¶ … strategic analysis presents a case for the implementation of a job rotation program within XYZ Incorporated. Three alternatives to the job rotation program are presented and then analysed. Finally, specific details of the implementation of the job rotation program are discussed.
Recent concerns have been voiced, regarding the lack of staff dedication, by management at XYZ Incorporated. Specifically, there has been a high rate of turnover, high absenteeism, and consistent reports of low employee morale and job satisfaction. The specific merits of a job rotation program to increase staff dedication have been discussed elsewhere. Here, I will present three alternatives to the job rotation program, and outline the disadvantages of each alternative.
Alternatives to the job rotation system
Firstly, a job-sharing program could be implemented instead of a job rotation program. Specifically, in a job-sharing program, an employee would simultaneously take on the duties of two or more jobs. In contrast, in a job rotation program, an employee switches or moves between specific jobs, as a defined interval of time. During a job rotation, employees only take on the duties of one job, at any given time.
A job-sharing program has distinct, and serious disadvantages. Firstly, job sharing may result in a lack of consistency within a position. When two people share one position, their methods of organization, employee leadership, and their performance of specific duties may be highly individual. As a result, a lack of consistency may develop, leading to difficulties with employees, and a lack of standardization in the way tasks are competed. In short, the implementation of a job-sharing program may result in decreased productivity, at best, and a financial loss, at worst (Olmsted, 1983).
Another alternative to implementing a job rotation program is to actively attempt to directly increase the morale of existing employees. In this scenario, a large number of potential actions can be taken. These can include instituting an organizational daycare, implementing flex-time for employees, giving performance-related bonuses, increasing base wages, implementing team-building workshops,...
It will be difficult, if not impossible, to chose specific strategies to increase morale. A great deal of time and money will have to be invested in choosing the best strategies to implement this plan.
Further, many of the actions that would likely increase employee morale are expensive. For example, giving performance-related bonuses and creating a company daycare would cost the company a great deal of money. Certainly, this is a distinct disadvantage to this approach.
A final alternative to the job rotation program is to undergo extensive employee reorganization. This plan has many aspects. Firstly, it would attempt to place employees in positions where they are happier. Secondly, this plan would involve firing employees with poor attitudes, and a lack of dedication to the business. Finally, new employees, with a proven track record of dedication to their past employers would be hired.
Extensive employee reorganization also has several distinct disadvantages. These include the extensive amount of time required to make these organizational decisions. A second disadvantage is possible decreases in employee morale, as less desirable employees are fired, and replaced (Neumark, 2000; Cappelli, 2001).
The job rotation program does not have many of the disadvantages of the programs noted above. It is not time-intensive, and does not have the potentially negative results on morale of the employee reorganization plan. Further, job rotation does not have the significant cost or complexity of implementation of the strategies to increase morale. Finally, the job rotation program does not suffer from the lack of consistency within a program that the job-sharing program may suffer.
Implementation of the job rotation system
Likely the most challenging aspect of the job rotation system will be its implementation. Certainly, there may be initial opposition to the idea of implementing a job rotation plan. A large number of XYZ's employees have been…
