Intervention Overview
The organization that requires intervention is a public service laboratory involved in food testing. The institution is experiencing a period of stagnation in terms of development, productivity, and outcomes. Moreover, the laboratory’s efficiency is rated as below the expected rate, which negatively influences the competitiveness of the market and the overall organizational environment. The primary purpose of the intervention is to improve employee morale and implement a constructive and efficacious performance management system. Due to low job satisfaction among staff members and a lack of a productive operating policy that would address performance, the laboratory is not operating as productively as it can.
The first significant change that needs to be established for future development is improving job satisfaction among employees. This can be achieved through an evaluation of the current situation, using motivation, implementing effective leadership, and measuring the outcomes in terms of effectiveness. The stakeholders will participate during decision-making processes and will be taken into consideration when coordinating the new policies. It is essential to initiate the process by examining the current state to implement a performance management system. Moreover, the next step is establishing a positive work environment where feedback, commentary, and reviews are welcome. Managers will begin assessing the productivity of each team member and offer adequate training in case there are certain difficulties or issues during the work process. To examine how the strategies have affected the workplace and the outcomes, an evaluation will be conducted.
The approach of the intervention is based on setting essential goals and working towards their fulfillment. Researchers mention this strategy as effective in terms of achieving set objectives (Holm, 2018). Moreover, it is important to consider stress and other factors that may negatively influence employees. Organizational changes are often linked with burnout among team members (Day et al., 2017). This is why the process of intervention will consider such risks and adequately address them.
The philosophy highlighted by the proposed strategies is based on the correlation between employees and organizational outcomes. The main concept is highlighted by the idea that effective employees build productive organizations (Lacerenza et al., 2018). This notion illustrates the importance of creating a motivational and organized workplace that strives to inspire team members yet manages productivity on all levels. It is vital to reach a balance between controlling the workforce in terms of efficiency and providing the necessary resources, training, and moral support.
Planned Contracting and Consulting Approach
Considering the stakeholder’s needs is an essential step in operating the intervention plan. The public sector is highlighted as the one with the most stakeholders (Zheng et al., 2018). In the case of the laboratory, the main involved parties are the government, the customers (businesses, manufacturers, and consumers who use the services), the employees, and the general population. Since the public laboratory is involved in testing food samples that may be at risk for contamination, efficient work positively affects a wide array of individuals. Moreover, the results are shared with other science-related institutions that are also benefiting from the intervention. It is established that innovation in the public sector is often the result of collaboration among stakeholders (Bekkers & Tummers, 2018). In this case, several different contracting and consulting strategies are to be implemented depending on the party.
It is essential to consider the approach and the direction in which consultations or actions are to be made. Since it is hard to predict stakeholders’ behavior, the strategies need to be operated in an efficient manner (Eskerod & Larsen, 2018). First, it is vital to evaluate the current work environment and the productivity of the staff. The consulting phase will include a detailed evaluation of all the factors that have caused stagnation and the issues regarding low rates of productivity. Moreover, the employees will receive helpful tools that would improve morale and introduce the concept of performance management.
It is essential for the majority of team members to have an essential role in the organization to discuss the exact issues that occur during the work process. Furthermore, the mitigation of these issues will be addressed. The contracting approach will not involve third-party consultants or managers. Instead, the team will have a discussion in regard to the future implementation, the expected outcomes, and how these results will be evaluated. As mentioned prior, it is essential to focus on major goals and not deviate from the initial plan. The main objective discussed during the contracting phase is creating a positive environment for the workforce. Ceschi et al. (2017) mention the importance of involving staff members in organizational processes and decision-making plans. Such conversations that allow the team to participate and contribute to the organizational intervention will establish the initial effort toward positive implementations and development.
Employees will discuss how the current situation affects them or how they view the stagnant condition of the laboratory. Furthermore, the team will express personal overviews on such low productivity levels. Several aspects will be addressed, such as the current reward system, lack of motivation, low morale, inefficiency, etc. This will allow for a more accurate diagnostics method and develop a productive plan to address the previously discussed issues. At this stage of the intervention, the main objective is to understand the underlying issue, which will lead to a practical solution and positive outcomes for the employees and the organization accordingly (van Zyl & Rothmann, 2020). For future discussion, a verbal contract will be implemented in regard to having weekly meetings with managers and staff members where relevant topics will be addressed. Moreover, the participants will be informed about the following organizational changes and about the effort each individual will put into creating a new, improved system.
Diagnosis
Before actively implementing measures for organizational intervention, a diagnosis is required. Diagnosing is essential in assessing the current condition of the laboratory and the design for future improvements (Sawitri & Widyarini, 2019). Moreover, self-diagnosis is the approach that will be used during the examination of the issues that impact the institution. Employees will provide their feedback and discuss where the laboratory is now in terms of environment and outcomes and how it can be revolutionized. Furthermore, financial data information about current production levels will be examined to analyze the pattern that caused the organizational outcomes to be unsatisfactory.
