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Solution
Question 4: Critical Evaluation of Systemic Thinking
Adopting the definition of CIPD (2023), systemic thinking represent an approach of thinking where systems are noted as interacting and interdependent factors as opposed to isolated entities. The appropriateness of adopting system thinking is to enhance success in exploring and developing holistic course of action in complex contexts, harnessing systems change. According to Read et al. (2021) this enhance an appreciation of how things influence one another as a major part of a whole organisation.
Johnson and Scholes Model
Also identified as the Cultural Web Model, it is based on establishing a framework defining a paradigm which is the lived experience of employees of an entity. The basic assumption of this model is identified in Midgley and Rajagopalan (2020) as evaluating interconnectedness of different factors shaping organisation culture including symbols, rituals, power structure and others (see figure below).
Figure 1: John Scholes Model
Source: Midgley and Rajagopalan (2020)
The different elements of this model which are used in solving people management problems include;
Stories- For this element of the model, it identify aspects such as how an organisation is founded, its progress, major players and actions and employees feeling while working for the organisation. Different people management issues are resolved through improving organisation core values and behaviours establishing as worth to exemplify. In managing people management problems, Itzchakov et al. (2023) report note that 86% of employees and executives note lacking a holistic collaboration and communication as a primary cause of workplace failure. Therefore, by active communication through the stories, illumination on the organisation core values is achieved and appropriate behaviours.
Rituals and routines- These represent behaviours and activities relevant in an organisation. In systematic thinking, rituals and routines helps in managing people management issues linked with lack of clear understanding of roles assigned. According to De Caluwe et al. (2020) this is by identifying on the employee expectation in their assigned roles, leaving their work roles and activities in entire day.
Symbols- This element represent the employer or an organisation branding. As evidenced in CIPD (2023a), this is used in organisations for differentiating themselves in labour market hence success in attracting, recruiting, retaining and engaging right individuals. The stronger the employer brand is, an organisation achieve an improved credibility. People management issues such as turnover and absenteeism are hence managed.
From the reviewed literature, the strengths of this model is identified in Choi et al. (2022) as exposing cultural assumptions and practices. This is while actively working to ensure all organisation factors are aligned with each other and with their strategy. Also, Ibrahim et al. (2023) noted the model as being broad in capturing various aspects which are inclusive of an organisation culture and teams engaged. This means the approach is all-inclusive and targeting multiple areas. For the weaknesses, the method consumes immense time to analyse an entity organisation using all the identified elements. It is in this regard that Helmold (2020) noted that immense resources would be required for gathering data, carrying out the interviews and exploring the cultural web analysis findings.
Nadler-Tushman Congruence Model
This is a systematic thinking model which prioritise on the inputs and outputs of an organisation. Through this, Ando (2023) note that an organisation can resolve people management problems by identifying their root causes and best practice in fixing them. The appropriateness of the model is that teams and organisations are successful when their work, people doing it, organisation structure and culture are all fitting together or congruent (see figure 2).
Figure 2: Nadler-Tushman Congruence Model
Source: Filipović et al. (2020)
People– As a best practice, organisation management need to understand the working style of their staff, held competency, skills and knowledge possessed, personal features, experiences and professional qualifications. People management issues such as inequality in pay would be resolved by ensuring that employees are rewarded and compensated based on their work (Leeson, 2021). With employees being highly motivated, it becomes possible to develop potential amongst themselves.
Structure– This is made up of the policy set, procedure, processes and entire business systems. In Spataro and Perrmann-Graham (2020) report, this is identified as initiating consistency in terms of organisation expectations and what it does. For instance, through an embrace of a flexible corporate structure, it is possible to promptly adjust to changing market needs. This is with their entire interests prioritised and integrated in their operations.
