Chapter 5

STAFFING THE ENGINEERING

ORGANIZATION
5 | STAFFING THE ENGINEERING ~
After setting up the organizational structure that has
ORGANIZATION been decided to best serve the interest of a certain firm,
the next move that has to be made is to fill up the identified
positions with the most qualified persons available.
A. © What is Staffing? Engineering organizations are very sensitive to
whatever staffing errors are made. Placing the wrong
© © The Staffing Procedure
person in a highly specialized position like quality control,
Human Resource Planning for instance, may bring untold damages to the firm. Yet,
this refers to a single error only.
Recruitment An example of the ill-effects of staffing errors was
provided by the TV program “Brigada Siete,” The disaster
Selection
that happened in the Film Center at the Cultural Center
Complex in Manila was highlighted in the program. In
Induction and Orientation
November 1981, the whole sixth floor of the Film Center
Training and Development collapsed while undergoing construction. Many workers
and an engineer died as a result.
Performance Appraisal When interviewed by the TV program’s staff, a former
construction worker said he was hired to do masonry job
Employment Decisions
when he does not have training in masonry. Some other
examples of staffing errors were provided in the program.
Separations
This type of tragedy underscores the importance of
staffing in any organization, engineering or otherwise.
Effective staffing, on the other hand places the engineering
organization on a competitive stance.

WHAT IS STAFFING?
The engineer manager must be concerned with

“Brigada Siete", TV Channel 7 program, November 23, 1996.

 tting the right persons in various positions within his
ee al Although some of the important aspects
of staffing may be delegated to the human resource office,
the engineer manager assumes a great responsibility in
assuring that the right persons are assigned to positions
that fit their qualifications.
Staffing may be defined as “the management function
that determines human resource needs, recruits, selects,
trains, and develops human resources for jobs created by
an organization.”
Staffing is undertaken to match people with jobs so
that the realization of the organization’s objectives will
be facilitated.
THE STAFFING PROCEDURE
The staffing process consists of the following series
of steps:*
human resource planning
recruitment
YN
a systematic deployment of human resources at various
levels. To be able to do this, the engineer manager will
have to involve himself with human resource planning.
This will be done in conjunction with the efforts of the
human resource officer, i.e., if the company has one.
Human resource planning may involve three activi-
ties, as follows:
Li Forecasting — which is an assessment of future
human resource needs in relation to the current
capabilities of the organization.
2. Programming — which means translating the
forecasted human resource needs to personnel
objectives and goals.
3. Evaluation and control — which refers to moni-
toring human resource action plans and
evaluating their success.
Methods of Forecasting. The forecasting of man-
power needs may be undertaken using any of the follow-
ing quantitative methods:*
1. Time series methods — which use historical data

selection
to develop forecasts of the future.
induction and orientation
2. Explanatory, or causal models — which are at-
training and development tempts to identify the major variables that are
related to or have caused particular past con-
IAA

performance appraisal
ditions and then use current measures of these
employment decisions (monetary rewards, trans-
variables to predict future conditions.
fers, promotions and demotions) and
The three major types of explanatory models
8. separations. are as follows:
Human Resource Planning a) regression models (presented in Chapter 2)
The planned output of any organization will require b) econometric models — a system of regression
equations estimated from past time-series
Leslie W. Rue and Lloyd L. Byers, Management Theory and Application,
Fourth Edition (Homewood, Illinois: Irwin, N.D.) p. 630. ‘Kathryn M. Bartol and David C. Martin, Management (New York: McGraw-
*Plunkett and Attner, pp. 263-264. Hill, 1991) pp, 297-300.

