NCJ Number
50473
Date Published
1977
Length
10 pages
Annotation
PROCEDURES USED FOR IMPLEMENTING FINDINGS OF A STUDY OF EMPLOYEE AND SUPERVISORY ATTITUDES AND OPINIONS CONDUCTED IN THE DETROIT EDISON COMPANY IN 1948 ARE PRESENTED AND DISCUSSED.
Abstract
FROM THE OUTSET OF THE STUDY, EFFORTS WERE MADE TO INVOLVE PERSONS AT ALL LEVELS OF THE COMPANY HIERARCHY IN CERTAIN PARTICIPATORY ROLES. AFTER THE NECESSARY DATA WERE GATHERED, THESE PERSONS WERE ASKED TO PROVIDE THEIR INSIGHTS AND INTERPRETATIONS OF THE DATA, SO THAT COMPANY PERSONNEL AT ALL LEVELS SHARED IN THE CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS DERIVED FROM THE DATA. COMPANY PERSONNEL PARTICIPATION THROUGHOUT THE STUDY, REACHING ITS HIGHEST LEVEL AT THE STAGES OF ANALYSIS AND FORMULATING RECOMMENDATIONS, IS CONSIDERED ESSENTIAL IN LAYING THE FOUNDATION FOR A THOROUGHGOING IMPLEMENTATION OF STUDY FINDINGS. FOLLOWING THE COMPLETION OF THE STUDY, RESULTS WERE DISCUSSED WITH THE TWO TOP OFFICERS OF THE COMPANY, WHO WERE ASKED TO HELP INTERPRET THE DATA AND PLAN A PROGRAM FOR GRADUAL INTRODUCTION OF THE SURVEY FINDINGS INTO THE COMPANY'S OPERATIONS. AT THIS MEETING IT WAS AGREED THAT A SERIES OF MEETINGS SHOULD BE HELD WITH SMALL GROUPS OF TOP OFFICERS TO PRESENT TO THEM THE SURVEY FINDINGS PERTINENT TO THEIR DEPARTMENTS. IN THESE MEETINGS, THE EXECUTIVES WERE ASKED TO HELP INTERPRET THE DATA AND DECIDE WHAT FURTHER ANALYSES OF THE DATA SHOULD BE MADE TO HELP THEM FORMULATE PLANS FOR CONSTRUCTIVE ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIONS. THIS SAME PROCEDURE WAS FOLLOWED WITH SUCCESSIVELY LOWER LEVELS OF SUPERVISORS IN THE COMPANY HIERARCHY UNTIL ALL SUPERVISORY PERSONNEL HAD BECOME INVOLVED IN DECISIONMAKING PROCESSES REGARDING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SURVEY FINDINGS IN THEIR PARTICULAR AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY. IT WAS FOUND THAT THIS GROUP PROCESS WHICH REQUIRED THE PARTICIPATION AND INPUT OF PERSONNEL AT ALL LEVELS OF THE COMPANY HIERARCHY LAID A FOUNDATION FOR CHANGE THAT PROVED EFFECTIVE IN IMPLEMENTING THE STUDY FINDINGS. (RCB)