Fostering positive deviance: a potential strategy to an engaged workforce

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (8) ◽  
pp. 1-3
Author(s):  
Naman Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Employee Engagement ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Positive Deviance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Employee Deviance ◽  
Potential Strategy

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to suggest positive deviance as a tool to enhance employee engagement. Design/methodology/approach The article offers the viewpoint of the author based on the pieces of the current research available on the subjects of positive deviance and employee engagement Findings The paper reveals that positive deviance may help the organizations to enhance their engagement levels. Originality/value Employee deviance has generally been regarded as negative, the paper suggests that positive deviance can be used to foster employee engagement.

Developing an employee recognition program that promotes learning across the organization

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (6) ◽  
pp. 45-48
Author(s):  
Simon R. Reese
Keyword(s):  
Employee Engagement ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Corporate Strategy ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Employee Recognition ◽  
Strategic Vision ◽  
Employee Alignment ◽  
Common Purpose ◽  
Learning Together

Purpose Recognition programs have proven to be a useful tool in engaging employees and helping align them around a common purpose. In this case, study the organization created a recognition program that promoted learning across the organization. The easy to follow steps provided herein can be replicated by leaders in any organization. Design/methodology/approach The case study provides a quick reflection of the steps taken by the organization to create a recognition program that linked behaviors, tactical actions and corporate strategy in a way that engaged all toward learning together. Findings With the new program, the organization not only improved employee engagement and alignment around four critical behaviors, the organization also witnessed employee alignment around strategic vision and revenue improvements. Originality/value Studies find that employee engagement is seriously lacking. Studies also find that employee engagement is beneficial to employee contribution and employee success. Recognition programs have been described as one method to improve engagement. This case study illustrates how an organization was able to implement such a program.

How to increase employee engagement

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Performance ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Employee Engagement ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Reading Time ◽  
Growth Mindset ◽  
Positive Outcomes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Pertinent Information ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings An engaged workforce is critical to organizational performance. Firms can increase engagement levels by developing a learning culture and empowering its employees. Positive outcomes are likelier still with individual workers who possess a strong growth mindset. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Positive deviance: learning from positive anomalies

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 109-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul G. LeMahieu ◽  
Lee E. Nordstrum ◽  
Dick Gale
Keyword(s):  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Dropout Prevention ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Action Learning ◽  
Positive Deviance ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Success Stories ◽  
Theoretical Foundations

Purpose This paper is one of seven in this volume, each elaborating different approaches to quality improvement in education. The purpose of this paper is to delineate a methodology called positive deviance. Design/methodology/approach The paper presents the origins, theoretical foundations, core principles and a case study demonstrating an application of positive deviance in US education, specifically dealing with the problem of high school dropout prevention in a California school district. Findings The six phases of this “asset-based” improvement approach are: define the organizational or community problem and desired outcomes; determine common practices relevant to the problem; discover uncommon but successful behaviors and strategies that solve the problem (the positive deviants), through inquiry and observation; design an action learning initiative based on findings; discern (monitor) progress of the initiative by documenting and evaluating regularly; and disseminate results through sharing, honoring and amplifying success stories. Originality/value Few theoretical treatments and demonstration cases are currently available on commonly used models of quality improvement from business, manufacturing and other fields that have potential value in improving education systems internationally. This paper fills this gap by elucidating one promising approach. By facilitating a comparison of the positive deviance approach to other quality improvement approaches treated in this volume, the paper provides added value.

Mastering the art of meeting optimization

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 17-19
Keyword(s):  
Task Performance ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Employee Engagement ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Reading Time ◽  
Design Characteristic ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Pertinent Information ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
And Task

Purpose This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings This research paper concentrates on the meeting design characteristic of meeting size in order to uncover how this impacts employee engagement and task performance within an organization. The results revealed that meetings viewed by employees as being effective does boost their engagement level at work. Furthermore small meeting sizes consisting of well-chosen participants transpired to be the most effective format for yielding improved end-of-the-day task performance in the participants. Managers are therefore advised to seek feedback on the relevance of their meeting invitations, and carefully consider who is likely to add value to a meeting. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives, strategists and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Increasing employee engagement and discretionary effort

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Employee Engagement ◽  
Leadership Practices ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Reading Time ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Discretionary Effort ◽  
Pertinent Information ◽  
Overall Performance ◽  
Role Behaviors

Purpose Additional efforts from engaged employees can positively impact on overall performance of the company. Different leadership practices have scope to motivate employees to engage in extra-role behaviors. However, practitioners must remain aware that effects may vary markedly in different cultural settings. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings Additional efforts from engaged employees can positively impact on overall performance of the company. Different leadership practices have scope to motivate employees to engage in extra-role behaviors. However, practitioners must remain aware that effects may vary markedly in different cultural settings. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Increasing employee engagement

2015 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 34-36
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Employee Engagement ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Reading Time ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cutting Edge ◽  
Performance Levels ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Pertinent Information ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach – This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings – Douglas Conant once remarked that companies must first win in the workplace to succeed in the marketplace. With this quote, the former CEO of Campbell’s Soup was pointing out the importance of employee engagement. Statistics back up his claim. Workers who are disaffected negatively impact the financial well-being of an organization. This cost has been measured in hundreds of billions of dollars each year. The picture is radically different where engaged employees are concerned. Such individuals are invested in their work and readily buy into the firm’s values and objectives. Employee engagement typically generates an increase in performance levels and output. Satisfaction levels are high, and they are considerably less likely to leave the company than other workers. Practical implications – The paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world’s leading organizations. Originality/value – The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

