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Experts seek strategies to tackle entitlement syndrome in workplace

By Gloria Nwafor
30 September 2022   |   2:30 am
Human resource (HR) practitioners have charged organisations to establish clear and formidable structures to eliminate entitlement syndrome in the workplace.

Workplace

Human resource (HR) practitioners have charged organisations to establish clear and formidable structures to eliminate entitlement syndrome in the workplace.

They argued that exhibiting entitlement syndrome at the workplace affects workers’ productivity; limits development and reduces chances of achieving corporate goals.

Speaking at the maiden Africa HR Roundtable themed: ‘Entitlement Syndrome in the Workplace-Bane of Africa’s Development’, in Lagos, HR Manager, Greensprings School, Tunde Olagunju, lamented that the system no longer supports the dignity of labour. As a country, he said, there is a need to redefine the value system.

He said the value creation chain suggests that once a value is delivered, “automatically, reward will come because that is what business is – about value creation”.

He highlighted the need for quality transparency, good leadership and employers’ creating a system that rewards value creation.

According to him, what performance appraisal helps to do is to achieve clear expectations while increasing the demand for accountability.

“For an employer who creates a system that does not reward performance and supports sycophancy, there are set of people who will not pursue a common goal as they do not have the competencies to deliver in such roles. When communications around expectations are clear cut, whether an individual is entitled or not, you can help them channel their activity to help you achieve the organisational goal, because of entitlements to which they deserve or have the competencies to deliver, they will by themselves leave the company,” he said.

Management Consultant, Blue Academy, Joshua Popoola, said employees that exhibit entitlement syndrome always want things to be different for them. They also want to be involved in company policy-making, he added.

With the right policies, he said, such tendencies would be minimised. He added that it is the value created by an employee that paves the way for promotion and not an entitlement.

For Head, HR, Connected Analytics, Shola Oshogwemoh, who spoke on the consequences and issues entitlement syndrome causes in organisations, said it brings a lot of negativity, stating that if not nipped in the bud, it would spread entitlement mentality among employees.

Stating that government cannot stamp out the syndrome, she added that the need for constant training, conversations, need for policies through a behavioural guide and organisations should always prepare for any eventuality.

In her welcome address, Managing Director, Greensage Business Consult, Efe Ihegie, noted that it was not enough to have the right HR, but the proper mindset exhibited by the workforce.

According to her, in Africa, a lot of employees have unrealistic expectations and exhibit a lackadaisical attitude towards work, hence, the output does not match the inputs expected by the employers.

She said the forum would help HR practitioners across the continent to better manage the process of identifying and eliminating the syndrome.

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