Culture– This factor is identified to be inclusive of different values and norms, behavioural patterns and rules which are done in writing and unwritten. This represent soft factor of organisation and comprised of purpose set, vision driven and values and acceptable behaviours and work style. To manage people management issues, Pin and Shavarebi (2022) noted on the need for influencing the approach of supporting and stimulating organisation outcomes. There is a need for changing an organisation culture prior adjustment of business strategy.
For the strengths of this model of systematic thinking, Paudel and Sharma (2020) note that this is a simplified methodology for noting the business issues. This is with an elaborate roadmap initiated with various factors evidenced. Additionally, Sackmann (2021) note that by using Nadler-Tushman Congruence Model, it is possible to note on the need for interactions amongst the different components. However, for its limitations, it is inadequate in terms of generating responses to posed questions. Also, it is primarily internally based hence inadequate in terms of identifying the external factors which affect an organisation.
Key Points of Systematic Thinking
Analytical Approaches of interrelatedness of constituent parts- The rationale of adopting system thinking is assisting in understanding scope in which various people practices interact with their alignment with the organisation strategy and culture in line with people management and development.
From the different reviewed literature, it is clear that there exist different models of critical thinking (Fixsen et al., 2020; Monat et al., 2020; Amissah et al., 2020). The different models are distinct and evidence the scope of interactions of different systems. Hence, depending on the selected system thinking model, it is appropriate understanding that people are core for all these systems. Hence, it is important to use analytical data to identify how different parts of the system work together to achieve a specific role.
People systems operations in context of larger systems within organisation, sector and economy- People systems include employees grading on their working and success in different roles which must be evaluated. It also evidence the financial systems in place, quality control and bonuses issued core for systematic thinking. Performance issues are managed by having appropriate control systems. This is through enhancing the employees commitment and morale in executing their roles. Also, being the center of power, different organisations manages this in diverse forms of systematic thinking. It include one or two main senior executives, whole team of executives and departments. In organisations facing challenges of lack of active collaboration, appropriate power structures ensures success in resolving these conflicts and building sustainable relations.
Developing Solutions; decision making– This factor of systematic thinking identify the tasks employees pursuing often require decision making. The different tasks must be aligned with organisation objectives. To avoid people management issues, there is a need of identifying the skills and knowledge required for their assigned roles. As evidenced in Ismail (2021) for resolving people management issues, organisations need to possess skills and knowledge in required quantity and quality. It is important to consider this factor as it evidence how iterative activities operating together are aligned to achieve a particular organisation objective.
Question 8: High Performance Work Practices Benefit Employers and Employees
High Performance Work Practices; Importance to Organisations
In different published literature, high performance work practices (HPWP) is defined as holistic state of mental, emotional and physical health (Tuzovic & Kabadayi, 2021; Pradhan & Hati, 2022; and Yan et al., 2020). In supporting these definitions, CIPD (2023b) factsheet identified the HPWP as assisting in increasing resilience level, appropriate staff engagement, lowering sickness absenteeism, high performance and productivity. This is achieved since HPWP is integrated in organisation purpose of championing better working and working lives. The outcome of this include delivering mutual benefits to individuals, organisations, economies and communities. The benefit of this include what Rasool et al. (2021) identify as creation of an environment that harness a state of contentment and mutual benefit to employees and organisations. For example, in Saudi Aramco, Post COVID-19 pandemic, multiple HPWP initiatives were implemented. The outcome of this was reduced number of employees absenteeism, burnouts and overall engagement levels in their assigned roles. As supported by CIPD (2023c) report, these have been achieved by the organisation being in a position of using a range of approaches including the employees assistance programs, mental health first aid training, wellbeing champions and promotion of flexible working options.
HPWP strategies; benefit to stakeholders (Employers and Employees)
There is no one-size-fits-all strategy of enhancing the HPWP. Nevertheless, the selected strategy should be influenced by the uniqueness of needs to be met and characteristics of the organisation and its workforce (CIPD, 2023b). The examples of applicable strategies include;
Flexible Working Hours and Employee Assistance Programs
Adopting the definition of CIPD (2023d), flexible working is a form of work arrangement which offer employees with a substantial scope of flexibility in terms of how long, where, when and what times they are involved in working. Currently, an upward of 51% or more than half of the employees note that flexible working arrangement is appropriate in their role with the numbers increasing. In past 6 months, more than third of organisations at 40% have recorded an increase in requests made for flexible working.
