Definition
of Motivation
In the business context, motivation can
be said to be the process of giving employees incentives to spur better performance
in their work. In a general sense, motivation is not only useful at the office
but also in most life’s aspects. For
instance, the act of sleeping is usually motivated by presence of sleep or
exhaustion. Similarly, people eat and drink because they are motivated by
hunger and thirst. These examples serve to show that the absence of a motivator
will result in the overall absence of the related activity. Motivation is broad
and it could range from the simple acts like a manager patting the back of an
employee in appreciation to more complex motivation activities like promotions
and salary increments.
Motivation can be said to emanate from two
types of sources; internal and external. The
Internal
motivation is also referred to as intrinsic motivation and it comes from within
an individual. On the other hand, the externally sourced motivation, also known
as extrinsic usually comes from one’s environment. Intrinsic motivation is
possible when the employees have high morale. They will work hard not because
they are being supervised but because they want to. The biggest reason is when
employees have a desire to rise in the corporate ladder.
Extrinsic motivation stems from theory
XYZ which believes that employees are naturally lazy and they should be forced
to work. This motivation could either be positive or negative. In the positive
form, employees are promised a reward for performance while in the negative
form pressure is used. According to the research conducted in Minneapolis gas
company money is not the best motivator for the employees as they gave the
highest rating to job security.
Motivation is mostly applied in work
places and learning institution. In the work place, motivation can be
influenced by the kind of leadership practiced. On the other hand, employment
motivation is achieved by giving employees rewards
and recognizing their unique traits that helps propel the organization. For a
leader and managers to be successful in their work, they must be good in
motivating their subjects so that they can give out maximum output for the
organization to achieve its objectives and goals (Dodt, 1994, pp. 89).
There are two important but different factors; Motivators and hygiene factors.
The definition given to hygiene is that they are factors which can bring about
dissatisfaction if they are left out but they do not exactly a source of
motivation for employees. Hygiene factors are related to the working
environment and not motivation. These factors are significant because if they
are missing they will be notable (Gitman & McDaniel, 2009,
pp. 25).
Self
Assessment Test Analysis:
What
motivates me?
Score
2.5.8.11 items = growth needs = 5+4+5+5
= 19
1.4.7.10 items = relatedness needs = 4+
3+3+4=14
3.6.9.12 items = existence needs=
5+5+5+4=19
In
coming up with my motivators, relatedness, growth and existence needs have been
assessed. In this assessment, my score is 19, 14, and 19 for growth, relatedness
and existence respectively. This implies that I am substantially unsatisfied
with the relatedness needs while I am substantially satisfied with the growth
and existence needs. My motivation here is therefore the quest to satisfy the
relatedness needs and that will be my motivation factor in my future
employment.
Which
are My Dominant Needs?
1, 5, 9, 13 and 17 = achievement score =
5+5+5+3+4= 22
1, 6, 10, 14, and 18 = Affiliation score
= 5+3+4+4+4= 20
3, 7, 11, 15, and 19 = Autonomy score =
3+3+5+4+4 = 19
4, 8, 12, 16, and 20 = Power score =
4+3+5+2+4 = 18
In this self
assessment, my dominant need is the achievement wile the least dominant need is
the power need. This implies that I am concentrating on achieving than the
others scores of socialization, fame and directing others. In this assessment,
22, 20, 19 and 18 are scores for achievement, affiliation, autonomy and power
scores.
Which
Rewards Do I Value Most?
Good pay is the reward
that I value most in an organization. This implies that if an organization will
not offer me an attractive pay I will most likely be least interested to work with
them. The disparity in motivational levels should not be so much wide.
Secondly, I take Job security as a very important motivator. Other things that
I consider important in any working environment include; pleasant work
conditions, high chances to advance and finally being with friendly co-workers,
vacation time and recognition for the work I do.
Hygiene and Motivators
Score
From the assessment of hygiene and
motivators, motivators have the highest score of 25 while hygiene lags with a
score of 23. This means that I value what motivates me as opposed to hygiene at
the workplace. Although hygiene is important for me in the work area, I would
gladly forfeit it if it was mutually exclusive with motivators.
Analysis
of the Case Study
The greatest factor that motivates the
respondent is good pay for workers. For the respondent to be comfortable when
performing his duties, he must have a good remuneration. This is so because the
respondent thinks that when he’s paid well he will be able to financial all his
needs and consequently be comfortable. This will enable him to work well and
diligently. Other factors would be good relations with others, opportunity for
personal growth, a fringe benefit program and a sense of self esteem. Lack of
mentioning of some of the factors however, does not make them less important
for the respondent. On the contrary, it only implies that they have already
been addressed (Rahit, 2009, pp. 39).
There are many theories associated with
motivation. Some of the theories are: Expectancy, need, equity
and goal-setting theories. Each one of these theories has a different
description and understanding of what is involved in motivation. Expectancy
theory states that motivation in employees is increased when they learn about
the attractive reward which will make them motivated to work harder so as to
win the reward. This reward could be anything from a bonus to a pay rise (Crouise,
2005, pp. 61).
