Disadvantages
The employees of Waitrose would be very tired from all the hard constant work that they would have put into achieving the increased profit levels. The staff may become restless and over worked. This would not be efficient as staff would not be giving their full commitment later on due to all the stress and full on work. Staff turnover also has a chance of increasing as the employees may be over worked and they may not enjoy working there. Errors may also increase due to boredom of the job role leading to inefficiency. Costs would also increase as the errors would have to be paid off resulting in less profit.
Absenteeism
Advantages
This method would stop them from taking days off work for being sick as they would not be getting paid so this would be another motivator for the employees. It would help to keep the absenteeism levels low.
Disadvantages
The employees may get bored and tired of working. They may also be over worked which would decrease their motivation to work. This could then affect the businesses profit levels because their staff would not be giving their full 100% of effort into their jobs therefore they would be absent regularly.
Staff morale
Advantages
The employees would want to work hard to their full potential as they would be receiving higher wages if they show an increased amount of work being done. This would make the individual feel positive and good about their job.
Disadvantages
Money would be the only motivator for the workers. This may bore them as they would not be having any social time with the other employees. This may de-motivate them in a very bad way as they may not have anything else to look for ward to when going to work.
Quality of the product
Advantages
As Taylor’s method of motivation involves repetition the workers have a chance to perfect on their skills as they are practicing the same job roles every time they attend work which improves on the quality of the product.
Disadvantages
The disadvantage of this would be that the employees would be working a lot in order to have the best outcome. This would make them tired and restless due to over working. If Waitrose do not make much profit from the product, it would be a lot of time and money and work that would have gone to waste.
Beating the competition
Advantages
To beat competition, the employees would have to work constantly so they do not fall behind. This falls into Taylor’s theory well as he motivates them by the piece rate pay. So, they more the produce the more they earn. This would benefit both the company and the employee.
Disadvantages
If the wrong decision is made a lot of money would have been wasted as they would not have gained much out of the work that was put in. The problem with this theory is that Taylor sees the employees as individuals and not as a team. Some tasks have to be done in teams, for example when making a marketing decision as many skills have to be put together in order to gain a successful output.
Task 2B
Management style description:
An autocratic leadership style is when the in business terms is a person who keeps most or all of the key authority for themselves. It is when the manager retains all of the power and decision making. He or she does not consult any of the other staff in any of the decisions that are made. The employees are not allowed to interfere of give the point of view when choices have to be made. They give a lot of orders and tell their employees exactly what to do. The employees are then expected to follow without any further questions or explanations. They tend not to delegate very much or share information willingly with their subordinates. They assume responsibility for all operational aspects. This type or leadership style would work for factories and in the army, even though it has been criticised for a very long time.
When this style would work for Waitrose:
- This style would work best when new employees have just recently started to work and they would not know many things at first. As everything would be new to them, it would be best that they receive orders from their managers so they do not lose track of their job role. They also are able to perceive close supervision.
- When the productivity level is low, the mangers need to act fast. In order to do this they would give specific orders to the staff. This would keep the staff paced at a good rate so they do not fall back.
- When the employees receive poor appraisals, the manager has to put things in place again so the company has a good track record. Therefore the he/ she would have to give strict orders and instructions to ensure this.
- During busy periods such as Christmas, when there are sales or when there are inspections, the manager will need to make fast decisions to when and where certain products will go and how much to produce. This is when this type of method will be very efficient as decisions would be made very fast which means there would be no problems with getting left behind.
- When the different departments need to come together, many people would be involved within the same task. Therefore the manager would make it easier for everyone to co-ordinate all the details and information needed in order for the task to go forward. This would avoid all the hassles and errors.
When this style would not work for Waitrose:
- This strategy would not work well when the departments need to come together to do the marketing for the products. The employees would need to work with each other in order to make the correct decisions about which marketing strategy to use. If the incorrect choice was made then the company would loose a lot of profit and money as they would not be targeting the correct target market.
- When the manager makes the decisions and does not tell the employees about any of the choices that are made, the staff may become frustrated an annoyed with the new changes happening as they would not all agree with the decisions. They may feel left out, not involved and lost as they would not know what would be going on.
- Due to the employees being unhappy about the situation and the way their work environment works, the company would end up with a high staff turnover which would not look good on the company’s records. This would lead the business to be short staffed.
- If the managers always make the decisions, whether they are big or small choices to make, the staff may become very dependant of him or her. This would result in their staff being scared of tasks if they are suddenly given a small responsibility. They would also loose all their confidence when being independent. The highly skilled staff would not be satisfied with their duties as their skills would not be put to use. Even if the manager would be the one to make all the decisions, the skilled workers may know best due to experience in that particular sector of work.
How does this management style help motivation?
This management style motivates the employees in many ways. Below are a few ways that the staff can be motivated.
- The staff may be motivated as they would not have the pressure of being responsible of any thing. If they are responsible of a task it would not be big, therefore they would not become stressed and worried.
- The employees would receive rewards for following the correct orders so in return they would get praised by the manager. This would motivate the staff to work to their full potential.
- Another motivator would be that the employees would not feel lost or have low self esteem as they would have been given orders which would ensure them that they are doing the correct thing.
Why do Waitrose use that style of management?
Waitrose may use that style of management and leadership as it would be in control by one person. This way, not many mistakes would be made. As there are many staff working at Waitrose, getting everyone involved may confused certain decisions. Therefore the best option would be to use the autocratic leadership style to keep things simple. If the manager keeps in control of all the changes that are going to happen, then the company will know exactly when and where everything is. This means that nothing will get confusing or lost as the staff will not be involved with the changes. This is especially appropriate and useful for new and poorly appraised staff and if the productivity levels in the business fall.
Management style description
A democratic leadership style is when the manager or the main leader invites the other staff to help make a decision. Using this leadership method would mean that not all responsibility is put on to one person. The manager would share all the responsibility out so all the staff is involved with the decisions made. A democratic leadership style works well with experienced and confident employees who can join in with group discussions and decision making. It gives other employees a chance to progress and a chance for their point to be shown and shared with their co-workers.
When this style would work for Waitrose:
- This style would work for Waitrose when marketing comes into the picture. All departments would need to come together in order to decide how to do things, so they would be working in teams or as one big team. It needs creativity and involves skilled workers.
- When the employees work within their own small departments they can work as one team but they would have to report everything to the head staff or manager at the end to inform them of the changes or decisions that may have been made.
- When the employees that are experienced are involved as they know what they are doing. Depending on how long they would have been working at the company for, they would have experienced and seen changes that have happened, therefore they would know what to do for future decisions.
- If the changes are being made according to the employees comfort, for example their hours or wages the employees would want to be involved. As the changes happening would be involving the staff, they would want a say in the change that is happening. This would help the manager as he or she would know if the employees are happy with the change.
- When new products are brought into the different sectors, the departments would work together to promote and which marketing strategies to use, so they can make their customers aware of the new products.
- When the customers have queries that need resolving, the staff may need to work together to find the best solution in order to fix the problem, or if one member of staff do not know how to deal with the query then having a partner or a group of employees working together would help and make things easier.
- When big changes are being made the staff can be reluctant to face changes, therefore they may feel that they need to be consulted before anything goes ahead. This way they will feel more accepted.
When this style would not work for Waitrose:
- This style of leadership would not work for Waitrose if the employees are failing to meet their targets because their would be no one to advise them as they would be using their own skills.
- When the business is under inspection the employees will have to be organised to their best potential at what they are doing so they are not running around finding jobs to do. If it was an autocratic leadership everything would already be organised.
- When the store is busy, such as the Christmas holidays or sales, it would be easier if the manager allocated all the employees to the available roles instead of the staff being every where not knowing where the best place to be is.
How does this management style help motivation?
Staff can be motivated very well with this style of leadership. Below are a few of the ways that help the employees to be motivated.
- As the employees are involved with the changes and decisions that are made, it makes the employees feel special and part of the business instead of being workers for the business.
- To the employees, their opinions matter to each other. Therefore, the staff work harder in order to come up with ideas to help boost the business. This also advantages the company as they have to chance to hear ideas from an outsiders’ point of view. This way the company will be working from the customers’ point of view and not just what would work best for the staff.
- This leadership style would motivate workers as they would have responsibility which would make them feel needed and they would have self esteem.
