Organisational Behaviour

Creating A Positive Work Environment

WHITE PAPER On “Creating A Positive work Environment”

Submitted by: (Group 5 ) Members:
Akshita Wahi-13020841125 Himanshi Aggarwal-13020841135 Nidhi Vig-13020841145 Ravi Kumar Singh-13020841155 Shaifali Jain-13020841165 Vijay Shankar-13020841175

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Creating A Positive Work Environment

Serial number 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Abstract Work Environment

Contents

Employer Expectation and Employee Needs Motivation Theory Of Motivation Focus on Individual Focus On job Focus On Supervisor

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Creating A Positive Work Environment

ABSTRACT
This paper examines various ways of creating a positive work environment and discusses ways to bridge the gap between employer expectations and employee behavior: It talks about the work environment and prevalent factors in an organization that positively influence health and well-being of employees, and the relationship between workplaces and productivity. Research in diverse disciplines has shown the importance of a conducive work environment which supports employees to be effective at their job without compromising on their job satisfaction levels. A healthy work environment gives priority to work-life balance and comprises of leadership that values employees as key assets, employee participation, supportive supervision at all levels, job control, communication, and opportunities to learn. There is a mention of interventions designed to create healthier workplaces and firm-level productivity linking working conditions and employee satisfaction index. Studies suggest that successful healthy workplace initiatives are comprehensive in scope and have well designed implementation strategies based on strong leadership and good communication.

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Creating A Positive Work Environment

“Never continue in a job you don 't enjoy. If you 're happy in what you 're doing, you 'll like yourself, you 'll have inner peace. And if you have that, along with physical health, you will have had more success than you could possibly have imagined.” -Johnny Carson

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Creating A Positive Work Environment

Work Environment
A work environment can be identified as any place where one works; that is in an office building in a cube, at home at the kitchen table or at a construction site. All are work environments. However, we tend to hear about "healthy work environments." This can point to other factors in the work environment, such as coworkers, air quality, ergonomic seating, management, child care, parking, noise, and even the size of one 's cube. A work environment doesn 't require a job. It requires that work has to be done in some place.

GREAT PLACE TO WORK
“Where employees trust the people they work for, have pride in what they do, and enjoy the people they work with.” -“Robert Levering”

Employer Expectations and Employee Needs:
By understanding the employee and employer’s perspective of effective performance we can:  Bridge the gap between the Employee’s needs and Employers expectations  Break the negative cycle  Create a positive work environment in the organization

Employer Expectations:
1. Be Punctual: Employees are expected to be on the job every day and procedures set forth by the company. In case you are being late or Absent or late you are expected to call your team lead or supervisor 2. Follow procedures and policies: All the policies and procedures set by the company are expected to be followed by the Employee 3. Maintain Confidentiality: Employees are expected not to breach the confidentiality of the company to the client, provider or other employees.
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Creating A Positive Work Environment
4. Show Initiative and Enthusiasm: Employees are expected to put their creativity at work after finishing your own work and show enthusiasm about learning new things. 5. Accept Criticism: Constructive criticism can improve job performance of the employee and many new things can be learnt from it 6. Produce High quality work: Employees are expected to produce a high quality work at job 7. Be Flexible: Employees are expected to be flexible with new assignments and specified job duties 8. Be a Team Player: Employees are expected to be good team player and work well in a team with their coworkers.

Employee’s Needs:
1. Reducing Stress: Research shows that flexible work arrangements may reduce stress because employees working flexibly are more satisfied with their jobs and lives and experience better work life balance. Overall, employees who have a high work-life fit fare much better than employees who have moderate or low levels of work-life fit. They are more highly engaged and less likely to look for a new job in the next year, and they enjoy better overall health, better mental health, and lower levels of stress. 2. Reduce Negative Spillover: Spillover is a process by which attitudes and behaviors carry over from one role to another. Spillover between work and family life can be regarded as negative or positive. The two dimensions of spillover might co-exist. For example, a job that provides a high degree of negative spillover in the form of long hours and psychological stress carryover into home life, at the same time, could provide a high degree of positive spillover in the form of family financial security and opportunities for personal growth that make for a better family member. 3. Maintaining Work-Family Life Balance: Work-family balance has two dimensions: work interference and family interference with work. Characteristics of the job and workplace can put positive as well as negative effect on family life of an employee, which can effect employee’s family situation. The availability of flexible work arrangements can help employee maximize work-family balance.
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Creating A Positive Work Environment
4. Be fair to them and treat them equally: If all the employees are treated well and are given equal importance in the organization, and given chance to present their views without being bias. It works as a source of motivation for them and they can perform well in their work.

