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外文翻译--美学对员工满意度与积极性的影响

外文文献翻译译文原文:The impact of aesthetics on employee satisfaction and motivationRune BjerkeOslo School of Management, OMH, Oslo, NorwayNicholas IndEquilibrium Consulting, Oslo, Norway, andDonatella De PaoliBI Norwegian School of Management, Department of Language,Communication and Culture, Oslo, NorwayAbstractPurpose–This paper sets out to explore the impact of aesthetics on employee satisfaction and motivation.Originality/value–A conceptual model is proposed that identifies possible connections between aesthetics and employee performance.Keywords Job satisfaction, Organizational culture, Motivation (psychology), Employee attitudes, Telecommunications, NorwayTheoretical backgroundIn this article we integrate two inter-linked theoretical perspectives; organizational culture theory and organisational aesthetics theory. Our starting point for this study is organisational culture theory based on Schein’s (1985) model. Although this model has gone through several iterations, Schein’s (1985) definitio n of organisational culture has been the basis for research and theoretical discussions in more recent work (Busch and Vanebo, 2003; Kaufmann and Kaufmann, 2003; Parker et al., 2003; McMurray, 2003; Sarros, 2002; de Chernatony, 2001; Mallak, 2001;Sadri and Lees, 2001; Bang, 1998; Denison and Mishra, 1995; Hofstede, 1991; Schneider, 1990).As Weber (1930) originally suggested, culture is a critical aspect of the adaptation of social organisations,and is a system of “socially transmitted behavior patterns th at serve to relate human communities to their ecological settings”. This view on culture is similar to how Hofstede (1980, 1991; Hofstede et al., 1990) and Schein (1985, 1990) describes culture. Schein’s thoughts and work remain the basis of a considerable amount of subsequent thinking. In this paper we develop Schein’s (1985) model to take into account our focus on the value of art, design and architecture (in his model, described as artifacts) and our difference of perspective:we not only looks at management intent but also the reactions of employees to the environment.The specific organisation we have researched in this conceptual and explorative study is Telenor. Telenor is a major Norwegian telecommunications company. The willingness of companies to invest substantially and consciously in artifacts, means this study can serve as a basis for understanding more about the relationship between aesthetics, organisation and marketing. This will help organisations to make better judgments about when and how to invest in art, architecture and design and to move decision making about aesthetics from a largely subjective perspective to one that integrates with overall business objectives. Our intention is to develop a conceptual framework, based on an assessment of management goals and data from in-depth interviews of Telenor employees, to identify the likely impact of aesthetics on employee satisfaction, identity, creativity, mood, and motivation.Design and methodologySince the literature seems not to suggest specifically whether art, design and architecture, as traits of the organisational culture, can influence employee satisfaction, identity, motivation and possible other dimensions (unknown connections/links) an explorative design was applied in this project (Creswell, 1998; Churchill, 1999). According to Wilson (2001) a good comprehension of the organisation culture is important in order to analyse it. Further, the analysis must be complex in natureWilson (2001) and contain all elements of the organisational culture (Parker et al., 2003; de Chernatony, 2001; Schein, 1985).According to Creswell (1998) qualitative methods should be applied when identifying motives and attitudes among employees. McDaniel and Gates (1999) maintain that qualitative methods are of particular useful when the overall research objectives are interpretation and understanding of meanings. Schein (1990) underscores the importance of using a qualitative approach to gather perceptions about organisational cultures among members of organisations. With such an approach, it is possible to understand how cultures have evolved over time. Findings can be labeled, organised and discussed according to the terminology of organizational culture and aesthetics.SampleThe behavior of employees in direct contact with customers on a daily basis is important concerning the communication of the organisational values, brand values and objectives (Wilson, 2001; Ind, 2003; de Chernatony, 2001). Adopted values, norms, and assumptions derived from the organisational culture may influence actions (behaviour) and ways of communicating. Normann (1991) points out that employees’dealing directly with customers are the outward face of the organisation. To understand the linkage between the internal and external we only interviewed Telenor employees, who were in contact with customers on a daily basis. The respondents worked in Telenor Mobil, Telenor Networks and Telenor Customer Service. The interviewees were selected because they were assumed to have knowledge and understanding of their own working environment and have opinions about it (Berg, 2001; Churchill, 1999).Data collection: in-depth interviewsSix expert interviews were completed. The experts had in-depth knowledge about art and business, work environment, organisational culture, brand building and aest hetics, and about Telenor’s investments in art, design and architecture. A total of 24 in-depth interviews of Telenor employees (dealing with customers) were completed in 2003 at Telenor. The purpose was to have the respondents describe howthey perceive the organisational culture at Telenor, in relation to the art, design, and architecture that represents their working environment. As an introduction to the interviews, the respon dents were asked questions about Telenor’s vision and values. Findings and discussionThe respondents’ view on the art, design, and architecture at Telenor is varied. In general, the majority think that the art is nice and exciting. Many of the respondents seem to like the composition of the art, the design and the architecture, and the total experience of how the three elements are integrated. Several employees believe that art, design and architecture may have an unconscious influential effect, although generally they do not reflect on the possible impact in their day-to-day working lives. Some of the respondents had a critical attitude towards some specific physical elements like open office space, the columns in the space between two large buildings (a sculptural feature), and the moving, red, electronic text moving along a large narrow screen on the top of one of the buildings (on the facade) (by the American conceptual artist Jenny Holzer). This varied and dissimilar view on the physical environment and artifacts among individuals is also pointed out as a cultural characteristic by Bordieu (1984).Some respondents claimed not to understand parts of the art displayed in the buildings and that some of the design was uncomfortable (mostly modern classic designs derived from the Bauhaus aesthetic or modern Scandinavian designers, such as Arne Jacobsen). Some respondents mentioned that they stopped being conscious of the art and came to see it as a natural, unconscious experience. Thus, they referred to their view on the art, design and architecture as a total experience without being able to separate specific