Managing Workforce Engagement and Commitment - Assignment Example

MANAGING WORKFORCE ENGAGEMENT AND COMMITMENT By Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 References 12 Appendix 14 Task 1 Employee Engagement and Relationships 1.1 Introduction According to Allen and Bryant (2012) employee unity has far reaching effects on the production rates in an institution. The relationships among the employees are dependent on a collection of factors amongst them the organizational structure, the culture of the company and strategic objectives. Akinbowale, Lourens and Jinabhai (2014) also noted that the commitment of the employees, their engagement and levels of employee turnover depends on the level of employee engagement and relations. This paper seeks to unearth the values associated with employee relations. In view of the same, it will explain the different perspectives that are used to manage employee relations in view of the organizational structure and other combining factors. It will then determine two forms of industrial action that can be used to manage conflicts at individual and collective levels. It will then enumerate the objectives for employee voice in contexts that are both unionized and un-unionized. 1.2 Perspectives for Managing Employee Relations Perspectives Michielsens, Bingham, & Clarke (2013) determined that there are several views that can be used in the management of the relationships amongst the employees. As noted earlier, the relationships are based on the structure of the organization in which the vertical and horizontal arrangement of the system will suffice to be considered. There are situations when the vertical systems create larger distances between the highly ranked management teams and the junior members of the same organization. In others, even management teams in the horizontal relationship are far apart based on the size of the company. In most cases, this happens in consideration of multinational companies like Coca-Cola and Wal-Mart (Arokiasamy, 2013, p. 132). In other companies, there is a very short distance between the different management positions. Perspectives may also vary based on the cultural connotations. According to Brook & Kenneth (1994), views in western cultures are bound to differ from those in the East. Three primary aspects occur based on human resource studies and application to the sociological understandings. 1.2.1 Unitarist Perspective In this perspective, their source of authority is single, the management. There is an assumption of a single family amongst the employees and the level of opposition to views is very limited or non-existent. The management has the prime role in promotion of loyalty and commitment among all the employees, regardless of the size of the firm. The control is supposed to be that aggressive because the entire company team is supposed to operate on the basis of realising mutual goals. This perspective has the belief that the employees and the employers can work as a team bringing together their interests and values that are common. Given the strength of the unity of the company, it is determined that trade unions are neither considered essential nor harmonious for the cause of the company. This means that the employees are not supposed to be in any form of conflict as this is considered an aspect of disloyalty to the existing laws and only aims to impair the organization’s well-being. To this cause, the state is that of autonomy and plays a big role in shaping the industrial relations systems. An example was that taken from IBM Endicott where unitarist perspective helped create a unified interconnectedness among the human resource members. 1.2.2 The Pluralist Perspective This is a perspective that appreciates different socio-cultural issues such as beliefs, traditions, attitudes, as well as behaviours (Bacon & Blyton, 2007, p. 826). An opposition in the leadership style is allowed which means that the different members of the workforce can oppose each other on issues they consider constructive. Due to the inherent differences in thinking and ideas, there are always situations of conflicts in which case some people would want their ideas to work at the expense of the others. However, Coldwell, Billsberry, van Meurs, & Marsh (2008) noted that conflicts are helpful if they are done within ably controlled conditions. The openness of the perspective does not allow the management to be the final decision maker. The control acts to mediate between the conflicting sides and their ideas so that unity is restored. Employees are free to join trade unions, and this is encouraged because it is seen to increase the decision-making the power of the employees. The role of the state in these types of organizations is comprehensive in that it always seeks to promote public interest. Companies are bound by need to observe social norms such as CSR. This perspective is very constructive because the employee relations stability is achieved through the members having concessions as well as negotiations. These do not just apply to the vertical management perspective but also the horizontal view. An example of a case in the application of the perspective is the UK health service where the employees have an application of all characteristics applicable to pluralist view. 1.2.3 Marxist perspective This is a perspective that is wide in that its area of limitations takes to account both internal and external factors. There is a sense of collective action, and industrial actions are included. Moreover, there is the aspect of regulation of jobs by different stakeholders, industrial relations and the political terms. Marxist perspectives are merely based on the changes in the society. It is deemed that when changes are to be introduced to the company, there will always be a sense of conflict. According to Connor (2007), the conflicts create classes in which there are some people that support each other whiles others do not. Divisions are established based on the people that support individual initiatives and those that do not. The other issue is that the vertical relationship between the senior management and the juniors has a rift that is otherwise accepted and applied in the changes required. Just like in the pluralist case, this perspective allows for external intervention, opinions based on different thoughts and class. 