How Much Are Employees Impacted with the Communication Style of an Organization - Case Study Example

Organizational theory How much are employees impacted with the communication style of an organization? Communication has a significant influence on the motivation and productivity of employees. Organizations that have poor interaction with the workforce are most likely to suffer from a lack of employee engagement. My personal work experience is based on working at an Information and Technology company, AutoDB, that sold database management software to clients. One of the problems the company faced was lack of employee engagement and guidelines. The company did not assign workers to areas of expertise nor did it create a good relationship between managers and employees. Various theories have been applied to the most appropriate method of communicational strategies. In my company’s case, Weber’s bureaucratic approach and the human relations perspective would be the most effective. A bureaucratic approach ensures routine that keeps a company streamlined and develops in its culture. Elton Mayo’s human relations perspective encourages team relationships that are critical for employee engagement. AutoDB employs good use of financial rewards however a bureaucratic and human relations approach would improve employee engagement. Organizational Background AutoDB is a software company that creates database management systems for clients. Some of the programs are created for specific customers or organizations that request for their services while others are sold independently to interested establishments. As an employee, I was part of the sales team that marketed the company to consumers. Sales teams are composed of several marketing groups that are coordinated by team leaders. The team leaders respond to managers that are in charge of the entire sales operation. Compensation is offered based on a basic salary and commissions based on a percentage of the amount made from sales. In this case, the key groups of study are managers, team leaders, and sales teams. Managers overlook their employees’ performance and keep track of team sales. Team leaders hold authority over their members and collect data on daily and weekly sales which they send to the manager. The sales teams market software for the company and are compensated through rewards, commissions, and a basic wage. Method of Data Gathering My method of data collection was through unobtrusive observation and short interviews. To maintain ethical conduct during the investigation process, I did not note down personal conversations during observation that were not related to my research of the organization. The information that was collected kept the identity of the source anonymous. I also requested permission from a participant on whether they felt comfortable sharing their information under hidden identity. As part of the observation, I noted down the interactions between team members and their leader or manager. The process lasted for 15 – 20 minutes per session as it only occurred when participants interacted. The observation information was recorded in a journal, including responses from the face to face interviews. The interview sessions lasted no longer than 5 minutes. Overview of Weber’s bureaucratic approach Weber’s bureaucratic theory is based on the principles of bureaucracy. According to Weber, bureaucracy is an organizational standard that is based on rules and hierarchies that dictate the process of operation (Weber, 1947). The bureaucratic approach is dependent on rules and regulations which control the function of an organization. The management has the power to create and impose new rules which they see as desirable and beneficial for the company. Company communication occurs through appropriate channels and respective individuals. The bureaucratic approach is based on key management principles. For an organization to effectively implement bureaucracy they would require task specialization. Specialization of tasks involves division of responsibilities based on the skills and capability of an employee. Furthermore, the organization is divided according to departments which determine the channel of communication. Workers only respond to their respective managers and supervisors thus ensuring a streamlined process. Weber’s bureaucratic approach seeks to negate time wastage that is common in organizations without designated channels of interaction. The bureaucratic approach also discourages inappropriate impersonal relationships and communication. The main agenda of an organization is to ensure order and a productive work environment. Impersonal relationships that are not conducive for productivity are discouraged in a bureaucratic management. Such occurrences could hinder organizational effectiveness due to conflict of interests that arise from personal relationships between workers. Furthermore, close personal connection causes biased decisions due to the involvement of thoughts and feelings (Daft, 2012). Bureaucracy encourages formal communication in the workplace. Conversations that are not beneficial to the work process reduce efficiency and only increase distraction. By eliminating unwanted elements from the workplace, Weber’s bureaucratic approach increases effective communication that is conducive for productivity. Application of Weber’s bureaucratic approach One of the elements of Weber’s bureaucratic approach that apply to AutoDB’s communication is task specialization. At AutoDB there are no specified channels of communication during critical moments. In one case, one of the team members in my group faced a problem with their laptop and it could not function properly. Since a technician was not in the immediate vicinity, the frustrated individual went for assistance to another team member. However, the device was mishandled and it led to the loss of important information. The problem would have been negated if the organization had created communication channels that led directly to a technician that was available during emergencies. Weber’s bureaucratic approach ensures that every task is handled with someone skilled and channels exist that lead to the person. AutoDB lacked a specific route of contact that would connect team members to a technician during an emergency. Although the organization had its own technical unit, it was not prescribed to specifically assist sales teams in dire moments. Furthermore, AutoDB requires rules and guidelines that ensure workers operate uniformly. Procedures provide guidance that ensures everybody operates according to the company’s standards (Mumby, 2013). The bureaucratic approach requires specific rules and regulations that direct team members autonomously and ascertain uniformity. Policies that govern mode of communication increase efficiency and decrease penetration of false information. AutoDB’s lack of strict guidelines led to miscommunication between team members. In one case, the team leader offered instructions that were slightly contradictory to the manager’s directions. The poor communication headed the team to a selling position that was already occupied. A lot of time was wasted before the problem was fixed and the right instructions were sent. AutoDB should instead implement a bureaucratic approach that accurately defines the hierarchical order of instructions. To avoid confusion, managers should communicate through team leaders rather than directly to the team members. Situations, whereby managers are allowed to interact with the sales teams, should