RDIHCBF010G - Module Ten - Research Project

8/6/2019 RDIHCBF010G - Module Ten - Research Project

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Theresa Stewart

University Student Number:

0911867068080

Research project

Investigating Two

Dominant Reasons for low

staff morale & its impact

on the company

Submitted to:

Paula Reilly

Date: January 31st, 2011

Word Count: 4,800

(Excluding Title Page, Table of Contents, Introduction, Acknowledgements, Reference,Bibliography, Appendices & Tables)


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Proposal

BackgroundAccording to the Wikipedia World Encyclopedia, Morale describes a state

of individual psychological well being based upon a sense of confidence and usefulnessand purpose. This among employees in an organization is referred to as Staff Morale.

Staff Morale is critical in any business today as it ensures productivity and effectiveness.

It is no secret that employee morale is an omnipresent issue right now. According to

statistics, last year companies laid off 10percent of employees, up by 3 percent from the

last year. Those cuts have forced survivors to shoulder more responsibilities even as their

salaries and benefits decrease. These critical issues affect Staff Morale and if they are not

dealt with in most cases can lead to damaging effects and overall, objectives are not met.

Also, according to Fords (2003) new survey, which claims that employee morale is a big

issue - but the same study's figures suggest most don't have a clue about how to deal with

it. The survey found that 90 per cent of executives said managing and monitoring

employee morale was important for business and profitability, with 74 per cent even

telling the researchers it was a "core business concern".

But not sufficiently important, the figures suggest, for them to make it more of a priority.

The consequence of low employee morale affects quality and productivity in a big way.

This low productivity can cause increase in costs resulting in further cost cutting

measures. Low staff morale also increases staff turnover, which decreases intra-

organization knowledge about production process and quality of production process.

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Problem Statement - This research will examine the two most dominant causes of low

Staff Morale and its impacts among the hourly paid employees at ACS Jamaica Limited.

StatementofProblem - In this research, the writer focuses on the two most dominant

causes of low staff morale and their impacts on the overall performance of a business

Bad Management and Lack of Communication.

This research will be carried out in a well know organization in Montego Bay; ACS

Jamaica Limited. The company is located in the Freezone area of Montego Bay. ACS

Jamaica Limited can be briefly described as a Business Processing Solutions Center,

there are several departments carrying out outsourced functions as accountants, data entry

operators, customer service representatives and IT solutions representatives.

Research Questions

y What is Staff Morale and what are the two most dominant causes of low StaffMorale in organization?

y How does Staff Morale affect the organization?y How does low staff Morale affect employee retention?

Hypothesis

y Bad management and lack of communication are the main contributing factors tolow Staff Morale in business organizations.

y How morale reduces camaraderie, trust and productivity in an organization.

PurposeofStudy - The purpose of this study is to enlighten the reader and myself of the

two main causes of low staff morale and its impact on a company. This has been a major

problem in most or all business structures today who either fail to develop that

relationship with employees that will enhance productivity, efficiency and

communication levels within the organization.

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This report serves as a wealth of knowledge and awareness update to all other readers

who may not have thought of low staff morale being an important issue among workers

in todays businesses.

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Methodology

TypeofResearch - This research is of a quantitative nature. Data was gathered from

surveys and research done to materialize my topic of interest.

Data for this research was collected from two sources: the primary sources were thoseparticipants in the sample and the secondary sources were from books, the Internet and

newspaper articles.

Population - The result of this study was gathered from selected employees from ACS

Jamaica Limited. The researcher wishes to comment based on analysis, the behavioral

pattern and results taken from the employees.

Sample - A quota sample of 15 women and 15 men were used from ACS JamaicaLimited. These employees were selected in pairs from different departments at ACS,

from anyone who could spare the time. From every fifteen that were selected, there were

two managers in the group.

Samplesize - Sample questionnaires were given to selected employees from the

Customer Service and IT department at ACS Jamaica. Both questionnaires and follow up

interviews were done to obtain the necessary information needed in order to successfully

complete this report.

How these twosourcescontribute toabetterUnderstandingofthe Problem Statement-

Research done via the Internet was the main source of data for this report. The Internet

articles gave the foundation that the topic of this report was created on, but it was the

results from the primary research that gave the greater part of data needed to complete

this report. The questionnaires were so designed to ask the questions that would yield the

answer to what I seek in completing this report.

