EMPLOYEE INVOLVEMENT

Employee involvement is one approach in improving quality and productivity. Employee

involvement is not a replacement for management nor is it the final word in quality
improvement. It is a mean to better meet the organizations goals for quality and
productivity at all levels of an organization.

Motivation
Knowledge of motivation helps us to understand the utilization of employee involvement to achieve
process improvement.

Maslow Hierarchy of Needs

Abraham Maslow Need Theory; it states that motivation could best explained in terms of hierarchy
of needs and that there were five levels. It states that higher order needs cannot be satisfied until
lower order needs cannot be satisfied. It also states that once a given level is satisfied it can no
longer motivate a person. These needs are shown in figure below:

Survival

Level-I (Survival)
Survival means food, water, clothing, shelter which is usually provided by a job. In the
workplace, level-I needs include proper lighting, heating? Air conditioning, ventilation,
phone system, data? Voice access and computer information system.

Level-II (Security)
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Security means a safe place to work. When the organization demonstrates an interest in the
personal well-being of employees, it is a motivating factor. A threat of losing ones job
certainly does not enhance motivation. Level-II is not limited to job security. It also
includes having privacy on the job such as being able to lock ones office door or having
lockable storage for personal items as well as having a safe work environment that may
include ergonomic adjustable furniture.

Level-III (Social)
It relates our need of belongingness. It ahs been said that cutting someone out of the group
is devastating to that individual. Isolation itself is an effective punishment. Conversely,
giving an individual the opportunity to be the part of the group by feeling important and
needed will motivate that person. If possible employees should be provided with both
formal social areas such as a cafeteria, conference room etc.

Level-IV (Esteem)
It relates to pride and self worth. Everyone regardless of position or job assignments wants
to be recognized as a person of value to the organization where possible employees should
be given offices or personal space with aesthetics. Business cards, work space size and office
protocols also provide employees with a certain level of self-esteem within an organization.
Seeking advice or input into business or production procession is a good way of telling
employees that they are of valve. This activity requires giving employees control and
freedom of their jobs by providing trust.

Level-V (Self-Actualization)
It says that individuals must be given the opportunity to go as far as their abilities can take
them.

Teamwork and Empowerment

It is interesting to note that the managers perception of employee wants differs from what
employee actually wants. By involving employees through the use of teams in meaningful
work and by providing the proper reward and recognition, managers can reap the
advantages of greater quality and productivity long with employee satisfaction.
The manufactures Alliance for Productivity and Innovation stated that:

Organization that empowerment employees as a part of their total management effort are
twice as likely as other firms to report significant product or service improvement. The

purpose of empowerment is to tap the enormous reservoir of potential contribution that lies
within every worker
An Operational Definition of Empowerment Follows:

Empowerment is an environment in which people have the ability the confidence and the
commitment to take the responsibilities and ownership to improve the process and initiate
the necessary steps to satisfy customer requirements within well-defined boundaries in
order to achieve organizational values and goals. Employee empowerment requires that the
individual is held responsible for accomplishing a whole task. The employee becomes the
process owner thus the individual is not only responsible but also accountable.

Teams
Employee involvement is optimized by the use of teams. Teams however are not a panacea
for solving all quality and productivity problems but in most instances they are effective.

Definition of Team
A team is defined as a group of people working together to achieve common objectives or
goals. Teamwork is the cumulative actions of the team during which each member of the
team subordinates his individual interests and opinions to fulfil the objectives or goals of
the group. The objectives or goals may be:

Solve a problem
Improve a process
Design an equipment
Plan a conference
Audit a process
Please a customer

The needs of team be clearly defined have milestone set have resources provided and use a
systematic approach.

Types of Teams
The development of quality control circles by the Japanese in 1961 is considered to be the
beginning of the use of teams to improve quality.
QCC (Quality Control Circles) are groups of people from one work unit who voluntarily
meet together on a regular basis to identify, analyze and solve quality related and other
problems within their area. They choose their own problems and focus on quality of work
life and health/safety issues rather than on improving work processes. Often they remain in
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existence over a long period of time working on project after project. A major drawback of
QCC was a lack of middle management support and as a result member frequently were
not able to persuade management to implement their recommendations.
Teams can be divided into four main groups:

Process Improvement Team

The members of the process improvement team represent each operation of the process or
sub-process. The scope of the teams activity is limited to work unit. A team of about 6-10
members will come from the work unit. Depending on the location of the sub-process an
internal or external supplier and internal or external customer would be included on the
team. During the course of the teams life additional expertise from other work areas may
be added the life cycle of this type of team is usually temporary (It is disbanded when the
objective has been obtained)

Cross-functional Team
A team of about 6-10 members will represent a number of different functional areas (such
as engineering, marketing, accounting, production, quality and HR). It may also include
the customer and the supplier. A design review team is good example of cross-functional
team. This type of team is usually temporary.

