This short break refreshes the employee and motivates him or her to resume their work, maintaining their levels of productivity. Thus, TK Maxx offers employees freedom and procrastinating opportunities which the managers of ‘Zenith Staybrite' do not permit their employees. This is revealed by Taylor, Gareth, Jeff and Bain (2002) who illustrate this view: 'we examine operators' perceptions of the degree of control exercised over the pace and planning of work, and determination of breaks'.
By the 'Taylorist-style' managers of 'Zenith Staybrite' having no concerns for the employees’ health and welfare, they appear to be selfish and are only enthused by their bonuses and promotion prospects. Other than that, they appear to have no emotions for their employees. They assume that “The workman is, potentially at least, nothing more than the doer of the task, without feelings and emotions' (Hearn and Parkin, 1987:19). This suggests that these employees are perceived as robots, so they think they never get physically exhausted. Also, they assume that they can command them as they please, 'The production units operate like a hand, watched, corrected, and controlled by a distant brain' (Braverman, 1974:125), which illustrates this view. However, telesales is not a discriminating job. So both genders are welcome to do this job, and so they are both male and female workers. Therefore, the managers forget that the telesales workers consist of both genders, including women who are more emotional.
Hertzberg (1968) proposed that: 'in attempting to influence someone to work harder, it is the manager who is motivated and not the worker'. This demonstrates that managers fail to acknowledge how vital job satisfaction and achievement is to employees, particularly in 'Zenith Staybrite' in this case. The financial reward is not recognized by the employees as a means of motivation, but rather a means of survival (i.e. physiological needs): 'These include homeostasis such as satisfaction of hunger and thirst ' (Management and Organisational Behaviour, 2007, p. 258). It is the wages that the telesales employees need in order necessities including food for survival, so they continue to work for this reason.
As a result, for job satisfaction and achievement, these employees must be given opportunities to help attain their full potential such as creative ones and responsibilities. This is as there have been 'Stories in which there was a loss of satisfaction or a negative attitude towards the job stemming from a lack of responsibility' (The Motivation to Work, 1959, p. 47). Such stories include that of Polly Toynbee: ‘Just as Repetitive Strain Injury is the new disease of computer users, so 'acoustic shock' is the new industrial disease, caused by intensive telephone work, resulting in depression and inability to stand loud noises. After a few hours at this work, anyone will feel the depression. It felt to me like Repetitive Brain Injury' (Hard Work; Life in Low-Pay Britain, 2003, p. 151).
However, by managers allowing the employee to achieve their full potential, telesales will no longer be 'routinized, involving low levels of employee discretion' (Taylor, Gareth, Jeff and Bain, 2002). It will allow these employees to express their opinions and ideas on improving the organisation: "call centre operatives are increasingly becoming creative workers having been given 'expanded discretion' (Frenkel et. Al., 1999: 69) and that service (i.e. Call centre) work 'was not as routine and uncreative as some times depicted" (Frenkel et. Al., 1999:71). Thereby this would increase job satisfaction and eventually motivation. For instance, consider the 'Hierarchy of Needs' theory revealed by Maslow (cited in 'Management', 2000, p.239): ' The highest rung on the ladder stands for self-actualisation needs, which are realized when the individual can experience a sense of personal growth and achievement, of satisfaction and self-fulfilment through doing.'
On the other hand, this Taylorist management style used by 'Zenith Staybrite' could be useful in some contexts. For instance, 'There are two types of people, those dislike work and responsibility, focus on economic security and need to be coerced into effort (theory X)' (Work Organisations, 2002, p. 295). This dominating personality of the Taylorist managers can force these 'theory X' workers into working with dictation. For example, 'you're really supposed to dictate everything from which knee to kneel on, to how far an arm should be moved to carry out a task' ( Work Organisation, 2002, p. 185). This style of management is only necessary until the employee has been converted into a 'Theory Y' employee: 'Those who like work, will accept responsibility for their own effort and are capable of innovation (Theory Y)' (Work Organisation, 2002, p. 185). As a result, the telesales employee will learn to be self-motivated due to less intensive management styles.
Although this strict management can alienate employees: 'In order to respond to conflicts between commitment and capacity to act, people may burn out' (Work Organisations, 2002, p. 287) it can ultimately increase efficiency because employees are forced into working more industriously. Therefore a higher productivity rate is the end result. However, this can only be temporary, since these telesales employees are not 'machines' but only 'human', so this high rate can gradually fall.
A democratic style of management can enhance the motivation of employees. This can be deduced from working experiences at 'TK Maxx'. They appreciate all their employees and make them feel like their valuable to the organisation. This is as revealed by Toynbee (2003): 'She said with friendly warmth that she absolutely understood why so many people couldn't hack it and left almost at once'. This suggests that they do not give up on their employees, and see potential in them to achieve. Hence they have 'Helicopter ability' (Handy, 1980:109), the ability to 'rise above the situation and see the big picture.' Taylorist managers are too preoccupied with dictating and attaining maximum efficiency that they become blind to these things, and miss out on opportunities on improving the organisation.
