The Impact that Line Managers have on Organisational Performance - Essay Example

The Impact that Line Managers have on Organisational Performance Line Managers and Organisational Culture In organisations, line managers usually have the responsibility of ensuring that their employees fully understand their responsibilities and also seek for simple ways to integrate any new developments into the functions of their employees. Line managers are also responsible for ensuring that there is smooth communication between workers and the organisation’s management. Many times, the efforts of line managers towards developing more productivity are based on the organisation’s culture. There are organisational cultures in all types of businesses; and, most of the time, these cultures are not the result of conscious efforts on the part of corporate executives. While a business can generate its preferred culture through the use of its ideals and standards of accomplishment, organisational cultures tend to deliver more results when they are a by-product of the beliefs of a company’s workers. Organisational culture is a fact that will determine the ability of a line manager to successfully communicate with other workers (Garmendia, 2004). On the other hand, if a company has only a few workers, its organisational culture may compel the line manager to be the individual who disciplines errant workers or offers correction when necessary. This can cause problems because employees are not likely to confide in an individual that corrects their mistakes on a regular basis. Interaction with Employees In larger organisations, line managers have the chance to communicate efficiently with employees and develop interpersonal relationships with them even as they monitor different activities and supply regular reports on the progress of work to higher ranking corporate executives. Line managers are generally trusted by employees because they are not perceived as being merely the agents that are responsible for overseeing various functions. Whether an organisation has a task oriented culture, or one where autocratic principles are observed, the line manager has the responsibility to enact this culture for the workers, who then emulate him or her. For instance, if corporate executives wish for their employees to develop a culture of teamwork, they have to incorporate their line managers in jobs that also include other employees so that a team atmosphere can be created. This means that the line manager has to be able to embrace change swiftly himself before successfully inspiring other workers to embrace change. Most line managers encourage the efforts of employees to realise corporate goals by use of rewards such as pay hikes, promotions, or simple praise. This culture of the provision of rewards will not only result in improved operations, but will also result in both the workers and the management being able to trust in the growing relationship between both of them. Good line managers are also aware of the importance of having good communication between workers and the management. Motivation among organisational workers is responsible for the passion that employees have for their work as well as the drive to excel personally as well as communally. A motivated workforce is vital if an organisation is to accomplish its goals as well as implement changes for the better. Maslow’s Theory in an Organisational Setting The theorist, Abraham Maslow, came up with a model of five stages of needs that have to be catered to if an ordinary human being is to feel fulfilled in life (Maslow, 2011). Maslow asserted that the satisfaction of the most basic needs in his pyramid could be stimulated by sheer human motivation. He believed that once the most basic needs had been met, the person would be self-motivated to meet the more advanced needs that were of a more psychological nature. Maslow’s hierarchy had the following steps: (i) The basic needs like water, food, and shelter (ii) The security needs such as having a well-paying job and being ensured of personal safety (iii) The social needs such as needing to have true friends and participating in communal group activities (iv) Catering to needs that are more concerned with the development of self-esteem (v) Self Actualisation (Maslow, 2011) In the work environment, if an organisation caters to the basic as well as psychological needs of its workers, the employees will be more motivated to develop more or advance their skills. This will not only result in personal improvement but also in corporate development. The organisation, by providing opportunities to conduct different operations, offers chances to workers to develop themselves. When an employee is first hired by an organisation, it is likely that he or she will mainly be concerned with catering to the needs that are detailed in Maslow’s first and second steps. These are needs for purchasing food and shelter and benefiting from having job security. The employee will be looking for the company to cater to these needs by providing an adequate salary or wage and provide a secure environment in the workplace. If a worker’s need for food and security goes unmet, it is likely that he or she will only look for jobs based on how quickly they can fulfil these requirements. For instance, when there is a shortage of White collar jobs, well-educated job seekers will be compelled to look for blue-collar jobs just to sustain themselves and their families. This commonly happens during financial recessions. In such cases, line managers can play significant roles in ensuring that the workforce does not begin to panic due to the possibility of cutbacks. Sometimes the line managers even have to dissuade the higher ranking managers from retrenching exercises in order to stop the remaining workers from feeling threatened. Once workers feel threatened in such a way, they revert to the lower stages of Maslow’s hierarchy where employees are merely concerned with job security and not accomplishing the company’s objectives. Productivity suffers when workers are worried about being fired at the will of their employers. Maslow’s third stage has to do with meeting the social needs of the workforce. All employees, whether they are extroverts or introverts, generally wish to work in organisations where they have the freedom to openly interact with others and also have good relationships with their supervisors. Line managers can improve communication between an organisation’s workers by initiating more group or team operations and rewarding the teams that cooperate best with others. It is also important for workers to be able to converse with the management about different operational matters. Even if an organisation has workers who have the option of working from home or anywhere other than the office, it is important for its management to realise the importance of keeping such workers informed about all activities that take place on a regular basis, as well as all new regulations that are passed. This allows workers to feel