Plastco packaging has high turnover especially in the production department, which seems to be linked to the job design which is not motivating or providing their employees job satisfaction. High turnover at Plastco not only means that employees are unhappy with the work or compensation, but it can also indicate unsafe or unhealthy conditions. High turnover is harmful for plastco’s productivity as skilled workers are often leaving.
They have a high level of waste relating to raw materials, waste incurs loss in raw material & time consumed in production process. This is a threat for environment too.
The quality of the product is very inconsistent which has been brought to attention by customer complaints.
New competition could lead to loss of customers and future profits.
SECONDARY PROBLEMS:
Plastco Packaging not only needs to deal with the root problem, but have to deal with secondary problems too, which are arising from the former.
It has become clear to supervisors that there is workplace stress at Plastco, few interpersonal relationship issues among coworkers, in any situation questioned by supervisors regarding problems employees start to accuse each other.
In the long run these issues will lead to possible lost of profit, inferior product quality, no team work results, and low motivation. This would impact on business as poor customer service will probably lose plastco’s customers and goodwill in market.
Management, HR Department and Supervisors need to work on an action plan to solve the problems to prevent future losses.
ALTERNATIVES TO RESOLVE ROOT PROBLEMS
Job analysis and redesign would provide essential information for management before making organizational decisions, show actual number and nature of jobs within the company and determine relative worth of each position and its appropriate class. It helps in maintaining the competitiveness of the company in the market.
At Plastco job analysis will evaluate and establish appropriate levels of compensation based on job value. Thus HR Department would develop compensation programmes based on different skill levels, this create an obvious effect in motivating employees.
Restructuring of compensation system and by incorporating reward system such as pay-for- performance system Plastco ltd can motivate desired behavior, attract and keep achievement-oriented individuals. Pay-for-performance system can help to retain good performers while discouraging the poor performers. Thus by adding intrinsic rewards Plastco ltd can enhance job satisfaction, motivation and productivity.
Eliminate Waste – with eliminating waste & recycling Plastco ltd. can move some steps towards ‘ go green’. Eliminating or reducing waste will maximize product yield, providing superior quality product according to customer’s requirements, while helping Plastco to be greener. This means less waste will go to landfills and more products made. Additionally, it saves the company money as typically, waste makes up four percent of business turnover. This would create goodwill for company in market and among environmentalists.
ALTERNATIVES TO RESOLVE SYMPTOMS OF PROBLEMS
Plastco ltd. by conducting a training workshop can introduce to its employees how to foster a harmonious and peaceful workplace. Training will encourage open communication, dialogue; instruct management how to care about your staff’s welfare. With this staff & employees would learn how to respect each other as a person, communicate effectively which would reduce interpersonal issues.
Management at Plastco by realising the importance of their life outside of work, trying to be flexible wherever possible regarding issues which could affect that, can bounce their employee’s job satisfaction. This would create a happier workforce and employees are more likely to remain loyal to the company, motivated while performing to the best of their ability.
By reducing workplace stress Plastco ltd would build up their employee’s morale high, promote employee involvement, reduce high turnover, increase job satisfaction, loyalty, motivation as all these human behaviours are interrelated.
RECOMMENDATION(S)
These are the recommendations for Plastco packaging to make their machine operators jobs more motivating & satisfying.
Keep the things as they are – don’t do anything.
Job analysis – Job analysis would facilitate accurate recruitment and selection practices at Plastco ltd, would set standards for performance appraisals and allow appropriate classification/reclassification of positions. Thus management would be able to determine job duties responsibilities and to establish performance standards. This will identify health and safety hazards and working conditions that require special training.
Job design – Job design is the structuring of jobs to improve the efficiency of the business and improve employee satisfaction it would provide guidelines to help get appropriate fit between employees and their jobs. Job redesigning and delegating responsibility would enhance employee’s involvement and will provide a satisfied work environment for employees at Plastco Packaging. HR’s imagination and creativity applied to job design have the potential to yield impressive results. Job conditions and quality of product can be improved by job redesigning at Plastco Packaging.
Restructure of the reward system and recognition – Employees at Plastco are likely to appreciate employer’s efforts to make their jobs as motivational and challenging as feasible. Many employees will welcome the opportunity to help improve their jobs. They will see the benefits for themselves and for the business. Intrinsic motivation comes from rewards inherent to a task or activity itself and pay for performance would satisfy this behavior with enhancing job satisfaction too.
Workshops – Plastco ltd. by conducting a training workshop can introduce to its employees how to foster a harmonious and peaceful workplace. Workshop would emphasis on how to communicate effectively, respect each other, training & development of employees, how to mould their inhospitable behaviour. Will encourage open door policy; explain workplace harassment, its effects. Thus by zero workplace stress Plastco employees would feel morally high, committed, loyal to organization. It would increase job satisfaction, security among employees.
IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
Short Term Goals-To Be Achieved Within 90 Days
It is important at Plastco packaging to conduct job analysis. It would take 20-40 days in analyzing the work duties, tasks, and responsibilities that need to be accomplished by the employee working on the position. HR needs to do related internet research. This will be the base information for job designing and reward system.
Harmony at workplace workshop should be conducted in 10-30 days and Human resources department would monitor that workshop is attended by all the staff members and employees. This would help in building prosperous relationships among employee.
Medium Term Goals-To Be Achieved Within 3 Months to 2 Years
Job analysis would describe and coordinate Plastco’s broader structure and objectives, the tasks and skills required to achieve those objectives, and the meaningful grouping of tasks and skills into specific jobs. The process of Job redesigning, reward system & recognition system must be done in 4 – 8 months.