elementsMotivationMost of the respondents claimed to be motivated at their work. Several mentioned that the quality of their working colleagues was a key factor. Many of those working within the business-to-business segment stated that they were motivated by their specific tasks and the position they held as well as the responsibility they have and the flexibility they enjoy. This links to Herzberg’sthinking, derived from his studies with Mausner and Snyderman that people are satisfied by the intrinsics of their work and that performance leads to satisfaction and not the other way round (Herzberg et al., 2003). Several of the Telenor people who work directly with consumers pointed out that there is not much room for flexibility, freedom and responsibility in their jobs. This finding may indicate that those working with the business segment are more motivated than those working with the consumer segment because they have greater potential to perform and achieve fulfillment. Some respondents mentioned art or design or architecture as possible motivational factors, but there were no clear statements from the respondents that any of these separate elements had a direct impact. However, it was suggested that the experience of the totality of those three elements of the physical environment could have an impact on motivation. The reason given was thata nice physical environment could have an impact on employees’mood, wellbeing, an inspiration, which in turn influences motivation. A few respondents, who were not so interested in the environment, did not believe that any of the elements of art, design or architecture had an influence on motivation.Employee satisfactionIt seemed hard for the respondents to distinguish between motivation and satisfaction,which could indicate that employees perceive these two ideas to be related. Pleasant working environment, nice colleagues, and varied job tasks were mentioned both as motivational – and satisfaction factors.The analysis of the interviews revealed that employee satisfaction seemed good. As to the possible impact of the physical environment on satisfaction, the respondents said that there could be such a relation, but they didn’t think that people were so aware of the influential power of art, design and architecture. In general, respondents believed that a nice environment created positive feelings. And several respondents agreed that if the unique art, design and arc hitecture at Telenor was “removed” or changed, dissatisfaction could well increase. This ties in with Herzberg’s argument (Herzberg, 2003) that environment and working conditions influence people’s dissatisfaction with their work, whereas people are seldom made satisfied by a goodenvironment – that relies primarily on the job itself.IdentityAccording to Kaufmann and Kaufmann (2003) a strong organisational culture may contribute to strengthened feelings of identity among employees. The clearer the company values are defined and explained, the stronger the sense of being a part of the organisation. Most of the respondents feel they are a part of Telenor. The degree is determined by the length of time they had been working for the company, the importance of their job, the quality of their working environment and the quality of their colleagues.de Chernatony (2001) proposes that one way of getting an indication of employees’ degree of identity is to ask them how they would react if they overheard critical or negative comments of their company in a social setting or if the read something negative in the media. Based on such questions directed toward the respondents, it seems that most respondents would defend Telenor without taking the criticism personally. Several of those working with business clients mentioned a sense of pride also because of the art, design, and architecture, particularly when they had customer meetings at the company site, and when they took customers on a tour to show art, design, and architecture.Goffee and Jones (1996) claim that an organization, which maintains a positive organizational culture, should enjoy several benefits. When employees identify themselves with the culture, the working environment will have a tendency to become more pleasant, which again may increase morale. Since Telenor employees seem to identify with the company and its culture, the internal co-operation may become better, and new ideas will welcomed.CreativityOrganizations striving to become innovative are dependent on creative individuals who also accept change and autonomy easily (Sadri and Lees, 2001). There are indications that employees dealing with business customers have more room for creativity because they are allowed a greater freedom and flexibility in providing various product and service solutions than the other customer serviceproviders at Telenor. One respondent pointed out that the open space office has led to greater creativity because of the possibility to exchange ideas and thoughts with colleagues.It seems also, based on the in-depth interviews, that employees working with the business segment, who move around more internally and externally than those working with the consumer segment, believe they become more creative in a nice physical environment because they produce better solutions for their customers. This finding suggests that there could be a link between physical environment, creativity, and the provision of service quality. If this is indeed the case, we can argue that the environment contributes to performance improvement and to a consequent change in motivationService provision ability/capacityAs to whether there is a potential relationship between the physical environment and employees’ ability to provide service quality, several of the respondents replied that the physical environment could motivate them to provide a better service quality to customers. Sadri and Lees (2001) point out that if companies are able to create a strong organisational culture, a positive outcome may well be stronger employee performance. Similar to other remarks from the respondents, it was suggested that the physical environment could influence employees’ mood, and their service provision performance, which could lead to greater motivationEmployee satisfaction and motivationParker et al. (2003) found that job satisfaction influences both motivation and performance and motivation influences performance. Furthermore, their study revealed that weakness (or strength) in employee satisfaction and identification is a consequence of the psychological climate of the organisation. Faust and Bethge (2003) along with Parker et al. (2003) propose that a strong organisational culture may influence motivation and company performance capability positively. However, researchers like Strati (1999), Bitner (1992), Baker et al. (1988) suggest that the physical environment may influence employees’ satisfaction, motivation, and productivity in line with theories of Schein (1985). As of today, it seems that noresearchers have broken physical artifacts into specific elements. Therefore, one of the intentions of executing several in-depth interviews with employees of Telenor was to identify words they use to “label” the company’s physical environment.Source: Rune Bjerke“The impact of aesthetics on employee satisfaction and motivation” Employee satisfaction and motivation p57-73译文:美学对员工满意度与积极性的影响鲁尼贝加克挪威奥斯陆管理学院尼古拉斯挪威奥斯陆咨询平台唐娜泰拉佩奥利挪威奥斯陆语言通讯和文化管理学院摘要目的:本文探讨美学对员工满意度与积极性的影响。

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