91
 data and used to show the effect of various
independent variables on various dependent
variables.®
c) leading indicators — refers to time series
that anticipate business cycle turns.
3. Monitoring methods — are those that provide
early warning signals of significant changes in
established patterns and relationships so that the
engineer manager can assess the likely impact
and plan responses if required.
Recruitment
When the different positions have been identified to
be necessary and the decision to fill them up has been
made, the next logical step is recruitment.
Recruitment refers to attracting qualified persons to
apply for vacant positions in the company so that those
who are best suited to serve the company may be selected.
Source of Applicants
When management wants to fill up certain vacancies,
the following sources may be tapped:
1. The organization‘s current employees. Some of
the organization’s current employees may be
qualified to occupy positions higher than the ones
they are occupying. They should be considered.
2. Newspaper advertising. There are at least three
major daily newspapers distributed throughout
the Philippines. Readership is higher during
Sundays.
3. Schools. These are good sources of applicants.
*Heinz Kohler, Statistics for Business and Economics (Glenview, Illinois:
Scott, Foresman and Company, 1985) p. G-6.
— Representatives of companies may interview
applicants inside campuses.
4. Referrals from employees. Current employees
sometimes recommend relatives and friends
who may be qualified.
5. Recruitment firms. Some companies are speci-
fically formed to assist client firms in recruiting
qualified persons. Examples of these companies
are the SGV Consulting and John Clements Con-
sultants, Inc., (See Figure 5.1).
6. Competitors. These are useful sources of qualified
but underutilized personnel.
For entry-level personnel, the engineer manager
will likely rely on newspaper advertising, schools, and
referrals. When recruiting managers, the reliable sour-
ces are current employees, recruitment firms, and com-
petitors.
Selection
Selection refers to the act of choosing from those that
are available the individuals most likely to succeed on the
job. A requisite for effective selection is the preparation
of a list indicating that an adequate pool of candidates
is available.
The purpose of selection is to evaluate each candidate
and to pick the most suited for the position available.
Selection procedures may be simple or complex
depending on the costs of a wrong decision. If the man-
agement picks the wrong person and the subsequent
effect to the organization is negligible, then the selection
process is made simple. This is true in the case of con-
struction laborers where a review of their applications is
done. Within a few days or even a few hours, the applicants
are informed of the decision.
Figure 5.1 An Example of the Services Provided by a
Professional Recruitment Firm
PROFESSIONAL STAFFERS
A Division of John Clements Consultants, Inc.
A multinational firm which is poised to revolutionize
the building
materials industry locally and internationally, our client is offering —
rewarding career opportunities to highly driven professionals who can
assume the posts of:
SALES ENGINEERS
SALES REPRESENTATIVE
in maintaning and developing dealer accounts, the appointees will be
expected to provide pre-sales and post-sales support to dealers and
implement marketing activities. The background we seek consists of:
* 2-3 years of experience in selling construction/building
materials gained from a manufacturing or marketing firm;
* exposure in wood business will be an advantage;
* aggressiveness and good command of the English language;
* computer literacy and driving skills;
* knowledge of Chinese dialect is a plus factor but not a
requirement;
¢ degree in Engineering or Architecture is preferred but post —
ig open to any business course;
* male or female, 25 to 30 years old.
Attractive remuneration and benefit packages plus commissions will
be offered to the successful candidates.
Resumés coded Salesforce -96-243 should be forwarded not later than
15 November 1996 to the address below.
PROFESSIONAL STAFFERS
4/F Golden Rock Building
168 Salcedo St., Legaspi Village, Makati City
Tel. nos, 812-59-94/813-43-85
*From an advertisement, Manila Bulletin, November 10, 1996,
p. C-3.
94
When the position under consideration involves
special skills, a more elaborate selection process is un-
dertaken.
Ways of Determining the Qualifications
of a Job Candidate
Companies use any or all of the following in deter-
mining the qualifications of a candidate:
1. Application blanks. The application blank pro-
vides information about a person’s characteris-
tics such as age, marital status, address, edu-
cational background, experience, and special
interests. After reading the application blank, the
_ evaluator will have some basis on whether or not
to proceed further in evaluating the applicant.
2. References. References are those written by
previous employers, co-workers, teachers, club
officers, etc. Their statements may provide some
vital information on the character of the ap-
plicant.
3. Interviews. Information may be gathered in an
interview by asking a series of relevant ques-
tions to the job candidate.
4. Testing. This involves an evaluation of the future
behavior or performance of an individual.
Types of Tests
Tests may be classified as follows:
1. Psychological tests — which is “an objective,
standard measure of a sample behavior”.* It is
classified into;
a) aptitude test — one used to measure a per-
son’s capacity or potential ability to learn.
*Margaret Matlin, Psychology (New York: Harcourt Brace, 1992) p. 460.
 b) performance test — one used to measure a
person's current knowledge of a subject.
c) personality test — one used to measure
personality traits as dominance, sociability,
and conformity.
dad) interest test — one used to measure
person’s interest in various fields of work.
2. Physical examination — a type of test given to
assess the physical health of an applicant. It is
given “to assure that the health of the applicant
is adequate to meet the job requirements.”
Induction and Orientation
After an applicant is finally selected from among the
various ones and then subsequently is hired, the next steps’
undertaken are induction and orientation.
In induction, the new employee is provided with the
necessary information about the company. His duties,
responsibilities, and benefits are relayed to him. Person-
nel and health forms are filled up, and passes are is-
sued. The company history, its products and services, and
the organization structure are explained to the new em-
ployee.
In orientation, the new employee is introduced to
the immediate working environment and co-workers.
The following are discussed: location, rules, equipment,
procedures, and training plans. Performance expecta-
tions are also discussed. The new employee also under-
goes the “socialization process” by pairing him with an
experienced employee and having a one-on-one discussion
with the manager.
"Herbert J. Cruden and Arthur W. Sherman, Jr, Managing Human
Resources, Seventh Edition (Cincinnati; South-Western Publishing Co., 1984)
p. 134.
Training and Development
If the newly-hired (or newly-promoted) employee is
assessed to be lacking the necessary skills required by the
job, training becomes a necessity.
Training refers to the “learning that is provided in
a order to improve performance on the present job.” Train-
_ ing programs consist of two general types, namely:*
1. training programs for nonmanagers, and
2. training and educational programs for executives.
Training Program for Nonmanagers
This type of training is directed to nonmanagers for
specific increases in skill and knowledge to perform a
particular job. The four methods under this type are:
1. On-the-job training — where the trainer is placed
in an actual work situation under the direction
of his immediate supervisor, who acts as trainer.
This situation motivates strongly the trainee to
learn.
2. Vestibule school — where the trainee is placed
in a situation almost exactly the same as the
workplace where machines, materials, and time
constraints are present. As the trainer works
full time, the trainee is assured of sufficient
attention from him.
3. Apprenticeship program — where a combina-
tion of on-the-job training and experiences with
classroom instruction in particular subjects are
provided to trainees.
“Jerry W. Gilley and Steven A. Eggland, Principles of Human Resource
Development (Reading, Massachusettes: Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., Inc.
1989) p. 7,
“Edwin B. Flippe, Personnel Management, Sixth Edition (New York:
McGraw-Hill Book Co,, 1984) p. 200.
97
 Figure 5.2 An Example of an Invitation for Enroliment in
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more emphasis on education rather than train-
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Aldag and Stearns, p. G-11, *From an advertisement, Manila Bulletin, November 10,
“Wheelen and Hunger, p. 403. 1996, p. 18.
 Role-playing — is a method by which the train
- have the ability to educate, otherwise the method
ees are assigned roles to play in a given case
— will be ineffective.
incident. They are provided with a Script
or a
description of a given problem and of the Understudy — under this method, a manager
key
persons they are to play. The purpose of works as assistant to a higher-level manager and
this
method is to improve the skill of the trainees participates in planning and other managerial
in
human relations, supervision, and leadership functions until he is ready to assume such
.
position himself. Once in a while, the assistant
Behavior modeling — this method attempts
to is allowed to take over.
influence the trainee by “showing model pers
ons
behaving effectively in a problem situatio In the attempt to increase the trainee’s knowledge
n.”
The trainee is expected to adapt the behavior of the total organization, exposure to information and
of events outside of his immediate
job is made. In this regard,
the model and use it effectively in some insta
nces
later on. the following methods are useful:
Sensitivity training — under this method, aware- 1. Position rotation — under this method, the man-
ager is given assignments in a variety ofdepart-
ness and sensitivity to behavioral patterns of _
ments. The purpose is to expose him to differ-
oneself and others are developed.
ent functions of the organization.
Transactional analysis — is a training method
intended “to help individuals not only understa
2. Multiple management
— this method is premised
nd
themselves and others but also improve their on the idea that junior executives must be
interpersonal communication skills.” provided with means to prepare them for higher
management positions. To achieve this, a junior
In acquiring knowledge about the actual job the board of directors is created consisting of junior
man-
ager is currently holding, the following methods are executives as members. The board is given the
useful:
1. On-the-job experience — this method authority to discuss problems that the senior
provides board could discuss. The members are encouraged
valuable opportunities for the trainee to
learn to take a broad business outlook rather than
various skills while actually engaged
in the concentrating on their specialized lines of work.
performance of a job.
Coaching — this method requires a senio Performance Appraisal
r man-
ager to assist a lower-level manager by
teach- Performance appraisal is the measurement of em-
ing him the needed skills and generally
provi- ployee performance. The purposes for which performance
ding directions, advice, and helpful criti
cism. appraisal is made are as follows:
The senior manager must be skilled himself
and 1. To influence, in a positive manner,
employée
“Dale Yoder and Paul D. Standohar, Personnel
Relations, Seventh Edition (Englewood Cliffs,
Management and Industrial performance and development;
New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc.,
1987) p. 274.
“Rue and Byars, p. 436. “Bartol and Martin, p. 421,

100 101
 put and later on
To determine merit pay increases; set for the realistic worker out
formance of non-
To plan for future performance goals; used in evaluating the per
managerial employees.

&
Th determi Lis
= etermine training and development needs;
h evaluator ar-
Ranking method — where eac
er from the best
ranges employees in rank ord
To assess the promotional potential of employees.
to the poorest.
re the evaluator
Ways of Appraising Performance Critical-incident method — whe
critical)
man : recalls and writes down specific (but perform-
An employee's gperfor
ethan may be measured using incidents that indicate the employee’ s
any of the followin when employee's
ance. A critical incident occurs
success or failure
1, Rating scale
call method — wh where each trait behavior results in an unusual
characteristic to be rated is represented by line on’some parts of the job.
or scale on which the rater indicates the degree
to which the individual possesses the trait o Employment Decisions
characteristic. ce of employees
: After evaluating the performan
management will now be
Essay method — where the evaluator composes’ (managerial or otherwise), the
s sions. These may consist
state
person eva- ready to make employment deci
oe that best describe the of the following:
are given to em-
Management by objectives method — 1. Monetary rewards — these
at par or above
specific goals are set collaboratively for is, - ployees whose performance is
nization as a whole, for various subunits, and standard requirements.
for each individual member. Individuals are a movement by a
Promotion — this refers to
then, evaluated on the basis of how well th pay and greater
person into a position of higher
en as a reward
have achieved the results specified by the ap responsibilities and which is giv
Assessment center method — where one i for competence and ambition.
of a person to
evaluated by persons other than the hutuadlate
g Transfer — this is the movement l of
supeeae
saa . This method isi used for evaluating
riors. a differentjob at the same or similar leve
. Transfers are
responsibility in the organization
ties for the
Checklist method — where the evaluator checks made to provide growth opportuni
performing
statements on a list that are deemed to charac- persons involved or to get rid of a poor
terize an employee's behavior or performance. employee.
from one posi-
6. Work standards method — where standards are Demotion — this is a movement
pay or respon-
tion to another which has less
is used as a form
sibility attached to it. Demotion
“Cruden and Sherman, pp. 239-246,
103
 of punishment or as a temporary measure to keep The ways of determiningini the qua lifications of job
an employee until he is offered a higher position.
candidates consist of application blanks, references,
Separation interviews, and testing.
Training programs consist of one type for non-
Separation is either a voluntary or involuntary ;
termination of an employee. When made voluntarily, the managers and another type for executives.
organization’s management must find out the real rea- The various methods of performance appraisal _
son. If the presence of a defect in the organization is classified into the rating scale method, the essay or ,
determined, corrective action is necessary. management by objectives method, assessment eR
Involuntary separation (or termination) is the last method, checklist method, work standards method,
option that the management exercises when an employee's ranking method, and critical-incident method.
performance is poor or when he/she committed an act Employment decisions are classified as: monetary
violating the company rules and regulations. This is rewards, promotion, transfer, and demotion.
usually made after training efforts fail to produce positive
results, Separations may be classified as voluntary or
involuntary.
SUMMARY
Engineering organizations are not immune to the
difficulties of filling with qualified persons the various
positions identified in the organizing stage. As the outputs
of engineering firms are produced by people under the
supervision of engineer managers, errors in the per-
formance of jobs may not be easily discernible. As such,
staffing must be treated with serious concern.
Staffing deals with the determination of human
resource needs, recruitment, selection, training, and
development.
The staffing process consists of the following series
of steps: human resource planning, recruitment, select-
ion, induction and orientation, training and development,
performance appraisal, employment decisions, and
separations.
The sources of applicants consist of the organization’s
current employees, newspaper advertising, schools,
referrals from employees, recruitment firms, and com-
petitors.

