Employee involvement can be very simple, such as a suggestion box, or more complex, such as a self- directed work team. The next section discusses a number of communication strategies that are a key aspect of effective employee-involvement programs. Other strategies for involving employees include the following: Suggestion Boxes: A suggestion box provides an anonymous means by which employees can provide management with ideas for improvements. As with any method of soliciting information from employees, it's important that suggestions be acted on in a timely manner, or the concept of the suggestion system loses its credibility. Delegating Authority: Management demonstrates respect for its employees by trusting them to make the decisions necessary to do their jobs. To do this effectively, management needs to delegate a sufficient level of authority to employees for making decisions or incurring expenses so they're free to act without waiting for approval to take necessary action. Task Force: A task force is brought together to research and recommend solutions for a significant undertaking or problem; once the solution has been determined, the task force disbands. A task force might be created to analyze technological improvements in a manufacturing plant and recommend improvements that will meet the long-term strategic objectives of the organization. Committees: Committees are often formed to address ongoing issues in the organization and may be permanent, such as a safety committee, or ad hoc, such as a group appointed to plan a company function. Work Team: A work team consists of employees who work together each day to accomplish their assignments. The team can be composed of members in a single functional area, or it can have members from several functions that are needed to accomplish the goal. A functional work team might consist of employees in the marketing department who develop collateral pieces for company products. A cross-functional work team might consist of employees from the research and development, manufacturing, marketing, operations, and accounting departments who are responsible for developing, launching, and marketing a specific product. Virtual Work Team: A virtual work team operates in much the same way as a work team, with one major exception: team members aren't located in the same building but may work anywhere in the world and connect through the Internet to accomplish team assignments. Employee-Management Committees: Employee-management committees are used to solve problems in a variety of areas, such as production schedules, safety, and employee social events. The inclusion of employees on these committees helps to bring all the information to the table for making decisions and provides employees with input into how they do their jobs. From this point of view, they make positive contributions to operations. Chapter: Employee and Labor Relations Objective: Employee Relations
