Morale has been a recognized business concept and management concern for as far back as the construction of the pyramids. Although managers intuitively understand what morale is, there is no crisp, universally accepted definition. Morale can be understood as a state of mind—a positive outlook toward the workplace, wherein work is fun and a source of pride for the employees. Morale can be separated from the concept of employment, whereby one can focus simply on behaviors indicating a desire to be part of the team, a sociological phenomenon. Signs of low morale are negative employee attitudes, reduced energy levels, high stress levels, and an overall gloomy atmosphere devoid of a palpable sense of accomplishment.
Although managers are frequently warned to keep morale high to avoid suffering a loss of productivity, evidence suggests that high morale and high productivity have a common cause rooted in constructive management practices. Businesses with low morale are destined to face unfavorable performance consequences, since low morale can result in errors on the job, customer dissatisfaction, and employee burnout. But low morale is a symptom, not necessarily a cause, of these negative outcomes. Research on morale has indicated that there are several organizational factors influencing morale, including the degree of mutual trust between employees and management, the degree of buy-in by employees to the company’s mission, and degree of trust or belief that employees have in their coworkers.
Morale as a construct should not be confused with job satisfaction, although employee satisfaction surveys have served as a surrogate for assessing morale for some time. Employees can have a strong personal satisfaction with a job that stands apart from collective organizational morale. Questions such as “I am satisfied with my salary” address individual employee satisfaction but indicate nothing about organizational morale. A company can be made up of a loose collection of highly compensated, highly satisfied employees performing in an organizational vacuum in which morale is low or nonexistent. Standard employee survey questions that address employee morale include “I am proud to be a member of this company” or “I would recommend employment in this company to a friend.” In essence, morale is reflective of the fact that employees crave social interaction with their peers, respect from their managers, and opportunities to make visible contributions.
The search for high organizational morale can focus business executives on management practices that engender both high morale and high productivity. Accordingly, there are a number of methods available to improve organizational morale. The first set of methods, as discussed below, focus on engendering mutual employee/manager trust.
Communicate Honestly. Keep the employees “in the loop” by communicating directly and honestly about business conditions. Even in bad times, reality is often more desirable than the receipt of information via the “grapevine.” Asking for employee input and advice can yield creative solutions and provides employees with a much-desired sense of control in uncertain times.
Listen to Employees. Use both formal (such as surveys) and informal methods to understand employee ideas and concerns. Informal methods include suggestion boxes, establishing an ombudsman role, and conducting “brown bag” lunches where employees and management meet to have lunch and exchange ideas. Listen attentively to ensure complete understanding and follow up on employee suggestions. Publicly make the connection between improvements in the internal organization and employee suggestions.
Focus on the Positive. Take every opportunity to communicate improvements in the company situation, such as successful responses to environmental change, product launches, marketing campaigns, capital acquisitions, and positive swings in financial status. Celebrating accomplishments provides strength when conditions get difficult. Deliver day-to-day positive reinforcement in the form of oral comments and handwritten notes.
Focus on Employee Health, Safety, and Financial Security. Support benefit offerings, such as 401(k) plans, employee assistance programs, flexible spending accounts, and college investment programs to align employee personal and professional goals. Provide creative solutions for employees who require flexible schedules, for example, to attend to child care needs, and allow personal time off in cases of short-term medical or personal emergencies. Helping employees meet their long-term goals improves morale and builds lasting adhesion to both the company and fellow employees.
Provide a Quality Work Environment. Invest in quality work processes, tools, and equipment. Keep physical space and furnishings comfortable and safe. Ensure that frontline personnel have the authority to take care of the customers with minimal management oversight. In addition to providing superior customer service, this delegation of authority will foster employee pride in themselves, their team, and the company. Encourage calculated risk-taking and entrepreneurial behavior.
The primary method to strengthen buy-in to the company’s mission is to continuously extol the virtues of the company, including its contributions to society, not only as a thriving enterprise but also as a good corporate citizen. Companies can exhibit positive civic leadership in a number of ways, including permitting time off for community service, matching employee contributions to charities, and providing free products or services to those in need. Employees want to know that their company’s values are in line with their personal values.
Finally, to foster trust and belief in coworkers, show appreciation and celebrate success to ensure that employees understand how their accomplishments contribute directly to company success. Praise all employees responsible for a given success, with special attention to the frequently forgotten units within the organization, such as facilities, the administrative staff, or customer service, without whom nothing could be accomplished. Acknowledge employee accomplishments in trade organizations. Reprint and distribute employee-authored articles. Post letters of appreciation from customers on company bulletin boards. Encourage employees to acknowledge each other in writing.
In conclusion, high employee morale is not a sufficient condition for creating high organizational productivity, but management’s efforts to foster morale can contribute to high organizational productivity. When morale is high, employees will identify and prevent potential organizational problems well beyond the ability of management to identify and build plans to address such issues. When morale is high, employees will encourage and help each other to accomplish what were once thought to be unimaginable feats.
See also:
References:
- Bruce, A. 2003. Building a High Morale Workplace. New York: McGraw-Hill.
- Drafke, M. and Kossen, S. 2002. The Human Side of Organizations. 8th ed. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
- Ritti, R. R. and Levy, S. 2002. The Ropes to Skip and the Ropes to Know: Studies in Organizational Behavior. 6th New York: Wiley.