Relevance of ELVN Model in Understanding an Employees Response to Job Dissatisfaction in an Organization - Assignment Example

Relevance of ELVN Model in Understanding an Employee’s Response to Job Dissatisfaction in an Organization Student’s Name Course Tutor Date Executive Summary The report is divided into five sections. The first section introduces the report outlining some o the key issues as well as the basis if the report. The next section explains the EVLN model from the perspective of different literature. The next section then discusses how organizations can use EVLN in understanding the dissatisfaction of employees. The second last section then concludes the report making a recommendation. The next section entails the lists of literature consulted when compiling the report. Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 Table of Contents 3 Introduction 4 Exit, Voice, Loyalty, Neglect (ELVN) Model 4 How the EVLN Model Helps an Organization to Understand an Employee's Response to Job Dissatisfaction 7 Conclusion 8 Bibliography 9 Introduction The world has become globalized meaning that there is free mobility of labor across the world. In an ideal or favorable job markets the employees who are dissatisfied are likely to leave and move to desirable jobs. On the other hand in tight job markets, the dissatisfied employees are likely to hold on to the job.1 In an organizational context job dissatisfaction really counts especially to all the key stakeholders such as the customers, employees, managers and the employers as well.2 Employees often seek for better ways either to adapt to the situation or choose to exit the organization. The latter has a negative impact as the employees’ turnover rates give a negative connotation to the organization.3 There are very many sources of job dissatisfaction in organizations and the results are not always pleasant. Some of the HR functions such as motivation, involvement, job rotation, health and safety, and limited training and career development among others could be the key sources of dissatisfaction on part of the employee.4 The Exit, Voice, Loyalty, Neglect (ELVN) analyzes the outcomes of job dissatisfaction, and hypothesizes that employees will respond in four different ways; exiting the organization, talking their minds out about it, loyalty to the organization and through job neglect as well.5 The rationale of the model is that job dissatisfaction not only affects the individual behavior but also has intrinsic and extrinsic effects of the employees. This report evaluates the ELVN model and also discusses how organizations can leverage on the model in understanding employee’s level of dissatisfaction. Exit, Voice, Loyalty, Neglect (ELVN) Model The EVLM model was proposed in 1970 by Hirschman and it suggests that depending on the situation an employee is in and the employee themselves, the employees are likely to take for levels of response to job dissatisfaction.6 First off, the affected employees might exit the organization. Exit refers to the process where the employees resign from the organization, transfer to other organizations or work unit, and also attempt to exit.7 There are three major types of exit; actual, planned and imagined exit. In the actual exit the employee literary leaves the organization for greener pastures.8 In the planned exit model the employee is active in looking for jobs elsewhere. Lastly, in imagined exit the employees think of leaving the organization without necessarily taking any action to make the exit a reality.9 The voice tenet of the model means that the employees actually engage in conversations in different ways about their work conditions and the status quo.10 Through the voice employees are able to make an attempt of changing the situation rather than running from it. The voice may be constructive or destructive.11 The constructive voice works well where the employees voice out their dissatisfaction and offer recommendations on how the satisfaction levels can be improved in the organization. Here the employees engage their superiors in a bid to find a common solution for the issues in the organization.12 Destructive voice on the other hand, comes in when the employees talk with the superiors but in this case do not give their insights or opinions to the management and try imposing their own opinion hoping that in the long run it will work out.13 The latter is very destructive as the dissatisfied employees might rally up fellow employees thus the spread of negative influence; inciting, the employees. This can have negative impacts on the organization in question. Loyalty part of the model is where the employees respond to their job dissatisfaction with contentment, and are patient that in the long run a lasting solution may be offered to their problem in the organization or the problem will resolve itself.14 This take two forms passive loyalty and active loyalty.15 In the former the employees believe that there is a better future but fail to try changing the situation.16 On the other hand, active loyalty is where the employees demonstrate high levels of commitment to the organization through positive organizational citizenship behaviors. Lastly, the employees may resolve to neglect as the only next best response mechanism. The employees neglect their roles and responsibilities. The neglect could be passive where the employees let the status quo deteriorate through negative behaviors or brutal where the employees use deviant behaviors to make the situation deteriorate.17 Neglect has been proven by most literature to be the most destructive form of response to job dissatisfaction as it comes along with poor productivity, decreased quality, and chronic absenteeism as well as lateness to work.18 The responses can either be sequential or independent such that the employees transition through a series of response before actually exiting. As such, the employees might neglect their duties for