Motivation:
Motivation is a psychological feature that arouses a person to act towards a desired goal and elicits, controls and sustains certain goal-directed behaviors. It is an inner drive to behave or act in a certain manner. Its difference between waking up before dawn and pond to pavement and lazing around all the house. It can be considered as a driving force ; a psychological one that compels or reinforces an action towards the desired goal. It has its roots in psychological, behavioral, cognitive and social areas. It may be rooted in a basic impulse to optimize wellbeing, minimize physical pain and maximize pleasure. It can also originate from specific physical need such as eating, sleeping or resting.

Theories Of Motivation:
1. Maslow’s hierarchy of Needs:
Maslow advanced the following proposition about human behavior:  Man is a wanting being  A satisfied need is never motivator of behavior , only unsatisfied needs motivate Man’s needs are arranges in a series of levels – a hierarchy of importance. As soon as needs on a lower level are met those on next , higher level will demand satisfaction. Maslow believed underlying needs for all human motivation to be on five general levels from lowest to highest. a) Physiological-the need for food, drink, shelter and relief from pain. b) Safety and security- once the physical needs of the moments are satisfied, man concerns himself with protection from physical dangers with economic security, preference for the familiar and the desire for an orderly predictable world c) Social- becomes the important motivator of the behavior d) Esteem- a need both for self-esteem and esteem of others which involve self-confidence, achievement, competence, knowledge, autonomy, reputation, status and respect.
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Creating A Positive Work Environment
e) Self-fulfillment- is the highest level in the hierarchy ; these are the individuals need for realizing his or her own potential for continued selfdevelopment and creativity

Figure:

Describes Maslow’s Hierarchy Of Needs

2. David McClelland
He laid up a motivation theory in 1955 and identified three basic types of motivating needs present in people. He shows that all three needs can be present in a person. But the weight attached to the each can vary. The three needs are: a) Need for Achievement: where this is high them people have intense desire to succeed and equally intense fear of failure b) Need for affiliation- where this is high people tend to seek acceptance ny others, need to feel loved and are concerned with maintaining pleasant social relationship
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Creating A Positive Work Environment
c) Need for power- people with a higher need for power seek opportunities to influence and control others, seek leadership positions and are often articulate, outspoken and stubborn.

Ways to Motivate Staff:
1. Job satisfaction: Peter Drucker suggested that employee satisfaction comes through encouraging –if need be, by pushing –employee to accept responsibility. There are four ingredients:  Careful placement of people in the job  High standards of performance in job  Providing the worker with the information needed to control his/her own performance  Opportunities for participation in decisions that will give the employee managerial vision 2. Participation:  When the employees get the opportunity to show their talents and work creatively in the organisation. It motivates them to work harder for the organisation and get the best output out of them. 3. Improve the work Quality:  The intention is to improve all the aspects of work life , especially the intentions is to improve all the aspects of work life, especially job design, work environment, leadership attitudes, work planning and industrial relation. Its an all embracing systems approach, which usually starts with a joint management and staff groups looking at the dignity, interest and productivity of the jobs

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Creating A Positive Work Environment

10 Ways to create a positive Work Environment
There are several things a leader/manager can do to make your work environment a positive one and to facilitate a feeling of cooperation, teamwork and joy among your staff. Some of these are: 1. Build Trust Trust is the basic tenant for all the relationships, so building an environment of trust is one of the most important thing one can do to create a positive work environment. Its about showing o staff ones reliability, responsibility and accountability. Also letting them know that you expect the same. When ones words and behavior are congruent one foster the trust. If ones performance is consistent the trust will be build otherwise it will be destroyed, and if once broken it can be regained again. A good manager never talks negative about his team and is aware of the all the words and behavior and ensure that they are worthy of employees trust.

