Employee Involvement Programs Research Articles

MBO in Municipal Government: Variations on a Traditional Management Tool

Management By Objectives, or MBO, is a traditional management approach to directing the efforts of managers and the organizational units for which they are responsible. This technique has been used in government for more than 20 years, and substantial literature has accumulated affirming its utility. Yet, the history of MBO in the public sector has been uneven, and its role and importance in government are unclear. It is frequently criticized as being ineffective or counterproductive, and it often seems to be undervalued by the academic and professional public administration communities. In this article, we seek to clarify these issues at one level of government, focusing on how municipal managers use MBO and how they assess its impact. MBO is intended to motivate stronger performance on the part of managers and employees through goal setting, participative decision making, and objective feedback (Rodgers and Hunter, 1992). In its broadest construction, it is seen as a planning and control system which is designed to encourage self-control over an individual's work while assuring that managers' efforts are aligned with the organization's overall goals and priorities. According to Swiss (1991), the heart of a full-fledged MBO process is the negotiation between a higher level manager and a subordinate manager of a performance contract that has the following components: (1) major objectives to be accomplished by the subordinate manager within specified completion dates, (2) resource commitments to support these objectives, (3) action plans and milestones for accomplishing these objectives, (4) periodic meetings of the manager and subordinate to review progress and make midcourse corrections if necessary, and (5) an assessment at the end of the MBO cycle of the subordinate's performance, which should feed into both personnel appraisal processes and MBO planning for the next cycle. Swiss characterizes MBO as being particularly useful for providing direction and control over project oriented agencies where workloads shift and priorities tend to change frequently, as opposed to another major management approach, performance monitoring, which may be more appropriate for managing the continuing operations of organizations whose outputs are relatively stable. Evolution of Public Sector MBO MBO originated as a business management technique in the 1920s and was implemented on a widespread basis in the private sector during the 1950s and 1960s as it became popularized by the writings of Peter Drucker (1954 and 1964) and others. It was introduced in the federal government by the business-oriented Nixon administration in the early 1970s (Brady, 1973; Malek, 1974). MBO was instituted first in several large executive departments and then on a government-wide basis in the form of presidential MBO intended to help the White House gain control over the federal bureaucracy. However, this latter effort was quickly overtaken by the Watergate crisis, the ensuing demise of the Nixon administration, and the installation of Zero Base Budgeting by the Carter administration as the central tool for managing the federal government. Nonetheless, individual MBO systems have been retained or modified by a number of federal departments including Defense, Health & Human Services (Swiss, 1983; Brumback, 1993), and Commerce (Collamore, 1989). Experimentation with MBO at the federal level spawned considerable interest in the approach (DeWoolfson, 1975; Morrisey, 1976), and MBO systems quickly spread to state and local governments (Odiorne, 1976; Moore and Staton, 1981). For example, several cities including San Francisco, Dayton, Ohio, and Charlotte, North Carolina, have been profiled as using MBO as an integral component of sustained results-oriented management strategies (Epstein, 1984). Mali (1986) examined the use of MBO by the city of Phoenix, Arizona, initiated in the early 1970s, and found that it is closely integrated with several other strategies including organization development, productivity improvement, and employee involvement programs. …

The influence of employee involvement program membership during downsizing: Attitudes toward the employer and the union

This study investigates the influence of employee involvement (EI) program membership on attitudes towards an organization, its management, and the union during organizational downsizing. Respondents were 147 union members who had been notified of their discharge from a large manufacturer. EI membership had significant effects on worker commitment to the organization, attitudes towards management, perceived fairness and attributions of blame, but not on attitudes toward the union. However, EI members did place somewhat greater blame for the layoff on the union.

The Influence of Employee Involvement Program Membership During Downsizing: Attitudes Toward the Employer and the Union

The Influence of Employee Involvement Program Membership During Downsizing: Attitudes Toward the Employer and the Union

Total Quality Management and employee involvement: Are they compatible?

