Blog 15- Communication & Involvement

Bratton & Gold (2007) define employee relations as ‘an assortment of employer initiative for improving workplace communications, for engaging employees in decision making and for securing employee compliance with management rules through disciplinary action. Employee relations can be separated into employee participation, employee involvement and employee voice and partnership.

Employee participation stems from a pluralist approach this is where different groups within an organisation have different interests which means that conflicts are more likely to occur. This view encourages people to be individuals and have their say. A common interest employees have is increasing their pay, managers and owners however will be more interested in increasing their profit. Trade unions can often help negotiate a way forward if employees have a problem an example of this is British Airways with its employees striking due to pay. According to Mullins (2010) employee participation allows employees to have their say in some decisions that are made; this gives rights to employees to consult on matters likely to affect the economic status of their employer or any proposed change that might affect employment status.

The last twenty years has seen more employee involvement rather than participation as the union position has weakened. Employee involvement is a contrast to employee participation as it is all about a managerial desire to encourage individual employees to be committed to the organisation. Mullins (2010) suggested that within an organisation employee involvement relates to the unitarist view. This is where all members of the organisation including management and employees have the same goals and interests and will work towards the achievement of a common set of goals. The view sees limited value in having a trade union as everyone is working in the same direction so employees don’t need somebody to fight their corner. Employee involvement includes a few main categories which are sharing information, consultation, financial participation i.e bonuses, quality improvements, individual involvement and the community. The main purpose of employee involvement is to increase employee commitment by making them more involved in decision making.

Not every decision made within an organisations is relevant to all employees however employees can be involved with relevant decision making through a number of different methods. Firstly a discussion using a quality circle could take place, this is where a number of people from different departments get together to have their say. This means that each person is a representative for their department and therefore reduces the number of people in the discussion making it possible for everyone to have their say. A second method could be a suggestion box, although this has had mixed reviews when put into practice, it provides employees the opportunity to have their say anomalously. By making it anomalous it means that employees are more likely to voice concerns they didn’t feel they could say directly to management. The final suggestion would be a ballet vote. Rather than opening decisions up to everyone where there would be too many opposing views to make a decision a ballet vote would be a good alternative as it provides employees with a couple of alternative options. This proves successful as employees feel that they are involved within the organisations decisions but it doesn’t provide the opportunity for lots of opposing views.

Social networking sites are now being used by many organisations as a method of involving their staff. This can be used by both existing and potential recruits. Sites such as twitter and facebook are becoming extremely popular with organisations, these are used purely for the social aspect i.e. upcoming events rather than work issues for example pay and hours. Buckinghamshire New University has a facebook page which can be used by both current and potential students. This proved extremely effective for new students who were able to meet people on their course via facebook before coming to university. Harvey Nash also created a social networking site which could be accessed by potential recruits providing them with an overview of the questions that could be asked in the recruitment process. As well as websites such as facebook and twitter now being used by organisations, private inbuilt social networks such as the intranet are also becoming increasingly popular. One of the reasons for this is that it provides the opportunity to arrange work events. Although using social networking sites in organisations has many advantages it also has a few disadvantages. There has been many issues with people writing things they shouldn’t on facebook about their managers or other colleagues this has in some causes resulted in the employee being dismissed.

In conclusion it has been deduced that involving employees with the organisations decisions increases their commitment to the organisation. As previously mentioned there are also many different methods in which organisations can ensure their employees feel involved for example; social networking sites, discussions, ballet votes and suggestion boxes. 

References

Books

Mullins, L. (2010) Management and organisational behaviour.9^th ed. Essex: Pearson Education Limited.

Websites

Buckinghamshire new university (2011) Home Page [online]. Available from: http://bucks.ac.uk/ [accessed 10 May 2011].

CIPD (2011) employee communications [online]. Available from: www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/empreltns/comconslt/empcomm.htm [accessed 10 May 2011].

Sunday times (2011) 100 best companies to work for [online]. Available from: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/career_and_jobs/best_100_companies/ [accessed 10 May 2011].

Blog 14- Reward

Reward systems represent an exchange employees undertake as they work in exchange for pay and other rewards from their employers. Mullins (2010) suggest that the term reward refers to psychological payments, these are not written down put portray a degree of trust as well as both monetary and non monetary rewards that an organisation provides them.

Wallis uses a variety of reward techniques which in turn help to motivate its staff. Financial rewards such as incentives are used on a regular basis as it encourages staff to improve the store’s performance. These incentives range from £35 worth of Wallis clothes to a free piece of Jewellery or accessory from the store. Wallis also has a ‘shine’ training scheme and when an employee completes a shine level, which took approximately 3-6 months; a bonus of £75 and a pay rise. Each store is provided with a number of role model tokens which are worth £25 each. Throughout the year management would reward employees who they felt had been a particularly good role model and provided a good image of the company. The final type of financial reward that Wallis offered was that they would pay time and a half on a Sunday.

Wallis also had lots of different non financial rewards in place to ensure that staff are recognised for their commitment to the company. The one factor that I would say Wallis excel at is the opportunity for staff to develop their skills. As each level of the ‘shine’ training scheme, mentioned previously, is completed employees are provided with more responsibility which further helps to develop there skills. Wallis is also very keen on retaining their shop assistants to help them progress up the career ladder to a managerial level rather than employing new members of staff at a managerial level that don’t have knowledge of the company.