Data Collection Instruments Questionnaires were designed to collect data for this

report; this was done along with interviews to get additional reasoning on some

questions. The questionnaire was designed with 16 questions. These were handed out to

the sample population. There were 2 open questions and 14 closed questions in total. Of


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the 16 questions, 11 of them simply required a Yes or No or Somewhat response.

One question had the option to Very Effective Somewhat Effective Poorly Effective.

The remaining questions required a True or False response and two questions that

required the individual to briefly state their opinion in a given case. The final question

was identifying the age group of the population that did the questionnaires.

Questionnaires were given to the population and the interviews conducted when they

found the time from their busy schedules. These questionnaires and interviews were

conducted using the semi-structured method.

Data Analysis Methods Having collected the data, the researcher collated the

information using an Excel Spreadsheet. Responses were displayed using Pie Charts,

tables, bar graphs and these illustrations facilitated an analysis interpretation of the data.

StructureofProposedChapters the chapters will follow the usual format of a Research

Project. Chapter One identifies the problem, the literature review in chapter two will

define morale and discuss the causes as identified in the research question, chapter three

will interpret and discuss the results from the primary sources of information and the final

chapter will recommend and indicate the limitations of this project.

KeyTargets the research was undertaken in a period of four weeks, the questionnaires

were handed out on January 3rd

, and collected on January 7th, the follow-up questions and

interview was also done at this time. The deadline date to complete the project is January

31st.

CodeofEthics As the researcher, I will respect the opinion of the sample population

used and anyone who comes in contact with this paper. All names and identities will be

kept anonymous. The information will be used for the sole purpose of this research and

nothing further.

I will keep all information submitted private and confidential and it can be retracted or

destroyed at anytime based on the individuals request.

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Acknowledgement

I am very thankful to everyone who all supported me during this research project. I am

very appreciative to the individuals who participated wholeheartedly during the course ofthis project, answering questionnaires and interviews even though they had such busy

schedules.

I would also like to thank my parents who helped me a lot in taking care of my child so I

would have the extra time to carry out the needed research for this project.

Last but not least I am equally grateful to my teacher, Ms. Reilly for suggesting the

outlines of this project and providing the needed guidelines to complete my project

effectively and moreover on time.

Thanking you

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Table of Contents

Proposal

Background i iii

Methodology iv v

Acknowledgements vi

Introduction1

Chapter OneLiterature Review 2 - 7

Chapter TwoMethodology 8

Chapter Three

Results 9 - 13Analyses 14 18Discussions 19 20

Chapter FourConclusions & Recommendations 21

Reference 22

Bibliography 23

AppendicesAction Plan Approval 24Employee Questionnaire 25 26


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Introduction

Morale has been thought of variously as a feeling, a state of mind, a mental attitude, and

an emotional attitude (Mendel, 1987). Staff morale would then speak to this state of mind

as an employee, or an employees attitude towards their work.

The project wishes to introduce low staff morale is perceived among the individuals at

ACS Jamaica Limited a business processing solutions company in the Freezone area

and discuss the two most dominant factors that can lead to this destructive work attitude.

The writer wishes to inform the readers of the impacts low staff morale can have on an

organization and how it can affect staff retention in the organization used in the study or

any other company.

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Chapter One

Literature Review


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Morale

According to the Encarta Deluxe World Encyclopedia, Morale is about creating an

environment that conveys mutual support, confidence, positive attitude, high self-esteem,

hope, meaningful purpose and determination. Staff morale is the attitude workers have

towards the quality of their total work life. Feelings of a can-do-attitude and spirit are

transmitted from one employee to another and then to the customer. When you come in

contact with an organization where morale is high, you sense and feel it immediately.

Causes of Low Staff Morale

Myerson (2005) noted that, todays challenge is sustaining morale in a workplace that is

enveloped by anxieties over change, lack of communication, bad management, lack of

opportunities for employees, reorganization, loss of job security, working conditions,

salaries, manager/staff relationship, rewards showing appreciation for work done above

and beyond, technology and the stress and strain of having to do more with less. Nothing

affects employee morale more insidiously than persistent workplace negativity. It saps

the energy of your organization and diverts critical attention from work and performance.

According to Myerson (2005), morale is more than a people issue; its a business issue.