Figure: Describes the trust on each other in an organisation 2. Communicate positively and openly. In order to create a positive work environment each employee needs to feel valued. This is best accomplished through your listening to each person and honoring each one for what s/he has to say. By doing this you will show that you value and respect every individual. One important aspect of communicating openly is to meet with your staff and discuss your organization 's philosophy, values, mission and goals. Ask for their ideas and thoughts on how they individually and as a team can help your unit to exemplify these. Then lead a discussion on the ways they all see these being fulfilled within your work group. After your staff has shared their ideas, take time to share your own vision of how you see everyone working together.
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Creating A Positive Work Environment

Figure: Describes positive communication between the team members 3. Expect The Best From Your Staff There is a concept called 'The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy ' which states that people generally will perform in the way others expect them to perform. So, if you have high expectations for your staff, treat them as if they are capable, competent people and expect them to function as such, they will rise to the occasion and be the excellent employees you see them to be. However, if you micromanage them, expect them to be mediocre and treat them as if they can 't function well on their own, that is the behavior they will give you. A good supervisor always has high expectations for his/her staff and treats them accordingly. 4. Create Team Spirit One of our basic human needs is to feel we belong to something bigger than ourselves, and for many people that need is met by being part of a supportive work group. As a supervisor, part of your job is to create a feeling of unity among your staff. This unity will help your team members feel valued and that they belong. As a result they will want to be at work, tardiness and absenteeism will be minimal, your team will function smoothly and your unit will be better able to carry out the missions and goals of your organization. To foster this team feeling you must convey to the entire staff that every person plays an important role. Encourage an attitude of cooperation rather than competition. When you create team spirit and identity, staff members will see themselves as a group of people all working for a common goal, rather than a bunch of individuals competing with each other. There are many other ways a supervisor can foster team spirit. Some of these are:
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Give verbal and written communication to individuals and the group for jobs well done.

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Creating A Positive Work Environment
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Make sure team members know a bit about each other 's personal life by setting aside 5 minutes at each staff meeting to have one person tell about something positive that 's happened in their life in the past month. Find reasons to celebrate together, such as birthdays, birth of a baby or grandchild, moving into a new house, etc., and have small parties to celebrate these events. Let them know that you are also part of the team by asking your staff what they need from you to make their job more satisfactory, and doing your best to provide it. Schedule stretch exercises that you do together before report. Have different staff members lead the exercises each day. Ensure that humor is part of the daily work environment. Do problem solving and awareness exercises at staff meetings.

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5. Give Recognition and Appreciation Whenever you can, 'catch people being good ' and make sure they and others know about it. Give recognition and appreciation to everyone at every opportunity. I really appreciate your positive, can-do attitude." When verbalizing appreciation try to make it as personal as possible. Rather than just saying something vague like "good job", be specific about the personal quality or skill your team member brought to the task. Recognizing excellent job performance and attitude, and showing appreciation for these things will go a long way towards making your staff members feel that they are a valued and respected part of the team. 6. Give Credit and Take Responsibility Always give credit for success to your staff, and take responsibility when things don 't go well. As the boss it 's your job to make sure your staff is well trained, capable and competent. If for some reason they fail to perform their job in the expected manner, it 's your responsibility to insure that they receive further direction and training so they will perform up to standards.