like they are a part of a special community. Once this step of feeling that one is a part of an important social group is attained, an employee will then begin to look into the possibility of acquiring more self confidence, and later, self actualization. An employee’s self esteem basically has to do with how the worker views him or herself and how other co-workers perceive him or her. In the organisational setting, such needs are catered for through promotions, monetary rewards, awards for exceptional performance, and job enrichment. Most employees get challenged when they are confronted with new responsibilities once they have mastered the old ones. When new responsibilities are assigned to them, the workers get the feeling that they are highly esteemed by their supervisors and their sense of confidence develops accordingly. Another way in which organisations can cater to the self esteem needs of their workers is by allowing them to contribute to decision making processes. This makes the workers feel cherished by their employer. Also, there are physical trappings such as a new or more spacious office, business cards, and new job title that add to the self esteem of workers. Where attaining self-actualisation is concerned, the worker will feel confident enough to want to further his or her education, or even begin his or her own company. At this pinnacle of the pyramid, workers feel that they have the skills, strength, and ability to make constructive decisions concerning their working lives. Line managers with workers that have reached this stage ought to focus on generating a work environment that allows the workers to be able to achieve their objectives (Buchanan and Huczynski, 2004). Maslow’s motivation theory gives evidence that line managers have to constantly change the working environment to suit the changing circumstances of their workers if they are to retain a motivated staff. Change Management In organisations, change is a normal part of development. It is the responsibility of line managers to keep workers informed about potential changes. This can only be accomplished if there are good communication channels that exist. Line managers are particularly important when an organisation is seeking to implement changes because they are the authority figures who are best placed to be able to identify possible resistances staged by workers to organisational change. They also occupy positions where they can manage the change and ensure that is it properly fitted into day to day operations. Organisations that seek to make alterations or adjustments in aspects such as branding, or even the overall performance of productivity have to include line managers when making plans on how to implement the necessary changes among employees. Line managers, more than other higher ranking managers, are often more conversant with the roles that are played by different employees on a daily basis. They are therefore aware of the areas that need fine tuning or even new implements in order to keep functioning. Line managers are also best placed to be able to determine which strategies should be used in order to improve the performances of different workers. Workers also usually trust line managers more than the other executives who might seem to be far more remote. Therefore, they are more likely to confide in line managers or use them as a channel through which to communicate with the more senior ranking members of an organisation. Also, line managers have the capacity, due to constant communication with workers, to inspire them to become more conscious of their duties in order to ensure that the changes that take place are sustained. Organisational changes require conscious actions and not automatic ones. This is because workers need to be fully cognisant of what they are doing when implementing changes in order to reduce the chances of them reverting to the old processes. Whenever there is organisational change, there is also a certain amount of uncertainty and apprehension among the organisation’s workers. Most workers will not openly seek to sabotage the new procedures or processes, but will be apathetic to the change. By addressing various fears, line managers can successfully quell the anxiety experienced by almost all workers during organisational change. Line managers can speak to employees about what the changes will accomplish for them personally as well as for the company. In order to hold such discussions more effectively, organisations that have hierarchical structures of leadership ought to revise them to be more lateral (Munduate and Gravenhorst, 2003). In seeking to explain the importance of organisational restructuring, a lateral structure of organisational leadership will make it easier for workers across the board to be able to express their sentiments personally. Organisational changes can evoke frightened motions or anxiety on the part of workers. This is exacerbated in the case of hierarchical-structured organisations where workers are not informed of anything that does not include their immediate jobs. In such organisations, the high ranking executives will probably be more concerned with ensuring that the ideals behind the proposed changes remain. This means that the reactions of their workers will not necessarily be considered as being a thing of importance. Line managers, on the other hand, are usually situated closer to workers, and so are more likely to empathise with the feelings that they go through in times of change (Balogun and Johnson, 2004). This means that line managers will also be able to act as facilitators who quell the anxieties of workers while also suggesting checks that will curtail any future problems relating to the change. In addition, line managers have the trust of higher ranking managers and so can influence policies whose implementation may not be practical. For instance, corporate executives can make the decision to implement many changes at one go. It is the line workers who will be in a position to articulate that such a move will merely serve to sabotage the entire operation because the workers will not be able to understand all the new processes at once. By being tuned to the workers’ group as well as the managers’ network, line managers can utilize their learned communication skills to advocate for changes to the ways of thinking of both groups. References Balogun, J. & Johnson, G. (2004) ‘Organisational restructuring and middle manager sense-making’, Academy of Management Journal, vol. 47, no. 4, pp. 523-549. Buchanan, D. & Huczynski, A. (2004) Organisational behaviour: an introductory text, Pearson Education Limited, Essex. Garmendia, J.A. (2004) ‘The impact of corporate culture on company performance’, Current Sociology, vol. 52, no. 6, pp. 1021-1083. Maslow, A. (2011) Toward a psychology of being, John Wiley & Sons, New York. Munduate, L. & Gravenhorst, K.M.B. (2003) ‘Power dynamics and organisational change: an introduction’, Applied Psychology: an International Review, vol. 52, no. 1, pp. 1–13. Read More