104
 QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND DISCUSSION
Why is staffing an important activity?
What activities are undertaken in staffing?
What is the purpose of human resource planning?
How may human resource needs be determined?
What are the possible sources of applicants for va-
cant positions in the firm?
What is the implication of the cost of the “wrong
decision” in the selection process?
How may one determine the qualifications of a job
candidate?
8. How may the types of tests be described?
9. In induction, what activities are undertaken?
10.
How may the two general types of training be
described?
SUGGESTED ITEM FOR RE-SEARCH
. Prepare a forecast of the human resource needs of
an engineering firm.
106
Case 5. KUNDIMAN COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION:
Mr. Lonely
The Kundiman Communications Corportion (KCC)
is a local company with more than 2,000 persons in its
payroll. The company’s top management is composed of
the President, the Vice President for Marketing, the Vice
President for Operations; and the Vice President for
Administration, . —
A member of the staff, Engineer Lorenzo de Guzman,
an electronics engineering graduate, has just received an
order from his immediate superior, the VP for Operations,
to head the newly built telecommunication facility in
Antipolo, Rizal. So far, he is the only company personnel
identified with the new facility. He was given three months
to make the facility operational.
Engineer de Guzman appraised that for the Antipolo
unit to operate, it will require the services of a number
of persons skilled in the various activities that will be
undertaken.
As he has been working with KCC for ten years (five
years in the field and five years in the head office),
Engineer de Guzman is familiar with many aspects of the
firm’s operation. Some of the supervisors and three of the
key officers are his friends.
Engineer de Guzman felt that the various trainings
KCC provided him had really prepared him well for the
technical aspects of his new job. His exposure to the
different units at the head office will also be useful in some
ways to the administrative aspects of his position.
However, his trainings and experiences have not provided
him with the expertise to recruit qualified persons to
occupy the various positions that will be created. To begin
with, he does not even have information on the number
and nature of the positions to be created.
As he was inspecting the building in Antipolo where
107
he will hold office, Engineer de Guzman wondered if he
could convince top management to transfer some of his—
acquaintances in the head office to his new assignment.
Engineer de Guzman knows that his next promo-
tion will depend much in the success of the new facility
under his direction. He thought that if he could only get
the right persons, his job would not be too difficult. With
6] COMMUNICATING
this in mind, he pondered on what his first move must —
be.
What Communication Is

Functions of Communication

The Communication Process

Forms of Communication

The Barriers to Communication

Overcoming Barriers to Communication

Techniques for Communicating in Organizations
Management Information System

108
 Chapter 6
COMMUNICATING
The achievement of the objectives of the engineer-
ing organization will depend on the performance of the
human and non-human elements attached to it. The task
of management is to “program” these elements correctly
so that each will respond accordingly to their assigned
tasks. Standard programming methods have already
been adapted by technologists for most machines and
equipment.
The programming approach to the human element
is different and must be dealt with using methods espoused
by behavioral scientists. Employees will perform accord-
ing to the dictates of their minds. If this is really so, then
management must reach them through powerful means
of persuasion under an atmosphere conducive to effective
communication.
The issue now will be “is management using the
communication option effectively?” The answer must be
“yes”, for if not, trouble may be forthcoming, if it has not
yet arrived.
WHAT COMMUNICATION IS
Morris Philip Wolf and Shirley Kuiper define com-
munication as “a process of sharing information through
symbols, including words and message.”
Communication may happen between superior and
subordinate, between peers, between a manager and a
client or customer, between an employee and a government
‘Morris Philip Wolf and Shirley Kuiper, Effective Communication in Busi-
ness, Eighth Edition (Cincinnati: South-Western Publishing Co., 1987) p. 5.
110
representative, etc. It may be done face-to-face, or through
printed materials, or through an electronics device like
the telephone, etc.
In management, communication must be made for
a purpose and because it has a cost attached to it, it must
be used effectively.
FUNCTIONS OF COMMUNICATION
Communication may be used to serve any of the
following functions:
1. Information function — Information provided
through communication may be used for deci-
sion-making at various work levels in the orga-
nization. A construction worker, for instance,
may be given instructions on the proper use of
certain equipment. This will later provide him
with a guide in deciding which equipment to use
in particular circumstances.
Another concern is the manager who wants
to make sure that his decision in promoting an
employee to a higher position is correct. Through
communication, the information provided will
minimize if not eliminate the risk.
2. Motivation function — Communication is also
oftentimes used as a means to motivate em-
ployees to commit themselves to the organiza-
tion’s objectives.
3. Control function — When properly commu-
nicated, reports, policies, and plans define roles,
clarify duties, authorities and responsibilities.
Effective control is, then, facilitated.
4. Emotive function — When feelings are repressed
*William G. Scott and Terence R. Mitchell, Organization Theory: A
Structural Behavioral Analysis (Homewood, Ilinois: Irwin, 1979) p. 3.
ill
 in the organization, employees are affected by
anxiety, which, in turn, affects performance.
Whatever types of emotions are involved, whe-
ther satisfaction, dissatisfaction, happiness, or
bitterness, communication provides a means to
decrease the internal pressure affecting the
individual.
THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS
The communication process consists of eight step:
Figure 6.1 The Communication Process
SENDER Seer
I
develops
idea
which are as follows: develop an idea, encode, transmit,
receive, decode, accept, use, and provide feedback."
Develop an Idea
The most important step in effective communication
is developing an idea. It is important that the idea to be
conveyed must be useful or of some value. An example
of a useful idea is how to prevent accidents in workplaces.
Encode
The next step is to encode the idea into words,
illustrations, figures, or other symbols suitable for
transmission. The method of transmission should be
determined in advance so that the idea may be encoded
to conform with the specific requirements of the identified
method. An example of an encoded message using telefax
as a means of transmission is shown in Figure 6.2.

