The business world of today and the various companies, large and small, operating within it are constantly devising, developing and implementing improvements to their organizations. The goal of any company is to achieve and maintain success. The core of any business or company is the people working within it. No matter how sound the structures, methods and policies of a company, there can be no success without capable employees. The value of any company can be measured in terms of its human capital because they are the driving force behind business success. With most employees spending nearly half their waking hours at work, a good environment can affect their mental status, actions, abilities and performance (Sundstrom, 1994).
The motivation levels of employees, whether extrinsically provided by incentives or intrinsically residing in employees, is an important consideration because it affects the quality of work output by employees. When staffers and employees feel that company management cares about their welfare and allows them to be involved in the management process, they are workers that are more productive. Likewise, excessive control or “micro-management” has a tendency to stifles motivation and creativity, while collaboration creates a more productive work environment. An excellent example of how collaboration is achieved versus control is the “Six Thinking Hats” method (de Bono, 1985), whereby a project team utilizes “hats” of varying colors to signify what kind of thinking is being done. The important aspect of this method is that all involved members must wear the same colored “hat” at the same time, which is critical to fostering a collaborative environment.
Motivation, creativity and performance can also be influenced positively or negatively by the actual work environment. Factors including the utilization and layout of available space can affect a company’s productivity. An office with an open floor plan has its benefits and risks. They tend to foster more communication because of the proximity of workers, but are also louder, which sometimes causes distractions and compels workers to use headphones. Some studies have found that this improves productivity, but also means that workers miss shared learning possibilities. Other work environment factors that influence productivity include indoor climate and lighting. Air-conditioning in an office space is more comfortable than one that is not. A “stuffy” work environment is not a productive one. Likewise, ambient light and the level of natural sunlight allowed into a space can affect the mood and personalities of workers, which in turn affects productivity and health. Diminished health among workers increases absenteeism, which decreases productivity.
Innovation can help a company stay at the forefront and ahead of their competition. The first step to innovation is creativity. It makes sense that management would do well to actively promote creativity, but in fact, it is often the opposite. Often through unintentional and ineffective management techniques and processes, creativity is stifled. As illustrated by Serrat (2009), creativity requires a collaborative effort using motivation (previously mentioned), creative thinking and expertise. Therefore, having employees with the proper mix of skills and characteristics is important for a company’s success.
The obvious conclusions are that the result of good creativity is innovation, good creativity is borne of proper motivation and proper motivation is the result of a good work environment. They are all interconnected and dependent on each other. It is incumbent on companies to be aware of these factors if they desire to survive or thrive in the competitive business world of the present and future.
The business world of today and the various companies, large and small, operating within it are constantly devising, developing and implementing improvements to their organizations. The goal of any company is to achieve and maintain success. The core of any business or company is the people working within it. No matter how sound the structures, methods and policies of a company, there can be no success without capable employees. The value of any company can be measured in terms of its human capital because they are the driving force behind business success. With most employees spending nearly half their waking hours at work, a good environment can affect their mental status, actions, abilities and performance (Sundstrom, 1994).
The motivation levels of employees, whether extrinsically provided by incentives or intrinsically residing in employees, is an important consideration because it affects the quality of work output by employees. When staffers and employees feel that company management cares about their welfare and allows them to be involved in the management process, they are workers that are more productive. Likewise, excessive control or “micro-management” has a tendency to stifles motivation and creativity, while collaboration creates a more productive work environment. An excellent example of how collaboration is achieved versus control is the “Six Thinking Hats” method (de Bono, 1985), whereby a project team utilizes “hats” of varying colors to signify what kind of thinking is being done. The important aspect of this method is that all involved members must wear the same colored “hat” at the same time, which is critical to fostering a collaborative environment.
Motivation, creativity and performance can also be influenced positively or negatively by the actual work environment. Factors including the utilization and layout of available space can affect a company’s productivity. An office with an open floor plan has its benefits and risks. They tend to foster more communication because of the proximity of workers, but are also louder, which sometimes causes distractions and compels workers to use headphones. Some studies have found that this improves productivity, but also means that workers miss shared learning possibilities. Other work environment factors that influence productivity include indoor climate and lighting. Air-conditioning in an office space is more comfortable than one that is not. A “stuffy” work environment is not a productive one. Likewise, ambient light and the level of natural sunlight allowed into a space can affect the mood and personalities of workers, which in turn affects productivity and health. Diminished health among workers increases absenteeism, which decreases productivity.
Innovation can help a company stay at the forefront and ahead of their competition. The first step to innovation is creativity. It makes sense that management would do well to actively promote creativity, but in fact, it is often the opposite. Often through unintentional and ineffective management techniques and processes, creativity is stifled. As illustrated by Serrat (2009), creativity requires a collaborative effort using motivation (previously mentioned), creative thinking and expertise. Therefore, having employees with the proper mix of skills and characteristics is important for a company’s success.
The obvious conclusions are that the result of good creativity is innovation, good creativity is borne of proper motivation and proper motivation is the result of a good work environment. They are all interconnected and dependent on each other. It is incumbent on companies to be aware of these factors if they desire to survive or thrive in the competitive business world of the present and future.
การแปล กรุณารอสักครู่..
