Critical Analysis of Workplace Practice: Internship under the Water Pressure Management Program of Networks Alliance
Introduction
An internship can be best understood as a temporary position with an emphasis on ‘on the job training‘ (Liang 2006). It is the provision of an opportunity for students to gain experience in their field, determine if they have an interest in a particular career and create a network of contacts. As students of the University of Western Sydney, we have the extraordinary opportunity of an entire unit dedicated to internships within our final year. This essay will attempt to provide insight and analysis of the experiences and lessons learned within the recently completed internship with Networks Alliance. Discussion into the background of Networks Alliance, their role, responsibility and the industry within which they are based will occur in order to illustrate the environment within which the internship occurred. In addition to this, the structure of organisation and communication within the workplace of Networks Alliance will be analysed to provide greater insight into the possible reasoning’s behind particular experiences within the internship. For example, the necessity to overcome challenges in the form of negative employee relations will be discussed in terms of its possible connection with recent reshuffling of management. Finally, an analysis of the student’s performance within the role as well as overall role satisfaction will occur as a means of depicting the lessons learned from the internship experience.
Background of Networks Alliance
As discussed, the internship was undertaken within the communications department of Networks Alliance. In their website, Networks Alliance describes itself as “an innovative collaboration formed by Sydney Water to deliver a program aimed at reducing leaks from Sydney Water’s 21, 000 km water supply network.” (Networks Alliance 2008a) Networks Alliance emerged from the establishment of an alliance between heavy weight construction-focused companies, Sydney Water, Bovis Lend Lease, Veolia Water Network Services and CLM Infrastructure.
The work undertaken within this alliance covers a range of different techniques of raising Sydney’s water saving capacity. The technique with which this internship was focused was the particular department of the water pressure management program (WPMP). The development of this program begins with the identification of particular areas within the Sydney region that were receiving significantly high water pressure, a factor that had been determined as a contributor to the bursting and leaking of water mains. Once the high water pressure areas had been identified, particular sites for the installation of a pressure-reducing valve (hereafter PRV) needed to be determined in terms of necessary design factors such as adequate power supply and minimal community and environmental interference. Determining of the adequacy of sites is where the communications department comes in. This is where the role of this internship is introduced.
The WPMP then has two roles. One is the installation of pressure regulating valves in homes and the other is monitoring system points to ensure lower levels of water pressure across the supply network (Networks Alliance, 2008b). I received assignment to the system monitoring points as an assistant. Monitoring happens by monitoring changes in water use by looking at increases in households and business firms especially in high water pressure areas and adjusting water pressure accordingly. The adjustments are made through the pressure regulating valves. In case, households or business firm, especially firms relying on high water pressure for business are affected by the adjustment, they are informed of the change so they can also make the necessary adjustments in their business. Receiving, processing and addressing concerns made by residents such as reports of water leakage, busted water pressure valves, and other concerns relative to water pressure also form part of monitoring task.
As an intern, I received responsibility as an assistant for coordinative work. This allowed me to gain a picture of the work done at WPMP and the services provided to the community. I receive calls from households and business firms and verify the reports by looking at the map of the system monitoring points, identify the possible problem, and report this to my immediate supervisor. The report is confirmed and then acted upon by dispatching people to the field. After the work has been completed, I read the reports from the field personnel and make the necessary communication to the household or business firm that called. In addition, I also inform households or businesses about the inclusion of their property in the program and the possible effect on them. I answer questions and address the concerns of households and business firms.
My work requires two things. One is thorough knowledge in the work of WPMP and the other is effective analytical and communication skills. I went through a briefing by my immediate supervisor about the scope of work of the program, the responsibilities of the different personnel, and my responsibility. The rest I had to learn through direct experience. As a requirement of my work, I had to know the areas or communities likely to have low and high water pressure, the socio-economic demographic of the areas including the number of households, the water consumption, and the nature of business firms. After these, I had to have an idea of the potential water pressure problems in these different areas, the areas that these problems would likely occur, and the solution. I learned these from my direct experience as well as information sharing from some of the personnel in the program.
During the length of the internship, I was able to help in handling three major adjustments that required my coordinative contribution. I received the reports of two households and one business firm, analysed the probable problem, and made the report to my immediate supervisor. After verification, personnel were dispatched to the field to investigate and address the problem. In addition, I was also able to address questions of people calling the office, except for a call that involved legal action, which I had to endorse to my immediate supervisor. I was able to learn all about the work done at the program and practice my communication skills.
Organisational Structure of Networks Alliance
Networks Alliance is a collaboration or joint venture combining the expertise of four organisations: Sydney Water, Bovis Lend Lease, Veolia and CLM Excavations.
