Organization Issues: Whos to Blame - Assignment Example

Organization Issues: Who’s to Blame? Once again, the United s is faced with a financial crisis – the greatest, says George Spilka (2008), sincethe Great Depression. Careless residential-mortgage lending since 2004 coupled with unintelligible financial derivatives funded by debt brought the country to the brink, he says. Neither does the culture of greed that has pervaded since the 90s help; specifically, the ‘whizzes’ (as he sarcastically calls them) of Wall Street, led by Alan Greenspan, led to the most excessive and imprudent lending in American history. They believed – correctly – that by the time a crisis reared its ugly head they would have amassed enough wealth to be largely unaffected. This leaves the rest of us to deal with it. And of course, we will all have our own ways of dealing with it. While some companies may try to increase their productivity, others will instead take cost-cutting measures to stay ahead. In the worst case, they could be forced to release workers from their contracts, as sometimes happens in smaller companies. Whatever the case, it is clear that companies, aware of the crisis currently upon us, are doing what they can to adapt. However, it can happen that the biggest obstacles and issues facing these companies are those that are internal. Whether it be poor management, outdated policies and practices, amotivated or worse, incompetent employees, such issues are just as, if not more important than external ones. Since companies are adapting to the financial crisis, those who comprise it must be ready to be flexible as well. Such could be the difference between weathering the storm and declaring bankruptcy. This paper, then, aims to enumerate and discuss one of the most prevalent organizational issues present in light of the recession: motivation. Specifically, its causes, symptoms, and resulting problems will be looked at. Tips from notable figures on how to solve the problem of demotivation will also be discussed. Hopefully, from there, a concrete, general solution can then be proposed. Motivation and the Lack of It According to Nathan Jamail (2008), leaders are hard-pressed to keep their subordinates motivated despite knowing that motivation is a key element in achieving success. This is an important point even in the best of conditions, but just as important – if not moreso - now that the financial crisis is at hand – sadly, some fail to realize it due to the failing economy taking precedence. With leaders worrying about the economy, the more immediate problem of motivation (or lack of it) goes unchecked. Motivation, as defined by Bernard Erven and Robert Milligan (2001), is the inner force that drives behavior and is described by how much one is intent to complete tasks and accomplish goals, as well as the intensity of the intent itself. Motivators and demotivators vary greatly from person to person; what motivates one may utterly and completely demotivate another. But it is generally agreed that most would prefer to be motivated, given the frustration associated with a lack of motivation. Jamail further states how leaders must do their utmost to teach subordinates to stay effective in adverse conditions – to recognize, overcome, and consequently, succeed. However, this may be easier said than done. According to research, the two biggest factors inhibiting leaders from doing their best are losing their jobs to downsizing, and not knowing how to motivate their employees. The first fear is also mirrored by subordinates; if leaders are afraid of losing their jobs, the subordinates must be even more so. Of both fears, Jamail suggests that leaders focus on the tasks they have at hand. In other words, leaders are not supposed to worry so much about downsizing and organizational restructuring; these things are beyond their control at any rate, and it is inevitable that leaders will experience them at one point or another. Instead, it is important that they do the best job they can, focusing on what they can control: their actions, those of their team, and ultimately those of their entire division. This piece of advice echoes the words of an old Catholic prayer, which stresses the need for serenity and acceptance of what cannot be changed, courage for what can, and wisdom to tell them apart. It is also mentioned in Jamail’s article that the economy will eventually rebound, and that it will be bigger and better than ever when it does; all that is uncertain is when this will happen. With this in mind, leaders can either be pessimistic, focusing on the negative things and the problems to be endured – or optimistic, believing that their goals can still be achieved and not letting the downsides get to them. For obvious reasons, the latter is preferred; besides, staying optimistic and motivated yields better results. Not to mention, subordinates will become more motivated when they see how motivated their leader is. This, however, is harder than it sounds. People are made up of energy, passing it on to each other when they communicate. In order to yield long-term motivation, a leader must then come up with plans that factor in and utilize that energy – He must focus on what he can do - on a daily, weekly, monthly or even quarterly basis - in order to achieve