This article aims to comment on the meaning of the work climate in productivity and organizational performance, describes a set of approaches to the work climate in organizations, management leadership strategies such as managing and managing the climate appropriately, the ingredients that are part of this, which is fed by the contributions and investigations of the organizational behavior.
It is a topic of great importance today for all organizations in the world, especially for the so-called third world countries, which must seek continuous improvement of the environment of their organization, in order to achieve an increase in productivity, without losing considering this human side of the company; We also intend to publicize the importance of appropriately managing the climate for the well-being and success of organizations.
The current world economic scenarios are characterized by their constant changes, by their dynamism, by their competitiveness and where organizations play a significant role, which requires management to be vigilant regarding how the company's organizational behavior should occur in order to survive and stay on course. In this scenario, it is a sine qua non requirement to always maintain a good organizational climate, which leads to optimizing the productivity, quality, identification and full development of people in the organization.
The business world moves and transforms at ever faster speeds given the competitive levels of other organizations. To compete and be among the best, they must feed on various nutrients that make companies robust and strong trees. One of these nutrients is Human Capital.
A metaphor that we bring up is geographic climate in the meteorological sense that would understand climate as: the set of characteristics that are stable over time within a defined geographical region and that includes a range of different elements. It is not about the "weather that makes", but the peculiarities of the "prevailing time" in an area or place, which affects the skin color, culture, social values and customs of people, to act and behave in a characteristic way.
El clima laboral, según Goncalves (1997) “Es un fenómeno que media entre los factores del sistema organizacional y las tendencias motivacionales, que se traducen en un comportamiento que tiene consecuencias sobre la organización, tales como la productividad, satisfacción, rotación, comportamiento de las personas. El «clima laboral» es el medio ambiente humano, afectivo, cálido y físico en el que se desarrolla el trabajo cotidiano que influye en la satisfacción y por lo tanto en la productividad. Está relacionado necesariamente con el «saber hacer» del directivo, gerente, jefe o supervisor con los comportamientos de las personas, con su manera de comportarse, dirigir, trabajar y de relacionarse, en suma con su interacción con los trabajadores, con las máquinas que se utilizan y con la propia actividad de cada uno.
In concrete terms, we can define as work environment the “characteristics of the work environment that are perceived directly or indirectly by workers who work in the environment, and that have repercussions on work behavior, that is, on their performance, relationships with their superiors, colleagues and especially with clients and even with the family ”.
The management and administration of the work environment is one of the vital strategies for organizations, when it is not always well recognized by many current managers.
Great responsibility corresponds to the executives of today to prioritize the search for organizational excellence through their "Human Capital" which becomes the current moments as the product of progress and main competitive advantage.
The management of modern management then leads to the development of a set of strategies to achieve the objectives of the organization; Socrates (470 BC), from his time referred to administration as "a personal ability", separated from technical knowledge and experience. Similar contributions from other philosophers of the time such as Plato and Aristotle (Medina A., Ávila A., 2002) were not lacking.
Eslava (2008) in his article “Coaching in the management of Human Capital”, published in the Revista Visión Humana de Panamá, refers to Garfield's (1994) book, which emphasizes that “Employees come first”, referring to the fact that Modern organizations that achieve success are authentic samples of the expansion of human warmth, teamwork, training and creativity of its people.
The world's successful companies are none other than being visionaries, they have based their development strategy on their main strength: their people, and it is also important to have a management team with coaching training, inspired by a new work philosophy, in which human values are essential and are part of their life, their culture and habitual practice; workers are not simpler surnames: Pérez, Ramírez, Rodríguez, or resources that only labels that are "used and discarded", they have a different value, a "proper name", because they are our strategic partners, collaborators, internal clients, Now they must be: Carlos, Felipe, Luis, in short, they are a whole human team that must be sensitized, motivated, loyal, involved and committed to corporate philosophy.
Finally, the first strategy will then be to conquer our internal market (our people) first, and the second will be to prepare them to compete and win the competition.
