UNIT 19

Morale and Job Satisfaction

The attitudes of employees towards work play a crucial role in determining performance. Attitude is nothing but the willingness of an employee to perform his job. An employee who does not have a positive attitude towards work lacks commitment. If any work is done without commitment, the outcome is bound to be poor.

This chapter focuses attention on employee morale and job satisfaction

Morale meaning
Morale is nothing but the attitude of employees of an organization towards their job, the management, the fellow-employees, the superiors and the subordinates. Such an attitude may be positive or negative. If it is positive, the employee will perform their job with lot of enthusiasm and commitment. If, on the other hand, the attitude is negative, the employees will show no interest in work and this will prove to be detrimental to the interests of the organization.

Like motivation, morale too is a psychological concept.

Definitions
A few definitions of the term morale, given by experts, have been mentioned below: 1. It is the willingness to strive for the goals of a particular group Viteles. 2. Morale refers to mental condition or attitude of individuals and groups which determines their willingness to co-operate. Good morale is evidence by employee enthusiasm, voluntary conformance with regulations and orders, and willingness

to co-operate with others in the accomplishment of an organizations objectives. Poor morale is evidenced by surliness, company and associates Flippo. 3. It is the possession of feeling of being accepted by and belonging to a group of employees through adherence to discouragement and dislike of the job, company and associatesBlum. 4. Morale is a state of mind or willingness to work which in turn affects individual and organizational objectives Michael J.Jucious.

Morale, thus, is the aggregate of attitudes and feeling of employees and it reflects their mental health.

Characteristics of Morale
The following are the basic characteristic of morale:

1.

It denotes group attitudes- Morale indicates the collective attitude of the employees of an organization rather than individual attitudes. The work done in any organisaion is teamwork and therefore, the management should have knowledge of group attitudes.

2.

It is psychological concept- Morale is determined by the mental conditions if individuals. The employees should be mentally satisfied with their jobs, the management policies, the work environment and so on.

3.

It may be high or low- the morale of employees may be high or low. If it is high, the employees have a positive attitude towards their jobs, the work environment and so on. On the other hand, if the level of morale is low, the employees may have a negative attitude towards their jobs and may often find fault with sometime or the other.

4.

It is intangible- the existence of a high or low morale among the employees will not be directly visible. There are certain indicators through which the

management can know the attitude of employee e.g., rate of absenteeism, labour turnover etc. 5. It has relevance only for the human resource- the concept of morale is relevant only for the human resource of the organisaiton. It has nothing to do with the physical resource of concern like materials and machines, as these are inanimate.

Determinants of morale or factors influencing morale

The following are the factors that influence morale; 1. Nature of work- An important determinant of morale is the nature of work performed by the employees. Certain jobs are of a challenging nature and the employees who are engaged in these may have a positive attitude. On the other hand, there are jobs, which are of a dull and repetitive nature, and the employees doing the same, obviously, will have a negative attitude. 2. Service conditions- Sometimes, the job may be of a challenging nature but the terms and conditions of service may not be conducive. For example, lack of job security, low pay, inadequate incentives etc. may result in low morale. 3. Type of managers- Assuming that the job is of challenging nature and the service conditions are also favourable, sometimes, the autocratic nature of the managers may result incrustation for the employees. Such managers neither guide the employees properly nor let them work according to their plan. 4. Inter- personal relationships- Poor inter- personal relationships may result in low morale and vice versa. If the relationships between the employees are often strained, such an atmosphere may affect their job attitude. 5. Work environment-. If the work environment is highly informal, it will certain enhance the level of morale of employees. On the other hand, over emphasis on hierarchy and a bureaucratic approach will only result in low employees morale. 6. Personal factors- The age, health, skill, qualification, family life and such other personal factors also determine the level of morale of employees For example, if

the personal life of some employees is not happy, their morale is bound to go down in the workplace. Likewise, if a few highly qualified persons are employed to do clerical work, they may not have a favourable job attitude.

Consequences of low morale

The following consequences are bound to arise as a result of low employee morale:

1. Lack of enthusiasm- employees with a low morale lack enthusiasm. They do their work unwillingly. 2. Low performance level- The level of efficiency of employees will be low when their level of morale is low. This leads to such problems as decline in output, idle time and so on. 3. Poor quality of work- As a result of low morale, the quality of work done may be poor. For example, if the morale of the office staff is low, the typist may commit more mistakes while typing, the accountant may commit more mistakes in accounts and so on. 4. High rate of absenteeism- The rate of a absenteeism in the workplace is bound to be high when the level of employee morale is low, this happens because, the employees do not have a positive attitude towards work. These forces them to avail leave frequently. 5. High rate of labour turnover- If the morale level of employees continues to be low and the management is indifferent towards it, it may result in a high rate of labour turnover, i.e., employees leaving the organisation. This disturbs stability and increase costs. 6. Excessive complaints and grievances- with the level of morale being low, employees tend to make frequent complaints about each other, their superiors. The working conditions and so on.