be defined. By specifying the communication channel of involved parties, mix up during information exchange is difficult to occur. Weber’s bureaucratic approach necessitates formal communication and impersonal relationships which is applicable at AutoDB. Personal feelings create biased decisions which can be detrimental to the work process. Bureaucracy limits the influence of thoughts and emotions by limiting unnecessary relationships at the workplace (Weber). Formal communication is the standard style of communication in the approach and personal matters can be discussed during non-office hours. AutoDB’s lack of emphasis on impersonal relationships created a barrier to productivity. In one instance, a sales team member was performing poorly and spent most of her time chatting with the team leader. Her misdemeanor affected the average team sales and the rest of the members wanted her eliminated. However, the team leader shielded her from elimination rather than reporting the issue to the manager. If a strong bureaucratic structure was implemented at the organization, incidences of favoritism would be limited. Overview of human relations perspective Elton Mayo’s human relations perspective believes that one of the most significant factors for employee motivation is a supportive environment. Employees are motivated when they work with a team that supports them and offers encouragement. According to Mayo, financial rewards are not as influential in increasing worker productivity as often thought (Mayo, 1945). Instead, employees cherish personal attention for their work. Encouragement is the key source of motivation that can improve a person’s work attitude. The human relations perspective is based on successful studies that demonstrate the importance of communication between manager and employee. The illumination study demonstrates the impact of the Hawthorne effect on worker productivity. By adjusting the lighting levels of a work environment, researchers assumed that better lighting conditions would improve employee productivity. Instead, the discovery was that the presence and attention of the researchers determined the quality of work (Roethlisberger & Dickson, 1939). The human relations perspective, therefore, emphasizes that personal attention through one-on-one communication influences an employee’s work attitude. Workers value the aspect of their work getting noticed by their superiors and receiving positive feedback. Also, studies on the human relations perspective show the relationship between listening and employee productivity. The employee interview study by Mayo examined the impact of listening on worker satisfaction. When participants were encouraged to communicate about their working conditions their level of morale increased (Mayo, pg. 163). The study demonstrated that employees thrive in environments where their opinions are valued and taken into consideration. Application of human relations perspective The human relations perspective is critical for AutoDB’s employee engagement. One of the problems that AutoDB suffered from was lack of encouragement or recognition for good performance. The organization depended on monetary rewards such as a high commission for sales as its motivating factor. Sales teams that reached weekly targets that were set by the management were awarded bonuses. However, the human relations perspective discourages financial compensation for increasing productivity as its effects are too temporary (Mayo). At AutoDB, individuals that worked overtime and outperformed other members did not receive any recognition. Therefore, during the interviews, some workers complained that their efforts were wasted. Although some of them received bonuses on a monthly basis for their team’s performance, they still did not feel appreciated. Teams were compensated based on their total sales rather than how an individual earned. Therefore, people that had the highest sales would go unnoticed but the rest of the team would receive bonuses due to their personal effort. Some employees even contemplated resigning and joining competitors that recognize individual excellence. In regards to Mayo’s human relations approach, AutoDB should recognize employees that have demonstrated high levels of productivity to increase their motivation. Team members that have earned the highest sales should be placed on a roster that identifies the best earners in the organization. Managers should also personally congratulate workers with an established sales record. The strategy would emphasize personal attention thus increasing workplace productivity. A supportive team is also essential for employee motivation and productivity. The human relations perspective believes that teams that have mutual communication and understanding create a satisfactory work environment. At AutoDB team members were overly competitive against one another which led to individualism. Instead, the management should foster cooperation between workers and encourage assistance for new employees. Workers that are lacking experience should be guided by their peers. The strategy would not only increase motivation and productivity but also give employees a sense of belonging. Conclusion AutoDB requires Weber’s bureaucratic approach and the human relations perspective to improve organizational structure and employee engagement. The bureaucratic approach is beneficial as it would streamline the work process through rules and regulations. The strategy would improve workplace order and specified channels of communication would avoid mishaps during information exchange. However, the approach would reduce efficiency in terms of the speed at which tasks would be completed. The hierarchies would consume time before an instruction is implemented but it would reduce the possibility of confusion and mistakes from occurring. The human relations perspective would increase motivation through personal attention and recognition for achievement. Although recognizing every individual for their accomplishments would require a lot of time and attention, the results would be better worker productivity. One of the recommendations for the organization would be special recognition for top earners and achievers in sales teams. Employees that earned the highest amounts at the end of the week should be congratulated by the team leader and the manager. The encouragement would motivate more workers to improve their personal effort rather than depend on average team sales to receive bonuses. Secondly, the organization should specify the mode of communication by establishing hierarchies. For example, managers should send information to sales teams through team leaders. By doing so, it would minimize the possibility of two different parties giving contrasting instructions to employees. Thirdly, the organization should ensure that teams assist new members that are lacking experience. Experienced employees should provide guidance that helps recruits adjust to a new work environment and make them feel welcome to the organization. References Daft, R. (2012). Organization Theory and Design, 11th ed. Cengage Learning Mayo, E. (1945). The social problems of an industrial civilization. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Mumby, D.K. (2013). Organizational communication: A critical approach. Los Angeles, CA: Sage. Roethlisberger, F. J., & Dickson, W. J. (1939). Management and the worker. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press Weber, M. (1947). Essays on Sociology. New York: Oxford Press Read More