High Performance Work Organisation Case Study

A high performance work organisation (HPWO) is an organisation that can attain continuous high performance through a variety of work systems put in place. This is desirable to help improve the company’s competitive advantage. The people within the organisation are central to developing and managing these work systems and ultimately improving the company’s performance. High performance work systems (HPWS) are groups of HR practices that improve employee motivation, encourage development of employee’s skills and facilitate staff involvement. High performance systems need to be developed in order to create a high performance culture in the organisation. Work systems are a combination of methods, techniques and processes used to get work done. Work design is the creation of these work systems to enhance the effectiveness and productivity of the organisation. When a work system is being designed it is necessary to ensure that it will provide good working conditions, provide a variety of challenging work to employees, encourage teamwork, and ensure …show more content…
Management wanted to reorganise staff into ‘cross-functional work teams’. As their work environment is always changing they wanted to create a group of multi skilled employees. Staff were encouraged to take on work in other roles within the organisation to develop their skills and expertise in various different areas. The goal was to implement a ‘can-do’ culture within Wychavon.
In a high performance work organisation communication key. From studying the report on Wychavon District Council, it is clear that the importance of good communication is recognised in the organisation. The managing director ensures all staff are kept informed at all times, and emphasised the importance of giving both good and bad news. They believe staff are more engaged when they know what the issues are. All staff are given face to face briefings 2 – 3 times a