Motivating Employees, Defining Motivation - Coursework Example

EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION Name Institution Professor Course Date Outline I. Introduction The essay comprises of an introduction section that establishes the topic, key ideas in the essay and a preview of the entire essay. The introductory section holds major concepts that confirm the key role of motivation in organisations. II. Body The essay contains a body section made of several paragraphs and subheadings. The major ideas and subheadings discussed in this section include: a) The significance of motivation in modern workplaces b) Factors that contribute to motivation challenges and how manager overcome challenges of motivation c) Application of motivational theories to inform the motivation strategies in contemporary organisations d) The significance of motivation theories and strategies to managers. III. Conclusion The essay culminates with a conclusion section that summarizes key concepts and issues regarding motivation. The conclusion confirms the significance of motivation, motivational challenges, application of motivation theories, and the aspects that helps managers in overcoming motivational challenges. IV. Reference List The reference list encompasses all the relevant and credible sources consulted to efficiently support the ideas discussed in the entire essay. Introduction Motivating employees is a key aspect in modern organisations. However, it is a challenging task for managers, particularly, when they try to put forth high levels of performance to attain the goals of an organisation, and at the same time satisfy individual needs. Motivation helps in drawing, sustaining, building and inspiring human resources to enhance organisational profitability and productivity. Different motivation theories draw attention to different aspects which affects employee’s performances in modern organisations. Motivation comes into two ways that include extrinsic motivation and intrinsic motivation. Motivation that derives from within oneself is pleasant, but employees struggle with motivation that comes from outside their aspiration. Managers face challenges when motivating employees because both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation breakdown into negative and positive components. This essays integrates incentive motivation theory and humanistic motivation theory which include, expectancy theories, need-fulfilment theories and reinforcement theory to highlight the significance of motivation in an organisation and the challenges managers face when motivating employees. Through a comprehensive literature review involving textbooks, journal articles and internet sources, this essay discusses the role of motivation in an organisation and the intricacies that managers face in trying to keep employees motivated. The essay integrates several motivation theories applicable by managers to ensure that employees remain motivated. Defining Motivation Motivation results from interacting forces that build up in the organisational environment, and an individual’s attitude, features and qualifications. Motivation is based on the actuality that human temperament is founded upon a collection of needs, ideas, tendencies and ambitions that instigate achievement and support of different actions and essentials besides adopting a novel attitude. Motivation refers to the external and internal aspects that inspire energy and desire in individuals to be constantly committed and interested to a role, subject or a job, or to generate effort to achieve a certain goal. According to Vlad (2008, p.399), motivation is described as the procedure through which managers concentrate and point the energies of all the subordinates, thereby using organisational facilities at a maximal economic effectiveness. Motivation is the degree to which constant effort is channelled to attain a goal. The major feature of motivation is the behavioural energy of employees that concerns his workplace, or efforts that an employee deploys during his work schedule. Another feature of motivation is perseverance that an employee display when performing his/her duties. Perseverance and effort entails the work done by an employee (Vlad 2008, p.399). The five components of motivation include actions, results, evaluations, outcome and need satisfaction. The Significance of Motivation in Modern Workplaces According to America’s Job Exchange (2013), employee’s motivation is vital in organisations. This is because a motivated laborforce leads to highly effective staff that help an organisation to attain its business objectives. However, one must comprehend the reason for motivating employees, what aspects motivate them and how to motivate them. What drives employees to an increased performance helps managers in developing programs that facilitates motivation and retention of quality and productive employees in an organisation. According to Griffin (2012, p.448), motivation is a set of forces that cause individuals to behave in certain ways. An employee may decide to work as much he as can at a job, work just hard enough to avoid issues with managers or do as little as he can. The objective of the manager is to maximize the probability of the first conduct and lower the probability of the last conduct. Griffin (2012. p.448) asserts that individual performance in an organisation is determined through motivation, ability and the work setting. If an employee does not have ability, a manager can replace the employee or provide him/her with training. When there is a resource problem, the manager can rectify it, but if motivation is the problem, the role of the manager becomes more challenging. A person’s behaviour is an intricate occurrence that makes a manager to be pressed hard to make out the correct temperament of a given problem and the manner to solve the problem (Griffin 2012. p.448). In this regard, motivation is crucial because it is a determinant factor of organisational performance and its intangible temperament. The motivation procedure starts with a need deficiency. For instance, when an employee feels that she is paid less, she gets an urge for increased income. In reaction to the need deficiency the employee looks for means to satisfy his/her needs such as working extra harder to get an salary increment or look for a new job. If his/her hard work leads to a pay