management

Introduction

The success of a business depends on a wide range of intertwined factors. Ranging from business feasibility to effective management, there is no doubt that managers play crucial roles in setting performance pace of any business organization. The truth of the matter is that no business can thrive and attain its pinnacle performance without a successful management. From the basic definition of a manager, he or she is always charged with the responsibility of overseeing one or a group of other employees and ensuring that they carry out all their assigned duties effectively.

This therefore follows that the role of a manager depends on the nature and size of the business organization (Patricia 1). It is worth noting that among all management roles, the influence of a manager is quite outstanding and plays a pivotal role in determining business performance. Managers shape the behavior of employees in a myriad ways and this goes a long way in enhancing good manager-employee relationship and ultimate success of the business. This research paper synthesizes the various ways in which a manager shapes employee behavior.

Employee behavior

Employee behavior is determined by several elements which could be independent or related in various ways at any work place. Normally, employees are shaped with two major factors: their nurtured culture and the culture of a given organization. The interplay between these factors impact employees differently and they have to be harmonized to augment individual employee performance and the overall success of the organization (Patricia 1).

These factors further influence the manner in which employees communicate among themselves and with the management. The beliefs of employees shape their business ethics and their ability to integrate ethical responsibility in performing their assigned duties and responsibilities. In enhancing good behavior, business experts and analysts argue that good communication is a major tool which has to be adopted by the entire management. In this regard, it suffices to allude that managers have the most significant role in shaping and nurturing employee behavior.

Employee Behavior management

The overall success of a business highly depends on employee morale, productivity and customer satisfaction. However, these three factors rely on how employees at every level are being managed by individual managers in the line of production. Employee behavior management can therefore be described as a continuous management process as long as there is deviation from company or business standards. It follows that, behavior management is aimed at ensuring that all employees observe and maintain company principles in working towards the success of the business (Patricia 1).

There are cases when employees fail to meet core company standards like high quality work or products, positive interaction with others and adhering to company procedures and policies. In addressing the concept of employee management, it is important to appreciate the fact that there are several ways of shaping the employees’ behavior and have them do what is expected of them. In general, there is always a likelihood that a person’s behavior can change when the right actions are taken within a conducive working environment.

Shaping the behavior of employees is important in increasing predictability as everybody understands what is expected of him or her. The level of certainty among employees can therefore be increased by shaping their behavior as dictated by the company’s principles. Additionally, this behavior shaping process can be essential in influencing the behavior of superiors and peers (Elston 1). This process later translates into a predictable environment in which the entire workforce understands what is expected by the management as acceptable employee behavior.

One of the best ways to be used by managers to shape the behavior of employees is by use of rewards. It has been noted that most employees are willing to engage in behavior which they are positively recognized and appreciated by the management. In order for managers to increase the likelihood of a particular behavior being repeated, they need to reward those employees who demonstrate and adhere to set standards and behavior (Patricia 1).

The principal of rewarding behavior change among employees is that managers are supposed to know the individual employee and what they value most. In other words, a reward that has no value translates into no meaning in exchange of good behavior observed by an employee. However, the main challenge in recognizing employees with good behavior is meeting the needs and preferences of all the employees across the board.

Rewards for behavior change may take different formats and could be financial or non-financial. Financial rewards include bonuses and salary increment. On the other hand, non-financial rewards entail verbal praise, new parking space or dinner that may be organized to recognize good behavior demonstrated by employees. With regard to this, reward schedules may vary depending on various factors. For instance, intermittent behavior rewarding is always more preferred compared to continuous rewarding which focuses on acknowledging individual change responses.

Random rewarding has the power of impacting an employee for long and such behavior is not easily lost. Rewards ensure that employees get hooked to them even though they cannot be satisfied by their value. Long-term use of rewards makes people to get hooked to them and remain purposefully committed towards demonstrating behavior at workplace. Nevertheless, behavior that is not rewarded by the managers usually has low impact and may extinguish it (Martin and Fellenz 146).

In cases where rewards are ineffective in shaping the behavior of employees, some managers resort to punishment. It has however been noted that punishment is commonly overused by managers and misunderstood by employees. Some managers turn to punishment in shaping the behavior of employees when all possible options have been exhausted.

Although punishment has several drawbacks, it can be appropriately used to distinguish between good and bad behavior. The message behind punishment is usually to tell employees that a particular behavior is wrong. Unlike other approaches applied in shaping the behavior of employees in a company, punishment does not offer an alternative to be adopted as the most preferred behavior (Daft and Lane 378).

Because of its ability to attract attention, punishment could also be viewed as a reward. As such, punishment gains attention despite the fact that it may be negative attention. Directions on how punishment is administered are usually enshrined in rules and regulations of most organizations. Progressive punishment is equally important and managers have to ensure that the proposed punishment suits a particular crime. Consistency in punishment administration is also essential. For this to be effective in shaping behavior, what is viewed as unethical and unacceptable has to have the same description tomorrow and in subsequent days to come. Inconsistent use of punishment may send mixed reactions to the entire workforce.

Another way of shaping the behavior of employees is by ignoring the unwanted conduct. Although a manager may feel irritated and disturbed about a certain behavior, silence is usually adopted to avoid pitfalls associated with administration of punishment to those who deviate from recognized business behavior. Such behavior is extinguished over some time without interfering with manager-employee relationship.

Additionally, the ability of managers to set standards in any workplace has been known to shape the behavior of employees. Besides performing their management roles in the organization, managers ought to be fulltime role models to all employees (Watson 1). By so doing, employees get influenced through emulation. Being a role model encompasses a variety of approaches which converge at the success of the business. Moreover, managers who are role model promote organizational culture and influences new and old employees who may not understand how certain things are like, punctuality, dress code and communication skills among others.

