Review Of The Communications Within An Organisation

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

Introduction

1

4.1 Review of the communications within an organisation

1

1.1 an explanation of the structure of organisations and how this impacts on people in organisations

2

1.2 an outline of the culture of organizations and an analysis of how organizational culture impacts on people in organizations

2

2.1 differences between people within the organization (eg skills, attitudes, experience). Explain how these differences impact on personal behavior at work

4

2.2 Analysis of the management styles needed to deal with differences in behaviours

5

3.1 an analysis of leadership styles and their effects on individuals and teams

5

5.1 good working practices (including flexible working) and a pleasant working environment

6

3.2 the benefits of flexible working practices to individuals and organisations

7

3.3 using motivational theories, assess how the working environment impacts on people performance

8

3.4 the ethical practices and CSR agendas in the organizations and how organizations ethical practices impact on the motivation levels of the staff

9

3.5 evaluation of how the CSR agenda is used to motivate employees

10

4.1 how motivation theories can be applied to developing people

11

4.2 the different uses of coaching and mentoring in organizations

11

4.3 the benefits of training and development to individuals and organizations

11

5.1 Review of people management strategies used in organizations

12

5.2 assessment of management strategies impact on people5.3 Recommendations

13

5.3 Recommendations

14

Conclusions

14

References

Introduction

When you are struggling with a deadline or dealing with delicate decisions, the last thing you want to deal with is "people". When the fight is really on and the battle is undecided, you want your team to act co-operatively, quickly, rationally; you do not want a disgruntled employee bitching about life, you do not want a worker who avoids work, you do not want your key engineer being tired all day because the baby cries all night. But this is what happens, and as a manager you have to deal with it. Few "people problems" can be solved quickly, some are totally beyond your control and can only be contained; but you do have influence over many factors which affect your people and so it is your responsibility to ensure that your influence is a positive one.

Task 1: review of how people are managed in organizations.

4.1 Review of the communications within an organisation

Any business strategy ultimately depends on people for its successful execution. Acquisitions, mergers, downsizing, offshoring, partnering, you name it – people are central.2 But the people strategy needed to drive and support a high-end, intensive-customer-experience retail company is very different from that needed for a mass merchandise, low-cost discount retailer, and vastly different from a customized, specialty engineering and manufacturing aerospace and defense firm. Yet relatively few employers surveyed have developed an explicit and documented people strategy tailored to their business goals.

Organizational structure allows the expressed allocation of responsibilities for different functions and processes to different entities such as the branch, department, workgroup and individual.

Each of the leadership styles have impact on reforming and/or creating company culture. There are short and long-term affects of each style. For instance, the authoritative style may produce great results in a short amount of time. However, excessive use of authority will decrease productivity in the long-term. People either get fed up and leave or fall into a malaise of hum-drum repetitive tasks without creativity and innovation.

Communications allows:

Increased efficiency and productivity

Improved customer service cover

Staff understanding each other’s

Roles better

Greater employee satisfaction and

loyalt

Task 2 Report

an explanation of the structure of organisations and how this impacts on people in organisations

An organizational structure consists of activities such as task allocation, coordination and supervision, which are directed towards the achievement of organizational aims.[1] It can also be considered as the viewing glass or perspective through which individuals see their organization and its environment.

An organization can be structured in many different ways, depending on their objectives. The structure of an organization will determine the modes in which it operates and performs.

Organizational structure allows the expressed allocation of responsibilities for different functions and processes to different entities such as the branch, department, workgroup and individual.

Organizational structure affects organizational action in two big ways. First, it provides the foundation on which standard operating procedures and routines rest. Second, it determines which individuals get to participate in which decision-making processes, and thus to what extent their views shape the organization’s actions

1.2 an outline of the culture of organizations and an analysis of how organizational culture impacts on people in organizations

The Nature of Organizational

Culture

General:

a set of shared attitudes, values, behavioral norms

In the organizational setting:

a cognitive framework for interpreting work & environment

not monolithic

stable, despite turnover

culture matters:

influences the actions of organizational members

provides history

source of uniqueness

sets boundaries

Origins and Effects of Culture :

Founding myth:

beliefs of charismatic founders

Experience with the external environment:

competition that produces values and practices

Shared experience:

assignment of similar meaning to events

Organizational culture impacts on people in organizations:

Let us understand the constituents of organization culture and drive the impact on people:

Leadership: Organization culture is defined by the leadership of the organization. The CEO is the torch-bearer of organization culture. This directly impacts the efficiency and effectiveness of business operations.

Ethics: Business ethics show in all aspects of business conduct, from the board room strategies to the front desk personnel. It goes beyond legal requirements, and shows whether business is conducted on values of integrity, honesty and fairness. It shows whether employees at all levels are able to walk the talk. A clearly defined and implemented code of conduct improves the organization culture.

