Comments for Top Briefings Passionate People http://blog.topbriefings.com Featuring tips, interviews and anything else to help you develop your human capital Thu, 24 Jul 2008 01:31:47 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.1 Comment on Episode 18 - Anger in the Workplace - Interview with Professor Anat Rafaeli by duncan.gotobed http://blog.topbriefings.com/2008/07/08/episode-18-anger-in-the-workplace-interview-with-professor-anat-rafaeli/#comment-79 duncan.gotobed Tue, 08 Jul 2008 21:04:50 +0000 http://blog.topbriefings.com/2008/07/08/episode-18-anger-in-the-workplace-interview-with-professor-anat-rafaeli/#comment-79 <p>Nick Booth has written an excellent case for the educative value of blogging. </p> <p>http://www.podnosh.com/blog/2008/07/08/the-charity-commission-responds-to-education-and-blogging/</p> Nick Booth has written an excellent case for the educative value of blogging.

http://www.podnosh.com/blog/2008/07/08/the-charity-commission-responds-to-education-and-blogging/

]]> Comment on Episode 14 - Improving Organisational Performance - Kamal Birdi and Vikki Matthews by duncan.gotobed http://blog.topbriefings.com/2008/05/13/episode-14-improving-organisational-performance-kamal-birdi-and-vikki-matthews/#comment-72 duncan.gotobed Wed, 28 May 2008 01:39:57 +0000 http://blog.topbriefings.com/2008/05/13/episode-14-improving-organisational-performance-kamal-birdi-and-vikki-matthews/#comment-72 Improving Organisational Performance - Summary of the Study 1. The study looked at 7 common practices: Operational Practices • Total Quality management - continuous improvement with all staff responsible for quality of their work • Just in Time – making the products in response to internal or external customer demands (rather than building in advance for stock) • Information technology – linking together computerized equipment to enable enhanced integration and automation (e.g. CADCAM) • Supply chain partnering – developing strategic alliances with suppliers and customers 9rather than negotiating on a short term-basis) People Practices • Team work – placing operators in teams with their own responsibilities and giving them the freedom to allocate work among team members (rather than have everyone work as individuals) • Empowerment – passing considerable responsibility for operational management to individuals or teams (rather than concentrating decision-making at the managerial level) • Staff development – providing a range of development opportunities for all employees (rather than training people occasionally just to meet specific job needs) 2. It wanted to find answers to the following questions: • Do companies that adopt these practices actually show improved productivity compared with those that don’t. • Which of these practices are the most effective • How soon after adoption do benefits appear, and do they last? • Are there synergies among practices It did it in the following way: • 308 UK Manufacturing companies were studied • Productivity (£ value-added per employee) monitored up to 22 years • Respondents were CEO, HRM Director, etc • Each respondent given definition of practice and asked if introduced and if so, in which year • Focus on % gain in productivity following introduction 3. The Findings were: • Empowerment, staff development and team working increased productivity by 7%, 6% and 4% respectively. While TQM, JIT, IT increased productivity by 3%, 3% and 1%. Supply Chain Partnering reduced productivity by 2% • The benefits of team working kick in after 6+ years, while empowerment gives immediate benefits. • When team working is combined with TQM and IT it can lead to high gains in productivity 4. The conclusions • Companies shouldn’t abandon operational practices but they should realise that their people practices DO contribute to their competitive advantage • UK companies need to: o Reduce hierarchy and day to day control o Involve employees in decision-making o Enhance the breadth and depth of employees skills o Strengthen aims and objectives so that employees are clear about how they can contribute The Research findings will be published in Birdi, K., Clegg, C., Patterson, M., Robinson, A., Stride, C., Wall, T and Wood, S. (in press). The impact of human resource and operational management practices on company productivity: A longitudinal study: Personnel Psychology. _____________________________________________________________ Listen to the interview with Kamal Birdi, from the University of Sheffield and Vikki Matthews from Nike on how to improve organisational performance at www.topbriefings.com Improving Organisational Performance - Summary of the Study
1. The study looked at 7 common practices:
Operational Practices
• Total Quality management - continuous improvement with all staff responsible for quality of their work
• Just in Time – making the products in response to internal or external customer demands (rather than building in advance for stock)
• Information technology – linking together computerized equipment to enable enhanced integration and automation (e.g. CADCAM)
• Supply chain partnering – developing strategic alliances with suppliers and customers 9rather than negotiating on a short term-basis)
People Practices
• Team work – placing operators in teams with their own responsibilities and giving them the freedom to allocate work among team members (rather than have everyone work as individuals)
• Empowerment – passing considerable responsibility for operational management to individuals or teams (rather than concentrating decision-making at the managerial level)
• Staff development – providing a range of development opportunities for all employees (rather than training people occasionally just to meet specific job needs)

2. It wanted to find answers to the following questions:

• Do companies that adopt these practices actually show improved productivity compared with those that don’t.
• Which of these practices are the most effective
• How soon after adoption do benefits appear, and do they last?
• Are there synergies among practices
It did it in the following way:
• 308 UK Manufacturing companies were studied
• Productivity (£ value-added per employee) monitored up to 22 years
• Respondents were CEO, HRM Director, etc
• Each respondent given definition of practice and asked if introduced and if so, in which year
• Focus on % gain in productivity following introduction

3. The Findings were:

• Empowerment, staff development and team working increased productivity by 7%, 6% and 4% respectively. While TQM, JIT, IT increased productivity by 3%, 3% and 1%. Supply Chain Partnering reduced productivity by 2%
• The benefits of team working kick in after 6+ years, while empowerment gives immediate benefits.
• When team working is combined with TQM and IT it can lead to high gains in productivity

4. The conclusions

• Companies shouldn’t abandon operational practices but they should realise that their people practices DO contribute to their competitive advantage
• UK companies need to:
o Reduce hierarchy and day to day control
o Involve employees in decision-making
o Enhance the breadth and depth of employees skills
o Strengthen aims and objectives so that employees are clear about how they can contribute
The Research findings will be published in
Birdi, K., Clegg, C., Patterson, M., Robinson, A., Stride, C., Wall, T and Wood, S. (in press). The impact of human resource and operational management practices on company productivity: A longitudinal study: Personnel Psychology.
_____________________________________________________________

Listen to the interview with Kamal Birdi, from the University of Sheffield and Vikki Matthews from Nike on how to improve organisational performance at www.topbriefings.com

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