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Three researchers exploring workplace morale and its impact on business performance at call centres have claimed this year's highest accolade for management research from the Chartered Management Institute. The annual Management Articles of the Year competition celebrates the best in management and leadership research and thinking, and the winning article is one of five top-ranked essays recognised by CMI earlier this month.
The winning work, ‘Morale: unravelling its components and testing its impact within contact centres’, was authored by Dr Ben Hardy of the Open University Business School and Dr Tanya Alcock and Dr Jon Malpass from BT’s Research and Innovation unit. The article breaks down the structure of morale into three components – feeling valued, a focus on future goals and workers’ relationships with others – and examines how high morale leads to enhanced productivity. The team looked at how theory had been put into practice at six contact centres in the UK and, drawing on interviews with over 300 people, created a practical guide for managers and employers looking to boost morale in the modern workplace.
Ann Francke, CMI Chief Executive, said: “Morale matters for managers and this research shows why, with great real-world evidence that the way employees are managed makes all the difference to their morale – and their performance. With the five top articles addressing thorny questions like how to manage religious expression at work and give better support to women in business, they offer a wealth of insight and inspiration for managers and employers.”
The competition aims to reduce the gap between theory and practice in management and leadership, by directing time-poor managers to the best five articles from the past year – as rated by their peers.
Francke adds: “With its solutions having been tried and tested in contact centres, the winning article is a great example of how business schools and employers can work together to apply research to practical problems. The CMI Article of the Year prize is about helping managers find the very best research from UK business schools and this year’s five top articles are excellent examples. This is a great showcase for UK business schools and how they can partner with employers to make a real difference.”
Dr Ben Hardy of the Open University Business School, lead author of the winning article, said: “How people feel about their work impacts the work they do – a simple observation, but one that can often be forgotten in management. Our article explores the meaning of morale, why it matters in business and how key components increase or decrease it. We are thrilled to have been recognised with the CMI Management Article of the Year award and honoured that a panel of senior managers and leaders in the world of business has judged our article as a recommended read for others.”
The top three recommendations for managers to inspire better morale in teams from the winning article are:
Articles were submitted to the competition by academics across the UK and were then reviewed and rated online by CMI members. Those with the highest ratings were then assessed by CMI’s Academic Advisory Council, a committee of leading UK academics, who selected the following as the top five and overall winner:
Details for how to enter the competition this year will be announced in the Spring. CMI Management Articles of the Year is supported by the British Academy of Management, the Association of Business Schools and the British Library.
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Further information
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Management Articles of the Year gives managers the opportunity to stay up to date with the latest and best thinking from British Business Schools. Opening up research and data to a wider audience can help to foster innovation, drive growth and create new areas of academic discovery.
Universities and Science Minister David Willetts
For more information or to request interviews, contact CMI's Press Team on 020 7421 2705 or email press.office@managers.org.uk