Job Performance Levels: Individual, Corporate, Collective and Generational

Abstract

Job performance is about satisfying a need, whether it is to meet an individual need or, a corporate need, a collective need or a generational need. Satisfying a need leads to high-quality job performance while failure to satisfy a need leads to poor-quality job performance. Job performance is a teamwork responsibility and assignment aimed at fulfilling a specific corporate (institutional or organisational) vision and mission, directly impacting the overall empowerment, success, survival and lifespan of an individual, a corporate and a collective. As a major contribution to challenges of job performance, the chapter will be researching the dynamics of needs relative to individual, corporate, collective and generational job performance, aiming at coming out not only with findings, but a proposed model approach about job performance. In newly established institutions or organisations, these needs dynamics could be a challenge affecting all leadership levels, while in well-established institutions and organisations the needs dynamics could be a challenge in one or in few leadership levels. The chapter’s contribution is about adding value to job performance in organisations and institutions through emphasis on interdependence of job performance levels and the added value of cross-leadership influence approach in improving job performance at all leadership levels.

1. Introduction

In almost all well-established and newly established institutions and organisations (both large and small), the challenge is about how best corporate leadership can handle challenges surrounding job performance at workplace; first, difficulties in clarifying the job level assignments and second, difficulties in creating conducive environment for excellent performance at workplace. This diagnosis becomes paramount for all operational levels of any establishment.

This represents some kind of a performance blockage in most organisations and institutions, as the various leadership levels operate solo and independently, thus creating competition rather than complementing each other. This leads to set performance standards that are departmentalised, divisionalised, uncoordinated, unrelated and far away from the shared vision and mission.

The problem statement above qualifies the importance of clearly defined individual roles, responsibilities, assignments and clearly set performance standards. It is also important to take notice that the different roles, responsibilities and assignments and clearly set performance standards expose employees to a variety in job performance levels where gaps and limitations are promptly identified for strategic intervention.

Therefore, the main objective of the chapter is to present a model that can assist in closing job performance gaps and limitations while at the same time creating a healthy leadership environment of interdependence, cooperation and cross-leadership influence approach in the realisation of the vision and mission of the same institution or organisation they are all contracted with.

2. Literature review

Research on job performance by Charan et al. concluded that once you have diagnosed that an individual or a group of people are working at inappropriate leadership levels, you have some major pipeline repair work to do. Specifically, you must develop your managers so that they possess the appropriate skills, time applications and work values for their particular levels in order to ensure appropriate job performance (see more details on reference [1]).

The job performance chapter agrees with the position of Charan et al. and further emphasizes the importance of correct placement of employees at appropriate levels of leadership according to required skills aimed at improving institutional or organisational performance.

Cheng on human needs stressed that we must adapt our systems and processes to balance Business Needs and Human Needs. The emphasis is on empathy, the capacity to be able to see parts of ourselves in everyone else (see this work by Cheng on human needs on reference [2]).

This position by Cheng assists the job performance chapter with what could summarised as needs that influenced each other from opposite sides but who are also committed to and sharing the same vision and mission of the corporate they are contracted with.

On a tough conversation about job performance, Brown has concluded that a leader is anyone who takes responsibility for finding the potential in people and processes and has the courage to develop that potential (see reference on work by Brown on reference [3]).

As concluded by Brown’s research results, the chapter also emphasised the importance and the ability of leadership in identifying, developing and deploying employees’ potential aims, improving job performance at the workplace.

According to Frank on the man’s search for meaning of life, he is convinced that the meaning of life differs from man to man, from day to day and from hour to hour. What matters, therefore, is not the meaning of life in general but rather the specific meaning of a person’s life at a given moment (see the work by Frank on man’s search for the meaning of life on reference [4]).

The chapter reaffirms this position by stressing the importance of grabbing the opportunity given by a corporate at any level of leadership. The same applies to corporate business units when given an opportunity to provide a service.

The research results by Moslow concluded that human (individual) needs theory includes five levels, namely: (i) physiological needs; (ii) safety needs; (iii) love and belonging needs; (iv) esteem needs and (v) self-actualisation needs (see the theory of human motivation by Moslow A.H. on reference [5]).

An all-round satisfied and happy employee at home and at work can perform their jobs and assignments at the workplace at excellent levels, and this chapter reaffirms this position by Moslow.