Natural Work Teams

This type of team is not voluntarily. It is composed of the all the members of the work unit.
It differs from QCC because a manager is part of the team and the projects to be improved
are selected by the management. Some employees may opt. not to work in teams for a
variety of reasons. Here the mangers responsibility comes into play and must investigate
the reasons and try to involve them and make them feel comfortable in the team
environment.

Self directed/Self Managed Work Team

They are an extension of Natural Work Teams without the supervisors. They not only do
the work but also mange it. There is a wide discretion through organized their work subject
to organizational work flow requirements. There is team coordinator to liaison with senior
management that may rotate among members. The team meets daily to plan their activities
and decisions are usually by consensus.
Additional responsibility may include:

Hiring/Dismissal, performance evaluation, customer relations, supplier relations,

recognition/reward and training. The team must have excess to business information in
order to plan, control and improve their processes. It is to be noted that the use of team to
empower employees should be done gradually so that acceptance by both management and
employees is built on successful result of teamwork. As an organization becomes more
comfortable with the use of team for empowerment, teams will form both latterly and
vertically throughout the organization.

Characteristics of Successful Teams

1. Sponsor: In order to have an effective liaison with the quality council, there should be

a sponsor. Preferably the sponsor is member of QC, thereby providing organizational

support.
2. Team Charter: A team charter is document that defines the teams mission,
boundaries, the background of the problem, the teams authority and duties and
resources it also identifies the members and their assign role, recorder, time-keeper, etc.
3. Team Composition: The time of the team should rarely exceed 10 people except in
the case of natural work teams or self- directed teams. Larger teams have difficulty
maintain commitment and inter-personal aspects become difficult to control. Teams
should be diversed by having members with different skills, perceptive and potential.
(Where appropriate, internal and external customers and suppliers should be included)
4. Training: As the need arises, members should be trained in problem-solving
techniques, team dynamics and communication skills.
5. Ground rules: the team must develop its rules of operation and conduct, there
should be open discussion on what will and will not be tolerated. Periodically the
ground rules should be reviewed and revised when appropriate
6. Clear Objectives: Without clear objectives and goals, the team will have
difficulty. In addition the criteria for success should be agreed on with management.
7. Accountability: The team is accountable for its performance. Periodic status
report should be given to the quality council. In addition the team should review its
performance to determine possible team process weakness and make improvements
8. Well-defined Decision Procedures: Effective acceptable and timely
decisions have to be made by the team
9. Resources: Not only is funding and employee release time for the project is
important but access to information is also important. The team cant be expected to
perform successfully without the necessary tools
10. Trust: Management must trust the team to perform the task effectively. There must
also be trust among the members and a belief in each other
11. Effective Problem Solving: Decisions are based on the problem-solving methods
12. Open Communication: Members actively listen without interruption to other
members , speak with clarity and directness ask questions etc
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13. Appropriate Leadership: All teams need leadership whether imposed by the QC
or someone emerges from within the team and sometimes the leadership changes as the
team matures
14. Balanced Participation: All members must become involved in the teams
activities by voicing their opinions, lending their knowledge and encouraging other
members to take part
15. Cohesiveness: Members should be comfortable working with each other & act as
a single unit not as individuals or sub-groups.

Team Member Roles

Teams are usually selected or authorized by the quality Council.
A team will consist of:
-

Team leader
Facilitator
Recorder
Time Keeper
Members

All team members have clearly defined roles & responsibilities.The team leader, selected by
the QC, sponsor or the team itself has the fall.

Roles:
-

Ensure smooth & effective operation of the team, handing, assigning record keeping,
orchestrating activities, overseeing Preparation of repots & Presentations.
Facilitates team process , ensure that all members participate during the meeting s
prevent other member from dominating
Serves as an interface b/w tem & the Sponsor /Qc
Orchestrates the implementation of the change recommended by the team within
organizational constraint & Team boundaries.
Monitor the status & accomplishment of member , assuring timely completion of
assignment s
Prepares the meeting agenda including time date & location stick to the agenda or
modifies it where appropriate & ensure the necessary recourses are available for the
meeting
Ensure that team decisions are made by consensus where appropriate , rather than by
unilateral decision, majority rule decision or minority rule decision

Facilitator
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The Facilitator is not a member of the team; he is a neutral assistant& may not be needed
with a mature team. Roles of facilitator are:
-

Support the leader in facilitating the team during the initial stages of the team.
Focuses on the team process in concerned more with how decisions are made rather
than the decision itself.
Act as a resource to the team by intervening when necessary to keep team on track.
Provides feedback to the team concerning the effectiveness of the team process.

