What did you think about the blog assignment? Should I keep it, modify it, or get rid of it? Did you like writing papers in this format rather than the traditional way? Anything you would change, expand or reduce about the class?
I really enjoyed the blog assignment this semester in Organizational Communication. I thought that it was a more casual way to approach the class. For me it was easier to write the assignments without rigid guidelines and topics. The format of the questions made it more about expressing and applying what I have learned rather then restating it out of the textbook.
For future semesters, I would recommend keeping the blog because this was the first time I had ever been forced to work with Blogger. I learned a lot about posting on blogger and how to use other people’s sites as sources for additional information. I would modify some of the expectations though. For example, in my opinion, having an RSS feed is unnecessary for this type of site. If students are simply using it for a class, like we were, then there are probably not enough visitors to make having an RSS feed useful. However, this is a minor detail in the assignment. Overall, I the blog was a fun way to write the papers rather then turning them in following the traditional format.
For the class as a whole, I would change the structure of the classroom discussion. When everyone talked about various topics and points of interest, it was hard for me to always follow what was going on. The way I learn the best is through a bit more structure of the main points. However, it was interesting to hear what other people viewed as important points from the readings as compared to what I thought was important. The amount of readings and the blog questions were always very reasonable and neither overwhelming or too easy.
Overall, I really enjoyed Organizational Communication and the blog assignment throughout the semester. As I mentioned before, I would suggest keeping the blogs and changing only a few parts of the class including the discussion structure and the blog expectations. I hope to use some of the information I learned this semester as I begin working on my senior comprehensive project over the next few semesters.
Friday, December 14, 2007
Final Organizational Communication Post
Based on the themes we have discussed, describe one major change that you would make to an organization you are familiar with. This change could have to do with the organization of space or time, the use of team-based work, management practices, gender relations, or any number of other themes we have covered.
First describe the current organization. Then describe the limitations you see in the way things are currently run. Then describe the changes you would implement providing clear details of the change. Finally, describe how these changes would make things “better”.
As you write this paper refer to Chapters 2, 3, 4, 11. Do this by discussing which approach or approaches to organizational communication the setting currently seems to rely on. Then discuss which approach to organizational communication your proposed changes are based on. In other words, think of yourself as an organizational communication theorist and argue for certain principles.
You can also use chapter 11 to discuss to what extent the changes you propose will encourage people to act mindfully, with integrity, and ethically.
An organization that I am very familiar with is the Saint Mary’s College food provider, Sodexho foods. They supply all the food for the dining hall, the cyber café, the a la carte section in Madeleva Hall, Dalloway’s, and caters any additional event on campus. The food services staff works very hard all year round to make sure that students and staff eat well balance, well prepared meals. However, there are a few major changes that should be made so that students use the Sodexho services more.
The biggest change that must be made is their organization of time. The change does not need to be made so that the workers are more efficient like Taylor’s time and motion studies (Eisenberg, 72). Rather, the time the organization is opened and running for people to use needs to be readjusted. The current hours for the main meals of lunch and dinner are as follows: Lunch 11-2 pm and dinner 4:30-7 pm. In addition, one meal option is available at dinner until 7:30pm. Though three hours for each mealtime seems like a good idea and plenty amount of time for students to get to eat, many students are not able to get to the dining hall in time. Athletic practices, musicals, homework, and extracurricular activities are just a few of the things students are doing instead of making it to dinner on time. Also, if students make it to the dining hall by 7 pm, the food is usually left over from earlier in the night. This means, the warm cookies are no longer being made, the pizza is cold and left in the pan, and this makes the few dining options even smaller. Most college campuses have multiple dining halls and at least some of them will be opened later for the students’ convenience. However, Saint Mary’s College does not have this option.
Another change that needs to be made is the menu that is served everyday. It is obvious that the staff makes an effort to have different meal options and at every meal. However, there are some things that should be replaced. For example, hamburgers are always available. Most students, however, would like to have a healthier option like a chicken cesar wrap. In addition, the vegetarian section is very limiting to students that chose this option. It is oftentimes the same sorts of food, rice, white pasta noodles, and grilled vegetables. Little creativity is put into the vegetarian menu. However, it is possible to improve upon the service hours and the menu options with a few simple procedures.
In order to make the dining hall better, it needs to be opened later. Sodexho would probably argue that there are other services available on campus that are opened later for students. However, the cyber café is always fried, greasy food and the hours for Dalloway’s are sporadic and hard to follow. The dining hall simply needs to be opened to a later hour so that athletes and busy students are able to eat a meal without rushing. Secondly, the menu options need to be reevaluated. There are many ways in which this could be done. An easy way would be through surveys. Students should fill out surveys about the food service and exactly what type of food they would like to see in its place. Though surveys are sometimes passed out in the dining hall, they never ask for specific suggestions for meals. Rather, they usually ask if you are happy with the food service. If you answer “no,” there are no more questions about why you are unhappy. Surveys are also a great way to find out overall customer satisfaction with the company.
Along with the surveys, quality-improvement teams would help the food service. These teams have goals, which “are to improve customer satisfaction, evaluate and improve team performance, and reduce costs” (Eisenberg, 241). This type of team would greatly benefit Sodexho because it would enable a lot of brainstorming. The more ideas that are available, the more the service and food options will improve.
Organization through space could also be improved in the dining hall. During nice meals such as Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, the lights are dimmed and music is playing softly in the background. This setting is very nice for the customers, better known as students, to relax in. Reorganizing the setting through the use of lighting and music makes the area a lot more enjoyable. The more enjoyable it is, the more students will use the services and in turn, earn Sodexho money.
Sodexho seems to follow the human relations approach to management. This approach wants people “to feel united, tied, bound to something, some cause, bigger than they, commanding them yet worthy of them, summoning them to significance in living” (Eisenberg, 82). Though it does not seem like the kitchen staff or dishwashers would feel this way about the company they are working for, I think that they do feel this way for Sodexho. Barry Bowles, the Saint Mary’s College Sodexho manager, tries hard to be inclusive with his team of workers. At every big event, Bowles is energetic and leads his team well. Also, he is on campus nearly every day of the week making sure the services run smoothly. Sodexho hires many mentally challenged employees to do certain tasks around the dining hall. These employees are just as significant part of the team as any other member. The management of Sodexho is excellent and does not need to be changed.
