Many years have passed since organizations began to consciously perceive change, that is, its consideration as planned, directed change, as an important and necessary process to improve organizational performance.
Introduction
However, managed change continues to focus the attention of managers, consultants and other specialists who are aware of the need to plan future actions as a prerequisite for aspiring to success.
There is no doubt that the design of Quality Management Systems constitutes an important organizational change for any entity at any latitude. Organizations seek change to arrive at a desired state in the future in which the indicators that define their performance provide them with a position that allows them to survive and develop among the many similar or different organizations that are also involved in this contest.
The human factor continues to be decisive in change processes, therefore it requires having the necessary conditions that facilitate the full development of its potential, to correctly specify the strategies designed in the organization, so that it can better contribute to obtaining quality results and continuous performance improvement.
Research on Organizational Behavior (OC) reveals the existence of four dependent variables that are decisive for organizational performance. They are:
- Productivity Absenteeism Job turnover Job satisfaction
It is convenient to clarify that this work will essentially deal with one of them, Labor Satisfaction (SL), in what constitutes, as the title suggests, an “approach”, since the complexity of the subject requires a greater space than that provided a presentation or an article to “get started” and delve into it.
Another necessary clarification refers to the fact that the influence of the SL variable on the other three variables dependent on OC has also been the object of research, that is, Absenteeism, Turnover and Productivity; but these are questions that, although they are mentioned in some way due to the inescapable relationship between them and all of them with quality, will not be analyzed in this work.
Development
There are different criteria about the SL concept; But there is a certain consensus, to which this author subscribes, that it is a general attitude of an individual towards his work and that depending on how it is (favorable or unfavorable to the objectives of the organization), this will be its impact on quality and organizational performance.
Providing SL to the worker in a systematic way represents a challenge that organizations should take advantage of, considering that many demands are made on the human factor, including quality, also in a systematic way.
The role of the human factor in quality, as well as the need for its attention by managers, is already recognized and highlighted by the well-called parents of quality. Some expressions that refer to it are:
Kaoru ishikawa
Management must not react negatively when facts are presented by subordinates
William E. Deming
Remove barriers that keep staff from taking pride in the task.
Joseph M. Juran
Express appreciation to the winning teams
Philip B. Crosby
Encourage staff to communicate to management the obstacles they face in pursuing their improvement goals
Armand V. Feigenbaum
Humans influence quality
The time that has elapsed, after the dissemination and recognition of the validity of these statements, suggests that organizations should have sufficient clarity that, just as it is not the clients who depend on them, but they depend on the clients, it is also It is true that the workers do not depend on the organizations but that they are the ones who depend on their workers.
Managers who have become aware of this reality have begun to be interested in the satisfaction of workers, the need to create a favorable working environment, as well as the convenience of knowing more - to adapt to the needs of workers - about the concise section 6.4 "Work environment" of the International Standard ISO 9001-2000 which as an express requirement:
"The organization must determine and manage the work environment necessary to achieve compliance with product requirements."
Defining the characteristics of the work environment means being clear about both the physical and human aspects that must be guaranteed so that the production of the product or service is carried out in such a way that it meets the client, legal and organizational requirements and that this is done in a way that provides satisfaction to those who carry out the work: the workers.
An extension of these elements is included in the International Standard ISO 9004-2000: Quality management systems - Guidelines for the improvement of performance, which details:
Work environment
Management should ensure that the work environment has a positive influence on staff motivation, satisfaction and performance in order to improve the performance of the organization. The creation of a suitable work environment, as a combination of human and physical factors, should take into consideration the following:
creative work methodologies and opportunities to increase active participation to bring out the potential of staff, safety rules and guidance, including the use of protective equipment, ergonomics, workplace location, social interaction, facilities for the personnel in the organization, heat, humidity, light, air flow, and hygiene, cleanliness, noise, vibrations and contamination ”.
The awards for quality in performance, which are awarded in different regions of the world, also consider the importance of the human factor in organizational achievements, perhaps constituting the main impulse to achieve improvements in the attention to workers in the practical order.
Within the eight principles for the design, implementation and continuous improvement of Quality Management Systems, the relevance of the human factor is also expressed.
However, statements about the importance of the human factor in organizational performance do not always go hand in hand with actions that are a true expression of this relevance. Associated with this, some of the advances experienced have been more in the field of research than in that of practical application.
