Motivational methods - Essay Example

Managers take care of factors that influence the performance of workers working at the grass-root level. Such factors include but are not limited to salary, accommodation, duty hours, leave, reward and promotion etc. This paper aims at discussing three ways in which workers’ motivation can be increased. The three motivation increasing methods can be derived from Alderfer’s ERG theory which is briefly discussed below: Alderfer’s ERG theory: Alderfer devised the ERG theory of motivation where E, R and G stand for existences, relatedness and growth needs respectively.

Alderfer’s ERG theory states that managers need to take care of all of these needs at the same time, and should not focus upon addressing 1 or 2 of these to increase the workers’ motivation at a particular time, because this may not necessarily motivate the workers. The existence needs identified by Alderfer include safety and basic physiological needs, relatedness needs correspond to the workers’ needs of sociology and external esteem while the growth needs address the workers’ concerns about their self actualization and internal esteem (NetMBA, 2010).

Although Alderfer has proposed a hierarchical order for these three needs, yet he maintains that an individual looks for the satisfaction of each of the three needs simultaneously, and may not wait one need to be accomplished to strive for the fulfillment of the other two. Alderfer’s ERG theory model (Business Education, 2010). Alderfer grants that an individual prefers to fulfill his/her existence needs over relatedness needs, and relatedness needs over growth needs, though Alderfer maintains that the order of needs may vary from individual to individual and thus, may not always remain the same.

Alderfer’s ERG theory works on the frustration-regression principle which means that if a higher level need of an individual is not met, the individual may regress to a lower level need that is relatively simpler to be met. Alderfer’s ERG theory implies that managers should realize that workers are struggling to fulfill each of the three needs simultaneously. Therefore, managers should take steps to meet each of the three needs of workers at the same time. In view of the Alderfer’s ERG theory, following three methods of motivation enhancement can be proposed: Managers can motivate workers by meeting their existence needs: Existence needs of workers can be met by increasing their safety conditions and providing them with medical and health facilities.

This can be achieved by offering the workers’ compensation insurance, accommodation with work, providing the workers with personal protective equipment while they are on the site, and also addressing their food related concerns as food is a fundamental means of satisfying the physiological needs. Managers can motivate workers by meeting their relatedness needs: Workers’ relatedness needs can be addressed by providing them with opportunities to socialize with their friends and families. Even within the work environment, workers’ relatedness needs can be met by helping them develop close bonds with their peers and coworkers.

Interaction among coworkers is becoming increasingly difficult in the contemporary business practices that encourage multiculturalism in the workforce. Workers from different cultures are likely to develop conflicts on the base of culture, and avoid each