As there is a combination of part time and full time members of staff at Wallis the rewards differ for each group to ensure that it is fair for everyone. Each member of staff is contracted to a different number of hours so the competitions are calculated using each employees hours so for example the winner of a completion to collect the most number of email addresses was calculated by the dividing the number of email addressees collected by each employee by the number of hours they work. The prize for this type of competition is the same for each employee regardless of the number of hours you work. The only time when this differs is if it is a national competition where the store is working together to compete against other stores. In these circumstances the winning stores management receives a slightly larger reward then other members of staff.

Considering the state of the economy chief executives still receive large bonuses regardless as to whether or not the company performs well and meets their targets. There are many arguments that support both for and against this statement. Firstly some people believe that as Chief Executives are at the top of their organisation they must have had to work hard to get there as it requires specific skills and qualifications. They feel that this in itself means that Chief Executives deserve to receive large bonuses regardless of the company’s performance. It has also been suggested that Chief Executives are under a huge among of pressure with a lot of responsibilities so the reason that the company didn’t perform very well may not have been their fault. The final argument for this statement is that providing Chief Executives with a bonus could be seen as positive as it would provide them with the motivation and drive to ensure that the company is profitable next year. However there are also a few arguments against them receiving these large bonuses. Firstly, a bonus is rewarded when an individual is doing well so they shouldn’t receive this when the organisation underperformed. Also if the decision the chief executive made was wrong then it is their fault, this seems unreasonable for them to be rewarded for their mistakes. Finally by not giving Chief Executives of organisations that have underperformed bonuses then it will make them change and work harder next year to ensure their organisation performs so that they receive next years bonus.

To conclude, reward systems consist of both financial and non financial rewards which are used to recognise when an employee is doing well. This is used as a motivating tool which in turn increases an employee’s commitment and level of performance to the company.

References

Mullins, L. (2010) Management and organisational behaviour.9^th ed. Essex: Pearson Education Limited.

Blog 13- Performance Management

Performance management has been defined by Armstrong and Baron (2004) as “a process which contributes to the effective management of individuals and teams in order to achieve high levels of organisational performance.” It has been suggested that if managers increase their involvement with employees and keep them motivated then it is likely to increase the productivity of employees.

According to Mullins (2010), a performance appraisal is a one-to-one review of how well an individual is working within the company and reflects whether or not they have been achieving their targets. These regularly record an assessment of an employee’s performance, potential and development needs. An appraisal also reflects areas which can be improved as well as successful targets that have been completed since the last appraisal. It is also a time when employees and management can discuss objectives for the next period. I received a few appraisals during my employment at Wallis as they took place twice a year. Compared to other people I enjoyed my appraisals as it provided me the opportunity to receive feedback on what I had achieved over the previous six months. Originally I wanted to work my way up to a managerial level within Wallis so I found these meetings important as it provided me with targets and certain tasks I needed to complete in order for me to be promoted. There were five sections that we were marked on which were based on the company’s image of a Wallis Role Model. Depending on our answers and the manager’s feedback we were then given a grade boundary for each section. It was this that then provided the targets for the next six months as it highlighted areas that needed to be improved. As the majority of my sections were in the top grade boundary I was given a small rise after my last appraisal. The final output of the meeting was that if I showed management that I know how to complete certain tasks that I would be promoted to supervisor.

On the times website there is a useful website which suggests a range of skills that they suggest are required in order to be an effective mentor. Greame Shankland, managing director of Scotland Corporate said “It’s important for them to have experience, to have a few grey hairs. They also need to be skilled at listening, they need to be empathetic and sensitive, and encourage a solution out of the person they are mentoring rather than telling them what to do.” Other important qualities that mentors must have are; being interested in helping others to succeed, reliable, honest, and capable of active listing and finally they need to be trustworthy in order to keep things confidential. Mentors also need to be able to pick up on important cues from their mentee so that they convey understanding of their experiences without mentioning their own experiences.

Over the years I have had a few mentors within different aspects of my life but one that I feel affected my life the most was my form tutor Karen Pearce at my secondary school. Having supported me from year eight to year eleven I new that if ever wanted somebody to talk to she would always be there. Looking back the time when she really affected my life was when a school friend lost his battle to cancer. This was a really hard time as my friends were going through the same emotions so I didn’t feel I could confide in them. Karen was very skilled at listening and was extremely sensitive about a emotional topic. Having Karen as a mentor helped me to move forward which resulting in me succeeding in my GCSE’s.

To conclude, measuring performance helps to keep employees focused as it sets clear expectations of what needs to be achieved. This usually takes the form of appraisals which are important as they provide employees with motivation which in turn increases the employee’s productivity. Not everyone has the specific skills required to be a mentor as it takes a certain type of person to listen to others without mentioning aspects of their life. Mentors affect many different aspects of an individual’s life; this could be personal as well as relating to education or work.

References

Books

Mullins, L. (2010) Management and organisational behaviour.9^th ed. Essex: Pearson Education Limited.

Websites

TLS (2008) Entrepreneurs: a mentor can tune your skills [online]. Available from: http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/entrepreneur/article3778514.ece [accessed 20 April 2011].

