importance of research in the workplace

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

35 Research Skills in the Workplace: A Brief Overview

CWI 101 Leaders

In most of your college courses, you will be asked to research topics so that you can learn more about them. But the same research skills you are practicing in your classes are also critical to success in the workplace. Here are some general ways that you may use research in your future career, regardless of your pathway:

• Decision-making: Research skills are crucial for making informed decisions. In any workplace, there are always decisions to be made, and having the ability to research and analyze information can help you make more informed choices.
• Problem-solving: Research skills are also important for problem-solving. When faced with a problem, it is essential to be able to gather and analyze information to come up with the best possible solution.
• Innovation: Research skills can also lead to innovation in the workplace. By researching new ideas and technologies, you can help your organization stay ahead of the competition and be more innovative.
• Credibility: In many industries, credibility is crucial. Research skills can help you establish credibility by demonstrating your ability to gather and analyze information accurately and effectively.
• Continuous learning: Research skills are also important for continuous learning. In today’s fast-paced work environment, it is essential to keep up with new developments in your industry, and research skills can help you do that.

As you can see, research skills are an essential part of many jobs and can help you make better decisions, solve problems, innovate, establish credibility, and keep up with new developments in your industry. You can and should showcase your research skills on your resume, and you should take as many opportunities as possible to practice these skills.

An article from the employment website GlassDoor.com notes several important skillsets we’ve already learned about that are important to successful research in the workplace. These skills include:

• Time Management: From meeting deadlines to decision making to managing stress, time management skills will help you to manage projects and tasks that require research.
• Critical Thinking: Being open to new ideas and having the ability to evaluate them will make you a more effective workplace researcher.
• Problem Solving: The ability to be an active listener and to communicate effectively will help you to use research to solve problems in your workplace.

This video goes over some ways to refine your Google searches so that you can get better results:

Knowledge Check

When you are researching something related to your career, what are some red flags you may find with sources? How do you know if a source is credible and reliable? Investigate the kinds of research you might need to do as part of your future career. You might be able to find this information from a Google search, descriptions from online job postings, or a conversation with someone in that field. Spend some time and try to get a solid idea of the kinds of topics you might need to research and what research tools you might use. Make notes of the information from the article and the results of your research.

Now that we’ve thought about research skills more broadly, let’s consider some specific ways research can be used in a variety of fields. If you’re not sure what you plan to study yet, look through all the options to see if one of them speaks to you.

Research in STEM

STEM researchers study a wide range of topics that fall under the categories of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Some of the areas of study include:

• Biology: researchers in this field study living organisms, including cells, genetics, and ecosystems.
• Chemistry: researchers in this field study the composition, properties, and reactions of matter.
• Physics: researchers in this field study the properties and behavior of matter and energy.
• Mathematics: researchers in this field study abstract concepts such as numbers, quantity, and structure.
• Engineering: researchers in this field apply scientific and mathematical principles to design and build new products, systems, and structures.
• Computer Science: researchers in this field study computation, algorithms, programming, and artificial intelligence.
• Environmental Science: researchers in this field study the natural environment, including its ecosystems, biodiversity, and sustainability.
• Materials Science: researchers in this field study the properties and behavior of materials, including metals, polymers, and ceramics.
• Astronomy: researchers in this field study celestial objects, including planets, stars, and galaxies.

Some websites that may help you with your STEM research include:

• National Institutes of Health
• National Science Foundation
• Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics
• CWI Library Biology LibGuide
• CWI Library Math LibGuide

Research in Social Sciences

Social scientists study a wide range of phenomena related to human behavior and social interactions. Some of the main areas of study within social sciences include:

• Sociology: the study of human society, social structures, and social interactions.
• Psychology: the scientific study of behavior and mental processes, including perception, cognition, emotion, and motivation.
• Education: the study of how people learn and how to improve the teaching process.
• Anthropology: the study of human cultures, societies, and behavior across time and space.
• Economics: the study of how individuals, organizations, and societies allocate resources and make decisions about production, consumption, and distribution.
• Political science: the study of politics, government, and political behavior at local, national, and international levels.
• Geography: the study of the relationships between people and their physical and social environments.

Social scientists use a range of research methods and tools to study these phenomena, including surveys, experiments, observations, and statistical analysis of data. They may also use interdisciplinary approaches that combine multiple fields of study to gain a more comprehensive understanding of complex social phenomena. Ultimately, social scientists aim to generate new knowledge and insights that can inform policies, practices, and interventions that improve people’s lives and well-being.

Some websites that may help you with your social science research include:

• Social Sciences Research Network (SSRN)
• Educational Research Information Center (ERIC)
• National Institutes of Mental Health
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
• National Institute of Justice
• Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI)
• National Archives
• CWI Criminal Justice LibGuide
• CWI History LibGuide
• CWI Psychology LibGuide
• CWI Sociology LibGuid e

Medical Research

Medical researchers investigate a wide range of subjects related to human health and disease. Some of the most common subjects investigated by medical researchers include:

• Basic science research: This includes research on the fundamental aspects of human biology and physiology, such as genetics, molecular biology, and cellular biology.
• Clinical research: This involves studying the effectiveness and safety of medical treatments and interventions, as well as the development of new diagnostic tools and therapies.
• Epidemiology: This field focuses on studying the distribution, determinants, and patterns of health and disease in populations.
• Health services research: This involves investigating the organization, delivery, and financing of healthcare systems, with the goal of improving healthcare quality and reducing costs.
• Behavioral and social sciences: These fields focus on understanding the psychological, social, and cultural factors that influence health behaviors and outcomes.
• Public health: This involves studying the health of populations and the prevention of disease through public health policies and interventions.

Overall, medical research covers a broad range of subjects, and the field is constantly evolving as new technologies and approaches are developed.

Some websites that may help you with your health sciences/medical research include:

• U.S. Centers for Disease Control
• Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)
• Library of Congress Research Guides (Medicine)

Business Research

Researchers in business investigate a wide range of topics related to various aspects of the business world. Some examples of the areas that business researchers might focus on include:

• Marketing: Researchers might study consumer behavior, market trends, advertising strategies, and brand management.
• Management: Researchers might investigate topics such as leadership, organizational behavior, human resource management, and operations management.
• Finance: Researchers might explore topics such as financial markets, investment strategies, and corporate finance.
• Entrepreneurship: Researchers might study topics related to starting and growing new businesses, such as innovation, business models, and venture capital.
• International business: Researchers might investigate topics related to global markets, international trade, and cross-cultural management.
• Information systems: Researchers might explore topics related to the design, development, and management of information systems and technologies in businesses.
• Corporate social responsibility: Researchers might investigate topics related to sustainability, ethical business practices, and corporate social responsibility.

Overall, the field of business research is broad and interdisciplinary, and researchers may draw on theories and methods from economics, psychology, sociology, and other fields to investigate a wide range of topics.

Some websites that may help you with your business research include:

• Library of Congress Business Research Guide
• New York Stock Exchange
• Securities and Exchange Commission
• Business Case Studies Resources from Sheridan College
• Entrepreneur.com
• CWI Business LibGuide

In the next chapter, we will learn more about research questions and how to come up with important questions that you want to answer.

Research Skills in the Workplace: A Brief Overview Copyright © 2023 by CWI 101 Leaders is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Share This Book

What Is the Importance of Research? 5 Reasons Why Research is Critical

by Logan Bessant | Nov 16, 2021 | Science

Most of us appreciate that research is a crucial part of medical advancement. But what exactly is the importance of research? In short, it is critical in the development of new medicines as well as ensuring that existing treatments are used to their full potential. 

Research can bridge knowledge gaps and change the way healthcare practitioners work by providing solutions to previously unknown questions.

In this post, we’ll discuss the importance of research and its impact on medical breakthroughs.  

The Importance Of Health Research

The purpose of studying is to gather information and evidence, inform actions, and contribute to the overall knowledge of a certain field. None of this is possible without research. 

Understanding how to conduct research and the importance of it may seem like a very simple idea to some, but in reality, it’s more than conducting a quick browser search and reading a few chapters in a textbook. 

No matter what career field you are in, there is always more to learn. Even for people who hold a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in their field of study, there is always some sort of unknown that can be researched. Delving into this unlocks the unknowns, letting you explore the world from different perspectives and fueling a deeper understanding of how the universe works.

To make things a little more specific, this concept can be clearly applied in any healthcare scenario. Health research has an incredibly high value to society as it provides important information about disease trends and risk factors, outcomes of treatments, patterns of care, and health care costs and use. All of these factors as well as many more are usually researched through a clinical trial. 

What Is The Importance Of Clinical Research?

Clinical trials are a type of research that provides information about a new test or treatment. They are usually carried out to find out what, or if, there are any effects of these procedures or drugs on the human body. 

All legitimate clinical trials are carefully designed, reviewed and completed, and need to be approved by professionals before they can begin. They also play a vital part in the advancement of medical research including:

• Providing new and good information on which types of drugs are more effective.  
• Bringing new treatments such as medicines, vaccines and devices into the field. 
• Testing the safety and efficacy of a new drug before it is brought to market and used in clinical practice.
• Giving the opportunity for more effective treatments to benefit millions of lives both now and in the future. 
• Enhancing health, lengthening life, and reducing the burdens of illness and disability. 

This all plays back to clinical research as it opens doors to advancing prevention, as well as providing treatments and cures for diseases and disabilities. Clinical trial volunteer participants are essential to this progress which further supports the need for the importance of research to be well-known amongst healthcare professionals, students and the general public. 

Five Reasons Why Research is Critical

Research is vital for almost everyone irrespective of their career field. From doctors to lawyers to students to scientists, research is the key to better work. 

• Increases quality of life

 Research is the backbone of any major scientific or medical breakthrough. None of the advanced treatments or life-saving discoveries used to treat patients today would be available if it wasn’t for the detailed and intricate work carried out by scientists, doctors and healthcare professionals over the past decade. 

This improves quality of life because it can help us find out important facts connected to the researched subject. For example, universities across the globe are now studying a wide variety of things from how technology can help breed healthier livestock, to how dance can provide long-term benefits to people living with Parkinson’s. 

For both of these studies, quality of life is improved. Farmers can use technology to breed healthier livestock which in turn provides them with a better turnover, and people who suffer from Parkinson’s disease can find a way to reduce their symptoms and ease their stress. 

Research is a catalyst for solving the world’s most pressing issues. Even though the complexity of these issues evolves over time, they always provide a glimmer of hope to improving lives and making processes simpler. 

• Builds up credibility 

People are willing to listen and trust someone with new information on one condition – it’s backed up. And that’s exactly where research comes in. Conducting studies on new and unfamiliar subjects, and achieving the desired or expected outcome, can help people accept the unknown.

However, this goes without saying that your research should be focused on the best sources. It is easy for people to poke holes in your findings if your studies have not been carried out correctly, or there is no reliable data to back them up. 

This way once you have done completed your research, you can speak with confidence about your findings within your field of study. 

• Drives progress forward 

It is with thanks to scientific research that many diseases once thought incurable, now have treatments. For example, before the 1930s, anyone who contracted a bacterial infection had a high probability of death. There simply was no treatment for even the mildest of infections as, at the time, it was thought that nothing could kill bacteria in the gut.

When antibiotics were discovered and researched in 1928, it was considered one of the biggest breakthroughs in the medical field. This goes to show how much research drives progress forward, and how it is also responsible for the evolution of technology . 

Today vaccines, diagnoses and treatments can all be simplified with the progression of medical research, making us question just what research can achieve in the future. 

• Engages curiosity 

The acts of searching for information and thinking critically serve as food for the brain, allowing our inherent creativity and logic to remain active. Aside from the fact that this curiosity plays such a huge part within research, it is also proven that exercising our minds can reduce anxiety and our chances of developing mental illnesses in the future. 

Without our natural thirst and our constant need to ask ‘why?’ and ‘how?’ many important theories would not have been put forward and life-changing discoveries would not have been made. The best part is that the research process itself rewards this curiosity. 

Research opens you up to different opinions and new ideas which can take a proposed question and turn into a real-life concept. It also builds discerning and analytical skills which are always beneficial in many career fields – not just scientific ones. 

• Increases awareness 

The main goal of any research study is to increase awareness, whether it’s contemplating new concepts with peers from work or attracting the attention of the general public surrounding a certain issue. 

Around the globe, research is used to help raise awareness of issues like climate change, racial discrimination, and gender inequality. Without consistent and reliable studies to back up these issues, it would be hard to convenience people that there is a problem that needs to be solved in the first place. 

The problem is that social media has become a place where fake news spreads like a wildfire, and with so many incorrect facts out there it can be hard to know who to trust. Assessing the integrity of the news source and checking for similar news on legitimate media outlets can help prove right from wrong. 

This can pinpoint fake research articles and raises awareness of just how important fact-checking can be. 

The Importance Of Research To Students

It is not a hidden fact that research can be mentally draining, which is why most students avoid it like the plague. But the matter of fact is that no matter which career path you choose to go down, research will inevitably be a part of it. 

But why is research so important to students ? The truth is without research, any intellectual growth is pretty much impossible. It acts as a knowledge-building tool that can guide you up to the different levels of learning. Even if you are an expert in your field, there is always more to uncover, or if you are studying an entirely new topic, research can help you build a unique perspective about it.

For example, if you are looking into a topic for the first time, it might be confusing knowing where to begin. Most of the time you have an overwhelming amount of information to sort through whether that be reading through scientific journals online or getting through a pile of textbooks. Research helps to narrow down to the most important points you need so you are able to find what you need to succeed quickly and easily. 

It can also open up great doors in the working world. Employers, especially those in the scientific and medical fields, are always looking for skilled people to hire. Undertaking research and completing studies within your academic phase can show just how multi-skilled you are and give you the resources to tackle any tasks given to you in the workplace. 

The Importance Of Research Methodology

There are many different types of research that can be done, each one with its unique methodology and features that have been designed to use in specific settings. 

When showing your research to others, they will want to be guaranteed that your proposed inquiry needs asking, and that your methodology is equipt to answer your inquiry and will convey the results you’re looking for.

That’s why it’s so important to choose the right methodology for your study. Knowing what the different types of research are and what each of them focuses on can allow you to plan your project to better utilise the most appropriate methodologies and techniques available. Here are some of the most common types:

• Theoretical Research: This attempts to answer a question based on the unknown. This could include studying phenomena or ideas whose conclusions may not have any immediate real-world application. Commonly used in physics and astronomy applications.
• Applied Research: Mainly for development purposes, this seeks to solve a practical problem that draws on theory to generate practical scientific knowledge. Commonly used in STEM and medical fields. 
• Exploratory Research: Used to investigate a problem that is not clearly defined, this type of research can be used to establish cause-and-effect relationships. It can be applied in a wide range of fields from business to literature. 
• Correlational Research: This identifies the relationship between two or more variables to see if and how they interact with each other. Very commonly used in psychological and statistical applications. 

The Importance Of Qualitative Research

This type of research is most commonly used in scientific and social applications. It collects, compares and interprets information to specifically address the “how” and “why” research questions. 

Qualitative research allows you to ask questions that cannot be easily put into numbers to understand human experience because you’re not limited by survey instruments with a fixed set of possible responses.

Information can be gathered in numerous ways including interviews, focus groups and ethnographic research which is then all reported in the language of the informant instead of statistical analyses. 

This type of research is important because they do not usually require a hypothesis to be carried out. Instead, it is an open-ended research approach that can be adapted and changed while the study is ongoing. This enhances the quality of the data and insights generated and creates a much more unique set of data to analyse. 

The Process Of Scientific Research

No matter the type of research completed, it will be shared and read by others. Whether this is with colleagues at work, peers at university, or whilst it’s being reviewed and repeated during secondary analysis.

A reliable procedure is necessary in order to obtain the best information which is why it’s important to have a plan. Here are the six basic steps that apply in any research process. 

• Observation and asking questions: Seeing a phenomenon and asking yourself ‘How, What, When, Who, Which, Why, or Where?’. It is best that these questions are measurable and answerable through experimentation. 
• Gathering information: Doing some background research to learn what is already known about the topic, and what you need to find out. 
• Forming a hypothesis: Constructing a tentative statement to study.
• Testing the hypothesis: Conducting an experiment to test the accuracy of your statement. This is a way to gather data about your predictions and should be easy to repeat. 
• Making conclusions: Analysing the data from the experiment(s) and drawing conclusions about whether they support or contradict your hypothesis. 
• Reporting: Presenting your findings in a clear way to communicate with others. This could include making a video, writing a report or giving a presentation to illustrate your findings. 

