high performance work practices nancy brown johnson
TRANSCRIPT
Traditional Work Systems
Tayloristic, based upon high volume production lines
Management acts, employees comply
Work structured from top- employees carry out management actions
Quality set by inspection
HPWP Defined
Maximizing the use of technology, resources, and employees
Each element must work together
Work systems are the link that tie the elements together
Can contribute to organizational success but difficult to implement
Elements of a HPWP
Management philosophy that employees need to share in decision-making
Participative management Elements
Information sharing Participative decision making Increasing knowledge Redistributing power
Information Sharing
Provide employees with information about the business Enables the employees to make
suggestions for improving product & processes
Increasing knowledge
Training Business knowledge
Enables the employee’s to understand long-term goals
Interpersonal and group skills Gives employees the skills to work
together and engage in problem-solving Basic job skills
Gives them the foundation for understanding their role in the organization and how it fits in to the total organizational goals
Rewarding Performance
Incentives to reinforce commitment Profit sharing, share in cost
reduction Skill base pay or other systems
to reinforce learning Provide incentives to engage in
learning & participate Crucial to include job security
Redistributing power
Shifting decision-making downward
Must empower workers to make decisions JetBlue does it by five core values
Safety, Caring, Integrity, Fun, Passion
Restructures organization to team level decisions such as quality circles, team
meetings to systematically shift power downward
When are HPWP a good idea? Required when flexibility
essential Dynamic changing environments May be less efficient Much more difficult to implement
than Tayloristic systems Tayloristic systems more
appropriate for stable, predictable environments: allow for efficiency
All Elements must work Together
Rewarding Performance
Increasing Knowledge
Information Sharing
Redistributing Power
HPWP
Conditions for HPWP success Goal Collective Identity
Problem Solving v. Blaming Shared goals: everyone knows
what needs to be done Shared knowledge of work
processes Mutual respect among employees Frequent & timely communication
Implementing Management needs combination of
credibility & caring trust & respect
Coaching & feedback positive reinforcement v. fear &
punishment Hire employees to work in this
environment Use conflicts to build relationships Measure performance broadly Flexibility in jobs