Effectiveness of Motivational Activities in TESCO Expresses in Part Time Staff Context - Literature review Example

Effectiveness of motivational activities in TESCO expresses in part time staff context Table of Contents Literature Review 3 1. Introduction 3 2. Motivation 3 1.3. Importance of motivational activities in work place 4 1.4. Improving motivational skills 6 1.5. Motivation theories 7 1.6. Job satisfaction and dissatisfaction 10 1.7. Impact of human resource management on employee motivation 10 1.8. Conclusion 11 Reference List 12 1. Literature Review 1.1. Introduction This section will involve a thorough review of a cluster of researches done in the field of employee motivation by research scholars. This will enable the researcher to understand various aspects and dimensions of employee motivation and factors that influence the same. By doing an extensive literature review, the researcher will be able to set forth perspectives of several authors that will serve as a solid foundation over which a comparative analysis can be done. The researcher has adopted a questionnaire survey methodology, which will be conducted with existing employees of TESCO; a UK based multinational grocery and general merchandise retailer. The questionnaire includes questions that are related to job satisfaction, employee motivation and factors that stimulate the same. The feedback to those questions will enable researcher to understand the perception of individual employees and implications of management techniques in terms of enhancing employee motivation. By gathering required feedback, the researcher will be able to do a comparative analysis by studying the extent to which ideas and theories mentioned within the empirical literatures are consistent with the practical situation. This is where relevance of an in-depth literature review lies. The groundwork will also allow researcher to identify any gaps that may exist in empirical researches and thereafter, fill the gap by conducting a relevant research. 1.2. Motivation Similar to any other concept that can be described in a variety of ways, motivation too has several definitions. However, it is pivotal to focus on a particular definition that is associated with motivation factor in a workplace. A thorough understanding of the meaning of motivation will enable managers to decide upon actions that can be taken in order to enhance the level of engagement among employees. The explanation of the term motivation starts with the primary word motive. Motive is defined as a factor that influences a person to act. Hence, according to Frey and Osterloh (2002), motivation refers to the act of providing incentive that influences an individual to act. It depends on an individual whether or not he or she would be motivated by the act of someone else. This leads the researcher to come up with another conclusion that the extent to which an individual will be motivated or not depends upon a number of factors (Wigfield and Eccles, 2002). These factors, nevertheless, are not common and vary according to places. For example, an individual might be motivated by the positive behaviour exhibited by his/her parents at home. Then again, the same individual will be motivated by rewards and recognitions that he/she receives at the workplace. This forms the context of this paper, which mainly revolves around importance of motivational activities in workplace and that of motivating employees. In the context of workplace, the term motivation can be defined as tendency to act in a focused manner with the underlying aim of achieving specific needs as well as a stimulant that drives one to fulfil personal and organizational objectives (Pritchard and Ashwood, 2008). The extent to which an employee is motivated is directly proportional to the level of engagement that the individual has towards the job as well as organization as a whole. Employee motivation and engagement is becoming increasingly important in organizations as they are key determinants of an organization’s success (Hoffman and Hegarty, 1993). Management in organizations are greatly emphasizing on enhancing the level of employee motivation by implanting effective strategies. The strategies are largely based upon motivational theories, which foreground different techniques that can be implemented by organizations in order to motivate employees. For example, rewarding employees for their efforts, recognizing their achievements and providing them with work related incentives are considered as some of the fundamental strategies adopted by organizations. This is precisely because a motivated employee will always be engaged towards work as well as organization, which in turn will enhance productivity of the organization as well as contribute towards its success (Zamecnik, 2014). 1.3. Importance of motivational activities in work place Organizational management throughout the world is increasingly emphasizing on implementing new and innovative motivational techniques so as to motivate their work force. This is precisely because they believe that a motivated group of people will always strive hard and more often than not tend to achieve greater throughput. Motivational techniques employed in organizations have proven to be immensely successful in ensuring a higher level of employee retention as well as enabled organizations to enhance job satisfaction level of employees (Heger, 2007). Managers believe that motivated employees require less supervision and that they demonstrate pride in their own work. This enables them to have a deep impact over the customer that they serve. Employees who are motivated have amplified level of concentration and are less likely to commit mistakes, get involved in conflicts or give rise to unfavourable circumstances. Motivational techniques are designed in such a way that they impart all necessary psychological skills required by an employee to be motivated towards the work as well as stay committed to the organization (Gupta, MacMillan and Surie, 2004). Some organizations employ such motivational techniques whereby employees are able to motivate themselves, even in the period of a crisis. These techniques enable employees to stay focussed towards their work, commit fewer errors and find a purpose of the work that they do. The importance of motivational techniques employed within an organization can also be witnessed through the fact that they inspire employees to be loyal towards their organization and at the same time have less absenteeism. On the other hand, an unmotivated employee will always exhibit a contrasting behaviour to that of a motivated employee. This can affect efficiency of the work force as well as quality of work done within the organization. Consequently, productivity of the organization will decline and reputation may get tarnished (Gruman and Saks, 2011). It has been rightfully said that employees tend to be more motivated if they are satisfied with their job. Even so, the extent to