group discussion 3
DESCRIPTION
organizationalTRANSCRIPT
MDE 1133
ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR AND DEVELOPMENT
GROUP PROJECT CASE STUDY 3
BOUNDARYLESS ORGANIZATIONS
Lecturer: DR WAN NORMEZA
Group members
FADZIL ADLY ISHAK
SYED IDRUS BIN SYED OMAR
SHAMSUDIN ABDUL MAJID
MD HANAFIAH NORDIN
MAZLAN MOHAMMED
MD KHAIRUL AMIZA
NUR NAZUHA MAHBOB
Question 1 : Identify some of the problems likely to occur in a boundaryless organization
like Newskool Grooves. What are the advantages of boundaryless organizations?
A primary problem identify within the Newskool organization is, lack of effective
communication between the divisions. This is a major problem that can be devastating to any
organization. Poor communication can lead to bad planning. Which can lead to the following;
lost opportunities, being overtaken by the competition, loss of revenues, or watching its niche
slip away because of a new technology, an alteration in the global marketplace, or simply a
failure to market its product effectively. When changes occur, they happen too quickly for its
organizational processes to meet them. As a result, opportunities are quickly lost, problem
situations take over rapidly, and before the company can respond appropriately, it has lost
customers, opportunities, and market share.
A disadvantage that Newskool would have to be aware of is the possibility of downsizing.
Newskool is trying to get their feet wet in a new industry, and revenue is not going to generate
like they are used to. So divisions that are not adding value may need to be cut.
Cultural Issues and Conflict
In this boundaryless company, headquarter in Berlin, Germany, structure outsourcing
company in Kiev, Ukraine, marketing in Los Angeles, so many different employees with
different cultures are all collaborate working together to achieve organizational goals. Employees
are also very diverse in values, personality, and work preferences, which are deep-level diversity.
Looking at the conflicts in Newskool, like the difficulties in decision-making and employees
fighting to do what they perceive is better compare to the others. It takes time for the company to
come with one decision as all of the employees can participate in decision-making. People that
are so diverse will suggest different solutions, reflecting their different cultures. Maybe it will be
good to have a proper discussion in decision-making, and only few managers can have the power
in making decision in the discussion. It is not a function of different types of work people have to
perform. As people from different areas or departments can contribute their opinions and ideas in
the same work that require one decision.
Satisfaction
Types of people are likely to be satisfied are competent, anxious, empowered and open
people. This based on self-efficacy theory; this theory refers to an individual's belief that he or
she is capable of performing task. People who posse’s self-efficiency believes that they are
capable in behaving in a way that produce that outcome they want.
In Newskool Grooves, their employees are participants in decision-making and
innovation, and they are creative and competent people. Because technology plays a major role
as a communication medium in the boundaryless organization, much work is done from a
distance via e-mail, phone, and fax. Less work is done in traditional face-to-face settings. Virtual
collaboration makes it easier to use the expertise of a broader range of individuals. With
telecommuting, international employees are more easily made a part of all business processes.
Employees often like the freedom that boundaryless work offers them, particularly with virtual
teams and more flexible work plans, arrangements, and schedules.
Human Resources
One type of human resources practices that should be implemented in this sort of
organization is performance simulation tests. What better way to find out whether applicants can
do a job successfully than by having them do it. This is precisely the logic of performance
simulation tests. These types are more complicated but the test have higher face validity which
measures whether applicants perceive the measures to be accurate. Emotional Stability is a
second one for hiring people the Company wants a personality dimension that describes someone
who is responsible, dependable, persistent, and organized.
From Big Five traits, the suitable use for selection are openness and conscientiousness. In
openness the supervisor can increase learning, develop more creativity, and flexibility. It can
effect their training performance, enhanced leadership and more adaptable to change. The second
is conscientiousness relevant is greater effort and persistence; more drive and discipline, and
better organizing and planning. The effects are it can lead to higher performance, enhanced
leadership, and greater longevity.
Performance Measure
In other to determine which type of performance measures that the company (manager,
Gerd) would like to see for each office, Gerd has to analyze specialty for each office. In Kiev,
Ukraine, it is filled with outstanding programmers who don't require the very high rates of
compensation. So the criteria of performance that need to evaluate in this office is about the
behavior of employees. In measured behavior, the company is not limited to those directly
related to individual productivity. Ways to measure behavior are helping others, making
suggestions for improvements, and volunteering for extra duties. This is what make work groups
and organizations more effective and often are incorporated into evaluations of employee
performance.
In the Los Angeles office since measures would be based on marketing effort, it is more
suitable to apply the individual task outcomes criteria because the management should evaluate
an employee's task on outcomes such as quality produced, scrap generated, and cost per unit of
production for a plant manager or on overall sales volume in the territory, dollar increase in
sales, and number of new accounts established for a salesperson. So this criterion is basically
performing the duties and responsibilities that contribute to the production of a good or service
or to administrative tasks which are relevant to the marketing field.