Low morale increases turnover, and turnover (when unplanned) is bad for managers and

their reputation, department and efficiency and, of course, the bottom line. Low morale

also causes declines in productivity and quality.

Lack of communication and bad management are the recorded two biggest causes of low

staff morale in todays businesses. No matter what the economy is like.

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Lack of Communication

The biggest mistake in any company is to withdraw and keep information to yourself.

There is nothing more miserable than when the manager sits up in his office and assesses

a situation behind closed doors and doesnt share information with staff. It is insulting to

employees intelligence and is very destructive in terms of morale. This also creates

barriers, an environment of staff distrust and the encouragement of rumors (Vellani,

2001).

Sometimes information is withheld because managers do not want to worry employees,

but even though they mean well, hiding information will only spark anger and heavily

contributes to low levels of employee satisfaction.

Building morale through improved communication means more than just smiling and

keeping an open door. However, it means developing trust between you and your

employees, and opening up about yourself, both personally and professionally, makes

that kind of connection.

Communicating with your employees - sharing your philosophy and leadership styles etc

will make them feel like a part of the solution instead of a part of the problem. By doing

this you demonstrate a level of respect and trust that they need to see.

Open communication between all staff members improves morale by allowing the

individual to feel included as a valued part of the facility.

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Bad Management

A manager is someone who can understand what needs to be delivered, by when, how

and at what cost. If there is a problem in management, it affects the whole company.

Wilson (2003) describes bosses who lose their temper, play favorites or cant

communicateand thats just a start on the list of managerial misbehaviorcan make

going in to work annoying, humiliating and infuriating for employees. In fact, a negative

attitude can have a far bigger ripple effect on a company than one employee's deficient

skills. Negativity can infect coworkers and be a horrendous time sink. When employees

have to spend time trying to accept or tolerate bosses who are unreasonable and only

want to delegate jobs, this affects valuable time that should be spent on production and

other important tasks. This negativity can also instill some level of fear in employees

making them fearsome in approaching managers with situations. This breaks down

confidence and Staff/Manager relationships in organizations.

Wilson (2003) suggested that the first step in turning around this potentially toxic, yet

common, management dilemma is to clearly identifying the problem. After the problem

has been identified, then ways to address it can be considered and implemented.

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Impacts of Low Staff Morale on an Organization

It is difficult for anyone one to maintain a top performance level 100% of the time. Many

forces, both internal and external, can affect employee morale. When staff morale is

high, motivation and productivity improve and company profits increase. Conversely,

when staff morale is low, employee satisfaction and job performance drops, as do

company profits. (Unknown,DrivingforSuccess Online).Research shows that low

morale translates to low productivity, less-than-perfect customer service, and increased

sick leave and medical incidents.

Turnover is a major consequence of low staff morale within organizations. Much too

often the end result of dissatisfaction of ones work or working conditions results in

quitting. In order to prevent employees from leaving their jobs, managers must take the

time to understand what's important to them, and tailor the job to meet both their needs

and the company's objectives. Every time an employee resigns, it costs your company

time, money and effort to replace them. Research suggests that the cost of staff turnover

is approximately one and a half times the departing employee's salary, and with an

estimated 25% of the national workforce planning to change jobs over the next twelve

months it's not hard to see why staff retention has become a major priority for many

organizations (MercerHuman Resource Consulting in 2003).

Smith (2003) notes that while most experts agree that some level of employee turnover is

inevitable, even essential in order to attract new ideas, energy and enthusiasm into a

business, consistently high levels of staff turnover negatively impact both the bottom-line

and staff morale. Furthermore, a company that has a constant stream of departing

employees does not inspire confidence in their clients or within the industry in which

they operate. So with this in mind, how do you keep your turnover under control? Hire

wisely, understand why people are leaving, and then make changes to prevent your

current employees from leaving for the same reasons.

There are several studies that conclude the most valuable asset a company has is its

workforce. A company's workforce drives productivity, maintains a company's

competitive status, and ensures a company's long-term goals are met (Hemispheres,

2002).

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Low employee morale affects efficiency and productivity because employees lack

commitment to their actions. It can result in riots, an unsafe working environment and

fraud.

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How does low staff Morale affect employee retention?

Employee retention has never been more important than it is right now. The costs of

employee turnover have increased tremendously over the years and are only getting

higher as companies invest millions in training new hires.

