HRM: Work process design Overview

1. HRM: Work process designOverview

2. Fundamentals of organizational design(Kieser & Kubicek, 1983) • Specialization: Distribution of labor, resulting in different kinds of work tasks • Coordination: Management of dependencies among subtasks, resources, and people • Configuration: Structure of line of command • Delegation of decision authority: Distribution of decision authority regarding actions and decision rules • Formalization: Determination of rules and procedures for work processes

3. Changes in organizational design: Examples • Functional specialization vs. integration • Line vs. group production • Centralization vs. decentralization • Increase in formalization (e.g. management systems) • ...

4. Phases of organizational change Unfreeze - Move - Freeze New level of equilibrium Restraining forces Current level of equilibrium Driving forces

5. Organizational change through the lens of the learning organization

6. Change strategies •Personal versus structural approach: •Expert versus process consulting • Planned change (e.g. BPR) versus organization development

7. Kotter (1996) to manage change: to tell people what to do to lead change: to show people how to be

8. Resistance against change Causes: Uncertainty regarding novel things Sense of loss of control Sticking to old norms/privileges One-sided perception of old/new situation Strategies dealing with resistance: rational = Informing about advantages of new situation normative/ = Developing new compatible values and norms ("speaking re-educative differently rather than arguing well as chief instrument for cultural change") coercion = sanctioning change through exercising power Requirements for constructive handling of resistance: Participation Trust/openness Qualification for change Avoiding strain/threat

9. Participation "Opportunities for individuals and groups to follow their interests by influencing the choice of alternatives in a given situation" Degree of influence: Information = no influence Consultation = opportunity for expressing opinions = due consideration of all opinions Veto Common decision Effects of participation: Control, motivation, competence development; Common decision as link between change motivation and changed behavior Attention! Fit between chosen form of participation and general principles of operation in the organization is crucial

10. Degree of participation in decision-making:The decision tree by Vroom & Yetton (1973) • Is there a quality requirement: Is one solution better than another? • Do you yourself have enough information to make a good decision? • Is the problem well-defined? Has it been reduced already to choosing among a set of alternatives? • Is it important for implementation that the decision and its effects are accepted by your team? • Would your team accept the decision if you made it alone? • Does your team share the organizational goals which are to be reached through the decision? • Will the chosen solution lead to conflicts among your team?

11. Autocratic decision no 4 yes yes 5 no no 1 Group decision no 4 Autocratic decision yes yes yes yes 5 Group decision no yes 2 5 6 yes yes 4 no no 3 no Individual decision after consultation with group yes yes no 7 no Individual decision after consulation with each group member no Autocratic decision after obtaining information from individual group members 5 yes 4 yes no no Individual decision after consultation with group 6 yes Group decision no Individual decision after consultation with group

12. A process approach to work process design: Organization development Change of the entire organizational system with active participation of all people involved in order to increase organizational performance and individual development  Participation and openness of the change process as core characteristic  Taking into consideration the linkages between subsystems in the organization  Linking organizational and individual goals  Change through the process of changing (i.e. participatory diagnosis and implementation)

13. Basis for participatory diagnosis: Socio-technical systems analysis 1. - 4.Analysis of work system and its organizational integration • Description of most important elements of work system and its environment (Layout, organizational structure and processes, relationship to other parts of the organization, etc.) • Detailed description of the production processes • Identification of main variances and disturbances and their sources • Detailed description of the social system (distribution of labor, work role assignments, reulation requirements and possibilities, etc.) 5. Perception of task requirements and their fulfilment by members of the work system 6. - 8. Analysis of external influences on the work system 6. Maintenance system 7. Supplier/costumer relationships 8. Context (market, societal factors etc.) 9. Design propositions

14. Introducing an intranet at Admin (Grote, 1993) • Introduction of an intranet in part of a large administration for supporting professionals in carrying out long-term cross-departmental projects with high cooperation demands • Company objective in phase 1: Increasing efficiency of communication in existing structures • Revised company objective in phase 2: Increasing efficieny and effectiveness of work processes through participatory use of organizational options

15. Design decisions phase 1 (top-down) • All heads of groups/departments and some professional staff are included in intranet. • Distribution of tasks and work processes are to remain unchanged.

16. Task profiles for different occupational groups in Admin based on task diaries

17. Profile of intranet usage in year 1 once per day several times per week once per week never

18. Communication network in year 1

19. Technology use as reflection of organizational culture (Grote & Baitsch, 1993)

20. Technology use as reflection of organizational culture (2)(Grote & Baitsch, 1993)

21. Technology use as reflection of organizational culture (3)(Grote & Baitsch, 1993)

22. Design meetings after phase 1 • Meetings per department/group with representatives of all occupational groups • Information on results of phase 1 • Analysis of own current work situation • Analysis of typical work processes with strengths and weaknesses • Discussion on potential of intranet to improve individual work situation and work processes

23. Design decisions phase 2 (bottom-up) • All administrative assistants are included in intranet. • Redistribution of tasks between admini-strative assistants and professional staff (more adminstrative tasks for professio-nals, more professional tasks for assistants) • In some groups delegation of decision authority to professional staff.

24. Profile of intranet usage in year 2 once per day several times per week once per week never

25. Conclusions on introduction of intranet at Admin • Participatory reflection on technology use improves organization-technology fit. • Organizational culture shapes technology use. • Intranet technologies have the potential for furthering decentralization. • Organizational diagnosis and continuous description of changes are main instru-ments for supporting decisions on work process design.