HR Director's Challenge: Creating the Flexible Organization - Example

HR Director's Challenge: Creating the flexible organization Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Name Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Course Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Lecture Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 11th January, 2013. Executive summary This report sets out to offer an analysis of the casestudy HR Director's Challenge: Creating the flexible organization. This will be done in a number of steps with the first one been the introduction to the organization in the casestudy. The second section will deal with the how the organization in the casestudy presents an ideal worker and how there presentation of an ideal worker limits the effectiveness of the organization. The other section will deal with the measures that can be taken so as to change the current thinking about an ideal worker in the organization. This section will be followed closely by a proposal of the policies that need to be changed and reasons for implementing the policies. And lastly the report will offer a concluding statement. Contents Executive summary 2 Contents 3 Introduction 4 Measures to change the current thinking about ideal workers in the organization 6 Proposed revised policies and practices to ensure sustainable and successful part-time work policies 7 Reasons for the proposal 8 Conclusion 9 References 11 Introduction The organization has an employee base that exceeds three thousand people. The males seem to dominate the organization in that they occupy an eighty percent of the whole population in the organization. 65% of the employees are members in two major unions. The average age of employees in the organization is 44 years and 72% of the employees are over 35 years and the average length of their services in the organization is 16years. The largest group of female workers is between 19 years and 29 years and only 8% of the male employees fall under this category. This group is closely followed by those between the age brackets of 35 years to 39 years. The representation of women when it comes to ages above 40 is very low and in contrast the largest group of male employee seems to be over 55 years. The notion of an ideal worker as depicted in the casestudy There exists a lot of literature on the notion of an ideal worker. Most managers and employees are of the opinion that an ideal worker ought to have a number of similar characteristic and they include the willingness to work, proactive and positive attitude, integrity and honesty, use of time in a productive manner and lastly an ideal worker ought to be dependable. In relation to this the ideal worker or employee is therefore termed as an employee with the male characteristics when it comes to freedom from undertaking the domestic responsibilities (Britton 2003). The casestudy that have been used in this scenario have presented an ideal worker been the worker who is always available and they can be able to work on a full time basis and also they can be able to work overtime and for long hours based on the fact that the other partner is responsible of all the family responsibilities. When viewed from an operational view, ideal workers are seen as been males and also been the only breadwinner in the family and thus making them reliable since they have various family responsibilities to take care of since the other partner is not working (Hynes & Clarkberg 2005). Also in the casestudy the idea of an ideal worker has also been represented in a different form in the organization and most especially when it comes to the white collar jobs that are available in the organization. In relation to the white collar jobs, the notion of an ideal worker seems to be less gendered and thus an ideal worker ought to have a can do attitude which is later coupled with a go getter and thus they are able to commit a considerable number of hours to the organization so as to ensure the organizations success. How the notion of ideal workers in the casestudy is limiting the effectiveness of the organization The notion of an ideal worker as presented in the organization in the casestudy seems to offer some limiting factors to the effectiveness of the organization. One of the major way in which the notion of ideal worker presents a limiting factor to the organization is based on the fact that since not all employees are able to work fulltime and also for long hours, other employees will view it as if they are been discriminated and thus the notion of an ideal worker will actually act as de-motivating factor to the employees and thus they will not perform their duties in an efficient and effective manner and thus they will eventually have a negative effect on the outcomes of the organization (Hynes & Clarkberg 2005). In the casestudy the ideal workers are supposed for work for long hours and they are also supposed to work over time. It is has been acknowledged that workers seems to be productive in the morning hours and they are most likely to perform poorly after been in the workplace for long period s of hours. This will eventually have a noteworthy implication in that though the employees will in the organization for long period of hours and they will also work over time they will not be as productive as the other employees. Measures to change the current thinking about ideal workers in the organization The organization needs to tailor their definition of an ideal worker since based on the qualities that they have outlined fewer women can be bale to achieve them since they have various other responsibilities that they have to take care of. The definition of an ideal worker that have been offered by the organizations seems to be fit only to the male employees in the organization since they do not have other additional responsibilities and thus they end up working long hours and even of part time basis (Perlow 1997). One of the measures that can be implemented so as to change the current thinking of an ideal worker in the organization is to add more components to the definition rather than only the long working hours and been able to work on part time basis. Thus they can incorporate aspects such as employee commitment to work. And based on this added characteristic even the female employees would have an opportunity to fit in the category of the ideal workers. Another measure would be to include the productivity of the employees in the definition and identification of an ideal worker. Thus will ultimately ensure that the productive employees are also identified and specific recognition given to them though they do not work for long or on a part time basis. In respect to this some employee may not fit in the current organization definition of an ideal worker but when aspects of productivity are included the employees who are productive will ultimately be recognized and the employee’s efforts in making the organization a better and effective workplace will be rewarded (Rapoport Et al. 2002). Proposed revised policies and practices to ensure sustainable and successful part-time work policies Since part time work is seems as been a core component when it comes to attracting and retaining all group of employees