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Questions and Answers
In an empowered workplace, employees are discouraged from taking initiative.
In an empowered workplace, employees are discouraged from taking initiative.
False
Effective communication in a workplace is often achieved by providing accurate and timely information from immediate supervisors.
Effective communication in a workplace is often achieved by providing accurate and timely information from immediate supervisors.
True
Empowerment involves increasing employee knowledge, tasks, and decision-making responsibilities.
Empowerment involves increasing employee knowledge, tasks, and decision-making responsibilities.
True
The participation of employees has a negative impact on business success.
The participation of employees has a negative impact on business success.
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It is acceptable to conduct a meeting even if there is no clear objective or agenda.
It is acceptable to conduct a meeting even if there is no clear objective or agenda.
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Ownership of stock can serve as a motivation for employees when combined with participation.
Ownership of stock can serve as a motivation for employees when combined with participation.
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A closed office door can send a message about a leader's approachability.
A closed office door can send a message about a leader's approachability.
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Leaders should not be held accountable for clearly communicating messages to employees.
Leaders should not be held accountable for clearly communicating messages to employees.
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High absenteeism and turnover rates are indicators that might not necessitate the need for empowerment.
High absenteeism and turnover rates are indicators that might not necessitate the need for empowerment.
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A lack of communication among individuals and groups is a sign that workplace empowerment might be necessary.
A lack of communication among individuals and groups is a sign that workplace empowerment might be necessary.
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Empowerment is primarily generated by efforts to maintain the status quo.
Empowerment is primarily generated by efforts to maintain the status quo.
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Jack Welch believed that effective strategies require strong leaders to succeed.
Jack Welch believed that effective strategies require strong leaders to succeed.
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The four E's identified by Jack Welch include high personal energy and strong decision-making abilities.
The four E's identified by Jack Welch include high personal energy and strong decision-making abilities.
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Decentralizing decision making means placing responsibility for decisions further from the customer.
Decentralizing decision making means placing responsibility for decisions further from the customer.
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Recognizing accomplishments in an empowered workplace is considered unimportant.
Recognizing accomplishments in an empowered workplace is considered unimportant.
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Colin Powell emphasizes the importance of having a vision in leadership.
Colin Powell emphasizes the importance of having a vision in leadership.
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Joseph Jablonksi identifies monetary compensation as a key ingredient for quality management.
Joseph Jablonksi identifies monetary compensation as a key ingredient for quality management.
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W. Edwards Deming played a significant role in improving the quality movement in Japan.
W. Edwards Deming played a significant role in improving the quality movement in Japan.
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Perpetual pessimism is touted as a force multiplier by Colin Powell.
Perpetual pessimism is touted as a force multiplier by Colin Powell.
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The Deming Prize is awarded for outstanding achievement in employee engagement.
The Deming Prize is awarded for outstanding achievement in employee engagement.
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Study Notes
Chapter 9: Empowerment and the Quality Imperative
- Empowerment in the workplace expands employee knowledge, tasks, and decision-making responsibilities.
- Employee participation positively impacts business success.
- Combining employee ownership of stock with participation can boost employee motivation.
- Questions to diagnose the need for empowerment include:
- Are employees uninterested in their work?
- Are absenteeism or turnover rates high?
- Do employees lack loyalty or team spirit?
- Is communication lacking among individuals and groups?
- Is there a low level of pride?
- Are costs high due to waste and inefficiency?
- Does the quality of products or services need improvement?
- Empowerment is driven by efforts to improve performance; a complex global economy leads to a long, winding path to success.
- Strong management is needed to overcome significant obstacles; employee efforts target smaller obstacles.
- Jack Welch, General Electric CEO, emphasized four key leadership qualities (E's):
- High personal energy
- Ability to energize others
- Edge to make tough decisions
- Ability to execute strategy
- Welch's reforms focused on eliminating bureaucratic management, implementing a workout process to spread ideas, rewarding good ideas and implementation, and borrowing ideas from other companies.
Principles of an Empowered Workplace
- Trust employees to work toward organizational goals.
- Invest in employees by recognizing their value as the organization's most important resource.
- Recognize employee accomplishments.
- Acknowledge employee value through symbolic rewards.
- Decentralize decision-making by placing responsibility closer to the customer where information is readily available.
- View work as a collaborative effort to improve effectiveness.
Workplace Empowerment – Process
- (Unempowered) - Decisions are centralized to a leader, performance plans are created by the leader, and policy is decided by the leader while problems are fixed by the leader.
- (Out of Control) - Decisions are uncoordinated, there's a lack of performance plans, and no one oversees policy. Problems are not solved properly.
- (Empowered) - Decisions are shared with those affected; subordinates identify, create, and execute performance plans; work with team members to develop policy; and actively resolve issues as a team.