Retaining employees means employers need to provide them with challenges, a sociable

environment, job satisfaction, recognition and financial security or their morale will drop,

the work will then suffer and ultimately the company will lose that employee and the

company will inevitably bear that burden.

Surveys have shown that there is a direct link between morale of staff and turnover in

numerous organizations.

A key area of interest is the work itself. For most people, they might enjoy monotonous

& routine functions, while others like to be stimulated with varied and interesting duties.

Otherwise, they become bored and apathetic. Eventually the work suffers until the

employee decides to rescind his post for work elsewhere.

In addition to this, when employees feel mistreated by managers, especially in cases

where management positions are taken by untrained individuals who dont know what

they are doing, or how to treat individuals with respect, this inevitably leads to employees

who are demotivated to perform and soon vacant positions.

Morale affects how motivated your employees are to work, and how motivated an

employee is will decide how much work they will do while on shift and will also

influence how long they remain with the company. An employee with clearly stated

roles, good employee/manager relations and feels value from the work they do will

undoubtedly feel good about growing with that company for a very long time.

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Chapter Two

Methodology


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Limitations

In putting the project together, a few limitations could be identified. Most of the

information in this report was done among a population sample chosen from a prominent

organization in Montego Bay. Although responses were fairly satisfactory, the fact that

the population sample was a small group due to the nature of this report. More responses

could have introduced other responses and underlying factors contributing to staff

dissatisfaction in an organization.

Also, another limitation that was identified was the nature of the company; again,

different responses could have been noted from a company with smaller employee scale

or a company that is not as renowned as the two that were chosen in the sample.

In finalizing, I observed that in many instances during my research, information on

morale as it relates to employees within a firm was mostly found in content of trying to

improve staff morale. The difficulty was contained when the responses from the

population sample was assessed.

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Chapter Three

Results, Analyses &

Discussion


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Results

Figure 1

Figure 1 illustrates the age of the population sample from ACS. The population sample

provided the answers which were used to develop this report.

The interpretation could also be seen as follows:

Ages: 18 - 25 Age: 26 - 30 Age: 31 - 40 Age: Over 40

2 9 10 9 ACS (Persons)

7%

30%

33%

30%

Chart Showing Population Sample Age Group

Ages: 18 - 25 Age: 26 - 30 Age: 31 - 40 Age: Over 40

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Staff Morale and the Causes of Low Staff Morale

For question 3 of the questionnaire (Do you consider your manager to be an effective

leader?), a Pie Chart was constructed to illustrate the responses from the sample

population on whether or not they thought their managers were effective leader.

Figure 2.

Pie Chart Showing Responses to the Question 3 of the Questionnaire from ACS Do you

consider your manager to be an effective leader.

Yes37%

No42%

Sometimes21%

Chart Showing Responses to Question 3: Is your

manager an effective leader?

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From question 7 of the questionnaire, a chart was constructed to illustrate the responses

received from the employees on the factors they thought contributed to staff

dissatisfaction in their organization. From these factors, the ones that were more

prevalent were used to construct a Bar Graph. The data can be conceived as follows:

Figure 3

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

Chart Showing Factors that Contribute to StaffDissatisfaction

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How does Low Staff Morale affect the organization?

The question of whether or not staff dissatisfaction affected workflow or productivity

(question 11) can be conceived from the chart below.

Figure 5

With the responses from this question, we can clearly deduct that these employees

understand that Staff Dissatisfaction affects the operations in a business.

True

80%

False

20%

Chart Showing Responses to whether or not StaffDissatisfaction affection Productivity

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How does Low Staff Morale Affect StaffRetention?

Question 8 received responses on how the individuals felt at their jobs being demotivated

to perform. The responses had dominant similarities from each participant and a few

scattered ideas.The Bar Chart below summarizes responses from the sample population.

Figure 4

0

5

10

15

20

25

Wants to Leave Low Work Output Absenteism

Chart Showing Responses to Question 8 of the Questionnaire

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Analyses

Analyzing results from the questionnaire.

The questionnaires and interviews were the main source of data in this report. Interviews

were done to corroborate information on some closed questions and to observe if persons

would answer questions any differently when approached in a face-to-face discussion.

From the questionnaire, the following analyses were prepared.

