Organizational Behavior in Health Care - Assignment Example

? MOTIVATION The following paper relates to the understanding of the concept of motivation and thereby in identifying and analyzing the different theories related to such. Further the paper also focuses on evaluating the application of three theories related to motivation to the healthcare context to understand the factors that tend to motivate and frustrate the individuals at work. Definition of Motivation Motivation is best described as the set of stimulus, different motives and other incentives that consciously or unconsciously drive the interest or actions of an individual to achieve desired set of results or accomplishment of goals stated. Thus Motivation or Motives act as a set of psychological catalysts that contribute in converting the needs, wants and desires of an individual into effective drives to help achieve end goals and incentives. Henceforth motivation also helps an individual in effectively reducing the tension gained from the growing set of desires and wants to achieve or accomplish ends and goals (Bowkowski, 2011, Ch.5). The inner drive of an individual to satisfy the emerging want or need can be reflected as follows. Figure 1 (Bowkowski, 2011, Ch.5) Difference between Traditional and Current Approaches to Motivation Different sets of Motivation Theories have gained emergence from the traditional to the modern managerial periods. These different theories related to the Traditional and Modern context owes some specific differences that can be highlighted as follows. The Traditional Theories related to motivation focus on rendering an effective analysis of the job environment or work atmosphere of an individual and the different types of rewards needed to enhance the performance levels of the employees. Here rewards act as intrinsic motivators to help an individual generate the needed drive to achieve the end goal. On the contrary the Current Approaches to Motivation rely mainly on three types of theories like Content, Process and Reinforcement that contribute in shaping the motivational behavior of an individual to achieve the end goals. Identification and Description of Content Theories of Motivation based on Employee Needs The Content Theories of Motivation tend to operate based on a premise that certain factors are responsible in creating an inner drive in an individual to generate a desire to achieve end goals and thereby satiate the gamut of needs and wants emergent in one’s psychological level. Thus through the use of Content Theories the managers tend to gain an understanding of the factors that tend to drive or kindle the energy in an individual to achieve desired ends. Content Theories being related to the unsatisfied needs or wants of an individual is also referred to as Needs Theory (Bowkowski, 2011, Ch.5). Identification and Explanation of Process Theories of Motivation The Process theories of Motivation relate to the Cognitive elements used by an individual to decide on the behavioral process or attributes needed to specifically fulfill a desired set of objectives or accomplish the goals set. Herein the person needs to effectively evaluate whether the factor choices for motivation are resultant or effective to achieve end objectives. Thus herein motivation depends on factors like the attributes of the goals set to achieve, secondly in whether equitable access is existent in helping an individual gain the required opportunities in achieving desired ends and finally in whether one possesses the required level of potency in helping to raise the expectation for meeting end goals. Significant Process Theories relate to Expectancy, Equity, Satisfaction-Performance, Goal-Setting and Reinforcement (Bowkowski, 2011, Ch.6). Description of Reinforcement Theory of Employee Motivation The Reinforcement Theory of Motivation works mainly along four parameters: Positive and Negative Reinforcements and Punishment and Extinction. Positive and Negative Reinforcement criteria generally focus on motivating an individual’s performance through the generation of rewards and also through the reduction of negative consequences. On the contrary use of Punishment, Positive or Negative by creating pressure or removal respectively and the process of Extinction of previous rewards generally tend to create frustration and resentment in the minds of the people (Bowkowski, 2011, Ch.6). Discussion of Major Approaches to Job Design The significant approaches to Job Design are observed like Mechanistic, Motivational, Biological and finally the Perceptual-Motor Approach. The first approach focuses on effective structuring of the task to be conducted so that it can be help accomplished with the least effort. Secondly the Motivational Approach relates to those types of jobs that tend to excite or motivate an individual’s behavior to achieve desired ends. Thirdly the Biological Approach relates to enhancing the ergonomic factors to help reduce the element of physical strain and effort in an individual to achieve a certain task. Finally the Fourth Approach focuses on reducing the amount of Information Traffic pertaining to a set task such that to help reduce the level of complexity involved (Kleynhans, 2006, p.46-47). Influence of Job Design on Motivation The Job Design is related to the motivational factors shaping and enhancing one’s interest to work in five different ways. Firstly the degree of variance of the different type of activities required to conduct