Assignment Sample on ASB-4431 Organization and People
Emerging from a pandemic: A critical case-study of ‘the new normal’ in an organization’s workplace from a HRM and OB lens
The coronavirus outbreak has caused far more than just a worldwide health crisis. COVID-19 has prompted significant alterations throughout the daily routines of people and businesses all across the globe (Yanow and Good, 2020). To stop the sickness from spreading, over two billion individuals have been confined at all the parts of the globe. Several industries have halted production, storefronts have shuttered, and businesses also had to change their methods of operation. A lot of individuals had to rethink how to plan their schedules. However, if there is a bright side to something, the pandemic’s unusual predicament spawned innovative approaches. It aided in the speeding up of company reforms that had been discussed spanning a long period of time. Strategic flexibility has become a need to stay afloat. Technologies and cooperation, which are becoming increasingly important in the building of such a “new normal,” are required to facilitate individuals’ as well as organisations’ new routines (Yanow and Good, 2020).
In this essay, the adaptation of new normal by Toyota Motor Corporation will be discussed including human and resource management and leadership aspects. Lastly, in the report, the changes in personal perspective concerning leadership and management changes are introduced followed by the conclusion of the overall essay.
Both personal as well as professional life are now being affected by the Coronavirus or COVID-19 epidemic. People are attempting to manoeuvre their way through the intricacies of their businesses, which include employees, supply chains, economic wellbeing, consumer involvement, including risk assessment (Marques, Chimenti and Mendes-da-Silva, 2021). Humans are now undergoing one among the most important historical transitions within last century. Old firms will evolve, while new ones will arise. As a result of the epidemic, businesses are certainly witnessing a transformation in the solutions that partners are providing. Medical, electricity and environmental resources, water, as well as emergency responders will endure to remain in high demand, despite the fact that business structures for these services are changing. Humans must be attentive and careful concerning the virus’s transmission, as well as resilient through their efforts to develop new methods of surviving and functioning. People ought to be inspired by how India as well as China, two among the globe’s most populated countries, are dealing with the problem. Western nations’ combined resources will assist repurpose expenditure and enhance healthcare. Throughout the 2008 economic catastrophe, the phrase “new normal” was used to describe the enormous socioeconomic, cultural, including societal shifts that resulted in precariousness as well as social upheaval, influencing collective perspectives and individual lives (Marques, Chimenti and Mendes-da-Silva, 2021). Following this COVID-19 epidemic, this phrase was employed again to emphasise how the disease has changed fundamental areas of human existence.
Toyota Motor Corporation, based near Toyota, Aichi in Japan, becomes a global automotive manufacturing business which has been rated among the globe ‘s largest manufacturers for numerous years. TMC enjoyed the highest pinnacle to itself over 3 consecutive years prior to 2011 (Wakode, Raut and Talmale, 2015), whenever this Japanese auto-giant became in the third place within the worldwide platform. After falling next to General Motors of America as well as Volkswagen of Germany throughout 2011 as a result of a sequence of environmental as well as man-made disasters that interrupted the corporation’s manufacturing and distribution operations, Toyota started to regain the highest-level worldwide status throughout 2012, that it maintains to this day, leaving all other automakers in the dust.
During the later part of 1950s, after establishing control of global industries, Toyota solidified its dominance. a 40 percent proportion across Japan’s indigenous automobile sector to become the nation ‘s largest carmaker. After launching the Crown range throughout the United States in 1957 (Bhuiyan and Baghel, 2005), this company entered the European vehicle market during 1963. In 1965, the Toyota reputation had grown to the point where it could compete with domestic manufacturers. Toyota reached the astonishing 200-million threshold of manufacturing during July 2012, after delivering the ten millionth vehicle to a customer from Germany throughout the year of 2000 (Wakode, Raut and Talmale, 2015). Toyota’s franchise infrastructure now consists of 25 suppliers with 3,500 selling spots across the world, delivering clients with high-quality services, as well as supporting the company in boosting its global selling amounts.
