Introduction
The Baldrige process refers to a non-prescriptive structure that empowers a company to achieve its objectives, become more competitive, and improve its organizational outcomes. The approach combines verified practices on contemporary management and leadership problems into a group of questions that aid an individual to control all aspects of a firm as a unified whole (Griffith, 2017). The Baldrige framework further improves a business’s performance and its organizational skill, thereby enhancing its daily operations. The process helps organizations at all levels regardless of whether their education organization is old, developing, or new. The structure aids organizations in leveraging and identifying their strengths and preparing them to face various challenges.
A Reflection of the Baldrige Process and Quality
From my point of view, I believe that the Baldrige process is an essential part of a business organization. According to Griffith (2017), this framework recognizes and identifies the fundamental issues affecting business. I think that this is a vital business process that ensures that it survives, especially in adverse conditions. The Baldrige process involves sharing important management skills such as training, rules, and strategies, which are significant factors when it comes to organizational development. While discovering the essence of the Baldrige framework, I realized that it allows organizations to improve their employee collaboration and communication techniques.
In my opinion, improved communication and collaboration helps organizations make faster decisions. Additionally, an enhanced collaboration network is vital in discussing significant factors that affect daily business operations. Furthermore, collaboration boosts relationships among employees in a firm, thereby increasing employee engagement within an organization.
To attain company objectives, the Baldrige process assists in developing new approaches that supplement business growth. Research states that businesses with decreased employment, productivity, and performance rate are more likely to fail compared to those with these elements (Miller & Parast, 2019).
I have been in a business environment that lacks productivity and had low employee engagement. The organization was not using the Baldrige process to manage its operations during that period. However, when they decided to incorporate the technique, business processes started improving. There was improved productivity, employee commitment, and an increase in performance levels among employees. I believe that by using the framework, the organization was able to develop new strategies and business structures that improved its operations. As a result, other organizational systems such as the marketing sectors are further enhanced, leading to higher profits for the company.
I have learned that the framework further seeks to assist an organization in overcoming its daily and long-term challenges. Studies state that the Baldrige process contains such qualities as process management, work focus, strategic plan, and leadership (Miller & Parast, 2019). I believe that some of the leadership qualities that are contained within the process highlight the significance of identifying business opportunities. Furthermore, I think that for an individual to be a good leader, they must be able to identify the challenges the organization faces. After discovering these issues, they would be able to devise ways of overcoming them. Additionally, I learned that the Baldrige framework enhances work focus among employees. In my opinion, this helps firms stay on course towards attaining organizational goals.
Organizational Issues
In terms of organizational issues, numerous challenges affect companies while conducting their operations. One of the most common issues businesses face is associated with the team. Employees in an organization are supposed to work together to achieve organizational goals. If this does not occur, then the firm as a whole is negatively affected. Without collaboration among employees, communication ceases to exist, thereby leading to reduced company performance.
The other organizational issues that the Baldrige process emphasizes are employee-related. Problems that concern workers can stem from their leaders, inability to manage a firm’s infrastructure, or from their personalities. In situations where employees feel that the business environment is not conducive, their task performance is negatively impacted. Generally, this leads to losses for the business, which eventually results in slow or a lack of business development.
The other organizational issue is related to the strategy of the business. Companies consistently take risks to develop their businesses and create approaches as per those specific risks. Nevertheless, if the set structures fail to work or do not support the business model, they affect the whole organization. The result would be slow business growth, poor employee engagement, and low profits for the firm. When an organization incorporates the Baldrige framework, the process will assist it in reducing strategy, employee, and team issues. The Baldrige process enables the firm to perform tasks collaboratively.
These organizations can achieve these goals since the process enhances the company’s ability to share information among employees. Additionally, the Baldrige process promotes effective communication, workers would be able to understand their tasks with ease. The Baldrige process focuses on excellence both in business and for employees. Therefore, it has the appropriate techniques that ensure business processes operate at optimal levels.
Personal and Organizational Learning
The Baldrige process further includes such elements as personal and organizational learning. Utilizing this model, organizations are expected to attain their best business performance through well-organized tasks. Constant changes and improvement assist in developing company learning through existing activities. Developing new strategies and products generally aids in creating organizational learning through the utilization of the Baldrige process.
The main aim of the Baldrige process is to help identify and solve issues faced by businesses. Most businesses today learn from the failure of their business models. To do so, they utilize the Baldrige framework because it simplifies the learning process. According to research, business leaders further play a role in identifying issues that affect a business (Mai et al., 2018). A good leader must initiate the learning process through programs that seek to train employees. The essence of this is that it improves the personal skills of an employee, thereby leading to the overall development of the organization.
Corporate Responsibility
In today’s business environment, numerous businesses are operating in different sectors. These organizations have various modes of operation, thereby requiring them to maintain a particular standard. Corporate responsibility refers to how an organization takes responsibility for its actions and how they affect workers, communities, and stakeholders (Jankalová & Jankal, 2017). Corporate responsibility further includes how an organization conducts its operations, how it associates with its employees and its surrounding community, and how it controls its environmental impacts. Most businesses fear the process of being responsible for their surroundings because of the labor and material costs. However, the Baldrige process is essential when it comes to corporate responsibility because it explains why it makes sense to the organization.
One of the reasons the Baldrige framework is essential in maintaining corporate responsibility is that it identifies the human resource aspect of accountability. In competitive business environments, workers are drawn to organizations that have a clean record for being responsible such as protecting the environment. By leading by example, businesses can attract employees who have skills such as leadership, innovativeness, and the ability to work collaboratively (Jankalová & Jankal, 2017).
Since the organization is further responsible for its employees, it minimizes negative impacts such as a high rate of employee turnover. Furthermore, corporate responsibility enhances an organization’s image because it would be associated with good environmental behaviors. For instance, when an organization shows interest in the well-being of children by taking them to school, it demonstrates that it upholds positive social change. As a result, the company would attract more customers because they would want to associate with an organization that genuinely takes the community’s needs into account.
The Baldrige process assists organizations in building their company structures as well as encourages business growth. The framework’s main goal is to strengthen organizations to reach their objectives, become competitive, and enhance their outcomes. The process is essential because it mainly focuses on identifying business issues and providing effective solutions. Currently, businesses cannot operate without a structure that can identify their organizational problems.
To thrive, firms must learn from their mistake because this ensures they improve their processes. Additionally, the Baldrige process entails such factors as corporate responsibility. These are aspects that are influential when it comes to the growth and development of a business. Being socially responsible is one business element that would increase customers for the organization, reduce employee turnover, and improve employees’ skills. Thus, the Baldrige process must be a part of a business to ensure that it thrives.
References
Griffith, J. R. (2017). An organizational model for excellence in healthcare delivery. Journal of Healthcare Management, 62(5), 328-341. Web.
Jankalová, M., & Jankal, R. (2017). The assessment of corporate social responsibility: Approaches analysis. Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Issues, 4(4), 441-459. Web.
Mai, F., Ford, M. W., & Evans, J. R. (2018). An empirical investigation of the Baldrige framework using applicant scoring data. International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 35(8), 1599-1616. Web.
Miller, J., & Parast, M. M. (2019). Learning by applying: The case of the Malcolm Baldrige national quality award. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, 66(3), 337-353. Web.