The managers and directors of companies should be concerned with knowing how the working climate of their organizations is doing, obviously when they want to achieve better successes in their businesses; We can affirm that there are not many executives of companies in which this concern may be a priority, with only the results prevailing; sometimes they are reluctant to accept that organizational health is the basis for doing a good job with enthusiasm, commitment, identification, job satisfaction, the investment in training of its personnel is perhaps the lowest or the one that reduces the most when the budget has to be applied, this is therefore an underdevelopment mentality.
A study published by the American magazine Fortune, indicates that the best companies to work for are also the best companies to invest in, given that they are almost twice as profitable as the rest of the companies, the conclusion of the study indicates that " Joy is contagious and it is a good investment ”. And the proof of this, is that these companies are the most profitable when it comes to investing, because they use their resources in people in a more intelligent way, remember that in the era of the service economy, the favorable spirit of Employees (Some of these companies call them collaborators or partners) is also good for shareholders, as an example of this conclusion is graphed in the returns of the company of ratail LOWE and Harley-Davidson, who recorded profits that exceeded 40% per year,despite the stock market variations after the black September 11.
What management should do
While many traditional managers or "Dinosaurs" continue to think that the best way to obtain better productivity in their organization is fundamentally through greater control and close supervision of staff, always telling them that they should do as they will and perhaps not They are told so that they will do it, that it comes to doing meaningless work, apparently they revive the old theory X of Douglas MC Gregor (1932), the trust, participation and credibility in their companies are true potentialities of the people.
The current perspective of the modern manager is who builds a pleasant work climate, awakens potential, becomes a true coach of his people, considering that training and confidence are new values to lead, creating a climate of learning, freedom to learning and to make mistakes and improve, to create, to have initiative and creativity to contribute innovative ideas, the manager goes down to the level learning with them, he recognizes that he is wrong and as Levionnois (1999) says, he approaches them to feel their “moods” and "Live with them", this human sense makes the difference and strengthens corporate values, it is easy to see a Japanese manager get confused on the floor of a Japanese company, dressed in the same clothes that his workers wear trying and dealing with the revision of machinery, production,defective products that allow evaluation and improvement. Isn't it breaking a taboo?
In short, we do not think that the modern manager to make his organization successful must become necessary to someone almighty and perfect, the idea is that among other management tools he can use, to say the least, the so-called philosophy of empowerment, which turns out to be a vital ingredient not only to create a positive work climate but also to empower people in their work and successfully run an organization.
Perhaps we have become accustomed to working for many years in "hierarchical organizations", where seniority and not necessarily professional growth was linked to promotion. Many, even today, continue to behave as if that would continue forever. The idea was to be promoted to a position whose paradigm is to supervise - comfortably - others who did the hard work. Then the promotion consisted of being a supervisor of supervisors. But that is deceptive today and only makes sense if you believe that supervising is the most important, comfortable, and best-paying job.
In new work environments, real work, skill, and added value occur in the work that teams do, where everyone supervises everyone, and no one supervises anyone. Progress is no longer hierarchical vertical; the advance is mostly vertical. Professional growth is increasingly linked to personal and interpersonal growth and development (which expands in all directions) than to the level or position achieved within the organization.
Eslava (2007), refers to the fact that empowerment means empowerment, empowerment and empowering people to decide and act with responsibility and commitment, at the present time it constitutes a fundamental managerial tool to break the old mental models of metacentric and authoritarian leadership that it is oriented to direct and control people. It is also a strategy to transform traditional organizations, it is mainly based on an educational process for our collaborators, that is, transmitting a new culture inspired by transmitting values and behaviors to carry out with freedom, initiative and autonomy the roles at work, in the let them put their ingenuity, initiative and creativity into play.
The essential premise is based on the fact that we are all responsible for the organization of our work, optimizing spaces in which people access their personal development and psychological autonomy, to create and innovate and improve their work. We must understand then that the main organizational development strategy is to be consistent in providing them with trust, appreciation, respect and learn to "live" with them, creating a climate in which human feelings are important, meet their expectations and problems, this is already It is a favorable work environment so that our collaborators can grow and develop as human beings, as a result, the organization will then be more powerful to compete in a global market. "Renew as managers or die".
