Dimensions of Motivation - Case Study Example

Dimensions of Motivation Students Name Affiliate Institution Introduction Etisalat is a soul provider of a mobile telephone and telecommunication services in the United Arabs Emirates. The company has extended its services in the Middle East and qualifies as a multinational corporation, (Kolachi, & Akan, 2014). With this status, the company’s human resources elements and its organizational structure must focus on the most appropriate growth and development, (Cole, 2011). To succeed, the firm relies on highly motivated human resources organized into highly efficient teams. The focus of this paper is to evaluate Etisalat’s employee motivation, team work experience and organizational structure as it relate to organizational business health. Introduction to motivational concept The people element in an organization must be motivated in order to achieve certain organizational goals. Employees are motivated after setting up goals, (Ramlall, 2004). Psychologists explain that motivation is intangible because of its nature. It raises motivational feelings and sometimes leads to non-understandable feelings. The psychological theory of motivation creates such an environmental situation that change. For example, if the company supports employees to achieve their personal goals and dreams through activities such as paying tuition for further studies, this form of motivation could be said to be psychological in nature, (Haslam et al., 2000). However, both psychological and physiological motivations are required for modern workplace. The human resource industry considers motivation as an essential tool which will impact the behaviors of any human kind. During employee management the organizational strategy gives more resources to the human resources department. These strategies include developing a friendly and accommodating workplace, providing the tools and technologies that are appropriate for completion of tasks, providing the most appropriate employee training and assigning tasks appropriately. Motivated receptiveness changes on an everyday basis. The environment that could be motivating employees this time would be a different environment that would motivate the same employees next time. Therefore, the human resource department is tasked with updating motivational strategies for the human element anywhere; in the workplace or at home. Humans want more, (Egan et al., 2004). Therefore, they are likely to receive updates associated with motivations. For example, an employee qualified for a financial token the previous year would want something unique this year. Motivational methods vary widely. They include inspirational quotes, warm ups, team building outings, ice breakers, professional training, conferences, workshops, events and meetings. Financial motivation activities are also critical in motivating employees of an organization. Overtime, the human resource department focuses on adapting powerful motivation activities that will influence employees to show better results for their activities. Introduction to organization as a concept A business organization has a specific structure and hierarchy. The people element in an organization forms a system which is dependent on a culture system that guides its operations. An organization has policies that help it create its workflow objectives. An organization has a commercial meaning. For example, for profit organization sell products and services so as to generate profit and revenue. For profit organization creates more revenue than the expenses they use and this objective is different from those of nonprofit organizations. Commercial organization lays emphasis on systematic approach to use when laying their business goals. Organizational leaders work to establish their own mission, vision, value, objectives and strategies that relate to profit making. Organizations thrive on their culture. This culture reflects a shared value that impact’s employee morale and communication strategies. A shared culture also impacts its stakeholders. The culture also promotes formal process and activities that influence the workplace. The unique cultures of the organization evolve through both formal and informal cultures, (Yousef, 2003). Therefore, the cultures should be both the formal and informal cultures cannot be ignored when evaluating organizational status. Organizations are social structures that are managed to meet the needs of collective goals. The management structure determines the relationship that exists among employees and stakeholders of the organization. Introduction to teamwork as a concept In the workplace or in a business project, an individual cannot make all decisions as a single person. Any employee regardless of the rank or position in the workplace cannot make all critical decisions. Teamwork allows diversity of experience and skills. Teamwork creates an environment where employees come together in a common platform to accomplish a common goal. In teamwork, every individual must think of first team as compared to thinking of an individual. The concept of teamwork suggests that personal interests must be set aside. The concept of team work explains the sum of efforts undertaken by all members forming up this team. Teamwork allows all members to contribute positively and equally to team activities. Collaboration in the team aims at working for pre-defined goals. Also, when the team is working together, it is accountable for the results collective performance, (Stewart, 