Why do Waitrose use that style of management?
Waitrose use this style of management because it involves all of their staff. The company try to make the work life for their employees as enjoyable as they can so they feel motivated to come to work. It gives their employees shared responsibility between them all. This encourages them to meet their targets and be in control of a task. The fact that the manager decides to involve the employees when making changes also makes it easier to come to a conclusion as all the best points come forward and everyone hears each others input towards the decision. Even if this style of leadership takes longer to make a decision, the best output comes from it. All the workers are happy as they know that they have had a say in the future changes of their working environment.
Management style description
The Laissez Faire is also known as the “hands-off” style. This is when the manager provides minimum direction. The employees have all the power to make their own decisions but they also have to solve their own queries with no help from the manager. They are given all the freedom that a manager can give but they also have to determine their own goals. Here the workers are very experienced, well educated and highly skilled.
When this style would work for Waitrose:
- This style would work for Waitrose when their workers are very experienced and know what they are doing. The employees would have to have worked at Waitrose for a fair enough time to work themselves with out a manager to look out for them.
- When the employees are going to be advertising or creating campaigns as they would not have to consult the manager. It would work out better as the employees would know best what happening with their marketing sales.
- It would work when the store managers are qualified very well and the staff are highly skilled as they would be able to coordinate themselves to tasks that need to be completed without being told.
- They employees would be trusted a lot as they would be long standing and would show that they are committed to their job as they know what they doing in depth.
- The employees would be confident at what they are doing as they would have been on their own from the beginning so they would have learnt everything from the start by them selves.
When this style would not work for Waitrose:
- This style would not work with Waitrose when new employees have been employed. For example, when Waitrose recruit, new employees will be coming in and out. They will not know anything even when and where to start.
- The employees may become stress or depressed due to all the responsibility that they would have from meeting their own deadlines and targets.
- It would not work when Waitrose has employed low skilled workers as they may only know how to use a till. If they are unaware of how to work a till, then they would have to be trained but this would take a very long time which means the production rate would decrease and slow down.
- The levels of absenteeism would be high as the employees may have too much to deal with and the responsibility may be too much for them. It may also cause high staff turnover as the employees would want to get away from the work.
- The manager would not understand the levels of work that the employees are doing therefore he or she is hoping that the employees can cover for them.
- It may make the employees feel insecure as they would have to loss of a manager.
- The manager would not be able to give the employees regular feedback on their progress at work, therefore they would not be praised for their work and would be given appraisals at work.
How does this management style help motivation?
Staff can be motivated in many ways with this style of leadership. Below are some of the ways that employees are motivated.
- The employees can make their own deadlines according to their working style or to what suits them the best.
- They have complete responsibility which means they have reached the top of Maslow’s heirarchy at self actualisation. This proves that they are creative, lack prejudice, can problem solve and can accept facts.
- They feel trusted with the work which means that they will be loyal towards their work life.
Why do Waitrose use that style of management?
Waitrose uses this style of management so they can give their employees full control of their job roles as it gives them confidence in their work. Using this leadership helps the company to show to their employees that they trust them. The employees show pride in their work and as they are responsible it gives them that push to do it own their own successfully. The employees are also able to work in teams with this style of leadership. This would help the company and the employees as they would be sharing ideas and the company would have heard their employees views as well.
Task 2C
Areas of conflict between individual and organisations needs and the explanations of how they can be resolved prevented and justified
- Workers ambition V lack of opportunity to progress
Situation:
To allow the employees to progress further up the hierarchy without losing out on much profit or time. If they do want to move up, it would cost time and money as they would need to be trained and it would also take a while for the employ to settle in with the new job role and environment. Opportunities also need to be available and this may not be the case.
This may happen when an employee has been serving Waitrose for a long period of time and want to have the opportunity to advance.
Resolved:
Introducing job enlargement would make the employees feel as if they are gaining an opportunity to progress. This would allow them to have a feel of being responsible to more aspects of the business. In other words they would be in control of more tasks.
If the company offer a wage rise, the employees may also feel that they are moving up as the higher you move up the better pay you receive as the work tends to hold more control and responsibility.
If the business allows the employees to work shadow, they will have the opportunity to be learning new things. This way they will be progressing but without being paid while they are being trained. When opportunities arrive, they will have the experience to be a strong candidate to apply.
Prevented:
To prevent the employees complaining and wanting to progress when there is no opportunity for them, the company could mention it at the interview before they agree to take on the job if they receive an offer.
The company could also write up a contract stating that there is no opportunity to progress unless a promotion comes up, which they will be informed of.
Justified:
To justify the situation, they could show the employee the contract that they signed at the interview to show that they agreed to the situation.
The company could also explain to the member of staff that they need to hold back on promotion because they want to cut costs and help raise profit levels for bonuses and discounts etc.
- Wanting control over job V requirements to work
Situation:
To justify the amount of hours given to the employees without giving to much control over their job role.
This may happen when an employee wants more flexibility according to their life style or if they want to do over time but they can only to a certain amount otherwise it may become unfair to the other employees that work in the same sector.
Resolved:
The manager could put up rotas showing the staff working hours and the amount they are putting into the business. This way everybody would be able to see what the popular hours are and what hours are available.
The company could hire more staff to fill in the gaps in the rotas if all the workers are already working more than their expected hours but it can be very expensive.
The employees could also job share. This means they would share the hours out between them so they do no have to work the full 5 hours. So, therefore one member of staff could work 2 hours and 30 minutes and the other employee could do the other half. This way not all of the work gets put onto one person and they both receive their wage.
The popular hours could be on a fixed rota to make it as equal as possible for the employees.
Prevented:
This situation could be prevented by stating clearly at the interview stage what the job role that they are applying for involves so they applicant knows for sure what they are in for and the hours they are expected to work.
In the contract it should state what the working hours will be and what will happen if they are short of workers.
Justified:
The situation could be justified by showing the employee the contract that they agreed on before joining the company.
The manager could also explain that all hours need to be covered of the supermarket opening hours and unfortunately some of the hours are more popular than the other but not all staff can benefit from this as it comes on a first come first serve basis.
- Increased pay V objective to make profit
Situation:
To increase profit without reducing the amount of employees that Waitrose already have. If employees ask for a pay rise the company have to ensure that they do not lose out on their profit.
This situation may occur if an employee feels as if they are not receiving the correct pay for the amount of work they are producing. It would be more of a problem when the sales are at its lowest.
Resolved:
Introducing non-financial incentives such as vouchers, holidays or discounts instead of giving a higher wage would be one way to resolve this situation.
The manager could review the pay on time, for example every month exactly, therefore no-one would get left behind or ask for a raise due to late pay.
The manager could give appraisals, but if the employee or employees get an excellent appraisal they could be entitled to ask for a pay rise due to their outcome of work.
Prevented:
If the manager states that there is a set pay at the interview stage, the employee cannot argue with the fact as they would have agreed to the contract before they would have joined the company.
The manager could introduce pay brackets. This way they would have limits to how high they can raise their pay by.
Giving pay reviews would also help. If this is done then the manager can see if the employee is entitled to a pay rise but it would have to within the pay brackets, otherwise the company would loose profit.
Justified:
The manager would have to explain to the employee that the profits are shared so it is hard to give a pay rise. Giving a pay rise also results in less profit therefore less bonuses can be given out.
The employee signed a contract before they joined so they can show the contract to them to prove that they agreed with the situation.
Task 3
Team situation:
My team situation is based on my Unit 2 coursework in my AS level. During the period of producing this coursework, I worked with my partner to produce a piece of work. This coursework was about opening a business with my partner and successfully keeping it open. We had to work together for a school term (4 months) and produce charts that told us how much to sell in order to break even we both hoped to achieve a good piece of coursework. In order to do this we had to co-operate, share out ideas and work together. This coursework involved researching everything that is needed when starting up a business. Agreeing and deciding on choices that we had to make was one of the main situations that we both were always dealing with.
The benefits and limitations of working as a team:
Benefits
- If we worked as a team we would have the chance to receive help from each other if we did not understand certain tasks.
- If I wanted to change an aspect of the coursework, I would always have the chance to hear a second opinion.
- When one of us did not know how to do a task we would teach each other, therefore the outcome would be that we would always learn something new.
