Despite the Rhetoric of Employee Engagement, Organisations Still Want To Exert Tighter Control - Essay Example

DESPITE THE RHETORIC OF EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT, ORGANISATIONS STILL WANT TO EXERT TIGHTER CONTROL Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Introduction 3 The changing trends in the management 3 The assessment of job design and discretionary behaviours 4 Challenges of scientific management strategies 6 The people-oriented approach 7 Conclusion 8 References 10 Introduction The performance perspective at organisational level has taken a new dimension that may not resonate with the desires of the employees. The employees are important organ of any organisation because they play critical role in the realisation of the goal and mission. Despite the growing need on the importance of knowledge in driving the organisation, the theory of job descriptions and the need for efficiency has disjointed the employer from the employees. In fact, these are the underlying basis for the use of scientific management instead of promoting the people centred management. Most scientific approach to management are theoretical, a fact that may not resonate well with the ever changing dynamics of the management. Although these scientific play a critical role in the management, the need to use the approach, as a method that supplements the people-centred theoretical strategies has not obtained the attention it requires. Therefore, Evans and Holmes, (2013) was right by alluding to the fact that despite the growing need to engage the employee; most organisations would still insist on exerting tighter control measures. The essay examines this statement by assessing the role played by both scientific management (Taylorism) and the people centred management. The changing trends in the management The market segment is dynamic and changes with time. These changes require that organisations devise strategies that conform to these trends (Evans and Holmes, 2013, Derksen, 2014). The methods of service delivery are the most important areas that would require changes occasioned by the emerging trend. When organisations cultivate a culture in its employees, they are likely to conform to any changes that may occur along the organisational structure (Jaffee, 2001; Parker, 2005). Organisations have a structure that guide their operation based on the management strategy. Most managers exerting tighter control measures believing that such measures would improve the output of the employees (Derksen, 2014). However, when organisations are intolerant to emerging changes or use inflexible strategies, they are likely to hurt the vision it aims to achieve. The people working in the organisation have a critical role in ensuring its growth come into realisation. However, when the management fails to ensure employees take part in the implementation of the vision, it is likely that the vision will exist in the blueprint. The continual use of scientific methods in the management at organisational level creates a rift between the employee and the employer owing to numerous factors that do not give the employees an opportunity to improve their efficiency. For instance, there are high chances of problems occurring when doing the evaluation for soft skills. The Taylorism requires that skills be evaluated in the organisations, however, there are no best methods of hard measurements of the same, because evaluation of soft skills is based on perceptions (Giorgio, 2011; Thompson and McHugh, 1995). Scientific methods of management lack a standardised approach (Evans and Holmes, 2013). Every scientific domain is unique and keeps building on ideas that were opined by previous studies. Although these generate lots of knowledge, there is lack of a method that clearly illustrates their standardisation (Thompson and McHugh, 1995). These create a limited scope for the standardisation of the scientific methods. The literature has immense materials on management; most of this knowledge is based on empirical dimensions that are yet to be put into practice. Therefore, the use of scientific methods may not be the most appropriate solution for most organisations despite the increasing preference for such materials. The assessment of job design and discretionary behaviours The theory of job designing has not attained the dynamics and the increasing expectations of the employees (Parker, Wall and Cordery, 2001). The employees are in a better position of understanding the realities of the workplace than the people crating their job designs (Giorgio, 2011). In fact, in the current world most organisations are using technology to improve service delivery. This means that employees embrace the utilisation of technology in carrying out their chores (Parker, 2005). Therefore, the aspect of creating a perimeter within which the employees would be required to operate does not resonate with the provisions of using technology. The use of technology should allow the employees to be innovating and come up with alternative solutions that could help the organisation grow and improve service delivery (Brown and Hesketh, 2004). However, when employees are given items that restrict their thinking and the capability to use their soft skills, the use of technology may not help the organisation make the most out of its employees (Gamble, et al., 2004). The scientific management approach believes in the designing the duties for the employees to improve their efficiency (Parker, Wall and Cordery, 2001). When the management that creates the job designs, it requires the workers to avoid questioning the authority, to exercise docility, always keep fit to undertake the task, and maintain self-discipline. Such environment will not provide ample ground for the employees’ professional development. The employees will develop a tendency of avoiding the top management because they are not allowed to question operation. However such a directive may harm the organisation because some employees with the potential of coming up with ideas may not share them with the organisation. Such organisation may realise the need for change when most of the valuable employees have left because when employees lack an environment that appreciates their talents and efforts, they are likely to move out (Macleod and Clarke, 2009). Employees that have the opportunities to exercise discretionary behaviours are more productive than those with fixed control measures are, because they have the opportunities to be independent (Cooper and Taylor, 2000). Managers who give their employees an opportunity to come up with solutions are flexible and sensitive of the needs and contribution of the employees. Pre-occupation with the best practices in the management is creating a revolution of employees that would lack the professionalism. The academicians have impoverished experience in the management practices, yet most of them are pushing for the scientific approach to management. Universities play a critical role in the production of technically useful