One of the bright spots for hungry people in Sonipat, Haryana, is Amrita’s Ice Creams—its factory on Sonipat or one of several Amrita’s stores. Founder Amrita Jha, who dropped out of medical school to start the business, figures it is just another way to “make a difference in people’s lives,” offering customers a fun place to celebrate or cheer up. Amrita had been paying med school with a job at Naturals Ice Cream, but when the company was sold, she thought the new owners were too stodgy, so she opened her own ice cream shop. Given the motivation to strike out on her own, it’s not surprising that her goal is to manage her employees in a different way, one that combines informal fun with care for others. The spirit of fun is defined by the employee selection process Jha invented. When interviewing candidates, Jha hands them a white paper bag with the instruction to “make something creative” and show her later. One applicant used it to make a hot-air balloon. Another put food in a bag, gave it to a homeless person, took a photo of the gift, and put the photo in the bag to return as the creative offering. Amrita’s prized employees don’t just scoop up ice cream but also come up with ways to create a playful atmosphere. The company encourages workers to juggle shakers or give away a scoop of ice cream to a customer who is willing to sing and dance. While the two painted concrete cows that sit in front of the Amrita’s factory are an emblem of the company’s commitment to fun, its commitment to caring has a more uplifting sign: Amrita’s Ice Creams funded the construction of a room in a local children’s cancer care center. The room resembles an ice cream shop and includes freezers stocked with ice cream—a treat that patients can share with visiting family members. Service to the community is also connected to employee engagement. At Amrita’s, the employees choose the charities the company will support. At a prom hosted by Amrita’s every year, the company selects a King and Queen to honor based on which employees did the most company- sponsored charitable work. In this way, employee rewards are tied to the company’s value. Fun and community service aren’t just a way to be nice; they also have made Amrita’s Ice Creams a company ice cream lovers care to buy from. The company reaps millions of rupees in sales and has expanded the number of locations to meet growing demand in Sonipat as well as in Gurgaon and Delhi. Still, it’s not just about the revenues. Co-owner (and Amrita’s husband) Ashwin Paranjpe told a reporter, “We never want to be a mega company. When we don’t know employees’ names, there’s a problem.” Questions 1(a). There are five elements of a high-performance work system: organizational structure, task design, people, reward systems, and information systems. Which elements did you find at Amrita’s Ice Creams? 1(b). Generally, a small ice cream shop such as Amrita’s cannot afford to pay store workers very high wages. Besides the methods described here, according to you, what is one other way an HR manager at Amrita’s Ice creams could contribute to making the company a high-performance organization? How well does your idea fit with Mr. Ashwin’s vision for the company?