Employees Motivation and Job Satisfaction - Research Proposal Example

Student Name: Tutor: Title: HRM Research Proposal Course: Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Introduction 2 Background and literature review 3 Aim and objectives 6 Research methods 6 Qualitative methodology 7 Quantitative methodology 8 Data collection 8 Data presentation, coding, analysis and interpretation 9 Ethical considerations 9 Limitations of the research 10 Time frame-Gantt Chart 11 Closing Summary 12 References 13 Introduction Employees’ motivation and job satisfaction plays a major role in productivity of any given company. Managers have to find ways of motivating the workforce to give their best in their capacity in the organization. There are various ways that can be used by managers to motivate employees. Both intrinsic and extrinsic incentives are required to boost the morale of the employees and make sure there are performing to the best of their ability (Baldoni, 2012). Employees have to be involved in decision-making in order to give them a sense of belonging in the organization. Promotion and financial benefits play a role in motivating employees to work harder. The emphasis of the higher education sector in the United Kingdom on the employability of university graduates calls for investigation of the difference in human motivation for graduates and non-graduates (Lauby, 2005). Abraham’s Maslow’s hierarchy of needs provides a good ways of comparing the two groups through research. Sources of motivation can be different for different categories of people and the level of education plays a role in this. Managers have to be in a position to tell what motivate different employees within the workforce in order to increase productivity. This research proposal seeks to explore motivating factors among graduate and non-graduate employees within organizations. Background and literature review Motivating employees effectively has long been one of the most crucial and challenging duties of management. Motivation defines the psychological processes that results into excitement and persistence of actions that are voluntary targeting a certain goal. Since motivation can be individualized to a high degree, managers employ a variety of techniques to make sure their employees are happy and motivated (Dewhurst, Guthridge & Mohr, 2009). Consequently, it is prudent for managers to comprehend the psychological processes that encompass motivation in order to effectively lead employees into achieving organizational goals. Needs theories try to point out internal factors that influence an individual behavior and are founded on the premise that people are usually motivated by needs that are unfulfilled (Udechukwu, 2009). Needs refer to physiological or psychological insufficiencies that provoke some kind of behavioral response in a person. An individual’s needs can vary from weak to strong and can differ depending on environmental factors, place and time (Kurtz & Boone, 2008). One of the most known theories of needs is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory. Maslow stated that motivation is an outcome of an individual urge to fulfill five fundamental needs: physiological, social, safety, esteem and self-actualization. These needs have a capacity of creating internal pressures that influences the behaviour of an individual. Physiological needs describe those needs that are required in order for someone to survive such as food, air, shelter, clothing and sleep. Managers are able to account for physiological needs of the employees through offering working conditions that are comfortable, work hours that are reasonable and necessary breaks for using the washrooms and also eating (Sommerville, 2007). Safety needs are those types of needs that offer an individual a sense of security and well-being. Financial security, good health, personal security, protection from accidents, harm and any adverse effects comprise of safety needs. Managers can account for safety needs of employees through providing secure compensation, safe working conditions, and job security which is very important when the economy is bad. Social needs are also known as love and belonging. They refer to the need of feeling a sense of acceptance and belonging (Ryan & Deci, 2000). Social needs are very necessary to human beings so that they do not feel alone, depressed and isolated. Family, friendships, and intimacy work in fulfillment of social needs. Managers can enhance social needs of their employees through making sure employees know each other, encouraging working in teams, being a supervisor who is kind and accessible and enhancing good work-life balance. Esteem needs describe the need for self-esteem as well as respect, where self-respect is more important as compared to gaining respect and admiration from other people. Managers can meet esteem needs of employees through offering recognition and praise when people do well, and offering additional responsibility and promotion to emphasize the belief that they are valued within the organization (Altshuld & Witkin, 2000). Self-actualization needs are the need of a person to reach his full potential. It is maximizing one’s potential. The need to be what one is capable of is very personal. These kinds of needs are individualized. One may want to be the best footballer in a club while another may want to be the best teacher in a school. Managers can provide for self-actualization needs through offering challenging work, encouraging employees to participate during decision-making as well as offering them with flexibility as well as autonomy in their job positions (Gitman & McDaniel, 2007). Maslow believed that the needs are arranged in a hierarchical order. The progression principle calls for lower-level needs have to be met before the next level. The deficit principle states