Competition among employees is a defining feature of today’s dynamic workplaces. Everyone, at work and in public life,

competes to gain something or avoid a loss. Many companies have clear strategies to encourage this competition.

Though opinions on the subject differ.

Some, for example, believe that competition among employees is the ideal way to foster creativity and boost productivity, while others believe

that it does nothing but disrupt work and may even, in some unhealthy workplaces,

…into personal conflicts and grudges.

Fortunately—or unfortunately—both sides have reasons to support their position, to the point that we might think both views are right. In reality, they are

also right, in a way. But it depends first on the employees and then on the work environment.

Here are some of the key advantages and disadvantages of competition among employees:

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Read also:The Rules of Competition in the New Millennium

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مزايا المنافسة

If we accept the view that competition in the workplace is highly important and can,

when used effectively, drive work forward, we can say that this competition offers many benefits,

including:

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Increasing productivity:

Companies cannot guarantee that their employees will be self-motivated or hardworking, so they need to foster competition among them, encouraging

each person to do their utmost to gain something. Let’s remember that competition is, in a sense, an instinctive part of human nature,

so why shouldn’t companies make use of it?

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معنى العمل

Much contemporary writing—for example, the books *The Invisible Employee* and *The Age of Emptiness*—emphasizes

that the crisis of our time is a crisis of meaning: people work without feeling that their work has any meaning. They simply show up

and leave without accomplishing anything practical or useful. In this situation, if we believe these analyses, competition could be a lifeline.

It gives work a sense of purpose and motivates employees to put in extra effort to earn the rewards, promotions, and raises

in salary, and so on, that the company promises and gives to its most disciplined and productive employees.

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Read also:How to Deal with an Arrogant Employee

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Fostering creativity and innovation

Competition can foster creativity within a team and make it more energetic. When there’s something to be gained, everyone will strive

to get it in the most effective and efficient way possible. This can encourage out-of-the-box thinking and may even lead to

an idea that changes the very nature of the work—or at least improves the quality of the company’s product.

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Read also:Rules for Competition Among Employees

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أبرز العيوب

Before we point out the downsides of competition among employees, we should say that this team is rowing against the values and rules of capitalism.

The core idea, built on little more than promoting competitiveness, may mean that this team’s ideas don’t receive much attention.

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الضغط الزائد

Competition can also have the side effect of putting employees under excessive pressure and making them feel as though they’re constantly being chased,

with too much to do in too little time. This leaves them feeling stressed and frustrated, which

reduces productivity and limits opportunities for creativity.

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Undermining teamwork

Competition calls for people to work individually or in teams (usually small ones) against another team. This leads to

the erosion of cooperation and teamwork. Over time, this competition can turn into personal conflicts, and then

Work will be the biggest loser.

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Lack of organizational goals

If competition gets out of hand and employees compete too intensely with one another, their focus will shift to winning

immediate battles and meeting the short-term targets demanded by the competition. In this situation, the organization’s goals

may be lost sight of, making the company’s overall strategy difficult to achieve.

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Low morale

One person or team wins the competition, while everyone else loses. Those who lose will become discouraged, and their morale

will decline, leading to lower productivity and less creativity. Under this competitive system, the company may find itself compelled to,

to punish or even dismiss capable employees because they didn’t win the competition.