- We were able to share out the responsibilities. This would decrease the stress and pressure on one person.
- When we had a problem to solve, it was much easier as there were both of us working on the problem. Therefore, the more skills you have put together, the faster he problem can be solved.
- We have each others help to make choices, even though it takes longer we would still come out with the best outcome as we would have taken into consideration each others views.
- The productivity levels usually become higher.
- Working in a team allows each member to be allocated to their tasks according to their weaknesses and strengths.
- Tasks can get done much faster as there would be more than one person working on a particular job.
- Certain people within a team can be trained to do more than one job. This is called flexible working.
- Having a team may allow them to have a social life within the working environment as well as socialising outside of work.
- Other members of the team can motivate their team workers to come to work and work to their full potential.
Limitations
- When making a decision it would take longer to come to a final choice, if we were not working together it would be up to the individual.
- Arguments may occur if the team could not come to a suitable decision.
- Indirect or direct bullying could happen.
- It would take a long time for all the co-workers to bond and trust one another.
- The team may not get along, therefore it would be hard to work as a team.
- The managers cannot select people in their own “image” rather than considering what it needed the most.
- The productivity levels may fall to the level of the weakest worker.
- Meetingitis’ can occur due to having too many discussions on what action to take. This would be a waste of time.
- As managers are not really a part of the team they still have to be in charge of what happens and where everyone is located. This can cause a problem as the managers do not always allocate their work to the workers properly. They do not always understand the way the team member work, for example: whether they are gelled together or not.
- If a new member comes into the team, they may find it hard to fit in and settle. This is an area where bullying can occur.
- The team may take advantage of a worker by dropping all the work into their lap. As they are working as a team they will all be rewarded if the team produce a good output. Therefore, the individual that has been working the most will not receive an extra praise.
- If one of the team members are not comfortable with working with the team they may feel neglected. If this happens their work may suffer and the team will be let down.
- The workers may become very attached to each other and they may start to get on too well. If this does occur, their work productivity levels will drop as the working environment will become a socialising place. The team may start making excuses up to cover up for their fellow co-workers when the manager starts to ask questions when the team is not meeting their targets.
- The workers within the team may clash if they have different opinions, attitudes and approaches to work.
- Working as a team also makes it hard to track the individual’s progress at work as everyone is moving from one task to anther to help each other out even if they are located to doing one task.
What was the team structure?
Belbin carried out a research in the 1970’s. He identified eight roles which would prove to be useful in a well balanced team. Later on, a ninth role was identified. Belbin's theory can be used in such areas as team selection, understanding group dynamics and improving team performance. There are several types of team, they are: Temporary teams, Cross-functional teams, Top management teams and Self-directed teams. Many teams have less than 9 people. Some teams need to contain specific types of people. For these reasons Belbin's theory is not a master plan but it does provide a structured mechanism for team members and managers to look at the dynamics of their team and understand the relationships.
Below are the nine roles that Belbin identified:
Plant - Creative, imaginative, unorthodox and solves difficult problems. (However they tend to ignore incidentals and are too immersed to communicate effectively).
Resource Investigator - Extrovert, enthusiastic, communicative and explores opportunities and networks with others. (However they can be over optimistic and they may lose interest after the initial enthusiasm has passed).
Co-ordinator - Belbin's Co-ordinator is a mature, confident and a natural chairperson. They clarify goals, promote decision-making and delegate effectively. (However it can be seen as being very manipulative and controlling. They can over delegate by off loading personal work).
Shaper - Challenging, dynamic and thrives under pressure. They also jump hurdles using determination and courage. (However they can be easily provoked and ignorant of the feelings of others).
Monitor Evaluator - Even tempered, strategic, discerning and they see all the options and judges accurately. (However they can lack the drive and inspired leadership qualities).
Team Worker - Co-operative, relationship focused, sensitive and diplomatic. Belbin described the Team Worker as a good listener who builds relationships and who dislikes confrontation. (However they can be indecisive in crisis).
Implementer - Disciplined, reliable, conservative, efficient and acts on ideas. (However they can be inflexible and slow to see new opportunities).
Completer-Finisher - Conscientious and anxious to get the job done. Has an eye for detail, good at searching out the errors. Finishes and delivers on time. (However they can be a worrier and reluctant to delegate).
Specialist – Single minded self starter that is dedicated and provides specialist knowledge. The rarer the supplier of this knowledge, the more dedicated the specialised. This was stated by Belbin.
(However they can be stuck in the niche with little interest in the world outside it and dwell on technicalities).
These nine identities describe the characteristics of each role in the Belbin theory. I have also shown in brackets, what the allowable weaknesses are. This means that managers can expect these weaknesses to emerge and therefore an allowance should be made. For example, if a 'Team Worker' has a natural tendency to be indecisive in a crisis, then the team can make sure that they do not have high expectations in that situation. However, it is evident that many of these roles will naturally conflict with each other. It is very powerful when individuals within a team understand that the conflicts that sometimes occur are caused by these natural behaviours and tendencies and not because the other person does not like them.
The Belbin self perception inventory was allocated to the teams members by a series of questions that were asked to each team member on how they behave in certain situations. From the answers they can surmise which profile fitted the team member. This can then be discussed between team members as they understand what the findings mean to them. Each team member will not be 100% skilled at one of the roles. They will have been allocated to the top three that they scored best in. this would make up for the shortage of the nine people if there are not enough workers to cover the identities.
I have sourced this information from ()
- My team structure and how it fit with Belbin’s theory
My team structure involved the co-ordinator, implementer, the plant and the monitor evaluator. I was the co-ordinator and the implementer and my partner was the plant and monitor evaluator.
As the co-ordinator, I took the lead with most tasks. I helped my partner with graphs and charts where we had to control the finances in order to break even. I also took the lead of being the implementer. Here I had to turn all of our decisions into practical actions such as when we discussed whether we were going to let or buy the office in order to carry out our business in, when we decided I took the first step by researching in order to find a suitable office that would fit into our budget.
My partner had the role of being the plant and monitor evaluator. Here she had to view all the possible options that could be foreseen in order to have the best outcome when doing our coursework. She also had to be very creative and imaginative when organising the products that were needed in order to carry out our coursework.
We figured out which roles we both fit into once we had started working together as partners. Here on, we fell into our roles automatically and took it further from there. We found it easier that splitting up our roles shared out the responsibility. We would both still be working on the same task but we would take different parts of the task as our skills would be different. We found that this gave the best output as the best of our skills were put to use.
Was a leadership/ management style present? If not, which method would have worked the best? Why was this method used?
Above is two-dimensionsal “managerial grid” that has become a classic way to diagram the best universal approach model. It was created by Blake and Moulton. Below I will explain what this grid means:
(1,1) ‘Impoverished’ - The leader expects minimal effort and has little concern for staff satisfaction and work targets. This is a leader who is going through the motions is indifferent, non-committal, resigned and apathetic. He or she is doing just enough to keep their job.
(1,9) ‘Country club’ - The leader is attentive to his/her people's needs and has developed satisfying relationships and work culture, but at the expense of achieving results. The leadership is defined as agreeable, eager to help, non-confrontational, comforting and uncontroversial.
(5,5) ‘Middle of the Road’ - This leader is a compromiser who wants to maintain the status quo and avoid any problems. He/ she is aware of certain aspects in a team and wants a focus on productivity but not at the expense of the morale of his/her team.
(9,1) ‘Authoritarian’ - The leader concentrates almost exclusively on achieving results. People are viewed as a commodity to be used to get the job done. Communication is de-emphasized and conflict is resolved by suppressing it. The leadership is controlling, demanding and over-powering.
(9,9) ‘Team’ - The leader achieves high work performance through ‘leading’ his/her people to become dedicated to the organizational goals. There is a high degree of participation and teamwork, which satisfies the basic need of people to be involved and committed to their work. The leader may be characterised as open-minded, flexible and one who inspires involvement.
I have sourced this information from
().
This theory links to my team situation using the democratic leadership style. As the democratic leadership style allows other workers to be involved, we had a chance to show our own abilities according to the chart. We have placed ourselves in the 9,9 box with coordination points of (7,8) to be precise. This way we could see where we were placed. By measuring where we were at, we could see how hard we had to try to reach our full potential. If we had used the autocratic leadership style only the co-ordinator would be able to see where he/ she stands on the chart. The co-ordinator could put the plant onto the chart but he/ she would not know exactly where to put them as they would be working according to orders that would have been given.