Toyota undertakes a regular assessment from its human resource department to gain a better knowledge of the amount of personnel, their talents, including their attitudes. In addition, the organisation undertakes an assessment of the surrounding environment in attempt to better understand labour industry as well as business environment developments. Toyota Motor Corporation was able to detect the disparities between its existing personnel with potential requirements as a result of this (Liker, 2004). Toyota Motor Corporation places a strong emphasis on upcoming human resource demands. It has aided the organisation in avoiding future shocks that might have a detrimental impact on efficiency as well as strategic positioning. The company’s comprehensive human resource strategy is evaluated on a regular basis to incorporate variations in the marketplace as well as modifications throughout the company’s internal elements.
The McKinsey 7s approach represents a strategic tool and framework for assessing the effectiveness of executives and businesses as a whole. Guidelines for organizational transformation along with periodic performance upgrades, the McKinsey 7s framework specifies seven important factors (strategy, structure, system, style, staff, shared values and skills) for a company that must be targeted and coordinated (Dahlgaard-Park and Dahlgaard, 2006). Toyota employs the McKinsey 7s approach to continuously enhance organizational productivity and implement sustainable change management practises. To assure that such model’s productivity standards are continually preserved and increased for the offers, Toyota concentrates upon the 7 components outlined in the framework.
Strategy. The fundamental organizational objective and competitive strategy of Toyota are clearly defined and communicated to all employees, and stakeholders. This helps the company to manage performance, operations department, as well as develop diverse ways that are in accordance with the business strategy (Young, 2000). Moreover, developing and implementing a corporate strategy renders Toyota’s operations more apparent and unifies the company’s responsibilities and actions.
Structure. Toyota has a flatter hierarchical structure, which is supported by dynamic and adaptable organisations. Professionals are feeling more at ease and knowledgeable, and they also have more transparency to facts as a result of fewer bureaucratic barriers among them as well as a stronger relationship to higher leadership and authority (Toma and Naruo, 2017). Additionally, this flatter administration aids Toyota in making quicker choices and increases employee commitment to the company.
System. Toyota uses precisely built procedures and mechanisms as measures for analysing performance as well as goal accomplishment within each of its defined and delimited operations. Because of the structure of their activities and responsibilities, such controls and measurements are tailored to each department. Furthermore, each department creates unique restrictions for individuals’ performance evaluations along with inter-departmental duties and obligations (Young, 2000).
Shared Value. Toyota ensures that each of its employee responsibilities and activities are consistent with the company’s core values. It means that Toyota’s activities, tactics, including tactical methods will indeed be driven by the company’s basic concepts and this will not deviate from those. Maintaining a consistent and reliable brand recognition, as well as an ethical and truthful company culture, is essential. The corporation will seek to ensure that important change management practices and techniques contain the core principles across the context of organizational change, guaranteeing that the corporate culture is protected and, if required, altered gradually.
Style. Toyota’s management style is participatory. Toyota is capable of engaging and empower its workers in decision-making procedures and management choices by using a participatory leadership approach (Toma and Naruo, 2017). It also enables the management to communicate with workforce and other managerial teams on a frequent basis in order to detect and resolve any possible disputes, along with to get input on strategic approaches and activities. Toyota remains capable of improving employee engagement along with participatory leadership which promotes corporate engagement and integrity among employees and interested parties.
Staff. Toyota maintains a sufficient number of workers across all of its international operations. Individuals are hired for numerous employment categories and duties both within and beyond the corporation, depending on the level of requirement and expertise required (Grant, 2008). As a consequence, it is apparent that Toyota hires people who are capable of performing their professional requirements and obligations. All employees receive on-the-job instruction to familiarise themselves with the corporation and its goals. External and internal training are both offered for competence.
