HR Essay Sample: How Datelines Affect Employees' Performance

A number of leaders in most companies give datelines to employees whenever they are allocated tasks or duties. Nevertheless, tight datelines have been linked to reducing productivity in some of the firms in cases where managers are stricter to levels employees feel they are pressurized. It is good to note that, datelines help workers to put some efforts to work. In companies where datelines to projects are not set, employees put little efforts, and they are likely to relax and produce less. As a manager or a leader, before making tight datelines, consider implementing motivation factors that are likely to boost the workers do tasks to their levels of best.

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While I was an intern at one of the media houses, I could observe how tight datelines created hard situations to employees, some even used to say, They are working more but paid less. Putting more pressure on date-marks made them feel, they have more work than normal work-load. Within the period I served as an intern, two employees resigned because they were doing more to meet the tight stated periods for them to accomplish the tasks. Three employees got sacked as they did not complete their assignments in time especially when the time given was limited. Managers or assignment desk could not negotiate the datelines with the employees, they were just ordered. As an intern, I was in fear of my internship contract being terminated if I might fail to make out the tasks apportioned by the organizations supervisors, assignment desk and other employees. I felt that I would be next when some of the employees were sued. Limited periods of work allowed them to feel that they were insecure in their positions. A number of times, employees could be harassed due to jobs assigned and their timelines.

The research involves strategies that will incorporate all components of the study in a coherent manner; therefore, ensuring the issue of how time deadlines may affect employees ability to engage in being productive is well addressed. It will also ensure that the outcomes of datelines to employees relate to productivity in any organization or business. The researcher will use the filling of questionnaires as the key method of data collection from employees of two related companies. The responses given in the questionnaires by the respondents will be analyzed and interpreted to provide useful information in the study. A survey will also be conducted to ensure the information in the studies is accurate before conclusions are made in the review (Lazear, 2010).

The researcher includes a section of keywords in the research. Some of the listings include employee, dateline and productivity. An employee is anyone who works for a company or someone else under agreed terms and conditions. A dateline refers to a period a person (employee) is given when assigned a task to do in a firm. Productivity is the measure of output regarding input in an economical manner. Survey and questionnaires are used in most formal research because they allow someone to fill information honestly without questions of security or privacy; one has a choice of not including their names in the response they provide. A respondent has more time to think about a question, unlike, a one-on-one interview where answering the critical issue is a challenge. The method selected by the researcher is most appropriate given that administering the process is relatively cheap and easy, especially when collecting data from many people who are widely spread in a particular geographic area. Use of survey and questionnaires minimize the possibilities of an evaluator since same questions are asked of the respondents. There is no likelihood of an interviewer asking one question in more than one way or approach. Thus, information acquired on a particular concern are accurate and not biased (Axinn & Pearce, 2006). Many respondents are familiar with surveys than live interviews; using other methods such as focused groups will fail the effectiveness of the expected results. Stimulus response theory states that people respond to questions or stimuli depending on their behaviors, and how they relate to daily activities and observations. Focused groups are known to be time-consuming, and some people pay less attention to them. Questions responded in a table, are easy as tabulation is a straight-forward task. The research will save time in the study process.

In the research, a survey and questionnaires will be planned and prepared several hours before. Questions are well structured in a way that can accommodate all the responses required to meet the problem of study. The questionnaire starts with close-ended questions which are easy to answer, and then open-ended questions follow. Open-ended questions aim at acquiring extra information that is not available in the responses to the close-ended questions. For example, have you ever been given a dateline to any assigned task? , how often? Tell us your experience on datelines at your workplace. The first question is close-ended query, and the last is open-ended, it gives extra details about the first. Reconnaissance is conducted before going to the field for collection of data. At this stage, the researcher will observe the distribution of people in that geographical region and draw a plan on how to spread the questionnaires and collect them appropriately. Scouting will also help the researcher predict the time when most of the expected respondents are available. Then, the questionnaires will be distributed, filled by people and then collected. After collection, the researcher will remove the unreliable forms and remain with those that are well filled and start analyzing them. The samples to be used are the previous cases of datelines to the change in productivity and examples of employee dismissal about stated datelines. Instruments such as ball pens and A4 cardboards to support the paper questionnaires will be used.

Data collected will be analyzed efficiently through tabulation, calculations and interpretation. Close-ended questions will be tabulated for easier analysis and fast perusal, thus, will be understood effectively. Open-ended questions will be interpreted carefully to earn additional knowledge on how to address datelines regarding productivity. Calculations will apply to determine the change in productivity when changes are made in datelines and number of times employees were fired when they failed to meet datelines.

In the recent system cases, most enterprises have conducted retrenchments, claiming that, they have many staffs but their production is unworthy to their pay. The practices have diminished reliable employee relations which can improve the performance of any entity. Also, there is minimal interaction between employees and management when the heads are strict on datelines. Finally, managers should consider other factors of motivation that can be attached to datelines in work (Bond & Galinsky, 2006)

References

Axinn, W. G., & Pearce, L. D. (2006). Mixed method data collection strategies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Bond, J.T. & Galinsky, E. (2006). How can employers increase the retention and productivity of entry-level, hourly employees? Supporting Entry-Level, Hourly Employees, 2:1-17. Retrieved 3/29/2016, http://familiesandwork.org/site/research/reports/brief2.pdf

Lazear, E.P. (2010). Performance pay and productivity. The American Economic Review, 90(5):1346-1361. Retrieved 3/29/2016, http://www.econ.yale.edu/~dirkb/teach/pdf/l/lazear/2000-performancepay.pdf

Lunenburg, F.C. (2011). Goal-setting theory of motivation. International Journal of Management, Business, and Administration, 15(1):1-6. Retrieved 3/29/2016, http://www.nationalforum.com/Electronic%20Journal%20Volumes/Lunenburg,%20Fred%20C.%20Goal-Setting%20Theoryof%20Motivation%20IJMBA%20V15%20N1%202011.pdf