Although most scientists and researchers use this method, it may be tweaked between one study and another. Skipping or repeating steps is common within, however the core principles of the research process still apply.

By clearly explaining the steps and procedures used throughout the study, other researchers can then replicate the results. This is especially beneficial for peer reviews that try to replicate the results to ensure that the study is sound. 

What Is The Importance Of Research In Everyday Life?

Conducting a research study and comparing it to how important it is in everyday life are two very different things.

Carrying out research allows you to gain a deeper understanding of science and medicine by developing research questions and letting your curiosity blossom. You can experience what it is like to work in a lab and learn about the whole reasoning behind the scientific process. But how does that impact everyday life? 

Simply put, it allows us to disprove lies and support truths. This can help society to develop a confident attitude and not believe everything as easily, especially with the rise of fake news.

Research is the best and reliable way to understand and act on the complexities of various issues that we as humans are facing. From technology to healthcare to defence to climate change, carrying out studies is the only safe and reliable way to face our future.

Not only does research sharpen our brains, but also helps us to understand various issues of life in a much larger manner, always leaving us questioning everything and fuelling our need for answers. 

Logan Bessant is a dedicated science educator and the founder of Science Resource Online, launched in 2020. With a background in science education and a passion for accessible learning, Logan has built a platform that offers free, high-quality educational resources to learners of all ages and backgrounds.

Related Articles:

• What is STEM education?
• How Stem Education Improves Student Learning
• What Are the Three Domains for the Roles of Technology for Teaching and Learning?
• Why Is FIDO2 Secure?

Featured Articles

How Research Skills Are Helpful at Work

What are research skills?

Sometimes, your knowledge and ideas are not enough to find the solution to the problem. The lack of information provokes us to search for new data. For example, in daily life, we use the Internet and search engines for finding the answer to our questions, so we implement the research skills even without realizing what it is. In the other words, research skills include data collection, analysis, dissemination, organizing, critical thinking, ability to evaluate, and problem-solving. The capacity to find and arrange information improves the effectiveness and ability to become knowledgeable in the area of your research.

Why are research skills important for work?

This set of skills is crucial for work in many industries and is in high demand among employers. A lot of them look for research-oriented employees with the capacity to collect and manage data. If you want to build a brilliant career in any field that deals with information, research skills will help you a lot. Finding the decision as well as getting the result is the aim of every task you get at work. So at the workplace, they help to identify and resolve the problems that obstruct the final result, put forward the ideas and solutions to those issues, evaluate the credibility of resources, discover the new ways of data acquisition,  define the company goals and needs, analyze the competitors and stay up-to-date of the market trends. In simple words, research skills include searching and processing information that helps to identify issues and add value to the organization you work for.

What research skills are mostly required at the workplace?

Attention to the details is an essential skill in the workplace as it helps not to miss important points needed to find the solution. The second skill is reporting and note-taking which allow you to summarize the received data and reference it later. Then goes the ability to successfully handle complicated business challenges . The problem-solver is the perfect candidate for any employer as people who have proficiency in overcoming complex issues can decompose the problem into parts, think critically, analyze and get to the most appropriate solution. Having all the listed above skills will help make you make a contribution to the development of your company and make a brilliant career.

Which place takes the research in education and how to write research papers?

In the terms of education, academic research constitutes the competency to gather the information on the chosen topic in the specific area of study, hold an investigation, analyze and process received data and allocate solutions. Writing research papers at college means making a deep investigation of the subject and describing your findings in a structured essay. In case you are experiencing difficulties, you can search for a professional in a particular field who will gather the needed data and write me a research paper according to the requirements. In academic research, the expert should have authority and background in the topic and even make a scientific contribution to the subject of research, so it is a great idea to consult with a specialist with proven experience if you are working on a complex theme.

How to develop research skills?

The capacity to make research is not a talent given by nature, we can develop the potential by ourselves. There are a lot of ways to develop research skills, but these small tips will be helpful and implementable for everyone.

• Start with setting a clear objective.
• Explore and figure out as much accurate information on the topic as possible.
• Use reliable sources and verify the data.
• Outline the key findings and ask an expert for consultation if needed.
• Organize the information properly – collect and process the details.
• Make the most relevant decision based on the received results.

As we can see, research skills are all about exploration and investigation that help us be more flexible and adaptive. All of us are researchers as this process takes around the everyday routine when we read news, book tickets, or look for the online course. The perfect places to implement the research skills are college and work. Conducting research is an exercise for our brain, it changes our views and expands the frames of understanding. We can make a contribution to the subject of research or come up with a new idea or product. The research skills give you an opportunity to become a highly-valued specialist and build a great career in your field. It improves our communication skills that are also an essential component of the research process as it allows people to share their findings with others in a comprehensive way and make the work even more effective.

Want to Achieve Excellence in Strategy Development?

Readers of this article are interested in these resources.

About Paul Calderon

Top 10 recommended documents on market research.

The Top 101 Consulting Frameworks

Get our free guide..

No thanks, this isn't something I need right now.

• Board Members
• Management Team
• Become a Contributor
• Volunteer Opportunities
• Code of Ethical Practices

KNOWLEDGE NETWORK

• Search Engines List
• Suggested Reading Library
• Web Directories
• Research Papers
• Industry News

• Become a Member
• Associate Membership
• Certified Membership
• Membership Application
• Corporate Application

• CIRS Certification Program
• CIRS Certification Objectives
• CIRS Certification Benefits
• CIRS Certification Exam
• Maintain Your Certification

• Upcoming Events
• Live Classes
• Classes Schedule
• Webinars Schedules

• Latest Articles
• Internet Research
• Search Techniques
• Research Methods
• Business Research
• Search Engines
• Research & Tools
• Investigative Research
• Internet Search
• Work from Home
• Internet Ethics
• Internet Privacy

Six Reasons Why Research is Important

Everyone conducts research in some form or another from a young age, whether news, books, or browsing the Internet. Internet users come across thoughts, ideas, or perspectives - the curiosity that drives the desire to explore. However, when research is essential to make practical decisions, the nature of the study alters - it all depends on its application and purpose. For instance, skilled research offered as a  research paper service  has a definite objective, and it is focused and organized. Professional research helps derive inferences and conclusions from solving problems. visit the HB tool services for the amazing research tools that will help to solve your problems regarding the research on any project.

What is the Importance of Research?

The primary goal of the research is to guide action, gather evidence for theories, and contribute to the growth of knowledge in data analysis. This article discusses the importance of research and the multiple reasons why it is beneficial to everyone, not just students and scientists.

On the other hand, research is important in business decision-making because it can assist in making better decisions when combined with their experience and intuition.

Reasons for the Importance of Research

• Acquire Knowledge Effectively
• Research helps in problem-solving
• Provides the latest information
• Builds credibility
• Helps in business success
• Discover and Seize opportunities

1-  Acquire Knowledge Efficiently through Research

The most apparent reason to conduct research is to understand more. Even if you think you know everything there is to know about a subject, there is always more to learn. Research helps you expand on any prior knowledge you have of the subject. The research process creates new opportunities for learning and progress.

2- Research Helps in Problem-solving

Problem-solving can be divided into several components, which require knowledge and analysis, for example,  identification of issues, cause identification,  identifying potential solutions, decision to take action, monitoring and evaluation of activity and outcomes.

You may just require additional knowledge to formulate an informed strategy and make an informed decision. When you know you've gathered reliable data, you'll be a lot more confident in your answer.

3- Research Provides the Latest Information

Research enables you to seek out the most up-to-date facts. There is always new knowledge and discoveries in various sectors, particularly scientific ones. Staying updated keeps you from falling behind and providing inaccurate or incomplete information. You'll be better prepared to discuss a topic and build on ideas if you have the most up-to-date information. With the help of tools and certifications such as CIRS , you may learn internet research skills quickly and easily. Internet research can provide instant, global access to information.

4- Research Builds Credibility

Research provides a solid basis for formulating thoughts and views. You can speak confidently about something you know to be true. It's much more difficult for someone to find flaws in your arguments after you've finished your tasks. In your study, you should prioritize the most reputable sources. Your research should focus on the most reliable sources. You won't be credible if your "research" comprises non-experts' opinions. People are more inclined to pay attention if your research is excellent.

5-  Research Helps in Business Success

R&D might also help you gain a competitive advantage. Finding ways to make things run more smoothly and differentiate a company's products from those of its competitors can help to increase a company's market worth.

6-  Research Discover and Seize Opportunities

People can maximize their potential and achieve their goals through various opportunities provided by research. These include getting jobs, scholarships, educational subsidies, projects, commercial collaboration, and budgeted travel. Research is essential for anyone looking for work or a change of environment. Unemployed people will have a better chance of finding potential employers through job advertisements or agencies. 

How to Improve Your Research Skills

Start with the big picture and work your way down.

It might be hard to figure out where to start when you start researching. There's nothing wrong with a simple internet search to get you started. Online resources like Google and Wikipedia are a great way to get a general idea of a subject, even though they aren't always correct. They usually give a basic overview with a short history and any important points.

Identify Reliable Source

Not every source is reliable, so it's critical that you can tell the difference between the good ones and the bad ones. To find a reliable source, use your analytical and critical thinking skills and ask yourself the following questions: Is this source consistent with other sources I've discovered? Is the author a subject matter expert? Is there a conflict of interest in the author's point of view on this topic?

Validate Information from Various Sources

Take in new information.

The purpose of research is to find answers to your questions, not back up what you already assume. Only looking for confirmation is a minimal way to research because it forces you to pick and choose what information you get and stops you from getting the most accurate picture of the subject. When you do research, keep an open mind to learn as much as possible.

Facilitates Learning Process

Learning new things and implementing them in daily life can be frustrating. Finding relevant and credible information requires specialized training and web search skills due to the sheer enormity of the Internet and the rapid growth of indexed web pages. On the other hand, short courses and Certifications like CIRS make the research process more accessible. CIRS Certification offers complete knowledge from beginner to expert level. You can become a Certified Professional Researcher and get a high-paying job, but you'll also be much more efficient and skilled at filtering out reliable data. You can learn more about becoming a Certified Professional Researcher.

Stay Organized

You'll see a lot of different material during the process of gathering data, from web pages to PDFs to videos. You must keep all of this information organized in some way so that you don't lose anything or forget to mention something properly. There are many ways to keep your research project organized, but here are a few of the most common:  Learning Management Software , Bookmarks in your browser, index cards, and a bibliography that you can add to as you go are all excellent tools for writing.

Make Use of the library's Resources

If you still have questions about researching, don't worry—even if you're not a student performing academic or course-related research, there are many resources available to assist you. Many high school and university libraries, in reality, provide resources not only for staff and students but also for the general public. Look for research guidelines or access to specific databases on the library's website. Association of Internet Research Specialists enjoys sharing informational content such as research-related articles , research papers , specialized search engines list compiled from various sources, and contributions from our members and in-house experts.

of Conducting Research

Latest from erin r. goodrich.

• Enhancing Efficiency: The Role of Technology in Personal Injury Case Management
• The Evolution and Future of Workplace Benefit Administration
• Leveraging Local SEO Strategies for Small Business Growth

Live Classes Schedule

World's leading professional association of Internet Research Specialists - We deliver Knowledge, Education, Training, and Certification in the field of Professional Online Research. The AOFIRS is considered a major contributor in improving Web Search Skills and recognizes Online Research work as a full-time occupation for those that use the Internet as their primary source of information.

Get Exclusive Research Tips in Your Inbox

• Privacy Policy
• Terms & Conditions
• Advertising Opportunities
• Knowledge Network

Why Workplace Culture Matters

A positive workplace is key to the success of any company or organization. These tips can help employees and leaders build toward developing a rewarding experience for all.

It’s estimated that the average adult living in the United States will spend 90,000 hours — or one-third of their lives — at work.

That’s a lot of time, so it’s important for people to choose jobs that they enjoy. But during the job search process, it’s easy to focus only on the duties of the role. What is often overlooked is the workplace culture, which is more important when it comes to long-term job satisfaction. 

A poor workplace culture can negatively impact a person’s wellbeing. It can also significantly impact the company’s bottom line, leading to low productivity and high turnover.

In contrast, people working in companies that have a positive corporate culture are healthier, happier, more productive, and less likely to leave. Research also shows that companies with positive workplace cultures have higher average annual returns.  

“The job may be in your field, the commute may be great, or the pay package may be exactly what you are asking for — or more — but that isn’t good enough,” says Michael McCarthy, instructor at Harvard DCE Professional & Executive Development and host of the “Happy at Work” podcast . “It’s critical that the organization is a good fit with your values and offers a healthy workplace environment with effective leadership that will support and nurture you on your career journey.” 

What is Positive Workplace Culture?

Positive workplace culture is an offshoot of positive psychology , an evidence-based branch of psychology focused on the character strengths and behaviors that lead to living a life of meaning and purpose. 

People’s behaviors at work are shaped by the organization’s collective beliefs and values. Applying the research supporting positive psychology to the workplace showcases the characteristics and behaviors that lead to individual workers flourishing. When people across the business flourish, the company does better as a whole and employees are happy. 

“Workplace culture is not just about sticking a list of values on a wall in the break room and then going about your day,” says McCarthy. “It’s a commitment that every person in the organization, including senior leadership, will model their behavior to support those values. The idea of letting harmful or hurtful behavior slide is not acceptable in organizations that truly embody a healthy workplace.”

How to Recognize a Positive Workplace Culture

While every business is different, there are some universal traits that serve as the framework for a company that has — or wants to build — a positive work environment.

Trust and psychological safety

Psychological safety happens when people aren’t afraid to speak up. They trust that they can share their opinions without retribution, even if those opinions are different from their supervisors. This includes feeling safe to contribute alternative ideas or suggestions and raising any concerns or being transparent if mistakes are discovered. 

A sense of belonging

People want to feel like they belong and that they matter. When employees feel like they are part of a team and that they are contributing, they are more engaged . Team building activities that help people get to know each other on a more personal level are great ways to foster a sense of belonging among employees. 

According to McCarthy, companies should strive to build an environment where people are genuinely glad to be there and where they feel seen as an individual. 

Professional development opportunities

Technology today is advancing rapidly and processes change quickly, so it’s critical to invest in employees’ development. Professional development goes well beyond training people for the specific job they are doing. It also involves giving them opportunities to learn new skills so they can advance their careers. 

Generation Z is currently entering the workforce and these employees stay at a company for an average of 11 months.

“They are eager to learn, and they want to advance. By providing those opportunities, they are more likely to stay,” says McCarthy. “This can be done through training workshops and mentoring programs.”

Flexibility

While the COVID-19 pandemic taught businesses a lot about how to maintain services and grow when workers weren’t able to be in the office, it also taught employees that they don’t have to subscribe to the traditional idea of a 9-to-5 workday in an office. Those outdated ideas are no longer acceptable to many workers, especially the younger generation who are just starting their careers. 

McCarthy recommends a hybrid work environment of two to three in-person days per week. Additionally, companies that offer flexibility in terms of work schedule and are willing to support employees when personal situations arise are places that people want to work.

Learn more about The Positive Workplace: Building Employee Engagement and Satisfaction

How to Identify a Company with a Positive Workplace Cultur e

It can be hard for people to identify companies with positive workplace cultures, especially since the interview process can be relatively short and human resources teams and hiring managers are likely to paint a rosy picture of the company. 

Here are a few tips to help identify companies that truly offer healthy work environments versus those that may say they do, but actually don’t in practice.

Do your research

When researching information about a company before the interview, pay attention to factors that could point to a negative culture. Look for information on employee turnover or employee retention. Companies with a high turnover rate often have a poor working environment, causing people to leave. If people tend to stay, they are more likely to be happy and fulfilled, which indicates a positive culture. 

LinkedIn is a great research tool to learn more about a company’s culture. Search for current and past employees. If they are in your network or you have a connection, ask to contact them to have a candid discussion about what the culture is really like. 

Look at company reviews on sites like Glassdoor, but keep in mind that people are inspired to leave complaints more than they are willing to leave positive reviews. 

