The Overhaul of Johns Business: Organising Staff for Success - Case Study Example

Analytical report in response to “The Overhaul of John’s Business – Organising Staff for Success” Student’s Name Course/Number Instructor’s Name Date Analytical report in response to “The Overhaul of John’s Business – Organising Staff for Success” Introduction Human resource management regards to the procedure of managing individuals in organizations through a structured as well as thorough way. It is accountable for the attraction, choosing, instructing, evaluation in addition to recompensing of workers, whereas managing organizational governance and philosophy. Human resources was arrived at following the human relations movement in the early 20th century, following studies on the manners of forming business value via planned management of personnel. In small organizations the functions of human resource might be executed by a small number of trained experts. In huge organizations, a whole functional group is dedicated to the company management. In the case study provided, there are major human resource management issues that need to be looked at while refurbishing the business. These aspects involve organisational structure, communication, staffing and the importance of coaching within an organization. Organisational Structure Each organization comprised of more than one individual requires some kind of organisational structure. It involves all the business actions like allocation of duties, synchronization as well as administration, geared towards the attainment of business objectives. An organisational structure might also be termed as the viewing outlook via which people view their organization and its surrounding (Marler 2012, p. 8). The organisational structure acts as the skeleton of any business by describing the functions as well as the department that constitute a business’s functioning, and depicts how every organisational factor fits in place. When every individual in a business comprehends their business structure, it becomes easy to work in unison, execute their duties and feel safe in the scope and restrictions of their work. Businesses that strongly belief in the benefits of organisational structure normally have organisational charts availed to employees so that every individual within the business has a clear outlook of the company and their roles. Small businesses normally employ one or two kinds of organisational structure, functional or product. Within functional organisational structure, functional regions of the business report to the president of the company. The product organisational structure is designed for businesses which sell products. It is very important for any organization to ensure that the business organisational structure they use fits into their business. In regard to John’s business, the organisational structure that he has employed cannot be justified for the small size of the business (Farndale, Jaap & Boselie 2010, p. 860). This is because the organisational structure has failed in ensuring that all employees within the organization coordinate their responsibilities as supposed. It is also noted that the business organisational structure of John’s business does not fit with the size of business. The business is small and growing, hence, there is no need for all the organisational positions allocated. In such a small business the number of manager should be realistic so as to avoid too much power control within the business. The organisational structure of any business is specifically significant for making a decision. Many organisations normally have either a tall or flat structure. Small businesses are supposed to have a flat organisational structure, which is contrary to the structure of John’s business (Gary & Kidwell 2010, p. 230). John’s business seems to apply more of the tall organisational structure since, there are many management and supervision duties allocated to the few employees. In a flat organisational structure, the managers’ report directly to the owner of the business and supervision roles can also be assigned to the few managers. Flat structures allow businesses to make faster decisions, as they progressively grow through the introduction of new products as well as the need for elasticity. One of the main functions of a good organization structure is one that enables proper communication between the employees (Gary & Kidwell 2010, p. 230). However, it is noted that in John’s business communication is a major problem for the business. The employees do not seem to communicate as effectively as they should. An organisational structure allows for the distribution of power. When an employee begins their job, they are aware from the initial day who they should report to. It is noted in the case study that the employees were not even sure of who was in charge of them since they had a manager, but were also instructed on what to do by Matt and Dave. There is the need for an organisational structure which can be effectively applied in evaluating the performance of the workers. This calls for a business where all workers are in good terms, which is not demonstrated in John’s business. In John’s business, it appears that some of the employees have more defined roles while others do not have defined roles. For instance, the coach notes the imbalance of workloads between Craig and Louise who reported to Craig. Another major significance of the organisational structure is one that meets the goals as well as expected outcomes of a business. John notes that despite having a dedicated team of managers, they appeared not to be able to meet the targets expected for the business. This implies that the organisational structure for John’s business in unjustified for its size, in addition to being ineffective. It is not justified because the structure does not facilitate a clear flow of the chain of command within the business. Department leaders are expected to assign duties to their subordinates, fostering teamwork, where each department works towards set objectives (Milica 2012, p. 85). However, in John’s business the chains of command are too many with a more than needed number of supervisors giving the command to the employees. Communication Perfect communication skills are very significant for any business, in actuality; the communication skills can frequently signify the disparity amid triumph or failure of the business. Communication is important in a business since it connects the people within the business within a particular department. It additionally connects them to heads of other departments (Khalid & Rehman 2011, p. 180). Good communication assists in making sure that there is effective operation of all business levels form the lowest to the greatest, while poor communication frequently leads to ineffectiveness. An ineffective business results in loss of productivity and in the end profit losses. In John’s business, communication has been noted as a major problem impeding in the normal functioning of the business. John notes that communication among the workshop staff is a major problem and he appears to be