After interviewing my dad, I found that many of his experiences matched the organizational theories we discussed in Chapter three. My dad works for a company called International Business Machines (IBM). There are numerous ways IBM tries to increase worker productivity.
IBM has divisions of labor which separate peoples tasks into distinct units. The business is laid out in a hierarchy system that is a “vertical arrangement of power and authority that distinguishes managers from employees,” (pg. 71). Each person knows his or her role in the company, which makes for a more productive atmosphere.
One of the main ways IBM promotes productivity and improves the quality of the workplace for workers is the organizational bureaucracy system they have in place. An example of the bureaucracy system is the IBM employee’s view of employment as a career path. IBM has a mentor system set up throughout each division of labor. If an employee is trying to move up through the corporate ladder, they can find a mentor who can guide them through that specific division of labor. This promotes productivity and motivation among workers.
IBM keeps order throughout the company and one of the ways their rules are upheld is through a company handbook, which can also be accessed online. These general rules that govern performances is also an aspect of bureaucracy.
For the last few years, my dad has been a part of the IBM spot awards. This is a reward system to promote a positive, productive atmosphere throughout the work place. A spot award is when someone in the company nominates a worker or manger for their outstanding performance. The recipient receives a monetary gift or can pick an object from certain websites. Gifts range from expensive watches, to leather jackets. The spot award system is effective because it promotes worker productivity and it offers people a way to do random acts of kindness.
The company also promotes family time. Each year, IBM rents out the Chicago zoo and allows free admission for all IBM workers and their families. There is a yearly picnic open to all family members of workers.
IBM proves that the bureaucracy system is positive and increases worker productivity. When a worker is rewarded for a job well done, they realize that people are taking note of their performance and it gives them an incentive to be productive. Another positive aspect of the company, which proves the strength in the bureaucracy system, is the separation of personal life from work life. Employees are given vacation time, and through yearly sponsored family events, it is obvious the company promotes the concept of family time. IBM tries to have a good human relations approach. The company works to “emphasize the interpersonal and social needs of the individual,” (pg. 82) by offering health club discounts and positions, that allow you to work from home. A negative aspect of IBM is that each year, numerous positions in the company are outsourced. The company searches for foreign employees because the wage labor is extra cheap.
Overall, I thought IBM was a positive company that tried to promote worker productivity.
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Hi Francesca,
This is a good post. I think you are right on target by linking some of the examples to the theory of bureaucracy. However, some of the examples you mention further along in the post are designed to increase worker morale and are not easily incorporated into the theory of bureaucracy. To discuss these other examples, you would have to use material from the discussion of the human relations approach or the human resource approach. More precise use of the texts would also have helped.
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