Measuring Performance at University
There are two easy ways to measure performance. Quantitative measurements are usually based on numbers or statistics, while qualitative means to judge something with opinion (Bernard, 2006).
Lecturers measure performance quantitatively. This is because they will measure progress through grade reflection. For example, getting a First in an assignment means I’m doing well.
They may also reflect quantitatively on my attendance. A high percentage of lecture attendance shows good commitment from a student to the course or module.
A personal tutor is also going to evaluate performance with these numbers, but is also interested in how the student is feeling about what they are doing. Therefore they will take a more qualitative approach to assessing the student’s progress.
In meeting with my personal tutor, I have been asked questions such as ‘How do you feel you are coping with the work load?’ and ‘How have your interests in the course modules changed since the beginning of the year?’
This approach is more personal, and therefore is motivational, as it feels like there is someone else interested in your outcomes that you can work to impress.
Skills That Make a Good Mentor
An article about mentoring in the Sunday Times explains what is needed from a mentor to a mentee (2008).
A good mentor is someone who has plenty of experience to share with his or her mentee. This will be beneficial to the mentee, who may wish to avoid or achieve certain outcomes. They can learn from and use this experience, so that the same mistakes are not made again, improving chances of success.
The relationship must be an honest and open one between mentor and mentee. Without trust and an ability to listen to what each other have to say, they will be ignorant of each other’s messages, and the relationship will collapse.
Mentors must be insightful and able to analyse things from all angles. Their ability to encourage ideas and strategies out of the mentee will make the mentee feel more in control over what they are doing. Telling them what to do is more likely to reduce a mentee’s self-confidence.
Experience with a Mentor
A man that has been very influential to me over the last two years is the mentor of my band ‘Tramp Etiquette’.
The fact that he is referred to as the ‘Tramp Daddy’ reflects the closeness of our relationship. It is a comical name, and shows that we can be relaxed, as we are connected through friendship as well as professionalism.
As he was previously involved in the music industry he has a lot of advice about it to share with us. This previous experience also means he has improved our connections within the live music scene around London and southeast England. We therefore now have more experience with gigs.
He has also helped to improve our writing skills, by encouraging ideas out of us, and promoting persistence, making us want to challenge ourselves beyond our current abilities.
Mentors are vital for the growth of any individual or business owner. They help us to analyse our own lives and decisions for ourselves, rather than doing it for us. This way we can better understand our outcomes and processes, as if we are seeing them from a less bias viewpoint.
References:
Bernard, H. R. (2006) Research methods in anthropology: qualitative and quantitative approaches. 4th ed. Oxford: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Sunday Times (2008) Entrepreneurs: a mentor can tune your skills. [online]. Available from: http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/entrepreneur/article3778514.ece [Accessed 28 April 2010]
Wednesday, 28 April 2010
Equal Opportunities
Equality and Diversity
Equal opportunities means to eliminate unjustifiable discrimination (Wilson, 2005). Employees should be able to feel they will be supported when treated badly due to stereotyping.
This is why diversity is so important. By attempting to make sure that organisations and groups are mixtures of cultures, races, religions, sexes, and sexualities, more creative and thoughtful contributions can be made to the company.
Merit Verses Positive Discrimination
Janice Turner (2009) published an interview with Margaret Mountford in the Times. Margaret spoke about her feelings on sexism in the business world, and disapproves of positive discrimination.
Her arguments are favourable in that women ought to get the positions because they have the same accomplishments as the men. This is because both men and women obtained the jobs on equal merit. In some industries, women may find it easier to get the position simply because the organisation is trying to balance the numbers of men and women. This is arguably a disadvantage to the male applicants, who may be just as qualified for the job. Therefore, making it an unfair system.
However, it could be said that her arguments are wrong, as women may feel forced to choose between work and family life. By offering opportunities for women to balance both their job position and parental duties, the mother can still be successful.
Also, the ratio of women to men in senior positions may not reflect the national or local ratio. The more reflective the levels of diversity are of the population, the more insight a company will have of its community.
Impacts of the Age Legislation, 2006
Thanks to the introduction of the age legislation in 2006, employers may have found some beneficial changes to their company.
A wider variety of skills could be offered to the company, as different generations may have differences in levels of education or experience.
A more diverse workforce age may encourage and motivate other age groups to stay, as they will not feel the company is only suitable for a certain age group. Therefore, the company may find a drop in staff turnover.
There may be better flexibility, as different age groups may find they have other commitments or a different working stamina. Therefore, more people are likely to work part time, and can cover each others absenteeism’s more easily.
The reason for the legislation was to prevent employers being influenced by stereotypes of different age groups.
Young people are seen positively to be enthusiastic, ready to learn new skills, and in good health. However, they are also seen negatively to be inexperienced, not very committed to their tasks, and distracted with insecurities.
Workers over 50 are positively seen to be highly skilled, knowledgeable and experienced, with good stability and commitment. However, they are negatively stereotyped to be stubborn, and unprepared to adapt and learn new ideas and skills. Also, they are often seen to be less physically able.
Organisations should focus on positive stereotypes when employing new staff. This will help employers to see the applicants as assets.
Forcing all ages to work together and get to know one another’s strengths will encourage the dismissal of each others stereotypes.
Equal Opportunities Within Organisations
British Airways insist that they employ within the guidelines of the equal opportunities legislation, but their employees must have specific capabilities and skills in order to do their job safely and successfully (BA, 2010). Therefore you are hired dependent on personality/behaviour, skills and knowledge.
J Sainsbury’s (2010) have a ‘you can’ program for employees, providing them with job opportunities, qualifications and skills. Therefore, it does not matter who you are, or what makes you different, as the opportunities are open to all employees that wish to excel within the organisation.
Conclusion
Equal opportunities are important, because they discourage unfair prejudices. They mean that jobs and experiences are obtainable by anyone who is prepared to work for them. When the diversity of a companies employees is reflective of it’s local population, it can more easily see and understand how to communicate with its community. This is also good for reducing stereotypes, and shows that differential features do not necessarily reflect ability or behaviour.
References:
BA (2010) BA recruitment. [online]. Available from: http://www.britishairwaysjobs.com/baweb1/?newms=info48 [Accessed 28 April 2010]
J Sainsbury plc (2010) Corporate responsibility. [online]. Available from: http://www.jsainsburys.co.uk/cr/index.asp?pageid=25 [Accessed 28 April 2010]
Turner, J (2009) Hang in there, Margaret Mansfield of the apprentice tells women. [online]. Available at: http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/career_and_jobs/article6830916.ece [Accessed 28 April 2010]
Wilson, J.P. (2005) Human resource development: learning & training for individuals & organizations. 2nd ed. London: Kogan Page Limited
Equal opportunities means to eliminate unjustifiable discrimination (Wilson, 2005). Employees should be able to feel they will be supported when treated badly due to stereotyping.
This is why diversity is so important. By attempting to make sure that organisations and groups are mixtures of cultures, races, religions, sexes, and sexualities, more creative and thoughtful contributions can be made to the company.
Merit Verses Positive Discrimination
Janice Turner (2009) published an interview with Margaret Mountford in the Times. Margaret spoke about her feelings on sexism in the business world, and disapproves of positive discrimination.
Her arguments are favourable in that women ought to get the positions because they have the same accomplishments as the men. This is because both men and women obtained the jobs on equal merit. In some industries, women may find it easier to get the position simply because the organisation is trying to balance the numbers of men and women. This is arguably a disadvantage to the male applicants, who may be just as qualified for the job. Therefore, making it an unfair system.
However, it could be said that her arguments are wrong, as women may feel forced to choose between work and family life. By offering opportunities for women to balance both their job position and parental duties, the mother can still be successful.
Also, the ratio of women to men in senior positions may not reflect the national or local ratio. The more reflective the levels of diversity are of the population, the more insight a company will have of its community.
Impacts of the Age Legislation, 2006
Thanks to the introduction of the age legislation in 2006, employers may have found some beneficial changes to their company.
A wider variety of skills could be offered to the company, as different generations may have differences in levels of education or experience.
A more diverse workforce age may encourage and motivate other age groups to stay, as they will not feel the company is only suitable for a certain age group. Therefore, the company may find a drop in staff turnover.
There may be better flexibility, as different age groups may find they have other commitments or a different working stamina. Therefore, more people are likely to work part time, and can cover each others absenteeism’s more easily.
The reason for the legislation was to prevent employers being influenced by stereotypes of different age groups.
Young people are seen positively to be enthusiastic, ready to learn new skills, and in good health. However, they are also seen negatively to be inexperienced, not very committed to their tasks, and distracted with insecurities.
Workers over 50 are positively seen to be highly skilled, knowledgeable and experienced, with good stability and commitment. However, they are negatively stereotyped to be stubborn, and unprepared to adapt and learn new ideas and skills. Also, they are often seen to be less physically able.
Organisations should focus on positive stereotypes when employing new staff. This will help employers to see the applicants as assets.
Forcing all ages to work together and get to know one another’s strengths will encourage the dismissal of each others stereotypes.
Equal Opportunities Within Organisations
British Airways insist that they employ within the guidelines of the equal opportunities legislation, but their employees must have specific capabilities and skills in order to do their job safely and successfully (BA, 2010). Therefore you are hired dependent on personality/behaviour, skills and knowledge.
J Sainsbury’s (2010) have a ‘you can’ program for employees, providing them with job opportunities, qualifications and skills. Therefore, it does not matter who you are, or what makes you different, as the opportunities are open to all employees that wish to excel within the organisation.
Conclusion
Equal opportunities are important, because they discourage unfair prejudices. They mean that jobs and experiences are obtainable by anyone who is prepared to work for them. When the diversity of a companies employees is reflective of it’s local population, it can more easily see and understand how to communicate with its community. This is also good for reducing stereotypes, and shows that differential features do not necessarily reflect ability or behaviour.
References:
BA (2010) BA recruitment. [online]. Available from: http://www.britishairwaysjobs.com/baweb1/?newms=info48 [Accessed 28 April 2010]
J Sainsbury plc (2010) Corporate responsibility. [online]. Available from: http://www.jsainsburys.co.uk/cr/index.asp?pageid=25 [Accessed 28 April 2010]
Turner, J (2009) Hang in there, Margaret Mansfield of the apprentice tells women. [online]. Available at: http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/career_and_jobs/article6830916.ece [Accessed 28 April 2010]
Wilson, J.P. (2005) Human resource development: learning & training for individuals & organizations. 2nd ed. London: Kogan Page Limited
Tuesday, 27 April 2010
Selection
Selection Methods
When people would apply for the Plaice chip shop in Tring, Hertfordshire, there were three particular stages to the selection process.
As it was mostly first time workers applying from the local sixth form, they would ask for teacher references, as well as references from extracurricular activities to check commitment levels and how the employee fitted in amongst groups. This was a good way to find out if the applicants had any bad history, but there is also a risk that the reference may give a biased interpretation of them.