Other elements strongly linked to SL are the components of the work environment, which includes economic, motivational and teamwork aspects, among others.
It is convenient to expand knowledge and actions on the subject of work environment, especially in the practical order of the design of Quality Management Systems, as a necessary complement to the section "work environment", already mentioned above, to correct the deficiency that this topic is presented.
Taking into account all the previous statements about the recognition of the role of women and men in organizational life and the reality of the actions taken, it is logical to think that the most important problem is no longer that such relevance is recognized, but that the gap between saying and doing.
The lack of undertaking the necessary actions that contribute to achieving SL in the members of the organization can lead to a state of dissatisfaction in them, which can be expressed in various ways that have an impact on organizational performance. On those forms of expression, Stephen Robbins quotes:
“Exit: Behavior aimed at leaving the organization. It includes looking for a new job in addition to resignation.
Voice: Active and constructive attempt to improve conditions. It includes the suggestion of improvement, the discussion of problems with superiors and some form of union activity.
Loyalty: Passive but optimistic wait for conditions to improve. It includes speaking up for the organization in the face of outside criticism and trusting that the organization and its management will "do the right thing."
Neglect: Passively allowing conditions to worsen. It includes chronic absenteeism or delays, small efforts, and a higher percentage of errors. "
In the accelerated organizational life, characteristic of these times, gaining the attention of managers requires not only showing them the importance of the issue, but also the need for them to transform their recognition and concern into concrete actions. To do this you have to sensitize them and make them think. This requires having or creating tools to achieve this purpose.
It is common practice in the world to go to Consulting services to facilitate the change processes that the organization needs.
In our experience in consulting processes, we have applied an exercise, which we elaborated from the four forms of expression of dissatisfaction reflected above, which has allowed us to achieve the purposes of raising awareness and applying improvements in the attention to the human factor in organizations.
The exercise is conducted with the application of the following questions:
1. What is your level of job satisfaction? (direct question to managers)
2. Does this also happen to workers?
3. What is the approximate number of your dissatisfied workers and how are these dissatisfied workers grouped in percentage terms into the four categories of expression of dissatisfaction?
4. What impact does each group have on the quality and performance of the organization?
The results of the exercise are later complemented with the application of a survey on the aspects that measure job satisfaction to find the causes that generate it and then design in a participatory way strategies that must be specified in action plans that allow correcting the current situation and propitiating it. a favorable change in the organization. These plans must include the form of control and the date of the check, which must be conceived in a systematic way.
The specific case of an organization that we will call X, with several establishments, was executed as follows:
1. Participating managers were asked to express their level of job satisfaction considering:
- Very satisfiedSatisfiedLittle satisfiedNot satisfied
The result was the following:
- Very satisfied …………………… 4% Satisfied ………………………… 44% Not very satisfied ………………..40% Dissatisfied ……………………..12%
2. It is easy to understand that just as those who lead can be at any of the selected levels, the rest of the members of the organization can also have similar situations. On the other hand, the tendency to dissatisfaction, in this case 52%, on the part of the managers, influences the behavior of the workers.
3. The forms of expression of the dissatisfaction of the workers were explained to the managers, as presented earlier in this work, and they were asked to think about their dissatisfied workers and to express approximately how they were distributed in percentage terms among the four groups. The following results were collected:
22% OUTPUT
62.1% VOICE
11.6% NEGLIGENCE
4.3% LOYALTY
4. In summary, the results of the group analysis on the impact of the four forms of expression were the following:
Exit: Effects derived from the exit of qualified workers, prepared by the organization, with extensive knowledge of it and the difficulty of filling their positions with new personnel who, assuming they had similar or superior skills, would have to go through the normal socialization process, before providing the necessary results to the organizational interests.
Voice: These members of the organization constitute an important force that can be counted on to reverse the existing situation, as well as to support the organization's current or future change processes, although they may be overloaded, assuming tasks from those who they leave the organization, do not develop their potential or are negligent.
Loyalty: Group without initiative whose passivity diminishes the benefit it brings with its trust. They do not reveal their true potential to achieve the objectives.
Negligence: The effects on quality and organizational performance were fundamentally manifested in theft, excess waste, increased unnecessary expenses and products without the established quality specifications.
This knowledge created the necessary conditions for the consultants' suggestion to apply a survey to measure job satisfaction to be accepted that would allow greater precision about the causes of Dissatisfaction and on that basis, draw up the strategies specified in action plans to introduce necessary changes to the existing situation.
