The concept of wellbeing has intrigued researchers for decades. In fact, the very first mention of wellbeing can be traced back to the times of the Greek philosopher, Aristotle. The meaning of wellbeing has shifted several times since then. We will discuss the meaning of well-being and why employee well-being is so important.

What is wellbeing?

Defining well-being is a complex task. Some philosophers argue that well-being is the balance of positive and negative emotions. Others differ and take a more value-laden view of well-being. We will explore the two conceptualizations in detail.

Subjective Well-being

Subjective well-being refers to a balance of emotions and feeling satisfaction in life. It takes a hedonic view of well-being and claims that the pursuit of our life goals, attaining material possessions, and experiencing positive emotions are the key aspects of well-being. Indeed, these factors are important. We need to have well-paid jobs, material possessions, such as houses, clothes, food in order to lead a fulfilling life. However, many philosophers refute this idea of considering material possessions important. Instead, they focus on the importance of relationships, meaning, and purpose in life.

Psychological Well-being

Psychological well-being is a value-laden version of well-being. Researchers of psychological well-being claim that human beings must strive to attain meaning and purpose in life. Therefore, the importance of material possessions in well-being is undermined here. The main focus is on intrinsic motivation and relationships. Several researchers and empirical data agree with this fact. If material possessions were really so important, the happiest countries in the world would be the richest country. However, recent reports claim that Finland is the happiest country in the world.

What does employee well-being mean?

Employee well-being simply refers to the well-being of individuals in the workplace. It is a crucial aspect of one’s life because we spend a vast quantity of our time at or thinking about work. A positive work environment sets the stage for well-being. In addition, individuals with excellent personal life but poor job life end up being sad most of the time. Furthermore, the negativity of one’s work crosses the boundary of the office and leaks into one’s personal family life. Therefore, employee well-being is at the core of individual well-being.

A recent review of research articles on employee well-being point out that the most significant aspects of employee well-being are life satisfaction, psychological well-being at work, and job satisfaction. Life satisfaction refers to one’s level of happiness with one’s overall life. It means how contended we are in our life. Since work is an important part of our life, workplace events impact our life satisfaction. Psychological well-being at work refers to finding meaning in work and having cordial relationships with one’s co-workers. Job satisfaction refers to being contended with one’s job characteristics.

Why is employee well-being important?

The happy worker hypothesis states that happy workers are more productive. A satisfied and engaged employee is more likely to perform better. Therefore, well-being in the workplace is important fo organizations. At an individual level, employee well-being helps each individual achieve more in their lives and be at peace with themselves. Some of the benefits of well-being are:

1. Performance: There is a strong association between employee well-being and performance. Reserach shows that employees with higher well-being are more creative and productive in the workplace.
2. Physical Health: Well-being is directly related to one’s physical health. Individuals with low well-being are more likely to complain of sleep ailments, like insomnia, cardio-vascular problems, like high blood pressure and several other.
3. Burnout and turnover: Happy employees are less likely to reach a stage of burnout. They are able to work in a motivated manner and also help boost the morale of the team. Happy workers are also more likely to stay with the organization longer. Therefore, the organization also benefits from having happy employees.

Steps to increase employee well-being

1. Leadership: One of the prominent reasons of turnover and unhappiness with work is poor supervision. Leaders are often too punitive and output-oriented. They fail to value and respect the employees. Therefore, many employees become reluctant to work and often quit. Leaders need to be trained to value employees and motivate them.
2. Interventions to develop positive resources: Negative events are bound to happen in the workplace. Employees who have good coping resources are likely to deal with such events in a positive way. Therefore, positive interventions like mindfulness training, resilience training and proactivity training may be useful.
3. Social Support: Support from co-workers, supervisors, family and friends are helpful in enhancing wellbeing. Employees must be encouraged to seek social support and cultivate positive relationships with each other.

The post Well-being at Work appeared first on Management Weekly.

Do you find the idea of being perfect in all your pursuits rather appealing? In fact, many people do. In the age of competition and the need to be the best, many people feel that being a perfectionist is their strongest quality. However, is it really? We will learn about the pros and cons of workplace perfectionism in this article.

Who is a Perfectionist?

First and foremost, we need to understand what perfectionism really means. Perfectionism is the tendency to strive for flawlessness. By its very definition, it seems that all of us should be striving for it. However, perfectionism is more often than not accompanied by the tendency to fixate and ruminate about one’s performance, trying hard to control every facet of the task, and being extremely harsh on one’s mistakes. In addition, perfectionism is often accompanied by obsessive slowness. In other words, a perfectionist can never click the submit button without making sure that each and every nook and corner of the task is flawless. All of these factors, together with the lack of flexibility of the person making it impossible for other co-workers to work in a peaceful space. Therefore, perfectionists not only hamper their own productivity and peace but also that of others around them. Perfectionism has nothing to do with a desire to give one’s best. Rather it is a shield that protects the person from the shame and embarrassment of not doing a good job.

How to recognize a perfectionist?

We can easily recognize a perfectionist in any social setting with very few interactions with the person. For instance, they are likely to suffer from high levels of anxiety. Any situation where they feel the pressure of being evaluated evokes anxiety responses in them. They would also overthink and ruminate. Here are a few signs of perfectionism:

Procrastination:

A key characteristic of perfectionists is procrastination. This mainly arises because of the need to be flawless and an inability to start a task till they know how to do it fully.

Having unrealistically high performance standards:

Perfectionists often set very high standards for themselves. Most of these standards are way out of the person’s ability. Therefore, they are likely to set unachievable goals.

Shame on unattained goals:

They are likely to feel extreme levels of shame and embarrassment when they fail to achieve goals. Since their goals are anyway unrealistic, shame is almost inevitable for them. This, in turn, initiates a vicious cycle of rumination, anxiety, and poor wellbeing.

Focus only on the end result:

We all make mistakes in our work and learn to be better in the process. Enjoying and appreciating the journey is as important as the end product. However, perfectionists do not believe in this. Rather, they judge the utility of activity by the end result.

Desire to win every time:

Nothing less than victory satisfies a perfectionist. They are very bad at accepting failures and learning from them.

