II. MOTIVATION and REQUIREMENTS
In the wake of new company philosophies, modern organizational structures and increasingly complex working processes, the human being is moving more and more into the centre of attention of organizational policy. Accordingly, changes within personnel and social policies are necessary, requiring a holistic and systemic way of thinking.
The motivation for companies, authorities and institutions to establish an in-house counselling programme are obvious: people represent an important economic ressource factor and a potential further to be developed. Their physical, mental and psychological well-being is a valuable asset - not only for the organization itself - which has to be maintained and promoted.
Physical, psychological and social processes interrelate with working conditions, efficiency and performance ability. Communication facilities and social relations on the job, job perspectives, job security, range of competence, performance requirements and managing competence in superiors influence working atmosphere, motivation, performance, sickness-related absenteeism, absences and last not least the quality of the work being done. Other determinants result from the employees' personal sphere - including individual abilities as well as family and social circumstances.
Especially in those cases where there are no adequate coping strategies for problems that arise, it is very likely that any existing strain will have either physical or psychological repercussions. Psychosomatic and psychological diseases as well as drug abuse and drug addiction might result.
Superiors, staffing experts, company physicians, union representatives and labour representatives then have to try and handle the resulting and rather complex consequences; company ressources are being bound. The causes of which oftentimes remain and continue their detrimental effects. There is a certain chance in the development of measures which - in the sense of a holistic approach - consider the dynamics of psychosocial processes. The occupational background has to be included in this, and any questions of job situation, cooperation, communication and management also have to be taken up under possible health aspects. Through this preventive effects might be made use of simultaneously.
Occupational social work as an integral part of organization policy presents an important contribution to the following:
» The organization fulfils its social obligation in offering individual and collective assistance in situations of conflict or crisis.
» In terms of economic aspects occupational social work contributes towards a better development of employee potential.
Employees are being offered help within the range of occupational social work, superiors and other company positions are being given professional support, enabling them to intervene adequately and in a manner useful to all concerned, and to work out possible solutions.
The experience of the past few decades has demonstrated that the efficiency of company assistance programmes which are aimed at specific problem groups only and are laid out as mere casework, are rather limited. Single problem cases might indeed be supplied with help and support, but no long-term reduction of such problems is being achieved. If the requirement should be fulfilled in its overall complexity, the tasks of occupational social work would have to be increasingly bound up with measures in organizational and personnel development, according to the specific needs of the respective organization.
Summing up, it may be said that occupational social work, being an integral part of an organizational conception, represents an important connector between staffing and occupational policy and from its specific perspective may contribute to further organizational development and personnel service both to the benefit of the company as well as of the employees' well-being and health preservation.
The motivation for companies, authorities and institutions to establish an in-house counselling programme are obvious: people represent an important economic ressource factor and a potential further to be developed. Their physical, mental and psychological well-being is a valuable asset - not only for the organization itself - which has to be maintained and promoted.
Physical, psychological and social processes interrelate with working conditions, efficiency and performance ability. Communication facilities and social relations on the job, job perspectives, job security, range of competence, performance requirements and managing competence in superiors influence working atmosphere, motivation, performance, sickness-related absenteeism, absences and last not least the quality of the work being done. Other determinants result from the employees' personal sphere - including individual abilities as well as family and social circumstances.
Especially in those cases where there are no adequate coping strategies for problems that arise, it is very likely that any existing strain will have either physical or psychological repercussions. Psychosomatic and psychological diseases as well as drug abuse and drug addiction might result.
Superiors, staffing experts, company physicians, union representatives and labour representatives then have to try and handle the resulting and rather complex consequences; company ressources are being bound. The causes of which oftentimes remain and continue their detrimental effects. There is a certain chance in the development of measures which - in the sense of a holistic approach - consider the dynamics of psychosocial processes. The occupational background has to be included in this, and any questions of job situation, cooperation, communication and management also have to be taken up under possible health aspects. Through this preventive effects might be made use of simultaneously.
Occupational social work as an integral part of organization policy presents an important contribution to the following:
» The organization fulfils its social obligation in offering individual and collective assistance in situations of conflict or crisis.
» In terms of economic aspects occupational social work contributes towards a better development of employee potential.
Employees are being offered help within the range of occupational social work, superiors and other company positions are being given professional support, enabling them to intervene adequately and in a manner useful to all concerned, and to work out possible solutions.
The experience of the past few decades has demonstrated that the efficiency of company assistance programmes which are aimed at specific problem groups only and are laid out as mere casework, are rather limited. Single problem cases might indeed be supplied with help and support, but no long-term reduction of such problems is being achieved. If the requirement should be fulfilled in its overall complexity, the tasks of occupational social work would have to be increasingly bound up with measures in organizational and personnel development, according to the specific needs of the respective organization.
Summing up, it may be said that occupational social work, being an integral part of an organizational conception, represents an important connector between staffing and occupational policy and from its specific perspective may contribute to further organizational development and personnel service both to the benefit of the company as well as of the employees' well-being and health preservation.
Druckversion