The interview would be mostly the managers explaining the roles expected of the new employees, and telling them what benefits to expect. The applicant would then have a fuller understanding of the job details, however this does not allow for negotiation or establishing any recognisable interests between employer and employee.
The employee is then invited to a practice shift, where they experienced the job with role play, lead by more experienced employees. At the end of the shift the potential employee could agree to remain in the organisation, or decide it’s not for them before a commitment has been made, which is a good opportunity for the applicant. Although the employer could have potentially wasted their time, they may actually be reducing staff turnover by offering this pre employment experience.
A Successful Interview
In the summer of 2007, I was interviewed for employment with ABC Costume Hire in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire. It was an effective interview, because there were two people interviewing, making the interview feel fairer, as there would be less bias from first impressions.
The two bosses introduced themselves, so that it was known and understood what roles they played, and the working relationships that should be expected.
They began with easy questions, such as asking how I found out about the job role.
The fact that there were interests, such as performing arts, and friends of the company in common was important, because it encouraged the employer to seem interested in the discussion.
There was good body language from the employer, as they sat on the counter throughout the interview. It made the environment feel very relaxed.
Opinions on Personality Testing
When interviewing a family member on the subject of personality tests, they had the following opinions.
Personality tests are advantageous because they are predictive of what to expect from an individual's job performance, and help decipher whether or not they are a suitable fit for the organisation.
If a potential employee is a poor performer, has a dangerous personality, or is inappropriate for the organisation, this will show in the personality test.
In some ways the tests can be better than interviews or reference checks, because these more traditional methods can often be subjective and influenced by bias.
Improving the Selection Process
When testing the abilities of potential employees, the pub The Whiteleaf Cross in Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire will do a training shift with the new employee to see if they can cope under pressure from customers.
However, as discovered from experience with other employees, some can often loose commitment, and become slack or tardy.
The pub ought to make more effort to investigate a new employee’s previous experience by contacting references, and finding out what previous employers think of them before inviting them into the organisation.
Conclusion
There are many processes which can be used during selection, none of which are compulsory. All processes harbour their own pros and cons, and therefore it depends on the organisation or job roles which processes are used.
Their predictive validity is rarely 100% effective, and so the more processes that are used on applicants, the more supported the employer’s decision about whether or not to employ them.
When people would apply for the Plaice chip shop in Tring, Hertfordshire, there were three particular stages to the selection process.
As it was mostly first time workers applying from the local sixth form, they would ask for teacher references, as well as references from extracurricular activities to check commitment levels and how the employee fitted in amongst groups. This was a good way to find out if the applicants had any bad history, but there is also a risk that the reference may give a biased interpretation of them.
The interview would be mostly the managers explaining the roles expected of the new employees, and telling them what benefits to expect. The applicant would then have a fuller understanding of the job details, however this does not allow for negotiation or establishing any recognisable interests between employer and employee.
The employee is then invited to a practice shift, where they experienced the job with role play, lead by more experienced employees. At the end of the shift the potential employee could agree to remain in the organisation, or decide it’s not for them before a commitment has been made, which is a good opportunity for the applicant. Although the employer could have potentially wasted their time, they may actually be reducing staff turnover by offering this pre employment experience.
A Successful Interview
In the summer of 2007, I was interviewed for employment with ABC Costume Hire in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire. It was an effective interview, because there were two people interviewing, making the interview feel fairer, as there would be less bias from first impressions.
The two bosses introduced themselves, so that it was known and understood what roles they played, and the working relationships that should be expected.
They began with easy questions, such as asking how I found out about the job role.
The fact that there were interests, such as performing arts, and friends of the company in common was important, because it encouraged the employer to seem interested in the discussion.
There was good body language from the employer, as they sat on the counter throughout the interview. It made the environment feel very relaxed.
Opinions on Personality Testing
When interviewing a family member on the subject of personality tests, they had the following opinions.
Personality tests are advantageous because they are predictive of what to expect from an individual's job performance, and help decipher whether or not they are a suitable fit for the organisation.
If a potential employee is a poor performer, has a dangerous personality, or is inappropriate for the organisation, this will show in the personality test.
In some ways the tests can be better than interviews or reference checks, because these more traditional methods can often be subjective and influenced by bias.
Improving the Selection Process
When testing the abilities of potential employees, the pub The Whiteleaf Cross in Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire will do a training shift with the new employee to see if they can cope under pressure from customers.
However, as discovered from experience with other employees, some can often loose commitment, and become slack or tardy.
The pub ought to make more effort to investigate a new employee’s previous experience by contacting references, and finding out what previous employers think of them before inviting them into the organisation.
Conclusion
There are many processes which can be used during selection, none of which are compulsory. All processes harbour their own pros and cons, and therefore it depends on the organisation or job roles which processes are used.
Their predictive validity is rarely 100% effective, and so the more processes that are used on applicants, the more supported the employer’s decision about whether or not to employ them.
Friday, 23 April 2010
Recruitment
Websites for Recruitment
This is a review of the on-line recruitment site ‘Fish4Jobs’ (Fish4 Trading Ltd, 2010).
Instantly, the first thing you see is a search box, in which you can enter you preferences of job title, the radius in which you are prepared to travel from home, and the minimum wage which you are prepared to work for. This helps to select the jobs which will appeal to the user, and is really easy to do.
It also has very eye catching boxes advertising jobs for more specific companies such as Morrison’s, First Great Western, and even the Police. This is ideal for people who are just generally job seeking, with no particular career path in mind. The boxes make it clear that the companies advertised have vacancies, and so are made appealing, because the website had recommended them.
Also the site has a really clear toolbar, offering links to advice for things such as CV’s and training.
This site is very easy to find your way around, as it is not over cluttered, and is selective to the user’s preferences.
The Pros and Cons of On-line Recruitment
Pros:
1. The jobs being advertised online can potentially be seen by nearly anyone.
2. People can quickly search for specific jobs through search engines.
3. Online recruitment can be cheaper and less wasteful than printing lots of flyers and posters.
4. People are becoming more and more IT literate.
5. Applicants can be processed much faster than with postal applications.
Cons:
1. If a job requires specifics such as particular qualifications or experience, unqualified people may be applying for a job, despite being wrong for the company.
2. More applications means the business will need to spend more time and money on the selection process.
3. A company cannot limit the adverts so that they are only seen by their target audience.
4. It is very impersonal, and lacks human contact and feedback.
5. Online recruitment is considered to be reactive, rather than pro-active like newspapers or word of mouth.
Effective Recruitment Campaign
On March 18th 2010, a new branch of the supermarket Iceland opened in High Wycombe. For weeks beforehand it had completely covered its shop frontage with posters and signs saying ‘New Iceland opening March 18th – Recruiting now’. This was done in big bold writing, which was brightly coloured and very eye catching.
As it was very central along the High Street in High Wycombe, the majority of the towns people were likely to have seen this advertisement, as people would have had to walk passed it on their way to somewhere else.
By advertising on site, the store created a buzz of interest. As customers, as well as potential employees were anticipating it’s opening. When it did finally open, the shop was packed full of interested new customers, with many staff ready to begin serving them.
Psychological Contract
The psychological contract is a mutual understanding between employees and their management or employers (CIPD, 2010). This is an unwritten agreement for the etiquette of an organisation, regarding commitment and work ethics.
Breaking this agreement can lead to people in the organisation having a negative attitude. Usually this is because they feel they have not been listened to, or perhaps feel insecure in their position.
In order for a psychological contract to be effective, the employee must have a close working relationship with its colleagues. If they don’t, it is difficult to create and maintain a high level of trust between them.
References:
CIPD (2010) The psychological contract. [online]. Available from: http://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/empreltns/psycntrct/psycontr.htm [Accessed 23 April 2010]
Fish4 Trading Ltd (2010) Job search and recruitment. [online]. Available from: http://www.fish4.co.uk/jobs/ [Accessed 23 April 2010]
This is a review of the on-line recruitment site ‘Fish4Jobs’ (Fish4 Trading Ltd, 2010).
Instantly, the first thing you see is a search box, in which you can enter you preferences of job title, the radius in which you are prepared to travel from home, and the minimum wage which you are prepared to work for. This helps to select the jobs which will appeal to the user, and is really easy to do.
It also has very eye catching boxes advertising jobs for more specific companies such as Morrison’s, First Great Western, and even the Police. This is ideal for people who are just generally job seeking, with no particular career path in mind. The boxes make it clear that the companies advertised have vacancies, and so are made appealing, because the website had recommended them.
Also the site has a really clear toolbar, offering links to advice for things such as CV’s and training.
This site is very easy to find your way around, as it is not over cluttered, and is selective to the user’s preferences.
The Pros and Cons of On-line Recruitment
Pros:
1. The jobs being advertised online can potentially be seen by nearly anyone.
2. People can quickly search for specific jobs through search engines.
3. Online recruitment can be cheaper and less wasteful than printing lots of flyers and posters.
4. People are becoming more and more IT literate.
5. Applicants can be processed much faster than with postal applications.
Cons:
1. If a job requires specifics such as particular qualifications or experience, unqualified people may be applying for a job, despite being wrong for the company.
2. More applications means the business will need to spend more time and money on the selection process.
3. A company cannot limit the adverts so that they are only seen by their target audience.
4. It is very impersonal, and lacks human contact and feedback.
5. Online recruitment is considered to be reactive, rather than pro-active like newspapers or word of mouth.
Effective Recruitment Campaign
On March 18th 2010, a new branch of the supermarket Iceland opened in High Wycombe. For weeks beforehand it had completely covered its shop frontage with posters and signs saying ‘New Iceland opening March 18th – Recruiting now’. This was done in big bold writing, which was brightly coloured and very eye catching.
As it was very central along the High Street in High Wycombe, the majority of the towns people were likely to have seen this advertisement, as people would have had to walk passed it on their way to somewhere else.
By advertising on site, the store created a buzz of interest. As customers, as well as potential employees were anticipating it’s opening. When it did finally open, the shop was packed full of interested new customers, with many staff ready to begin serving them.
Psychological Contract
The psychological contract is a mutual understanding between employees and their management or employers (CIPD, 2010). This is an unwritten agreement for the etiquette of an organisation, regarding commitment and work ethics.
Breaking this agreement can lead to people in the organisation having a negative attitude. Usually this is because they feel they have not been listened to, or perhaps feel insecure in their position.
In order for a psychological contract to be effective, the employee must have a close working relationship with its colleagues. If they don’t, it is difficult to create and maintain a high level of trust between them.
References:
CIPD (2010) The psychological contract. [online]. Available from: http://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/empreltns/psycntrct/psycontr.htm [Accessed 23 April 2010]
Fish4 Trading Ltd (2010) Job search and recruitment. [online]. Available from: http://www.fish4.co.uk/jobs/ [Accessed 23 April 2010]
Wednesday, 21 April 2010
HR Planning
The Importance of an HR Plan
HR planning is an essential part of any business. Without this plan, an organisation may find itself with a badly balanced people structure, which can cause productivity to be less efficient, and output to have a lower quality than necessary (Turner, 2002).
