Engstrom auto mirror plant: motivating in good times and bad

Résumé du document

We all know that human resources management implies a lot of fundamentals for an organization. Human resources must understand the implications of globalization, technology changes, workforce diversity, changing skills requirements, the contingent workforce, decentralized worksites and also employee involvement. All of these factors have to be taken into consideration because of the continuous improvement initiatives.

The global economy evolution has brought us to a more difficult system which tends to influence the way we manage people inside a company, a firm or an organization. Nowadays, pressure, tension and conflicts have to be well managed to keep employees and workers motivated, implied and invested. Satisfying each organization's members in good and bad times is not as easy as we think, especially in bad times. Besides, the subject of this report turns on that specific issue that we will try to deepen with the help of this case: Engstrom Auto Mirror Plant: Motivating in good and bad times, by Michael Beer and Elizabeth Collins. In this case, we will see that the Engstrom Auto Mirror Plant has known some difficulties to maintain a constant and appropriate long term strategy to keep employees focussed on productivity. In the first part, we will try to know why it did not succeed in developing an efficient and motivating strategy among its staff by explaining its management process.

Second, we will suggest what solutions can be undertaken to resolve these problems, that is to say, create a new productivity system based on individual performance. In order to make the report more affluent in information, we will lean on certain tools and elements.

Let's first define how important human resources management is. In fact, it is essential inside an organization. Today, we have to know that HRM requires a new level of sophistication when compared to the past few years. Federal and state employment legislation has placed new requirements on employers; jobs have become more technical and skilled; traditional job boundaries have become blurred with the advent of such things as project teams and telecommuting; and global competition has increased demands for productivity. (Fundamentals of Human Resource Management, by DeCenzo and Robbins, chapter two).

Extraits

[...] Engstrom auto mirror plant: motivating in good times and bad Introduction During this seminar, we have learnt that Human Resources Management implies a lot of fundamentals for organisation. Indeed, human resources must understand the implication of globalisation, technology changes, workforce diversity, changing skills requirements, the contingent workforce, decentralized worksites and also employee involvement. All of these factors have to be taken into consideration because of the continuous improvement initiatives. The global economy evolution bring us into a more difficult system which tends to influence the manner we manage people inside a company, a firm or an organisation whatever it is. [...]

[...] What could be the best manner to increase their motivation? What does it take to make employees give Engstrom their best? As we have just mentioned for the moment; periodical survey, team building activities and monthly meeting are some of the good tools to take into consideration. Nevertheless, to reach a real efficient long term human resource process, things have to be done more deeply and these three elements above are not sufficient enough. Human resource management has to build trust and openness, and also reinforce company goals. [...]

[...] At this period, managers urgently needed to make changes before this situation and conditions deteriorated further. Here, we will try to determine the best way to improve that position and set up a valuable strategy capable of returning the situation. How to make workers confident regarding the future not to go bankrupt? Research has shown that a fully functioning HR department does make the difference. Indeed, organisations that spend money to have quality Human Resource programs perform better than those who do not. [...]

[...] All these elements have to be taken into account to restart on reliable and valid bases. Apart from implementing a bonus and communication plan, Engstrom has not done yet anything else and here is the main issue: When there are no bonuses because of law activities, the world communication means nothing for employees because they feel tired to speak about something which can not en up on concrete and valuable solutions. Engstrom has to understand that implications are not only individual but also managerial and organisational. [...]

[...] That is why Engstrom should pay different bonuses according to several goals and not only on the money they have made by signing a contract. One of another important element is to choose performance goals that are employee- controlled. Indeed, why should we pay a bonus to someone who played no part in reaching the goal? Compared to a person who had fully responded to his objectives, there is no reason. It may be more efficient and relevant to adjust objectives per person and why not per day? [...]