Follow the company’s social media channels. This will give you an idea about what they feel is important to share. If they showcase their employees along with the organization’s accomplishments, this is likely a sign that they value their team members and have a positive corporate culture. 

Ask probing questions

Hiring managers expect questions about the culture in the interview, but instead of just asking what the culture is like, really dive into probing questions. These could include: 

• How often will I interact with my supervisor or company leadership? 
• What professional development or mentorship opportunities are available? 
• How are employee conflicts handled? 
• What types of team building activities do you offer?
• Tell me about your work/life balance philosophy. What does flexibility mean to this organization? 
• What is one thing you like about working here? What is one thing you could change about working here?

Pay attention to behavior

Interviewers will likely be on their best behavior, but red flags may emerge. Look for nonverbal cues that show they aren’t that interested in being there, or they are just looking for a body to fill a seat. Is the hiring manager really interested in your answers, or are they just running down a list of standard questions and not asking any follow-up questions? Are you allowed to finish your thoughts, or are you being cut off? If there is more than one person in the interview, how are they interacting with each other? 

“Another key thing to watch out for is cynical humor and gossip,” says McCarthy. “If they are talking negatively about the person that just left the role or the current leadership, that is definitely a red flag that the workplace culture isn’t psychologically safe.”

Remember, it’s okay to turn down a job offer if the cultural fit doesn’t feel right. Other opportunities will come along where you can thrive.

How Managers and Leaders Can Build Positive Workplace Culture

The pandemic fundamentally changed how people view work and their mental and physical health, so it’s critical for organizations to build and nurture a positive corporate culture to attract top candidates. Fostering a healthy work environment will also help companies retain employees, which ultimately saves money. 

“Corporate culture starts at the top,” says McCarthy. “The c-suite needs to see the value in having a positive workplace culture and embody the behaviors that support the culture. When people throughout the organization see senior leadership living the values, they will follow suit.”

Managers and other workplace leaders can have the most impact on employees and can make or break the employee experience. Supporting employees involves three key factors: mastery, autonomy, and purpose. 

Most people genuinely want to do well at their job. They want to feel confident about the work they are doing. Managers can help by offering feedback and advice and providing professional development opportunities. People who feel good about their work are likely to stay engaged and to be more productive. 

Providing an autonomous environment where employees are empowered to do their job in a way that they feel best builds trust between employees and their managers and improves employee satisfaction. 

“Think about autonomy this way,” says McCarthy. “You have a task that needs to be completed in 48 hours — let’s say climbing to the top of a mountain for illustrative purposes. You tell the employee where they need to be and why. You then let them go to figure out the best way to get to the top of the mountain on their own, being sure to let them know they can come to you for help at any time.”

In a micromanaged, less autonomous environment, the employee would be told to get to the top of the mountain, the path they must take, and the tools they can and can’t use. They also generally aren’t allowed to ask questions or seek help. 

By empowering employees to work through solutions on their own, their minds are stimulated, they feel trusted, they are engaged, and they feel safe to ask for advice. The task becomes a good experience instead of a stressful one.

Humans are instinctively driven by purpose. When purpose is tied to a task, employees will be more motivated to accomplish the task because they can see how it fits into a bigger picture. They understand that their work has meaning. 

Effective leadership includes telling employees why they are being asked to do something. In contrast, telling someone to do something “just because I said so” removes all motivation. 

Corporate Culture Resources for Executive Teams

Executive teams that want to build a positive corporate culture should consider implementing mentorship programs. Junior team members can be paired with executives and junior staff members are included in decision-making meetings.

Other employees listen if they offer suggestions, explore the feasibility of those suggestions, then provide feedback. Mentorship is a pathway that companies can use to help build the leaders of tomorrow. 

Harvard’s Division of Continuing Education also offers several professional development programs to help senior leaders and managers build a positive corporate culture in their organization. Many of these courses are offered both on campus and online. 

Learn more about these topics and how to register: 

• The Positive Workplace: Building Employee Engagement and Satisfaction
• Building Organizational Cultures: A Framework for Leaders
• Authentic Leadership
• Ethical Leadership
• Emotional Intelligence in Leadership

Explore all Professional & Executive Development Programs

Ready for a New Opportunity? Here’s What to Do Next

Many of us experienced a job that wasn't the right fit. If you are considering leaving your current postition, here's what you can do next.

Harvard Division of Continuing Education

The Division of Continuing Education (DCE) at Harvard University is dedicated to bringing rigorous academics and innovative teaching capabilities to those seeking to improve their lives through education. We make Harvard education accessible to lifelong learners from high school to retirement.

Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World

Read our research on:

Full Topic List

Regions & Countries

• Publications
• Our Methods
• Short Reads
• Tools & Resources

Read Our Research On:

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace

A majority of u.s. workers say focusing on dei at work is a good thing, but relatively small shares place great importance on diversity in their own workplace, table of contents.

• The value of DEI efforts at work
• The importance of a diverse workforce
• DEI measures and their impact
• How gender, race and ethnicity impact success in the workplace
• Acknowledgments
• The American Trends Panel survey methodology

Pew Research Center conducted this study to better understand how adults in the United States think about diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in the workplace. This analysis is based on survey responses from 4,744 U.S. adults who are working part time or full time, are not self-employed, have only one job or have multiple jobs but consider one their primary job, and whose company or organization has 10 or more people. The data was collected as part of a larger survey of workers conducted Feb. 6-12, 2023. Everyone who took part is a member of Pew Research Center’s American Trends Panel (ATP), an online survey panel that is recruited through national, random sampling of residential addresses. This way nearly all U.S. adults have a chance of selection. The survey is weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population by gender, race, ethnicity, partisan affiliation, education and other categories. Read more about the ATP’s methodology .

Read more about the questions used for this report and the report’s methodology .

References to workers or employed adults include those who are employed part time or full time, are not self-employed, have only one job or have multiple jobs but consider one their primary job, and whose company or organization has 10 or more people.

References to White, Black and Asian adults include those who are not Hispanic and identify as only one race. Hispanics are of any race.

References to college graduates or people with a college degree comprise those with a bachelor’s degree or more. “Some college” includes those with an associate degree and those who attended college but did not obtain a degree.

References to disabled workers include those who say a disability or handicap keeps them from fully participating in work, school, housework or other activities.

All references to party affiliation include those who lean toward that party. Republicans include those who identify as Republicans and those who say they lean toward the Republican Party. Democrats include those who identify as Democrats and those who say they lean toward the Democratic Party.

Workplace diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, or DEI, are increasingly becoming part of national political debates . For a majority of employed U.S. adults (56%), focusing on increasing DEI at work is a good thing, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. But opinions about DEI vary considerably along demographic and political lines.

Most workers have some experience with DEI measures at their workplace. About six-in-ten (61%) say their company or organization has policies that ensure fairness in hiring, pay or promotions, and 52% say they have trainings or meetings on DEI at work. Smaller shares say their workplace has a staff member who promotes DEI (33%), that their workplace offers salary transparency (30%), and that it has affinity groups or employee resource groups based on a shared identity (26%). Majorities of those who have access to these measures say each has had a positive impact where they work.

Related : How Americans View Their Jobs

This nationally representative survey of 5,902 U.S. workers, including 4,744 who are not self-employed, was conducted Feb. 6-12, 2023, using the Center’s American Trends Panel . 1 The survey comes at a time when DEI efforts are facing some backlash and many major companies are laying off their DEI professionals .

Some key findings from the survey:

• Relatively small shares of workers place a lot of importance on diversity at their workplace. About three-in-ten say it is extremely or very important to them to work somewhere with a mix of employees of different races and ethnicities (32%) or ages (28%). Roughly a quarter say the same about having a workplace with about an equal mix of men and women (26%) and 18% say this about a mix of employees of different sexual orientations.
• More than half of workers (54%) say their company or organization pays about the right amount of attention to increasing DEI. Smaller shares say their company or organization pays too much (14%) or too little attention (15%), and 17% say they’re not sure. Black workers are more likely than those in other racial and ethnic groups to say their employer pays too little attention to increasing DEI. They’re also among the most likely to say focusing on DEI at work is a good thing (78% of Black workers say this), while White workers are the least likely to express this view (47%).
• Women are more likely than men to value DEI at work. About six-in-ten women (61%) say focusing on increasing DEI at work is a good thing, compared with half of men. And larger shares of women than men say it’s extremely or very important to them to work at a place that is diverse when it comes to gender, race and ethnicity, age, and sexual orientation.
• There are wide partisan differences in views of workplace DEI. Most Democratic and Democratic-leaning workers (78%) say focusing on DEI at work is a good thing, compared with 30% of Republicans and Republican leaners. Democrats are also far more likely than Republicans to value different aspects of diversity. And by wide margins, higher shares of Democrats than Republicans say the policies and resources related to DEI available at their workplace have had a positive impact.
• Half of workers say it’s extremely or very important to them to work somewhere that is accessible for people with physical disabilities. About three-in-ten workers (29%) say this is somewhat important to them, and 21% say it’s not too or not at all important. A majority of workers (76% among those who do not work fully remotely) say their workplace is at least somewhat accessible for people with physical disabilities.
• Many say being a man or being White is an advantage where they work. The survey asked respondents whether a person’s gender, race or ethnicity makes it easier or harder to be successful where they work. Shares ranging from 45% to 57% say these traits make it neither easier nor harder. But far more say being a man and being White makes it easier than say it makes it harder for someone to be successful. Conversely, by double-digit margins, more say being a woman, being Black or being Hispanic makes it harder than say it makes it easier to be successful where they work.

A majority of workers (56%) say focusing on increasing diversity, equity and inclusion at work is mainly a good thing; 28% say it is neither good nor bad, and 16% say it is a bad thing. Views on this vary along key demographic and partisan lines.

Half or more of both men and women say focusing on increasing DEI at work is a good thing, but women are more likely than men to offer this view (61% vs. 50%). In turn, men are more than twice as likely as women to say it is a bad thing (23% vs. 9%).

About two-thirds or more of Black (78%), Asian (72%) and Hispanic (65%) workers say that focusing on DEI at work is a good thing. Among White workers, however, fewer than half (47%) say it’s a good thing; in fact, 21% say it’s a bad thing. But there are wide partisan, gender and age gaps among White workers, with majorities of White Democrats, women and those under age 30 saying focusing on DEI at work is a good thing.

Workers under 30 are the most likely age group to say focusing on DEI at work is a good thing. About two-thirds (68%) of workers ages 18 to 29 say this, compared with 56% of workers 30 to 49, 46% of those 50 to 64, and 52% of those 65 and older.

Views also differ by educational attainment, with 68% of workers with a postgraduate degree saying focusing on DEI at work is a good thing, compared with 59% of those with a bachelor’s degree only and 50% of those with some college or less education.

Democratic and Democratic-leaning workers are much more likely to say focusing on DEI at work is a good thing (78%) than to say it is a bad thing (4%) or that it is neither good nor bad (18%). Views among Republican and Republican-leaning workers are more mixed: Some 30% say focusing on DEI at work is a good thing, while the same share (30%) say it’s a bad thing, and 39% say it’s neither good nor bad.

A majority of workers say their employer pays the right amount of attention to DEI

When it comes to the focus of their own employer, 54% of workers say their company or organization pays about the right amount of attention to increasing diversity, equity and inclusion. The remainder are divided between saying their employer pays too much (14%) or too little attention (15%), or that they’re not sure (17%).

Women are more likely than men to say their employer pays too little attention to increasing DEI (17% vs. 12%). In turn, men are more likely than women to say too much attention is paid to this where they work (18% vs. 10%).

Black workers (28%) are the most likely to say their company or organization pays too little attention to increasing DEI, compared with smaller shares of White (11%), Hispanic (19%) and Asian (17%) workers who say the same.

Views on this question also differ by party. While half or more of both Republican and Democratic workers say their company or organization pays the right amount of attention to DEI, Democrats are more likely than Republicans to say their employer pays too little attention to it (21% vs. 7%). In turn, Republicans are more likely than Democrats to say their employer pays too much attention to DEI (24% vs. 6%).

While a majority of workers say focusing on increasing diversity, equity and inclusion at work is a good thing, relatively small shares place great importance on working at a place that is diverse when it comes to gender, race and ethnicity, age, and sexual orientation. About three-in-ten workers say it’s extremely or very important to them to work somewhere with a mix of employees of different races and ethnicities (32%) and ages (28%), while 26% say the same about having about an equal mix of men and women. And 18% say this about having a mix of employees of different sexual orientations at their workplace.

Women are more likely than men to say it’s extremely or very important to them to work at a place that is diverse across all measures asked about in the survey. For example, there are 11 percentage point differences in the shares of women compared with men saying it is extremely or very important to them to work somewhere that has a mix of employees of different races and ethnicities (37% vs. 26%) and about an equal mix of men and women (31% vs. 20%).

Black workers are among the most likely to value racial, ethnic and age diversity in the workplace. Some 53% of Black workers say it is extremely or very important to them to work somewhere with a mix of employees of different races and ethnicities, compared with 39% of Hispanic workers and 25% of White workers who say the same; 43% of Asian workers say this is important to them. (There is no statistically significant difference between the share of Asian workers and the shares of Black and Hispanic workers who hold this view.) And while 42% of Black workers highly value working somewhere with a mix of employees of different ages, smaller shares of Hispanic (33%), Asian (30%) and White (24%) workers say the same.

When it comes to diversity of sexual orientation, 28% of Black workers and 22% of Hispanic workers say it is extremely or very important to them to work somewhere that is diverse in this way; 15% each among White and Asian workers say the same.

Workers under age 50 are more likely than those 50 and older to say racial and ethnic diversity in their workplace is extremely or very important to them (35% vs. 26%). Workers younger than 50 are also more likely to say having about an equal mix of men and women is important to them, with workers ages 18 t0 29 the most likely to say this (34% vs. 26% of workers 30 to 49, and 20% each among those 50 to 64 and 65 and older).

There are also differences by educational attainment, with larger shares of workers with a postgraduate degree than those with less education saying it’s extremely or very important to them that their workplace is diverse across all measures asked about in the survey. For example, 44% of workers with a postgraduate degree say having a mix of employees of different races and ethnicities is extremely or very important to them, compared with 34% of those with a bachelor’s degree only and 27% of those with some college or less.

Democratic workers are much more likely than Republican workers to say working somewhere that is diverse when it comes to gender, race and ethnicity, age, and sexual orientation is extremely or very important to them. In fact, about half of Democrats (49%) place great importance on having a mix of employees of different races and ethnicities where they work, compared with 13% of Republicans. And there are differences of at least 20 points between the shares of Democrats and Republicans saying it’s extremely or very important to them to work somewhere that has about an equal mix of men and women (39% of Democrats say this vs. 12% of Republicans) and a mix of employees of different ages (39% vs. 17%) and sexual orientations (27% vs. 7%).

Overall, a majority of workers say their workplace has a mix of employees of different ages (58% say this describes their current workplace extremely or very well). Smaller shares say their workplace has about an equal mix of men and women (38%) and a mix of employees of different races and ethnicities (46%) and sexual orientations (28%). These assessments do not vary much across demographic groups.

Half of workers place great importance on working at a place that is accessible for people with physical disabilities

Half of workers say it is extremely or very important to them to work somewhere that is accessible for people with physical disabilities; 29% say it is somewhat important and 21% say it is not too or not at all important to them.

Highly valuing an accessible workplace varies by gender, race and ethnicity, and party, but there is no significant difference in responses between those who do and don’t report having a disability.

About six-in-ten women (58%) say it is extremely or very important to them that their workplace is accessible, compared with 41% of men.

Black workers are more likely than workers of other racial and ethnic groups to place great importance on their workplace being accessible: 62% of Black workers say this is extremely or very important, compared with 51% of Hispanic, 48% of White and 43% of Asian workers.

A majority of Democrats (59%) say it is extremely or very important to them to work somewhere that is accessible for people with physical disabilities; 40% of Republican say the same. Some 27% of Republicans say this is not too or not at all important to them, compared with 15% of Democrats.

There is no statistically significant difference in the shares of workers who have a disability and those who do not saying it is extremely or very important to them to work somewhere that is accessible for people with physical disabilities. But workers who do not have a disability are more likely than those who do to say this is not too or not at all important to them (21% vs. 15%).

