Challenges and Changes of the Contemporary Workplace - Coursework Example

?The Contemporary Workplace: Challenges and Changes Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Introduction 3 Benefits of the Employee Involvement Policies 3 Factors Needed To Be Considered by Organisations for Employee Involvement 6 Conclusion 10 Reflective Summary 11 References 13 Introduction Employee involvement programs reflect the dissimilar set of the personnel as well as the Human Resource Management (HRM) practices that result in the increase of the worker’s authority at the workplace and likewise, in the decision making process of the firm (Erez, 2000). Studies reveal that the factors related to employee involvement have evidently influenced firms to adopt more innovative and rational policies and regulations within the workplace with the intention to secure the interests of both the employees and the organisation. The adaptation and the application of the employee involvement policies within the firm have also been argued to have enhanced the sustainability of the organisations within the competitive market scenario of the 21st century. It is worth mentioning in this context that the advent of new technologies requires skilled employees wherein the framing of the new and advanced business strategies result in quality innovation at a lower cost. Additionally, in the contemporary workplace, the adaptation of complementary HR practices needs high percentage of the employee involvement (Erez, 2000). Benefits of the Employee Involvement Policies It has often been argued that employee involvement forms the integral part of organisational development in the contemporary workplace. In this context, employee involvement entails certain factors such as the communication channels practiced within the organisation which is perceived to be directly related with organisational decision making. For instance, direct communication entails the standards to be followed by organisational participants for the operating procedures. At often instances, it encourages open meetings and elevated participation of the committee and the team members. Direct communication also helps in the analysis of the hazard management taking an overall control of the measures and the design pertaining within the organisational structure and control thus assisting the management to make strategic decisions more effective, especially within the organisation. Direct communication also helps employees to have a proper understanding related to the norms and the procedures that result in the effective employee involvement and a productive working culture ensuring high morale amid the workforce at every level (Australian Government, 2005). Correspondingly, indirect communications reflects the formation of committees and associations with the objective to the accelerated employee involvement. The responsibilities related to the employee involvement entail the responsibility on mangers to encourage such practices. It is essential in this context that high authorities must ensure immediate response to the employee concerns and must listen to the approaches suggested by the employees related to their concerns (Thomson, 1972). Employee involvement relates to the philosophy practiced by companies to encourage employee participation in the decision making process to facilitate transparency and higher degree of integrity in the organisational process. Such an inclusion of employees in the decision making process of any organisation also reflects employee empowerment. Although the two practices, employee involvement and employee empowerment are strongly interlinked, these notions reflect two different aspects where employee empowerment acts as a method for employee involvement (Rathnaweera, 2010). Employee empowerment enhances the morale of the employees which further accelerates their efficiency and the effectiveness. Additionally, the empowerment of employee in actively participating in the organisational decision making entails vital importance with respect to the growth of the organisation resulting in the increased morale and efficiency of the employees. It has further been observed that delegation of the responsibilities on employees through empowerment elevate the confidence of the employees accelerating their productivity over the long run (Rathnaweera, 2010). Employee involvement through empowerment increases the productivity of the organisation on the whole. To be precise, studies have revealed that the effective employee involvement within the organisation fosters stronger work ethic. Such practices also play a pivotal role in ensuring creativity. For instance, apprehended skills result in the apprehension of efficiency of individual workers that directly increases the productivity of the employees as a team and the organisation on the whole (Holley, 2009). Team cohesion also reflects the benefits of employee involvement. Extensive employee involvement in the business decisions and the policies foster a better and a comfortable relationship between the mangers and the workforce at every level of the organisational structure. Correspondingly, with the delegation of the responsibilities to the employees and allowing the workforce to do the work independently through empowerment fosters better working relationship among the various dimensions of the organisation (Holley, 2009). Another benefit obtainable from employee involvement is that it helps in cultivating the innovations of new and advanced strategies for organisational development. The employees are responsible for the growth of the business and the achievement of the business objectives; hence, they are liable for company’s sustainability. Employee involvement allows and provides wider scope for the employees to use their creativity and skills that can help the organisation to frame advanced and better strategies for its sustainability over the long run. Notably, the platform to decipher and produce their talents in front of the higher authorities ensures the development as well as the acceleration of employee morale as a virtue of employee involvement policies (Holley, 2009). Therefore, it can be apparently affirmed that employee involvement is directly associated with organisational development. Factors Needed To Be Considered by Organisations for Employee Involvement The various factors related to employee involvement