University of Cambridge (2011) What makes a good mentor [online]. Available from: http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/hr/cppd/opportunities/mentor/good.html [accessed 20 April 2011].

Blog 12- Selection

The main aim of the selection process is to choose the best person to do the job. In order for this to be possible it is essential that enough information is gathered about the candidate as possible. This information then needs to be organised and evaluated to assess the candidate. The next stage in the process is to forecast the performance of the individual on the job; this is usually conducted via a personality survey. After all this information is collated a decision can then be made as to whether the applicant would be suitable for the position.

There are many different selection methods that can be used by employers to ensure they find the right person for the job.  The most common method is interviews; these can either take place as face-face interviews or via the telephone. After an application form or CV has been received by the company then they can create a shortlist of the applicants they wish to interview. An advantage of interviews is that they are a two-way process, this allows the applicant to get a feel for the company so they can judge whether or not they feel the job is right for them. Interviews also provide the employer the opportunity to ask a range of relevant questions to see whether they feel the applicant fits their criteria. Interviews are very personal as its one to one which often makes the applicant more relaxed and therefore provide more honest answers. However a drawback of interviews is that they can be subjective as applicants are often judged on first impressions. It is also hard to predict validity as it is very difficult to assess how well an individual will perform in the job based on their answers.

Psychometric testing is a method of acquiring objective information about abilities and traits of an individual. Applicants tend to be asked to complete a psychometric test if they completed the interview stage successfully. An advantage of psychometric testing is that it measures factors that cannot be assessed through the application form or interview this can therefore increase predictive validity of selection decisions. These results can then be professionally developed so that scores can be compared. However a disadvantage is that these questions tend to be broad and it is debateable as to have much these tests provide an accurate profile of an individual.

The final method of selection is assessment centres. These use a combination of assessment methods which include; work simulation, role plays, presentations and team work exercises. Assessment centres can sometimes last a day and are conducted after the interview stage. An advantage of assessment centres for employers is that this method accesses lots of elements of an individual’s character providing a more comprehensive overview of an individual’s strengths and limitations. As effective as these assessment centres can be at finding the right employee for the company they are extremely costly. This selection method is only therefore relevant to certain levels of employment, it would not be necessary for a shop assistant for example.

I have experienced a few interviews but i think the most effective interview was when i applied for the part time sales assistant position at Wallis. The twenty minute interview took place in the staff room with both the manager and deputy manager. The deputy manger took control of the interview whilst the manager sat and took notes which initially made me feel intimidated. They started the interview with questions relating to my predicted GCSE grades and previous job experience, this part of the interview took the form of an informal conversation which immediately made me feel more relaxed.  The job role was then explained to me, followed by some scenario questions an example being ‘how would you deal with an unsatisfied customer?’ I found this an effective interview technique as it provided me an insight into certain situations I would have to deal with as part of each working day. It also showed them whether I would react in the correct manner in those situations based on my answers. The final part of the interview took the form of a work simulation where I was asked to put together an outfit for a specific scenario. As this would be part of my every day job role, it is important that I was up to date with fashion and could visualise possible outfits for the customers. I feel that the methods used within the interview were effective based on the industry I was applying for. From the interview Wallis received information based on my personality & work experience, how I would react in difficult situations and it also showed them whether I had the eye for fashion. The only negative point I could make about the interview was that they were not prepared when I arrived which meant I had to wait in the store for fifteen minutes whilst they set up in the staff room.

I believe that the selection process at my current employer, Philip Green & Partners estate agents, should be changed. Currently the only selection method that is used is interviews. Although this provides information on an applicant’s character and their job experience it does not provide the employer with confidence that they can handle certain situations within the job role. As an estate agent it is important that employees are comfortable interacting with members of the public as it involves working it a customer service based environment. I would therefore recommend that role plays or work simulations would provide Philip Green & Partners with a better understanding as to whether they would be the right person for the job.

To conclude, there are many different types of selection methods that can be used within the recruitment process. Each method however has its positives and drawbacks so it is therefore essential that companies chose the most appropriate method based on the type of job. If an employer chooses the wrong method then it is highly likely that they will end up hiring someone that isn’t right for the position available.

References

Books

Mullins, L. (2010) Management and organisational behaviour.9^th ed. Essex: Pearson Education Limited.

Websites

Philip Green & Partners (2011) Home Page [online]. Available from: www.philipgreen.co.uk [accessed 4 April 2011].

Wallis (2010) Wallis History [online]. Available from: www.wallis.co.uk [Accessed 4 April 2011]

Blog 11- Recruitment

Recruitment relates to the activities related to locating potential employees.  Mullins (2010) suggests that its aim is to obtain a pool of suitable candidates for vacant posts within an organisation. Recruitment can be conducted in-house as part of the human resource department or by an external recruitment company. Recruitment sites such as monster.co.uk and fish4jobs.co.uk are becoming increasingly popular with both employers and potential recruits. These websites allow employers to promote their job vacancies online which increases the potential audience as it’s visible by a greater number of people.

