The various factors, which have impeded the growth and progress of personnel management in India, are:
Factors
1. Abundance of Cheap Labour:
In India, the main source of labour supply has been the growth of population. Modern industrial sector in India attracts labour from the agricultural sector.
Industrial centres draw on their surrounding rural area for recruitment of workers. With rapid increase of population, low degree of industrialisation and widespread unemployment both in rural and urban areas, there is an abundant supply of labour to the industries.
Since, labour is in abundance, good human relations are not necessary in India and there are arbitrary dismissals and layoffs.
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2. Weak Labour Movement:
The Indian working class is generally passive and depends on outside politicians for leadership.
This outside leadership has failed to understand the needs of the working class. The politicians in fact use the workers to achieve their political ends instead of awakening social consciousness amongst the workers.
3. Highly Authoritarian Culture:
The Indian society has a highly authoritarian culture. This makes the Indian worker depend on the superiors. Freedom is not a value in India.
This culture thus discourages participative style of management and free communication. These two conditions are the basis for ideal human relations, which are lacking in the Indian situation.
4. Technological Backwardness:
Technological environment influences business in terms of investment in technology, consistent application of technology, and the effects of technology on markets.
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The immense technological progress in the west has raised the standard of living of their workers. This is not so with the Indian workers because of our technological backwardness.
Technological progress has a very important role to play in the economic development of a country.
No backward country can hope to march ahead on the road to economic development without adopting newer and newer techniques of production.
5. Instability in Employment:
The Indian workers are attracted to the cities by the lure of higher wages but the instability of their employment, chronic housing shortage, and high rents prevent them from settling down and bringing their families from the village.
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Thus, the industrial worker would not remain in an industry if he could secure sufficient food and clothing in the village. “They are pushed, not pulled to the city”.
6. Unhealthy Growth of Trade Unions:
The migratory character of Indian labour leads to unhealthy growth of trade unions. Many workers do not take an active part in the formation of unions and do not like to pay their subscriptions because they do not come to the cities to live permanently.
7. Migratory characteristic of Indian Labour:
As a result of migration, the industrial worker finds himself in an unfamiliar environment. Due to lack of houses, workers are forced to leave their families in villages.
Separation from families leads to promiscuity, prostitution, venereal diseases and even aids. To compound the problem, the health of the worker is subjected to severe strain due to many reasons like change in climate, working and living conditions etc.