Among those who don’t work fully remotely, about three-quarters of workers (76%) say their workplace is at least somewhat accessible for people with physical disabilities, with 51% saying it is extremely or very accessible. Some 17% say their workplace is not too or not at all accessible, and 8% are not sure.

When asked whether the company or organization they work for has a series of measures that are typically associated with diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, a majority of workers say their employer has policies that ensure everyone is treated fairly in hiring, pay or promotions (61%), and 52% say there are trainings or meetings on DEI where they work.

Smaller shares say their workplace has a staff member whose main job is to promote DEI at work (33%), a way for employees to see the salary range for all positions (30%), and groups created by employees sometimes known as affinity groups or employee resource groups (ERGs) based on shared identities such as gender, race or being a parent (26%).

Responses do not vary much by most demographic characteristics. However, workers with at least a bachelor’s degree are consistently more likely than those with less education to say each of these five measures is available where they work.

Workers tend to see positive impact from policies and resources associated with DEI where they work

Among those whose workplace offers each policy or resource, a majority of workers say each measure has had a somewhat or very positive impact where they work. About a third or fewer workers say each resource has had neither a positive nor negative impact, and about one-in-ten or fewer say each of these has had a somewhat or very negative impact.

Democrats and Republicans are about equally likely to say their workplace has these measures in place, but Democrats are more likely than Republicans to say the impact of each has been positive by margins ranging from 10 to 32 points (among those who say their workplace has these measures). For example, 66% of Democrats who say their workplace has a way for employees to see the salary range for all positions say this has had a somewhat or very positive impact, compared with 56% of Republicans who say this. And while about three-quarters of Democrats (74%) say having a staff member whose main job is to promote DEI at work has had a positive impact, fewer than half of Republicans (42%) say the same.

Women are more likely than men to say each of these policies and resources has had a very or somewhat positive impact where they work. This is mainly driven by gender differences among Republicans: There are double-digit differences in the shares of Republican women and Republican men who say many of these resources have had a positive impact. For example, 58% of Republican women say having a staff member whose main job is to promote DEI at work has had at least a somewhat positive impact where they work, compared with 31% of Republican men who hold this view. The same share of Republican women (58%) say having affinity groups or ERGs has had a positive impact, compared with 38% of Republican men who say the same.

Among Democrats, majorities of both men and women offer positive assessments of these resources in their workplace, but Democratic women are more likely than Democratic men to say having trainings or meetings on DEI at work have had a positive impact (72% vs. 65%).

While there are differences by race, ethnicity and age on overall attitudes about DEI in the workplace, there are no consistent differences along these dimensions in how workers with access to these policies and resources at their workplace assess their impact.

About half of workers who have participated in DEI trainings in the last year say they’ve been helpful

Out of all workers, about four-in-ten (38%) have participated in a DEI training in the last year. A similar share (40%) did not participate or say their workplace does not offer these trainings, and 21% are not sure if their employer offers these trainings.

Looking only at those whose company or organization has trainings or meetings on DEI, about three-quarters (73%) say they have participated in such trainings in the past year. And assessments of these trainings tend to be positive, with 53% of workers who’ve participated saying they were very or somewhat helpful. About a third (34%) give a more neutral assessment, saying the trainings were neither helpful nor unhelpful, and 13% say they were very or somewhat unhelpful.

While men and women are about equally likely to have participated in trainings on DEI in the past year, women are more likely than men to say the trainings have been at least somewhat helpful (60% vs. 46%).

Republicans and Democrats are also equally likely to say they’ve participated in these trainings in the past year, but Democrats are far more likely than Republicans to say the trainings have been helpful (66% vs. 36%). About one-in-five Republicans say they’ve been unhelpful (19%), compared with 9% of Democrats.

While both Democratic men and women offer similar assessments of the DEI trainings they’ve participated in, there are gender differences among Republican workers. Republican women are more likely than Republican men to say the trainings they’ve participated in have been helpful (47% vs. 28%). Conversely, 22% of Republican men, compared with 14% of Republican women, say the trainings have been unhelpful.

Few workers are members of affinity groups or ERGs at work

While 26% of workers say there are affinity groups or employee resource groups (ERGs) where they work, members of these groups account for a very small share of workers overall. Just 6% of workers say they are members of an affinity group or ERG, with 58% of workers saying these groups are either not available at their workplace or that they aren’t a member. Another 37% say they are not sure if their workplace offers these groups.

Among workers who say there are affinity groups or ERGs at their workplace, 22% say they are personally a member. Women are more likely than men to be members of these groups (28% vs. 16%). And 28% of non-White workers say they are a member of an affinity group or ERG, compared with 18% of White workers. 2

When asked about the impact a person’s gender, race or ethnicity has on their ability to succeed at work, workers tend to say these characteristics neither make it easier nor harder to be successful at their workplace.

Still, when it comes to gender, workers are more likely to say being a man makes it easier to be successful where they work than to say it makes it harder (36% vs. 6%). In contrast, a larger share says being a woman makes it harder to be successful than say it makes it easier (28% vs. 11%).

Men and women have different views on the impact gender has on a person’s ability to succeed where they work. Some 44% of women say being a man makes it at least a little easier to be successful, including 24% who say it makes it a lot easier. This compares with 29% of men who say being a man makes it at least a little easier to be successful.

Similarly, 34% of women say being a woman makes it harder to be successful where they work, compared with 21% of men.

Women under age 50 are especially likely – more so than women ages 50 and older or men in either age group – to say being a man makes it easier to be successful where they work and that being a woman makes it harder. For example, 38% of women ages 18 to 49 say being a woman makes it harder to be successful where they work. This compares with 29% of women 50 and older, 25% of men younger than 50, and an even smaller share of men 50 and older (13%).

When it comes to views about how race or ethnicity affects people’s ability to succeed at work, 51% of Black workers say being Black makes it harder to be successful where they work. This is significantly higher than the shares of Asian (41%), Hispanic (23%) and White (18%) workers who say the same about the impact of being Black.

Similarly, about four-in-ten Asian workers (39%) say being Asian makes it harder to be successful in their workplace, a higher share than workers of other racial and ethnic groups who say the same about being Asian.

Hispanic, Black and Asian workers are about equally likely to say being Hispanic makes it harder to be successful where they work. A smaller share of White workers say the same about being Hispanic.

When asked about the impact of being White in their workplace, workers across racial and ethnic groups are more likely to say it makes it easier than to say it makes it harder to be successful. This is especially the case among Black and Asian workers. About half of Black (52%) and Asian (51%) workers say being White makes it easier to be successful where they work, compared with 37% of Hispanic and 24% of White workers who say the same about being White.

Previously released findings from this survey found that Black workers are more likely than White, Hispanic and Asian workers to report that they have experienced discrimination or have been treated unfairly by an employer in hiring, pay or promotions because of their race or ethnicity at some point in their careers (though not necessarily where they currently work). Women are also more likely than men to say they’ve experienced such discrimination because of their gender.

There are large partisan gaps in views of whether gender, race or ethnicity make it easier or harder to be successful at work. Some 47% of Democratic workers say being a man makes it at least somewhat easier to be successful at their workplace, compared with 25% of Republican workers. Democrats are also more likely than Republicans to say being a woman makes it harder to succeed (37% vs. 17%).

Democratic and Republican women are more likely than their male counterparts to say being a woman makes it harder – and being a man makes it easier – to be successful where they work. The differences between Republican women and Republican men are particularly striking. About a quarter of Republican women (26%) say being a woman makes it harder to be successful, compared with 10% of Republican men. And while 36% of Republican women say being a man makes it easier to be successful where they work, just 16% of Republican men say the same.

Democratic workers are more than three times as likely as Republican workers to say being White makes it easier to succeed where they work (48% vs. 13%), and they are also more likely than Republicans to say being Black, Hispanic or Asian makes it harder. About four-in-ten Democrats (39%) say being Black makes it harder for someone to succeed at their workplace, compared with just 9% of Republicans. Similarly, 30% of Democrats say being Hispanic makes it harder to succeed, compared with 8% of Republicans. And while smaller shares in both parties say being Asian makes it harder to succeed, Democrats are more likely than Republicans to say this (16% vs. 6%). These partisan differences remain when looking only at Democrats and Republicans who are White.

• For details, see the  Methodology  section of the report. The analysis in this report is based on U.S. workers who are employed full time or part time, who are not self-employed, and who have only one job or have multiple jobs but consider one their primary job (99% of workers who are not self-employed have one job or a primary job). Additionally, the analysis is restricted to workers at companies or organizations with at least 10 employees as certain federal requirements such as non-discrimination mandates apply to larger workplaces. ↩
• Non-White adults include Black, Hispanic, Asian and other races besides White, as well as people who identify as more than one race. The sample sizes among Black, Hispanic and Asian workers who have affinity groups or ERGs at work are too small to analyze separately. ↩

Sign up for our weekly newsletter

Fresh data delivery Saturday mornings

Sign up for The Briefing

Weekly updates on the world of news & information

• Asian Americans
• Black Americans
• Business & Workplace
• Discrimination & Prejudice
• Economics, Work & Gender
• Economy & Work
• Gender & Work
• Happiness & Life Satisfaction
• Hispanics/Latinos
• Partisanship & Issues
• Race & Ethnicity
• Racial Bias & Discrimination
• Sexual Misconduct & Harassment

Among young U.S. workers without a college degree, men and women hold very different types of jobs

Is college worth it, half of latinas say hispanic women’s situation has improved in the past decade and expect more gains, a majority of latinas feel pressure to support their families or to succeed at work, a look at small businesses in the u.s., most popular, report materials.

901 E St. NW, Suite 300 Washington, DC 20004 USA (+1) 202-419-4300 | Main (+1) 202-857-8562 | Fax (+1) 202-419-4372 |  Media Inquiries

Research Topics

• Email Newsletters

ABOUT PEW RESEARCH CENTER  Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of  The Pew Charitable Trusts .

© 2024 Pew Research Center

COMMUNICATION IN THE WORKPLACE: GUIDELINES FOR IMPROVING EFFECTIVENESS

• September 2014
• G.J.C.M.P.(Vol.3(5)):208-213

• University of Education, Winneba

Discover the world's research

• 25+ million members
• 160+ million publication pages
• 2.3+ billion citations
• Atheer M Tufiq

• H Shanawany

• Gabriel Andrei N.
• Daniel Angelo S.

• Sarah Rolle
• Bernhard Weiss
• Judi Brownell

• R.K. Larson

• H. Yamakido

• Robert J. McLeod

• Recruit researchers
• Join for free
• Login Email Tip: Most researchers use their institutional email address as their ResearchGate login Password Forgot password? Keep me logged in Log in or Continue with Google Welcome back! Please log in. Email · Hint Tip: Most researchers use their institutional email address as their ResearchGate login Password Forgot password? Keep me logged in Log in or Continue with Google No account? Sign up

JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser.

Effective Communication in the Workplace

Source: https://pixabay.com/vectors/social-media-connections-networking-3846597/ is in the Public Domain at Pixabay.com. Retrieved 07.05.2022.

Effective workplace communication helps maintain the quality of working relationships and positively affects employees' well-being. This article discusses the benefits of practicing effective communication in the workplace and provides strategies for workers and organizational leaders to improve communication effectiveness.

Workplace Communication Matters

Effective workplace communication benefits employees' job satisfaction, organizational productivity, and customer service (Adu-Oppong & Agyin-Birikorang, 2014). We summarized Bosworth's (2016) and Adu-Oppong and Agyin-Birikorang's (2014) works below related to the benefits of practicing effective communication in the workplace.

• Reduces work-related conflicts
• Enhances interpersonal relationships
• Increases workers' performance and supervisors' expectations
• Increases workforce productivity through constructive feedback
• Increases employee engagement and job satisfaction
• Builds organizational loyalty and trust
• Reduces employees' turnover rate
• Facilitates the proper utilization of resources
• Uncovers new employees' talents

Strategies to Improve Communication Effectiveness

Effective communication is a two-way process that requires both sender and receiver efforts. We summarized research works and guidelines for good communication in the workplace proposed by Cheney (2011), Keyton (2011), Tourish (2010), and Lunenburg (2010).

Sender's strategies for communication planning

• Clearly define the idea of your message before sharing it.
• Identify the purpose of the message (obtain information, initiate action, or change another person's attitude)
• Be aware of the physical and emotional environment in which you communicate your message. Consider the tone you want to use, the configuration of the space, and the context.
• Consult with others when you do not feel confident or comfortable communicating your message.
• Be mindful of the primary content of the message.
• Follow-up previous communications to verify the information.
• Communicate on time, avoid postponing hard conversations, and be consistent.
• Be aware that your actions support your messages and be coherent in your verbal and behavioral communication style.
• Be a good listener, even when you are the primary sender.

Receiver's strategies during a conversation

• Show interest and attitude to listen.
• Listen more than talk.
• Pay attention to the talker and the message, avoiding distractions.
• Be patient and allow the talker time to transmit the message.
• Be respectful and avoid interrupting a talker.
• Hold your temper. An angry person takes the wrong meaning from words
• Go easy on argument and criticism.
• Engage in the conversation by asking questions. This attitude helps develop key points and keep a fluid conversation.

Effective communication practices are essential for any successful team and organization. Organizational communication helps to disseminate important information to employees and builds relationships of trust and commitment.

Key points to improve communication in the workplace

• Set clear goals and expectations
• Ask clarifying questions
• Schedule regular one-on-one meetings
• Praise in public, criticize in private
• Assume positive intent
• Repeat important messages
• Raise your words, not your voice
• Hold town hall meetings and cross-functional check-ins.

Adu-Oppong, A. A., & Agyin-Birikorang, E. (2014). Communication in the Workplace: Guidelines for improving effectiveness.  Global journal of commerce & management perspective ,  3 (5), 208–213.

Bosworth, P. (2021, May 19). The power of good communication in the workplace . Leadership Choice. Retrieved May 18, 2022.

Cheney, G. (2011). Organizational communication in an age of globalization: Issues, reflections, practices . Waveland Press.

Keyton, J. (2011). Communication and organizational culture: A key to understanding work experience . Sage.

Tourish, D. (2010). Auditing organizational communication: A handbook of research, theory, and practice . Routledge

Lunenburg, F. C. (2010). Communication: The process, barriers, and improving effectiveness.  Schooling ,  1 (1), 1-10.

• Adult leadership
• Volunteerism
• Volunteer management

You may also be interested in ...

Diferencias culturales en el ambiente laboral

Consejos Para Desarrollar una Filosofía Personal de Liderazgo

Importance of Incorporating Local Culture into Community Development

Conducting Effective Surveys - 'Rules of the Road'

Conflict Styles, Outcomes, and Handling Strategies

Employee Disengagement and the Impact of Leadership

Dealing with Conflict

Developing Self-Leadership Competencies

Diversity Training in the Workplace

Plum Pox Eradication in PA - A Blueprint for Future Plant Disease Outbreaks

Personalize your experience with penn state extension and stay informed of the latest in agriculture..

An official website of the United States government

The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

• Publications
• Account settings

Preview improvements coming to the PMC website in October 2024. Learn More or Try it out now .

• Advanced Search
• Journal List
• Behav Sci (Basel)

Work Motivation: The Roles of Individual Needs and Social Conditions

Thuy thi diem vo.

1 Department of Business Administration, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, No. 43, Section 4, Keelung Road, Da’an District, Taipei City 106335, Taiwan; wt.ude.tsutn.liam@31880701d (T.T.D.V.); wt.ude.tsutn.liam@nehcwc (C.-W.C.)

Kristine Velasquez Tuliao

2 Graduate Institute of Human Resource Management, National Central University, No. 300, Zhongda Road, Zhongli District, Taoyuan City 320317, Taiwan

Chung-Wen Chen

Associated data.

The data that support this study are publicly available.

Work motivation plays a vital role in the development of organizations, as it increases employee productivity and effectiveness. To expand insights into individuals’ work motivation, the authors investigated the influence of individuals’ competence, autonomy, and social relatedness on their work motivation. Additionally, the country-level moderating factors of those individual-level associations were examined. Hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) was used to analyze data from 32,614 individuals from 25 countries, obtained from the World Values Survey (WVS). Findings showed that autonomy and social relatedness positively impacted work motivation, while competence negatively influenced work motivation. Moreover, the individual-level associations were moderated by the country-level religious affiliation, political participation, humane orientation, and in-group collectivism. Contributions, practical implications, and directions for further research were then discussed.

