Project on Absenteeism Among Workers
ABSENTEEISM
"Perceived Consequences of Absenteeism" by Lillie Guinell Morgan and Jeanne Brett Herman
Journal of Applied Psychology Dec. 1976
The study: The authors conducted a detailed statistical study to determine which would be the best approach to reducing absenteeism in the work place; "the carrot or the stick." They evaluated factors which they perceived motivated workers to be absent from work and factors they felt were deterrents to absenteeism.
Conducting the study: Information was collected from sixty blue-collar workers in an automobile-parts foundry. Workers were asked to rate the importance of motivational and deterrent factors that influenced their decisions to be absent or not.
Factors that were tested (proposed by the authors) as possibly motivating worker absenteeism included: break from routine, family activities, personal illness, break from supervisor, family illness, time with friends, family functions, personal business, break from co-workers, transportation, leisure time, house maintenance. Most of the factors were found to be, to varying degrees, significant in motivating absenteeism except break from supervisor, and time with friends.
The factors that were tested as deterrents to absenteeism included: loss of wages, disciplinary talk, loss of co-workers, work harder, heavier work load, disciplinary time off, loss of promotion opportunities, loss of job, disciplinary probation, loss of production, and loss of benefits. The most significant of these deterrent factors were found to be: disciplinary talk, loss of promotional opportunities, and loss of benefits.
Conclusion: The study concluded that providing positive incentives to workers in the form of those motivational factors that normally influence workers to be absent is better than imposing penalties for discouraging absenteeism. The best reward for workers with low absenteeism is to grant additional time off for personal matters. Workers are influenced to a lesser extent by
"Perceived Consequences of Absenteeism" by Lillie Guinell Morgan and Jeanne Brett Herman
Journal of Applied Psychology Dec. 1976
The study: The authors conducted a detailed statistical study to determine which would be the best approach to reducing absenteeism in the work place; "the carrot or the stick." They evaluated factors which they perceived motivated workers to be absent from work and factors they felt were deterrents to absenteeism.
Conducting the study: Information was collected from sixty blue-collar workers in an automobile-parts foundry. Workers were asked to rate the importance of motivational and deterrent factors that influenced their decisions to be absent or not.
Factors that were tested (proposed by the authors) as possibly motivating worker absenteeism included: break from routine, family activities, personal illness, break from supervisor, family illness, time with friends, family functions, personal business, break from co-workers, transportation, leisure time, house maintenance. Most of the factors were found to be, to varying degrees, significant in motivating absenteeism except break from supervisor, and time with friends.
The factors that were tested as deterrents to absenteeism included: loss of wages, disciplinary talk, loss of co-workers, work harder, heavier work load, disciplinary time off, loss of promotion opportunities, loss of job, disciplinary probation, loss of production, and loss of benefits. The most significant of these deterrent factors were found to be: disciplinary talk, loss of promotional opportunities, and loss of benefits.
Conclusion: The study concluded that providing positive incentives to workers in the form of those motivational factors that normally influence workers to be absent is better than imposing penalties for discouraging absenteeism. The best reward for workers with low absenteeism is to grant additional time off for personal matters. Workers are influenced to a lesser extent by