Executive Overview Total Quality Management (TQM) programs are an important and prominent approach to management. With the creation of the Baldrige award and the competitiveness challenges which many corporations face, they have become extremely popular in (he United States during the last decade. Despite the recent Hurry of studies questioning their effectiveness, most large corporations have a program that incorporates some of the practices and principles of total quality management.1 One of the most important principles of TQM concerns employee involvement or, as it is often called, empowerment. It is common for a TQM program to state that employee involvement is very important to its success. There is a long history of research and writing on employee involvement and how it can affect organizational performance.2 It, too, has become increasingly popular. One possibility, as suggested by TQM programs, is that employee involvement is best thought of as an activity which supports these programs. Another possibility is that TQM practices are best used in support of employee involvement programs. Is the difference between TQM as a part of involvement and involvement as a part of TQM more than just a difference in phrasing? Does the choice between these two alternatives have important implications for the way an organization is actually managed and structured? The answers to these two questions contain important clues about when and why TQM programs tail and how they and employee involvement programs can be made effective. To answer them we need to look briefly at the history of both TQM and employee involvement programs.

The impact of employee involvement on organisational commitment and ‘them and us’ attitudes

This article presents a measure of ‘them and us' as a basis for evaluating an employee involvement programme in British Rail. The results of a longitudinal study with control groups and various forms of post‐training intervention show no change in organisational commitment but some evidence of a shift towards a more local pattern of identity which excludes union representatives from ‘us'.

Mutual gains? labor and management evaluate their employee involvement programs

This study examines the impact of employee involvement programs on social, psychological, production, and economic issues. The findings are based on a diverse group of 236 EI programs in Pennsylvania, where data were gathered from both management and labor in the same workplace. The majority of the programs are based on a quality circle model; few contain innovative pay systems; and less than one third could be classified as intensive. Management indicates that these programs have a positive impact on a variety of factors, especially social and psychological effects. Unions are less enthusiastic about EI but are generally positive or neutral, with few indicating any negative effects. Despite these generally positive reports by both labor and management, direct comparison yields little agreement between labor and management on the effects of EI. Our results question the assumption of “mutual gains,” i.e., that the effects of EI programs are clear, public, and shared equally by both labor and management. Alternative explanations are discussed.

The evolution of employee empowerment

The authors present the evolution of employee involvement programs into empowered self-directed work teams (SDWTs) to drive continuous improvement methodologies. With the primary goal of increased manufacturing performance and customer satisfaction, SDWTs are responsible for the day-to-day operations and directions of existing wafer fabs at Harris Semiconductor in Palm Bay, Florida. The SDWTs were formed to improve key fab performance indices such as throughput yield (TPY), cycle time, performance-to-schedule and reduction of costs.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>

Implementation of an Employee Involvement Programme in a Small, Emerging High‐technology Firm

Reports the effects of an employee involvement programme on members of a small, emerging high tech firm. (Names of firm, industry, and officers used in this study have been disguised). The attitudes of these employees towards management and their perceptions of behavioural changes are described. A consultant’s experience in the development and implementation of such a programme is presented.

Ethical Perspectives on Employee Involvement Programs

Ethical Perspectives on Employee Involvement Programs

Factors Associated with Workers' Inclination to Participate in an Employee Involvement Program

Understanding factors associated with workers' inclination to participate in employee involvement programs can contribute to program success. The results of this study support hypotheses that predict that employees who are interested in participation will be younger, more interested in job advancement, more optimistic about program benefits, and more active in their union than those who are uninterested. These findings are consistent with viewing workers' interests in participation as a search for increased responsibility, self-expression, and personal need fulfillment.

Employee involvement and total quality management: practices and results in Fortune 1000 companies

This study explores trends in the adoption of employee involvement (EI) and total quality management (TQM) programmes, such as self-managing work teams, profit sharing and job enrichment, over the past three years.

Employee involvement programmes improve corporate performance

Employee involvement programmes have the potential to increase the competitiveness of companies. For this to occur, incentives must be provided for ongoing participation. This paper explores these issues in the context of a manufacturing company. All employees were surveyed to ascertain why some people chose to participate while others did not. The results highlight the importance of employee expectations, showing that expectations may be raised at the outset of a programme but they then must be fulfilled. To ensure that participants do not become disillusioned because of unrealistic expectations, human resource managers must devote considerable effort to forming long range strategic approaches to the formulation and implementation of employee involvement programmes.

