Increasing Worker Productivity

It is usually the job of the manager to maintain quality as well as productivity. Often managers take different approaches to ensuring this productivity and sometimes it can be that one simple thing that no one has heard of that gives the best results. Managers make an effort to please their employers with physical entities such as nicer chairs to help their backs or a water-cooler in the office for free hydration. Other times supervisors may use emotional tactics to increase employer productivity. Despite the tactic used, what matters most are the results.

Increasing worker productivity always makes me think of Google Inc. They were recently named number one company in America to work for by Fortune magazine. They offer their employees perks, such as, free meals, oil changes, laundry machines and work-out facilities. Though many may believe this could have been risky, Google is basking in their rewards. I believe Google’s efforts would best fit under the human resources approach. This approach is concerned with the total organizational climate as well as with how an organization can encourage employee participation and dialogue.

After speaking with someone who has had extensive work experience I was interested to find that this person (my mother) in particular didn’t really notice what was going on as it was happening. At her current employment she feels no one really tried to increase her worker productivity. She has been working as a Media Specialist for over ten years at a middle school but cannot remember any efforts to improve her workplace quality. After talking with her for a bit she conceded to the fact that she felt best and more willing to do work when she was given positive reinforcement. I believe her employer was using Likert’s Principle of supportive relationships. This principle believes that all interactions within an organization should support individual self-worth and importance, with emphasis on the supportive relationships within work groups and open communication among them. My mother spoke of staff meetings where each employer was encouraged to share something positive about another employer. She also discussed how she would occasionally receive emails that would encourage her to continue working hard.

Overall my mother really painted a picture that feeling like a family truly makes a difference, and I believe this is true for most locations of employment. My mother claims that “if employees are treated respectfully and feel appreciated they will automatically want to work more or better.” Though this may not always be true I believe it is a good start to good management. Though other management styles may be more efficient or increase productivity it usually means an unhappy employee or a high turnover of employees. I believe someone should come up with a new theory of approach called the golden theory. This theory would reflect the golden rule we are all taught in kindergarten: “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.” Treat your employees like you would want to be treated in that situation. Though we have come quite a ways from the classical management theories of the industrial revolution we still have a ways to go.