Steps for Successful Business - Essay Example

 Introduction A business always presents challenges from time to time. A successful business is one which takes the challenges face on due to its strongly established set up. The implementation of quality management procedures, provision of childcare at work for female employees, guidance by the supervisors and also flexibility of work can help a business not only be more productive but also provide it with the ability to encounter problems. Strict discipline in quality management along with care, support, guidance and flexibility for the employees ensures the business with trust of its customers along with profitability. An SQM can provide the business profits in term of customers’ satisfaction but combining it with employee retention through; provision of continuous communication and guidance for the employees, childcare provision, and flexibility of work can guarantee loyalty, motivation and high productivity by the employees. The higher the motivation and trust, the better results will the organization have to show. The bibliography in this paper presents and summarizes a number of articles and their findings regarding workplace management and employee satisfaction factors. 1 Implementing Successful Quality Management The authors emphasize the implementation of a successful Quality Management System (QMS) for a business by written and controlled procedures. They believe that a QMS prevents failures involving the supply chain, the brand, and customers, since it forms a basis for major company audits. As management professionals they propose using these four main concepts in the development of an effective QMS, in the order in which they suggest. They consider statistical tools to be first, like a flow chart or a process map, as it is vital in providing information on the path a product follows from the manufacturing stage onwards. This becomes a control plan after its approval by quality assurance department. Secondly, they propose using a Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA), is an advanced stage of product quality planning, which helps in identifying possible failures, and a FMEA team may oversee the process. Systems validation protocols work to eliminate defects and lower the level of variation in the process of manufacturing. Finally, current good manufacturing practices (cGMP) is necessary for manufacturing companies to ensure their products meet the market requirements, as this will develop their product identity and quality. Therefore, companies must develop and sustain a cGMP. Nonetheless, an effective QMS may fail or succeed, depending on the level of commitment of employees and management of a company. A comprehensive process of developing an effective QMS is put forth. However, the authors fail to articulate a solid definition of QMS and further, have not related QMS directly to vital management issues in the contemporary workplace. Similarly, they do not address QMS as part of the organizational culture and its impact on employee job satisfaction. Finally, the authors do not carry out a research to back up their explanations; this could have increased their work’s validity. For this reason, this area needs further research to ascertain the principles involved in QMS application as well as its impact on employees attitude. 1. Benefits of Offering Childcare in the Workplace for Employees The article explains the relationship between provision of workplace childcare and productivity of female employees. The author argues that, companies, which offer on-site childcare, register higher productivity than those that do not provide on-site childcare. The argument behind this is that; female employees concentrate more on their work when they are provided childcare at their workplace, as this lessens their worries and problems associated with childcare. Due to being cared for their motivation and loyalty levels increase, thus increasing their job performance. Subsequently, these motivated female employees will boost the overall company productivity. A major limitation of this article is failure to link the assumptions made with a research. Instead, the author presents a generalized assumption, which lacks practical evidence. Similarly, the author does not use secondary sources; neither does he employ a case study. Nonetheless, this article still makes valid points, as it is true that if childcare is provided at the workplace, most female employees’ needs will have been dealt with, thus boosting their motivation and productivity in their work, consequently enhancing company productivity. 2. Employee Perception on Commitment Oriented Work System; Effects on Trust and Perceived Job Security This article presents a research on a Dutch employment company, to establish the impact of Human Resource Management (HRM) on some of the competitive advantages in a company. The study is mainly based on individual employee levels in the agency. In this view, the relationship between HR systems, job security and employee trust is established. The research findings showed that high level of job security and employee trust results when there is a positive employee inclusion, employee training and development, sharing of information, and support by direct supervision. The methodology used in this study was the questionnaire technique. Questionnaires were distributed to all the 4,500 permanent employees of Flex company in Netherlands. The questions in the questionnaire sought to establish the opinions of all senior and junior employees concerning the issues related to human resource management. This included specific information on aspects of training and development of employees, sharing of information, salaries, and employee inclusion. The results of the study revealed that high scores on information sharing, training and development support by supervisors, and employee participation showed a positive relationship with job security. For instance, managers and other senior employees were less worried about their jobs, while the shop floor employees were the most worried about their job. The major limitation of the study is that it relied on only one source for data collection, which is the Flex Company, a big firm in the Netherlands. In addition, data evaluation included a large data set. This is problematic as it results in generalizations. The research was also one-sided, as it focused on the employees’ side alone, seeking their attitudes, and paid less attention to the management practices of the company. Research in the HRM field should focus on a company’s HRM practices. Therefore, future research in this area should focus on more than one company alone, and be extended to gather data from different companies in the Netherlands. Additionally, it should consider findings from other studies conducted on the topic, to reach more substantiated conclusions. Nonetheless, this research proves that a commitment oriented work system increases employees’ trust and perceived job security. 3. Equality at Work? Workplace Equality, Flexible Working Arrangements, and the Quality of Work This is a study conducted on the Irish labor force to determine how policies at the workplace influence flexibility and equality at the workplace. In this research, there is use of work policies of different Irish companies. Mainly, the data collected by ESRI, in a previous national survey on over 5,000 Irish employees was reviewed to arrive at results. The flexibility aspect of this research takes into account mainly the female employees. The authors conclude that work policies with childcare provision and high flexibility works in retaining more female employees. The study findings established that equality policies are more common in public organizations and in big corporations with employee associations, and are rare in private organizations. In addition, there was an establishment of a correlation between equity policies and work flexibility, as these two are directly related, and result in low stress levels among employees, thus ensuring employee job satisfaction. The results also show that flexibility in work is highly gendered as more women engaged in job sharing and part-time jobs. However, each form of flexibility employed had different effects on the employees. Part-timers earned less than full-timers, but with low stress levels. Home-working led to higher stress levels but more earnings, while job sharing increased autonomy and led to more stress in men. Generally, these findings show that the implementation of flexible working arrangements by organizations is done to suit the organization’s needs and not employee needs. However, flexibility favors women employees more, as these have many obligations in society, which need time. This calls for further research to clarify further, how work organization influences employees and their families. Conclusion It can be thusly concluded that implementing a quality management system leads to easy tracking of a product through all the phases of its development and production. It allows for the readiness of product checking/auditing by the customer during any phase, and thus reflecting professionalism and a serious attitude towards doing business. A QMS ensures monitoring of the quality of the product through multiple phases of management. The provision of childcare facilities at work for employees can lessen their stress that they feel towards leaving their child either at a private day-care or with a babysitter. Having the satisfaction of having their child looked after, they become highly motivated and thus work with more vigour, dedication and loyalty. As a QMS, or childcare provision matters, so does the direct guidance of a supervisor, sharing of knowledge, employee participation, training and development; on the trust of the employee and perceived job security, as is proven by the research. When an employee is receiving direct support, knowledge and training from a supervisor, he tends to be more confident in the operations that he is carrying out and more trusting. Finally, flexibility of working arrangements can have different impacts. As the research reveals that people who worked part time, although earned less yet they were less stressed as compared to the people who were earning more and full time. Women re more inclined to work part time or share jobs as they have other responsibilities to carry out as well. By operating with flexible working arrangements the organization is catering for its employees’ as well as its own needs, making it beneficial for both. Successful implementation of a QMS, child care provision at work, support and information by the supervisor, and flexibility of work arrangements not only favours the customers and employees but is most beneficial for the organization; as it not only builds trust and respect but also ensures profitability. Read More