which an employee is satisfied with the job depends largely on the work environment. That is why organizations strive to create a friendly and flexible working environment so as to make their employees feel more valued. This is one of the most crucial motivational techniques employed by organizations in the contemporary business environment (Gadot and Drory, 2006). Majority of the leaders working in premier organizations ensure that a robust communication framework exit within their respective organizations. This is another motivational technique that secures free flow of information within every individual organizational member. Managers by the help of these communication channels engage their employees and gather their opinions. These opinions are taken into consideration while companies make strategic decisions (Frazier, Tix and Barron, 2004). This in turn makes employees feel more committed towards their work and hence, realize significance of tasks that they perform. Another significance of implementing motivational techniques lies in the fact that they enable employees to attain an all round development. Organizations that are concerned about welfare of their employees do tend to hugely invest in designing appropriate training and development programs for their staff. Consequently, knowledge, skills as well as job satisfaction among employees are enhanced. Although majority of the motivational techniques applied in organizations are very effective, there are still scopes for making improvement (Ensley, Pearson and Pearce, 2003). For example, motivational techniques employed by Tesco are highly influential with significant positive impact on psychology of its employees. The company offers prospective opportunities to employees in terms of giving them greater share and interest in their own employment. Tesco also follows a proper feedback procedure as they believe that employees who receive consistent feedback are more likely to be motivated than ones deprived of the same. The company is able to understand aspirations and needs of every individual working for them through the feedback process, where employees state their own opinions. By following such a procedure, employees are made to feel that the organization is concerned about their performance as well as welfare. Every individual participating in the feedback process is able to achieve career progression. By employing motivational techniques, Tesco is able to enhance quality of customer service through its supremely skilled workforce. 1.4. Improving motivational skills Organizations throughout the world resort to application of several methods in order to improve motivational skills. Until now, no particular method has been deemed appropriate as each and every method is uniquely crafted and has respective influencing factor. Companies choose one or many of those techniques depending on the nature of work done as well as that of the workforce. According to empirical research scholars, one of the most relevant ways of improving motivational skills is to set an example in front of the individual or group who needs to be motivated. Leaders can themselves be an example to their subordinates by exhibiting positive attitude, managing their everyday responsibilities efficiently and showing engagement towards their work. By doing so, leaders can effectively enhance the level of motivation of subordinates. In addition, by exhibiting such behaviours, leaders can also create a participatory work environment (Ensley, Pearce and Hmieleski, 2006). It has often been witnessed that people tend to motivate themselves if they are held accountable for the work assigned to them. In such cases, achieving success becomes a relevant factor and hence, they get influenced to work more efficiently. Management of an organization can choose to give certain level of authority to the subordinates, enabling them to direct their work as per their convenience. Organizations can also choose to include their employees in a profit sharing program, thereby motivating them to work more competently so as to realize greater benefits. Another way of improving motivational skills is to develop an understanding about factors that motivate others. For example, an individual may get stimulated by money; another individual may get motivated by recognition and so on and so forth. So, having knowledge of the same will enable leaders to improve their motivational skills. Another efficient approach that can be considered in order to improve motivational skill is to provide and receive feedback to and from employees. By doing so, management of an organization can align organizational goals as well as individual goals of employees. This will help managers to improve engagement levels among employees. Moreover, including employees, organizational decision making process may strongly unify the workforce, which in turn will lead to enhanced motivation (Ensley, J. W. Carland and J. A. C. Carland, 2000). 1.5. Motivation theories According to Abraham Maslow, humans are encouraged by five crucial desires, which have been depicted in a pyramid like structure, referred to as ‘hierarchy of needs.’ The factor occupying the lower most level is basic needs such as, shelter and food, which motivates people. Once these needs are met, individuals demand safety and security; for example, a favourable working environment. Social demands refer to the requirement of people to be part of a society. Self-esteem may be attained because of job promotion. The factor occupying the uppermost level is self-fulfilment, which is an area for challenge, creativity and interest. According to Maslow’s theory of motivational theory, achieving one theory will support an individual to achieve the next. In order to ensure that employees are thoroughly motivated, steps taken by Tesco have been depicted in the following figure: (Source: Tesco, 2014) Frederick Herzberg developed another theory of motivation termed as the two factor theory. According to the author, hygiene factors and satisfiers are two key determinants of employee motivation. Inadequate hygiene factors more often than not lead to employee dissatisfaction. Bringing upon improvement in the hygiene factors can prevent employee dissatisfaction. However, that alone does not guarantee employee motivation. Herzberg stated that in order to motivate employees, managers need to create such a work environment that makes employees content. This is precisely the reason behind the fact that Tesco motivates its employees by stressing on both hygiene factors as well as satisfiers. The company strives to motivate workforce by frequently involving them in the company’s decision making process, facilitating consistent and regular communication and delegating responsibility. Forums are organized every year, where employees are encouraged to participate in discussions concerning pay rise. This is how the company acknowledges efforts of its workforce. Staff working within Tesco