Content area
Full Text
People will make voluntary efforts above and beyond the required, when managers create the environment.
SOME 13 YEARS AGO, Daniel Yankelovich and John Immerwahr introduced the concept of discretionary effort-the voluntary effort employees provide beyond what's required. At that time, the researchers stated that encouraging discretionary effort could restore America's competitive vitality.
Today it's more essential than ever to encourage discretionary effort due to the impact of reengineering, downsizing, restructuring, fewer promotions, smaller raises and less job security. These tumultuous times create insecurity, risk avoidance, and the withholding of energy and commitment just when they are critical to survival.
Our own survey reveals that employers aren't doing enough to encourage discretionary effort from their managers and professional employees. There are extraordinary opportunities to improve productivity, but these opportunities are being wasted.
What Encourages Voluntary Effort?
The factors that encourage voluntary effort are grouped into five categories:
1. Having responsibility for the results of one's work (mentioned by 52 percent of employees) and being encouraged to challenge the way the organization does things (32 percent)
2. Sense of worth in one's job (42 percent) and being recognized for contributions (41 percent)
3....