Team Recorder
Team recorder who is selected by the leader or by the team and may be rotated on a
periodic basis. The roles are:
-

Documents the main ideas of the teams discussion, the issue raised, decisions made,
action items and future agenda items
Presents the documents for the team to review during the meetings and distributes them
as minutes after the meeting in a timely manner
Participates as a team member

Time Keeper
Who is selected by the leader or by the team and may be rotated on a periodic basis, has the
following roles:
-

Monitors the time to ensure that the team maintains the schedule as determined by the
agenda
Participates as a team member

Team Members:

Roles are:
-

Contribute best without reservation by actively participating in meetings and sharing

knowledge, expertise, ideas and information
Respect other peoples contributions-dont criticize, complain or condemn
Listen carefully and ask questions
Tolerant of individual differences
Trust, support and has genuine concern for other team members
Encourages feedback on own behavior
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Acknowledge and work there conflict openly

Carries out assignments honestly
Provide loyal and sincere appreciation

Suggestion System
Suggestions systems are designed to provide the individual with the opportunity to be
involved by contributing to the organization. Most of the ideas for continuous improvement
will come from the team approach. Once the foundation for a TQM organization has been
established a suggestion system can operate effectively and in parallel to the team
approach. The key to an effective system is management commitment. Management must
make it easy for employees to suggest improvements. Managements should then review
them promptly and if feasible implement them. Stimulating and encouraging employee
participation starts the creative process. There are five ground rules:
1. Be productive: by regularly asking your employees for suggestions. Merely putting up
a suggestion box will not create the necessary motivation
2. Remove fear: by focusing on the process and not on the person. When employees know
that punitive actions will not occur they are more likely to respond
3. Simplify the process: simplify the process so it is easy to participate. Stamp out
superfluous paper work, review and procedures
4. Respond quickly: respond quickly to suggestions and within a specific period of time.
The evaluation process must be simple and effective. The response in writing has three
possible responses: Acceptance, Rejection, and Referral (to a committee for further
evaluation). If accepted a time frame for implementation should be given. If rejected the
reason for the rejection should be stated if referral to a committee the evaluation time
should be stated
5. Reward the Idea: With published recognition everyone will come to know the value of
the contribution.
Individual ideas are a vast untapped resource. The five steps approach helps to create an
environment that opens communication between employees and mangers. Idea generation
is a skill that requires practice. It supplements the team process.

Recognition and Reward System

Recognition is a form of employee motivation in which the organization publicly
acknowledge the positive contribution an individual or team has made to the success of the
organization. This acknowledgement is delivered using verbal and written praise and may
include symbolic items such as certificates and plaques. Reward is something tangible such
as an exhibition ticket, dinner for two or a cash award to promote desirable behavior.
Recognition and reward go together to form a system for letting people know they are
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valuable members of the organization. Employees should be involved I the planning and
implementation of the recognition and reward program. This activity should be performed
by a cross-functional team that represents all areas of the organization. Systems that are
developed with employee involvement will most likely succeed. The system should be
simple, fully understood by the employees and reviewed periodically in order to
continuously improve the system.
The policies and procedures must be consistently and fairly applied throughout the
organization. Recognition should be valid, genuine and meaningful for the giver and the
recipient. It should not be used to manipulate the people. People like to be recognized,
either as a team or individually. A persons feeling of achievement value to the organization
knowing the organization cares and having peer recognition may be more important than
any reward.
In addition to the plaque or framed certificate given at formal banquet or informal pizza
party there are other forms of individual and team recognition. Other forms of recognition
include pictures on the bulletins board, articles in news letters or newspapers, letters to
families, making a presentation to top management, passing along compliments from
others, personal phone calls compliments from others or notes, placing notes in folders etc.
There are many different forms of individual and team rewards. Individual rewards
include better parking space, dinner out, gift certificates, washing an employees car during
lunch hour, trips and tickets of clubs etc. group rewards are also similar

Performance Appraisal
The purpose of performance appraisal is to let employees know how they are doing and
provide a basis for promotions. Salary increases, counseling and other purposes related to
an employees future.
There should be a good relation between employee and the appraiser. Employees should be
made aware of the appraisal process what is evaluated and how often. Employees should be
told how they are doing on a continuous basis not just at appraisal time. The appraisal
should point out strengths and weaknesses. A key factor in successful performance
appraisal is employee involvement.
An employee should always be given the opportunity to comment on the evaluation.
Performance must be based on standards that are developed and agreed upon the
appraiser and employee. Standards normally contain an idea level and an acceptable level.
Standards should change when the situation changes. Such as when equipment changes or
new production techniques are developed.

Performance appraisals should be viewed as a positive way to get employees involved.