For example, when recruiting and selecting it is important that an organisation recognises where gaps lie regarding skills that are needed, and personalities which will complement the other employees.
In some organisations, they may realise that training and re-training their staff is essential, because it may not be realistic to find someone already qualified with the required skills. Although this may come as an expense to the company, it is necessary for its functions that employees understand their roles.
By offering career progression opportunities to its current employees, a company can reduce its staff turnover, and therefore may find skills get developed slowly through experience. Also, by transferring staff that are already trained or skilled to other branches of the organisation, they can also save funding and time.
When a business is having financial difficulties, it must anticipate how many employees it can afford to keep, and how much it can afford to pay them. The organisation must plan to avoid over employment, and so avoid redundancies.
Person Specification
When drafting a personal specification for a job role, there are 7 important points to consider (BOLA, 2010). These are known as Rodger’s seven point person specification. For example, when creating a specification for a university lecturer, the following features may be expected.
Physical makeup: The lecturer must have good communication skills, so speech and body language must be appropriate.
Attainments: Lecturers must be qualified to teach the subject or module, and so employers would be looking at how specific their experience and qualifications are.
Intelligence: A lecturer must be able to build and deconstruct ideas with its students, as an ability to analyse things critically is what will help others to learn from them.
Special aptitudes: If the employer is looking for a specialised lecturer, which they probably would be, then it is important that the lecture has a specialist understanding and knowledge in that subject.
Interests: Out of work interests are not likely to be of any concern when recruiting a lecturer, unless it involves some level of relevant experience. The employer will need to know if any work based compromises will be expected, regarding other jobs, hobbies, or commitments.
Disposition: Many people will be dependent on the lecturer to be reliable. Therefore they must have a good attendance history. People skills are also important, because a good lecturer-student relationship will improve the learning experience for the student.
Circumstances: The lecturer needs to be easily accessible to the university. Therefore, the lecturer needs ideal travel conditions, such as car ownership, or reliable public transport options.
Labour Questions
When a large organisation is thinking about starting up a new branch in new territory, it must consider the factors which will contribute to its labour situation. For example, what kind of people would Waitrose expect to employ if it opened a store in High Wycombe?
They would firstly need to question the level of competition in the area. Are there any other large supermarkets in its locality, and what’s its appeal? They must then decide whether or not they can compete, and have a market. Waitrose can usually be found mostly in high income areas, as it specialises in high quality groceries, which are more costly than most supermarkets.
If the areas unemployment levels are high, Waitrose will have no trouble finding employees, and these employees will be more likely to work for a lower wage and less benefits, because they know there is little work elsewhere. However, if unemployment levels are low, there will be less people wanting work, and Waitrose will have to be less selective and do more to accommodate its employee’s needs. They may expect to be paid a higher wage. If Waitrose were to not cooperate, they may find themselves with a high staff turnover.
Dependent on the area, it’s possible that Waitrose may find they have to deal with skill shortages. If the there are many people who are skilled or qualified to do the jobs, then that means they would not need to offer as much training. However, if the employees are lacking in skills, the training schemes could be quite costly and time consuming for the company.
So in summary, the following questions need to be asked. What’s the competition? What are the unemployment levels? What wages would be expected by the employees? What training will be required? What are the patterns of employment in the area?
References:
BOLA (2010) Recruitment: Alec Rodger: seven point plan. [online]. Available from: http://www.bola.biz/recruitment/rodger.html [Accessed 20 April 2010]
Turner, P (2002) HR forecasting and planning. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development
HR planning is an essential part of any business. Without this plan, an organisation may find itself with a badly balanced people structure, which can cause productivity to be less efficient, and output to have a lower quality than necessary (Turner, 2002).
For example, when recruiting and selecting it is important that an organisation recognises where gaps lie regarding skills that are needed, and personalities which will complement the other employees.
In some organisations, they may realise that training and re-training their staff is essential, because it may not be realistic to find someone already qualified with the required skills. Although this may come as an expense to the company, it is necessary for its functions that employees understand their roles.
By offering career progression opportunities to its current employees, a company can reduce its staff turnover, and therefore may find skills get developed slowly through experience. Also, by transferring staff that are already trained or skilled to other branches of the organisation, they can also save funding and time.
When a business is having financial difficulties, it must anticipate how many employees it can afford to keep, and how much it can afford to pay them. The organisation must plan to avoid over employment, and so avoid redundancies.
Person Specification
When drafting a personal specification for a job role, there are 7 important points to consider (BOLA, 2010). These are known as Rodger’s seven point person specification. For example, when creating a specification for a university lecturer, the following features may be expected.
Physical makeup: The lecturer must have good communication skills, so speech and body language must be appropriate.
Attainments: Lecturers must be qualified to teach the subject or module, and so employers would be looking at how specific their experience and qualifications are.
Intelligence: A lecturer must be able to build and deconstruct ideas with its students, as an ability to analyse things critically is what will help others to learn from them.
Special aptitudes: If the employer is looking for a specialised lecturer, which they probably would be, then it is important that the lecture has a specialist understanding and knowledge in that subject.
Interests: Out of work interests are not likely to be of any concern when recruiting a lecturer, unless it involves some level of relevant experience. The employer will need to know if any work based compromises will be expected, regarding other jobs, hobbies, or commitments.
Disposition: Many people will be dependent on the lecturer to be reliable. Therefore they must have a good attendance history. People skills are also important, because a good lecturer-student relationship will improve the learning experience for the student.
Circumstances: The lecturer needs to be easily accessible to the university. Therefore, the lecturer needs ideal travel conditions, such as car ownership, or reliable public transport options.
Labour Questions
When a large organisation is thinking about starting up a new branch in new territory, it must consider the factors which will contribute to its labour situation. For example, what kind of people would Waitrose expect to employ if it opened a store in High Wycombe?
They would firstly need to question the level of competition in the area. Are there any other large supermarkets in its locality, and what’s its appeal? They must then decide whether or not they can compete, and have a market. Waitrose can usually be found mostly in high income areas, as it specialises in high quality groceries, which are more costly than most supermarkets.
If the areas unemployment levels are high, Waitrose will have no trouble finding employees, and these employees will be more likely to work for a lower wage and less benefits, because they know there is little work elsewhere. However, if unemployment levels are low, there will be less people wanting work, and Waitrose will have to be less selective and do more to accommodate its employee’s needs. They may expect to be paid a higher wage. If Waitrose were to not cooperate, they may find themselves with a high staff turnover.
Dependent on the area, it’s possible that Waitrose may find they have to deal with skill shortages. If the there are many people who are skilled or qualified to do the jobs, then that means they would not need to offer as much training. However, if the employees are lacking in skills, the training schemes could be quite costly and time consuming for the company.
So in summary, the following questions need to be asked. What’s the competition? What are the unemployment levels? What wages would be expected by the employees? What training will be required? What are the patterns of employment in the area?
References:
BOLA (2010) Recruitment: Alec Rodger: seven point plan. [online]. Available from: http://www.bola.biz/recruitment/rodger.html [Accessed 20 April 2010]
Turner, P (2002) HR forecasting and planning. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development
Sunday, 18 April 2010
Role of the Line Manager
The Performance of HR Activities by Line Managers
A key issue in human resource management (HRM) today is the concern that many of the roles once held by HRM are now often being given to the line managers of organisations. There are benefits and drawbacks to these new systems (Harris, 2003).
Pros:
1. Sharing their responsibilities help to involve all managers within an organisation.
2. Encouragement for line managers to personalise relationships with other employees can improve discretionary behaviour.
3. As line managers are in more frequent contact with the employees, it makes more sense for them to allocate tasks and monitor performance.
4. Response to customer needs in service industries can be handled and processed a lot faster, as information does not need to travel through so many layers of the organisation.
5. Staffing decisions can be made in better time, again because there are fewer overhead departments involved in processes.
Cons:
1. It’s likely that the employed line manager is there through promotion within the company. Therefore they probably lack necessary knowledge and understanding of their role.
2. The views on flexibility and equality from manager to manager may not be consistent throughout the organisation. So some employees may feel unfairly treated.
3. As the relationships between line managers and workers are more personal, employees may feel less able to air grievances that would usually be handled by HRM.
4. Line managers may have too much bias in decision making, rather than looking at a situation impersonally, as an HR manager probably would.
5. Employees may feel that decisions and actions cannot be backed up with enough evidence or reference to be seen as logical, making them feel insecure in what they are doing.
Developments in Line Management
A factsheet by the Chartered Institute of Personnel Developement (CIPD, 2010) questions the effectiveness of modern line management. There are many ways in which line managers could develop.
Line managers need to learn to manage their time properly, so that they can effectively carry out their role. Bad time management may affect the working experience of others in the organisation, and it sets a bad example to those in lower positions.
In the selection of a line manager, more attention needs to be paid to behaviour and abilities of the individual. Often, line managers get to their position via promotions from lower down in the company. However, this usually means that they are lacking qualifications and knowledge which would enable them to better manage their staff. When offered the necessary skills training, a better quality of management can be achieved.
The quality of work ethics and relationships between HR managers and line managers is often reflected in the quality of a line manager’s skills and relationship with its team or group. The line manager will also feel valued by the organisation if they are given the opportunity to share views and aid decision making. This would then also reflect in their management of lower levels, as they are more likely to offer a similar system of respect to their own staff. When a line manager feels respected by its managers, it is more likely to respect its own employee’s thoughts and feelings.
If a line manager believes that they have opportunities to grow and climb in an organisation, they are more likely to do a good job, as they will have goals and aspirations to work towards. Promotions are a form of motivation within an organisation.
Human Resource Management (HRM)
HRM has roles including recruitment, training, compensation and benefits, health and safety, and employee services (HRM Business Practices and Notes, 2009). If I were an HR manager, I think the role which would appeal to me most of all would be employee and community relations, because it concentrates on forming ideal attitudes and relationships between staff. This is appealing, as I believe that a strong organisational culture is key to the success of any business.
HRM, despite its high concern for people within an organisation, has to look at people as a mass, especially on a large scale. I feel that my skills with people would actually make me a better line manager, as I have good leadership qualities, and prefer a more personal working environment.
References:
CIPD (2010) The role of front line managers in hr. [online]. Available from: http://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/maneco/general/rolefrntlinemngers.htm [Accessed 18 April 2010]
Harris, H (2003) International human resource management. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development
HRM Business Practices and Notes (2009) What responsibilities and roles do hrm departments perform? [online]. Available from: http://www.hrmbusiness.com/2008/08/what-responsibilities-and-roles-do-hrm.html [Accessed 18 April 2010]
A key issue in human resource management (HRM) today is the concern that many of the roles once held by HRM are now often being given to the line managers of organisations. There are benefits and drawbacks to these new systems (Harris, 2003).
Pros:
1. Sharing their responsibilities help to involve all managers within an organisation.
2. Encouragement for line managers to personalise relationships with other employees can improve discretionary behaviour.
3. As line managers are in more frequent contact with the employees, it makes more sense for them to allocate tasks and monitor performance.
