Employee Relations - Factors Affecting the Employees Productive Outcome at Work and Society - Essay Example

Employee Relations Table of Contents Introduction 3 Related Literature Review on the Options Available To Employees to Deliver Productive Outcomes 4 Factors Affecting the Employees’ Productive Outcome at Work and Society 8 8 Conclusion 13 References 14 Introduction Employees are the integral part of an organisation and are the ones who are responsible for the betterment of the society as well. Employees are the people who have the expertise to work in a skilful manner in order to increase the productivity of the organisation. The performances of the employees in an organisation depend upon their relationship with the management and amid themselves. The success of the organisation largely depends on the performance and productivity of the employee. However, the productivity of the employees depends on various factors; the major among them is the concept of employee relation and the people management. The effectiveness of the employees would lead to better working environment. It is important to realise the contemporary issues and the practical skills required by the employees for the benefit of the workplace and the society (Tansel & Gazioglu, 2013; Bewley & Forth, 2010). Employee relation is determined as the strong bond amid the employee and the employer in order to again satisfactory outcome. The relation is of importance in order to motivate and boost the morale of the employees for better performance. The relation is of significance as well to mitigate the issues which can emanate with the management in the work environment (Kozmenko, 2006; Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, 2005). It is vital to have a strong relation in the workplace in order to make the employees feel engaged towards their work which in turn would ensure that they end up delivering effective products or services for the society. Furthermore, this relation is of importance to enhance the loyalty of the workers and their productivity. Better productivity would lead to the profit for the organisation and in turn benefit the employees, the organisation and the society at large (Leat, 2008). The productivity of the employees is of significance for the benefit of the workplace along with the society. The employees’ performance depends largely on various factors which include the working conditions, the performance appraisal, motivational aspects and the relation of the employees with the management and amid themselves (Williamson & et. al., n.d.). With these considerations, the essay intends to explore the options available to employees or the factors that lead to the increase in the performance of the employees in the workplace and within the society. Related Literature Review on the Options Available To Employees to Deliver Productive Outcomes Many individuals are under the impression that the satisfaction and the level of performance of the employees depend only on the compensation packages offered to them. It is a misconception that the performance only depends on it as there are several other factors that lead to the employee engagement and enhanced performance. According to Ryan & Deci (2000), monetary aspect is one of the extrinsic motivation tools for the employees but the effect of the compensation is for a short framework on their productivity. Motivation is an important aspect but it should be of long-term in nature to be effective for the organisational benefit and the society. Moreover, it is a proven fact that the workplace environment is one of the motivational factors which leads to better performance and acts as an inspiring factor for greater outcome. The physical environment of the organisation and the structural design are the other vital aspects responsible for the success of the business as they lead to the enhancement of the performance of the employees. According to Thompson & Jonas (2008), it is stated that workplace design increases the productivity as it affects the behaviour of the employees. The design if structured as per the requirements of the employees keeping in view proper ventilation and workspace, it can also lead to greater performance. On the contrary, the workplace which is congested and does not have proper lightings and design can lead to suffocation and health issues. This in turn affects the productivity of the employees in the workplace and the society at large. Innovation in the workplace might lead to proper sharing of information and encourage engagement of the employee as argued by The National Archives (n.d.). Proper sharing of the information is an important aspect as this behaviour of the management of keeping the employees well acquainted with the policies and the current situations makes the employees feel valued as a member of the organisation. This approach of the management towards the employee makes them feel motivated and helps in increasing their productivity to a large extent. As noted by Hodson (2001), the current work environment along with its design are different from the earlier as it incorporates high-end technologies, computers and a furnished workplace which ensure better physical environment. Thus, to increase the productivity and service deliverance of the employees, it is important to ensure a conducive environment in the workplace. In keeping with Hodson (2001) and McGuire & Mclaren (2007), it is observed that the productivity of the employees gets affected with the environment and the surroundings to a large extent. The psychology of the people has a huge impact on their working ability and performance. Therefore, it can be illuminated that the physical environment of the workplace acts as a tool which can be leveraged in order to improve the results of the business and also the wellbeing of the employees (Huang & et. al., 2004). Another vital aspect which affects the performance of the employees in the workplace along with the society is the safety in the organisation. Accidents in the workplace are unavoidable but the number can be reduced through proper environment and safety equipment. The safety appliances and the measures taken by the management regarding the workers safety create a great impact on the perception of the employees and also towards their level of commitment as stated by Gyekye (2005). The perception of having a safe job environment motivates the employee