2006). Individual performance is not counted in teamwork rather the team members’ take accountability. The following factors are the elements contained in teamwork platform: discussing tasks within the platform, avoiding negative criticism and replacing it with positive criticism, maintaining transparency, promoting healthy interaction and providing an environment where team members work towards a common goal, (West, 2012). The team should also be trained to avoid conflicts. The team leaders should update to the team the concept of healthy conflict resolution. Also, motivation is the key to maintaining a team concept in which the organization should consider motivating the team through appropriate reward and recognition. Teams are formed through a liking preference, common taste and common attitude. With these characteristics, teams form an important back bone of any organization. Analysis of Motivation in the UAE Company (Etisalat Company) The human resources department’s mission at Etisalat is commitment to employee motivation and satisfaction. This company believes that the well-being of its employees are the key determinants of the company’s success (Cole, 2011). The company also believes that team work is key to creativity and innovation of new products that improve the customer’s satisfaction. Customer satisfaction translates to the company’s improved revenue that is attributed to highly motivated employees who will put all their efforts on working for the company’s process. It is common to see Etisalat Company honoring highly performing teams. The teams comprise of members who display commitment and create new processes, products and services. The company responds to these teams in equal measure and the company’s human resources department is committed to motivating employees who show exceptional quality work. The management at Etisalat recognizes the company’s quantum leap in the regional telecommunications industry, (Etisalat, n.d.). The success is attributed to employee experience and exceptional interdependent skills. The management believes that the employee element is the real asset of the company. Because of their experience and skills Etisalat continues to grow to excellence and the company has an obligation to return favor to employees in equal measure. With employee recognition, the company provides them with the motivation they need so that they can continue developing new skills that will improve the current organizational commercial processes. Etisalat uses both physiological and psychological strategies to motivate its employees. For example, the company organizes an annual employee motivation event. During these events, the company selects top performing employees and rewards them with promotions, financial incentives and majority of the employees benefit from trainings through workshops. The top priority for the company is training its employees on the latest developments within the company’s industry (Etisalat, n.d.). The company trains approximately 6000 of its employees every year through the company’s academy and several of its external training platforms. As one of the largest employer in the UAE, the company benefits from acquiring high quality talent teams that have delivered the company’s results to where it is today. Analysis of Team work in the UAE Company Etisalat value teams and team work. The company relies on high performance teams who are the back bone of the company’s success. Etisalat maintains and invests in high performing teams. Al Ansari (2009) indicates that a team is a group of people who have complementary skills and who are committed to common purpose, common goals and have the same approach of accountability. High performance teams are defined by ability to work in the same environment, (Suliman & Abdulla, 2005). Motivation is also a factor that presses employees to work above levels. At Etisalat high performance teams consistently satisfy the needs of the company and those of the company's customers, investors as well as other stakeholders. High performance teams are preferred because of their ability to outperform teams that produce similar products and services under similar sources, (Ilgen et al., 2005). Sharp (2000) recognized that high performance team's behaviors are those that focus on unleashing their potentials towards stakeholders with a shared purpose. It is common to see the following key enablers for high performance team: team members are highly competency, they have skills, processes, tools and techniques that are appropriate for their tasks. Members have high level interpersonal skills, their communication and their personality preferences are perfect, and they have the same valued systems, including organizational openness, (Castka et al., 2001). The precondition that enable Etisalat employee to be defined as high performing team is the fact that the employer invests in employee satisfaction and that include quality employee motivation. High performance teams are effective. The characteristics of high performing teams include having much discourse, having unlimited contributions towards the team and towards the organization, (Langfred, 2005). High performing teams do not only make it positive all the way. They are allowed to disagree, are dissenters and are over-powered. Members should also feel free to disagree, but encage in constructive criticism. Organizational Structure Organizational structure is defined as a hierarchical arrangement of lines of authority within the firm. Delegation