Analysis
During the first step of the diagnosis, it is essential to analyze the organizational structures and subsystems (departments, personnel, etc.), processes (making decisions, setting goals, communicating, mitigation of conflicts, motivation, etc.), and the sociological factor. While other concepts may be examined as well (such as organizational politics, economics, and culture), the contracting and consulting phase has provided an understanding of which domains are to be studied. Since employees have raised concerns in terms of low morale, the analysis will focus on concepts that correlate with the issue.
Methodology
Several methods were used to identify specific problems that lead to adverse outcomes. Employees have been interviewed and given questionnaires in regards to their vision of their current professional position. Augustsson et al. (2017) mention the importance of openness among team members, which is why it is essential to give everybody a voice. While the questionnaires were direct and concise with questions such as “Rate your job satisfaction on a scale from 1 to 10”, the interviews went more in-depth and allowed employees to actively discuss their concerns. Besides direct communication with the team members, another method used during this phase was record analysis. This involved thoroughly examining the present data with the organization’s outcomes, comparing it with other similar laboratories, and analyzing how the results have lowered over time.
Results
The analysis has shown that employees’ job satisfaction level is low, and there is no performance management system in place. During the interviews and the written questionnaires, team members expressed low morale and a lack of motivation. After examining further data, it has been concluded that the low productivity is caused by the inexistence of specific performance standards within the workforce and overall dissatisfaction. Such conclusions are helpful in determining the desired outcomes that can help mitigate the issues mentioned above. Moreover, the findings highlight how low employee morale can affect an organization on all levels, including production, revenue, and overall outcomes.
Desired Outcomes
It has been discovered that the low production rate is directly influenced by the lack of motivation and low job satisfaction among team members. Moreover, no regulations in terms of employees’ efficiency exist at the moment, which negatively impacts the organization. The primary intervention goal is to maximize organizational outcomes by creating a pleasant work environment that will allow employees to grow professionally and socially within the workplace. According to researchers, moral support can have a more significant impact on team members than an increase in salary (Greener, 2018). Moreover, Osborne and Hammoud (2017) mention the importance of empowering, rewarding, and recognizing the efforts that employees make for the benefit of the company. While the outcomes appear to cover the workforce within the organization, the effects will be visible on all levels, such as competitiveness in the market, production, and innovation. In this case, once the team members receive practical management guidance, the laboratory will start seeing improvements and positive changes.
Assessment
The organizational diagnosis has been a valuable tool in regard to determining the exact issues that need to be addressed and the organizational systems that require new implementations. Von Thiele Schwarz et al. (2020) refer to this step as an essential concept that can drastically affect the company’s future. It has been established that the area that needs to be reformed is the workforce. Researchers illustrate team interventions as potential triggers for excellent business success on the market (Shuffler et al., 2018). After examining what caused adverse outcomes and inefficient practices, it is certain that the next step will be minimizing the problems and improving the team spirit and efficiency management.
Intervention
In order for the organization to succeed in the future, certain implementations have to be made. This is why creating new policies within the workforce is an essential reform that needs to be done. Researchers mention that employees’ commitment to their job is achieved through team building and communication (Ramdhani et al., 2019). It is vital to improve employee morale if the aim is to maximize organizational effectiveness. This can be achieved through effective team building and specific structural changes within the workforce. Employees will benefit from attending frequent training and meetings to discuss the professional environment with the leaders and with fellow colleagues. Such a method will improve a sense of collegiality and mutual understanding that can be useful in mitigating stress and receiving support. Moreover, certain tactics can be implemented to improve overall motivation. Applying a reward system that would praise employees with the best monthly performance will result in an increase in productivity. Osborne and Hammoud (2017) refer to such rewards and recognition of organizational excellence as a tool used to create a professional work environment. Since monetary bonuses will accompany such titles, team members will be eager to show their skills and improve their performances.
While taking a social and physiological approach is undoubtedly going to be positive, it is essential to establish specific systemic rules in regard to performance management. This can be achieved through collecting and examining data, entering a scheduled clock-in and clock-out system, and monitoring the overall performance of the employees. This will be exercised by handing out badges that will be scanned during the first entrance to the office and the last exit of every employee. Such measures will create a representation of the individuals who are more responsible and those who are not as motivated to follow the work schedule. Moreover, every employee will present a plan for the day in the morning and the achieved goals before the end of the shift. The technological planning system will allow leaders to monitor how proficient and organized the employees are. Furthermore, it will minimize unauthorized breaks and wasted time during working hours. Shuffler et al. (2018) refer to team building as one of the critical factors that can potentially maximize outcomes on all levels.