For Question 1 of the questionnaire: (Figure 1 illustrates).

ACSshowed the most participants being from the age group 31 40 as this accounted for

10 of the population sample. They had a tie with 9 employees from the population sample

falling within age groups 26 30 and Over 40 and the remaining 2 participants were

between the ages 18 25.

Staff Morale

Question 2 of the questionnaire sought to determine that only few individuals from the

population sample truly understood the term Staff Morale. A substandard 62 percent

responded they knew somewhat what the term meant. Interviews conducted further

explained that, the responses for somewhat meant they thought they knew what it

meant, with varying answers from them that would be considered a 40-percent

understanding of the term. Twenty-nine percent responded Yes to this question, and the

remaining 9 percent answered No.

Over 90 percent of the population sample indicated that they were a people person to

question 5 of the questionnaire. From this approximately 80 percent agreed that this

meant that they got along well with their colleagues and customers, while the remaining

10 percent indicated that this meant they had a super-friendly approach to any individual.

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Causes of Low Staff Morale in Organizations

From the 30 people who answered questionnaires from the organization it was noticeably

clear from question 3 of the questionnaire that the majority of the population sample

thought their managers were not effective leaders. Refer to figure 2.

ACS responses showed 37 percent of the population sample answering Yes to the

question of whether or not they believed that they had effective leaders, while 21 percent

answered Sometimes. The remaining 37 percent said they did not believe their

managers were effective leader.

The responses from question 6 of the questionnaire clearly underlined why these

employees experience some level of low staff morale as over 85 percent of the population

samples at ACS indicated that they are not at all motivated at their jobs. The constant

routine job functions in most cases made room for a lot of boredom among employees.

Question 7 of the questionnaire was one the major questions in this questionnaire (refer to

figure 3). It addressed the issues surrounding low staff morale/staff dissatisfaction within

organizations. The responses not only outline the contributing factors of staff

dissatisfaction but clearly outlined the two most dominant factors among them.

The responses showed 11 employees from the ACS sample indicating that Lack of

Communication was a contributing factor of staff dissatisfaction in their department.

Nine employees indicated it was Bad Management, while 3 employees each pointed out

that the lack of opportunity for employees and the working conditions were a

contributing factor. The remaining four employees indicated that their current salary was

a reason behind their dissatisfaction as an employee.

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Figure 4 answered the question of what can be done to limit staff dissatisfaction, the

responses varied and were as follows:

The most dominant response from the population samples was that they needed an

increase in salary, this was accompanied by better health benefits. Employees

complained that they were not satisfied with their salary or health benefits. Other factors

like honesty form managers were a concern among employees as their biggest fear is the

loss of their jobs. They mentioned that most times managers are not honest with

information when it comes to downsizing matters and other staff related issues that may

be crucial to employees. This sometimes means that they are not provided with

information until the day of judgment. These cases make them uncomfortable in their

jobs as they fear if the managers are not upfront with them.

The minority suggested that they could improve on their Manager/Staff Relationships.

Question 8 of the questionnaire addressing the question of whether or not employees

were rewarded for Jobs done or exceptional performances at the job; more employees

accepted the fact that they were rewarded but really thought the reward scheme could be

more appealing.

Figure 5 showed a graph to the responses from whether or not Staff Dissatisfaction

affects production (question 11 of the questionnaire). The result was very obvious.

It was also noted from the question (question 13) of job security that many individuals in

the ACS Company feared for the security of their jobs because of the nature of the

company and a reputation that the company has had over the years.

The question of dissatisfaction with salary (question 14) sparked a concern. The

responses to this question highlighted another contributing factor to low Staff Morale.

The responses indicated that salary was another issue that showed high percentage

following bad management and lack of communication for this organization and as noted

in the literature review for many other organizations.

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The individuals expressed the need for raises in their jobs as most had been getting the

same gross salary since the time they had started the job to present. This in some cases

had been years while others are shorter in months.

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Low Staff Morale Impact the Company

The questionnaires showed varying responses from each participant in the population

sample. This indicated that they definitely had a lot of differences in beliefs and

understanding when it comes on to the topic of Staff morale.

They noted however, that the levels of staff morale differed in each department. At ACS,

employees in the IT Departments felt more pressured than any other department due to

the nature of their jobs. They are required to be on call 24-7 as systems are crucial to

production and clients both locally and oversees do not at any instance tolerate systems

being down for more than a few minutes.

