Chapter 4 - Case study: Happy Sky Company : Aligning
human resource functions with
strategic objectives
Textbook page 92
Answers to case study questions in textbook, page 93
1. Identify the causes that led to high absenteeism and turnover at Happy Sky.
Answer:
For an organisation to be successful, its members must have a thorough
understanding of how people interact within its structure. The cornerstone of
organisational success is individual efficiency and effectiveness, which lead to
group efficiency and effectiveness and ultimately to organisational success,
something that has become problematic at Happy Sky. For an individual to be
optimally utilised, there must be a congruence or fit between the individual and
the three work environments within which he/she finds himself/herself. These
environments can be identified as the job content environment, the job context
environment and the external environment. Since the individual is thus the
foundation on which groups are built, it is important to look briefly at the
environments in which individuals function within an organisation.
The job content environment
This environment (also known as the “psychological work environment”), refers to
the psychological satisfaction experienced by the employee when performing
his/her job. This environment has an important influence on individual
performance, which ultimately determines the organisation’s success - something
which appears to be problematic at Happy Sky at the moment. In a psychological
context, this environment is related to a person’s cognitive, affective and conative
functions. The cognitive function refers to the amount of inspiration the job
provides the incumbent, while the affective function, relates to the emotional
feeling the employee has towards his/her specific job. The conative function
refers to factors such as individual endurance, perseverance and motivation. It is
therefore evident that the job content environment refers to an employee’s
intrapersonal job satisfaction, namely the internal work motivation an employee
receives by performing the daily functions and duties of work - something that is
problematic at Happy Sky in view of the high turnover and absenteeism.
According to research, the following elements can be identified in an employee’s
job content environment:
the nature of the job
job guidelines and goals
status and recognition
development
1
, Nature of the job
The nature of the job refers to the extent to which the job allows an individual the
opportunity to realise his/her full potential. It is essential that the job itself should
provide sufficient opportunity for the incumbent to be creative and use his/her
initiative - what Happy Sky needs. High levels of autonomy and independent
decision making are vital if the organisation is to ensure a motivated workforce.
Job guidelines and goals
Job guidelines and goals essentially play the role of linking job goals to overall
organisational goals - something that is lacking in the present company. Human
resource managers need to ensure that employees know what their job entails,
that they have the correct tools at their disposal to fulfil the requirements of the
position and that they are aware of the purpose and ultimate objective of the
position. They also need to be aware of how their functions or jobs interrelate
with other jobs in order to ultimately satisfy organisational goals. Standards of
performance and acceptable behaviour need to be formalised so that employees
know what they are accountable for, what their performance standards are -
something that is also lacking at Happy Sky - and to enable them to access the
achievement of their own personal goals.
Status and recognition
The status an employee enjoys in an organisation is directly linked to the content
of a specific job he/she performs. The job that an individual performs allows
him/her a certain amount of status both inside and outside the organisation.
According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, status enhances an individual’s self-
esteem. Recognition may be in the form of respect that an employee enjoys
among his/her colleagues and the status or recognition the company attributes to
his/her good performance. It is essential for an employee to be proud of his/her
job, the status he/she receives in the organisation and the external environment.
These factors contribute to the way an employee feels about his/her job, which
will ultimately influence his/her job satisfaction. It appears that status and
recognition simply does not exist at Happy Sky.
Development
The development of individuals is essential if the organisation is to ensure
adequate skills and knowledge for the future. Development is vital if an employee
is to develop as an individual in a specific job or jobs in the organisation. Through
development and training, employees are able to achieve personal growth and
ultimately self-actualisation, which has a positive effect on motivation. A problem
identified in the present case is the fact that some managers use mentors, while
others do no training at all. Individuals need to achieve personal goals which are
often realised through training and development.
Job context environment
2
human resource functions with
strategic objectives
Textbook page 92
Answers to case study questions in textbook, page 93
1. Identify the causes that led to high absenteeism and turnover at Happy Sky.
Answer:
For an organisation to be successful, its members must have a thorough
understanding of how people interact within its structure. The cornerstone of
organisational success is individual efficiency and effectiveness, which lead to
group efficiency and effectiveness and ultimately to organisational success,
something that has become problematic at Happy Sky. For an individual to be
optimally utilised, there must be a congruence or fit between the individual and
the three work environments within which he/she finds himself/herself. These
environments can be identified as the job content environment, the job context
environment and the external environment. Since the individual is thus the
foundation on which groups are built, it is important to look briefly at the
environments in which individuals function within an organisation.
The job content environment
This environment (also known as the “psychological work environment”), refers to
the psychological satisfaction experienced by the employee when performing
his/her job. This environment has an important influence on individual
performance, which ultimately determines the organisation’s success - something
which appears to be problematic at Happy Sky at the moment. In a psychological
context, this environment is related to a person’s cognitive, affective and conative
functions. The cognitive function refers to the amount of inspiration the job
provides the incumbent, while the affective function, relates to the emotional
feeling the employee has towards his/her specific job. The conative function
refers to factors such as individual endurance, perseverance and motivation. It is
therefore evident that the job content environment refers to an employee’s
intrapersonal job satisfaction, namely the internal work motivation an employee
receives by performing the daily functions and duties of work - something that is
problematic at Happy Sky in view of the high turnover and absenteeism.
According to research, the following elements can be identified in an employee’s
job content environment:
the nature of the job
job guidelines and goals
status and recognition
development
1
, Nature of the job
The nature of the job refers to the extent to which the job allows an individual the
opportunity to realise his/her full potential. It is essential that the job itself should
provide sufficient opportunity for the incumbent to be creative and use his/her
initiative - what Happy Sky needs. High levels of autonomy and independent
decision making are vital if the organisation is to ensure a motivated workforce.
Job guidelines and goals
Job guidelines and goals essentially play the role of linking job goals to overall
organisational goals - something that is lacking in the present company. Human
resource managers need to ensure that employees know what their job entails,
that they have the correct tools at their disposal to fulfil the requirements of the
position and that they are aware of the purpose and ultimate objective of the
position. They also need to be aware of how their functions or jobs interrelate
with other jobs in order to ultimately satisfy organisational goals. Standards of
performance and acceptable behaviour need to be formalised so that employees
know what they are accountable for, what their performance standards are -
something that is also lacking at Happy Sky - and to enable them to access the
achievement of their own personal goals.
Status and recognition
The status an employee enjoys in an organisation is directly linked to the content
of a specific job he/she performs. The job that an individual performs allows
him/her a certain amount of status both inside and outside the organisation.
According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, status enhances an individual’s self-
esteem. Recognition may be in the form of respect that an employee enjoys
among his/her colleagues and the status or recognition the company attributes to
his/her good performance. It is essential for an employee to be proud of his/her
job, the status he/she receives in the organisation and the external environment.
These factors contribute to the way an employee feels about his/her job, which
will ultimately influence his/her job satisfaction. It appears that status and
recognition simply does not exist at Happy Sky.
Development
The development of individuals is essential if the organisation is to ensure
adequate skills and knowledge for the future. Development is vital if an employee
is to develop as an individual in a specific job or jobs in the organisation. Through
development and training, employees are able to achieve personal growth and
ultimately self-actualisation, which has a positive effect on motivation. A problem
identified in the present case is the fact that some managers use mentors, while
others do no training at all. Individuals need to achieve personal goals which are
often realised through training and development.
Job context environment
2
