Substance Abuse in Organizations – Impact of Management Practices Part II
Jim Schreier
Organizations face different types of problems in dealing with workplace substance abuse based on the industry, the product or service involved, and the size of the organization. Based on 40+ years of research on the challenges of substance abuse in organizations, a key observation is the variety of responses and the changes in the dynamics of the problem based on management issues. From the earliest research in 1971, “identifying use,” “determining correct policy,” and “getting management interested” were consistently identified as important issues. It reflects the growing complexity of the work environment and the continued need for better information on the relationships between some of these complex variables.
This prompted an early interest in further investigating management issues related to substance abuse in organizations. This interest became part of the research with the 1992 survey. It prompted a search for what management leaders of the day might have said about the problem.
In his 1988 publication, “Thriving on Chaos,” management guru Tom Peters laid out prescriptions for well-managed companies in the 90’s. In a related publication, the Tom Peters Group developed a computer-based survey form, “The Excellence Audit,” to assist organizations in assessing their practices toward excellence. Tom Peters has been an outspoken critic of many management practices and a devout promoter of solid management techniques that recognize the contribution of the individual workers. While he hasn’t said much about drug abuse in organizations, he’s made some powerful, direct statements:
With the permission of The Tom Peters Group, the 1992 Substance Abuse Survey included selected questions from “The Excellence Audit.”
One of our first hypotheses was that there would be some relationships between “excellence” principles and the organization’s perception of the “alcohol and drug” problem. For example, in areas related to people management and leadership, those organizations assessing their experience with substance abuse during the last five years as “less than 1986 – 1987” would have higher scores of the management characteristic. And we hoped — even with high expected rates of overall experience — that there might be some relationship between actual experience and the excellence factors.
In fourteen of twenty questions from “The Excellence Audit,” a positive relationship existed between a perception of “less of a problem” or to lack of actual experience in the last five years.
Proactive Role
Substance abuse in organizations is no longer a human resource problem that can be tucked away with the personnel department, or the employee health program, or the employee assistance program. The issues of productivity, participation, and excellence are being discussed at the highest levels of organizational strategic planning and management. Organizations are making daily decisions about drug testing, management training, and changes in organizational culture. In some cases, these changes are being made without the input of employee assistance experts. The new testing program, the new supervisory training program, or the new two-year plan to change the organization’s culture, is introduced. And some employee assistance programs find themselves lacking input into areas that might significantly affect organization or EAP philosophies and ways of operating.
Retroactive Commentary
What’s particularly interesting about this post is that every single word – and every piece of evidence about management practices – is as accurate today as it was 25 years ago. While several dynamics have changed, the importance of sound management practices is clearer than ever.