Employee involvement

Employee involvement involves the creation of an environment wherein people are involved in the decision making process that have an impact on the decisions and the actions that have a bearing on the jobs. Employee involvement is management and the leadership philosophy of how the people are involved in the functioning of the organization, it is not a goal or a tool which is used it is just mode by which the employees are engaged to have a role to play in the decision making process. In short it is an effort to pool in the ideas of the employees that can help in the achievement of the desired results.

The aim of the organizations is to involve maximum number of the people in the decision making process of all the work aspects of the organization. The benefits of employee involvement are increase in ownership and commitment, retention of the employees; it creates a harmonial environment, helps to achieve the employee satisfaction. It is one of the most factors that help to promote team building.

However there is a big question mark on the fact as to how the process of employee engagement can be inculcated, the answer can be suggestion systems, manufacturing cells, work teams dedicated towards the involvement of employees in the decision making process, continuous improvement meetings, discussions about the improvement requirements, discussions between the supervisor and the immediate assistant within a team. However the effective working of the employee involvement process is the effective training of the teams in proper communication and even the problem solving. There is a good flow of ideas even when there are some of the motivational rewards involved, when the gains that have been achieved through the decisions are shared can also act as motivating effect.

The employee involvement model developed by Tannenbaum and Schmidt in the year 1958 acts as an effective guide for the accomplishment of the employee involvement. The model provides the method which the organization is involved in the decision making process. There are four levels which the organizations follow depending on the mode of operation.

*Tell: In the telling kind of the leadership the leader makes the decision without the consultation of the leader and informs the decision to the staff. The leader provides complete direction to the employee. The tell kind of strategy is useful on strategies like the safety concerns, government legislations and for the decisions that do not require any employee input.

*Sell: In the sell strategy the decision is taken by the company and then an attempt is made to communicate the decision so as to gain commitment from the staff. This strategy is used when the employees do not have much influence over the decision, but there is a requirement of complete employee commitment.

*Consult: In the employees are invited to pool in their opinions about the decision however the final decision authority rests with the supervisor himself.

*Join: In this the employee and the supervisors take the decision in consensus. Both of them have an equal voice in the decision making process.