Enabling and inhibiting factors of productive organisational energy

Abstract

Organisational energy is described as a renewable organisational resource that can be viewed as the differentiator between excellent performance and mediocre performance by organisations (Bruch&Ghoshal, 2003; Cole, Bruch,&Vogel, 2005). The intensity of this energy has a positive or negative effect on the performance of the organisation. The objective of this research was to empirically build on the drivers of productive organisational energy as found by Lamberti (2010) in a qualitative study and develop a framework that can be used to manage the enabling and inhibiting factors of productive organisational energy. Exploratory qualitative research was used in the form of the Nominal Group Technique. The sample consisted of 56 employees at three different levels on two different coal mines in South Africa. The unit of analysis was their perceptions and opinions about the enabling and inhibiting factors of organisational energy. The main enabling factors were found to be personal influencing factors with recognition, job security and management support being extremely important. The inhibiting factors are mainly organisational influencing factors which inhibit employees from dealing with the demands as required by the organisation. Bureaucracy, lack of discipline and lack of resources are energy sappers which demoralise individuals having a negative impact on organisational performance. The differences between the three organizational levels and between the two organisations were explored.