a specific job gains a positive relation to the skills and innovative attributes needed in the person. Secondly motivation of the individual is enhanced relating to the fact that in where an individual tends to gain effective identification of one’s personality or traits to the task needed to be performed. Thirdly it relates to the significant level of impacts that the task or job tends to have on the people operating in the concern or upon the larger society. The fourth relation relates to the level of freedom or autonomy involved in the level of decision-making functions on the part of the employees to achieve desired goals. Finally the individual also gets motivated in that the job design or structure generates potential feedback of the effectiveness of the efforts rendered in achieving the goals set (Bowkowski, 2011, Ch.5). Hierarchy of Needs Theory and the Healthcare Institution The Hierarchy of Needs Theory as rendered by Abraham Maslow is generally based on five main stages pertaining to Physiological, Safety, Affiliation, Self-Esteem and finally Self-Actualization needs. The pyramid structure of needs thus commences from the basic needs of one’s physical sustenance, moves along the line or layer of social sustenance to finally reach the highest need of discovering the true self. The Physiological Needs level gains relation to the salary gained and the job environment of the health workers. The second level relates to the Safety Needs of the people working thereby reflecting on the parameter of work safety and security paradigms involved in the workplace. Female medical staffs like nurses would require due safety from chances of being sexually harassed. Similarly the staffs also require a secured job environment not affected by recession. Thirdly the health staffs also require interaction with their peers and supervisors to gain potential cooperation to perform effectively thereby hinting on the Needs for Affiliation. Similarly in the fourth case healthcare workers require their performances and conducts to be recognized and rewarded accordingly and in also being invited in taking part in the decision-making process. Finally the Self-Actualization needs relate here to the opportunity gained by the healthcare staffs to generate above average performance pertaining to the gaining of challenging tasks (Bowkowski, 2011, Ch.5). Herzberg’s Two Factor Theory and the Healthcare Institution The motivation theory rendered in by Herzberg relate to a two factor theory model based on factor sets like ‘Motivators’ and ‘Hygiene’. Relating to the ‘Motivators’ the employees in the healthcare institution would require an opportunity for growth or professional advancement in the enterprise. Similarly they would also like their performances and actions to be recognized and aptly rewarded. On the other hand ‘Hygiene’ factor sets relate to policy, working and compensation standards affecting an individual in an enterprise. Thus working policies in the healthcare firm needs to be as such that would generate needed flexibility, job rotation, effective salary standards based on industry average and better administration conditions. Thus the healthcare staffs would not only require an adequate opportunity to grow along their profession but would also require proper company policies related to compensation and healthy and flexible working standards to get duly motivated to perform (Bowkowski, 2011, Ch.5; McConnell, 2010, Ch. 15). Reinforcement Theory and the Healthcare Institution The Reinforcement Theory related to the Healthcare Institution relates to four different types of cases. Firstly relating to the parameter of ‘Positive Reinforcement’ the manager or supervisor in the healthcare firm can attach reward, financial or otherwise or enhance the job surrounding to motivate the people to perform more effectively. Secondly owing to the parameter of ‘Negative Reinforcement’ a case can be dealt where the innovative or creative ability of a medical warehouse staff supported by adequate information technology infrastructures contributed in reducing the chances of emergence of unpleasant situations like reduction in the inventory levels of medical and surgical supplies. Again relating to the parameter of Punishment’ the medical staff responsible for tracking inventory requirements on account of a major irresponsible performance can be removed from his normal duty or can be asked to cancel the leave and return back to work. Finally the parameter of ‘Extinction’ gains relation to the healthcare context where the management body of the firm focuses on removal of a previous certificate of reward rendered in relation to the degree of adherence to time schedules maintained by the workers to cleanse the Operation Theater. The management currently relates the same to be a compulsory or mandatory requirement on the part of the employees and thus abolished the award related to it. These types of punishments and extinction parameters set in practice by the management tend to reduce the motivation of the people on the contrary resulting to events like employee frustration and resentment (Bowkowski, 2011, Ch.6). References Borkowski, N. (2011). Organizational Behavior in Health Care. Massachusetts: Jones & Bartlett Publishers. Kleynhans, R. (2006). Human Resource Management. Cape Town: Pearson South Africa. McConnell, R. (2010). Umiker's Management Skills for the New Health Care Supervisor. 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