Teamwork and Collaboration Between the Departments and the Employees in the Organization - Literature review Example

Literature Review The human resource department of a company acts as the advisor and a facilitator of both formal and informal policies and procedures underlying a company. There are several empirical studies and research on the importance of the establishment of both capacity and disciplinary policies in a company by the human resource management to address employment and employee issues. Capability policies provides procedures and guidelines in which employees carryout operations within a company these procedures and policies can be more effective with the establishment of disciplinary policies which provides the course of action for the failure of employees to work according to the set company capacity procedures. This sets out acceptable conduct and satisfying performance thus ensuring that employees are equally treated upon the break of the set policies and procedures. This aspect of human resource has been a major concern in regard to the management of employees in the workplace in the context of the existing legal employment laws leading to increased research studies on this subject. According to Ingraham and Joyce et al. 2003 in their studies on the organizational capability policies they lay a great emphasis on the importance of establishing capacity policies and procedures in an organization. The two scholars argue that organizational capacity policies ensure that resources are utilized optimally which contribute to the positive performance of the organization (Ingraham 2003). They also provide that companies and organizations should have these policies integrated in their operations to ensure employees employs appropriately their skills and competencies to be able to transform company inputs into outputs and effectively both tangible and intangible resources to achieve desired outcomes (Ingraham 2003). In addition their study provides that capability policies facilitate employees in a company to perform various coordinated activities in the various departments, utilizing the available resources to achieve a particular result. They concluded their studies by asserting that capability policies integrated with the organizational or company disciplinary policies and procedures plays a major role in the strategic management in ensuring that internal and external resources, skills as well as functional competencies are reconfigured and integrated to adapt and to match the requirements of the dynamic environments (Ingraham 2003). Harvey et.al (2010) in his studies states that’s the procedures in which production function organizations and companies work comprises of various organizational disciplinary and capacity policies aiming at effectively transforming resources into desired outputs. Capability policies regarding organizational technical and information data system ensures that the system is utilized by the organization to have positive impact on its output (Harvey 2010). These procedures provide a guideline in which the company or organizational employees can effectively utilize the system, provision of technical training that the system requires and finally the management by the execution of these policies they can be able to carry out analysis on the available company data that can be used to make key decisions that aims at enhancing the performance of the employees. From their perspective organizational and company capability policies enhances the employee capability and the effective interaction of the various resources thus improving the overall capability of the organization or the company (Harvey 2010). In addition he further argue that resources alone do not constitute effective and efficient success of an organization and that both disciplinary and capability policies has to be set in an organization to ensure that resources are mobilized, organized and monitored in a specific way that is able to enhance company or the organizational capability. McPhee (2001) provides the importance of organizational capability policies as to facilitate the capability of an organization to fulfill their set missions and objectives in an effective manner that is of beneficial to the organization. The argument from his perspective provides that organizational capacities are the resources and the company developments and innovations that facilitate the effectiveness in an organization (McPhee 2001). Based on this provision he argues that there has to be set policies and procedures that provide guidelines on how the various stakeholders in an organization will be able to employ these resources and capacities to achieve the desired objectives and he identifies capability and disciplinary policies to be appropriate and suitable for this process. He lays greater emphasis on the employees as the major stakeholders thus the human resource department of the company or an organization is the execution authority of these policies and procedures (McPhee 2001). The desire objectives could be achieved through the adoption of the policies and procedures that contributes to the positive impact on the company or the organizational performance and that resources and both disciplinary and capacity policies constitutes organizational development and success therefore it is the duty of the management to identify and select appropriate resources and suitable policies that results into organizational effectiveness (McPhee 2001). Susan Heathfield (2001) according to her studies he provides that disciplinary policies as a process in which companies and organizations deal with employees and job-related behaviors that do not meet the anticipated outcomes and the communicated standards of performance (Heathfield 2001). She also provides that the primary purpose of the disciplinary policies in an organization is to enable employees that performance problems can be mitigated and that an opportunity for improvement exist. This process provided in this study features increased formal efforts and mechanisms that organizations apply to provide feedback and to communicate with the employee so he or she can be able to correct the underlying problem therefore the goal of the company disciplinary policies is to improve the performance of the employees. The disciplinary policies in a company are not intended to punish employees as perceived by many stakeholders but to assist employees face the performance challenges and to meet the desired company expectations as outlined by the company capacity policies (Heathfield 2001).This policy also ensures that employees understand the limitations which cannot be extended and their consequences upon the violations of the set policies and