question archive Unit 1: “Basic Concepts to Organizational Performance” Customer Satisfaction Customer satisfaction is linked to organizational improvement
Unit 1: “Basic Concepts to Organizational Performance” Customer Satisfaction Customer satisfaction is linked to organizational improvement
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Unit 1: “Basic Concepts to Organizational Performance”
Customer Satisfaction
Customer satisfaction is linked to organizational improvement. The organization must determine
customer perception in order to understand and manage customer expectations and improve services
and products. In order to gauge customer satisfaction, the organization must have a mechanism for
follow-up after the transaction.
Organizations must be proactive in obtaining and evaluating customer satisfaction. It is necessary for
organizations to use both hard and soft measures to gauge customer satisfaction. Using a hard measure,
organizations assess the customers' actual buying or use behaviors. A soft measure looks at the
perceptions of the customers usually determined through surveys, interviews, and focus groups.
It is necessary to provide easy information access to customers requesting information or assistance.
Such access is important as well for those with comments or complaints. Organizations need to have a
system for complaints and for tracking the resolution of those complaints. Prompt resolution is
essential. Complaints offer the opportunity for an organization to re-enforce trust and good will.
Group Dynamics
According to Maslow, social needs are very powerful. Humans have a need for status, attention, love,
and power. Some need to test reality and share ideas. Others find security in groups according to the
concept of safety in numbers. In organizations, employees usually behave as members of a group
whether formally designated or informal. This is why we study group dynamics.
Group membership helps determine individual attitudes toward the organization, the job, or the people
themselves. In many situations, the group influence may have greater impact than that of management.
Groups do not form randomly. Group formation depends on many factors including common values and
goals, location, and similar interests. Assigning individuals to a work unit may not always lead to the
formation of a group or team. Success group building is a function of behavior. The members must
interact and their interactions are related to the size of the group. Consensus building is another factor.
In addition, there must be some common interests, roles, norms or codes of conduct, for the members,
as well as consequences for not behaving within the norms.
Human Limitations
Public and the not-for-profit sector frequently have limits in hiring. Hiring processes may involve testing
general competencies or the process may require more specific assessments of individual applicants.
Political forces may also influence hiring practices. This may result in individuals being hired without the necessary abilities or skills to do the job. Organizations attempt to resolve these hiring issues through
education, training, or experience gained before or after hire. Yet, there are individuals who may lack
the necessary skills or abilities to perform certain tasks.
Technology allows humans to expand their performance capacity and overcome personal limitations.
The development of a telescope by Galileo enabled people to look across much greater distances. Henry
Ford perfected the automobile which provided a faster mode of transportation. The flying machine
developed by the Wright Brothers made even faster travel possible.
Thomas Edison developed the telephone that allowed virtually instantaneous one-to-one global
communication. Computing devices enabled more rapid and accurate calculations than were possible
using pencil and paper. Individuals with carpel tunnel symptoms can utilize voice recognition systems
that allow them to continue to perform a variety of computing jobs.
Human differences and limitations provide important challenges for managers and supervisors. For any
individual, there is a limit as to the tasks the person can do based on the skill level and abilities the
individual possesses. There may be tasks that the individual can physically or mentally perform but the
determining factor is their willingness to perform. Many organizations focus strictly on individual
strengths and attempt to expand individual abilities. This involves motivational strategies that stimulate
people to do tasks they are able to perform.
Managers and supervisors must recognize that not every individual is capable of performing at the same
level. Each person has a limit beyond which they cannot reasonably be expected to perform. Some
limitations are related to location. On Earth, no one can jump unassisted over a 10-foot high wall, but on
another planet of lower gravity the feat would be possible.
It is necessary to become familiar with human performance limits. This is particularly true when dealing
with a group of individuals who will be using the system. When addressing limitations, it is necessary to
look at a set of limits more representative of whole population and not a small group of individuals. In
most work situations, it is necessary to identify and deal with a set of characteristics of that population.
Examples abound where limitations have been addressed and exceeded. The metropolitan subway
system serves a large diverse population. Maps and directions must meet the need of millions of users
and potential users. On the other hand, potential limitations within a small Special Forces team would
be addressed differently.
There are as many possible limitations in the human family as there are human beings. There are
sensory limitations. For example, nearly half of all Americans wear corrective lenses or glasses.
Approximately 8 percent of males and 1 percent of females have some color blindness. A significant
portion of the senior population has hearing problems. It is important for organizations to understand
the range of limits in the user population.
There are other performance-related limits to consider. An individual’s physical strength can pose
problems. Activating the hood release mechanism on some automobiles or undoing the lug nuts on tires
may require significant strength. An assistive device may be required. Some drivers use hand-controls to
operate the gas and brake. These are examples of responder limits in user reach and strength.
Individuals may also have cognitive processing limits. When a particular signal is given, the individual
must recognize that signal and decide on an appropriate action. The time from signal reception to
responsive action is reaction time. The time that it takes to move can be denoted as movement time. If
you see a child running into the street as you are driving, the reaction component is the time it takes for
you to be aware of the situation and to make the decision to take action. The movement time is the
time it takes to move your foot from the gas pedal to the brake and depress the pedal. Reaction time is
physiologically limited. Errors in reaction time vary, but in some time experiments, there is a factor of 1
to 3 percent.
