The Hindu Business Line : Corporate anthems as morale-boosters

"IN the service of the nation/It gives everyone protection, always United India. We will conquer competition, serve with passion. There is no fear, love will lead to future/Like a river, flowing forever, That is United India."

In the microcosmic world of business, in place of our patriotic Vande Matarams or Jana Gana Manas we have corporate anthems, serving very much the same purpose as their national counterparts. United India Insurance is just one of the several companies that has caught on to the corporate anthem trend. For the past three years, every Monday morning at its Chennai head office, United India employees dutifully stand silently for the two-minute anthem. Translated into eight languages, the song is intended to "increase a sense of team spirit and oneness among our numerous employees," says Annamma Thomas,Communications Manager of United India Insurance.

Jetking Infotrain, a computer hardware and networking institute, another company that has a corporate anthem, says it all began three years ago at a motivational workshop. "The impact and benefit of the anthem during the workshop was beyond imagination," says Suresh Bharwani, Chairman and MD of Jetking. "Management wanted to create a sense of belonging for all. It aligns employees toward one corporate vision and mission," he says.

The corporate anthem has been used as a motivational and employee morale-building tool for years now in the US and Japan. Extolling the virtues of the company and the inferiority of the competition, these corporate jingles aim to enhance company recognition and reinforce ideas of team spirit and commitment among employees.

These organisations in their virtuous efforts to alleviate the monotony of the workplace occasionally leave themselves open to ridicule, however, by employees and the public alike. Scan some employee web forums and you'll find disgruntled employees venting their fury at what they perceive to be "childish" lyrics.

Is it asking too much of employees who may not be completely smitten with their jobs to begin with, to mandatorily participate in choral corporate anthem singing? "It all depends on how the anthem is introduced to the employee. In companies where there is a high turnover of employees, there is a greater chance for the anthem to elicit feelings of repulsion who are more focused on just getting their work done," says Shilpi Mohan, Professor of organisational behaviour at the Birla Institute of Management Technology.

At United India Insurance, the compulsory corporate anthem has not elicited any negative response from employees so far, says Thomas. Bharwani at Jetking Infotrain has also received only positive feedback from employees who seem to enjoy this opportunity to exercise their vocal cords. So what is the verdict on these corporate spirit boosters? The jury is still out abroad, but from the looks of it our Indian companies seem to be doing something right. Evidently our country's penchant for song and dance extends beyond the realm of Bollywood.

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