Supervisors at work: managing employee performance and motivation : Case Financial Management (Talpa)
Sarniola, Pekka (2015)
Sarniola, Pekka
Metropolia Ammattikorkeakoulu
2015
All rights reserved
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-201602292744
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-201602292744
Tiivistelmä
The purpose of this study was to examine the motivation and leadership in the City of Helsinki Financial Management services centre (Talpa). Talpa is a City-owned public utility, employing around 400 financial and payroll professionals. The study was conducted in the department of bookkeeping and payments, as suggested by Talpa’s CEO and due to the central role of the department both in the organisation and at City-level.
The study researched the way managers affected how their workers used and developed their skills, by employing motivational tactics. In addition, the research also analysed how managers encouraged employees to work together inside and outside their teams.
The study utilised the method of action research, with two research cycles, conducted between May and November 2015. The nature of the research was qualitative; the study employed structured 10-point questionnaires sent to 35 department employees for both research cycles and semi-structured interviews with the four managers, in the first cycle. The questionnaire answer percentage was 40% in the first and 28,5% in the second cycle.
Following the first research cycle, it was discovered that existing managerial practices could benefit from a boost in leadership skills and co-operation practices. Improving time management skills also came across as important. As a result of these findings, the researcher, together with the departmental management team, created a six-step action plan to improve the managers’ leadership and time management skills. The applied action plan proved effective only to some extent, the employees appearing stressed and somewhat unhappy and the supervisors blaming busy schedules for their lack of putting the plan into action. This was probably largely due to their experiencing the third organisational change in 18 months. Another reason for the observed lack of change following the research implementation was probably also due to the short timespan of the trial period (two months).
The author recommends that the six-step action plan trial period be extended and that HR-programs be initiated inside the organisation, building a long-term leadership plan and leading by example.
The study researched the way managers affected how their workers used and developed their skills, by employing motivational tactics. In addition, the research also analysed how managers encouraged employees to work together inside and outside their teams.
The study utilised the method of action research, with two research cycles, conducted between May and November 2015. The nature of the research was qualitative; the study employed structured 10-point questionnaires sent to 35 department employees for both research cycles and semi-structured interviews with the four managers, in the first cycle. The questionnaire answer percentage was 40% in the first and 28,5% in the second cycle.
Following the first research cycle, it was discovered that existing managerial practices could benefit from a boost in leadership skills and co-operation practices. Improving time management skills also came across as important. As a result of these findings, the researcher, together with the departmental management team, created a six-step action plan to improve the managers’ leadership and time management skills. The applied action plan proved effective only to some extent, the employees appearing stressed and somewhat unhappy and the supervisors blaming busy schedules for their lack of putting the plan into action. This was probably largely due to their experiencing the third organisational change in 18 months. Another reason for the observed lack of change following the research implementation was probably also due to the short timespan of the trial period (two months).
The author recommends that the six-step action plan trial period be extended and that HR-programs be initiated inside the organisation, building a long-term leadership plan and leading by example.