The body-company and its organization function mainly due to their ability to generate and consolidate a pulsating sense of belonging and, on this shared feeling, the structure of the reference group, the lines of command and, in fact, the achievement of goals. The manifest risk for organizations today, in relation to the consequences of covid and smartworking, is one possible erosion of the sense of belonging to the company. We have already read about claims of feelings of abandonment and manifestations of the psychosocial effects of not socializing and working together. Reality teaches us that work is much more than a salary at the end of the month: it is socialization, growth, learning, comparison, etc. A new possible identity risk thus emerges: the propagation of a sense of non-belonging which produces a strong feeling of dissatisfaction and infidelity and a potentially unfavorable state of mind. Therefore, this aspect should not be underestimated and, in times of smartworking, it will be important for organizations to measure and monitor the level of belonging through satisfaction surveys and possible shortcomings.
There is one important indicator to consider. Robert Merton (sociologist) wrote in 1968. “Similarly, changes in situation (ed. covid and smartworking) can influence the definitions of belonging to the group, both of one's own membership and that of others. Indeed, since interaction rates are not distributed equally among members of a group, any event that increases interaction among some and reduces it among others will tend to create sub-groups. As the term itself indicates, sub-groups are structurally made up of those who weave together distinct social relationships not shared by the other members of the larger group. All groups are potentially subject to the formation of these sub-groups.”
This type of detachment is cured by creating (or renewing) some new membership conditionsand loyalty to the group capable of raising the sense of belonging of all members in order not to transform the organization into a sum of sub-groups moving in different or, worse, divergent directions.
“The art of choosing men is not as difficult as the art of enabling those you have chosen to realize their full potential.” Napoleon Bonaparte
All the Best!
