Man : Union (Company Morale)

Company Morale

Morale is a state of mind or willingness to work which in turn affects individuals and organizational objectives. 
According to Flippo “morale is 
   i. a mental condition or attitudes 
   ii. of individuals and groups which determine their 
 iii. willingness to co-operate. 

Good morale is evidenced by 
      a. employee enthusiasm, 
       b. voluntary conformance with regulation and orders, and 
    c. a willingness, to cooperate with others       in the accomplishment of an organization’s objectives. 

Poor morale is evidenced by 
       i. surliness, 
       ii. insubordination, 
       iii. a feeling of discouragement and 
        iv. dislike of the job, company and associates. ”

The Concept of Morale

Generally applied to armed forces, sporting and athletic team games. It refers to team spirit and co-operation of people for a common purpose. Its importance has been realized by the management only recently. It is felt if the morale of the employees is high, production would be higher and vice-versa.

Meaning: Morale represents 
      a. the attitudes of individuals and groups 
      b. in an organization towards their work environment. 

Morale is an indicator of the attitude of employees towards their jobs, superiors and their organizational environment. It is a collection of the employees’ attitude, feelings and sentiments.

Definition:

• According to William Spriegel, “morale is the co-operative attitude or mental health of a number of people who are related to each other on some basis”.
• According to Leighton, “morale is the capacity of a group of people to pull together persistently and consistently in pursuit of a common purpose”.

Characteristics of morale

1. Morale is basically a psychological concept. It is a state of mind.
2. Morale is intangible therefore it is very difficult to measure the degree of morale accurately.
3. Morale is contagious in the sense that people learn from each other. It also influences human behavior and performance.
4. Morale is dynamic in nature. It cannot be developed overnight. Managers have to make continuous efforts to build and maintain high morale. It is a long-term concept.
5. Morale is a group phenomenon consisting of a pattern of attitudes. It is the sum total of employees’ attitudes, feelings and sentiments.

Significance of Morale:

• Morale is the vital ingredient of organizational success because attitudes and sentiments of employees greatly influence productivity and satisfaction of employees.
• Morale may be high or low; when the morale of the employees is high, they co-operate fully with the management towards the achievement of organizational objectives.
• High morale leads to good discipline, high degree of interest in the job, loyalty to the organization and high performance.

Importance of morale

a.       Overall satisfaction:

The other name of morale is satisfaction, which relates to needs of the individual, his job, his colleagues, supervisors and so on. So a condition of high moral means overall satisfaction, peace, harmony and stability.

b.      Productivity:

Morale increases productivity in two ways - directly through inducing more effort and indirectly, by removing some of the handicaps like employee grievance, absenteeism and turnover.

c.         Discipline:

Where morale is high, there is practically no problem of indiscipline.

d.      Ease of management:

High morale also reduces the need for supervision. Motivated workers themselves take the initiative to work harder and better.

e.       Better company image:

If morale can be maintained at a high level for a long period, it will create a good image in the public mind of the company. Employees themselves publicize its policies; working conditions, an absence of disputers and a general atmosphere of harmony produce a favorable impact on suppliers, customers and the neighboring community.

Factors influencing morale

Human behavior is difficult to explain. A clerk working under an authoritarian boss might be quite happy with himself, the boss and the organization. Yet an officer with a five figure salary can experience moral problems. What affects the status of morale?

                    i.      The organization:

The goals of the organization influence the attitudes of employees greatly if the goals are worthwhile, useful and acceptable, the workforce will develop a positive feelings towards the job and the organization. Likewise a clear structure with well-defined duties and responsibilities encourages the workforce to work with confidence. A well reputed organization is an added bonus, enhancing the workforce with pride and loyalty.

            ii.      Leadership:

Leadership actions of managers exert a strong influence over the morale of the workforce: fair treatment; equitable rewards and recognition for good work will boost morale greatly. Workers will feel comfortable when they work under a sympathetic caring leader in place of one who is authoritarian, dictatorial and dominating. Negativism, inconsiderateness and apathy are not conducive to development of a good work climate

          iii.      Co-worker:

Poor attitude of co-workers influence others. Working with negative and toxic coworkers will adversely affect the productivity of a person and don’t add much for morale boosting.

           iv.      The nature of work:

Dull, monotonous repetitive work affects employees’ morale adversely. On the other hand if an employee is asked to do something interesting and challenging his morale may be high.

            v.      Work environment:

Morale is a direct function of the conditions in the workplace. Clean, safe, comfortable and pleasant work conditions are morale boosters.

          vi.      The employees:

How the employees look at him (the self-concept) also influences morale greatly. Individuals who lack self-confidence or who suffer from poor physical or mental health frequently develop morale problems. Employees’ personal needs if not fully gratified can significantly influence their morale. Salary fringe benefits,, allowances may affect employees morale in a positive or negative manner, when they compare themselves with others doing similar jobs.

Measuring morale

A company is dependent upon its employees for delivering of productivity of goods, be it accounting of finances to the production of goods. 
When employees are happy, they perform these jobs more efficiently, which increases the productivity and hence profits. 
However, poor employee morale can also have the opposite effect on your business, dropping productivity and increasing turnover rates. When running a business, you should consistently monitor your employee's morale, both for employee health, as well as the health of the company.

