. Working distantly, you won't
have similar occasions to talk vis-à-vis with associates and the network except if you get making the
rounds. You can likewise incorporate more up close and personal associations inside online meeting
stages to draw in with colleagues.

 Disconnected from office

Working from home can here and there prompt a distinction among you and your colleagues.
Telecommuting implies you won't approach prompt data about significant business measures until
somebody in the organization conveys it to you. Try to remain associated with your physical working
environment through steady correspondence at whatever point you have questions or concerns.

Justification
Although there are some cons to WFH, the pros outweigh them as mentioned above. When it comes to
a situation such as the COVID 19 pandemic, the other options to be consider against WFH are not much.
when working from home due to the said reason we could agree that there's not much other options
are on the table. Therefore, the reasonable justification would be that the employees are not exactly
working remotely but actually working while being stuck at home.

Task 03;
Changes in Leadership due to WFH
There are many styles when it comes to how a leader should act and they are known as leadership
styles. What need to be considered is that these styles are meant for the work place where all day work
is being done with all the employees at one place and where the leader has unlimited and easy access to
all of the employees and their work. Therefore, when it comes to remote work some of the leadership
styles have to be changed accordingly.

 Democratic style
Democratic style can be taken as one of the styles that are easier to be changed according to the
transformation of work from home. The main reason for this is that this kind of leaders are the ones
who ask their employees about any information that effect affect the work and they are also known to
consider the employees options before coming to a conclusion.

 Autocratic style
This style is where the leader takes all the matters into their hand because they think they are the
smartest person in the room. They are known to have a clear command and control approach. This style
is not much suited for the work from home approach where people have to be responsible for their own
work and the leader has to rely on the employees to get their part done.

 Pacesetting style
Pacesetting leader is the leader that lead by example. To be clearer, this kind of a leader would be the
one who tells the employees to “do as I do things”. This style is known to get the work done though can
end up hurting the employee's feelings and when it comes to work from home, employee’s mental state
matter more than just getting the job done therefore is not much suited for the remote work
environment.

 Coaching style
In my opinion, coaching style could be the most suited approach when it comes to remote working
environments because this approach is where the leader acts as a coach to the employees in order to
see and unlock their potential. The reason why this is more suited for the work from home approach is
that this allows the employees to do the work in their ways which brings an ease to their mind because
it makes them feel that they matter.

Task 04;
Employee work monitoring process
In 2020, telecommuting has become the new standard in numerous enterprises. A huge number of
organizations over the world are grasping a 'distant work' culture.

The positives and negatives of distant work are continually being bantered in chief gatherings, lounges,
and coffeehouses, nonetheless, the information shows that working distantly is filling in notoriety at a
considerable rate.

 Slack for group cooperation and texting.

 Zoom for video telephone calls with colleagues and clients.
 Google Suite for email, archive joint effort, record stockpiling, common schedule, and the sky is
the limit from there.
 Wall painting for group conceptualizing work process joint effort.
 Trello for project planning.

Before we investigate how you should track and quantify group execution, how about we start with
what you should gauge. Picking the most significant measurements is critical and it's essential to keep
away from metric over-burden.

Utilizing the correct tools is a significant aspect of any work culture, however distant work makes those
devices basic. Since correspondence is a center part of a far-off group, little hiccups can mean huge
issues. Numerous devices are now tending to various hierarchical needs, for example, visit, venture the
executives, web and video conferencing, booking, work process mechanization, and joint effort and
prototyping. Furthermore, these can likewise give extraordinary experiences into how work completes
in an association.

A great deal of develop cooperation tools like Microsoft Office 365 assist measure with numerous bits of
knowledge. Experiences like,

 time spent on profound work.

 how one can improve center time.
 Prosperity.
 systems administration.
 and coordinated effort inside the association.

For directors, the investigation give experiences into how a group can utilize aggregate activity to
improve group standards and drive considerably more prominent execution. Furthermore, working
environment Investigation assists pioneers with increasing remarkable venture wide data about whether
the current cooperation designs are helping the association meet targets, what contacts might be
absent, and time and systems administration patterns, which can help in tending to complex business
challenges.

The following metrics can be used to measure work from home performance in sales.

 Call volume.
 sales per rep.
 revenue per sale rep.
  average selling price.

These following metrics can be used to measure work from home marketing performance.

 Website sessions.
 lead conversion rate.
 Customer acquisition cost.

Task 05,

Affect on Vocations that require physical presence

An underlying evaluation of the effect of COVID-19 on the worldwide universe of work says the
impacts will be expansive, driving great many individuals into joblessness, underemployment
and working destitution, and proposes measures for a conclusive, coordinated and quick
reaction.

These employees who are unable to work from home, particularly those in retail and banking
whose responsibility is to handle the day to day work such as managing ATMs or deposit
machines or even the security personnel in any sectors, often find their employment at risk as
social distance prevents individuals from participating in their usual activities.

It was confirmed by studies that in USA, only 25% of employees are working jobs that can be
done at home with the concept of WFH, leaving the rest 75% of employees with jobs that are
very difficult to or absolutely impossible to do from home and the reason that I'm referring to
the data of the world's leading country in technology as well as all other aspects, is that the data
on said topic in sri Lanka doesn’t exist but it would be wise to assume that the odds of people
who are unable to perform their jobs from home in sri Lanka is much higher than of USA.

And workers who have to continue to work are putting their health at risk, including all health
workers on the front lines of the war against the pandemic. To make matters worse, those with
kids must continue to function while ensuring proper care for their kids.

According to the data from hemas and sampath bank, there has been policies drawn due to the
said situation where even the employee who is unable to perform their job home is paid a
reasonable wager and were given special assignments which can be done at home and are still
a valuable member to the organization.

Conclusion
In conclusion, an epidemic, out of the blue has taken to the worst point in all outlooks of world
as we know it. People are struggling to keep their head above water by doing what they can
while still caring about the society and looking after one another and some parts of the world
with grievance for loved ones who are lost. In circumstances such as this worrying about their
job security could be the last thing in one's mind, though the point has to be made that it will all
come to an end when it does, the business has to be usual and to do that every individual must
do their part by doing their job and simply survive by earning. The leading and management
teams at sampath bank and hemas group is individuals with mindset like this and they as teams
do their best to keep the organization going.

References

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