Research Proposal on "Proposal to Cross Training Employees"
Research Proposal 7 pages (1942 words) Sources: 7
[EXCERPT] . . . .
Business Management -- Employee Cross Training ProposalCover Letter
Cross-Training Employees
Enclosed please find my proposal for cross-training employees of this organization. My independent research has disclosed that there are undeniable benefits to organizations that promote cross-training of their workforces and without any corresponding risks or detriments. In particular, cross-training of employees is associated directly with multiple sources of cost savings, improved operational efficiency, decreased susceptibility to delays and to negative the consequences of individual unavailability, in addition to improving employee morale, interpersonal rapport and collaboration, and even individual performance.
Specifically, cross-training employees allows organizations to save money both directly an indirectly. Direct cost savings are those attributable to the reduction in personnel that are often made possible through multiple-role capabilities. Indirect cost savings include the reduction in expenses of equipment, training, and work-related travel for smaller numbers of employees. Operational efficiency is substantially enhanced by cross-training by virtue of the reduction in the traditional reliance among individual business units on one another and by eliminating delays caused by multiple simultaneous commitments of individual business units supporting the work of other business units and departments. There are also significant advantages to the supervisory processes that are attributable to the managing of cross-trained workforces in comparison to the needs of supervisory processes in connection with traditional single-function
download full paper ⤓
Further, organizations that implement cross-training benefit from the increased knowledge and involvement of individual employees in the business and processes of the organization. Among other things, cross-trained employees are more connected to their organizations in addition to driving more personal satisfaction and fulfillment from their work, leading to lower turnover rates. Similarly, cross-trained workforces typically exhibit improved morale and interpersonal rapport and collaboration among coworkers. Finally, there is evidence to suggest that cross-trained workforces actually perform better at the level of individual workers than traditionally trained workforces.
Naturally, all of these benefits would be tremendously valuable to this organization. Therefore, I would welcome the opportunity to discuss these potential benefits in greater detail and to participate in the development of a program for the introduction of employee cross-training at your earliest possible opportunity.
Executive Summary
Cross-training refers to the concept of preparing employees to perform more than just a single job function within the organization. In general, it is not necessarily a novel idea for employees to be skilled in more than just their specific positional functions, largely because many vocational responsibilities either entail or naturally promote the accumulation of knowledge about closely related functions and responsibilities. However, the specific focus on implementing cross-training is underutilized and comparatively rare in modern business organizations.
This proposal provides a conceptual review of the specific benefits to organizations and stakeholder of implementing the cross-training of employees in a purposeful and systematic fashion. That review consists of an outline of the economic benefits to organizations, the operational advantages in the realm of efficiency and redundancy, the beneficial impact on employee morale, vocational satisfaction, and interpersonal relationships, and of the positive effect that cross-training typically has on the actual work performance of individual employees. This proposal will also suggest approaches to implementing cross-training in a manner conducive to its success and to enabling the organization to reap the maximum possible benefits in all of those areas.
Economic Considerations
The current economic recession has dealt a severe financial blow to thousands of companies, even resulting in the closure of many businesses that had thrived for years previously. Very few businesses have remained unaffected and most of those that have had no choice but to cut costs across the board; in many cases, the measures necessary to ensure the viability of companies included unavoidable layoffs and closures of offices and outlets. In that regard, organizations whose employees are capable of performing multiple tasks and who can fulfill the responsibilities of more than just one position have become invaluable to business organizations.
The most obvious advantage of maintaining a staff of multi-role capable employees is that it typically allows organizations to maintain fewer staff members to accomplish the same amount of work (Caggiano, 1998; Kinicki & Williams, 2005). Similarly, multi-role capable staff allow for more efficient supervisory chains because they allow the consolidation of supervision over multiple functions and even departments. When implemented optimally, multi-role capabilities among employees allows comparatively fewer supervisors to manage the same number of subordinates that would normally be required to achieve the same level of production out of larger numbers of employees all performing narrower functions (Caggiano, 1998; Kinicki & Williams, 2005).
However, the economic benefits of cross-training employees to perform multiple roles are hardly limited to the number of staff required to be in-hand by the organization. In fact, virtually every element of job functions that can be learned by multiple employees working in different primary capacities represents additional savings to the organization (George & Jones, 2008). Specifically, organizations that promote cross-training lower their operational expenses on training, travel, and on equipment and supplies. More importantly, the regular use of cross-trained staff substantially mitigates the negative impact of absenteeism, largely by providing operational redundancy; it reduces the high expense of employee turnover by improving employee morale; and it even tends to increase performance, which also confers obvious economic benefits to the organization (George & Jones, 2008).