The profitability and humanism of a good working environment
Robert Levering, the creator of Great Place To Work in the United States, refers that turning a company into a place to work applying these positive changes takes between two to three years, an example of this is Continental Airline, a company that really wanted to change, the process It took three years. Levering after investigating the interior of more than one hundred successful companies, discovered that the most successful ones have an excellent work environment in which their workers operate, in which they reported an increase in their earnings of up to 26%.
A good working environment is a full guarantee
A good working climate in organizations is a full guarantee of development and success for the organization and all its people, there will be no barriers where our people do not reach, because their inner strength is greater than all obstacles and achieving any goal.
A healthy work environment, encourages, lifts the spirit, preserves the immune system, avoids physical and psychosomatic illnesses, makes people grow in values, knowledge and human development. The staff of an organization with a good working climate, take pride in working in it, love their organization, guarantee savings by giving good use and care of the things they use, in short it is a full guarantee to achieve the most daring objectives.
It is easy to warn people about the mood and self-esteem reflected in the personality in which type of company you work, possibly if you come from an organization whose working environment is healthy, will enjoy good mental and mental health, will be more positive, optimistic of life and of people, he will be more tolerant of adversities, he will be ready to collaborate and help people, he will feel more sure of himself, he will feel that his organization enhances him, he developed it. If you come from an organization whose work environment is dysfunctional, you can possibly be more irascible, bitter, with little tolerance, you will feel frustrated, intolerant, predisposed to psychosomatic illnesses.
The Japanese use a word that they call "Uchi", which means the most sacred and that represents: Family, home, work, true friends, partner and everything sublime, there is a very strong consistency in the family-work duality; This climate is very favorable for working and being more productive.
Deming (1972) demonstrated this by improving not only the quality of life but also being one of the managers of Japan's progress. The technological and economic development of this country is known to all, without possessing great physical and natural wealth, it is great thanks to its "people". When Deming (1972) was asked why the industrial development of Japan was due, the He always responded to his people, my contribution is poor but his people make everything become the "Japanese miracle" of the 20th century. The quality award in
Japan is precisely Edward Deming, he was not therefore a prophet in his land.
On the other hand, it is necessary to note that the result of organizational performance will depend on the way in which the human capital of the organization has been managed, how the members that form it are integrated, what their identification with the company is, how it manifests itself your personal and professional growth, how motivation, creativity, productivity, commitment, membership and belonging occur.
Vince Lombardi (1990) »I firmly believe that the most honorable hour of any person - his maximum satisfaction and fulfillment - is that moment when, victorious, he is exhausted on the battlefield, knowing that he worked with all his heart for a noble cause».
Companies should begin to be more interested in the study of the working environment, which goes beyond the claims that Fayol once pointed out, since an increase in productivity should not be exclusively sought. This interest in achieving a balance between the tangible and the intangible of work has to become a short-term goal and could be known as the TEA Philosophy (Total Environment into Administration), which translated into Spanish is understood as (Total Environment) within the Administration, or ATA Philosophy.
The strategy to optimize the work environment is in the management
It is known that senior management coined the culture of an organization, that is, the fundamental values that will govern future life, "The company has the workers it wants to have" "The organizational success it wants to have".
We must understand that management creates favorable or unfavorable conditions to build its culture and therefore its work environment.
Elements that influence the work climate
At AUREN we have prepared the GRH 27001 EX: 2003 Standard "Rules for the Implementation of a Human Resources Management System" that represents a proposal for systematizing the management of Human Resources in the company through the development, implementation and maintenance of a Human Resources Management System.
Everything starts from the conviction that the role of people in organizations is a key factor for their development.
Hence the importance of proper Policy in Human Resources Management, that is, of its planning, organization, direction, control and evaluation.
Furthermore, Human Resources Management affects all the activities of the company's value chain in which there are people performing their work and consequently involves all its areas.
