Enabling and inhibiting factors of productive organisational energy

Abstract

Organisational energy is described in the literature as a renewable resource that can be viewed as a differentiator between excellent and mediocre performance of organisations. The level of intensity of energy can have a positive or negative effect on employees. The objective of this research was to identify the drivers and inhibitors of productive organisational energy and to determine whether the factors differ across the various levels of employees in an organisation. The nominal group technique was used to conduct qualitative exploratory research in a mining organisation. Fifty-eight employees at three different levels at two coal mines participated in the study. The main enabling factors of productive organisational energy were found to be recognition, job security and management support. The major inhibitors were found to be bureaucracy, lack of discipline and lack of resources. Substantial differences were found between the respondents from the three different levels of employees. The implications of these findings are discussed.