However, the line staff felt as if most of the workload was their responsibility and their

work hours were sometimes long and tedious. This pressure in departments often leads to

low enthusiasm and other factors that affect morale and production. These factors affect

the workflow in most cases. In instances for example, where employees become so

demotivated in their jobs, they become frequent latecomers, ignorant workers, and in

some cases this leads to critical errors being made because of carelessness.

In concluding, it was noted within the research, questionnaires and interviews that more

responses about questions regarding salaries and health benefits came from the younger

age groups while responses on management and the communication within the

organization were mostly mentioned by the older groups. This may suggest that older

groups are in higher ranked positions where communication affects them more than

salary or health benefits. These factors (salary and health benefits) may have already been

covered with the fact that their positions are higher ranked.

The responses from the questionnaire were very supportive in this report, and even

though I was fairly satisfied with the responses from the questionnaires and the interview,

thepossibility stands that some people may not have answered the questionnaires as

honestly as I would have wanted them to.

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Discussion

Staff Morale is the spirit or attitude among employees in any business. Depending on

how low or high this is in any organization; this will tell if workflow or production is

being affected. This was conclusive with both primary and secondary research.

The most mentioned causes of low staff morale or staff dissatisfaction in this report were

that of Lack of Communication among employees and management, Bad management,

concerns about salary, working conditions and benefits plans.

In the literature review however, Myerson (2005) noted that, the most talked of

contributing factors that affect morale in todays businesses are lack of communication

and bad.

Similarities could also be seen in the most dominant contributing factors in the research

conducted and information that was taken from the population sample. These similarities

highlighted the fact that Poor management and Communication in businesses were the

leading causes of low levels of Staff Morale. High staff turnover was another dominant

contributing factor that was taken from the lit review.

These responses support the reasons behind why the majority of the population responded

that they did not think they had effective leaders/managers. Primary research emphasized

the need for higher levels of communication among employees in a company and

decreased levels of thisis very destructive, not only does this demean employee

intelligence but it also starts feud and other disgruntlement among employees. The

literature review also suggested that communication and management structures needed

addressing in most companies today (Schuler, 2004).

The secondary research did not give much of statistics, as did the primary research; so

much of the information would have been generalized to any organization.

The impacts of staff dissatisfaction were evidently clear from this research although there

were minor exceptions in the secondary research. The secondary research noted that a

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prevalent impact of staff dissatisfaction is a high turnover rate in companies today. The

two most noted consequence however, were disruption in production and workflow and

poor staff/manager relationships.

Little difference could be seen however in the question about how low levels of morale

affect the company. According to secondary sources - Smith, 2004 - mentioned that when

morale level is low in an organization, the turnover rate is at an even higher rate than in

companies that have lower cases of staff dissatisfaction. The topic of turnover did not

come up in the primary research as an impact of staff dissatisfaction. This may be

documented as one of the cases where the population was not entirely forthcoming and

honest with all the information supplied to this report.

To conclude, we see where the similarities between the primary research and the

secondary research were outstanding, little differences could be noted as obviously the

researches that are done to gather information that are used as a source of secondary

findings are more than likely done the same way this report was carried out. Secondly,

the fact that most reports are done as surveys, the outcome is more likely to be similar to

the responses received from the population sample, as these surveys would have been

done among real people in the same situations and instances.

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Chapter Four

Conclusions &Recommendations


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Conclusion & Recommendation

Low Staff Morale is a very real, very serious problem in todays organizations. Most

employers arent even aware that this affects the productivity and efficiency of their

organization. The first step in addressing this problem is acknowledging the existence of

the problem. There are numerous inexpensive approaches to tackle this problem. Make

the effort to examine your management and communication skills and address a need for

improvement.

Beverly Kaye (2001) recommends managers ask employees what motivates them and

what you could do to improve their morale. Everyone is different; some folks prefer

money, but studies have shown that most people would choose challenging work over a

monetary reward. Regardless, you'll never know until you ask. Things like rewarding

excellence, sharing profits, removing political game players, stopping favoritism,

investing in employee careers, regular effective unambiguous communication, fair

salaries all help to motivate employees and make them more appreciative of their jobs.