Talking about behavior and general behavior of employees is also imperative in shaping employees’ behavior. What may be assumed as common sense may be irrelevant to some employees or the entire workforce (Watson 1). It is therefore necessary for managers to spend quality time with their employees and discuss certain aspects of conduct considered as acceptable by the management. This can be done through organized seminars and workshops.

Conclusion

As described above, managers have a key role in shaping the behavior of employees in any working environment. There exists a wide range of approaches which can be adopted in promoting good behavior within the entire workforce. Notably, managers can only influence employees’ change of behavior if they have mastered the expectations of the organization. This allows them not only to serve as managers but also as role models. In general, managers shape the behavior of employees in a myriad ways and this goes a long way in enhancing good manager-employee relationship and ultimate success of the business.

Works cited

Daft, Richard, and Lane Patricia. Management. Stamford, Connecticut, U.S: Cengage Learning, 2009. Print.

Elston, Mary. “Managing the Passive Aggressive Employee, Approaches to Take.” Management Secrets, 2010.

Martin, John, and Fellenz Martin. Organizational Behavior & Management. Stamford, Connecticut: Cengage Learning EMEA, 2010. Print.

Patricia, Buhler. “The keys to shaping behavior.” AllBusiness Inc., 2011.

Watson, Steven. “Guide staff behavior by setting a good example.” TechRepublic, 2003.

Ideation and Innovation

Laforet’s “A framework of organisational innovation and outcomes in SMEs” and Björk et al.’s “Ideation Capabilities for Continuous Innovation” are making arguments about Ideation Capabilities for Continuous Innovation. They are also discussing the framework of organisational Innovation and outcomes in SMEs.

Comparisons between Ideation and Innovation

These topics are similar as both of them are talking about the different ideas that can be applied in innovation, and the various mechanisms in which these can be applied in Small and Medium enterprises (Laforet, 2010, pp. 434; Cooke, 2002). One article is concerned with capabilities for the idealities and innovations to be continuous as well as successful while the other is discussing on the types of innovations that can be made in small and medium enterprises as well as their outcomes.

Both articles are referring to the same phenomenon, and this has enabled one to get the information required with regard to innovations and ideations. Ideas give birth to innovations, and still the same innovations may lead to the development of other ideas that would be applied to improve the innovations as well as the SMEs. More so, it is the SMEs that are able to utilise the ideas and innovations (Teece et al, 1997).

New Product Development (NPD)

NPD is mandatory for those businesses that want to grow. Wolf and Pett (2006, pp. 102 ) suggest that improving the appearance of a new product is better than having great profits. When a product is new, it needs to be marketed and advertised vigorously so that it may have a lasting impact for all those who want to purchase it. NPD or New Product development refers to the manner in which a company makes adjustments to their innovative capabilities so that they may introduce a new product that is flawless and one that meets the market standards (Brown and Eisenhardt 1997, pp. 100; Holt, 2002).

It is a branch in a business that is majorly concerned with the introduction of new products into the market, more so modifications may be made to the existing products so that they become as good as new. A company may also re-brand the existing brands and combine two or more brands from different organisations so as to come up with a magnificent brand. Many management tools can be used to manage NPD in that, they will assist in marketing as well as the design of the product so that all the goals and objectives that are intended are achieved (Trajtenberg,1990).

Bjork et al (2010, pp. 200) stress that it is of note for organisations to invest a lot in NPD as it is able to boost the company’s image as well as bring into the market environment. Technological innovations and ideals that are passed on through NPD often pass the test of time and are embraced globally. This leads to greater profits that are enjoyed by the company. No matter the size of the organisation, all SMEs should engage in NPD (Lundahl, 2012).

Datamonitor (2011, pp.89) says that NPD may impact an organisation either positively or negatively, it may outdo all the other existing products, sand it will be quite a vast loss, coming up with a product that will lead the company to experience losses. On the other hand, it may be of excellent benefit in that; it will increase the cash inflows of the company, hence, greater profits. For a small company, coming up with a new product is costly and tedious as it involves a lot of time, investments and manpower (Enzing, 2009, pp.150). On the other hand, for a large company, it is rather cheap as they have all the finances, hence investments of time and energy are what is required so that they may bring the new product into being.

By introducing the new product, it calls for extra expenses which include advertising and marketing as well as information sharing as people will be able to ask and would seek to know the product. Before the product breaks the waters and people get acquitted of it, most of the time the firm will experience lots of losses as they will not gain as much as they would have if they had dealt with the older product. There are also after sale services that need to be put in place, as well as warranties, and guarantees.

As the product is still new, testing of the efficiency of the product is to be made time and again so as to ensure that the product is of the best quality no matter the circumstances. Goldenberg and Mazursky ( 2002, pp. 101) say that one of the shortcomings of NPD is that some of the products that are launched often fail during the first stage that is when they are launching, and hence, this calculates too many losses that are experienced by the organisation.

The risks are far too dangerous for small firms and hence the majority of them opt not to engage in NPD. Bjork (2010, pp. 134) asserts that NPD is a risk in itself, in that, the risks and threats are almost similar to those of beginning a business, and this makes innovations a venture that many people do not engage in. Due to the high number of failures associated with NPD, modifications are made to the existing products so that it suits the existing needs of the market environment (Business. Gov. Au, ND).

Discussion of differences and similarities of Innovations and ideations

In SMEs, echnology plays a major part in their innovation, and the generation of ideas. Technology is responsible for the majority of the innovations that have been made possible as well as the ideas that have led to the advancements in the business sectors, the same is also applied for all the other sectors that bring in revenue into the country (Cagan, & Vogel, 2002, pp. 234). By creating, changing or inventing new and effective services and products, new products come into being as well as organisations advance technologically.

