Growing together with IGCC: Grievance Mechanism
Indo-German Chamber of Commerce (IGCC) is a is a non-profit organization. It is the largest German Bi-National Chamber (AHK) abroad and the largest Chamber of Commerce in India with more than 4500 member companies across diverse sectors. IGCC acts as a mediator for any Indian or German companies who want to establish businesses overseas. It offers numerous services such as Business Partner Searches, Company Formations, Legal Advice, HR Recruitment, Marketing and Branding, Delegations and Events, and Training. Through these roles, IGCC has played a role in advancing corporate and cultural understanding between India and Germany for over 60 years.
IGCC wanted to convey the importance of the grievance mechanism and how it ensures the well-being of workers in the workplace. In short, this was the goal, solution & impact of the project:
GOAL
IGCC’s goal was to educate other organizations about the grievance mechanism. They wanted to spread their message in an easy-to-understand video format.
SOLUTION
Through the video, we portrayed the grievance mechanism in a manner that makes it advantageous for both the organization leaders and the employees, making it a win-win situation. It was persuasive in emphasizing the necessity of ensuring safety, ethical practice and transparency as a key for a healthy organization.
IMPACT
By providing all necessary information and guidelines the video acts as a catalyst for target organizations adopting the mechanism. This contributes to long-term organizational success and furthers IGCCs goal of ethical business practice.
Taking a deeper dive…
Let’s establish a clear understanding of what a grievance mechanism entails. A grievance mechanism refers to a structured process that aims to address complaints effectively within the context of recruitment and the workplace. This procedure typically operates internally and provides a transparent framework for individuals to voice their grievances. It involves a series of steps, including complaint submission, careful consideration, management response, and timely feedback. Grievance procedures must be customized and tailored to meet the specific needs and requirements of the organization and its workforce.
Goal
IGCC aimed to encourage organizations associated with them about grievance mechanisms. Their requirement was to explain the workings of a grievance mechanism, highlight its benefits, and convey how it is necessary for the well-being of workers and subsequently the organization. IGCC also wanted to introduce its own pilot program of a grievance mechanism which could be directly undertaken by the organization, or serve as a guideline to designing their own. The project aimed to initiate meaningful discussions highlighting the need for change and reform.
The emphasis was on the implementation of a robust grievance mechanism within organizations to provide workers with a safe and supportive platform to address their concerns.
The Process
Our Approach
The approach involved deconstructing the core concept and presenting the narrative engagingly.
The challenge we faced was that organizations would be reluctant to initiate a mechanism that highlights their shortcomings. We overcame this through the magic of story and character. Let us explain how!
We embodied the organization’s dilemma through the character of Raksha, who expresses the concerns of a company leader in the video. Instead of placing the blame for malpractice on company leaders, we highlighted the reality that despite efforts, several challenges arise as a company scales up. Raksha could possibly not oversee every process, supplier, and collaborator. Hence, through the character, it becomes easy for business leaders to imagine themselves in a similar dilemma. Through going on a journey with Raksha, the role of a grievance mechanism as a tool assisting business leaders and helping them overcome limitations is emphasized.
As we move forward in the journey, the story cleverly provides a solution for each step, as Raksha initiates the mechanism in her company. Right from the meeting with her organization’s leadership where she advises them to have a proactive mindset; to implementing the program and suggesting that they should readily and positively address the issues uncovered. It highlighted the collaborative nature of the grievance mechanism, where employers and workers worked together to identify and address malpractices-related challenges. Hence positioning the grievance mechanism as a method to avert complications, rather than cause them.
The Results
The result was a graspable, clear, concise, and coherent video, which successfully conveyed the process and benefits of adopting a grievance mechanism. The video makes it easy for organizations to initiate a grievance mechanism, clearing any inhibitions, providing guidelines, and a ready-to-initiate pilot program, created by IGCC.
Overall, the project aimed to create awareness, foster dialogue, and drive change within organizations, which was achieved through a crisp video filled with colorful animations and illustrations.