that once a need is met it stops being a motivator since an individual will only strive to fulfill unmet needs. The physiological needs are placed at the base of the pyramid while self-actualization needs are at the peak of the pyramid where a person attains his reach potential in life (McGuire, 2012). Before an individual take action takes action to satisfy a need at any level on the pyramid the needs below it must be satisfied first. There is a deliberate move in the United Kingdom higher education sector to emphasize more on the employability of university graduate. Students desire tangible benefit for pursuing a degree in regard to increase in university fees. Whereas it has been critiqued in academic literature, Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs put forward an important principle for human motivation. This research aims to establish any significant differences in this area of human motivation between graduates and non-graduates (Axinn & Pearce, 2006). The research will seek to find out reasons why findings of the two groups may be significantly different or similar. The research will establish the difference in motivation among graduates and non-graduates. There are plenty of opportunities to motivate employees using job design, management style, company events as well as compensation packages. Not every person is driven by the same needs and people can be motivated by different factors at different times (Lee, Park, Lee & Lee, 2007). Managers have to comprehend the needs that are being pursued by each employee in order to create channels of satisfying them. It is important to decipher the needs level that the employees is operating at and use the needs as avenues of motivation. However, different cultures place different needs like social needs as important that other needs. Abraham’s hierarchy of needs does not apply universally across the board (Ramlall, 2004). Non-graduates and graduates will have different aspirations and hence differ in their source of inspiration within the workplace (Basset-Jones & Lloyd, 2005). This research seeks to point out the likelihood of existing differences in the way of motivating graduates and non-graduates to decipher the trend by the higher education sector in the United Kingdom. Aim and objectives Human motivation is very important for the workforce and determining sources of motivation for employees is crucial. This research will seek to establish different motivating factors among employees. The objectives of this research will include: To establish motivating factors among graduate employees To find out motivating factors among non-graduates To investigate job satisfaction among non-graduates To establish job satisfaction among graduates To establish a managers’ preference between graduate and non-graduate employees To find out demotivating factors among non-graduate and graduate employees in organizations Research methods Data collection refers to the process of gathering as well as measuring information on specific variables in a research in a systematic manner. The aim of data collecting is capturing quality evidence which then translates to rich data analysis and gives room to creating a credible and convincing answer to questions under investigation. Researchers have choices between primary data as well as secondary sources and they can use both. Primary data is collected through research by the researcher such as observation, interviews, action research, case studies, questionnaires, life stories, longitudinal studies, ethnographic research (Harrell & Bradley, 2009). Secondary sources are the type of data is already in existence such as official statistics, previous research, mass media products, letter, diaries, government report, historical data and information, web information. Secondary sources will be important in writing out the literature review and building the background to the study. Both qualitative and quantitative techniques will be used in collection and recording of data. Qualitative research methods are time consuming hence data is usually collected using small samples as compared to quantitative approaches. This makes qualitative research quite expensive (Harrell & Bradley, 2009). Qualitative approach is beneficial since the information is richer and possesses deeper insight into the phenomenon that is being studied. Some of the main methods used to collect qualitative data include focus groups, individual interviews, action research, and observations. The research will make use of online survey in order to get huge quantitative and qualitative information. Surveys are good at gathering huge amount of data hence offering a broad perspective. Surveys can be administered by telephone, electronically, face-to-face, or by mail. Electronically and mail administered surveys have a broad reach and are quite less expensive to administer, the information is standardized and there is high level of privacy. However, issues cannot be investigated and great lengths. Qualitative methodology The qualitative plan will utilize face-to-face interviews, telephone interviews, and surveys. The sample population will involve four companies chosen from at least different industries like manufacturing, service, transport and telecommunication. A sample of a fifty employees from each company will be involved in this research. Therefore the research will involve 200 employees from four different companies. 