7. Increase in conflicts in the workplace-As the employees lack attitude for work, they quarrel frequently with each other and with their superiors. This further affects work. 8. Loss due to mishandling of tools and machines- when workers do their work without a positives attitude, they may not be careful handling tools and machines. As a result, there may be loss due to breakage and excessive wear and tear. 9. Scope for industrial accidents In the case of production work, low morale on the part of the workers may result in accidents due to careless handling of machines. As a result workers sustain injuries and some of them may even become disable. 10. Loss of goodwill- The employees of an organisation in general and some like the public relations officers in particular will have to maintain good rapport with the different sections of the society- the shareholders, the customers, the creditors and so on. If they do their work without interest, it will affect the image of the organisaion.

Morale and Productivity

Though there is a belief that low productivity is associated with low morale and high productivity with high morale, research studies in the past have shown no definite direct relationship between morale and productivity. It means that there can be four possible relationships between the two as shown below:

The association between morale and productivity is explained below:

High morale and High Productivity High Morale and Low Productivity

Low Morale and High Productivity Low Morale and High Productivity

Figure 19.1 Morale vs. Productivity

1. High Morale and high Productivity- High employee morale results in high productivity when the following condition are present: I. There is no class between personal and organizational goals. II. The superior- subordinate relationship is cordial. III. There is perfect understanding between employees. IV. The working conditions are conducive for work. V. The employees are properly motivated through financial and non-financial rewards. VI. The Management policies and practices and practices are liked by the employees. VII. The employees do not feel the work pressure. VIII. The employees personal life gives them happiness.

2. High Morale Low Productivity- Such a situation arises under the following circumstances:

i. Lack of planning and execution of business activities. ii. Unavailability of power. iii. Unavailability of power. iv. Breakdown of machines. v. Fall in demand for the companys goods and services. vi. Lack of working capital

3. High Morale and high Productivity- low morale is associated with high productivity under the following circumstances: i. Fear of pay cut. ii. Fear of disciplinary action.

iii. Fear of losing job. iv. Enterprise relying more on machines.

4. Low Morale and Low Productivity- Such a association occurs under the following circumstances: i. Poor superior- Subordinate relationships. ii. Misunderstandings between employees. iii. Excessive complaints and grievances. iv. Work pressure. v. Inadequate supervision. vi. Personal worries.

Steps to improve employee morale

The following are necessary to improve the morale of employees: 1. Selection of right man for the right job- Proper care must taken while recruiting persons for various jobs. Persons without attitude and aptitude for work should not be selected. When it comes to placement of workers, they should be given jobs in tune with their educational qualifications, skills, attitudes and abilities. 2. Satisfactory conditions of service- All those who have been appointed in the organisation should be provided with job security. They should be given decent pay. Social security benefits like provident fund, insurance etc., should be provided to employees as per the rules. 3. Conducive working environment- The working environment should be made in formal. Undue importance need not be given to hierarch. The organisation should make use of both formal and informal channels of communication. The bureaucratic approach of the management should go.

4. Conducive physical conditions- The place of work should be neat and tidy. There should be free flow of natural light and air in any workroom. There should be proper provision for canteen, lunchroom, toilet etc. 5. Better work methods- Conventional work methods and age- old practices should be given up. The enterprise should come forward to adopt the latest technology. The employees may be trained to make use of the various electronic devices in their dayto- day work. This not only simplifies their work but also makes it more interesting. 6. Proper superior- subordinate relationship The relationship between the superior and the subordinate should always be cordial. The superiors style of functioning must be democratic. He should not make an attempt to impose his ideas on his subordinates. Wherever necessary and possible, he can seek his subordinates viewpoints. Likewise, the subordinates, on their part, must repose faith in their superiors and come forward to accept responsibilities. 7. Good inter- personal relationship- The relationship between the employees should also be proper. The work done in any organisation is teamwork. In the absence of proper understanding between the employees, teamwork is not possible. The employees should not give scope for their personal interests to clash with those of the organisation. 8. Provision of suitable incentives- Only human resource can be induced to work. Inanimate objects like machines cannot be motivated to work. The management therefore should offer suitable incentives to motivate employees to perform better. Incentives need not be in the form of money payments. There are also non-monetary incentives. Further, these incentives may be given for individual performance or group performance. 9. Evaluation of employee performance. - The performance of employees needs to be assessed at regular intervals. Such an assessment will reveal their level of efficiency. Such of those employees who are found to be highly efficient may be given suitable rewards. Those employees who are less efficient may be made to undergo training to acquire better skills. if some employees are found to be highly inefficient, such people

