There are many strategies that can be used to address the lack of transparency in the Scholarships Office (SCO). Transparency refers to the act of disclosing information related to organizational decisions, activities, processes, and policies in order to create an environment that enhances performance and productivity. The organizational challenge has resulted in poor communication, duplicate work, poor decision-making, high rates of absenteeism, and low employee morale. The first strategy is to give employees access to the information that they need in order to work effectively. Successful strategies that bring change build upon past events (Heifetz, Grashow, & Linsky, 2009). The manager conceals some information regarding certain organizational decisions that affect how employees fulfill their duties. The manager would be required to give employees access to the organization’s database and adopt exemplary leadership. Qualities of exemplary leadership include enabling people to act and inspiring a shared vision (Kouzes & Posner, 2012).
Another strategy is to involve employees in the decision-making process. Employee participation eradicates mistrust and enables employees to have faith in the manager. It enhances transparency because decision-making involves a thorough evaluation of organizational information in order to determine how it fits into different situations and the changes that need to be made in order to yield good decisions. The manager would be required to give all information to employees for review and, as a result, enhance transparency. On the other hand, their opinions and ideas would be considered and incorporated into the organization’s key decisions. Also, the manager would explain the rationale for all organizational decisions, and it would be impossible to lie to employees. An important aspect of performance improvement is trust because it motivates employees to embrace change (Berman, 2015).
It is necessary for them to trust that their manager will not take advantage of them in any way. Employees trust managers who support their needs and desires and who incorporate their input and contributions in the decision-making process (Berman, 2015). Employee involvement in decision making would build trust and foster morale in the workplace because employees would feel valued by the organization. Moreover, it would lead to increased productivity because workers would link their personal and professional success to that of the organization and, as a result, work harder due to high levels of morale. They would become more committed to their jobs and work harder to see their efforts succeed.
They would be more productive because of the understanding that their work is significant to the overall success of the organization. One of the most critical concepts of organizational change is participative management that involves the delegation of decision-making authority and the involvement of employees in all the activities of the organization (Beitler, 2006). Delegating responsibilities motivates employees to work harder and, as a result, improve performance and productivity (Beitler, 2006). In addition, it encourages collaboration among employees and facilitates innovation, creativity, and experimentation (Kouzes & Posner, 2012).
Improving communication between the manager and the employees is another strategy. It would eliminate any mistrust because they would be compelled to evaluate the authenticity of the manager’s actions and decisions. The strategy would involve monthly scheduling meetings between employees and the manager. Effective communication would eradicate duplicate work and disagreements in the workplace because employees would be free to talk about their problems and address any issues that arise from their lack of trust in the manager. Examples of conditions that are needed for successful implementation of organizational change include sufficient trust among involved stakeholders, support by top management, and collaboration among employees (Berman, 2015). It would be necessary to educate workers about the importance of teamwork and monthly meetings with the manager. Increased interactions among employees would improve collaboration, create trust, enhance the exchange of ideas and information, and create strong relationships (Kouzes & Posner, 2012).
References
Beitler, M. A. (2006). Strategic Organizational Change: A Practitioner’s Guide for Managers and Consultants (2nd ed.). Greensboro, North Carolina: Practitioner Press International.
Berman, E. (2015). Performance and Productivity in Public and Nonprofit Organizations. New York, NY: Routledge.
Heifetz, R., Grashow, A., & Linsky, M. (2009). The Practice of Adaptive Leadership: Tools and Tactics for Changing Your Organization and the World. Boston, Massachusetts: Harvard Business Press.
Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2012). The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things happen in Organizations. San Francisco, California: Jossey-Bass.