The need theory of motivation has as many
descriptions as there are managers. However, the underlying principle is the
same; managers ought to identify the needs of their employees in the
organization. Consequently, they should ensure that employees get outcomes to
satisfy their needs especially if they are performing well in their work. One
of the best methods management uses to asses the needs of employees and plan
for them is by using the Maslow Hierarchy of needs. Management can establish
the; level at which employees are operating in the pyramid and determine what
their biggest needs are from that.
Equity
theory states that employers should motivate their employees by remunerating
them according to their output. This means that their pay will be determined by
the length of time they work, effort incurred, skills, experience and other
factors that would determine compensation. If Phil is working hard on his job,
then it is only fair that he should be more rewarded than Peter who is lazy.
Employers employ Information systems to compute the logs of the employees which
will be used in determining the wages.
The goal setting theory focuses on an organization having goals
and objectives as a source of motivation. Employees, who are aware that they
should meet certain goals within a period of time, will be motivated and hence
the organization will be successful. Most multilevel marketing companies employ
this theory with predefined goals for the individuals as well as for the
organization at large. An employee will have a passion to complete the projects
of the company within the given time especially if it ensures success and
growth. (Kondalkar,
2009, pp. 64).
Another
common theory is the cognitive dissonance. This is a feeling of uneasiness that
comes about because one has contrasting ideas. People sometimes strongly hold
on to a belief but they do contrary to that belief. For example, a person knows
that he or she is good but for one reason or another does something bad. The
resulting feeling of remorse or discomfort is what is called cognitive
dissonance. Cognitive dissonance is a strong motivator which frequently leads
employees to change their behavior. A real application would be if an employer
is working and giving very little output, he or she knows that it is his
obligation to measure up to the required standards. An employee will find
himself improving when he gets the dissonance feeling (Bruce, 2006, pp. 37).
Conclusion
All employees deserve to be motivated.
Without motivation, output from employees is always compromised of the thoughts
of better working environment. Workers cannot be motivated by their work schedules
however interesting the managers and the employers may be willing to make them.
It has become common for organizations to lose focus on how employees are
relating, communication, recognition, and other contentious issues that are
most vital to employees due to poor or no employee’s welfare departments. The initial
stage of creating a motivating working environment is to refrain from doing
things which might discourage employees.
There are important elements that managements
can incorporate into their systems in a bid to maintain the motivation of their
employees. For instance, it is advised that too many laws and policies might de-motivate
employees, therefore; employees should only come up with few but effective
policies. They
should focus on the protection of the organization and maintaining order. It is
the responsibility of the management to ensure that every employee is familiar
with all organizational policies and rules. When formulating the organization’s
values and code of conduct, the management should ensure that all the employees
are involved or the employees are adequately represented in any policy
formulating forums (Pride, Hughes &
Kapoor, 2010, pp. 103).
Self motivation is important to every organization
as it is consequential to the performance of the organization. It is paramount
that managers be motivated themselves before they can start motivating
employees. It is impossible to inspire other people in a concept one does not
believe in or practice. A leader must show energy and love for his work to the
employees so that they follow suit. If the leader is pessimistic the employees
will also have a negative attitude towards work. Other employees will admire
the fact that their leader is keen in his work and they will take up the
challenge (Dodt, 1994, pp. 71).
Another applicable principle is to first understand
what motivates you as a leader or employer and then take time to understand the
motivators of other employees. The employees may be motivated by team building
activities during non working days, seminars and conferences that increase
their knowledge, mentors or other people who inspire them and other factors
which an employer should research from the employees.
Employers should work to ensure that the
goals of the organization correspond with goals of employees. It is
possible to have employees drawing inspiration from their work; this is
especially possible if the management draw schedules that are result driven. The
efforts of the employees should be directed towards achieving the company’s
goals. Therefore, it's most important to regularly applaud employee’s efforts whenever
they make substantial efforts towards the growth of the company whether they
are delegated to do it or not (Bruce
& Pepitone, 1998, pp. 26).
Finally,
it is worth mentioning that employee
motivation is a process and not an event. The reason is the dynamic nature of
both the organization and the employees. The management should always adjust
with the changing times to ensure that their employees and work are always in
line with the changes.
References
Bruce, A.
& Pepitone, J. S. (1998). Motivating
Employees. California:
Mc Grawhill.
Bruce, A.
(2005). How to Motivate Employees: 24
Proven Tactics. New York:
McGraw hill
Crouise,
N. (2005). Motivation is an Inside Job: How
to Really Get Your Employees to Give the
Results Needed. Nevada: Universe
publishers.
Dodt, B.
A. (1994). Motivation of Employees. New York: Routledge.
Gitman, L. J. & McDaniel, C. (2009).
The Future of Business: The
Essentials. New York:
Cengage learning.
Kondalkar,
(2009). The Organization Effectiveness of
Change Management. New Delhi:
Learning private limited.
Madura, J.,
(2006). Introduction to Business. New York: Cengage
Learning.
Pride, W. M., Hughes, J., & Kapoor,
J. R., (2010). Business. New York: Cengage
learning.
Rahit, J., (2009). Business management. New Delhi: Laser Printers.
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