Psychology Essays (UOP)

Psy/435 Leadership and Performance in the Workplace Paper

Leadership and Performance in the Workplace Paper

Yelverton, T., Silas, T., Ray, S., Craig S.

PSY/435

October 24, 2016

Saakshi Malik

Leadership and Performance in the Workplace

Followers are everywhere, but great leaders can be hard to find. There are many instances where someone gains control of a group and leads them right into turmoil. Understanding the importance of one's role as a leader is monumental in effectively leading and managing large groups of people. This is especially vital for the success of a company. At Woody's Veneer Factory, the superiors do not seem to understand the importance of their roles; nor do the subordinates seem to recognize and respect the responsibility of their leaders. The discord is creating serious turmoil within the ranks and is negatively affecting productivity, raising production costs, and decreasing the value of the business as a whole. A plan to improve the quality of work, employee satisfaction and productivity, and compliance must be implemented if the factory is to remain functioning and productive.

The I/O psychologists observing Woody's Veneer Factory propose a three-step plan for reducing fees and increasing production and profit. Step one is to implement re-training modules to both upper management as well as floor workers. This training will consist of re-examining the production process, and ensuring everyone understands the most cost-effective way to produce veneer.

The second step, once re-training is complete, is to open the doors of communication between superiors and subordinates. There must be a way for floor workers to communicate openly their ideas and concerns with upper management without fear of repercussions. A suggestion box as well as quarterly evaluations, both up and down the chain of command, will serve to improve communication and overall job satisfaction. When employees feel heard, they feel more connected to their jobs and it creates a sense of ownership among workers for their company. This ownership will increase awareness of cost effectiveness and will improve work output. In addition, constructive criticism or the praise that will be delivered via evaluations will serve to give all employees and managers a frame of reference for personal improvement and growth within the company.

The final step for improving production at Woody's is to introduce regular inspections of personnel and equipment. Inspecting the employees randomly will keep them accountable and on task. Workers who know they are being evaluated tend to increase productivity, as was outlined in an experiment conducted by Roethlisberger and Dickson (1939). The experiment was supposed to measure the effect of lighting on work productivity, but the results revealed that productivity rose simply because the workers were aware they were being evaluated. This "Hawthorne effect" may be elemental in increasing productivity at Woody's as well. In addition, ensuring employees have adequately working equipment and sufficient material will also increase productivity, reduce costs, and help turn a profit at Woody's.

Group and Team Concepts

When it comes to Woody's Veneer Factory there are several different group and team concepts that could be beneficial to the organization. Group work is "A collection of individuals that come together to achieve a stated objective." (Business Dictionary, 2016) The biggest problem this company is seeing is the fact that they put their own needs and wants before they company and the group's needs. This then causes tension, which leads to fights and ultimately dissatisfaction in the workplace that then causes the low production rates. When looking at Woody's Veneer factory there are two main work groups which are the management and the productions groups. The production is responsible for the production of the veneer. If they don't do their job then the management is affected by sales and the costs that become associated with the veneers production. Neither of these groups are communicating and working well with each other.