The Employer-Employee Expectations
Characteristics of a "learning organization"
The Knowledge-Based Organization: Managing Its Human Resources
Introduction
There has been much discussion in project/programme purpose organizations
and academic literature on the changing nature of the employer-employee relationship. This section explores the fundamentals of
relationship management based on a knowledge of unwritten psychological contracts and an
overview of the trends that are currently redefining the employment relationship.
There are many
explicit expectations in the employer-employee relationship such as salary, compensation
and job duties. In addition to the explicit
agreements between employer and employees, there are often unacknowledged and unspoken
expectations. These are part of the
psychological contract. The psychological
contract is an unwritten agreement that sets out what employers expect from employees and
what employees expect from employers. In
practice most psychological contracts are between managers and their direct reports. This contract defines the expectations each
person has for the people in the role called ‘manager’ and the role called
‘worker’. Managers are expected
to treat workers fairly, to give feedback on how workers are performing their jobs, to
provide acceptable working conditions, and to communicate clearly about relevant
organizational issues. Workers are expected to
provide a fair day’s work for their pay, to have a positive attitude, to follow
directions, to show up every day, and to demonstrate loyalty to the organization (embodied
by the manager). It should be emphasized
that the employer and employee need not communicate, nor agree on the specifics of the
psychological contract for the contract to exist, and, for the contract to have behavioral
consequences. The psychological contract
has an impact on the amount and quality of work and employee provides, even whether the
employee stays with the organization.
2. Expectations Affect Work Behavior
We have found in
recent research into the psychological contract is that this contract is a powerful
determinant of behavior in the workplace. However,
most people do not communicate their expectations clearly, to the appropriate person, and
at the most effective times. Broken
psychological contracts between employers and employees are at the root of many workplace
conflicts, absenteeism, poor performance, and costly employee turnover. This silence about the expectations in the
psychological contract seems to be the rule, rather than the exception. So why do we not communicate our work expectations
with each other? First, we often do not even
know what the elements of the contract were until we have been disappointed because some
important expectation was not met. Second, the
need to actually discuss work expectations is relatively new in many cases. Until relatively recently workers and managers
agreed that workers were expected to keep their jobs until they retired unless they failed
to perform in some important ways. With the
rapid changes in workplaces today, this agreement can no longer be taken for granted. In order to have a high quality employer-employee
relationship it is helpful to have more explicit discussions about worker-manager /
employer-employee expectations, and to have these discussions regularly. The process of clarifying and discussing
expectations reduces turnover and increases productivity and job satisfaction. One of the most powerful motivators in
organizations is managerial attention. Discussing
expectations clearly helps employees believe someone in the organization cares about them
as individuals.
Expectations can be
organized in many ways but should cover aspects of work and life important to the people
involved – both the explicit expectations for task performance, managerial direction,
and organizational resource support, and, more personal expectations each person has for
respectful treatment, work environment quality, personal expression and growth. In each description both the manager (as an
individual and a representative of the employer) and the employee have expectations. Sometimes these expectations match. The problems occur when the expectations do not
match.
An example of
conflicting expectations might be the case where an employee expects clear direction from
their manager and the manager expects the employee to work with general guidelines in a
more unstructured way. The manager gives ideas
and suggestions thinking they are encouraging the employee’s autonomy, initiative,
and development. The employee is frustrated by
the lack of direction and thinking the manager is unable or unwilling to make organization
commitments for employee performance and reward. At
the performance review the manager feels the employee has not done as well as they should
in the job and gives that employee a mediocre review.
The employee feels the manager has not done their job and is being
subjective or idiosyncratic in the review. Neither
the manager nor the employee is happy or productive. Discussing
these expectations and differences in preferred employer-employee style is likely to have
made both employer and employee more effective.
4. Work Structure Expectations
Clear and Engaging Direction vs. Open-ended and
Unstructured Work. Employees have expectations about how much information they
will be given about what they have to do and why.
Employees-managers who prefer clear and engaging direction expect to have
very clearly defined jobs and job responsibilities.
They want to know what resources are available-required to do the work and
the specific outcomes that must attained for rewards.
They expect-provide a job description for each job based in job analysis. This job description delineates exactly which
tasks they are to be performed. They are
likely to negotiate objectives they must meet using the job description as a basis. Other employees prefer more open-ended and
unstructured jobs and expect to give-receive an idea of what needs to be done but not much
direction about how it needs to be done. They
would find a job description unnecessary and restrictive, perhaps even ineffective when
their work requires immediate responses to the information available at the time.
There are both
individual preferences for more or less structure as well as situational-organizational
needs for different degrees of structure. The
challenge is not to assume that only one set of expectations is appropriate for every body
and every situation.