Write a report on one meeting that you have had as part of a team. What was the point of holding the meeting? Where their any disadvantages or advantages?
My partner and I held a meeting per task that our coursework involved. We had nine tasks to complete and every time we started a new one, we would inform each other of how we should deal with the situation. One meeting in particular stood out the most as this meeting involved the foundation of our business. It was one of the first meetings that we had involving the first few steps when starting up a business. My partner and I were unable to decide on the name that we would call our business. My partner wanted to call the business “Dream Day” and I wanted to call the business “Extravagant Weddings”. This is when we had to come up with a solution that would please both of us. Our final decision took a long time to conclude as we could not agree therefore we called our business “Dream Weddings”. Coming to this conclusion took approximately 3 - 4 hours. It did not cause conflict between my partner and I as we both acted rationally upon the disagreement and spoke about the possibilities that we could have had. The final decision was a joint opinion. Neither of us had the upper hand which made it equal as we were not ordering each other around. This made it an enjoyable experience.
- Below are the advantages and disadvantages of having meetings
Advantages
- Both of our opinions could be heard and understood clearly as we were face to face
- When we had problems they were able to be brought to light allowing them to be resolved faster
- We both had the opportunity to update on the progress that we made individually
- We could highlight each others points where we were slacking
- Meeting together also helped the project move forward and make decisions
- It is also a fast and simple way compared to talking over the phone or emailing each other even if there was only two of us involved
Disadvantages
- There was a risk of conflict occurring between us if we did not agree with each other, therefore the meeting could take a long time to finish. For example it can become, long and indecisive.
- The meeting may not end up having a purpose as we would end up discussing too much, therefore no decisions would be made
- There was a risk of one of us becoming over powering in some of the meetings as we were stronger in different parts of the tasks that had to be completed
- Some of the meetings that where supposed to be held became inconvenient for one us so they had to be delayed
Were there any areas of conflict in the team and how could these have been resolved?
There was minor conflict that took place when we were working in a team. When we had to make a decision of choosing products for our business, we could not decide what the best option would be. The two options were either to buy our products and sell them or only let them to our clients. We had to decide which option would make us the most profit. In the end we made separate break even chart for both situations. Using these break even charts helped us to conclude which option would make us the profit faster in order to break even. The break even charts showed that buying our products and letting them to our customers/ clients would provide faster profit even if it was in small amounts. We figured that customers will only want to use the products once, which would be for the wedding or other occasion therefore they would be less likely to buy the product. They would prefer to hire the product for a few days as it would also turn out to be cheaper for them and efficient for us.
Conflicts can be resolved by:
- Acknowledging the conflict by suggesting a co-operative approach to resolving the issue. This would have to be done in a civilised manor and where all the steps are covered so the conflict can be resolved properly and nothing would be left out, such as the break even charts that my partner and I used.
- Discussing the impact on the team and the project may help as they would realise that they are disturbing the working situations or other team members and performance, by asking other team members what they would prefer.
- Asking a team member that are not involved with the conflict to discuss what they think is best. This may help resolve the conflict, as they are viewing our point as an outsider they can see what needs to be improved and adjusted. They are able to observe and evaluate.
It is important that the team are still able to get along after having a conflict between one another because if they do not make amends it may cause disruption with the other team members. The performance at work would be at its highest and members in the team may have a lot of disagreements which may cause arguments. The only way to over come the conflict that occurred would be if the team would thank one another so they know where they stand and to say thank you for helping with the situation. This would express their confidence in the team’s ability to work together and it would also show that they are able to mange conflicts in a sensible way.
When teams have conflicts within the group it causes a foul atmosphere, but in the end when the team have to solve the conflict they tend to get along as they know that they have to fix the problem. This way the team members still have to try their best to get along and help each other even if they do not agree on some terms. This gives a chance for the team to bond and it gives the best possible outcome because all of the team members would be working together and everybody’s effort would have been put in.
The Game Theory
The Game Theory is a method of analysing the strategic behaviour that takes into account the expected behaviour of others. It is most beneficial in obtaining insights into the way players in a market interact in specific circumstances. An approach can not only help participants learn the right way to play but to understand competitor behaviour and what is likely to happen if they alter the rules. Game theory has greatly expanded the scope of analysis for business strategy, sharpening corporate competitiveness and advancing policy.
I have sourced this information from ()
The Game Theory can be complex and extensive but it can be used in everyday life when dealing with people at work. It can be used when people at work are trying to achieve a type of “pay off”. This would include:
- Making a profit for the company
- Getting the job done as fast as possible so the person can move on to somewhere better suited for them
- Being recognised as an individual and for their own efforts
- To experience the feel of having self-esteem
Getting a “pay off” would be called a “win”, not getting the “pay off” would be called a “lose”.
There are two different types of games:
This means, in order to get your pay off, somebody else has to lose theirs.
This means, in order for you to maximise you profit levels it is best for the other players to get their pay off as well.
If the Game Theory is related to my conflict, the cooperative game would be the best as it is a win-win situation. As my partner and I work together we would not be competitive against each as we help each other when we are in need of a hand. We do not see each other a threat as we are both partners who have equal responsibilities within the business. We both have to try our best to have the greatest output as together we are one business. Both our efforts count to the final profit that we make. Without one another the business could fail within the first 6 months.
Task 4
Discuss in depth the role of one motivational theorist and the impact of their theory on working as part of a team.
Belbin
Belbin theory is based on successful team roles. The theory was developed at the Henley Management Centre by analysing what made teams successful during a series of management games. He identified eight roles:
- Coordinator
- Team worker
- Plant
- Monitor evaluator
- Implementer
- Completer finisher
- Shaper
- Resource investigator
He later on added a ninth role being:
These nine roles can be broken down into three categories. These would make ideal combinations that Belbin believed would make a good team.
-
Cerebral
- Plant, Specialist and Monitor Evaluator
-
Action
- Shaper, Implementer and Completer Finisher
-
People
- Coordinator, Team worker and Resource Investigator
Belbin would have felt that between three and six people working together in a team would have suited his team roles best, especially in the presence of a strong Plant. It was also crucial that there was a broad spread of ability between the group. This suggests that there should be at least one person in each of the three categories that I have listed above.
My team structure involved the co-ordinator, implementer, the plant and the monitor evaluator. These four team roles fit into Belbin’s theory perfectly as we covered all the categories. This meant we had good control over the management of the product. If we then needed any help with the aspect of the product that we were in charge of we would ask our partner.
According to Belbin’s theory we should not have been successful, as his theory consisted of eight/ nine roles that fit into three/ six peoples roles and we only had two. This is why we had to segregate our roles into the different categories and pick one out from each to keep the management equal. He may not have agreed to this as it puts a lot of responsibility on one person but we have kept the management as equal as possible but we were successful.
Was the leadership style at the meeting effective? Which other leadership style could have had greater impact? Why is a different approach to leadership best in different situations?
- Was the leadership style at the meeting effective
The leadership style that we used in the meeting was a democratic style. This is when the main leader who plays the plant and the monitor evaluator in my management takes all the final decisions into her hands but also allows her employees to have a part in the decision made. I found that using this style of management was very useful when having the meeting as we were able to help each other when making decisions and when we needed help with the task that we had to complete. This method was an efficient way of making decisions as we were able to talk through what we had to discuss thoroughly. Therefore we could discuss the extent of the different decisions that we could have made. Even though this method was very time consuming, we gained the best output at the end. In my opinion, the method of management that we chose to use prevented any conflict from happening as we both had a say in the discussions and decisions. In the end the ultimate decision was a shared opinion. It was not a decision that was made by only one of us as this would be unfair and does not reflect on the idea of being a democratic style leadership partnership.
- Which other leadership style could have had greater impact
There are two options that we could have used instead of using the democratic leadership style. They are:
An autocratic leadership style is when the manager (in this case the plant and monitor evaluator) makes all the main decisions and does not allow his/ her employees to have a say in the decision. He/ she informs their employees of what to do.
- An advantage of this method is that it much faster when making decisions as not many meetings have to make place.