can be identified from the employer’s point of view and the employees’ point of view. The employers view reflects the encouragement of the enhanced employee involvement to be achieved with adequate alliance of the business goals and the common targets set within the organisational culture amid the employees at the individual level and the organisation on the whole. Higher degree of employee involvement helps the employers in generating the commitment from the employees that in turn results in the success and growth of the organisation at a sustainable rate. Evidently, the enhanced employee satisfaction enables the organisation to meet the needs of the consumers in a more complacent and a fruitful way. Employee involvement further enables the organisation to adapt itself to the changing and the flexible requirements of the market conditions in the contemporary scenario which again results in the expansion of the impending prospects of the organisation as well as the prospects of the employees those who have yielded higher contribution for the attainment of the business objectives (Hyman & Mason, 1995). In the similar context, with reference to the employee’s views, the employee involvement creates a platform for the workforce at the individual level to expose their creativity and talent in front of the management generating greater satisfaction among them and rendering extensive control to the management over the pertaining organisational culture. Additionally, employee involvement results in the elevated employee participation and thus, results in the increased skills of the employees as well as accelerates the feel of importance related to the delegation of the responsibility providing confidence and motivation to the employees (Hoyrup & Moller, 2013). It is in this context that the three basic objectives of the organisation that relates to the employees comprises of maximization of employee satisfaction, retention of high skilled workforce and the maintenance of the environment of lifelong learning which can be attained with the key of employee engagement in the decision making process. Studies conducted with emphasis on this particular aspect revealed that high engagement of personnel in regular work practices result in the development of a positive belief and attitude associated with the engagement of the employees. The involvement of the work force in the organisational activities have also been argued to increase the performance of the employees in the various aspects that comprises accelerated customer satisfaction, increase in the productivity and overall profitability contributing towards the reduction of the employee’s turnover and thus ensuring sustainable productivity of the organisation (Harter, Schmidt & Hayes, 2002). Employee involvement comprises of cognitive, emotional and behavioural aspects which can further be observed as few of the vital factors which organisations should consider when focusing upon employee engagement. Theoretically, cognitive aspects reflect the concern of the employee’s beliefs with respect to the organisation, the management and the working condition prevailing within. Similarly, emotional aspects of employee’s involvement reflect the positive or the negative feeling of the employees with respect to the management and the organisation. Correspondingly, the behavioural aspects of the employee engagement relate with the valued-added components present in the organisation. Notably, these interlocking factors or the principles related to the building of high-involvement exertion structure helps the organisations to ensure greater effectiveness of the systems to achieve an affirmative impact on its productivity from employee involvement (Konrad, 2006). In accordance with employee engagement it can be affirmed that if the employees are given the power to make the decisions that hold importance with regard to the performance of the organisation, have been observed to accelerate the confidence level among the employees. The inclusion of the employees in the decision making processes allows the employees to share their ideas and views related to the growth of the organisation which also mandates the circulation of relevant information within the various dimensions of an organisational structure. Such information may comprise the data related to the quality and the quantity aspects of the firms output, its cost, profitability, revenue and the customer reaction. Studies have further revealed in this context that it is the responsibilities as well as the challenges of the managers to construct an information system that provides the employees with the timely and the relevant information related to their work process which further helps in the overall development of the organisation. Correspondingly, the inherent employees skills and the abilities can be utilised by the organisation in the decision making process can further help in the attainment of the business objectives and the business goals. Hence, in the contemporary era, the management must invest in the training programs to enhance the skills of the employees substantially and on a continuous basis (Melcrum, 2007). In accordance with the acceleration of the employee engagement the management must also emphasise on the allocation of the rewards to the applicable employees. To be mentioned, the reward management process within the organisation helps in increasing the motivation and the confidence level among the employees that elevates efficiency in employee engagement procedures. To be illustrated empirically, according to the strategies of the modern day organisation, a profound need can be observed with respect to employee engagement with the intention to accelerate the performances of the organisation. The improved and the elevated performance of the employees as well as the organisation thus results in the form of accelerated profit margins of the organisation. Tactful employee involvement further helps the management in aligning the objective of the employee at the individual level to that of the organisational objectives making the managerial process as well as the operational concerns more transparent, integrated and cohesive towards sustainability. The result of the accelerated and elevated performance standard by the effective application of the employee engagement can be cited by a diagram depicting the stance of Canadian