The aim of this report is to discuss the case study, ‘Constructive relations at Top Trucking Company’. There are three questions in the case study and all the three questions are discussed on this report. The case study mentions that George is the new yard manager of the company. He realized the importance of change and motivation at work place. He introduced number of changed in the company and as a result the company observed an improvement in the overall productivity levels (Antonakis & House, 2014). There was a positive satisfaction among drivers and it was first time in the history of organizations that drivers supported the management. The specific questions as asked in the case study can be discussed as:
1. The new manager, George, implemented number of policies with the objective to improve the motivation and productivity level of employees. With the new workplace practices, George ensured that HR sits with the business to see where it is going and interpret that in form of training and development to the employees and drivers. It was believed that HR in an organization can be reactive or proactive and this will obviously highlight its relevance. In many contexts the Human Resources Manager appears to be reactive in their operation, and in order for them to seize to be reactive and become fully proactive, they must be able to understand some strategic function, which will evidently place them in a position of strength to support the business. George played an instrumental role to transform HRM from a reactive function to proactive function.
With George at the top position, the drivers were able to have a feeling of satisfaction. He was the first manager of the organization who ensured that drivers are not treated like children. The policies like introduction of new computer system and the new uniforms for drivers were in complement with each other as these policies had the impact on both internal and external factors. With its policies, George focused on both internal and external factors that impact the motivation level of employees. He introduced the new computer systems in the organization and he ensured that all the drivers are provided new uniforms. For George, the employee development was the first priority and he believed that the employee development could eventually result in organizational development.
George did what he considered to be right for the organization. However, the “right” is determined by the values individuals hold. At times the individual values and group norms are indistinguishable. Values affect behaviors and decisions in all aspects of life. Doing and saying what is right according to what is expected can be very different from what an individual actually believes. Steers, Sanchez-Runde, and Nardon (2010) asserts contentious organizational values can rarely be effectively levied against individuals who disagree with the values even if the individuals agree publicly. This implies individuals’ values, to some degree, is more important than social norms and suggests individuals may behave ethically in unethical organizations.
2. George was a good manager for the company and his policies helped the organization in several ways. It was George who established HRM as a strategic function. However, to manage human resource effectively, HR function need to assess the demographic changes, address the risks and prepare in advance; in order to identify and prevent talent shortages and potential productivities loss (Kramer & Porter, 2011). With the changes made by George, there is a good chance the organization would expand. However these is a risk if the new motivation levels would continue in the drivers or not. Moreover, there is always a risk that the drivers would change the organization and share this information with the competitors. The report concluded that blue collar unions like the Transport Workers Union are more of less likely to engage in workplace changes like these than public or service sector unions because the trade unions in public sectors have relatively less pressure.
George established a goof culture in the organization and drivers were given due respect in the new culture. The new culture increased the expectation level of drivers. With George, drivers got more than they expected. There is always a risk that in future the company may not be able to fulfill the new expectations of drivers (Smith, 2001). In the current business scenario, the company is doing well and it can afford new uniforms for drivers and computer systems. However, the same may not be true always.
For several years, the turbulence in the economy entails the need for constant modifications of business activities in companies. The challenges that could arise before the management of force to make changes to many of the processes taking place in the organization. Roles of the various departments within the organization are redefined and it is also including the role of the Human Resources department.
The organization is currently in the growth stage and there is also a risk or challenge to continue the organization through this stage. It is believed that the relevant stage for the organization life cycle is the growth stage where the owner has to delegate his authority to others. It is said, “The founder must learn to delegate authority and separate tasks for the organization to survive and thrive during the growth stage. This stage called collectivity stage is very important in the organizational life. According to Quinn, and Cameron, (1983). “Human relations criteria appear to dominate in defining organizational effectiveness in this stage, and that they are more important in the collectivity stage than in any other stage” (P. 44). It is at this stage the founder needs some peoples who will understand his vision and follow it through the organization’s life. At that stage the organization pursue growth and establish a framework to develop their capabilities to compete in the area. By choosing the wrong person can be destructive for the organization. Therefore, any organization, which is passing through this step, needs to be careful in choosing the collaborators (Wang, 2014). George should focus on sustainable development inside the organization and gradual improvement of all the drivers. Any sudden or unexpected rewards for drivers could be win theme in short term. However, there is a risk that drivers would make it a habit and it could be serious productivity block in long term.