that is both the male and female workers in the organization irrespective of their additional responsibilities. Part time work also needs to act as a way in which an organization can retain employee who are about to retire and yet they have organizational knowledge as well as other extensive skills. Based on the policies that are currently available in the organization I would offer a number of recommendations so as to ensure that there is sustainable and successful part time work polices and practices in the organization. One of the major policy changes that I would put in place would be that when women have returned form maternity leaves they ought to go back to their original position and with the same pay as opposed to the earlier policy which stipulated that after women came from their maternity leaves they were forced to take up a position which offered less responsibilities to them and a low pay. These discriminatory laws ought not to be applied and this would eventually lead to more people been attracted to the part time packages that are offered in the organization (Rapoport Et al. 2002). Another policy change is related to those who are shifting from their full time jobs to part time jobs. Previously the shift mainly brought about work intensification in that some of the part times jobs are similar with the full time workloads but with certain levels of pay cut. In relation to this, the needs of the part times job designs as well as the adjusted performance reviews were overlooked. Through the policy change I would ensure that the adjusted performance reviews and part time job design were catered for so that the employees feel that the organization is been fair to them all. Another change that would be implemented would is related to the concern that was raised that some part time workers complained that the managers in their respective departments did not offer the same level of access and support when it comes to training, promotion opportunities and development opportunities as their colleagues who worked on a full time basis. This policy would be adjusted so as to ensure that all the employees that is; the part time employees and the full time employees have the same level of access to promotion opportunities, development opportunities and training (Moen, Kelly & Huang 2008). The other policy change will be more concerned with women. In some cases female employees who worked on a full time basis prior to giving birth and who later returned to work on a part time basis complained that there was no formalized process that was in place for the staff and managers to deal with the various issues that cropped up after their extended leaves as well as the changed employment patterns. All this seems to cause some significant level of grief to some of the employees. This policy and notion needs to be changed in that the managers and the staff members have to put a formalized process in place to deal with issues that may crop up as a result of the extended leaves as well as form the changes in employment patterns. This will ensure that all the employees in the organsiation are comfortable and that they are willing to work for the benefit of the organization (Martin 2003). Reasons for the proposal There exist a number of major reasons behind the change in part time policy proposal. One of the major reasons behind the proposal is to eradicate that covert and overt resistance that seems to be evident in the organization when it comes to part times jobs. Most mangers in various departments have outlined resistance as been a core issues that is facing them when it come part time jobs (Lewis 1997). Another major reason behind the change in policy proposal is based on the fact that through the change of policies both male and female employees in the organization will be offered with the same employment opportunities. This is mainly based on the fact that in the current policies that are present women seems to be discriminated upon. Though the change in policies the women in the organization will have a better position in that even after maternity leaves they will be bale to go back to their previous positions and be remunerated with the same pay as before. Prior to the changes in policy women were fewer responsibilities and less pays after their leaves and this seemed to be a discriminating factor to them. The last reason behind the changes in policies is to change the employees view in relation to career development of part time workers. Most employees are of the view that the part time workers are not in need to career development and thus career development ought to be offered to the full time workers. The employees need to be educated on the great role that is played by career development in the organizations and thus a change in their view about career development. This will ensure that even the managers are also aware that career development ought to be offered to all the employees irrespective of the fact whether they are full time or part time workers (Kelly & Kalev 2006). Conclusion Based on the above discussion the organization in the casestudy defines and ideal worker as a male employee who is able to work for long hours and on part time basis and this is mainly attributed to the fact that the male employees do not have other responsibilities to take care of since there partner are more concerned with the family issues. The organization need to change there current view and definition of an ideal employee so as to ensure that a great number of their employee fits in the category of an ideal employee. By changing their current view on an ideal worker the organization will be able to achieve effectiveness. The organization also needs to implement the proposed policies in relation to part time workers so as to ensure that there is no discrimination between the full time employees and the part time employees. Through this the organization will be able to achieve effectiveness and thus run smoothly. References Britton, D 2003, At work in the iron cage: The prison as gendered organization, New York University Press, New York. Hynes, K & Clarkberg, M 2005, “Women's employment patterns during early parenthood: A group-based trajectory analysis”, Journal of Marriage and Family, Vol. 67, pp. 222–39. Kelly, E & Kalev, A 2006, “Managing flexible work arrangements in U.S. organizations: Formalized discretion or “a right to ask”, Socio-Economic Review, Vol. 4: pp. 379–416. Lewis, S 1997, “Family friendly employment policies: A route to changing organizational culture or playing about at the margins”, Gender, Work & Organization, Vol. 4: pp. 13–23. Martin, P 2003, “Said and done vs. saying and doing: Gendering practices, practicing gender at work”, Gender & Society, Vol. 17: pp. 342–66. Moen, P, Kelly, E & Huang, Q 2008, “Work, family and life-course fit: Does control over work time matter”, Journal of Vocational Behavior, Vol. 73: pp. 414–25. Perlow, L 1997, Finding time: How corporations, individuals, and families can benefit from new work practices, ILR Press, New York. Rapoport, R, Bailyn, L, Fletcher, J & Pruitt, B 2002, Beyond work-family balance: Advancing gender equity and workplace performance, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco. Read More