1. Introduction

Work motivation is considered an essential catalyst for the success of organizations, as it promotes employees’ effective performance. To achieve an organization’s objectives, the employer depends on the performance of their employees [ 1 ]. However, insufficiently motivated employees perform poorly despite being skillful [ 1 , 2 ]. Employers, therefore, need their employees to work with complete motivation rather than just showing up at their workplaces [ 3 ]. Work motivation remains a vital factor in organizational psychology, as it helps explain the causes of individual conduct in organizations [ 4 ]. Consequently, studies on the factors that encourage work motivation can contribute to the theoretical underpinnings on the roots of individual and practical social conditions that optimize individuals’ performance and wellness [ 5 ].

Several decades of research have endeavored to explain the dynamics that initiate work-related behavior. The primary factor examining this aspect is motivation, as it explains why individuals do what they do [ 6 ]. The basic psychological needs have represented a vital rationalization of individual differences in work motivation. Psychological needs are considered natural psychological nutrients and humans’ inner resources. They have a close relationship with individual conduct and have a strong explicit meaning for work performance [ 7 , 8 ]. Different needs are essential drivers of individual functioning due to the satisfaction derived from dealing with them [ 9 ]. In addition to individual-level antecedents, the social context has also been regarded to have implications for work motivation. Social exchange and interaction among individuals accentuate the importance of work motivation as something to be studied with consideration of contextual factors [ 10 ].

Significant contributions have been made to the socio-psychological perspective of work motivation ( Table 1 ). However, current literature shows three deficiencies. First, over 150 papers utilize the key approaches of psychological needs to justify motivational processes in the workplace [ 11 ], which justifies the vital role of psychological needs in interpreting individual work motivation. The association between psychological needs and work motivation has often been implicitly assumed; however, the influence of psychological needs on work motivation has been inadequately tested [ 8 ]. The verification of the extent and the direction of influence will provide a better understanding of, and offer distinct implications for, the facilitation of work motivation. In examining the influence of psychological needs on work motivation, this paper mainly focuses on the intrinsic aspect of motivation. The study of Alzahrani et al. (2018) [ 12 ] argued that although intrinsic motivation is more efficient than extrinsic motivation, researchers have mostly neglected it.

Several investigated predictors of work motivation in general and intrinsic motivation in particular.

Second, there is no study examining the country-level moderating effects of social conditions and national cultures on individual relationships between psychological needs and work motivation. Pinder (2014) [ 20 ] argued that contextual practices could influence variables at the individual level. Culture is a crucial factor influencing motivation [ 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 ]. Researchers (e.g., [ 19 ]) have further suggested that both the proximal social situations (e.g., workgroup) and the distal social situations (e.g., cultural values) in which humans operate influence their need for satisfaction and their motivation type. Intrinsic motivation interacts with prosocial motivation in judging work performance [ 21 ]. By including the social conditions in the framework, prosocial motivation is considered. Prosocial motivation refers to the desire to help and promote the welfare of others [ 22 , 23 ]. The study of Shao et al. (2019) [ 24 ] proposed that prosocial motivation promotes employee engagement in particular organizational tasks. Researchers often consider prosocial motivation as a pattern of intrinsic motivation [ 23 ]. This implies that when intrinsic motivation is investigated, prosocial motivation should be examined together to obtain a comprehensive understanding.

Third, there are few studies using a considerable number of cross-national samples to investigate factors influencing work motivation. A cross-cultural analysis makes the findings more objective by minimizing individual bias towards any particular culture. Therefore, the examination of the study is crucial to expanding insights on the influence of social situations on the individual associations between psychological needs and work motivation.

2. Literature Review and Hypothesis Development

2.1. work motivation: a conceptual background.

Work motivation is considered “a set of energetic forces that originate both within as well as beyond an individual’s being, to initiate work-related behavior, and to determine its form direction intensity and duration” [ 20 ]. Nicolescu and Verboncu (2008) [ 25 ] argued that work motivation contributes directly and indirectly to employees’ performance. Additionally, research (e.g., [ 26 ]) has postulated that work motivation could be seen as a source of positive energy that leads to employees’ self-recognition and self-fulfillment. Therefore, work motivation is an antecedent of the self-actualization of individuals and the achievement of organizations.

Literature has identified several models of work motivation. One of the primary models is Maslow’s (1954) [ 27 ] need hierarchy theory, which proposes that humans fulfill a set of needs, including physiological, safety and security, belongingness, esteem, and self-actualization. Additionally, Herzberg’s (1966) [ 28 ] motivation-hygiene theory proposed that work motivation is mainly influenced by the job’s intrinsic challenge and provision of opportunities for recognition and reinforcement. More contemporary models also emerged. For instance, the study of Nicolescu and Verboncu (2008) [ 25 ] has categorized the types of motivation into four pairs, including positive-negative, intrinsic-extrinsic, cognitive-affective, and economic-moral spiritual. Additionally, Ryan and Deci [ 29 ] focused on intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation.

With the existence of numerous factors that relate to work motivation, this paper mainly focuses on intrinsic motivation. Previous research found that emotional intelligence and interpersonal relationship quality predict individuals’ intrinsic motivation [ 14 ]. Additionally, the study of Lin (2020) [ 13 ] argued that personal factors, including age, gender, educational level, living setting, health status, and family support, impact people’s intrinsic motivation. To understand more about intrinsic motivation, the authors examined individuals’ psychological needs. Fulfillment of the basic needs is related to wellness and effective performance [ 7 ]. Since intrinsic motivation results in high-quality creativity, recognizing the factors influencing intrinsic motivation is important [ 5 ].

Although a significant number of important contributions have been made regarding intrinsic motivation, self-determination theory is of particular significance for this study. Self-determination theory (SDT) postulates that all humans possess a variety of basic psychological needs. One of the primary crucial needs is the need for competence [ 30 , 31 ], which makes individuals feel confident and effective in their actions. Additionally, the need for autonomy [ 32 ] is one of the important psychological needs, which makes people satisfied with optimal wellness and good performance obtained as a result of their own decisions. Moreover, SDT proposed the crucial importance of interpersonal relationships and how social forces can influence thoughts, emotions, and behaviors [ 33 ]. This means that the psychological need for social relatedness [ 34 ] also plays a significant role in human’s psychological traits. Individuals need to be cared for by others and care for others to perceive belongingness. The need for relatedness can motivate people to behave more socially [ 35 ].

Prior research (e.g., [ 36 ]) has explored self-determination theory and related theories as approaches to work motivation and organizational behavior. The study of Van den Broeck et al. (2010) [ 37 ] emphasized grasping autonomy, competence, and relatedness at workplaces. This paper contributes to the exhaustive understanding of intrinsic work motivation influenced by further examining the impact of these three factors on work motivation as well as the moderating effects of social contexts.

2.2. Main Effect

2.2.1. individuals’ competence and work motivation.

Competence is “the collective learning in the organization, especially how to coordinate diverse production skills and integrate multiple streams of technologies” [ 38 ]. The study of Hernández-March et al. (2009) [ 39 ] argued that a stronger competence was commonly found in university graduates rather than those without higher education. Competence has been considered a significant factor of work motivation that enhances productivity and profits. Harter’s (1983) [ 40 ] model of motivation proposed that competence enhances motivation because competence promotes flexibility for individuals [ 41 ]. Likewise, Patall et al. (2014) [ 42 ] indirectly argued that competence positively affects work motivation. Individuals become more engaged in activities that demonstrate their competence [ 6 ]. When people perceive that they are competent enough to attain goals, they generally feel confident and concentrate their efforts on achieving their objectives as soon as possible for their self-fulfillment.

Individuals’ competence positively relates to their work motivation.

2.2.2. Individuals’ Autonomy and Work Motivation

Autonomy is viewed as “self-determination, self-rule, liberty of rights, freedom of will and being one’s own person” [ 43 ]. Reeve (2006) [ 44 ] argued that autonomy is a primary theoretical approach in the study of human motivation and emotion. Autonomy denotes that certain conduct is performed with a sense of willingness [ 30 ]. Several researchers (e.g., [ 45 ]) investigated the positive relationship between individuals’ autonomy and work motivation. When humans are involved in actions because of their interest, they fully perform those activities volitionally [ 36 ]. Dickinson (1995) [ 46 ] also proposed that autonomous individuals are more highly motivated, and autonomy breeds more effective outcomes. Moreover, when individuals have a right to make their own decisions, they tend to be more considerate and responsible for those decisions, as they need to take accountability for their actions. Bandura (1991) [ 47 ] has argued that humans’ ability to reflect, react, and direct their actions motivates them for future purposes. Therefore, autonomy motivates individuals to work harder and overcome difficulties to achieve their objectives.

Individuals’ autonomy positively relates to their work motivation.

2.2.3. Individuals’ Social Relatedness and Work Motivation

The psychological need for social relatedness occurs when an individual has a sense of being secure, related to, or understood by others in the social environment [ 48 ]. The relatedness need is fulfilled when humans experience the feeling of close relationships with others [ 49 ]. Researchers (e.g., [ 34 ]) have postulated that the need for relatedness reflects humans’ natural tendency to feel associated with others, such as being a member of any social groups, or to love and care as well as be loved and cared for. Prior studies have shown that social relatedness strongly impacts motivation [ 50 , 51 , 52 ]. Social relatedness offers people many opportunities to communicate with others, making them more motivated at the workplace, aligning them with the group’s shared objectives. Marks (1974) [ 53 ] suggested that social relatedness encourages individuals to focus on community welfare as a reference for their behavior, resulting in enhanced work motivation. Moreover, when individuals feel that they relate to and are cared for by others, their motivation can be maximized since their relatedness need is fulfilled [ 54 ]. Therefore, establishing close relationships with others plays a vital role in promoting human motivation [ 55 ]. When people perceive that they are cared for and loved by others, they tend to create positive outcomes for common benefits to deserve the kindness received, thereby motivating them to work harder.

Individuals’ social relatedness positively relates to their work motivation.

Aside from exploring the influence of psychological needs on work motivation, this paper also considers country-level factors. Previous research (e.g., [ 56 ]) has examined the influence of social institutions and national cultures on work motivation. However, the moderating effects of country-level factors have to be investigated, given the contextual impacts on individual needs, attitudes, and behavior. Although social conditions provide the most common interpretation for nation-level variance in individual work behaviors [ 57 ], few cross-national studies examine social conditions and individual work behaviors [ 56 ]. Hence, this paper investigates the moderating effects, including religious affiliation, political participation, humane orientation, and in-group collectivism, on the psychological needs-work motivation association.

A notable theory to explain the importance of contextual factors in work motivation that is customarily linked with SDT is the concept of prosocial motivation. Prosocial motivation suggests that individuals have the desire to expend efforts in safeguarding and promoting others’ well-being [ 58 , 59 ]. It is proposed that prosocial motivation strengthens endurance, performance, and productivity, as well as generates creativity that encourages individuals to develop valuable and novel ideas [ 21 , 60 ]. Prosocial motivation is found to interact with intrinsic motivation in influencing positive work outcomes [ 21 , 61 ]. However, there are few studies examining the effects of prosocial motivation on work motivation [ 62 ].

Utilizing the concept of prosocial motivation and examining it on a country-level, this paper suggests that prosocial factors promote basic psychological needs satisfaction that reinforces motivational processes at work. Therefore, prosocial behaviors and values may enhance the positive impact of individuals’ basic psychological needs, including competence, autonomy, and social relatedness, on work motivation.

2.3. Moderating Effects

2.3.1. religious affiliation.

Religions manifest values that are usually employed as grounds to investigate what is right and wrong [ 63 ]. Religious affiliation is considered prosocial because it satisfies the need for belongingness and upholds collective well-being through gatherings to worship, seek assistance, and offer comfort within religious communities. Hence, religious affiliation promotes the satisfaction of individuals’ psychological needs, which directs motivation at work and life in general. Research (e.g., [ 64 ]) has argued that religious affiliation is an essential motivational component given its impact on psychological processes. The study of Simon and Primavera (1972) [ 65 ] investigated the relationship between religious affiliation and work motivation. To humans characterized by competence, autonomy, and social relatedness, attachment to religious principles increases their motivation to accomplish organizational goals. Religious membership will increase the influence of psychological needs on work motivation. The tendency of individuals affiliated with any religion to be demotivated is lower compared to those who are not. Individuals with religious affiliations also tend to work harder as the virtue of hard work is aligned with religious principles. Accordingly, religious affiliation may enhance the positive association between individuals’ psychological needs and work motivation.

2.3.2. Political Participation

Political participation, indicated by people’s voting habits, plays a crucial role in ensuring citizens’ well-being and security [ 66 ]. Political participation encourages shared beliefs and collective goals among individuals [ 67 ]. The communication and interaction among people help them grasp the government’s developmental strategies, motivating them to work harder. Political participation is a collective pursuit that makes societal members feel more confident, socially related, and motivated at work to achieve communal targets. Increased political participation reinforces effective public policy to enhance its members’ welfare, congruent with the perspectives of prosocial motivation. The prosocial values and behaviors derived from political participation satisfy human needs and interact positively with intrinsic motivation. Therefore, political participation may strengthen the positive influence of individuals’ competence, autonomy, and social relatedness on work motivation. Conversely, poor political participation is perceived as a separation from the society that may lead to demotivation. In a society with poor political participation, an individualistic mentality is encouraged, thereby decreasing the desire to pursue cooperative endeavors.

2.3.3. Humane Orientation

GLOBE characterizes humane orientation as “the degree to which an organization or society encourages and rewards individuals for being fair, altruistic, generous, caring, and kind to others” [ 68 ]. Research (e.g., [ 69 , 70 ]) has argued that a high humane orientation encourages members to develop a strong sense of belonging, commit to fair treatment, and manifest benevolence. The desire to help others or enhance others’ well-being indicates prosocial values and behaviors [ 71 , 72 ]. Since humane orientation is correlated with philanthropy and promotes good relations, this cultural value may enhance work motivation. Fairness, which is derived from a humane-oriented society, is one of the most vital influences on work motivation [ 1 ]. Moreover, altruism, promoted by humane-oriented societies, encourages individuals to sacrifice individual interests for shared benefits. Altruism then encourages attachment to others’ welfare and increases resources needed for prosocial behaviors such as work [ 73 , 74 ]. Members of humane-oriented countries view work in a positive light—it is an opportunity for them to perform altruistic behaviors and engage in collective actions. Therefore, people are more likely to work harder for common interests in humane-oriented societies. In such conditions, individuals with competence, autonomy, and social relatedness will be more motivated to work. By contrast, a less humane-oriented society gives prominence to material wealth and personal enjoyment [ 75 ]. Although this may be perceived as a positive influence on the association between psychological needs and work motivation, such an individualistic mindset works against the prosocial factors that further motivate individuals.

2.3.4. In-Group Collectivism

House et al. (2004) [ 68 ] defined in-group collectivism as “the degree to which individuals express pride, loyalty, and cohesiveness in their organizations or families”. Collectivistic cultures indicate the need for individuals to rely on group membership for identification [ 76 ]. High collectivism enhances equity, solidarity, loyalty, and encouragement [ 77 , 78 ]. Humans living in a collectivist culture are interdependent and recognize their responsibilities towards each other [ 79 ]. In-group collectivism transfers the concepts of social engagement, interdependence with others, and care for the group over the self (e.g., [ 79 , 80 , 81 ], thereby motivating individuals to work harder for the common interests. Oyserman et al. (2002) [ 82 ] have further argued that individualistic values encourage an independent personality, whereas collectivistic values form an interdependent one. Therefore, in-group collectivism is a prosocial value that emphasizes the importance of reciprocal relationships and encourages people to work harder to benefit the group. By contrast, low collectivism promotes individual interests and personal well-being while neglecting the value of having strong relations with others [ 70 ]. Considering that in-group collectivism promotes individuals’ prosocial behaviors of individuals, people who are competent, autonomous, and socially related to collective societies are less likely to be demotivated at the workplace. Consequently, in-group collectivism may intensify the positive influence of individuals’ competence, autonomy, and social relatedness on their work motivation.

(a–d): The positive relationship between individuals’ competence and their work motivation is enhanced as religious affiliation (a), political participation (b), humane orientation (c), and in-group collectivism (d) increase.

