Organizational Assessment – Motive and Means Organizational assessment involves creating a picture of “what it is”. The snapshot should provide a clear view of the present position of the company and it should indicate whether there is a need to go for a change process. The data provides a baseline which can be used as a reference point to measure change in the future. Employee opinion surveys and climate surveys form a critical part of this measurement process. The key to an effective assessment is being clear about the goal of the process and being specific about the questions the intended exercise must answer. Cultural assessment: This provides information about core dimensions of organizational culture which includes satisfaction with the work itself, satisfaction with pay and benefits, opportunities for advancement, satisfaction with leadership and supervision, motivation, common values and performance commitment. If the leader proves to be aggressive, committed, value driven, so will be the employees who obviously take after their leader to fulfill his vision. The purpose behind analyzing the culture of an organization is to determine its efficiency level and to generate recommendations for continuous improvement. This exercise should not be a one-time affair as periodical inputs and feedback are excellent ways to align culture with the vision. In this way, management is better able to anticipate and prevent any potential problem, and to assess employee attitudes regularly. Survey administration: Surveys are administered to large groups of employees at one time and it is emphasized to be anonymous to erase any apprehensions in their minds. Open-ended questions allow employees to express their opinions about areas that need improvement and also the problem areas or bottlenecks that hinder their development. Report generation: The statistics collected is summarized and presented for each and every dimension covered in the survey. The report compares the organization’s current culture with previous administrations of the survey. Such open ended discussions bring out the problem areas which the management had not been previously aware of. Feedback to management and employees: The managers discuss the outcome of the survey in order to gain a better understanding of the various issues facing the organization, and decide on a plan to give feedback to their employees. This is a kind of human resource strategy which helps the management to bridge the gap between various levels of the organization and its members. Recommendations to the management: A final report submission by managers of the respective departments along with their recommendations for management’s perusal is the final step in organizational diagnosis and with the approval of “the big boss” action plans are executed that aid in improving the organizational effectiveness. The notion of this entire exercise is to provide insight into the current skill levels of the work force and to design an effective plan for performance improvement based on the assessment of total development needs....

Effective people are preferred to rather than efficient people as the former does the right thing and the latter does things right. Redesigning your workplace not only refers to the infrastructure but also the internal factors that might affect the productivity of your firm. Big corporate firms generally face challenges in the form of Lack of co-operation between subunitsIncreasing complaints from the customersRising Operating costsDip in the moraleMajor changes in technology All these signs are indications of a not so enterprising organizational climate. And it calls for quick decision making regarding introducing some changes that bring some positive development in terms of improved efficiency and increase in productivity. Redesigning Workplace in Response to Exogenous Factors Growth of Organizations The challenges mentioned above may make an organization’s existing structure, management practice or its culture obsolete for the new situation. Growth of an organization should be a result of collaborative effort of all the units of an organization and it is objective and not subjective. An organization is comprised of different elements which interact in deciding the organizational effectiveness. The task or goal, technology, structure, people and the internal and external environment of the firm; all these coexist and hold the firm together. Be it a school, a hospital, a union, a club or a business enterprise the interactive nature of these elements make the process of managing very difficult. Medical tourism and business travel are becoming more popular in Asian countries as it increases the scope of collaboration of industries that can coexist to enjoy a win-win situation. Who is an Effective Manager ? An effective manager anticipates these challenges and proactively initializes a planned change. He strategically prepares the organization to be subject to planned change by manipulating the structure, technology and behavior. Understanding the dimensions of change helps him to manage change better as people are always resistant to change. Modern enterprises right from the start have to install and implement “systems” that are technologically most modern and hire suitable people who are techno-savvy; Because technology rules the world and the development of new software programmes and hardware components feed on themselves every day. Developing an Organization as a Whole Behavior of people is unpredictable but controllable. Individually oriented training and development programmes does not prove much to the benefit of the organization as it creates apprehensions in the minds of the individual that are related to the culture and attitude of his superior and subordinates. The idea of developing the organization as a whole through team building is a better perspective as it renews the enthusiasm of people working for you and as a team they feel more cohesive and adhered. Synergy plays its role in improving the interpersonal relationship amongst the team members. Firms are becoming more modern in their outlook. For instance, a showroom whose purpose is to showcase your products also provides entertainment by its aesthetic value. Only if the customer is impressed by the artistic way of your exhibit, will he enter your showroom. Change is inevitable and it improves the health of an organization. The focus should be on “total system change” and the orientation is towards achieving desired results as a consequence of planned activities. Flat Organizational Structure You would have come across the latest buzz word “flat organizational structure”. This is designed in order to bridge the gap between front line employees and the executive level. If there is only few levels of management, the process of communication is more effective, the art of delegation becomes mandatory and need for participation in the decision making process involves all the employees which in turn reduces bureaucracy. There is no set pattern...