unaware of how deep within the business the problem persists. There are various strategies however, which John could implement within his business aimed at ensuring that communication is improved among all employees. There are two divisions of communication within every business, internal and external communication. External communication entails the movement of communication from or to one of the people outside the business, aimed at acquiring a favorable reaction towards the business needs (Radhika 2011, p. 18). Examples of external communication include advertisements or proposal projects. Internal communication entails the conveyance of information amid people in the corporate. It is a greatly essential form of communication for any business and aims at accomplishing interior goals. For instance, management could inform workers on how a specific duty should be executed. Workers might also ask for clarification based on the specific duties assigned. Internal communication in John’s business is the major cause for poor communication. Employees do not effectively communicate among themselves. One strategy that can be used to improve communication between the workshop staff is by ensuring that duties are clearly defined for all employees. Ted appeared to have problems with quoting due to the work overload that he was expected to complete. As such he did not manage to complete his tasks within the supposed time, frustrating Matt and Dave. Matt and Dave, due to lack of communication, did not understand why Ted was always late in executing his duties. This could be improved by clearly defining the role of every employee such that even those not involved in a specific department are aware of the duties to be accomplished in other departments. Hence, Matt and Dave will be able to exercise patience with Ted. They could also derive other manner of identifying what is expected in the quotations that would reduce their frustrations. The business should engage communication between employees of their work so as to come up with an inclusive culture that results in expected business outcomes. Communication in John’s business should be made open. Open communication refers to communication within a business where all members of the business are free to share response, thoughts as well as disapproval among themselves. When there is open communication, then an environment of trust is created that acts as the basis for success. For instance, the workshop staff at John’s business seems to be communication between managers and other employees (Showry & Manasa 2012, p. 40-41). There appears to be very rare cases of communication among the managers themselves. Hence, the managers are not able to correct and guide each other in business functions. With the creation of open communication, where every employee communicates and give direction to each other, then communication will be greatly enhanced within the business. John should implement an inclusive communication strategy among the staff. In inclusive communication, steps are taken aimed at making sure that all workers feel included in verdicts that impact their daily duties. In John’s business, communication is not inclusive leading to loss of ideas impacting of workers’ satisfaction and triumph. For instance, if Ted can inclusively communicate with Matt and Dave, then they are in a better position to understand that Ted has a lot of work to complete than he can handle, resulting in the delays. Matt and Dave can then come up with new ideas that could be of help to Ted in ensuring that he completes quotations within the expected time. They could also relieve him some of the duties he is expected to complete by assisting him as the three business departments inclusively communicate and work together towards the success of the business. Overstaffing John’s company is a small business with room for much growth if proper organization is applied. Some of the leading causes of business failures involve overstaffing. Overstaffing refers to the delegation of duties to employees, with the number of employees being more than the available work. It strains the business since every employee has to be paid despite them not having made any profitable contributions in the functioning of the business. In a small business like John’s there is no need for a huge number of employees, because the few number of available workers can execute more than one role (Mooney 2004, p. 14). Some areas of the company are overstaffed, such as in the strategic HRM planning department. In the labour hire side assigned to Craig and his assistant Louise, the workload seems to be enough to be handled by one employee. As demonstrated Louise does all the administration work and filling of vacant positions, meaning that Craig rarely does any work. It is also noted that Craig’s roles in the business are not clear. The duties executed by Craig and Ted can be executed by one employee. Ted appears to have a lot of work to do, while Craig rarely has any responsibilities to complete. John as the owner of the business could also take up some of the duties within the company, hence reducing the number of excess employees hired. In the supervision sector, there is also overstaffing, since supervision can be done by one of the employees. One of the supervisors could in turn assist Ted in executing his responsibilities so as to ensure that all duties are completed within the expected period of time. Due to harder economic times, there is a need for a better organisational chart in John’s business. Regardless of the current state of the economy, it is important to note that business expenses must continue to be met. Some of these expenses include the paying of staff, hence the need to ensure that the number of staff employed is just enough for the business. Staff allocation of duties is very important as it ensures that every member of staff knows what to do, and that duties are accomplished within the supposed period of time (Bechet 2002, p. 76). For instance, when staff is hired and allocated specific duties, they are able to ensure that company targets are met by maximizing on profits and reducing losses. Losses are incurred when duties are not completed in time resulting to loss of valuable time, and in the end causing delays within the organisational structure. In harder economic times, it is important to increase the effectiveness in the productivity sector. There is a need to increase the productivity of the business, which can be achieved through ensuring that there is proper communication in the business, an effective chain of command in the business and effective duty allocation. With an effective chain of command, employees are aware of who they should respond to and what is expected of them in the business. When there is a poor chain of command, losses are incurred by the business. This is because employees could end up executing duties contrary to what they are supposed to do, since they do not know who they are to ask for clarifications. Effective communication will also be important in the business in ensuring that the staff works in unison, to maximize on