Employee Morale

Employee morale is a huge influencer on the businesses productivity. Organizations with low turnover and satisfied employees tend to perform better (Kays2001). This being the case, companies need to focus on the morale of their employees. There are many consultants out there trying to tell companies how to do it. This portion of the paper will touch on a few of those ideas and also look at a company known for their high employee morale.

Job satisfaction and a good morale seem to go hand in hand. To prevent job withdrawal, organizations therefore need to promote job satisfaction, a pleasant feeling resulting from the perception that one's important job values (Locke 1976). Now the question is how? How to build morale and job satisfaction?

InterClean Inc. is starting to have lower employee morale with deadlines closing in and a company merger taking place. In order to keep productivity up and focused on the end state goals the company wants to attain, morale must stay positive. InterClean needs to find a way to make a smooth transition focused on employee morale.

One idea popular by many consultants is to keep the communication lines open. For management to sit down with employees and ask questions. To ask them how they are doing, what they like about their job, what they dislike about their jobs, what they think of their supervisor, what they need, and if they are happy. The boss listens and learns. The employee expresses herself. Both gain something. Morale improves as a result, and everyone wins (Javitch, 2004).

Another recommendation that InterClean could use is focused toward morale during a merger. Communication again is essential in being successful. No matter what the change, companies must communicate their intentions honestly, meet regularly with workers, and spell out whether employees' roles will change and say when that change will occur. Jennifer Harnden, management psychologist for RHR International Co. in Boston, said "The more employees feel that they have some sense of mastery over their role, the more likely they will remain engaged."(Lewis, 2004).

One company known for their high employee morale is Southwest Airlines. InterClean Inc. could learn from Southwest in many ways. They have created very good morale and employee loyalty through several different strategies. A huge boost to Southwest's employee morale was during 9-11. They did not cut back like all the other airlines. After 9-11 it said, "We will take a hit in our stock price and not lay off anybody."(Sirota, 2005). Southwest is big on showing gratitude to its employees. They acknowledge good deeds and reward with notoriety. When Ed Steward, an employee of Dallas-based Southwest Airlines, turned down a better-paying job offer to stay with Southwest, then CEO Herb Kelleher (now chairman of the board), walked into his office and kissed him (Nelson, 2002). By putting employees first and open communications, Southwest Airlines is doing it right.

Anne Bruce is a popular speaker known for her ability to keep her presentation very entertaining. She identified six challenges employees face when dealing with morale. Her six morale challengers are: