Now more than ever people look for meaning in their work, however the development of technology means organisations are ignoring the importance of love, reveals new research from Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM).
Love shapes us as individuals and it shapes the way we see our personal and work lives. But there is a conflict between how organisations are designed and the many ways love is felt and expressed. The use of technology and AI (artificial intelligence), also known as machine learning in organisations, means we focus on measurable performance and efficiency. These ideas contradict the idea of love, which is more related to passion and desire, and is personal and subjective. Employers may also not be so keen to personally train and mentor their employees with love where machine based learning is a more convenient alternative.
According to Professor Stefano Tasselli
“Love shows itself in many forms including trust, compassion, friendship, and creativity, love shapes our working environment to such an extent that we could say love is the organisation and vice versa. This is a problem for our data-driven systems because love is impossible to quantify or manage. Unfortunately love in the workplace has been left behind.
However, it is still vital for employee motivation, for example, unconditional compassion may encourage a firefighter to work not for money, but to help a community that he or she loves. A manager who understands this motivation is at a distinct advantage compared with one who offers yet another raise.”
Earlier studies of organisations and management have been dominated by an emphasis on efficiency, rationality, and measurable performance. However, exploring the importance of love will uncover opportunities to understand our organisations, our teams and ourselves.
This study was published in Organisation studies.
