A key element in teamwork is "helping behaviors," defined in a recent study as "voluntary behaviors that promote interpersonal harmony and help coworkers solve or avoid work-related problems…These include employee acts of altruism, peacekeeping, cheerleading, courtesy and other small demonstrations of consideration and cooperation." In the past five years a number of studies have tried to find out what factors increase helping behaviors in a group. A research team decided to test scientifically whether being helped at work makes a person more likely to help others. Although this seems like common sense, common wisdom has at times turned out to be wrong when put to the test.
The researchers sent questionnaires to supervisors, two each: one for the supervisor, one for an employee who would return it separately. The questions measured helping behaviors and two other actions a person might take in response to receiving help: speaking up in ways that help the company, such as expressing "out-of-the-box" ideas; and performing job tasks better. The study also checked other factors that might affect a worker's willingness to help.
Sure enough, people who had received helping behaviors were more likely to respond by helping others. There are two points to this: those who were helped then helped back, and they did that instead of just speaking up or doing their basic jobs better. Only one other factor increased helping behaviors: the level of control workers felt they had over their work.
Being alumni of a small private college, the study group was far more female (81%) and white (98%) than typical teams, but the findings parallel those of other studies. The article points out an important warning, however: "Some business commentators have proposed the adoption of a 'Platinum Rule,' a revision of the Golden Rule whereby the other person is treated not how you would want to be treated, but rather with consideration of how he/she would want to be treated." (Editor's note: The point is, workers may need to be encouraged to help their colleagues in helpful ways, or the tactic could backfire.)
Source: Deckop, J., C. Cirka, and L. Andersson (03), "Doing Unto Others: The Reciprocity of Helping Behavior in Organizations," Journal of Business Ethics 47:101.
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© 2009 by Jim Morgan. All rights reserved.