Through these innovations, many organisations have been able to gain a competitive advantage over the other companies that are backward innovative ways. More so, it also creates better opportunities in the market place that are able to suit the needs of the client. By adapting to the market’s competitive nature and having an upper hand over the other competitors’ innovations spur an organisation to greater heights as they are able to reach trends and targets that they thought they could not (Cefis and Marsilli, 2003, pp. 123; de Jong and Marsili, 2006, pp. 99).

Bjork (2010, pp. 113) says that the creativity of the employees is what assists in the development of new products as well as coming up with innovations. They also contribute significantly to the pool of ideas that the organisation is able to venture into, and in so doing, the technologies and products that the organisation has, become sophisticated (Crawford, 1987, pp. 155; Cooper, 2001, pp. 147; Rhodes et al, 1994).

What is Ideation and the why is it Important?

Ideation refers to the ideas, imagination and integration of varieties of mechanisms so as to come up with meaningful and interesting results. More so, it helps in the creation, integration and proper utilisation of the resources of the organisation. It is for this reason that it goes hand in hand with innovations as it encourages the proper airing of views awhile innovation leads to proper utilisation of ideas so that they may be able to gain or achieve a better picture of what they had in mind.

Laforet (2011) ideation enhances the capabilities of the organisation, and many of those employees who bring in fresh ideas into the organisation are often promoted so that they can reap of the benefits of their labour. By so doing, they may also collaborate with people from other organisations in coming up with other prominent ideas through brainstorming. Brown and Eisenhardt (1997, pp. 156) state that when an organisation lacks skilled manpower to manage the ideas and innovations, most of the ideas go into waste and the company stagnates. It is the power that is in the personnel of the organisation that is able to drive ideation as well as innovations so that they may as well practice NPD and still come up with greater and better technological innovations.

Furthermore, Brown & Eishenhardt (1997, pp. 67; Teece, 2007, pp. 99) point out a shift from the static view to a dynamic view of competitive advantage this mean that there are more competing companies, e.g. large and successful brand like Nike and Sony infiltrated in the industry to compete for consumers. This shift has also played a vital role in influencing organisational changes and performance of Kodak (Kodak, 2010).

There was a tremendous change in the consumer preferences and needs, and this called for changes to meet these needs as well as achieve the desired targets of consumers (Nonaka, 1994). The consumers demanded high tech products for purposes of imaging and also to meet the needs of their status in the society. The circumstances as they were, practically forced Kodak to effect organisational changes in an effort to accommodate the changing needs of the consumers (Wulfen, 2011, pp. 113).

Effects of Ideation

Ideation involves the creation and integration of new ideas as well as modifying the existing ideas and resources so as to come up with innovations. It is the starting point of innovations, in that, many of the organisations, often table and brainstorm their ideas before they map out the innovations and the ways in which they will come into being. Ideas from the heart of innovation as they are the foundation on which the bricks of innovation are built (Bjork 2010, pp. 245). This is because a firm needs to have a sketch of what they need to achieve, which are the ideas while the innovation is the actual drawing put in perspective and reality.

More so, innovation is the implementation of the creative ideas in a successful manner so that they may be of use to the organisation (Jiem. org 2011, pp. 453). SMEs often lack the personnel to bring into life the creative ideas that are tabled across. This often leads to the organisations often lacking on the requirements that are required to remain up-to-date with the current market trends. It is a necessity for all organisations to practice ideation as it will be able to assist them in innovations. More so, all those who have no way in which they can be able to address financial issues, may also source funds from large enterprises that will give them assistance with regard to the finances.

Conclusion

To finalise, innovation and productivity largely implicate the market ratio and total revenue of the company at large. Indeed, the process of production and innovation is ambiguous and rely on the company market command and power in order to accumulate revenue.

References

Bjork, J & Boccardelli, P 2010, Ideation Capabilities for continuous Innovation, vol. 4 no. 1, pp. 385-295.

Brown, SL and Eisenhardt KM 1997, Innovation and creativity at work, Wiley Chichester, England.

Brown, SL and Eisenhardt, KM 1997, The Art of Continuous Change: Linking Complexity Theory and Time-Paced Evolution in Relentlessly shifting organisations. Administrative Science Quarterly, vol. pp. 42, 1-34.

Business. Gov. au (ND) Innovation | What is innovation?. Web.

Cagan, J & Vogel, CM 2002, Creating breakthrough products: Innovation from product planning to program approval, Financial Times Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ.

Cooke, FL 2002, Maintenance Work, Maintenance Skills, Blackwell, Oxford UK.

Datamonitor 2011, Eastman Kodak Company, Datamonitor.

Cooper, RG & Edgett, SJ 2009, Product innovation and technology strategy, Product Development Institute, Ancaster, Ont.?

Enzing, C 2009, Product innovation in the Dutch food and beverage industry: A study on the impact of the innovation process, strategy and network on the product’s short- and long-term market performance, Wageningen Academic Publishers, Wageningen.

Goldenberg, J & Mazursky, D 2002, Creativity in product innovation, Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge.

Holt, K 2002, Market oriented product innovation: A key to survival in the third millennium, Kluwer Academic Publishers Group, Dordrecht.

Jiem.org 2011, A Framework for successful new product development. | Bhuiyan |, Journal of Industrial Engineering and Management. Web.

Kodak 2010, History of Kodak. Web.

Laforet, S 2010. A Framework of Organisational innovation and outcomes in SMEs, vol. 17 no. 4, pp. 380-408.

Lundahl, DS 2012, Breakthrough food product innovation through emotions research, Elsevier/Academic Press, London.

Nonaka, I 1994, A Dynamic Theory of Organisational Knowledge Creation. Organisational Science, vol. 5, pp. 14-37.

Rhodes, E and Wield, D 1994, Implementing new technologies, NCC Blackwell, Oxford.