The leader’s business is product-oriented and performance-based, is focused on the product movement for market consumption, is ensuring that followers enjoy what they do and do what they enjoy, and is ensuring that followers’ needs in the performance drive are met (see this work on the universal patterns of leadership by Lebese in Ref. [6]).

This is the responsibility of all leaders from each level of leadership in a corporate business, and the chapter concurs fully with the conclusion by Lebese.

To win, you must be prepared to lose something. If you are too anxious to win, you are at a disadvantage from the onset. Your opponent (your suppliers, your customers and your employees in this case) has something you want, and you have something they want (see this work on a sprat to catch a mackerel by Ackerman et al. in Ref. [7]).

Negotiations at corporate business level are about a collective bargaining approach. In this win-win situation, both parties should survive and rise above all challenges in their efforts to realise the vision and mission of the corporate.

Remember that as you lift others up a mountain, you are also climbing the mountain. When they reach the mountain top, you will be there with them, and you will be more experienced than all of them. That will also be a cooperative, social investment assuring you that even if you were to fall to the ground, someone may pick you up again because you have taught them that, and they think it is right to do so (see more work on draw your mark, make an impact and leave a legacy by Mdhluli on reference [8]).

Transference of skills from one level of leadership to another cannot be compromised, the chapter concurs as researched and concluded by Mdhluli.

Cross-pollination, also known as heterogamy, is a type of pollination in which sperm-laden pollen grains are transferred from the cones or flowers of one plant to egg-bearing cones or flowers of another. It is found in both angiosperms (flowering plants) and gymnosperms (cone-bearing plants) and facilitates cross-fertilisation and outbreeding (see work by the editors of the encyclopedia in Ref. [9]).

The chapter reaffirms the position that each corporate business should be able to reproduce itself continuously and without interruption, retaining its culture, beliefs and values. This position is in line with conclusions by the editors of encyclopedia on cross-pollination.

3. Levels of job performance

These job performance levels are within the control of management at each level, for example;

3.1 The first level: individual performance and challenges

This level is about fostering excellent performance that supports individual and institutional or organisational needs.

Without the necessary skills and putting them into practice, improved individual performance at the workplace cannot be achieved; skills should be linked to assignments and practice (see Figure 1).

Figure 1.

Individual level of performance. Source: Author’s creation.

In this context, needs dynamics and impact on Job Performance are connected with responsibilities relative to own personal challenges and organisational challenges. This is the process of responding to concrete life assignments that demands fulfilment, from individual needs to corporate needs, from corporate needs to collective needs, and from collective needs to succession needs.

You cannot transfer a skill you do not have, and at the same breath, you cannot teach any responsibility without experience of being responsible. Do not compromised the required skills for quality job performance and the needed work experience in uplifting the corporate performance and competitiveness in the business world. Do not give in so easily or let go so easily of the quality of skills, expertise and experience you have acquired in the difficult process of building and nurturing a highly performing business family unit.

In attempting to address the human needs of our workplace teams, we first need to understand the humans that carry them, the expectations they have of others, their feelings about the working environment they find themselves, including those needs that leadership of the institution or organisation has been neglecting.

As stated earlier, the goal is about fostering excellent performance that supports individual employees in their fields of responsibility aimed at realisation of the vision and mission of the institution or organisation they are contracted with.

The impact of skills, experience, health, wellness and welfare on individual employees could produce either a positive or a negative job performance results in any institution or organisation.

If you want to succeed in any corporate environment, your individual needs and interests should not compromise the corporate vision and mission, the collective needs and interests in a corporate business, including the succession plans and goals of the corporate you find yourself into.

Although individual needs and interests are paramount, they too are influenced by relations with others, corporate interests, social interests, actions and facts of forming a united whole.

3.2 The second level: corporate performance and challenges

This level pertains to establishing and communicating corporate performance standards including expectations through behavioural expressions.

The corporate level of performance cannot be separated from its vision and mission, which has to be realised by each level of leadership in the institution or organisation (see Figure 2).

Figure 2.

Corporate level of performance. Source: Author’s creation.

It was stated earlier that this level is about establishing and communicating performance standards including expectations through behavioural expressions.

The impact of highly competitive business environment on corporate institution and organisation could produce either a positive or a negative results on job performance towards realisation of their vision and mission.