Furthermore, they make the employees feel like no one is above anyone in terms of power, although these managers are technically more powerful then the employees in terms of the hierarchy. For instance, these managers treat the employees like their colleagues, like equals: 'Melissa, the supervisor, was a lively woman of about forty in bright flamboyant clothes who left her telephone to come out and interview me. She was warm and cosy, treating everyone as an equal colleague' (Hard Work; Life in Low-Pay Britain, 2003, p. 152)
More importantly, they realise the importance of bonding with their employees and co-workers. These managers are more concerned about the emotions and welfare of their employees.
Thus, it is strongly recommended that 'Zenith Staybrite' convert their managers from a Taylorist, to a democratic style of management.
Mangers of 'Zenith Staybrite' fail to acknowledge the achievements and efforts of their employees. Reflecting upon personal experiences of working for the latter, it is a huge motivational boost for the manager to approach the employee and say 'well done'. The telesales job can be enjoyable at times because it is challenging: ' In respect of call centres, research has shown that although workers within them find they like the 'energy' and the 'buzz' (Myths at Work, 2000, p. 119).
Moreover, it provides the employees with opportunities to develop their conversational skills due to a vast amount of calls made per day. Supporting evidence originates from Toynbee (2003): 'I clocked up one hundred and sixty-three calls in my seven working hours that day.' This suggests the huge contribution and effort a single employee has made for the telesales organisation.
However, it can become tedious within a short while: "most 'emphasized' they often felt frustrated by the routine aspects of their work' (Myths at Work, 2000, p. 119). As a result, to help the employee get through the day, an appraisal would be motivating. It appears that to these Taylorist managers at 'Zenith Staybrite', that 'all that mattered was whether you could sell on the phone' (Myths at Work, 2000, p. 153). They are not concerned about how rude the customers may treat the employees, 'No, you can't talk to anyone' (Myths at Work, 2000, p.155), despite how polite you try to communicate and coax them into getting a quote for a bonus. And when that bonus is finally attained because a customer was persuaded into getting a quote, the managers just assume that the money would be motivating enough by its self: 'Taylor did believe that workers were motivated by the pursuit of rational self-interest and that incentive wages-in the form of a differential piece-rate sytem'. However, this just forms the basis of motivation as explained by 'Maslow' above.
Similarly, as revealed by Herzberg, Mausner and Snyderman, there was a 'man who felt aggrieved because whenever he wrote a report his superior signed it or the man who worked hard on a new accounting system only to have it summarily turned down because the company then decided it did not need a new system' (The Motivation to Work, 1959, p. 73). This view reinforces the fact that there are employees who are getting their industrious work put down the drain. As revealed by 'Maslow' earlier on, employees have 'self-actualisation' needs and want to make achievements in order to be further motivated.
To review, so far we have seen that Motivation is the fuel that keeps employees going at ‘Zenith Staybrite’. Also, Taylorist managers’ that work for the latter are doing very little to motivate these employees, so standards fall in the workplace: 'Taylor did believe that workers were motivated by the pursuit of rational self-interest and that incentive wages-in the form of a differential piece-rate sytem' (Work Organisations, 2002, p. 31). This view is biased and a viewing human nature in one aspect and neglecting others like social interacting.
However, if these standards do increase again, then it is due to the stress and emotional pressure the managers have applied on the employees. For example, 'From call centres (S. Taylor,1998), service increasingly requires scripted interactions and standardised displays of feelings through smiles, forced niceness and other forms of verbal interplay and body posture.
Furthermore, we have witnessed that these Taylorist managers do not appreciate their employees like the democratic ones do. Maslow’s ‘Hierarchy of Needs’ suggests that people have self-esteem needs. These involve the desire for ‘achievement’ and ‘appreciation’ (Management and Organisational Behaviour, 2007, p. 258). As a result, this takes away the meaning of work as the employee is neglected.
Hence, sufficient evidence is present to claim that ‘Zenith Staybrite’ employees are de-motivated by their employees due to the Taylorist Management Style: 'Taylorism was a failed system, superseded by more sophisticated behavioural theories to be used for motivational and job design tools’ (M.Rose, 1975).
(2,475 words)
REFERENCES
WORKS CITED
(Dawson, 1986:7)
(Thompson and McHugh, 2002)
(Hochschild, 1983)
(Montgomery 1997: 250)
(Telegraph, 2008)
(The Sociology of Work, 2006, p. 39)
(TJX, 2009)
(Taylor, Gareth, Jeff and Bain, 2002)
(Management, 2000, p.239)
(Management and Organisational Behaviour, 2007, p. 258)
(The Motivation to Work, 1959, p. 47)
(Hearn and Parkin, 1987:19)
(Braverman, 1974:125)
(Hard Work; Life in Low-Pay Britain, 2003, p. 151)
(Hard Work; Life in Low-Pay Britain, 2003, p. 152)
(Frenkel et. Al., 1999: 69)
(Frenkel et. Al., 1999:71)
(Myths at Work, 2000, p. 119)
(Myths at Work, 2000, p. 153)
(Myths at Work, 2000, p.155)
(Gabriel, 1988)
(Toynbee, 2003)
(Work Organisations, 2002, p. 31)
(Work Organisation, 2002, 185)
(Work Organisations, 2002, p. 295)
(Work Organisations, 2002, p. 287)
(S. Taylor, 1998)
(M.Rose, 1975)
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