5. Relationships between People in the Organization
Valuing
Differences vs. Homogeneity: Some
people like to work with all kinds of people and enjoy the exchange of different
perspectives, even if that means some conflict. They
thrive in environments where differences are sought and utilized constructively. Other people prefer more homogeneous groups
where they have a strong sense of being and thinking like the other people they work with
everyday.
Team Work
vs. Autonomy: Many people
like to work alone. Others prefer to work in groups.
Some jobs even require people to work as a team because the tasks are too
complex for any individual alone.
Work,
Life, Balance: Some of us are
workaholics – we are willing to put in as many hours as possible to get the job done. Others of us prioritize our personal lives and work
makes it possible to live those lives as we desire. And
others of us seek a quality of life where there is a boundary and balance between the
personal and the professional aspects of our lives. When
balance is an expectation people expect flexibility in work hours, limited organization
activities organized during personal time, and a reasonable amount of work for the time
available to work.
6. Motivating Expectations: Recognition, Expression,
Security and Growth
Recognition: We have discussed the power of
recognition as a motivator in several modules. Everyone
likes to be recognized, but some people have very explicit expectations about how, when,
and by whom, they want to be recognized. Whatever
way you recognize people, be sure the recognition is explicitly tied to actual work
performance.
Expression: For many, work is an opportunity
to share their talents, express their creativity and/or enact core values. When
personal expression is very important people usually choose and thrive in jobs that align
with their motivating interests. For others work is a means to provide resources for
expressing themselves do in their private lives.
Job
Security: Stability
and security matter more to some than to others. It
is helpful to communicate expectations for a stable environment and job security. It can be challenging to achieve in our current
environments, but people who expect this choose professions and organizations where they
are more likely to have the stability and security they expect.
Growth: For many the opportunity to learn
new skills, take on additional responsibilities in the organization, or lead their organization is
some significant way are all meaningful expectations.
Others are content to do their jobs well and contribute, but without taking
on additional responsibility.
One of the
expectations employers have for employees is that they will be committed to the
organization. Organizational commitment is
the degree to which an employee identifies with a particular organization and its goals,
and wishes to maintain membership in that organization.
According to our research, the greater the organizational commitment, the
lower absenteeism and turnover. In some
studies, organizational commitment is a stronger factor for reducing absenteeism and
turnover than job satisfaction.
What does
organizational commitment look like? A person
committed to the organization:
·
Works hard and does
and excellent job.
·
Is flexible and
available whenever the organization needs them.
·
Strongly identifies
with the organization.
·
Supports co-workers
and subordinates.
·
Supports and
believes in organization values.
·
Goes beyond the job
description to pitch in where ever and whenever needed.
·
Implements organization
policy and organizational decisions even when they do not agree or like them personally.
Two sets of
behaviors are considered to be strong indicators of a lack of commitment to the
organization.
·
Being unwilling to
make personal sacrifices for the organization (i.e. too strong an emphasis on work-life
balance).
·
Performing actions
for personal gain (i.e. abusing perks, too much self-promotion, being power hungry,
building an internal empire).
8. Integrating Employer and Employee Expectations
Whenever employees
and employers are communicating about their psychological contracts, it is helpful for
each party to prepare beforehand:
1.
Decide what your
expectations are and prioritize them.
2.
Decide whether each
expectation is being met or not.
3.
Decide who is the
person most likely to be able to help you meet this expectation.
4.
If the expectation
is being met, tell that person as a way to reinforce that you wish to see a continuation
of behaviors that meet your expectation. If the
expectation is not being met, communicate the expectation and together consider ways it
could be met.
5.
Agree on some
specific goals with time lines that would help you both know when the expectation is being
met.
If you do not believe
your expectation can ever be met,
·
Discuss the
expectation anyway
·
Determine if you can
live with that situation,
·
Gather more
information about how meeting your expectation could make the organization more effective,
and/or
·
Modify your
expectations.
Sometimes there are
options to shift expectations that neither the employer nor the employee has considered. Because of the rapidly changing workplace and
changing expectations, few people will be able to sustain work circumstances where
expectations are always met. The pressure
of new technologies, globalization, recurrent economic crisis, uncertainty, competition,
mergers and acquisitions, flattening and downsizing, reorganizations, outsourcing, etc.
all point to significant instability in managing employer-employee relations. It is helpful to consider various options for
managing your work.
Beverly Kaye, author
of Up Is Not the Only Way, has suggested several
creative responses to these changing workplace conditions.
These options are:
·
Lateral
moves: a sideways move
·
Downshifting:
taking a less stressful, lower level, lower paying job
·
Exploration:
investigating other job options
·
Promotion:
taking on more responsibility in your organization
·
Leaving:
finding a job in another organization that is a better match for you
10. Options
Action Options -- Lateral Moves and Downshifting:
A sideways move could demonstrate organizational commitment and expand your opportunity
to grow by increasing your breadth of experience.
