Difference between revisions of "Workforce Arrangements Quarter"

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#'''[[Organic model]]'''. A [[workforce arrangement model]] that is highly adaptive and flexible. Usually, those [[workforce arrangement]]s that utilize this ''model'' are flat, use cross-hierarchical and cross-functional formations, have low formalization, possesse a comprehensive information network, are characterized by [[decentralization]], and a high degree of [[participative decision-making]].
 
#'''[[Organic model]]'''. A [[workforce arrangement model]] that is highly adaptive and flexible. Usually, those [[workforce arrangement]]s that utilize this ''model'' are flat, use cross-hierarchical and cross-functional formations, have low formalization, possesse a comprehensive information network, are characterized by [[decentralization]], and a high degree of [[participative decision-making]].
 
#*[[Boundaryless arrangement]]. A part of the [[enterprise workforce]], which structure is not defined by, or limited to, the horizontal, vertical, or external boundaries imposed by a predefined structure.
 
#*[[Boundaryless arrangement]]. A part of the [[enterprise workforce]], which structure is not defined by, or limited to, the horizontal, vertical, or external boundaries imposed by a predefined structure.
 +
#*[[Team structure]]. An [[organizational structure]] that replaces departments with empowered teams, and which eliminates horizontal boundaries and external barriers between customers and suppliers.
 +
#*[[Project structure]]. An [[organizational structure]] in which employees continuously work on projects.
 
#'''[[Mechanistic model]]'''. A [[workforce arrangement model]] that is rigid and tightly controlled. Usually, those [[workforce arrangement]]s that utilize this ''model'' are characterized by [[centralization]] and, as they outgrow [[startup stage]]s, extensive departmentalization, high formalization, and a limited information network.
 
#'''[[Mechanistic model]]'''. A [[workforce arrangement model]] that is rigid and tightly controlled. Usually, those [[workforce arrangement]]s that utilize this ''model'' are characterized by [[centralization]] and, as they outgrow [[startup stage]]s, extensive departmentalization, high formalization, and a limited information network.
 
#*[[Simple structure]]. An [[organizational structure]] characterized by a low degree of [[departmentalization]], wide [[span of control|spans of control]], authority centralized in a single person, and little [[formalization]].
 
#*[[Simple structure]]. An [[organizational structure]] characterized by a low degree of [[departmentalization]], wide [[span of control|spans of control]], authority centralized in a single person, and little [[formalization]].
 
#*[[Bureaucracy]]. An [[organizational structure]] characterized by division of labor, a clearly defined hierarchy, very formalized rules and regulations, highly routine operating tasks that are grouped into functional departments and achieved through [[specialization]], centralized authority, narrow spans of control, and decision making that follows the chain of command. Impersonal relationships usually play a vital role in making decisions in [[bureaucracy|bureaucraci]]es.
 
#*[[Bureaucracy]]. An [[organizational structure]] characterized by division of labor, a clearly defined hierarchy, very formalized rules and regulations, highly routine operating tasks that are grouped into functional departments and achieved through [[specialization]], centralized authority, narrow spans of control, and decision making that follows the chain of command. Impersonal relationships usually play a vital role in making decisions in [[bureaucracy|bureaucraci]]es.
 
#*[[Circular structure]]. An [[organizational structure]] in which executives are at the center, spreading their vision outward in rings grouped by function (managers, then specialists, then workers).
 
#*[[Circular structure]]. An [[organizational structure]] in which executives are at the center, spreading their vision outward in rings grouped by function (managers, then specialists, then workers).
 
 
#*[[Virtual organization]]. An [[organization]] that consists of a small core of full-time employees and outside specialists temporarily hired as needed to work on projects. A [[virtual organization]] usually outsources major business functions.
 
#*[[Virtual organization]]. An [[organization]] that consists of a small core of full-time employees and outside specialists temporarily hired as needed to work on projects. A [[virtual organization]] usually outsources major business functions.
 
#*[[Divisional structure]]. An [[organizational structure]] made up of separate, semi-autonomous units or divisions. These units or divisions group employees by product, process, customer, or geographical market area.
 
#*[[Divisional structure]]. An [[organizational structure]] made up of separate, semi-autonomous units or divisions. These units or divisions group employees by product, process, customer, or geographical market area.
 
#*[[Functional structure]]. An [[organizational structure]] that groups employees by their similar specialties, roles, and tasks.
 
