Dogs Increase Productivity in Workplace
A number of studies have recently revealed that the symbiotic relationship between dogs and their owners is much deeper and richer than suspected. The human-canine bond is—on some emotional levels—almost as deep as long-term relationships people form with each other.Recently, a study was presented at the International Society for Human Ethology in Madison, Wisconsin. Researchers fromCentral Michigan Universityreported that the presence of a dog in the workplace actually motivates people to work together more effectively.How the university team reached their conclusion is interesting and serves to shed more light on that magical bond that some humans share with dogs-a bond that spans the millennia back to prehistoric times.Dogs and collaborative marketingTwo experiments were conducted. The first comprised 12 groups of four individuals each. Each group were instructed to create an advertising spot for a non-existent product. The ad could last only 15 seconds. According to the researchers, each person was told to contribute as many ideas as they had, but that the group as a whole had to settle on only one of the ideas.Then the 12 groups were split into two groups of sic each. The six experimental groups had a dog present, while the six control groups did not.Now comes the interesting part. After the groups collaboration on the ideas each member had generated, the individuals were questioned about the feelings they had for the other participants in their group.The groups with a dog present ranked their teammates far higher on the quality of teamwork, trust and intimacy. Those without a dog were much more critical of their fellow group members.The prisoner's dilemma — from a dog's point of viewNot content to base their findings on one experiment, the researchers conducted a second. That one analyzed how the presence of a dog might or might not affect people in a co-worker situation and their behavior. A classic psychological experiment was chosen: "the prisoner's dilemma."In this variation of the sociological "game" the participants were split into 13 groups with four people to each group.Then the groups were informed that they had been charged with a very serious crime. Choices were offered the prisoners: they could plead guilty and bargain for lighter sentences by turning on their fellow prisoners and becoming stool pigeons. Those that di would receive the shortest sentences. Those that chose to protect their fellow prisoners would receive the longest sentences. The sentences were weighted: if one group prisoner snitched and the other three did not, the snitch would get the lightest sentence of all. Conversely, those that held their tongue while the other three secretly snitched, would be sentenced to a long, grueling prison term.Approximately half the groups had dogs, the other half did not. Those with the dogs were 30 percent less likely to tattle on their co-prisoners, even with the threat of a much lengthier sentence. This, concluded the researchers, shows the bonding influence that dogs bring with them when interacting with humans.As dogs are pack animals that prefer acting collectively rather than unilaterally, it raises some interesting sociological and psychological questions about the different levels humans and dogs interact on together.Anecdotally, dogs in the workplace have been shown to have a positive impact on productivity and co-workers' propensity to "get along."Dunay and her dogsTwo recent articles focused on of Linda Goldstein Dunay, the president ofGoldstein Communications Ltd.in New York City. When Dunay founded the company almost three decades ago she concurrently introduced a novel pet-friendly policy. She admits the reason she did that was because she desired to have her own pets around her during the workday and didn't want to forbid her employees the same privilege.The remarkable effect the policy had in her marketing and PR firm was documented byThe EconomistandCrain's Chicago Business."From the beginning, I wanted my company to feel like a community," she told Crain's. "I find that having dogs around and allowing people to have their pets with them is a big morale-booster."Murray Low, director of TheEugene Lang Entrepreneurship Center at Columbia Business Schoolagrees. His studies have shown that having pets at the office is an inexpensive way to increase worker contentment, collaboration, interaction, reduce stress and increase overall productivity."If you want your [office] culture to be free-spirited and caring, this is one way to do that," he asserted. Low also told Crain's that “If the pet’s at work, it’s not as difficult for the employee to stay till 10 at night.”Although the trend to have pets at the workplace began mostly with companies in the creative fields, it is beginning to cross over into the more traditional, conservative workplace environment.How the world has changed. It used to be if a place had "gone to the dogs" that was considered a bad thing.