A business entity is known for the value and competitiveness of its product in the marketplace. Therefore, product marketing becomes one of the job performance requirements (main responsibilities) of the leadership in a corporate business.

This also means that the job description and job performance of all followers (subordinates) should complement what leadership is doing and prioritising. Here, the job performance requirement is to tell the product’s story to the marketplace, by turning it into a compelling message to the target market.

Always keep in mind that what brought us together at this level are the corporate vision, mission, beliefs, values and performance targets that should be met as scheduled.

3.3 The third level: collective performance and challenges

This level talks about giving constructive and supportive feedback within a collective management setup.

The same with other levels, the collective level of job performance is about instilling a sense of belonging to one big family unit of performers with the sole aim of realisation of the shared vision and mission of the organisation and institution they all contracted to work for (see Figure 3).

Figure 3.

Collective level of job performance. Source: Author’s creation.

As earlier expressed, this level is about giving constructive and supporting feedback within a collective management setup.

The above statement reinforces the importance of a growing customer base and the impact of a highly unionised environment in the corporate business sector. This trend could produce either positive or negative results on job performance, particularly when it is divorced (intentionally or unintentionally) from the corporate shared vision and mission.

In the process of negotiating better deals with your supplier base, you are also at the same time required to satisfy both your customer needs and your employee needs at the workplace.

In a corporate environment, each one should add value to the shared vision and mission, which binds them together as a family unit in business. A divided family unit in business is a reflector pointing to its downward trend and ultimate sequestration. To succeed in unifying this family unit in business, collective bargaining principles, processes, systems and agreements should be respected and implemented by all participating parties.

As you wear your needs and interests in a corporate environment, do not forget to put on an additional coat of collective needs and interests, in order to add value to the entire corporate competitiveness, success and survival.

Successful corporate businesses are those that stretch themselves above their needs and interests in order to accommodate the needs and interests of individuals from within, the needs and interests of suppliers, customers, employees and those of the future generational leadership of the corporate.

Corporate business success depends on how it nurtures relations with others, and without excluding the needs and interests of a corporate collective and succession goals for future generations and survival in the corporate business world.

3.4 The fourth level: generational performance and challenges

This level addresses questions about establishing work plans that include the development of professional goals and institutional succession or generational outcomes.

This level deals with continuity in an organisation or institution for generations to come and should lead to leadership development lower up to the upper levels of the corporation (see Figure 4).

Figure 4.

Generational levels. Source: Author’s creation.

Without going any further, be reminded that this level is about establishing work plans that include the development of professional goals and institutional succession outcomes.

The impact of failure to incorporate, in a succession plan of an institution or organisation, risk management associated with retirement, retention and recruitment could result in poor job performance, thus threatening the success and the survival of the institution or organisation.

Successful organisations and institutions are not only judged by their current state of affairs but also by their future success and survival from one generation of leadership to another.

The capacity of a corporate business to assess its successes or failures on job performance of leadership and job requirements at all levels could be measured by using the following toolkit or checklist (not necessarily to follow the order, but depending on priority needs in a given workplace situation); (i) Identify and record the work experience of each employee, from outside and inside of your organisation or institution. This could show you some indicators of individual corporate experience and engagement levels of job performance (period, skills, expertise, beliefs and values); (ii) Determine mastering of skills, values and individual assessment of developmental needs to uplift job performance for the benefit of the corporate; (iii) Build corporate beliefs and values that bind all role-players together in fulfilling the vision and mission of the corporate and (iv) Develop and implement succession plans, goals and targets for future operational needs of the corporate.

Therefore, succession planning is very important for corporate business as it guarantees corporate continuity and smooth running without major interruption, even after quality leaders, experienced couches and mentors have left due to a variety of reasons. This should be an ongoing process that assists the corporate in identifying new and future leaders, and should also ensure that the same process provides them with necessary skills and training, including couching and mentoring abilities at all levels of the leadership.

3.5 The fifth level: entrance and exit points

The entrance and exit points in an organisation or institution, as these may enhance or disrupt the operational levels of performance (see Figure 5 below).

Figure 5.

Entrance and exit to compliment organisational performance. Source: Author’s creation.

This is another leadership challenge, far and beyond management control relative to the above is about acknowledging the fact that job performance has clear challenges of disruptions caused by losing high job performers may negatively affect the timeous implementation of corporate vision and mission, dismissals and resignations may negatively affect the effectiveness of a corporate in advancing its strategic goals, economic recession and profit loses may lead to closure of corporations.

