A major part of good research is properly framing the question, and then properly designing the study. Unfortunately, even scientists whose profession is to conduct research in order to add to the body of knowledge often get this wrong – according to one expert who investigated the issue, as much as half the time (see here for the post where this is referenced).
So, it is always worthwhile to subject even our most cherished assumptions to critical re-examination. One of these is that a happy workforce is a productive workforce. We all want productivity, and if promoting the job satisfaction – and even general happiness – of our employees will help us get that, then we will work hard to attain it.
A very good summary of how to cultivate an environment that unites company morale and employee satisfaction closely with loyalty and productivity is offered in an article by Bill Collier at Dave Prouhet‘s site. As Bill says with logic that is difficult to deny, “You’ll get more of the behavior you reward. It’s human nature.”
We all instinctively understand that, to the point that we hardly question it. But that’s precisely the point when we should. Consider the topic of a thought-provoking post by Robert May of Businesspundit. He cites a study which asserts that
. . . a cause and effect relationship does not exist between job satisfaction and performance. Instead, the two are related because both satisfaction and performance are the result of employee personality characteristics, such as self-esteem, emotional stability, extroversion and conscientiousness.
Now, that’s an interesting insight – and how could it have been developed had someone not thought to question a premise of organizational design and development thought to be so unassailably fundamental that entire industries have been built on helping cultivate employee satisfaction? Be sure to visit Robert’s post to learn more.
The study’s suggestion is that we shouldn’t invest too much time in making our employees happy, but more in making sure we hire happy employees. You don’t get one by cultivating the other – the one is a clue to the presence of the other; so, you get them as a package, or despite your best efforts you will likely get neither.
It seems to fly in the face, doesn’t it, of the experience of most of us? But perhaps we aren’t really cultivating happiness in our workplaces, as much as we are giving it reign to express itself, and its concomitant aspect of productivity along with it.
This may be a distinction with a real difference, better informing the decisions managers make and the things they do to enhance workplace productivity. It is worth looking at more closely.
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Technorati Tags: workforce, productivity, job satisfaction, employee satisfaction, loyalty, Dave Prouhet, Robert May, performance, organizational design, Bill Collier, Organizational Leadership
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