organizational behavior gimme a break: using communities of practice

Organizational Organizational BehaviorBehavior

Gimme a Break: Gimme a Break:

Using Communities of Using Communities of PracticePractice

TEAM 07TEAM 07

Sushil BhattachanSushil BhattachanChristina DanverChristina Danver

Ben GumpertBen GumpertAdan MontoyaAdan MontoyaGurinder VirdiGurinder Virdi

Problem : Job BreaksProblem : Job Breaks• DisadvantagesDisadvantages

– DistractionsDistractions– Decreased productivityDecreased productivityCOST = # of breaks x TIME / 60 x WAGE xCOST = # of breaks x TIME / 60 x WAGE x

(1 + BENEFITS) x DAYS WORKED(1 + BENEFITS) x DAYS WORKEDTIME = 5 minutes for smokersTIME = 5 minutes for smokers# of breaks = 9 for smokers# of breaks = 9 for smokers

– Additional costs for smokersAdditional costs for smokers• 30% higher absenteeism30% higher absenteeism• higher life insurance premiumshigher life insurance premiums• higher costs of cleaning and maintaining the smoking areashigher costs of cleaning and maintaining the smoking areas

FriendsFriends

• Clip: Season 5 – Episode 18Clip: Season 5 – Episode 18– Smoke breaks with Rachel (your favorite Smoke breaks with Rachel (your favorite

friend)friend)

Problem : Job BreaksProblem : Job Breaks• AdvantagesAdvantages

– Prevent fatigue and boredomPrevent fatigue and boredom– Reduce accidentsReduce accidents– Reduce withdrawal behaviorsReduce withdrawal behaviors

– Reduce hindrance stressReduce hindrance stress– Increase job performanceIncrease job performance– Improve job satisfactionImprove job satisfaction– Improve organizational commitmentImprove organizational commitment

Problem : Job BreaksProblem : Job Breaks• AdvantagesAdvantages

– Effect of work-rest schedules in speed, accuracy, and job Effect of work-rest schedules in speed, accuracy, and job performance for the data entry & mental tasksperformance for the data entry & mental tasks

Break ExerciseBreak Exercise

• Do you want to take a break?Do you want to take a break?

Take a BreakTake a Break

See you in See you in 1010 minutes minutes

Be back in 8 minutes

See you in 5 minutes

2 2 minutes onlyminutes only

Let’s get back to workLet’s get back to work

Break ExerciseBreak Exercise

• How do you feel when your breaks are How do you feel when your breaks are shorten?shorten?– Hindrance stressHindrance stress– Job satisfactionJob satisfaction– Job performanceJob performance

• Who noticed the whiteboards?Who noticed the whiteboards?– CoP in practiceCoP in practice

Opportunity : CoPOpportunity : CoP• Community of Practice (CoP)Community of Practice (CoP)

– solve problems more rapidly and effectively increase their solve problems more rapidly and effectively increase their sense of well-being and achievement sense of well-being and achievement

– build collective solutions build collective solutions – self-start and search for the information and the support self-start and search for the information and the support

they need they need – work more flexibly…delivering empowerment to the work more flexibly…delivering empowerment to the

individual individual – reduce organizational hierarchies, allowing staff to interact reduce organizational hierarchies, allowing staff to interact

more freely with all levels of management more freely with all levels of management – develop personal skills and capabilitiesdevelop personal skills and capabilities

Opportunity : CoPOpportunity : CoP• Causal model for community interaction and benefitsCausal model for community interaction and benefits

RecommendationRecommendation• Implement CoP Implement CoP during employees’ job breaks for a during employees’ job breaks for a

company advantagecompany advantage– Utilize job breaks (considered wasted time)Utilize job breaks (considered wasted time)

– Increase knowledge sharingIncrease knowledge sharing

– Build sense of communityBuild sense of community

– Increase job satisfaction, organization commitment and job Increase job satisfaction, organization commitment and job performanceperformance

– Reduce withdrawal behaviors (lateness, absenteeism, turn Reduce withdrawal behaviors (lateness, absenteeism, turn over) and hindrance stress.over) and hindrance stress.

RecommendationRecommendationSuggestionSuggestion ImpactImpact

White Boards *White Boards * Job performance (+)Job performance (+)

Org Commitment (+) Org Commitment (+)

Mini-Workout Routines Mini-Workout Routines Hindrance stress (-)Hindrance stress (-)

Job Performance (+)Job Performance (+)

Job Satisfaction (+)Job Satisfaction (+)


Mini-Massages *Mini-Massages * Hindrance stress (-)Hindrance stress (-)





Plasma TVs in break rooms Plasma TVs in break rooms Job performance (+)Job performance (+)

Org Commitment (+)Org Commitment (+)

Schedule presentations Schedule presentations during lunchtime or after during lunchtime or after working hours working hours

Job performance (+)Job performance (+)

Multimedia kiosks *Multimedia kiosks * Job Performance (+)Job Performance (+)


Network ports in break Network ports in break rooms rooms




Multi-divisional break Multi-divisional break rooms *rooms *


Game rooms *Game rooms * Job Satisfaction (+)Job Satisfaction (+)