Operational Efficiency and Redundancy
In typical business organizations, one of the most significant sources of delay is the degree to which various individual components and business units must rely on one another to produce a final finished product (Robbins & Judge, 2009). In the contemporary environment of modern business organizations, it is comparatively rare for any single business unit to produce goods or services independent of essential contributions from other business units. Moreover, in many instances, individual organizational components collaborate with and provide services to multiple business units. As a result, the needs of individual business units for the support from other business units may sometimes conflict with one another, causing delay and, not uncommonly, rivalry and even enmity between and among different departments (Robbins & Judge, 2009). Therefore, the more that an organization is able to develop multiple-role capabilities among its staff, the more efficient it becomes by virtue of the degree to which that capability reduces the interdependence of different business units on one another for products and services that are capable of being produced by individual units more independently.
Furthermore, even under the best conditions and circumstances, there are always unavoidable sources of delay within individual departments and business units, even at the simplest level, such as those caused by unanticipated absences or unavailability of key employees. In organizations that have not embraced the concept of cross-training employees to perform multiple roles, the temporary unavailability of any key player necessarily delays and complicates the production process of any project in which that individual is involved. Conversely, in organizations that have implemented cross-trained employees, that process introduces an element of operational redundancy by allowing others to fill in without causing any diminution in the relative quality of the work being performed by alternate role players. This type of operational redundancy is, therefore, one of the most important benefits to business organizations of cross-training their employees (Daft, 2005; Kinicki & Williams, 2005).
Employee Morale and Rapport
Whereas certain benefits of cross-trained professional workforces (such as cost savings and operational efficiency and redundancy) were specific motivations for implementing such practices, the concept has also been associated with several additional benefits to organizations that were not widely anticipated in advance. For example, cross-trained employees demonstrate improved morale and report feeling more appreciate by their employing organizations (Maggard & Globerson, 1986). Their ability to handle more than a single job function increases their self-perception of being valuable to and valued by their organizations, both of which also tend to be self-fulfilling and to perpetuate higher employee morale and greater appreciation for the organization on the part of employees (Gunn, 2000).
Another benefit to cross-trained workforces is that it also enhances rapport and improves the quality of interpersonal relationships among employees (Gunn, 2000). That is perfectly understandable for several reasons: First, cross-trained employees naturally interact more with one another in the process of their training as well as by virtue of their interactions in any collaboration resulting from their respective contribution to the organizational mission (Gunn, 2000). Second, cross-trained employees naturally appreciate one another more than employees who perform only one function within an organization because they benefit from being able to rely on one another for backup (Gunn, 2000; Russell-Whalling, 2008). Third, and most generally, business organizations benefit from any increase in the degree to which their employees become more involved in business operations and functions (Gunn, 2000; Russell-Whalling, 2008). This is simply a function of the fact that their employees are more involved in the business of the organization than employees whose involvement is limited to the narrow responsibilities of only one traditional job function (Gunn, 2000).
Performance Improvement
Perhaps the single most important benefit to cross-training employees is the degree to which that process increases their work performance (Russell-Whalling,… READ MORE
Quoted Instructions for "Proposal to Cross Training Employees" Assignment:
My chosen topic is Crossing Training Employees which is an area that is near and dear to my heart as I am currently going through a modified version of this process with two of my co-workers due to my pending retirement. However, it is very difficult since they still have their own daily duties that must get accomplished. While researching this area I found several articles that discussed the process of cross training and the benefits that companies gain when various employees know how to step in and fill the role of another employee.
In one article *****Cross Training Gets the Job Done,***** the author lists one of the benefits a company gets out of cross training its employees is not having to bear the expense of hiring temporary employees to cover the gap of an employees absence. Often times at my reserve center we will bring in Reservist as a temporary employee to fill in for a full time staff member that is out for whatever reason. Each time we due this we pay for their hotel and meal expenses in addition to their basic pay and allowances, which of course incurs more of an expense for the government. If we had more full time staff members cross trained we could potentially save the government this expense. There were two other articles that I found that discussed this same topic, which I*****ve noted below.
Another article I found, *****Employee Cross Training,***** gave the results of a survey that was conducted on 116 personnel and operations managers. After reading this article, I probably will not use it in any definitive way even though their bottom line result was cross training improved productivity and that corresponds to how I also view the issue.
Project specifics:
A Proposal to Cross-Training Employees
The time has come for departmental supervisors and employees to think about cross-training throughout the company. Currently, each department seems comfortable doing its every day duties. Some employees enjoy their jobs and related tasks while others do not. Our company continues to function from day to day, but it struggles with staffing and other daily issues. In many ways, cross-training could be helpful to our organization as well as each of our employees. This proposal outlines an interdisciplinary approach to training, or cross-training employees, whereby both employer and employee benefit. Throughout the course of this research the many dimensions of benefits to the employee and employer were explored.
Subject:
For the researched proposal, you will identify a problem or issue in your present or past workplace. The assignment objective is to propose a solution to the problem or issue, and to present that solution to a decision-maker or group of decision-makers who can implement the recommendation. You will support your proposal with research.