Skills. Toyota does have a fantastic workforce featuring a wide range of talents and abilities. All personnel are hired depending on their credentials and ability. Toyota takes pride in employing the best employees and developing them beyond to help them thrive and prosper.
The employee challenges and teamwork issues are-
Withdrawing after working time
It is among the most difficult aspects of working remotely for several employees to deal with. When they can’t manage their work-life balance as well as discover it difficult to withdraw after working time, working remotely isn’t for themselves. Numerous employees are afraid to refuse their superiors when they are given uncommon requests, such as providing work at strange hours (Muralidhar, Prasad and Rao, 2020). That’s just as vital to turn off the computer at the completion of each day as that is to sign in during the correct working hours.
Collaboration and communication among team members
While working from home, efficient interaction is among the most important prerequisites for a seamless workflow. Employees sometimes find it challenging to communicate with their co-workers and often feel lonely. Whenever they are functioning with a group on a venture that involves several conversations and participation from people who are spread out throughout the country, the issue gets much more difficult (Carnevale and Hatak, 2020). Functioning in an office provides more opportunity for efficient interaction, however there are methods of making it happen even if people work remotely.
Keeping track of productivity
Several individuals find it difficult to sustain their job efficiency when a manager is not there. Inadequate productivity isn’t their fault; numerous variables conspire to keep it from happening. As a result, it’s critical to comprehend the major issues that impede employees’ productivity at workplace. Multitasking to fulfil many project deadlines, for instance, is one typical cause of poorer performance.
Having to deal with technological challenges
Remote employment has its particular series of challenges, the majority of which are outside the workers’ authority. Most of them include challenges with technologies or web access that prevent employees from working efficiently (Muralidhar, Prasad and Rao, 2020). This is more crucial than ever for a firm to make sure that its employees have the necessary resources and strategies for working remotely.
Isolation from others
The social aspect which is incorporated into the structure is among the key benefits of office-based employment. Whereas businesses do not expect any of such socialising to affect productivity, this is apparent that engaging with others on a regular basis is beneficial to employees’ mental wellbeing and satisfaction (Jalagat and Jalagat, 2019).
Work-Life harmony
Work-life coordination includes one among the most challenging aspects of operating from remote locations; therefore, it becomes ramifications for the companies. Working too hard, in which employees invest much more of their work time or focusing regarding work, but also performing insufficient tasks, particularly when there are interruptions at residence, might be a problem (Jalagat and Jalagat, 2019). Workers throughout the United States prefer a decent work/life balance far beyond medical benefits, according to Gartner.
Comprehending work
Whenever workers are inside the single office, it’s quite easy to ensure that everyone appreciates the responsibilities they’ve been given, and management and co-workers are usually willing to help anybody who is having trouble. When employees work from home, it’s more challenging to spot individuals who are experiencing difficulties.
The changes in HRM are-
Automation is becoming more prevalent
Pandemic-induced technology will also have a significant influence on HR executives and company proprietors. Human resources have been frequently considered as a very manual division, with managers doing the majority of the job within their own. Automation, when used appropriately, will relieve HR professionals of monotonous repetitive work, allowing them to concentrate on high-value and people-first duties. HR procedures, recruitment documentation, including reimbursement applications, which were formerly manual, are expected to remain digital after the epidemic (Khudhair et al. 2020). Whether manufacturers use new technologies to enhance efficiency or corporate staff use new applications to manage their activities, automation will almost certainly have an influence on every aspect of the organisation.
Contractors and contingency labour are on the rise
According to a current Gartner survey, 32 percent of firms are substituting full-time workers by flexible workers/contractors owing to the economic consequences of COVID-19 (Baker, 2021). Researchers anticipate the tendency to continue after COVID, that indicates HR will indeed be introduced to different, non-traditional work patterns, time-tracking, talent collaboration, including workforce management techniques.
