Economic literacy in the world has been increasing recently. More and more people become interested in economic issues. People learn how to handle their bank accounts, how to use cards and the Internet in paying for communal services. Many people also have their own private businesses. So they read a lot about taxes and financial benefits from the state. Some people can afford financial advisers to handle their economic matters. Nowadays many people know how to check if their salary was calculated correctly by the accountant. People read economic books and journals and become more educated in financial questions. Children at school also solve economic problems in class. People learn to save money and to spend it in the best possible way.
Like the monkeys in the experiment, every culture 15 and organization has its unwritten rules. These rules are probably the single most influential factor on the work environment and employee happiness. Though many work cultures embrace positive values, such as loyalty, solidarity, efficiency, quality, personal development and 20 customer service, all too often they reinforce negative attitudes. In many businesses, an unwritten rule states that working long hours is more important than achieving results. In one medium-sized company, the boss never 25 leaves the office until it is dark. Outside in the car park, he checks to see who is still working and whose office windows are dark. Staff who risk leaving earlier now leave their office lights on all night. Other common unwritten rules state that the boss is 30 always right, even when he's wrong; if you're not at your desk, you're not working; nobody complains, because nothing ever changes; women, ethnic minorities and the over 50s are not promoted; the customer is king, but don't tell anyone, because management are more 35 interested in profitability. Often nobody really knows where these unwritten rules came from , but like the new monkeys, new recruits pick them up very quickly, despite the best intentions of induction and orientation programmes. The way staff speak to management, to customers and to each other gives subtle but strategic clues to an organization's culture, as do the differences between what is said, decided or promised, and what actually gets done. New staff quickly learn when their ideas 45 and opinions are listened to and valued, and when it's better to keep them to themselves. They learn which assignments and aspects of their performance will be checked and evaluated, and whose objectives and instructions they can safely ignore. Monkeys may be 50 more direct, but work culture is every bit as effective at enforcing unwritten rules as a good beating.
These rules are probably the single most influential factor on the work environment and employee happiness.
Though many work cultures embrace positive values, such as loyalty, solidarity, efficiency, quality, personal development and 20 customer service, all too often they reinforce negative attitudes.
In many businesses, an unwritten rule states that working long hours is more important than achieving results.
In one medium-sized company, the boss never 25 leaves the office until it is dark. Outside in the car park, he checks to see who is still working and whose office windows are dark.
Staff who risk leaving earlier now leave their office lights on all night.
Other common unwritten rules state that the boss is 30 always right, even when he's wrong; if you're not at your desk, you're not working; nobody complains, because nothing ever changes; women, ethnic minorities and the over 50s are not promoted; the customer is king, but don't tell anyone, because management are more 35 interested in profitability.
Often nobody really knows where these unwritten rules came from , but like the new monkeys, new recruits pick them up very quickly, despite the best intentions of induction and orientation programmes.
The way staff speak to management, to customers and to each other gives subtle but strategic clues to an organization's culture, as do the differences between what is said, decided or promised, and what actually gets done.
New staff quickly learn when their ideas 45 and opinions are listened to and valued, and when it's better to keep them to themselves.
They learn which assignments and aspects of their performance will be checked and evaluated, and whose objectives and instructions they can safely ignore. Monkeys may be 50 more direct, but work culture is every bit as effective at enforcing unwritten rules as a good beating.