Self-criticism:

Perfectionists are very critical of each and every action they take. They are too preoccupied with failures and imperfections and are extremely judgemental.

Fear of Failure:

They are often paralyzed by the fear of failing at a task. The most common consequence of this is their tendency to procrastinate.

Slowness:

Perfectionists are very slow in their work. They have trouble taking a step forward if they have the slightest doubt about it. As a result, they are most likely to miss deadlines.

Low self-esteem:

All of the above symptoms are actually manifestations of low self-esteem. Since they have trouble trusting their own abilities, they are likely to hide behind the shield of perfectionism.

Mental health problems:

Perfectionism is strongly associated with mental health problems like depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic attacks, and many more.

Why is perfectionism not good for us?

First and foremost, we should never confuse perfectionism with high achievers or the desire to do a good job. In fact, it is a condition where individuals actually under-perform but are constantly experiencing high levels of stress and anxiety. Therefore, the star performer of your group is not a perfectionist.

Perfectionism actually stems from the unconscious fear of disapproval and societal judgment. Due to this reason, we often see that children of extremely strict and punishing parents often develop this problem. The fear of parental love and approval forces the child to try to be flawless. However, over time, they develop high anxiety, fear of punishment, fear of rejection, and low self-esteem. This gives rise to mental health issues in adult life.

How to reduce perfectionistic tendencies?

Reducing perfectionistic tendencies is not an easy task. It is a battle between the inner unrealistic world and the outer real world. However, there are certain steps that can be taken to manage it and lead a happy life:

1. Positive affirmations help dealing with low self-esteem and has been found to be helful for anxiety patients as well. Since perfectionism is a self-esteem and anxiety issue, trying positive affirmations may help.
2. Psychotherapy: Therapy to reduce anxiety and the fears associated with “not being good enough” may help.
3. Parenting Style impacts the mental health of children throughout their lives. Hence, new parents may consider parenting guidelines to raise mentally strong children.
4. Mindfulness helps us be more aware of ourselves and the tasks we do everyday. Being more mindful will help us recognize the problems in our behaviors and thoughts. Therefore, it will be easier for us to control the same.

Conclusion

Therefore, perfectionism is not something to boast and be proud about. In fact, it is a serious anxiety problem and can lead to maladaptive behaviors. Perfectionistic tendencies can actually slow us down and make our lives worse.

The post Is Perfectionism Slowing You Down? appeared first on Management Weekly.

Social support entails emotional as well as resource-based support or help from those around you. No other individual might actually help you with the task. However, you know that they are there to provide you with moral or emotional support. In other words, you know that you are not alone in your turmoil. Talking to your friends and family after experiencing a tough day at work or sharing a piece of good news with your dear ones often makes you feel better. Let us delve deeper into the facts and research about social support and understand what you can do to improve your social support.

Some research about social support

Most research speaks of social support as a positive coping resource. Friends, family, co-workers, supervisors can provide you with useful resources to solve your problem. Additionally, they can provide you with emotional and moral support. This not only boosts motivation but also helps us feel positive emotions, thereby, improving performance. A sense of belongingness to our community or any social group gives us an anchor and provides a source of social identity. Social identity is extremely important for human beings. Its importance has been highlighted by researchers since the 1980s.

Social identity basically serves as an anchor or a home base to which we can return after any positive or negative events. Our self-esteem is also tied to the fate of the social group. For instance, despite experiencing negative life events, we are much more likely to have high self-esteem if we belong to a prestigious social group. On the other hand, if we believe that we belong to an inferior social group, we are more likely to suffer from poor self-esteem.

Individuals have been seen to go to extreme lengths, like derogating an out-group member or fiercely advocating the agenda of the in-group, despite not having any personal gains from the same. Interestingly, when researchers re-assigned individuals of different social groups to the same group, they worked as a coherent group in order to achieve the superordinate goal. Therefore, group identity directs our behavior and in times of stress, other members of our social group serve as our anchor and provide us with much-needed support.

Specific research in the domain of terminally-ill patients and their caregivers have shown that social support or having the opportunity to interact with people who are in a similar life circumstance increases positive emotions and helps us cope better with stress. Therefore, social support helps us cope with stress. It enhances hope and optimism and reduces negative emotions and mental health problems.

Sources of social support

We can seek social support from many sources. First and foremost is our family. Our family knows us from the day we are born and they can throw light on our strengths and weaknesses much better than anyone else. In fact, there can be times in our lives when our family can help us become self-aware. They can help us see things in a perspective that we ourselves are unable to.

Secondly, we may seek social support from our friends. Since they belong to the same generation and are likely to have similar values, they can help us navigate through difficult situations. Additionally, there may be situations where we are too ashamed of revealing the truth to our family. Friends can support us there.

Thirdly, we can seek social support from our co-workers. Since they are experiencing the same situations at work as we are, they are likely to understand our work world better. Many times, family and friends in different professions are unable to put themselves in our shoes. Hence, their words and advice may dishearten us further. Co-workers can empathize with us better in such situations.

Finally, our bosses can provide us with support in several situations. Owing to their work and life experience, they can serve as our guides and shed light on our feelings and how to overcome the negative phases in our life.

How to increase social support?

Many of us are not very receptive to social support from around us. We tend to isolate ourselves during stressful times and therefore experience high stress for longer durations of time. Here are a few tips that will help us in seeking support.

1. Recognize your limitations: We may often feel that we need to be good at everything. In addition, when we are unable to perform well, we feel that we are not good enough. We also feel that others will make fun of us if we confess our limitations to them. This is often the most powerful deadlock to getting social support. Re-define yourself and recognize your limitations. Seek hep when needed.
2. Support others: It is important to lend an ear to those around us when they are in need. Social support, just like all other social contracts, works on a give-and-take basis. You cannot expect others to support you when you turn a blind eye to them.
3. Join groups and clubs: Social groups are the most prominent sources of social support. Hence, we need to be a part of them so that we do not get isolated. Being a part of groups with like-minded others will definitely help in times of stress.
4. Identify trusted allies: Know your group, specially toxic people who have the potential of turning even positive events to negative. Identify a few mature and stable individuals who can understand and empathize with you during stressful time.

