This article will guide you about how to build up the morale of public servants.
(i) In the first place, it is important that the public servant should have a knowledge of the purposes and objectives which the organization seeks to achieve and should be convinced of their social value so that he may have a sympathy with the objects he serves.
This knowledge will help him to realize the worth while-ness of his work. A work done only to earn a livelihood somehow does not provide positive satisfaction in the performance. Dr. L.D. White says, “A high morale is essentially joined, ”with a belief in the importance and value of the work that each individual performs.”
Training will help the public servant to understand the purpose of his work and organization and to view its significance in the larger context of the well-being of society. Proper system of placement which enables the individual to get work of his taste and supervisor’s tactfulness of handling the employees also help in making the employees understand and worthwhileness of their work.
(ii) Second, confidence of the rank and file in the integrity and good intent of their supervisors is an important element for boosting morale. Nothing is more demoralizing than a suspicion of unfairness on the part of one’s higher officers or fear of victimization from them.
The entire organisation falls low in public eyes. The higher officers should be fair, impartial and honest. They should not succumb to low practices, corruption and undesirable political influence. If the higher officers and corrupt, the rumor spreads through the organisation like a poison and the lower rank also lose their morale.
(iii) Third, a sense of sharing in the policy-making and running of organisation heightens the morale of the employees. They should be given as far possible a share in the formulation of work programme.
Every effort should be made to create an esprit de corps among the employees of the organization who would take pride in enhancing the interest of the service and think of the service as a whole rather than their personal preserve.
They should not be dubbed as bureaucrats or hirelings of the Government but be regarded as part of the zealously working team in the building up of the country. Any idea or suggestion for improvement if advanced by any employee should be sympathetically considered by his superiors.
That will develop in them sense of belongingness to the government. The old concepts of hierarchy and chain of command must give place to co-operation and partnership. The directing head should be more of a leader than a boss.
(iv) Fourth, stimulating leadership can greatly help in the building up of morale. In the words of Arumugam “morale building in the organisation is a continuous process and a responsibility for even manager. The one best way of building morale in organisation is to have a successful and sound management with top management interested in the employees at all levels and with advanced personnel programmes for building employees relations.”
The leader should set an example through his behaviour. A great leader by his dynamic personality and administrative calibre will leave an indelible imprint on his associates and subordinates. Hence the directing head or “the boss” should transform himself from a commander to a philosopher, friend and guide.
He should take interest in the private life of his subordinates. A.D. Gorwala, recommending measures for improving administration in India, says, “Another way of removing discontent and including discipline would be by showing that the employer was interested in what happened to the staff during the period of suffering. For instance, it is stated that very few people can tell what happens to a clerk when he falls ill. Does he get the necessary medicines? Is he sent to hospital in good time? Is medical attention adequate? All these are matters which make a great deal of difference to a man’s working life.”
(v) Fifth, personnel loyalty also builds up morale in services. Successful higher officers inspire devotion among their subordinates. No hard and fast rule can be laid down to win this devotion because one officer will win it one way, while another in the other way.
However, the officer should so behave with his subordinates as they should be readily agreeable to accept him as their natural leader. He should not show favours on political, religious or personal grounds. Observing certain codes of ethics, viz., high traditions of loyalty to the nation, devotion to work and a high sense of integrity and social service on the part of high officials keeps the morale of subordinates high.
(vi) Sixth, morale rests upon-recognition. It is human nature to crave for praise or recognition. When a civil servant has done a work of exceptional merit he must get his due recognition. In private enterprise, the employer grants recognition in terms of wealth accrued in the market.
The public servant also may be granted recognition. If similar recognition is not possible, other form of recognition in terms of public and professional notice may be granted. Appropriate forms of recognition for work of exceptional merit must be provided and duly highlighted because they help in building up morale.
(vii) Seventh, a healthy co-operation between the Government and the Employees Unions can prove an asset for heightening the morale of the employees. For the present, lot of time of the employees is frivolously wasted in a tussle with the management.
A proper approach to the employees’ point of view through their unions can remove misunderstandings and dispel suspicions which mostly cloud the vision of the employees.
Whitely Council idea, as it prevails in U.K. and has been now adopted in India to some extent is apt to prove highly conducive to the employees as well as the government.
In the words of Dr. Finer, “something very important psychologically has been gained when there can be a semi-public review of a foolish, untactful or despotic show of authority—when resentment of arbitrary interference with habits is avoided. These two officials below the top grade have now a feeling that in regard to promotion, leave and other official benefits, any jobbery is likely to be detected and quashed.”
Eighth, one of the most effective ways to build up high level of morale and integrity among public officials is the attainment of high professional standards.
Having more and more of specialized services equipped with pre-entry in services and pro-entry training and gradual retreat of all round generalists now heading various departments and posing as “Sir Oracles” when they speak let nobody hope his lips philosophy being followed by them can help a lot in keeping the morale of the employees boosted.
Last but not the least, it is also important that the employee should have good working conditions like good salary, security of service, opportunity for promotion, facility of leave, satisfactory retirement benefits and comfortable home to live.
Morale is a state of mind. If the employee is worried and feeling miserable, he will bring a troubled mind to bear on his work. His morale at work will always remain at the lowest ebb. On the other hand, morale of contended employees is apt to remain high.
We can therefore safely conclude that efficiency and high productivity in administration emanate from incentives rather than coercion. The best incentive is the self-built-up morale which reflects the healthy state of minds of the public servants. Material incentives alone are not potent enough to boost the morale of the employees.