Attitudes & Beliefs: The psychology and behavior shown throughout the organization by the employees for doing day-to-day operations reflect the organization culture.

The above mentioned three aspects clearly indicate that organization culture has a significant impact on control environment of the organization. An internal control auditor would benefit from understanding and assessing the organization culture.

2.1 differences between people within the organization (eg skills, attitudes, experience). Explain how these differences impact on personal behavior at work

People are the most important element of any service or experience. Services tend to be produced and consumed at the same moment, and aspects of the customer experience are altered to meet the individual needs of the person consuming it. Most of us can think of a situation where the personal service offered by individuals has made or tainted a tour, vacation or restaurant meal.

All the organizations mentioned above depend on people, on their many and varied individual blends of skills, energies, experience, attitudes and motivation - by this we mean their inclination or motivation to 'do their jobs', earn wages or salaries and, importantly, to 'add value' to whatever it is that the organisation does. Motivation is, as we shall see later, a key factor in the employment and the management of people.it is that the organisation does. Motivation is, as we shall see later, a key factor in the employment and the management of people.

Impacts:

A positive work attitude does not necessarily lead to a positive work behavior. Neither does a positive work behavior indicate positive work attitude.

Let me illustrate by asking you to do this. Have you ever come across colleagues who are extremely positive about a certain project? They can talk all day about what can be done and should be done. They speak with pride and they truly believe in the work. But when it comes to the real deal, you see that they do not work hard at completing their end of the bargain. Yet others work very hard at their tasks but lack the passion they inject into the work. These work are done but is far from perfection.

When you know the difference between work attitude and work behavior, you can begin to align the both of them. Once you align both your work attitude and work behavior to be the same, you will increase your chances of succeeding in your career as a newbie by many folds.

2.2 Analysis of the management styles needed to deal with differences in behaviours

In organisational development (OD), the effectiveness of management is recognised as one of the determinants of organisational success. Therefore, investment in management development can have a direct economic benefit to the organization.

A management style is an overall method of leadership used by a manager. There are two sharply contrasting styles that will be broken down into smaller subsets later:

Autocratic 

Permissive

Each style has its own characteristics:

Autocratic: Leader makes all decisions unilaterally.

Permissive: Leader permits subordinates to take part in decision making and also gives them a considerable degree of autonomy in completing routine work activities.

Combining these categories with democratic (subordinates are allowed to participate in decision making) and directive (subordinates are told exactly how to do their jobs) styles gives us four distinct ways to manage:

Directive Democrat: Makes decisions participatively; closely supervises subordinates.

Directive Autocrat: Makes decisions unilaterally; closely supervises subordinates.

Permissive Democrat: Makes decisions participatively; gives subordinates latitude in carrying out their work.

Permissive Autocrat: Makes decisions unilaterally; gives subordinates latitude in carrying out their work.

3.1 an analysis of leadership styles and their effects on individuals and teams

Three Keys

There are three keys that determine your leadership style.

How you view and use authority

How you view and use human resources

How you view and relate to people

There are 4 primary leadership styles, many of which you can find within most businesses or organizations around the world. These styles are: Dictatorial, Authoritative, Consultative, and Participative.

Each of the leadership styles have impact on reforming and/or creating company culture. There are short and long-term affects of each style. For instance, the authoritative style may produce great results in a short amount of time. However, excessive use of authority will decrease productivity in the long-term. People either get fed up and leave or fall into a malaise of hum-drum repetitive tasks without creativity and innovation.

All the while, a participative style will be unproductive in the short-term. But, the longer this style of leading, the more productive a company can become.

Many leaders never make it to a point of high productivity. They give up before the participative style kicks in and the company starts to escalate. They see the initial drop in production and cannot wait long enough for the true results

5.1 good working practices (including flexible working) and a pleasant working environment

To make a success of flexible working, follow these key principles, which apply to both employers and employees.

Flexibility is a business tool

It is about managing the head count and workflow effectively to achieve results for the business. It works best when it improves performance and customer service. Get it right and it is a winner for the business, customers and employees.

Business and customers come first

Everyone should be entitled to make a case for working flexibly, but there will be situations where a specific arrangement will not work because of commitments to customers. Where this is the case, look at other options that may work better for all sides. Manage client expectations from the outset.

Different arrangements work for different types of business

There is no one-size-fits-all solution. Rigid off-the-peg arrangements are less likely to work. The best working arrangements are tailored to the job and individual.

Flexibility involves give-and-take

Responsibility for making it work must be shared by employees and managers. Together you need to assess opportunities and challenges in any proposed arrangement openly and honestly.

Leadership is essential

You need to have buy-in from senior managers or directors to implementworkable solutions that benefit the business. Individual managers must translate this support into tangible results for their teams.