Conclusion

Thus, we see that social support is an important source of stress coping and remaining positive in our lives. We also learned about the sources of social support and how we can improve our level of social support.

The post Is Social Support more important than you think? appeared first on Management Weekly.

Job satisfaction entails a positive feeling about one’s job. It is one of the most studied aspects of job attitudes. This is because it drives on-the-job behavior and has a strong correlation with actual job performance. A satisfied employee is more likely to walk the extra mile for the organization. He or she is also far more likely to stick to the job despite the unavoidable ups and downs in one’s professional life.

Real-life reports by several dissatisfied employees reveal two crucial factors that prompt them to quit the job:

1. Opportunity for a better job
2. Irrational demands by managers and bosses in the current organization.

Research suggests that the latter is a far stronger predictor of actual turnover than the former. Therefore, the importance of job satisfaction and the advantages of having a satisfied employee can never be underestimated.

What leads to job satisfaction?

Think about it. What would you like to change in your current job to feel happier? For a person struggling with finances, pay would be the first answer. It has been found that pay increases satisfaction but only up to a point. For instance, if a person’s income keeps rising after a point, it does not provide incremental satisfaction anymore. Thus, pay or salary has a diminishing utility when it comes to job satisfaction.

Far more important factors include training, variety of tasks, independence or autonomy, control, and good co-workers. In reality, job satisfaction is not strictly related to the job. Personality factors also drive one’s level of satisfaction. Cynical individuals are likely to be skeptical of even positive job conditions and end up feeling dissatisfied. Research has shown that individuals with a positive core self-evaluation are more likely to be satisfied. In other words, individuals who believe in their inner potentials and competence are likely to experience job satisfaction.

What happens with employees are not satisfied?

Robins et al(2013) developed the following framework for describing responses to dissatisfaction:

1. Exit: This involves leaving the organization. Exit is often directed by new job opportunities or opting for higher studies. New job opportunities may be in the form of switching to a different organization or starting one’s own enterprise. Higher education may be in the form of obtaining a diploma to continue in the same career or pursuing courses like MBA or PhD to change the course of one’s career.
2. Voice: This involves an active effort to change the existing and frustrating job conditions. It involves taking action in the form of discussing with co-workers and supervisors to accept the problem and find solutions for the same. Voice is often perceived in a negative fashion by top management, especially in high power distance cultures, where employees are expected to carry out orders. However, research evidence suggests that it is a better option to hear out employee grievances rather than ignoring them at face value.
3. Loyalty: It involves optimistically yet passively waiting for job conditions to improve. Loyalty also involves defending the organization in cases of external criticisms, therefore, not acknowledging the problem directly. Such employees have high levels of trust in the top management and believe that the organizational leaders will make things right. Hence, it is the passive version of employee voice.
4. Neglect: This involves chronic absenteeism, low productivity, loss of motivation in employees. Yet there is no attempt by employees to make conditions better. It is like accepting fate and finding a way to deal with it. Therefore, conditions are likely to worsen.

What happens when employees are satisfied?

1. Performance: Happy workers are likely to do more work and perform better. Based on a study published in Science Daily, higher levels of job satisfaction predicted better organizational performance about 6 months later. This study also found that job satisfaction gives rise to a virtuous cycle. Satisfied employees perform better, thereby increasing output. Profitable firms, in return, create conditions where employees are more satisfied. In general satisfied employees are more motivated and empowered.
2. OCB: Satisfied employees are more likely to talk positively about the organization, assist others and go beyond their job descriptions to contribute to the organization. Perceptions of organizational justice also moderate this relationship. When employees perceive that they have received rewards consistent with their efforts in the organization, they are more likely to walk the extra mile.
3. Customer satisfaction: Employees in front line jobs have to interact with customers on a daily basis in a pleasant and soothing tone. Satisfied employees are more likely to be naturals at it, whereas, dissatisfied employees have to put up a façade which is both emotionally taxing and robotic. Therefore, satisfied employees are more likely to enhance customer satisfaction as well.
4. Absenteeism and Turnover: There is a moderate yet consistent negative relationship between job satisfaction and absenteeism. However, dissatisfied employees are more likely to show up for the job and be less productive. Absence of job satisfaction often serves as a pushing force that prompts employees to quit the organization despite not having a lucrative job offer at hand.
5. Workplace deviance: When employees feel exploited in the workplace, they are likely to show deviant behavior, like social withdrawal, substance abuse in the work place, extreme levels of aggression, unionized attempts and many more. Therefore, perceptions of justice and job satisfaction often go hand in hand.

Conclusion

Thus, we see that job satisfaction is correlated with positive on-the-job behavior, whereas low satisfaction is related to negative on-the-job behaviors. Therefore, organizations need to make attempts to enhance job satisfaction in employees.

The post Importance of Job Satisfaction appeared first on Management Weekly.

Did you know that an average teen can spend up to 9 hours every day on Facebook? This may sound alarming to most of us, but this is the stock reality of these times. The average time spent by adults on social media is around 2 hours. However, some of us may not realize that we are spending a lot more time than that. The addiction of Facebook is more common than we may assume. Have we as humans become addicted to Facebook? Or this is just an adjustment phase after which things will be under control again? 

What is addiction of Facebook? How is it related to other addictions?

Social media addiction has been classified as an impulse control disorder by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Psychological Disorders (DSM-5). The typical cycle of an impulse control disorder is as follows: 

• The person experiences a strong urge or drive (impulse) to engage in the behavior. 
• Abstaining from fulfilling the urge leads to extreme levels of anxiety in the person. 
• The person engages in the behavior to get rid of the anxiety. 
• However, the relief from anxiety is short-lived and soon the impulse or the urge returns. 

Slowly and steadily, the person becomes dependent on social media or any digital App for the release of tension. In other words, digital life serves as a temporary escape from the upheavals of the real world. DSM-5 also considers gaming disorder to be a major part of internet addiction. We are all familiar with the tragedies created by popular digital games. Similarly, people are realizing the potential dangers of addiction of Facebook and other social media platforms.