regulations underlying a particular job and the study also shows that when the discipline drops in an organization to unacceptable level this can translate into the a drop in the organizational performance. According to Greenwald (2006) the studies on the company disciplinary policies shows that the management level employees are reluctant in support of the introduction of disciplinary policies in the organization as they claim not to effectively remediate employees (Greenwald 2006). On the other hand he argues that the policies are important in the protection of the employer against unfair and wrong termination suites by the employees that results from repeated infractions and violation of the set capacity policies. In addition to this significance on the development of the policy provided by this argument he further indicate the importance of formalizing training on the policy and the manner in which the course of action is going to be taken within the policy for it to work effectively within an organization. He finally suggest that disciplinary policies needs to be in a written form comprising of updated information on the current rules, regulations and the consequences of the violation of the respective policies (Greenwald 2006). Murphy (2004) stated that by organizations and companies utilizing disciplinary policy while integrating them with the existing capacity policies within the various departments in liaison with the human resource department appropriately, the policies become impossible to be challenged because of its consistency throughout the organization and this brings uniformity and fairness (Murphy 2004). This aspect in the organizational management process ensures that the policy do not place any favoritism on the application of the disciplinary policy among the employees. Murphy in his further studies provided having policies and procedures is important but it is of greater importance to follow them within an organization. Following the disciplinary policies integrated with capacity policies its provides organization and consistency within the ranks of a company, suitable disciplinary policies ensures that employees are under its guidance and give a clear understanding on the consequences of its violations (Murphy 2004). Ronny Coleman (2007) further suggest that capacity and disciplinary policies can be more effective in an organization when the people imposing the policies are acts as the role models in the implementation process themselves and this brings out the importance of educating the personnel who are responsible for the execution of the discipline. Quinlan (2007) disapproves the negative perspective of the disciplinary policies by arguing that disciplinary policies boost and complements the established organizational capacity policies. The disciplinary policies have a positive impact on the outcomes regarding disciplinary matters within an organization and that employee’s behavior or any actions that has a negative implication to an organization is corrected and done away with to improve the performance of the organization (Quinlan 2004). The process of the introduction of integrated disciplinary policies ensures that employees act in a professional, effective and efficient manner in delivering their responsibilities as anticipated by their employers. According to Bacal (2007) he states that disciplinary policies are important in the correction of the negative performance or the behavior of the employees. This process involves both the supervisor and the employee and through the various mechanisms provided by the disciplinary policies the employees perspective on these policies are changed not as a punishment but as an improvement to their performance themselves. Christensen and Gazley (2008) provided that capacity policies to be of great importance in the strategic management of an organization. The policies provide a guideline in which an organization focuses on the acquisition of adequate resources from the environment and facilitate the capability of its employees thus increasing the capacity capability of the organization in doing its work (Gezley 2008). The two scholars argue that appropriate capability policies in an organization have a great potential of attracting and acquiring adequate from the relevant environment for it to sustain itself. In addition to its facilitation to the strategic management of the organization they also provided those capability policies and the disciplinary policies established in the organization addresses various issues in the management of the available resources, operation in the organization and the overall organizational life (Gezley 2008). Tangible resources including financial, technological, physical and informational resources which are the key inputs of an organization have been identified by the scholars as the key focus of the capability policies in which they take the effect on it. The policies ensures that these resources are utilized effectively and efficiently to achieve the goals and objectives of the organization by guiding the employees and its stakeholders in the overall organizational operations thus increasing the capability and the capacity of the organization. Both the capability policies and disciplinary policies have a positive impact on the intangible resources of the company including reputation of the organization, managerial skills, knowledge and experience of the employees and trust within the organization (Gezley 2008). The scholars in their studies conclude that both disciplinary and capacity policies ensures that an organization achieves sustainability in its environment as the policies focuses mainly on the effective and efficient strategic management of the organizational tangible and intangible resources (Gezley 2008). According to Graddy and Chen (2006) the two scholars in their studies provides the importance of capability and disciplinary policies on the resource-based view of the organization and uses the economic logic of an organization on the analysis on which the capacity and disciplinary policies that will enhance the competitive advantage to the organization. They argue that a feasible policy that is not biased cannot be substituted or imitated gives an organization total competitive advantage therefore it is the obligation of the organization to formulate capability and disciplinary policies that are unique, well integrated suitable and appropriate for the effectiveness and efficiency of the organization (Chen 2006). Their perspective of thought views both disciplinary and capacity policies as the key indicators of an organizational competitive advantage. This view of company capability and disciplinary policies as the competitive advantage of an organization