25 of the employees should have university degrees while 25 others should have other qualification and not a university degree. The sample will involve assistant managers, supervisors, clerks, and subordinates. The characteristic of the population will cut across all the samples. Interviews will be arranged with at five assistant managers in the company and recorded using audio-recorders. The assistant managers will be selected randomly from different departments of the company. Questionnaires with open-ended questions will be administered to fifteen supervisors selected randomly across the company. Questionnaires will also be administered to ten clerks across different departments of the organization. The clerks will be selected at random. Other questionnaires will be administered to 20 subordinates selected randomly across various departments of the organization. The questions will involve aspects of motivation, absenteeism, remuneration, working conditions, opportunities for growth and work-culture at the organization. The results will be recorded and the questionnaires collected from the respondents. The data collection will also involve observation of work reporting and exit of various workers to determine aspects of motivation and passion for their work. Qualitative research will also be gathered in five focus groups involving four employees from companies. Focus group meeting will last fifteen to twenty minutes. Focus groups will combine elements of both participant observation and interviewing. Observational techniques will also be used in collection of qualitative data. Quantitative methodology Quantitative plan will involve online surveys of two hundred workers working for various companies selected randomly from various industries. The participants will give their response to an online survey on their level of education, sources of motivation, and their ideal working environment. Surveys are important for data collection for huge data collection. The responses will be captured and recorded. Questionnaires with closed-ended and open-ended questions will be mailed to one hundred employees across different organization in the country. The frequency of their responses to various questions will be recorded and interpreted later. Data collection The research will utilize secondary and primary resources of data. Data collection is very crucial for any research. Data collection that is inaccurate can impact negatively on the results of the study leading to invalid results. Both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods will be used. Qualitative data collection methods make use of random sampling as well as data collection instruments that which fit various experiences into predetermined response categories. Quantitative research focuses on testing of hypothesis that has been derived from theory and being able to give the actual estimate size of the phenomenon being studied. Participants will be randomly assigned to different treatments depending on the type of research question. A larger population can make use of probability sampling when selecting participants for the research (Olsen, 2011). Qualitative data collecting strategies include clinical trials/experiments, observing and recording events that are well-defined, getting relevant data in the management information systems, and administering surveys with questions that are closed-ended such as telephone and face-to-face interviews, and questionnaires (Olsen, 2011). In quantitative research interviews are more structured as compared to qualitative research. In interviews that are structured the research follows a standard set of questions without adding anything more. Face-to-face interviews will enable the research assistants to build rapport with the participants and hence gain their support and trust. These kinds of interviews get the most response rates within a survey research. They give an opportunity to research assistants to give clarification any ambiguous answers when suitable. The method is time consuming and expensive and impractical where a large sample is involved. Telephone interviews will be less time consuming and less expensive and many people are reachable as long as they have a telephone. Response rate are less as compared to face-to-face interview but more that mailed questionnaires (Harrell & Bradley, 2009). Qualitative methods of data collection play a crucial role in impacting evaluation through providing information that is useful to understand the process behind the collected results as well as evaluate changes in the perceptions of people concerning their well-being. Interviews and focus groups are commonly used for gathering qualitative data. Interviews will be used to collect both qualitative and quantitative information from the participants in the field (Olsen, 2011). Structured questionnaires with closed questions will gather quantitative data and unstructured questionnaires with open-ended question will be used to gather qualitative data. Data presentation, coding, analysis and interpretation Data gathered will be represented using statistical tools such as tables, charts, bar graphs, line graphs, divided circles, shading, and pie-charts. The information gathered will be recorded and coded for ease of interpretation and analysis. Coding will enable the information to be presented easily using the statistical tools. The questionnaires will be collected and the information gathered coded and tabulated in a way that can be easily analyzed. Data will be analyzed using likert scales, other statistical methods, and translations. The analyzed data will be interpreted to give inference to the formulated hypothesis. The report will be written from the analyzed data. Ethical considerations The research will be carried out in an ethical manner following recognized methods and standards in gathering, recording, presentation and analysis of data. Data gathered from the field will be presented without distortion to reflect the views of the respondents. In case of access to a premise or organization the relevant authorities will be notified or asked for permission following the recommended channels. Protocol will be observed with no attempt to circumvent any channel. Proper procedures will be used