Monster is one of the top recruitment websites which advertises many job vacancies across the UK in all types of employment sectors. The homepage of their website provides users with a search bar where they can enter information on the type of job they are looking for easily. There is also the option underneath the toolbar to browse by categories and industries for those who are unsure of the career path they would like to take. The site also allows company’s to post their job vacancies on the site and if there are any problems then there is IT support that can help. To test the use of the site I typed estate agency and my postcode into the search bars. This then provided me with a list of vacancies that may be of interest based on this information. There is also the option to refine your search for example by reducing the mile radius of search, these options help ensure that the results provided are closer to the users job requirements. As well as providing information on job vacancies the site provides the opportunity for users to upload their CV and receive advice from recruitment specialists. The layout of the website is very user friendly and isn’t too complicated which makes it more accessible for those that aren’t computer literate. They have also used soft colours on their website; I find this important as sometimes bright and bold colours can distract the user from the content of the webpage.



Monster home page



Estate Agency search results

A recruitment campaign that I have found particularly interesting was when the HMS prison service tried to encourage more women to apply. They advertisement broke all current advertising rules as it didn’t have a heading, an image or a conventional template for the advert. This in itself caught the attention of over 5,000 applicants which applied for the job. The advert took the form of a back cover of a paperback book. Out of the 5,000 applicants that applied over 2,000 got through the initial screening and then 635 were short listed. As you can see from the image below the article took a very unique form in that it seems more like a story. From reading the article individuals are able to judge for themselves whether they feel that would be tough enough to do the job before they job. This advertisement also shows a different side to prisoners that we stereotypically don’t think off and helps to remind us that they also feel the same emotions.

Advertising possible job vacancies online is a useful method recruitment. Whilst having many advantages there are also some disadvantages of online recruitment. What job (2011) suggests that many companies and organisations use online recruitment as a standard recruitment process. The first advantage is that online recruitment is cost effective as it costs a company nothing to promote the vacancy on their own website. If they were to use a recruitment consultant this could cost them up to 20% of the candidates first salary. The second advantage is the online recruitment is quick, by putting the vacancy online in the morning candidates can see it the same day. It has also been proved that online recruitment provides a better chance of success. Job vacancies are available online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for as long as the employer desired. If this vacancy was posted in the paper for example then it would have a time limitation on its availability. Another advantage is that online recruitment provides a wider audience as its accessible by a large number of applicants. The final advantage is that online recruitment is easy, most job site databases are user- friendly and you don’t need to have an in-depth knowledge of IT to post a vacancy advertisement.

One of the main disadvantages of online recruitment is that there are too many candidates for employers to choose from. This wastes time for HR as they have to sort through the inappropriate, irrelevant and bad candidates. Another negative is that the type of recruitment doesn’t always work as not all vacancy posts online will be filled. However this is becoming less of an issue as online recruitment is becoming more popular meaning that their are now more diverse job roles. The final disadvantage is that it is hard to judge a candidates character online without meeting them personally.

To conclude, online recruitment is becoming an increasingly popular method for employers advertising job vacancies. Websites such as monster.co.uk widens the audience therefore resulting in more applicants applying for the position. Although online recruitment has some drawbacks I feel that the positives far outweigh this. As we are currently in a technologically advanced society, I feel that it is important for recruitment to also take this path.

 References

Books

Mullins, L. (2010) Management and organisational behaviour.9^th ed. Essex: Pearson Education Limited.

Websites

Buckinghamshire new university (2011) Recruitment blackboard slides [online]. Available from: http://blackboard.bucks.ac.uk/ [accessed 31 March 2011].

Monster (2011) Home page [online]. Available from: http://www.monster.co.uk/ [accessed 31 March 2011].

What job site (2011) The advantages and disadvantages of online recruitment [online], Available from: http://www.whatjobsite.com/ [accessed 31 March 2011].

Blog ten- Equal opportunities

Equality and diversity are very different even though they are often used interchangeably. Equality refers to creating a society where everyone has the opportunity to fulfill their potential in a fairer society. Equality approaches suggest that an individual’s social identity will impact their life experiences.

Diversity refers to differences within society. When used as a contrast to equality it recognises both individual and group differences. Diversity within the community and workplace creates a positive atmosphere. It is now important that differences within individuals are no longer ignored to ensure that everyone’s needs and requirements are met within the workplace. Individual differences and diversity have long been recognised as important for effective team performance but in recent years greater attention has been given to the management of diversity; reasons for this include demographic changes in the workforce, equal employment opportunities legislation, changing social attitudes and an increase of women and part-time workers entering the workforce.

In October 2006 an age legislation act came into force which had a significant impact on recruitment within an organisation. According to mullins (2010) this new act meant that employers could no longer discriminate individuals and have to provide everyone the same opportunities regardless of their age, this applied to both ends of the age spectrum. As an employer this legislation would have both a negative and positive impact. Gibson (1998) suggested that by excluding smaller minorities it is like fishing in a smaller pool of talent this shows that there are now more workers for organisations to choose from. Older people tend to have a lot more job experience so by opening up job opportunities to them it means they could potentially be a valuable asset to the team. However on the negative side there are many stereotypes that relate to both young and old people which could pose as a concern for employers. Firstly as for many young people they have little or no employment experience so they are therefore considered as unskilled which makes them less appealing to prospective employers. Young people are also given the label of lazy and unreliable. As for many young individuals they are only looking for a part time job and not a career it means that retaining employees will be low. There are also many stereotypes surrounding the older generation. Firstly the most important factor in my opinion is health, old people tend to have a lot more health related problems which could make them less reliable due to sick days. There is also the perception that they tend to be very slow and not adaptable to new technology, this therefore wouldn’t be suitable in a busy fast pace environment.

