Role Enjoyment v Misery

This is About Me

Each staff member, from the CEO at the top right down to the most junior employee, regards their formal role as the focal point for their employment experience.

Being effective at work, without which any job satisfaction is spurious or irrelevant, depends largely on how well a role is designed, and how it is established within a function. Beyond this, any role is also subject to numerous influences related to how management is organised.

Role enjoyment results if, taken together, interactions between the elements (groupings) of organising management operate positively. Role misery results if the experience is negative.

Influences & States

G7_B-Commitment

G7_B ↔ G4_B: If commitment-G7_B is present and my role-G4_B is satisfactory, then I will have a feeling of belonging in the organization. This Channel bypasses two key levels, motivation-G6 and goals-G5, that often function in concert. As a result, belonging can help me deal with temporary failures here. If either Centre is lacking, a great role but no commitment, or intense commitment but a poorly designed or ill-fitting role, then I may remain employed, but something is going wrong. At the extreme the result will be an estrangement from the organization and a feeling of alienation at work.

G6-Motivation: Obligatory and Creative.

I expect to be motivated by my role, but the design of my role affects my motivation. The influence here bypasses goals-G5 and can keep work enjoyable even when I have issues with the organization's strategies and top management's perceptions.

G6_O ↔ G4_B: Because my role-G4_B contains and expects obligations, the motivations-G6_O associated with these should provide confirmation for my position. However, obligations often change or accrue. If these conflict with, extend or limit my role beyond what I agreed or expected, then the rationale of my employment contract is being undermined, and demoralization may set in.

G6_P ↔ G4_B: My role-G4_B is the platform from which I can release my creativity. The related motivations-G6_P are intensely positive and I am grateful when they are activated. My role comes alive and so do I. The experience is one of vitalization. However, my creativity may be suppressed or denigrated, or my role may not allow me to show what I can do. Sometimes my function is crippled or its potential for contributing is denigrated. The result is then a feeling of devaluation.

G5-Goals: Accepted and Generated

My role-G4_B is a vehicle for my pursuit of goals for the organization. So those goals, whether chosen by me or imposed on me, are critical factors affecting the quality of my work-life.

G5_O ↔ G4_B: Because my role-G4_B implies the acceptance of officially adopted goals-G5_O, the result in practice should be a feeling akin to contentment. However, plans and goals may be imposed that conflict with my role, or extend or limit it beyond what I agreed or expected. It can then become difficult to work naturally, and a feeling of constriction sets in.

G5_P ↔ G4_B: If I can generate my own goals-G5_P and pursue them using my role-G4_B as a legitimate base, then I feel in charge of myself and my work. The recognition of the value of my efforts leads to feelings of pride. It doesn't always work out like that. My goals may not be appreciated, or my role may not provide the right base for the goals I wish to pursue. The result then is disappointment.

G3-Improvement: Initiative & Authorization

My role-G4_B is also a vehicle for handling improvements.

G4_B ↔ G3_P: My role-G4_B serves to mediate the goals-G5 that I have accepted and generated. So, given proper motivation-G6, it becomes the basis for personal initiatives-G3_P. The experience here is one of activation, a feeling that is often contagious. However, if things are not working well, due to problems with goals or with the role, or because oversight suppresses initiative, the result will be apathy.

G4_B ↔ G3_O: My role-G4_B is expected to allow me to devise or contribute to and implement authorized developments-G3_O. As a result, there is a mutual production of support. The development supports the significance of my role and my role supports the adopted development. If, however, I have been excluded from participation or the development weakens my role, then feelings of disconnection are likely to emerge.

G2_B-Oversight

This influence has already been examined from the perspective of hierarchical comfort/stress-G4_B. However, its significance is so great that re-articulating its presence here is worthwhile.

G4_B ↔ G2_B: The mutual interaction between my role-G4_B and the system of managerial oversight-G2_Bis of the greatest importance to stabilize me and my efforts in the organization. The oversight system looks both upwards and downwards, as well as laterally. It exists to ensure there is a common understanding and a proper shared orientation. If this works well, there is a feeling of confidence. If, however, the spirit of cooperation is lacking, dialogue is poor or oversight is infused with intimidation, then the result is confusion. This may be more or less painful depending on personalities and other factors.

G1-Duties

While any role-G4_B contains and implies responsibility for duties-G1B, these do not interact directly. Instead assignation and acceptance of specific duties must be mediated via managerial oversight-G2_B and drives for improvement-G3.

Comparison

Role enjoyment depends on effective efforts to organise management and on how managers work an everyday basis. Its components include: belonging, confirmation, vitalization, contentment, pride, support, activation & confidence.

Role misery is a composite of: alienation, demoralization, devaluation, constriction, disappointment, apathy, disconnection, & confusion.

Role enjoyment with its basis in feelings and atmospheres is more complex than job satisfaction which relates to performance.

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• Now consider other ambient factors.

Originally posted: 23-May-2014.