The changes that I suggested were to change the space and time organization and to better serve the needs of the customer. These changes could be implemented into the organization quite easily and they would increase the integrity of Sodexho foods. “Integrity is a mindful state of acting purposefully to fulfill the promises and commitments you make to others” (Eisenberg, 346). The promises that Sodexho has already promised are to serve the students well and incorporating the suggested changes would increase their integrity.
Overall, Sodexho Foods is a very well run company with excellent management. However, some changes need to be implemented to make it more desirable to its customers. By making the changes that were suggested, Sodexho could increase their teamwork mentality, increase customers and profits, and serve the needs of the customers exceptionally well.
Eisenberg, Eric M., H.l. Goodall, Jr., and Angela Trethewey. Organizational Communication Balancing Creativity and Constraint. 5th ed. Boston, New York: Bedford/ St. Martin's, 2006.
First describe the current organization. Then describe the limitations you see in the way things are currently run. Then describe the changes you would implement providing clear details of the change. Finally, describe how these changes would make things “better”.
As you write this paper refer to Chapters 2, 3, 4, 11. Do this by discussing which approach or approaches to organizational communication the setting currently seems to rely on. Then discuss which approach to organizational communication your proposed changes are based on. In other words, think of yourself as an organizational communication theorist and argue for certain principles.
You can also use chapter 11 to discuss to what extent the changes you propose will encourage people to act mindfully, with integrity, and ethically.
An organization that I am very familiar with is the Saint Mary’s College food provider, Sodexho foods. They supply all the food for the dining hall, the cyber café, the a la carte section in Madeleva Hall, Dalloway’s, and caters any additional event on campus. The food services staff works very hard all year round to make sure that students and staff eat well balance, well prepared meals. However, there are a few major changes that should be made so that students use the Sodexho services more.
The biggest change that must be made is their organization of time. The change does not need to be made so that the workers are more efficient like Taylor’s time and motion studies (Eisenberg, 72). Rather, the time the organization is opened and running for people to use needs to be readjusted. The current hours for the main meals of lunch and dinner are as follows: Lunch 11-2 pm and dinner 4:30-7 pm. In addition, one meal option is available at dinner until 7:30pm. Though three hours for each mealtime seems like a good idea and plenty amount of time for students to get to eat, many students are not able to get to the dining hall in time. Athletic practices, musicals, homework, and extracurricular activities are just a few of the things students are doing instead of making it to dinner on time. Also, if students make it to the dining hall by 7 pm, the food is usually left over from earlier in the night. This means, the warm cookies are no longer being made, the pizza is cold and left in the pan, and this makes the few dining options even smaller. Most college campuses have multiple dining halls and at least some of them will be opened later for the students’ convenience. However, Saint Mary’s College does not have this option.
Another change that needs to be made is the menu that is served everyday. It is obvious that the staff makes an effort to have different meal options and at every meal. However, there are some things that should be replaced. For example, hamburgers are always available. Most students, however, would like to have a healthier option like a chicken cesar wrap. In addition, the vegetarian section is very limiting to students that chose this option. It is oftentimes the same sorts of food, rice, white pasta noodles, and grilled vegetables. Little creativity is put into the vegetarian menu. However, it is possible to improve upon the service hours and the menu options with a few simple procedures.
In order to make the dining hall better, it needs to be opened later. Sodexho would probably argue that there are other services available on campus that are opened later for students. However, the cyber café is always fried, greasy food and the hours for Dalloway’s are sporadic and hard to follow. The dining hall simply needs to be opened to a later hour so that athletes and busy students are able to eat a meal without rushing. Secondly, the menu options need to be reevaluated. There are many ways in which this could be done. An easy way would be through surveys. Students should fill out surveys about the food service and exactly what type of food they would like to see in its place. Though surveys are sometimes passed out in the dining hall, they never ask for specific suggestions for meals. Rather, they usually ask if you are happy with the food service. If you answer “no,” there are no more questions about why you are unhappy. Surveys are also a great way to find out overall customer satisfaction with the company.
Along with the surveys, quality-improvement teams would help the food service. These teams have goals, which “are to improve customer satisfaction, evaluate and improve team performance, and reduce costs” (Eisenberg, 241). This type of team would greatly benefit Sodexho because it would enable a lot of brainstorming. The more ideas that are available, the more the service and food options will improve.
Organization through space could also be improved in the dining hall. During nice meals such as Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, the lights are dimmed and music is playing softly in the background. This setting is very nice for the customers, better known as students, to relax in. Reorganizing the setting through the use of lighting and music makes the area a lot more enjoyable. The more enjoyable it is, the more students will use the services and in turn, earn Sodexho money.
Sodexho seems to follow the human relations approach to management. This approach wants people “to feel united, tied, bound to something, some cause, bigger than they, commanding them yet worthy of them, summoning them to significance in living” (Eisenberg, 82). Though it does not seem like the kitchen staff or dishwashers would feel this way about the company they are working for, I think that they do feel this way for Sodexho. Barry Bowles, the Saint Mary’s College Sodexho manager, tries hard to be inclusive with his team of workers. At every big event, Bowles is energetic and leads his team well. Also, he is on campus nearly every day of the week making sure the services run smoothly. Sodexho hires many mentally challenged employees to do certain tasks around the dining hall. These employees are just as significant part of the team as any other member. The management of Sodexho is excellent and does not need to be changed.
The changes that I suggested were to change the space and time organization and to better serve the needs of the customer. These changes could be implemented into the organization quite easily and they would increase the integrity of Sodexho foods. “Integrity is a mindful state of acting purposefully to fulfill the promises and commitments you make to others” (Eisenberg, 346). The promises that Sodexho has already promised are to serve the students well and incorporating the suggested changes would increase their integrity.
Overall, Sodexho Foods is a very well run company with excellent management. However, some changes need to be implemented to make it more desirable to its customers. By making the changes that were suggested, Sodexho could increase their teamwork mentality, increase customers and profits, and serve the needs of the customers exceptionally well.
Eisenberg, Eric M., H.l. Goodall, Jr., and Angela Trethewey. Organizational Communication Balancing Creativity and Constraint. 5th ed. Boston, New York: Bedford/ St. Martin's, 2006.
Friday, December 7, 2007
Teamwork and Concertive Control
Some ambiguities are associated with the introduction of teamwork into contemporary workplaces. On the one hand, teamwork is often celebrated as a way to empower workers. On the other hand, workers may feel this type of organization to be even more repressive than classical forms of control. Use the material from chapter six and Laurie Graham’s article on Subaru-Isuzu to discuss why this is so. The concept of “concertive control” is especially important for discussing this issue.
