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march 2015 Vol 19 Issue 1 'Work Satisfaction Survey –Your Say, 2015' www.military.ie Defence Forces Newsletter Dr Juliette McMahon, Dr Sarah MacCurtain and Comdt Kevina Kinahan I n March the Defence Forces and the University of Limerick (UL) will be conducting an organi- sation climate survey on work satisfaction across the Defence Forces, as required by the IMG III 2014. This survey will give individual members of the Defence Forces an opportunity to voice their opinions/concerns/satisfaction across a wide range of areas. What is Organisation Climate and why is it Important? We commonly understand climate as the prevailing weather of a country or region - and we ascribe the 'type' of climate to underlying factors such as geographical position, prevailing winds, landmass etc. Organisation climate is a similar concept - one that helps us understand why organisations dif- fer in terms of visible outcomes such as morale, turnover, absenteeism, satisfaction, innovation, etc. The underlying factors that give rise to varying organisation climates have been identified through research and include factors such as trust, fairness, autonomy, support. Why is getting a measure of Organisation Climate Important? The evidence from research conducted on organisation climate over the past 50 years clearly demonstrates how crucial it is that organisations both measure this phenomenon and, importantly, act on the results. Organisation climate matters because it provides organisations with clear, factual evidence on how we feel about our workplace, our well-being, how satisfied we are at work, morale, how supported we feel, how much we trust managers/peers, how safe we feel, how engaged we are in what we do, our intentions to stay or leave. In short, organisation climate will profoundly influence our daily working lives and our sense of wellbeing. Organisation climate can therefore be regarded as a key variable in successful organisations, for both employers and employees. By getting concrete evidence of the prevailing organisation climate and its underlying antecedents, the Defence Forces can identify the factors that have a positive/negative effect on the working lives of its soldiers and act accordingly. The results of the climate survey will facilitate development and identify trends to inform practice in DF HR strategy. Your voice matters! The Defence Forces wants to achieve a comprehensive view of our organisational climate and the factors that give rise to it. In March you will get the opportunity to participate in this survey and have 'your say'. The more people that participate the more ac- curate the picture the Defence Forces will get of the issues that are of concern to all soldiers; what is working and what may need to change. This is your opportunity to bring about change. But this can only be done if you participate and give us honest feedback on issues such as how fair you perceive the organisation to be; your trust in your peers and management; how supportive your peers and management are; your work-life balance; satisfaction with working conditions; etc. UL personnel, along with organisational psycholo- gist, Comdt Kevina Kinahan, will visit a number of barracks during the week of the 23 March to provide you with the opportunity to have your say. The survey, which will be administered and collected by UL, guarantees anonymity to participants across the board. Researchers from the university will analyse the data and prepare a report for the Defence Forces. The Research Team Both researchers involved in this study work for UL's Department of Personnel and Employment Relations (P&ER), whose mission is to advance learning and research on work, employment and society, and to position the department as an Irish and international leader in the field. Dr Juliet McMahon and Dr Sarah MacCurtain have both worked at the UL for over 15 years, in the areas of employment relations/HRM and organisational behaviour, respectively. Both have extensive research and published papers in the area of workplace satisfaction, organisational climate and organisational and management performance. The department has a long and extensive record of high-impact and transla- tional research. In 2012 a study of the research performance of business schools and business scholars in Ireland identified the P&ER department as number one in its research specialisation. The department has a track record of collaborating with, and meeting the needs of, private companies, trades unions/employer representative organisations, community groups and state bodies, through research and training. Contents Ebola LÉ Aoife N.B.G. 2015 Trans Corp YO's Air Corp Photo Friday LMDS Poster

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