has been subscribed by most organization both profit and non-profit. This is because non-competitive organizations notably in profit making organizations such as companies do not have the capability to meet the demand of its customers and they are considered to lack capacity in addition they lack capability and disciplinary policies that are focused in meeting its goals. Bryson (2004) stated that disciplinary and capability policies enhances competency in an organization, in the context of his perception he argues that disciplinary and capacity policies influences and shapes the behavior of employees, organizational departmental management and the organizational strategies that aims at performing well in its key areas of great significance contributing to the overall success of the organization. Bryson further on his argument indicated that suitable and appropriate capacity and disciplinary policies increases organizational competency which may be taken as resources that are important inputs that an organization can easily attain to enhance its performance on the organizational key success factors (Bryson 2004). This implies that most of the organizations may have attained competency in its organizations management level but may still not achieve its goals and objectives due to lack of suitable and appropriate capacity and disciplinary policies and from this point of view he brings out the importance of disciplinary and capability policies in an organization. According to Horton et al. (2003) stated that capability and disciplinary policies are important in determining the potential effectiveness of an organization operations and the performance of its key major factors of success. Disciplinary and capability policies in an organization provide a way in which full potential of an organization is realized in order to achieve its mission and objectives. This process is based on the extent in which certain key factors and attributes of the organization have been identified as a significant and strategic in the achievement of the organizational goals and objectives. From this point of argument he suggest that the integration of both disciplinary and capability policies that have been well established in the organization measures its potential effectiveness by mobilizing what is needed in the key success factors of the organization and this significance is further monitored and evaluated by the disciplinary policies thus bringing increased coordination and the increased potential performance of the organization. Sowa et al (2004) from their studies suggest that both capacity policies and disciplinary policies is the key guideline to the staff and employees actions on the organizational operating processes and the overall organizational structure. They argue that both capacity and disciplinary policies in an organization is the key determinant of the outcomes and they base their argument that outcomes are the major indicators of the organization performance effectiveness (Sowa 2004). The outcome measurement on the staff and employee performance involves complex and diverse dimensions of an organization and vary across various organizations given the fact that organizations vary in terms of programs and structures. From this perspective both disciplinary and capacity policies will enhance the understanding on which and what programs, structures and operating processes best suits the organization thus becoming an important tool and technique used by the managers in establishing an effective decision making in the organization. Eisinger (2002) in his studies contributes further on the importance of establishing capability policies and disciplinary policies in an organization and he states that these policies are crucial in the operations and administrative functions of the organization (Eisinger 2002). He describes the policies to govern the resource capacity of the organization and terms the capacity to be a resource management which conceptualize it as the capability to carryout administrative and organizational support function mainly the basic capabilities of the organization as well as the bottom line assets. Great emphasis is laid on the resource capacity of personnel in which both capacity policies and disciplinary policies have a greater impact and significance. Establishment of suitable and appropriate capability and disciplinary policies have a positive implication to the personnel capacity of an organization where an effective employee recruitment as well as an efficient human resource management is achieved thus the overall performance of an organization is achieved (Eisinger 2002). Other resource capacity identified in his study include management of property which involves building maintenance, information management and the financial capacity all in which they can be effectively managed through an effective and sound disciplinary and capability policies in the organization (Eisinger 2002). Joyce et al. (2003) in the study on the importance of disciplinary and capability policies establishment in the organizations carried out a study and analysis on 42 county governments, 30 federal agencies, 15 key parastatals and all the 50 state government in a time series of over a seven years from 1996 to 2002 providing a significant evidence on the importance of capability and disciplinary policies for effective government and overall institutional performance (Joyce 2003). The study provides that both disciplinary and capacity policies alongside administrative processes that are consistent with the principles of good governance are essential key factors for the achievement of the organizations goals and the overall provision of the core capacity mainly in public organizations. The study also further provided that capacity policies can be enhanced by the disciplinary policies to increase its effectiveness and efficiency in the organization and this increased competence and improved service delivery in the studied organizations attributed by the capacity support policies and the disciplinary policies in the respective department that the employees adhere in delivering the designated duties and responsibilities and the overall staffing activities (Joyce 2003).. The disciplinary policies are established at the various staffing levels as well as the capability policies which are notably important for sustained organizational consistency and learning. They also provided that planning processes within the organizations infrastructure is greatly influenced by the effectiveness of both disciplinary and capability policies for the positive outcomes and the overall capacity of the employees in delivering services. They also argue that the governmental agencies offering tenders