VocaLink wins gold for outstanding people practices

2014 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 4-7
Keyword(s):  
Employee Engagement ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Induction Programs ◽  
Payment Systems ◽  
Leadership And Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
International Payment ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – This paper aims to observe that strong policies on employee engagement helped the UK and international payment-systems provider VocaLink to introduce organizational change smoothly and win Investors in People (IiP) gold for its human resource (HR) practices. Design/methodology/approach – This paper describes the company’s HR policies and the advantages they bring. Findings – The authors explain that to achieve Investors in People gold, the company should exceed the benchmark for a number of assessment categories including: business and people strategies, leadership and management strategies and effectiveness, involvement and empowerment, reward strategies, performance measurement and continuous improvement. Practical implications – It is revealed that the company has strong induction programs, listens to feedback and puts a lot of energy into ensuring that leadership across the business is organized in a way that both deliver the corporate message and develop teams. Social implications – This paper contends that by offering a great place to work where people can grow and develop, VocaLink can recruit and retain great staff. Originality/value – This paper describes an organization where people are enthusiastic about the potential of the business and the opportunity it offers to further improve processes and relationships.

Who benefits from benefits?

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 117-124
Author(s):  
John Gerard Fisher
Keyword(s):  
Employee Engagement ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Employee Benefits ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Specific Research ◽  
Commercial Practice ◽  
Annual Basis ◽  
The Past ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to review the role of benefits within the employee engagement mix of activities and products and provide three areas for strategic improvement. Design/methodology/approach The paper examines surveys and some well-known models for the inclusion of benefits in employee remuneration and draws on any insights that study uncovers. Findings The findings are that employee benefits should be critically appraised on an annual basis, not simply added to because they seem popular or are “in the news”. Research limitations/implications No specific research was undertaken, as this was a viewpoint of current commercial practice. Practical implications Employers should recognize that spend-to-get benefits require participants to spend their own money and therefore represent a cost to employees rather than a benefit. Employers need to research benefits take-up and participant opinions if the value of introducing them is to be fully realized. Communicating the features of benefits is usually poorly done by internal HR teams. Social implications Better scrutiny of the benefits basket and a closer eye on their effectiveness are required. Originality/value This is a considered view taken from the experience of running a number of commercial engagement programmes in the past 12 months with a view to helping practitioners avoid costly mistakes in future.

Employee engagement constructs: “CARE” model of engagement – need to look beyond the obvious

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Swaminathan Mani ◽  
Mridula Mishra
Keyword(s):  
Employee Engagement ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Extensive Literature ◽  
Care Model ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Engagement Strategies ◽  
Alternative Perspective ◽  
Exploratory Survey ◽  
New Variables

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to identify new variables that form the core building blocks of employee engagement model which can be leveraged by human resources' (HR) practitioners to develop HR strategies to drive employee engagement initiatives in their companies.Design/methodology/approachThe authors have undertaken extensive literature review to identify the variables that enhances engagement. These variables are yet to be leveraged fully in engagement models that have been developed but have the potential to impact the motivation levels of the employees. Exploratory survey to validate the relevance of these variables was conducted and subsequently these variables were grouped into a Context, Altruistic, Resonance and Enable (“CARE”) framework that can be leveraged by HR practitioners.FindingsThe changing nature of workforce, increasing diversity and tenure of jobs has resulted in changing aspirations of employees as well. The building blocks hitherto adopted by companies to craft their employee engagement strategies have to undergo a perceptible change as well. This paper offers an alternative perspective of relooking the engagement levers currently adopted by firms (work environment, autonomy, appreciation, organization support, etc.) and proposes 15 new building blocks (resonant connections, value congruence, socialization practices, micro-moments of connections, fit amongst others) which are logically grouped under CARE model over which employee engagement strategies can be built by companies.Originality/valueThis paper provides insights into this important concept of employee engagement using a set of newer constructs that can form the foundation of newer models that will drive future HR strategies to enhance engagement.

Creating a winning culture: next step for leading HR professionals

2016 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 51-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dave Ulrich ◽  
Wayne Brockbank
Keyword(s):  
Employee Engagement ◽  
Human Resource ◽  
Business Performance ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Organization Culture ◽  
Random Set ◽  
Human Resource Professionals ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Business Results ◽  
The Right

Purpose This paper aims to answer the why, what and how of culture as an emerging human resource agenda. Understanding culture is a trending topic for organization executives and thought leaders. Few deny the importance of culture for shaping and sustaining employee engagement and productivity, sustained strategy and business results. But while culture matters, it is often ambiguous and hard to define. Design/methodology/approach Based on our research on over 1,000 organizations, the authors have found that organization (culture) impacts business performance two to four times as much as individual talent. Findings The authors suggest that culture is not just a random set of values, beliefs or emotions, but a winning culture turns customer promises (firm brands) into internal organization actions. This paper proposes a disciplined process for creating a winning culture that engages employees in the right issues and invite human resource professionals to step up to this opportunity. Originality/value In this paper, the authors posit that the war for talent may be supplemented by understanding victory through organization culture.

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