Flexibility can work for all

Do not make assumptions about who Will and who will not want to work flexibly. Most employees will respond positively for a range of reasons beyond childcare or other caring commitments.

3.2 the benefits of flexible working practices to individuals and organisations

If managed well, flexibility leads to:

Better performance:

Increased efficiency and productivity

Improved customer service cover

Staff understanding each other’s

Roles better

Greater employee satisfaction and

loyalty

Cost savings:

Higher staff retention, lower recruitment and training costs

Reduced absenteeism, overtime and workplace stress

More efficient use of office space

Better people management:

Enhanced reputation as an employer

Access to new talent pools

Better succession planning

Environmental benefits:

Less commuting by employees working from home or satellite offices

3.3 using motivational theories, assess how the working environment impacts on people performance

Work motivation "is a set of energetic forces that originate both within as well as beyond an individual's being, to initiate work-related behavior, and to determine its form, direction, intensity, and duration

A number of various theories attempt to describe employee motivation within the discipline of I–O psychology.

Need-based theories

Need-based theories of motivation focus on an employee's drive to satisfy a variety of needs through their work. These needs range from basic physiological needs for survival to higher psycho emotional needs like belonging and self-actualization.

Need for Achievement:

Achievement motivation can be broken down into three types:

Achievement – seeks position advancement, feedback, and sense of accomplishment

Authority – need to lead, make an impact and be heard by others

Affiliation – need for friendly social interactions and to be liked.

Equity Theory:

reduce input to a level he believes better matches his level of compensation

change or adjust the comparative standard to which he is comparing his situation

cognitively adjust his perception of his inputs or the outcomes received

withdraw

address the situation with his employer by asking for a raise

3.4 the ethical practices and CSR agendas in the organizations and how organizations ethical practices impact on the motivation levels of the staff

Ethical practice is to honor the beliefs, morals and values of your profession and to help others through the process of unbiased decision making.

The Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) agenda has an ambiguous relationship with

international development. It is regarded by some as a vehicle through which the private

sector can contribute to poverty reduction and other social objectives, which will not

be achieved by governments acting alone.

Organizations ethical practices impact on the motivation levels of the staff:

L&D Strategy

Starting with your strategy and planning process, think about what corporate CSR values, attitudes and policies could be applied in your L&D strategy?  How are you ensuring that development delivered by your area reinforces these corporate values?

Design & delivery processes:

How could you design your training better to reduce waste? Do people really need all those handouts or could you make more use of Learning Management Systems or your corporate intranet?

Working with external training providers and venues

- Know your supply chain

Do you really know what your suppliers are doing?

- Think about your actions with suppliers

With so much competition within the market for training, corporate customers hold a lot of buying power and it's tempting to exploit this position. So how can you behave as a responsible customer to your suppliers? Are you clear about what you require? Do you treat your suppliers fairly? Do you pay them on time? How realistic are your demands?

3.5 evaluation of how the CSR agenda is used to motivate employees

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) most frequently evokes thoughts of the environment, engaging with local communities and shareholders, and issues ranging from pollution to fairness and ethics. The drivers of CSR policies or statements may be rooted in a range of motivations such as:

Altruism: helping those in society less fortunate or disadvantaged in some way, eg the socially excluded

A tool to enhance or promote the ‘employer brand’ to different stakeholder groups, including potential employees

Compliance: such as within supply chain management

As a lever to improve business performance, via one of the CSR key stakeholder groups: motivated employees.

4.1 how motivation theories can be applied to developing people

Motivational theories attempt to explain what motivates people to behave the way they do. Motivational theories can be applied to workplace settings to shed light into why some employees work harder or are more committed than others, which can lead managers to understand how to motivate each employee to perform at peak levels

Step 1

Use traditional and innovative compensation strategies to leverage the expectancy theory. The expectancy theory puts forth the premise that for each specific task, employees will put forth an amount of effort commensurate with their perceived value of the compensation they will receive.

Step 2

Tie compensation incentives directly into specific performance objectives to push your employees to excel. Give out generous bonuses to top performers, and use intangible rewards in additional to monetary compensation to reach employees on a deeper level, soliciting a deeper level of commitment to company goals

Step 3

Institute employee development programs, employee recognition programs and a positive, open company culture to tap into the acquired needs theory. The acquired needs theory states that all people are fundamentally motivated by three needs, with one need always being stronger than the others. According to this theory, all employees subconsciously seek either personal achievement, social acceptance or power.

Step 4

Gauge the intrinsic motivation of your employees to determine whether McGregor's Theory X or Theory Y is more appropriate in your company.

4.2 the different uses of coaching and mentoring in organizations

Whilst many people undertake the roles of Coaching and Mentoring informally using their own personal style, to do them well does require some degree of understanding of the tools and techniques that can be used and the effects on the individual.

