Organizational Behavior
Beyond Flextime: Trashing the Workweek

J.A. Counter’s ROWE program includes influence tactics as well as a couple of power bases. The influence tactics prevalent in this case are soft tactics because they are worker friendly and not coercive at all. Inspirational appeals are present in this case because the decision to incorporate ROWE into the work environment at J.A. Counter is a direct approach to appealing to all employees. They are no longer bound by set days and times to be present at their jobs but rather given the motivation to complete their tasks by a certain time but at their own pace, hours chosen, and days preferred. This tactic is used to appeal to the employee’s. Consultation is another influence tactic evident in J.A. Counter’s ROWE Program. Employees now voluntarily set up different people to perform different tasks when the normal employee responsible for the given task is not present. The employee’s have learned to participate in planning (for the absence of another employee), make decisions (together), and roll with the changes. In alternating performing various tasks, there is slight evidence of the exchange influence tactic at work in this case also.
The most prominent base of power evident in J.A. Counter’s work environment is the managers reward power. Although the freedom to come and go whenever and without notice or permission, has not been stated a reward, to the employee’s (given the increase in productivity), view it as a reward. Linda Skoglund has altered and shaped the behavior of her employees by implementing the ROWE program. Evidently, referent power plays some role in this case. Skoglund leads her company with intelligence; bravely trying something new to boost employee moral and productivity at work at the same time, allowing employee’s to enjoy an extremely laid back work environment where pressure seems to not exist and the employees have increased their motivation and enthusiasm in completing tasks on time.
I would plot the implementation of the ROWE program at J.A. Counter between Power Sharing and Power Distribution. Skoglund has enabled employees to now make decisions about their work days and performance. She has done away with mandatory hours and days that undoubtedly held time constraints for specific tasks to be completed. The employees now have freedom to decide when and for how long they will attend their job (physically). In implementing the ROWE program, Skoglund has given all employees authority to make decisions.
Skoglund’s decision to implement the ROWE program has given the employees major say in the workplace, mainly focused on their personal desire to come and go as they please and work the hours they themselves decide. In most organizations, this seems an invitation to chaos but according to this case, it has increased productivity therefore I do not feel employee empowerment has been taken too far. The goal of employee empowerment is to increase productivity and competitiveness (Kreitner & Kinicki) and in this case, that goal has thus far been met. This could also be defined as participative management.
J.A. Counter has successfully established a balance between the employee’s self interests and the organizations interests by incorporating the ROWE program. The ROWE program will have a positive impact at J.A. Counter because the owner has “intentionally enhanced the self-interest of the employees” (p. 452). The ROWE program alleviates any challenges in the amount of power any employee has over another; they are all given the same rights and authority in making certain decisions. The ROWE program also incorporates proactive tactics in the work environment.
I find the ROWE program extreme and have a hard time understanding how it could increase productivity or boost employee moral. I understand that many employees would feel they were not merely attending their jobs to earn a paycheck but to perform specified tasks but whenever they feel like it? I function much better within a structured environment. Many welcome the freedom to make decisions such as when and how long they will work on any given day. It seems that any task that one relies on the task of another being completed would be jeopardized using the ROWE program. With no specific hours maintained for any given department or person in a particular field, I feel job completion has the potential to be hindered and can not help but feel at some point, production will start suffering as well as communication and needs of the customers.