Assessment
Implementing the solutions mentioned above will solve all the organizational problems that have been assessed during the diagnostic process. Since the two problems that have been established are low morale and a lack of proper performance management, it is vital to combat these issues from both sides. In terms of employees’ job dissatisfaction, creating a positive environment by implementing team-building exercises, training, and frequent work meetings will improve overall communication and organizational relationships. The long-term outcomes include high job satisfaction, collegial relationships among team members, a focus on collective needs rather than individual goals, and overall efficiency. Colleagues who can communicate, discuss specific corporate issues, and express concerns feel more comfortable within a work environment. This will diminish the issue of low morale in the office and lead to a higher satisfaction rate.
The assessment of the implementation of the second part of the intervention, which improves performance management, shows possible positive changes within the productivity domain. If the managers focus on controlling how the employees perform, team members will be open to engaging in competitive behavior. Tafvelin et al. (2018) specifically mention managers as critical individuals in such strategies. Moreover, Torfing (2018) specifies innovations as a result of effective productivity management. Other researchers also mention the efficiency of this management domain within different organizational structures (Schleicher et al., 2018). The assessment proves the efficacy of these interventional measures.
Decision-Making
The decision-making approach takes into consideration both organizational needs and the well-being of the workforce that is seemingly affected by dissatisfaction with their positions. According to Ceschi et al. (2017), such processes influence employee performance, which is why it is essential to consider their needs when creating a strategy. The intervention plan is influenced by the issues exemplified by team members after a detailed diagnosis of the laboratory. It aims to improve productivity by creating a positive yet effective environment where employees are put into conditions that allow them to have better chances of high performance. Moreover, the organizational needs will be examined alongside the workforce’s needs when making important decisions regarding changes within the laboratory. This will minimize job dissatisfaction among team members and allow them to understand that the intervention is designed to help them achieve their personal and professional objectives.
Implementing
There are two main aspects that characterize the implementation of the intervention. For a better work environment, it would be more beneficial to start by improving employees’ morale. Jayatilleke and Lai (2018) mention the importance of establishing the requirements that make change management effective. The plan involves creating a more collegial atmosphere within the lab before implementing stricter rules that align with performance management strategies. The intervention itself will last one month. Employees will participate in training, courses, and collegial meetings with the leaders during the first two weeks. They will be able to communicate with each other, verbalize inevitable complaints in regard to their current positions, and establish a more visible collective culture. The main objective of such events is to shift the attention from personal goals to more significant organizational aims. During the first two weeks, the employees will be able to attend discourses and training sessions led by team-building experts. Moreover, the organizational meetings will be the platforms where all individuals will give feedback and overviews of what they have learned. The next stage involves a less satisfactory stage for the employees since it focuses on improving productivity. All the workers will learn about the new system that involves scanning their badges when they enter and leave the office.
Moreover, they will learn that higher executives will monitor and examine their computer activity in terms of productivity. These two weeks will be the trial period when the employees learn about the new implementations without harsh punishments. Instead, managers will inform individuals who appear to be less effective and give them tools to help them improve and become better laboratory employees. It is also essential to let them know that while negative results are to be minimized, good work will be rewarded. According to researchers, remuneration that praises high job performance leads to overall profitability for the organization (Pang & Lu 2018). Moreover, this strategy will create a more positive environment during the second stage of the intervention that deals with the implementation of a performance management system.
During the next two weeks, there will be new technological advances built in the corporate system to track each employee’s progress. Rothwell (2021) refers to technological applications as practical tools that can impact large groups of team members at one time. In the case of the laboratory intervention, each employee will be required to carry a badge that will be scanned each time the person enters and leaves the office. This will give managers data regarding people who are often late or leave the job early, disregarding corporate rules and being inefficient members of the workplace. Moreover, a system will be downloaded to each computer that will allow supervisors to see the exact time an individual has spent working on necessary tasks. Another helpful action in regard to the new implementation is creating a schedule that each employee will fill in at the beginning of every shift. Workers will highlight their goals for the day, and at the end of the shift, they will point out the tasks that have been achieved. All team members will receive daily feedback from managers after data is examined. The stages of the actions are implemented in the change management plan below.
First, urgency will be established due to the laboratory’s low productivity, followed by an initial vision for changes. Then, it is essential to let employees know about the policies that will be implemented. Moreover, the workforce will be empowered through training, rewards, and encouragement. Small wins will be praised, and individuals who contributed to such wins will be rewarded with monetary benefits. After continuing to build the change, the new system will be embedded in the organizational culture. All employees will know that the laboratory’s workforce is always motivated, organized, and striving for collective success.
