Motivation of Employees - Essay Example

"What impact can managers and leaders in organisations have on the motivation of employees" Introduction Motivation plays an important role in everyhuman's life. It is only because of motivation that we al get up from bed every morning. When we talk about motivation in an organization it plays a very significant role as it inspires high performance and achievement. There are several studies that reveal that employee motivation is linked to both organisational profitability and excellence. They have also shown that employees' motivation to improve productivity and performance increases when they have challenging goals and receive feedback on their progress. This paper mainly focuses on the impact of managers and leaders on employee's motivation. Many researchers have found that in spite of any theory of employee motivation, the high motivation among them invariably depends on interesting work, pay, good working conditions, appreciation that they receive from their superiors, and job security. These factors are important factors in helping to motivate employee (BPIR.com, 2002). When we look at the advantages of employee it can be pointed out that motivational and inspirational experiences in their organizational life improve employees' attitudes, confidence and performance. Managers and leaders are expected to have exceptionally good leadership qualities and good people-motivation skills and inspirational techniques that will help to improve total productivity. There are several motivational methods. It may range from inspirational quotes and poems, to team building games and activities, warm-ups and exercises for conferences, workshops, meetings and events, which itself can often be helpful for motivation of most of the employees. According to the McGregor's XY Theory of motivation, motivated people perform better. Douglas McGregor who was an American social psychologist, in his 1960 book 'The Human Side of Enterprise' proposed the famous X-Y theory. Theory x and theory y are even today referred to in the field of management and motivation. McGregor's X-Y Theory remains a valid basic principle from which to develop positive management style and techniques. Hence it is important for all the managers to follow some of the basic principles of this theory because McGregor's XY Theory still remains central to organizational development, and to improving organizational culture. This theory is a simple reminder of the natural rules for managing people, which under the pressure of day-to-day work are easily forgotten. According to McGregor there are two fundamental approaches to managing people. In general it is found that many managers follow theory x, and sometimes get poor results. Other managers use theory y, which produces better performance and results, and allows people to grow and develop. In any organization it is found that people playing games or competing in teams learn about each other, and also in this process communicate better and see each other in a new light. It also results in mutual respect. This is the bases on which Johari Window theory is based. The Johari Window model was formulated by American psychologists Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham in the 1950's, while researching group dynamics. The Johari Window model is a simple and valuable tool for illustrating and improving self-awareness, and mutual understanding between individuals within a group in an organization. Today, the Johari Window model is particularly relevant due to modern emphasis on, and influence of, 'soft' skills, behaviour, empathy, cooperation, inter-group development and interpersonal development. People often enjoy events which include new non-work activities, especially when managers and bosses take part in the same teams as their junior staff, which also helps cohesiveness and 'can-do' culture (businessballs.com, 2006). Role of leaders and managers in motivating employees Motivation is a complex area and it is different for each person. It is important to get the alignment and values right, and motivational methods work better. Motivational methods of any sort will not work if people and organisation are not properly aligned. People are motivated for something if they can relate to and something they can believe in (businessballs.com, 2006). Today the challenges faced by the organizations are quite different from the olden times. People are expecting more in terms of opportunity, income, facilities etc. In terms of the role played by managers and leaders it is quite different and it is important to differentiate between them. According to Bernard Bass "Leaders manage and managers lead, but the two activities are not synonymous. Management functions can potentially provide leadership; leadership activities can contribute to managing. Nevertheless, some managers do not lead, and some leaders do not manage" (Bass and Stogdill, 1990). Although managers and leaders functions and roles overlap considerably especially when it deals with motivation, the term manager connotes that authority has been formally granted to an individual by an organization. Management involves power legitimate formal authority that is granted to the occupant of a position by a higher organizational authority. Responsibility and accountability for the use of organizational resources accompany the power accorded to a manager or director. In contrast, the term leader implies effective use of influence that is somewhat independent of the formal authority granted to an individual because of position. Leadership cannot be granted to a person by a higher authority; rather, those who decide to follow bestow it on an individual. While managers have formal authority, leaders have the informal ability to get things done by attracting and influencing followers. Effective managers in any organizations must be leaders also, and many leaders become managers, leaders, and directors. The two sets of roles and functions, however, differ (Steven, 2001). Traditionally managements the term "management" refers to the activities involved in the four general functions i.e. planning, organizing resources, leading a group of people, and controlling and coordinating the organizations system. One of the common views of management is getting things done by a group of individual. To most employees, the term "management" probably means the group of people who are mainly responsible for making decisions in the organization (McNamara, 1999). Leadership is the ability to motivate people to dedicate themselves to a common goal. Here