Teamwork and enthusiastic involvement is very important to Subaru-Isuzu workers. Actually, these goals are found everywhere throughout the company and they are the base of the worker’s positive and productive attitudes. Workers are asked to put all of their effort into the overall success of the company. They company plea asks workers to “establish a workplace where creativity comes naturally” (Graham, 95). Also they work “with each other as a team, trying to eliminate all possible waste, looking for ways to improve, and keeping each one’s own work area a clean, happy place” (Graham, 95).
The positive attitudes that are present in the plant are unlike other job attitudes. The trust that workers have between one another is an integral part of the work life. It encourages enthusiasm and better production on the job. It is easy to see how happy employees would increase production and overall increase profits for the company.
Subaru-Isuzu runs on teamwork. The individual worker’s self discipline is supposed to keep them working hard and producing as much as possible. If individual motivation fails for some reason, then peer pressure might be put on the worker from others. Also, the other workers could support the worker that is not being as productive as he or she should. Finally, a supervisor or manager would be available to turn the production lull around if self-discipline and peer pressure did not work. Compliance through one of these three ways is likely to occur and get the production back on track.
SIA controls its workers on a cultural level as well. The team structure is used on the floor level where they work in small groups. These groups encourage “solidarity and support” (Graham, 107). When all members of the team realize the company’s goals, then they are understanding the company better and also being more productive and dedicated. In addition to teamwork, SIA has a campaign to shape organizational culture. They try to eliminate the fear that exists between workers and management so that everyone feels like a part of the team. This cooperation occurred because special language was used, ideology, rituals, and symbols. Equality was repeated many times because everyone was part of the SIA team.
Not all of SIA’s production tools were team builders. The computerized system that they use would focus on any team that fell behind in their work. When a team was behind or had some sort of problem, that team’s music would play over the loudspeaker system so everyone could hear. This put a great amount of pressure on teams because they did not want their music played over the speaker, displaying their troubles.
Overall, Subaru-Isuzu relies heavily on teamwork and individuals being responsible for their own discipline and work ethic. This is similar to concertive control. “Concertive control occurs when employees police themselves, developing the means for their own control” (Eisenberg, 177). Workers decide together what is appropriate and what values and rules should apply to them. This allows workers to control themselves and they do not need supervisors. When something goes wrong under this type of system, individuals are not blamed. Rather, the system is the reason for any problems. However, a system cannot be held accountable for problems. When something happens, the entire company, or system is then in trouble and not just an individual or a group of people.
In my previous working experience, the teamwork model was used. In theory it was supposed to make everyone feel like part of the group and like they had a say in what was going on throughout the company. However, this was not always the case. It was obvious that the owner and manager made all the decisions and that the workers really had no say in anything at all. Though this was obvious to the workers, management still insisted that we were a team, and even called us a family. Management tried to use the teamwork model as a way to keep the employees happy and motivated in their working by making it seem like we were all working together. While they believed that we were a family and that their teamwork ideal was being implemented, everyone basically avoided it. Employees were not always happy to work there and the false teamwork mentality was really work the opposite of the intended purpose. Though the teamwork strategy was supposed to empower the workers, it really made most employees feel repressed and worthless, which was evident in their work ethic.
It seems as though a balance must be made between teamwork and concertive control in order to make workers motivated. The teamwork model cannot be over used so that employees do not believe it, as was the case in my previous job. Also, concertive control can be very beneficial because it inspires employees to get their work done and be positive and motivated throughout the workday. However, when it is taken to the extreme, individuals are not held accountable for their actions. It is the entire system that is blamed if anything goes wrong. This is also a problematic structure because people may begin to feel like a part of nothing, just a company. When people are so a part of a team and a company that they are not held accountable for their actions, then they may feel uninspired by that as well. Companies need to find a balance in their management decisions so that employees feel like a part of the company, but also an individual.
Eisenberg, Eric M., H.l. Goodall, Jr., and Angela Trethewey. Organizational Communication Balancing Creativity and Constraint. 5th ed. Boston, New York: Bedford/ St. Martin's, 2006.
Laurie Graham, On the Line at Subaru-Izusu: The Japanese Model and the AmericanWorker. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1995.
Teamwork and enthusiastic involvement is very important to Subaru-Isuzu workers. Actually, these goals are found everywhere throughout the company and they are the base of the worker’s positive and productive attitudes. Workers are asked to put all of their effort into the overall success of the company. They company plea asks workers to “establish a workplace where creativity comes naturally” (Graham, 95). Also they work “with each other as a team, trying to eliminate all possible waste, looking for ways to improve, and keeping each one’s own work area a clean, happy place” (Graham, 95).
The positive attitudes that are present in the plant are unlike other job attitudes. The trust that workers have between one another is an integral part of the work life. It encourages enthusiasm and better production on the job. It is easy to see how happy employees would increase production and overall increase profits for the company.
Subaru-Isuzu runs on teamwork. The individual worker’s self discipline is supposed to keep them working hard and producing as much as possible. If individual motivation fails for some reason, then peer pressure might be put on the worker from others. Also, the other workers could support the worker that is not being as productive as he or she should. Finally, a supervisor or manager would be available to turn the production lull around if self-discipline and peer pressure did not work. Compliance through one of these three ways is likely to occur and get the production back on track.
SIA controls its workers on a cultural level as well. The team structure is used on the floor level where they work in small groups. These groups encourage “solidarity and support” (Graham, 107). When all members of the team realize the company’s goals, then they are understanding the company better and also being more productive and dedicated. In addition to teamwork, SIA has a campaign to shape organizational culture. They try to eliminate the fear that exists between workers and management so that everyone feels like a part of the team. This cooperation occurred because special language was used, ideology, rituals, and symbols. Equality was repeated many times because everyone was part of the SIA team.
Not all of SIA’s production tools were team builders. The computerized system that they use would focus on any team that fell behind in their work. When a team was behind or had some sort of problem, that team’s music would play over the loudspeaker system so everyone could hear. This put a great amount of pressure on teams because they did not want their music played over the speaker, displaying their troubles.
Overall, Subaru-Isuzu relies heavily on teamwork and individuals being responsible for their own discipline and work ethic. This is similar to concertive control. “Concertive control occurs when employees police themselves, developing the means for their own control” (Eisenberg, 177). Workers decide together what is appropriate and what values and rules should apply to them. This allows workers to control themselves and they do not need supervisors. When something goes wrong under this type of system, individuals are not blamed. Rather, the system is the reason for any problems. However, a system cannot be held accountable for problems. When something happens, the entire company, or system is then in trouble and not just an individual or a group of people.