to access business premises or personal property of potential respondents. The data collected in the field will be presented without alterations as the desire of the respondents (Olsen, 2011). The respondents will be notified on the importance of the research and how their participation is vital. The research assistants will fully inform the respondents on the use of the information and the importance of their participation in the research before seeking their consent. The research assistances will keep the information given by the respondent confidential and only reveal anything to the public with the consent of the respondent. The research assistants will respect the right of respondents to privacy and cover the identity of the correspondent. Names and addresses of respondents will remain confidential. Personal views will remain anonymous unless with the consent of the respondent. Research assistants will be properly trained on how to represent the facts in the field without personal bias or academic dishonest. Any material used from secondary sources will be properly referenced to avoid plagiarism and issues of copy right infringement. Any work obtained from other scholars in previous studies will be fully recognized. Limitations of the research Personal bias will be a big limitation to the research since it affects the information that is provided by the participants. The ambiguity in responses provided by participants particularly for qualitative research cannot enhance credibility and quality of the research. Time will be a limiting factor since not all the results will be collected from every participant in the research within the time provided. Language barrier can be a problem where workers from other nationalities are involved and cannot properly interpret the questions being asked in the research. The limitation of language barrier will be overcome through use of interpreters or using simple language that is easily understood. The bias by the research assistant can distort the information that is being gathered in the field. Regardless of the effort to limit personal bias collection of data can have some element of it. Personal bias will be overcome through proper training of research assistant and explaining the impact of bias on result outcomes. There will be deliberate effort to overcome any challenges that will arise in the course of this research. Time frame-Gantt Chart The research will last a period from one year from preparation of the research design to report presentation June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar April May Reach design Questionnaire preparation Testing questionnaires Pilot study Emailing questionnaires Conducting online surveys Conducting telephone interviews Focus groups Face-to-face interviews Data collection Data analysis Data presentation Report writing Report presentation Closing Summary Motivation plays an important role in enhancing productivity and boosting the morale of workers. Abraham Maslow’s theory of needs plays an important role in informing managers on what to prioritize in order to motivate their employees. Employees can be motivated by different factors that managers have to be aware of. The level of education will define the sources of motivation of different employees. This research is important in defining what employees have to do in motivating non-graduate and graduate employees. Graduate employees will be motivated in different way as compared to the non-graduate employees. Social needs sometimes take precedent in other cultures as compared to others where security needs are important. Managers will find the results of this research very crucial in designing programs for motivating their employees. This research proposal lays the foundation of a research that will explain if any, the differences between motivating factors among graduate and non-graduate employees. References Altshuld, J., & Witkin, B.R., 2000, Transferring Needs into Solution Strategies, Newbury Park, CA: Sage. Axinn, W.G., & Pearce, L.D. 2006, Mixed Method Data Collection Strategies, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Baldoni, J. 2012, Great Motivation Secrets of Great Leaders, New York: McGraw-Hill. Basset-Jones, N. & Lloyd, G.C. 2005, Does Herzbergs Motivational Theory have staying power”? Journal of Management Development, 24 (10): 57-56. Dewhurst, M., Guthridge, M. & Mohr. E., 2009, Motivating People: Getting Beyond Money, McKinsey Quarterly, Organization Practice. Harrell Margaret C., Bradley Melissa 2009, Data Collection Methods: Semi-structured Interviews and Focus Groups, RAND, New York. Gitman, L., & McDaniel, C. 2007, The Future of Business: The Essentials, Cengage Learning, Sydney. Kurtz D.L., Boone, L.E. 2008, Contemporary Business, Cengage Learning, Lauby, S.J. 2005, Motivating Employees, American Society for Training and Development, New York. Lee, H. E., Park, H. S., Lee, T. S., & Lee, D.W., 2007, Relationships between LMX and subordinates’ feedback-seeking behaviors, Social Behavior & Personality: An International Journal, 35: 659–674. McGuire K.J., 2012, Maslow's hierarchy of needs, An introduction, GRIN Verlag, Olsen W. 2011, Data Collection: Key Debates and Methods in Social Research, SAGE Publications, London. Ramlall, S., 2004, A Review of Employee Motivation Theories and Their Implications for Employee Retention within Organizations, Journal of American Academy of Business: 52-63. Ryan, R., & Deci, E. 2000, Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being, American Psychologist, 55(1), 68-78. Sommerville K.L., 2007, Hospitality Employee Management and Supervision: Concepts and Practical Applications, John Wiley & Sons. Udechukwu, I.I., 2009, Correctional Officer Turnover: Of Maslow’s Needs Hierarchy and Herzberg’s Motivation Theory, Public Personnel Management, 38 (2) 69-82. Read More