When the workplace suffers from lack of communication and other stimuli that affect moral, the obvious effects are visible in the areas where the deterioration of motivation and job performance occur. The responsibility of a motivating work environment falls upon everyone. Motivation no longer is the sole responsibility of the manager, but the collective as a whole. There are Ten Commandments, which everyone in a working environment may find helpful:
- Build self-respect
- Don’t be neurotic
- Show respect
- Live in integrity
- Be fair
- Value and reinforce ideas
- Give them what they want
- Give immediate feedback
- Reinforce the right things
- Serve others. (Emmerich, 69)
What about the actual human side to all of this? To be an effective manager that is expected to deal with merger/acquisition, this is a side of us that will be most definitely be revealed. We must be able to take a humanistic approach in dealing with our staff and maintain departmental performance.
I will most likely face employees that would be overwhelmed with fear of the unknown. This includes but not limited to the uncertainty of their jobs and the security of the company. It is my job to show compassion and empathy to address their fears and address them face-to-face with equal compassion and empathy.
Within such a management position, I am most likely to be faced with employees that will exhibit great deals of stress and perhaps apprehension at the thoughts of merger/acquisition. There will be some that will worry about things, such as, healthcare, 401k plans, and other benefits that they had over the years. It is my job as a manager to help ease these stress factors so that I am not only to deal with the human elements, but also keep and maintain performance measure.
Some issues that may arise from the merger/acquisition are managerial changes, relocation, salary and policy adjustments, and the overall work environment. Each one of these issues may directly affect the employees. Consequently, the employees may become bewildered on what the future holds in terms of their employment. This is when a confident, knowledgeable, and an approachable manager is needed to keep the employees focused and at a heightened performance level. When employees are faced with a change in management; especially management from the merger/acquisition company, the employees may experience a difficult and/or challenging readjustment. Utilization of an effective communication with the employees and distribution of informative handouts will mitigate some of the possible anguish and answer many questions that the employee may have. Additionally, the incoming and outgoing management should exchange as much work related information as possible to make the transition more fluid and robust. However, one study suggests that even though effective communication is important to any merger/acquisition, management should be cautious in how much and what information is disclosed, “…too little or too much of a communication process is unsatisfying – if what acquired employees received did not seem “just right” to them, many were dissatisfied.” (Cornett-DeVito and Friedman, 13)
Other issues that may be presented are relocation, salary and policy adjustments, cutbacks, and changes in the work environment. Each of these issues may pose crucial questions from employees. Negative feelings and emotions that accompany some of the questions and answers are inevitable within the organization. Therefore, positive managerial style is paramount to the success of the merger/acquisition.
The management must also devote attention in maintaining the organization. The maintenance of an organization is very important, it could very well determine if an organization succeeds or fails. Leaders play a key role in all organizations. The major functions of leaders are the creation and development of an organizations structure. An organization often silhouettes their founder’s personalities. Failure to sustain the productivity of an organization could be detrimental to the company. As a leader it is not only your duty, but your responsibility to maintain the structure of your organization.
In conclusion, the essential elements which has been defined when experiencing a merger/acquisition are complex and involved that the employees in various circumstances. The management must face motivational, human elements, and performance issues that may vary with each individual. Maintaining harmony within the entire organization, maybe extremely challenging, due to the fact, that individualism would be a detrimental factor in today’s business arena. On the other hand, by educating, safe guarding, and encouraging your employees, the merger/acquisition will be a success.
Works Cited
Cornett-DeVito, Merna M., and Paul G. Friedman. “Communication processes and merger success.” Management Communication Quarterly 1 1995: 13
Cottringer, William S. “Nice Guys Finish First.” Security Management, June 2000, Vol. 44 issue 6, pg 24-31. 07/20/03 7:23:11 AM Hawaiian Standard Time <http://www.epnet.com/ehost/login.html>.
Emmerich, Roxanne. “The 10 Commandments of Workplace Motivation.” Occupational Hazards, Jan2002, Vol. 64 Issue 1, p69, 2p. MasterFILE Premier on-line. EBSCO Publishing. 07/20/03 7:06:27 AM Hawaiian Standard Time <http://www.epnet.com/ehost/login.html>.
Robins, Stephen P. “Organization Behavior.” 2001, 9th Edition, p 6, 25, Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.
