Employee involvement

Employee involvement involves the creation of an environment wherein people are involved in the
decision making process that have an impact on the decisions and the actions that have a bearing
on the jobs. Employee involvement is management and the leadership philosophy of how the people
are involved in the functioning of the organization, it is not a goal or a tool which is used it is just
mode by which the employees are engaged to have a role to play in the decision making process. In
short it is an effort to pool in the ideas of the employees that can help in the achievement of the
desired results.

The aim of the organizations is to involve maximum number of the people in the decision making
process of all the work aspects of the organization. The benefits of employee involvement are
increase in ownership and commitment, retention of the employees; it creates a harmonial
environment, helps to achieve the employee satisfaction. It is one of the most factors that help to
promote team building.

However there is a big question mark on the fact as to how the process of employee engagement
can be inculcated, the answer can be suggestion systems, manufacturing cells, work teams
dedicated towards the involvement of employees in the decision making process, continuous
improvement meetings, discussions about the improvement requirements, discussions between the
supervisor and the immediate assistant within a team. However the effective working of the
employee involvement process is the effective training of the teams in proper communication and
even the problem solving. There is a good flow of ideas even when there are some of the
motivational rewards involved, when the gains that have been achieved through the decisions are
shared can also act as motivating effect.

The employee involvement model developed by Tannenbaum and Schmidt in the year 1958 acts as
an effective guide for the accomplishment of the employee involvement. The model provides the
method which the organization is involved in the decision making process. There are four levels
which the organizations follow depending on the mode of operation.
*Tell: In the telling kind of the leadership the leader makes the decision without the consultation of
the leader and informs the decision to the staff. The leader provides complete direction to the
employee. The tell kind of strategy is useful on strategies like the safety concerns, government
legislations and for the decisions that do not require any employee input.

*Sell: In the sell strategy the decision is taken by the company and then an attempt is made to
communicate the decision so as to gain commitment from the staff. This strategy is used when the
employees do not have much influence over the decision, but there is a requirement of complete
employee commitment.

*Consult: In the employees are invited to pool in their opinions about the decision however the final
decision authority rests with the supervisor himself.

*Join: In this the employee and the supervisors take the decision in consensus. Both of them have
an equal voice in the decision making process