- A disadvantage of this is that the employees may feel de-motivated and not involved.
A laissez faire leadership style is the opposite of an autocratic leadership style. This leadership is used by businesses that consist of highly skilled people as they make their own decisions and know what to do without being told.
- An advantage of this method is that the business only has the best employees working for them.
- A disadvantage of this leadership is that not much communication takes place as they act as if they are self-employed so they do not need to consult anyone of their actions.
If the democratic leadership style was not available then the next best leadership for the business would be the laissez faire leadership style. This is because my partner and I would have benefited the most from this leadership as we would still be able to help each other when making decisions if it was in need. We would have decided what aspects of the business we would allocate ourselves to according to our abilities therefore we would be doing the job roles that we did best and are highly skilled at.
- An advantage of a democratic leadership style is that we are both able to ask for each others opinions when we need help or when making a decision
- A disadvantage of this leadership is that decision making can take a very long time if it is discussed and an agreement cannot be made. If an employees’ decision has not been taken into consideration then conflict can occur
The autocratic leadership style would have resulted in one person doing all the work which would not be fair and it would also put a lot of pressure, responsibility and stress on the manager. This method would not benefit anyone even if the decisions would have been made faster they may have not resulted in being the best decision made.
- Why is a different approach to leadership best in different situations
The autocratic leadership style would be best used in situations where the employees are not confident in their allocated job role and have not learned how to be independent. Some employees like to be told what do to and some prefer to be independent and to take control. This leadership style can be related to McGregor’s theory of theory X and theory Y. Theory X workers represent the autocratic leadership style as they avoid responsibility and are only interest in the money, therefore they need to be controlled and directed by the management. A business that uses this style of leadership could be factory workers such as the products of Molton Brown. The employees that work in factories have a standard job role which they have to follow. Their given work is very repetitive.
The democratic style is best used in my situation as my partner and I benefit the most from this method. We both have equal responsibilities that we take on board individually but we are also able to help each other. It also makes it easier for us to be flexible when helping each other as there are only two of us running the business (partnership). This method makes both of us feel involved as we agree to decisions together even if one of us makes the final choice. A business that uses this style of leadership could be Sainsbury’s.
The laissez faire leadership style would be best used if the business consisted of more employees than my partner and I. The employees would have to have specific skills in order for this particular leadership style to work. For example a financial advisor would be useful as they would specify themselves in the financial sector of the business. This would be appropriate as they would be able to take charge and control all of the financial problems such as wages, paying bill, breaking even, etc. This would work efficiently in offices as the workers best output happens when they specialise in what they do best. If they are highly skilled at their job they would know what is best rather than the manager telling them what to do as they would have had experience and know what their job role consists of in depth. An example of a business that uses this leadership style could be Air Products. This is a business that operates from an office.
Using these styles in inappropriate situations may lead to many negative effects. If these styles are not used in the correct ways it can result in:
- Lack of productivity
- De-motivated workers
- High staff turnover
- Lack of confidence from workers
- Lack of independence from workers
If these effects are not dealt with as soon as possible, the business is at a high risk of failing. For example de-motivated workers could lead to the workers not wanting to come into work for various reasons such as pay or not enjoying the working environment due to lack of socialisation because of the work that load given by the manager (autocratic), or not having much responsibility which prevents them from becoming independent. This would result in the productivity levels dropping as the workers would not be putting their best effort in. Due to this, profit levels would drop as they would not be selling many products, therefore they would have to increase prices. Increasing prices would also lead to a drop in sales as customers would prefer to purchase cheaper products if there is a substitute.
If the democratic style is used when fast decisions have to made such as deciding what marketing strategy to use when launching a new product, the business may lose out as using this method can be very time consuming as everyone in the business has to be informed of the situation and decision. If Waitrose had this scenario, they would take a very long time to make the decision as they have a tall structure, therefore the message will have to passed down to everyone in the company. This could result in delaying the product launch, allowing their rivals to have the opportunity to launch their product before them which causes Waitrose to fall back on competition.
If the laissez faire leadership style is used in a business during the sales and they are recruiting for new employees, their sales would be very likely to drop as the employees would not be aware of what to do. Even if they were aware of the role, they would not be able jump into the situation and expect to know everything. It would take a very long time for the new workers to settle into the new environment and working conditions. This could result in the business to drop its productivity levels as it would take time for the employees to become confident and independent again.
How else could the objectives for the meeting have been met? Why was the meeting the best decision?
The objectives for the meetings were:
- To discuss and decide on how to deal with the different tasks
- To decide on what we should name the business
- To decide on which marketing strategies should be used to promote our products
- To decide whether we should have bought the products and sold them or if we should have bought the products and hired them
The other ways in which they could have been met are:
- The leader of the business could have made all the decisions and then later on informed the employees by email, telephone or text messaging
Advantage
This method of making decisions is a very easy and fast way to move aspects of the business along. It does not take a lot of time as the leader would not have consulted anyone, but decided according to their own opinion.
Disadvantage
The partners’ opinion does not get heard and therefore they may not agree to the decision made. If the partners have any problems with the task or if they do not understand it, they will not be able to resolve as quickly as possible. Due to the lack of discussion, the decision cannot be highlighted beforehand and is prevented.
- Each person/ partner could have made their own decision then worked accordingly. After they had completed the task, they would have to inform each other of what they had been doing.
Advantage
This method is also a very fast way to complete tasks. Time is not wasted on agreeing and taking everyone’s opinion into consideration. The individuals can feel confident in what they are doing.
Disadvantage
This method is a very risky way to deal with tasks. If the partner does the task incorrectly or misunderstands the situation the whole task may have been a waste of time. In the long run this would be very time consuming. The task may be duplicated as no discussion would have taken place stating who will be doing what task.
- To vote for the favoured decision
Advantage
This method is fair way of choosing which decision to use. This way everyone’s opinions and ideas can be put forward. This prevents the dominant character making all the final decisions.
Disadvantage
Voting would take a very long time and even if everyone’s opinion was taken into consideration, the best decision may not have had the highest number of voters. This decision can be seen as being elongated and not efficient or accurate. People may have voted a particular reason that benefits them individually and not for the task. Not having a full discussion does not give the company the opportunity to improve on any aspects of the business, which can lead to the profit levels decreasing.
- The people can put their ideas down and place it in a hat. Then the leader can pick one out from the hat randomly.
Advantage
This is an equal and fair way on how to decide which approach to use. Everyone that is part of the work is able to put their ideas forward. Members who are less forthright have a chance of their idea being chosen.
Disadvantage
As the decisions of the approaches are picked out randomly, it cannot be said that the best decision will be taken into hand. This can affect the business by a great deal because if the correct approach is not used the task has a high risk of failing.
- Non face-to-face meetings (EG. By MSN, more than 2 way calls, etc.)
Advantage
There is no need to come out of the comfort of your home as you can communicate through the internet and telephone. This can be very useful and efficient because if the partner is unable to make it to the meeting the next best option would be to have non face-to-face meetings.
Disadvantage
It can become very confusing as it would not be easy to compare the work. It would be also be difficult to explain the work to each other as we would not be able to view each others work if it was not done on the computer. The costs of using this method of meeting can be very expensive, depending on the duration of the meeting and it can become time consuming of one does not understand what to do for the task.
Analysis of why we chose to use a meeting:
We decided that a meeting was the best way to discuss our problems and issues because it was easier than talking over the phone or communicating by email even if there were only two of us. We were able to show each other what we had progressed on to. This way we could point out to each other were we had problems. It was a more efficient way of progressing to the next task as our issues were resolved quickly. In the long run, having the meetings was very time consuming but the time spent was used well as we had the best outcome at the end. We were able to tackle every obstacle that occurred thoroughly and come to a suitable decision that benefited the task, my partner and I.
In conclusion, the meetings were able to give us the opportunity to put our work together and compare the differences in order to change any aspects that did not fit. It kept the confusion to a minimum as it made it easier to help and explain any problems that occurred. Both of our opinions were taken into consideration and put into the decisions that we made which made it an equal partnership.
When and why might individuals have different needs and wants to those of the organisation?
Individual needs and wants:
When the individual wants part time working hours according to their life styles out side of work, so they are able to drop off and pick up their children to and from school. This was the case between my partner and I as we had to fit in our other college assignments as well as to complete this coursework.