(encodes ) Transmit

then After encoding, the message is now ready for trans-

transmits mission through the use of an appropriate communica-
message tion channel. Among the various channels used include
to the spoken word, body movements, the written word,
television, telephone, radio, an artist’s paint, electronic
RECEIVER mail, etc.
T Proper transmission is very important so the mes-
who sage sent will reach and hold the attention of the receiver.
receives
To achieve this, the communication channel must be free
message
of barriers, or interference (sometimes referred to as noise).

Receive
The next step is the communication process is the
actual receiving of the message by the intended receiver.

‘John W. Newstrom and Keith Davis; Organizational Behavior, Human

Behavior at Work, Ninth Edition (New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1993) pp.
94-96.

112 113
The requirement is for the receiver to be ready to receive — decoding may be achieved. Examples of various terms
at the precise moment the message relayed by the sen- encoded and decoded are shown in Figure 6.3.
der.
If the receiver understands the purpose and the
Figure 6.2 In Example of an Encoded Message for Telefax background situation of the sender, decoding will be greatly
Transmission improved. In legal practice, for instance, the declarations
of a dying person have more weight,
Calao West Chemicals Corporation
Accept ,
Santiago City Branch
Sales Report for January 1997 The next step is for the receiver to accept or reject
the message. Sometimes, acceptance (or rejection) is
Area Volume Amount rtial. An example is provided as follows:
(in drums) a ; : : ,
I 1,000 1,000,000 A newly-hired employee was sent toa supervisor with
- a note from his superior directing the supervisor to accept
1,342 1,342,000 the employee into his unit and to provide the necessary
il 2,045 2,045,000 training and guidance.
IV 1,089 1,089,000
Vv 2,686 2,686,000 Figure 6.3 Examples of Encoded and Decoded Information
VI 3,450 3,450,000
Total 11,612 11,612,000
5/10; n/30 Sales on account
is allowed
Prepared by: A five percent discount it
deducted from total price
pau Wee if settied within ten days
Account must be settlec
The message may be initially received by a machine within 30 days.
or by a person. In any case, communication stops when Indicates beginning of ¢
the machine is not turned or tuned on to receive the flowcharting activity.
message, or the person assigned to receive the message
does not listen or pay attention properly.
arrivals — —>| service | |—> departures
Decode OOO facility after services
A basic queuing system
The next step, decoding, means translating the
configuration indicating
message from the sender into a form that will have a single-channel, single-
meaning to the recipient. If the receiver knows the lan- phase system.
guage and terminology used in the message, successful

1l4 115
 As the supervisor feels that he was not consulted in
the hiring process, he thinks that his only obligation is
to accept the employee in his unit and nothing more.
The factors that will affect the acceptance or rejection
of a message are as follows:
the accuracy of the message;
2. whether or not the sender has the authority to
send the message and/or require action; and
3. the behavioral implications for the receiver.
Use
The next step is for the receiver to use the information.
If the message provides information of importance to a
relevant activity, then the receiver could store it and
retrieve it when required. If the message requires a certain
action to be made, then he may do so, otherwise, he
discards it as soon as it is received. All of the above-
mentioned options will depend on his perception of the
message.
Provide Feedback
The last step in the communication process is for the
receiver to provide feedback to the sender. Depending on
the perception of the receiver, however, this important step
may not be made.
Even if feedback is relayed, it may not reach the
original sender of the message. This may be attributed —
to the effects of any of the communication barriers.
FORMS OF COMMUNICATION
Communication consists of two major forms:
1. verbal and
2. nonverbal.
Verbal Communication
Verbal communications are those transmitted
through hearing or sight. These modes of transmission
categorizes verbal communication into two classes: oral
and written.
Oral communication mostly involves hearing the
words of the sender, although sometimes, opportunities
are provided for Seeing the sender’s body movements,
facial expression, gestures, and eye contact. Sometimes,
feeling, smelling, tasting, and touching are involved.
An alternative to oral communication is the written
communication where the sender seeks to communicate
through the written word. The written communication is,
sometimes, preferred over the oral communication because
of time and cost constraints. When a sender, for instance,
cannot meet personally the receiver due to some reason,
a written letter or memo is prepared and sent to the
receiver,
The written communication, however, has limitations
and to remedy these, some means are devised. Perfume
advertisers, for instance, lace their written message with
the smell of their products, In the same light, the now
popular musical Christmas card is an attempt to enhance
the effects of the written note.
Nonverbal Communication
Nonverbal communication is a means of conveying
message through body language, as well as the use of
time, space, touch, clothing, appearance, and aesthetic
elements. Body language consists of gestures, bodily
movement, posture, facial expression, and mannerisms of
all kinds.*
Nonverbal expressions convey many shades of
‘Gerard 1, Nieremberg, The Art of Negotiating (New York: Cornerstone
Library, 1968) p. 101.
117
meaning and it is to the advantage of the communicator
to understand what messages are relayed.
THE BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION
Various factors may impede the efficient flow of
communication. Any, or all, of these factors may, at any
point, derail the process. Even if the message is trans-
mitted by the channel, the timing and the meaning of the
message may be affected by the factors.
The barriers to communication may be classified
generally as:
1. personal barriers
2. physical barriers
3. semantic barriers
Personal Barriers
Personal barriers are hindrances to effective com-
munication arising from a communicator’s characteris-
tics as a person, such as emotions, values, poor listening
habits, sex, age, race, socioeconomic status, religion,
education, etc.
Emotions cloud the communicator’s ability to judge
correctly the real meaning of messages received. People
with different values will find it hard to communicate with
each other. Poor listening habits of a receiver frustrate
the communication efforts of a sender.
Physical Barriers
Physical barriers refer to interferences to effective
communication occurring in the environment where the
communication is undertaken. The very loud sound
produced by a passing jet temporarily drowns out the voice
of a guest delivering a speech. Such distraction does not
allow full understanding of the meaning of the entire
message and is an example of a physical barrier.
118
Physical barriers include distances between people,
walls, a noisy jukebox near a telephone, etc. An office that
is too tidy may sometimes inhibit a person from meeting
the occupant of the office face-to-face. A menacing pet dog
(or secretary) posted near the door may also prevent a
person from directly communicating with the object person
behind the door.
A communication channel that is overloaded may also
prevent important information to reach the intended
user. Another physical barrier to communication is wrong
timing. For instance, how may one expect a person who
has just lost a loved one to act on an inquiry from a fellow
employee?
Semantic Barriers
Semantics is the study of meaning as expressed in
symbols.° Words, pictures, or actions are symbols that
suggest certain meanings. When the wrong meaning has
been chosen by the receiver, misunderstanding occurs.
Such error constitutes a barrier to communication.
A semantic barrier may be defined as an “interference
with the reception of a message that occurs when the
message is misunderstood even though it is received
exactly as transmitted.”
! For example, the words “wise” and “salvage” will have
different meanings to an English speaking foreigner than
to an ordinary Filipino.
OVERCOMING BARRIERS TO
COMMUNICATION
When communication barriers threaten effective
> ‘Joel P. Bowman and Bernadine P. Branchaw, Business Report Writing
(Chicago: The Dryden Press, 1984) p. 192.
; “Warren K. Agee and others, Introduction to Mass Communication, Ninth
Edition (Sydney: Harper and Row Publishers, 1988) p. A-9.
119
performance, certain measures must be instituted to Letters are appropriate when directives are complex
eliminate them. To eliminate problems due to noise, land precise actions are required. When orders aregimple
selective perception, and distraction, the following are ‘ut the result depends largely on employee morale,
recommended: techniques that provide personal interchange like meet-
‘ings and the telephone, are appropriate. Modern tech-
1. Use feedback to facilitate understanding and ology has made it possible for people to hold meetings
increase the potential for appropriate action. — _ @ven if they are thousands of kilometers apart from each
2. Repeat messages in order to provide assurance” other.
that they are properly received. Manuals are useful sources of information regarding
3. Use multiple channels so that the accuracy of the company policy, procedures, and organization. Unlike
information may be enhanced. using persons as sources of information, manuals are
available whenever it is needed.
4. Use simplified language that is easily under-—
standable and which eliminates the possibility Handbooks provide more specific information about
of people getting mixed-up with meanings. ‘ the duties and priveleges of the individual worker. It has
also the advantage of being available whenever needed.
TECHNIQUES FOR COMMUNICATING IN
Figure 6.4 Message Flow and Areas of Concern
ORGANIZATIONS
Communication may be classified as to the types of — } UPWARD COMMUNICATION DOWNWARD COMMUNICATION
flow of the message which are as follows: downward, Concems: Concems:
upward, or horizontal. Each of the types of message flow ©
problems and exceptions implementation of goals,
has its own purposes and techniques.
suggestions for improvement Strategies and objectives
Downward Communication performance reports job instructions and rationale
Downward communication refers to message flows grievances and disputes ~ procedures and practices
from higher levels of authority to lower levels. Among the financial and accounting — performance feedback
purposes of downward communication are: information — indoctrination
1. to give instructions
2. to provide information about policies and pro-
cedures HORIZONTAL COMMUNICATION
3. to give feedback about performance Concem:
— interdepartmental coordination
4. to indoctrinate or motivate
— intradepartmental problem-solving
Among the techniques used in downward commu-