4. Response to customer needs in service industries can be handled and processed a lot faster, as information does not need to travel through so many layers of the organisation.
5. Staffing decisions can be made in better time, again because there are fewer overhead departments involved in processes.
Cons:
1. It’s likely that the employed line manager is there through promotion within the company. Therefore they probably lack necessary knowledge and understanding of their role.
2. The views on flexibility and equality from manager to manager may not be consistent throughout the organisation. So some employees may feel unfairly treated.
3. As the relationships between line managers and workers are more personal, employees may feel less able to air grievances that would usually be handled by HRM.
4. Line managers may have too much bias in decision making, rather than looking at a situation impersonally, as an HR manager probably would.
5. Employees may feel that decisions and actions cannot be backed up with enough evidence or reference to be seen as logical, making them feel insecure in what they are doing.
Developments in Line Management
A factsheet by the Chartered Institute of Personnel Developement (CIPD, 2010) questions the effectiveness of modern line management. There are many ways in which line managers could develop.
Line managers need to learn to manage their time properly, so that they can effectively carry out their role. Bad time management may affect the working experience of others in the organisation, and it sets a bad example to those in lower positions.
In the selection of a line manager, more attention needs to be paid to behaviour and abilities of the individual. Often, line managers get to their position via promotions from lower down in the company. However, this usually means that they are lacking qualifications and knowledge which would enable them to better manage their staff. When offered the necessary skills training, a better quality of management can be achieved.
The quality of work ethics and relationships between HR managers and line managers is often reflected in the quality of a line manager’s skills and relationship with its team or group. The line manager will also feel valued by the organisation if they are given the opportunity to share views and aid decision making. This would then also reflect in their management of lower levels, as they are more likely to offer a similar system of respect to their own staff. When a line manager feels respected by its managers, it is more likely to respect its own employee’s thoughts and feelings.
If a line manager believes that they have opportunities to grow and climb in an organisation, they are more likely to do a good job, as they will have goals and aspirations to work towards. Promotions are a form of motivation within an organisation.
Human Resource Management (HRM)
HRM has roles including recruitment, training, compensation and benefits, health and safety, and employee services (HRM Business Practices and Notes, 2009). If I were an HR manager, I think the role which would appeal to me most of all would be employee and community relations, because it concentrates on forming ideal attitudes and relationships between staff. This is appealing, as I believe that a strong organisational culture is key to the success of any business.
HRM, despite its high concern for people within an organisation, has to look at people as a mass, especially on a large scale. I feel that my skills with people would actually make me a better line manager, as I have good leadership qualities, and prefer a more personal working environment.
References:
CIPD (2010) The role of front line managers in hr. [online]. Available from: http://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/maneco/general/rolefrntlinemngers.htm [Accessed 18 April 2010]
Harris, H (2003) International human resource management. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development
HRM Business Practices and Notes (2009) What responsibilities and roles do hrm departments perform? [online]. Available from: http://www.hrmbusiness.com/2008/08/what-responsibilities-and-roles-do-hrm.html [Accessed 18 April 2010]
Saturday, 17 April 2010
Teamworking
Team Role Behaviours
Meredith Belbin recognised that there are nine team role behaviours. Each of the team roles have got different strengths and weaknesses associated with them, and therefore each have an important and unique contribution to make to any group.
“A tendency to behave, contribute and interrelate with others in a particular way.” (Belbin, 2007)
The Belbin self-perception inventory is an analytical report, which fingerprints an individual’s Team Role preference, or preferences.
People who work in groups throughout their lives may find their roles change over time. This is because many people will take the group role that needs assigning, and also personalities and abilities can evolve.
The following are summaries of the nine team roles:
A ‘Plant’ is a good solver of difficult problems, but pre-occupied and lacking in communication skills.
‘Resource investigators’ like to explore positive opportunities, but may lose interest beyond the initial enthusiasm.
‘Co-ordinators’ are the promoters and clarifiers of goals and decisiveness, although often manipulative.
A ‘Shaper’ enjoys tackling most challenges and obstacles, but can also be offensive and provocative.
‘Monitor/Evaluators’ make accurate judgements, despite a lack of drive.
‘Team workers’ are very co-operative with others and evasive of friction, but at the same time can be very indecisive.
An ‘Implementer’ will efficiently turn ideas into actions, but can be slow in response to new possibilities.
A ‘Completer/Finisher’ is a perfectionist and locator of errors, but prone to worry over the insignificant.
‘Specialists’ are self starting and dedicated, but are known to dwell over technicalities.
The band Tramp Etiquette recently took part in a record company showcase at the O2 Academy in Islington, on Sunday 28th March. They had to work as a team to create a performance which met the criteria set by the record label. The whole group knew this would have to be planned and structured to a high level of precision.
The reason that the group were able to work so well together, was because they had a highly compatible collection of team role personalities.
The drummer is a ‘Team worker’ and so is very co-operative with the other band members. His evasiveness of friction and indecisive nature means he allows room for others that have big ideas. This role is complemented by the Bassist, a ‘Co-ordinator’ who promotes and clarifies the goals, making the decisions for the team worker and other group members. The ‘Implementer’, a role held by the lead guitarist, is able to efficiently turn the bassist’s ideas into actions. So then the ‘Monitor/Evaluator’ of the group, the rhythm guitarist, can then form his accurately analysed judgements on the group’s ideas. This guides the work into a logical direction. Finally, as the vocalist is a ‘Completer/Finisher’ and so locates any final blemishes within the product, and eliminates them, leaving the group with a perfected product.
Team Stage Model
Bruce Tuckman created a theory known as the ‘team stages model’. It was a theory created in 1965, and is now well established and used for effective team building and leadership (The Happy Manager, 2007). The model shows how groups of people cannot begin as a fully functional body, but in fact the team evolves in phases. These clearly defined stages are known as: forming; storming; ‘norming’; and performing.
Forming means the initial orientation stage, which tests the groups compatibility.
Storming is the conflict that occurs between personalities within a group.
When the team are ‘norming’, it means the conflicts are being resolved, and the group begin to become more socially cohesive.
The performing stage is when the group is at its most functional stage, where each individuals role is clear and understood.
Tuckman's model shows how it takes time before the performing stage is reached, and ups and downs within a team should be seen as a normal thing to happen.
Earlier this year a group was formed to carry out an assignment on Content and Process theories. Tuckman’s team stages model can be used as an explanation of why the group did not work as effectively as it could have.
The forming stage was when the group seemed to be very decisive about what they wanted to do, and how they wanted to do it. At the time, this seemed like a wise way of organising the group, because it would bypass the lengthy traditional forming stage. Usually, the forming stage would consist of getting to know one another, so that each person could make their own judgement of where to place themselves, by analysing the roles of others.
However, by bypassing this stage, the group set themselves up for an even lengthier ‘storming’ phase. This gave little time for the ‘norming’ phase, in which they began to understand each other’s roles properly. So their performance was not as good as it could have been, because they did not entirely fulfil the four stages of Tuckman’s model.
Top Companies To Work For
P3 is a social inclusion charity, which in 2010 made the number one company to work for (Times Online, 2010). It won this title because 90% of its employees say they are proud to work for it. 87% feel confident with their managers’ leadership skills, and that their team of colleagues will always do what they can to help each other out. 88% also feel that their contribution is valued as an important factor of the organisations success. When asked if there was much pressure from the organisation to perform well, 86% replied no, as they find their work and environment is stimulating enough on its own. Employees really feel listened to by senior management. This must reduce conflict, and explains the open and honest working environment which satisfies the employees of the organisation.
The winner of 2009’s competition, and this year’s number 3, was Beaverbrooks the Jewellers (Times Online, 2010). The company offer its staff many appealing benefits, such as 5 weeks of holiday a year, as well as perks such as elaborate party evenings for high performing employees. This must give the employees a positive work ethic, as well as improve relationships beyond the working formalities.
References:
Belbin associates (2007) Belbin team role theory [online]. Available from: http://www.belbin.com/rte.asp?id=8 [Accessed 17 April 2010]
The happy manager (2007) Tuckman’s stages of group development [online]. Available from: http://www.the-happy-manager.com/teamwork-theory.html [Accessed 17 April 2010]
Time Online (2010) Beaverbrooks the jewellers [online]. Available from: http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/career_and_jobs/best_100_companies/article7030215.ece [Accessed 17 April 2010]
Times Online (2010) P3 [online]. Available from: http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/career_and_jobs/best_100_companies/article7030217.ece [Accesses 17 April 2010]
Meredith Belbin recognised that there are nine team role behaviours. Each of the team roles have got different strengths and weaknesses associated with them, and therefore each have an important and unique contribution to make to any group.
“A tendency to behave, contribute and interrelate with others in a particular way.” (Belbin, 2007)
The Belbin self-perception inventory is an analytical report, which fingerprints an individual’s Team Role preference, or preferences.
People who work in groups throughout their lives may find their roles change over time. This is because many people will take the group role that needs assigning, and also personalities and abilities can evolve.
The following are summaries of the nine team roles:
A ‘Plant’ is a good solver of difficult problems, but pre-occupied and lacking in communication skills.
‘Resource investigators’ like to explore positive opportunities, but may lose interest beyond the initial enthusiasm.
‘Co-ordinators’ are the promoters and clarifiers of goals and decisiveness, although often manipulative.
A ‘Shaper’ enjoys tackling most challenges and obstacles, but can also be offensive and provocative.
‘Monitor/Evaluators’ make accurate judgements, despite a lack of drive.
‘Team workers’ are very co-operative with others and evasive of friction, but at the same time can be very indecisive.
An ‘Implementer’ will efficiently turn ideas into actions, but can be slow in response to new possibilities.
A ‘Completer/Finisher’ is a perfectionist and locator of errors, but prone to worry over the insignificant.
‘Specialists’ are self starting and dedicated, but are known to dwell over technicalities.
The band Tramp Etiquette recently took part in a record company showcase at the O2 Academy in Islington, on Sunday 28th March. They had to work as a team to create a performance which met the criteria set by the record label. The whole group knew this would have to be planned and structured to a high level of precision.
The reason that the group were able to work so well together, was because they had a highly compatible collection of team role personalities.
The drummer is a ‘Team worker’ and so is very co-operative with the other band members. His evasiveness of friction and indecisive nature means he allows room for others that have big ideas. This role is complemented by the Bassist, a ‘Co-ordinator’ who promotes and clarifies the goals, making the decisions for the team worker and other group members. The ‘Implementer’, a role held by the lead guitarist, is able to efficiently turn the bassist’s ideas into actions. So then the ‘Monitor/Evaluator’ of the group, the rhythm guitarist, can then form his accurately analysed judgements on the group’s ideas. This guides the work into a logical direction. Finally, as the vocalist is a ‘Completer/Finisher’ and so locates any final blemishes within the product, and eliminates them, leaving the group with a perfected product.