profit and reduce any losses that could be related to poor communication (Thomas 2002, p. 163). New Organisational Chart John General Manager, Workshop and Labour Hire Employing an External Coach Business coaching regards to a type of individual human resource advancement. It avails positive backing, feedback as well as guidance to a person or group. Coaching is intended to enhance individual effectiveness within the business structure. With a strategic coaching plan, the leadership of a business prevails to be focused on the chief role of the industry. The choice on using either an internal or external coach within a business organization is not normally an easy one. There are benefits and demerits of each in regard to the condition of the business. An internal coach is hired by the business to coach the workers, while and external coach is an independent individual hired by an outside coaching business. In a business where more objectivity is needed, then hiring an external coach is more applicable. This is because it allows the coach to objectively evaluate the business culture, with no prejudices (Oakland 2011, p. 522). Coaches are concerned with major individual as well as career advancement, and there is an emphasis on the individual. An external coach acts as the most efficient coach within a business. This is because the coach is not subjected to organizational pressures. An external coach is employed for just a short period of time, and following completion of their tasks then they move on to another business. This makes the coach more effective in development of workers as they are new to the business and unaware of the function of the employees (Fernando & Pedro 2012, p. 520). Unlike an internal coach who might express bias towards some employees, the external coach handles all employees equally, since they have no existing or previous biases towards them. With external coach employees do not have to shy off from what they think might be the major problems within the business. This is because the coach will direct the problems to the business owner directly and provide applicable solutions. External coaches are not influenced by any factors related to the business. This is because they have the freedom of availing objective warning as well as leadership. Employees within an organization are also more likely to create trust with the external coach than they would with an internal coach. It is hard, and in some cases not possible, to form the needed confidential gap as well as trust with an employee, which is a must in coaching, in cases whereby the coaching association is entrenched within the formal system of the organization. This is because other employees are likely to treat the internal coach as one of their own, as they have to adhere to similar organization structures. However, an external coach is external to the organization and works in line with their unique organization systems. As a human resource practitioner, there are various contingency plans that could be of great significance to John’s business. A contingency plan refers to an unforeseen occurrence within the business that affects the monetary situation, business image, or market share of the organization. It is normally a negative situation or any aspect that unpredictably disrupts normally functioning of a business (William & Pat 1997, p. 42). Hence, any business should have a contingency plan for all types of situations. The plan ensures that business management has a plan to adhere to immediately the unpredicted situation confronts the company. Among the perils catered for within the contingency plan involve crisis management, company stability, asset safety and re-arrangement of business. The initial step in coming up with a contingency plan involves identifying the risks. There are several risks within the business, which could greatly affect the business functioning. Some of the plans involve identifying the needs of all employees within the business. This helps in ensuring that there is staff satisfaction within the business. It avoids risks such as lack of adequate delivery of allocated duties and also ensures that workers are fully aware of each other’s responsibilities (Goswami 2010, p. 170). Another plan involves defining success for the business, meaning what is expected from every person involved in the business. It also refers to what can be done to ensure that the business resumes normal functioning. Bearing in mind that communication in a business is very important; a communication plan is part of the contingency plan. The plan should have all the possible communication strategies that can be used in cases of unexpected outcomes in the business. That is who should report to whom in case of a crisis (William & Pat 1997, p. 42). Conclusion Human resource management is a broad field of study in business. In the case study provided, John is aware of the problems facing his business and realizes the importance of effectively managing the business. These problems involve the lack of clearly outlined roles, poor communication, overstaffing in some areas of the business and poor motivation among some employees. There are ways through which these factors can be enhanced. In communication, John should derive open and inclusive communication strategies for the employees. John should also clearly define the duties of all workers and state who should give the command in the different business sectors. The applicable number of employees should be employed to ensure that duties are equally distributed. External coaching has also been acknowledged as an imperative function in business. It ensures that some of the problems affecting performance in a business are identified and corrected. List of References Bechet, T 2002, CHAPTER 6: Strategic Staffing/Workforce Planning at 30,000 Feet, Strategic Staffing, pp. 77-84. Blackman, A 2011, Case study: The overhaul of John’s business: Organising staff for success. In Stone, Human Resource Management, Milton: John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd. 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Marler, J, H 2012, Strategic Human Resource Management in Context: A Historical and Global Perspective, Academy of Management Perspectives, Vol. 26, no.2, pp. 6-11. Milica, D 2012, Human Resources Management - Strategic Aspect. Management (1820-0222), no.62, pp. 83-88. Mooney, M 2004, Stay current with staffing effectiveness standards, Management, Vol. 35, no. 2, pp. 14-14. Oakland, J 2011, Leadership and policy deployment: the backbone of TQM, Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, Vol. 22, no.5, pp. 517-534. Radhika, H 2011, Strategies of Empowerment of Effective Oral and Written Communication English for Business Communication, Indian Streams Research Journal, Vol. 1, pp. 15- 20. Showry, M & Manasa, K 2012, Effective Communication for Professional Excellence, IUP Journal of Soft Skills, pp. 39-46. Thomas, P 2002, CHAPTER 11: Implementing Your Process Effectively, Strategic Staffing, pp. 158-169. William, D & Pat, M 1997, Regulating disaster recovery, Internal Auditor, Vol. 54, no.6, pp.42. Read More