In some cases the contacts you make as you do these sideways moves position
you well for rapid promotions when the organization stabilizes. Lateral moves make sense when you can see some
benefit to widening your network of colleagues in your organization, going into a higher
growth area or exploring a different geographic region.
Sometimes it can benefit us to downshift by taking a demotion at work. A common situation where this arises is with a
technical expert who has been promoted to management and dislikes managerial work. They may decide to return to a position and level
where they continue to do what they do best and enjoy.
Refocusing in this way can also be a constructive response when your work
unit is being disbanded, or when you are trying to balance your work and personal life (by
going back to school for a degree, taking time off to handle family concerns, dealing with
a health issue, learning new skills, or changing career fields). Moreover, less demanding work in a faster growing
part of the organization can position you well for future opportunities.
True False:
1)
The psychological contract is a written
agreement that sets out what employers expect from employees and what employees expect
from employers.
True
False
2)
Organizational commitment is the degree
to which an employee identifies with a particular subgroup within an organization.
True
False
3)
Lateral moves make sense when you can
see some benefit to widening your network of colleagues in your organization, going into a
higher growth area or exploring a different geographic region.
True
False
4)
If you don’t change jobs in the
end, exploring your options outside the organization makes you feel more trapped.
True
False
5)
Most people communicate the
expectations in their psychological contract clearly.
True
False
6)
The need to actually discuss work
expectations is relatively new.
True
False
7)
Explicit discussions about
worker-manager/employer-employee expectations are helpful because clarifying and
discussing these expectations reduces turnover and increases productivity and job
satisfaction.
True
False
8)
Everybody wants a specific job
description delineating exactly want tasks they must to and why (clear direction).
True
False
9)
Everybody prefers to work in
environments where they have a strong sense of being and thinking like the other people
they work with everyday (homogeneity).
True
False
10) It is motivating to tie
recognition to actual work performance.
True
False
11) It is easy for
organizations to provide stable environments and job security in the current global
economy.
True
False
12) People who expect
work-life balance are willing to put in as many hours as necessary to get the job done.
True
False
13) If you do not believe your
job expectations can be me with your current employer it is best to keep those
expectations to yourself.
True
False
14) Once you have a work
situation that meets all of your expectations, it is likely that situation will stay that
way.
True
False
15) Employer-employee
relations are unstable today due in part to the presence of new technologies.
True
False
16) Up or out is the only way
in organizations.
True
False
Multiple-Choice:
1)
If the expectations between the
organization and the employee was not set clearly, this results
a.
Costly employee turnover
b.
Workplace conflicts
c.
Absenteeism
d.
All of the above
2)
Which of the following is not a
behavior that a person committed to the organization would exhibit?
a.
Performs actions for personal gain
b.
Strongly identifies with the organization
c.
Goes beyond the job description
d.
Implements organization policies even if
they don’t agree with them
3)
Which of the following are common
expectations managers have for workers in the psychological contract?
a.
Managers expect workers to treat them
fairly
b.
Managers expect workers to give them
feedback on how well they are managing
c.
Managers expect workers to provide a
fair day’s work for their pay
d.
Managers expect workers to provide
acceptable work conditions
4)
Which of the following are common
expectations workers have for managers in their psychological contract?
a.
workers expect managers to have a
positive attitude
b.
workers expect managers to communicate
clearly about relevant organizational issues.
c.
Workers expect managers to show up
every day
d.
Workers expect managers to follow
directions
Matching the Columns:
1)
Lateral move
2)
Job enrichment
3)
Downshifting
4)
Exploration
5)
Promotion
6)
Leaving
a) Investigating
options you would have outside your organization.
b) A sideways job
more
c) Redefining the
job to match your skills and interests better
d) Taking a job in
your organization with less pay, lower status, fewer responsibilities
e) Finding a job in
another organization
f) Getting a ‘better’
job (more status, higher level, more pay or responsibility)
Answers: 1-b; 2-c; 3-d; 4-a; 5-f; 6-e.
Employers and
employees have a psychological contract with each other – an unspoken set of
expectations that affect their behaviors at work. Unmet
expectations from this psychological contract contribute to workplace conflicts,
absenteeism, poor performance and turnover. Both managers and subordinates have
work-related preferences for job assignment structure, relationships at work, and
motivational approaches. Communicating about
and mutually adjusting expectations can increase commitment, performance, tenure, and
satisfaction – even in these times of rapid change in our organizations. When
expectations are not being met there are a number of options other than leaving the job. Proactive options for meeting expectations and
increasing commitment include job enrichment, downshifting, lateral moves, and
exploration.
