STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCE LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
JOURNEY: LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT IN A PHYGITAL CONTEXT
CASE STUDY SOLUTION
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SYNOPSIS
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Since its launch in 2004, the Strategic Human Resource Leadership Journey (SHRLJ) had been a great
success. The leadership executive program was overseen by the National Human Resource Development
Network, India’s largest community of human resources (HR) practitioners. The initiative was intended to
n
develop and prepare HR leaders for the future. With a strategic business focus, SHRLJ instilled enduring
personal and professional transformations in the program’s participants. However, the outbreak of the
tio
COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 induced unprecedented changes at SHRLJ and across the world. The result was
a shift toward a mix of physical and digital offerings, referred to as a “phygital” context. Judhajit Das, one of
the program’s architects, recognized that there was a compelling need to modify the design of the initiative.
lu
In 2021–22, Das and his team members offered a three-phase hybrid model that aimed to capture the best of
both the physical and digital formats (see Exhibit TN-1). As Das pored over feedback data about the new
So
model, he noted both encouraging and critical comments from participants. The content was widely seen as
being relevant and the program’s flexibility was generally met with approval. However, participants lamented
the lack of emotional connection and opportunities to develop deep relationships. As he embarked on the
design of the next cycle of the program, Das wondered how to reimagine the future of SHRLJ. How could he
leverage the new technology of the phygital world but sustain the emotional quality of the residential format?
OBJECTIVES
• Understand the success factors of an effective leadership development initiative in two formats—
residential and hybrid.
• Examine the value creation of a hybrid design approach as a leadership development initiative.
• Learn how to design an effective leadership development initiative that integrates the best physical and
digital features to adapt to a new normal characterized by a phygital context.
The Case Solution Starts From page 6
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ASSIGNMENT QUESTIONS
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1. What were SHRLJ’s design-specific success factors in the residential format? (10 minutes)
tio
2. Describe the reasons for adopting a hybrid design and analyze its pros and cons as a leadership
development initiative. (20 minutes)
3. Evaluate SHRLJ’s hybrid design in terms of the program’s value creation, as well as the challenges
lu
that participants faced. (20 minutes)
4. How can SHRLJ’s design approach be enhanced to help overcome the challenges of a hybrid
So
leadership development program in a phygital context? (30 minutes)
The Case Solution Starts From page 6
,ANALYSIS
1. What were SHRLJ’s design-specific success factors in the residential format?
Students
can refer to key highlights from the case that describe the launch of SHRLJ and the intention of the program
e
to develop HR capabilities for the country by training leaders in functional, business, and strategic skills.
draw attention to the key ingredients in the program’s original form—shared purpose,
pl
passion, commitment, volunteerism, and implicit trust. The senior HR leaders who co-founded and designed
the program aimed to accomplish a larger goal—to bridge India’s HR competency gap. Students can then
m
focus on the competitive landscape (or the lack of competition) when SHRLJ was founded. This will help
students define the program in its initial form as a mix of purpose and passion. Specifically, the founders a
Sa
sense of giving back to their professional community.
ask students to identify which success factors exemplify, highlight, demonstrate, or
indicate SHRLJ’s success. This question encourages students to consider the participant experience, as well
as the philosophy and design elements of SHRLJ that contributed to its success in the past. Student
n
responses can be listed on the board and aligned with Wenger’s four components of social learning theory—
tio
practice, meaning, identity, and community1 (see Exhibit TN-2):
• Practice component of the design—The SHRLJ founders wanted to build a learning design that was
lu
grounded in practice. A group of well-respected HR professionals had a strong desire to contribute to
the profession’s growth. They were willing to use their social capital to develop a world-class HR
So
capability development initiative based on implicit trust and dedication toward a noble and
transformational common goal. The SHRLJ program evolved into a valued HR leadership development
program in India over the next 15 years that included multi-modal leadership development methods.
HR industry practitioners and academic experts led the functional learning modules to provide
conceptual inputs and best practices.
• Meaning-making—The SHRLJ design architects built psychologically safe learning environments
The Case Solution Starts From page 6
, EXHIBIT -1: PROGRAM MANAGEMENT TEAM STRUCTURE
National Human Resource Development Network Sponsor
Ensuring necessary support and help from the national headquarters and from the Mumbai chapter,
including promotion and sponsorships
Program Director
Orchestrating, guiding, troubleshooting, and leading the entire effort
Leader for Logistics
Finance, registration, transport, accommodation, travel desk, medical support, classroom set-up, food,
drinks, etc.
Leader for Motivational Activities and Program Anchor
Ice breakers, fun activities, team building, outings, rest and relaxation, physical activities, yoga, photos, gifts,
prizes, souvenirs for faculty and participants, etc.
Leader for Marketing and Branding
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Sa
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The Case Solution Starts From page 6
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EXHIBIT -7: SWOT ANALYSIS OF THE SHRLJ PHYGITAL DESIGN
Sa
Strengths Weakness
• Design that incorporates a blend of • Flexibility at a cost—in the virtual mode,
virtual and physical features participants distracted by work pressures
• No networking opportunities
•
n
• Lack of deep connections
tio
• • HR community experts seeing their roles
as transactional (e.g., deliver a talk and
exit)
lu
• Limited out-of-classroom interaction
•
• Longer duration leading to natural
So
attrition levels and waning motivation
Opportunities
SWOT Threats
• Leveraging brand and reputation to • Difficult to replicate the time and
design a high-technology program commitment of the co-founders
• •
•
•
•
The Case Solution Starts From page 6
JOURNEY: LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT IN A PHYGITAL CONTEXT
CASE STUDY SOLUTION
e
pl
SYNOPSIS
m
Sa
Since its launch in 2004, the Strategic Human Resource Leadership Journey (SHRLJ) had been a great
success. The leadership executive program was overseen by the National Human Resource Development
Network, India’s largest community of human resources (HR) practitioners. The initiative was intended to
n
develop and prepare HR leaders for the future. With a strategic business focus, SHRLJ instilled enduring
personal and professional transformations in the program’s participants. However, the outbreak of the
tio
COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 induced unprecedented changes at SHRLJ and across the world. The result was
a shift toward a mix of physical and digital offerings, referred to as a “phygital” context. Judhajit Das, one of
the program’s architects, recognized that there was a compelling need to modify the design of the initiative.
