From APM, American Public Media, and WNYC.

This is Freakonomics Radio on Marketplace.

Here's the host of Marketplace, High Rizdoff.

Time now for a little bit of Freakonomics Radio that moment in the broadcast every couple of weeks

where we talk to Steven Dubner, the co-author of the books and the blog of the same name.

It is the hidden side of everything.

You're good to talk to you again.

Great to talk to you, Kai.

I got a question for you.

Are you pretty happy with your job?

Am I pretty happy?

Most days?

Tell me that's what about your co-workers?

How's their employee morale?

It depends on how heavy the beatings are.

Workplace morale is something, especially in an economy like this,

something that's really worth thinking about.

Low morale, bad for the bottom line, good morale is kind of a tie that lifts all boats.

Now here's Michael Johnson, who studies organizational behavior at the University of Washington.

A lot of the current research on employee morale and managing people in general in organizations

suggests that this may be the only remaining competitive advantage that organizations have.

Organizations that do this well, they tend to do really well financially too.

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