The organisational structure of Networks Alliance is flat, which means a thin layer of hierarchy (Miner 2002; Sims 2002) and provides a number of benefits. One is a simple communication process because of the thinner hierarchy of people through which feedback from the frontline reaches the top and decisions from the top reach the frontline (Goffee et al. 1999). As such, simple communication process also supports the flexibility of the frontline programs in actualising decisions to address the needs of households and business firms in the community. This in turn builds better customer relations, which is important in a service organisation (Dirks 1999). Another is improved employee supervision in a thinly layered organisation (Miner 2002). Last is higher employee accountability (Sims 2002) since every frontline employee working under the programs directly reports to their supervisors that building responsibility for one’s work. These benefits not only reflect upon the performance of Networks Alliance but also services and service delivery to the community.
The organisational structure of the programs is functional, which means that the resources—human resources, physical resources, financial resources, and intangible resources—are organised in a manner that supports the performance of specialised tasks or work by the different sub-groups to contribute to the achievement of goals of the organisation (Miner 2002; Sims 2002). By operating as functional groups, a number of benefits accrue. First is open communications (Goffee et al. 1999) because the functional groups have to coordinate with the other groups in order to perform tasks, which means the need to confer with other members and coordinate linked tasks. Second is full and joint accountability (Sims 2002) of the functional groups for their role in the performance of tasks. The groups take responsibility for errors committed on their part, which motivates the minimisation of errors. Third is the development of expertise in the functional scope of responsibility (Miner 2002). By focusing on a function, the groups are able to develop expertise in their area of work. Fourth is the maintenance of staff in one functional group, which contributes the benefit of job satisfaction (Miner 2002) that is difficult to achieve in a more fluid organisational structure. Last benefit is little task or position duplication (Sims 2002) since the delineation of the tasks of the functional groups and the identification of the forms of linkages prevents the commission of the same work by two or more groups.
Source of Business of Networks Alliance
The market of Networks Alliance comprise of households and business firms. The sources of business for Networks Alliance, as a service firm, are customer complaints over water services, demand for specialised or technical expertise in water utility delivery services, and water scarcity requiring recycling services. Networks Alliance emerged as a means of conserving water resources and maintaining water network assets. As such, the organisation exists as a business to address three issues. One is the receipt, processing and resolution of customer complaints and reports. The bulk of calls and reports received by the organisation keep the organisation in business. This is also the reason for the establishment of communications, as one of the functional groups in the WPMP. Another is technical services in water delivery services. Although the Sydney Water handles the delivery of water delivery services in the community, there are specialised problems that require technical skills. Networks Alliance emerged through the integration of four organisations with their respective expert services to address these needs. The WPMP under Networks Alliance handles technical requirements of monitoring and managing water pressure across the service network to prevent problems such as water pipe bursting and water wastage. Last source of business for Networks Alliance is water recycling to address water shortage and the response of water conservation. Another program under Networks Alliance focuses on water recycling to support water conservation targets. These three sources of business for Networks Alliance justified the establishment of the three specialised programs. (Networks Alliance 2008b)
Aims and Objectives of Networks Alliance
The aim of Networks Alliance is to ensure sufficient water supply for Sydney in the long-term (Networks Alliance 2008a). To achieve this aim specific objectives include: 1) preventing and fixing water leakages in the supply network; 2) upgrading and maintaining the supply network including pipelines and other installations; and 3) recycling water to conserve water. The aim supports the establishment of Networks Alliance expected and intended to focus on ensuring that Sydney would have sufficient water supply in the future to address the issue of the impending water shortage in Sydney. The objectives justify the establishment of the three programs, which are Water Pressure Monitoring Program, Water Main Renewals, and Hoxton Park Recycled Water Project. The creation of a functional structure for the programs also support the objectives by supporting the development of specialised knowledge and skills on the areas of work needed to achieve these objectives. (Networks Alliance 2008b)
Communication Structure of the Workplace
Communication is an important competency at Networks Alliance to support the functional structure of the programs and enhance relations with households and business firms. The type of communication in the workplace is a combination of verbal and non-verbal forms of communication (Hartley 1999). By forming part of problem solving processes, most of the personnel already have an idea of the attitudes, personalities, views, and behavioural patterns of the other personnel. This enables them to communicate verbally and non-verbally. Communications is largely informal (Hartley 1999) although there is always a moderator during meetings to direct the discussion and bring together ideas. Although communications is very informal, the nature of the communications at work is impersonal, which means the expectation of objectivity from the personnel on matters of work and work performance (Jehn & Shah 1997). The supervisors openly express constructive comments of the works of personnel.