lu
In 2021–22, Das and his team members offered a three-phase hybrid model that aimed to capture the best of
both the physical and digital formats (see Exhibit TN-1). As Das pored over feedback data about the new
So
model, he noted both encouraging and critical comments from participants. The content was widely seen as
being relevant and the program’s flexibility was generally met with approval. However, participants lamented
the lack of emotional connection and opportunities to develop deep relationships. As he embarked on the
design of the next cycle of the program, Das wondered how to reimagine the future of SHRLJ. How could he
leverage the new technology of the phygital world but sustain the emotional quality of the residential format?
OBJECTIVES
• Understand the success factors of an effective leadership development initiative in two formats—
residential and hybrid.
• Examine the value creation of a hybrid design approach as a leadership development initiative.
• Learn how to design an effective leadership development initiative that integrates the best physical and
digital features to adapt to a new normal characterized by a phygital context.
The Case Solution Starts From page 6
, e
pl
m
Sa
ASSIGNMENT QUESTIONS
n
1. What were SHRLJ’s design-specific success factors in the residential format? (10 minutes)
tio
2. Describe the reasons for adopting a hybrid design and analyze its pros and cons as a leadership
development initiative. (20 minutes)
3. Evaluate SHRLJ’s hybrid design in terms of the program’s value creation, as well as the challenges
lu
that participants faced. (20 minutes)
4. How can SHRLJ’s design approach be enhanced to help overcome the challenges of a hybrid
So
leadership development program in a phygital context? (30 minutes)
The Case Solution Starts From page 6
,ANALYSIS
1. What were SHRLJ’s design-specific success factors in the residential format?
Students
can refer to key highlights from the case that describe the launch of SHRLJ and the intention of the program
e
to develop HR capabilities for the country by training leaders in functional, business, and strategic skills.
draw attention to the key ingredients in the program’s original form—shared purpose,
pl
passion, commitment, volunteerism, and implicit trust. The senior HR leaders who co-founded and designed
the program aimed to accomplish a larger goal—to bridge India’s HR competency gap. Students can then
m
focus on the competitive landscape (or the lack of competition) when SHRLJ was founded. This will help
students define the program in its initial form as a mix of purpose and passion. Specifically, the founders a
Sa
sense of giving back to their professional community.
ask students to identify which success factors exemplify, highlight, demonstrate, or
indicate SHRLJ’s success. This question encourages students to consider the participant experience, as well
as the philosophy and design elements of SHRLJ that contributed to its success in the past. Student
n
responses can be listed on the board and aligned with Wenger’s four components of social learning theory—
tio
practice, meaning, identity, and community1 (see Exhibit TN-2):
• Practice component of the design—The SHRLJ founders wanted to build a learning design that was
lu
grounded in practice. A group of well-respected HR professionals had a strong desire to contribute to
the profession’s growth. They were willing to use their social capital to develop a world-class HR
So
capability development initiative based on implicit trust and dedication toward a noble and
transformational common goal. The SHRLJ program evolved into a valued HR leadership development
program in India over the next 15 years that included multi-modal leadership development methods.
HR industry practitioners and academic experts led the functional learning modules to provide
conceptual inputs and best practices.
• Meaning-making—The SHRLJ design architects built psychologically safe learning environments
The Case Solution Starts From page 6
, EXHIBIT -1: PROGRAM MANAGEMENT TEAM STRUCTURE
National Human Resource Development Network Sponsor
Ensuring necessary support and help from the national headquarters and from the Mumbai chapter,
including promotion and sponsorships
Program Director
Orchestrating, guiding, troubleshooting, and leading the entire effort
Leader for Logistics
Finance, registration, transport, accommodation, travel desk, medical support, classroom set-up, food,
drinks, etc.
Leader for Motivational Activities and Program Anchor
Ice breakers, fun activities, team building, outings, rest and relaxation, physical activities, yoga, photos, gifts,
prizes, souvenirs for faculty and participants, etc.
Leader for Marketing and Branding
e
pl
m
Sa
n
tio
lu
So
The Case Solution Starts From page 6
, e
pl
m
EXHIBIT -7: SWOT ANALYSIS OF THE SHRLJ PHYGITAL DESIGN
Sa
Strengths Weakness
• Design that incorporates a blend of • Flexibility at a cost—in the virtual mode,
virtual and physical features participants distracted by work pressures
• No networking opportunities
•
n
• Lack of deep connections
tio
• • HR community experts seeing their roles
as transactional (e.g., deliver a talk and
exit)
lu
• Limited out-of-classroom interaction
•
• Longer duration leading to natural
So
attrition levels and waning motivation
Opportunities
SWOT Threats
• Leveraging brand and reputation to • Difficult to replicate the time and
design a high-technology program commitment of the co-founders
• •
•
•
•
The Case Solution Starts From page 6