3. Employment law significantly influencing HRM policies, including the control on health and safety, work conditions, minimum wages, working hours and legal working ages. Political circumstance could affect the legal system, thus impact on HRM planning. Additionally, organizations could be subjected to specific regulations depend on its sector, which require to arrange related training for employee, in order to fulfill the legal requirement (Fong & Hills, 2007). The trade unions were created so that the right of employees could be protected. It would be correct to say that to make that blue collar unions like the Transport Workers Union are more of less likely to engage in workplace changes like these than public or service sector unions because the trade unions in public sectors have relatively less pressure. It would be a correct inference to make because the trade unions in private sector have a more proactive role to play as compared to the trade unions in the public sector (Shamim & Ghazali, 2014). The trade unions in the public sector are the traditional idea of trade unions where the trade unions were established for issues and grievances. However, the trade unions in private sector are formed with the objective of better employee engagement.
I believe that trade unions in blue-collared jobs are more likely to engage the employees as compared to the trade unions in public sector because the existence of trade unions for blue-collared jobs depends on the level of employee engagement itself (Schneider, 2013). It can be said that the management is stricter to measure the progress of trade unions for blue-collared jobs employees.
There are various options or ways to find out if I am right or wrong. I can do primary research to determine if my understanding is correct or not. I can ask the people who hold some posts in the trade unions. At the same time, I can also do the secondary research, to determine the validity of my inference. A lot of researches are done in this area and I can gather the information from the existing studies (Bock & Zmud, 2005). I understand that for trade unions, the most important task is to protect the interests of employees and employers understood as an attempt to improve working conditions and pay, as well as the protection of their rights, ensuring compliance with existing employee rights (Houkes, 2014). I believe that the blue-collared jobs would find it more convincing to keep trade unions engaged so that the organization can achieve its goals and objectives. With the secondary research, I have learned that trade unions have an obligation to listen to all stakeholder voices and that those diverse voices should be considered when the organization’s management and corporate governance are making decisions (Lucifora, 2013). I realize that the needs of the most salient stakeholders are likely to be addressed during the decision making process in blue-collared jobs.
The above report discusses the case study of ‘Constructive relations at Top Trucking Company’. It can be said that the Trucking Company is doing well under the leadership of George. However, it is important that George should not be impulsive in nature. It is important that George should take small and gradual steps towards the target state. The above paper discusses the risks with the current approach. George has implemented various strategies and policies that have created a positive environment in the organization. This has ultimately reduced the conflict among the drivers and today; drivers consider themselves to be key stakeholders. The above paper also discusses the role of trade unions for blue-collared jobs and jobs in service sector area. It would be correct to say that to make that blue collar unions like the Transport Workers Union are more of less likely to engage in workplace changes like these than public or service sector unions because the trade unions in public sectors have relatively less pressure.
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Cottini, E., & Lucifora, C. (2013). Mental health and working conditions in Europe. Industrial & Labor Relations Review, 66(4), 958-988.
Fong, P.S., Hills, M.J. & Hayles, C.S., (2007) Dynamic Knowledge Creation through Value Management Teams, Journal of Management in Engineering, 23(1), pp40-49
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Quinn, R. E., & Cameron, K. (1983). Organizational life cycles and shifting criteria of effectiveness: Some preliminary evidence. Management Science, 29(1), 33
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Steers, R. M., Sanchez-Runde, C. J., and Nardon, L. (2010). Management across cultures: Challenges and strategies. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Wang,S., Noe R.A. &Wang ,Z. (2014) Motivating Knowledge Sharing in Knowledge Management Systems: A Quasi–Field Experiment Journal of ManagementVol. 40 No. 4, 978-1009
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