Studies consistently demonstrate that morale is key to long term employee satisfaction, and ultimately a major deciding factor in industry and productivity for any company. As such it must be a priority to understand the relationship between morale and productivity in order to ensure that employees are increasingly efficient in their roles. This can only be established by creating a work environment that is designed to motivate employees, by boosting morale, rather than allowing unhealthy work habits to persist and to drag down performance over time.
A number of studies published by the American Psychology Association have demonstrated that unhappy workers, or those who work in a business with low morale, are significantly more likely to suffer from depression, and heart disease, resulting in an increased number of missed work days, and decreased productivity overall (Novotney, 2010). In contrast these studies demonstrate that workers who are happy and healthy, are more likely to be productive on the job, and their companies benefit from greater profit margins overall. This means that to ensure that profitability is maximized, companies need to be prepared to ensure that employees are healthy, motivated, and working in an environment enriched with good morale.
In a study by Andrew Martin (2008), research was carried out to determine what could be done within the workplace to enhance satisfaction of employees, in order to boost motivation and production in the workplace. The study considered the ways in which ressiliance, leadership, workplace climate, personal challenges, flow of work, and other features altered performance within the context of employee motivation and performance (Martin, 2008). The study concluded that any efforts to boost morale must be multilevel, increasing morale across both management and labor forces of the workplace environment (Martin, 2008). As such, it is significant to bear in mind that while the managers are simply managing people rather than producing for the brand, the morale of the workplace is equally significant at all levels of employment within a company.
Another important recommendation made by Martin (2008) was to have employees seek their personal best, rather than encouraging competition between employees. This sentiment was echoed in a study by Alfie Kohn (1993), who insists that incentive programs are ineffective at boosting productivity and morale. Generally, incentive programs force employees to complete against one another, rather than working for their personal best, as recommended by Martin. Kohn notes that the “casualty” of reward based system is relationships between employees, because they manipulate relationships and result in employees working against one another in seeking the reward, rather than working together toward a common goal. (Kohn, 1993). This is because the psychological assumptions on which they are based are fundamentally flawed. As such, incentive programs can be meaningfully replaced by clear intrinsic motivation, and compensation that addresses long term commitment and consistent performance through promotion (Kohn, 1993).
Business authors Bruce and Pepitone (2003) present alternatives to incentive programs which are designed to motivate employees “from the inside.” They insist that motivation in the workplace must be intrinsic, and that it can be based on collaboration, contentment, and choice. In essence (Bruce and Pepitone, 2003) these experts hold that people feel inspired, or morale is benefitted by feeling that they are engaged directly with their peers in supporting the business’s success; this requires active collaboration. Additionally, people feel naturally more motivated when they see how their work adds value to the company, and the way in which they are contributing to the company’s greater goals; this breeds contentment in their role. Finally, people are empowered, and thereby motivated when they feel they are trusted to make decisions on their own, or when they have the capacity to choose. Good leaders will find ways to build these “three c’s” into the way they manage their staff on a day to day basis.
As previously mentioned in the work of Kohn (1993), part of encouraging high morale and employee motivation is investing in long-term promotion. This insinuates that motivation cannot be purely focused on immediate performance outcomes. A study by Westover, Westover, and Westover (2010) attempted to measure the of job satisfaction and organizational commitment as it relates to long-term productivity and performance of workers in multiple levels of an organization. It looked at workers in 17 different areas of industry in order to draw its conclusions (Westover, Westover, & Westover, 2010). The study determined that the leadership and core organizational factors were the basis for long term increase in performance and short-term morale boosters do not have a lasting impact on performance. As such, it is essential that working job satisfaction and commitment be cultivated from the core of a business’s practices in order to ensure long term competitiveness on the global stage.
A variety of studies have demonstrated that morale is key to long term employee satisfaction, and a core dynamic in enhancing productivity and profitability for any company. As such it is essential to understand what motivates employees to be more productive and more goal oriented within a business so that every employee is working to increase the brands total profitability. Without this level of productivity it is impossible to be competitive on the international scale. This research has demonstrated that this level of motivation cannot be managed through short term initiatives, but rather must be built into a company’s culture as part of a long-term management strategy. This can only be established by creating a work environment that is designed to motivate employees, by boosting morale, rather than allowing unhealthy work habits to persist and to drag down performance over time.
References:
Bruce, A., & Pepitone, J. S. (1999). Motivating employees. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Kohn, A. (1993). Why incentive plans cannot work. Harvard Business Review, 71(5), 54.
Martin, A. J. (2005). The Role of Positive Psychology in Enhancing Satisfaction, Motivation, and Productivity in the Workplace. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 24(1-2), 113-133.
Novotney, A. (2010). Boosting Morale. Monitor on Psychology, 41(11), 32.
Westover, J. H., Westover, A. R., & Westover, L. A. (2010). Enhancing long‐term worker productivity and performance. International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 59(4), 372-387.