V
— staff advice to the departments
nication are as follows: letters, meetings, telephones,
manuals, handbooks, and newsletters.

120 121
 Newsletters provide a mixture of personal, social, and
work-related information. Articles about new hirings,
promotions, birthdays of employees, questions and
answers about work related issues are presented.
Upward Communication
There is a need for management to provide employ-
ees with all the necessary material and non-material
support it can give. The first requirement, however, is
for management to know the specific needs of the em-
ployees. This is the primary reason for upward com-
munication.
Upward communication refers to messages from
persons in lower-level positions to persons in higher
positions. The messages sent usually provide information
on work progress, problems encountered, suggestions for
improving output, and personal feelings about work and
non-work activities.
Among the techniques used in upward commu-
nication are: formal grievance procedures, employee
attitude and opinion surveys, suggestion systems, open=
door policy, informal gripe sessions, task forces, and exit
interviews.
Formal Grievance Procedures. Grievances are part
of a normally operating organization. To effectively deal
with them, organizations provide a system for employees
to air their grievances.
Holley and Jennings define grievance as “any em=
ployee’s concern over a perceived violation of the labor
agreement that is submitted to the grievance procedure
for eventual resolution.”’ Grievances represent an open,
upward communication channel whereby employees can
offer suggestions to management.
"William H. Holley
and Kenneth M. Jennings, ee ee
Fourth Edition (New York: The Dryden Press, 1991) p. 566.
Depending on the size and nature of the company,
the grievance procedure may consist of a single step or
a number of steps. Companies with a collective bargaining
agreement with its union must refer to the grievance
_ procedure spelled out in the law on labor relations.*
Employee Attitude and Opinion Surveys. Finding out
what the employees think about the company is very
important. The exercise, however, requires expertise
and the company may not be prepared to do it. If the
organization’s operation is large enough to justify such
activity, then it must be done. If the assistance of an outside
research firm is considered, a benefit-cost analysis must
be used as a deciding factor.
Suggestion Systems. Suggestions from employees
are important sources of cost-saving and production
enhancing ideas. Even if majority of the suggestions are
not feasible, a simple means of acknowledging them
contributes to employee morale.
Open-Door Policy. An open-door policy, even on a
limited basis, provides the management with an oppor-
tunity to act on difficulties before they become full-blown
problems.
Informal Gripe Sessions. Informal gripe sessions can
be used positively if management knows how to handle
them. When employees feel free to talk and they are
assured of not being penalized for doing so, then man-
agement will be spared with lots of efforts determining
the real causes of problems in the company.
Task Forces. When a specific problem or issue arises,
a task force may be created and assigned to deal with the
problem or issue. Since membership of task forces con-
sists of management and nonmanagement personnel,
ae “Manuel M. Manansala, The Law on Labor Relations (Manila: National
Nookstore, 1991) p. 31.
123
integration and teamwork are fostered, creativity is —
enhanced, and interpersonal skills are developed.
Exit Interviews, When employees leave an orga-
nization for any reason, it is to the advantage of man-
agement to know the real reason. If there are negative
developments in the organization that management is
not aware of, exit interviews may provide some of the
answers.
Horizontal Communication
operations and external intelligence for use in decision-
making.”
The MIS currently used by corporate firms consists
of “written and electronically based systems for sending
| reports, memos, bulletins, and the like.” The system
allows managers of the different departments within the
firm to communicate with each other.
Figure 6.5 The MIS and Its Relation with the Different
Departments of the Organization

Horizontal communication refers to messages sent

to individuals or groups from another of the same orga-
nizational level or position.
Manufacturing oa ee Marketing
The purposes of horizontal communication are:
MANAGEMENT
1. to coordinate activities between departments Finance <—>| INFORMATION |<—»| Personnel
2. to persuade others at the same level of organi- SYSTEM
zation
3. to pass on information about activities or feelings
Engineering peo NE Research
Among the techniques appropriate for horizontal and
communication are: memos, meetings, telephones, picnics, Development
dinners, and other social affairs.
The Purposes of MIS
MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM The MIS is established for various reasons. Wheelen
and Hunger enumerate them as follows:"
It was mentioned at the beginning of this chapter that —
communication may be used to serve the information 1. To provide a basis for the analysis of early war-
function. This means that a way must be devised to allow ning signals that can originate both externally
the organization to absorb information necessary for | and internally.
effective decision-making. In this regard, companies of 2. To automate routine clerical operations like pay-
various sizes have organized systems to gather information
roll and inventory reports.
that will be useful to management.
Management information system (MIS) is defined » "Louis E. Boone and David L. Kurtz. Contemporary Business, Second
Edition (Hinsdale, Illinois: The Dryden Preas, 1979) p. G-7.
by Boone and Kurtz as “an organized method of provi- “Nickels and others, p. 380.
ding past, present, and projected information on internal “Wheelen and Hunger, p. 145.

124 126
 3. To assist managers in making routine decisions QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND DISCUSSION
like scheduling orders, assigning orders to 1. How important is communicating as a function of
machines, and reordering supplies. i engineering management?
4. To provide the information necessary for nee 2. What is communication? How may it be done?
agement to make strategic or nonprogrammed
decisions. 3. For what purposes may communication be used in
the organization?
SUMMARY 4. What are the steps in the communication process?
Communicating is a vital function of the engineer
manager. Organizations cannot function properly without 5. What is a communication channel? How may each
effective communication. If the required outputs must be of the channel types be described?
realized, communication must be managed. ‘ 6. What is meant by “noise”?
Communication is used to serve the information . What is “decoding”? How may it be successfully
function, motivation function, control function, an¢
achieved?
emotive function. ts

