The Impact of a Reward System on Employee Motivation - Essay Example

?The most crucial aspect of the entire job search and job acquisition process lies within given parameters that are meant to work best for the employee. With this, there are different features of a job to consider before coming up with expectations and aspiration as to what one would expect to find from one’s employers and from the job as a whole. This serves as the goal of this essay: to reflect on expectations from a job based on four aspects, namely, managers and hierarchy, motivation, careers and development, as well as rewards and benefits in defining expectations of future employment. Then first thing to consider is the motivation aspect in work, which serves to determine what is the best level of my performance under the circumstances provided in the terms of employment, especially in the corporate scene. As such, there are factors in this aspect that focus mainly on extrinsic motivation, which is known to be related closely to intrinsic motivation. As a result, there is need to have attention paid to the environment in which I work as an employee following this close-knit relationship, in which offering the right tools for the job to be done should serve as a motivator. This is in addition to presentation of a suitable environment such as lighting and ventilation as depicted by the Maslow hierarchy of needs to eliminate the need for certain things before one can graduate to the next level of productivity (Nader, n.d, p.4). As a result, tools and physical conditions would serve as ate best means of motivation following the need for a highly productive employee. This couples further with making the employer enjoy that which he does as per Taylor’s theory of motivation and this provide perfect motivation to enjoy work (Silver, n.d). In addition, another expectation lies with leadership and hierarchy, which studies have expressed concerns that strategic management is the best way to go when dealing with new employees and developing a company to success. As a result, the key expectation as per this depends on having positions of power and a distribution of authority throughout the organization such that there is not a single employee in the organization that cannot take responsibility. The implication of this is having a hierarchy of authority as called for amongst those that advocate strategic management, but based on more modern systems of interaction following the questionable nature of traditional strategic management and the role of these managers in the said era (Chakravarthy and Henderson, 2007, p.4). Employers that follow new tested means have more appeal that those who stick to traditional means following the image of dynamism that is depict for both employees and clients. This also serves as a motivating factor, especially in the interactions between managers and employees, in which case I aspire to be a marketing manager, as there is immediate feedback and development of corporate behaviour that is unique to the business model of the organization. Reward systems are also to be looked into keenly as it is this that works to motivate employees significantly coupled with conventional motivators such as meeting all their needs at work. This serves for remuneration and compensation for other works and duties fulfilled outside the normal job description, but for the benefit of the organization. The incentives provided for such performances outside of the normal job description are part of larger scheme to improve performance of workers in the organization, and personally as an employee, I am of the opinion that having a scheme such as this boosts individual performance. In addition, it is crucial for the image of the organization in that it pushes employees to work towards the overall success of the organization and every employee wants to be part of a successful organization, and I am no exception. Other forms of rewards and of utmost importance include remuneration as it plays the role of pay for services rendered, and an attractive pay is part of the package expected from future employers no matter how low it is. However, there is need for the employer to ensure that the amount of remuneration is proportional to the amount of work done and quality of services rendered, as it is only this way that a functional relationship between employers and employees can be generated (Mikander, 2010, p.16). Other expectations towards my employer based on current events and past experiences involve issues of careers and development and then opportunities that exist in the organization to progress onwards for personal gain and that of the organization. This includes the experience I acquired for being part of popularization team aimed at selling the policies of my school. As a result of this experience, there were opportunities to develop my skills for both the gain of the school and those of my own. Consequently, I look forward to facing similar condition in my marketing manager position in the organization for which I will work in the future. The main reason for expecting this from future employees is the potential to found a career that is successful and firm, with room for growth rather than regress or even stagnate at the same post. This is best captured by the social cognitive career theory that seeks to explain different models of career development based on different factors that are found in employees (Leung, 2008, p.126). This includes academic and vocational interests, where the organization is expected to offer opportunities to expand academic and vocational abilities as part of incentives and motivational packages for individual success. In addition to this, the organization should be in a position to promote individual goal setting, as this amount of personal freedom is beneficial for both the organization and the individual since the two overlap in career development. Consequently, allowing personal goals also encourages personal choices crucial in ethical development based on rationality and not on what appears to be right or done. Any organization offering these aspects is an organization of choice for my employment with them since it meets career development needs that are crucial for progression, as well as for learning. Learning in this case, refers to acquisition of new skills and knowledge that are beneficial for both employer and employee, and any opportunity as this presented indicates willingness to have qualified staff (Laud, 2004, p.60). Such goal setting is also a part of the experience I have gained so far in life and working with different organizations in marketing policies, and it is these goals that have assisted in my making of decisions and making it thus far. This calls for major expectations in any organization that would like to enrol my services for mutual benefit. In conclusion, organization need to meet the above stated conditions for any employee to feel fully at home and yield maximally, which is not any difference for me. This way, both parties being in harmony, especially with the employer meeting that, which is expected of them, enable achieving organizational and personal goals, while I, as the employee take over my role. References Chakravarthy, B and Henderson, J. (2007). From a hierarchy to a heterarchy of strategies: Adapting to a changing context. [Online] Available at: http://m.imd.ch/research/publications/upload/Chakravarthy_Henderson_WP_2007_01_Level_1.pdf [Accessed 10 July 2013] Laud, A. (2004). Theory and Application of reward shaping in reinforcement learning. [Online] Available at: https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/bitstream/handle/2142/10797/Theory%20and%20Application%20of%20Reward%20Shaping%20in%20Reinforcement%20Learning.pdf?sequence=2 [Accessed 10 July 2013] Leung, S. (2008). The Big Five Career Theories. [Online] Available at: http://www.realtutoring.com/career/bigFiveTheory.pdf [Accessed 10 July 2013] Mikander, C. (2010). The Impact of a Reward system on employee motivation in Motonet-Espoo. Arcada. [Online] Available at: http://publications.theseus.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/16956/carolina_mikander.pdf [Accessed 10 July 2013] Nader, R. n.d. Leadership and Motivation. [Online] Available at: http://www.ibrd.gov.nl.ca/regionaldev/CCB/Leadership/CCB_LeadershipGuide.pdf [Accessed 10 July 2013] Silver, F. (n.d.). Three Major Theories of Motivation. azcentral.com. [Online] Available at: http://yourbusiness.azcentral.com/three-major-theories-motivation-1260.html [Accessed 10 July 2013] Read More