1.3 Forms of Industrial Actions According to ODonnell and Roles (2013:385), an industrial action refers to “actions by employees to settle disputes at the workplace the working conditions”. There are different forms of industrial actions that employees can take to have their rights heard, both at individual and collective level. 1.3.1 Strike Actions A strike is a collective action that takes to account the employees withdrawing their labour. In most cases, strikes are organised by organised unions in behalf of their members. Strikes are usually about particular demands that employees need, and the employer is still unwilling to offer. The Fair Work Act 2009 determined that strikes are always protected if they follow certain laws (Appendix 1). Strikes usually happen after a failed period of bargaining and an agreement failing to be reached. 1.3.2 Good Faith Bargaining This is an industrial action practice that can take place at an individual level. According to the work cited by ODonnell & Roles (2013), there are processes that involve there being a mutual agreement between the employer and employee on the basis of mutual understanding. There are situations where an employee as an individual can be protected from perceived pay injustices by seeking the consideration of the employer. The Fair Work Act accredits the presence of laws that allow such a consideration. Such actions can be taken when • There is an unfair conduct that undermines the freedom of collective bargaining. • The employee has a genuine reason to vie for a personal consideration as opposed to the group demands that may not be met The application of the Fair Work Act as an industrial aid only seeks to reinforce the situation. 1.4 Objectives for Employee Voice Voice is crucial in an employment setting. It is an input that allows for the making of decisions that are sound for the benefit of both the employees and the organization. Employment voices create industrial democracy at the place of work, and that is their primary objective. Therefore, before the freedom is achieved, the voice will have created a participation culture amongst all the employees and employers. With the voice allowed and present, the employees can take part in decision-making processes; develop them which ultimately increase the efficiency of all activities at the workplace. From an ethical perspective, the voice is a way of increasing the human dignity at the place of work and that is a primary fulfilment of the human needs. All this is viable because the employees, as human beings are legitimately asked to take part in the organizational decision-making process. Therefore, the voice is meant to create freedom and dignity. Secondly, employee voice has the objective of rallying for the rights of the employees through making their working conditions better and improving their salaries. This has been the ultimate cause of many strikes all over the world and is a genuine cause for concern in all organizations. However, the case of voice in the unionised employee scheme and the un-unionised is not the same. According to Martin & Weiss (2006), both management and the employees must have an employee voice. It has been determined that the employee voice objectives mean differently in unionized and non-unionized employment situations. In the non-unionized situation, it has been determined that the management views the goals as proposals for improvement as opposed to the unionized situation where the objective is to claim for rights. Unionizing the voice, therefore, seeks to increase its strength from the external perspective. 1.5 Conclusion The employee engagement and the decision-making mechanisms in a company are supposed to be the same thing. However, from the basis of the different perspectives, it is determined that there are three critical aspects that determine the employee relationships, both horizontally and vertically; the unitarist, the Marxist and the pluralist. Some determine the internal relationship while others include the external relationships. There are also many forms of industrial actions that employees use. In this case, there was the use of strike actions that are allowed by the Fair Work Act 2009. The other is the good faith bargaining that may apply to a case of an individual. The voice is also an important aspect of a group. In this case, the principal objective was to create industrial democracy that opens up consultations and implementation of other actions. Task 2: Dispute Resolution at Coca-Cola Company 2.1 Introduction The current society is full of many social challenges. It, therefore, common that the same challenges are replicated at the place of work in which case there are employees that may want to achieve given personal goals. To this cause, contingency steps must be established to take care of such situations. Dispute resolution processes are supposed to be in such a way that the issue of conflict must be handled quickly, in a fair way, and the same must be handled in a sensitive manner. In the end, transparency must be achieved in every aspect so that the confidence of the parties involved is gained and maintained. This section will consider the aspect of dispute resolution with a particular focus on the processes at the Coca-Cola Company. 2.2 Dispute Resolution at Coca-Cola Dispute resolution is a case that is taken by a professional depending on the type of conflict and its magnitude. As noted earlier, there are several methods of industrial action and some may have a direct impact on the performance of the company. Effective conflict resolution is a process that is gradual yet fast depending on the magnitude of the problem. At first, an assessment of the problem must be determined because the best solution can only be achieved if there was an active understanding of the problem. Assessment means that the parties involved in the conflict need to be identified, and the cause of the problem identified. This offers specified solutions to the problem in the long run. After this, there is the design phase in which case a practical solution as per the problem is identified. The implementation phase leads to there being a substantial amount of strategies that are proposed for the application to the problem. The last step is where the solutions are evaluated, and further proposals made just in case the same problem appears again. Coca-Cola Company has been very strategic about the way it runs affairs of conflict at all its branches. Before the issue of resolution is considered, it is worth noting that the company has created an environment that is conducive, where “dignity, respect