Mobility paves Samsung’s silver path
The Korean giant’s early bet on mobile phones helped it hit the $10-bn mark in India, but in its 25th year it ...
N. R. Narayana Murthy
Narayana Murthy’s return has raised concerns in the industry, which interprets the move as a dearth of talent in top management and a way to buy time.
Infosys, India’s third largest software exporter, in the first week of June recalled N. R. Narayana Murthy, along with his son Rohan Murthy, as the company continued to struggle with growth in the last two years. This has raised questions around succession planning in the company, which has always maintained that it has a strong cadre of top management talent.
“The way I look at it, they don’t seem to have a strong top line of management,” says R. Vidyasagar, senior HR professional who coaches top management executives in Indian companies. Most HR professionals Business Line spoke to feel that apart from a CEO, the company lacks quality top management talent and this is being seen in the weak results posted quarter after quarter.
After S. D. Shibulal stepped into the role of CEO, the position of chief operating officer (COO) has been vacant since 2011. Murthy recently said the decision to fill this position will be taken after consulting with all the stakeholders.
This also raises questions around the Infosys Leadership Institute, which was launched in 2001 as an advisory body that would take strategic decisions regarding the company. The company has a dozen or so leaders in executive roles, apart from the founders. Why not pick someone from the institute rather than bring your son in wondered a CEO of a mid-sized IT company on condition of anonymity.
HR professionals and industry watchers opine that Infosys’ management view till date has centred on an India-focused workforce and say that this has to change. “Senior people at VP or AVP level are looking at other options as it puts a break in their career path,” said Kris Lakshmikanth, CEO of Head Hunters India.
With all the founders having taken a shot at the CEO role, Infosys should have put in a stronger succession management plan in place. “They have not put together a clear succession plan and with Murthy bringing in his son. It muddies the waters,” said C. K. Guruprasad, Principal, Heidrick & Struggles.
However, others believe that the younger Murthy has the credentials. “As an executive assistant, it will help him to get a bird’s eye view of the company,” said Santhosh Babu, Managing Director of learning and development consultancy firm Organisation Development Alternatives.
The Korean giant’s early bet on mobile phones helped it hit the $10-bn mark in India, but in its 25th year it ...
Antrix should adopt a different tactic than merely fighting over jurisdiction: Experts
Invest in relationships, enterprise, behaviour, effort and learning
From different types of osmoses to new membranes, researchers have come up with ways of drawing water
Only half the Sensex stocks have bettered the index’s return in the last 10,000-point journey
High valuation and stiff competition from larger players are a dampener
Investors with a short-term perspective can buy The New India Assurance Company (NIACL) stock at current ...
₹1490 • HDFC Bank S1S2R1R2COMMENT 1475146015051520 Fresh short positions are recommended with a stiff ...
What makes the new crop of young Indian cricketers such game-changing winners? Over and above their talent, ...
In these isolated times when people yearn for a slice of the familiar, amateur and professional chefs are ...
‘You ready to go to work?’ Joe Biden had asked Kamala Harris before naming her as his running mate. ‘Oh my ...
Writer Narendra’s latest book, rich with vignettes from Bastar and his native village in Uttar Pradesh, ...
Digital is becoming dominant media, but are companies and their ad agencies transforming fast enough to make a ...
Slow Network, promoted by journalist-lyricist Neelesh Misra, pushes rural products and experiences
How marketers can use the traditional exchange of festive wishes meaningfully
For Fortune, a brand celebrating its 20th anniversary, it was a rude shock to become the butt of social media ...
Three years after its inception, compliance with GST procedures remains a headache for exporters, job workers ...
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives of companies are altering the prospects for wooden toys of ...
Aequs Aerospace to create space for large-scale manufacture of toys at Koppal
And it has every reason to smile. Covid-19 has triggered a consumer shift towards branded products as ...
Please Email the Editor