Over the course of the term, you will develop a concrete, practical solution to the problem that can be implemented. Reference sources will be included that explain the problem, issue and/or support the solution.
The proposal must be between 2000 to 3000 words using APA format for your Citations and References. The proposal itself should be single spaced with double spacing between paragraphs. The word count includes all components. The purpose of establishing a word count is to ensure the topic chosen is neither too big nor too small. Also, writing within parameters is a common requirement in business communications.
- Cover memo or letter depending upon audience explaining the attached proposal
- Headline information presented as a cover page
- Table of contents
- Introduction in the form of an executive summary
- Body of the proposal ***** use subheadings to break up text and separate sections
- Conclusion stated as a recommendation for implementation of the solution
- End matter to include reference page and any other data suitable for this section of the report
Checklist: You will want to ensure your submission contains the following:
Directions for Submitting Your Researched Proposal:
- Cover page
Table of contents
Executive summary
- Statement of the problem or concern,
- Assessment of the problem from all stakeholders point of view
- Development of the body of the proposal
- Analyze and backup your comments, and conclusions using your research
- Conclusion stated as a recommendation for implementation of the solution
- Reference Page
LENGTH ***** no fewer than 2000 words; no more than 3000. The word count includes all documents from your cover page through to the references page.
SPACING ***** because this is a business report, single space the body of your proposal, double space between paragraphs.
REFERENCES:
Number: At least five sources published within the past five years must be cited. At least one of these must be a peer-reviewed journal article. *****Peer reviewed***** (also known as *****refereeing*****) is the process academic articles go through to be recognized as valuable contributions to the field. Peer review is the process of subjecting an author*****'s scholarly work, research, or ideas to the scrutiny of others who are experts in the same field. In our field of business management, peer reviewed journals include the following: Academy of Management, Human Resource Management Review, Industrial Management, Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, Management Quarterly, among others.
You may use no more than two personal interviews. Other sources may include newspaper or magazine articles that are not peer reviewed. Or if you locate several peer reviewed articles to use, that is fine, too. You may cite more than five sources; five is simply the minimum.
Quotes - Limit the use of direct quotes in your researched proposal. Your paper must contain no more than 15% direct quotes. The rest should be paraphrased information so you can demonstrate your understanding of what you read, and critical analysis to demonstrate your ability to apply your knowledge and research to solve the problem. Make your voice the most prominent one.
In-text citations must align with the sources listed in the References section. Any source you mention in your paper must be included on your references page, and vice versa.
Distinguish Sources - Make sure you carefully distinguish your own words versus words and ideas taken from other sources. Direct quotes MUST be contained in quotation marks.
Wikipedia - You may not use information from Wikipedia as it is not considered a reliable source. *****
How to Reference "Proposal to Cross Training Employees" Research Proposal in a Bibliography
“Proposal to Cross Training Employees.” A1-TermPaper.com, 2011, https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/business-management-employee-cross/357373. Accessed 5 Oct 2024.
Related Research Proposals:
Cross-Cultural Communication in Business Cultural Differences Research Proposal
Cross-Cultural Communication in Business
Cultural differences have always required a degree of awareness and sensitivity in the business environment; in the age of rapidly increasing globalization, the issue becomes even… read more
Research Proposal 4 pages (1074 words) Sources: 8 Style: APA Topic: Management / Organizations
Cross Culture Communication Research Proposal
Cross-Culture Communication
Cross-Cultural Communication -- the E-Mail at Dewey Ballantine, LLP
Analysis of the Situation
The final years of the twentieth century have seen the wakening of globalization, a practice… read more
Research Proposal 8 pages (2361 words) Sources: 6 Style: APA Topic: Career / Labor / Human Resources
Cross Platform Mobile and Web Widgets Installation Thesis
Cross Platform Mobile and Web Widgets Installation
Computer-mediated communication and decision-making applications for teams are extremely varied and ubiquitous, ranging from e-mail to shared bulletin boards for classrooms to remote… read more
Thesis 63 pages (17284 words) Sources: 20 Topic: Computers / IT / Internet
Employee Motivation in a Pcba Contract Manufacturing Dissertation
Employee motivation in a PCBA contract manufacturing industry -- an example of Plexus
Today many organizations are going through change due to globalization and ever changing technology. Organizations have to… read more
Dissertation 64 pages (17554 words) Sources: 72 Topic: Management / Organizations
Cross-Cultural Negotiation Management Research Proposal
Crosscultural Negotiation
Crosscultural Organizational Conflict: A Case Study
The improvement of communication technologies, the proliferation of high-speed internet transaction and the inception of free trade priorities into the economic orientation… read more
Research Proposal 10 pages (2787 words) Sources: 3 Style: Harvard Topic: Management / Organizations
Sat, Oct 5, 2024
If you don't see the paper you need, we will write it for you!
We can write a new, 100% unique paper!