and fairness” (Coca-Cola, 2015:11) are harnessed. First of all, the company has a section on its website where the office of the ombudsman updates all employees on current resolutions about conflicts at the company. Whenever a workplace concern comes up, it is immediately forwarded to the office of the ombudsman in the Department of corporate governance. Given the size of the company, it was necessary that the office was created, and an online backup system established to make resolutions on issues of conflict. It means that the employees are effectively able to communicate with the company management through this system especially on matters that are not too serious to require the input of a one-on-one communication. The office has neutral professionals highly trained in conflict resolution and has all over handled work-related issues in the company. The office has professionals that are confidential, independent and very neutral. Their main aim is to make employees self-reliant on resolution issues with the employees. Therefore, the first step the company took was to make sure that it has founded a base upon which conflicts are resolved. In this case, when the base is stable, all other issues are adequately addressed. The company has however managed to come up with conflict resolution practices. In the case of a conflict requiring that disciplinary measures are taken, discipline is meted out with reference to the code that indicates the type of action to be taken. When violations are of serious nature, the company has a provision for suspension without having to pay the employee. Severe cases are dealt with by the company terminating the contracts of the employees. Whenever an employee violates a given code, notation based on the final management decision is communicated to him through a reprimanding letter and a copy of the same is placed in the employee’s file as record for future reference. In the end, there is an Ethics and Compliance office that has the duty of periodically reports all cases that have been investigated and now viable for the application of the penal code of the company. Therefore, the company is never quick to victimize an employee but takes to account all factors in determining the fact that all conflicts must be handled systematically, and the respective penal code factor be applied. 2.3 Conclusion Conflict resolution requires highly qualified personnel in larger companies like Coca-Cola. Moreover, the process is never to be taken as a snap but considers a procedural approach to a step-by-step mechanism. This section has related to conflict resolution and disciplinary issues at Coca-Cola Company. In essence, it has been determined that the company has a well-established conflict resolution procedure at foundation level. It also has a penal code that applies to all cases of conflict with the company, and every issue is handled depending on its magnitude. References Akinbowale, M. A., Lourens, M. E., & Jinabhai, D. C. 2014. Employee Performance Measurement and Performance Appraisal Policy. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 5(9), 65. Allen, D., & Bryant, P. 2012. Managing employee turnover: myths to dispel and strategies for effective management. New York : New York, Business Expert Press. Arokiasamy, A. R. 2013. Literature Review On Workforce Diversity, Employee Performance. Researchers World, 4(4), 211. Bacon, N., & Blyton, P. 2007. Conflict for Mutual Gains? Journal of Management Studies, 44(5), 814-34. Brook, L., & Kenneth, S. 1994. The Role of Chance in Employee Disciplinary Decisions: Squaring Attribution Theory with "Just Cause.". Journal of Managerial Issues, 6(1), 31. Coca-Cola. 2015. Corporate Governance. Retrieved April 30th, 2015, from Coca-Cola: http://ir.cokecce.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=117435&p=irol-govombudsman Coldwell, D., Billsberry, J., van Meurs, N., & Marsh, P. 2008. The effects of person-organization ethical fit on employee attraction and retention: Towards a testable explanatory model. Journal of Business Ethics, 78(4), 611-622. Company, T. C.-C. 2013, December 31. Employee Engagement. Retrieved February 21, 2014, from The Coca-Cola Company: http://www.coca-colacompany.com/our-company/employee-engagement#TCCC Connor, W. E. 2007. Employee Code of Ethics. New York: William E. Connor & Associates Limited. Martin, R. D., & Weiss, L. M. 2006. Mapping the value of employee collaboration. Retrieved 4 8, 2014, from McKinsey Quarterly: Michielsens, E., Bingham, C., & Clarke, L. 2013. Managing diversity through flexible work arrangements: management perspectives. Employee Relations, 36(1), 67. ODonnell, M., & ROLES, C. 2013. The Fair Work Act and worker voice in the Australian Public Service. Adelaide Law Review, 34(1), 342. Saari, L. M., & Judge, T. A. 2004. Employee Attitudes And Job Satisfaction. Human Resource Management, 43(4), 395-407. Schalk, R., & Dijk, W. 2005. Quality management and employee commitment illustrated with examples from Dutch health care. International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, 18(3), 170-178. Susan, W., & Mick, M. 2003. Devolving HR responsibility to the line: Threat, opportunity or partnership? Employee Relations, 25(3), 221. Appendix Appendix 1: Six conditions for protected industrial action   Six important conditions must be satisfied in order for industrial action to be protected under the Fair Work Act.   1. Industrial action will not be protected if taken before the nominal expiry of an enterprise agreement.   2. The action must be about: matters pertaining to the employer’s relationship with its employees or the employees’ organization (e.g. a union) payroll deductions or How the agreement will operate. If the action is not about any of these matters, it cannot be protected industrial action.   3. The action must be organized by the employees or their bargaining representative (e.g. the union).   4. Before action is taken, the parties must have genuinely tried to reach agreement.   5. A majority of eligible employees must vote in support of the action through a secret ballot.   6. The employer must receive at least three days’ written notice of the industrial action before it is taken.   The Fair Work Act specifies that striking employees should not be paid for the period of the strike. Continuity of employment however is not affected.   The issue of whether employees have the right to strike is one of the most contentious issues in industrial relations. Read More