‘Employee of the Month’ is a film that acts as the inspiration for this article. Concepts such as romanticism in the workplace, job engagement, and rewarding workers are developed from this film, and their implications are highlighted.
Summary of the Film
Zack Bradley is a slacker working at Super Club as a box guy. It is the lowest position in the company’s organizational structure. He does not put out much effort at his job, and he and a few of his coworkers use the business as if it were their playground. Nevertheless, he is very liked by the majority of the company’s other workers. He was once a diligent worker while he was constructing a dot com, though he ended up losing all he had, as well as his grandmother’s cash, in the process. Consequently, he has resolved to take no chances in life because he is currently living with her to offer her some of what he thinks to be, at minimum, a more stable existence in a while. Vince Downey, the company’s top cashier, represents the polar opposite of this spectrum, exuding a superiority complex over his other workers. The only reason he works hard is to be Super Club’s best employee; thus, he may be awarded Employee-of-the-Month, something he has done for the last seventeen months in succession. Upon being selected Employee-of-the-Month for the record-breaking eighteenth consecutive time, he would be eligible for admission into the management track program and will get a new automobile. Zack discovers that working for Employee-of-the-Month the title is more complex than anticipated, particularly since Vince is unwilling to cede the honor and all its privileges without a battle, dirty or not, regardless of how long it takes. Zack must determine how far he will go to win the championship and win Amy Renfro’s affections.
Organizational Romance
Researchers have shown interest in romantic interactions at work since about the mid-1970s. Nowadays, sexual harassment and discrimination in the workplace are common occurrences. According to recent reports in professional and academic papers, organizational romanticism seems to be a growing issue being explored more and more often (Biggs, Matthewman, & Fultz, 2012). Workplace sexual and romantic interactions may harm employee relations and productivity. Nonetheless, there is evidence to show that workplace romance may raise productivity, add excitement, improve work atmosphere and culture, improve communication, promote creativity, and contribute to enhanced levels of job satisfaction, among other things. At first, the influence of romance on productivity at Super Club was positive, as it increased the output of Zack Bradley. The incentive to date Amy Renfro spurred Zack Bradley to become more productive to impress her and earn the Employee-of-the-Month award. Zack Bradley was a slacker, but after meeting Amy, he became more effective. However, it resulted in an unhealthy rivalry with Vince Downey, who wanted to retain his Employee-of-the-Month award and date Amy Renfro’s. In recent years, the workplace has come to be seen as a sexually charged atmosphere. This is particularly true because an increasing number of women are joining the workforce and taking on management positions. When Super Club employs Amy Renfro, the notion of sexuality is displayed.
Employee Recognition
Employees might be rewarded as a means of making a positive effect on their lives. The Employee-of-the-Month awards are given out at the fictional shop shown in the film. Generally, employee-of-the-month awards are presented to workers who have been chosen for special recognition due to their supervisors nominating them for it. It is customary for the selection to be made by a panel of upper-level management who study the nominations and make selections based on their criteria of superiority (Prince et al., 2015). Sometimes, instead of supervisors, colleagues or customers would submit nominations, and in such cases, the nominations will be based on particular pre-determined performance metrics. Recognition for outstanding performance offers positive reinforcement for desirable behaviors. Employee-of-the-month honors are principally designed to boost workers’ attitudes with the expectation that they will also increase productivity. Employees who will not be acknowledged will perhaps be pushed to strive for recognition, which is a side purpose of the awards. The consequence of this kind of award in the film was that it damaged the connection between the workers since Vince Downey thought himself to be superior to others, which destroyed interpersonal interactions inside the company. It also led to unhealthy competition.
Job Engagement
Job engagement is a good, gratifying, and work-related mental state marked by vigor, commitment, and absorption. Vigor is defined by energy, adaptability at work, and the ability to persevere (Sittar, 2020). Commitment to a person’s total excitement and commitment to their job, as well as their practical effort, passion, respect, and willingness to take on a difficult assignment. Absorption occurs when a person is profoundly concentrated and determinedly engaged in a task as time progress. Recent studies have clearly shown that work engagement improves job performance. Zack Bradley and other store workers had poor involvement levels, according to the film under consideration. The majority of their time was spent on non-work-related tasks. The HR department will be able to see how work engagement impacts job performance from seeing the video.
References
Biggs, D., Matthewman, L. J., & Fultz, C. (2012). Romantic relationships in organizational settings: Attitudes on workplace romance in the UK and USA. Gender in Management. doi:10.1108/17542411211244803
Prince, N., Cherrington, D., & Bingham, J. (2015, July). Employee-of-the-Month Awards: A Double-Edged Sword. doi:10.13140/RG.2.1.1013.1047
Sittar, K. (2020). Relationship of Work Engagements and Job Performance of University Teachers. Bulletin of Education and Research, 167-183. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1258031.pdf
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