18.EMPLOYEE COMMUNICATION AND INVOLVEMENT

Nowadays the employees’ involvement and participation in company’s matters take place more often than years ago. Along with development of management techniques, employees are more appreciated as a source of useful ideas how to improve the performance within the organisation. There can be distinguish two way of workers’ anticipating in company’s matter. They are participation and involvement.

Employee participation is based on pluralist approach, lets employee to say their opinion. Participation is supported by legislation and there are different Workers Councils to ensure employees’ rights. They are allowed to propose changes and their consultation is likely to affect company.

Involvement on the other hand is a bit contrast approach. Management encourages employees to engage in organisational matters. Based on unitarist approach.




Employees can be involved in decision making process in many different ways (Hyman & Mason, 1995):
• Suggestion box – employees can suggest ideas and say their opinions by writing them on the page and putting it to the box. This way can encourage employees to get involved, for they could give their ideas without being asked as to their motives.
• Brainstorming – it is valuable tool, for all ideas are welcome and the group is encouraged to send ideas what helps to put their thoughts into writing.
• Group decisions – are always better and more accurate than individual ones. Especially effective when complex matters and problems need to be solved.




REFERENCES

Hyman, J. & Mason, B., (1995) Managing Employee Involvement and Participation. London: Sage Publications.

Heller, F. & Pusic, E., (1998) Organizational Participation: Myth and Reality. USA: Oxford University Press.

17.REWARD

Different organisations use various methods to reward their employees. As the reward is very important factor to motivate people and increase their performance, companies try to reward employees with very attractive prizes, not necessarily financial ones. The company I work for at the moment has got several different ways to reward employees for their high performance and devotion to work. The company is called Pizza Express and it is very well prospering chain of Italian pizzeria. There are over 500 branches spread over the UK. Pizza Express group has got different ways of rewarding for different job’s position holders.




The managers of each branch are to get financial prizes. These are assigned to them when they make expected savings in current month. The rules for allocating rewards to managers are based on the percentage factor and managers from all branches are competing with each other to get the reward. The system used to evaluate waiters is similar – also based on percentage factor of performance in sales, for they should not only serve to people but in addition to encourage them to spend more money. The prize however is different, for the best ones get ipods.

Should Chief Executives get large financial bonuses in case when the organisations they led has underperformed?
This issue needs to be considered in depth. There are factors for and against rewarding them in such situations.

Reasons for:
• Giving the reward to managers even if their leadership and management have caused inefficiency of the organisation may motivate them to achieve much better performance for next tasks.

Reasons against:
• On the other hand, some of manager are intent only on the reward, so in situation when they would get the reward in spite of failure, they are likely to do not care about improving the performance.

What could be the 3 financial and 3 non-financial ways of rewarding a teacher at a primary school for his better performance?
For financial ways could be listed single bonus to wage, permanent raise in salary or other prize like electronic equipment. To non-financial rewards could be included extra day-off, public praise from principle of school or sending a teacher for free training or course to improve his or her skills and gain better diploma.

From these listed above, one which would motivate me the most is free course, for self development is rather the most important factor and indirectly leads to higher salary in the future.

16.TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

15.MANAGING PERFORMANCE

Improving performance of employee is the Best way to improve overall performance of organisation. That is why constant feedback should be delivered to employees from their seniors. Recently I had an feedback with appraisal referred to first month of my employment in Pizza Express. I have been given complex feedback about my performance and approach to work. The manager was very happy about how I perform and gave me advice how to improve my skills. She said to me that only what I need to improve is the speed of delivering services. This type of consultation with a manager is very helpful, for allows to notice the most important matters which need to be considered and enhanced.

There was one person who I could call my mentor. It is one of my best friends. I met him when I was 13 years old and he was 25. Thanks to him I started my adventure and favourite hobby – keeping and breeding arachnids (spider, scorpions) and different insects and reptiles. He has changed my life completely. After I met him I fell in love with these creatures and some time after that he gave me my first spider – Brachypelma Albopilosum and taught all important matters, how to take care of it, how to breed and so forth . Since then I had tens of different species of spiders, scorpions, praying mantises, even ants, cockroaches and lizards. Today I am really glad that I met him. He made my life more interesting and odd. Thanks to him I gathered high level of knowledge about these animals and had great experience in my life.

MY FIRST SPIDER [IT TOOK 3 YEARS TO GROWN IT UP TO THIS SIZE]


ONE OF SCORPIONS I ALSO GROWN UP MYSELF


Good and effective mentor should have some particular characteristics. He/she must be experienced. This is essential factor, for all gathered knowledge will be passed on to trainees. Good communication and listening skills are vital to communicate successfully. Kind temper and sensitive approach to people would be very helpful to built friendly relationship between mentor and trainee. He/she should have ability to encourage trainee to figure out a solution rather than telling directly what the solution is.


RFERENCES

Times (2008) Entrepreneurs: a mentor can tune your skills [online]. Available from: http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/entrepreneur/article3778514.ece
[Accessed 2 May 2010].

14.EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES AND DIVERSITY

Equality and diversity, sometimes used alternatingly, they are not the same at all. Equality is creating fair society, that allows everyone to participate and has chance to realize their potential.



Diversity, on the other hand, means difference. Used as a contrast to equality, it recognises individual and group differences. It is about treating people as individuals and giving positive value on variety in the society and in the staff.