Wrirte about the Report on Employee Engagement at the Sydney Opera House.
The success of a given organization is based on how the organization is able to realize that its strategies and the strategies of the talents of its employees are intimately connected as well as on a realization that leadership and the level of employee engagement among its employees are essential for the success of the organization. Best companies in the world put great emphasis in building and sustaining a culture of engagement among their employees (Rich, et al. 2010, pp. 617-635). Such companies are managed by CEOs who appreciate the fact that employee engagement is essential to the organization and helps in the achievement of set goals.
Employee engagement in any organization boosts the morale of the employees and drives them to achieve the goals set by the organization. Through implementation of strategies and techniques geared towards increasing the level of employee engagement, the organization is able to improve the way the employees feel about their job, adapt a positive attitude towards the job and hence help the organization achieve its objectives. Employees who are adequately engaged by the organization are able to understand the goals of the organization while at the same time understand their personal roles within the organization and hence are a great a set to the organization in the achievement of the goals of the organization (Christensen & Hughes, 2008, pp.743-757). Properly engaged employees appear happier, enthusiastic, motivated and hence more productive that those who are not properly engaged.
An organization can promote employee engagement by developing surveys, implementing rewards programs as well as conducting outside activities aimed at making its employees to be more involved in the organization’s activities. Through the use of employee engagement metrics, the organization is able to measure the percentage of its employees who are satisfied against those who are dissatisfied with their jobs (Bassi & McMurrer, 2007, pp.115). Conducting this analysis helps the organization determine its employee engagement level. An organization is likely to encounter decreased productivity as well as low employee retention rates whenever it records low employee engagement levels. This is a report that focuses on people practices as well as employee engagement levels at Sydney Opera House. The report further recommends initiatives that should be put in place by the management of the Sydney Opera House to improve the level of engagement among employees of this organization.
The Sydney Opera House is an iconic structure in Australia boasting a long history of innovation in information management. The building, opened in 1973 has houses multiple venues for performance. A part from acting as a performance arts centre, this building also acts as a tourist site receiving both local as well as foreign tourists. The house hosts over 1500 performances with an average attendance of 1.2 million people from across the world annually. Some of the performance venues in the Sydney Opera House include Concert Hall, Joan Southerland Theatre, Drama Theatre, Playhouse, Utzon Room, a recording studio as well as Outdoor Forecourt (Baumruk, 2006, pp.24-27). The house has in the past hosted some of the world’s major events such as the 2000 Summer Olympics where the venue hosted triathlon events.
To enable the busy schedule of activities running, Sydney Opera House has employees in various departments ranging from the tourism department, management as well as administration department. Since, 2012, Sydney Opera House is managed by a female CEO, Louisa Herron. Under her reign, the house has seen an increase in revenue collection through the promotion of the Western Forecourt among other arts events.
Since its official opening in 1973, the Sydney Opera House has grown to be recognized as the most successful performing arts and tourist centre in the world due to the concept of employee engagement that has over the years been at the heart of its business strategy. The top leadership of Sydney Opera House believe in the concept that employees who are happy and satisfied with their job is the most crucial starting point to the success of any business.
The Sydney Opera House in its operations does not only focus on profit maximization but also on ensuring the attainment of various sustainability policies (Saks, 2006, pp.600-619). The key sustainability policies set by the house include, Child Protection Policy, environmental sustainability, Artworks management policy, Asset management Policy, Community Donations Policy, Event Support Policy, Risk Management Policy as well as Commitment to Customers Policy. The driving force behind the formulation of these policies was the need to ensure that the employees as well as the clients who visit the house were kept safe from any harm while at the same time the policies ensured that people at the house engaged in responsible activities that would see the environment protected from any harm.
Due to the raft of activities at the house, employees have a lot to do in ensuring that the top objective of the house which is sustainability is achieved. In order to ensure that its employees are happy and motivated in performing their duties, the Sydney Opera House has put up strategies aimed at ensuring that there is an increase in the level with which the employees are engaged in a manner that can increase their enjoyment and hence increase the level of productivity (Hoon, et al, 2012, pp.65-101). It is the top priority of the Sydney Opera House to inculcate in its employees the culture of ensuring sustainability in all the activities at the house. To ensure that this is achieved, the top leadership at the house has embraced various employee engagement strategies.
To increase the level of enthusiasm among the employees and boost their performance rate, the Sydney Opera House recognizes employees who perform exceptionally well. Such employees are rewarded with gifts as well as job promotions. The recognition is done openly as a way to motivate others to also work hard with the aim of being rewarded too. Recognition makes employees feel appreciated while at the same time making them realize how their efforts have an impact on the organization (Attridge, 2009, pp.383-398). Sydney Opera House in its attempt to promote innovation among employees has taken its level of employee recognition a notch higher by setting up initiatives of rewarding employees who come up with suggestions for improving the operations at the house which saves the house resources and money.
To ensure high performance among employees at the Sydney Opera House, the management has come up with strategies of motivating high performers whereby top performers are rewarded being recognized for their expertise. Some of the motivation strategies employed at the Sydney Opera House includes creation of opportunities for leadership roles for good performing employees.
