Experiencing OB Assignment Directions

Name;

Institution:

Analysis of the Policy that was changed at Work

I was two months into my marketing internship at Company X (name withheld), when our manager announced, via an internal memo, that we would all be working Saturdays for the next five weeks until the new product the company was producing was launched into the market. The Marketing Department had a lot of work to do to create an overarching image of the new product and to reach out to customers, prospects, and investors, for this new product to gain traction even before it hit the stores. This major policy change affected everyone in the department except for the Chief Marketing Officer and the managers. My fellow colleagues and I felt that this decision was lacking in fairness since we were not involved in making it. All we wanted was engagement in the decision-making process especially on matters that directly concerned us. “Studies suggest that fostering engagement in employees, has a significant impact on the corporate bottom line” CITATION Org12 l 1033 (Organizational Behavior, 2012). Employee engagement is a tool mainly regarded as “managing discretionary effort that is when employees have choices they are likely to act in a manner that that furthers the organization’s interests.”

Elements of Fairness Present during that Process

The elements of fairness that were present were that we were allowed to express our views and feelings (although this happened very late in the procedure), this procedure upheld ethical and moral standards, we were treated with dignity, we were treated in a polite manner, the manager refrained from improper remarks and comments, and we were able to appeal the outcomes arrived at by this procedure.

Elements of Fairness absent during that Process

The elements of fairness that were absent in this procedure were that there lacked candid communications before the application of this policy and the policy was not explained thoroughly it was simply enacted.

Elements of Fairness that are Difficult to implement as a Manager

Yes, there are elements of fairness that are difficult to implement such as allowing all subordinates to express their views and feelings during policies that need to be made quickly. Some managers may also find it difficult to criticize and discipline poor performing employees and this may result in the demotivation of good employees who may feel that their hard work is not appreciated. This need for affiliation by a manager may result in unfair behavior. Managers who are high in need for achievement may be compelled to micromanage their subordinates and be overbearing CITATION Org12 l 1033 (Organizational Behavior, 2012). These managers are likely to praise results and unfairly disregard tasks approached in a different manner from what they expect.

Was the outcome influenced by fairness?

Yes, the outcome was influenced by fairness. Finally, we were able to air our grievances about working on Saturdays. Those who could not attend work because of religious reasons or other responsibilities, like myself, were allowed to work overtime during weekdays to complete the work apportioned to us on Saturdays.

The relation between Fairness and Motivation

Fairness is related to employee motivation. According to equity theory, employees are motivated when they perceive reward distribution as fair, and vice versa. The perception of justice is shaped by making a comparison between their inputs and outcomes and the inputs and outcomes of a referent CITATION Org12 l 1033 (Organizational Behavior, 2012). Equity theory suggests that procedural and interactional types of fairness affect the motivation of an employee. Procedural justice is the degree to which fair decision-making procedures are used to arrive at a certain decision while interactional justice refers to the degree to which people are treated with respect, kindness, and dignity in interpersonal interactions.

References

BIBLIOGRAPHY Organizational Behavior. (2012). Washington: Saylor Academy.