Bibliography
Kaye,
-“Up
is not the only way,” Training &
Development, Feb 1996, 50(2): 48-53
Ford
Foundation Research Group (1996).
- Work-Family as a Lever for Change: Linking gender
equity, work-family
practices and the
structure of work.
Morrison, E. and Robinson, S.
- “When employees feel betrayed: A
model of how psychological contract violation develops.”
Porter, D.M., Jr.
- Gender differences in manager’s
conceptions and perceptions of commitment to the organization,” in Sex Roles, Vol.
45, Nos. 5/6, September, 2001.
Organizational
commitment: The degree to
which an employee identifies with a particular organization and its goals, and wishes to
maintain membership in that organization.
Psychological
contract: An unwritten
agreement comprised of what employers expect from employees and what employees expect from
employers; the expectations each person holds for those in the role called “manager”
and those in the role called “worker.”
Valuing differences.
Working with all kinds of people and enjoying the exchange of different
perspectives, even if that means some conflict; environments where differences are sought
and utilized constructively.
Learning Objectives:
·
Identifying the ingredients of psychological contracts
between employer and employee
·
Acquiring methodological options for reconciling
differences in expectations
Q&A
Question
1. My boss is always micromanaging me. I prefer to be given the general parameters of a
task and then I like to be left alone to do it. How
should I handle this?
Answer
1. First of all you can
initiate a conversation with your boss about your expectations. Failure to communicate about met and unmet
expectations is a major contributor to job dissatisfaction and poor performance. You have potentially two expectations you may wish
to discuss. First is your preference for more
open-ended unstructured work assignments. It
sounds like your boss assumes and / or prefers clear direction. Explain that you prefer to know the general terms
of the job and perhaps would like to be able to ask your boss for assistance or
clarification if you need to do so. The second
preference you may have is for autonomy “being left to do it”. If you work in an organization where there is no
need to coordinate tasks or to work in teams, then this task autonomy is a workable
expectation. If you must work with others,
then your boss may be trying to make sure everyone is clear about what needs to be done,
why, by whom, and by when. That is the job
your boss is expected to do. In any event,
have the discussion with your manager about your expectations. Be open to your manager’s expectations too. You can work it out.
Question 2. I have a strong desire for work-life balance and a
strong commitment to my work. I have family
responsibilities as a parent. I was concerned
when you said a desire for work-life balance is seen as a lack of organizational
commitment. What can I do about this?
Answer 2. This issue was the focus of recent research into
work-family issues at work. Often we presume
work and personal lives are not only separate (and should be so) but that work should take
priority. Many organizational managers and
members believe this. While that belief exists
it is an issue for people with strong family and/or personal commitments. The researchers noticed that these people who could
not work unlimited hours at work had a tendency to seek ways to work smarter, often
anticipating problems and solving them before they needed to be heroes putting out fires
by throwing time at tasks. The most helpful
suggestions for handling this situation of work vs. personal commitment included:
a)
Make visible all the
smart things you do to keep your team, department, organization running smoothly. Don’t assume everyone can see and will give
your credit for how you make things work well. Claim
your skills for anticipating and avoiding problems.
b)
Focus attention on
your TASK performance rather than ‘face-time’ at work. Develop specific measures of job performance
(including the skills in a above).
c)
Demonstrate
organizational commitment in the other non-time intensive ways such as strong
identification with the organization, supporting co-workers, enacting organization values and
implementing policies and decisions.
Question
3. I have a personal expectation for job security and a strong preference for diversity in
my work environment. How would I discover
whether those expectations are likely to be met by a prospective employer?
Answer
3. If you expect job security you would probably do
better to join a large, established, and profitable organization with good future
prospects rather than a smaller, managerial one.
Some of the smaller, managerial organizations are growing fast and very
focused on using talent whatever package talent comes in.
As a result many of those organizations have strong positive diversity
records – but they are not as good for someone with job security concerns. Joining a large organization will not guarantee job
security in these turbulent times, but many of the larger organizations make some
arrangements for employees if the implicit-explicit employer-employee relationship will
change in significant ways. The financial
media report regularly on large, established organizations.
For diversity, you might go to the internet and search for lists and reports
of organizations considered “the best place to work for …” and choose the
aspects of diversity that are important to you – women, cultural diversity,
technological innovation, older workers, etc. Many
organizations with strong records for managing diversity have employee affinity groups and
diversity councils whose members will most likely be happy to answer your questions. And finally, whenever you go to an on-site
interview observe how the employees are treated, especially the ‘lower level’
employees. How organization members treat the
so-called lowest among them is usually a very strong indication of whether they truly
value every one, rather than just give talk about diversity.