What is the Meaning and Significance of Group Morale

An effective leader tries his best to boost the morale of the employees which in turn motivate them to work willingly.  Let  us discuss morale in detail

Meaning and Significance of Morale

Morale is the state of mind or attitude of an individual or group towards the work and environment i.e. towards the superior, fellow members of the group and goals of the organization as well as the task assigned.  A favorable attitude is an indication of high morale, while an unfavorable attitude indicates low morale.

Morale is an important factor which contributes to the willingness of people to work, leads to their happiness and determines their productivity.  It is regarded as a significant variable which determines the success of an organization.  With high morale, people work willingly and enthusiastically for the achievement of organizational goals.  Further, high morale leads people to attach greater importance to group goals as compared with their personal goals.  It also reduces absenteeism and labor turnover.  On the other hand, low morale leads to inefficiency, waste, low productivity, unrest and indiscipline among employees.

Morale reflects a state of mind or attitude of people which results from the conditions under which they work in an organization.  The more important factor that influence morale are the following:

Objectives of the Organization: If the organizational goals are considered by the employees to be useful and important, morale generally tends to be high.

Leadership: The effectiveness of a leader in providing satisfactory work environment is another important factor in morale building.  If leadership enables the subordinates to achieve their goals and aspirations, there is a positive impact on morale.

Group Members: High morale also results from the nature and behavior of co-workers in the group.  If members of the work group are cooperative and there is mutual faith and understanding among them, morale is likely to be high.

Job Satisfaction: The jobs assigned to employees are performed well if they derive personal satisfaction from the work they do and are proud of it.  Satisfying jobs contribute towards high morale particularly when the employees thereby have opportunity of self-development.

Structure of organization: The organization structure defines the lines of superior subordinate relations.  If the authority and responsibility are clearly defined and there is free and frank communication between the superior and the subordinates, the situation is highly conductive to morale building.

Compensation: Satisfactory levels of wages and salaries as well as a system of rewards and incentives for higher efficiency are basic requirement for employee satisfaction, thus the morale tends to be high when fair compensation and rewards are assured.

Advancement and promotional opportunity:  An organization in which capable employees have opportunities of advancement in their career through promotion is highly preferred by ambitious people.  The scope of promotion to position of higher responsibility and remuneration is a positive factor that determines the morale of employees.

Living Conditions and health: The living conditions of employees which contribute to the physical and mental health also affect morale indirectly.  People who live under satisfactory conditions naturally have a better attitude in relation to their work.

Working Environment: Conditions in the work place have of course a direct impact on morale.  Provision for safety, health care, and welfare of employees help a great deal in building up their morale.