Teece, D.J 2007, Explicating Dynamic Capabilities: The Nature and Microfoundations of (Sustainable) Enterprise Performance, Strategic Management Journal, vol. 28, pp. 1319 -50.

Teece, D.J., Pisano, G and Shuen, A 1997, Dynamic Capabilities and Strategy Management, Strategic Management Journal, vol. 18, pp. 509-33.

Trajtenberg, M 1990, Economic analysis of product innovation: The case of CT scanners, Mass: Harvard University Press, Cambridge.

Wulfen, G 2011 Creating innovative products and services: The FORTH innovation method, Gower Pub, Farnham, Surrey, England.

Introduction

Making decisions is one of the key elements of management that defines a company’s ability to work properly and meet the set objectives. However, the process of decision-making is quite difficult since many factors have to be evaluated in the process. Due to the need to make choices fast and quite often, managers may consider using their intuition as a tool for decision-making. Although intuition can be seen as the ability to notice details subconsciously and base further decisions on this information, it may also lead to a mistake. Therefore, managers should combine an intuitive approach and use both their intuition and logical reasoning during decision-making in the workplace.

Removing Biases from Intuition-Based Thinking as a Possibility

Using a decision-making model based on intuition is very helpful in situations that imply uncertainties. Since one could argue that any business situation has several uncertainties, it is very important to use an intuitive approach (Keren & Wu 2016). It is possible to reduce the number and effect of biases on decision-making in business as long as one understands the limitations of one’s decision-making strategy. Thus, with a well-built approach toward reasoning and analysis, a manager will reduce the possibility of a mistake.

Relying on System 1 Thinking: Advantages and Disadvantages

Based on the Utility Model as the basis for business decision-making, one should consider different risks very closely. With a rise in uncertainty levels, the risk increases significantly, leading to a possible failure. Therefore, one should be very careful when using the intuitive thinking framework. However, the framework does provide a chance to make an important decision and solve a problem correctly. Applying the Expected Utility Model to the process of risk management and decision-making, one will see that the use of System 1 Thinking will cause a drop in the risk levels (Salas, ‎Martin ‎& Flin 2017). Thus, one should consider using the intuitive framework as the method of managing decision-making and solving difficult issues within a short amount of time.

Teaching Managers to Make Informed Decisions

To improve decision-making in an organization, one should use a combination of an intuition-based model and a logical strategy for decision-making. Put differently, one will have to teach managers to educate their intuition. Thus, the risks of making a mistake will drop. In economics, risks and ambiguity cannot be separated from management, yet they can be reduced when using a mix of a logic-based model and an intuition-based one. Managers need to be taught to use intuition-based strategies along with rational ones to produce effective decisions.

At the same time, managers should not be motivated by the arguments that seem obvious. Instead, it is necessary to focus on a thorough analysis of the available information. Thus, one will avoid the Allais paradox, which states that a manager that chooses the most certain decision increases certainty and not the profit (Keren & Wu 2016). A manager has to set clear goals and understand what the desired outcomes of the decision-making process are. Educating one’s intuition is possible once one explores one’s processes of data perception and analysis.

It is also very difficult for a manager to avoid the Ellsberg paradox during the decision-making process. Specifically, choosing a rather negative outcome compared to an unknown one, a manager may miss a big opportunity (Dürbeck 2017). At the same time, there is a threat of making a mistake that will result in an even greater loss. A manager needs to set realistic expectations and follow their intuition, at the same time focusing on the known data.

Conclusion

To choose the best solution possible, managers should combine an intuition-based approach and a decision-making strategy based on logical reasoning, thus educating their intuition. As a result, managers will have an opportunity to consider all possible solutions to a specific problem. The application of an intuitive strategy for choosing solutions will increase the opportunity of choosing a correct solution under time pressure. In addition, without understanding well the reasons behind their choices, managers may fail to create a logical framework for managing a company’s processes. Thus, combining logical and intuitive strategies seems to be the best tool for making decisions.

Reference List

Dürbeck, S 2017, The influence of intuition and emotions on decision making: using insights from behavioral economics, psychology and neuroscience, GRIN Verlag, New York, NY.

Keren, G & Wu, G 2016, The Wiley Blackwell handbook of judgment and decision making, John Wiley & Sons, New York, NY.

Salas, ‎R, Martin, L ‎& Flin, R 2017, Decision-making under stress: emerging themes and applications, Routledge, New York, NY.

Introduction

After the global financial crisis in 2008, many companies experienced a dip in their profits. Most companies were forced to adopt major structural reforms. Some of the structural reforms involved retrenching employees. The remaining employees had to take up the extra workload. Therefore, this has brought to the fore the issue of work-life balance.

Benefits of an effective work-life balance

A review of related literature revealed several benefits associated with an effective work-life balance. One of the key benefits identified is increased productivity. In this case, both the employee and company benefit. Past studies indicate that increased productivity resulted in increased sales volume that translated into an improved bottom line for the company.

Additionally, the employees also enjoyed benefits such as getting ample time for other activities, including spending time with friends and family. Also, an effective work-life balance enabled the employee to plan and prioritize his or her activities around the company’s objectives. Therefore, the employee was able to achieve both company and personal objectives without strive.

Tips for better work-life balance

In the review for related literature, we came across several tips for better work-life balance. Results from past studies indicate that to achieve an effective work-life balance, it was important for an employee to schedule a time for family and friends. Therefore, an employee was always aware of the time allocated to family and thus did allocate the time to other activities. Secondly, an employee was required to ensure that he or she spends quality time with family and friends. This involves engaging in outdoor activities, such as attending sports events.

Furthermore, self-discipline was also identified as a critical component of an effective work-life balance. It involves strictly following an established schedule. It ensured that the employee did not allocate family time to other activities. Another tool of time management identified is timing oneself while performing various tasks at the place of work. Therefore, an employee was in a position to evaluate performance, thus can improve on the time taken to complete a task.