Analogy between Substance Abuse and Internet Addiction 

Addiction is a type of impulsive behavior where an individual consumes a substance and slowly becomes dependent on it. Traditionally, addiction is caused by narcotic or recreational substances. However, addiction can also happen when a person indulges in other behaviors, such as social media, gambling, or gaming.  

Just like alcoholic experiences a strong urge to consume alcohol, a social media addict experiences a strong urge to post, comment, like, and share posts. The alcoholic is unable to control himself whenever he or she views a bottle of alcohol. Similarly, the social media addict is unable to control oneself by seeing the notification light of the phone blinking. Just like the alcoholic, who knows that drinking is a vice, the social media addict also knows the cons of constantly using and consuming content on social media. Yet both have little power to control their action. Therefore, we become addicted to Facebook. Consequently, this addiction to Facebook starts affecting our health and wellbeing.

How to know if you have Social Media Addiction? 

You can check for the following symptoms in yourself and find out if you have it: 

• Compulsive, excessive, and repeated engagement in social media. 
• Being unable to stop the activity. 
• Impaired judgment. 
• Being unable to control the behavior. 
• Craving the activity or behavior. 
• Being unable to recognize the consequences of the behavior (safety, financial, emotional, physical, death). 
• Strained work and personal relationships. 
• Inappropriate emotional response. 

If you have the above symptoms and the cause of this maladaptation is social media, you know that you have social media addiction. If you think you have any of these symptoms then it indicates that you may have an addiction to Facebook. For a more accurate diagnosis, please visit a psychologist. 

Why do people suffer from social media addiction?

Social media addiction may start off as a simple process. People just join the platform to increase their interaction with other people. However, over a period of time, they get more and more pleasures out of the platform. This pleasure comes from a cycle of positive feedback and self-verification. When you see people are liking your post, you feel good. It is obvious that anyone would want to indulge more in those activities that make one feel good. In addition, social media Apps often suggest such videos to you that you have liked in the past. Hence, they know your likings and preferences. Therefore, you start spending more and more time on social media.  

1. Psychological reasons

Some researchers view social media addiction as a self-regulatory failure. We all know our daily responsibilities. However, when we postpone our work in order to satisfy our urge to check social media or be available online for our friends and relatives, we are unable to regulate our actions to fulfill our top priorities. 

In addition, many of us suffer from FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). We often feel that if we do not check our social media Apps, we will miss some crucial information or news. Often, we feel embarrassed if we do not reply to messages and take pride in claiming that we reply to messages ASAP. We wrongly feel that if we do not check the notifications immediately, something terrible will happen. 

Certain biochemical factors may also force us to suffer from social media addiction. In general, social media addiction has been linked to the activity of the neurotransmitter dopamine. Dopamine controls the mechanisms related to rewards and learning in the brain. When we feel rewarded a large amount of dopamine is released in the brain. Now dopamine gives us a feel-good feeling. Hence, we would normally want to engage in activities that trigger the release of dopamine in the brain. Social media is one such activity that releases dopamine. In addition, when we see that others are liking and commenting on our posts, we feel rewarded. Therefore, it triggers the release of dopamine in the otherwise anxious person. Hence, the cycle of addiction becomes strong. 

2. Social Media are designed to be addictive

However, it is not just the individual who is to be blamed. The algorithm of social media Apps also plays a critical role in this addiction. These sites and apps are designed after careful research into how our minds work. The apps may you stay longer, interact more and share more. The effect may be more pronounced for those individuals who are already more vulnerable. However, at some level, we cannot escape the clutches of social media. To make the matters worse, companies like Facebook already know the adverse effects but encourage it. In a recent revelation by an ex-facebook employee, it was discovered that Facebook knew that Instagram is very bad for teens but they do nothing.

Nir Eyal has suggested that we are hooked on social media. This means that by design, these platforms trap us. He has suggested that the users get hooked to these platforms because it is designed in such a manner. Social media enhances the concept of gamification. We count the number of likes and comments on our post as if the number of likes and comments will make us win a game. They ensure that we get small pleasures from each interaction. It also makes us invested in the followers, likes, and comments. Therefore, it becomes very difficult to leave these platforms. Johari Window Model suggests that our personalities are viewed very differently by us and others. We are in constant turmoil between who we think we are who we want to be seen as.

How to overcome social media addiction? 

The good news is that you can overcome social media addiction by becoming a bit cautious and exercising a bit of self-control in your life. Here are a few ways which will definitely help you: 

1. Actively think about the negative consequences of your behavior. Doing so will enable you to develop insight into your addiction and identify it as maladaptive. 

2. “What gets measured gets controlled” is a famous proverb and wise people follow this. Download the digital well-being App on your phone and track your social media usage. 

3. Disable the notification setting on your phone. This may help you overcome the addiction of Facebook.

4. Engage yourself in exercise and leisure activities so that you have little time for social media. 

5. Experience the bliss of digital detox or the Joy of Missing Out (JOMO) once in a while. In other words, do not open any social media Apps for a day or two. 

6. Practice mindfulness. It is the most effective method of making one conscious of our activities and monitor our behavior. 

7. If none of these work for you, visit a therapist to receive professional assistance. 

The post Addiction of Facebook? How to cope and come out stronger? appeared first on Management Weekly.

The stick and carrot theory is a well-known approach. Although some people think that this is a theory of motivation, this is actually a theory of compliance. Firstly, we shall take a look at this theory and try to understand what this is about. Then we will look at some real-life examples. 

What is carrot and stick theory? 

The carrot and stick theory says that there are two different approaches to controlling someone’s behavior. We can either encourage someone by providing a reward for favorable behavior. We can also encourage someone by providing punishment for an unfavorable behavior. However, when we take a deeper dive into this theory, we will understand that there is much more to it than rewards and punishment. 

