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lewis_cs1_1.docxRunning head: EMPLOYEE VOICE 1
EMPLOYEE VOICE 7
Employee Voice
Brandy Lewis
Professor Aaron Lockhart, MBA, PHR
BUSI 343-B02
01/22/2017
Introduction Comment by Lockhart, Aaron Scott (School of Business): The introduction should never have a heading that identifies it as the introduction. It is the introduction by virtue of its location (Chapter 2, 2.05, p. 27) (Figure 2.1, pp. 42-43).
The management of the company entrusted the Head of Talent Management with the task of establishing a ‘Martini Culture' in the workplace. The Martini culture refers to a situation whereby an employee has the right to work from any place and at any time (Williams, 2015). The introduction of this culture was aimed at boosting the innovative spirit that the company already had at the workplace. Innovation was meant to help the company expand into new areas in the future. The Head of Talent Management came up with a strategy to give the workers the liberty to work where and when they could yield the best results. The main challenge that the head of talent management faced was trying to bring the senior management team on board. The senior management did not trust that the employees would be working efficiently from other places away from the office, where they could not be supervised (Budd, 2012). However, all the team members eventually came on board and agreed to try introducing this culture into the company.
Implementation of the Martini Culture Comment by Lockhart, Aaron Scott (School of Business): Level 1 headings are centered, in bold print, and in 'Title Case' (Chapter 3, 3.03, pp. 62-63; see Table 3.1 and Figure 2.1).
The Head of Talent utilized the employees who showed interest and organized them into groups in the first stage of implementing the martini culture. He came up with a flexible working system and a performance management mechanism. The first phase was the trial period, and it lasted for three months. During this time the workers were given some flexibility around the working hours which they were used to. The employees were allowed to set the output levels which they wanted to reach. The responsibility of the management was to train them and create an enabling environment for achieving the set goals. The managers were also required to assist the workers in acquiring the necessary skills needed for them to achieve the set goals (Williams, 2015). The managers did this with support from the head of talent.
The three-month trials period was a success, and the managers decided to adopt the new ways. Adoption of this culture was in the form of removal of restrictions revolving around where and when the employees would work. The office dress code was also modified to enhance this management scheme (Budd, 2012) further.
Challenges
There were, nonetheless, some difficulties that were witnessed in the establishment of a martini culture. The primary problem that the implementation faced was that some managers did not understand the culture as much as they claimed to do. To help solve this, a regular management survey was administered. The survey was done to identify problematic areas and to assist in the development of the manager’s skills. Although some changes were being noted, it is essential to point out that the full utilization of the culture had not yet been achieved. This situation was addressed by having sessions which were to show employees that they had a significant role to play in achieving their set goals (Tracy, 2014).
Effect of a Union on Implementation and Effectiveness
If there was a union among the employees it would have been difficult to negotiate the new terms. This difficulty arises because of the lengthy negotiations that unions engage in when it comes to salaries and allowances. A union will also emphasize working the minimum number of hours agreed upon in the contract (Freeman et al., 2007). The majority of unions are also very reluctant when it comes to trying out new management methods.
Employee Voice as a Human Right
Every employee deserves to be heard and therefore their right to express themselves in the workplace should be included in the constitution as a basic human right. The freedom of expression in this case relates to saying what would help to improve the individual or group performance. Every worker should be able to work their way out of such situations because they already have their account. The employee account is, therefore, a firm basis (Freeman et al. 2007)
Recommendations
The case study has generated the following important lessons.: The senior management team should be wholly on board and also understand what the initiative is about, the workers should be included in the system design and implementation, it is important to identify individuals who can deal with matters arising as soon as they come up, finally it is essential for one to allow individuals to voice their concerns on any changes as long as they want what’s best for the organization (Williams, 2015).
Biblical Aspect
King Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon at the time ordered that Daniel, Mishael, Azariah and Hananiah be given food and wine from the food that he ate. The king also ordered that they could be trained in the wisdom of the Babylonians. Daniel, however, refused to eat and drink the food and wine from the king. Daniel opted to eat vegetables (Holy Bible: King James Version, 2010). Daniel sought to retain the right to eat whatever he wanted. This is a strategy for employees to maintain some aspects of their culture and freedom even though the management would want them to change (Tracy, 2014. Retaining of these elements can be seen as an effective strategy because Daniel ended up being the wisest among the people working in the palace. Comment by Lockhart, Aaron Scott (School of Business): A biblical integration is not an appropriate conclusion as it is introducing new thoughts and material. An academic paper must include an introduction, body, and conclusion.
References:
Budd, J. W. (2012). Labor relations: Striking a balance (4th Ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Irwin. ISBN: 9780078029431.
Freeman, R. B., Boxall, P. F., & Haynes, P. (2007). What workers say: Employee voice in the Anglo-American workplace. Ithaca: ILR Press/Cornell University Press.
The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2010). Comment by Lockhart, Aaron Scott (School of Business): Classical works, such as the Bible, are not considered scholarly sources and should not be included in the reference list. Please note that the Bible does not count toward the minimum scholarly source requirements. Comment by Lockhart, Aaron Scott (School of Business): All books should be referenced with author name and year first and title of the work in italics following surname and year (e.g., Smith, S. S. (2000). Child learning styles.). Location and publisher, 'Retrieved from' and a URL, or doi should follow the book title if applicable depending on availability. In the case of multiple editions replace the author name with the editor name and follow editor surname and initials with Ed. In parentheses (e.g., Samuel, S. S. (Ed.). (2003). Child learning styles.) (Chapter 7, 7.02, pp. 202-205).
Williams. (2015). Effective Management.
Tracy, B. (2014). Management.
