QUALITY MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES & APPROACHES

The organizational climate is the workers’ attitude toward their organization. It is a composite of human behaviors, perception of events, responses of employees to one another, expectations, interpersonal conflicts, and the opportunities for growth in the organization. The climate is crucial in creating and maintaining an effective organization, and, therefore, should be periodically evaluated to discover whether the satisfaction level of the employees is positive or negative. An evaluator can use the six steps below to assess the climate of a specific organization, group, committee, task force, etc.
1. Look at the organization (group, committee, task force, etc.) - Assess the mission and goals of the organization, what it is supposed to produce, and the overriding principles by which it operates.
1. Examine the jobs - Examine each job in the organization. Ask whether the job is necessary, whether it makes full use of the employee’s capabilities, and whether it is important in accomplishing the mission and goals of the organization.
2. Assess employees’ performance - Evaluate each employee’s performance in relation to the organization’s mission and goals. For each job being performed, ask if the employee is doing what should be done, is using his or her skills effectively, likes his or her job, and has enthusiasm and interest in performing the job.
3. Evaluate how employees feel about their manager or leader - Good organizational climate requires good leadership. Determine whether each employee within the group likes his or her manager, whether they follow or ignore the requests of their manager, and whether they attempt to protect their manager (i.e., make their manager look good).
4. Create a dialog with the members of the group - Interact with each employee asking a series of hypothetical questions to identify the employee’s true feelings toward the organization. Questions such as, “do you feel the organization supports your suggestions”, can help draw out the true feeling of each employee.