Organisations needs and wants:
The organisation may not agree to this because if the business is dominated with workers that have children, most of them would want to take the same hours therefore it would reduce the productivity levels of the business. If the organisation were to adapt to flexible working hours they would have increased self efficiency from their workers as they would be working to their own chosen hours. This would enhance the workers productivity as they would be motivated to come into work.
Individual needs and wants:
An individual may want to train for different jobs around the business, so he/ she is able to gain more experience than just one skill. They would want the chance to move up the hierarchy and achieve something to show that they have gained a skill. This did situation did reflect on our situation to a degree as I was able to teach my partner the aspects of the task where I was strong and my partner was able to do the same. This was we both learnt new things that we were not expecting to.
Organisations needs and wants:
The organisation may not be able to provide such wants because training their current employees would be very expensive, therefore it would result in their profits to dropping. If the business did decide to take this want on for their current employees, in the long run, they would have the best employees as they would have been trained personally for that particular company. They would also have the most experience, which would give the business high productivity levels.
Individual needs and wants:
An individual may feel more wanted and motivated if they had more responsibility when working. If they feel that they are in control of their working roles they may feel that they are making a difference to the business. This situation reflects on why we chose to use the democratic leadership style as it gives the opportunity to show that we as individuals are making a difference and that we are making a big contribution.
Organisations needs and wants:
The organisation can fail if the responsibility lands in the wrong hands. The organisation has to give the responsibility to the employees that they trust and know what they are doing. This relates back to the opportunity to train. If the employees have not been trained to do certain jobs, the organisation cannot give much responsibility.
Individual needs and wants:
An individual would want to enjoy their working life as much as their social life. They would feel motivated to come into work as they would have time to bond with their fellow workers during their break time. My partner and I were sure to give our selves a break from the work as it would cause boredom in the long run.
Organisations needs and wants:
An organisation may not want to allow their employees to socialise as they may not concentrate causing their productivity levels to drop. They may have different motivation approaches that they want to use such as non incentives and incentives. Using these methods instead of providing a socialising may work out to be less expensive for the company.
Individual needs and wants:
They may want to take time off when they please, (for example during their children’s holiday time). This may be the only time that they are able to spend with their children.
Organisation needs and wants:
The organisation would not want to give holidays at a peak period such as the school holidays to everyone as this would be the peak time. Therefore they would have to come up with an alternative such as a first come, first serve basis. Giving holidays to most workers at a time would disrupt the productivity levels.
Task 5
Role of training at Waitrose
Mr Alex Leese, the store manager for the Brent Cross branch, was interviewed about the training roles at Waitrose. He said that Waitrose follows the core competencies of workers. When a candidate is employed they are given a summary of what they are / are not skilled in and the areas that they need to further develop. The training scheme is known as “Training 2000”. It is used based on the area that the worker is placed to work in. During the training scheme, in the first and third month, they get a list of ten skills that they have to achieve and be good at. Three months after, the workers are expected to know and have the skills. If they do not, they are asked to leave the Waitrose workforce.
- What were the expected outcomes for the worker?
The expected outcomes of the training were to see the employees’ ability to carry out certain tasks. Group and single interviews took place which allowed the workers to look at each other when in their job roles. They could analyse how they came across. The workers were watched throughout the training to ensure that they were comfortable when working in the environment and with their fellow workers. They had to achieve a certain standard or level of training. Depending on how the applicants work during the training session, they will be paid accordingly. After the 3 months trial period, the employees will have access to the staff privileges and benefits, such as discounts.
- What were the expected outcomes for Waitrose?
Waitrose look for workers that:
- Can be trusted
- Are motivated to work there
- Have the skills to work there
- Have good communication skills
- Can work as a team player and an individual
They want to employee people that will give excellent customer service who can bring a positive attitude to the environment. They look for people that are keen to take on personal responsibility that will drive the company to a greater success.
When Mr Leese started to work at Waitrose he was under the impression that Waitrose was very committed when selecting the correct staff. As the applicants were kept a close eye on, it was easy to see in which areas the applicants were weak. This was then taken into consideration and the applicants were trained accordingly.
- What processes took place to recognise this need for training?
When Mr Leese first applied for the job, he had to complete a very long application form. The form that had to be filled out was used to identify what training would be needed for the next three months. Once the manager had decided what training methods would be used for each individual, they would each be asked to attend the interview to discuss and inform them of what procedures will be taking place.
- What training methods were used?
Off-the-job training was used. Waitrose uses a video training scheme called the Training 2000. The “Training 2000” is tailor made. It recognises that individuals develop at different paces and learn in different ways according to their own ability. They respond to your needs and encourage you to take responsibility from the beginning as well as having guidance and support from a mentor. The programme develops through various stages, allowing the workers to build their understanding of Waitrose.
The trainees are shown a video of a person in their given job roles. This helps them to understand what their job roles consists of. It enables them to visualise what they have to do when they start working on the shop floor. This is an ideal and efficient way to training their future workers. The advantage of this method of training is that it makes the workers have a sense of independency as they can teach themselves. It is a motivation factor as it shows that the manager of Waitrose can trust the workers. It is also a cheap and an accurate method of training as the videos have been produced and on behalf of Waitrose.
A CD-ROM is given to the trainees that includes information about the products that Waitrose sell. It is enables them to teach themselves and provides information about the products so they have general knowledge. An example would be to know where their strawberries come from. Waitrose try to make learning as easy and fun as possible for their employees.
Different training schemes are used for different job roles such as an Assistant Section Manager. Training for this job role can take up to 2 years. At the end of the training the employee can gain a Foundation Certificate in Management from the Institute of Grocery Distribution.
Waitrose states that the graduate training scheme builds their reputation for the quality of their management. Their aim is to turn their employees to high performing managers that have strong leadership skills.
- What costs were involved for Waitrose?
The typical cost for a training session would cost Waitrose £50.00 per hours. This would include the costs for:
- The wage of the worker
- The additional costs of the worker
- The wage of the manager
- Planning and preparation time
- Paper work and materials
- Feedback
It has been estimated that the training costs over the first three months would be ranged between £300 and £500 depending on the number of hours. The other costs were for:
- The provision of a CD
- Skills cards
- A computer in the staff room
- The training materials for the “Training 2000” scheme
- What were/ have been the benefits for Waitrose?
Waitrose keep their workers happy and motivated by providing them with incentives and a chance to socialise. They ensure that they enjoy their working life. This has kept the staff turnover low. They have been successful when keeping their workers on track in order to meet their aims and objective and provide a high quality customer service. Waitrose have efficient staff that are able to complete tasks successfully and are developed to cover other areas in the store.
- Were there any constraints to the training?
The constraints for training are that it takes up a lot of the businesses time. They have to ensure everyone is fully trained and knows what they are doing so they do not drop in their standard of customer service. The cost of training is also very expensive. Mr Leese stated that an estimation of £300 - £500 was used for his training in the first 3 months. The CD-ROMS that they use to train their employees are ideal situations but are not real life. The video training they use involves no interaction meaning it is very passive. The intermittent training they receive may not be as efficient as there is a chance that the employees can forget. The intensive training that they use can also lead to forgetting as they train their employees in all areas. This is not useful if they are allocated to one area when working on the shop floor as they will not remember the skills that they learned as it would not have been practiced.
- Evaluate the successfulness of the training for the individual and the organisation
The successfulness of the training for the individual and the organisation is fairly high. Waitrose allows their trainees to fill out a feed back form after 3 months of completing their training. This gives an indication to Waitrose of the changes that need to be made in order to satisfy their employees. This would then lead to low staff turnover which would keep the reputation of Waitrose high.
- Why was the training necessary and how does it help the organisation to meet their objective?
The training was necessary as it gives Waitrose the best outcome of their employees. If their workers were not trained within their job roles, their service would not be as good. This would result in a low quality of customer service because the employees would be unaware or unsure of what to do. This could also lead to a drop in the quality of Waitrose. They have to have the training to maintain the high reputation of Waitrose. If Waitrose’s employees are aware of what they are doing, their tasks can be done much faster which leads to a high efficiency rate.
- Do you think the training could be improved?