In my previous working experience, the teamwork model was used. In theory it was supposed to make everyone feel like part of the group and like they had a say in what was going on throughout the company. However, this was not always the case. It was obvious that the owner and manager made all the decisions and that the workers really had no say in anything at all. Though this was obvious to the workers, management still insisted that we were a team, and even called us a family. Management tried to use the teamwork model as a way to keep the employees happy and motivated in their working by making it seem like we were all working together. While they believed that we were a family and that their teamwork ideal was being implemented, everyone basically avoided it. Employees were not always happy to work there and the false teamwork mentality was really work the opposite of the intended purpose. Though the teamwork strategy was supposed to empower the workers, it really made most employees feel repressed and worthless, which was evident in their work ethic.
It seems as though a balance must be made between teamwork and concertive control in order to make workers motivated. The teamwork model cannot be over used so that employees do not believe it, as was the case in my previous job. Also, concertive control can be very beneficial because it inspires employees to get their work done and be positive and motivated throughout the workday. However, when it is taken to the extreme, individuals are not held accountable for their actions. It is the entire system that is blamed if anything goes wrong. This is also a problematic structure because people may begin to feel like a part of nothing, just a company. When people are so a part of a team and a company that they are not held accountable for their actions, then they may feel uninspired by that as well. Companies need to find a balance in their management decisions so that employees feel like a part of the company, but also an individual.
Eisenberg, Eric M., H.l. Goodall, Jr., and Angela Trethewey. Organizational Communication Balancing Creativity and Constraint. 5th ed. Boston, New York: Bedford/ St. Martin's, 2006.
Laurie Graham, On the Line at Subaru-Izusu: The Japanese Model and the AmericanWorker. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1995.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Organizational Culture
Chapter five identifies several components of organizational culture including artifacts, stories, rituals, and ceremonies. Think about an organization that you have been a member of or are familiar with, and discuss how organizational culture contributes to people’s sense of membership within that organization. Close by discussing whether the organization actively attempts to shape the organizational culture, as in the examples discussed in class, and what this might accomplish.
I spent the summer after high school graduation working at Dunham’s Department Store located in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania. A majority of the time, I was the sidewalk sales clerk. I organized, cleaned, and ran the register at the sidewalk sale. Usually, I was the only employee working outside and so I had to represent the company well. Hundreds of tourists come to Wellsboro everyday, and one of the places to see is Dunham’s Department Store.
Dunham’s was opened in 1905 by the Dunham family and is still open today. Wellsboro is known for its canyon, beautiful trees, gaslights, and antiques. When people come to visit Wellsboro, they often stop at Dunham’s. It is so popular because it is a family owned and run store. Chain stores are sparse in Wellsboro and Dunham’s has its own unique feel and style. It is important that all the employees follow this organizational culture to that it continues its success.
Dunham’s follows a metaphor because it sees its company as a family. The Dunham’s website has one page called “Our Family Serving Yours.” Though the company was started by their family and is still owned and run by the Dunham family, management sees the employees as members of the family as well. Management tries to increase productivity and customer service by relying on this metaphor. Some employees are not always influenced by the metaphor because they have been a part of the “family” for so long. It is only when they are reminded of the “family” unit that they are a part of that their dedication is renewed.
Employees are reminded of the Dunham family metaphor when they participate in rituals. The annual organization-wide party is a ritual that honors its top employees. Awards are given out when employees have been working for the “family” unit for a certain amount of years. For example, a ten-year award or a twenty-year award might be given out. These rituals renew the employees desire to continue working for Dunham’s.
Other daily rituals take place and I was a part of many of them. Early in the morning, the entire staff would meet in the store to help carry out the entire sidewalk sale. Everyone would participate in the carrying of tables and merchandise. During this time, employees talked and relaxed together. It is a time of socialization as well as working together as a team. Birthday celebrations also occurred in the main office. One of the secretaries would bake a cake or cookies and everyone could feel free to help themselves to some of the food throughout the day. All of these rituals helped employees to get to know each other better and work harder for the company.
If there was ever a time that an employee was not feeling motivated or had a negative attitude, they would see Mr. Dunham walking around their attitude would change. Mr. Dunham is the owner of the store and is seen as a hero of the company. He is in his seventies and still comes to work everyday. He is not forced to be a hero in the company. For example, employees do not have to watch a movie about how he founded the store and why you should respect him. Rather, he walks around and talks with all the employees and is very kind to everyone. Employees want to work harder to make Mr. Dunham happy. His family opened the store and he is very determined and driven to keep it running for a long time into the future. Employees see Mr. Dunham as the hero that they do not want to disappoint.
Artifacts are present in Dunham’s and on the employees themselves. The company dress code is business casual, but you must always be appropriate and put together. Sandals and open toed shoes are not allowed. Similarly, appropriate tops and skirt lengths are required for women. Men must wear a shirt and a tie at all times. This dress code enables customers to trust the fashion advice of the well-dressed employee. Artifacts are also present in the layout of the store. The floor plan has been the same for many decades and this shows the long history of the company.
Along with artifacts, performances are a big part of Dunham’s. Employees must be very positive and helpful to the employees at all times. They must have the passion for the work they are doing and try to help them as much as possible. When a new employee is hired, they are slightly out of the social network. This is because the “family” has been around for so long and a new member is hard for some of the employees to get used to. However, performances around the business and through the reassigned rituals, enables the new employees to fit in relatively quickly. The lunchroom is a big part in this integration into the company. Everyone eats together in the lunchroom and it is a time for the new member to learn about other employees and slowly enter into their social network.
Finally, the values of Dunham’s Department Store are very similar to other company values. Employees must be honest in their dealing with money and with management. They must be helpful and positive to the customers and to other employees. An overall positive attitude is required in order for the company to do well and earn money. The management expects all of these values and they are not necessarily outlined for new employees. They may be discussed before a person begins work and if they are not followed, a meeting with management will be required. Overall, Dunham’s bases its values on whatever it takes to make the customer happy and keep the business running.
Dunham’s Department Store does try and shape organizational culture by having certain rituals, metaphors, artifacts, performances, heroes, and values. Without all of these factors influencing the employees, the culture would be extremely different. Management requires things like the types of artifacts that must be worn by employees and working together to form these rituals. Mostly, the owners and managers of the store enforce the family metaphor because they want their store to be seen as a family atmosphere. Employees have created the other parts of the organizational culture over time. They have done so to help socialization between them and encourage teamwork. Overall, Dunham’s management does not heavily enforce rules, values, or regulations. Mostly, they are expected of their employees and negative effects happen when they are not followed. The organizational culture of Dunham’s Department Store is present and strong and will continue into the future.