Employers can attempt to change these stereotypical attitudes of both young and old people by using them to front their campaigns an example of this is B&Q. They use real employees in their adverts the majority of which being older people. Another method of changing stereotypes would be to employ a variety of ages to provide all employees with the opportunity to make their own view rather than listening to stereotypes.

Visitng B&Q’s website it is clear that they have put into practice innovative ideas in order to provide equal opportunities for potential employees. As many statistics show the UK population is ageing which means there is more demand for young workers. B&Q however took a different approach when they noticed that the majority of their employees were being 16 and 26. This meant that staff turnover costs were high practically between 18-20 year olds. It also became apparent that the older employees received more positive feedback as they delivered better customer service because of the own knowledge of DIY. In 1989 B&Q decided to collect evidence so that they can decide for themselves whether to employ older people. This shows that even before the age legislation came into force in 2006 B&Q were a head above the rest. They decided to open a store which was staffed by employees over the age of 50 only, surprisingly results showed that the store had higher profits, lower staff turnover and over a third less absenteeism. These results not only changed the stereotypes of older people within the workplace but also created a positive approach towards the employment and recruitment of an age-diverse workforce. Today there is not a fixed age requirement for B&Q employees and all are entitled to take retirement. B&Q has applied a more flexible role to job roles and working arrangements which has worked successfully in their favour. By recruiting a workforce of different ages it has produced a few benefits which include higher productivity, reduced absences, reduced staff turnover and an increase in business turnover.

To conclude since the introduction of the age legislation act employers have had to change who they recruit as they are no longer able to discriminate individuals due to age. Having both negative and positive effects on the employer it has, in the long run, provided them with more potential employees to consider.

References

Books

Mullins, L. (2010) Management and organisational behaviour.9^th ed. Essex: Pearson Education Limited.

Websites

B&Q (2011) About B&Q [online]. Available from: http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/corporate/index.jsp [accessed 16 March 2011].

Is4profit (2011) Age discrimination legislation [online]. Available from: http://www.is4profit.com/business-advice/employment/age-discrimination-legislation/case-study-b-and-q.html [accessed 16 March 2011].

Blog 9- Teamwork

Schein (1998) defined teamwork as a group of individuals, who interact with each other, they are aware that they are working together as a group to achieve a common goal. Work groups can be formal, informal, permanent or temporary and are formed when a group of individuals have something in common. Teamwork models and theories explore what makes up an effective team and how this can be achieved.

As part of my role of marketing module for my business degree I was required to work in a group and put together an event to raise money for charity. I chose to work with my friends which proved to be a good decision as we managed to raise over £800 for my chosen charity Robs Arttt through a sponsored walk.

I can relate this group work to Gersick's Punctuated Equilibrium model (1988), this can be seen below. This theory relates to temporary groups with deadlines and the basic concept of the model is that half way through a project the group suddenly see that the deadline has approached sooner than anticipated therefore elevating their productivity as suggested by Brown (2008). This model consists of three phases; phase one is where the group is keen to get started on the project and have lots of ideas. The second phase takes place as the midpoint, this is also known as inertia which is where the group is not doing anything. At the final stage there is accelerated activity in order to complete the group’s common task. Relating Gersick’s model back to our charity assignment group work I found that when we recieved our assignment the group immediatley started work, assigning each individual with tasks. This gave each member of the group a role immediatley with one member naturally taking control. However we then went through a period where no work was carried out as we had planned everything necessary for the charity walk and was just waiting for the event to occur, this can be seen as the midpoint on Gersicks model. We left planning for the charity exhibtion to the last minute which meant that we had to work quickly and efficiently together to ensure we had a successful stand. In our group i found that inertia didnt last very long as we didnt want to leave the assignment until the last minute. I think this is what enabled our group to achieve a better standard of work.

The final theory that can be applied to the charity assignment group work is Belbin’s team roles. This is one of the most popular and widely used methods of analysising an individual’s preferred role within a group by conducting a questionnaire. Each individual will have a preferred role but will also have elements of the other roles as well. According to Mullins (2010), Belbin discovered that the most effective groups consist of a range of roles, which are conducted by different people within the group.  Belbin identified nine different team roles within a group which were; plant, resource investigator, co-ordinator, shaper, monitor-evaluator, teamworker, implementer, completer and specialist. The charity group proved to be very effective as there was a variety of different team roles within the group. Using Belbins self-perception inventory we found out that two of the group members including myself were company workers or implementers. This role involves being conservative, disciplined, dutiful, predictable and efficient. I felt the results of the Self-perception inventory very accurate as this best describes the role I took within the group. Another member of my group was a shaper and the other two were team workers. A shaper allows the group to overcome obstacles and teamworkers are individuals who has the ability to respond to people and situations effectively. We found that the combination of these team roles complimented each other providing an effective group.

