Morale: Meaning, Nature and Significance of Morale!
Meaning:
“Morale” a French word means “condition with respect to discipline
and confidence pride, fixing of purpose, faith in the course fought for”.
It has been defined in many ways but all definitions revolve around
the attitude towards work for the accomplishment of organizational
goals. Thus morale is intimately connected with organization. If the
morale of employees/ workers is high, not only the production/ output
is increased and maintained but the workers feel satisfied and
contented.
In this way the management shall find it easy to motivate the workers
and make them feel as part and parcel of the organization. Morale also
generates confidence in workers and keep their spirit very high and
competitive.
William Spriegal has defined morale as the co-operative attitude or
mental health of a number of people who are related to each other on
some basis. According to Alexandar H. Leighton morale is the capacity
of a group of people to pull together persistently in pursuit of a
common purpose.
In nut shell morale is the degree of enthusiasm and willingness with
which the members of a group work to perform their assignments.
Thus morale is an indicator of attitudes of workers towards their jobs,
superiors and environment.
It is the sum total of employees attitudes, feelings and sentiments
towards these variables. Morale is a bye-product of motivation and
group relationships in the organization. It is a mental process which
once started permeates in the entire group creating a mood which
results in the formation of common attitude.
Nature of Morale:
Generally, the term ‘morale’ is used to explain an overall ‘climate’
prevailing among the members of a group. It is not an absolute
concept which can convey a specific meaning, the work ‘morale’ by
itself does not convey favorable or unfavorable meaning. It has to be
qualified with the degree, as high morale or low morale in this way it is
relative concept and we can refer to the levels of morale.
Thus morale is the level of enthusiasm and willingness with which the
members contribute their efforts towards the organization objectives.
If the enthusiasm and willingness to work of a group is high, we will
say morale is high and vice versa.
We cannot say that there is morale or no morale among the members
of a organization. Therefore, morale has to be qualified like the word
health. Just as good health is essential for an individual, high morale is
essential for an organization. Morale is dynamic in nature. Managers
cannot establish high morale once and then forget about it for several
years. High morale is to be created and maintained by continuous
efforts.
Morale shows the attitudes of the workers. High morale represents an
attitude of satisfaction with desire to continue in and willingness to
strive for the objectives of the group. It is manifestation of direct and
indirect satisfaction, sense of contentment and need fulfillment
through work. Morale is an individual and group phenomenon. In the
later case, high morale is reflected in good group work and team spirit.
Under conditions of high morale workers have few grievances,
frustrations and complaints as they are clear about the objectives-
individual and organizational, and their relationship with others in the
organization.
Significance of Morale:
High morale exists when employee attitudes are favaourable towards
their work, their company and their fellow workers- favourable to the
total situation of the group and to the attainment of its goals. Low
morale exists when attitudes inhibit the willingness and ability of
organization to attain company objectives. Thus morale .of employees
should be high to achieve the organizational goals efficiently and
effectively. A high morale curtails labour turnover, wastes and
disharmony.
Employees with high morale like their jobs and co-operate fully with
the management towards the achievement of objectives of the
organization. It results from job satisfaction and creates job
enthusiasm. High morale is indeed a manifestation of the employee’s
strength, dependability, pride confidence and devotion. All these
qualities of mind and character taken together build high morale
among the employees.
Morale of employees must be kept high to attain the
following effects:
(i) Willing cooperation towards goals of the organization.
(ii) Loyalty to the organization and its leadership.
(iii) Good discipline or voluntary conformance to rules and
regulations.
(iv) High degree of employee’s interest in his work and organization.
(v) Pride in the organization
(vi) Reduction of rates of absenteeism and labour turnover.
Low morale represents the presence of mental unrest. The mental
unrest not only restricts production but also leads to ill health of the
employees. Low morale exists when doubt and suspicion are common
and when employees are depressed and discouraged i.e. there is a lot
of mental tension.
Such a situation will have the following results:
(i) High rates of absenteeism and labour turnover.
(ii) Much complaints and grievances.
(iii) Frustration among the employees.
(iv) Friction among the employees.
(v) Feeling of opposition towards leadership to the organization.
(vi) Lack of discipline.
The effects of low morale may be very fatal to the organization as
industrial relations will tend to deteriorate. Whatever may be the
reason of low morale, organization suffers ultimately because quantity
and quality of production both suffer. Thus, in order to avoid these evil
consequences, every manager should work to create and maintain the
high morale of the people working under him.
For this, he should have constant knowledge of the thinking and
attitudes of the employees towards their work and the organization
and should carefully note the changes in their behaviour and judge the
factors responsible for change in the attitude of employees. It should
be noted that high morale cannot be purchased, it has to be built.
“It can be created only by introducing into the work situation certain
conditions which are favourable to its development. High morale is
not the cause of good human relations. High morale is the result of
good human relations; it is the result of good motivation, respect and
dignity of the individual, relation of the individual difference, good
leadership, effective communication, participation, counseling and
many other human relation practices”.