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Creating A Positive Work Environment

Figure: describes the ownership and responsibility within the organisation 7. Be Approachable Always present an attitude of approachability to your staff and customers. Indicate by your manner that you are available and happy to speak with people from all levels and positions. Also, always be prepared to listen to whatever they want to share with you, and validate what you 've heard. If they have concerns, tell them you will look into it and get back to them by a certain time. Then be sure you do! It 's important that every day you go out and walk about your business in order to connect with people. Be sure that as you walk through the business you smile and make eye contact with everyone you pass. Act in a friendly manner, call people by name, be approachable, and show interest in what 's going on. Also, have an open door policy, where anyone at any level is welcome to come talk with you if they feel the need. When they do come talk with you, be aware of your body language. Come around to the front of your desk and sit facing them while you talk so that there is no physical barrier between you. Indicate in everything you do that you respect and care about them and what they are saying. 8. Provide A Positive Physical Environment If at all possible insure that the physical environment on your workplace is clean, bright, attractive and cheerful. Make sure it has as much natural light as possible,
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Creating A Positive Work Environment and that each staff member has room for their own personal space. 9. Make Staff Evaluations a Positive Experience One of the important duties of a boss is to give staff evaluations. This should be a positive experience for your staff members, and is a great opportunity for you to praise them for their cooperative spirit and all their efforts in doing an excellent job. It 's also a good time to thank them for participating by bringing their special characteristics and talents to the unit. Even if you need to discuss some areas in which the employee may need improvement, you can still make it a positive meeting by focusing on the good and all that they are doing right. Insure that the staff evaluation is two-way. It 's an opportunity for the employee to rate him/herself and also to rate you and your business. It 's also the time to mutually create their career goals. Prior to the meeting, ask the employee to write out their evaluation of how they think they are doing in their job. Also ask them to write how they view you as a supervisor, and how they feel about working in your business. One of the most difficult aspects of a manager 's job is counseling an employee who is not performing up to standards. Always put a positive spin on whatever you say, even if it 's offering constructive suggestions. When dealing with negatives, separate all emotions from the issues, and deal only with the facts. If there has been a problem it should not be a surprise to the employee when it 's brought up at the evaluation. It 's probably been discussed at the time of the incident, and several follow-up meetings will have been held regarding the progress or lack of progress with this issue. Your role and responsibility as the manager is to support the employee through this process. The outcome may be that the employee will choose to continue working in your business or may choose to leave. At the end of the evaluation process your staff member needs to be able to leave the meeting feeling that he/she has some control and personal power over their work life. The bottom line for all of this is to remember that as the manager it 's your job to make your work environment one in which people can feel comfortable, have fun and can thrive. With a little thought and creativity you can make it happen.

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Creating A Positive Work Environment
10. Make It Fun Everyone wants to be where people are having fun, so make your workplace feel happy and festive. Find reasons to celebrate together, such as birthdays, birth of a baby or grandchild, moving into a new house, etc., and having small parties to celebrate these events. If possible provide a cake, and put up a sign or banner in the break room saying "Today We Are Celebrating". Ask your employees what would be fun for them and then implement what is feasible.

Focus on Individual
It is essential to focus on the needs of the employees of your company. In addition to learning about them, it also gives them the satisfaction that their social and security needs are being taken care by the management. It leads to greater efforts put by the employee who directly increases the productivity and growth of the company’s workforce. Right employees prove to be assets for a company Following are some ways how a company can achieve on focusing the needs of their employees :

 Get to know your people.
Getting to know your people and staffing the right resources can take your company to places and fetch the desired results that the company wishes to achieve. Knowing your people have various benefits and it can be achieved in the following ways:  Thorough Research at the time of Recruitment At the time of interview process, the employer should analyze the background and ethnicity of the candidates who have applied. They must look into his life and not limit their perception based on the candidate’s resume. Stress interviews, Conduct background checks and putting the candidate in practical situations are certain ways where an individual’s characteristics can be identified.

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Creating A Positive Work Environment
 Observation of Organizational Behavior Watch the traits of your employees in different situations. Understand what motivates them and what makes them perform more productively. Observe how they work together as teams and how they interact with their colleagues. These characteristics will help you to understand their nature much better which would help you to assign them for the right projects in future.
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Relationship Building One must build relationships with their employees as much as they can. Whether through a formal meeting or social gathering, no stone must be unturned to connect with your employees. A talk about career improvement and counseling could happen by meeting over a cup of coffee or lunch. Career growth graphs could give them a clearer picture of where they stand and where there is a scope to improve.