Work-life conflict

While reviewing related studies, we discovered that there are several things associated with work-life conflict. One of the aspects associated with work-life is an unmanageable work load. Employees were, therefore, not in a position to allocate any time to family time. Also, work-related stress was identified as a source of work-life conflict where employees couldn’t competently handle roles from a place of work and home.

Conducting the study

There several things that we were learned in the course of the research process. The study was conducted in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A total of 80 participants were used where 40 were women, and the rest were men. The research design employed in the study surveyed. One of the advantages of the survey is that one can collect a lot of data for analysis. To increase the validity of the research results, participants in the study were parents who held full-time jobs.

The main tool for data collection was questionnaires. Before the actual study, the questionnaire was subjected to a pilot study. In conducting the pilot study, we observed that results from the pilot study were very helpful in designing the final questionnaire. We removed all ambiguous questions as identified by the participants.

This helped to save on money and time. The final questionnaire was both in English and Arabic. Therefore; participants were in a position to comprehend the questions. In data analysis, we used modern data analysis tools, including software such as Microsoft Excel which we used to generate percentages from our study. Finally, the research results can be used by both employees and organizations in developing effective work-life programs.

Abstract

The impact of technological innovation for business enterprises, governmental and non –governmental organizations has been massive. However, to be able to take advantage of its benefits, organizations have been forced to adopt change management principles. This paper looks at the impact of technological innovation within the healthcare industry, which my organization falls in. Among the benefits identified in the health care sector as a result of technological innovation include cost reduction, improvement of quality, and improved communications. In addition, the concept of the internet and other medical applications in the area of telemedicine has been able to impact a lot on access to medical care. However, technological innovation has also resulted in the need for additional skills.

Introduction

Technological advancements across different industries and organizational setups in the recent century have brought with them a revolution. Technological innovations generally are meant to bring new concepts, approaches, efficiencies, or ideas of doing things. However, it is the adoption of such ideas or concepts that presents the greatest challenges to many organizations.

Since technological innovation initiates radical shifts in operational environments, organizations must similarly initiate internal change (Thouin, Hoffman & Ford, 2008). As a result, technological innovation benefits can only be fully capitalized on by organizations if they are able to adopt the principles of change management. This paper looks at the impact of technological innovation within the healthcare industry, which my organization falls in.

Efficiency

Health care information and communication technology applications cannot be mentioned without highlighting the manner in which the efficiency of operations has increased with more inventions. Technological innovation has resulted in achieving great efficiencies, particularly in improving communication, records management, diagnostic accuracy, and even safety. Technological equipment advancement in the health care sector has significantly reduced cases of inaccurate diagnosis and prescription through the availability of improved, fast, and accurate testing equipments and kits.

Through the use of a healthcare management system, patient history and progress monitoring have been made easier. All information about individual patients can be accurately stored and relayed to any department within the hospital without involving the patient. This has resulted in time-saving. Safety in hospitals has also been enhanced. The development of special sterilizers and the development of highly sensitive equipment have enabled the reduction of risks associated with contamination and the spread of contagious diseases within the hospital.

Cost

With economic considerations having an impact in healthcare organizations, there has been a need to reduce costs of operations. Globally, the quest for sustainable and affordable health care has been intensified in the recent past. Technological innovations have largely contributed to cost reduction within health care settings in many ways. For instance, the internet alone has led to a significant reduction in the costs of information flow and administrative duties within hospitals. For example, it is now possible to ensure real-time patient-physician information exchange through video streaming capabilities availed through different online applications.

The development of simple but effective equipment like handheld blood and saliva analyzers, pregnancy test kits, and other health tests and monitoring tools have even resulted in cost reduction (Goyen & Debatin, 2009). As a result, the number of patients to be handled by doctors in a day also reduces when individuals are able to monitor their health conditions without actually going to the hospitals. Advanced medical equipment has also lead to the elimination of waste, mainly related to medical errors. With reduced patient waiting and diagnostic terms, hospitals are also able to save in costs associated with extra capacity, particularly for outpatient sections.

Quality

Quality assurance in the health care sector is one of the most important objectives. The adoption of modern technology has significantly helped in quality assurance in hospitals in many ways. Particularly, customer service, reduction of errors, increased capacity, and faster decision making are some of the major components of quality that have been improved through technological advancement.

Patients are able to be served in good time, and their results relayed immediately through a health management system (Omachonu & Einspruch, 2010). As a result, they are able to understand their situations and even provide useful information that goes a long way in helping doctors and nurses to provide appropriate care. This has also boosted confidence among patients.

The availability of health care management systems has also increased accountability since technological tools have a characteristic of leaving information trails. Through such computer operated and controlled systems, the management of schedules for employees has also been effectively improved. Patient safety and quick recovery have also been enhanced through elimination of errors and availability of real time monitoring and intervention solutions like CT scans among others.

Access

The concept of internet and other medical applications in the area of telemedicine has been able to impact a lot on access of medical care. Through internet applications like live chat, doctors and patients are able to interact without arranging for a physical meet. As a result, anyone is able to access medical guidance and manage their schedule through online booking of appointments and even prescriptions. In areas where health care infrastructure is not yet fully developed, the information and communications flow capability of health care related ICT applications have been of great benefit.

As a result, the types of jobs and cost of living have been largely impacted. For jobs, the nature of occupations in health care has been significantly altered. This is because technological innovation has effectively reduced face to face handling of patients and given most of the testing and diagnostic work to machines. The skills needed in hospitals today therefore have widened in scope to include technical operations and computer manipulation skills. As a result, additional training has been needed. The cost of living has been significantly lowered as already noted.

Change Management

In order to adapt to technological shifts, management must be ready to follow the principles of change management to assist in cultural and organization change. For a healthcare organization, there are many implementation initiatives that may be employed to enable effective and convenient change management.