can decide upon food items that need to be incorporated in restaurant menus. In this way, employees are encouraged to make their own choices, thereby contributing towards development of both organization as well as themselves (Tesco, 2014). (Source: Tesco, 2014) Alderfer’s ERG theory is very similar to that proposed by Abraham Maslow. According to Alderfer, individuals’ needs can be classified into three categories. They are: Growth needs: This is associated with realization of potential as well as development of competence. Relatedness needs: This factor is associated with satisfaction that one may derive while maintaining relationship with another individual. Existence needs: This factor is associated with physical welfare. Alderfer in his theory had stated that once an individual is able to satisfy greater needs, then need for attaining the next level becomes more intense (Graham and Weiner, 1996). Cognitive Evaluation Theory states that there are two systems of motivation; intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic motivation factors include responsibility, achievement, competence, actual performance and intrinsic interest in work. On the other hand, extrinsic motivation factors cover promotion, pay, feedback, working environment and so and so forth. One of the two systems mentioned above proves to be more powerful in terms of influencing a particular individual. Individuals who fall within intrinsic motivation system tend to work for their own satisfaction and achievement. If they start to believe that are working only because of the pay and a suitable work environment, then they will be de-motivated. The opposite scenario occurs in case of extrinsically motivated individuals (Graham and Weiner, 1996). Expectancy or Vroom Theory is a combination of equity theory and behavioural attributes of several other motivational theories. According to this theory; Motivation = expectancy * instrumentality * valence The theory states that motivation comes from combination of an individual’s expectations about the fact that his/her efforts will yield favourable outcomes, perception that outcomes will be appropriately rewarded or punished and perceived strength of the reward or punishment that may come as result of the performance (Graham and Weiner, 1996). 1.6. Job satisfaction and dissatisfaction Job satisfaction and dissatisfaction are two most important factors of an organization’s prosperity as well as an employee’s career because these determine whether or not the company and the employee will attain progression. Job satisfaction is directly proportional to the level of employee motivation. This suggests that factors that enhance employee motivation are also stimulants of job satisfaction. For example, appropriate leadership techniques, friendly working environment, robust communication framework, appropriate reward and recognition principle, proper distribution of work responsibility, appropriate feedback procedure, suitable training and development programs are factors that ensure job satisfaction. These factors play a crucial role in enhancing the level of engagement among employees, which in turn influences job satisfaction level. On the other hand, failure to do the same leads to job dissatisfaction. Companies those are unable to provide job satisfaction to employees experience greater employee turnover, which in turn lowers productivity and overall profitability. 1.7. Impact of human resource management on employee motivation Effective human resource management strategy has a significant contribution in enhancing the level of employee motivation. Individuals working within the human resource department are required to be aware of needs and demands of every individual working for their company and thus, should adopt an appropriate strategy for effectively encouraging workforce. They need to have an understanding of the factors that motivate the employees. Knowing the same will enable them to design appropriate measures in order to boost motivation among employees. In addition, while recruiting officials for organizations, management should not only look for individual who are highly skilled and experienced, but also seek ones who are immensely motivated. This is particularly because a motivated individual will always be sincere towards work and will strive for efficiency. 1.8. Conclusion Employee motivation is one of the most critical aspects that is given due importance within organizations. That is why organizations all over the world follow several motivational techniques so as to encourage employees and hence, enhance level of employee engagement. Even so, implementation of motivational techniques depends largely on the type of organization as well nature of workforce that is appointed. Motivational theories that were stated in yester years such as, the one by Taylor, suggest that higher payment facilitates employee motivation. However, in contemporary business environment, this factor alone does not guarantee employee motivation. The efforts of employees need to be appropriately acknowledged and rewarded. Alongside that, proper training and development programs can also foster employee motivation as that will lead to an all round development of employees, ensuring greater degree of commitment towards their work. Managers need to constantly improve their motivational techniques in order to assure that all factors that boost employee motivation have been accounted for. The factors mentioned by Maslow and Herzberg are very critical, as far as employee motivation is concerned. Tesco closely follows the motivational theories developed by Maslow and Herzberg. The company provides even opportunities to each and every individual so that they show greater interest in their work, which in turn improves their productivity. The management includes some of the experienced employees in profit sharing programs in order to influence individuals to work efficiently and accrue appropriate benefits. Tesco has also established a robust communication framework whereby they provide and receive feedback to and from their employees and also consider their opinions while making strategic decisions. The company believes that motivating their employees will help to offer superior quality service to the customers, which in turn will improve its brand image. Reference List Ensley, M. D., Carland, J. W. and Carland, J. A. C., 2000. Investigating the existence of the lead entrepreneur. Journal of Small Business Management, 38(4), pp. 59-77. Ensley, M. D., Pearce, C. L. and Hmieleski, K. M., 2006. The moderating effect of environmental, dynamism on the relationship between entrepreneur leadership behavior and new venture performance. Journal of Business Venturing, 21(4), pp. 243-263. Ensley, M. D., Pearson, A. and Pearce, C. L., 2003. Top management team process, shared leadership, and new venture performance: a theoretical model and research agenda. 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