What makes an organization happy?

Organizations are larger groups of individuals. As individuals aspire to achieve their targeted goals, organizations also keep putting efforts towards gaining competitive edge over their counterparts and to attain organizational goals. Business organizations aim to provide value to its customers and that makes them happy. In this process they accomplish their goals. This linkage looks simple but without the active role of employees, serving value to the customers becomes almost impossible. Therefore, it is important to explore how we can aim for achieving organizational happiness or how we can drive an organization to become a Happy Organization.

The whole idea of Happy Organizations revolves around making the stakeholders happy by serving them value. The management or promoters of the organizations want good return on their investment and enhanced brand value whereas the employees of the organizations would expect fair treatment through facilitating working conditions, appropriate pay packages and recognition for their work and achievement, however small or big it is. It is a satisfied and happy employee who would bring satisfied and happy customers. The customers would be interested in having better value for their money which would depend on the kind of product and/or service the firm or organization is providing. In the fast-changing volatile business environment, it is challenging for the organizations to keep improving the quality of product and service, hence it is important for them to keep invested in research and development so that the customers are served better value. The relationship between the firm and the institutional partners has to be healthy and based on mutuality of trust and confidence. The organizations which develop positive and long-lasting relationships with their partners, enjoy long term returns. Organizations should respond to the call of society and keep exploring the domains that provide solutions to the problems of society through appropriate products and services. The image of an organization in the eyes of society makes a huge difference hence the firms should keep societal interest as their paramount focus while they invest in developing solutions for some existing problems for the convenience of the society.

Business and society coexist through a sense of interdependence. Businesses cannot survive in isolation of society and society cannot flourish without market and business, especially in the contemporary world. In order to visualise the factors that make an organization happy, society plays an important role as promoters, employees, customers, and suppliers are all part of society. They all have responsibility towards society and hence businesses should always follow norms that wire the value system of the society. The firms must respect and follow the laws of the land and operate within defined ethics and values. Firm morality should not be in contravention to the nation’s morality.

It is understood that a business organisation cannot survive without thinking of return and profit, value and valuation yet it is also important to know that it is not that organizations’ sole aim is to earn profit and make only promoters happy. When it is believed that business (organizations) and society coexist, it should also be understood that it is the responsibility of the business to look beyond earning profit as well. They need to be responsible corporate citizens and should share concerns of the state in contributing towards improving living conditions of citizens.

As individuals we all aspire to lead a good, happy, and peaceful life. In one or the other way all our means head towards this noble end. The body of an organization comes into existence through the efforts of a group of individuals, they reflect on individual aspirations. Organizations should strive to become happy organizations. They need to have appropriate strategies in order to satisfy the needs of all its stakeholders. Primarily it should focus on its employees by empowering them, engaging with them through their involvement in the decision making process, and by designing appropriate measures that assure employees’ welfare. Employees' work attitude is a very strong input for improving product/service quality that serves value to the customers. A dissatisfied employee can never get you a satisfied customer.

The architecture of an organization is designed for Profit, People, and Planet through appropriate Processes that lead towards viable Product (including service). Organizations that focus on sustainability derive meaning in prioritising people over others as they are the thinking and living organs which can convert all other resources into a viable and profitable proposition. In this context if the interest and focus of an organization is centred around people, it becomes much easier for them to realise the dream of being a happy organization.