The Effects of Employee Involvement Programs on Unionized Workers’ Attitudes, Perceptions, and Preferences in Decision Making

The Effects of Employee Involvement Programs on Unionized Workers’ Attitudes, Perceptions, and Preferences in Decision Making

Implementing employee involvement: How paper companies gain local union support

This study examines employee involvement programs in the unionized paper and pulp industry in North America. The data gathered from local union officers describe the economic and bargaining environment in which management established these programs. Additionally, the survey elicits each local union's description of and attitude toward its program once started. The analyses suggest that the manner in which programs are set up and subsequently administered correlates with the level of union support. The study concludes that the viability of employee involvement is contingent on the degree of autonomy afforded the local union.

Contemporary ethical issues in labor-management relations

Numerous labor-management issues possess ethical dimensions and pose ethical questions. In this article, the authors discuss four labor-management issues that present important contemporary problems: union organizing, labor-management negotiations, employee involvement programs, and union obligations of fair representation. In the authors view, labor and management too often view their ethical obligations as beginning and ending at the law's boundaries. Contemporary business realities suggest that cooperative and enlightened modes of interaction between labor and management seem appropriate.

Self‐managing Work Teams (SMWT) and the Human Resource function

Forces of international competition and innovations within organizations have led to the development of employee involvement programmes, including self‐managing work teams. The widespread use of such programmes poses special problems for human resource management. Outlines how the human resource management process and the role of the HRM professional can be changed to increase the effectiveness of self‐managing work teams.

The role of evaluation in increasing the usefulness of employee involvement programs

Articles should deal with topics applicable to the broad field of program evaluation. Implications for practicing evaluators should be clearly identified. Examples of contributions include but are not limited to reviews of new developments in evalua tion and descriptions of a current evaluation effort, research problem, or technique. Manuscripts should include appropriate references and not exceed 10 double- spaced typewritten pages in length.

The Role of Evaluation in Increasing the Usefulness of Employee Involvement Programs

Articles should deal with topics applicable to the broad field of program evaluation. Implications for practicing evaluators should be clearly identified. Examples of contributions include but are not limited to reviews of new developments in evalua tion and descriptions of a current evaluation effort, research problem, or technique. Manuscripts should include appropriate references and not exceed 10 double- spaced typewritten pages in length.

Should membership in employee involvement programs be voluntary?

A key issue confronting managers when designing employee involvement programs (EIPs) is membership status. This refers to whether the corporation requires employees to participate in an EIP or allows voluntary participation. Employees report that membership status is a key issue when designing an EIP, since it can send a powerful signal—positive or negative—concerning the potential benefits that can be derived from the program. To support this view, a series of research studies on the effects of membership status on employee performance are reviewed below. Drawing on extensive consulting experience; data acquired from thousands of interviews with employees, staff and management; and a few thousand questionnaire responses to surveys on EIP design and administration practices in American business, the author examines key arguments that support EIP voluntary membership policies. His discussion sheds light on a paradoxical issue concerning EIPs—namely, if EIP is the foundation to a firm's competitiveness and, in fact, to its very survival, then why is participation by employees in EIP voluntary in a large percentage of U.S. companies?

TEAM‐BASED EMPLOYEE INVOLVEMENT PROGRAMS: EFFECTS OF DESIGN AND ADMINISTRATION

In recent years, many organizations have attempted to pursue continuous improvement through team‐based employee involvement programs (EIPs). As a result, increased practical emphasis has been placed on how to design and administer EIPs, though empirical work has been slow to emerge. In the present research, a pilot study of 68 EIP administrators was used to identify those design and administrative variables thought to be associated with EIP effectiveness. Data were then collected from 72 EIP teams in two organizations and associated with participant and supervisory assessments of EIP effectiveness. Results suggest that the significant predictors of team effectiveness were the degree of openness of a team's information access structure, the degree of heterogeneity in the job functions performed by team members, and the team's size. Implications for EIP research and practice are discussed.