The nature of the communication network is the combination of a chain and circle. The chain refers to communications that passes from one person to another (Goffee et al. 1999) and this occurs when the supervisor transmits messages via one personnel for circulation to the other personnel. The circle pertains to communications that involves a communication-response-communication (Goffee et al. 1999) expressed through the informal communication exchanges at work.
The communication structure at Alliance Network is very open, which supports the achievement of the objectives. However, the communication system evolved from the long-term working experience of the personnel to create a semblance of communication sub-culture (Hartley 1999), which involves getting used to for newcomers to prevent exclusion or even alienation in the workplace.
Critical Analysis of the Workplace
The workplace at Networks Alliance has its strong points but there are also issues requiring consideration to enhance efficiency in the processes, systems, outcome delivery. These issues emerge alongside the positive points of the organisation.
First strong point is open communications, which builds rapport in the workplace (Goffee et al. 1999). This finds expression in the informal nature of communication but objective attitude towards communication exchanges among the personnel and supervisors. Rapport in communications builds the confidence of the personnel towards their ideas (Dirks 1999) because of the knowledge that they will be heard. As such, this in turn builds a positive attitude towards innovative ideas. However, this also builds a sense of competition in the workplace that hampers, to a certain extent, information sharing or collaboration. The dilemma is balancing personal and group interests (Dirks 1999). Nevertheless, by providing due recognition to the individual contributions of members in group output, the balance should be achieved, so long as the emergence of the problem is anticipated and prevented early on.
Second strong point is collaboration within the functional groups as well as across the functional groups. Collaboration is important in service organisations by building on cooperation, responsibility and accountability. (Miner 2002) As such, the personnel know the contribution expected from them with the realisation that their inability to meet this expectation would adversely affect functional outcomes. Personnel established fiduciary relations, mutual trust, and reliance on each other’s competencies. This supported better performance. However, this is also susceptible to problems. Negative employee relations emerged as an issue with the recent reshuffling of management. Having new management disrupts the established system of work that affects the attitudes and behaviour of personnel (Randall 2004). The group has to rebuild working relations again with the new management.
Third strong point is organisational learning and knowledge management. Organisational learning pertains to the process of identifying and correcting errors by drawing insight from experience (Lorino 2001). Working in a specialised program focused on a particular problem enables personnel to draw great insight into the problems related to technical and service areas allowing them to easily identify problems and determine appropriate solutions. Knowledge management is the process of building knowledge as assets that support effective strategies (Raub 2001). Learning drawn by the personnel from experience would result in suggestions for improvement targeting enhanced effectiveness. However, these are susceptible to the issue or management reshuffling. Managers take responsibility for tying up learning insights from personnel so that a change in management would mean starting over again (Randall 2004). Even with the proper endorsement of the management position, there are things that the old manager cannot transfer to the new manager such as trust and relationship with personnel.
Critical Analysis of Student’s Performance and Experience
The internship provided me with valuable lessons as well as pointed out areas for personal and professional improvement. One important lesson is adjustability to group dynamics (Jehn & Shah 1997; Dirks 1999; Goffee 1999). As a newcomer, I had to create good working relations not only with my immediate supervisor but also with the other personnel. It took a while but by the end of the internship, I believe I was able to gain the acceptance and respect of my co-workers. The factors that allowed me to establish good working relations include being open about me and taking interest in the other personnel as well as making good in the task assigned to me to gain their trust as a contributing member to the group. Everyday is a learning experience and the experience enabled me to gain insight into human relations in the actual work setting. Another important lesson is appreciation for continuous learning (Lorino 2001; Raub 2001). Experience is the best means of improving performance especially in service delivery that involved evolving and new problems that require resolution. I was able to keep up by building on the coaching of my immediate supervisor and other personnel.
The areas where I need improvement include practical thinking since academic knowledge has to be linked to practice. Often, the ideals learned in the academe do not match actual practice so that while theories serve as guidelines for practice, problems also require consideration based on empirical context. Another area for improvement is self-assessment. Relying on constructive feedback from my supervisor was not enough. I should be able to assess my strengths and weaknesses in various areas of practice because I know myself the most and the feedback from my supervisor comprises an outward looking in perspective to augment self-improvement.
Conclusion
Internships have a two-fold purpose. One is to prepare students for actual work upon graduation by providing students with experience of the actual work setting. The other is to help students identify and assess their preferred organisation or area of work based on their experiences of the workplace via internship. (Liang 2006) Internship with the Water Pressure Management Program of Networks Alliance showed me that I could become a valuable member of the organisation.
References
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Networks Alliance 2008a, Home, viewed 17 October 2008, < http://www.networksalliance.com.au/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1>
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