The development of society from an industrial to an informational society is characterized by a growth in the value of human capital. The evolution of various spheres of services, the high technology market, and the emergence of the need to show creativity and the ability to communicate in society has made a person a valuable resource for any company. In the times of industrial society, replacing a person with a new worker was much easier because it did not require so much effort to teach a new employee as it does in the modern world. Despite the trend of increasing the value of each employee and the human capital they represent, many modern employers do not pay enough attention to the mental state of their employees.
The rise in complexity of society and the differentiation of human values have led to a more significant number of mental problems for the modern individual. Creative burnout, as well as the crisis of subjectivity, which consists of the individual’s lack of understanding of their importance, affects the productivity and efficiency of employees. Companies rarely care about the relationships within their workforce, and the increasing scale of organizations leads to the individual’s depersonalization. It is especially evident in Japan, where there is a very high rate of suicide among those who have jobs and stable earnings.
Considering the problem from a functional point of view, the mental state of employees determines their effectiveness in the workplace. The ability to create new ideas and effectively conduct social interactions with other team members directly correlates with how well the employee feels psychologically. Frequent activities that improve team relationships and allow employees to relax can significantly improve employee performance (Stuber 212). Reducing the social distance between employees and their management can give people a sense of security while in the company of co-workers. Feeling safe and necessary directly affects an individual’s ability to express themselves, reject ideas of conformity, and behave more sincerely.
In conflict prevention, working to improve mood and team morale is essential. Building trusting relationships between employees, superiors, and subordinates can prevent social conflicts caused by miscommunication or disrespect between people. Moreover, a mentally stable employee state can safeguard the company from various precedents related to the deviant behavior of employees experiencing depression, stress, or aggression. From an interactionist perspective, building trusting relationships based on social consensus in defining an acceptable social norm can increase the productivity of communication among employees. A more open and friendly relationship between employees can increase their interactions’ effectiveness and positively affect the firm’s success. Since there is a certain stigma on the manifestation of male emotions in society, there are often precedents of nervous breakdowns of employees. It is not only a problem, bringing production processes to a standstill, but also evidence of an unhealthy atmosphere within the team. Employers need to allow employees to talk, which can be implemented by hiring a staff psychologist in the company or establishing relationships within the team. In this case, people can help themselves, share their problems and rely on each other more.
Thus, modern employers must pay more attention to their employees’ mental health. Formal communication, the observance of social distance between employees and management, can lead to the fact that the person will not be able to speak out and get support. The inner state of such an employee will spread within the team, reducing productivity. Therefore, it is beneficial for companies to pay more attention to the condition of employees from both practical and moral perspectives.
Work Cited
Stuber, Felicitas, et al. “The Effectiveness of Health-oriented Leadership Interventions for Improving the Mental Health of Employees in the Health Care Sector: a Systematic Review.” International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health, vol. 2, no. 94, 2021, pp. 203-220.