Corporate competitiveness is usually measured in terms of financial indicators. However competitiveness really comes from the people working in the company, from top to bottom. A companys competitive edge and productivity are the fruit of its employees well-being and commitment to their work.
Competitiveness is a valued quality in the labour market today. When a competitive employee meets a similarly spirited work community, it makes for an efficient package.
Taru Feldt, Ph.D., a researcher in occupational psychology with the University of Jyväskylä, reminds us that such a combination also entails risks. According to Feldt, it is not a good thing for a company if all of its employees are very competitive.
People should not be seen merely as employees but also as people, individuals. For example, a family-friendly organisation also takes into account the fact that its employees can also be parents. If a company only values outgoing personalities in recruitment, it will lose a lot of good, silent employees.
Feldt says that companies often make the basic mistake of drafting future visions and plans for perfect conditions, a world in which employees never have problems with well-being, family life or health.
Finland can boast rather high job satisfaction ratings. This can be attributed, among other things, to good social security and a day care system that enables both parents to work factors that prevent insecurity and thus promote well-being. Feldt also believes that the strong position of women in Finland supports competitiveness.
The financial recession in the early 1990s aroused great insecurity among many companies employees. Today, globalisation is causing similar concerns; for example, employees may be afraid of seeing their jobs outsourced.
There are individual differences in the way people feel insecurity. Students can cope with insecure short-term employment better than people with families, who often experience stress as a result of insecurity, Feldt says.
She goes on to point out that many work communities dont know how to address issues related to well-being and different personalities. Corporate managers who lack this knowledge may even appear indifferent to the development of well-being at work.
Management may not necessarily have the means to tackle problems, and managers have never been trained to handle such issues. Companies need to deploy more guidance in order to unwind issues. Many organisations have taken an interest in these things, Feldt advises.
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By Tommi Salo, Photo by Petteri Kivimäki