Employee orientation to organizational mission… building success

Social performance is key to assuring an organization's licence to operate and ability to deliver high-quality and economical performance. Reporting on and improving social performance enhances the organization's reputation, increases stakeholder trust, creates opportunities and lowers costs. The measures for social performance consider various aspects of workplace quality and operation such as quality of management, health and safety, wages and benefits, non-discrimination, and training/education.

The indicator chosen under the social dimension is "evidence of employee orientation to organizational vision and mission" (OOM) and is one of the "Quality of Management" clusters in the GRI Guidelines. This indicator was selected, as IISD's success is dependent upon knowledgeable and motivated employees who understand the vision and mission and are able to direct their day-to-day work to achieve them. In addition, The IISD Strategic Plan 2001 Update identifies the importance of establishing an organizational culture that "will foster innovation internally as well as among its network partners with whom it works closely."

Measurement Method

A survey was done to assess staff awareness of IISD's vision and mission. It measured the degree of understanding that staff have of IISD's vision and mission and, in so doing, demonstrated the effectiveness of current mechanisms and tools used to orient employees to IISD's vision and mission. Two definitions of "orientation" were used:

1. an introduction to a subject or situation; and
2. a person's attitude in relation to circumstances and ideas

Progress

The systems and tools currently in place to inform and orient IISD employees to the vision and mission could be strengthened, especially meetings and orientation sessions. Clear information was needed on the Intranet and in print.

The survey indicated that employees seem to feel quite strongly that the principles of sustainable development influence their work or project development ideas and that it is the essential constituent required to achieve our mission.

There was some difference between administrative and accounting staff and research staff attitudes, with administrative and accounting staff finding sustainable practices less relevant and agreeing less that sustainable development influences our work. Hence, two courses of action were recommended: first, include as a criterion for interviews, the level of interest of job candidates in sustainable development values and learning more about sustainable development; and second, provide training to administrative and accounting staff on sustainable development to raise their awareness.