Essay Sample on Creating Fair and Balanced Workplace Environments

Introduction

Organizations and leaders need to nurture a workplace environment that is fair to all employees. A balanced environment implies a place where all the staff members have equal access to opportunities and get treated fairly regardless of their position or role in the company. One of the areas that managers should strive to address is ensuring fairness in consequences and rewards that accompany specific actions from the employees. When workers compare the kind of treatment that their peers or colleagues receive, it affects how they behave in the workplace (Cohn, Fehr, Herrmann, & Schneider, 2011). Unfair treatment also impacts the level of motivation among individuals and teams. Equity plays a crucial role in workplace behavior as it enhances employees' motivation, thus increasing organization performance.

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The authors examine the value of equitability in the workplace and how it impacts the level of productivity. They claim that in a work setting, employees observe and develop perceptions regarding the existence of fairness (Al-Zawahreh& Al-Madi, 2012). According to the equity theory, their view of equitability or unfairness will affect the input and output processes at work. The argument is that, when workers witness or experience inequality at work, they are most likely to respond by reducing productivity. Such an action is an attempt to correct the inequity. Some of the major areas identified by the writers that cause other employees to feel neglected include issues of payment and promotions (Al-Zawahreh & Al-Madi, 2012). Thus, managers must focus on upholding fairness when dealing with these issues.

The article addresses the need for organizational leaders to adequately manage human resources since people are a critical component that contributes to the realization of company goals. When leaders poorly manage staff members, an unsatisfied workforce emerges (Osabiya, 2015). According to the author, neglecting employees and failing to encourage them through equitable motivation jeopardizes chances for long term success. They state that motivation has a direct influence on employees' behavior in the workplace. When workers are properly motivated, their level of commitment to the organization increases the desire to propel the firm toward success and growth. On the other hand, fairness in the workplace determines the attitude with which they approach work (Osabiya, 2015). Therefore, managers need to understand the value of promoting equity, equality, and mutual respect for all employees.

The author primarily focuses on the issue of remuneration. Various factors determine how much salaries, different categories of employees earn in an organization. As a team, people add a significant amount of value that enables firms to achieve their objectives. However, at the individual level, companies offer different compensation packages. The article explores how inequality in pay may impact employees' motivation and conduct. By viewing payment as an allocation of a reward for services rendered to the entity, the author explores the perceptions that arise due to the disparities in salaries (Shaw, 2014). Awareness of the differences creates a feeling of inequality and affects how individuals and teams work or behave. Hence, their response to unfairness affects general performance.

The writer undertakes a study to assess the effect of perceived negative inequity at the workplace and how individuals behave in such an environment. Using the equity theory, she does the research and compares the level of input, productivity, and behavior of employees (Aidla, 2012). The essence of the exercise is to gain an understanding of what and how workers perceive unfairness. Knowing the extent of inequity that exists in the work atmosphere is necessary before managers can address the problem. Besides, it is essential to understand how factors such as the social and cultural background of individuals affect perception and response to unfair treatment(Aidla, 2012). Therefore, managers can work toward improving employee productivity by enhancing equity and equality in the workplace.

All employees in an organization play a vital role in their contribution toward goal realization. Given the distinct value and input that each person brings to the team, the management needs to promote fair treatment. In an environment where there is adequate treatment, people are driven toward achieving personal and organizational goals. Besides providing financial and non-financial motivation as a way of fostering specific desired behaviors, managers can create a fair and just environment. One of the approaches can involve the development of policies and an organizational culture that accords respect to all staff members (Burton, 2012). In a respectful atmosphere, people can learn to listen to each other and address conflicts that arise among colleagues reasonably.

Conclusion

Overall, promoting equity and equality in a work setting is central to enhancing employees' productivity. All members of an entity need to feel like they are a crucial part of the organization. In companies where some people receive better treatment, dissatisfaction arises. Other employees who observe or experience unfair treatment will respond in a way that will adversely affect organizational performance. Perceptions of unfair treatment demotivate workers. It changes how they behave as some of them seek to address the inequity by putting in less effort. When the levels of motivation fall, individual and group's productivity also reduce. In such a case, it becomes hard for an organization to achieve its objectives. Thus, managers must foster equity in the workplace.

References

Aidla, A. (2012). Perceptions of negative inequity at work and the behavior of individuals. GSTF Journal on Business Review (GBR), 2(3). doi:10.4102/sajhrm.v10i1.402

Al-Zawahreh, A., & Al-Madi, F. (2012). The utility of equity theory in enhancing organizational effectiveness. European Journal of Economics, Finance, and Administrative Sciences, 46(3), 159-169. http://www.eurojournals.com/EJEFAS.htm

Burton, K. (2012). A study of motivation: How to get your employees moving. Management, 3(2), 232-234.

Cohn, A., Fehr, E., Herrmann, B., & Schneider, F. (2011). Social comparison in the workplace: Evidence from a field experiment. IZA Discussion Paper No. 5550. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1778894

Osabiya, B. J. (2015). The effect of employees' motivation on organizational performance. Journal of Public Administration and Policy Research, 7(4), 62-75. doi: 10.5897/JPAPR2014.0300

Shaw, J. D. (2014). Pay dispersion. Annual Review of Organization Psychology and Organization Behavior, 1(1), 521-544. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-031413-091253