Please see Dunham's Department Store Links for extra information.
I spent the summer after high school graduation working at Dunham’s Department Store located in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania. A majority of the time, I was the sidewalk sales clerk. I organized, cleaned, and ran the register at the sidewalk sale. Usually, I was the only employee working outside and so I had to represent the company well. Hundreds of tourists come to Wellsboro everyday, and one of the places to see is Dunham’s Department Store.
Dunham’s was opened in 1905 by the Dunham family and is still open today. Wellsboro is known for its canyon, beautiful trees, gaslights, and antiques. When people come to visit Wellsboro, they often stop at Dunham’s. It is so popular because it is a family owned and run store. Chain stores are sparse in Wellsboro and Dunham’s has its own unique feel and style. It is important that all the employees follow this organizational culture to that it continues its success.
Dunham’s follows a metaphor because it sees its company as a family. The Dunham’s website has one page called “Our Family Serving Yours.” Though the company was started by their family and is still owned and run by the Dunham family, management sees the employees as members of the family as well. Management tries to increase productivity and customer service by relying on this metaphor. Some employees are not always influenced by the metaphor because they have been a part of the “family” for so long. It is only when they are reminded of the “family” unit that they are a part of that their dedication is renewed.
Employees are reminded of the Dunham family metaphor when they participate in rituals. The annual organization-wide party is a ritual that honors its top employees. Awards are given out when employees have been working for the “family” unit for a certain amount of years. For example, a ten-year award or a twenty-year award might be given out. These rituals renew the employees desire to continue working for Dunham’s.
Other daily rituals take place and I was a part of many of them. Early in the morning, the entire staff would meet in the store to help carry out the entire sidewalk sale. Everyone would participate in the carrying of tables and merchandise. During this time, employees talked and relaxed together. It is a time of socialization as well as working together as a team. Birthday celebrations also occurred in the main office. One of the secretaries would bake a cake or cookies and everyone could feel free to help themselves to some of the food throughout the day. All of these rituals helped employees to get to know each other better and work harder for the company.
If there was ever a time that an employee was not feeling motivated or had a negative attitude, they would see Mr. Dunham walking around their attitude would change. Mr. Dunham is the owner of the store and is seen as a hero of the company. He is in his seventies and still comes to work everyday. He is not forced to be a hero in the company. For example, employees do not have to watch a movie about how he founded the store and why you should respect him. Rather, he walks around and talks with all the employees and is very kind to everyone. Employees want to work harder to make Mr. Dunham happy. His family opened the store and he is very determined and driven to keep it running for a long time into the future. Employees see Mr. Dunham as the hero that they do not want to disappoint.
Artifacts are present in Dunham’s and on the employees themselves. The company dress code is business casual, but you must always be appropriate and put together. Sandals and open toed shoes are not allowed. Similarly, appropriate tops and skirt lengths are required for women. Men must wear a shirt and a tie at all times. This dress code enables customers to trust the fashion advice of the well-dressed employee. Artifacts are also present in the layout of the store. The floor plan has been the same for many decades and this shows the long history of the company.
Along with artifacts, performances are a big part of Dunham’s. Employees must be very positive and helpful to the employees at all times. They must have the passion for the work they are doing and try to help them as much as possible. When a new employee is hired, they are slightly out of the social network. This is because the “family” has been around for so long and a new member is hard for some of the employees to get used to. However, performances around the business and through the reassigned rituals, enables the new employees to fit in relatively quickly. The lunchroom is a big part in this integration into the company. Everyone eats together in the lunchroom and it is a time for the new member to learn about other employees and slowly enter into their social network.
Finally, the values of Dunham’s Department Store are very similar to other company values. Employees must be honest in their dealing with money and with management. They must be helpful and positive to the customers and to other employees. An overall positive attitude is required in order for the company to do well and earn money. The management expects all of these values and they are not necessarily outlined for new employees. They may be discussed before a person begins work and if they are not followed, a meeting with management will be required. Overall, Dunham’s bases its values on whatever it takes to make the customer happy and keep the business running.
Dunham’s Department Store does try and shape organizational culture by having certain rituals, metaphors, artifacts, performances, heroes, and values. Without all of these factors influencing the employees, the culture would be extremely different. Management requires things like the types of artifacts that must be worn by employees and working together to form these rituals. Mostly, the owners and managers of the store enforce the family metaphor because they want their store to be seen as a family atmosphere. Employees have created the other parts of the organizational culture over time. They have done so to help socialization between them and encourage teamwork. Overall, Dunham’s management does not heavily enforce rules, values, or regulations. Mostly, they are expected of their employees and negative effects happen when they are not followed. The organizational culture of Dunham’s Department Store is present and strong and will continue into the future.
Please see Dunham's Department Store Links for extra information.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
News/ Media
Use concepts from class to discuss a news story or other item shown in the media.
I watched a recent episode of NBC’s The Office and applied relevant organizational communication concepts to what I saw. The episode was titled Fun Run and it originally aired on September 27, 2007. While the plot of this particular episode was humorous and enjoyable, there were plenty of organizational concepts discussed.
The basic plot of the episode was that the company’s boss, Michael Scott, hit an employee with his car in the parking lot. The employee’s injuries were minor but she was hospitalized for a pelvis fracture. Though the injury was not a positive event, the injured woman was able to get a necessary rabies vaccine while she was in the hospital. She needed it because a raccoon and other animals bit her previously. This made the hospitalization not such a bad thing because if she were not hospitalized, she would end up with rabies from the animal bites she experienced.
Some important concepts present in the series, The Office, are informal organizations and teamwork in the office. The entire office dresses business casual when they come to work. Employees look comfortable, while still professional enough for the workplace. The overall environment of the office that they work in is very informal. One reason for this comfort in both their attire and their attitudes is the teamwork that occurs between the entire staff. Michael Scott is the boss of the office though he is always willing to listen to his employees. They work together more as an entire team rather then having a boss with lower level employees. This informality of the office allows for better communication between all of the employees.
