Employee Involvement Chapter Objectives * Understanding motivation « Empowering employees + Assessing current levels through surveys + Basics of Empowerment * Understanding functioning and effectiveness of teams + Encouraging employee participation through suggestion systems * Understanding the concept of Gain sharing + Brief overview of performance appraisals * Overview of unions and employee involvement Introduction Employee involvement is one approach to improving quality and productivity. Its use is credited for con- tributing to the success enjoyed by the Japanese in the world marketplace. Employee involvement is not a replacement for management nor is it the final word in quality improvement. It is a means to better mect the organization's goals for quality and productivity at all levels of an organization. Motivation Knowledge of motivation helps us to understand the utilization of employee involvement to achieve process improvement.76» CHAPTERS Self-actwalization Social Figure 4-1 Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs One of the first and most popular motivational theories was developed by Abraham Maslow. He stated that motivation could best be explained in terms of a hierarchy of needs and that there were five levels. These lev- els are survival, security, social, esteem, and self-actualization. They are shown in Figure 4-1. Once a given level is satisfied, it can no longer motivate a person. Relating these needs to motivation, we know that Level 1 (survival) means food, clothing, and shelter, which is usually provided by a job. In the workplace, Level 1 needs include proper lighting, heating/air con- ditioning, ventilation, phone system, data/voice access, and computer information system. Level 2 (security) can mean a safe place to work and job security, which are very important to employces. When the organiza- tion demonstrates an interest in the personal well-being of employees, it is a motivating factor. A threat of los ing one’s job certainly does not enhance motivation, Level 2 is not limited to job security, It also includes having privacy on the job such as being able to lock one’s office door or having lockable storage for personal items, as well as having a safe work environment that may include ergonomic adjustable furniture Because we are social animals, Level 3 (social) relates to our need to belong. It has been said that cutting someone out of the group is devastating to that individual. Isolation is an effective punishment. Conversely, giv- ing an individual the opportunity to be part of the group by feeling important and needed will motivate that per- son. If possible, employees should be provided with both formal social areas such as a cafeteria and conference rooms and informal arcas such as water coolers and bulletin boards. Being a member of a teams a good way to bring employees into the group. Level 4 (esteem) relates to pride and self-worth. Everyone, regardless of position or job assignment, wants to be recognized as a person of value to the organization. Where possible, employees should be given offices or personal spaces with aesthetics, Business cards, workspace size, and office protocols also provide employees with a certain level of self-esteem within an organization.* Seeking advice or input into business or production processes is a good way of telling employees that they are of value. This activity requires giving employees control and freedom of their jabs by providing trusts Level 5 (elf-actuatization) says that individuals must be given the opportunity to go as far as their abilities will take * Brenner, Pamela M., “Motivating Knowledge Workers: The Role of the Workplace.” Quality Progress January 1999): 33-37. = Brenner. > Brenner. + Brenner. * Brenner.EMPLOYEE INVOLVEMENT = 77 them, Many organizations have a policy of promoting from within. It is tre that some employees do not want to move up the corporate ladder, which is understandable, However, those who do want to move up must know that itis possible. Itis important to note that as employees move up the hierarchy, they will inimediately revert back to the previous level if they feel threatened. For example, if an employee is satisfied in Level 3, a rumor of down- sizing may cause an immediate return to Level 2.6 Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory Frederick Hereberg extended the general work of Maslow by using empirical research to develop his theory on employee motivation. He found that people were motivated by recognition, responsibility, achievement, advancement, and the work itself. These factors were labeled motivators. In addition, his research showed that bad feelings were associated with low salary, minimal fringe benefits, poor working conditions, ill-defined onganizational policies, and mediocre technical supervision. These job-related factors were labeled dissaés- fiers or hygiene factors, which implies they are preventable. [Lis imporiant to realize that dissatisfiers are often in nature and motivators are intrinsic. The presence of the extrinsic conditions does not necessarily motivate employees: however, their absence results in dissatisfaction among employees. Absence of motivat- ing factors does not make employees dissatisfied, but when there are motivating factors present, they do pro- vide sirong levels of motivation that result in good job performance for the individual and the organization. In general, dissatisfiers must be taken care of before motivators can be actuated. Herzberg's dissatisfiers are roughly equivalent to Mastow’s lower levels, and the motivators are similar to the upper levels.? Employee Wants While management thinks that good p: pay is the number one want of the employee, survey results show that this factor is usually in the middle of the ranking. Table 4-1 shows employee wants and manager perceptions of employee wants. Employee wants tend to follow the theories of Maslow and Herzberg. It is interesting to note that the managers’ perceptions are much different. By involving employees through the use of teams in meaningful work and by providing the proper reward and recognition, managers can reap the advantages of greater quality and productivity along with employee satisfaction. This chapter describes how managers can develop employee motivation and how they can involve their employees through empowerment. If managers are to effectively motivate employees, they must align their actions closer to the motivators. Achieving a Motivated Work Force® The building ofa motivated work Force is fo the most part an indirect process. Managers tall levels cannot cause an employee to become motivated; they must create the environment for individuals to motivate themselves. Con- cepts to achieve a motivated work force are as follows: 1. Know thyself. Managers must understand theit own motivations, strengths, and weaknesses, This under- standing can best be obtained by having peers and employees anonymously appraise the manager's perform- ance. Some organizations like Cummins India Ltd. have implemented 360 degree feedback system for the managers. Motivating managers know that the most valuable resource is people and that their success largely depends on employees achieving their goals. © Ann S, Daughtrey and Betty R. Hicks, Contemporary Supervision (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1989). 7 Fred Luthans and Mark J, Martinko, The Practice of Supervision and Management, McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York, 1979, * This section adapted, with permission, from Theodore B. Kini, “Motivating the Unmotivated,” Quality Digest (March 1993).