To Help Develop Your Management Skills You Have Been Asked

Among the factors which contribute to a healthy organizational climate, high morale and motivation, is the extent to which members of staff have a sense of commitment to the organization. The extent to their commitment will have a major influence on the level of work performance. Walton suggests that a significant change in approaches to the organization and management of work is from organizational control to commitment in the workplace. The evidence is well grounded that underlying all the policies of commitment strategy is a management philosophy at the centre of which 'is a belief that eliciting employee commitment will lead to enhanced performance'.

The concept of commitment itself, and the manner in which it is actually created, is not easy to describe. There does, however, appear to be a growing acceptance of the notion of attachment and loyalty. Commitment may be defined in terms of the relative strength of the employee's identification with, and involvement in, a particular organization.

O'Reilly explains organizational commitment as:

Typically conceived of as individual's psychological bond to the organization including a sense of job involvement, loyalty, and a belief in the values of the organization.

O'Reilly suggests three processes or stages of commitment:

* Compliance, where a person accepts the influence of others mainly to obtain something from others, such as pay; this is followed by

* Identification, in which the individual accepts influence in order to maintain a satisfying relationship and to feel pride in belonging to the organization; with leads to

* Internalization, in which the individual finds the values of the organization to be intrinsically rewarding and compatible with personal values.

A sense of belonging to the organization

This builds upon the loyalty essential to successful industrial relations. The sense of belonging is created by managers through ensuring that the workforce is:

* Informed

* Involved

* Sharing in success

A sense of excitement in the job

Improved results will not be achieved unless workers can also feel a sense of excitement about their work which results in the motivation to perform well. This sense of excitement can be achieved by appealing to the higher-level needs of:

* Price

* Trust

* Accountability for results

Confidence in management

The senses of belonging and excitement can be frustrated if workers do not have respect for, and confidence in, management leadership. This respect is enhanced through attention to:

* Authority

* Dedication

* Competence

A large measure of the success of the companies studies derives from their management of people and from creating a climate for commitment. For example: "If people feel trusted, they will make extraordinary efforts to show the trust to be warranted.' However, creating commitment is hard. It takes time, the path is not always smooth and it requires dedicated managers.

Drennan suggests that most managers believe that with real commitment from staff the performance of their businesses could improve dramatically. Employee commitment does make a real difference. Not only does the performance of the organization improve but is also becomes a better place to work. Drennan proposes a number of definite steps that can be taken to improve employee commitment.

* Employees need to be clear about the direction in which the organization is going. Goals should be made clear and simple, and translated into common action at every level of the organization. Employees should understand the goals and be able to do something about them every day.

* It is vitally important that management also demonstrate full commitment to carrying through its own stated goals. Emphasis should be placed on teamwork and the involvement of all staff.

* Management must be prepared to spend time and effort on training and retraining (for example, as a result of new technology) for all employees including those doing the lowliest jobs.

* Managers and supervisors should clearly, visibly and constantly communicate information at every level on progress and actual performance against stated targets.

* Employees should be given a financial interest in the success of the company, for example, through share ownership. Companies with profit-sharing arrangements perform better and show positive changes in employee attitudes.

Sir Chris Bonington draws attention to the importance of building a successful team and essential to the culture and climate of any organization.

For both business and mountaineering teams, motivation is vital. The early preparatory phase is also the period when the culture of the expedition is established. In involving as much of the team as possible in the work of the organization, each having a role and job, you are building up a sense of involvement and commitment.

The Three Pillar Model of Commitment

Range of Variables are Emerging as Having a Positive Impact on Performance

Commitment

Some writers have identified commitment as resulting in higher performance. It is described as

Attitude commitment - that is loyalty and support for the organization, strength of identification with the organization (Porter 1985), a belief in its values and goals and a readiness to put in effort for the organization

Behavioral commitment - actually remaining with the company and continuing to pursue its objectives

Walton (1985) notes that commitment is thought to result in better quality, lower turnover, a greater capacity for innovation and more flexible employees. In turn, these enhance the ability of the organization to achieve competitive advantage. As well as the debate on the

...