to perform better. The safety measures reduce the accidental rates and create a strong positive relation amid the management and the employees. This again impacts the perception of the employees and motivates them to perform better. In the views of Zeng & et. al. (2008), with regard to the Occupational Health and Safety of China it is stated that it is poor and requires attention. This would lead to the increase in the motivational aspect of the employees and also the productivity at large. From the survey performed, it was evident that the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) which one of the major aspects for the increase in the productivity is poor in China. This hampers the production and also the safety of the employees leading to lower performance and productivity. It is a fact a set of better outcomes related to OHS can facilitate to ensure augmented performance of the employees, thereby benefitting the employee wellbeing and the organisation as well. Besides, the appraisal policy by the management on the basis of fair judgement with the help of the measuring tools again helps in improving the productivity of the employees (Leblebici, 2012). The factors such as proper compensation, working environment, proper appraisal and valuing the employees lead to the reduction in complains, absenteeism and hence assist in increasing productivity of the employees by a considerable extent. Consequently, it is worth mentioning that the performance and productivity of the employees in the workplace depend largely on the indoor environment. As per the opinion of Ali & et. al., (2013), employees spend maximum amount of their valuable time in the internal environment of the workplace. Therefore, the maximum effect on productivity from the internal environment on the employees emerges from job stress and job dissatisfaction. In the modern day scenario, management is taking strategic measures and approaches towards managing the environment in order to improve the level of performance of the employees. Strategy is again a vital constituent for the management to increase the output of the employee along with profitability. According to the views of Sedaghati & et. al. (2013), it is proven fact that if the employees are motivated and satisfied with the workplace along with the compensation packages, it would lead to the rise in the performance. This will encourage the people to work hard and increase the profitability level of the organisation which will affect the society and its wellbeing. Furthermore, according to Chandrasekar (2011), it is stated that the productivity of the employees is based majorly on two vital aspects which include personal motivational aspect and infrastructure regarding the workplace environment. Today, in the modern scenario, the factors that create a huge impact on the work of the employees are related to the authority provided to the employees, effective delegation of responsibility along with encouraging teamwork. These factors are responsible in enhancing performance of employees to a considerable extent. The workplace factors that affect the performance of the employees are depicted through the use of the following diagram: Figure 1: Workplace Factors That Affect the Performance of the Employees Source: (Chandrasekar, 2011) Various authors have reflected different opinions regarding the factors that lead to the improvement of the performance of the employees. A few have valued the opinions regarding the behavioural aspect and the workplace environment. Whereas a few were of the opinion that motivation through appraisal and compensation might lead to the performance and productivity enhancement. Proper interaction of the management with the employees leads to greater performance and profitability. According to the views of William (2003), the human resource practices majorly affect the performance of the employees as they lead to trust, loyalty and motivation with the help of appreciation and monetary compensation. Factors Affecting the Employees’ Productive Outcome at Work and Society It is observed that employee engagement is important factor that affects the performance of the employees. The performance of the organisation can be enhanced by encouraging the concept of engaged performance. Engaged performance is a concept which is achieved by stimulating the enthusiasm of the employee towards their work and then leading it to derive the organisational success. This engagement is possible when the management provides a positive behaviour towards the employees and offers a proper working environment. With the changing environment and the mind-set of the employees, it is important for the management to retain skilled workers and enhance their performance for better productivity. To retain the skilled employees and reduce the level of absenteeism, it is important for the management to make their work and workplace attractive as well as well designed. Spacious and well-designed environment enables to create a positive attitude in the minds of the workers and leads to enhanced and effective performance. Any organisation implementing the Hay Group Engaged Performance Model can affect the employee engagement and their behaviour, psychology towards the work and improve the level of productivity. This model has assisted the employees in increasing their performance through the motivational drivers creating workplace engagement which in turn influences the results. The model has six core elements which include Inspiration and Values, Future Growth Opportunity, Enabling Environment, Tangible Rewards, Quality of Work and Work-Life Balance (Hay Group Inc, 2001). Every element has its own relevance and has its impact as per the behaviour of the employee and the organisation. The model can be depicted through the help of the below provided pictorial diagram: Figure 2: Hay Group Engaged Performance Model Source: (Armstrong & Muris, 2007) This model drives the employees towards enhancing their performance and increases the profitability for the organisation and in return helps the society by delivering effective services and products to the common people. The other factors that lead to the performance enhancement of the employees are based on the motivational theory. The Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory is one of the key approaches, which illuminates the factors that drive the employees to work