Adopting the definition of CIPD HR-Inform (2023), the Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) are a set of initiatives which are set for assisting staff with individualised, work-linked, concerns and issues which impact their job performance/wellbeing. In Shalton (2023) report focusing on global EAP, it hypothesis that as of 2022, the sector was worth $7,000 and projected to increase with 5.5.3% by 2023 to be approximately $9,500 million by 2027. In Saudi Aramco, through EAP, a healthy working environment is developed with a capacity for attracting and retaining best and talented people. This is since as noted in AIHR (2023) a successful EAP lead to improved empathy, support system, understanding hence an increase in workplace morale and positive overall working environment.
Considering an organisation such as Saudi Aramco, to identify the impact of this strategy on stakeholders, Mendelow Matrix can be used to analyse the stakeholders.
Figure 1:Mendelow Matrix Analysis of Stakeholders
In category A, Saudi Aramco an employer’s end-users of their services can be classified here. In terms of the flexible working and EAP as HPWP strategies, they have a limited power of influencing organisation strategy for HPWP. Nevertheless, employers benefits indirectly as Gallup (2023) hypothesis that with employees feeling HPWP is harnessed, they improve in terms of customers engagement. Also, Gallup (2022) noted that with through flexible working and EAPs, the employees commitment with their employers would be increased. This means they would be willing to serve their customers better by providing high-level quality services. Similarly, for the EAPs, they offer support to HPWP to offer them with an opportunity of focusing on their work roles. The best customers are attracted and also retained since the employees retention is harnessed.
In Category B, this include the employees stakeholders. They possess a high level of interest but a low level of power over their organisation. In regard to the two identified well-being strategies, HBR (2023) report hypothesised that for organisations offering flexible working opportunity and EAPs, they have a high-level positivity in their mental health as their issues are also shared and holistically discussed to be resolved. The rationale of this is that EAPs are appropriate for addressing the different issues through an improved work-life balance and while leading to substantial support HPWP. This is with 80% of the employees noting an improved work-life balance which has a direct implication on their overall quality of life. In Saudi Aramco, through flexible working strategy and EAPs, their employees are assisted in finding a balance, prioritising on their feeling of being cared for hence an overall increase in their productivity in HPWP. It is in this regard that Shalton (2023 argued that 81% of employees are loyal to organisations offering them with flexibility in their working. The outcome of this is the employees turnover reduced and overall quality of life.
Category C include the stakeholders who are the employers with high degree of power for influencing wellbeing strategy with low level of interest on their strategies. This category include the board of directors and management representing employer. The administration is concerned with ensuring that they initiate programs intended to improve their health and well-being. According to Kolomitro et al. (2020) unhealthy workplaces in terms of lack of appropriate wellbeing is projected to cost approximately $12.80 billion annually in terms of absenteeism, lowered productivity and staff compensation for physical health claims. For Saudi Aramco, their operations is informed by Adham and Hammer (2021) legislation requiring employees to pursue part-time working in a fixed-term contract arrangement. The outcome of this has been staff supplementing their income and protection of rights of staff and employers from the appropriate support offered through EAPs.
For category D, the stakeholders have high interest and high degree of power of influencing operations. These can include the investors in the organisation and government authorities. The role of government in flexible working and employee assistance programs is what is identified in Arab News (2023) that 78% of organisations lack measures for their staff. This is with 82% of them having no budgeted resources for implementing mental health services. Hence, by enhancing flexible working and EAPs, employees would be supported and facilitated to improve their wellbeing. Having the productive employees would also imply increased revenues which is passed to the government.
Question 9
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