In addition to enjoying the causal atmosphere, many of the employees work together on separate committees. For example, in this episode the party planning committee is discussed when all of the office goes to visit the injured worker in the hospital. The party planning committee takes care of all the social events that occur in the office. A party planning committee is very important in the office for many reasons. It allows the employees to enjoy their office more than if they were working all of the time. The short amount of social time encourages worker communication and friendship. When friendships are present in an office environment, the teamwork model works very well.
The show The Office exhibits a workplace democracy as well as an informal work environment. The teams are a part of this democracy. In addition, quality information is distributed to all of the employees. This was evident when Michael first hit the woman in the parking lot and he came inside to tell all of the other employees. Information is shared between everyone in the office. Though Michael is the boss of the office, all of the employees are treated fairly. They seem to focus on having a solid base structure rather then working from the top-down. Also, the employees vote many of the events that happen in the office. This further encourages worker participation and involvement. The Office represents this workplace democracy very well.
Worker relationships are very important in the show as well. A few of the employees are actually dating each other. This allows for a very interesting workplace environment. However, friendly relationships are encouraged for all of the workers. One way that Michael Scott tries to encourage positive relationships is by having mid-day meetings with his employees. If something is not going well in the company, he will sit everyone down to discuss it. In addition, if he is very excited or happy about something else, he will also have a meeting to discuss it. These spontaneous meetings allow all of the employees to be a part of the decisions and activity of the company.
A final noteworthy point in this episode is that Dunder-Mifflin is concerned with its public image. After Michael Scott hit his employee, she ended up in the hospital. Though her pelvis was fine, doctors were concerned about her recent animal bites. They gave her rabies shots and Michael felt the company should support her battle with rabies. He planned a 5K run for all of the employees to participate in with the money going to charity. Though many of the employees decided not to attend the run, he was still interested in the company’s philanthropic endeavors.
This episode of The Office covered many of the topics that have been discussed in Organizational Communication. I believe that the most important points are the company’s informal atmosphere, worker involvement, workplace democracy, and the communication and relationships between employees. The episode was extremely entertaining and humorous and it represented many of the key features of successful companies.
Please refer to the Additional Information label on the right hand side of the screen for links about NBC's The Office.
I watched a recent episode of NBC’s The Office and applied relevant organizational communication concepts to what I saw. The episode was titled Fun Run and it originally aired on September 27, 2007. While the plot of this particular episode was humorous and enjoyable, there were plenty of organizational concepts discussed.
The basic plot of the episode was that the company’s boss, Michael Scott, hit an employee with his car in the parking lot. The employee’s injuries were minor but she was hospitalized for a pelvis fracture. Though the injury was not a positive event, the injured woman was able to get a necessary rabies vaccine while she was in the hospital. She needed it because a raccoon and other animals bit her previously. This made the hospitalization not such a bad thing because if she were not hospitalized, she would end up with rabies from the animal bites she experienced.
Some important concepts present in the series, The Office, are informal organizations and teamwork in the office. The entire office dresses business casual when they come to work. Employees look comfortable, while still professional enough for the workplace. The overall environment of the office that they work in is very informal. One reason for this comfort in both their attire and their attitudes is the teamwork that occurs between the entire staff. Michael Scott is the boss of the office though he is always willing to listen to his employees. They work together more as an entire team rather then having a boss with lower level employees. This informality of the office allows for better communication between all of the employees.
In addition to enjoying the causal atmosphere, many of the employees work together on separate committees. For example, in this episode the party planning committee is discussed when all of the office goes to visit the injured worker in the hospital. The party planning committee takes care of all the social events that occur in the office. A party planning committee is very important in the office for many reasons. It allows the employees to enjoy their office more than if they were working all of the time. The short amount of social time encourages worker communication and friendship. When friendships are present in an office environment, the teamwork model works very well.
The show The Office exhibits a workplace democracy as well as an informal work environment. The teams are a part of this democracy. In addition, quality information is distributed to all of the employees. This was evident when Michael first hit the woman in the parking lot and he came inside to tell all of the other employees. Information is shared between everyone in the office. Though Michael is the boss of the office, all of the employees are treated fairly. They seem to focus on having a solid base structure rather then working from the top-down. Also, the employees vote many of the events that happen in the office. This further encourages worker participation and involvement. The Office represents this workplace democracy very well.
Worker relationships are very important in the show as well. A few of the employees are actually dating each other. This allows for a very interesting workplace environment. However, friendly relationships are encouraged for all of the workers. One way that Michael Scott tries to encourage positive relationships is by having mid-day meetings with his employees. If something is not going well in the company, he will sit everyone down to discuss it. In addition, if he is very excited or happy about something else, he will also have a meeting to discuss it. These spontaneous meetings allow all of the employees to be a part of the decisions and activity of the company.
A final noteworthy point in this episode is that Dunder-Mifflin is concerned with its public image. After Michael Scott hit his employee, she ended up in the hospital. Though her pelvis was fine, doctors were concerned about her recent animal bites. They gave her rabies shots and Michael felt the company should support her battle with rabies. He planned a 5K run for all of the employees to participate in with the money going to charity. Though many of the employees decided not to attend the run, he was still interested in the company’s philanthropic endeavors.
This episode of The Office covered many of the topics that have been discussed in Organizational Communication. I believe that the most important points are the company’s informal atmosphere, worker involvement, workplace democracy, and the communication and relationships between employees. The episode was extremely entertaining and humorous and it represented many of the key features of successful companies.
Please refer to the Additional Information label on the right hand side of the screen for links about NBC's The Office.
Organizational Policies and Procedures for Worker Involvement
Discuss the chart on page 238 and draw a line where worker involvement is impractical or improper. Then, discuss your views for establishing participatory and democratic workplaces.
The chart on page 238 of Organizational Communication by Eisenberg, Goodall, and Trethewey shows the empowerment continuum of work teams. The X-axis is the percentage of responsibility and authority of the team and the Y-axis is the degree of empowerment. The greater the percentage of responsibility and authority a team has, the greater the degree of empowerment.
Lower points on the chart are activities such as housekeeping, training one another, quality responsibilities, managing suppliers, and many other tasks. A team of workers can easily accomplish these tasks. A head manager does not need to be in charge of these smaller responsibilities. In addition, there are higher levels of work team responsibility and authority. These tasks are things such as making compensation decisions, disciplinary process, budgeting, and equipment purchase. Some companies allow teams to manage these high responsibility tasks in addition to the lower level responsibility tasks. However, worker involvement is not always the most efficient, fair, or practical way to run a business.