raise, the employee feel good and continues to work harder for better results. Employee motivation increases job satisfaction, productivity and profitability in an organisation (Tebeian 2012, p.1094) Successful motivation is founded on attracting persons’ intrinsic drives as opposed to applying external rewards and threats. Motivation increases empowerment that facilities employee’s accountability, customer satisfaction and personal power. Motivated employees are not only satisfied with their job, but they also offer increased sales and improved customer service (Tebeian 2012, p.1094). Employee motivation enhances human capital management, increases achievement of personal goals, increases employees efficiency and achievement of organisational objectives. In addition, employee motivation in an organisation increases team harmony, workforce stability, changed perspectives, enhanced skills, increased morale and confidence, enhanced individual job performance, enhanced decision-making and overall organisational performance (See Figure 2). Figure 1: Effects of Motivation on Job Performance Source: Saeid (2013) Motivation Challenges and How Managers Overcome Them Employee motivation is an intricate process. Managers describe employee motivation and retaining a devoted taskforce as one of the most complex of all managerial challenges. However, learning to motivate a workforce is a major step leading to a successful organisation. One of the major challenges that manager’s face when motivating employees is motivating a diverse group, people with different needs, personality and different backgrounds. According to Werner (2011, p.57), one of the major challenges managers face during employee motivation is how to tackle the response of employee to feedback. This challenge is experienced when a manager confronts poor work performance. However, managers can generate a supportive atmosphere for employees to handle their concerns, create open communication channels besides developing and maintaining respect and trust with the employee. In addition, managers face challenges when judging how motivated and satisfied employees are at work, particularly, when overseeing a huge number of employees. Other factors that many hinder productive motivation include lack of employee cooperation, lack of adequate resources, conflicting goals, self-esteem and employees behaviours. According to Werner (2011, p.57), internal factors that increases challenges to employees’ motivation include abilities, skills, attitudes and knowledge. Attitudes affect employees’ behaviours while abilities, skills and knowledge affect the employee performance (Werner 2011 p.60). Folsom (2009, p, 156) asserts that employee motivation entails the willingness of employees to work towards and achieve their objectives at work. Multiple aspects that influence employee motivation include the temperament of an organisation’s formal reward structure, employee benefits, leadership quality and style, individual needs and perceived pay equity. Leadership style is key to employee motivation as it influences the outcome of motivation (See Figure 2). For instance, democratic leaders who integrate the views of employees in decision making are productive in enhancing employee morale and motivation Figure 2: Leadership and Motivation Source: Tebeian (2012). Application of Motivational Theories to Inform Motivation Strategies in Organisations The success of an organization is dependent on the employee’s performance. When employees are less productive, the organization fails in pulling off and meeting its predetermined objectives. In this regard, managers involved in the running and managing organization should apply strategies that ensures employees’ effectiveness through motivation them. There are several ways that managers can motivate employees, and these strategies include but not limited, rewarding employees, performance appraisal that assesses the employee’s performances, job description that entails defining the roles that every employee plays in an organization, and teamwork that facilitates achievement of essential skills and competency. These strategies call for integration of motivational theories. With respect rewarding employees as a means of motivating them, managers should apply reinforcement theory. Reinforcement theory is a motivation theory founded on behavioral psychology. Reinforcement theory strongly upholds that rewards and punishments shape employees’ motivation. The theory supports behavior reinforcement’s strategies that functions to shape employee’s job performance (Grant 2011, p.77). The outcome of employees’ conduct affects the possibility that employees will behave in a comparable way again. For instance, when managers hold meetings with employees and applaud the contributions of the employees, chances are that the employees will feel honored to give their contributions and creativeness in another meeting (See Figure 3). Similarly, when employees’ views are received in a negative manner, employees feel discouraged to make their views heard in any other meeting. When employees are intrinsically inspired, their desires to explore their interest and learn lead them to creating new ideas that are beneficial to organizations (Grant 2011, p.73) Employee’s conducts can be inspired through positive or negative reinforcement, and through punishment withdrawal. Positive reinforcement involves giving positive rewards while negative rewards include withdrawing something such salary reduction from an employee. Figure 3: Intrinsic Motivation and Employee Creativity s Source: Grant (2011). Needs-fulfilment theories are theories that relate to individual needs of workers. The most common theories of needs are Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory. This theory is demonstrated when an employee enjoys being a member of a given team where an employee share decisions, conforms to groups values and norms which makes him/she take pleasure in a sense of belonging. This theory allow motivation of employees through fear and confronts that deter their goal achievement (Snell 2007, p.33). Abrahams Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is one of the most dominant theories applicable by managers in motivating employees. Maslow’s theory postulates that employees needs can be set in a hierarchical order. The lower needs must be fulfilled first before one satisfies the other needs higher in the hierarchy. However, Maslow’s stated that the needs are cyclic and when one need is satisfied fully, it stops being a motivator (Snell 2007, p.34). The needs as arranged by professor Maslow include from the lowest, psychological needs, safety needs, social needs, esteem and self-actualization needs ( See Figure 3). Managers must ensure that they keep employees inspired through helping them satisfy all the needs in the hierarchy. Managers must identify every employee’s needs, an aspect that helps them in adapting the suitable motivation strategy. