Despite solving
Many companies and industries have encountered many competition and challenges coming from changes in consumer’s preference, changes in technology, changes in consumer’s expectation, and market globalization. These have made many companies to adopt a work system that is team based. Team based work system is a well structured entity which are normally designed by organization so as to increase employees involvement in decision making. Team work should not be viewed as models of shared government. Team based work is not panacea for the problem that the companies are facing.
Despite solving (advantage) this problem team based work system also create new problems (Disadvantage). (Hanna Etal’1988 page 25 – 33) Many companies have started to implement a high performance work system in their structure. High performance work system is normally aimed at boosting the operation performance and improving the financial growth of an organization or of a company. CNN did a Survey in which thirty nine companies were selected; the aim of the survey was to look at the antecedents, the effectiveness and the design of this initiative.
The result was that high performance work system that brings a change in the cultural behavior (innovation and cooperation) and the employee’s management practice (selection and reward) can lead to a financial growth of the company and an improved performance in operation. Many organizations that have adopted high performance work system have noticed an increase in productivity a fact that is attributed to the change in employee’s behavior. The main objective of high performance work system is to help companies or organization to achieve a ‘fit’ between the employees, information, duties, and technology.
A high performance work system normal contributes to the interest of all the stakeholders (the employees, the management, labor union and the share holders) in the organization. (Hanna Etal’1988 page 25 – 33) Advantages of team based work to the management ? Improved performance outcome This is the main reason as to why the management adopts the team based work system. Management who has adopted this system has always noticed a significant increase in the quality of the products that the companies produce. The reason for increase in performance normally occurs because employees work together as a group.
According to a survey done in US over three hundred companies which adopted this system had an increase in the performance of the company in terms of production. Companies or organization Management who have reengineered their efforts have found out that a team of employees who carries a joint responsibility for a project outcome have realized an increase in profit and an increased in success in achieving the ultimate goal of a project or of production. Compared to individual working team normally eases work for the employees. (Hanna Etal’1988 page 25 – 33)
? Increases of Management creativity High performance work system brings with it technology, this makes management to be creative because they can come up with ways of increasing employees performance, new technology also simplifies the management workload. Team based work also increases management creativity because all the employees are working together while getting new ideas from their team members. ? Increased moral Increase performance of the organization in terms of financial and increased in sales will increase the management’s moral.
Other advantages to the management include: increased management learning opportunity, increases employees flexibility of doing more job, lastly the management can concentrate on the managerial duties because the team will become more responsible Disadvantages – the two systems are usually hard to put in place effectively, it also tend to increase boredom to the management. Advantages of team based work system and high involvement work systems to the employees ? Opportunity of learning new skill
Team based work system enables individual to get new skills, given that different people in a team possess different skills or have different ways of solving a problem. The acquisition of new skills will contribute significantly to his out put. High performance work systems also give the employees opportunity of learning new skills due to integration of technologies in the working environment like new computer software. (Hanna Etal’1988 page 25 – 33) ? Increases employees satisfaction The feeling of ownership within the employees that team based work system brings with it normally makes the employees to fill satisfied.
High performance work system will also satisfy the employees because they will be using modern technology which will eases their work. ? Increases employees job performance High performance work system and team based work system increases the ability of the employees to carry out their duties in a way that is not only effective but also efficient. Other advantages to the employees are: increased autonomy, increases employee’s creativity, brings pride to the employees, increases employee’s confidence, creates a sense of belonging to the employees and lastly the two makes employees to utilize their skills.
Disadvantages – the employees will become bored because of job autonomy. Some employees can also take advantage of other team members, and lastly incase employees don’t feel as part of the team he might end up not cooperating. Advantages of team based work system and high involvement work systems on labor union- Given that employees who are members of the union needs are satisfied the union gain because they receive their membership fee, another advantage is that more jobs are created hence the union get more members.
Team based work system and high involvement work system are the long term interest of management, labor unions, and employees because they all benefit from it, given that all these groups gain both directly and indirectly from the team-based and high involvement work systems. The advantages that are realized are more than the disadvantages that they are getting as a result of using Team based work system and high involvement work system. Second channel is needed to close the gap, the gap that is between the workers council and the workers union.
This is because the gap between the two makes Workers union to be weak. By putting a second channel between the two the gap will be reduced and the workers council will be communicating and supporting each others effectively. The workers councils cannot force the human resource management to implement the human resource strategies. However incase the second channel existed the workers union will be able to push the human resource management to implement human resource strategy because of the amount of support that they will be having.
A work council can be defined as a council or organization representing employees, which operate at a firm or at a local level, so as to negotiate on behalf of the workers and to ensure that the management up holds the national labor laws. In some countries the representative of the workers are appointed to be amongst the board of directors of the relevant company. While a workers union can be defined as organization of workers who have come together to achieve their objectives in key areas such as working hours, wages, working conditions, procedure, workplace safety and complaint procedure.
They bargain with the management on behalf of the workers. 9 Jo Manion eta, l 1996 page 34) The following are the advantages of implementing the workers council in US- the workers will have a bargaining tool to use while negotiating with their employees, workers council will ensure that the human resources strategy are implemented within the company, workers council ensures that the workers are working in a conducive environment, the worker council also ensure that the employees are paid well and all their social needs are met.
(Paul eta, l 2005 page 11) The disadvantages of having workers council in US are – most workers council do “mother” their members by treating them like young kids, workers council tend to slow down production given that they tend to give their members priority as compared to there employers. (Paul eta, l 2005 page 11) There are few differences between workers council and workers union.
These are: Workers council is usually at company level, while workers union is at national level, Workers council are also not able to ensure that human resources strategies are implemented because they are small in size, workers union can be able to ensure that the human resources strategies are implanted because of its big force due to the large number of people. Reference:
Hanna J 1988 “Determining firms performance -workers union and workers council” University of South Carolina Press Page 23 -56. Jo Manion William L & William J 1996, “Workers Council” Jones and Bartley Publishers page 34 – 76 Richard B & Joel R 1998, “What worker wants” Cornel University Publishers page 25 – 200 Paul E & Judy 2005 “Politics of Working Place” journal of Business and economics page 11