Work shadowing could be introduced. This would help to reduce the cost of training as the workers would be able to observe as well as participate in activities. Waitrose could also have short but frequent training sessions in order to keep their skills refreshed. There would be no point in learning skills that will not be used; therefore job rotation would be a good way to keep their skills up to date. This way their skills would not go to waste.
- Did a skills audit take place?
A skills audit is a tool to help Waitrose to identify why they have become a trustee and what skills, knowledge or experience they can contribute to the business. A skills audit is useful as Waitrose can use this to identify a range of skills or knowledge that may not have been called upon by the organisation.
Task 6
- What were the motivational aspects of training for that individual?
The motivational aspects of training for the individual were that they were given responsibility and the chance to be multi-skilled in other areas of the shop floor. This can be related to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. It increases the employees’ self-esteem and self actualisation as it builds confidence. If the employee reaches their target skills they are advanced to a pay rise. This is a money motivator and can be related to Taylor’s theory as he used money to motivate people and money only. As the training happens for 2 hours per week, having intense training every 3 months would make the employees feel needed and important as the company would be spending money on them regularly in order to keep their skills up to date. This would build up their confidence as the skills would be refreshed. Giving the employees a chance to gain further skills/ knowledge development is also seen as a motivator as it gives them the chance to try the job roles of other aspects on the shop floor. When they are given the opportunity for promotion it also gives them a reason to stay on for Waitrose because of what they are offering to the individual. This can be related to Maslow’s theory of self esteem as it makes them feel more comfortable and needed.
- Could improper training be de-motivating?
Improper training could be seen as de-motivating as it would be a waste of time and money. If the employee has been employed to work as the shop floor manager, he/ she would not want to be trained in the bakery section as it would hardly come into use, unless they introduce job rotation. This can be related to Maslow’s hierarchy of self actualisation. If the employees are trained in areas in which they are hardly allocated to, they cannot move up to the top of Maslow’s hierarchy in that area. This is because they would not have had enough experience in that working sector in order to give them a wide view of how that job role works. Therefore, they may not be as confident, be able to problem solve as well, be as creative or independent. This can be related to Hertzberg’s theory of motivator factors as the employees need a sense of status and personal growth.
If the training becomes time consuming, the trainees or employees would become bored. Waitrose have to make the training a worth while experience that will be enjoyable as well as efficient. If the training becomes very boring the workers would lose their enthusiasm, therefore they would not be motivated to learn. If the workers have a lack of practical training before going on to the shop floor, they may lack confidence, resulting in more mistakes being made. This can be related to Maslow’s hierarchy of self esteem. If this situation occurs, the workers may feel that they are no achieving anything from their job causing low self esteem. They will not feel respected as they would not think they are making a difference to the business. If the workers are seen to be depressed, it can prevent them from achieving this level of Maslow’s hierarchy as it would stop their chances of having high self esteem because it would not give them confidence.
Some of the job roles at Waitrose can become very boring. An example would be working on the tills. This job role can become unchallenging as it is repetitive. This can be related to Herzberg’s motivation - hygiene theory. Herzberg would not see this job role as being an achievement as it would not give high self esteem as it does not give enough responsibility to the individual.
- When might the perception of training differ between the worker and the organisation?
The worker may want a different method of training but the organisation may not be able to offer it due to the costs of the training (£84 million). They can become de-motivated resulting in high stuff turnover. Conflict may occur between the employees and the managers if they do not agree with an aspect of the business. Some trainees may take longer to pick up new skills therefore it would cost the managers more to train them which would be a disadvantage to the company as losses would be made. The way they train can become very tedious for the workers such as using the booklets, but Waitrose feels that it helps to get a lot of the information across in big chunks. Using the CD’s/ watching videos can also be seen as being impractical as they are neither interactive therefore it can become very boring for the trainee, but Waitrose feel that using this method of training is a good way for them to observe and take note of how certain situations are dealt with.
- Look at empirical research data on this training scheme. What were the costs? What were the benefits? How has this training scheme benefited Waitrose? Give evidence.
The costs of the training scheme per hour are £50. A 24 hour session (3 months–2hours per week) of training would add up to be £1,200 per person. The training scheme has benefited Waitrose as they have tailor made it themselves best suited for employees at Waitrose. It specifies in the skills that are needed to work at Waitrose. As Waitrose provides training, it does not only benefit the workers but it also benefits the company in the long run even if the expenses are high. In the long run, Waitrose would end up with highly skilled workers that are flexible to work in the different areas on the shop floor due to the intense training. They would have low staff turnover due to the changes of job roles and because the workers have the opportunity to progress further. Having skilled staff would benefit the company as it would give Waitrose a good brand name and a high quality of service. The productivity levels would also be efficient and high. It costs the company a lot to motivate their employees as they offer financial support and annual bonuses, but Waitrose benefit a great amount from this as they give out the good name. Below are the complaint levels for Waitrose.
Waitrose uses a Customer Relationship Index as a measure of customer satisfaction. Their target is to exceed 90 per cent consistently. This year's score fell just short of this at 88.4 per cent.
I have gathered this information from ()
What were the strengths and weaknesses of this training programme? (Considering any constraints on the organisation, the effectiveness, appropriateness and the short term/ long term impact.)
The training programme created by Waitrose is called “Training 2000”. This programme involves using a video that shows situations in which the workers can find themselves in and how they can come to resolve them. Below are the strengths and weaknesses of the training programme.
Strengths of the training programme
- This scheme allows the trainees to be monitored and assessed on their performance.
- They are able to pick up and learn new skills that can help them in everyday life and not only when working.
- The trainees feel valued as a lot of money is spent on them as the training is intense. This builds up their self confidence.
- They are able to work independently. This way the can be assessed on what they understand themselves and not what their fellow trainees think.
- The training that they receive can also be tailored to their skills. Therefore they would be taught the skills that they do not have and what they need practice in.
Weaknesses of the training programme
- The training system that they used cannot be modified as it is a fixed video scheme.
- The training is intermittent which happens two hours per week. The skills learnt in this period of time can be forgotten therefore they need to be more frequent.
- It can become very boring an elongated as it is based on using a CD-ROMs and videos. This can become a loss of interest causing people to lose concentration. Watching a video can be boring if the motivation to watch it is not there. Waitrose have to involve an activity that is practical in order for the trainees to enjoy the training sessions.
- The training only shows the employees at the checkouts in different situations which is only repetition.
- The training that is given is an overall aspect for the whole shop floor. If an individual is allocated to one job role there is no need for them to learn the skills for another role if they will hardly cover that role. Unless job rotation is introduced the training would be a waste of time and money.
- 84 million pounds is their initial investment that goes towards their training
- Were the methods that took place to identify the training needs adequate?
In order to identify the training needs adequate, they had to fill out an application form which stated all the details about themselves and what experience and skills they already had. Training was then given accordingly. After the training took place, interviews were given individually and in teams. This is when they were asked about their experience during their training and what they had learnt and whether they enjoyed it or not. From the feedback that was given, the managers learnt what they had understood and what needed to be done in order to improve on any training strategies. This method is effective but it can also be seen as being elongated as there are many stages to cover before working on the shop floor for the first time.
Instead of using videos and CD-ROMs, they could give them a talk and allow them to interact with one another in order to build up their confidence. Once they become used to the environment, they could give them a practical activity to do on the shop floor. Here, they are able to be observed in action so the managers can see what they will be dealing with when they actually start working. After this they can be debriefed individually or be given an appraisal interview in order to see how they did after being observed.
Task 7
Personal Development Plan
Skills audit (Original)
Ability ratings
A I can use this skill very well
B I can use this skill well but some improvements could be made
C I need to improve this skill
D I need to put in considerable work to develop this skill
E I have not had the opportunity to develop this skill
Skill: Communication
Rating: A B C D E
Evidence:
Skill: Organisation
Rating: A B C D E
Evidence:
Skill: Interpersonal
Rating: A B C D E
Evidence:
Skill: Research
Rating: A B C D E
Evidence:
Skill: Numeracy
Rating: A B C D E
Evidence:
Skill: Computer Literacy
Rating: A B C D E
Evidence:
Skill: Foreign Languages
Rating: A B C D E
Evidence:
Skill: Team Work
Rating: A B C D E
Evidence:
Completed skills audit
Ability ratings
A I can use this skill very well
B I can use this skill well but some improvements could be made
C I need to improve this skill
D I need to put in considerable work to develop this skill
E I have not had the opportunity to develop this skill
Skill: Communication
Rating: A B C D E
Evidence:
Skill: Organisation
Rating: A B C D E
Evidence:
Skill: Interpersonal
Rating: A B C D E
Evidence:
Skill: Research
Rating: A B C D E
Evidence:
Skill: Numeracy
Rating: A B C D E
Evidence:
Skill: Computer Literacy
Rating: A B C D E
Evidence:
Skill: Foreign Languages
Rating: A B C D E
Evidence:
Skill: Team Work
Rating: A B C D E
Evidence:
Why are skill audits helpful?