(a–d): The positive relationship between individuals’ autonomy and their work motivation is enhanced as religious affiliation (a), political participation (b), humane orientation (c), and in-group collectivism (d) increase.

(a–d): The positive relationship between individuals’ social relatedness and their work motivation is enhanced as religious affiliation (a), political participation (b), humane orientation (c), and in-group collectivism (d) increase.

3.1. Sample

The data came from the seventh wave (2017–2021) of the World Values Survey (WVS) [ 83 ], which examines humans’ beliefs and values. This survey is performed every five years to explore changes in people’s values and perceptions. Face-to-face interviews, or phone interviews for remote areas, were conducted by local organizations. Almost 90 percent of the world’s population is represented in the WVS. At least 1000 individuals were selected as respondents to exhibit each nation’s population. Further information regarding the WVS can be reached at the WVS website ( http://www.worldvaluessurvey.org , accessed on 14 October 2021).

The samples of this study were based on the availability of national-level data for the moderators and individual-level data for the measures of independent and dependent variables. Respondents without answers on the individual measures and corresponding country-level data were excluded from the analysis. The final data included 32,614 respondents in 25 countries aged 18 and above. The 25 countries included Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Philippines, Russia, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, and the USA.

3.2. Dependent Variable

Consistent with previous researchers (e.g., [ 84 ]), the authors used four items to gauge individual work motivation, namely “Indicate how important work is in your life”, “People who do not work turn lazy”, “Work is a duty towards society”, and “Work should always come first, even if it means less spare”. The first item was measured on a scale from 1 to 4, in which lower scores indicate a higher level of work importance. The other three items were gauged on a scale from 1 to 5 (1 indicating strongly agree and 5 indicating strongly disagree). The scores for each item were reverse coded, and the mean scores were computed so that higher scores indicate greater work motivation.

3.3. Independent Variables

The independent variables of this study include individuals’ competence, autonomy, and social relatedness. First, people’s competence was measured by the item “What is the highest educational level that you attained” on a scale from 0 to 8, in which higher scores indicate a higher level of educational attainment. The authors used the item to gauge individual competence, as a capacity for learning is highlighted in the examination of competence [ 39 ]. Second, a scale from 1 to 10 was utilized to measure the item “How much freedom of choice and control”, which represented individual autonomy (1 indicating no choice at all and 10 indicating a great deal of choice). The authors used the item to gauge people’s autonomy as this item indicates the degree to which individual can make their own decisions. Finally, the individual’s social relatedness was gauged by twelve items, representing twelve types of organizations where individuals are active/inactive members or do not belong. The twelve items were measured on a scale from 0 to 2 (0 indicating do not belong, 1 indicating inactive member, and 2 indicating active member). The mean score of the twelve items represents the individual’s social relatedness. The membership in organizations represents social relatedness, as this indicates the reciprocal relationship between the individual and the organization through their mutual rights, responsibilities, and obligations towards each other [ 85 ].

3.4. Moderators

The four country-level moderators in this study were religious affiliation, political participation, humane orientation, and in-group collectivism. Similar to prior research (e.g., [ 86 ]), the authors used the percentage of the country’s population with religious affiliation obtained from Pew Research Center 2015 [ 87 ]. Secondly, the index of voter turnout collected from the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance [ 88 ] was utilized to gauge political participation. Voting habits are an indicator of an individual’s presence in their country’s life, and a nation with a high index of voter turnout illustrates its substantial degree of political participation [ 89 ]. Finally, two cultural values, including humane orientation and in-group collectivism, were obtained from the GLOBE study [ 68 ]. The authors used scores on cultural practices as the moderators for this study because they indicate the actual behaviors as “the way things are done in this culture” [ 68 ].

3.5. Control Variables

Several individual-level and country-level elements related to the dependent variable were considered control variables. The effects of gender, marital status, age, and income level were accounted for, as these four variables are basic personal factors that may impact individual’s motivation [ 90 ]. Gender (1 indicating male and 0 indicating female) and marital status (1 indicating married and 0 indicating other status) were dummy coded. Moreover, age was measured in years, while income level was gauged using a scale from 1 representing the lowest group to 10 representing the highest group. Along with the above individual-level controls, education and family strength were treated as country-level control variables. Education and family are primary institutions that shape individuals’ motivation [ 91 , 92 ]. Similar to prior researchers (e.g., [ 93 ]), education was computed as two-thirds of the adult literacy rate attained from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics 2020 [ 94 ] and one-third of the mean years of schooling obtained from the Human Development Report 2020 [ 95 ]. This score is commonly approved as representing access to education in a country [ 42 ]. Regarding family strength, the score was quantified by the ratio of divorces to marriages per 1000 members of the population consistent with previous researchers (e.g., [ 93 ]). The data was obtained from the United Nations Demographic Yearbook [ 96 ].

3.6. Measurement and Analysis

To perform the descriptive statistics, cross-level correlations, scale reliability, confirmatory factor analysis, convergent validity, and discriminant validity, the authors utilized SPSS software.

The framework of this study considers independent variables, dependent variables, and moderators at different levels. Thus, the authors used a hierarchical linear model (HLM) [ 97 ] to test the hypotheses. HLM was defined as a “complex form of ordinary least squares (OLS) regression that is used to analyze variance in the outcome variables when the predictor variables are at varying hierarchical levels” [ 98 ]. This technique evaluates the impacts of higher-level outcomes on lower-level ones while preserving an appropriate degree of analysis [ 99 ]. HLM has been employed in several cross-level studies (e.g., [ 100 , 101 ]).

Table 2 presents a matrix of correlations and sample statistics from the individual-level to country-level variables. Table 3 and Table 4 report convergent and discriminant validity test results, respectively. Finally, Table 5 illustrates results for hypotheses testing using HLM. Three models are presented in the table: those of individual-level main effects and control variables (Model 1), those of country-level main effects (Model 2), and country-level moderating effects (Model 3).

Descriptive statistics, cross-level correlations and scale reliability a,b,c .

a   n = 32,614 level 1; n = 25, level 2. b * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01. c The reliability found in the parentheses is expressed as Cronbach’s alpha for scales with ≥four items.

Convergent validity.

Discriminant validity—Fornell and Larcker’s criterion.

* p < 0.05.

HLM results: (The DV is work motivation) a,b .

a , n = 32,614 level 1; n = 25, level 2. b , †, p < 0.10, * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001.

For the confirmatory factor analysis, previous research (e.g., [ 102 , 103 , 104 ]) suggested that analysis of each variable requires at least three items. Factor analysis using statistical software will provide imprecise results if there are fewer than three items per variable [ 105 ]. Therefore, the authors only performed Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) for social relatedness and work motivation.

To assess the measurement, convergent and discriminant validity were tested. Composite Reliability (CR) and Average Variance Extracted (AVE) were performed to illustrate convergent validity. The study of Hair et al. (2019) [ 106 ] suggested that CR is required to be above a threshold of 0.7. On the other hand, the AVE value should be higher than a threshold of 0.5 [ 107 ]. As shown in Table 3 , CR is acceptable while AVE is slightly lower than a threshold of 0.5. Despite the limitation of AVE, the acceptable result of the discriminant validity is achieved. The discriminant validity was tested using Fornell and Larcker (1981)’s criterion [ 107 ]. This proposes that the square root of the AVE of any latent variable should be higher than its correlation with any other construct. The result of the discriminant validity test indicates that all the two latent constructs have a square root of AVE higher than its correlation with the other construct, as presented in Table 4 .

The authors argued that individuals’ competence (H1), autonomy (H2), and social relatedness (H3) positively relate to their work motivation. However, the findings only supported H2 (β2 = 0.036, p < 0.001) and H3 (β3 = 0.042, p < 0.001). In contrast, the findings presented that H1 was also significant, but in the opposite direction compared with our original prediction. The result suggests that individuals’ competence negatively relates to their work motivation.

In Hypotheses 4a–d, we proposed that higher levels of religious affiliation (4a), political participation (4b), humane orientation (4c), and in-group collectivism (4d) strengthen the relationship described in H1. However, the results only demonstrated support for the two hypotheses, H4c (γ13 = 0.032, p < 0.001) and H4d (γ14 = 0.042, p < 0.001). In contrast, the findings presented that H4a was also significant, but opposite our initial prediction. This different result proposes that a higher level of religious affiliation weakens the association between individuals’ competence and work motivation.

In Hypotheses 5a–d, the authors argued that the higher levels of religious affiliation (5a), political participation (5b), humane orientation (5c), and in-group collectivism (5d) enhance the positive relationship between individuals’ autonomy and their work motivation. However, the results only supported the two hypotheses H5b (γ22 = 0.012, p < 0.05) and H5c (γ23 = 0.012, p < 0.1), while H5a and H5d were not significant.

In Hypotheses 6a–d, the authors argued that the higher levels of religious affiliation (6a), political participation (6b), humane orientation (6c), and in-group collectivism (6d) enhance the positive relationship between individuals’ social relatedness and their work motivation. However, the results only supported H6c (γ33 = 0.019, p < 0.01). In contrast, the findings indicated that H6d was also significant, but in the opposite direction compared to our initial hypothesis. The different result suggests that higher in-group collectivism weakens the positive association between individuals’ social relatedness and work motivation. Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 represent the significant moderators of the associations examined.

The association between competence and work motivation at different levels of humane orientation.

The association between competence and work motivation at different levels of in-group collectivism.

The association between autonomy and work motivation at different levels of political participation.

The association between autonomy and work motivation at different levels of humane orientation.

The association between social relatedness and work motivation at different levels of humane orientation.

Regarding the statistical results of the control variables, gender, marital status, and age consistently indicated significant positive relationships with work motivation across three models. On the other hand, family strength indicated a significant negative association to work motivation only in Model 1.

5. Discussion

The study’s objective was to examine the influence of individuals’ competence, autonomy, and social relatedness on their work motivation, as well as the impact of country-level moderators, including religious affiliation, political participation, humane orientation, and in-group collectivism on their relationships. Seven primary findings are crucial in this research. First, people’s autonomy and social relatedness positively relate to their work motivation. This result is in line with the findings of prior researchers (e.g., [ 45 , 52 ]), postulating that humans’ autonomy and social relatedness breeds work motivation. The study of Theurer et al. (2018) [ 108 ] argued that, among motivational elements, autonomy had been found to greatly predict positive work motivation. When people feel they have enough control over their activities, they are more confident and motivated to work. Along with autonomy, humans’ social relatedness promotes communal benefits, thereby motivating people to work harder for their organization. Second, the association between individual competence and work motivation is moderated by cultural values, including humane orientation and in-group collectivism. The findings are consistent with the viewpoints of prior researchers (e.g., [ 69 , 70 , 77 , 78 ]), namely that a society with higher levels of humane orientation and in-group collectivism strengthens altruism, solidarity, loyalty, and the encouragement of individuals, which results in work motivation. Consequently, there will be an increase in the differences in individuals’ competence and work motivation if they live in a society with greater humane orientation and in-group collectivism. Third, political participation and humane orientation moderate the relationship between individual autonomy and work motivation. These results are in line with the investigations of prior researchers (e.g., [18,45), which found that social circumstances and cultural practices promote people’s motivation. Accordingly, the differences in individuals’ autonomy based on their work motivation will be enhanced if they belong to nations with higher political participation and humane orientation. Fourth, the association between social relatedness and work motivation is moderated by humane orientation. Accordingly, in a humane-oriented society, the differences in individuals’ social relatedness based on their work motivation will be strengthened.

The remaining findings were contrary to the original propositions. Pinder (2014) [ 20 ] argued that it is possible to find that contextual practices can influence variables at the individual level in the opposite prediction in motivation research. Fifth, individuals’ competence negatively influences their work motivation. This finding proposes that more competent individuals are less motivated at work. One possible interpretation of this opposite result is that, when the majority of the organization members recognize individuals’ competence, these individuals may perceive that it is not necessary to devote most of their time and energy to work anymore. These individuals may believe that no matter how unwillingly they perform, they are still competent enough because of their prior achievements. Additionally, competent individuals recognize that they have already sacrificed their enjoyment of life for their previous successes; therefore, they tend to offset this by investing their valuable time in other aspects. This is consistent with other researchers’ investigations (e.g., [ 109 ]), which found that low-skilled individuals are more often compelled to engage in regular work activities and are more easily motivated than others. By contrast, highly competent individuals tend to be motivated by challenging tasks and improving themselves through further education. Sixth, the relationship between competence and work motivation is negatively moderated by religious affiliation. This finding suggests that religious affiliation weakens the association between individuals’ competence and work motivation. One possible explanation for this finding is that strong religious beliefs are the foundation for virtuous living [ 110 ]. Individuals with religious affiliation usually employ religious principles to guide their behavior, regardless of their competence. In other words, both competent and incompetent individuals tend to be more motivated at the workplace if they are affiliated with any religion, thereby diminishing the influence of competence in work motivation. Seventh, the relationship between social relatedness and work motivation is negatively moderated by in-group collectivism. This result proposes that a higher degree of in-group collectivism weakens the association between individuals’ social relatedness and work motivation. One possible explanation for this is that, under an in-group collective society, people put more weight on mutual relationships and encourage acts that may build up the solidarity of groups. Since in-group collectivism is viewed as a social attachment in which people emphasize the group over the self (e.g., [ 79 , 80 , 81 ]), individuals are fairly conscious of their responsibility to the group regardless of their social relatedness. Both socially related and unrelated individuals belonging to in-group collective cultures tend to work harder for common goals. Accordingly, the influence of individuals’ social relatedness on their work motivation is reduced.

6. Limitations and Future Research

Despite its significant contributions, this study has its limitations. The use of secondary data represents the fact that the data collection process was beyond the authors’ control. However, the collection of cross-national data is time-consuming and costly. The authors used the available data but strove for the efficient use of multilevel data. The secondary data also limited the measurement of individual-level factors based on the available data. Moreover, it is quite complex to gauge an individual’s work motivation appropriately, since personal work motivation may not be one-dimensional. Nevertheless, the authors made efforts to employ the measurements utilized by prior research. Moreover, it is complicated to measure social factors such as political participation. There are challenges in investigating social contexts due to the absence of direct measurements [ 111 ]. This compels the authors to identify substitute measurements for this study. Finally, this study covered 25 samples from 25 countries with different characteristics. Despite the attempt of this study to include the most relevant social conditions in the framework, the influence of other national differences and cultural sensitivities were not considered.

This paper directs further research considering that several frameworks and approaches should be employed to better examine motivation [ 112 ]. First, as some of the results were opposite to the original propositions based on the theoretical foundations employed, combining different concepts and approaches is necessary to enhance perspectives of psychological needs and social issues. For instance, the relationship between competence and work motivation can be further investigated by employing other theories to understand their association better. Similarly, the moderating effects of social contexts such as religious affiliation and in-group collectivism should be further examined to obtain a more in-depth comprehension of the roles of contextual circumstances and cultural values in individual-level relationships. Additionally, self-determination theory and the concept of prosocial motivation may be used to explore motivation towards specific behavior in organizations, such as organizational citizenship and proactive behaviors. Organizational context, such as rewards, training, and culture, can be considered as part of the framework to enhance the conception of work motivation.

7. Conclusions

This study has utilized a multilevel framework to examine the influence of psychological needs and social context on work motivation. Through this research, a deeper understanding of the roles of competence, autonomy, and social relatedness, as well as social situations and cultural values on work motivation, is achieved. The contrary findings call for integrating other concepts and approaches towards a more comprehensive knowledge of work motivation.

Along with the theoretical contribution, the study’s findings offer practical implications. The satisfaction of psychological needs promotes self-motivation, which creates positive outcomes. Hence, organizations can provide programs and activities to promote employees’ autonomy and social relatedness as this will enhance their work motivation. Employee empowerment can be advocated by encouraging them to make their own decisions at the workplace, providing constructive criticisms rather than instilling the fear of failure. Additionally, managers should encourage solidarity, support, and mutual care among employees. Putting more weight on employees’ fulfillment of needs will further increase employees’ motivation, thereby diminishing costs related to stress or turnover [ 50 ]. To establish a novel mechanism towards promoting work motivation in the entire nation, the government should pay attention to the political structure and conditions that encourage citizens’ participation. Additionally, a culture of humane orientation should be promoted in the workplace and society so that solidarity, kind assistance, and altruism among communities as well as among individuals can be strengthened. For instance, teamwork should be encouraged for employees to help each other overcome difficulties at the workplace or share responsibilities with their colleagues. This will motivate people to work harder for collective goals, contributing to the development of organizations.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, T.T.D.V. and K.V.T.; data collection, T.T.D.V.; methodology, T.T.D.V. and K.V.T.; formal analysis, T.T.D.V. and K.V.T.; resources, K.V.T. and C.-W.C.; writing-original draft, T.T.D.V. and K.V.T.; writing-review, editing & proofreading, T.T.D.V., K.V.T. and C.-W.C.; visualization, K.V.T.; supervision, K.V.T. and C.-W.C.; project administration, K.V.T. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

This paper does not receive funding from any individuals or organizations.