The storm has been traced back to the 19th century. During those times, people used to race on donkeys. One of the surviving images shows that there was a unique approach taken by one of the jockeys. He hung a piece of carrot at the end of a stick and held it in front of the donkey. This encouraged the donkey to run faster than others. Meanwhile, other jockeys simply use the stick approach. They were beating their donkeys left and right in order for them to gain speed. Therefore, the jockey that used both carrot, as well as stick, was able to outperform others. 

In the modern context, the carrot and stick approach refers to the practice of using different techniques like rewards and punishment to encourage a specific behavior. This term is mostly applied in the field of management. However, it is also used in the field of politics. 

The theory behind this term 

One of the key traits of a leader is to make people follow them. One of the pioneering works in this area was done by Amitai Etzioni. He proposed that organizations can use three different means by which they can ensure compliance by the members.  

1. Coercion 

2. Remuneration 

3. Normative 

Coercion is a more severe form of control where the members are controlled by physical force or threat. You can also equate this with the different kinds of threats or punishments that can be meted out to an individual. Therefore, we can classify coercion as a form of ‘sticks’ approach.  

The most common form of remuneration can be money. Money is a powerful motivator and controller of behavior. At the most basic level, the salary of the employees is dependent on the organization. If the organization removes someone from their payroll, that would lead to financial hardship. When an employee behaves in a manner that is favorable to the organization, the organization rewards them with higher remunerations an increase in salary or an increase in position. 

Finally, we come to the normative form of control. This type of form is more symbolic in nature. Here we see that people are controlled by their loyalty or affection towards their organizations. People who are more compliant are typically regarded at a higher level than those people who are rebellious in nature. This in turn informs people’s behavior and keeps them in control. 

Punishment vs Rewards 

Not all punishments are equal in nature. Some of the punishments may be seen as a severe threat, while others can be neglected. In this regard, there are two different factors that can increase the power of punishment. 

1. Severity of punishment – When we perceive that the punishment is going to be severe, we have got higher motivation to comply. 

2. Certainty of punishment – Similarly, when we see that there is a higher probability of getting punished after the crime is caught. 

On the other hand, rewards are generally considered to be a more positive approach towards extracting higher performance. It does not just help people comply; it also keeps them motivated. However, we should also keep in mind that only rewards can get ineffective. Therefore, most managers use a combination of rewards and punishments. The most common benefits of reward are as follows: 

1. Improvement in performance. 

2. Increase in productivity. 

3. Higher creativity. 

4. Higher compliance. 

Why do we need carrot and stick theory? 

There’s a popular theory in management called the agency theory. This theory states that there are two kinds of entities. The first entity is called the principal. The second entity is called the agent. In an organizational context, the principle is the organization, and the agent is the member of the organization that has been hired to do some specific job. 

As per this theory, these members or employees will act to maximize their own benefits. This comes from the self-serving nature of any human being. Whenever they face a certain scenario when they have to choose between personal wellbeing and organizational wellbeing, they will choose personal wellbeing. Therefore, the use of sticks and carrot theory has been suggested. The provision of rewards makes the agent align their personal goals with the organization because they are getting some form of personal benefit in doing so. At the same time, punishments can deter people from some activity as it is personally harmful to them. 

The simplest example of this can be an employee who has been hired to sit as the security guard at the gate. The guard knows that if he is away from that post for long, then his job can be jeopardized. Therefore, he will ensure that he does not leave the post unattended. This thread to the job is like a punishment that will ensure that he diligently sits at the place. He only leaves when he sees that there is some other guard present at the gate. 

Another example of this can be a sales representative for a company. The sales representative has been offered a cut from the total sales that he brings. This incentive or reward will ensure that the employee puts in extra effort to sell the products. 

Deeper understanding 

You must have heard about the term intrinsic motivation. It is extremely important to understand it in this context. Chen et al. (2012), has discussed, the application of stick and carrot theory in the context of policy compliance. They have stated that motivation can have a continuum between autonomy and control. When the motivation is autonomous it means that it is derived from a person’s own interest. This type of motivation is also called intrinsic motivation. 

One of the points of criticism of the stick and the carrot approach is that this approach touches upon the controlled aspect of motivation only.  

Because of this bifurcation that we can find certain limitations to the stick and carrot theory. Firstly, we see that there are many limitations to the monetary rewards for the employees. 

1. Monetary rewards are typically short lived. They have a temporary effect and therefore when they are removed, the effect is also gone. 

2. It has also been seen, then monetary rewards can improve the quantity, but they don’t affect the quality of output. 

Autonomous motivation 

Therefore, we go back to the self-determination theory. This theory explains where does motivation comes from. It says that there are three basic needs that need to be fulfilled. The first need is the need for relatedness or social affiliation. The second need is the need for competence or personal efficacy. The third need is the need for autonomy or self-reliance. 

Controlled motivation 

Let us go back to the stick and carrot approach. We can look at it as a form of control motivation. The basic mechanism of control motivation works by working on certain fears and aspirations of individuals. Some of these aspirations are highlighted below: 

1. Fear of punishment. 

2. Guilt. 

3. Reward for good behavior. 

4. Uneasiness of doing something wrong? 

5. Personal gains. 

6. Expected returns and reciprocity. 

7. Pressure and coercion 

Therefore, we can say that controlled motivation that is conceptualized as the stick and carrot theory has got some major drawbacks. At least contemporary management looks at it with an eye of skepticism. Firstly, it reduces the overall motivation of an individual. Any motivation that is brought about externally or controlled manner will not sustain for long. Secondly, it also lowers the performance. It has been seen that rewards or punishments can work well in the short term, but they do not work well in the very long term. On the other hand, intrinsic motivation has been seen to provide much better results in some contexts. Thirdly, it also leads to a resentful environment in the workplace. Employees always feel that they are being monitored and assessed. It feels like sitting for an exam. Also, the concept of reward and punishment makes some team members superior to others. This leads to conflicts in the workplace. Lastly, it also ends up making people unhappy. It has been seen that this kind of work structure can reduce the well-being of individuals and stress them out. 

What is better than the carrot and stick approach? 