Skill audit are helpful as they allow you to see where your weak skills and where your strong skills are. This makes it easier to see where most of the improvement needs to be done. The skills audit questionnaire is easy to fill out and it only asks for information that is relevant to what is needed, so no other unnecessary information is required. They are particularly helpful to the organisation as it can see specifically only what the organisation needs to know. It is useful as the company can use this to identify a range of skills or knowledge that may not have been called upon by the organization. (I have placed a sample skills audit at the back of this coursework.*)
Short term targets in my career:
- To aim to pass my exams for A2 and AS retakes by reaching my given predicted grades (A,C,C) for my A Levels.
- To be accepted by one of my top three chosen University’s which are City University, Westminster University or Brunel University.
- To re-sit my first year mathematics exams (C1, C2 and S1) so I can achieve better grades being (B,B,B).
Long term targets in my career:
- To gain a degree in BSc Business and Management.
- To gain employment as an events manager.
- To gain training for my future business to open up a successful Wedding Planning Business.
- To have my own business, if not, then to be in employment.
Evidence
Details of University course:- 1ST CHOICE
University: City University
Course: Management MSc
“The program will give you a sound interdisciplinary education that is particularly suitable for a career in management. Its broad case prepares you for a career in a range of areas including production, human resource management and management consultancy. The programme also provides an ideal basis for a career in the financial world, for example, in charted and management accountancy, finance, trading and broking. The management degree covers the following man areas: management and system science; management of human resources; economics; marketing; quantitative methods; finance; and financial and management accounting. These areas are studied in the first and second years. The final year offers advanced study of management and systems science and decision making. There is also an opportunity to develop your own interests through dissertation and the selection of electives.”
City University ask for AAB as a minimum to have a place in their course.
I have sourced this information from .
Details of University course:- 2ND CHOICE
University: Westminster
Course Business and Management
“The BA Honours in Business Management is an exciting and flexible Business degree programme offering specialisation in one of eleven subject areas. These courses will provide you with a very thorough general business studies background which will enable you to pursue a career in the various sectors which make up the world of business. Each of the years/levels has a theme and you will gain a good background in all the necessary skills and techniques needed to function in a business environment, study business in the context of the systems which support it, and pursue in depth one or more areas. At all stages of the course great emphasis is placed on students' acquisition of both transferable skills and academic knowledge. Skills such as report writing and oral presentation techniques are thoroughly absorbed along with information technology and quantitative techniques. The teaching staffs are very supportive. You will take a number of core modules, and free module choices ensure that you have the opportunity to choose modules from the whole University. The programme is also designed to facilitate transfer to other business degrees within the Westminster Business School. As part of your degree, you may also study languages, most of which can be taken from beginner level. You may even wish to study abroad for a semester or a full year, in which case you will value the SOCRATES links that exist between this course and several other European Business Studies programmes.”
Westminster University ask for a minimum of BBB to have a place in their course.
I have sourced this information from .
Details of University course:- 3RD CHOICE
University: Brunel University
Course: Business Management BSc (4yr Sandwich Degree)
“This degree will equip you with the broad business and management background and the analytical, technical and interpersonal skills required to understand, analyse and address the problems of today's companies.
You will learn to cope not only with the present preoccupations of the working world, but also for its future needs and this is reflected in our excellent graduate employment rates and good starting salaries. You will receive high quality teaching from lecturers with 'hands-on' experience in business and commerce. Our good links with business mean better work placements, up-to-date course content and a better opportunity to find a good job after you graduate.
If you take certain modules you will gain exemptions from select professional examinations in accountancy, marketing and business and management fields.”
Brunel University ask for BBC as a minimum to have a place in this course.
Even though my chosen career path to open up a business following Wedding Planning requires no qualifications, I have still decided to carry on to go onto University. I believe that this will give me a better chance of becoming successful in the future as I would have learnt thoroughly how to manage a business from the degree that I would have gained in the following years to come.
How do I intend to meet my targets?
I intend to meet my targets by following my career path in order to achieve what I want in the future. It will be my priority and I will work to my highest potential until I reach my targets. To pass my A Levels will be the first target to aim for. To pass my exams with the grade that I want and need in order to go to university I will revise to my full potential until I have given it my best. I will be doing this by ensuring that I have given myself enough time to revise for all of my subjects so I am not pressured when the exam comes. I will have to equalise my time well so I am revising equal amounts for each subject. I will continue to look for a job that will suit me until I am satisfied. I will improve my personal statement to its best until I reach the deadline. If I follow what I intend to do, I will be prepared enough to gain my AAC grades in summer 2008.
In order to reach my long term targets I will have to continue to work to my full potential whilst I am in University. I will also be concentrating on opening my business when the third year comes as I will have my work placement during this period. In order to prepare for this I will have to be researching on everything about my career until I am at a satisfactory level and I have enough knowledge to open a business.
For further knowledge in the Business world, I will be sitting further examinations after receiving my 1st class degree in business. I continue to study for a master s degree in a business related field. In order to follow my future plans I will have to search for a suitable MBA course which will benefit me when opening my business.
Why are personal development plans helpful to an organisation?
Personal development plans can be very helpful to an organisation in many ways. Using this plan, the manager can locate one’s individual skills. This would help the manager motive his/ her employees which would reduce staff turnover. The manager can also pick out which skills they lack and how it could be improved and developed. It gives the employees a chance to perfect their skills so they can be flexible when working in different areas of the organisation.
It helps the managers to pick out where their employees need the most training. It will indicate to the managers where their employees’ strongest skills are. Using this they can allocate their employees to certain tasks allowing the best productivity levels to be achieved.
What barriers could an organisation face?
An organisation could face having to many vacancies and not being able to fill them up with appropriate people with the correct skills. Their workers/ employees may have a lack of skills stopping them from doing job rotations and training other new employees. The organisation could also not be able to afford training for their employees which would disrupt the company in the long run as it would affect the businesses customer service and quality. If the organisation do not set out their work properly giving a clear indication to the employees of what step to take in order to complete the tasks, it could carry the risk of the businesses productivity levels to decrease and many errors would be made. If the company does not have an equal amount of workers with balanced skills it could end up putting a lot of pressure on one individual resulting in the task not being completed on time or the task not being completed correctly.
Obstacles will always occur in organisations, but most of the time they can be mended. It all depends on how the business is run and what method they use in order to complete tasks as efficiently as possible.
How might my plan change?
My plan may change if I do not achieve the grades I want and need (AAB – 340 points) to get into my first choice of University. Therefore I would go to a different University or not go to University at all resulting in full time employment and starting up a business on my own. If not going to a different university suits me, then I will decide to retake my exams privately and apply to the same universities but with better grades. This may hopefully give me a better chance of receiving a conditional offer. By the time I retake my exams again, I may also change my mind and decide to take another Business subject up such as Marketing.
If I do not get the courses that I intended to do then I will change them to a Business Studies course or a Business Management and Marketing course. These courses will be my back up choices as they are in the same Business sector as my original course.
Personal issues may arise which may disturb my future plans. If they do I will have to do my best in order to reach all my long term targets and do as best as I can.
What are the risks in setting a rigid career plan?
Setting a rigid plan will cause me to miss out on opportunities that come my way as I will be set on one plan and one plan only. I do not have a back up plan therefore I have the risk of losing out on a lot in the future if I do not work to my potential and achieve what I want for the future. Once an opportunity comes my way, I may feel that I do not enjoy it as much as I though I would. If this does happen, I will not have anything to fall back on. This is why I am also considering in changing my course once I join the University.
Skills audit: The next few pages show an example of a skills audit that has been used in organisations and businesses.*