First, the importance of effective communication will continue to remain relevant. Through this, all stakeholders will learn the objectives of technological change and increase adoption rates (Doppelt, 2009). Management should be able to communicate through various channels available to ensure that all employees and customers understand not only understand the important of the proposed changes but also their part in making the needed change to be successful.

Secondly, management must embrace diversity given that the healthcare industry is made up of individuals from different cultural backgrounds. According to Doppelt (2009), culture is a big influencer of change management. This is because culture determines the attitudes, beliefs and general behavior of individuals. As a result, it is usually common to find differentiated ideas with regards to some elements of the proposed changes.

The recognition of management that cultural foundations play a big role in the determination of success for the implementation of change is therefore a first step to ensuring the all goes according to plan. Through this, everyone is handled in a manner that their cultural inclinations do not affect their performance.

In addition, planning of change and effective involvement of all departments and employees is key to the success of implementation (Aggelidis & Chatzoglou, 2009). It is through planning that each unit or department is able to understand their part of contributions to the required changes and the set timelines. Consequently, every employee within each department is able to also work towards the set departmental targets.

Motivation and goal setting is also an important principle that management may employ to ensure that there is a faster acceptance of change in healthcare institutions (Doppelt, B. (2009). There are many ways that organizations may motivate their employees to provide the needed input for a successful transition to another technological dispensation.

Training is one of the most important motivators. It not only ensures that all employees have the basic skills to be needed for the new operational processes but also make the employees confident in handling the new procedures without backlash in areas of customer service. This is because a motivated employee usually results into a happier customer. Other forms of motivation like the use of reward and recognition may also be essential for the organization’s change management plan.

References

Aggelidis, V. P., & Chatzoglou, P. D. (2009). Using a modified technology acceptance model in hospitals. International Journal of Medical Informatics, 78(2), 115-126.

Doppelt, B. (2009). Leading change toward sustainability-: a change-management guide for business, government and civil society. Sheffield: Greenleaf Publishing.

Goyen, M., & Debatin, J. F. (2009). Healthcare costs for new technologies. European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, 36(1), 139-143.

Omachonu, V. K., & Einspruch, N. G. (2010). Innovation in healthcare delivery systems: A conceptual framework. The Innovation Journal: The Public Sector Innovation Journal, 15(1), 2.

Thouin, M. F., Hoffman, J. J., & Ford, E. W. (2008). The effect of information technology investment on firm-level performance in the health care industry. Health Care Management Review, 33(1), 60-68.

Harrington’s Process Breakthrough Methodology

The Harrington’s Process Breakthrough Methodology formulated by James H Harrington focuses on the advantages of applying cross functional management to the performance of an organization. This is done for the reason of increasing profitability. (Harrington, 1991)

Nature of BPM

Business Process management (BPM) is methodological approach aimed at increasing the efficiency and adaptability of an organization. The aim of business process management is to maximize productivity in an organization by ensuring that all the stakeholders in an organization are aware of their functions. The nature of business process management is not static; it is dynamic and ever changing. (Harmon, 2007)

Change Agents

The concept of change agents in management is used in reference to an individual whose purpose is to initiate change in an organization with the aim of increasing profitability, productivity, efficiency and client satisfaction. An effective change agent is distinguished by enabling an organization to fulfill its full potential and effect changes that last. Essentially, an effective change agent enables an organization to achieve that which was unattainable in the past. (Burnes, 2009)

Specific reasons of resisting change

The work of a change agent is complicated by people who are resistant to change. According to Dawson (2003), people may resist change because fear of job loss, uncertainty whether they have the requisite skills for their altered roles and psychological threats, be they real or perceived. Resistance to change is also caused by loss of authority ad status and disruptions in the status quo

The Group Dynamics School of change Management

The group dynamics school of change Management was advanced by Kurt Lewin, an eminent social psychologist. Lewin highlighted the influence of management styles on the decision making of a group. Moreover, the theorist is credited with highlighting the effects of group dynamics on training and the development of an organization. (Lewin, 1973)

Forces that act as stimulants to organizational change

A factor that stimulates organizational change is multiculturalism and globalization. These days, most organizations have staff from different cultures, nationalities and ethnicities; this fact acts as a catalyst for organizational change. (Stephen, and Judge, 2010)

Technology is an essential catalyst for organizational change. The use of technology, especially computers has led to the re-orientation and replacement of many roles in the workplace. Furthermore, organizational change is stimulated by economic shocks, (Ibid) an illustration of this are the changes instituted in organizations after the global credit crunch.

Organizational change has been necessitated by competition. In recent times, organizations in virtually all sectors of the economy are experiencing stiff completion. To be able to deal with this, it has become necessary for organizations to adapt. In addition, organizational change has been attributed to shifting trends and attitudes that influence the popularity of a certain product or service in the consumer market. (Stephen and Judge, 2008)

Process management frameworks

Process management frameworks are similar actions that are geared towards streamlining the functions of an organization towards the client needs. This is done in order to maximize efficiency and productivity in the organization. The process management frameworks also have the advantage of ensuring organizations can respond faster to emerging situations in the market. (Brocke, 2010)

There are various process management frameworks in use by organizations. One of these is the corporate performance management; this framework is aimed primarily at the executives of a given organization. Corporate performance framework has the advantage of ensuring the executives in a company work efficiently and productively. (Wade and Recardo 2001)

Another process management framework is focused on the line of business that the company is involved in. For instance, a company that is involved in the I.T sector may adopt a process management framework that is suitable to their particular line of business as opposed to a grocery business that may apply a different framework. (Ibid)

The final process management framework is described as the operational performance framework. This framework deals with monitoring and evaluating the business activities of the organization. To illustrate this fact, an organization that deals with retail trade may use this framework to evaluate sales and supplies. (Ibid)

Does training for business and industry cost, or does it pay?