An imaginary line is present on the chart where worker involvement is no longer proper. At a certain point, too much team responsibility makes the company impractical. The division point between team decisions and a boss’s decisions needs to be between vacation scheduling and choosing team leaders. After choosing team leaders, one or two powerful people need to make the decisions rather then an entire team. Having one leader makes for a more efficient workplace.
If all employees of a company were in charge of making disciplinary decisions, imagine how chaotic it would be to have everyone disciplining one of their coworkers. What if everyone was able to make compensation decisions, or buy whatever new equipment they wanted? The company would spend more time having its workers make these decisions then time they were actually working. A manager, supervisor, or boss needs to present to take care of the higher responsibility jobs and allow the teams to make smaller decisions.
The reason that workers cannot always make decisions in the team structure is that when there are lots of people on a team, people work unequal amounts. For example, if there were twenty employees on a team, they would not all put in exactly the same amount of effort into their decisions. A leader that was more dedicated to the company would have to be present to take over the workers that do not want to put in any effort. This is not fair for the entire team.
In addition to workers putting unequal amounts of effort into their job, only one individual should do some tasks. When a boss makes the decision to discipline an employee for their actions, it is simple and does not involve all the employees. It is just more efficient to have one decision maker for the higher levels of responsibility. If workers are afraid that having one boss make important decisions will exclude them from the team worker environment, perhaps the employees could help in other ways. It would be possible for employees to help create the disciplinary handbook or help with the budget in advance. That way when a situation comes up and the boss needs to consult the handbook, or whatever other decisions might be necessary, the employees had helped make those rules.
Workplace democracy focuses on employee participation in decision making for an improved outcome. A company can do this by making everyone an owner, making the management integrated into the workplace, having quality information widely distributed, and making the structure solid from the bottom up. By having these four qualities, worker participation increases as well. However, this is not always a practical way of viewing a company.
When worker participation and worker democracy are the main goal of a company, it leads to inefficiency and the wasting of time. This inefficiency can occur when too many employees are trying to make decisions on the same thing. Sometimes it is better to have a select few, or even one, employee make difficult decisions. This way the other employees can focus on accomplishing other tasks. Another reason that worker participation does not always work is that it looses its appeal. Initially the idea of being completely involved in the decision making process might seem ideal, but over time the spontaneity is gone and workers no longer like the involvement.
Though the idea of worker involvement and a workplace democracy is good, carrying out these plans in an efficient, spontaneous, passionate way is often difficult. The terms worker and involvement and workplace democracy are oftentimes unrealistic goals of a company. A better plan is to have employees help to make the handbooks, vote on new machinery, and work on the budget so that they are involved. After their input and voting occurs, one manager of boss takes care of the details of these ideas. This way everyone can be efficient in his or her own realm of the work environment.
The chart on page 238 of Organizational Communication by Eisenberg, Goodall, and Trethewey shows the empowerment continuum of work teams. The X-axis is the percentage of responsibility and authority of the team and the Y-axis is the degree of empowerment. The greater the percentage of responsibility and authority a team has, the greater the degree of empowerment.
Lower points on the chart are activities such as housekeeping, training one another, quality responsibilities, managing suppliers, and many other tasks. A team of workers can easily accomplish these tasks. A head manager does not need to be in charge of these smaller responsibilities. In addition, there are higher levels of work team responsibility and authority. These tasks are things such as making compensation decisions, disciplinary process, budgeting, and equipment purchase. Some companies allow teams to manage these high responsibility tasks in addition to the lower level responsibility tasks. However, worker involvement is not always the most efficient, fair, or practical way to run a business.
An imaginary line is present on the chart where worker involvement is no longer proper. At a certain point, too much team responsibility makes the company impractical. The division point between team decisions and a boss’s decisions needs to be between vacation scheduling and choosing team leaders. After choosing team leaders, one or two powerful people need to make the decisions rather then an entire team. Having one leader makes for a more efficient workplace.
If all employees of a company were in charge of making disciplinary decisions, imagine how chaotic it would be to have everyone disciplining one of their coworkers. What if everyone was able to make compensation decisions, or buy whatever new equipment they wanted? The company would spend more time having its workers make these decisions then time they were actually working. A manager, supervisor, or boss needs to present to take care of the higher responsibility jobs and allow the teams to make smaller decisions.
The reason that workers cannot always make decisions in the team structure is that when there are lots of people on a team, people work unequal amounts. For example, if there were twenty employees on a team, they would not all put in exactly the same amount of effort into their decisions. A leader that was more dedicated to the company would have to be present to take over the workers that do not want to put in any effort. This is not fair for the entire team.
In addition to workers putting unequal amounts of effort into their job, only one individual should do some tasks. When a boss makes the decision to discipline an employee for their actions, it is simple and does not involve all the employees. It is just more efficient to have one decision maker for the higher levels of responsibility. If workers are afraid that having one boss make important decisions will exclude them from the team worker environment, perhaps the employees could help in other ways. It would be possible for employees to help create the disciplinary handbook or help with the budget in advance. That way when a situation comes up and the boss needs to consult the handbook, or whatever other decisions might be necessary, the employees had helped make those rules.
Workplace democracy focuses on employee participation in decision making for an improved outcome. A company can do this by making everyone an owner, making the management integrated into the workplace, having quality information widely distributed, and making the structure solid from the bottom up. By having these four qualities, worker participation increases as well. However, this is not always a practical way of viewing a company.
When worker participation and worker democracy are the main goal of a company, it leads to inefficiency and the wasting of time. This inefficiency can occur when too many employees are trying to make decisions on the same thing. Sometimes it is better to have a select few, or even one, employee make difficult decisions. This way the other employees can focus on accomplishing other tasks. Another reason that worker participation does not always work is that it looses its appeal. Initially the idea of being completely involved in the decision making process might seem ideal, but over time the spontaneity is gone and workers no longer like the involvement.
Though the idea of worker involvement and a workplace democracy is good, carrying out these plans in an efficient, spontaneous, passionate way is often difficult. The terms worker and involvement and workplace democracy are oftentimes unrealistic goals of a company. A better plan is to have employees help to make the handbooks, vote on new machinery, and work on the budget so that they are involved. After their input and voting occurs, one manager of boss takes care of the details of these ideas. This way everyone can be efficient in his or her own realm of the work environment.
Monday, October 1, 2007
Human Relations and Human Resource Approach
Discuss the differences between the human relations and human resource approaches to management. Pay particular attention to how they approach the issue of worker participation.