Withdrawal Behaviors (-)Withdrawal Behaviors (-)

Workout rooms Workout rooms Job Performance (+)Job Performance (+)



Withdrawal Behaviors (-)Withdrawal Behaviors (-)


Free lunches Free lunches Job Performance (+)Job Performance (+)



Free Dinners Free Dinners Job Performance (+)Job Performance (+)



RecommendationRecommendation• Implementation plan for CoPImplementation plan for CoP

– Identify the purpose or needIdentify the purpose or need– Decide how to measure successDecide how to measure success– Identify tools and infrastructure to be used Identify tools and infrastructure to be used – Develop a business case Develop a business case

• Statement of purpose or needStatement of purpose or need• Evaluation criteriaEvaluation criteria• Resource requirements (infrastructure, toolset, people) Resource requirements (infrastructure, toolset, people) • Budget requirementsBudget requirements• Business case (how CoP supports business strategy and can be implemented Business case (how CoP supports business strategy and can be implemented

with existing training)with existing training)• Benefits/advantages of implementing the communityBenefits/advantages of implementing the community• Community stakeholdersCommunity stakeholders

• Implementation plan for CoPImplementation plan for CoP– Get organization support for communityGet organization support for community – Create community structure Create community structure – Establish community membership Establish community membership – Conduct a community pilot Conduct a community pilot – Evaluate and revise community Evaluate and revise community

• Based on metricsBased on metrics• Based on achievement of purposeBased on achievement of purpose• Surveys (Simple Questions for User Investment Return Surveys (Simple Questions for User Investment Return

Measurement for Community of Practice/SQUIRM-CP) Measurement for Community of Practice/SQUIRM-CP) • ROIROI

RecommendationRecommendation

RecommendationRecommendation• How to survive a mid-life crisis?How to survive a mid-life crisis?

– Clear PurposeClear Purpose

– Active LeadershipActive Leadership

– Critical mass of engaged membersCritical mass of engaged members

– Sense of accomplishment Sense of accomplishment

– Real participation timeReal participation time

QuestionsQuestions• If I were an organizational decision If I were an organizational decision

maker, I would probably use your maker, I would probably use your recommendation if it gives me a recommendation if it gives me a competitive advantage.competitive advantage.

• Can you be more specific, maybe a case?Can you be more specific, maybe a case?

• Can you implement a CoP in our School?Can you implement a CoP in our School?

Case: Student Job Case: Student Job Performance in Performance in

Warrington School of Warrington School of BusinessBusiness

Ranking 2003 2004US News & World Report 27 53

Wall Street Journal 35 N/A*

Business Week 50+ N/A*



• Actions taken in 2004 by admission Actions taken in 2004 by admission directors (Alex Sevilla)directors (Alex Sevilla)– Increased marketing & scholarshipsIncreased marketing & scholarships

• ResultsResults– Increased Increased GMAT from 650 to 665GMAT from 650 to 665– Increased GPA from 3.23 to 3.3Increased GPA from 3.23 to 3.3

• US News & World Report: 23.75%US News & World Report: 23.75%



Ranking Criteria PercentageProgram quality assessment by recruiters 15%

Mean starting salary and bonus 14%At-graduation job placement rate 7%Job placement rate three months after graduation 14%TOTAL 50%Opinions of MBA recruiters 100%TOTAL 100%Corporate recruiter survey 45%TOTAL 45%

Overall AVERAGE 65%

US News & World Report

Wall Street Journal

Business Week

• Implement CoP with 3 goals for job Implement CoP with 3 goals for job performanceperformance– Increase recruiter opinion Increase recruiter opinion

– Increase job placement rate Increase job placement rate

– Increase starting salaryIncrease starting salary

Case RecommendationCase Recommendation

• Community of PracticeCommunity of Practice– Company: Warrington School of BusinessCompany: Warrington School of Business– Members: Members:

• MBA students (Participate and Manage)MBA students (Participate and Manage)• School Directors (Facilitate)School Directors (Facilitate)

– Frequency: Student breaks (in between classes, Frequency: Student breaks (in between classes, during lunch breaks and after classes)during lunch breaks and after classes)

– Tools: IBM Lotus Notes application (cafe, central Tools: IBM Lotus Notes application (cafe, central conferencing and career cafe)conferencing and career cafe)


• Suggestions for CoP activities areSuggestions for CoP activities are– Schedule presentations and workshops on job interviewing Schedule presentations and workshops on job interviewing

skillsskills

– Schedule meetings among recruiters and students on Schedule meetings among recruiters and students on campuscampus

– Provide job referrals to members of the communityProvide job referrals to members of the community

– Announce job opportunities to members of the communityAnnounce job opportunities to members of the community

– Schedule meetings with alumni of the UF MBA ProgramsSchedule meetings with alumni of the UF MBA Programs


• How to evaluate the results?How to evaluate the results?– Member surveysMember surveys

– MBA recruiter surveysMBA recruiter surveys

– Future MBA rankingsFuture MBA rankings

Case EvaluationCase Evaluation

organizational behavior gimme a break: using communities of practice

Documents

employees job breaks

community interaction

community structure

community of practicesquirm

community membership

revise community

community pilot

breaks x time