In recent times, a debate has been raging about the benefits of training vis-à-vis the cost implications of the initiative. Most organizations recognize the importance of training for their employees and yet are reluctant to implement the training programmes. The primary reason for this is the question of expense. Training is costly to the organization especially if the service is performed by an externally contracted company.

For example, in the illustration given, the company would probably be charged a considerable amount of money by the University, to carry out training of their employees. The cost implications are also extended to time.

Most training programs are time consuming and this time consumed is usually at the expense of the organization as few employees would be willing to sacrifice their personal time for the purposes of training. The time lost would have been utilized to increase productivity for the organization. Moreover, organizations are not assured that the trained employee will remain with the company, they might use the skills gained for the benefit of competitors. (Brinkerhoff, 2008)

However, there are several advantages for an organization to train its employees. Training has the advantage of increasing efficiency and productivity and in consequence, profitability. For instance, in the illustration given, the study done by the university determined that the employees of the company should receive training in benchmarking, continuous process improvement, use of quality tools, and problem solving. These are essential skills that would enable the employees to increase their efficiency and productivity.

Training also has the benefit of increasing job satisfaction, motivation, adaptability and morale among employees. Moreover, training better enables employees to be more innovative and enable them to adapt better to new technological advancements. In addition, training enables employees to work better in a multi-cultural workplace. It has also been observed that organizations that have training programs experience significantly less employee turnover. (McNamara, 2008)

It is clear that the benefits of training far outweigh the associated cost implications. Consequently, it is my opinion that training for businesses and industries.

References

Brinkerhoff, R. O. (2008). Evaluating training programs in business and industry. USA. Jossey-Bass Publishing Inc.

Brocke, J. (2010). Handbook on Business Process Management. Berlin. Springer Science Books, Inc.

Burnes, B. (2009). Managing Change: 5th ed. Harlow, UK. FT/Prentice Hall Inc.

Dawson, P. (2003). Understanding organizational change: the contemporary experience of people. London. Sage Publications Inc.

Harmon, P. (2007). Business process change: a guide for business managers and BPM and six sigma. USA. Elsevier Publishing Inc

Harrington, J. (1991). Business process improvement: the breakthrough strategy for total Quality. USA. McGraw Hill Inc.

Lewin, K. (1973). Resolving social conflicts: selected papers on group dynamics. Michigan. Souvenir Press Inc.

McNamara, C. (2008). The Free Management Library: Employee Training and Development: Reasons and Benefit. Web.

Stephen, R. P & Judge, T. (2008). Organizational behavior. USA. Prentice Hall Publishing Inc.

Wade, D. &. Recardo, R. (2001). Corporate performance management: how to build a better organization. USA. Butterworth-Heinemann Inc.

Introduction

Generally, businesses are run and directed by individuals. It is through these individuals that targets are set and objectives attained. Therefore, the performance of any business entity depends on the aggregate performance of its workforce.

The success of a business entity will thus depend upon its ability to accurately measure the performance of each personnel and apply it without prejudice to optimize their contribution (Performance Appraisal, n.d.). Individual performance can be described as an account of results produced by an individual in a given task. The assessment of a member of staff’s performance shows his/her contribution towards the organization’s goals or objectives (Performance Appraisal, n.d.)

In the last decade, a massive change in approaches to performance measurement has been witnessed. There has been an immense realization that is more significant to emphasize on describing, strategising and managing performance than simply evaluating or appraising performance (Performance Appraisal, n.d.).

Performance appraisal is a long-established approach to evaluating workers’ performance. Yet, many organizations still confuse performance appraisal and performance management. The two terms have absolutely different meanings (Actus, 2014).

The current business environment, which is very volatile and competitive, has prompted many businesses to shift from the knee jerk approach of performance appraisal to hands-on performance management approach to increase productivity and enhance overall performance.

This is one of the most welcomed changes of the last ten years (Actus, 2014). This essay will discuss the significance and tools of performance management. The difference between conventional and contemporary approaches to performance management will also be discussed. Last but not least, the essay will differentiate performance appraisal and performance management.

Significance and tools of performance management

As already been mentioned, individual performance is an account of results produced by an individual in a given task. An individual performance in an organization is very important since it contributes to the achievement of strategic goals and objective.

In addition, it contributes to growth, development and sustainability of the businesses at all levels (Performance Appraisal, n.d.). Everyday business environment is becoming more aggressive and complex. For this reason, businesses always strive to find novel ways of improving performance among employees (Actus, 2014).

Initially, businesses tried to achieve the above objective through employee performance appraisal, which was more focused on finding weaknesses in employees’ performance. Even though it served its purpose, it was not considered to be enough in optimizing performance.

As a result, businesses shifted to proactive performance management system to increase productivity and maximize performance (Actus, 2014). Performance management is a target-oriented process geared towards ensuring business processes is in the right position to optimize the efficiency of the workforce. It plays a big role in attaining organizational strategy because it entails evaluating and enhancing the value of personnel (Clausen, Jones & Rich, 2008, p. 64).

Performance management is a recurring process that is cyclical in nature. From a basic point of view, it consists of three stages: planning, midpoint discussion and performance evaluation. The planning stage entails meeting employees to establish main goals and actions that support realization of business objectives. The meeting also involves discussing employees’ career objectives, ambitions and other business related activities.

Mind point discussion, on the other hand, involves halfway review of the employees’ progress in realizing organization’s strategic goals and making adjustments where necessary. If possible, the management should carry out a progressive dialogue regarding job performance. Lastly, ultimate performance evaluation is based on the agreed goals. This is where necessary action is taken against poor performance, while excellent performance is recognized (Cornel University, 2014).