1. Research shows that feedback for improvement is much more important. Then the concept of rewards and punishment. 

2. A good manager follows the old adage ‘praise publicly, criticize privately. 

3. You can also plan to establish a healthy work environment by encouraging team goals.  

4. The personal goals of the employees need to be aligned to the professional goals. This has to be worked out by the manager by sitting down and understand the perspective of their subordinates. 

5. It’s also imperative to understand the importance of job ownership. It has been seen that employees who have a greater ownership in what they’re doing also perform better. 

6. Finally, there should be a clarity about the task that someone has to do. At the same time, there needs to be clarity about the reward that is associated with that task. Sometimes stick and carrot approach fails because the a person may lack clarity about these.  

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Work reflection has been studied by researchers for a long time. It entails thinking about positive and negative events at the workplace. Let us try to understand a bit more in this essay about self reflection after work.

What is work reflection?

Work reflection refers to cognition about the events and interactions of the workplace during non-work or leisure hours. It usually has two components:

1. A cognitive component: The individual engages in active thinking about work events. Therefore, they expend cognitive energy and resources during non-work hours for work-related activities.
2. An affective component: The emotional by-products of engaging in cognition about work events. Such emotions include pride, guilt, embarrassment, positive affect, negative affect, and many more.

We discuss two types of work reflection in this essay on self reflection for the workplace. The first involves reflecting on the positive aspects and events of the workplace. For instance, employees may reflect on a successful client meeting and take notes about the strategies that enabled them to negotiate a win-win deal. The second type involves reflecting on the negative aspects and events of the workplace. For instance, employees might think about how their boss humiliated them in front of the entire team for a grammatical error during a presentation.

It is evident that the two forms of self-reflection would yield entirely different sets of emotional and behavioral outcomes. Positive work reflection during non-work hours and weekends could result in better resource recovery, better sleep quality, positive affect, and greater life satisfaction. On the other hand, negative work reflection is more likely to result in burnout, mental fog, poor sleep quality, and diminished overall health quality. In this essay about self-reflection, we emphasize the importance of the quality of reflection as well. You should focus on positive thoughts more, even though your attention may go to negative thoughts from time to time.

Why is work reflection important?

Despite having mixed outcomes, self-reflection is a crucial aspect of every individual’s life. Imagine a scenario where we did not reflect on what we did and how we did. Would we not reach a quasi-static state? We would not feel any emotions with respect to our work and what is life without emotions? Hence, for our own personal benefit, we need to engage in both positive and negative work reflections. While positive work reflection makes us feel good about ourselves, negative work reflection gives us scope for improvement. Recall our earlier example of the boss who humiliated the employee. Although there are better communication strategies that the boss could have used, the employee would now be extra cautious about grammatical and typographical errors during work presentations.

In addition, all emotional states (both positive and negative) serve important functions in our lives. Imagine a situation where you got into trouble for over-speeding your vehicle. If you do not reflect on it and experience guilt about almost killing yourself and other people, you would probably forget about it and over-speed again in the future. However, if you reflect on it and realize your mistake and the situational factors that led to the accident, you would be careful next time. As a result, your driving skill would improve.

► Pro Tip: don’t overdo it

Frequent harsh appraisals of the self often lead to persistent negative moods. This is especially true for individuals with low self-esteem. Individuals with low self-esteem enter a vicious cycle of brooding and self-blame when they engage in too frequent negative reflection. On one hand, they have an inherent tendency to perceive the self in a negative light, and on the other hand, negative events actually happen to them. Additionally, research suggests that we often make more mistakes when we ride the highs and lows of the emotional rollercoaster. Hence, such individuals are more likely to make errors in the workplace, which gives them scope for further negative reflection.

The benefits of positive work reflection

Positive reflection has been associated with numerous positive outcomes like happiness, positive affect, life satisfaction, better sleep quality, and better physical and mental health. A research study found that employees who engaged in positive reflection during a weekend vacation experienced lesser exhaustion, fatigue, and burnout as compared to employees who did not reflect and those who engaged in negative reflection. However, the downside is that the positive impact of positive reflection did not have temporal longevity. In other words, employees soon returned to the base level of positive emotions within 14 days of returning from the vacation. Therefore, employees need to actively practice positive reflection in order to reap the benefits in the long run. Positive reflection interventions like mindfulness training have been shown to enhance the ability to perceive the light at the end of the tunnel.

The cons of reflection: A Conservation of Resources Approach

The conservation of resources theory (Hobfol, 1989) states that individuals have a fixed repository of resources. If we expend more resources on one activity, we automatically have lesser resources for other activities. Hence, if we spend too much time reflecting on work events during our non-work hours, we are less likely to have time and energy for household chores and leisure activities. Both of them have great importance in our lives.

If we are not able to find time for household chores and family activities, we face work-family conflict. Work-family conflict is a major source of stress and burnout in today’s age of dual-career families. Leisure activities help us define our identity and give us motivation and energy for other activities. Hence if we are unable to find time for leisure, we end up being exhausted. Therefore, engaging in both forms of reflection have the disadvantage of leaving us exhausted.

New Trends in Work Reflection

The global pandemic has made our lives difficult. While we are working from home, the boundaries between work and non-work activities and hours have become blurred. Most employees claim that they are working for extra hours and feeling exhausted and over-burdened. The situation is more challenging for dual-career couples with kids. In such a situation, we hardly have time for conscious work reflection. Therefore, in this essay on self-reflection for work, we suggest some easy interventions.

These are less likely to have an impact on your ability to reflect positively or negatively. Hence, we have to take charge of the situation ourselves. Firstly, while remaining aware of the consequences of the disease, we need to reduce the negative talk. Secondly, we have to adopt the method of time blocking. Most employees are ending up working extra hours because they are not able to define the boundary between work and family due to the absence of physical distance. If we block time for activities beforehand, we would have time for all activities. Remember most of us are saving hours of commute time. Since reflection is important, we need to block some time to take a quick walk and reflect on the happenings of the day. A conscious effort to do so for a few days would lead to the formation of a good habit.

The post Motivate Yourself Easily: An Essay about Self Reflection After Work appeared first on Management Weekly.