Figure: Describes the relationship building in the organisation
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Team Building Exercises Exercises where employees are required to break ice with each other and interact should be encouraged. Emphasis should be made on networking and healthy socializing by the employees. It also helps you to observe your employees’ reactions in different scenarios.  Reward Employees on their Good Work Appreciating and acknowledging work done by employees lead to boost in their efforts that they put into their job and makes them feel to put more input in the work done. It makes them more recognized among their peers and gives them a feeling of respect. Employers can retain most of their employees by giving them credit for the good work they have performed. This in turn leads to lower employee turnover. Always give them job of their capability and make them responsible for projects which matches their caliber.  Provide job counseling and coaching Develop the working habits of your employees by feedback and suggestions at a regular period of time. Give them support in areas where they require and always create an environment of positivity around them

Focus on Job
Employer must ensure the right staff has been appointed for their respective company’s job profiles. Companies must take careful decisions before recruiting an employee. A thorough analysis of the prospective candidates must be carried out. The ways how a company can ensure the right job has been designated to a candidate are explained below:  Ensuring a competitive environment for the workforce It is the duty of the top management to make sure the atmosphere in the office is competitive in healthy terms and challenging for their employees. There should ensure there is an element of learning and growth for the people working in their company. They must also try to make the job interesting and delegate the right amount of work to the subordinates. The
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Creating A Positive Work Environment work among the team members must be distributed equally among everyone.  Job Enriching The company’s strategy should individual’s growth, recognition demarcating job loading and job that he is in a job which matches best.  Workshops

be more on tapping opportunities for and learning. There should be a line enriching. The employee should ensure his qualifications and potential to do the

The company should conduct several sessions of training and workshops to aware the employees of the new methods and techniques to carry out work. These could be a great learning experience for the employees as they are exposed to innovative techniques of functioning.

Focus on Supervisors
A supervisor can either make an employee or break him. The most effective supervisor will bring the best out of the employee and encourage him to be as innovative as possible. He would guide the employee throughout and ensure all his skills are tapped to the maximum. The following are the reasons as to why supervision over the supervisors plays a key role for healthy functioning of an organization:  Prominent figure of the Organization He holds a key role in the organization and is also responsible for maintaining good climate of work in the company. He can oversee the functioning of his subordinates and make sure that work is going in the right direction.  Corporate Governance Supervisor can bring in the culture of honesty and discipline in the organization. By seeing the enthusiasm and reasonable expectations of the

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Creating A Positive Work Environment supervisor, employees may sometimes put in extra efforts to keep the quality of work expected by them.  Role Model and Leader A supervisor through his working style can be a role model for his subordinates and create followers of his own in the organization.

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Creating A Positive Work Environment

Conclusion:
In this article we have discussed that various aspects and ways on How to create a Positive work Environment which will enable organization growth and increase its productivity taking along all the Employees and their concerns. This can primarily be achieved by good communication, building trust and creating positive physical work environment in the organization. The entire focus lies on bridging the gap between employees and suitable work culture. Hence, to foster sustainability in the organization there is a immense need for positive and productive work environment.

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Creating A Positive Work Environment
References:
1. http://www.goldsmithibs.com/resources/free/motivation/notes/summary%20%20motivation.pdf 2. http://workplaceflexibility.bc.edu/need/need_employees 3. http://www.billgilbertspeaker.ca/articles/tp_gettoknow.pdf 4. http://www.powershow.com/view/15b1d5MzdiN/Chapter_4_Creating_a_Positive_Work_Environment_powerpoint_ppt_presentation

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References: 1. http://www.goldsmithibs.com/resources/free/motivation/notes/summary%20%20motivation.pdf 2. http://workplaceflexibility.bc.edu/need/need_employees 3. http://www.billgilbertspeaker.ca/articles/tp_gettoknow.pdf 4. http://www.powershow.com/view/15b1d5MzdiN/Chapter_4_Creating_a_Positive_Work_Environment_powerpoint_ppt_presentation White Paper Assignment-1