Belbin's team roles

Tuckman (1973) created a model to identify the five stages of developing a team which are; forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning. This model can be used to review the group work conducted on motivation earlier on in the year. Forming is where the group is put together; it is here where the hierarchical structure of the group and individual roles and responsibilities are decided according to Mullins (2010). As members of the group get to know each other better conflict is more likely to occur because individuals will put forward their views more openly, this is known as the storming stage. However we didn’t experience this as everyone in the group was already friends and all got along so naturally just formed a hierarchical position within the group. Storming and is an important stage as working arrangements for the operation of the group are often changed. The third stage in Tuchman’s theory is norming, this is where guidelines are established and individuals agree to perform. I feel that we did progress through this stage as the group divided aspects of the task and agreed to perform by a certain date. At the performing stage, if the group has progressed successfully through the first three stages they are able to fulfil its purpose and complete their common task to a high standard. After successfully completing the first three stages in Tuckmans theory we merged each team member’s individual part of the work together to create a report on motivation. The final stage is adjourning, this occurs when the task is completed and results in the group breaking down. As the group was only temporary with a specific purpose the group broke down after completing the motivation report. The success of the group strongly relates to the fact that

The times (2010) created a list of the top 100 companies to work for within the British workplace. The list was derived from employee’s views and the policies from employers. In order to rank the companies based on their performance a methodology was created, this used eight key indicators of staff engagement. The research gathered results based on a persons experience within a variety of categories including; leadership, my manager, personal growth, wellbeing, my team, giving something back, my company and fair deal. The company that received the highest overall score and came first was a charity called P3, which is a drop in advice centre. The results showed that they received top results in six of the eight factors one of which being teamwork which scored 87% suggesting that it was a major contributing factor to their success. Employees have said that colleagues go out of their way to help each other within the workplace, improving both communication and making the job more enjoyable. The co-ordinator and manager of a small team Catherine Fearon stated that she finds making time for her colleagues very important, many of which used the drop in centre before working there. Catherine said "You're giving clients individual support and supervision. It's very important that staff get that too" (The times, 2010).

The second company where teamwork has been identified as a major contributing factor to their success was Beaverbrooks the jewellers ranking 3^rd for 2010. It can be concluded from the survey results that staff don’t just like working here, they love it. Senior management can regularly be contacted by an employee by email or phone and they regularly visit the 66 stores. Results showed that 86% of employees have fun with their colleagues and 80% said they feel a strong sense of family within their team. Teamwork within a branch is encouraged with celebration nights being one of the incentives for top performing teams. As employees are happy within their job and the community in which they work it encourages the retainment of staff with over the half the workforce having worked there for five or more years.

To conclude; teamwork is an essential quality within all types of group and teamwork to ensure success. This can be related to both recreational teams such as football as well as employment and work groups. After looking at models and concepts of teamwork it can be seen that the personalities and team roles of individuals within a group are what makes the group work successful. It is important to have a variety of roles in order for the common goal to be achieved. A dysfunctional team is often caused by poor communication skills and the inability to work as a team. This can be caused by an imbalance of roles within the team i.e. too many leaders or plants. By looking at the times top 100 company’s survey it can be deduced that it is important for employees to work as a team in order for the company to be successful.

References

Books

Mitchell,T and Larson,J.(1987) People in organisations: An introduction to organizational behaviour.3^rd ed. Singapore: McGrow-Hill Book Co.

Mullins, L. (2010) Management and organisational behaviour.9^th ed. Essex: Pearson Education Limited.

Websites

Better Projects (2008) Punctuated equilibrium [online]. Available from: http://www.betterprojects.net/2008/05/punctuated-equilibrium.html [accessed 8 March].

P3 (2011) P3 Logo [online]. Available from: http://www.p3charity.com/ [Accessed 8 March 2011].

The manufacturing network (2011) Belbins team roles [online]. Available from: http://www.manufacturingnetwork.org/SITE/UPLOAD/IMAGE/Belbin_team_roles1.gif [Accessed 8 March 2011].

The times (2010) Beaverbrooks the Jewellers [online]. Available from: http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/career_and_jobs/best_100_companies/article7030215.ece [accessed 8 March 2011].

The times (2010) P3 [online]. Available from: http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/career_and_jobs/best_100_companies/article7030217.ece [accessed 8 March 2011].

The times (2010)The times 100 companies to work for [online]. Available from: http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/career_and_jobs/best_100_companies/ [accessed 8 March 2011].



Blog eight- Personality

Personality can be defined as ‘the characteristic patterns of thoughts, feelings and behaviors that make a person unique’ (about psychology 2011). It explores ways in which individuals react and interact with others and describes the concept of growth and development within the psychological system.

Personality is subject to much debate as to whether it is inherited or developed as a response to environmental conditions. This is known as the nature versus nurture debate. Both play at part in an individual’s personality and are considered to both be right but it is still unclear how much is determined by DNA and how much is by life experiences. It is clear that physical characteristics such as eye colour are hereditary yet genetically speaking it is not so clear when it comes to an individual’s behavior and intellect.  