It is essential and therefore determines the company's strategy. In general, it can be verified that the impact on motivation produced by the climate is important for several reasons: the possibility that employees participate in the surveys and that improvement actions are implemented based on their opinions, feel heard and that the organization is interested in the well-being of the people who work in it.
a) Business philosophy and organizational culture
The organization its own organizational culture, setting the fundamental values "Game of vital rules" to follow as a human organization, this philosophy will establish the boundaries and individual responsibilities, representing the personality of the company to customers, suppliers, public opinion, etc.
This undoubtedly must generate a sense of identity in people, who share and assume the values that translate into behaviors, in the understanding that will reflect the way of thinking, feeling and acting, people assume the role and commitment that should correspond to each one.
b) Company policies
Policies are fundamental emanate from business philosophy, they are rules, guides, norms that govern the actions of people in an organization.
The policies must be uniform throughout the organization, the rules must be followed by all without exception, the Personnel Policy must be impartial and fundamentally human when it comes to correcting, sanctioning and rewarding staff.
c) Role of the manager
John Naibith (1988), said, we need democratic but authoritative leaders, that authority that Naibith referred to, was the moral authority, the respect, the credibility that a manager projects and achieves from his people, unfortunately there is no School of Managers, which It really is a necessity to train true leadership managers that organizations need.
There are many managers many managers based only on cognitive training and management theory, business experience, expertise in the profession, but have not achieved leadership in the ability to lead and conquer their people, leave much to do in dealing with the people, assume arrogant poses and believe that status gives them a power over people and things, this "Power" clouds consciousness if it is not used well, it becomes a cancer that lashes and suffocates the entire organization, creating a climate negative work.
Control based on fear and authoritarian discipline is neither possible nor advisable, for well-known reasons, and even if it were, it is inefficient and reveals a lack of respect for human dignity. The only alternative is legitimate authority, which is based on cooperation and requires knowing the opinion of others. "These tests are unnecessary, since Management already knows what workers think, feel ah… and have a memory" (Levionois 1999).
Some managers have poorly digested some achievement and, of course, have devoted themselves to paying attention to "stroking" their ego; but in some cases, this consumption of attention seems really excessive and their professional performance suffers. For those who, after some initial successes, go to the extreme of outlining a narcissistic personality, what comes next are usually successive missteps. In the environment of the narcissist there are people whom he manages to deceive, but there are also others who perceive him almost as he is, and even feel some shame from others. Sometimes it is accompanied by some degree of corruption, but narcissism is to be seen as a personality disorder, as a gross and unseemly excess of self-esteem.
Using mobbing is a sign of ineptitude weakness of some managers who resort to this pathology referred by Professor Iñaki Piñuel to act in a deliberate and continuous way to give modal and verbal abuse to the worker, until then valid, adequate or even excellent or such Once more superior to the boss in his performance, seeking to destabilize and emotionally undermine him with a view to deteriorate and decrease his work capacity or employability and thus be able to eliminate him more easily from the place and work he occupies.
d) Working conditions
This aspect refers to having healthy working conditions, adequate environments, health benefits, vacations that guarantee the worker's well-being, services such as a canteen, kindergarten (increasingly in demand), study scholarships for employees' children, celebrations, access to company profits, flexible hours, pension plans, various prizes and contests, life insurance, transportation to the company, promotion of sports activities, financial loans with advantages compared to the market and installation of rest areas, among others.
e) Recognition systems
Recognition is a vital source for individual development; it is essential to recognize the work well done, the contributions and ideas that improve the work, to recognize the value in the work performance that should distinguish one from the other, to coach when there are to guide some who are at the standard level, to awaken their potential etc.
Many of the recognition systems are carried out after a performance evaluation, whose objective should be to correct weaknesses, recognize achievements, train, promote workers, etc. It is recommended to suggest the use of the SED system or 360-degree performance evaluation system democratizing the evaluation, in which the same worker in his evaluation (90 °), the Boss (90 °), colleagues (90 °) and clients either internal or external as the case may be (90 °) and favor the feed back.
For many scholars, recognition is more important to many people than money.
f) Compensation systems
The salary system is equally important, firstly, internal salary consistency must be considered, that is, the fair price of labor based on complexity and individual responsibility. It is understood that today "seniority is no longer class" what counts is the capacity that each one shows in his work.
