1. Running head: THE EVOLUTION 1
The Evolution of Workforce Management
Cherry Focht
GB600-03N
Leadership Strategies for a Changing World
September 3, 2014
Professor
Dr. Matt Keogh

2. THE EVOLUTION 2
The Evolution of Workforce Management
Team based organizations have taken the place of the traditional organizational
hierarchies. Flattening the organizational chart and moving the decision making process to the
front lines of customer service has resulted in leaner, progressive companies that can act quickly
in response to consumer needs and marketplace shifts. The natural evolution of this change is the
team-based organization. Former entry level positions have evolved into key positions of
management with opportunities for recognition on a higher level. According to Markovich
(2014), “major characteristics of team-based organization include trust, empowerment, goal
setting, autonomy, team accountability and shared leadership” (para. 1).
Research
Traditionally an organization relied upon the decisions of a single CEO or a few
executives who were typically far removed from the interactions with customers. They circulated
in small groups, rubbing elbows and making deals with other executives and left the details to
subordinates. Today’s international markets are open to heavy competition and slow moving
companies cannot survive the tide of eager, leaner, intelligent startup companies. They are forced
to shed their traditions and compete on the ground level.
When a team-based organization makes a decision, the input comes from all sources.
This can be employees, consumers, bloggers, or suppliers. Better communication leads to
healthier innovation. This promotes enhanced solutions and business tactics that tie directly to
the market.
Analysis
Many employers do not realize that recognition can be as important of a motivator as
monetary compensation. As stated by DuBrin (2010), “people who are proud of their work want

3. THE EVOLUTION 3
to be recognized for their good deeds” (p. 315). When employees feel that their efforts are
valued, they will strive to give more input, resulting in higher productivity and more ideas. These
ideas are grounded in real interactions of the company’s functions and are therefore more
valuable than mere conceptual ideas that come from external sources. That is why a good
consultant immerses in the workings of company processes to give the best feedback and
suggestions for improvement. Consulting with employees is a better option because it is less
expensive and employees have a long term commitment to the processes, rather than a short term
goal.
Recognition benefits the employee and the company with aligned goals. The employee
receives the recognition that is necessary for employee satisfaction and engagement. The
company receives a higher return on the investment in workers in both productivity and
innovation.
Recommendations
Long term stability in the marketplace is no longer a foregone conclusion. Businesses that
were once considered unsinkable have gone the way of the Titanic, sinking in red oceans of
competition while their leaner, faster competitors moved on to blue oceans of innovation.
Vertical integration gave way to outsourcing as conglomerates collapsed under their own weight
of political bureaucracy, stale ideas, and cronyism. Outsourcing led to inferior customer service,
alienation of consumer needs, and a mass exodus of the market share to independent companies
and the internet. According to Regalado (2013) “the rate at which companies get bumped off the
S&P 500 has been accelerating. Back in 1958, a company could expect to stay on the list for 61
years. These days, the average is just 18 years” (para. 6).

4. THE EVOLUTION 4
Technology has introduced lightning speed data response. Attentions spans of consumers
have shortened in direct correlation to the newest technological breakthrough. Companies must
react quickly or miss the opportunity that could leave them sitting on a warehouse of outdated
products and an idle workforce. The best way to stay afloat and move forward is to continually
gather innovative product ideas and ways to improve the value chain. The best source for this
information is the employees in direct contact with the processes, from manufacturing to sales,
service and support. Cultivating company values through alignment with employees’ need for
recognition comes from a team-based approach to leadership.
Conclusion
As stated by Forrester & Drexler (1999) “for a team-based organization to be successful,
the on-going organizational systems and structures must be supportive of teamwork, including
employee selection processes; compensation and reward programs; performance appraisal
processes; training programs, particularly with reference to team-skills and multiskill or pay for
skill programs; information systems to meet the needs of empowered teams; and planning and
resource allocation systems” (p. 37).
Include employees in process management and innovation, ask for feedback and provide
easy, accessible channels for feedback to be given. Email, group meetings, newsletters,
orientations, performance reviews, and impromptu conversations are all opportunities to gain
information. A formal recognition policy with awards, trophies, and perks facilitate regular
feedback but can become stale if not updated regularly. Training for management to understand
the necessity of interaction and truly listening enables them to act as information gatherers. By
emphasizing the importance of recognition and feedback in management training, their value as
an integral part of team building is improved as well.

5. THE EVOLUTION 5
References
Dubrin, A. (2013). Leadershp: Research Findings, Practice, and Skills 7th Ed. Mason : South-
Western, Cengage Learning.
Forrester, R., & Drexler, A. B. (1999). A model for team-based organization
performance. Academy Of Management Executive, 13(3), 36-49.
doi:10.5465/AME.1999.2210313
Markovich, M. (2014). Introduction to team-based organizations. Retrieved from
http://smallbusiness.chron.com/introduction-teambased-organizations-15259.html
Regalado, A. (2013, September 10). Technology is wiping out companies faster than ever.
Retrieved from http://www.technologyreview.com/view/519226/technology-is-wiping-
out-companies-faster-than-ever/