In the German office, the team excels at design and production tasks. The most suitable
criteria that can be used to appraise the performance of this office is also behavior plus individual
task outcomes together with the trait. This criterion is based on the having a good attitude,
showing confidence, being dependable, looking busy, or possessing a wealth experience may or
may not be highly correlated with positive task outcomes.
Socialization Program
Some of the offices in Newskool Grooves require a lot of creativity effort, so it makes
sense for each office to come up a with different type of socialization program due to its different
specialization. For example in the Los Angeles office, they are required more creativity to
develop ideas for marketing the product compared to the Kiev office that required more
independence to carry out the duties as programmers. So at the end we could see a different type
of activity will be established according to these different offices. Any activity will only reach its
goals based on the willingness of the employee, so the cooperation and willingness by these
employees is considered an essential thing that determines whether the employees want to
support and approve this activity or otherwise are against it.
As mentioned in the above statement, not all employees in all its locations need equal
levels of creativity because different offices bring different responsibilities. For examples, the
Kiev office focusing on the programming duties which have a different level of creativity
compared to the Los Angeles office that focus on marketing and require a higher level of
creativity.
Question 2 : Consider some of the cultural issues that will affect a company operating in
such different parts of the world and whose employees may not be representative of the
national cultures of each country. Are the conflicts you observe a function of the different
types of work people have to perform?
In this boundaryless company, headquarter in Berlin, Germany, structure outsourcing
company in Kiev, Ukraine, marketing in Los Angeles, so many different employees with
different cultures are all collaborate working together to achieve organizational goals. Employees
are also very diverse in values, personality, and work preferences which are deep-level diversity.
Some cultural issues that are sensitive will rise in the workplace and create unpleasant
things among employees. Employees might not be working together well as they will have
fighting in the decision-making. A good research in understanding various biological
characteristics like gender, race, ethnicity, age, or disability, will better the surface-level
diversity. Almost all employees are creative and like to accept challenges. Therefore, in this
similar personality and work preferences, they should be emphasized in working with others as a
team. Training for team building with different cultures people will be quite important.
Looking at the conflicts in Newskool, like the difficulties in decision-making and
employees fighting to do what they perceive is better compare to the others. It takes time for the
company to come with one decision as all of the employees can participate in decision-making.
People that are so diverse will suggest different solutions, reflecting their different cultures.
Maybe it will be good to have a proper discussion in decision-making, and only few managers
can have the power in making decision in the discussion. It is not a function of different types of
work people have to perform. As people from different areas or departments can contribute their
opinions and ideas in the same work that require one decision.
Another conflict will be inefficiency. Yes, different people must perform different tasks
in their organization, but Newskool is boundaryless. When Gerd, the founder and the CEO does
not satisfy, he asks his employees to redo the work tasks. It will cause a waste in resources as
Gerd perceive something differently from his diverse employees. Sometimes, it is good to have
hierarchy as people can know who to refer, which department to function and so on.
This conflict is a function of different types of work people have to perform. The
employees that are sometimes so dominant and think their works are correct, refuse to listen to
Gerd and do things according to their own way.
Question 4: What types of human resources practices need to be implemented in this sort
of organization? What principles of selection and hiring are likely to be effective? Which
Big Five traits and abilities might Newskool supervisor want to use for selection?
One types of human resources practices need to be implemented in this sort of
organization are performance – simulation tests where what better way to find out whether
applicants can do a job successfully than by having them do it the is precisely the logic of
performance simulation tests. These types are more complicated but the test have higher face
validity which measures whether applicants perceive the measures to be accurate. This type’s get
of organization popularity has increased. Organization can do for their human resources practices
more best based using are work samples in organization. Work samples tests are hands-on
simulations of part that applicants for routine jobs must perform. When we can see from
Newskool Grooves to test and design the company’s hardware products, employee apparently
needs to do more than send each other code. Actually, the organization not necessary take all
code only choose use sample test. This method more better to measure applicant’s knowledge,
skills, and abilities with more validity than written aptitude and personality tests. Have a three
selective of hiring are likely to be effective which are Core self-Evaluation Of course all
company want their employee know about his self weather weaknesses or strength. So, for more
too efficient in the work he will know first before he starts the task, because he will think about
his self first. Emotional Stability is a second one for hiring people the Company wants a
personality dimension that describes someone who is responsible, dependable, persistent, and
organized. It is because for easier company do the work and he can help the company make a
profit and attract more customer. Third is a confidence the employee has a good confidence
level. For example, in interview the company can psycho the employee for know the him or her
confident. If at interview, the employee cannot handle him emotion he cannot handle many task
in one time.