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory supports teamwork as an employee motivation strategy. Figure 4: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory Source: Snell (2007). To increase employee’s expectations and job satisfaction, managers should utilize expectancy theory. Expectancy theory tries to explain why and when motivation has an impact on employee’s behavior in workplace. This theory provides that employee’s self-assurance in job performance leads to a desirable outcome (Chun-Fang 2008, p.328). With respect to the expectancy theory, instrumentality, the valance, and the expectancy of an employee influence his/her motivation (See Figure 5). According to expectancy theory, an employee believes that demonstrating certain efforts instigates a good performance level. Expectancy theory explicates employee’s behavior with respect to variables which influence their conducts (Chun-Fang 2008, p.328). An employee conducts his/herself in a particular way based on individual expectations and a desired outcome. The most well-liked expectancy theory is Vroom theory and it suggests that the most enviable reward to an employee must have a higher valance. The rewards may be intrinsic or extrinsic. Job satisfaction is one of the most distinguished valances with a couple of variables affecting it, and it is well achieved via job description. The variables include wages, job content, supervision, work group and promotional policies. Source: Chun-Fang (2008). Significance of motivation theories and strategies to managers Employee motivation is a momentous building block in any organization. Employees cannot be prolific without inspiration. Motivation is the inner constrain that set up from inside a human being and prompts an individual or group of people to act in the most apposite manner that satisfies his/her impulses. Motivation necessitates a course of channeling the inner drive to a mission completion (Griffin 2012. p.448). Managers should appreciate that the performance of their organizations is dependent on employee’s motivation as motivation impels employees to try hard to accomplish common objectives. Undeveloped employee’s energies are activated and set in motion through motivation. A manager should try hard to provide favorable conditions which will ensure that the employees work in fanaticism and interest (Tebeian 2012, p.1094). Motivation theories are very crucial as they help managers in ascertaining the most appropriate motivation strategy to employ to his/her employees. Motivation strategies, on the other hand, keeps employees motivated thereby increasing individual and organizational productivity, and profitability. Conclusion Motivation is essential in organization as it increases job satisfaction, organizational productivity, workforce harmony, employees’ accountability, customer satisfaction and personal power. However, there several challenges that affects employee motivation and they include, employee’s diversity, inadequate motivation reasons, lack cooperation from employees, leadership style, conflicting goals, negative employee response and self-esteem. However, managers can handle these challenges through generating a supportive atmosphere for employees to handle their concerns, create open communication channels besides developing and maintaining respect and trust with the employees. Motivation theories help managers in adapting the most appropriate motivation strategy. For instance, reinforcement theory suggests rewarding as the best motivational strategy for employees who need reinforcement in their duties while expectancy theory enhances job satisfaction. Need-fulfillment theory supports teamwork as a motivational strategy. Motivation is the bloodstream of any organizations that wish to accomplish their organizational goals. Managers should ensure that their workforce remain inspired to guarantee profitability and productivity. An organization that does not motivate its workforce remains unproductive as employee’s morale remains at its lowest. Motivation is crucial in modern organization as it keeps employees focused on their roles Reference List America’s Job Exchange (2013), The importance of employee motivation Accessed 11 December 2013, http://www.americasjobexchange.com/employer/employer-articles/employee-motivation Chun-Fang, C 2008, ‘ An expectancy theory model for hotel employee motivation: Examining the moderating role of communication satisfaction’, International Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Administration, 9, 4, pp.327-351 Folsom, D 2009, Encyclopaedia of American business. London: InfoBase Publishing. Grant, A 2011, ‘ The necessity of others is the mother of invention: Intrinsic and prosocial motivation, perspective taking, and creativity’, Academy of Management Journal, 54, 1, pp.73-96. Griffin, R 2012, Management, 11ed: London: Cengage Learning. Saeid, A 2013, ‘Relationship between motivational factors and job performance of employees in Malaysian service industry’, Asian Social Science, 9, 9, pp.301-310 Snell, R 2007, ‘Compliance/ethics program hierarchy of needs: a less conventional approach to understanding the relationship between compliance and ethics (interpretation of the theory of Maslow’s hierarchy of need, a theory of human motivation by Abraham Maslow’, Journal of Health Care Compliance, 9, 1, pp. 33 Tebeian, A 2012, ‘ How to improve employee motivation and group performance through leadership-conceptual model’, Annals of the University of Oradea, Economic Science Series, 21, 1, pp. 1092-1097. Vlad, S 2012, ‘ The motivation and ways of motivating human resources: Best western hotel central Arad’, Annals of the University of Oradea, Economic Science Series, 21, 2, pp.398-403. Werner, J 2011, Human resource development, 6th ed. London: Cengage Learning. Read More