a while prior to their actual exit. Once such employees have exited the organization they will vent the other employees before leaving.19 This creates a wave that is continuous in the organization if not addressed. When making satisfactory relationships employees choose to remain loyal and wait for the situation to resolve itself. However, in certain circumstances this could be detrimental as such employees might create resistance. The determining factor of most responses here is the availability of alternative employment. How the EVLN Model Helps an Organization to Understand an Employee's Response to Job Dissatisfaction The human resource managers in organizations can largely use this model in assessing the levels of job dissatisfaction on the employee part and adjust accordingly.20 Organizations aspiring to be employers of choice in the stiff war of talents must leverage on the model to understand the causes of job dissatisfaction in the organization. Through understanding the various tenets outlined above, the management is likely to know the source of problems and act favorably.21 For instance, if there is increased employee turnover, the management will be able to know that there is an issue that is causing job dissatisfaction. In understanding this the management is able to communicate and engage the rest of the remaining employees so that the future occurrences in the organization are taken care of.22 For instance, when there is actual exit the employees will have communicated to their peers of their dissatisfaction and thus the management can use the cause as a solution mechanism. Gaps identified in the organization could also be indicative of job dissatisfaction. When the organization experiences low levels of productivity, chronic absenteeism, and lateness in the organization, a strong signal will be sent to the management that there is an issue.23 The management could then probe onto the reason of such behavior at the workplace.24 Through this the management is able to address the issue of the employees to bring the situation back to normalcy.25 The organization that has loyal employees amidst job dissatisfaction is likely not to be affected as those that have employees who take the initiative of expressing their concerns.26 Such organizations are able to have ample time in evaluating the employee’s performance. When the employees voice their concerns either constructively or destructively, the organizations are likely to understand that there are problems that should be addressed.27 When the organizational voice is from employees with long tenure in the organization, the employers are able to evaluate and inference that there is a form of dissatisfaction that is likely to trickle down to the new employees. This tool therefore is very useful for managements in organizations especially in evaluating the levels of dissatisfaction of the employees in the organization.28 Consequently, intervention mechanisms can be taken prior to negative consequences taking place.29 Organizations should therefor evaluate the whole workforce and then the individual employee through performance management and effective communication channels so as to get to know the perceptions of the employees and their levels of job satisfaction.30 Conclusion The contemporary workforce has very many issues and are highly mobile due to globalization. Any form of job dissatisfaction either triggered by the human resource related issues such as poor pay, lack of motivation, poor work environment, poor management employee relationship and lack of proper remuneration among other issues may lead to one actually being dissatisfied with their job. Job dissatisfaction elicits four major responses that can be evaluated using the Exit, voice, Loyalty, and Neglect model. There are various forms of response depending on what is causing them and the presence of employment opportunities elsewhere. Consequently, an employee who is in an ideal work environment and has only few issues will remain patient for some time.31 However, if the situation persists, such employees are likely to voice their concerns in the two ways discussed above failure to which neglect ensues and they exit the organization. The model can be used by organizations in trying to understand the levels of dissatisfaction on the employees as have been shown above. Such organizations using this model this are able to take necessary precautions before the worse that is the failure of the organization to meet its objectives. The model therefore is not only important for researchers, but also organizations. Bibliography Grima, François, and Dominique Glaymann. "A revisited analysis of the Exit-Voice-Loyalty-Neglect model: contributions of a longitudinal and conceptually extended approach." Management 15, no. 1 (2012): 1-41. Kassing, Jeffrey W. Dissent in Organizations. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press, 2011. Kristof-Brown, Amy and Jon Billsberry. Organizational Fit Key Issues and New Directions. Chichester, West Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell, 2013. Mishra, Sushanta K., and Richa Saxena. "Voice or Neglect: Understanding Employee Behavior in Two Multinational Corporations." IMJ 3, no. 1 (April/May, 2011): 34-47. Salick, Anil. "How Employees Respond to Job Dissatisfaction." Synergistic Outcomes. Last modified November 26, 2010. http://www.synout.co.za/2010/11/26/how-employees-respond-to-job-dissatisfaction/. Vangel, Kristine. "Employee Responses to Job Dissatisfaction." University of Rhode Island | Think Big. We Do. Last modified 2011. http://www.uri.edu/research/lrc/research/papers/Vangel-Commitment.pdf. Warner, Malcolm. Society and HRM in China. London: Routledge, 2012. You Sigma. "Exit, Voice, Loyalty, Neglect (EVLN) Model!!!" YouSigma - Great Informational Website for Professionals, Homemakers, Students, and Elderly. Last modified May 13, 2015. http://www.yousigma.com/tools/evlnmodel.html. Read More