Among the proposed improvements, some of them now more elaborate and others introduced, are the following:
- Perfect management methods and styles, especially horizontal and vertical interpersonal communication.
Continue the work of training and preparation of directors.
- Work more with the man in all his aspects.
Requalify staff.
Give more effective or, at least, more convincing answers.
Improve the provision of lockers and toilets in establishments.
Improve the light and ventilation conditions in the areas.
Complete the authorization of the protection teams in the areas.
Manage investment to eliminate noise from the power plant.
This experience has been extended to several other entities also with a positive balance in terms of the impact on performance and quality in organizations.
Conclusions
Considering the approach made above that expresses:
“Taking into account all the previous statements about the recognition of the role of women and men in organizational life and the reality of the actions taken, it is logical to think that the most important problem is no longer that such relevance is recognized, but that it is eliminated the gap between saying and doing ”.
This work raises a single conclusion:
It is necessary to devote greater efforts and time to the analysis of SL in organizations and to the design and implementation of the strategies that derive from it, exercising control over its implementation and results, in such a way that they guarantee the reduction of the gap between saying and do.
recommendations
Expand studies with an application approach, especially in the practical order of the design of Quality Management Systems, as a way of helping to reduce the gap between saying and doing, on the subject of SL in particular and the human factor in the organization in general.
Bibliography
- Alvarez L. L: “Job Satisfaction: its measurement and evaluation; a Cuban experience ”www.gerenteweb.comCartategui P, María del Carmen:“ Weaknesses in the work environment that affect Internal Control ”. www.gestiópolis.comDíaz A. M: Factors that affect the work environment www.gerenteweb.com El Rincón del Gerente: Surveys on the work environment and work environment in the company www.gerenteweb.comEscat C. M; Definition of the work environment www.gerenteweb.comGallegos, JF, “The challenge of quality”, Four brochures published by the Ministry of Tourism of Cuba, Havana, 1996 International Standard ISO 9000/2000 “Quality Management Systems. Fundamentals and vocabulary ”International Standard ISO 9001/2000“ Quality Management Systems. Requirements ”International Standard ISO 9001/2000“ Quality Management Systems.Guidelines for performance improvement ”Rabelo P, G., Linares F, T., Mulet R, C. and Díaz P, W:“ Healthy work environment strategy ”. (Cuban Journal of Health and Work 2004) Robbins, S., P., “Organizational Behavior, Theory and Practice”, Prentice Hall, Seventh Edition, Mexico, 2000.Roca i Girona, Jordi.: “From the sanctification of work to job satisfaction: retrospective, overview and proposals on the forms of job satisfaction analysis ”Presentation at the International Seminar” Work Cultures and Work Satisfaction ”, Havana, January 25, 2006.Socorro, F: TEA Philosophy: Improve work environment www.gestiopolis.com"Organizational Behavior, Theory and Practice", Prentice Hall, Seventh Edition, Mexico, 2000. Roca i Girona, Jordi.: "From the sanctification of work to job satisfaction: retrospective, overview and proposals on the forms of analysis of satisfaction work ”Presentation at the International Seminar” Work Cultures and Work Satisfaction ”, Havana, January 25, 2006.Socorro, F: TEA Philosophy: improving the work environment www.gestiopolis.com"Organizational Behavior, Theory and Practice", Prentice Hall, Seventh Edition, Mexico, 2000. Roca i Girona, Jordi.: "From the sanctification of work to job satisfaction: retrospective, overview and proposals on the forms of analysis of satisfaction work ”Presentation at the International Seminar” Work Cultures and Work Satisfaction ”, Havana, January 25, 2006.Socorro, F: TEA Philosophy: improving the work environment www.gestiopolis.comTEA philosophy: improving the work environment www.gestiopolis.comTEA philosophy: improving the work environment www.gestiopolis.com
It is recommended to consult to expand: Alvarez L. L: “Job Satisfaction: its measurement and evaluation; a Cuban experience ”
Selected from: Gallegos, JF,“ The challenge of quality ”
“ ISO 9001-2000: Quality Management Systems-Requirements ”
“ ISO 9004-2000: Quality management systems-Guidelines for improvement performance ”
It is recommended to review: Aledo M; Factors that affect the Work Climate.
Robbins, S: "Organizational Behavior: Theory and Practice."
