Organizations are in need off great workers, the saying “It is hard to find good help” could not be further from the truth. Being a manager, I have experience with having to run a business and dealing with employees. I can honestly say that managing my staff is one of the most difficult parts of my job. Many businesses just focus on making a profit which is very important but what I have come to learn is that if you want great employees we need to keep them happy.
The number one element every organization needs, is good employee morale. Employee morale can be the difference between a successful business or a struggling one. There is proof that is an employee feels they have a positive work life they are more productive and dedicated by 21 percent compared to those who do not. (Craig, W. 2017, August 29) I have personally seen what low moral can do to a company, and a lot of the times bad management may be the main cause. Working for the same company for 11 years I have seen 2 managers run the office. When I first started my office ran smoothly and everyone worked well with each other. The manager at the time hired people that had similar interest and personalities. She treated everyone equally and she would let staff members know when they did a great job. As soon as she left the employee who had been there the longest got promoted and turned the office upside down. She showed preference to certain employees and for 5 years we had many great employees leave because of the way she managed the staff.
Stress is another big factor in keeping morale up. Statistics show “occupational pressures and fears are the are far and away the leading source of stress for American adults.” (Workplace Stress. 2018, January 12) This has contributed to having 51 percent of American workers to be disengaged and not committed to work. (Robaton, A. 2017, March 31) What I have come to notice is that there needs to be give and take between both parties. Power is dangerous when the wrong person has it. Individual can feel superior to other and may result to unwanted changes in an organization, resulting in low morale. (Nelson, A. 2018)
Craig, W. (2017, August 29). How Positive Employee Morale Benefits Your Business. Retrieved October 2, 2018, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/williamcraig/2017/08/29/how-positive-employee-morale-benefits-your-business/#165677f02549
Nelson, A. (2018). Penn State World Campus. PSYCH 424 Applied Social Psychology. Lesson 7: Organizational Life AND Teams. Retrieved from https://psu.instructure.com/courses/1942493/modules/items/25002516
Robaton, A. (2017, March 31). Why so many Americans hate their jobs. Retrieved October 2, 2018, from https://www.cbsnews.com/news/why-so-many-americans-hate-their-jobs/
Workplace Stress. (2018, January 12). Retrieved October 2, 2018, from https://www.stress.org/workplace-stress/
Tags: morale is important, organizations
How accurate you are on good employee morale is the number one element for organizational needs. As discussed how the five bases of power described by French and Raven’s (1959) go hand and hand how managers treat their employee’s. (WC, PSU, L7, p2, 2018)
As we all have had good and bad bosses, it seems that if the first of the five bases of power has the ability to be influential by a manager to praise and encourage employee’s when they do a good job. Unfortunately, there are many managers who have a bit of power, can either use it to reward the right employee’s or only reward their friends or decrease morale by the negativity that they are towards employees. As the coercive piece of not rewarding by the expert as the manager may be, they may be influencing negative referent within the office which can be detrimental for the hard-working employees.
Management as you also pointed out, can be positive as she seemed to encourage employees when they did their best. Increasing positive attitudes among your work office as explained by the Metamorphic Model of Power can be a huge piece in getting work down by all. But, if you are more of a powerholder that devalues other people, people eventually, good employees will leave as morale has decreased. (2018)
References:
Pennsylvania State University, World Campus. (2018). PSCH424 Applied Social Psychology. Lesson 7: Organizational Life AND Teams: Retrieved October 3, 2018, from Online: https://psu.instructure.com/courses/1942493/modules/items/25002515
Schneider, F.W., Gruman, J.A., & Coutts, L.A. (2012). Applied Social Psychology: Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems-2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
I couldn’t agree more with you on this topic. When an employee feels appreciated and valued, their motivation to work and work well increases. It is also important, as you mentioned, to help keep employees stress levels down. This can be done through giving employees adequate break times, providing snacks and drinks, and being flexible with their schedules (if possible).
According to Amy Novotney, from American Psychological Association “people who are more psychologically well and happier tend to be better producers (2010).” This can benefit a workplace in many different ways, from reducing lost productivity that may be caused by sick days and also that, healthier employees will be more focused and want to work harder. Novotney also mentions how crucial it is that employees have a “voice” while at work (2010). This can help to ensure that everyone is working together as a team and expressing their needs and concerns, in order to maintain a healthy work environment.
Novotney, A. (2010 December). Boosting morale. American Psychological Association. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/monitor/2010/12/morale.aspx