ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

Is the Hierarchical Structure in Organizations a Plus for Employee Engagement?

Each of three typical organizational structures — the hierarchy, the matrix, and the flat structure — has been found to have an impact on strategic objectives and employee engagement. Here is a brief look at how and why the hierarchical structure may have an edge in fulfilling an employee's overall needs and, thus, the motivation to engage.

• Specialized tasks provide an opportunity for employees to use their strengths and do best what they do every day, thereby being more fulfilled and committed to contribute.
• Teams can be formed and easily engaged by managers to communicate and make higher quality decisions than those made by individuals operating alone — the two heads are better than one philosophy, leading to a supportive and creative environment that can fuel motivated abilities and engagement.
• Employees can act on the value of accountability and responsibility at each level of the hierarchy, promoting a sense of accomplishment.
• Opportunities easily exist for sharing knowledge and strengths among team members who often form family-like relationships that promote engagement.
• Compared with other organizational structures, hierarchies are often more productive, which demonstrates to employees that their robust efforts are measured and appreciated. Such a fulfilled need supports engagement.

CORPORATE CULTURE

The lasting norms and assumptions that guide how, when, where, and why communication and specific behaviors take place in an organization -- corporate culture -- can serve as a powerful support to employee engagement solutions, regardless of whether the organizational structure is a hierarchy, a matrix, or a flat structure.

Examples of cultural norms include the manner of dress across a national beauty shop franchise, the amount of employee social talk in a restaurant franchise, or how formal or informal performance appraisals take place in a matrix of dental offices. Another example of a cultural norm is the way that work time is scheduled and paid, with some corporations allowing paid time off (e.g., for holidays) and others not. While two different cultures are clearly shown in that example, employers in both cultures can use various methods to promote employee engagement. Research indicates that paid time off as a company-wide cultural practice will support higher engagement, job satisfaction, and retention (www.salzburgglobal.org).

Corporate cultural support for strong employee engagement also includes the provision of:

• Metrics attached to company objectives for the purpose of measuring company strengths and the need for improvement
• Information on company culture, history, values, compliance, and ethics
• Ways and means for employees to identify and share company-wide problems
• Training and development strategies for individuals and teams
• Vehicles for ongoing communication
• Employee benefits such as child-care or job sharing

IDEAS THAT ENCOURAGE ENGAGEMENT

There are dozens of activities that sail across cultures to enhance a sense of company identity. Employee engagement can be improved in any corporate structure. Here are five ideas that many companies have implemented (or plan to do):

• Publish a company newsletter.
• Provide a new employee orientation and onboarding experience that includes a welcome gift and information on company history, cultural norms, and vehicles for ongoing communication.
• Celebrate birthdays, work anniversaries, and other ways that show caring for the person beyond their ability to produce work.
• For high-level professionals, instead of an annual performance appraisal, conduct a 360-degree (i.e., within and outside of work) assessment of strengths, knowledge, and new learning.
• Tap into emotional and analytical intelligence by asking each employee face-to-face, "What drives you?" and "What advice would you give to tackle our problem with ______?"

Summary

Organizational structures show differences in their ability to garner employee engagement, the extent to which employees show commitment to the company and its goals. The commonly used hierarchical structure may have advantages over the matrix or flat organizational structure in facilitating employee engagement, with cultural supports having a major impact in any type of organizational structure. Many ideas for employee engagement activities can be found on the internet. For help with implementing employee engagement solutions tailored to your organizational structure and corporate culture, contact Debi Ford at Dunson & Associates for a free, no-obligation assessment and consultation on how to get started: (937) 854-5940, x 7.

References/Links for more information:

• https://jgarecruitment.com/organisational-structures
• https://www.salzburgglobal.org/news/latest-news/article/
• https://www.quantumworkplace.com/200-employee-engagement-ideas
• https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/tools-and-samples/toolkits/pages/sustainingemployeeengagement.aspx