goals and maximize motivation. In relation to this, the importance of knowledge is also mentioned; someone who knows much is inclined to be more confident, and more motivated. Thus, motivation is said to result from knowledge and confidence. According to Deborah Roberts of the First Bank of Kamloops (200x), it is inevitable that individuals will reach certain points where they are not motivated at all. This could be caused by different factors; for a start, one’s personality greatly determines how he feels about his job. Managers and supervisors cannot do much to control this variable, but they can at least deal with the external factors that may cause motivation to drop. Contrary to what some managers may think, money alone is not enough to motivate employees. In fact, money may even have demotivating consequences, explaining why most of the workforce is not motivated. Rather, it is advised that employees are shown exactly how their work contributes to the company’s success – in short, they are treated as business partners, resulting in them feel a sense of belonging to that particular company. Giving recognition and credit to deserving employees also goes a long way in raising their self-esteem, motivation, and consequent performance. Suggested Solution Gagne and Deci (2005) cite the cognitive evaluation and self determination theories. The former suggests that external factors such as material rewards, deadlines, surveillance, and evaluations diminish autonomy – the feeling that tells one how much he wants to do a task – in the process undermining intrinsic motivation. However, it is also noted that other external factors, such as providing choices pertaining to the task at hand, enhance autonomy and promote intrinsic motivation. The cognitive evaluation theory also suggests that, in addition to autonomy, one’s level of competence – in other words, how one feels he is suited to that particular task – was an important factor in intrinsic motivation. Studies have shown how completing challenging activities and tasks were found to be more intrinsically motivating. Positive feedback also helps in this regard; not only does one feel good about himself for accomplishing something difficult, the subsequent praise and recognition he receives helps him to realize his skill at that particular area. In contrast, negative feedback diminishes that feeling. However, this theory has its flaws. All observations were conducted in a laboratory rather than an organizational setting, where more realistic results might have been achieved. On a more practical note, most activities being assigned in organizations are not very intrinsically interesting, and strategies to enhance intrinsic motivation may not always be feasible. Besides, most people work to earn money; intrinsic motivation’s decreased emphasis on material rewards comes into conflict with that fact. Meanwhile, self-determination theory differentiates between autonomous and controlled motivation. The former involves acting of one’s own free will – endorsing one’s own actions at the highest level of reflection. On the other hand, one who experiences controlled motivation experiences a sense of obligation; he has to get this done, usually to achieve some material reward. Despite the differences, both brands of motivation stand in contrast to amotivation, or the complete lack of motivation. Such a theory makes use of an autonomy continuum – a diagram showing the degree to which external and internal factors come into play. At one end, one is not motivated at all. On the other end, though, one does something simply for the joy and satisfaction derived from it. The intervening areas illustrate how one’s personality and psychology are involved with regard to how he is motivated to perform certain tasks. In order, one can be motivated either by rewards (in the context of organizations and the workplace, money), the fulfillment he finds in his work, the lessons and values found in his work (such as a social worker joining because ‘it’s for a good cause’), or because the values espoused by his line of work coincide with his own. Taking into account both theories, this researcher suggests that employees and leaders alike do some reflection. Specifically, they are encouraged to reflect on their work, what they find in it, and how this may affect the quality of their output. If they find that they do not like their current work, it is suggested that they ask for transfer to a department where they feel they might be more suited. After all, if he feels his skills match up with the demands of his tasks (competence), he will be more inclined to perform them well (autonomy). References Gagne, Marylene & Deci, Edward L. Self-determination theory and work motivation Journal of Organizational Behavior 2005: 331-362 Roberts, Deborah Analysis of motivation in today’s workforce and recommendations for the First Bank of Kamploops Diss. First Bank of Kamploops 200x Spilka, George The Financial Crisis And Middle Market Acquisitions Business Journal (Central New York) 3 Oct 2008: 17-17 Erven, Bernard L. & Milligan, Robert A. Making Employee Motivation a Partnership Diss. Ohio State University 2001 Jamail, Nathan ‘Keep the Mo’ A Dose of Daily Motivation Builds Momentum Business Management 28 Dec 2008: 32-34 Read More