Workplace Empowerment, 2 – Process
- Taking initiative: Unempowered workers rarely take action unless asked; Out of control, workers are working on the same tasks without coordination; Empowered work together to identify tasks and improve work.
- Defining roles: Unempowered roles are defined by leaders; Out Of Control roles are conflicting; Empowered teams work together to clarify roles and responsibilities.
- Setting standards: Unempowered workers perform to standards determined by others; Out of control workers face conflicting standards; Empowered work together to determine standards and manage effectiveness.
Importance of Communication
- Employees want accurate, timely, and complete information, ideally from their immediate supervisor.
- Effective leaders always communicate, even when not speaking.
- Closed office doors can signal powerful communication messages.
- Leaders tailor communication to suit the audience.
Filling the "Need to Know" Gap
- Employees have three "needs to know:"
- Grand plan: purpose, values, and strategies for success.
- Personal expectations and rationale.
- Feedback on performance and recognition.
- Effective communication flows from top to bottom.
- Leaders are accountable for clear communication.
Communication Problems and Solutions
- Meetings should be held only when necessary, with specific objectives and agendas.
- Invite participants and provide relevant materials in advance.
- Choose times and locations convenient for all.
- Encourage active participation.
- Establish action steps and responsibilities.
- Keep detailed minutes.
- Potential communication problems include distance, distortion, fear, trust issues, size, and complex structures.
Leadership Challenges
- Rene McPherson, past president of Dana Corporation, emphasized that people are the most important asset and that leadership character heavily affects worker engagement.
- Colin Powell's leadership rules include a shared vision, demanding standards, careful attention to details, appreciation for team efforts, calm leadership, problem-solving, and promoting optimism.
The Quality Movement
- Companies contend with increasing global competition and demand for quality products and service.
- Meeting that demand requires a skilled and empowered workforce.
- Three essential ingredients for quality management include participative leadership, continuous process improvement, and the use of groups.
- W. Edwards Deming significantly influenced the quality movement in Japan.
W. Edwards Deming
- Deming promoted participation in restructuring the Japanese economy.
- The Deming Prize is an annual award for outstanding achievement in quality control.
- Deming emphasized the use of statistical quality control methods at the production level.
- Deming stressed personal involvement and commitment to quality within the organization.
- Deming's teachings included valuing quality processes, creating quality consistency, and building team work to reduce costs over time.
Continuous Improvement Today and ISO Standards
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Six Sigma emphasizes statistical tools to analyze product defects and their causes.
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Lean manufacturing optimizes business processes for quality, flexibility, and cost effectiveness.
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ISO standards provide voluntary quality standards.
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Continuous improvement requires insightful data analysis, creative thinking, and workforce reliability to meet customer and organization needs.
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ISO standards of performance are set in eight categories:
- Customer Focus
- Leadership
- People Involvement
- Process Approach
- Systems Approach
- Continual Improvement
- Factual Approaches
- Mutually Beneficial Supplier Relations
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Successful quality initiatives share five key characteristics:
- Management commitment
- Employee buy-in
- Thorough training
- Daily execution of principles
- Positive reinforcement
Improving Performance through Quality Initiatives
- U.S. companies adopted total quality management to improve their approach.
- The Total Quality Management Model focused on prevention, not inspection to reduce waste and inefficiencies.
- Companies who adopted Total Quality Management achieved greater business productivity, strong employee relations, and higher productivity for employees.
Philosophical Roots of the Quality Movement
- Frederick Winslow Taylor, the father of scientific management, introduced the first monetary incentive system.
- Taylor's principles laid the groundwork for a worldwide scientific management movement.
Scientific Management and the Model T
- Henry Ford sequenced machines and workers to assemble automobiles efficiently on a moving production line.
- This revolutionized the manufacturing process, drastically shortening assembly time, to improve product quality.
Human Relations School
- Harvard Researchers studied the Hawthorne Plant to determine how environmental conditions affected worker productivity.
- The studies stressed the importance of social factors and group norms over basic physical and financial motivators for higher work productivity.
A Human Relations Pioneer
- William Procter, a pioneer in human relations, emphasized the psychological commitment of workers.
- He implemented a stock purchase plan to enhance workers’ feeling of ownership.
- His initiatives improved employee loyalty, boosted productivity, and solidified the company's reputation.
Experiments in Participative Management
- Companies like Texas Instruments and AT&T used work simplification and job enrichment to improve productivity and motivation.
- General Foods utilized a team approach with skill categorization.
- Proctor & Gamble explored group work methodologies.
Quality Synthesis
- There's no single best approach to management in complex environments.
- Scientific management and human relations principles offer complementary approaches.
- Integrating these views brings balanced approaches for managing managers across the industries.
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Description
Test your knowledge on workplace empowerment principles and effective communication strategies. This quiz explores the implications of employee participation and decision-making on business success. Understand the role of communication and leadership accountability in fostering an empowered workplace.