4. What are the forms of communication? How is one

The communication process consists of various ste 08 :
: different from the other?
namely, develop an idea, encode, transmit, receive, decode
accept, use, and provide feedback. . How may barriers to communication be classified?
The forms of communication are verbal and nom What e is the possible effect of emotion in commu-
verbal. nication?
The barriers to communication may be classified@ How may communication barriers be overcome?
personal, physical, or semantic, These may be elimi na
What techniques may be used in communication?
ted or minimized by using feedback, repeating messages
using multiple channels, and using simplified languagt . What is a management information system? What
Communication flows are either downward, upwar are its purposes?
or horizontal.
Management information systems are useful mea SUGGESTED ITEM FOR RESEARCH
of communication.
_ Serutinize an existing engineering organization by
classifying techniques used in communication.
Case 6. NORTHERN CONTAINER CORPORATION: Time to After a while, Engineer Monsod composed himself and
Cry prepared to think hard about what happened and what
possible remedies could be worked out.
Engineer Godofredo Monsod, Jr., general manager of -
Northern Container Corporation (NCC), was taken aback
Exhibit 1
by a letter-reply from a prospective new customer (see
Exhibit1). His company has been operating for only five
years and is in need of new customers with potentials of RED RIBBON MANUFACTURING CORPORATION
doing business with them in a long-term basis. 1201 Puting Bato
Taytay, Rizal
NCC is engaged in the manufacture of general a
sanitary tin cans, cooking oil filling facilities, and moulds 27 January 1997
and dies fabrication. Its factory and administrative office
is located at Valenzuela, Metro Manila. THE GENERAL MANAGER
Northern Container Corporation
Since its first year of operation, Engineer Monsod 1526 Amihan St.
worked hard to make NCC’s operation at full capacity. The Bakod Pare, Valenzuela
company’s various departments are manned by a person= Metro Manila
nel complement of 323, growing by 5 percent annually.
The increasing number of employees is a result of Dear Sir:
the growing patronage of the company’s products by This is in reply to your letter dated January 25, 1997 inquiring about
customers. Engineer Monsod felt, however, that the whether we still consider ordering tin cans from your company.
company needs one more good customer and their
Please be informed that since we have placed our order with your
operations will be at full capacity. It was in October 1996
marketing department as early as December 1, 1996 and no reply
that Engineer Monsod came in contact with the general
was sent to us, we deemed it wise to deal with another company
manager of a newly established company, Mr. Godofredo
as late as January 15, 1997.
Tapiador. Engineer Monsod was able to convince Mi
Tapiador to order his tin can requirements from NC Thank you for your interest and we hope to do business with you
under other circumstances.
In January 10, 1997, NCC’s production manager
informed Engineer Monsod that unless new production Yours truly,
orders are received by his department, he will be forced
to recommend the lay-off of 12 workers in the factory. Fi GODOFREDO TAPIADOR
days later, 12 workers were indeed laid off. General Manager
It was in January25 that Engineer Monsod thought
of making a follow-up of the agreement between him and
Mr. Tapiador. A letter was sent to Mr. Tapiador on
same day. On January 28, Engineer Monsod read the rep)
of Mr. Tapiador. q

128

MOTIVATING
* What is Motivation?
4. © Factors Contributing to Motivation
5 * Theories of Motivation
Maslow’s Need Hierarchy Theory
Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory
Expectancy Theory
Goal Setting Theory
© © Techniques of Motivation
Motivation through Job Design
Motivation through Rewards
Motivation through Employee Participation
Other Motivation Techniques
130
Chapter 7
MOTIVATING
Productivity has always been a serious concern of
the management of firms. If it improves, it means grea-
ter chances for thé company to grow and be more stable.
One reason why the Philippine economy cannot move
steadily forward is our record of low productivity for so
many years.
Higher productivity, however, is not a result of chance.
It happens because of harder, more efficient, and more
intelligent work made by the employees. To be willing
partners, however, the requirement is for them to be
properly motivated. An example is the management of
a construction firm wanting its employees to finish pro-
jects on time, with the quality required at the least cost.
To achieve this, various methods of motivation may be
applied.
When the cost of the other factors of production is
seriously affecting the viability of the firm, the remaining
factor (i.e., labor) may save the company from financial
difficulties. However, this will depend on whether or not
labor will be motivated to perform their assigned task.
WHAT IS MOTIVATION?
Motivating refers to the act of “giving employees
reasons or incentives . . . to work to achieve organizational
objectives.”' Motivation, on the other hand, refers to the
“process of activating behavior, sustaining it, and direct-
ing it toward a particular goal.” This definition is use-
ful because it specifies three stages: activating, sustain-
‘Ferrel and Hirt, p. 184.
*Matlin, p. 380.
131
 ing, and directing actions towards the achievement
objectives.
7205
FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO MOTIVATION
There are certain factors influencing a person’s desire _
to do his job well. They are the following:*
of one need will have to be satisfied first before the other
need,‘
Physiological Needs. Those that are concerned with
— biological needs like food, drink, rest, and sex fall under
the category of physiological needs.* These needs take
priority over other needs.

1. Willingness to do a job. People who like what they Security Needs. After satisfying the physiological
are doing are highly motivated to produce the needs, people will séek to satisfy their safety needs. These
expected output. needs include freedom from harm coming from the ele-
ments or from other people, financial security which may
2. Self-confidence in carrying out a task. When
be affected by loss of job or the breadwinner in the fam-
employees feel that they have the required skill
ily, ete.
and training to perform a task, the more moti- —
vated they become.
Figure 7.1 The Process of Motivation
3. Needs satisfaction. People will do their jobs well
/ if they feel that by doing so, their needs will be —
satisfied. CE MOTIVATION
THEORIES OF MOTIVATION
There are various theories of motivation, but only
the four most influential ones will be discussed. They
consist of the following: which leads to
readiness for
1. Maslow’s needs hierarchy theory the next need
2. Herzberg’s two-factor theory
3. Expectancy theory
4. Goal setting theory NEED ¢ ACTION OR
SATISFACTION GOAL-DIRECTED
Maslow’s Needs Hierarchy Theory hict BEHAVIOR
Abraham Maslow, a psychologist, theorized that results
human beings have five basic needs which are as fol- to
lows: physiological, security, social, esteem, and self-
actualization. These needs are hierarchical, which means, ‘Harper W. Boyd, Jr. and Orville C. Walker, Jr., Marketing Management
(Homewood, Hlinois: Irwin, 1990) p, 12.
*B. Jerome McCarthy and William D. Perreault, Jr., Basic Marketing
‘Cole and Hamilton, p. 146. (Homewood, Illinois: Irwin, 1990) p, 173.

132
Figure 7.2 Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
SELF-ACTUALIZATION NEEDS
Self-fulfillment
ESTEEM NEEDS
Status, respect, prestige
SOCIAL NEEDS
Friendship, belonging, love
SECURITY NEEDS
Freedom from harm, financial security
PHYSIOLOGICAL NEEDS
Food, water, sleep, sex, body elimination
“Social Needs. After satisfying his physiological a d
security needs, the employee will now strive to secure lo
affection, and the need to be accepted by peers.
Esteem Needs. The fourth level of needs is called
esteem needs and they refer to the need for a positive se f-
eae and self-respect and the need to be respected
others.®
Self-Actualization Needs. The fifth and the topmost
level needs in the hierarchy are called self-actualization
needs and involve realizing our full potential as human
beings and becoming all that we are able to be.
The Relevance of Maslow’s Theory to Engineering
Management. Even if Maslow’s theory has been largely
questioned, one basic premise cannot be discarded:a
fulfilled need no longer motivates an individual. If this
is the situation the subordinate
is in, the engineer manager
must identify an unfulfilled need and work out a scheme
: “Gregory Moorhead and Ricky Griffin, Organizational Behavior, Second
Edition (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co,, 1989) pp. 109-110.
134
wo that the subordinate will be motivated to work in order
to satisfy the unfulfilled need.
Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory
The two-factor theory is one developed by Frederick
Herzberg indicating that a satisfied employee is motiva-
ted from within to work harder and that a dissatisfied
; Rast ;
employee is not self-motivated.
Herzberg identified two classes of factors associated
with employee satisfaction and dissatisfaction. In his
research, Herzberg found out that satisfied employees
mentioned the following factors (called satisfiers or moti-
vation factors) responsible for job satisfaction: achieve-
ment, recognition, work itself, responsibility, advance-
ment, and growth. Dissatisfied employees mentioned
the following factors (called dissatisfiers or hygiene
factors) as responsible for job dissatisfaction: company
policy and administration, supervision, relationship with
gupervisor, work conditions, salary, relationship with
peers, personal life, relationship with subordinates,
status, and security.
bj If Herzberg’s theory will be considered by the engi-
. feor manager in motivating employees, he must do
something to eliminate the dissatisfiers and install
satisfiers. As shown in Figure 7.3, even if the dissatisfiers
are eliminated (at point zero), the employee is still not
motivated to work hard.
Expectancy Theory
Expectancy theory is a motivation model based on
the assumption that an individual will work depending
on his perception of the probability of his expectations to
happen.
The theory poses the idea that motivation is deter-
iKreitner, p. 388.
ce
136
 Figure 7.3 Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory ‘igure 7.4 An Expectancy Model