of authority includes communication development of the right duties of the organization. Organizational structure determines the roles, powers and responsibility that are assigned to each department making up the organization, (Tsai, & Eisingerich, 2010). Etisalat is a multinational corporation with a formal organizational structure. The company utilizes a matrix structure that can be defined as international division structure. With this structure each international business is managed on its own but reporting to the central CEO of the company. Each international platform reports to the CEO of Etisalat group who is Eng. Saleh Al Abdooli. The present organizational structure of Etisalat is present in figure.1 below: Organizational structure at Etisalat Company Figure 1: Organizational structure at Etisalat How to improve motivation, teamwork and organizational structure within Etisalat Company? Motivation, teamwork and organizational structure are dynamic. These organizational concepts related to organizational culture does change and organizations need to update these cultural systems. How to improve motivation within the company From modern human resource point of view, keeping the human element within an organization motivated is an asset to the company. Motivated employees will give their best efforts and they will also remain the company for a long time hence reducing employee turn out rate. Therefore, even though Etisalat is doing everything formal and informal to motivate its employees, the company needs to improve on the culture of its communication, (Nohria & Lee, 2008). Communication should be personalized instead of being collective. The line managers and supervisors as well as leaders should ensure that they do not rely on technology alone. Even if the world is technologically oriented, employees are human and they are motivated when they are talked to in person. The human resource department at Etisalat should consider personalizing rewards. This means that the company's HRM should allow employees to choose their own rewards as compared to giving them DNA rewards that repeat each year. How Etisalat should improve teamwork Colenso (2000) has suggested that effective use of teams improve productivity, employee satisfaction and creativity. The presence of effective teams is critical to employee success. Even though Etisalat has managed to keep the most effective teams within the organization, the human resource should update its team motivation strategies. The management should realize that it is difficult to keep a team together. Within this company, the company's management should focus on channeling proper workplace environment among the teams and among members of the teams, (Ayish, 2005). The management should invest quality resources in understanding and providing the needs for the team so as to keep teams motivated. How Etisalat should improve its organizational structure? Currently, Etisalat is using a one size fits all organizational structure. The management should realize that even with its success, industries and the commercial world does change (Douglas, 2006). Even though using a traditional organizational structure can deliver the company's culture, the company should consider using a geographical organizational structure so as to accommodate the firm's expansion to new geographical regions that the company has not been before. Implications of my recommendations My recommendations are based on observing the future of human resources management. I understand that the human resource industry is dynamic. Even though the traditional ways of organizational structure still work, the changing world calls for adoption of new strategies that focus on organizational growth, improved productivity and increased profitability. For example, Etisalat is opening into a world where it has not done business before. This expansion is more likely to use a geographical organizational structure as compared to the current functional structure. A growing organization should respond to changes so as keep up to date with present commercial business needs. Conclusion This paper aimed at evaluating Etisalat’s employee motivation strategies, the organization’s team work, culture and organizational structure. Etisalat is committed to employee motivation because this company believes that its employees are an asset that has made the company what it is today. The company has also adopted a high performance team work systems that are effective. However, Etisalat is still using a functional organization structure where local and international departments all report to a central CEO. This organizational structure will be challenged when this company still expands to far regions with different commercial culture. Therefore, it is appropriate if the company focuses on adopting a modern geographical organizational structure, that can be used both in local and international platform. Reference 1. Tsai, H. T., & Eisingerich, A. B. (2010). Internationalization strategies of emerging markets firms. California Management Review, 53(1), 114-135. 2. Ayish, M. I. (2005). Virtual public relations in the United Arab Emirates: A case study of 20 UAE organizations’ use of the Internet. Public Relations Review, 31(3), 381-388. 3. Suliman, A. M., & Abdulla, M. H. (2005). Towards a high-performance workplace: managing corporate climate and conflict. Management decision,43(5), 720-733. 4. Ansari, Al and Obaid, S M. (2009). 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