Diversity

Diversity is an element of organizational culture.

Diversity means differences; differences in employees' ethnic, cultural, and religious backgrounds; education; values; attitudes; and gender. A diverse workforce enhances creative output because people are able to contribute from their varied experiences.

A diversity commitment is especially important when dealing with international markets because it prepares an organization to better understand and serve its customers' needs.

• Strategic Planning and Management (Vision, Mission)

• Environmental Scanning• Globalization• Benchmarking• Reengineering, Realignment, Restructuring• Team-building Strategies• Problem Solving and Decision Making• Culture and Diversity• Ethics• Spirituality in the Workplace

ORGANIZATIONAL DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT INTERVENTIONS

COMPONENT OF THE HPT MODEL

TABLE 5—12

Ethics

Ethics define good and bad standards of conduct.

Standards are cultural. They vary among countries, companies, incidents, and situations. Ethical standards provide a basis for exercising judgment in day-to-day business operations.

They support and help define the culture of an organization. Successful implementation of ethical standards requires that they be applied to every person within a group or organization, as wells outside individuals or groups that do business with the organization.

• Strategic Planning and Management (Vision, Mission)

• Environmental Scanning• Globalization• Benchmarking• Reengineering, Realignment, Restructuring• Team-building Strategies• Problem Solving and Decision Making• Culture and Diversity• Ethics• Spirituality in the Workplace

ORGANIZATIONAL DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT INTERVENTIONS

COMPONENT OF THE HPT MODEL

TABLE 5—12

Spirituality in the Workplace

Work can be not only a place where we go to do a specific job, but also a place where we can experience and express our soul and spirit. Spirituality in the workplace encourages organizations to recognize people's needs and to promote their involvement.

Many companies are finally beginning to realize that their employees come to work with a full range of needs and desires, all of which affect the quality of employee efforts and therefore organizational success.

Federal Express and Southwest Airlines are two companies integrating workplace spirituality as a performance intervention.

Soul Committees," where employees meet regularly to share experiences and provide mutual support, and "Spirit Awards," which honor employees who practice and encourage creativity, are forms of spirituality practiced in the workplace. "

The benefits are many: improved communications, increased creativity, enhance partnerships, greater self-respect, deepened respect for others, and higher morale all emanate from spirituality in the workplace.

In today's marketplace, organizations that wish to remain competitive must re-examine and restructure their operations and implement the changes necessary to ensure continued efficiency and effectiveness.

Employee satisfaction, contribution, and ownership are key ingredients to the success of any organization. When consideration for people and the individual pursuit of excellence becomes the standard, organizational excellence blossoms.

ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION INTERVENTIONS

Although the word communication has many meanings, it is defined here is a transfer of meaning between sender and receiver.

The sender has an idea that is put into a letter, memo, or conversation so that it can be sent. The transmitted idea is then received, whereupon the receiver interprets the message. The receiver then provides feedback.

More broadly, communication is a process through which people, acting together, create, sustain, and manage meanings through the use of verbal and non—verbal signs and symbols within a particular context

An organization's success depends on the effectiveness of its people working together, supporting common goals and understanding critical issues, all of which is dependent on effective communication.

Gibson and Hodgetts define organizational communication as "the transfer of information and knowledge among organizational members for the purpose of achieving organizational efficiency and effectiveness."

This session examines the impact of four organizational communication interventions on employee behavior: networking and collaboration, information systems, suggestion and grievance systems, and conflict resolution (see Table 5-13).TABLE 5—13 ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION

INTERVENTIONS COMPONENT OF THE HPT MODEL

•Networking and Collaboration• Information Systems•Suggestion and Grievance Systems•Conflict Resolution

TABLE 5—13

ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION INTERVENTIONS COMPONENT OF

THE HPT MODEL

•Networking and Collaboration• Information Systems•Suggestion and Grievance Systems•Conflict Resolution

Networking and Collaboration

Networks are patterns of communication interactions.

They are defined channels within an organization that expedite the time transmission of messages to their intended receivers. Defined network channels add predictability to an organization by directing the access of information.

Communication networks facilitate the dissemination and collection of information, the coordination of work effort, and the achievement of goals. Many smaller networks exist within the larger organizational networking system.