It is common for employees to have conflicts with their co-workers. There may be conflicts due to individual differences between co-workers. In addition, there could be task-related conflicts arising from leadership or company policies. In any case, resolving conflicts in the workplace is important. Workplace conflicts are not desirable both for company performance as well as individual well-being. Let us look at Thomas Kilmann Conflict Model to resolve conflicts in the workplace.

Let us consider an example to understand the process of conflict resolution in the workplace. Company ABC has been merged with company XYZ. The top management team of ABC wants to print posters containing the name and picture of their Founder and CEO and have them put up in all departments across both organizations. Company XYZ sees this as an intrusion and also considers it as a wastage of resources. However, ABC, being the more reputed and revenue-generating of the two firms thinks and insists that this move is required to boost the morale of both the firms.

The Thomas Kilmann Conflict Model

Thomas and Kilmann’s Conflict Model is a powerful way of looking at conflict management. Conflicts are painful for individuals, and it is an important test of managerial skills. Different people respond differently to conflicts. Thomas and Kilmann studied how people managed conflicts. They were greatly inspired by the daily lives of individuals. They observed that most people use one of the five approaches to resolving interpersonal conflicts. Kenneth Thomas and Ralph Kilmann developed a framework using these five approaches. They came up with the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument or TKI in 1974.

However, let us first understand the nuts and bolts of TKI. Firstly, TKI talks about the two dimensions of conflict management. Think of them as two approaches that you can take. You could be assertive in resolving the conflict or try to be cooperative.

Two Differering Approaches

The Thomas Kilman Conflict Model posits that there are two ‘dimensions’ or approaches for conflict behavior. These approaches are essentially ways of dealing with the situation of conflict. The individuals may choose to be either assertive in their approach or cooperative.

People may become assertive in situations where they feel there is a threat to their concerns. On the other hand, they may become cooperative when they attempt to cater to other’s concerns. These dimensions provide us with a perspective to understand the five modes for managing conflict. Finally, it should be noted that T&K has emphasized that no one approach is superior. A manager should use an approach as per the situation. I have attempted to provide a summary of the two approaches below for easier perusal:

The Five Modes for Conflict Management

The five modes for conflict management are the core takeaway from Thomas Kilmann’s conflict model. These modes are spread across the two dimensions or approaches as we have discussed earlier. Let us first place them in a chart. This will help us make a better sense of the model. Further, we shall take a deeper dive into each one of these modes.

Competing

At the top left end of the chart, we have high assertiveness and low cooperation. We find competing right at this spot. This means that we use ‘competing’ as a conflict resolution strategy when we resort to being assertive. Additionally, we also become uncooperative with the opposing party. However, this strategy is not as evil as it sounds. This mode may be more appropriate when we need speedy resolution and we are a higher position of power. It is also imperative to use this mode when we have to take tough calls.

Avoiding

The avoiding mode reflects passivity in conflict management. Although, from an ideal perspective, we would agree that we should face the problems, head on. However, the most confident of us would have been in situations where confrontation was best avoided. Also, some problems are so trivial, they are not worth your time.

This approach involves shunning the conflict and withholding one’s views and opinions. People also employ this approach when the cost of confrontation and resolution is far more than the cost of living with the conflict. However, avoiding does not resolve the conflict. On the downside, it just buries it below the surface and may potentially lead to future conflicts.

Accommodating

Now, we are gradually moving towards more amicable means of resolving conflicts. Perhaps, accomodating mode is so considerate of the opposing party that you are ready to call it a truce at the cost of giving up your position. It may be worthwhile in situations when the conflict is a total waste of your time.

The Thomas and Kilmann Conflict Model positions this mode as high in cooperativenes and low in assertiveness. We sacrifice our own stance to make the other party happy.

Collaborating

We use collaborating mode of conflict resolution when we are on the same page as the opposing party. This is an ideal solution. It happens when both parties are sensible, have similar power authority, and are ready to be cooperative with each other. This is easier in a decentralized organization structure.

Typically, the first step is a detailed discussion. We need to understand each other’s viewpoints. This leads to a deeper analysis of the situation. We also try to understand the expectations of each other. Finally, we reach a solution where both parties may benefit.

Compromising

Finally, we arrive at the literal middle ground in the Thomas Kilmann Conflict Model. The center of the chart shows us a point where we are moderately assertive and moderately cooperative. In certain situations, we may not want to have an extended resolution. Collaborating takes time. Also, in some situations, we don’t want to be too confrontational but at the same time, we want to take a stand as well.

Also, there are some conflicting situations where we know that the best potential solution would be to satisfy all the parties. In such situations, we typically approach the conflict as a compromise. Each conflicting party gets something they want. Meanwhile, they also give up something they wanted. So it is a mixed win for all. However, some party may get a resolution closer to their expectations while it could be a greater compromise for the other.

Frequently Asked Questions on Thomas Kilmann Conflict Model

Which Thomas Kilmann Conflict Resolution Mode is the Best?

Just like many areas of leadership, there is no right answer to this question. The choide of the conflict resolution mode depends on the following factors:

• The immediacy of the problem.
• Your comfort level with assertiveness and cooperation for the given conflict.
• Priority on resolving the problem or on a long-term relationship with the opposing party.
• Your position in power heirarchy.

Which is the most commonly used conflict resolution mode or strategy?

We cannot make a correct inference about which conflict resolution mode is used more than others. Thomas Kilmann has provided an extended explanation for the same in his blog. He explains that TKI measures the relative tendency of a person to use one mode over another. However, it does not capture the total number of conflicts encountered. Therefore, we cannot say that x% of people use compromising or y% of people use competing mode.

Do women and men resolve conflicts differently?

No, there are no meaningful differences in how men and women resolve conflicts. However, according to a report published by Thomas and Kilmann in 2007, women are more ready to use compromising mode. The report also states that men have a higher tendency than women to use competing mode. A summary of their findings is provided below. The percentage represents the mode of percentile of responses. For example, it was found that about half of men had scored more than 57% percentile in use of competing mode.

