EXECUTIVE EYE MANAGEMENT."There are many F-words that can raise morale at work,
including 'feedback', 'foliow-through' and 'fairness'"ADRIAN FURNHAM ON THE PSYCHOLOGY OF MANAGEMENT I "U,Ii:""A comedian once pointed out that
(hefe i5 only a ooc-Ietter difference
berwccn "networking" and "not
working". Thc same is true of
".IllQ.üI.l" and "Jll.Q!il.J..c." - thc laner
is the mental ::md emotional stare of
an individual or group [hat influ-
enees how rhey perform. High
morale is characterized by a spirit
of optimism in which staU are high-
Iy motivared 10 da their jobs.
Morale can be boch the cause und
a consequence of performance.
Poor performance can lead to Iow
morale, which worsens perfor-
mance. Success. on the mher b..a..ruL
can improve mo rale and raise the
encrgy TO ereate more successes.
Bur is rhere a connecrio n betwecn
morale and morality? Do moral
managers in moral organizations
create high staff morale? Be ing
moral means having high standards
and an ethically driven code ofcon-
~, as weil as making iudgcmems
based on conscience.
The word "ethieal" is now used
to deseribe company behaviour,
4/2010
more often than the ward "moral".
Many companies have jumped on
th is "ethical bandwaeon". prornot-
ing, for example, "ethieal invest-
mems" and "fair-trade produets".And businesses don't gene rally
cmpbasizc the word "morality". In-
sread, they talk abaut "integrity". In-
regrit)' is defined as " honesry. incor-
ruptibility and an uncompromjsjne
adhe rence ro a moral code". Twen-
ry years ago, a US srudy ~ man-
ager morality ro worker morale.
Two hundred managers were asked
ro rank the .u:a.iu they might want
in their boss. Tbc traits included:
" ... having integrity, being self-
comrolled, suppoujve, iluagjnaciye,
inspiring, ~ a nd coopcrative".
Tbe most bigbly .ca.o.k.N qualiry was
integrity. A siroilar srudy done later
in Britain produeed rhe same re-
sults. It also showcd rhar integrity
was the trait people desired not
only in rheir bosses, but in all rheie
collcagues ar work. I-Iaving a firm,
a dcpartmcm and a boss who all
demonstrate mocaliry roeans thar
staff know where rhey stand.There are many important F-words
tbat ean belp raise morale ar work,
including "feedback", " follow-
tbrougb" and "fairness". Managers
are expected to listen to tbeir staff.
Tbey sbould be fair in all (b eir de-
cisions, and rheic aerions sbould be
bonest and transparem. Ir is gener-
ally und ersrood that top managers
must sometimes follow the ".s.pirir
ofthe law", rather tban the "kIru
ot the law". However, when half-
rrutbs, fayourirjsm and cover-ups
get noticcd, ir ean significamly re-
duee moralc.Bur one can be tOO moral. \YIe alJ
know people who are fanatieal in
their moral prineiples. Tbey are
eharacterized both b)' intoleranee
and inflexibility.
C h ildren develop a voiee of eon-
seienee rhrough rewards and pun-
ishmenrs. This smal1 voiee later be-
comes thcif engine of moraliry. Ir is
a moor Question, however, wherher
one ean teaeb moraliry CO an adult
who never deve10pcd tbis voice. [J_ Test your understanding of thls
text in Business Spotlight plusADRIAN FURNHAM IS a prefeSSOf 01 psy-
chology at University College, Lenden,
and an aulhor. His lalesl book is The
Elephant in (he Boardroom: The Causes of
Leadership Derailment, Palgrave Macmil·
lan, ISBN 978·0-230·22953·2, [25.BusinessSpodighl 63