Institutional Review Board Statement

Not applicable.

Informed Consent Statement

Data availability statement, conflicts of interest.

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Work Life is Atlassian’s flagship publication dedicated to unleashing the potential of every team through real-life advice, inspiring stories, and thoughtful perspectives from leaders around the world.

Contributing Writer

Work Futurist

Senior Quantitative Researcher, People Insights

Principal Writer

Research confirms the importance of healthy workplace relationships

Social connection is key to preventing chronic stress and workplace burnout.

Get stories like this in your inbox

It’s well known that workplace culture directly shapes teams’ capacity for innovation and productivity, as well as workers’ overall sense of wellbeing . Now, new research indicates that solid workplace relationships – between managers and subordinates, as well as between colleagues – are a key piece in the worker-satisfaction puzzle.

In a survey of 5,902 U.S. workers, researchers at the Pew Research Center found that high satisfaction with workplace relationships plays a major role in workers’ overall satisfaction with their jobs – even in the face of dissatisfaction in other critical areas. “It is fair to say that satisfaction with workplace relationships, both with managers and with coworkers, is a significant predictor of overall job satisfaction,” says Juliana Menasce Horowitz, an associate director of research at the Center and a co-author of the worker satisfaction report. 

Pew’s survey adds to a robust body of research on the benefits of healthy relationships at work . Some of those benefits translate directly into worker performance. A sense of connectedness with colleagues and managers fosters a sense of shared mission and purpose which, in turn, can spark active communication, camaraderie, and innovation. What’s more, when work relationships blossom into genuine friendships , they contribute to employee happiness on and off the clock. 

Connectivity builds resilience

Why work friends are good for you, and the science to support it

The implications are profound. According to a Surgeon’s General advisory report published this spring, “epidemic” levels of loneliness and isolation pose wide-ranging hazards to the health and well-being of individuals, organizations, and communities. On the flip side, “quality social support, social integration, and regular communication among co-workers of all levels are key in preventing chronic work stress and workplace burnout.” 

A happy and healthy – and not totally burned out – workforce is, of course, a worthy goal in and of itself. But employers and teams do stand to gain from a cascade of associated perks. The Surgeon’s General report lists several, including faster recovery and therefore less missed work following work-related injuries or illnesses, and improved creativity, engagement, and work quality. Workplace connectedness may even “influence career advancements, income, and overall economic stability,” according to the report. 

Rob Cross, the co-founder and director of the Connected Commons management research consultancy, has observed the link between relationships, happiness, and professional fulfillment firsthand. The discovery happened a few years ago, and almost by chance. Cross was conducting research for a book about effective collaboration, and on the lookout for mappable patterns that seemed to mesh with teams’ success. Social connectivity quickly emerged as a decisive factor. From there, he set out to learn how connectivity comes into play among individual workers and their teams.

“I was focusing on high-performing individuals and trying to understand what’s distinguishing those top-quartile performers across a bunch of great organizations,” Cross recalls. “I did 600 interviews with people from all of these places and focused on how connections in our lives have an impact on our health, on how we experience purpose in our lives, and on resilience.” 

What Cross observed was that the workers who were the happiest were also the most resilient against daily “microstressors,” the little interruptions and annoyances that punctuate our fast-moving, always-on day-to-day lives. These individuals were professionally driven and invested in their jobs, but they also nurtured hobbies and community. Most belonged to “at least two, and usually three” social circles outside of their professional lives and immediate families. Some belonged to running groups or reading clubs; others sang in their church choir. The common thread between them was not a commitment to hyper-achievement but, rather, their connectedness to others, which gave them patience and perspective.

The elements of workplace connectedness

7 icebreaker games to help your team build authentic connections

In order to support healthy relationships within the workplace, organizations need to also support their team members’ pursuits outside of work. Leaders should be proactive about ensuring that workers have the space and safety to nurture adequate work-life balance, and should model those boundaries in their own working lives. Self-care is a pillar of effective leadership.

Furthermore, it is essential that organizations encourage open, transparent communication that reinforces team members’ sense of psychological safety . This includes allowing space for emotions, and showing appreciation for colleagues; here at Atlassian, team members are encouraged to give their colleagues tokens of kudos for embodying company values. 

It’s also worth noting that, although workplace relationships are essential, other culture elements such as “satisfaction with day-to-day tasks, pay, and opportunities for promotion” are even stronger predictors of overall job satisfaction, Pew’s Menasce Horowitz says. But these attributes aren’t mutually exclusive. By investing holistically in all areas of workplace culture, organizational leaders add to the bedrock of trust from which healthy relationships – and healthy team members – can flourish.  

Advice, stories, and expertise about work life today.

Health Equity

Nurses Faced More Challenges Providing Care in Black-Serving Hospitals During the Pandemic

The challenges created disparities that warrant urgent attention.

• Miles Meline, MBE
• Share this page on Twitter
• Share this page on Facebook
• Share this page on LinkedIn

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses were heralded as health care heroes for their unparalleled commitment to the frontline. They also faced unprecedented challenges providing care—especially in hospitals serving predominantly Black communities . 

A recent study by Senior Fellows Eileen Lake , Connie Ulrich , and colleagues explored the relationship between leadership communication and the moral distress hospital nurses felt during the first peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Employing a national survey of nurses across 90 hospitals, they compared the experiences of nurses in hospitals where Black patients predominantly access their care Black-serving hospitals (BSHs) to those of nurses in other hospitals. They particularly focused on communication trends from managers.

Study findings revealed that 4% of nurses in higher BSHs reported significant levels of moral distress compared to2% of nurses in lower BSH, a finding largely attributed to inadequate communication from their managers and insufficient access to necessary personal protective equipment like N95 masks and face shields. The distress was further compounded by the frequency of caring for COVID-19 patients, which was more prominent in BSHs.

We asked the study’s lead investigator Eileen T. Lake PhD, RN and senior investigator Connie M. Ulrich, PhD, RN several questions to learn more.

Why was it important to conduct this research of moral distress among nurses early in the COVID-19 pandemic?

Ulrich : The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted many ethical issues in nursing practice such as end-of-life care, resource allocation including staffing, misinformation, uncertainty in clinical practice, mandatory vaccination, the lack of personal protective equipment, and many others. We saw, and heard, the distress of many nurses during this time. Thus, this research was important to gather firsthand data on what nurses were experiencing and the moral distress that ensued. 

  Lake : Previously we studied nurse burnout , but the pandemic presented unique challenges for nursing care and that prompted us to look at moral distress. 

Our research in the Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research is designed to inform health care managers and policymakers about how to best support nurses to provide high quality care. So it was urgent to identify ways that nurses could have been more supported during a COVID-19, so that we’re better prepared if something like this happens again.

What were your most important findings?

Lake : We found that the clinical circumstances of the nurses in hospitals serving disproportionately higher numbers of Black patients were uniformly poorer than those of nurses in hospitals serving fewer Black patients. That is, they had worse access to personal protective equipment in the first peak month of COVID admissions, they likewise had poorer communication from their leaders and managers, and they suffered greater moral distress.

Did these poor conditions predate the pandemic?

Lake : Yes. For example, we showed in prior work that nurses in high-Black neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) missed more required nursing care than nurses in low-Black serving NICUs due to worse nurse staffing and poorer work environments. 

Ulrich : Staffing is an ongoing problem for nurses across the country that affects quality of care delivery that creates moral distress for nurses because without adequate staffing, they cannot provide the level of care that is required.

Why is moral distress among nurses an important problem to address?

Lake : To have our professional clinicians, who are ethical actors in health care, feel that they cannot act in morally justifiable ways degrades the self and can cause psychological harm. From the system perspective, moral distress negatively affects mental health, including by causing insomnia and anxiety, and increases intentions to leave or quit. These poorer outcomes undermine the workforce and may compromise care quality.

Ulrich : Nurses are the largest professional group in the United States. Yet they often feel powerless to change their situation and may have lingering physical, emotional, and spiritual distress.

Why might poor communication from hospital leaders be associated with higher levels of moral distress?

Ulrich : During the COVID-19 pandemic, information was changing on a daily basis. Communication was not always consistent, and nurses were often unsure of the appropriate institutional policies to support them and their care practices for patients and families. There also was a sense of disconnect between hospital leadership and nurses on the frontlines that led to frustration and moral distress and a perceived lack of value for their knowledge and skill sets. 

Why is it important to quantify dynamics of moral distress among nurses? How can these numbers help us change policy in the future?

  Lake : When we quantify moral distress among nurses or other health professionals, we can learn more about the antecedents to it, particularly modifiable elements like how well leaders and managers communicate with caregivers. Likewise, quantifying the deleterious effects of moral distress can help motivate nurses and managers to minimize it. 

Ulrich : Without solid data and facts, we cannot change health care systems. Data on moral distress can help leadership know that it’s a significant problem and that it may lead to a loss of qualified nurses. We can now ask better questions, design better studies, and try to understand those factors that impact moral distress and aim to intervene so we can retain a qualified and healthy workforce.

What changes could ease the moral distress and poor leadership communication nurses experienced?

Lake: We recommend that nurse managers in Black-serving hospitals be provided additional development and support to improve their communication skills both with frontline nurses but also with administrators. Hiring and employing a nurse ethicist who consults with frontline nurses and nurse managers is a direct way to reduce moral distress and address immediate problems. 

Ulrich : We also recommend creating an in-house ethics committee, if one does not already exist, and suggest that nurses should be part of these committees to share their perspectives on the issues at hand. 

Lake : Ideally, hospital leadership should engage with nurses in consistent schedules to share the latest changes in clinical expectations and protocols, and to invite input. Nurses also should share with leaders their most pressing concerns about factors undermining optimal care.

Ulrich : Nurses need to be part of leadership boards and other committees to provide their unique voices to the C-suite. Leadership should make rounds on units to meet with frontline nurses and managers to hear their concerns, and address any unit-based and broader organizational inefficiencies.

The study, “ Nurses’ Moral Distress and Leadership Communication in Hospitals Serving Black Patients During COVID-19 ,” was published on May 28, 2024, in Nursing Outlook . Authors include Eileen T. Lake , Jessica G. Smith, Jeannette A. Rogowski, Emily Cramer, Vaneh Hovsepian, Hal Chen, Nehemiah Weldeab, and Connie M. Ulrich .

Policy Coordinator

More on health equity.

In Their Own Words

Why Federal LIHEAP Benefits Should Expand To Pay For Cooling

Extreme Heat Will Hit People With Chronic Illnesses The Hardest. They Will Need Cooling Along With Their Medicines

• Charles Leonard, PharmD, MSCE

40 Undergraduate Health Disparities Research Scholars Finish Their Summer at Penn

Week-Long Event Marks 25th Anniversary of LDI/Wharton School Program

• Hoag Levins

Penn LDI/Health Affairs Conference Explores Dual Eligibles Care Integration

Latest Effort to Re-envision a Disjointed System That Shortchanges a Highly Vulnerable Patient Population

Sharing Patient Narratives With Clinical Staff is Linked to Better Patient Experience

LDI Researchers Highlight the Beneficial Impacts of Sharing Patient Narratives

News | Video

How the Hidden Mechanics of Genetic Medicines Can Disadvantage Non-White Individuals

Penn LDI’s Carmen Guerra Warns a White House Forum

Penn LDI at AcademyHealth 2024 – The Photo Story

A Widespread Presence at the Country’s Largest Gathering of Health Services Researchers

News and views for the UB community

• Stories >

UB scholar secures grant to study workplace experiences of first-gen, BIPOC LIS professionals

research news

By DANIELLE LEGARE

Published August 20, 2024

In an effort to bridge the gap in workplace equity and representation, a Graduate School of Education researcher has secured a $493,910 grant from the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program.

The program funds projects that tackle essential challenges in the library and archives fields, aiming to enhance professional practices and improve library and archival services for the American public.

Africa Hands, assistant professor in the Department of Information Science, will study the unique challenges and cultural strengths of first-generation Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) professionals in the library and information science (LIS) field.

Collaborating with not-for-profit research and consulting service Ithaka S+R, Hands will lead the three-year project, “LIS First-Generation Professionals: Workplace Barriers and Cultural Assets,” which aims to uncover the often overlooked hurdles these professionals face and highlight the strategies they use to thrive in their careers.

Addressing key workplace challenges

“We know from research that the general workplace experiences of first-generation students can be a little challenging … There’s a hidden curriculum of the job and the workplace.” Hands explains. “They may meet barriers in terms of navigating that. Sometimes, they have less-cultivated career capital. They struggle to find their first position. Some of them didn’t have an opportunity to have internships that give them [professional] experience.

“So, we know these things about first-generation students as a whole,” she says. “But there has not been much concentrated research done on first-generation graduate students, or first-gen graduate students in library and information science.”

The project will employ a multi-method approach to address two key research questions: What are the workplace challenges of LIS first-generation professionals, and what strategies and cultural assets do these professionals employ to navigate and succeed in LIS workplaces?

Importance of inclusivity in libraries

“Public libraries serve diverse communities, but the makeup of librarians who work in libraries is around 80% white women,” Hands says. “There are initiatives to address this so that the workforce is more reflective of the communities they’re serving.

“I think it’s really important to focus on first-generation professionals — who encompass a lot of different marginalized identities,” she continues. “We need to know their experiences to hopefully retain them in the workplace so that we can have more inclusive workplaces that are more reflective of the community.”

Through focus groups and written narratives, the research will amplify this under-examined population and provide actionable insights for graduate programs, professional associations, managers and current LIS professionals.

Impactful research

“Dr. Hands’ project is significant because it addresses the unique challenges faced by BIPOC first-generation professionals in library and information science workplaces,” notes X. Christine Wang, professor and associate dean for interdisciplinary research. “By investigating their experiences and strategies for success, the findings will not only inform graduate programs and professional associations, but also drive cultural and environmental changes within LIS workplaces to better support these professionals.

“This project further demonstrates the GSE’s breadth and depth of expertise in promoting equity and inclusivity in education and LIS spaces.”

The findings from the research will be widely disseminated through the project’s website, Ithaka S+R’s website and various library worker organizations. An innovative open-access e-book will also share participants’ lived experiences.

The project builds on Hands’ already-robust research activities. She recently won the ALISE Research Grant Program Competition, which funded her project, “Positioning LIS Students for Career Success.”

“I’m really looking forward to extending my interests in career services and going into this next study on first-generation professionals,” Hands says. “I’ve been interested in career services for a number of years, so I’m excited to really be diving into it with these two projects.”

Lack of growth opportunities is a big reason why employees leave jobs. Here’s how to change that

By investing in employee growth, companies can reduce costly turnover and increase job satisfaction among employees of all ranks

• Healthy Workplaces
• Managing Human Capital

APA’s 2024 Work in America survey found that nearly a quarter (23%) of American workers are not satisfied with their opportunities for growth and development at their place of work. What’s worse is that this lack of opportunity for advancement is one of the top reasons why Americans quit their jobs , according to a 2022 survey by the Pew Research Center.

By investing in employee growth, companies can reduce costly turnover and increase job satisfaction among employees at all levels. Here are some key workplace strategies that successfully foster growth:

Quality training and mentoring

“Organizations should talk about the three Es: experience, expertise, and exposure,” said Jeff McHenry, PhD, principal of Seattle-based Rainier Leadership Solutions. An industrial-organizational (I/O) psychologist, McHenry works with companies to create a culture centered on employee growth. “To grow someone’s skills effectively, you need to provide them with assignments that stretch them,” he said. Design projects that involve multiple departments so employees can cross-pollinate their skills and understand the company’s bigger picture.