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Meta-cognition is the process of planning, monitoring and assessing one’s own thought processes and performance. In simple layman terms, it involves thinking about thinking. Meta-cognition is an adaptive process in many situations. We become aware of our strengths and weaknesses. However, it may also lead to a cyclical and vicious process of ruminating and obsessive thoughts. Let us dive in and look at a few definitions of meta-cognition. In addition, we will also take a process view of meta-cognition.

Definitions of Meta-cognition

Meta-cognition is the capacity to understand and examine how you interpret thoughts and feelings. Therefore, it is an important aspect of self-definition and self-awareness. Individuals who engage in frequent meta-cognition may benefit from deeper communication with themselves. For instance, an employee who thinks about his thoughts and feelings in the workplace is likely to have better control over situations in the future.

Meta-cognition can be thought of as a higher level of cognition about cognitive processes. John H Flavell coined the term meta-cognition for this process. The term meta means “on top of” or “beyond”. Therefore, we can engage in meta-cognition with respect to all cognitive processes. Meta-memory refers to memory about strategies to remember facts, events and objects.

Meta-cognitive knowledge

Meta-cognitive knowledge refers to knowledge about one’s cognitive processes and learning how to maximize resources for better self-regulation and control. Let us consider the case of an MBA aspirant. He or she would spend some time preparing the subjects. Then he or she would appear for a few mock tests. Based on the results of the mock test and one’s own self-analysis, the student would estimate his or her chances in the final examination. In addition, the student would also spend more or less time in certain subjects based on the outcome of the above assessment. It is common to have flawed meta-cognitive knowledge. This is because we often have an innate tendency to overestimate or underestimate our abilities. However, such knowledge greatly enhances our information-processing time and helps us adapt to situations.

Meta-cognitive knowledge also includes awareness about cognitive strategies. For instance, some of use know that we recall better when we visualize the object, fact or event. Therefore, in future we would try to visualize information that we wish to recall. Hence, meta-cognitive knowledge enhances our cognitive abilities.

Meta-cognitive Regulation

Meta-cognitive regulation is a combination of planning, monitoring and evaluation. Planning refers to the successful selection of strategies to reach the goal. Monitoring is the process of becoming aware of task performance. Evaluation refers to undergoing checks to make sure we are on the right track for goal attainment. It is the appraisal that the final task lived up to the expectations.

Focusing on the goal persistently is also a meta-cognitive regulation. We are constantly monitoring and evaluating whether we are reaching our goal. In addition, we are also actively filtering out distracting stimuli. For instance, while working, we have to filter out constant notifications from social media in order to finish the task on time.

Social Meta-cognition

Recently, researchers adopted an expansionist approach to study meta-cognition. They included aspects of social psychology into meta-cognition. Social meta-cognition simply refers to cognition and awareness about the perceptions and judgment of other people. Individuals with high emotional intelligence are likely to be good at social meta-cognition.

Social meta-cognition greatly influences one’s self-esteem. This is because we constantly seek social feedback about our beliefs, abilities and values. Such feedback greatly influences our self-perception and self-esteem. For instance, social stereotypes dictate that elderly people have weaker memory. This stereotype may be internalized by individuals who may believe that they have weaker memory despite not having any physiological damage.

Conclusion

Therefore, meta-cognition is an important process in adaptation and learning. However, too much meta-cognition can hamper with our day-to-day activities and increase anxiety, stress and depression.

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Employee empowerment refers to the ways in which organizations provide a certain degree of autonomy and control to their employees. Since autonomy and control are intrinsic motivation factors, the importance of employee empowerment cannot be denied. Empowered employees are more likely to walk the extra mile and remain motivated in troubled and turbulent times.

Employee empowerment can be enhanced by incorporating two concepts in the workplace:

1. Job Enlargement: Job enlargement refers to increasing the scope of the job. It ensures that employees are included in a greater portion of the horizontal process. For instance, instead of asking an employee to just make power-point slides, the manager asks him or her to present them to the audience as well. Job enlargement is exactly the opposite of division of labor. Employees are asked to perform the entire process instead of breaking the task into smaller bits.
2. Job Enrichment: It involves increasing the depth of the job. For instance, allowing employees to be a part of the decision-making process. Therefore, it involves including employees in tasks that were typically done by the top management team.

We will now discuss about the benefits of employee empowerment.

Benefits of Employee Empowerment

Speed and Flexibility

Modern organizations need to make rapid decisions. In addition, they must be flexible in order to survive the market competition. Hence, it is very important to have empowered employees, who are confident and capable of making quick decisions. For instance, employees need to be very fast while attending to frustrated customers. The organization may lose customers if they are not able to respond appropriately.

Best use of human capital

Organizations spend a lot of time, effort and money into recruiting and selecting talented employees. Allowing them to express their feedback and work autonomously can help organizations reap the benefits of higher costs. In addition, educated and talented employees have an intrinsic need to feel competent in the workplace. Empowering them would increase the chances of talent retention.

Greater Engagement

Employee empowerment is significantly related to employee engagement. Such employees not only go the extra mile but also remain loyal to their workplace in turbulent times. In addition, engaged employees experience much less work-life conflict. Hence they are able to give their 100% effort and attention during work hours.

Happy Workplace

Empowered employees are happier than others. Unless employees have autonomy and control in the workplace, they are likely to feel exploited. On the other hand, empowered employees are likely to be filled with positive energy. Therefore, they are more proactive and altruistic in nature. They have greater positive affect, job satisfaction and engagement. Furthermore, they are likely to spread the message of happiness and positivity to their team members and juniors as well.

Greater Trust in Leadership

Employees have a need to for autonomy and control. When they feel that their leaders and managers are just interested in getting the work done and not concerned about employees’ career goals, they feel demotivated. On the other hand, employees are likely to notice and appreciate when leaders make an effort for employee empowerment. It also leads to increased employee trust in management and leadership.

Better Communication

Since empowered employees are encouraged to voice their feedback, communication channels open up in the organization. With open communication comes the benefit of fewer conflicts and misunderstandings. On the other hand, non-empowered employees are likely to communicate less and therefore, find themselves in more clashes and conflicts of interest.

Conclusion

Therefore, the importance of employee empowerment cannot be denied. Organizations should make active effort towards employee empowerment.

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