For example, there are personal and individual networks, and there are departmental networks. Researchers have studied network structures, formal and informal networks, communication roles of networks, descriptive properties, and network analysis.

Collaboration is cooperating in the communication process by working together for an improved quality of work life. The organizational culture has a dramatic impact on how people communicate.

Communication patterns should be matched to the organizational culture because each reinforces the other.

Positive organizational communication exists in the collaborative setting; a competitive setting often fosters negative organizational communication.

TABLE 5—13

ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION INTERVENTIONS COMPONENT OF

THE HPT MODEL

•Networking and Collaboration• Information Systems•Suggestion and Grievance Systems•Conflict Resolution

Information Systems

Information systems refer to the various manual or automated communication mechanisms within an organization that store, process, disseminate and sometimes even analyze information for those who need it.

Computer hardware, networks, and software are most commonly associated with this communication mechanism. Their increased use over the past decade is due to the fact that, if used correctly, information systems offer many advantages over other organizational communication devices.

ADVANTAGES OF INFORMATION SYSTEMSTABLE 5—14

The introduction of information systems as an organizational communication mechanism carries with it many implementation considerations.

Security. Sensitive information made available by and transmitted through information systems must be protected with passwords, encryption, firewalls, and antivirus protection.

Integration. Information systems should ideally be integrated. However, when this is not possible, consideration should be given to making the various systems, as much as possible, compatible with other departments as well as with suppliers and customers.

Consistency. An important consideration, especially in nonintegrated systems, is maintaining consistency to avoid the use of inaccurate or out-of-date information.

Policies. Consideration must be given to ensure that information systems are used in a manner compliant with company policies, code of ethics, and governmental regulations.

Ease-of-use in training. Information systems bring with them new and sometimes more complicated methods of use and thus require development of user-friendly interfaces and, when necessary, the appropriate training on their use.

Dehumanization. Finally, information systems should only be used as an organizational communication instrument when face-to-face communication is not possible or necessary. Examples where information systems, in isolation, are not advisable include employee terminations, diversity or safety training, and labor relations.

TABLE 5—13

ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION INTERVENTIONS COMPONENT OF

THE HPT MODEL

•Networking and Collaboration• Information Systems•Suggestion and Grievance Systems•Conflict Resolution

Suggestion and Grievance Systems

Communication is at the heart of all employee involvement efforts.

Companies that support employee involvement strategies allow workers more responsibility and accountability for preparing products or offering services. A suggestion system is one of the employee's involvement strategies.

Others are empowerment efforts, ownership and the firm, and total quality management. With a suggestion box format, people are encouraged to participate. Identity is anonymous until he suggestion is implemented and an award is presented.

The Consolidated Edison Company of New York, for example, requested that employees who work directly with customers suggest ways to improve service. Ideas earned $50 and a write-up in the company newsletter. This public recognition for a winning entry can boost self-esteem.

Grievance systems, on the other hand, provide a mechanism for the employee or union to dispute a decision that is believed to be in violation of the contract.

Grievances have several causes, with the primary being a misunderstanding or misinterpretation. Whatever the cause, grievances are organizational communication issues.

TABLE 5—13

ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION INTERVENTIONS COMPONENT OF

THE HPT MODEL

•Networking and Collaboration• Information Systems•Suggestion and Grievance Systems•Conflict Resolution

Conflict Resolution

Conflict is generally defined as disagreement between two or more people who share differing views.

Conflict may be caused by either miscommunication or a lack of communication. However, the conflict can only be resolved through open, honest, direct communication channels.

The U.S. Postal Service has established a variety of conflict resolution programs to address violence-prone employees. Other organizations are similarly engaging their employees in a variety of conflict resolution programs

Because the goal of conflict resolution should be to resolve, rather than win, communication should be neither hostile nor negative. It should be clear, direct, and as open as possible.

TABLE 5—15

In the end, be sure to evaluate the solution by asking if everyone is satisfied with the outcome. If the problem remains unsolved, decide on the reason. Perhaps the wrong problem was discussed.

If so, reconsider possible solutions. Perhaps the solution was inadequately implemented. If so, rethink the plan to carry out the solution. And finally, if conflict cannot be avoided, minimize the negative effects of hurt feelings, anger, resentment, grudges, and blame.