Proper management planning and proactive intervention strategies should be in place to avoid risk associated with reactive approach to the above three disruptions as mentioned.

The four needs dynamics and their impact on job performance could be summarised and mapped out as a cross-pollination approach as demonstrated.

4. Proposed model: positive cross-leadership mastery

From the onset, this model acknowledges the fact that job performance management in any institution or organisation is about addressing the challenges identified at each level of leadership. The model emphasis that in each level of leadership, leadership in their departments or division are required;

1. To ensure that all available skills are associated with job description (practice) in order to improve individual job performance;

2. To ensure that the corporate shared vision is a rallying point at all leadership levels in order to improve institutional or organisational performance and competitiveness;

3. To ensure that competitiveness, success and survival of institution or organisation in the world of business depends on the acknowledgement of collective responsibility of all role-players in leadership, management and the workforce (unions);

4. To ensure that succession planning starts from the entry level (recruitment, headhunting and selection) in an organisation or institution;

5. To ensure that this leads to subordinate’s promotion towards management, directorship and shareholding levels of the organisation or institution.

The importance of the proposed model is influenced by the dynamics and challenges that pop-up between entry level and exit level which can complement or stifle organisational performance. In essence, the aim of the model deals with areas that should create and promote a positive cross-leadership influence in quality job performance and organisational development.

In addressing these institutional and organisational challenges, the following model is proposed.

The positive cross-leadership influence in an organisation or institution guarantees its survival for future generations as each level of leadership motivates and influences each other at all times. It is a positive cross-leadership mastery that starts from the entrance contract point of an employee and runs through the life of the corporate, right up to the exit contract point of an employee. Details are demonstrated in Figure 6.

Figure 6.

Positive cross-leadership mastery. Source: Author’s creation.

From here, it should be understood that a positive cross-leadership mastery in an organisation or institution represents the transfer and nurturing of skills, knowledge and experience within or between all the four levels of performance and challenges (individual, corporate, collective and succession) in a corporate world of business.

The new entrants and the exiting experts combine the heredity (culture) of the organisation or institution, and the resulting offspring (new leadership) are generally more diverse in their job performance and adaptation to their new changing workplace environment, thus ensuring survival of their organisations or institution from one generation to another.

This suggests that the exit point and its products represent evidence of successes or failures in an organisation or institution, and such evidence can be traced from all internal processes that natured the relationships. Be watchful of what you attract as candidates for selection and final appointment, as well as what you release as candidates for retrenchment and retirement.

In summary, the necessity for more appropriate research work on job performance cannot be overemphasised, which is evidenced by on-the-job practical experiences, and this sets these institutions and organisations as living organisms or living examples.

5. Conclusion

The research problems of the chapter were identified as (i) Corporate leadership failure in handling challenges and blockages surrounding job performance at workplace; (ii) Difficulties in clarifying and delegating job assignments at workplace; (iii) Difficulties in creating conducive environment for excellent performance at workplace.

The main objectives of the chapter on job performance are to research and present a model that could contribute to closing job performance gaps and limitations at workplace while at the same process creating a healthy leadership environment of interdependence, cooperation and positive cross-leadership influence approach in corporate’s efforts to realise its vision and mission through all those contracted with.

The major findings of the job performance research could be listed as follows:

1. Job performance is a developing process in need of constant leadership attention at all times, from entry point to the exit point of employees in a corporate business family unit.

2. Union leadership and management leadership represent different constituency interests and needs. At the same time, they are all together contracted to realise one shared vision and mission of the same corporate business family unit.

3. More research is needed on the subject of job performance as it is a developing process that moves with corporate business and is influenced by events and times.

4. Corporate survival and success benefit all those contracted to it, and for continuity and generational survival, it should be capacitated to reproduce itself positively and stand out against and above its competitors.

The need for further research about job performance and leadership requirements aimed at improving workplace performance should be inclusive of;

1. The toolkit for effective management of the corporate’s products and their benefits to customers and the final users.

2. The toolkit for effective communication of the vision and value of the corporate’s products to the sales team and the target market.

3. The toolkit for the development and implementation of an effective marketing strategy and plan for valued products.

4. The study and research of the customers’ needs and experiences with the corporate’s products, and provide statistical analysis and technical responses to the needs of customers.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.