Firms (Konrad, 2006). Source: (Konrad, 2006) Conclusion Employee involvement or the employee engagement relates to the initiation of the employees to participate in the decision making process. Employee engagement within organisations entails the efficient and the effective performance of the individual employees that ultimately helps the organisation to attain its business objectives and determined goals more comfortably and sustainably over a long-run period. The involvement of the employees further assists in developing the skills and the knowledge of the employees which in turn accelerates organisational efficiency at all levels. In accordance with employee engagement, the employees are provided with a platform to expose their inherent talents in front of the management which further encourages the skills and the talents of the employees contributing towards the attainment of the business objectives. The inclusion of the employees in the decision making process encourages the employees to expose new ideas and strategies related to the growth of the organisation. Furthermore, employee involvement allows the employees to quantify their individual contribution towards the increased profitability and productivity of the firm ensuring greater satisfaction and moral amid the workplace which again facilitates effective service deliverance to customers making the entire operational procedure a highly profitable procedure. Thus, it can be affirmed that employee involvement imposes drastic effects on the proceedings of contemporary organisations on the whole. Reflective Summary The study of employee involvement has given my managerial underpinning and idea a new perspective. As accessed by the study there exist higher needs for the employee involvement within the contemporary organisations. The inclusion of high-involvement work systems within the organisation requires healthy participation from the management as well as the employees wherein employee engagement acts as a key factor. Through this study, I was able to identify that self-design as a strategy can enhance and train the employees about the work procedures and other technicalities essential to enhance their inherent skills which can further be utilised to increase their contribution in the overall attainment of the organisational objectives. This particular aspect, I further observed to be a vital part of the of employee involvement process in an organisation. I also learned that employee involvement practices tend to enhance the power of the employees with respect to the handling of the responsibilities bestowed upon them for organisational sustenance. It also initiates the interdependent system within the organisation that initiates a friendly but competitive environment within the contemporary workplace. As per my understanding from the study, employee involvement includes delegation of the responsibilities to individual members at every level of the organisational hierarchy. I accessed from the study that employee engagement or the employee involvement provides a dais for the employees to expose and reflect their talents and creativity to the management. Employee involvement also tends to accelerate and elevate the performance of the organisation by enhancing the effectiveness and the efficiency of the workforce as a team and also at the rudimental levels. The effective and the efficient participation of the employees within the decision making process of the organisation ultimately accelerates the growth of the organisation by a large extent. The sustainability and the increased productivity of the organisations also reflect the benefits of employee involvement in the contemporary workplace. I also learnt that employee involvement fosters team cohesion that reflects the coherent relationship between the management and the employees. The participation and the engagement of the employees thus elevates their experiences, knowledge and the skills required by the management as well as the organisation to sustain as well as to gain substantial profits within the competitive financial or the market scenario. The employee’s engagement in the process that holds an important position with respect to the organisation’s growth and profit further ensures the accelerated performance of the employees. The confidence and the motivation as well as the feeling of importance within the employees initiate them to perform the designated work in a better and proper manner so as to achieve self-confidence which in turn assists the organisation towards long-run progress. The study related to employee engagement also reflects the reward management for the employees. The employees those who are performing in an elevated manner are accountable for the reward which in turn tend to motivate the employees to perform better and contribute extensively towards the attainment of the business objectives and the common goals. Undoubtedly, these learning have assisted me in obtaining a better idea regarding contemporary workplaces and have also generated my awareness towards the importance of employee not only at the organisational level but also at the individual level for the sustenance of the entire firm. References Australian Government, 2005. The Principles of Effective OHS Risk Management. Active Involvement of each Individual in the Workplace, pp. 1-23. Erez, M., 2000. Make Management Practice Fit the National Culture. In: Locke, E.A, pp. 418-434. Hyman, J. & Mason, B., 1995. Managing Employee Involvement and Participation. Sage Publication. Hoyrup, S. & Moller, K., 2013.Work Organisation and Innovation - Case Study: Radiometer. International Publications, pp. 1-18. Harter, J. K., Schmidt, F. L. & Hayes, C. L. M., 2002. Well-Being in the Workplace and Its Relationship to the Business Outcomes. A Review of the Gallup Studies, pp.1-19. Holley, N., 2009. HR Models – lessons from best practice. Initial desk research, pp.3-26. Konrad, A. M., 2006. Engaging Employees through High-Involvement Work Practices. Ivey business journal. Melcrum, 2007. Essential Techniques for Employee Engagement. Ashridge Business School, pp. 1-135. Rathnaweera, R. R. N. T., 2010. Do HRM Practices Impact Employee Satisfaction, Commitment or Retention. Empirical Studies of Sri Lankan Public Sector Banks, pp. 1-52. Thomson, T. M., 1972. Management by Objectives. Participatory Management: A New Morality, pp. 9-12. Read More