Reference no: EM132974866

A Motivation Convention - Office Friendships at Work

Mike Leonard is a TV reporter assigned to cover a motivation convention in Chicago. Oddly enough, he is less than "motivated" or enthused to be covering the motivationally inspired event. In talking with some of the people working at the convention, it appears that Mike is not alone - many people share what could be described as a "workplace funk" or lack of enthusiasm for their jobs.

Brian Gallonic works for All-Star Incentive Marketing. He claims that the number one cited reason many people today leave their job is due to a lack of recognition over and above compensation. He says that things have changed from the days of workers being simply satisfied with having the opportunity to earn a wage. Gone are the days when a manager was able to get their employees to do what they wanted by simply saying "it's my way or the highway". Employees today want respect, admiration and appreciation for their efforts. Some might say that this need to "butter up" employees indicates that as workers, we have become "needy". Says one of the vendors at the convention, it doesn't mean that we are needy, it means that we are human and everyone has a need to be reaffirmed - and vendors are able to sell their wares based on the desire of workers wanting something tangible to show they have done a good job. It appears that the tangible rewards do work...

For most people, having friends at the office makes the job more rewarding. A Gallup Organization poll found that satisfaction goes up almost 50 percent when employees have close friends at work. More employees would choose having close friends at work instead of getting a 10 percent raise. And 30 percent of respondents say they have a best friend at work. The high value employees place on having friends at work is only natural, says consultant Dr. Gary Namie of The Work Doctor. It's only human nature to want to interact with others, he says, and friendships are inevitable as people spend so much time in the workplace. Namie recommends that employers design work to make it interdependent, in order to encourage friendship and cooperation.

Work friendships can be good for both employees and the company. Research has shown that friendships between superior and subordinate can positively affect work attitudes. The best mentoring relationships are built on friendship, says Mary Lou Quinlan, CEO of Just Ask A Woman. "Reaching outside your work circle, not just staying with the same group of friends, is the best way to get ahead in your company," she says. Nevertheless, the focus on office friendships is often on the negative side. Managers often see work friendships as leading to nepotism, favoritism, gossip, displaced loyalty, and negative, time consuming office politics. Employees who are not team-oriented can act immaturely by forming cliques that exclude some employees and bickering. If someone is promoted from a group of friends to become a manager, he or she may become the target of envy and could also be in the unenviable position of disciplining friends.

Questions

1. Discuss how office friendship may influence the attribution process as per "Heider's Common sense theory, Then discuss two examples of techniques that may stimulate conflict among office friends

2. Discuss the type of percussive communication among this office friends, then discuss the various factors that may influence this persuasive communication, according to this office friendship

3. Discuss how office friendship may influence the Five Stages of Group Development, also then discuss which organizational culture (as per the Cameron and Quinn Competing Values Culture Model 1991) will be best fit to cultivate and nurture office friendship