This management mindset is difficult for leaders who “hoard” their talent, added Rich Cober, PhD, an I/O psychologist and managing vice president at Gartner, a research and advisory firm that helps companies develop and implement human resource strategies. “To create an ecosystem of development—which is often on the experiential side—you have to give great workers the space to work in other areas.”

Pathways for career advancement

To keep top performers, more companies today are developing talent marketplaces—online portals where employees can see current openings, read job descriptions, and understand the organizational hierarchy. These tools allow employees to map out their personal career trajectory, said Tim McGonigle, vice president at the Human Resources Research Organization. What’s more, the tools provide organizational transparency, thus fostering inclusion and diversity.

“In the past, employees may have relied [solely] on a mentor/manager to help navigate their careers,” he said. With a career-path system, employees have accurate, up-to-date information to do it themselves.

Career-pathing tools also benefit employees who don’t aspire to be the CEO someday. “It’s good to think in terms of a career ladder but also think of a career lattice—with lateral moves,” Cober said. Companies “can win by showing employees a path to becoming stronger and well-rounded,” he said. “It’s important in a world where change is constant.”

Relevant, reciprocal feedback

“The holy grail of performance management is for leaders to have really good conversations with their people about how they’re doing,” Cober said. That involves managers giving frequent, honest assessments, but also listening when employees talk about their needs. “The pandemic has created a moment where there’s much more appreciation for the total person as an employee. If you take care of them and their families, they will perform better and be more engaged.”

A holistic approach also considers employees’ psychological well-being, he added. “Mental health used to be taboo, but companies now want an open dialogue about the support people need,” Cober said.

Learning and accomplishment

With an emphasis on learning, companies can create a fluid, flexible workforce. One approach is “upskilling,” internal programs that teach new skills or upgrade existing skills. Notably, upskilled workers are more likely to report career advancement into a good job, experts say.

Separately, offering college-tuition benefits helps employees earn a degree debt-free and accomplish long-term career goals . This benefit is particularly attractive to entry-level workers in fields like fast food, retail, and health care.

Further reading

The Importance of Work in an Age of Uncertainty: The Eroding Work Experience in America Blustein, D. L., Oxford University Press , 2019

Organizational career growth and high-performance work systems: The roles of job crafting and organizational innovation climate Miao, R., et al., Journal of Vocational Behavior , 2023

Why Learning is Essential to Employee Engagement Kitto, K., Glint , 2020

Why Companies Should Pay for Employees to Further Their Education McDonough, T., & Oldham, C.,  Harvard Business Review , 2020  

Lack of Career Development Drives Employee Attrition Morris, S., Gartner , 2018

Recommended Reading

Work in america 2024.

• U.S. workers adjust to the changing nature of employment
• Psychological safety in the changing workplace

Related APA publications

Six things psychologists are talking about.

The APA Monitor on Psychology ® sister e-newsletter offers fresh articles on psychology trends, new research, and more.

Welcome! Thank you for subscribing.

You may also like

More From Forbes

The case for transparency in the workplace, and its impact on organizational performance.

• Share to Facebook
• Share to Twitter
• Share to Linkedin

Andrew Rahaman, Ed.D and co-founder of bluSPARC™ , focuses on succession management through executive coaching, onboarding and assessments.

In today's evolving workplace, leaders at all levels are looking to create hybrid/flexible arrangements, an inclusive environment, and development plans. But what many employers don't focus enough on is providing greater transparency into decision making. Employees want to know what's going on and how they play a part in the solution.

Research by Slack shows that over 80% of workers want a better understanding of how decisions are made, and 87% of job seekers say they look for transparency in a future workplace.

How Does Transparency Affect Organizational Performance?

A transparent workplace promotes consistent conversations between managers and employers with honest discussions about goals, objectives and performance. This trickles down into the organization.

Organizational transparency has significant benefits.

1. It increases employee engagement.

When you consider just 21% of employees are engaged at work, according to Gallup, finding ways to increase engagement is essential. Seventy percent of employees say continual updates on strategy from senior leadership is a big engagement driver.

When employees are more engaged, there is:

• Lower turnover

• Reduced stress/burnout

• Better customer service

• Lower rates of absenteeism

• Improved collaboration

2. It leads to higher profit.

Organizations with a high degree of transparency report profit margins that are 21% higher than average. These organizations provide the information employees need to take care of customers, leading to better customer service. In turn, this creates greater trust among customers.

There is a direct correlation between engagement and overall business performance . Unengaged employees are 18% less productive, according to Gallup. Conversely, organizations reporting high levels of engagement have 22% higher productivity.

When leaders at all levels clearly understand goals, they are also more likely to look for new or innovative ways to accomplish them.

3. It builds trust.

As former CEO of GE Jack Welch said, "Trust happens when leaders are transparent, candid and keep their word."

Transparency builds trust, and trust is the cornerstone of accountability, results and creativity. Leaders at all levels better understand how and why decisions are made, and it fosters open dialogue. When people trust and believe in leadership and understand what is expected, they are more committed to their work. They know how their job fits into the company's mission and how their work impacts its success.

According to a study in Harvard Business Review , employees in high-trust workplaces are 76% more engaged and 29% more satisfied with their lives.

How Do You Create Workplace Transparency?

Cultivating a transparent culture in the workplace requires a proactive approach to your company's direction. Here are three steps you can take to improve organizational transparency.

1. Provide your employees with a clear development path.

Employees at all levels often leave organizations when they don't see development opportunities. They think of their work as a job rather than a career and are more attracted to organizations offering advancement opportunities.

Employees should know what it takes to advance and what skills and experiences they need to develop. Employers need to create a clear development path with growth opportunities. This should begin as part of the hiring process and continue to be reinforced in the workplace. For example, decisions about promotions and advancement should align with an employee growth plan to demonstrate a commitment to employee development.

A development path also fosters a culture of learning. Employees are more likely to seek opportunities to learn new skills when they know how it can accelerate their careers.

2. Ensure business objectives and goals are aligned.

Aligning business objectives with goals helps establish a culture of transparency. Employees have a better grasp of what is expected and how their performance impacts goals.

According to a study by Harvard Business Review , only 40% of employees say they are clear on their company's strategies and key objectives. That means as many as 60% of employees are unsure of what it takes to succeed.

3. Communicate effectively and provide feedback to your employees.

The key to transparency is effective communication, which starts at the top. Business leaders must embrace a company culture of transparency as a policy item and actively take part. Employees today want to know why they are being asked to do something rather than just being told what to do.

This is a significant and necessary change for many executives. When the Edelman Trust Barometer first surveyed employees about their managers in 2013, a stunning 82% of employees said they did not trust their boss to tell the truth. Significant progress has been made, but less than half of employees today say they trust their boss.

A lack of trust can grow from poor or no communication, unclear goals, or a failure to take ownership of mistakes. These ineffective management processes create doubt and disbelief, especially if employees see managers say one thing but do another — for example, managers who play favorites in the workplace or fail to address poor performers.

Transparency requires sharing and talking about successes, failures, and lessons learned. It can mean holding difficult conversations when necessary to help stay true to the company's direction and objectives. Without honest and open dialogue, creating a transparent workplace culture is impossible.

Another key component is providing consistent feedback. Employees need to know where they stand and how they perform against goals. Managers and supervisors need feedback on how they are doing as well.

Effective feedback should not be relegated to year-end company performance reviews: consistent and regular feedback creates greater transparency and accountability.

It's also something employees want. Workers say that feedback helps them focus on important tasks, and it also helps engagement. A Gallup study shows that employees were four times more likely than other employees to be engaged when managers provided meaningful feedback within the past week.

Building a transparent workplace culture doesn't happen by accident. It takes consistent focus and intention.

Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify?

• Editorial Standards
• Reprints & Permissions

• SUGGESTED TOPICS
• The Magazine
• Newsletters
• Managing Yourself
• Managing Teams
• Work-life Balance
• The Big Idea
• Data & Visuals
• Reading Lists
• Case Selections
• HBR Learning
• Topic Feeds
• Account Settings
• Email Preferences

Why Dropping the E in DEI Is a Mistake

• Enrica N. Ruggs
• Oscar Holmes IV

The Society for Human Resource Management’s decision to remove “equity” from its DEI framework sets a dangerous precedent that flies in the face of decades of research.

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) has decided to remove “equity” from its inclusion, equity, and diversity (IE&D) framework, now promoting “inclusion and diversity” (I&D) instead. This decision sets a dangerous precedent that flies in the face of decades of research about DEI in the workplace. It undermines efforts to create equitable workplaces and ignores the vital role of equity in fostering fairness and addressing systemic barriers faced by marginalized groups. Instead of scaling back their focus on equity, companies should: 1) Commit to achievable equity goals; 2) Implement and track evidence-based DEI policies and practices; and 3) Establish accountability and transparency.

Recently, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), a leading voice of HR professionals, announced that it was abandoning the acronym “IE&D” — inclusion, equity, and diversity — in favor of “I&D.”

• Enrica N. Ruggs , PhD is an associate professor of management in the C. T. Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston. She is a workplace diversity scholar who conducts research on reducing discrimination and bias in organizations and improving workplace experiences for individuals with marginalized identities.
• Oscar Holmes IV , PhD, SHRM-SCP is an associate professor of management at Rutgers University-Camden and the creator and host of the podcast Diversity Matters . In his research he examines how leaders can maximize productivity and well-being by fostering more inclusive workplaces.

Partner Center

Connecting to Culture

How one company uses the workplace to bring distributed teams closer together.

What is the purpose of the office? This question has been a hot topic of conversation over the past few years in the media, and among business leaders who are continuing to make significant investments in space to reimagine how it can better support people who are now working so differently. Among the challenges is the rise in distributed work and the impact it is having on companies’ cultures.

“Global organizations need to help employees understand the business and the culture they are part of,” says ANSR CEO and Founder Lalit Ahuja. “To succeed, it’s critical they make their company’s brand and culture tangible for global distributed teams.”

For the past 17 years Ahuja has been helping global organizations digitally transform their businesses by setting up software engineering teams in talent-rich locations, such as India. ANSR (pronounced answer) simplifies the process of setting up and operating distributed global teams by providing talent management services, operations support and real estate solutions. It has opened more than 100 locations for companies such as Target, Wells Fargo, PepsiCo, FedEx, Lowes, 3M and Delta Airlines, which were all undergoing business transformation and seeking to develop their own in-house IT talent.

Making it real

According to Ahuja, for companies like these, the workplace is even more important today because it has to make up for so much now that work is so distributed. “No matter where employees are located, they need to identify as part of that company and that requires bringing the culture to their office environment. You can’t be Target or Delta Airlines if your employees don’t feel connected to your culture. Making this connection is the most important role of the workplace, today,” explains Ahuja.

“The workplace has to make the business of a company real to an employee so they can be influenced by what the company does and get a sense of pride by bringing the company’s culture and values, its products and services, and its customers to life in the work environment.”

ANSR recently opened their new Experience Centre in Bangalore where organizations can experiment and prototype different ways to use space to enable culture. Ahuja likens it to a home improvement store where people can self discover what they want their offices to look and feel like.

Inspiring people

People come to the office to collaborate, to learn, to build relationships and to celebrate, so the right kinds of spaces and amenities are key, says Ahuja. Spaces such as cafes with healthy food options, office lounges , training rooms, meeting rooms , wellness spaces, such as mother’s rooms or medical centers where you can get minor medical care, and gyms are becoming increasingly important.

“We have found a direct correlation between engagement, retention, productivity and how inspiring people find the office,” says Ahuja. “Workplaces need to be immersive and experiential. Companies need to put in an extra effort to design workspaces that will inspire people. We encourage our clients not to cut corners, to be generous with space, with amenities and with materials.”

Related Stories

Why we need more humor at work with jennifer aaker + naomi bagdonas (s4:e8).

What’s so funny? Turns out humor at work is for more than just a good laugh. It can help us influence people and be more creative. Authors and educators Naomi Bagdonas and Dr. Jennifer Aaker join the Work Better podcast to share how our brains change when we laugh, why humor isn’t just for extroverts and how more laughter can make a big impact on business. (Read transcript) (Find in Apple Podcasts , Spotify or wherever you listen)

Breaking Our Obsession with Generations with Mauro Guillén (S4:E7)

Have you ever held back on something because it just wasn’t “age appropriate?” Or evaluated someone based on if they’re a Millennial or Gen Z? Mauro Guillén joined the Work Better podcast to challenge conventional thinking about generational differences. He says these ideas are preventing people from reaching their full potential in life and at work. Listen to how he says we should all be thinking differently about generations in the workplace. ( Read transcript ) (Find in Apple Podcasts , Spotify or wherever you listen)

Not As Seen on TV: FBI Using New Tactics to Attract Talent

FBI HR leader Michael Schneider talks about how a new understanding of workplace wellbeing and its connection to the FBI’s mission is driving how the agency attracts and retains talent.

The 10 Most Important Cloud Trends For 2024

Tracy Woo , Principal Analyst

Lee Sustar , Principal Analyst

Forrester’s top 10 cloud trends for 2024 report is out. No one will be surprised that AI figures prominently. Yet there are other fundamental shifts in play — the rise of the intelligent edge, increased cloud compliance complexity, and (finally!) mature multicloud networking offerings.

Tracking these trends was a collective effort with all of my colleagues who cover cloud. Together we curated a list of the most important cloud topics that technology decision-makers should be aware of.

Cloud is the critical infrastructure backbone for enterprises in every industry and size globally, but its scope is expanding. The standard definition of cloud as basic infrastructure services from a major public cloud provider has widened to include edge with intelligent capabilities and generative AI (genAI)-augmented services that span from operations to application development. Cloud strategies are evolving as a result to address new concerns in governance, risk, and security, and face challenges in procurement and vendor management.

To give you a preview of our top 10 cloud trends, here are a few of Lee’s and my favorites:

• Trend 1: Alternative clouds go mainstream for AI and edge workloads. NVIDIA and AI-focused VCs have given a boost to AI cloud startups. To date, some of the biggest players have raised billions in funding with the big draw being their massive supply of GPUs. Even with this momentum, don’t expect the major public cloud providers to be displaced.
• Trend 5: VMware’s new business model drives migration to native public cloud services. The easy phase of lift-and-shift to VMware services on public cloud has passed. Enterprises are now migrating apps heavily integrated in on-prem infrastructure. Tech-savvy and motivated enterprises are leveraging big hardware company offerings such as storage APIs to completely decouple from legacy architecture.
• Trend 8: Edge environments take center stage. IoT and edge capabilities are getting a major overhaul as cloud providers encroach with distributed cloud offerings. Content delivery networks (CDNs) with expanded intelligent edge environments are also jumping in. The intersection of genAI and localized LLMs increases the draw for tech decision-makers.

If you want to learn more:

• Head to Forrester’s Technology & Innovation Summit in Austin, TX, where you’ll have a chance to meet with my colleagues, Lee, and me in person!
• Read the full report .
• Schedule an inquiry or guidance session with Lee and me or one of my coauthors.
• The Rise Of The AI Cloud
• Select The Right Operating Model For Your FinOps Practice
• Map Out Your VMware Options, Post-Broadcom
• The Top Trends Shaping Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) In 2024
• The State Of Edge Intelligence, 2024: Part One
• The Future Of Cloud

Last, keep an eye out for these upcoming reports!

• Predictions 2025: Cloud Computing (publishing early October)
• Scoring Our 2024 Cloud Predictions (publishing December)
• Business & IT Alignment
• Business Intelligence
• Business Technology (BT)
• CIO insights
• CISO Trends
• Cloud Computing Trends
• Cloud Security
• Cybersecurity Trends
• Data Analysis
• Data Governance
• development & operations (DevOps)
• Digital Transformation
• Generative AI
• Information Technology
• infrastructure & operations
• private cloud
• public cloud
• Zero Trust Model

Thanks for signing up.

Stay tuned for updates from the Forrester blogs.

Don’t Miss Our Global Tech Summits

Attend our technology & innovation summits for breakthrough research, strategies, and best practices to achieve high-performance it, embrace ai, and fuel growth with emerging technology. meet with a forrester analyst to get perspective on your priorities., hpe seeks to bolster its hybrid cloud management capabilities and credibility with morpheus acquisition, generative ai impact on clinicians: bringing the fever down, get the insights at work newsletter, help us improve.