Workplace happiness - Assignment Example

Workplace happiness EX1 Personal Interviews: employee happiness at the workplace I interviewed 5 employees who work in various companies in different industries. From the consultation, it became apparent that there are several things that employee cherish in the workplace and consequently contribute to their satisfaction and augment their productivity. Ostensibly, most employees perceive something that they enjoy doing as being significant to improving their contentment rather than simply getting a payback.

A clear chain of command, job security, proper wages, advancement/promotions, good relationship with immediate supervisor, opportunities to use personal abilities and skills, an organization’s financial stability, independence and autonomy, as well as effective communication between the employer and the employees emerged as vital factors and/or aspects that makes employees happy. The intuition and anecdotes indicated that these factors create a positive attitude in employees thus bolstering their happiness.

Most of the employees highlighted strict and unnecessary supervision, poor remuneration, unavailability of fringe benefits, lack of recognition (despite performing exemplary) and the employer’s failure to provide opportunities for personal growth as major factors that make them unhappy. They feel isolated and unappreciated while at the same time devalued thus leading to the development of a negative attitude towards the job and the employer. Employers are concerned over employee unhappiness since it adversely affects the organization’s productivity and reputation.

They strive to counter the adversities brought about by a dissatisfied and/or an unhappy team of employees by striving to embrace diversity and inclusion and conferences where the employees inform the employer about their apprehensions. Realization that strict supervision contributes to employees’ discontent was disgusting since I previously perceived strict supervision as a motivating factor that can potentially contribute to employee happiness. BD1.2: Are Employees in "Top" Organizations Happy?

CareerBliss, Google, Coco Cola, Qualcomm, Microsoft and Samsung are among the global conglomerates that have successfully managed to develop and maintain happy employees. What is impressing about these companies is the sheer fact that they utilize diversity and inclusion to ensure that the complaints of employees are effectively addressed. This enables the companies to reduce their turnover rates thus plummeting operational expenses. Moreover, they have managed to attract a large pool of qualified employees implying that the companies have the best talents and skills at their disposal.

This augments innovation and company productivity. All the aforementioned organizations have realized and appreciated the impact that a positive work environment has on productivity and reputation. They provide this environment by offering proper remuneration and fringe benefits, opportunities for growth and a positive employer-employee relation. As a result, employees have developed a positive attitude towards their work, a high morale and happiness that all contributes to happiness and a value-added productivity and reputation.

Most of the organizations that foster a culture of inclusion, freedom of expression, and devoted to a quality lifestyle for its employees and customers end up outperforming other companies in the industry. Employee satisfaction and/or happiness have predominantly been used by companies such as Google and Coca Cola to create a competitive advantage and survive the stiff competition in their respective industries. The organization’s concern over employees’ happiness has made them to commit human and financial resources towards the development of a work environment that fosters employee happiness.

Listening to what employees want and value have been major navigating forces in the organizations. BD1.3: Social support and happiness Social support from colleagues requires happiness as it helps one to positively overcome life stress, hence helping one improving individual’s well-being through coping-up with stress as they know that they are valued by others. It is, therefore, an individual requirement to show happiness to attract other characters. Social support boosts self-esteem (Lyubomirsky, 2008).

Therefore, one requires happiness because self-esteem can only be acquired through the assurance of worth from others. This can make one’s own success hence they will always feel delightful. Social support earns one a good reputation that they essentially want, but one has to show cheerfulness that will attract other as good reputation could only be a demonstrated through how one cooperates with other individuals. Hence, happiness is necessary for this. Finally, social support from colleagues can help one live longer this is according to psychology thus happiness is necessary for one to be appropriate in a social support group.

References Lyubomirsky, S. (2008). The how of happiness: A scientific approach to getting the life you want. New York: Penguin Press.