Team Stage Model
Bruce Tuckman created a theory known as the ‘team stages model’. It was a theory created in 1965, and is now well established and used for effective team building and leadership (The Happy Manager, 2007). The model shows how groups of people cannot begin as a fully functional body, but in fact the team evolves in phases. These clearly defined stages are known as: forming; storming; ‘norming’; and performing.
Forming means the initial orientation stage, which tests the groups compatibility.
Storming is the conflict that occurs between personalities within a group.
When the team are ‘norming’, it means the conflicts are being resolved, and the group begin to become more socially cohesive.
The performing stage is when the group is at its most functional stage, where each individuals role is clear and understood.
Tuckman's model shows how it takes time before the performing stage is reached, and ups and downs within a team should be seen as a normal thing to happen.
Earlier this year a group was formed to carry out an assignment on Content and Process theories. Tuckman’s team stages model can be used as an explanation of why the group did not work as effectively as it could have.
The forming stage was when the group seemed to be very decisive about what they wanted to do, and how they wanted to do it. At the time, this seemed like a wise way of organising the group, because it would bypass the lengthy traditional forming stage. Usually, the forming stage would consist of getting to know one another, so that each person could make their own judgement of where to place themselves, by analysing the roles of others.
However, by bypassing this stage, the group set themselves up for an even lengthier ‘storming’ phase. This gave little time for the ‘norming’ phase, in which they began to understand each other’s roles properly. So their performance was not as good as it could have been, because they did not entirely fulfil the four stages of Tuckman’s model.
Top Companies To Work For
P3 is a social inclusion charity, which in 2010 made the number one company to work for (Times Online, 2010). It won this title because 90% of its employees say they are proud to work for it. 87% feel confident with their managers’ leadership skills, and that their team of colleagues will always do what they can to help each other out. 88% also feel that their contribution is valued as an important factor of the organisations success. When asked if there was much pressure from the organisation to perform well, 86% replied no, as they find their work and environment is stimulating enough on its own. Employees really feel listened to by senior management. This must reduce conflict, and explains the open and honest working environment which satisfies the employees of the organisation.
The winner of 2009’s competition, and this year’s number 3, was Beaverbrooks the Jewellers (Times Online, 2010). The company offer its staff many appealing benefits, such as 5 weeks of holiday a year, as well as perks such as elaborate party evenings for high performing employees. This must give the employees a positive work ethic, as well as improve relationships beyond the working formalities.
References:
Belbin associates (2007) Belbin team role theory [online]. Available from: http://www.belbin.com/rte.asp?id=8 [Accessed 17 April 2010]
The happy manager (2007) Tuckman’s stages of group development [online]. Available from: http://www.the-happy-manager.com/teamwork-theory.html [Accessed 17 April 2010]
Time Online (2010) Beaverbrooks the jewellers [online]. Available from: http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/career_and_jobs/best_100_companies/article7030215.ece [Accessed 17 April 2010]
Times Online (2010) P3 [online]. Available from: http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/career_and_jobs/best_100_companies/article7030217.ece [Accesses 17 April 2010]
Thursday, 15 April 2010
Organisation and Management Theory
Classical Approach
It could be said that classical school theory fails to see outside the box, when organisations are focused more on processes than employees. The theory believes that there is always a single best way to manage and organise a business (Vasu, 1998). Unfortunately, this can result in a workplace which seems insensitive to the employees, making them feel like machines.
Companies that follow the classical system must establish a set of clear rules and boundaries, as well as specific descriptions of worker responsibilities. The simpler and more logical an employee’s routine, the better.
Tesco is the biggest private sector employer in the whole of the UK, with over 360,000 employees nationally (The Times Newspaper Ltd, 2010). To work efficiently, all job roles are very specific, and each require specific skills. For example, if you work on the checkout, that will be your only specialisation. If you worked in the pharmacy, you would need to have specific skills and qualifications first. Tesco brag that they put customer satisfaction first, which is typical of the classical approach.
Contingency approach
The contingency approach means that decisions and actions should be dependent on external changes (Montana, 2008). The ideal of there being one best way of getting a job done, as we see in classical school theory, is flawed by this approach. This acknowledges that in order to manage and organise a business or organisation in the best way, there are three important variables which must be taken into account. These variables are: external environment (market, economy, employment rates, etc); technology (internet, new inventions, out of date software, etc); and the size, or changing size of the organisation.
The NHS is would have to have a contingency approach, because it is constantly exposed to a changing external environment. Employees such as nurses and doctors will need to have qualifications that prepare them for almost any circumstance, as they will need multiple specific skills, as well as need to make their own judgements with emergency situations (Kerry, 2010). The service has to constantly adapt, often at short notice, when there is a rise or fall in patients and changing needs. This would usually be caused by an epidemic, for example, swine flu. Improvements in the technological world have made these adaptions easier to cope with, as they can now process needs and carry out procedures more efficiently.
Both Tesco and the NHS have found a system that works for them. Tesco’s choice to follow a one best way approach is ideal for its organisation. It’s systematic, practical, and specialist system is applicable regardless of variables. For example, less custom would mean cuts in turnover and employment, but there would be no need for the system of work to change.
For the NHS things are a little less straight forward. They have to adopt a contingency approach, because they cannot easily predict change. Therefore, they must be prepared for any event and have a flexible system.
Scientific Management
Scientific management is an ideal that there is always going to be one best way of getting a job done. The theory was thought up by Frederick Taylor. It encourages efficiency and the benefits are usually money orientated. There are many examples of pros and cons to scientific management.
Pros:
1. The approach to production is very efficient. The roles were divided, so a workers role would be specialised.
2. As each worker has only one specific job to do, workers need less skills, and are therefore quicker, cheaper and easier to train.
3. The improvements in efficiency show in companies staggering rises in productivity.
4. Organisations may be able to increase wages, as profits become higher due to increased production output.
5. When scientific management was first introduced, it helped to build the labour industries, so that more people had jobs and homes. This reduced poverty (Parmelee, 2005).
Cons:
1. The ethic of scientific management assumes that it is human nature to be motivated by money, and people are otherwise lazy (Bratton, 1999).
2. Despite high turnovers, product quality is often poor, as workers have lost interest in what they are doing.
3. Workers would feel degraded, due to a lack of power with their role. As well as boredom of their job, they may also feel alienated from other departments and workers with different roles, as there would be little reason to meet others in the organisation.
4. For cost effective purposes, machines have been specifically built to carry out many of the roles we see in factories today. Since the industrial revolution, advances in technology have meant that machinery and robotics are operating more and more independently. So less people are needed to run the machines, leading to fears of job loss and redundancy.
5. A lack of power for workers can cause frustration and conflict between workers and management. When they have a problem, employees may feel more inclined to unionise and rebel than take their problems directly to management. This is because they may have reason to assume they won’t be listened to unless they mass together.
Conclusion
Organisation and management theories appear to offer very little compromise between focus on profit, and a care for the welfare of the people within an organisation. When money is the main focus, it can often come at a cost, and employee satisfaction is often sacrificed. The knock on effect of this may be that although output and efficiency are higher, quality of the products may be lower, as workers care little about what they are doing.
On the other hand, when employee needs are put first, it may be that there is less output, as they may be distracted by a more comfortable social environment. However, more care may have been taken over the resulting product, perhaps meaning better quality.
References:
Bratton, J (1999) Human resource management: theory and practice. 2nd ed. Basingstoke: Macmillan Press Ltd
Kerry, A (2010) Case studies. [online]. Available from: http://www.stepintothenhs.nhs.uk/casestudies/Anna-Kerry.aspx [Accessed 15 April 2010]
Montana, P. J. (2008) Management. 4th ed. New York: Barron’s Educational Series, Inc.
Parmelee, M (2005) Farwell to poverty. 2nd ed. Camden: The Haddon Craftsmen, Inc.
The Times Newspaper Ltd (2010) Case study summary. [online]. Available from: http://www.thetimes100.co.uk/studies/view-summary--recruitment-selection--132-323.php [Accessed 15 April 2010]
Vasu, M. L. (1998) Organizational behaviour and public management. 3rd ed. New York: Marcel Dekker, Inc.
It could be said that classical school theory fails to see outside the box, when organisations are focused more on processes than employees. The theory believes that there is always a single best way to manage and organise a business (Vasu, 1998). Unfortunately, this can result in a workplace which seems insensitive to the employees, making them feel like machines.
Companies that follow the classical system must establish a set of clear rules and boundaries, as well as specific descriptions of worker responsibilities. The simpler and more logical an employee’s routine, the better.
Tesco is the biggest private sector employer in the whole of the UK, with over 360,000 employees nationally (The Times Newspaper Ltd, 2010). To work efficiently, all job roles are very specific, and each require specific skills. For example, if you work on the checkout, that will be your only specialisation. If you worked in the pharmacy, you would need to have specific skills and qualifications first. Tesco brag that they put customer satisfaction first, which is typical of the classical approach.
Contingency approach
The contingency approach means that decisions and actions should be dependent on external changes (Montana, 2008). The ideal of there being one best way of getting a job done, as we see in classical school theory, is flawed by this approach. This acknowledges that in order to manage and organise a business or organisation in the best way, there are three important variables which must be taken into account. These variables are: external environment (market, economy, employment rates, etc); technology (internet, new inventions, out of date software, etc); and the size, or changing size of the organisation.
The NHS is would have to have a contingency approach, because it is constantly exposed to a changing external environment. Employees such as nurses and doctors will need to have qualifications that prepare them for almost any circumstance, as they will need multiple specific skills, as well as need to make their own judgements with emergency situations (Kerry, 2010). The service has to constantly adapt, often at short notice, when there is a rise or fall in patients and changing needs. This would usually be caused by an epidemic, for example, swine flu. Improvements in the technological world have made these adaptions easier to cope with, as they can now process needs and carry out procedures more efficiently.
Both Tesco and the NHS have found a system that works for them. Tesco’s choice to follow a one best way approach is ideal for its organisation. It’s systematic, practical, and specialist system is applicable regardless of variables. For example, less custom would mean cuts in turnover and employment, but there would be no need for the system of work to change.
For the NHS things are a little less straight forward. They have to adopt a contingency approach, because they cannot easily predict change. Therefore, they must be prepared for any event and have a flexible system.
Scientific Management
Scientific management is an ideal that there is always going to be one best way of getting a job done. The theory was thought up by Frederick Taylor. It encourages efficiency and the benefits are usually money orientated. There are many examples of pros and cons to scientific management.
Pros:
1. The approach to production is very efficient. The roles were divided, so a workers role would be specialised.
2. As each worker has only one specific job to do, workers need less skills, and are therefore quicker, cheaper and easier to train.
3. The improvements in efficiency show in companies staggering rises in productivity.
4. Organisations may be able to increase wages, as profits become higher due to increased production output.
5. When scientific management was first introduced, it helped to build the labour industries, so that more people had jobs and homes. This reduced poverty (Parmelee, 2005).
Cons:
1. The ethic of scientific management assumes that it is human nature to be motivated by money, and people are otherwise lazy (Bratton, 1999).
