morale of the employees

morale of the employees

Introduction

Employee motivation has been found over the years as essential in boosting the morale of the employees to increase their performance and overall organizational productivity. Even though there are many firms that have adopted good policies on employee motivation, there are firms which have done little to improve the motivation of their workers. The end result of such firms is poor performance, and huge turnovers as workers leave to look for jobs that appreciate their efforts.

Four Ways that low morale affect productivity in my area

Low morale in the workplace is destructive and has caused a lot of problems within my department. In my area, low morale has not only led to poor performance among the employees but has also contributed to absenteeism, and high turnovers witnessed in our department. Whenever employees feel that their efforts are not appreciated, they do not consult on their areas of weaknesses because they are only there to push time (Alsoubaie, Snodgrass, Sherman, Verma, Joy, & Weber, 2019). Others are working, but due to the high level of dissatisfaction, they often ask for leave to attend to other issues outside the organization. Most of the employees are not committed to what they are doing and are looking for opportunities elsewhere.

There is a lack of teamwork among the employees, and in most cases, one has to push them to accomplish the assigned duty on time. The majority never meet deadlines because they prefer to be a push to perform. Low morale has also affected the relationship between employees. There is much discontent between the employees and their superiors due to a high level of dissatisfaction in what people are doing (Alsoubaie et al., 2019). The employee work ethics is wanting as a lot of energy is wastage in solving conflict among the employees instead of channeling those energies to improve organization performance.

Quantitative Methods

Since the whole firm is affected by low morale, the research method used must help find out the cause of low morale and the solutions to identified root causes. Each department deals with different responsibility, and the problem faced at departmental levels also differ. Therefore, a case study of the whole firm or each department can help the management identify the problem and come up with various solutions (Raman, & Sambamoorthy, 2018). A case study of each department and the challenges which employees face both at their place of work. A case study is resourceful because it would not only identify the issues which the firm faces but also get the employee feedback.

A case study is exploratory research and is likely to help engage employees and come up with new ideas to improve employee morale. What the firm will need to do is to conduct a case study of each department and give employees a chance to explain what they consider as the problems which they face and what needs to be done to change the current status of affairs (Dangmei, & Singh, 2017). Among qualitative research methods, case study involves an up-close, in-depth, and detailed investigation into the problems. Comprehensive case studies make it easier to conduct a holistic review of the problems which have affected the organization’s morale and what, if done, can improve employee performance and reduce high turnovers. The method also helps understand complex issues that other methods may not reveal though this is only possible if the study takes longer.  The survey can also work through it requires a small population. For instance, if the study was to focus on the management style of the firm, a survey may be more useful than other forms.

Target audience to be included in my sample and why

In my sample, the target audience would be subordinate staff because they are the people who have a solution to the problems which they face. The subordinate staffs are the main target, but this does not limit the study to them alone. I will also reach out to the employees to get their views because the whole success of the firm depends on the relationship which exists between the employees and the senior members of the organization. In my study, departmental heads and other senior employees would be considered as administrative departments, which are meant to monitor the performance (Ross, Exposito, & Kennedy, 2020). However, since the problem presented in the case study is a management problem, all the individuals with divergence views would be accommodated, and their views are taken seriously as this is the only way to address the issues which affect all the employees.

The study would not only focus on people but also processes and procedures which the firm is using. In the study of the procedure and processes, the focus will be to determine their complexity and if individuals understand them or not. However, analysis of processes and procedures will require someone good at business management is ready to advise the firm on key areas to improve on if the desired outcome is to be achieved.

The data that I will be gathering and it will allow me to interpret the exact cause(s) of low morale in my area

I will consider the relationship which exists between the employees. The success of the firm depends on the cohesiveness of the employees and the willingness to work together as one unit. If people prefer to work on their own and are not concerned about the affairs of other employees, it is hard to work towards a common organization, and the interpretation of such data is likely to indicate the level of dissatisfaction among the employees (Gordon, & Claremont, 2016). Another key area to consider during the case study is employee commitment in whatever they are doing. Low level of commitment is a clear indication of dissatisfaction among the employees, and this often affects performance. Though these two require an individual to observe what is taking place in the organization and compile a comprehensive study to improve on key areas in which the firm is not getting right. However, I can also gather statistical data associated with performance and draw interpretation from such data.

Some of the data to look out for will include the rate of absenteeism in the firm. A higher rate of absenteeism is associated with a higher dissatisfaction level among the employees. The rate of turnover reported in the firm can also be used to explain what is going on in the firm. For instance, whenever there is a high turnover reported in the firm, there must be a problem in that organization, which makes the employees consider other career adventures. In most cases, employees prefer organizations which are willing to support their career growth and are ready to appreciate the effort which they have placed in the firm to ensure there is a success. The salaries which the firm offers is another key area to investigate. Employees are motivated by the salaries and other packages which they get. If the salaries are lower than what the competitors offer, employee turnovers are often high, but if the salaries are competitive, employees’ level of satisfaction and commitment to the firm is usually high, and nobody would wish to leave for opportunities elsewhere.

References

Alsoubaie, F., Snodgrass, R., Sherman, D., Verma, B., Joy, A., & Weber, C. (2019). Team Morale Lifecycle: From Bad to Good.

Dangmei, J., & Singh, A. (2017). How Might Aesthetic Leadership Style Relate to Employee Morale in the Workplace? An Analytical Study. Asia Pacific Journal of Research, 1.

Gordon, J. S., & Claremont, C. A. (2016). Bringing Morale Back to the Workplace: A Collaborative Change Project.

Raman, S. K., & Sambamoorthy, N. (2018). A study on employee morale and its influence on employee performance with special reference to the education industry in Oman. ZENITH International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, 8(7), 256-267.

Ross, D. B., Exposito, J. A., & Kennedy, T. (2020). Stress and its relationship to leadership and healthy workplace culture. In Occupational Stress: Breakthroughs in Research and Practice (pp. 161-193). IGI Global.