The importance of the employee experience, compensation, and inclusion is emphasised
A shortage of stakeholder and staff participation mechanisms is maybe one among COVID-19’s most difficult problems. Researchers anticipate that, post-COVID, human resources department will perform a larger role throughout all aspects of an individual’s lifestyle, including psychological to physical wellness (Gigauri, 2020). The overwhelming number of workers experienced new challenges over the last year mainly a result of the transition to working remotely, whether it was a sense of separation or the effort to balance family and professional lives. HR’s function is anticipated to evolve in tandem alongside the worker experience.
The changes in leadership are-
Alongside the group, come up with appropriate driving regulations. Several teams who went remotely in the springtime may have settled in already, however if individuals have had trouble coordinating the group, or if individuals have subsequently onboarded newer individuals, getting everyone around and creating new regulations of the path as a group may be beneficial (Gigauri, 2020).
Making wellbeing a commitment. Awareness for occupational well-being had been on the rise since before the epidemic, although it is probably even more critical now when workers throughout the world are dealing with widespread sorrow, depression, and exhaustion. As per the Deloitte 2020 Global Human Capital Trends review, wellbeing becomes the most important pattern, with 80 percent of participants declaring it becomes significant for their organisation’s achievement. Wellbeing is defined as indicators that assist individuals feel their utmost so people can perform successfully, as per Deloitte. Around the same moment, only 12percent of participants indicated their companies were extremely prepared to handle the challenge of embracing workplace wellness, whereas 50percent indicated they remained at minimum prepared.
Instil a feeling of connection among the colleagues. Supervisors must cultivate a feeling of connection among their staff in addition to incorporating wellbeing throughout the workforce. Everybody deserves to feel appreciated, properly regarded, included inside the community, and linked to the organization’s wider aims. Supervisors of remote workers should attempt to overcome emotions of isolation as well as loneliness through promoting a sense of participation and engagement (Khudhair et al. 2020). One method to foster a feeling of connection among the employees is to ensure that they experience comfortable to be themselves.
As a leader, I should abandon the assumption that even a top-down solution would bring stabilization throughout a catastrophe. In normal situations, a conventional business’s command-and-control organisation may effectively manage activities by following a prepared reaction. However, in times of uncertainty, as a leader we are confronted with difficulties that are unknown and incompletely understood. The limited number of senior executives at the top of a company can’t gather information or execute decisions rapidly enough to react appropriately. Establishing specific objectives for the approach and enabling people to identify and execute alternatives that fulfil the priorities may enable myself to effectively mobilise respective companies. Being a leader, we will create a network of people to help with problem solving and management under high-stress, uncertain circumstances. Even though the personalized matrix becomes the well-known principle, this is worth highlighting because just a few companies have adopted one. The network of co-workers is made up of an extremely configurable collection of groups which are linked along with a common aim and work together throughout the similar way that workers of a single department work together (Vnouková, 2020). Several system elements participate in actions that aren’t part of routine business operations. Further sections analyse the crisis’ influence on day-to-day business operations and recommend changes, including aiding employees in transitioning to new employment restrictions. Professionals will frequently form a matrix with an interlinked governing structure that spans four aspects: worker safety, supply-chain reliability, customer experience, as well as financial challenges.
Regardless of how long they’ve been in existence, thriving employee networks share a number of traits. They are multidisciplinary throughout nature: prior experience has proven that calamities have a degree of complexity that needs the participation of experts representing several fields. They’re designed to accomplish something. Collecting data, inventing solutions, implementing, and improving them whenever progress isn’t enough; as professionals, we should obtain information, design options, execute, and improve them as time goes on. As team members have a greater grasp of the problem and conditions change, they adjust by reorganising, increasing, or shrinking. Being a leader, we should foster employee collaboration as well as transparency. They do it in a variety of ways, including distributing power as well as sharing information, along with demonstrating how the teams should operate. During a disaster, a leader’s natural instinct will be to consolidate decision-making power and prevent information accessibility to only those who require to know. When teams accomplish the opposite, they are more inclined to follow suit. Encouraging psychological equilibrium so that people can freely share their ideas, opinions, and issues without fear of retaliation is another important element of the administration’s mission, especially throughout the emotional, stressful environment that characterizes a disaster (Markey et al. 2021). As a result, the network of teams is capable of recognising the issue and determine the appropriate line of approach.