Another factor of human performance is accuracy. The individual has more control over this factor than
reaction time. When some individuals learn critical activities, they can perform them with near-perfect
accuracy every time. Individuals establish their own levels for accuracy on a task-by-task basis. Once the
accuracy levels are established, the individuals will attempt to meet their established levels. For that
reason, individuals may have a higher error rating for hand-printing that for keyboarding. When
individuals are involved in faster activities, there are higher probabilities of errors occurring.
There are some general standards for setting accuracy levels. Individuals tend to overestimate time
limits when they are passively involved in a task. When they are actively involved, they tend to
underestimate the time. Distances are underestimated when looking up and overestimated when
looking down. Distances are frequently underestimated when determining height or depth. When the
temperature is hot, the individuals overestimate the temperature, but when it is cold, the temperature
is underestimated.
There are differences in individual performance that must be recognized by managers and supervisors.
Some key areas of difference include the ability to perceive, reason, and remember. There are
physiological changes over time. In some cases, perceptual, reasoning, and verbal skills impact the
measurement of the intelligence quotient.
Organizational Structure and Productivity
The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award recognizes an organization’s achieving its goals of
improving value to customers. Initially introduced as an effort to assist companies in the private sector
to increase their competitiveness, it has been expanded to include public sector organizations. The
process evaluates a set of core values and concepts along with seven areas of management excellence.
The core values and concepts that establish the framework include: customer- driven quality;
leadership; continuous improvement; continuous learning; employee participation; employee
development; fast response; design quality; a focus on results; organizational responsibility;
organizational citizenship; developing partnerships; and a view of the future that is long-term.
Unit 1: “Basic Concepts to Organizational Performance”
Customer Satisfaction
Customer satisfaction is linked to organizational improvement. The organization must determine
customer perception in order to understand and manage customer expectations and impr
ove services
and products. In order to gauge customer satisfaction, the organization must have a mechanism for
follow
-
up after the transaction.
Organizations must be proactive in obtaining and evaluating customer satisfaction. It is necessary for
organizat
ions to use both hard and soft measures to gauge customer satisfaction. Using a hard measure,
organizations assess the customers' actual buying or use behaviors. A soft measure looks at the
perceptions of the customers usually determined through surveys, i
nterviews, and focus groups.
It is necessary to provide easy information access to customers requesting information or assistance.
Such access is important as well for those with comments or complaints. Organizations need to have a
system for complaints an
d for tracking the resolution of those complaints. Prompt resolution is
essential. Complaints offer the opportunity for an organization to re
-
enforce trust and good will.
Group Dynamics
According to Maslow, social needs are very powerful. Humans have a nee
d for status, attention, love,
and power. Some need to test reality and share ideas. Others find security in groups according to the
concept of safety in numbers. In organizations, employees usually behave as members of a group
whether formally designated
or informal. This is why we study group dynamics.
Group membership helps determine individual attitudes toward the organization, the job, or the people
themselves. In many situations, the group influence may have greater impact than that of management.
Gro
ups do not form randomly. Group formation depends on many factors including common values and
goals, location, and similar interests. Assigning individuals to a work unit may not always lead to the
formation of a group or team. Success group building is a
function of behavior. The members must
interact and their interactions are related to the size of the group. Consensus building is another factor.
In addition, there must be some common interests, roles, norms or codes of conduct, for the members,
as well
as consequences for not behaving within the norms.
Human Limitations
Public and the not
-
for
-
profit sector frequently have limits in hiring. Hiring processes may involve testing
Unit 1: “Basic Concepts to Organizational Performance”
Customer Satisfaction
Customer satisfaction is linked to organizational improvement. The organization must determine
customer perception in order to understand and manage customer expectations and improve services
and products. In order to gauge customer satisfaction, the organization must have a mechanism for
follow-up after the transaction.
Organizations must be proactive in obtaining and evaluating customer satisfaction. It is necessary for
organizations to use both hard and soft measures to gauge customer satisfaction. Using a hard measure,
organizations assess the customers' actual buying or use behaviors. A soft measure looks at the
perceptions of the customers usually determined through surveys, interviews, and focus groups.
It is necessary to provide easy information access to customers requesting information or assistance.
Such access is important as well for those with comments or complaints. Organizations need to have a
system for complaints and for tracking the resolution of those complaints. Prompt resolution is
essential. Complaints offer the opportunity for an organization to re-enforce trust and good will.
Group Dynamics
According to Maslow, social needs are very powerful. Humans have a need for status, attention, love,
and power. Some need to test reality and share ideas. Others find security in groups according to the
concept of safety in numbers. In organizations, employees usually behave as members of a group
whether formally designated or informal. This is why we study group dynamics.
Group membership helps determine individual attitudes toward the organization, the job, or the people
themselves. In many situations, the group influence may have greater impact than that of management.
Groups do not form randomly. Group formation depends on many factors including common values and
goals, location, and similar interests. Assigning individuals to a work unit may not always lead to the
formation of a group or team. Success group building is a function of behavior. The members must
interact and their interactions are related to the size of the group. Consensus building is another factor.
In addition, there must be some common interests, roles, norms or codes of conduct, for the members,
as well as consequences for not behaving within the norms.
Human Limitations
Public and the not-for-profit sector frequently have limits in hiring. Hiring processes may involve testing