The human relations approach differs from early views of management because it considers the needs of individuals. It focuses on the fact that people want to feel unified, part of a team, like they are making a difference, and they are a significant part of life. In addition, the human relations approach believes that creativity and dedication will come naturally when an employee is empowered in the workplace.
Elton Mayo studied humans and their working environments and came up with some definitive observations. He saw that people were part of a group, and not just an individual. People are influenced by the group and do not act according to their own self-interest. Finally, he found that decisions are based on emotions. Throughout his studies he concluded that the environment of work did not matter as much as the human interaction available to the employees. The basis for the Hawthorne effect is that increased attention equals increased productivity. This approach concludes that human relationships allow business to run smoothly. Open communication is honored and any differences are negotiated through negotiation. This is very different from classical management that held very different expectations from its employees.
Classical management thought that a stable company would come from strict adherence to policies and order. Human relations approach encouraged personal happiness through communication. A negative side of classical management is that it is too constraining and employees must participate in thoughtless routinized practices. The downside of human relations is that with encouraged communication comes possible deception and dishonesty. Also, if the employee is not happy, they will not be productive. Both the classical management approach and the human relations approach have positive and negative sides. However, the human relations approach differs from the human resources approach in many ways that will be discussed in the following paragraphs.
The human resources approach is concerned with the “total organizational climate as well as with how an organization can encourage employee participation and dialogue” (Eisenberg, 87). Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs refers to the needs that every human has before they can reach their potential. This means that if someone is satisfied, his or her self-actualization will continue to inspire productivity. However, if basic needs such as food or shelter are not provided, then having these needs will encourage more productivity then initially available. Another way to explain Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is to discuss them as an upward pointing arrow. At the bottom of the arrow are necessary physiological needs such as food and clothing. After this is safety needs such as shelter, security and employment. Next is love and a sense of belonging, respect from others, and affection. The penultimate need is self-esteem and this includes salary, status, opportunities and responsibilities. Finally, self-actualization will occur. However, not everyone can achieve self-actualization.
Employees such as the maintenance workers or people that remain in very monotonous jobs may not ever achieve self-actualization. This is because they are separated by class and cannot reach their full potential. This is where human resources and human relations approaches differ. Human resources gives people the chance to feel needed and achieve greatness. However, there are still people that cannot get to this level. Contrastingly, in human relations, everyone is able to communicate and express their needs. Every worker can convey their feelings to even though there is division of labor; they are able to remain productive. This is not possible for the human resources approach because some jobs are not designed to express the hierarchy of needs.
The human relations approach and the human resource approach also differ in that human relations is more superficial then human resource. Human relations wants positive and happy employees. It focuses more on the psychological factors and tries to make everyone happy. One example of this would be painting the office walls to be a warmer color. Though it might make the room look better, it's not really going to change an employees opinion about the company. This causes it to be more superficial then the other human resource approach. Human resource approach uses teams rather then a hierarchy approach. The entire organization is questioned and challenged, making it more substantial. Workers tend to be more satified in this approach because their input is used to benefit the company. Participation is increased by rearranging the work structure to be more democratic and focused on worker empowerment. This approach increases worker satisfaction by avoiding the superficial tendencies of the human relations approach. Though the human relations and human resources approaches are very different, but both strive to have workers be as productive as possible.
Elton Mayo
The human relations approach differs from early views of management because it considers the needs of individuals. It focuses on the fact that people want to feel unified, part of a team, like they are making a difference, and they are a significant part of life. In addition, the human relations approach believes that creativity and dedication will come naturally when an employee is empowered in the workplace.
Elton Mayo studied humans and their working environments and came up with some definitive observations. He saw that people were part of a group, and not just an individual. People are influenced by the group and do not act according to their own self-interest. Finally, he found that decisions are based on emotions. Throughout his studies he concluded that the environment of work did not matter as much as the human interaction available to the employees. The basis for the Hawthorne effect is that increased attention equals increased productivity. This approach concludes that human relationships allow business to run smoothly. Open communication is honored and any differences are negotiated through negotiation. This is very different from classical management that held very different expectations from its employees.
Classical management thought that a stable company would come from strict adherence to policies and order. Human relations approach encouraged personal happiness through communication. A negative side of classical management is that it is too constraining and employees must participate in thoughtless routinized practices. The downside of human relations is that with encouraged communication comes possible deception and dishonesty. Also, if the employee is not happy, they will not be productive. Both the classical management approach and the human relations approach have positive and negative sides. However, the human relations approach differs from the human resources approach in many ways that will be discussed in the following paragraphs.
The human resources approach is concerned with the “total organizational climate as well as with how an organization can encourage employee participation and dialogue” (Eisenberg, 87). Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs refers to the needs that every human has before they can reach their potential. This means that if someone is satisfied, his or her self-actualization will continue to inspire productivity. However, if basic needs such as food or shelter are not provided, then having these needs will encourage more productivity then initially available. Another way to explain Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is to discuss them as an upward pointing arrow. At the bottom of the arrow are necessary physiological needs such as food and clothing. After this is safety needs such as shelter, security and employment. Next is love and a sense of belonging, respect from others, and affection. The penultimate need is self-esteem and this includes salary, status, opportunities and responsibilities. Finally, self-actualization will occur. However, not everyone can achieve self-actualization.
Employees such as the maintenance workers or people that remain in very monotonous jobs may not ever achieve self-actualization. This is because they are separated by class and cannot reach their full potential. This is where human resources and human relations approaches differ. Human resources gives people the chance to feel needed and achieve greatness. However, there are still people that cannot get to this level. Contrastingly, in human relations, everyone is able to communicate and express their needs. Every worker can convey their feelings to even though there is division of labor; they are able to remain productive. This is not possible for the human resources approach because some jobs are not designed to express the hierarchy of needs.
The human relations approach and the human resource approach also differ in that human relations is more superficial then human resource. Human relations wants positive and happy employees. It focuses more on the psychological factors and tries to make everyone happy. One example of this would be painting the office walls to be a warmer color. Though it might make the room look better, it's not really going to change an employees opinion about the company. This causes it to be more superficial then the other human resource approach. Human resource approach uses teams rather then a hierarchy approach. The entire organization is questioned and challenged, making it more substantial. Workers tend to be more satified in this approach because their input is used to benefit the company. Participation is increased by rearranging the work structure to be more democratic and focused on worker empowerment. This approach increases worker satisfaction by avoiding the superficial tendencies of the human relations approach. Though the human relations and human resources approaches are very different, but both strive to have workers be as productive as possible.
Elton Mayo
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