need not be retained. It is only these people who spoil the work atmosphere in any organisation. 10. Job rotation- If certain jobs are, by nature, dull and monotonous, job may be assigned to workers operating at a certain level by rotation. 11. Sound promotion and transfer policy- The organisation should follow a sound promotion and transfer policy. No employee should be made to serve in the same job for an indefinite period. Employees should have enough scope to move to higher level jobs. This may be possible if they enrich their academic qualifications and acquire greater skill and experience. Likewise, if the enterprise has branches in other places, the employees of a branch may be transfer to some other branch. This, the enterprise can do as a matter of policy. It is appropriate to mention here that the central Government employees, in India, are liable for transfer from one region to another. Similarly, the state Government employees are liable for transfer to any place within the state. 12. Grievance redressal machinery- Employees are bound to have certain grievances over the work environment, physical conditions etc., proper machinery shall be established in the organisation for the redressal of all such grievances. 13. Workers participation in management- Both the workers and the management, these days, are considered as equal partners in business. If the managements contribution is capital, workers provide the required labour. It, therefore, becomes clear that the management should not take unilateral or one sided decisions. The workers should also be involved in the process of decision making. When the management comes forward to involve the workers in decision making, there will not be any scope for confrontation. 14. Counseling- Employees do undergo stress owing to domestic and work-related problems. With such a condition, they will not be able to concentrate in their work. The main objective of human resource management is to ensure optimum utilization of manpower. The human resource manager, therefore, should provide what is called

counseling to able the employees get rid of their stress. A specialist may also be employed for the purpose of providing counseling to employees.

Measurement of Morale
As mentioned earlier, morale is a psychological concept. The level of employee morale cannot, therefore, be objectively measured, i.e., quantitative measurement is not possible. It is intangible and therefore, cannot be directly measured.

The following methods are usually followed for the purpose of measuring the level of morale of employees:

1. Company records and reports. 2. Observation 3. Attitude surveys

These have been explained below.

Company records and reports

By looking into the company records and reports in respect of the following, the management may be in a position to gauge the level of employee morale: i) ii) iii) iv) v) vi) vii) viii) Rate of absenteeism Frequency of leave availed Participation in strike organized by employee unions Complaints made against superiors and fellow- employees Remarks of superiors about subordinates Output produced Target attainment Loss to the organisation due to the negligence of employees

It is true that the records maintained in respect of the above may not perfectly indicate the level of morale of employees. But it may help the management to arrive at a logical conclusion about the attitudes of its workforce.

Observation
Every manager is in a position to judge the conduct and character of the subordinates placed under him. By making a close observation of their activities, the manager will be able to know whether their actins and reactions are normal.

The manager will, probably, assume that the morale of his subordinates is high when they dont:

i) ii) iii) iv) v) vi)

Lag he hind in their duties Find their targets unattainable Complain about the fellow- employees often Blame the tools and equipment Find fault with the managements policies Show arrogance

Attitude surveys
Attitude surveys are often conducted in workplaces to ascertain the job attitudes of employees. Such surveys may be conducted with the help of a questionnaire. The questionnaire contains certain number of statements relating to the job of an employee. Every employee is given a copy of the questionnaire and is required to fill it up. All that the employee has to do is to indicate his agreement or disagreement with the statement by writing yes or no against each.

