The sustainability of organizations depends on various factors that shape different aspects such as the motivation of employees, their commitment to business goals, attitudes of clients, productivity, and so forth. It is possible to consider the so-called 8 Ss model that can illustrate the attributes that are important for successful enterprises. Much attention should be paid to such factors as strategy, systems, structure, staff, shared values, skills, style, as well as spirituality. To a great extent, the components of this model can be useful for improving the sustainability of a business. This framework should be considered by various stakeholders, such as HR managers and senior executives. These are the main details that should be discussed in greater detail.
At first, it is important to mention such a notion as a strategy or long-term and high-level goals that an organization should achieve. These objectives should be clear and appealing to various stakeholders, such as senior executives, frontline managers, and employees. Additionally, much attention should be paid to the role of structure. This element is supposed to describe the methods in which tasks are allocated among different employees. For instance, an organization can be divided into units, departments, or divisions that can be engaged in various economies. Moreover, the term structure is supposed to depict the power relations among employees and managers.
For instance, in some companies, employees have more opportunities to taking independent decisions. Yet, very often, workers are deprived of this opportunity. Thus, the key task of managers is to make sure that the organizational structure best fits the needs and objectives of a business. It is also necessary to examine the role of systems, which can be regarded as the set of procedures and rules that facilitate the interactions among various stakeholders. In this case, one can speak about performance appraisal methods, training programs, or cost-accounting procedures. Systems can significantly increase the efficiency of the enterprise and strengthen the commitment of employees.
Much attention should also be paid to shared values, which are important for the commitment of employees and their improved performance. Among these shared values, one can distinguish integrity, attention to quality, and responsibility. Furthermore, the workers should understand that the improved performance of the company can benefit them as well. Moreover, they need to share the vision of managers. It is also critical to examine the managerial style. This term can be often applied to describe the relations between people who occupy different positions in the workplace hierarchy. In some cases, managers can act in an autocratic manner and impose their decisions on the workers. In contrast, other executives may be more willing to consider the opinions of workers and empower them. This is one of the details that should be taken into account. Overall, it is important to select the most appropriate style that best corresponds to the needs of a particular organization.
Another component of the 8 Ss model is usually known as staff. In this context, this term incorporates several elements, such as the motivation of workers, their beliefs, and attitudes. It is necessary to understand the attitudes of employees because, in this way, one can better pinpoint the origins of the problems that a company may face. This issue should be taken into account by HR managers who must gain in-depth insights into the behavior of employees and their main motives.
Furthermore, researchers also focus on skills or the competencies of the employees as well as the organization, in general. Managers should continuously work on the development of people’s skills because, in this way, one can significantly increase the resilience of a company to various stressors such as the changes in demand or the threats posed by new competitors. Therefore, one should help workers achieve professional growth because it can be vital for the sustainability of the company in the long term. This issue should also be the main priority for HR managers who need to develop appropriate training programs for workers. This element of the 8 Ss model should be vital for professionals who are responsible for the recruitment of employees.
The last component of the 8 Ss model is spirituality. This concept should not be interpreted only from a religious perspective. More likely, this term can be defined as the willingness of the management to consider the inner world of employees, their emotional needs, and aspirations (Tourish & Tourish 2010, p. 211). In the past, this element has often been disregarded by managers. Nevertheless, the findings of researchers suggest that companies try to focus more on this issue because the spirituality of leaders is important for gaining the trust of employees (Tourish & Tourish 2010). Additionally, spiritual leaders are able to change the values of workers and make them more committed to organizational goals. This is why this component of the 8 Ss model should not be overlooked.
On the whole, this discussion indicates that the study that 8 Ss model can be useful for identifying the factors that can influence the performance of any organization. While analyzing the functioning of an enterprise, one should consider each of these elements because they are useful for evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of this business. Moreover, this model is important for developing long-term policies for the company. These are the main points that can be made.
Reference
Tourish, D & Tourish, N 2010, ‘Spirituality at Work, and its Implications for Leadership and Followership: A Post-structuralist Perspective Leadership’, Leadership, vol. 6. no. 10, pp. 207-226.