Every effort should be made to avoid errors in performance evaluations. Culture, ethics,
education level and predetermined opinions can affect evaluations.
An unfair evaluation would prove costly to an organization to lose a valuable employee
even. The traditional performance appraisal system has been criticized as being counter
productive and unnecessary by such quality experts as Deming and Scholtes. There are a
number of arguments to support their opinion. Appraisals nourish short term performance
and destroy long-term planning. Frequently long-term gains are sacrificed by making the
individual look good in the short-term. This outlook is especially prevalent when we look at
the emphasis on the quarterly profit and loss statement. Another criticism states that
individual appraisal destroys team work. It teams are to become a cohesive unit of all for
one and one for all, and then individual ranking would undermine the entire concept. The
end result would be a team that performs poorer not better. A third concern is the
assumption that an individual is responsible for all results. In reality the results are
frequently beyond an individuals control such as processes and equipment. Demanding
has stated that 85% of the problems are the result of the system. Last, there is a concern
that appraisal are frequently based on subjectivity and immeasurable. They should be
based on objectivity; however it is difficult to measure some attributes such as customer
satisfaction and leadership. Rather than scrap performance appraisals, a number of
practitioners have suggested that the performance appraisal system be improved. Some
improvements suggestions are:
1. Use Rating Scales that have few rating categories. It is difficult to differentiate the
middle range of performers approx 67%, whereas its relatively easy to rate the 10 to
20% at each end. Therefore scales should be limited to between 3 and 5.
2. Require work team or group evaluations that are at least equal in emphasis to
individual-focused evaluations. The increased interdependence of tasks associated with
TQM in the workplace dictates that team performance be utilized. This action will
encourage team members to help, support, and cooperate with each other.
3. Require more frequent performance reviews where such reviews will have a dominant
emphasis on future performance planning. Work team and individual performance
data should be collected and reviewed with an evaluation of results and lessons learned.
It may be necessary to have two reviews-one immediately after completion of the task
and when the performance cycle of the task allows evaluation of results. More
frequently reviews with emphasis on improvement are much less threatening than the
annual appraisal.
4. Promotion decisions should be made by an independent administrative process that
draws on current-job information and potential for the new job. Placing too much
weight on current performance in the selection process can force well-intentioned
appraisal to make poor decision. For example the highest performing teller in a bank
may not be the best person to promote to loan officer.
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5. Include indexes of external customer satisfaction in the appraisal process. In order to

accomplish this process, the customers and their requirements will need to be
identified; performance metrics determined using a rating scale and the improvement
process initiated. Evaluation will be based on the change in the metrics once the baseline has been established.
6. Use peer and subordinate feedback as an index of internal customer satisfaction.
Initiation of this activity would be similar to the previous item.
7. Include evaluation for process improvement in addition to results. Process behavior
tends to be more within the persons control. One of the basic of TQM is continuous
process improvement; therefore, if this concept is to be achieved it must be appraised.
There is frequently a lag between process improvement and the results from that
improvement.

Unions and Employee Involvement

In general, unions support quality improvement programs but express concern regarding
management exercising too much control over employees. Union representatives must be
involved in any program involving employees. Although employee involvement has been
widely accepted it could be a problem if not properly addressed. Teams should not discuss
wages, rates of pay, hours of employment, or conditions of work. In some cases these
limitations will adversely affect the teams objective.
Both management and unions must examine long-held views of what constitutes proper
union-management relationships. Desire for unilateral power must be changed to share
power for benefit of employees and organization. A joint process of determining how best to
proceed to effectively meet the competition especially from foreign organizations is the only
sensible solution. Management must recognize and respect the unique role unions play in
employee involvement. A feeling of trust must be established and a partnership developed
between management and the union.
Union involvement improves the continuous improvement process; however union
leadership runs the risk of criticism from the members if it is perceived as working too
closely with management. The nature of the relationship will be determined by the
background and history or the labor management relations in the organizations and the
willingness of the union to participate. Ideally the leadership of the organization will seek
early involvement of the union and make the nature of the involvement as specific as
possible.

Additional Comments
Employee involvement should not be looked at as a fad that will go away soon. It is a way
of life crucial to TQM and it can mean the difference between being competition and going
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out of business. Employees, not senior management hold the future in their hands. The sign
over the plant entrance that says, through these doors pass our most important asset our
employees does not ring true when employees have a feeling no one really cares. More
involvement might be encouraged by the sign: no one us knows as much as all of us
As the organizational culture begins the process of change resistance to this change will
certainly be present. Keeping people informed will reduce resistance especially when they
see the benefits. Change is an ongoing process that must occur if an organization is to
continue to exist in the competitive world. People dont necessarily resist change they resist
being change and problems arise when a persons comfort zone is disturbed.
Much of the information in this chapter has related to the role of management. However we
must not overlook the role of the work forces. Workers must become knowledgeable about
the needs of the customer and nominate quality problems for solution. In addition workers
must know what they are supposed to do and how they are doing and have a commitment
to improve their jobs.

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