The top leadership at the Sydney Opera House pays attention to the fact that workplace relationships between the top management and the employees affect to a great extent the confidence of employees and thus impact on their overall performance. In an attempt to improve the level of employees’ engagement, the leadership at the house has invested great effort in rebuilding the employee trust and confidence in the top leadership of the company (Armstrong-Stassen & Ursel, 2009, pp.201-220).
The house leadership has built employer-employee relationship that is based on trust and confidence in an attempt to improve the level of interest that the employees have in the activities and the goals of the house. In some cases, the management at the house engage in activities that put them in the shoe of the employee as a way of learning and appreciating the experiences and feelings of the employees.
Employees’ feedback is encouraged and appreciated at the Sydney Opera House. Employees are encouraged to talk openly especially on issues concerning their working conditions as well as concerning their relationship with the management. The house leadership regularly conducts surveys aimed at getting feedback from employees in an attempt to inculcate the opinions of employees in running the operations of the house.
The management at the Sydney Opera House has adapted a communication policy that allows employees to freely voice their opinion concerning the operations at the organization that have an impact on their lives as well as that impacts the employers and the organization itself. The two-way communication system ensures that the employees are informed on the issues of relevance to them (Konrad, 2006, pp.1-6).
The management at the Sydney Opera House has put up several strategies aimed at raising the level of employee engagement. However, there are initiatives that the management can put in place to increase the level of its employee engagement over time. They include;
In order to increase employee engagement, it is of essence that the management get adequate information from the employees on how they feel about the existing leadership styles and engagement strategies as well as getting the opinion of employees concerning the operations of the organization and their overall jobs. One initiative of achieving this is the formation of a focused group. I have chosen a focused group because it will discuss what is working and what is not working within the organization from the perspective of the employees. This group consists of a round table made up of employees who discuss the various issues within the organization that affect both the employee as well as the employer (Cabrera, et al. 2006, pp.245-264).
The use of this initiative is significant since it encourages employee engagement through various initiatives such as; an employer asking the employees within the focus group to give their ideas and opinion on how to fix a given issue within the organization as well as employers involving the employees in the focus group in discussing policies of the organization and coming up with recommendations that might affect the operations of the organization (Thau, et al. 2007, pp.840).
The organization can raise employee morale by setting up team building activities in an open space where the employees will be free to engage both amongst them as well as with the management. This is a good initiative to engage in since it will improve the level of teamwork as well as the level of confidence and commitment among the employees of an organization (Robertson & Cooper, 2010, pp.324-336). This initiative enable the building of a positive relationship between the employees and their managers while at the same time increase the level of commitment towards the achievement of the organization’s goals.
The organization can raise the level of confidence amongst the employees by subjecting them to internal training programs. Training enables the employees to interact with ease and confidence amongst themselves as well as with their managers and clients. During training sessions, employees get a chance to give feedback on issues affecting them and the organization at large (Gruman & Saks, 2011, pp.123-136). Through trust build during training as well as confidence garnered as a result of the training, the engagement level of the employees is raised and hence their productivity rate as well as retention capacity is raised.
Conclusion and Recommendation
The level of engagement among employees of a given organization can either make or break the business. It is human nature to want to be in an environment where they feel appreciated. An employee at the workplace is no exception. In order for them to perform effectively, employees want to be exposed to processes, strategies and initiatives that make them happy and motivated. It is the duty of every organization that wants to succeed to ensure that its employees are exposed to strategies that makes them happy as this will increase their productivity (Kehoe & Wright, 2013, pp.366-391). Some of the recommended areas that are of significant importance to employee engagement in an organization include; good quality line management, open communication line that is two way, effective co-operation within the organization, initiatives focused at ensuring employee development, commitment to the well-being of employees, HR policies and practices that are clear and acceptable by employees, ensuring that there if fairness in relation to the payment systems and benefits as well ensuring the existence of a working environment that is harmonious (Salanova & Schaufeli, 2008, pp.116-131).
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Hoon Song, J., Kolb, J.A., Hee Lee, U. and Kyoung Kim, H., 2012. Role of transformational leadership in effective organizational knowledge creation practices: Mediating effects of employees’ work engagement. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 23(1), pp.65-101.
Kehoe, R.R. and Wright, P.M., 2013. The impact of high-performance human resource practices on employees’ attitudes and behaviors. Journal of management, 39(2), pp.366-391.
Konrad, A.M., 2006. Engaging employees through high-involvement work practices. Ivey Business Journal, 70(4), pp.1-6.
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Robertson, I.T. and Cooper, C.L., 2010. Full engagement: the integration of employee engagement and psychological well-being. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 31(4), pp.324-336.
Saks, A.M., 2006. Antecedents and consequences of employee engagement. Journal of managerial psychology, 21(7), pp.600-619.
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Thau, S., Aquino, K. and Poortvliet, P.M., 2007. Self-defeating behaviors in organizations: The relationship between thwarted belonging and interpersonal work behaviors. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92(3), p.840
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