In Coaching – Guidelines for developing a coaching strategy (AWTDG and NLIAH 2007) there is guidance on the levels of understanding of coaching skills together with the appropriate qualifications that can be accessed.

Individuals need to consider how they will be using coaching and mentoring to ascertain the level of training and development they require. It may be that they will need an introduction to coaching as a management approach, or they may wish to extend their skills into a formal Coaching and Mentoring qualification.

4.3 the benefits of training and development to individuals and organizations

There are numerous sources of online information about training and development. Several of these sites (they're listed later on in this library) suggest reasons for supervisors to conduct training among employees. These reasons include:

Increased job satisfaction and morale among employees

Increased employee motivation

Increased efficiencies in processes, resulting in financial gain

Increased capacity to adopt new technologies and methods

Increased innovation in strategies and products

Reduced employee turnover

Enhanced company image, e.g., conducting ethics training (not a good reason for ethics training!)

Risk management, e.g., training about sexual harassment, diversity training

5.1 Review of people management strategies used in organizations

Any business strategy ultimately depends on people for its successful execution. Acquisitions, mergers, downsizing, offshoring, partnering, you name it – people are central.2 But the people strategy needed to drive and support a high-end, intensive-customer-experience retail company is very different from that needed for a mass merchandise, low-cost discount retailer, and vastly different from a customized, specialty engineering and manufacturing aerospace and defense firm. Yet relatively few employers surveyed have developed an explicit and documented people strategy tailored to their business goals.

Of the largest companies that participated in the survey, 55 percent of those with top quartile profitability rated themselves "high" in linking people management strategy to business strategy, while only 30 percent of bottom quartile profitability companies reported similar performance (figure 1). Among all the survey respondents (regardless of size), the figures stand at 44 percent for the most profitable companies and 36 percent among the least profitable. In many organizations, the HR function does not participate in the strategy development process nor does it have complete visibility into corporate or business unit strategies. As a result, corporate strategy and people strategy are developed independently and people management practices may be misaligned with corporate objectives. For example, an industrial products company may develop a strategy to increase its service revenues by 20 percent over the next three years, but if it fails to measure and improve service orientation among employees, it will likely fail to achieve that objective and may also find its employees demotivated.

5.2 assessment of management strategies impact on people

When leading and managing people in business, there are certain factors that should be taken into account to do this properly. Knowing these things and implementing them when managing your employees will help you to become a better manager or boss, help your employees to respect you and run a better business, in general.

Positive Reinforcement

Always remind your employees how good a job they are doing when appropriate. This positive reinforcement does a wide variety of things for employees. It spurns their confidence while working for you, making the way they spend their days more worthwhile. This encourages people to take pride in their work, which is an important part of employee production. Positive reinforcement also makes employees want to work for you and make you happy, so that they will continue to receive positive reinforcement and possibly a raise and a better position in the company.

Instruction

Employees have a difficult time doing jobs correctly if they do not receive the proper instruction from their managers or bosses. This means you should concentrate on telling employees exactly what they need to know by walking them through all of the ins and outs of the job when they start, as well as different parts of the job along the way.

Listen to Concerns

When an employee has a concern about something that is going on at the company or in their personal lives, take it seriously and listen to them, even if you cannot necessarily solve the problem.

5.3 Recommendations

Assessment of diversity in the workplace - Top companies make assessing and evaluating their diversity process an integral part of their management system. A customizable employee satisfaction survey can accomplish this assessment for your company efficiently and conveniently.

Development of diversity in the workplace plan - Choosing a survey provider that provides comprehensive reporting is a key decision. That report will be the beginning structure of your diversity in the workplace plan.

Implementation of diversity in the workplace plan - The personal commitment of executive and managerial teams is a must. Leaders and managers within organizations must incorporate diversity policies into every aspect of the organization’s function and purpose.

Ward off change resistance with inclusion. - Involve every employee possible in formulating and executing diversity initiatives in your workplace.

Foster an attitude of openness in your organization. - Encourage employees to express their ideas and opinions and attribute a sense of equal value to all.

Promote diversity in leadership positions. - This practice provides visibility and realizes the benefits of diversity in the workplace.

Utilize diversity training. - Use it as a tool to shape your diversity policy.

Launch a customizable employee satisfaction survey that provides comprehensive reporting. - Use the results to build and implement successful diversity in the workplace policies.

Conclusions

Differences between people in an organization, that sounds simple, but diversity encompasses race, gender, ethnic group, age, personality, cognitive style, tenure, organizational function, education, background and more. Diversity not only involves how people perceive themselves, but how they perceive others. Those perceptions affect their interactions. For a wide assortment of employees to function effectively as an organization, human resource professionals need to deal effectively with issues such as communication, adaptability and change. Diversity will increase significantly in the coming years. Successful organizations recognize the need for immediate action and are ready and willing to spend resources on managing diversity in the workplace now