Contented Cows Give Better Milk: Your People, Your Profit

World Conference on Quality and Improvement vol. 59 - May 2005

Abstract: [This abstract is based on the author's abstract.]Creating a great place to work requires a culture of leadership that inspires employee commitment, enables them to do their best work, and demonstrates a caring regard toward employees as individuals. Organizations that practice these precepts not only earn recognition as excellent employers, but they perform better financially as well. The practices of six companies known as great places to work (Contented Cows) are compared to those of six competitors with lesser reputations (Common Cows). Based on a study of these companies' financial performance for a decade, it is shown that Contented Cows excelled in sales, revenue growth per employee, net income growth, and other bottom line statistics.

Keywords: Business performance - Commitment - Employee morale - Employee satisfaction - Leadership - Organizational culture - Quality of work life