2. Despite high turnovers, product quality is often poor, as workers have lost interest in what they are doing.
3. Workers would feel degraded, due to a lack of power with their role. As well as boredom of their job, they may also feel alienated from other departments and workers with different roles, as there would be little reason to meet others in the organisation.
4. For cost effective purposes, machines have been specifically built to carry out many of the roles we see in factories today. Since the industrial revolution, advances in technology have meant that machinery and robotics are operating more and more independently. So less people are needed to run the machines, leading to fears of job loss and redundancy.
5. A lack of power for workers can cause frustration and conflict between workers and management. When they have a problem, employees may feel more inclined to unionise and rebel than take their problems directly to management. This is because they may have reason to assume they won’t be listened to unless they mass together.
Conclusion
Organisation and management theories appear to offer very little compromise between focus on profit, and a care for the welfare of the people within an organisation. When money is the main focus, it can often come at a cost, and employee satisfaction is often sacrificed. The knock on effect of this may be that although output and efficiency are higher, quality of the products may be lower, as workers care little about what they are doing.
On the other hand, when employee needs are put first, it may be that there is less output, as they may be distracted by a more comfortable social environment. However, more care may have been taken over the resulting product, perhaps meaning better quality.
References:
Bratton, J (1999) Human resource management: theory and practice. 2nd ed. Basingstoke: Macmillan Press Ltd
Kerry, A (2010) Case studies. [online]. Available from: http://www.stepintothenhs.nhs.uk/casestudies/Anna-Kerry.aspx [Accessed 15 April 2010]
Montana, P. J. (2008) Management. 4th ed. New York: Barron’s Educational Series, Inc.
Parmelee, M (2005) Farwell to poverty. 2nd ed. Camden: The Haddon Craftsmen, Inc.
The Times Newspaper Ltd (2010) Case study summary. [online]. Available from: http://www.thetimes100.co.uk/studies/view-summary--recruitment-selection--132-323.php [Accessed 15 April 2010]
Vasu, M. L. (1998) Organizational behaviour and public management. 3rd ed. New York: Marcel Dekker, Inc.
Tuesday, 13 April 2010
Enterprise Week
Bucks Got Talent
On Thursday the 12th of November, I attended a meeting titled ‘Bucks Got Talent’. This meeting was an opportunity to play my band Tramp Etiquette’s songs to a panel of professional musicians and producers in the music business. The aim was to receive feedback and advice from the panel, which I would then be able to use in my song writing to benefit future compositions.
Feedback
Their first criticism was that the drums were too busy. They said that with any song, you can usually get away with imperfections on guitars, vocals, etc, but a messy beat or a beat with too much going on will be the first thing to put the listener off. I recognise now, when I listen to mainstream music that drumbeats do usually sound very simplified for this reason.
They followed on to say that their pet hate in pop and rock music is slap bass. The funky bass lines in our music are what we construct our songs around, and therefore are what give us our unusual sound.
I chose to ignore what they said about this, as it was clearly personal preference and opinion, rather than constructive. I feel that the band made the right choice to keep the base sound, as it has since been focused on in reviews as an asset to our sound. For example, this review of our extended play ‘Face for the Radio’ from The New Roxette magazine (2009) encourages us to keep our sound.
“With their intense, aggressive arrangements Tramp Etiquette can really rip things up. Couple this with a sound that is very much their own, serious musicianship that is never used to the cost of their intrinsic rawness and you have a class act both live and on record.”
So, this along with the producers’ comments leaves us with the understanding that we are like Marmite. You either love us, or hate us.
The professionals also felt that each song had too many lyrical hooks in it. As the lyric writer, I have taken this on board. The criticism does make good sense, as a listener needs to easily pick up on a theme, and be sure about which theme is the main theme.
For example, our song ‘Radio Face’ has two dominant themes. First is the repetition of the phrase ‘...You’ve got a face for the radio!’ Although this fits well with the song title, there is another theme of equal dominance in the song. This is the repetition of the phrase ‘Here you are now. Here you are now. An inspiration for the nation, here you are now!’
Understandably, the listener could get confused about what they ought to sing along to. Therefore, since the meeting, I have been cautious when writing songs that the dominant hook is clear and any other themes do not overpower it.
However, this being said, examples can be seen in mainstream music which contradict the professionals opinions. For example, Lady Gaga’s number one hit ‘Bad Romance’ contains at least three hooks which I would consider to be dominant. Yet, it was internationally number one in the charts for multiple weeks, and helped the album to achieve Diamond status (10 million copies sold) (Gaga News, 2010). It would therefore appear that there are many people who enjoy music which is saturated with hooks.
Finally, the producers and musicians advised that when writing the songs, we also apply the music, chords and melody to the piano. This is because any dischordal blemishes can be more easily recognised and ironed out. We have since done this, and feel it has strengthened the structures of our compositions.
Conclusion
The experience with the panel of producers and musicians was beneficial, because it helped us to recognise what is and isn’t appropriate for the mainstream music world. All advice was taken on board and helped us to develop, as long as it didn’t interfere too much with our individual sound. The important thing is to make sure that tracks are easy for the listener to digest.
Despite their particular disliking towards our song Radio Face, the song has since continued to impress at showcases, and has even been accepted for air play on BBC Radio, and internationally on British Forces Radio. This just goes to show that opinion is varied, and just because you are disliked by one group, you may still appeal to a wider market.
References:
The New Roxette (2009) Reviews. [online] Available from: http://www.thenewroxette.co.uk/reviews.asp [Accessed 13 April 2010]
Gaga News (2010) Lady gaga goes diamond!! sells 10 million albums!! [online]. Available from: http://www.gaganews.com/2010/02/26/lady-gaga-goes-diamond-sells-10-million-albums/ [Accessed 13 April 2010]
On Thursday the 12th of November, I attended a meeting titled ‘Bucks Got Talent’. This meeting was an opportunity to play my band Tramp Etiquette’s songs to a panel of professional musicians and producers in the music business. The aim was to receive feedback and advice from the panel, which I would then be able to use in my song writing to benefit future compositions.
Feedback
Their first criticism was that the drums were too busy. They said that with any song, you can usually get away with imperfections on guitars, vocals, etc, but a messy beat or a beat with too much going on will be the first thing to put the listener off. I recognise now, when I listen to mainstream music that drumbeats do usually sound very simplified for this reason.
They followed on to say that their pet hate in pop and rock music is slap bass. The funky bass lines in our music are what we construct our songs around, and therefore are what give us our unusual sound.
I chose to ignore what they said about this, as it was clearly personal preference and opinion, rather than constructive. I feel that the band made the right choice to keep the base sound, as it has since been focused on in reviews as an asset to our sound. For example, this review of our extended play ‘Face for the Radio’ from The New Roxette magazine (2009) encourages us to keep our sound.
“With their intense, aggressive arrangements Tramp Etiquette can really rip things up. Couple this with a sound that is very much their own, serious musicianship that is never used to the cost of their intrinsic rawness and you have a class act both live and on record.”
So, this along with the producers’ comments leaves us with the understanding that we are like Marmite. You either love us, or hate us.
The professionals also felt that each song had too many lyrical hooks in it. As the lyric writer, I have taken this on board. The criticism does make good sense, as a listener needs to easily pick up on a theme, and be sure about which theme is the main theme.
For example, our song ‘Radio Face’ has two dominant themes. First is the repetition of the phrase ‘...You’ve got a face for the radio!’ Although this fits well with the song title, there is another theme of equal dominance in the song. This is the repetition of the phrase ‘Here you are now. Here you are now. An inspiration for the nation, here you are now!’
Understandably, the listener could get confused about what they ought to sing along to. Therefore, since the meeting, I have been cautious when writing songs that the dominant hook is clear and any other themes do not overpower it.
However, this being said, examples can be seen in mainstream music which contradict the professionals opinions. For example, Lady Gaga’s number one hit ‘Bad Romance’ contains at least three hooks which I would consider to be dominant. Yet, it was internationally number one in the charts for multiple weeks, and helped the album to achieve Diamond status (10 million copies sold) (Gaga News, 2010). It would therefore appear that there are many people who enjoy music which is saturated with hooks.
Finally, the producers and musicians advised that when writing the songs, we also apply the music, chords and melody to the piano. This is because any dischordal blemishes can be more easily recognised and ironed out. We have since done this, and feel it has strengthened the structures of our compositions.
Conclusion
The experience with the panel of producers and musicians was beneficial, because it helped us to recognise what is and isn’t appropriate for the mainstream music world. All advice was taken on board and helped us to develop, as long as it didn’t interfere too much with our individual sound. The important thing is to make sure that tracks are easy for the listener to digest.
Despite their particular disliking towards our song Radio Face, the song has since continued to impress at showcases, and has even been accepted for air play on BBC Radio, and internationally on British Forces Radio. This just goes to show that opinion is varied, and just because you are disliked by one group, you may still appeal to a wider market.
References:
The New Roxette (2009) Reviews. [online] Available from: http://www.thenewroxette.co.uk/reviews.asp [Accessed 13 April 2010]
Gaga News (2010) Lady gaga goes diamond!! sells 10 million albums!! [online]. Available from: http://www.gaganews.com/2010/02/26/lady-gaga-goes-diamond-sells-10-million-albums/ [Accessed 13 April 2010]
Monday, 12 April 2010
Personality
Personality... Nature, or Nurture?
There are two theory approaches to personality, and to this day there are still arguments over which is more valid. It is the age old question of nature or nurture?
Nomothetic is the term used to describe personality as a hereditary trait (Lamiell, 2003), determined in biology by a person’s genetic makeup. The idea that someone’s personality is fixed has been supported by many statistical studies of groups, and predictions, and suggests that there are particular personality types, and trait clusters.
These clusters are made from a pick and mix of traits, which form together to create personalities. These mixtures of traits are then what categorise people as Extrovert, Introvert, Emotionally Stable or Instable.
For example, an Extrovert is usually sociable, impulsive, and irresponsible. While an Introvert will be inhibitive, responsible, and reflective.
The Emotionally Stable are usually happy and calm with a high self-esteem, but Emotionally Instable people are more likely to have problems with anxiety, obsession, and will feel generally more unhappy than a Stable person.
The term Idiographic follows the idea that an individual’s personality is formed through nurture and environmental effects. A personality may depend on the cultural and social experiences of an individual, allowing room for a person’s personality to change and adapt. This contrasts with the idea of nomothetic, which suggests that a personality is a fixed trait.
An article from the Telegraph (Savill, 2009) explains the story of a two year old girl, with the astonishing IQ of 160. She was reported to have had a high level of awareness, and was remarkably observant of her surroundings. At such a young age, is it really possible to have had enough experiences to aid such a strong understanding of the world around her? Professor Freeman stated that “she is gifted.” This suggests that there is strong belief that the child was born bright.
However, the mother of the little girl says that she is constantly engage in communication with her daughter, feeding her with information and answers to her questions. This aspect of nurture questions the nature aspect of the two year olds high IQ.
I believe it is likely that nature and nurture both play an important role in the foundation and evolution of a person’s abilities and personality. People may be born with certain traits and abilities, but nurture may also affect how the individual nourishes and adapts their talents.