Sometimes, the employee is given five options instead of two to make his job easy. The five options are: i) ii) iii) iv) v) Strongly Agree Undecided Disagree Strongly disagree

In this case if the employee takes a neutral stand in respect of certain statements, he can choose the third option, i.e., undecided

After the questionnaire has been filled up, it will be subject to statistical analysis. Such an analysis will reveal the level of morale of the employees. A model questionnaire used in an attitude survey is given below:

JOB SATISFACAION
Job satisfaction is the feeling an employee gets when the job he does fulfils all his expectations. While morale refers to the attitude of the employees of an organisation and is a group concept, job satisfaction is the feeling of an individual employee. Job satisfaction has been defined as a pleasurable or positive emotional state resulting from the appraisal of ones job or job e positive emotional state resulting from the appraisal of ones job or job experiences

Determinants of job satisfaction

There are various personal and organizational facts that influence job satisfaction. The following chart indicatives the determinants of job satisfaction:

The age of a person does have its influence on his level of job satisfaction. People who are young usually have a higher level of job satisfaction provided they rightly choose their career. Those in their twenties or thirties are energetic and have the stamina to work hard and derive pleasure out of their work. As a person gets older, he gets tired physically and mentally. Further, he reaches the saturation point at this stage and the work, usually, does not give him the pleasure it gave earlier.

PERSONAL FACTORS
Sex There is a feeling among many employers that women employees are much more committed to work than men. Such employers prefer to appoint women in their concerns. A woman employee who is able to show greater commitment to work naturally should derive higher level of job satisfaction. Educational Qualification The job satisfaction level of people with higher education qualification is generally found to be low. This happens because; such people always look for better employment opportunities. A person deserving pleasure out of his present job, which is also remunerarative, need not look for better employment prospects.

Experience
The experience of an employee gives him exposure to many difficult work situations. This enables him to learn the art of managing crisis. Such persons, view of their ability to tackle any critical work situation. Should naturally have grater job satisfaction than those who are in experienced. It may be mentioned here that the age and experience of a person need not go together.

Ability
An employee who lacks the capability to perform his job, obviously, cannot derive job satisfaction. Performance is vital for job satisfaction. Only those who have the ability will be able to perform. It may be mentioned here that the satisfaction accruing to a person out of the monetary benefits he gets from his employment is temporary. In the long run, performance alone can give him satisfaction.

Perception
Job expectations differ from person to person. This is view of differences in ones perception. Some individuals may be interested in challenging jobs while others may be interested in routine work. Still, there are some who may be prepared to do any work for the sake of monetary benefits. The extent to which the expectations of a person have been fulfilled is yet another determinant if job satisfaction.

ORGANISATINAL FACTORS Nature of work assigned

The work assigned to an employed should be of interest to him. What appears to be an interesting job to one may appear to be uninteresting to another and so says the proverb, one mans food is another mans poison. It is, therefore, important that the employer understands the capabilities and preferences of his employees before assigning them work.

Pay and other benefits

Pay and other tangible benefits offered to employees, although cannot determine job satisfaction in all cases, are not unimportant. An employee who derives pleasure out his job cannot be indifferent to pay and other benefits to which he entitled. An employee, therefore, needs to be given pay commensurate with his job and responsibilities.

Similarly, social security benefits like provident fund, insurance etc., also need to be provided to employees as per rules. Where these benefits are inadequate, the level of job satistifaction is bound to be low.

Superior- Subordinate Relationship

Sometime, an employee may be fully satisfied with his job. But if his superior tries to find fault with him unnecessarily, the employee gets disturbed mentally, relationship is cordial in any workplace. Inter-Personal Relationship When the relationship between the employees working as a group is not cordial, it will affect individual performance. This happens because of two reasons. First, co-ordination becomes difficult when inter-personal relationship is not good and second the employee gets disturbed psychologically. When such a trend continues, it results in job dissatisfaction in the long-run.

Opportunities for Advancement

Where, in an organisation, there are no opportunities for promotion, the employees may have to remain in the same job till their retirement. There may not be any change even in their designation. Such employees may not work with enthusiasm. Lack of promotion opportunities, thus, promotes job dissatisfaction.

Consequences of job dissatisfaction

Lack of job satisfaction may lead to the following consequences: 1. It may increase the rate of labour- turnover. 2. It may lead to poor job performance. 3. There may be an increase in complaints and grievances. 4. Conflicts in the workplace may also increase. 5. It may give scope for strikes and lock-outs.

6. It may disturb stability.

Steps to improve job satisfaction

The following measure may be adopted to have a higher level of job satisfaction among employees:

1. Selection of right man for right job. 2. Payment commensurate with the employees credentials. 3. Conducive working environment 4. Cordial superior- subordinate relationship. 5. Better inter-personal relationship 6. Provision of suitable promotion opportunities. 7. Creation of facilities for training. 8. Provision for suitable incentive and social benefits. 9. Job rotation where desirable. 10. Encouraging employees participation in decision-making.

The two factor theory the need-fulfillment Theory and the Expectancy theory discussed in the chapter motivation have relevance to job satisfaction as well.