Qlt1 Task 1

Note to students: Since the table below is based on another case study, please note this is just an example of how to present Task 2 and in no way suggests answers to the current case study.

Task 3: Recommendations: (2 pages)

In view of the discussion above, the following recommendations are made regarding actions that could be taken to manage (1) job related attitudes and job satisfaction and organisational commitment (2)motivation of the people identified in the case and (3) what actions could be taken to build a high performance team in the case. Managing Attitudes and Perceptions | Rationale | Peer Assistance Network (PAN) | Introduction of a Peer Assistance Network (PAN) as an advisory exchange would be appropriate as PBA do not have a dedicated HR advocate. Employees are selected to act as quasi-counsellors, hence process is based on peer to peer interaction conducted in-house.
This concept is similar to an ‘Employee Assistance Program’ and provides feedback opportunities on personal and work related issues, such as work-load stress, discrimination and emotional problems (MGT8030 Performance Management & People Development 2008). | Reward programs | Due to feelings of negativity, management should be aware of the link between attitudes and potential behaviour. Unfavourable attitudes may progress from the ‘affective’ to the ‘behavioural’ component catalysing staff resignations, costing the company financially, hence reward programs manage attitudes long term, help value congruence, and create mutual respect. Another effective way to manage attitudes is by measuring job satisfaction via corporate attitude surveys to gain feedback on issues of advancement opportunities, working conditions, freedom of initiative, rewards and recognition, cooperation, and leadership credibility, just to name a few areas for investigation (Wood et al. 2006). | Attitude surveys | Attitude surveys identify the missing links between staff ‘attitudes’ and ‘behaviours’ and aid in creating goals and objectives to move an organisation forward, hence feedback and action planning should follow any survey implementation (Carey & Warner 2002). Additionally, 360º feedback tools that rate performance via peer to peer, manager to peer etc, can be used to identify gaps to develop employees, hence contributing to personal satisfaction and empowerment (Cawley et al. in Tovey & Uren 2006) | Feedback , mentoring, departmental equality, and cross-communications | Feedback , mentoring, departmental equality, and cross-communications should provide a framework for team and new recruit inclusiveness.
Employees at PBA are not aligned with the corporate culture due to all of these factors being missing from the onset; hence poor communications do not develop positive attitudes amongst staff members (Lawton in Human Resource Management International Digest 2008). | Leadership coaching | Leadership coaching is required from the Senior Partner to drive change, navigate strategic direction, retain talent, enhance relationships and build stamina for sustained developmental learning (Australian Growth Coaching 2003). For this to occur the Senior Partner needs to learn about coaching and mentoring himself as even though he holds the main managerial position, management is only about climbing the ladder efficiently. Leadership is knowing you are leaning the ladder against the right wall (Covey 1989). | Actions to improve motivation | Rationale
| Directional Business Plan (DBP) | The main problem underlying PBA’s motivation deficiency is due to the lack of company direction, in which case l proposed a Directional Business Plan (DBP) be implemented with an inclusive Recruitment, Marketing, Public Relations and Career Development Plan. Motivational plans will work if a PM system is installed providing goal setting methods, performance appraisal processes, and reward programs that are aligned with business strategy, employee involvement, and workplace technology. These last three contextual factors mentioned determine high levels of performance, thus work behaviours are strategically driven throughout the organisation collectively (Waddell et al. 2000). | Process and content theories of motivation should be introduced as an integrated model | Process and content theories of motivation should be introduced as an integrated model, such as Lyman et al’s model that is an extension of Vroom’s Expectancy theory building on the performance equation linked to rewards resulting in job satisfaction.The Content theory mix will guide motivational value and promote high levels of individual satisfaction contributing to an intrinsically motivating environment. Improvements in team relationships, information/feedback flows, challenging job design, and lifelong learning potential, are the main features for such environments (Wiesner 2008). | The Senior Partner should be aware of staff making equity comparisons | The senior Partner should be aware of staff making equity comparisons, especially if rewards are visible (Wood et al. 2006), hence managing the equity dynamic should be a paramount priority in maintaining healthy psychological contracts by balancing contributions amongst staff. Furthermore, rewards should be fair and visible, with staff involved in the reward determination, whilst understanding this vital link to performance measurement via well articulated goals (Wiesner 2008). Financial burdens affect employee attitudes as well, hence bonus pay is perceived as ‘real’ money as opposed to plain standard pay. The message here is if PBA want to use ‘money power’ as a key motivator, then introduce a top-gun incentive program (Hersey et al. 2000). | Incentives provide potential security | Incentives provide potential security, thus an integrated model of needs theories concludes that people seek security, social systems and personal growth (Northcraft & Neal 1994) hence a Leadership model should incorporate these three basic human needs. Furthermore Tack (1979) proposes that motivation is synonymous with Leadership, hence is agreeable with Hersey et al. (2006), in that a situational adaptable leadership style is warranted and must begin with Senior Partner directives that are adaptive, which is why l recommended a Situational Leadership program be introduced to PBA. This subject now leads to discuss the issues relating to leadership quality being the ultimate impetus of company success via the motivating and ‘team building’ of its’ people, and is covered in detail in the following analysis of Group Dynamics. | Actions to improve Group and Team Dynamics | Rationale | A specific set of necessary elements for team work needs to be incorporated | A specific set of necessary elements for team work such as specific goals, team purpose, and clear approach creates team inclusiveness (Katzenbach & Smith in Wiesner 2008). Implementing a team building program such as ‘Insight’ containing twelve Team Development modules designed by Dr. Patrick Handley would help to build an inclusive culture and set team direction. The program also contains a personality profiler called ‘Insight Inventory’ helping to improve communications and enhance teamwork and is based on Kurt Lewin’s Field Theory. This inventory is compatible with the MBTI profiler, providing a double check of strengths regarding personality dimensions if used collaboratively and interchangeably (Handley 1999). | The Collective Wisdom Approach | The Collective Wisdom Approach would help harness the power of groups at PBA and dialectic inquiry as a conflict approach procedure would promote honesty and effective decision making processes in order to reach amicable group recommendations (Wiesner 2008). To promote innovation and team work generally, a clear strategy with proper HR systems appropriately linked to support that strategy would be then related to the Critical Success Factors as part of the DBP. |