and contracting of public services to the community ensured that the selected companies and organizations had effective and well established capacity and disciplinary policies to guarantee delivery (Joyce 2003). According to Armitage (2005) in his studies he provides that capability and disciplinary policies facilitates the adaptability of the company or an organization to the current dynamic environment (Armitage 2005). He conceptualizes that effective and efficient capacity and disciplinary policies ensures that the employees and staff in an organization are able to reflect learning, promote innovative solutions in complex ecological and social circumstances in the context of the provided procedure of the operation as provide by the employer. Capability policies are formulated and set in the organization fosters development of sustainable adaptive capacity for organizational learning also known as the learning capability and these policies are to be implemented by the employees and the overall management team (Armitage 2005). He argues that capability policies enhance the elements of managerial commitment, knowledge transfer among the staff in the various departments and openness. Disciplinary policies ensures that the capability policies are adequately followed by the staff and the employees and provide mitigation and a means of correction for any employee or staff acting against the set guideline in an organization, the adaptive management techniques that are provided by the capability and disciplinary policies informs the organizational members and staff on the strategic tools which can be adopted as a way of improving the performance of the organizations and minimizing inconsistency and increasing competence and commitment of the staff and the overall employees of the organization (Armitage 2005). Skelcher et al. (2010) examined capability and disciplinary policies as a way of transferring and integrating new knowledge into the organization. They argue that through the adoption of these policies absorptive capacity of an organization is achieved as the employees and the staff gets to understand organizational processes and routines in which it requires development, assimilation and the application of new knowledge (skelcher 2010). Capability policies and disciplinary policies facilitates the alignment of the organizational competencies in relation to the dynamic changing environment thus facilitates the management of the operations. The alignment and the consistencies facilitated by these policies enable the employees to incorporate new ideas and new knowledge to fit the organization in context. These policies can also be used by the managers in an organization in making decisions regarding the alteration of resources in support of the organizational learning and creating a sustainable workforce that is able to remain relevant in all the circumstances and situations that the organization anticipating to undergo, therefore disciplinary and capability policies brings certainty into the organization (skelcher 2010). According to Weber, Lovrich et al. (2007) they provide that capability and disciplinary policies enhances collaboration and teamwork in an organization (Lovrich 2007). Team work and collaboration between the departments and the employees in the organization is important in achieving the organizational goals and objectives where the interests and efforts across the company and organizational operations are converged together for the achievement of the set goals and objectives. They argue that capability policies and disciplinary policies that focused towards achieving effective collaborations are emphasized on companies and organizations whose nature and scope of the operations requires a higher level of coordination and collaborations (Lovrich 2007).. Policies have positive impact mainly on the employees or the staff of the organization, departmental organization and finally the inter-organizational level. At the employees and the staff level capability policies enhances collaborative competencies of individual employees, organizational managers who engage in the collaborative organizational processes facilitate organizational departmental collaboration thus creating a provision for conflict resolution (Lovrich 2007).This literature provide a foundation in understanding the importance of both capability and disciplinary policies in all the organizations analyzed and studied in the literature Reference Armitage, 2005, A resource-based view of the firm, Strategic Management Journal, 171- 180. Bacal, R, 2007, Five Sins of Discipline, Boston: DMC Books. Bryson, J. M, 2004, Strategic Planning for Public and Nonprofit Organizations: A Guide to Strenghtening Organizational Achievement, San Francisco: John Wiley and Sons. Christensen, R. K. and B. Gazley, 2008, capacity for public administration: analysis of meaning and measurement, Public Administration and Development, 265-279. Coleman, R, 2007, Organizational discipline delivery, New York: Wiley and Sons Eisinger, P, 2002, Organizational capacity and organizational effectiveness, Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 115-130. Graddy, E. and B. Chen, 2006, Influences on the Size and Scope of Networks for Social Service Delivery, Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 533-552. Greenwald, P, 2006, capacity building and elements of public Management, Public Administration Review, 705-716. Harvey, G, 2003, Developmental Dynamics: Capacity and Disciplinary policies as an Emergent Phenomenon, Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 149-164. Harvey, G., C. Skelcher, et al, 2010, Absorptive Capacity in a Non-Market Environment, Public Management Review, 77-97. Heathfield, S. M, 2001, Organizational Discipline Policy, New York: John Wiley and Sons. Horton et al, 2003, firm resources and sustained competitive advantage, Journal of Management, 99-120. Ingraham, P. W., P. G. Joyce, et al, 2003, Governance Performance: Why Management Matters, Baltimore: The John Hopkins University PRess. McPhee, R, 2001, Capacity, Leadership, and Organizational Performance: Testing the Black Box Model of Public Management, Public Administration Review, 443- 454. Murphy, T, 2004, Discipline procedures in an organization, Oxford: Oxford Publishers. Quinlan, E.M, 2007, making disciplinary policy work in your organization, Duxbury: EDM Publishers. Sowa, J. E., S. C. Selden, et al, 2004, No longer unmeasurable? A multidimensional integrated model of nonprofit organizational effectiveness, Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 711-728. Weber, E., N. P. Lovrich, et al, 2007, Assessing Collaborative Capacity in a Multidimensional World, Administration and Society, 194-220. Read More