MORALE

MORALE - Defined the attitude of individual and groups toward their work environment and
toward voluntary cooperation to the full extent of their ability in the best interests
of the organization

Low Morale - Signs of degenerating human relations

Manifestation: - wildcat strikes, slowdowns, absenteeism, and employees’ turnover
Can be cause of: - grievances, low productivity, personnel transfer and other related human
problems

High Morale - Is an attribute of a well-managed organization

- Serves as an indicator of progress in the development of sound behavioral
atmosphere in an organization
- Something that managers desire to preserve within the organization

Nature of Morale:
Morale - refers to the attitude of either a person or a group
Requires - a high degree of attention, diagnosis, and treatment at all times
Job morale - can be evaluated in terms of an employee’s general emotional feelings, arising from
both on-the-job as well as off-the-job level of satisfaction

Morale and Productivity:

High Morale - manifests a predisposition to be more productive, if effective leadership is
provided and technical production factors are adequately provided

Attitude and Opinion Survey:

The usual method of obtaining morale information:
Attitude survey – is applied primarily to studies which are scaled according to some set of values
Opinion survey – simply counts and classifies responses

Benefits of Morale Survey:

1. Gives management a picture of the general level of morale in the company
2. A valuable means of communication
3. Results to improved attitudes arising from the emotional release of having things get off one’s chest
4. One way of determining the training needs of supervisors

Types of Morale Survey:

Objective Surveys – present both question and a choice of answers
Descriptive surveys– present the questions and allow the respondent employee to answer in his own
words
Projective surveys – present abstract situations unrelated to the job or the firm and ask the worker to
analyze and comment upon them

Morale Indicators: - Labor turnover - Productivity

- Waste and scrap - Quality records
- Absenteeism and tardiness - Reports of counseling, insurance, and similar
services
- Grievances - Exit interviews
- Accident reports - Medical records
- Suggestions - Training record
MANAGING STRESS:

Stress - An adaptive response moderated by individual differences, that is a consequence

of any action, situation, or event that places special demands on a person
- A physical and mental condition that results from a perceived threat that can be
dealt with easily

Stressors - An external event or situation that is potentially harmful to a person

- Force that creates stress reaction

Three key factors that will determine whether an experience is likely to result in stress:
Importance – relates to how significant the event is to the individual
Uncertainty to a lack of clarity about what will happen
Duration - the longer the demands are placed upon us, the more stressful the situation

Symptoms of Stress:
1. Physiological - Increase in: heart rate, blood pressure, pupil size, perspiration
- Hypertension
- Migraine
- Headache
- Ulcer
2. Emotional - Anxiety
- Tension
- Depression
- Discourage
- Boredom
3. Behavioral - Facial Twitching
- Lower Job Performance

Individual Stressors: Role conflict

Role overload
Pace of change

Group and Organizational Stressors: Participation

Intra and inter-group relationships
Organizational politics
Lack of performance feedback
Inadequate career development opportunities
Downsizing
Non-work Stressors: Raising children
Caring for elders
Volunteering in the community
Taking college courses
Balancing family and work

Effects of Stress:
Positive effects: - self-motivation and stimulation to satisfy individual goals and objectives
Negative effects: - Disruptive, counterproductive, and even potentially dangerous to the
individual and organization
Burnout - A psychological process, brought about by unrelieved work stress that
results in emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and feelings of decreased
accomplishment
Burnout Indicators:
Emotional Exhaustion - Feel drained by work
- Feel fatigued in the morning
- Frustrated
- Do not want to work with other people

Depersonalization - Have become calloused by job

- Treat others like object
- Do not care what happens to other people
- Feel other people blame you

Low Personal Accomplishment - Cannot deal with problems effectively

- Do not have a positive influence on others
- Cannot understand other’s problems or identify with them
- No longer feel exhilarated by your job

Organizational Consequences: - Stress costs organizations money

- Poor decision making decreases in creativity
- Excessive stress increases job dissatisfaction

Stress Moderators:
1. Personality
2. Behavior pattern
Type A – aggressive, ambitious, competitive, task-oriented, and always on the move
Type B – relaxed, patient, steady, and even-tempered
3. Social support - includes family members, friends, neighbors, caregivers, health
professionals (physicians, psychologists, counselors)

Stress Prevention and Management

1. Maximizing person-environment fit
a. Extent to which work provides formal and informal rewards that meet or match the person’s needs
b. Extent to which the employee’s skills and abilities and experience match the demands and
requirements of the employer
2. Employee assistance programs
3. Wellness program
4. Cognitive techniques – centers on removing cognitive distortions such as: magnifying,
overgeneralizing, personalization
5. Relaxation training – bring about a calmer state of affairs, both physiologically and
psychologically
6. Relaxation techniques – breathing exercises; muscle relaxation, etc.