knowledge. The knowledge becomes useful when they gain experience in the industry (Cooper and Taylor, 2000). In fact, most scientific studies written by scientists with the industrial experience have better outlook than the impoverished academicians. Challenges of scientific management strategies Employees add value to the organisation when the employer motivates them. The motivation can be in form of incentive or rewards for the best employees that performed their duties and attained the targets (Evans and Holmes, 2013). These motivation strategies plays essential role in unifying both the employees and the employers. The most important role is appreciation of the employees, who will feel a sense of belonging to the organisation. It helps in the development of the mutual relationship between the parties. The employees will use all the resources inherent within their capacity to give their best for the organisation. Motivated employees tend to think and come up with innovative ideas of significance for the organisation (Brown and Hesketh, 2004). However, the concept of Taylorism is like a fundamental movement. The movement denies the individuals an opportunity for the development of individual thinking. It makes the employees rely on the employers. The employers have to dictate every aspect of the job and the employment terms. The system is likely to discourage the employees with hybrid skills from utilising their skills because the system propagates specialisation. Flexibility sin the organisation aims to optimise on the multiple skills that every employee may have. However, the Taylorism limits the employees’ scope based on ob design and description (Giorgio, 2011). Such employees would not have the opportunity to think and apply their multiple skills in a fixed working environment. One aspect of concern is the long-term career development. The management that puts more emphasis on scientific management theory create concerns on the employees with technical skills (Ritzer, 2010). Although such employees have the option of following the managerial role later on in their career, it creates a vacuum of technical knowhow and the sharing of the technical skills with the new employees. When employees with excellent technical skills end up in the management role, their skills become obsolete owing to the lack of practise of their skills, so that as time passes the skills will no longer help the organisation. The people-oriented approach When people forms the main tenet that drives the organisation, they have the control to identify issues that may arise in their daily chores. The people will play essential role in devising alternative solutions for the business and innovate strategies that would help the organisation attain its vision or diversity its operation (Brown and Hesketh, 2004). The management approach provides the employees with the opportunity to think and use resources within their capacity to solve problems. Some of the employees may devise solutions that are effective and diverse with technology. The employees will have the opportunity to exercise discretionary behaviours in their chores. Unlike the Taylorism era that was characterised with the systematic soldering, this option allows the employees to identify problems and efficient methods of doing tasks. In the systematic soldering, the employees make deliberate attempts of coming together and make their managers ignorant of the possibilities of doing a task quickly (Jaffee, 2001). When employees have the believe from their employers the chances of them suggesting alternative strategies of doing a given task more easily and faster are higher than when they is lack of mutual relationship between the two parties. Besides the Taylorism era was characterised with the gaming practise, which means that the managements were mainly involved in the manipulation of data that showed improved achievements contrary to the realities. Gaming practise is a sign of disbelieve in the organisational management structure. The practise is not only a fallacy that could hurt organisation in the long-term; it could also lead employees into finding other ways of bringing down the institution (Thompson and McHugh, 1995). Although scientific methods are effective in demonstrating ways that organizations can apply when striving to achieve the targets, it has on disadvantage that most strategies using people-oriented management solution would achieve. The strategy has no way of linking the methods and the targets that the organisation aims to achieve. Lack of these linkages hampers the practical aspects of the strategy. Contrary, the people-centred approach offers the alternative of connecting the method and the targets. Empowering the people through effective management and using strategies like motivation would play a critical role in linking the two items together and improve the operation of the organization. Conclusion The emerging trends require that organisations improve methods of service delivery. However, people are placed in a central and most important position for the realisation of these changes than the scientific approach. The limited scope to standardise exhibited in scientific management theories should encourage the implementation of people-centred management approach. Besides the people-centred management practise is seen as the approach for making technical skills relevant, unlike the Taylorism, which lacks these virtues. Therefore, the absence of practise makes the technical aspect of the relevant skills obsolete. Employees with the history of technical skills may only become fruitful to the organisation by following the management ladder. Another fallacy characteristic of Taylorism is the concept of systemic soldering, which relates to keeping the management ignorant of the possible strategies that can improve the output of a process. However, when there is adequate engagement of the employees based on people-oriented management strategy, such measure may help the employer in the process of making decisions that could improve the operation of the organisation. The organisation I likely to suffer hugely when the employees exhibit a tendency of hiding information from the management. Despite the knowledge on the need for people-centred management strategy,most organisation still implement and adopt the application of scientific management largely due to the expert opinions that drive the opinion of most management. The worse part of it is the availability of technology, which ideally should give the employees a room to think and exercise discretionary behaviour in the organisation that still implement best practices in job crafting. References Brown,P. And Hesketh, A. 2004. The Mismanagement of Talent. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Cooper, C. and Taylor, P. (2000) From Taylorism to Ms Taylor: the transformation of the accounting craft. Accounting, Organization and Society, 25(6), 555-78. Derksen, M (2014) Turning men into machines? 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