Employee involvement. Do employee involvement programs improve organizational performance Discuss with reference to a minimum of four empirical studies - Essay Example

Whether Employee Involvement Programs Improve Organizational Performance University: Course: Tutor: Date: Introduction Efforts to increase workers involvement empowers them to increase their job autonomy and allows them participate in decision making (Stone and Freeman 1989). Employee involvement programs increases employee morale, job satisfaction, productivity, commitment, reduces absenteeism and turnover and enhances the quality of services and products (Huczynski and Buchanan 2009).

Programs to involve employees in productive ways include employee task forces or committee, self managed work team, participative decision making, employee suggestion forums and continuous improvement teams. Involvement programs help in capturing employees’ creativity, ideas and energy. It is through involvement programs that individuals and departments are able to work cross functionally in a conducive learning atmosphere. The programs improve work techniques and processes continually, improve safety, reduces accidents, and cost of running the business.

Exchange of information and ideas facilitate communication as top management is willing and open to respond to employees’ suggestions. This paper is a discussion on whether employee involvement programs improve organizational performance. Employee Involvement Programs Employee involvement programs (are designed to support, encourage and recognize the active volunteer efforts of workers who contribute their energy to nonprofit, registered charities and community service organizations. A Commission on Fact Finding conducted in US’s organizations established that many firms incorporate employee participation programs in their operations (Stone and Freeman 1989).

Fifty two percent of workers in the workplace responded that various forms of employee participation programs were employed in their workplace. Many leaders and employers acknowledged before the commission that the program improves productivity although their effectiveness differs with organizations. Thirty two percent of employees involved in the survey argued that the programs are ineffective while seventy eight percent of the responded supported the programs. The commission identified that some workers participating in the programs may be in desecration of the law.

Employee involvement programs entail empowering workforce to participate in improving activities within their scope and managerial decision making. Since the development of Theory Y by McGregor, employee participation has taken various forms including quality of work life (QWL) and job design programs (Stone and Freeman 1989). Employee involvement programs are initiatives, which regards employee as unique human being rather than machine and aim at involving workers in the organizational performance.

Each worker’s input is valued and solicited by the management and all employees are involved in the company’s operations. Employee empowerment implies that the organization recognizes and identifies employee ability to contribute in the organization; thus, provided with authority and tools required for building the company (Huczynski and Buchanan 2009). The management enumerate list of expectations about workers and engage them in solving problems. Effectiveness of Employee Involvement Programs towards Organizational Performance Employee volunteerism is a central component of corporate citizenship, which gives workers an opportunity to be personally engaged in organization’s commitment to corporate citizenship (Pateman 1970).

An inclusion of employees’ participation as an overt dimension of the organization’s corporate strategies increases workers performances and satisfaction. Involving employees in society outreach contributes to the organization’s overall performance. Employee involvement programs are associated with licenses to operate an improved reputation, crises management, and reduced operating costs. A research by the Center for Corporate Citizenship conducted at Boston College indicated that 97 percent of organizations surveyed would prefer integrating employee involvement programs (McGregor 1960).

As literature on employee involvement and participative accumulate, numerous benefits has been observed, and corporation encouraged to incorporate these programs. Kanter 1982 argued that a participatory work setting is theoretically effective and facilitates innovation when compared to traditional bureaucratic structures. Employee involvement programs support the sharing of ideas between employees and managers in developing strategies. Kanter 1982 asserted that allowing workers to participate in decision making boast their commitment and morale to the corporation, which translate to increased revenues.

Organizations accrue higher returns and become more stable as they are secure with their staffs and the industry niche. Lawler 1996 explained that improved efficient and innovative employee involvement programs helps in problem solving and enhances communication across departments. Employee involvement programs lead to retention and attraction of staffs allows greater staffing flexibility and increased product quality. Such programs are linked with reduced staff supervision and support, reduced number of grievances, expansion of staff skills, job satisfaction and effective resolution of conflicts.

Employee involvement programs offer a long term commitment, fundamental change in culture and a new method of executing tasks (Apostolou 2000). Employees who are trained, recognized and empowered see their organizations and duties from a different perspective. In situations where the original thoughts are barely from employees, the practice of planning, designing and assessing pull employees into productive activities. Managers who attempts to take back power of such a process end up being frustrated, bitter and disillusioned by the employees.

Today, employees are encouraged to participate in employee involvement programs in with improvement of the eminence of their efforts in the work setting. It is in the best interest of supervisor and workers to increase satisfaction and happiness on the job, which lead to improved productivity. Employee involvement programs enable managers to access the worker’s knowledge of the task, flexibility regarding job categories, job assignment, and contract concessions. Conditions for an effective employee involvement programs include an involuntary process for both company and union, involvement of the union at the highest ranks, proposition should be writing by both parties and a process that facilitates a cordial relationship.

Conclusion Employee involvement programs entail empowering staffs to take part in improving activities within their capacity and managerial decision making. An inclusion of employee input as an open dimension of the organization’s corporate strategies augments workers performances and satisfaction. Involving employees in society outreach contributes to the organization’s overall performance. Employee involvement programs lead to retention and attraction of staffs, guarantees better staffing flexibility and increased product quality.

Such programs are coupled with reduced staff supervision and support, reduced number of grievances, expansion of staff skills, job satisfaction and effective resolution of conflicts. Employee involvement programs enable supervisors to access the worker’s acquaintance to the task, flexibility regarding job categories, job assignment, and contract acknowledgment. Bibliography: Apostolou, A. 2000. Employee Involvement. [Online] available at: http://www.urenio.org/tools/en/employee_involvement.

pdf [Accessed on 12 February, 2013]. Huczynski, H. and Buchanan, D., 2009. Organizational behaviour. Harlow: Financial Times Prentice Hall. Kanter, R. M.,1982. Dilemmas of Managing Participation. Organizational Dynamics 10(Summer). Ithaca: Cornell University Press. Lawler III., E. E.,1996. From the Ground Up: Six Principles for Building the New Logic Corporation. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers. McGregor, D., 1960. The Human Side of Enterprise. New York: McGraw-Hill. Pateman, C., 1970.

Participation and Democratic Theory. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Stone, J. A., and Freeman, R.E., 1989. Management. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliff, N.J.