She also suggests that managers offer up new responsibilities or the opportunity to learn

new skills. Look at the projects or tasks that are falling through the cracks, or see if

another coworker has too much on his or her plate. See what can be shifted or assigned to

another person - one who may welcome the chance to handle new projects that may be

old-hat to others.

Additionally, to overcome poor employee morale, communicators should encourage their

organizations to provide channels for employees to share their concerns and ask

questions. Management should address their concerns immediately, and respond

sincerely to their questions and requests. Communicating often and keeping employees

well informed about what's going on in the business are keys to better managing morale.

Keep in mind that Communication is the best stress reducer. Staff will feel at least a little

less stressed if they understand what is going on. If they aren't worried about what

management is doing, they can focus on their jobs or finding creative ways to do more

with less. These are the things that will be beneficial to the future of your employees and

the company.

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Reference

Myerson H. 2005 Supervisors Appreciation Stationery

Myerson H. 2005 101 Low Cost Morale Boosters that Energize Employees

Wilson C. 2003 How to get a Job

Smith G. 2002 Why People Quit Their Jobs

Kaye B. 2001 Love 'Em or Lose 'Em: Getting Good People to Stay

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Bibliography

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www.cio.com/archive/050102/morale accessed January 14th, 2011

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www.sap.ittoolbox.com/blogs/featuredentry.asp accessed January 17th, 2011

http://orpheus.ucsd.edu/fac/morale/tsld013.htm accessed January 17th, 2011

http://www-act.ucsd.edu/blink/proto/people/index.htm accessed January 19th, 2011

http://www.cyc-net.org/cyc-online/cycol-0601-morale.html accessed January 19th, 2011

http://ezinearticles.com/?How-Much-Does-Employee-Morale-Affect-Employee-

Performance?&id=4322737 accessed January 23rd

, 2011

http://www.ifpo.org/articlebank/correctionalmorale.html accessed January 29, 2011

http://www.go2hr.ca/ForbrEmployers/Retention/EmployeeMorale/tabid/115/Default.aspx

accessed January 29th, 2011

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Appendices


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y RE: Action Plan for Theresa StewartPaula Reilly

y Paula [email protected]

yy Send emaily Find emaily View details

To Theresa StewartFrom:Paula Reilly ([email protected])

Sent: Mon 1/17/11 6:36 AM

To: Theresa Stewart ([email protected])

Hi Theresa, this is good - you should also include a code of ethics for the research.

Please remember to include a copy of the action plan (along with a copy of this 'approval' email) in the final

report.

RegardsPaula Reilly

Module Tutor

Tel: +44 (0)24 765 15700

Fax: +44 (0)24 765 15701

Email: [email protected]: http://www.rdi.co.uk

Resource Development International Ltd

Midland Management Centre

1A Brandon LaneCoventryCV3 3RDRegistered in England No: 2450180

Vat No: 7053350 66

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Questionnaire for Employees

This questionnaire was designed to get the employees opinions on staff morale, the

causes of low staff morale within their departments and how these issues can be resolved

for a better work environment.

1. Please specify the age group you fall within.

18 - 25 26 - 30 31 40 Over 40

2. Do you understand what is meant by the term Staff Morale?

Yes No Somewhat

3. Do you consider your manager to be an effective leader?

Yes No Somewhat

4. How do you consider the effectiveness of communication in your

Department/Company?

Very Effective Somewhat Effective Poorly Effective

5. Are you a people person?

Yes No Somewhat

6. Are you motivated to do your job?

Yes No Somewhat

7. What do you think contributes to staff dissatisfaction in your company? (List

points)

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8. How does being demotivated affect you at your job? (Briefly state)

9. Are you rewarded for jobs done above and beyond your call of duty?

Yes No Somewhat

10. Are you given enough guidance to perform your job?

Yes No Somewhat

11. Staff Dissatisfaction affects company productivity?

False True

12. Are there opportunities for advancements within your organization?

Yes No Somewhat

13. Do you fear the security of your job?

Yes No Somewhat

14. Are you satisfied with your current salary and employee benefits?

Yes No Somewhat

15. Are you satisfied with your current working conditions?

Yes No Somewhat

16. Does the company provide the necessary equipment to carry out job functions?

Yes No Somewhat

Documents

RDIHCBF010G - Module Ten - Research Project