The nature theory of human behaviour refers to the nomothetic approach which suggests that individuals behave in certain manners due to genetic predispositions, inborn abilities and traits. Mullins (2010) suggests that this approach is measurable as it identifies characteristics that can be subjected to observation and tests. It has already been determined that certain traits are encoded in each human cell as specific genes however the nature debate takes this a step further and suggests that other traits such as personality and sexual orientation are also encoded in an individuals DNA. This approach suggests that these traits or characteristics are fixed; i.e. cannot be changed as they link to heredity, biology and genetics. It claims that it is possible to predict the ways different personality groups would behave in certain situations. In order to do so they would conduct a statistical study of groups, conduct objective questionnaires and then sort individuals into different personality types. Eysenck and Cattell both created theories to support the nomothetic approach as they believed that personality was largely inherited. Ensenck’s personality questionnaire defines four distinctive personality types; stable extraverts, unstable extraverts, stable introverts and unstable introverts. This questionnaire appeals to managers in organisations for both selection and promotion to preface an employee’s future behaviour. Cattell’s work was very similar in that he analysed data to understand the dimensions of personality. He identified the two main personality traits as surface and source. Ensenck’s model can be seen below left and Cattell’s 16 factor theory can be seen below right.



Cattel's 16 factor theory



Ensenck's personality model







However some scientists believe the nurture theory is correct as individuals behave and think in certain ways due to the way they were raised based on environmental factors. According to Mullins (2010) ‘idiographic approaches are concerned with understanding the uniqueness of individuals and the development of the self concept’. This concept suggests that an individual’s personality development is open to change as they respond to the environment and people around them which plays a crucial part in shaping their personality. Within this approach individuals are often influenced by social and cultural processes for example at school or church. Carl Rodgers idiographic theoretical approach suggests that personality is embedded within individual’s personal relationships. The ideographic approach greatly differs to the nomothetic approach in that it sees measuring traits inappropriate as it is not always possible to compare one individual’s responses to another. They believe that the depth of an individuals personality cannot be judged by a questionnaire especially when the categories are to narrow in both scope and depth.  

I feel that both the nomothetic and idiographic approaches are correct to a certain extent. Many of our genetic traits cannot be changed as they are heredity. However I support the idiographic view in that if two identical twins were separated at birth and put in two completely different environments I don’t think they would have the same personality as each other. Environmental factors and the way they were brought up would have also had an effect.

The BBC website contains a personality test which puts together a portfolio of your personality based on five attributes these being; openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness and Neuroticism. After completing the test the results are presented in a graph, my results can be seen below.

Openness scored lowest which means that I tend to have a smaller range of interests and would rather stick to what I know than try new things. The highest score was conscientiousness, this suggests that my life is well-planned and I prefer to approach things in a thorough and organised manner. This trait is considered to be the most consistent indicator of job success. I feel that this description does fit my personality as I am very organised when I approach tasks and work. However I disagreed when it states that individuals who are more conscientious are more disciplined about diet and exercise. Extroversion is related to positive emotions and the risk people take within their lifestyles. A medium score suggested that I am comfortable in social situations but wouldn’t lead a risky lifestyle in pursuit of rewards. Other qualities connected to this trait include leadership qualities and a healthier lifestyle i.e. a non-smoker. Scoring highly on agreeableness suggests that I am likely to get along with others and excel at teamwork situations. It measures how sympathetic and considerate a person is and suggests that those who score highly are more considerate to others feelings. The final personality trait is neuroticism which relates to responses to threatening and stressful situations. My score suggests that I may often experience changeable moods due to stress or anxiousness. However it also states that a combination of high Neuroticism and conscientiousness can result in a power work ethic. Based on the questions asked in the personality test I found it very interesting as to how they reached their results as in my opinion they provided an accurate profile of my personality.

To conclude an individual’s personality is what makes them unique from everyone else. Everyone has different traits and characteristic which make up their personality from both genetic and environmental sources. The nature versus nurture debate has been ongoing between scientists for some time but what has been agreed is that although certain genes may increase the chances that an individual will act in a certain way it does not make people do things. Individuals still make decisions based on their upbringing and their environment. There are many theories which support both the Ideographic and the nomothetic approaches providing may personality assessment and questionnaire tools for organisations.

References

Books

Mullins, L. (2010) Management and organisational behaviour.9^th ed. Essex: Pearson Education Limited.

Websites

About psychology (2011) What is Personality [online]. Available from: http://psychology.about.com/od/overviewofpersonality/a/persondef.htm [accessed 1 March 2011].

About genealogy (2011) Nature vs nurture [online]. Available from: http://genealogy.about.com/cs/geneticgenealogy/a/nature_nurture.htm [accessed 1 March 2011].

BBC (2010) The big personality test [online]. Available from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/mind/surveys/whatamilike/index.shtml [accessed 1 March 2011].

Chimaera Consulting (1999) Cattell 16PF Profile [online]. Available from: http://www.chimaeraconsulting.com/16pf.htm [accessed 1 March 2011].

Kheper (2008) The Four Humours [online]. Available from: http://www.kheper.net/topics/typology/four_humours.html [accessed 1 March 2011].

Blog seven - Perception and communication

Robbins et al (2010), defined perception as “the process by which individuals organise and interpret their sensory impressions in order to give meaning to their environment.” Perception can be influenced by many different factors for example past experiences, attitudes, behaviour and backgrounds. Individuals relate to certain stimuli because of internal and external factors that relate to the individual and the environment respectively.

I have encountered many situations where my perception of someone was incorrect; the most surprising experience took place at Wallis in my part time job. Working in retail, one of the most important aspects of your job is to be alert for shop lifters. Stereotypically I thought of a shoplifter as somebody that looked quite scruffy, acted in a suspicious manner and was either a teenager or in their early twenties. One day at work a manager of mine came and whispered that that famous mother and daughter shoplifters were in our store and told me to follow them round casually. When I looked over I stereotypically was expecting to see a mother and daughter acting unusual wearing a tracksuit and trainers. Instead I saw a 40 year old lady who I recognised as a friends mum. She was fashionably dressed, well spoken and had immaculate hair and make-up. The way that she looked made her seem very respectable not somebody that would shoplift. I assumed that she was the mother however I was wrong again when I saw she was linking arms with a little old lady who seemed harmless. There behaviour was not that of a typical shoplifter as they were both extremely confident and were asking my advice on outfits which further indicated to me that my manager had misidentified them. It wasn’t until I witnessed them shoplift that I realised that my perception of them had been wrong. They were extremely subtle in the way they did it right under our noses as they knew they would never be suspected. From this experience I have therefore learnt not to be influenced by appearance and stereotypes as looks can be deceiving!

Communication is a key skill involved within the workplace as its involved within nearly 70% of employees time at work. Communication is important to keep control and inform employees of what’s happening within the organisation, this in turn helps to motivate employees.  People management created an article about ‘How to improve staff communication’, using these recommendations it is possible to relate these ideas to improving communication between Buckinghamshire New University and its students. The CIPD employee outlook survey provided some interesting results regarding how well employees felt they understood what was going on in their firms. According to the survey less than half the respondents felt well informed within their organisation. People Management magazine have therefore put together a plan to create an effective communication strategy.

Within this strategy one of the key points was to ‘ensure that leaders realise the importance of communication and take time to share their vision’. Within any organisation it is important that a shared sense of purpose is established  as it enables employees to understand the goal they are working towards. A common problem in many organisations is that senior management often deligate communication to junior managers. Employees like to be able to put a face to management and feel like they can approach them if there is a problem. This can also be applied to Buckinghamshire New University and its students. Students tend to only be aware of their lecturers and personal tutors, in order for the student to feel more involved within the university it would be better if the senior management were made more well known by attending certain university events for example. If senior management were to arrange a meeting once a term held in one of the lecture halls where students are able to attend then they would feel more involved and would understand more about what is going on within the university.

The second key point made in the article by people management was to ‘Create communication that is two-way, not only top-down.” This would be an effective form of communication to implement within the University so that students could easily talk to the correct member of staff. Top down communication refers to Handy’s role culture which suggests a chain network where the person at the top directs the flow of information to the bottom of the chain. Mullins (2010) suggests that Handy developed the ideas of Harrison to create four types of organisational culture one of which being role culture. This can be described as a beaurocracy as the job description is often more important than the individual. Within a role culture position is power. A greek temple has been used as imagery to support Handy’s theory of role culture with the apex of the temple being where the decisions are made, this can be seen in the diagram below. The pillars then reflect the functional aspect of the organisation which takes orders from the apex. According to Handy role culture it is most appropriate within organisations which that not constantly change in examples of these include; local authorities, government departments, public utilities and the public sector in general. This sort of culture finds it extremely difficult to change rapidly. The role culture is typified by rationality and size.

 Two way communications however is where there is no set way in which employees communicate. This means that everyone is active within the communication process. If this system were to be implemented within Buckinghamshire New University then it would mean that students would be able to approach management and have their say. This will help students feel more involved within the university and would therefore improve communication between students and the university.  A diagram of a chain network can be seen below.

Using the article from People Management it can be identified that the third way in which Buckinghamshire New University can improve communication with its students would be to measure the success of the universities actions. The article suggested that it is important for organisations to conduct surveys to understand the effectiveness of the organisations internal communications. Relating this back to Buckinghamshire New University and its students it would be useful for the university to conduct regular surveys so that they can measure its success.  Currently the university asks students to complete surveys on the modules in their course but not about the university as a whole. For the university to improve its communication with its students it would be advisable to create a survey about how students think communication could be improved. The university could then use these results to make the necessary improvements.

In conclusion perception can be influenced by many different factors and in many cases provides an incorrect image of an individual based on stereotypes. Perception and communication are both essential tool within the business environment as it has a significant impact on how the organisation is run. With regards to improving communication between the university and its students it can be concluded that firstly a two way communication system should be implemented so that students can have their say. The university management needs to make itself more well known so that students can feel a part of the bigger picture and understand the common goal and finally the university needs to measure its success by conducting surveys to receive the students opionions.

References

Books

Mullins, L. (2010) Management and organisational behaviour.9^th ed. Essex: Pearson Education Limited.

Websites

People management (2010) How to improve staff communication. [online]. Available from: http://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/pm/articles/2010/07/how-to-improve-staff-communication.htm [accessed 28 February 2011].

Managing change toolkit (2009) Culture- Charles Handy. [online]. Available from: http://www.lindsay-sherwin.co.uk/guide_managing_change/html_overview/05_culture_handy.htm [accessed 28 February 2011].