Due to the economic effects of the epidemic, companies were forced to quickly restructure and adapt to the new standard in order to stay afloat. HR should evolve and change over the HR tenure to meet a varied knowledge of company demands. To put it another way, HR will need to come up with new ways to help corporate leaders reorganise before and after the outbreak, undertake workforce simplicity efforts while minimising the risks connected with those activities, and increase productivity as well as employee happiness. The COVID-19 outbreak will, unfortunately, most likely linger for the coming one or two years, consequently individuals will need to get adjusted towards it. This is vital to act soon; the more businesses wait expecting HR to engage, the more it will take for them to restructure and thrive inside the post-COVID era.
References
Baker, M., 2021. 9 Future of Work Trends Post-COVID-19. [online] Gartner. Available at: <https://www.gartner.com/smarterwithgartner/9-future-of-work-trends-post-covid-19> [Accessed 5 November 2021].
Bhuiyan, N. and Baghel, A., 2005. An overview of continuous improvement: from the past to the present. Management decision.
Carnevale, J.B. and Hatak, I., 2020. Employee adjustment and well-being in the era of COVID-19: Implications for human resource management. Journal of Business Research, 116, pp.183-187.
Dahlgaard-Park, S.M. and Dahlgaard, J.J., 2006. In search of excellence–past, present and future. Kreativ und konsequent, 2(3), pp.57-84.
Gigauri, I., 2020. Organizational Support to HRM in Times of the COVID-19 Pandemic Crisis. European Journal of Marketing and Economics, 3(3), pp.36-48.
Grant, P., 2008. ‘The productive ward round’: a critical analysis of organisational change. International Journal of Clinical Leadership, 16(4).
Jalagat, R. and Jalagat, A., 2019. Rationalizing remote working concept and its implications on employee productivity. Global Journal of Advanced Research, 6, pp.95-100.
Khudhair, H.Y., Alsaud, A.B., Alsharm, A., Alkaabi, A. and AlAdeedi, A., 2020. The impact of COVID-19 on supply chain and human resource management practices and future marketing. Int. J Sup. Chain. Mgt Vol, 9(5), p.1681.
Liker, J., 2004. The toyota way. Esensi.
Markey, K., Ventura, C.A.A., Donnell, C.O. and Doody, O., 2021. Cultivating ethical leadership in the recovery of COVID‐19. Journal of nursing management, 29(2), pp.351-355.
Marques, L., Chimenti, P.C. and Mendes-da-Silva, W., 2021. Teaching COVID-19’s impact on businesses.
Muralidhar, B., Prasad, D.K. and Rao, M., 2020. Association among Remote Working Concerns and Challenges on Employee Work-Life Balance: An Empirical Study Using Multiple Regression Analysis with Reference to International Agricultural Research Institute, Hyderabad. International Journal of Advanced Research in Engineering and Technology, 11(6).
Toma, S.G. and Naruo, S., 2017. THE BEST PRACTICES AT TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION. Quarterly publication, p.566.
Vnoučková, L., 2020. Impact of COVID-19 on human resource management. Revista Latinoamericana de Investigación Social, 3(1), pp.18-21.
Wakode, R.B., Raut, L.P. and Talmale, P., 2015. Overview on kanban methodology and its implementation. IJSRD-International Journal for Scientific Research & Development, 3(02), pp.2321-0613.
Yanow, S.K. and Good, M.F., 2020. Nonessential research in the new normal: the impact of COVID-19. The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene, 102(6), p.1164.
Assignment Services Unique Submission Offers:
