Involement - Action Issues
Involement assesses the strength of an organization's focus on the following Action Issues:
Action Issues #6
The organization encourages innovation and change.
DESCRIPTION:
This action issue and the five that follow judge the involvement of the company’s employees in the work of the company. A high score in this question means that the company workforce feels empowered to do things in the most effective manner. A low score can mean that routine is preferable to innovation. This is not necessarily bad for many jobs where safety and consistency require rigorously following a process and innovation could be dangerous. Hence a low score needs to be interpreted in light of the nature of the work.
Action Issues #7
Employees feel that the organization encourages their involvement and merits their commitment.
DESCRIPTION:
Anytime a workforce looses trust, it becomes like a gear box loosing the oil that keeps the gears from wearing out. If trust is low, everything becomes harder. If people are not involved in thinking, contributing and participating in decisions affecting their work, the quality of decisions decline and the effectiveness of the work force is diminished.
If the organizations practices are perceived to be unfair, performance will be less than a workforce where fairness is perceived to exist.
Action Issues #8
Employees are involved and committed.
DESCRIPTION:
Today’s workforce is more mobile than in previous generations and building commitment in employees has become more important. This action issue measures how the company develops an employees’ connection and attachment to the company. A higher score shows that the company has engendered a sense of allegiance in employees. A lower score indicates employees see the company as a means to a pay cheque and could be less loyal. Higher scores indicate the workforce will put out a higher level of effort to achieve results.
Action Issues #9
People are given the authority to do their jobs.
DESCRIPTION:
Empowering employees is difficult to do well. There is a need for balance: enabling employees to use their initiative requires carefully thought out guidelines. This action issue measures the sense of empowerment the company has created in the employees. A high score will signify a greater sense of empowerment than a low score.
In larger organizations, lack of empowerment significantly reduces the ability to get the job done effectively.
Action Issues #10
People feel responsible for their work.
DESCRIPTION:
Companies strive to make their employees feel responsible for the work they perform. This action issue measures the level of accountability each employee feels for the work they are entrusted to perform. A higher score is better. However, the individual questions that form the action issues are asked in different ways in the survey. Employees can describe circumstances whereby employees consider it refers to their workmates (Q109) who they may see as less responsible than themselves (as indicated in Q60 & 67). Hence a low score may need careful interpretation.
Action Issues #11
Employees are held accountable for their results.
DESCRIPTION:
Accountability is important in showing how purposefully supervisors perform their task. A low score portrays a laissez faire attitude whereas a high score shows employees know what is expected of them and there will be consequences for not achieving these levels. Hence, the higher the score the better managed the organization is. As supervisors undergo development this is one action issue that will show improvement over time.
Work Systems Associates Canada 