Leadership Approach
Choosing the right approach when it comes to leadership can minimize some of the risks associated with drastic interventions. Researchers point out that transformational leadership is the best approach for improving organizational productivity (Eliyana, 2019). This model is intended to support and change employees in terms of their will to work hard and contribute to the collective goal. Diebig (2017) mentions leaders with such an approach are more likely to minimize burnout, which is one of the findings of the diagnostics phase.
Transformational leaders often motivate their followers and create a work atmosphere that promotes innovation and proficiency. This includes rewarding individuals for their outstanding performances, giving them tools to be more effective, and building supportive professional relationships within the workplace. El Tarabishy (2020) refers to the transformational approach as the model that subsequently leads to improvements on the organizational level. The primary strategy is linked to improving the level of job satisfaction. This will be done by having frequent conversations with employees and building trust that would allow them to be honest about their professional struggles. Moreover, having a transformational leader would minimize the risks that may occur after implementing a performance management plan. Instead of being pessimistic about the new plan, employees will be able to see that this method is beneficial not only for the laboratory’s performance but also for them as individuals.
It is essential to focus both on the new vision and the goals. Hoogeboom (2019) mentions transformational-transactional leadership for such purposes. The laboratory staff needs support yet requires more than just charisma from their boss to achieve their professional objectives. Due to the fact that the team members have not been proficient at their jobs, a system that would punish them for ignoring corporate rules and reward them for hard work will be most effective. The role of the leader will be to maintain all the changes that occurred after the intervention, monitor how each individual deals with the new set of rules, and provide support during challenging tasks.
Transformational Leadership
In the first two weeks, the leadership approach will be based on the transformational model. It is crucial to offer support, motivation, and an enthusiastic attitude toward the subsequent chain of events that the employees will experience. All the training and team-building exercises will be more effective if the leaders show eagerness and keenness to participate in all the activities alongside their followers. This will contribute to building a positive and proficient environment. Since the first two weeks will be when team members will be motivated through tools designed to increase their job satisfaction, having superiors alongside them will allow them to form a professional bond that will be useful in the future.
Transactional Leadership
The next stage, which will last for two weeks, will be described as a transactional model. The leaders will use punishment and motivation when assessing how well employees are doing when the rules will become much stricter. The managers need to show that they are goal-oriented and the mission that they are pursuing is for their laboratory to be more productive. Moreover, it is essential for every team member to be included in this goal. While the transformational phase is built on following a vision, the transactional one is built on achieving the primary goal.
Evaluation
Evaluating the success of the intervention is a necessary action towards maintaining the positive changes and assessing how the organization has grown due to the new implementations. Several aspects will be examined to see how employee morale has improved and whether the new performance management system has been beneficial. Moreover, as the mission is to improve productivity, the last evaluation concept will determine whether the laboratory meets the required standards or if more work is to be done toward the final goal.
The first stage of the evaluation will occur after the intensive team-building training during the first two weeks. Employees will be given questionnaires where they will be able to point out what they have learned, how their overview has changed, and what they plan to do next. This will give a comprehensive understanding of whether their enthusiasm and eagerness to work have shifted or stayed the same. Moreover, the managers will assess the questionnaires to determine if changes are occurring and how the workforce has been dealing with the strategies implemented within the laboratories.
The second stage of the evaluation will occur after the second phase, which is highlighted by the implementation of a performance management plan. As mentioned before, the managers will have to evaluate all the data regarding the schedules, daily plans, fulfilled objectives, and efficiency that employees show during this period. While this is an extensive assessment that requires significant effort, the results will show how employees follow the new standards and who are the individuals who need more help in organizing their shifts.
The next step will be the final evaluation which will occur after two months of working under the new program. Data will be gathered and compared with the production data before all the strategies have been implemented. Such a comparison will show how exactly the effectiveness of the laboratory has improved and whether there are domains that need to be approached more in-depth. If the evaluation shows that productivity has improved and meets the required standards, the intervention will be considered successful.
The information acquired after such assessments will be used to maintain the changes further and make additional reforms if needed. In case the information shows that all the goals have been achieved, this will be an excellent motive to continue making slight organizational improvements. For example, if the evaluation proves that employees who fill in a daily plan are more likely to achieve all the objectives towards the end of the shift, a monthly plan can be implemented for bigger goals. Individuals will be able to set more significant objectives for themselves and add this information into the system. Such achievements are hard to plan for, which is why it is essential to keep track of all the efforts put toward such goals.
The overall purpose of intervention evaluation is to determine how the laboratory meets productivity levels compared to the same concept but before the implemented changes. If data shows that employees are more motivated, performance has increased, and the issue of low morale has disappeared, further strategies will be implemented. The assessment relies on objective and subjective data since managers will assess direct information about levels of effectiveness alongside feedback from employees in regard to their personal overview of the situation.
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