#*[[Functional structure]]. An [[organizational structure]] that groups employees by their similar specialties, roles, and tasks.
#*[[Team structure]]. An [[organizational structure]] that replaces departments with empowered teams, and which eliminates horizontal boundaries and external barriers between customers and suppliers.
 
#*[[Project structure]]. An [[organizational structure]] in which employees continuously work on projects.
 
 
#'''[[Material symbol]]'''. What conveys to employees who is important, the degree of egalitarianism top management desires, and the kinds of behavior that are appropriate.
 
#'''[[Material symbol]]'''. What conveys to employees who is important, the degree of egalitarianism top management desires, and the kinds of behavior that are appropriate.
 
#'''[[Open workplace]]'''. Workplace with few physical barriers and enclosures.
 
#'''[[Open workplace]]'''. Workplace with few physical barriers and enclosures.

Revision as of 15:15, 22 May 2018

Workforce Arrangements Quarter (hereinafter, the Quarter) is a lecture introducing the learners to team design primarily through key topics related to workgroup design. The Quarter is the third of four lectures of Team Quadrivium, which is the sixth of seven modules of Septem Artes Administrativi (hereinafter, the Course). The Course is designed to introduce the learners to general concepts in business administration, management, and organizational behavior.


Outline

Regulatory Сompliance Quarter is the predecessor lecture. In the enterprise design series, the previous lecture is Information Architecture Quarter.

Concepts

  1. Workforce arrangement. The action, process, or result of arranging or being arranged that an enterprise does for and/or offers to its various workgroups and/or workteams.
  2. Workgroup. A group that interacts primarily to share information and to make decisions to help each group member perform within his or her area of responsibility.
    Productivity criteriaInteracting groupBrainstorming groupNominal groupElectronic group
    IdeasNumber and quality of ideasLowModerateHighHigh
    GroupthinkSocial pressureHighLowModerateLow
    ExpensesMoney costs to form the groupLowLowLowModerate
    SpeedSpeed of group operationsModerateModerateModerateModerate
    ConsistencyTask orientationLowHighHighHigh
    ConflictPotential of interpersonal conflictHighLowModerateLow
    CommitmentCommitment to solutionHighNot applicableModerateModerate
    CohesivenessDevelopment of group cohesivenessHighHighModerateLow
  3. Groupthink. (1) A phenomenon in which the norm for consensus overrides the realistic appraisal of alternative courses of action; (2) A situation in which a group exerts extensive pressure on an individual to align her or his opinion with others; (3) An aggregate of opinions of various group members.
    • Conformity. The adjustment of one's behavior to align with the norms of the group.
    • Hawthorne Studies. A series of studies during the 1920s and 1930s that provided new insights into individual and group behavior.
  4. Groupshift. A change between a group's decision and individual decision that a member within the group would make; the shift can be toward either conservatism or greater risk but it generally is toward a more extreme version of the group's original position.
    • Stereotype threat. The degree to which we internally agree with the generally negative stereotyped perceptions of our groups.
  5. Group functioning. The quantity and quality of a group's work output.
  6. Employee empowerment. Giving employees more authority (power) to make decisions.
    • Decentralization. The degree to which lower-level employees provide input or actually make decisions.
    • Centralization. The degree to which decision making is concentrated at a single point, usually at upper levels, in an organization.
  7. Workteam. (1) A group whose members work intensely on a specific, common goal using their positive synergy, individual and mutual accountability, and complementary skills; (2) A group whose individual efforts result in performance that is greater than the sum of the individual inputs.
    Comparison criteriaWorkgroupWorkteam
    GoalInformation sharingCollective performance
    SynergyNeutral (sometimes, negative)Positive
    AccountabilityIndividualBoth individual and mutual
    SkillsRandom and variedComplementary
    • Self-managed workteam. (1) A workteam that operates without a manager and is responsible for a complete work process or segment; (2) A workteam usually of 10 to 15 people who take on responsibilities of their former supervisors.
    • Virtual team. A workteam that uses computer technology to link physically dispersed members in order to achieve a common goal.
    • Problem-solving team. A workteam usually of 5 to 12 employees from the same department of functional area who meet often for a few hours each week to discuss ways of improving work activities or solve specific problems such as quality, efficiency, and the work environment.
    • Cross-functional team. A workteam composed of employees from about the same hierarchical level, but from different work areas, who come together to accomplish a task.
    • Multiteam system. A collection of two or more interdependent teams that share a superordinate goal; a team of teams.
  8. Team characteristic.
    • Reflexivity. A team characteristic of reflecting on and adjusting the master plan when necessary.
    • Mental model. Team members' knowledge and beliefs about how the work gets done by the team.
    • Team efficacy. A team's collective belief that they can succeed at their tasks.
    • Team identity. A team member's affinity for and sense of belongingness to his or her team.
  9. Job design. The way tasks are combined to form complete jobs or, in other words, the way the elements in a job are organized.
  10. Job involvement. The degree to which a person identifies with a job, actively participates in it, and considers performance important to self-worth.
    • Job involvement. The degree to which an employee identifies with her or his job, actively participates in it, and considers her or his job performance to be important self-worth.
    • Personality-job fit theory. A theory that identifies six personality types and proposes that the fit between personality type and occupational environment determines satisfaction and turnover.
    • Person-organization fit. A theory that people are attracted to and selected by organizations that match their values, and leave when there is not compatibility.
  11. Work specialization. (1) The degree to which tasks in an organization are subdivided into separate jobs; (2) The process of dividing work activities into separate job tasks.
    • Formalization. The degree to which jobs within an organization are standardized and/or the extent to which employee behavior is guided by rules and procedures.
    • Job depth. The degree of control employees have over their work.
    • Job score. The number of different tasks required in a job and the frequency with which those tasks are repeated.

