Sidekicks in the Workplace

Abstract

Organizational heroes help strengthen an organization’s culture. Stories of organizational heroes are passed on from one generation to another to improve organizational reliability and performance, as well as to clarify the values of the organization. However, one important role that we overlook is that of the sidekick. Behind every tale of heroism is an assistant who has helped the victor in achieving success. This qualitative study focuses on creating an Organizational Sidekicks Theory with the following theories as initial guides: Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory of Job Satisfaction and Motivation, Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, the Need for Achievement, the Need for Cognition, and the Need for Intrinsic Motivation. The objectives of this research are as follows: (1) to study the importance of having “sidekicks” in the workplace, (2) to study the dynamics between heroes and sidekicks within the organization, (3) to discover how employees become satisfied in being sidekicks, (4) to discover employees’ motives behind being sidekicks, (5) to enlighten future employers in enhancing the company’s working dynamics, and (6) to formulate an Organizational Sidekicks Theory grounded in the Philippine setting for later testing. The researcher conducted separate interviews with organizational sidekicks from different organizations: a home building supply, a hospital department, an elementary montessori school, a start-up business, a local incorporation, and a retail brand. Through the interviews, general trends were discovered. The factors that affect a sidekick’s satisfaction in his or her job are the following: (1) a good relationship with the hero, (2) praise and recognition, (3) indispensability, (4) accomplishment of challenging tasks, and (5) conflict or rejection. On the other hand, the factors that motivate an employee to be a sidekick are the following: (1) motivation towards excellence and opportunities for improvement, (2) fear of God, (3) growth in the company, and (4) extrinsic rewards. It was also discovered that In the Philippine setting, majority of organizational sidekicks are chosen by the heroes primarily because of existing personal relationships (i.e., close friendships or family affinities founded on high levels of trust). It is suggested that the following could be done by the organizational heroes to keep employees satisfied and motivated in being organizational sidekicks: (1) provide opportunities for the organizational sidekick to grow and excel in his or her field (i.e., job roles, challenging tasks, etc.), (2) establish a relationship with the organizational sidekick based on trust. It is when organizational sidekicks feel trusted that they are loyal to their heroes and to the organization, (3) make organizational sidekicks feel important, needed, and “indispensable” by recognizing them for their contributions, ideas, and performance, (4) regularly give constructive feedback to the sidekicks to help them grow intrinsically, and (5) if the organizational hero is also the employer, he or she must keep the organizational sidekick well compensated.