Follow up the training workshop by observing employees behaviour, having feedback from them. HR department can estimate workshop’s success by analysing work environment, productivity, and good relationships between employees.
Long Term Goals-To Be Achieved Within 2 Years
Auditing Job design and checking customers records are ongoing processes at Plastco Packaging. Auditing to ensure employees are happy satisfied with their jobs and has motivation to do their job.
With analyzing customer’s records Plastco packaging can look how many customers complaints are reduced, how many customers are lost and their feedback on our product.
SUMMARY
This report provides Plastco Packaging plan of action for creating job satisfaction among machine operators. Human Resources professionals ranked these ten factors as most important in employee satisfaction:
job security,
relationship with immediate supervisor,
benefits,
communication between employees and senior management,
opportunities to use skills and abilities,
management recognition of employee job performance,
job-specific training,
feeling safe in the work environment,
compensation/pay, and
Overall corporate culture.
All these factors can be fulfilled if Plastco packaging follows the above mentioned recommendations.
APPENDIX –
CASE ANALYSIS:
Background information or synopsis (use point form)
Select the most relevant facts from the case which have a direct bearing on the issue at hand:
Plastco Packaging Ltd. is a medium-sized manufacturer of plastics bags.
Located on the west coast.
The three main phases in manufacturing process are:
Producing the plastic sheeting.
Printing the retailer’s name on the tubing.
Passing the rolls through bag machines that cut and seals the tubing.
In Production process, the bag making department has 12 semi automatic bag making machines.
Machines need frequent servicing, which are carried by mechanics from the maintenance department.
There are 16 employees working for the function of the bag making machines:
6 operators (male)
6 inspectors/packers (female)
4 utility workers (male)
On the job training process: supervisor selects among the utility operators, than they undergo a 6 month on-the-job training from an experienced operator.
It is an Unionized environment
Experiencing high turnover, low job satisfaction and motivation.
Primary/Root Problem(s) – explain
(list from most to least severe)
High turnover, low job satisfaction and motivation.
Compensation strategy is poorly designed.
High level of waste.
New competitor has opened up.
Who is involved?
What is their role and responsibility in creating or resolving the issue?
Management
Supervisors
Human resources department
Impact (s) of problem on costs, quality, customer service or innovation?
High turnover is harmful for plastco’s productivity as skilled workers are often leaving.
High turnover means that employees are not happy, satisfied or motivated by their jobs and compensation.
Compensation strategy seems to differentiate between male &female employees.
Waste incurs loss in raw material &time consumed in production process. This is a threat for environment too.
New competition could lead to loss of customers and future profits.
Symptoms of or Secondary Problem(s) – explain
(list from most severe to least severe)
Inconsistency of product quality
Employees accuse each other when questioned by supervisor.
Workplace stress – poor interpersonal relationships
Complaints from customers: inconsistent quality in products they receive.
Who is involved?
What is their role and responsibility in creating or resolving issue?
Management
Supervisors
Human resources department
Employees
Impact (s) of problem on costs, quality, customer service or innovation?
Plastco packaging would lose customer’s trust.
Workplace harassment could be the underlying issue.
Poor team work, low innovation and product quality.
Poor customer service and probably loss of customers if situation is not resolved quickly.
Alternatives to resolve root problems?
Job analysis and redesign: add more intrinsic rewards.
Restructure of compensation system, incorporate reward system.
Eliminate Waste.
Upgrading the product: by reducing complaints and delivering a high quality product.
Restructure of reward system
Costs
Human resource department salaries.
Benefits
Provides essential information for management before making organizational decisions
Show actual number and nature of jobs within the company
Maintain the competitiveness of the company in the market.
Create an obvious effect in motivating employees
Bring the specifics of a position in focus
Determine relative worth of each position and its appropriate class.
With eliminating waste &recycling Plastco ltd. can move some steps towards ‘ gogreen’
Pros
Job design is a tool for helping to motivate and challenge employee.
Alternatives to resolve symptoms of problems?
Conducting a workshop –
‘ How to Maintain Harmony at Workplace’.
Costs
Rewards are more than workshop’s cost.
Benefits
This would create a happier workforce and employees are more likely to remain loyal to the company, while performing to the best of their ability.
Pros
This would save money on recruitment and training.
Reduce absenteeism, lower staff turnover
Improve morale which can only be good for both staff and employers alike.
Improve work relationships.
Recommendation(s)?(choose two or three activities offering the best payback and which offer most bang for buck)
Keep the things as they are – don’t do anything.
Job analysis
Job design
Restructure of the reward system
Workshops
Justification for choosing this action?
Job analysis would facilitate accurate recruitment and selection practices at Plastco ltd, would set standards for performance appraisals and allow appropriate classification/reclassification of positions.
Job redesigning and delegating responsibility would enhance employee’s involvement and will provide a satisfied work environment for employees.
Intrinsic motivationcomes from rewards inherent to a task or activity itself, thus pay for performance would satisfy this behaviour.
Workshops will create harmony and would let employees to get better at the interpersonal level.
Implementation Plan
Describe Actions:
Responsibility?
Timing? # Days needed?
Resources Needed?
Short Term(<90 days)
Preparing and collecting information for job analysis.
Workshop
HR, Management,
20 -50 days.
Doing Internet research.
Board Room, videos, pamphlets,
Expert trainers.
Medium Term (3 Mons. – 2 years)
Job redesigning based on job analysis information
Follow up to determine effectiveness of workshop.
HR, Management,
1yr-2yrs
Long Term (over 2 years)
Audit job redesign and improvements on product quality.
By reviewing the dealings with costumers, their complaints, number of lost customer and value of market share.
HR, Management,
2 yrs Ongoing process.