10
9 ANCY EXPECTANCY

: perceived perceived
LEVEL OF probability probability
SATISFACTION 6 of successful of receiving
5 performance, . an outcome, Valence +
4 given effort given performance Bonet teas

32 44 Valence + Outcome
(ability to

1 4 First-level purchase
: 0 level of no satisfaction and Outcome house & lot)
. 1 no dissatisfaction (compensation) a
r (no reason not to wor T rere
; but no motivation to J =a Beconddeve
work hard) j -) | PERFORMANCE | —> | OUTCOMES Outcome
fl 4 ‘ (ability to
Pee ats 5 | Lvalence + be with
fami
DISSATISFACT
: First-level a
8 : (recognition) TS
g Second-level
10 Outcome
! (self-esteem)
mined by expectancies and valences." An expectancy is; polar ena
belief about the likelihood or probability that a particula
behavioral act (like attending training sessions) will lea¢ Second-level
to a particular outcome (like a promotion). Valence is the Outcome
value an individual places on the expected outcomes oF (esteem of
rewards. d others)
Expectancy theory is based on the following
sumptions:” ;

ichard M. Steers, Introduction to Organizational Behavior, Fourth Edition

(New York: Harper Collins Publishing, Inc., 1991) pp. 161-162,
"Higgins, p. 438.

136 / 137
 1. A combination of forces within the individual — Figure 7.5 How Goals Motivate and Facilitate Perfor
mance
and in the environment determines behavior.
2. People make decisions about their own behavior
and that of organizations
3. People have different types of needs, goals, and —
desires.
which is
4. People make choices among alternative beha- 1. challenging
viors based on the extent to which they think a 2. attainable
certain behavior will lead to a desired outcome, 3. specific and measurable
4. time limited
5. relevant
theory.

Goal Setting Theory

Goal setting refers to the process of “improving WORK
———— | BEHAVIOR ] ~ a.
formance with objectives, deadlines or quality standard, ”
When individuals or groups are assigned specific gos 8,
a clear direction is provided and which later motivate with
them to achieve these goals. 1. direction
The goal setting model drawn by Edwin A. Locke 4 t 2. effort
his associates consists of the following components:" 3. persistence
4. planning
goal content
PT Pow,

goal commitment —> | < Situational

Constraints:
work behavior
feedback aspects
v 1. tools
2. materials
Goal Content. To be sufficient in content, goals mu 3. equipment
be challenging, attainable, specific and measurable, ti
limited, and relevant.
When goals are challenging, higher performance mi
be expected. The sales quotas imposed by companies

“Kreitner, p. G-4.
“Bartel and Martin, p. 164.

138 139
 individual members of their sales force indicate reliar ce,
of these companies to the use of challenging goals.
Goals must be attainable if they are to be set. If they
are not, then workers will only be discouraged to perform,
if at all.
Goals must be stated in quantitative terms whe n-
ever possible. When exact figures to be met are set,
understanding is facilitated and workers are motivated
to perform.
There must be a time-limit set for goals to be ace
complished.
The more relevant the goals are to the company’s”
mission, the more support it can generate from various”
levels of employment in the organization.
de Goal Commitment. When individuals or groups are ;
committed to the goals they are supposed to achieve, there |
is a chance that they will be able to achieve them.
Work Behavior. Goals influence behavior in terms of
direction, effort, persistence, and planning. When an
individual is provided with direction, performance is
facilitated. In trying to attain goals that are already
indicated, the individual is provided with a direction to
exert more effort. The identification of goals provide a
reason for an individual to persist in his efforts until the
goal is attained.
Once goals are set, the first important input to -
planning is already in place.
Feedback Aspects. Feedback provide the individuals
with a way of knowing how far they have gone in achiev-
ing objectives. Feedback also facilitate the introduction
of corrective measures whenever they are found to be
necessary.
140
TECHNIQUES OF MOTIVATION
Individual or groups of individuals may be motivated
to perform through the use of various techniques. These
techniques may be classified as follows:
1. motivation through job design
2. motivation through rewards
motivation through employee participation
other motivation techniques for the diverse work
force
Motivation Through Job Design
A person will be highly motivated to perform if he
is assigned a job he likes. The first requisite, however,
is to design jobs that will meet the requirements of the
organization and the persons who will occupy them. Job
design may be defined as “specifying the tasks that
constitute a job for an individual or a group.””
In motivating through the use of job design, two
approaches may be used; fitting people to jobs or fitting
jobs to people.
Fitting People to Jobs. Routine and repetitive tasks
make workers suffer from chronic dissatisfaction. To
avoid this, the following remedies may be adapted:
1. Realistic job previews — where management
provides honest explanations of what a job
actually entails.
2. Job rotation — where people are moved period-
ically from one specialized job to another.
2
Limited exposure — where a worker's exposure
_ to a highly fragmented and tedious job is limited.
~ ‘MKreitner, pp. 393-410.
“Heizer and Render, p. 426.
141
 Figure 7.6 Techniques of Motivation . Fitting Jobs to People. Instead of changing the person,
; management may consider changing the job. This may be
TECHNIQUES | achieved with the use of the following:
OF 1. Job enlargemen t two or more specialized
— where
MOTIVATION tasks in a work flow sequence is combined into
a single job.
2. Job enrichment — where efforts are made to
make jobs more interesting, challenging, and
Motivation Motivation Motivation thru ) rewarding.
thru thru Employee's A
Job Design Rewards Participation € Motivating Through Rewards
Rewards consist of material and psychological
— benefits to employees for performing tasks in the work-
Fitting extrinsic quality place. Properly administered reward systems can im-
people . contro} (ol prove job performance and satisfaction.
to jobs rewards crcies
Rewards may be classified into two categories:* |
sa my
<: feats cane 1. Extrinsic — those which refer to payoffs granted
job intrinsic eli to the individual by another party. Examples are
previews rewards tear | money, employee benefits, promotions, recog-
2. job ; nition, status symbols, praise, etc.
eo . 2. Intrinsic rewards — those which are internally
See
eiposure experienced If-granted
which are self-granted.
ienced payoffspayof s which
5 Examples are a sense of accomplishment, self-
Fitting Flewble Family esteem and self-actualization.
jobs work support al Extrinsic and intrinsic rewards coincide with needs
to people schedules services spelled out at the beginning of the chapter.

with Management of Extrinsic Rewards. To motivate job

1. job performance effectively, extrinsic rewards must be properly
enlargement managed in line with the following:
- eas 1. it must satisfy individual needs;
2. the employees must believe effort will lead to
reward;

