The Coca-Cola Corporation and Employee Engagement
The Coca-Cola Corporation is the world's largest soft drink company, employing roughly 700,000 people worldwide. The organization has implemented a number of techniques to guarantee that employees are completely involved in the manufacture, distribution, and quality improvement of the products (Employee Engagement, 2017). One of the company's tactics is the employee engagement program, which was created primarily to inspire employees in order to get the most out of them while assuring the company's sustainability and profitability (Employee Engagement, 2017).
The Relationship between Employee Engagement and Productivity
The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between employee engagement and productivity at Coca-Cola Company through an examination of several motivational theories and organizational behavior principles. The engagement program at Coca-Cola has been developed to encompass different aspects of the employees so as to motivate them to work better for the success of the company.
Proper Communication Channels
For instance, the program involves proper communication channels through which employees are provided with the opportunity to air their opinions which are then incorporated into the final decisions that the company. On an annual basis, the company distributes the Employee Insights Survey globally which allows the employees to respond and criticize the management. The involvement of the employees in the proper communication has impacted positively on the attitudes the employees have towards their duties at the company. As hypothesized by Norsworthy and Zabala (1990), the costs of production are reduced since there exists little or no grievances from the workers. As a result, the profit margins for Coca-Cola have increased because the inputs are lower compared to the outcomes.
Training and Mentoring
Furthermore, the program allows the employees to be trained and mentored so that they can develop their skills for the benefit of the company. The mentorship programs at the company focus on creating opportunities for the employees to develop personal insights of the demands of their job and widen their scope of the world view. Besides, the employees are motivated to engage in forums that provide short and long-term training on their areas of expertise. The employees are also given a chance to handle assignments that may be unrelated to their field so as to diversify on the skills possessed by the individuals allowing them to prepare for a life out of the company at a given point in time (Kondakar, 2007). The motivation of the employees has resulted in the employees being satisfied which have contributed to low rates of absenteeism. Since they are satisfied, the employees are not seeking for new employment but rather are focused on high performance at the company.
Financial Rewards and Human Capital
Employee Engagement program at Coca-Cola further incorporates the Coca-Cola Red Tag program which provides the employees with financial rewards in the form of fully funded travel to places of their choice as a means to appreciating the exceptional performances. Moreover, there are numerous financial rewards including tuition reimbursement besides their children being awarded scholarships. The focus on human capital by the company has led to enhanced production through various ways. For instance, the organizational structure in which the employees are motivated financially develops satisfied employees who are interested in perfecting their skills (Kondakar, 2007). According to the Maslow's hierarchy of needs, the provision of extrinsic motivators like the scholarships for the employees' children impacts positively on the ability of the employees to improve the quality of their services. As a result, the products produced by the company are improved regarding quantity and quality (Norsworthy & Zabala, 1990).
A Culturally Diverse Workplace
Moreover, having developed an energizing environment for the employees, the program develops a culturally diverse workplace environment in which every employee feels appreciated. For instance, since Coca-Cola operates in different countries with diverse cultures, providing cafeteria services that consists of delicacies from the different cultures appeals to the positive perception of the employees regarding the efforts made by the program and the company in maintaining a culturally diverse environment. As discussed by Kondakar, (2007), it can be noted that the values of the employees vary depending on how they perceive the organization and the leaders or the individuals. The values and attitudes of the employees at Coca-Cola Company have been impacted by the manner in which the program creates an appreciation of the different cultures held by the employees. As a result, the employees have been more focused on attaining the goals of the company through quality and quantity of the production. Besides, the operational cost at of the company are reduced since the employees at the company rarely engage in strikes and riots which allow the company to have a positive public image. Also, the profit margins for the company have increased due to the lowered production costs (Norsworthy & Zabala, 1990).
The Impact on Business Economics
Conclusively, as demonstrated by Harry Townsend, it can be established that the human side of the business as an industry determines the economic activities of any given investment (Townsend, 1995). The Coca-Cola Employee Engagement program focuses on developing the values, attitudes, and the job satisfaction of the employees. As a result, the workers are motivated to improve their performance which reduces the production costs and consequently increasing the profitability of the company (Townsend, 1995).
References
Employee Engagement. (2017). The Coca-Cola Company. Retrieved 16 April 2017, from http://www.coca-colacompany.com/our-company/employee-engagement
Kondakar, V. G. (2007). Organizational behaviour. New Age.
Norsworthy, J. R., & Zabala, C. A. (1990). Worker attitudes and the cost of production: Hypothesis tests in an equilibrium model. Economic Inquiry, 28(1), 57-78.
Townsend, H. (1995). Foundations of Business Economics: Markets and Prices.
