business
(EVLN) Model Behaviour
EMPLOYEE RESPONSE TO JOB DISSATISFACTION
By Tallys Moreth
Several theories have related salary to happiness, but today
benefits and remuneration are no longer decisive in choos-ing
a new job. Of course, we are always looking for financial
growth, but this is no longer the most important factor for
the employee to feel happy and fulfilled in his or her work. It is
clear that the motivated employee who is recognized by their leader
will feel much happier and accomplished. Satisfaction generates a
positive status, resulting in better productivity and desired work
behaviour. The company, through its leaders, has the great challenge
of integrating the teams of employees, extracting the best from each
one of them. Leaders discover strengths and help employees feel
more fulfilled in their roles; themselves feeling happy and rewarded.
In the context of work psychology, job satisfaction is the gen-eral
attitude of the person toward his or her job and depends on
several psychosocial factors. There are also other concepts that
refer to job satisfaction as a synonym of motivation or as a posi-tive
emotional state. Some consider satisfaction and dissatisfaction
as distinct, opposing phenomena. It is important to understand
that influences on satisfaction include environment, hygiene, work-place
safety, management style and culture, employee involvement,
empowerment and autonomous work of groups, among many oth-ers.
According to Steven McShane, “Satisfied employees have a
favourable evaluation of their jobs, based on their observation and
emotional experience.” Satisfaction itself is a subjective concept
related to work; for that reason, it is normal to see satisfied and
unsatisfied professionals working in the same company, depart-ment
or even room.
When we discuss job satisfaction it is necessary to understand
the acronym EVLN – Exit, Voice, Loyalty, Neglect. The EVLN
model identifies four different ways that employees respond
to dissatisfaction:
■■ Exit. It includes leaving the organization, transferring to another
work department (or unit) or trying to get away from the
dissatisfying situation. It is important to understand that specific
shock events quickly energize employees to think about leaving
the organization and engaging themselves in exit behaviour.
■■ Voice. This can be a constructive response. For instance,
recommending ways to improve the conflict situation, or even
filling formal grievances or making a coalition in order to oppose
a decision.
■■ Loyalty. Normally, loyal professionals are employees who
respond to dissatisfaction by patiently waiting. The loyal
associates can suffer in silence for days, months or even years
without clear problem resolution.
■■ Neglect. Neglect means lacking in diligence. It includes reducing
work effort, paying less attention to service quality, increases in
absenteeism and lateness. This type of behaviour has negative
consequences for the organization.
If continued, the negative impacts related to these work behav-iours
are enormous: decline in productivity, which directly affects
the financial performance of an organization; less innovation,
which paralyzes the future of a company and puts its own survival
at risk; high turnover, employees simply go through numerous
organizations, never staying in one long enough to contribute any-thing
of value; high absenteeism, employees find various ways to
postpone their jobs; and impacts on family life, employees accumu-late
stress throughout the work day and bring this tension home.
It is important to understand that employees can use one, two or
more EVLN alternatives, it depends on the person and situation.
Individual values, beliefs, culture and past experience are relevant in
order to define which type of behaviours employees are more sus-ceptible
to engage. n
Tallys Moreth is a human resources specialist with a focus in
strategic management.
THE EVLN MODEL
IDENTIFIES FOUR
DIFFERENT WAYS
THAT EMPLOYEES
RESPOND TO
DISSATISFACTION.
HRPROFESSIONALNOW.CA ❚ NOVEMBER 2018 ❚ 55
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