142 143
Figure 7.7 An Array of Monetary and Other Incentives reward. Otherwise, they will not strive to turn in more
Employees efforts in their particular job assignments.
Rewards that are not equitable will not produce the
Type of Benefit Feature desired motivation.
1. Monthly pay depends on qualifications! When employees know that reward is tied up to indi-
of employee vidual performance, management may expect extra efforts
2. 13th month pay from them. A negative example is the practice in some
given at mid-year
government offices where every employee, regardless of
3. 14th month pay given at yearend performance, is given a productivity bonus. As a result,
4. Housing allowance given to permanent the majority are not motivated to exert extra efforts.
employees
5. Sick leave benefits 15 days a year with pay © Motivation Through Employee Participation
6. Vacation leave benefits 15 days a year with pay When employees participate in deciding various as-
pects of their jobs, the personal involvoment, oftentimes,
7. Pension plan given to permanent
is carried up to the point where the task is completed.
employees
The specific activities identified where employees
8. Paid vacation trip given to employess with
may participate are as follows:
outstanding performance
9. Health insurance given to permanent 1. setting goals
employees 2. making decisions
10. Accident insurance given to permanent 3. solving problems, and
employees
4 designing and implementing organizational
changes.
3. rewards must be equitable;
The more popular approaches to participation in-
4. rewards must be linked to performance. cludes the following:
No single type of reward is generally applicable to 1. quality control circles
all employees. This is so because individual persons
2. self-managed teams
have needs different from other persons. As much as
possible the particular needs of an individual must be Quality Control Circles. A method of direct emplo-
matched with the corresponding reward if motivation is yee participation is the quality control circle (QCC). The
the objective. The administrative contraints inherent to objective of the QCC is to increase productivity and quality
such systems, however, will be a hindrance to its adop- of output.
tion. Whenever feasible, however, it must be used. The circle consists of “a group of three to ten em-
Employees must believe that efforts will lead to ployees. usually doing related work, who meet at regular

144 145
intervals (once a week for an hour, for example) to identify
problems and discuss their solutions.” The circle includes
“a leader such as a foreman, but rely on democratic pro-
cesses.”"° The members are trained in various analysis
techniques by a coordinator.
The circle forwards its recommendations
agement, which in turn, makes decisions on its adaption.
Self-managed Teams. When workers have reached a
certain degree of discipline, they may be ripe for forming -
self-managed teams. Also known as autonomous work ©
groups or high performance teams, self-managed teams
“take on traditional managerial tasks as part of their
normal work routine.”
Figure 7.8 The Quality Control Circle Process
The self-managed teams work on their own, turning
out a complete product or service and receiving minimal
supervision from managers who act more as facilitators
than supervisors.
When a product or service is produced by a group
to man- of professionals or specialists, they might as well be formed
as a self-managed team to save on supervisory costs.
Requisites to Successful Employee Participation
Program
To succeed, an employee participation program will
require the following:
1. a profit-sharing or gainsharing plan.
2. a long-term employment relationship with good
job security.

‘Quality circle members Quality circle 3. a concerted effort to build and maintain group
brainstorm, gather data, >| members prepare cohesiveness.
and establish cause solutions and 4. protection of the individual employee's rights.
and effect. recommendations
Other Motivation Techniques
The advent of theories on individual differences and
the biological clock of human beings" put pressure on the
engineer manager to adapt other motivation techniques
Results are measured Management whenever applicable. These refer to the following:
and feedback, considers
recognition and quality circle
1. flexible work schedules
rewards given to <——————]_ recommendations 2. family support services
quality control and makes
circle members. decisions. 3. sabbaticals.
Flexible Work Schedules. There is an arrangement,
called flextime, which allows employees to determine their
“Richard M. Steers and others, Managing Effective Organizations, An own arrival and departure times within specified limits.
Introduction (Boston, Massachussetts: Kent Publishing Co., 1985) p. 256. For example, an engineering firm may allow one group
“Richard J. Schernberger, Operations Management (Plane, Texas: Business
Publications, Inc., 1981) p, 352.
“Kreitner, p. 406. "Matlin, p. 141.

146 147
of employees to take the 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM sched The factors contributing to motivation consist of:
another group takes the 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM schedule, (1) willingness to do a job, (2) self-confidence in carrying
and another takes the 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM schedule. out a task, and (3) needs satisfaction.
An alternative to this arrangement is the adapti There are four theories of motivation that are crucial
‘of the forty-hour work in four days allowing the empl to management: These are:
to choose a “day-off”.
1. Maslow’s need hierarchy theory
An innovation of a popular bank in Makati is the
hiring of part-time tellers to work four hours a day from 2. Herzberg’s two-factor theory
Monday to Friday. 3. Expectancy theory
There are certain benefits that are offered by flexi- 4. Goal setting theory
ble work schedules, although it is not appropriate for all
Various techniques of motivation consist of: a) moti-
situations. Nevertheless, the engineer manager must
vation through job design, 2) motivation through rewards,
decide when it is applicable.
3) motivation through employee participation, and 4) other
Family Support Services. Employees are oftentimes motivation techniques like flexible work schedules, family
‘burdened by family obligations like caring for children. — support services, and sabbaticals.
Progressive companies provide day care facilities for
children of employees. A multinational company in far
flung Davao province has even opened an elementary and
a high school within the plantation site.
Sabbaticals. A sabbatical leave is one given to an
employee after a certain number of years of service. The
employee is allowed to go on leave for two months to one
year with pay to give him time for family, recreations, and
travel.
It is expected that when the employee returns for
work, his motivation is improved.

SUMMARY
Motivating is the management action of giving em- —
ployees reasons or incentives to work to achieve orga-
nizational objectives. Motivation is the process of activa-
ting behavior, sustaining it, and directing it towards a
particular goal.
148 149
QUESTIONS
FOR REVIEW AND DISCUSSION ©
Why is motivating relevant to the job of the engineet
manager?
Are motivation techniques applicable to engineers’
Cite examples.
When Maslow insinuated that needs are hierarchical,
what does he mean?
What factors are associated with employee satis-
faction and dissatisfaction?
What are expectancies and valences? How do
affect performance?
What is meant by goal setting? What are the com-
ponents of the goal setting model?
How may an individual be motivated through job
design?
How may rewards be classified?
In what specific activities may employees partici-
pate?
What benefits are made possible under flexible work
schedules?
SUGGESTED ITEM FOR RESEARCH
List down the financial and nonfinancial benefits”
given to employees by an engineering firm of your
choice.
Case 7. BATANGAS POLYTECHNIC COLLEGE: The Morning
After
Engineer Felicidad Lazaro, a mechanical engineering
graduate of Adamson University, has been operating in
the past five years an auto parts supply in Kumintang
llaya, Batangas City. It is a lucrative business she inhe-
rited from her father.
f Four years ago, she started teaching on a part-time
basis at the Batangas Polytechnic College. After a year,
she became a full-time faculty member of the college of
engineering. She attended to her auto parts business
after her official hours at the school.
Miss Lazaro’s dedication to her duties earned her the
chairmanship of the Mechanical Engineering Depart-
ment. When her boss, the dean, was offered a good paying
job abroad, he resigned. Miss Lazaro was named the new
dean of the College of Engineering.
Miss Lazaro feels that even if she is offered a job
anywhere, she cannot accept it because of her concern for
her business. This made her also think that she must take
her new job as dean, seriously.
Miss Lazaro’s first concern is to recruit well-qualified
engineers to fill up the slots left by five faculty members
who resigned. An advertisement for the vacancies was
made. After a few weeks of waiting, only ten applications
were forwarded to her. Nine of the applicants were new
graduates and have no job experierice of any kind. The
tenth applicant is a newly retired government employee
with no teaching experience.
Miss Lazaro slowly realized that there are good
engineers in the area but they are not attracted by the
prospect of teaching engineering subjects. Miss Lazaro is
also aware that even those that are currently employed
by the school are only waiting for a good job offer from
other institutions.