From Big Five traits, the suitable use for selection are openness and conscientiousness. In
openness the supervisor can increased learning, more creative, and more flexible. It can effect
their training performance, enhanced leadership and more adaptable to change. The second is
conscientiousness relevant is greater effort and persistence; more drive and discipline, and better
organized and planning. The effects are it cans higher performance, enhanced leadership, and
greater longevity.
Question 5 : What kind of performance measures might you want to see for each office?
Newskool Grooves is now being the boundaryless organization that faces challenges of
so many workers heading in so many different directions. One example of company that applies
boundaryless General Electric Company practices 360-degree performance appraisal. So, this
can be example for Newskool Grooves to apply the 360-degree performance appraisal just to
break down the vertical boundaries. This type of performance evaluation is by relying on
feedback from co-workers, customers, and subordinates, these organizations are hoping to give
everyone a sense of participation in the review process and gain more accurate readings on
employee performance.
In other to determine which type of performance measures that the company (manager,
Gerd) would like to see for each office, Gerd has to analyze specialize for each office. In Kiev,
Ukraine office, it is filled with outstanding programmers who don’t require the very high rates of
compensation. So the criteria of performance that need to evaluate in this office is about the
behavior of employees. Even though we may readily evaluate the group member, most of the
time it is really difficult to identify the contribution of each group member. In measured
behavior, the company need not required being limited to those directly related to individual
productivity, another things in behavior are helping others, making suggestions for
improvements, and volunteering for extra duties make work groups and organizations more
effective and often are incorporated into evaluations of employee performance.
In Los Angeles, U.S office that based on marketing effort, it is more suitable to apply the
individual task outcomes criteria because the management should evaluate an employee’s task on
outcomes such as quality produced, scrap generated, and cost per unit of production for a plant
manager or on overall sales volume in the territory, dollar increase in sales, and number of new
accounts established for a salesperson. So, this criterion is basically performing the duties and
responsibilities that contribute to the production of a good or service or to administrative tasks
which relevant to the marketing field.
In German office, the team excels at design and production tasks. The most suitable
criteria that can be use to appraise the performance of this office is also behavior plus individual
task outcomes together with the trait. It is because since in designing and producing activities,
the employee is involving in the almost all count, behavior and human’s trait just to assess the
job performance. In trait it is the weakest criteria but still implement as one of the point to
evaluate the performance. This criteria is based on the having a good attitudes, showing
confidence, being dependable, looking busy, or possessing a wealth experience may or may not
be highly correlated with positive task outcomes.
Question 6: How can company establish a socialization program that will maximize
employee creativity and independence? Do employees in all its locations need equal levels
of creativity?
Socialization is the process by which the person is shaped by his or her environment. In
this case the company can establish a socialization program by analyzing and thinking some
attractive activities before carried it out. The manager himself could not bring out great ideas
without having brainstorming process with all Gerd Finger’s proactive and good employees. So
by involving the employees could increase the great idea in order to reach an ideal decision at the
end. Then, some of the offices in Newskool Grooves required a lot of creativity effort, so it
makes easy for each office to come with different type of socialization program due to its
different specialization, for example may be in Los Angeles office, they are required more
creativity to handle the great way for marketing the product compare to the Keiv offices that
required more independence to carry out the duties as the programmers, so at the end we could
see different type of activity will be established according to these different offices. Any activity
will only reach its goals by depend on the willingness of employee itself, so the cooperation and
willingness by these employees considered as essential thing that determine either the employee
want to support and approve this activity or otherwise against it. Other than that, the manager
should considered almost all aspects in organization, including the cost to carry out the activity,
it is not really an easy things to make a balanced activity that required ideal creativity and
independence without looking the cost that will be incurred for such unprofitable activities
toward customer.
In conclusion, the essential thing that should be taken before establish these creative and
independence activities are by making a brainstorming and choose the best ideas among all
employees, let each office bring out different type of activity because these office are not sharing
the same specializes, then the cooperative and willingness of the members in organization is
really vital in order to establish this ideal activity. Other than that, the cost factor will be included
before making any decision which will be affected the financial level of company.
As mention in above statement, not all employees in all its locations need equal levels of
creativity because different offices bring different responsibilities, for examples, the Kiev offices
focusing on the programming duties which totally have different level of creativity compare to
U.S Offices that focusing on marketing definitely required higher level of creativity compare to
the previous one. But it has the possibility to have the same level of creativity for different
locations due to its quite similar duties that they are carried out, for example, the German and
U.S Offices provide quite same level of creativity because both offices focusing to the marketing
and producing that have same view under the business perspective. But different individual also
has different level of creativity, for example the people who worked as the executive marketing
required more creativity skills in order to market its company product compare to the person who
worked as the general clerk who contribute only to prepare the text that already formatted to do
so without adding any creative element just to make it more attractive is totally forbidden. So the
real answer for this confusing question is just depend on the duties and specialization for each
different individual and department just to determine the level of creativity produced.