Solution for QID #69384: Unit 1: “Basic Concepts to Organizational Performance& | StudyHelpMe

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