Performance management tools are increasingly becoming popular among medium-size and large enterprises. These enterprises use these tools to align employees to the tasks, strategies and processes, as well as influence financial determinants. The most commonly used tools are balance scorecard, Baldrige, Lean and Studer.

These tools can be used separately or in combination depending on the prevailing challenges. Baldrige is an all-inclusive approach to long-term quality excellence. It helps in building leadership skills that match thoughts and strategies (NRHRC, 2013, p. 1).

Lean, as the name suggests, is a fundamental theme of businesses that have effectively executed a lean performance management structure, that is, workflow process that is straightforward and consequential (Performance Appraisal, n.d.). On the other hand, Studer mainly focuses on the workforce.

It considers the employees as the most valuable asset in the organization. An enterprise that embraces Studer viewpoint usually tap into the interest and belief of what motivate workers to dedicate their entire life to an organization. The balance scorecard is the most popular of the above four tools. The scorecard approach offers both qualitative and quantitative measurements of contribution, and supply very important information (NRHRC, 2013, p. 2).

Scorecards take different shapes and forms, yet they have attracted a wide range of users across the board. This is because they allow for an immediate evaluation of key measures and the appraisal of individual status in an organization.

Thus, the scorecard is a very significant component in shaping the direction of the HR investment, performance enhancement and making use of prevention programs to sustain good results. The employee’s scorecard has three elements leading to the employee’s success; attitude and culture, ability and leadership and employees’ behaviour (NRHRC, 2013, p. 1).

The difference between traditional and modern approaches

The traditional methods and approaches to performance management are so basic due to the fact that they only provided a conservative view of an individual performance. They mainly focus on individual qualities and financial aspects. Therefore, the approaches are both counterproductive and do not guarantee 100 percent success (Performance Appraisal, n.d.).

The performance evaluation tools used do not provide a comprehensive view of the performance, hence the overall outcome and what the business should do to enhance the performance. The traditional approaches of performance management include straight ranking system, paired comparison technique, checklist system and critical incident technique among others (Performance Appraisal, n.d.).

The modern approaches are more dynamic, non-financial and tailored to specific business environments. The modern approaches use the traditional system, but add other aspects. They view an organization as a system of flows (information and financial) and resulting triads of logistical processes that help in evaluating employee performance (Performance Appraisal, n.d.).

It departs from the traditional approaches that were solely based on the financial indicators and certain individual attributes. In addition, they provide a comprehensive view of the performance and possible ways of enhancing overall results and performance. They represent the most effective methods of managing employees to achieve optimal performance. The modern approaches include balanced scorecard management system and strategic performance management system among others (Performance Appraisal, n.d.).

The difference between performance appraisal and performance management

The fundamental difference between performance appraisal and performance management is based on their scale of operation. They both entail setting of performance goals, performance review and formulating ways of realizing the set goals. They also set up clear vision and guideline on what is expected from employees, and attempts to spot obstacles to efficient performance.

However, performance appraisal is a restricted function of assessing past performance. It is normally conducted once or twice a year. In addition, it is distinct in nature and does not interfere with day to day work of employees (Richter, 2011, p. 3). On the other hand, performance management is a nonstop process of managing employees’ performance. It is proactive in nature.

Performance management makes sure that employees attain the set goals on actual time during the process, without future reassessments or corrections. It is a line activity, which means it is entrenched in the workers daily activities or operations (Richter, 2011, p. 4).

Performance management and appraisal also differ in their approaches. In performance management, the supervisors act as role coaches or advisers, while in performance appraisal they act as moderators.

A number of performance appraisal methods, for instance, management by objective draw near to performance management. This is because they permit joint setting of goals and frequent reviews. However, they still fail to match the real-time monitoring and evaluation of goals provided in performance management (Richter, 2011, p. 4).

The methodologies also differ. Performance appraisal is more strict and organized. Even though performance it allows for tailoring of fundamental areas, it is still rigid and based on equal rating. On the contrary, performance management is relatively informal and flexible. Akin to performance appraisal, it has well established procedures on what represents optimal performance.

However, since it entails real-time application, it permits adjustments on the established procedures. The adjustment depends on work conditions and circumstances (Richter, 2011, p. 4). Last but not least, performance management is normally tailored to particular job function or individuals, whereas performance appraisal is generally standardized (Richter, 2011, p. 5).

Conclusion

The success of any business entity depends on its ability to correctly gauge the performance of each personnel and apply it without prejudice to maximize their contribution. Individual performance can be described as a record of results produced by an individual in a given job function or specific period of time. Therefore, performance measure shows an individual’s contribution to the organization. In the last ten years, massive changes in performance measurement approaches have been witnessed.

This involves a shift from the knee jerk approach of performance appraisal to hands-on performance management approach. The traditional approaches only focused on individual qualities and financial aspects. However, the modern approaches are more dynamic, non-financial and tailored to specific business environments. Performance appraisal is one of the conventional approaches of measuring performance, while performance management is a contemporary approach.

The two differ in scope, approach and methodology. Performance appraisal is a restricted function of assessing past performance and is normally conducted once or twice a year. On the other hand, performance management is a nonstop process of managing employees’ performance. However, they both entail setting of performance goals, performance review and formulating ways of realizing the set goals. They also set up clear vision and guideline on what is expected from employees, and attempts to spot obstacles to efficient performance.

References

Actus. (2014). Performance appraisal or Performance management system?

Clausen, T., Jones, K., & Rich, J. (2008). Appraising Employee Performance Evaluation Systems: How to Determine If an Overhaul Is Needed. The CPE Journal 

Cornel University. (2014). Performance Management Process.

Performance Appraisal. Whatishumanresource.com.

NRHRC. (2013). Four Performance Management Tools.

Richter, L. (2011). The difference between performance appraisal and performance management.