Roles

  1. Team role.
  2. Human factors ergonomist. A professional who designs objects, facilities, and environments to optimize human well-being and overall system performance, applying theory, principles, and data regarding the relationship between humans and respective technology. He or she investigates and analyzes characteristics of human behavior and performance as it relates to the use of technology.
  3. Contingent worker. A temporary, freelance, or contract worker whose employment is contingent on demand for her or his services.

Methods

  1. Group decision-making technique. An established procedure for making decisions by a group.
    • Nominal group technique. A group decision-making technique in which individual members meet face to face to pool their judgments in a systematic but independent fashion.
    • Thumb vote. A quick pulse to get a sense of where the team are in terms of commitment, or agreement on a decision, etc. thumb up generally means agree, yes, or good, and thumb down disagree, no or bad; the analog version of this allows the thumb to be anywhere on the half circle to indicate differing degrees of agreeability.
  2. Survey feedback. The use of questionnaires to identify discrepancies among member perceptions; discussion follows, and remedies are suggested.
  3. Delphi method. A method of group decision-making and forecasting that involves successively collating the judgments of experts.

Instruments

  1. Team effectiveness model. A model that suggests that team effectiveness depends on three groups of factors, which are context, composition, and functioning.
    • Team context. The circumstances that form the setting for a team including its adequate resources, leadership and structure, climate of trust, performance evaluation and reward systems.
    • Team composition. The characteristics of each of team memberss and the way of their assembly including abilities of members, personalities, allocating roles, diversity, size of teams, member flexibility, and member preferences.
    • Team functioning. Workteam's working or operating in a particular way including its common purpose, specific goals, team efficacy, conflict levels, and social loafing.
  2. Group decision tool. A tangible and/or software implement used to make decisions by a group.
    • Unanimity (or consensus). A group decision tool that makes a decision when every participant of the group agrees on a single action. An example of reaching unanimity is the Delphi technique wherein a selective group of experts answer questionnaires and give feedback on the responses of each round of gathering requirements.
    • Majority. A group decision tool that makes a decision when it is chosen by more than a half of the group participants. To avoid a tie, it is important to have an uneven number of participants during the group decision making.
    • Plurality. A group decision tool that makes a decision when it is chosen by the largest block of the group. This is used when there are more than two options being nominated upon.
    • Dictatorship. A group decision tool that makes a decision when it is made only by one individual -- usually the leader -- for the entire group.
  3. Workforce arrangement model.
  4. Organic model. A workforce arrangement model that is highly adaptive and flexible. Usually, those workforce arrangements that utilize this model are flat, use cross-hierarchical and cross-functional formations, have low formalization, possesse a comprehensive information network, are characterized by decentralization, and a high degree of participative decision-making.
  5. Mechanistic model. A workforce arrangement model that is rigid and tightly controlled. Usually, those workforce arrangements that utilize this model are characterized by centralization and, as they outgrow startup stages, extensive departmentalization, high formalization, and a limited information network.
  6. Material symbol. What conveys to employees who is important, the degree of egalitarianism top management desires, and the kinds of behavior that are appropriate.
  7. Open workplace. Workplace with few physical barriers and enclosures.

Practices

Leadership Quarter is the successor lecture. In the enterprise design series, the next lecture is Organizational Culture Quarter.

Materials

Recorded audio

Recorded video

Live sessions

Texts and graphics

See also