Camron Miller, Matthew Oldow, Matthew Ibershof, Zach Schwisow, and Neda Zakaraukaite
Our blog will focus on the topic of creating a work environment that encourages employee input, while easier said than done a company’s culture is key to employee happiness and retention. Our hope is that by valuing employee input a company’s culture can be improved and lead to happier employees, in turn making the company more successful.

 

 

Appelbaum, S., Louis, D., Makarenko, D., Saluja, J., Meleshko, O. and Kulbashiazn, S. (2013). “Participation in decision making: a case study of job satisfaction and commitment (part one)”, Industrial and Commercial Training, Vol. 45 No. 4, pp. 222-229.

https://doi.org/10.1108/00197851311323510

This article is a case study on employee participation in decision making and how it affects employees job satisfaction and commitment. It talks about how employees are more motivated and encouraged when they believe and trust their managers. The article states when employees have input in decision making that it improves employee’s efforts and their commitment to the company. This article also introduces employee empowerment practices. It was used in the “Effects on Employee Satisfaction and Commitment” section.

 

 

DeMaria, A. T. (2018). Employee Participation Programs. Management Report for Nonunion Organizations (Wiley), 41(6), 3–5. https://doi-org.ezproxy.library.wwu.edu/10.1002/mare.30397

This article discusses the traditional hierarchical ranking that organizations have traditionally followed. This notion is then challenged by the author of this article, who discusses how companies are now moving toward more employee participation in decision making. This increased participation leads to enhanced job satisfaction, and employee empowerment. Along with helping the employees, DeMaria discusses how participation programs also allow employers to fully utilize their employees strengths to benefit the company. This article was used in the introduction.

 

 

Anders Ericsson, Michael J. Prietula, Edward T. Cokely. (2014, August 1). The Making of an Expert. Retrieved February 15, 2020, from https://hbr.org/2007/07/the-making-of-an-expert

This article discusses what exactly it means to be an “expert”, and how this title is obtained. This article was used in the “Why Employee Input Matters” specifically the “Employee Engagement and Management Expertise” section, which will help to show the correlation between employee input and management excellence. Along with discussing the definition of the term “expert”, Ericsson also discusses how experts are made from years of practice, not simply born with their skills.

 

 

Kakkar, H., & Tangirala, S. (2018, November 6). If Your Employees Aren’t Speaking Up, Blame Company Culture. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2018/11/if-your-employees-arent-speaking-up-blame-company-culture

Within this article Hermant Kakkar and Subra Tangirala go into detail how when employees are comfortable speaking up, companies benefit. Kakkar and Tangirala explain that employees stay silent because of two viewpoints, personality perspective and situational perspective. Personality perspective suggests employees lack disposition to speak out on critical issues caused by introverted personalities while situational perspective argue it’s due to fear of consequences such as job and promotion loss. This article was used in the “Implementing a Culture of Employee Input.”

 

 

Kevin Kruse. (2012, June 22). What Is Employee Engagement. https://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinkruse/2012/06/22/employee-engagement-what-and-why/#4c49ac187f37

This article defines employee engagement, as well as its attributes and limitations. This article was used in the “Why Employee Input Matters” section in order to show how employee engagement leads to employee satisfaction, and in turn employee loyalty. Kruse also goes beyond simply explaining employee engagement, and shows the chain reaction of positive effects it can have on an organization.

 

 

Who Needs Employee Input? You! (2018). Receivables Report for America’s Health Care Financial Managers, 33(7), 6–8.

Within the Management Corner column, The Receivables Report states that organizational change initiatives fail due to the lack of consideration of effects upon employees. Although employees should not be involved in decisions that may lead to negative outcomes if the information were to be leaked or require data only known to management; employee input creates a positive work environment by removing speculation surrounding decisions. The importance of involving employees in the development of programs and initiatives maintains productivity and creates a mutual respect between the company and its employees. This assistance ensures employees embrace proposed changes at all levels. Human resources consultant and executive coach Joan Lloyd suggests to achieve employee involvement managers must ask questions as well as find ways to make employees involved look good to their leaders, peers, and their own team to create a bond between employer and employee. This article was used in the “What You Should Say” section.

 

 

Witt, L. A., Andrews, M. C., & Kacmar, K. M. (2000). The Role of Participation in Decision-Making in the Organizational Politics-Job Satisfaction Relationship. Human Relations, 53(3), 341–358. doi: 10.1177/0018726700533003

This article describes how workplace politics and job satisfaction are related, specifically the inverse relationship between perception of politics and job satisfaction. They argue that employees’ perception of office politics is the most important, whether or not politics is actually happening is a separate issue. Furthermore, that employees’ perception of politics can be reduced by using participative decision making, or letting the employee’s voice be heard. This relates closely with our research topic as we want to look at, employee input and decision making. The only potential downside is that the article was written in 2000, making it 20 years old now, but the concepts still hold true today. This article was used in the introduction and conclusion, specifically the negative effects we outlined were from this article.

 

 

Essick, K. (2015, March 10). 15Five Study Shows Employees Want Open Communication with Bosses – But. Retrieved from http://www.prweb.com/releases/2015/03/prweb12565921.htm

This article pertains to the employee manager relationship. It contains a survey with some good facts about how important the relationship is between employees and managers. We directly quote these facts about how employees would prefer an open relationship with their manager. It was used in the bond between the employee and manager section.