Undermining Morale
| Author | Nicholas Day |
| DOI | 10.1177/026455058903600123 |
| Date | 01 March 1989 |
| Published date | 01 March 1989 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
LETTERS
Deadline for letters in our June
issue is May 20.
Personnel Insularity
Undermining
Morale
Graham Nicholl’s review of the staff
I was very struck by the paragraph
appointment video More than a Gut
headed ’Staff Morale’ in the article by
Feeling (Probation Journal December
Gwyneth Boswell and Mike Worthing-
1988), is yet another example of Proba-
ton (Probation Journal, December
tion staff wishing to reinvent the wheel
1988). We are told that the effectiveness
by developing specialist personnel
of an organisation depends largely on
material for Probation ’on issues like
the commitment and creativity of its
employment practice and personnel
’professional and non-social work
management’. These comments ignore
trained staff.
the large body of literature on these
My ten years in the Probation Ser-
subjects. Derek Torrington and Laura
vice have taught me that there is no
Hall’s standard text Personnel Manage-
quicker way to dissipate staff morale
meet devotes 72 pages to the interview
than to imply that ’non-social work
process with additional chapters on
trained staff
are not professional! I
contracts, manpower planning, health
doubt whether such a distinction was
and safety and equal opportunity. In
intended by the authors, but the word
addition there are many accessible,
’ancillary’ can sometimes be synony-
cheap part-time courses at local polys
mous
with the word ‘underclass’.
and technical colleges which deal in
All organisations should develop a
some detail with personnel issues,
value base which is owned by all em-
namely the...
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