Personality Testing
To find out how my own personality measured up, I took a couple of multiple choice personality tests.
After taking The Big Personality Test (BBC, 2010) I was given the following results, and given information on their meaning.
I scored 4.4 out of 5 for the Openness category. People with high scores like this are often imaginative and curious about a large variety of things. In my case, I have a high appreciation for the arts, and enjoy exploring unusual cultures. Although imaginative ideas come easily to me, the drawback is my being prone to daydreaming.
For Conscientiousness I had a score of 3.6 out of 5. Conscientiousness measures a person’s discipline, will power, and organisation. This middle of the range score suggests that I am unlikely to be a workaholic, but will keep a good work-life balance. The score also reflects my lack of spontaneity, as I like to plan, keep a diary and write ‘to do’ lists.
I achieved a high 4.4 out of 5 for Extroversion. This is because I am expressive and energetic when seeking out pleasurable and risky activities. Extroverts are also likely to naturally show the qualities of a strong Leader. However, extroverts are also more likely to smoke and sleep badly, which is untrue in my case.
My score for Agreeableness was a medium 3.8 out of 5. This means that I will help those in need, due to a concern for people’s feelings. However, despite my ability to get on with most individuals or groups, I occasionally speak my mind in an extrovert way, which may cause upset.
I scored a very low 2.3 out of 5 for Neuroticism. This is good, as it means I generally respond to threats and stress with a calm, rational tranquillity. It is suggested that our nature of Neuroticism comes from evolutionary instincts, and was key to our survival from threats.
I also did a Competency Potential test (SHL Group Ltd, 2010), and the report agreed that my biggest personality strengths lie in leading, deciding, enterprising and performing.
However, it also stated that my supporting, cooperating, organising and executing skills are poor. Although these may not be my strongest qualities, I would disagree that they are poor, as my experience with groups has taught me the importance of these qualities, and I feel I have learned to apply them constructively.
Personality Testing, Good or Bad?
I feel that the use of these kinds of multiple choice personality tests are a good idea for selection, to a point, as in some cases of application, they are needed as a fast way of sorting through large numbers of applicants. The tests are consistent, and make it impossible for the organisation to discriminate through the recruitment process. This is also a cost effective method.
However, I also feel that these tests cannot judge an individual’s personality 100% accurately, because people can easily lie in the tests, or perhaps have an unrealistic opinion of themselves. Also, although I agree that the tests are ideal for short listing applicants, interviews (despite being a more costly form of recruitment) should still be held to validate the perception of a candidate.
To Conclude...
So, nature or nurture? It is clear to see that both play an important part in the way we start and develop our personalities. Everyone is a different mixture of traits, and it seems perhaps a little unfair to categorise people on personality. That said, however, it is still a quick, easy and cheap solution to sorting through large numbers of job applications. Certain traits can be more appropriate for particular jobs, but we must not forget that personality does not always reflect intelligence and ability. This, of course, should be a consideration of equal importance when hiring and recruiting.
References:
BBC (2010) The big personality test. [online]. Available from: https://www.bbc.co.uk/labuk/experiments/personality/feedback [Accessed 12 April 2010]
Lamiell, J. T. (2003) Beyond individual and group differences. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, Inc.
Savill, R (2009) Girl, two, with IQ of 160 praised for ‘wonderful imagination’. [online]. Available from: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/5479138/Girl-two-with-IQ-of-160-praised-for-wonderful-imagination.html [Accessed 12 April 2010]
SHL Group Ltd (2010) Practice tests. [online]. Available from: http://www.shldirect.com/practice_tests.html [Accessed 12 April 2010]
There are two theory approaches to personality, and to this day there are still arguments over which is more valid. It is the age old question of nature or nurture?
Nomothetic is the term used to describe personality as a hereditary trait (Lamiell, 2003), determined in biology by a person’s genetic makeup. The idea that someone’s personality is fixed has been supported by many statistical studies of groups, and predictions, and suggests that there are particular personality types, and trait clusters.
These clusters are made from a pick and mix of traits, which form together to create personalities. These mixtures of traits are then what categorise people as Extrovert, Introvert, Emotionally Stable or Instable.
For example, an Extrovert is usually sociable, impulsive, and irresponsible. While an Introvert will be inhibitive, responsible, and reflective.
The Emotionally Stable are usually happy and calm with a high self-esteem, but Emotionally Instable people are more likely to have problems with anxiety, obsession, and will feel generally more unhappy than a Stable person.
The term Idiographic follows the idea that an individual’s personality is formed through nurture and environmental effects. A personality may depend on the cultural and social experiences of an individual, allowing room for a person’s personality to change and adapt. This contrasts with the idea of nomothetic, which suggests that a personality is a fixed trait.
An article from the Telegraph (Savill, 2009) explains the story of a two year old girl, with the astonishing IQ of 160. She was reported to have had a high level of awareness, and was remarkably observant of her surroundings. At such a young age, is it really possible to have had enough experiences to aid such a strong understanding of the world around her? Professor Freeman stated that “she is gifted.” This suggests that there is strong belief that the child was born bright.
However, the mother of the little girl says that she is constantly engage in communication with her daughter, feeding her with information and answers to her questions. This aspect of nurture questions the nature aspect of the two year olds high IQ.
I believe it is likely that nature and nurture both play an important role in the foundation and evolution of a person’s abilities and personality. People may be born with certain traits and abilities, but nurture may also affect how the individual nourishes and adapts their talents.
Personality Testing
To find out how my own personality measured up, I took a couple of multiple choice personality tests.
After taking The Big Personality Test (BBC, 2010) I was given the following results, and given information on their meaning.
I scored 4.4 out of 5 for the Openness category. People with high scores like this are often imaginative and curious about a large variety of things. In my case, I have a high appreciation for the arts, and enjoy exploring unusual cultures. Although imaginative ideas come easily to me, the drawback is my being prone to daydreaming.
For Conscientiousness I had a score of 3.6 out of 5. Conscientiousness measures a person’s discipline, will power, and organisation. This middle of the range score suggests that I am unlikely to be a workaholic, but will keep a good work-life balance. The score also reflects my lack of spontaneity, as I like to plan, keep a diary and write ‘to do’ lists.
I achieved a high 4.4 out of 5 for Extroversion. This is because I am expressive and energetic when seeking out pleasurable and risky activities. Extroverts are also likely to naturally show the qualities of a strong Leader. However, extroverts are also more likely to smoke and sleep badly, which is untrue in my case.
My score for Agreeableness was a medium 3.8 out of 5. This means that I will help those in need, due to a concern for people’s feelings. However, despite my ability to get on with most individuals or groups, I occasionally speak my mind in an extrovert way, which may cause upset.
I scored a very low 2.3 out of 5 for Neuroticism. This is good, as it means I generally respond to threats and stress with a calm, rational tranquillity. It is suggested that our nature of Neuroticism comes from evolutionary instincts, and was key to our survival from threats.
I also did a Competency Potential test (SHL Group Ltd, 2010), and the report agreed that my biggest personality strengths lie in leading, deciding, enterprising and performing.
However, it also stated that my supporting, cooperating, organising and executing skills are poor. Although these may not be my strongest qualities, I would disagree that they are poor, as my experience with groups has taught me the importance of these qualities, and I feel I have learned to apply them constructively.
Personality Testing, Good or Bad?
I feel that the use of these kinds of multiple choice personality tests are a good idea for selection, to a point, as in some cases of application, they are needed as a fast way of sorting through large numbers of applicants. The tests are consistent, and make it impossible for the organisation to discriminate through the recruitment process. This is also a cost effective method.
However, I also feel that these tests cannot judge an individual’s personality 100% accurately, because people can easily lie in the tests, or perhaps have an unrealistic opinion of themselves. Also, although I agree that the tests are ideal for short listing applicants, interviews (despite being a more costly form of recruitment) should still be held to validate the perception of a candidate.
To Conclude...
So, nature or nurture? It is clear to see that both play an important part in the way we start and develop our personalities. Everyone is a different mixture of traits, and it seems perhaps a little unfair to categorise people on personality. That said, however, it is still a quick, easy and cheap solution to sorting through large numbers of job applications. Certain traits can be more appropriate for particular jobs, but we must not forget that personality does not always reflect intelligence and ability. This, of course, should be a consideration of equal importance when hiring and recruiting.
References:
BBC (2010) The big personality test. [online]. Available from: https://www.bbc.co.uk/labuk/experiments/personality/feedback [Accessed 12 April 2010]
Lamiell, J. T. (2003) Beyond individual and group differences. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, Inc.
Savill, R (2009) Girl, two, with IQ of 160 praised for ‘wonderful imagination’. [online]. Available from: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/5479138/Girl-two-with-IQ-of-160-praised-for-wonderful-imagination.html [Accessed 12 April 2010]
SHL Group Ltd (2010) Practice tests. [online]. Available from: http://www.shldirect.com/practice_tests.html [Accessed 12 April 2010]
Thursday, 8 April 2010
Power and Conflict at Work
What is Conflict?
It could be said that conflict is the reaction of personalities which are not compatible. Individuals may have a clash of interests or desires, but feel unable to compromise with one another. Hence causing conflict to break out. An unhealthy party will usually be one sided, containing some form of dictatorship, and some individuals may feel unfairly of more compromised than others (Deutsch, 2006).
An Experience with Conflict...
Within my band, around spring 2008, my fellow band mates and I experienced quite a serious conflict. Our drummer was more concerned with living the ‘Rock and Roll’ lifestyle, than having a committed working relationship with his fellow band members. An excess of drinking, smoking, and drugs caused problems within the group, such as missing rehearsals, turning up drunk/stoned, attracting a bad crowed to gigs, and being associated with vandalism, etc.
The question that had to be asked was, do we act professionally and replace him? Or do we keep giving our friend chances to improve his behaviour? Group meetings and discussions were held, where everyone was able to voice their individual thoughts and opinions on the matter. Being as no one in the band at the time was more than 18 years old, we were reluctant to get adults involved, but eventually found it was essential that we did, as we needed that authority. As he was our friend we agreed to give him multiple opportunities to prove his commitment to the band, but he unfortunately abused his lack of boundaries.
The last straw was when he got caught by the police for stealing money from classmates. Our final meeting was organised, to which his parents were also invited. He was too ashamed to attend, and so the message was passed through his parents, that we were holding auditions for a new drummer.
We knew that to allow behaviour like this to continue would jeopardise our ability to get gigs, as we would be associated with hooliganism. The new band line up then agreed on a set of rules, including no drinking before a gig, and zero tolerance on illegal drugs, so that an issue like this would not happen again. We all felt these boundaries were essential for the success of a group, and respectfully added a more professional dimension to our work.
By taking these steps, and eliminated the opportunity for conflict to arise again over the same problem, we have been more successful than ever. To date, we have now achieved headline slots in London, record company showcases, radio interviews, and record of the week on British Forces Radio.