There must be a salary policy in every organization, inspired by a job analysis and evaluation job that determines the individual value of each position, the average wages of the market in positions and similar companies must be considered referentially.
g) Staff empowerment
You usually see managers who have favorites, not because they are the best, but who are docile or do not think for themselves, here is the paradigm of the manager who wants to have subjects or people who think.
It is advisable to empower all people, it is not recommended only to some, the difference is that people who are not empowered unlike those who do are that they normally feel humble, limited, fearful and even insecure about themselves, this is a trauma that possibly will last forever "Burns out", they perform less, they do not identify with the organization and their commitment is less.
h) Insourcing: giving value to the internal resource
The search for talent is a constant and even infinite activity, it cannot stop in the face of a world as changing and demanding as the one that now dominates the work scenarios. This constant search aims to capture those who will offer organizations fresh and innovative ideas, either based on their knowledge or the experience they have accumulated in each specialty over the years.
Looking for internal talent is important, many of the workers have the necessary expertise. Why look for someone capable that we have inside? Opportunities should be given internally when it comes to new functions, or in any case to carry out a mixed competition, is a way of competing with other external professionals.
i) Direction and sense of humor.
Humor helps us create more relaxed and supportive environments for conflict resolution and the establishment of a stress-free work environment and therefore establish more fluid communication. A sense of humor helps with the excessive workload and protects, to a certain extent, against stress. Many companies are beginning to value a sense of humor in their executive selection processes.
j) Avoid rumors and balls
Rumors circulate information that may or may not be true, which will be seen over time. Experience indicates that if there is no proper handling of the rumor, it becomes true regardless of its origin. Feedback with employees enables the exchange of expectations, interests and capabilities. If communication channels are encouraged and activated, positive attitudes towards the guidelines and strategies outlined by the company are enhanced.
Establish clear and open communication with everyone in difficult times, it is better to tell the truth and do not be afraid to set up regular meetings with your staff on your agenda, either individually or in groups.
K) Include the worker's family in their plans
Today we can say that there is a new business triad: Workers, client and family, the family must be the basis of a favorable working world, the worker attends his workplace with his plans and concerns of the family and this undoubtedly constitutes a important emotional and psychological support for him.
Experience with many organizations reveals that including the family in the company's plans is essential, not only is the well-being of the organization achieved by optimizing a favorable climate but it also contributes to the well-being of the family, let us not forget that this You must also wear the company shirt.
L) Flexible hours
Some organizations use flexible hours for workers whose work can be done at different times without affecting other areas. The modern trend is work at home (70%) and work in the company
(30%), as they have some activities that workers can do at home, this represents savings for the company and satisfaction for the employee. an evaluation by results and / or projects.
LL) Frequent studies of the work environment
Another essential task to maintain a good work climate is to measure with certain periodicity how this is going and what conditions or aspects are contributing to affect it positively or negatively. The usual thing is to resort to climate study surveys, however not all surveys can be used by all organizations, ad hoc surveys must be constructed for each one that measures those factors that affect the work climate. Let us not forget that this type of study generates high expectations, that if specific problems extracted from the study are not solved, it generates a lack of credibility and distrust in the organization.
Some important premises:
- Surveys must be well structured by a specialist in the field who knows the organization. That does not constitute another ritual in the organization, but a serious plan that benefits all members of the organization, of course our clients, suppliers and public image. Involve executives, leaders and supervisors in the process to design the aspects of surveys, commitment to support the suggested improvements. The survey should be anonymous to obtain greater freedom of expression. Surveys should not be very extensive, we recommend no more than 20 0
30 questions and validated by the organization. The answers can be closed (yes) or (no) for easy tabulation. Do not include conditions or aspects that cannot be met with attention. The appropriate opportunity should be sought for its administration. Evaluate the economic possibility and material to meet the requirements. A focus group should be carried out among the workers to expose the plans that will be made for the improvements and their roles to support the weather conditions, remember that the work environment is everyone's responsibility. improvement actions such as training executives for proper management and governance of people, workers among others. Finally do not fall into the mistake of doing many climate studies without having acted proactively in including improvements.
Bibliography used
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