Growth Strategies In Business What are Growth Strategies? The means by which an organization plans to achieve its objective to grow in volume and turnover. The dynamic business environment calls for periodical changes in the business definitions, in terms of customer groups, customer functions and alternative technologies to broaden their scope for expansion. Growth can never be achieved by a business enterprise, if there is no proper planning for diversification of its business activities across a broad spectrum. Expansion strategies are followed when an organization aims at high growth, by improving its overall performance.     A Small Note on Data Science and Analytics Data analytics help companies improve operational efficiency, drive new revenue and gain competitive advantages. To leverage this technology, companies need to understand the core of their data and determine the outputs that they are looking for. In fact, data-driven companies that utilize Business Analytics achieve a competitive advantage. The companies can improve their strategies by keeping in mind the customer focus. Big data analytics efficiently helps operations to become more effective. Expansion Strategy: Expansion strategies have a profound impact on the internal configuration as well as internal functioning of an organization. The business firms bear the risk of moving in an entirely new direction, where there is an equal chance for failure as that of success. If only a manufacturer plans to diversify or expand in a field that complements his present business activity, does it make any sense. What is the fun in venturing into a business activity about which you have no knowledge or scope? Expansion through concentration: This involves investment of resources in a product line for an identified market with the help of proven technology. A firm may attempt to intensify its focus on existing markets through market penetration strategies. Or new users may be targeted for existing products or alternatively it may introduce new products in existing markets by concentrating on product development. Concentration policy relies on the principle of “A known devil is far better than an unknown angel.” It is a very difficult task for firms to capture new markets or to gain acceptance for new products in existing markets. Expansion through integration: A company attempts to widen the scope of its business activities in such a manner that it results in serving the same set of customers. The alternative technology dimension of the business definition undergoes a radical change. Firms try to move up or down in the value chain to meet the demands of the customers by integrating adjacent activities. Expansion through co-operation: It may include mergers, takeovers, joint ventures and strategic alliances. Two firms try to combine their resources, capabilities and core competencies to pursue mutual interests to develop, manufacture or distribute goods and services. Expansion through internationalization: International strategies are formulated in the wake of globalization where most of the developing countries have liberalized their economic policies facilitating foreign direct investments, generating foreign exchange. Many multinational and transnational companies are setting up their operations in developing countries to factorise the economies of scale and to enjoy the advantages of cheap labor and availability of resources. Stability Strategy: Many firms go for stability strategies that are devoid of any risks. They are quite contented with the modest profit gained from the present business activity and try to maintain the same level of performance, until and unless there is a pressure from the market in the form of competition. Only few firms have that adventurous attitude to take risks in order to have a sustainable competitive...

INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS STRATEGY THE INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES ACT, 1947: An Act to make provision for the investigation and settlement of industrial disputes, and for certain other purposes. It is a universally accepted fact that maintaining industrial peace is of significant importance as it yields higher productivity and arrests industrial unrest. Conflicts manifest themselves in the form of strikes, poor productivity, absenteeism and attrition. These are symptoms of growing conflicts which the management has to weed out right at the start and remove the discontent amongst their employees. Relationships can always be complex or they can always be simple depending on your attitude, how you look at it. In a larger scale, definitely it is a complex phenomenon that has to be dealt with utmost care, as feelings and emotions take lead during problem situations and logic and discipline are conveniently forgotten. Employee Participation: Employee participation is the only way to promote industrial democracy and peace. In course of time it becomes a business strategy and takes the shape of self-management when the pressure of management is eased out to a larger extent. Always remember that the confidence on your workers proves to be the key that opens the door of trust and reciprocation. Workers also understand the storm and turbulence that the management experiences in terms of finance and selling. Proper Training: Proper training given to the heads of various departments in terms of attitude, language, behavior, presence of mind and employee motivation helps the management to avoid unnecessary conflicts. Training given to the union leaders of various capacities on the other hand boosts up their confidence and make them feel as “one” with the management. Social relations are always not to be taken for granted as it determines your integrity and success in the business society. Some golden rules or strategies to make your working smooth and avoid conflicts and strikes. (Works out for both sides) Put yourself in other man’s shoe to know or understand why the other side has taken that particular “stand” or position and many a time we come to know it is only due to misguided apprehensions, mistaken beliefs or just fear of change that is an inherent quality in humans. They resist change as it is simply their habit. The negotiator who represents your side should be agreeable, affable and he should be able to project your ideas and claims in a proper manner and also he should protect your interest. See to it that he doesn’t fall bait to some attractive offers from the other side. Approach the problems with an “open mind”; don’t give space for rumors and gossips. Let the conversation between you and your opponents (not enemies) be fair and square and straight forward. Also don’t try to beat around the bush as it is a colossal waste of useful time and energy and of course your hard earned money. Consider union as a partner and not a “necessary evil”. You have to “work-with” and “live-with” them. In fact smooth relations make work easier and concern for the welfare and security of your employees make them come closer to you and contribute more in terms of productivity. Identify the anchor persons who can be dealt “in person” to make things easy for both sides and find out what their very idea of negotiation is, to finish the deal with minimum effort. The management must create a sense of belongingness in the minds of employees. Survival and success of an organization depends solely on the very survival and success of their workers who believe that work is...

Smart Objectives for Success An objective describes something which has to be accomplished and defines what organizations, functions, departments, teams and individuals are expected to achieve. Objectives may be operational or developmental. When the contribution is oriented towards the accomplishment of corporate objectives, in the light of the organization’s mission, core values and strategic plans, it is termed as operational; personal or learning objectives that involve the improvement of knowledge, skills and performance of individuals is termed as developmental.     Objectives must be SMART: S-scientific M-motivating A-achievable R-realistic T-time bound   Objectives that are mostly confined to the near future may be termed-short term objectives, which are accomplished in the stipulated time duration. Say, for example, 1000 units of pet bottles have to be produced in a week’s time. If the firm is focused on the overall production plan for the forthcoming year, then it is termed as long term objective. In a production environment, a firm has to initially go for an aggregate plan, where the production capacity of the plant is determined to make the project feasible. The firm has to make doubly sure, whether it is resourceful in terms of physical, financial and human aspects. The work centers are allotted with jobs in a mock trial to check man versus machine co-ordination and compatibility.     Pic Courtesy: Digital Information World Proper Planning: Objectives are achieved only when there is proper planning. The top management must take the pains to clearly explain the objectives to all the employees across different levels of organization to facilitate smooth functioning. When the employees understand what is expected of them, the performance gets oriented towards accomplishing the objectives; the employees get proper direction and focus. Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose Think of this, what will happen to the sales volume, if the marketing manager does not properly educate his team about the targets to be achieved for that quarter? Definitely there will be a dip in the sales owing to the lethargic and irresponsible attitude of the manager. Ultimately, the organization stands to suffer a loss in terms of time and cost of recruiting a new person to head the marketing department. Right Person for the Right Job: Organizations have to be meticulous while choosing people for the post of managers. The chosen persons must be able to identify themselves with the organization and its objectives, so that they could be a source of inspiration for people down the line. Right people for the right job, at the right place and right time is the success mantra. Objectives have to be periodically revised in the light of changing economic, political and technological developments. How to Stop Worrying and Start Living If not the objectives might become obsolete and in due course you will get stranded amidst the roaring competition.  The process of business management aims at managing people and other resources to make a modest profit. How to achieve success in an open market? By clearly setting objectives that serve as tools of motivation and persuasion, a firm can evolve and contribute strategic inputs that make the objectives realistic and...