Organizations exist in an environment that is under constant change. Therefore, it is vital for organizations to undertake several strategic changes from regularly. The strategic changes help organizations to maintain a competitive edge and meet the current and future needs of the market. The changes should incorporate all stakeholders of the company.
Employees of a company are the stakeholders who help in the implementation of strategic changes. It is vital for a company to have efficient change management strategies. Failure to have efficient change management strategies would make an organization fail to reap maximum benefits of the strategic changes. Service Adhesive Limited operates in a rapidly changing environment.
The company’s implementation of Total Quality Management (TQM), Six Sigma, and lean management has not produced the desired results. This necessitates the company to determine problems that led to the ineffectiveness of the strategies. Proper implementation of team-based working structure would improve the competitiveness and efficiency of the operations of Service adhesives.
Service Adhesives currently employs up to 20% of its workforce on short-term contracts. This enables the company to reduce its costs of production. However, the employment structure of Service Adhesives may have adverse effects on the efficiency of implementation of the team-based working structure.
This is because successful implementation of the team-based working structure requires employees to have a high degree of cohesiveness (Gitman & McDaniel, 2008). Employing a large number of employees on short-term contracts reduces the job security of permanent employees. This reduces the motivation of the employees.
In addition, efficient implementation of team-based working structure requires employees to have good working relations. Working together for a long time improves the working relations of employees. Therefore, the employee structure of Service Adhesives may lead to isolation of employees who are on temporary contracts. This is because they do not have good working relations with permanent employees.
Service Adhesives uses the traditional hierarchical organizational structure. This organizational structure gives special emphasis to the role of leaders in the organization’s hierarchy. A shift to the team-based working structure necessitates the company to undertake various structural changes. The hierarchical organizational structure does not usually have efficient communication structures.
Efficient communication is one of the major factors that lead to successful implementation of a team-based working structure. The management must communicate the roles of each employee in the outcome of the company’s activities. This would make employees feel that they are a vital component of the company.
In addition, appreciation of the roles of each employee would help in improving the cohesiveness of employees (Graen & Graen, 2006). However, the current management structure of the company does not facilitate efficient communication. Lack of efficient communication is one of the major factors that inhibit the cohesiveness of employees of the company.
Efficient implementation of a team-based work structure would improve the efficiency and productivity of Service Adhesives. This necessitates the company to formulate strategies that would lead to successful implementation of the initiative. Implementation of the team-based work structure should overcome the problem of lack of cohesion among employees of the company.
Lack of cohesion among employees is one of the major factors that limited the success of various initiatives in the past. However, lack of cohesion is not the only problem that Service Adhesives faces. Service Adhesives does not have efficient change management strategies. Lack of efficient change management may have been the major factor that led to the failure of various initiatives in the past.
The organizational culture of the company is not responsive to various changes. Therefore, it is vital for the company to formulate strategies that would lead to the development of a favorable organizational culture (Driskill & Brenton, 2010). Team-based working structure would ensure that employees set the own targets. Therefore, employee empowerment is a critical component of the team-based working structure.
Employee empowerment shifts the decision making process from the top management of the company to low-level employees. Low-level employees may make better decisions since they are in direct contact with the customers. In addition, direct involvement in undertaking various processes enables employees to make better decisions (Potterfield, 1999).
Therefore, it is vital for employees of the company to have good problem solving skills. However, employees from Eastern Europe may not possess the necessary skills that would enable them solve problems effectively. This is because the employees are unable to adhere to quality procedures. In addition, these employees cannot read materials that are in English.
Therefore, Service Adhesives should ensure that that it hires employees who have skills that would enable them make sound decisions. Service Adhesives faces various problems that necessitate it to undertake several strategic changes to safeguard its position in the market. The company should formulate strategies that would help in proper implementation of these changes.
The company intends to use a team-based working structure to solve some of the problems that it faces. However, successful implementation of a team-based working structure requires the company to ensure that there is efficient communication between employees. In addition, employees should have skills that would enable them make sound decisions.
References
Driskill, G.W. & Brenton, A.L. (2010). Organizational culture in action: A cultural analysis workbook. London: SAGE Publications.
Gitman, L.J. & McDaniel, C. (2008). The future of business: The essentials. Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning.
Graen, G.B. & Graen, J.A. (2006). Sharing network leadership. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.
Potterfield, T.A. (1999). The business of employee empowerment: Democracy and ideology in the workplace. Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group.