effectively in order to reach the self-actualization position. The behaviour of the employees and their need to reach the highest satisfaction level lead them to perform better and ensure high productivity (Hanif & et. al., 2013). The Maslow hierarchy of needs model is one of the influential factors, which inspires the employees to work better. In this regard, it is acknowledged that the people of China have implemented the motivational theory of Maslow in order to ensure better performance and derive satisfaction in their work. The people of China are self-motivated and believe in the concept of motivation by performing better (Williams, 2008; Loh & et. al., 2000). The diagram below represents the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs model as a motivational factor. Figure 3: Maslow Hierarchy of Needs Model Source: (Naomi, 2011) The motivational factors that affect the performance of the employees are based on several facets. Consequently, it is determined that proper payment increases the productivity of the employees as it acts as a motivational aspect for them. The more they perform higher will be their compensation package with other fringe benefits. Rewards in the form of compensation, bonus and appreciation from the senior management help in increasing the performance of the employees to a large extent within the workplace and the society at large. It is evidential that when the performances are measured is an effective manner and the performance pay scale is high the productivity of the employees increases along with quality. Thus, there is a significant influence of the payment of the employees on their performance. The payment acts as a motivational factor for the employees to be engaged and improve their performance. Another motivational factor that encourages people to perform is based on the level of job security. High job security of the employees towards their work leads to greater efficiency and productive outcomes in their performance. Job security leads to high motivation for the employees and hence increases the productivity. Another vital factor that assists in increasing the level of performance is the promotional factor. Better performance of the employees and dedication towards the organisation make the management provide promotion to the employees. The promotion provided to the employees act as a motivational factor and encourages them to perform even more effectively. Furthermore, the freedom and the friendly environment provided to the employees make them feel motivated and highly valued. If the feedbacks provided by the employees are heard by the management and employees then it will provide an opportunity for them to be a part of the decision making process which in turn can make them highly motivated. This action of the management creates a psychological impact on the people and their behaviour ensuring high output due to the value given to them by the management. In several organisations, it is observed that the employees are provided with refreshment activities which aid in removing the boredom people face while working. These refreshment activities which include fun activities and small meeting with the higher level of management help in reducing the level of stress of the employees. This activity motivates and encourages the employee to perform better (Aarabi & et. al., 2013). Another motivational theory which is of significance for the employees to perform better is the use of the Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory. This theory states that the employees must be provided with the opportunity of training and development. The training and development is of significance as it helps in increasing the confidence level of the employees towards their work. There is a high degree of correlation amid job performance and training leading to high job performance. Effective training will allow the employees to gain sufficient knowledge regarding the work and hence increase their level of performance. Therefore, the key motivational factors that lead to high performance include payment, job security, freedom, environment and training (Nelson & Quick, 2007). There are other factors that affect the performance of the employees in an organisation on the basis of the managerial factors and employee related factors. Two way communications from the management and the manager is an important aspect of the business as it allows the employees to share their views and get valued by the management. This behaviour of the manager makes the employees feel motivated and hence encourage their performance to rise. Moreover, the use of appraisal tools such as 360 degree feedback and balanced scorecard is effective for measuring the performance of the employees. As per the concept of 360 degree feedback, the views of different people are taken into consideration which helps in understanding the performance of the employees. Good feedback from the people will help the employees to get motivated and perform better (Arthur, 2004). At the same time, balanced scorecard is also an effective tool which helps in encouraging the employees to perform better and support the organisation along with the society. Moreover, allocating the right employees in the right place will also facilitate the employees to perform better (Kaplan, 2010). If the skills of the employee are in the right path, it will lead to higher efficiency and effectiveness (International Labour Office, 2008). Conclusion The employees of an organisation play an important role in order to increase the productive outcomes delivered by the business to the society at large. Employee relation with the management is one of the prime reasons, which leads to better performance of the employee. In this regard, it is ascertained that in order to ensure better productive outcomes from the employees in the workplace the motivational factors are vital to support them in performing better. According to the evaluation of the various authors, it can be concluded that the environment of the workplace, leadership and the design of the organisation have significant roles to play in motivating the employees and encouraging them to perform better. The human resource management tools and the theories applied by the organisation can also lead to enhanced performance and therefore increase the level of productivity. 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