The Changing Nature of Performance : Implications for Staffing, Motivation, and Development (J-B SIOP Frontiers Series)

Rating:
Summary: Key changes in the nature of work and performance.
Review: As stated by series editor Sheldon Zedek,"the general purpose of this volume is to provide a discussion of the relationship between the changing nature of work and the understanding, measurement, and influence of human performance. More specifically, the volume addresses how seven key changes in the nature of work-changes in technology, job design, type of workforce, training methodology, external control, leadership, and work structure-affect how job performance is viewed and measured. Three HR domains are emphasized: staffing, motivation, and training and development...The goal of the volume is not only to present greater understanding of the changing nature of performance but also to offer concrete ways in which to deal with the change."

In this context, in Chapter Seven - 'Leadership and the Nature of Performance', Robert G. Lord and Wendy Gradwohl Smith argue that the relation between leadership and performance is likely to increase while at the same time exercising effective leadership may become more difficult because of: (1). increased diversity in experience and technical training will reduce the degree to which organizational members share common performance standards, (2). greater ethnic, racial, and gender diversiy will increase the potential tensions among team members due to less homogeneous values and beliefs.Thus, they argue that this increased diversity creates greater need for leaders to define performance and manage group conflict effectively, and hence they construct a leadership model. On the other side, they summarize some of the important trends noted by other authors of this book that will affect the relationship of leadership to performance as follows:

I. In the Past:

1. Work organization: (a). Map job onto employee, (b). Relative ease in identifying KSAOs.

2. Design of jobs: (a). Stable jobs, (b). Common elements of jobs shared among a number of people.

3. Technology: (a). Relative ease in identifying individual and technological contributions to performance, (b). Little performance monitoring using technology.

4. Control of performance: Internal sources used for performance standards.

5. Meaning of performance: Performance defined by past behavior.

6. Leadership and supervision: Traditional leadership and supervision.

7. Part-time and temporary workers: Minimal concern for commitment to organization, learning, and development due to the stability and structure of jobs.

II. Current Trend:

1. Work organization: (a). Map job onto team, (b). More or different KSAOs and greater difficulty identifying KSAOs.

2. Design of jobs: (a). Less stable jobs, (b). Common elements of jobs shared among fewer people.

3. Technology: (a). Confounding individual and technological contributions to performance, (b). Greater performance monitoring using technology.

4. Control of performance: External sources used for performance standards.

5. Meaning of performance: (a). Performance defined by future behavior, continuous learning, (b). Different cultural views of good performance.

6. Leadership and supervision: Leadership that emphasizes skill development, teams, and identities.

7. Part-time and temporary workers: Greater concern for commitment to organization, learning, and development due to the instability and team-based nature of jobs.

I higly recommend this book as a whole for HR professionals.

Rating:
Summary: Key changes in the nature of work and performance.
Review: As stated by series editor Sheldon Zedek,"the general purpose of this volume is to provide a discussion of the relationship between the changing nature of work and the understanding, measurement, and influence of human performance. More specifically, the volume addresses how seven key changes in the nature of work-changes in technology, job design, type of workforce, training methodology, external control, leadership, and work structure-affect how job performance is viewed and measured. Three HR domains are emphasized: staffing, motivation, and training and development...The goal of the volume is not only to present greater understanding of the changing nature of performance but also to offer concrete ways in which to deal with the change."

In this context, in Chapter Seven - 'Leadership and the Nature of Performance', Robert G. Lord and Wendy Gradwohl Smith argue that the relation between leadership and performance is likely to increase while at the same time exercising effective leadership may become more difficult because of: (1). increased diversity in experience and technical training will reduce the degree to which organizational members share common performance standards, (2). greater ethnic, racial, and gender diversiy will increase the potential tensions among team members due to less homogeneous values and beliefs.Thus, they argue that this increased diversity creates greater need for leaders to define performance and manage group conflict effectively, and hence they construct a leadership model. On the other side, they summarize some of the important trends noted by other authors of this book that will affect the relationship of leadership to performance as follows:

I. In the Past:

1. Work organization: (a). Map job onto employee, (b). Relative ease in identifying KSAOs.

2. Design of jobs: (a). Stable jobs, (b). Common elements of jobs shared among a number of people.

3. Technology: (a). Relative ease in identifying individual and technological contributions to performance, (b). Little performance monitoring using technology.

4. Control of performance: Internal sources used for performance standards.

5. Meaning of performance: Performance defined by past behavior.

6. Leadership and supervision: Traditional leadership and supervision.

7. Part-time and temporary workers: Minimal concern for commitment to organization, learning, and development due to the stability and structure of jobs.

II. Current Trend:

1. Work organization: (a). Map job onto team, (b). More or different KSAOs and greater difficulty identifying KSAOs.

2. Design of jobs: (a). Less stable jobs, (b). Common elements of jobs shared among fewer people.

3. Technology: (a). Confounding individual and technological contributions to performance, (b). Greater performance monitoring using technology.

4. Control of performance: External sources used for performance standards.

5. Meaning of performance: (a). Performance defined by future behavior, continuous learning, (b). Different cultural views of good performance.

6. Leadership and supervision: Leadership that emphasizes skill development, teams, and identities.

7. Part-time and temporary workers: Greater concern for commitment to organization, learning, and development due to the instability and team-based nature of jobs.

I higly recommend this book as a whole for HR professionals.