Methods Used to Measure Employee Morale

Businesses realize that low morale leads to decreased productivity, increased absenteeism and reduced motivation in the workplace, so it is essential to measure employee morale as a means to identify concerns before low morale plagues the workforce. As such, employers come up with a variety of ways to recognize the signs and symptoms of low morale in order to make organizational improvements.

1.      Satisfaction Surveys

o According to the National Business Research Institute (NBRI), satisfaction surveys are an effective way to measure how happy employees are at work. These surveys, which are presented in a questionnaire format, can gauge whether employee morale is high or low based on how employees answer the questions. The NBRI explains that employers use information provided by satisfaction surveys to evaluate what employee motivation is like, whether they are satisfied with their jobs, what the organization's weaknesses are and whether employees feel loyal and committed to their company.

    Employee satisfaction surveys give staff the chance to communicate openly and honestly about their perception of the health of the organization. When employees can hide behind an anonymous question sheet, such as a satisfaction survey, they are more inclined to be candid.

2.      Data Collection

o An article in the Roberts Wesleyan College publication, Leading Edge, explains that absenteeism and turnover are related to low morale because low morale makes employees feel less interested in their jobs and less motivated to come to work. Since low employee morale is associated with high levels of absenteeism and turnover, employers can collect data to evaluate if there seems to be a morale problem in the workplace. If absenteeism and turnover rates have increased, this may be a signal to managers that their staff is unhappy. Human resource departments typically keep this information in personnel records. They may also use the data to generate a report.

3.      Visual Observation

    

o Measuring employee morale is something that can be done by visual observation. Low morale is a psychological condition, but it is possible for it to take tangible forms. For instance, people with high morale may appear more cheery, may smile more often and may show more positive energy. On the other hand, employees with low morale may move at a slower pace, not demonstrate a positive enthusiasm for their jobs and may appear psychologically "flat." If employers wish to see things for themselves, it is a good idea for them to open their eyes and watch what goes on in the workplace.

 4. Periodic Interviews

Performing periodic performance interviews with your employees can also help you gauge the overall employee satisfaction. These interviews provide you with a chance to tell your employee the things he is doing well and the things he needs to work on, as well as give the employee the chance to have input on ways to improve the company to increase employee satisfaction and productivity.

5. Productivity

Measuring the overall productivity of your workforce on a monthly basis, and over an extended period of time, gives you a wide range of months to compare how well your employees are performing. Employees who are satisfied at work often perform better, increasing your company's overall productivity. If you begin to see a noticeable drop in your production numbers, this may be a sign that employee morale is low and you need to examine ways to increase overall satisfaction in the workplace.

6. Turnover Rate

Your employee turnover rate is another good gauge for how satisfied your employees are in the workplace. A relatively low turnover rate can signify that your employees are happy and that you are doing the right things to keep morale high. However, a high turnover rate can be a sign that employee satisfaction is low, forcing many to move on to better paying jobs, or jobs in a better work environment.

7. Absence Rate

How often your employees are absent from work can also be a sign of poor employee morale. When employees enjoy their job, absence rates go down. However, if an employee does not enjoy her job, she may be more apt to take extra time off or to call into work sick more often, even if she is not sick. Absent workers reduce your productivity, which can cost your business money.

Change Company Morale

When a company is experiencing an unexpected amount of growth, the workload on current employees can become heavier, resulting in lower morale. 
When new employees are hired, the existing employees tend to get a little nervous--especially if the newer employees are younger and more educated. 
Existing employees may start to believe they are slowly being pushed out of the picture. Alternatively, when employees are laid off, remaining employees may either harbor resentment that their colleagues are gone or start to worry about their own jobs. 
Additionally, the overall condition of the economy affects company morale. When employees hear news reports of massive layoffs elsewhere, they worry about their own jobs. Fear and insecurity about job security can cause employee morale to decline rapidly.

Keeping Company Morale High

·         Managers can implement a number of strategies to increase company morale. 
     i. A rewards program is a great tool for managers who need a quick burst in employee morale. Whenever an employee does a great job, he is immediately rewarded with either cash, tokens (such as a gift card), or just a pat on the back. The rewards should be given publicly, so that other employees will be motivated to do a good job as well. The recognition is what many employees are looking for from their bosses.

ii.  When a company is undergoing a serious change, such as massive layoffs or problems in the economy, managers can rally employees by letting them know why they are still needed at the firm and why they are valued. This will give them a sense of security about their positions and encourage them to continue to do great work.

iii. For a longer term solution to employee morale, many companies hire specialists to work with managers to analyze the company's departments and decide what should be done to improve employee sentiments. For example, a department may be too large and employees get lost in the fray. A good manager will identify the need to split the department into more segmented units.

Managerial Response

·       a. Many managers make the costly mistake of ignoring problems with company morale in the interest of saving or making money for the business. But the effects of low company morale usually exceed any cost cutting effort. 

       b. Good managers maintain open lines of communication with employees to assure them that all is well and that they should continue with business as usual, especially in the case of a major change in the business. Good managers make sure that employees feel a connection with the firm and know their work is recognized and significant in the grand scheme of things.

Extract and excerpt taken with thanks form:

http://lalitkhungar.xanga.com/671945790/morale-in-human-resource-management
http;//www.ehow.com/about_4759204_company-morale
Chris Sherwood
Sree Rama Rao