again motivation plays a very important role in bringing out the best in people. Leaders are people who get things done. Team building and vision is the core of leadership. Leadership is all about building peak performing teams, teams focused on accomplishing goals. Leaders are able to effectively communicate and motivate the team to perform the set goals. Psychological research has discovered the following positive personality variables associated with strong leadership that includes warmth, friendliness, self-confidence, ability to stand up to pressure. These researches have also found that the absence of the negative qualities of arrogance, hostility, boastfulness, egotism, and passivity are correlated with positive leadership (Romney, 1996). A leader himself must be motivated enough to motivate others. A good reputation is most important for a leader. A good leader inspires others to follow by setting an example. A leader sets the direction and strives to influence people to follow that direction. He must be a role model who adopts a persona that embodies his mission and vision, and is worthy of imitation. A leader trusts in his team and motivates them for high performance. A good leader is always generous in praising and recognizing each individual who is a performer and appreciate all contributions, big and small. A leader must project fearlessness in facing challenges. A leader must stand firm even in the presence of criticisms, but still having the courage to admit his mistakes (Smith, 2005). The most important attribute for a leader is being principle-centered. Centering on principles that are universal and timeless provides a foundation and compass to guide every decision and every act. All enduring philosophies, religions and thoughts are based on principles such as integrity, compassion, trust, honesty, accountability and others at their core. Leadership is all about communicating to people their worth and potential. It is the influence on others to help them discover their own voice, to find their own purpose, to make their unique contribution, and to release their potential, that truly defines leadership (Khan, 2005). Leadership is the ability to influence people. Leadership is influence. Leadership is important because it influences the destiny of people. Leadership also determines, to a large extent, what a group of people will be able to achieve. Leadership moves people towards common goals, principles and values. Good leadership enables people to work together well, and realize their potential. Good leadership results in strong people and excellent results. A good leader leads by example. The greatest authority in leadership is reserved for those who have done themselves the things they seek to motivate others to do. People what to be part of a winning team. A good leader must be positive even in the face of setbacks, so that people will not be discouraged and give up. This requires the quality of steadfastness and endurance. A good leader is self-disciplined. A good leader can sacrifice his or her present comfort for future benefits, and in this way inspires others to do the same. A good leader manages his or her time well. A good leader invests in others and empowers others to achieve and to become leaders themselves, without being threatened. A typical definition is that "Leaders do the right thing and managers do things right." A more standard definition is usually something like "managers work toward the organization's goals using its resources in an effective and efficient manner." In any organizations, different levels of managers are present they include top managers, middle managers and first-line managers. Top managers are responsible for overseeing the whole organization and typically engage in more strategic and conceptual matters, with less attention to day-to-day detail. Top managers have middle managers working for them and who are in charge of a major function or department. Middle managers may have first-line managers working for them and who are responsible to manage the day-to-day activities of a group of workers (McNamara, 1999). Managers also require well developed interpersonal skills relating to working with others, with the component abilities encompassing everything concerned with managing and leading people. Katz (1974) despite classifying all three categories as 'skills', heralded the importance of distinguishing between the learnable technical skills of management versus the more abstract personal characteristics found in his 'human' and 'conceptual' skill categories. Finally, it can be concluded that people will not in general improve their performance or attitude when they are criticized or de-motivated by de-promotion or things like that. On the other hand people will by and large improve their performance if they are empowered to develop their own strategic capability and responsibility within the organisation. In fact this is a proven concept by several researchers such as McGregor, Handy, Herzberg, Adams, Maslow and all other management and motivation experts. Hence managers and leaders in an organization have specific roles to play when it comes to motivating employees. While managers motivate by providing guidelines, encouragement and appreciation, leaders walk the talk and work along with the employees to spread their motivation to others. Therefore both these people are very important for any organization for its success. References Bass, B.M. and Stogdill, R.M. (1990). Bass and Stogdill's handbook of leadership: Theory, research, and managerial applications. New York, NY: The Free Press. p. 383. BPIR.com, (2002) Employee Motivation: Implementation - How to motivate your staff, [Online] BPIR.com Limited & Massey University, Available from [Accessed on 29 April 2007]. businessballs.com, (2006) Motivational theory. [Online] alan chapman, Available from [Accessed on 29 April 2007]. Katz, R., (1974) Skills of an Effective Administrator. Harvard Business Review, Boston: May 1974, Vol. 52, No. 5: 90-102. Khan, S. (2005), Leadership Development Interview with Stephen Covey, [Online] Available from [Accessed on 29 April 2007]. McNamara, C. (1999) Basics - Definitions (and Misconceptions) About Management. [Online] Available from [Accessed on 29 April 2007]. Romney, P. (1996), Being a Leader, [Online] Available from [Accessed on 29 April 2007]. Smith, D, (2005), How to Lead People, [Online] Available from [Accessed on 29 April 2007]. Steven, J.O. (2001) Understanding Nonprofit Organizations: Governance, Leadership, and Management. Westview Press, Boulder, CO. 93-95. Read More