Improving Attitudes in a Recession

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Improving employee attitude during turbulent times is a challenge for any corporation. Managers need to consider, at all levels, what is truly the most important piece to the continuance of the company. The driving force of success is employee commitment and motivation. As stated in the book Help them grow or watch them go, “even during challenging times your best and brightest have options (Kaye &Giulioni, P 9)” Bain & Company, Home Depot and Best Buy had positive outlooks by using a few of Schwartz’s ten values. Leaders use positive employee behavior to negotiate uncertainty. Communicating with employees to bridge the gap between personal response to information and an institutions collective understanding organizational norms. These norms may include placing the organizations needs for success higher than ones desire to maintain status quo.
Bain & Company, Home Depot and Best Buy achieved success by using a few of Schwartz’s Ten values. Achievement is the first value, taking advantage of other companies cutting their workforce; they are able to hire talented individuals. Stimulation is another value, Home Depot had to close a couple of stores and laid off a portion of his upper management team, but offered bonus’ to employees at the lowest level of the workforce which entices the employees to engage customers and sell product. Benevolence was also a value, keeping an honest approach to the recession; instead of avoiding the subject of lay-offs discuss the reason why they happen, be a transparent company so that employees feel part of the decision (Kreitner & Kinicki, 2013, P153). Communicating the decisions made will help quell the uncertainty.
Steve Ellis had foresight and was able to see the benefit of the recession...

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...sing productivity and organizational commitment during a recession is a difficult task. Leaders and Managers must continually strive to assess and predict employee perceptions and response during periods of change. Always communicate during unsettling times in order to maintain organizational commitment. Using Schwartz’s Ten Values will assist with communication and the decision making processes.

Works Cited

Kaye, B., & Giulioni, J. (n.d.). Help them Grow or Watch them Go. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.
Kreitner, R., & Kinicki, A. (2013). Organizational Behavior (10th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.
Silverblatt, R. (n.d.). In Search of Workplace Happiness. Retrieved from http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.vlib.excelsior.edu/ehost/detail?sid=faf69c10-6fe8-4331-87e6-e175cf4e70e6@sessionmgr112&vid=1&hid=102&bdata=JnNjb3BlPXNpdGU=#db=a9h&AN=49253846

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