Sources of Power
Coercive power - When an authorities existence is dependent on fear, by using threats and punishment. This power source often suppresses free will (Dubrin, 2010).
An obvious example of this would be the Holocaust in World War 2, and Hitler’s use of concentration camps. This example forced anyone with opposing views into hiding, for fear of being killed.
Reward power - This is where rewards or benefits are offered in exchange for good behaviour, hard work, or achievement (The Negotiation Academy, 2010).
A commonly used strategy by parent trying to encourage good behaviour in their children is to create a good behaviour chart and award good behaviour with star stickers. Also, to discourage bad behaviour, stickers can be removed.
Expert power - To influence the decisions of others by appearing to have an advanced knowledge, experience or expertise to their peers (Manktelow, 2009).
Banks will often use their expertise to help you make financial decisions, or choices on how to manage your money. Often, although it may seem helpful, their advice will have its bias and benefits for them, too.
Legitimate power - Having the right to exercise control over those in subordinate positions within an organisation or group, due to higher position or status (Boonstra, 1998).
This kind of power often exists in trades on a manufacturing level. Those who work in factories are most likely to experience receiving their orders from a higher level within the organisation, with very little or no say in the matter.
Referent power - Others in the group are influenced by an individual, because they are a well liked or respected character (Business Dictionary, 2010).
The effects of this kind of power are understood and used widely within the marketing world. You will often see that products in advertising are faced by a well liked celebrity or icon. This creates an association between the spokesperson and product, so that as you like one you will like the other. Therefore the individual has influenced the buyer to buy the brand.
Overcoming Conflict at Work
There are five common strategies used to overcome conflict in the workplace (Johnson, 1995).
1. Policies and procedures can be put into place by Human Resource management. Commonly these include equal pay and opportunity schemes.
2. Making sure that a group’s involvement in decision making is democratic, or at least well communicated and consulted.
3. When a job expectation is clarified from the word go, there is reduced risk that others will work towards an opposing goal, as the workers will have acceptance of their role from the beginning.
4. Grievance policies and procedures help to encourage issues out into the open. Therefore the issues can be dealt with, rather than allowed to continue unnoticed by management.
5. Awareness of enforced procedures of discipline discourages negative work ethics, and unhealthy behaviour.
An Example of How a Conflict can be Solved
Below is an example of a conflict being resolved on the Jeremy Kyle Show.
( Clip available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=do9n95YpLiU )
In the clip, a young man denies sleeping with a minor behind his girlfriends back. The point of the exercise would have been as follows. Grievance procedures help to encourage issues out into the open. Therefore the issues can be dealt with, rather than allowed to continue unnoticed.
The young girl confessed that he’d cheated with her, while the young man denied it, unable to get his story straight. Jeremy Kyle used his expert power to control the situation, and find out the truth, using lie detector testing. The young man was found to be lying, while the young girl was found to be telling the truth. Therefore, the fact that they had slept together was conclusively evidenced.
Jeremy Kyle clearly approaches his outlook on the world with a Pluralist view. This is because he sees groups are made up of people with separate interests, and therefore conflict is inevitable (Spicer, 1997). He acts as the negotiator who is needed for the group to function without conflict.
Although the clip shows how the answers are found, it fails to discuss how the people involved will compromise to make their relationships work. This is a key issue, as there is a teenage god-daughter and a 20 month old baby involved. The group would need to agree to a system or policy, and have a mutual understanding of freedoms and boundaries.
To Conclude...
So when conflict occurs due to a clash of interests and personalities, sources of power are needed to solve or control the situation. However, an abuse of power can also lead to more conflict, so a balance must be found. Groups appear to function best in an honest environment, where all voices are heard and well communicated to each other.
References:
Boonstra, J. J. (1998) Power dynamics and organizational change. Hove: Phsycology Press Ltd
Business Dictionary (2010) Referent power definition [online]. Available from: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/referent-power.html [Accessed 8th April 2010]
Deutsch, M (2006) The handbook of conflict resolution: theory and practice. 2nd ed. San Francisco: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Dubrin, A. J. (2010) Leadership: research findings, practice, and skills. 6th ed. Mason: South-Western
Johnson, D.W. (1995) Reducing school violence through conflict resolution. Alexandria: Association for Supervision Curriculum
Manktelow, J (2009) There are many types of power that leaders can use [online]. Available from: http://www.consultpivotal.com/building.htm [Accessed 8th April 2010]
Spicer, C (1997) Organizational public relations: a political perspective. Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
The Negotiation Academy (2010) Reward power [online]. Available from: http://www.negotiationtraining.com.au/articles/coercion-tactics/ [Accessed 8th April 2010]
It could be said that conflict is the reaction of personalities which are not compatible. Individuals may have a clash of interests or desires, but feel unable to compromise with one another. Hence causing conflict to break out. An unhealthy party will usually be one sided, containing some form of dictatorship, and some individuals may feel unfairly of more compromised than others (Deutsch, 2006).
An Experience with Conflict...
Within my band, around spring 2008, my fellow band mates and I experienced quite a serious conflict. Our drummer was more concerned with living the ‘Rock and Roll’ lifestyle, than having a committed working relationship with his fellow band members. An excess of drinking, smoking, and drugs caused problems within the group, such as missing rehearsals, turning up drunk/stoned, attracting a bad crowed to gigs, and being associated with vandalism, etc.
The question that had to be asked was, do we act professionally and replace him? Or do we keep giving our friend chances to improve his behaviour? Group meetings and discussions were held, where everyone was able to voice their individual thoughts and opinions on the matter. Being as no one in the band at the time was more than 18 years old, we were reluctant to get adults involved, but eventually found it was essential that we did, as we needed that authority. As he was our friend we agreed to give him multiple opportunities to prove his commitment to the band, but he unfortunately abused his lack of boundaries.
The last straw was when he got caught by the police for stealing money from classmates. Our final meeting was organised, to which his parents were also invited. He was too ashamed to attend, and so the message was passed through his parents, that we were holding auditions for a new drummer.
We knew that to allow behaviour like this to continue would jeopardise our ability to get gigs, as we would be associated with hooliganism. The new band line up then agreed on a set of rules, including no drinking before a gig, and zero tolerance on illegal drugs, so that an issue like this would not happen again. We all felt these boundaries were essential for the success of a group, and respectfully added a more professional dimension to our work.
By taking these steps, and eliminated the opportunity for conflict to arise again over the same problem, we have been more successful than ever. To date, we have now achieved headline slots in London, record company showcases, radio interviews, and record of the week on British Forces Radio.
Sources of Power
Coercive power - When an authorities existence is dependent on fear, by using threats and punishment. This power source often suppresses free will (Dubrin, 2010).
An obvious example of this would be the Holocaust in World War 2, and Hitler’s use of concentration camps. This example forced anyone with opposing views into hiding, for fear of being killed.
Reward power - This is where rewards or benefits are offered in exchange for good behaviour, hard work, or achievement (The Negotiation Academy, 2010).
A commonly used strategy by parent trying to encourage good behaviour in their children is to create a good behaviour chart and award good behaviour with star stickers. Also, to discourage bad behaviour, stickers can be removed.
Expert power - To influence the decisions of others by appearing to have an advanced knowledge, experience or expertise to their peers (Manktelow, 2009).
Banks will often use their expertise to help you make financial decisions, or choices on how to manage your money. Often, although it may seem helpful, their advice will have its bias and benefits for them, too.
Legitimate power - Having the right to exercise control over those in subordinate positions within an organisation or group, due to higher position or status (Boonstra, 1998).
This kind of power often exists in trades on a manufacturing level. Those who work in factories are most likely to experience receiving their orders from a higher level within the organisation, with very little or no say in the matter.
Referent power - Others in the group are influenced by an individual, because they are a well liked or respected character (Business Dictionary, 2010).
The effects of this kind of power are understood and used widely within the marketing world. You will often see that products in advertising are faced by a well liked celebrity or icon. This creates an association between the spokesperson and product, so that as you like one you will like the other. Therefore the individual has influenced the buyer to buy the brand.
Overcoming Conflict at Work
There are five common strategies used to overcome conflict in the workplace (Johnson, 1995).
1. Policies and procedures can be put into place by Human Resource management. Commonly these include equal pay and opportunity schemes.
2. Making sure that a group’s involvement in decision making is democratic, or at least well communicated and consulted.
3. When a job expectation is clarified from the word go, there is reduced risk that others will work towards an opposing goal, as the workers will have acceptance of their role from the beginning.
4. Grievance policies and procedures help to encourage issues out into the open. Therefore the issues can be dealt with, rather than allowed to continue unnoticed by management.
5. Awareness of enforced procedures of discipline discourages negative work ethics, and unhealthy behaviour.
An Example of How a Conflict can be Solved
Below is an example of a conflict being resolved on the Jeremy Kyle Show.
( Clip available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=do9n95YpLiU )
In the clip, a young man denies sleeping with a minor behind his girlfriends back. The point of the exercise would have been as follows. Grievance procedures help to encourage issues out into the open. Therefore the issues can be dealt with, rather than allowed to continue unnoticed.
The young girl confessed that he’d cheated with her, while the young man denied it, unable to get his story straight. Jeremy Kyle used his expert power to control the situation, and find out the truth, using lie detector testing. The young man was found to be lying, while the young girl was found to be telling the truth. Therefore, the fact that they had slept together was conclusively evidenced.
Jeremy Kyle clearly approaches his outlook on the world with a Pluralist view. This is because he sees groups are made up of people with separate interests, and therefore conflict is inevitable (Spicer, 1997). He acts as the negotiator who is needed for the group to function without conflict.
Although the clip shows how the answers are found, it fails to discuss how the people involved will compromise to make their relationships work. This is a key issue, as there is a teenage god-daughter and a 20 month old baby involved. The group would need to agree to a system or policy, and have a mutual understanding of freedoms and boundaries.
To Conclude...
So when conflict occurs due to a clash of interests and personalities, sources of power are needed to solve or control the situation. However, an abuse of power can also lead to more conflict, so a balance must be found. Groups appear to function best in an honest environment, where all voices are heard and well communicated to each other.
References:
Boonstra, J. J. (1998) Power dynamics and organizational change. Hove: Phsycology Press Ltd
Business Dictionary (2010) Referent power definition [online]. Available from: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/referent-power.html [Accessed 8th April 2010]
Deutsch, M (2006) The handbook of conflict resolution: theory and practice. 2nd ed. San Francisco: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Dubrin, A. J. (2010) Leadership: research findings, practice, and skills. 6th ed. Mason: South-Western
Johnson, D.W. (1995) Reducing school violence through conflict resolution. Alexandria: Association for Supervision Curriculum
Manktelow, J (2009) There are many types of power that leaders can use [online]. Available from: http://www.consultpivotal.com/building.htm [Accessed 8th April 2010]
Spicer, C (1997) Organizational public relations: a political perspective. Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
The Negotiation Academy (2010) Reward power [online]. Available from: http://www.negotiationtraining.com.au/articles/coercion-tactics/ [Accessed 8th April 2010]
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