Management and Organisational Behaviour: Motivation and Job Satisfaction - Essay Example

1. Introduction Organizations face challenges amidst globalization which urges them to create value. They are constantly being challenged to develop new, creative and effective structures. This requires managerial intervention and leadership amongst the top executives. Major changes confront the management and the degree of success depends on how the managers are able to handle the situation. The difficult situations that managers can face range from motivating the employees to demonstrating leadership and managing workforce diversity. Roles and responsibilities have changed with the changes at the work place. These require organizational redesign which is meant to improve organizational effectiveness and the ability to adapt to a constantly changing environment (Douglas, 1999). 2. Motivation/Job satisfaction and work performance 2.1 Theories of Motivation Two different approaches explain work motivation – the content theories and the process theories (Analoui, 2000). The content theories explain what actually motivates people to work. As per Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs the basic physiological needs have to satisfied only after which an individual clamours for other needs such as safety needs, need for love, self-esteem or self-actualization. According to Herzberg an employee’s motivation to work is understood when the employee’s attitude to work is understood (Tietjen & Myers, 1998). The attitude of employees depends on two sets of factors – those that generate happy feelings within the worker and hence were task-related and those that give rise to unhappiness but are not task-related. These are directly related to the job but to the conditions surrounding the job. The first sets of factors that give happiness are called motivators which include recognition, achievement, career progression, responsibility and work itself. Motivation is intrinsic and comes from within. Intrinsic motivation has also been referred to in the self-determination theory (SDT), as the tendency to seek out challenges and novelty. Ryan and Deci (2000) contend that “motivation produces”. Intrinsic motivation requires autonomy because controlled approaches can stifle innovation. These are the esteem needs as specified by Maslow. An employee derives feelings of self-worth, accomplishment and pleasure as the use of his skills provide him with intrinsic rewards (Gallagher & Einhorn, 1976). As one need is satisfied, he strives for the satisfaction of other needs and this motivates or influences his behaviour. 2.2 Motivation and Job satisfaction Motivators create positive attitude towards job and satisfies the employees need for self-actualization which is the ultimate satisfaction according to Maslow’s hierarchies of needs (Tietjen & Myers, 1998). Motivators may provide job satisfaction but the absence of motivators does not lead to dissatisfaction. Job satisfaction is critical to efficiency because a satisfied employee translates into as satisfied customer (Malhotra & Mukherjee, 2004). Organizational commitment is also directly related to job satisfaction. Job satisfaction is also related to performance because employees that are not suited to their job will not be able to produce. Autonomy and cooperation contribute to job satisfaction for groups and individuals (Douglas, 1999). As employees perceive positive changes in their jobs, they derive higher levels of satisfaction and motivation but such job changes produce only short-term satisfaction. A transformational change requires innovative behaviour and this conforms to intrinsic motivation. Job satisfaction and intrinsic motivation are not globally uniform concepts as the employee characteristics, culture, age and gender can make a difference to the satisfaction level of the employees (Eskildsen, Kristensen & Westlund, 2003). Specific goals (Seijts, 2001) with an expected level of performance that are set with employee involvement can help achieve organizational goals (Amaratunga & Baldry, 2002) because the employee is motivated. Southwest Airlines is well known for its human resource policies. They treat every employee as a part of the family and the employees are involved in the decision-making process. Their success is attributed to a highly motivated and productive workforce and they are encouraged to take responsibility for their acts (Bunz & Maes, 1998). Their way of motivation is to give them challenging jobs and the work environment is relaxed. Thus, motivation, job satisfaction and work performance are all related to how the management handles the issue. 3. Leadership qualities Effective leadership requires the ability to influence, win the trust and commitment of others and deal with change. Leadership requires vision, direction, strategies, motivation and inspiring. Leadership is the essential element that holds an organization together while moving it forward (RIG, 2005). Initially it was believed that the characteristics of the individual matters but later it was felt that since leadership is a process the style of leadership is important. While there are several styles such as situational and contingency leadership, the most discussed and applicable styles of leadership are transactional and transformational leadership. Transformational leaders have the ability to establish their values and beliefs and be consistent with them. They possess the ability to influence others and determine the course of change where in transactional leadership a transaction or an exchange takes place between the leaders, colleagues and followers (Working Futures, 2005). This style basically involves settings things right for others bit no planned change can be implemented. On the other hand it may restrain the forces of change. In the transformational leadership, the leader simplifies the process and inspires others to change. He empowers others to take responsibility whereas transactional leadership is coaching and task-oriented. Transformational leadership has a long-term focus whereas transactional leadership has a short-tem focus. Transactional leadership manages outcome, they grant the opportunity like speaking the truth, keeping promises and imposing sanctions while transformational leadership, through characteristics such as values, justice, honesty, truth and human rights, enables one to embrace change of heart (Bass & Steidlmeier, 1998). Mahatma Gandhi was a transformational leader whereas Dalai Lama is a transactional leader. Transformational leadership is more applicable in today’s circumstances because it helps to raise the level of awareness and significance of the values and policies of the company. Individuals are empowered to take responsibility. When Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries plc (W&DB) UK took over two breweries, massive downsizing took place, which affected the survivors (Pollitt, 2006). The staff morale was down and they felt uncared for. Through transformational leadership, through dissemination of information, the employees were taken into confidence which helped to boost the morale of the employees and the company was back to normal. Certain traits are essential in a leader even if the trait theory has not been well accepted. A leader must be able to lead by example. He must have confidence in himself to be able to lead change. Determination, integrity and sociability are consistent in born leaders (Knes, 2006). They know how to get support from the people and then make them self-sufficient. An example of a transformational leader is Sultan Qaboos of Oman who undertook a long and arduous process to transform the nation and its people. 4. Organizational structure – roles and responsibilities. The organization structure depends upon the strategy of a firm which in turn depends upon the mission, the culture, the size, the nature and culture of the organization. Nitro, being an advertising firm, has its structure based in a way that it can be responsive to the customer needs (McShane & Glinow, 2008). The have a virtual global agency where each local office has account service staff. Nevertheless, whenever necessary they can have a global team. An organization structure can be functional, product-centric, customer-focused, matrix or a virtual organization. The dimensions of an organizational structure include authority (level of centralization, span of control), communication and control systems. Flatter structure became popular as it supports empowerment, cut costs and brings the decision-makers closer to the front line staff. In denaturalization the decision making authority is dispersed through out the organization. As firms grow, they have to standardize their procedures, rules, procedures, formal training and related mechanisms. However, formalization can reduce flexibility and employees feel disempowered. IBM had a tall structure as per the chart below: IBM had to eventually create a matrix structure as they expanded and as they developed multiple product lines, served many different customer segments and operated in multiple countries. A matrix organization has a dual-authority structure as shown in the chart below and also creates dual responsibility. A matrix structure becomes necessary when there is a combination of function, product, customer and geography. IBM has a balance matrix where power is shared equally between the project manager and the functional managers. This change in structure gave the people clear accountability within a specific business function and allocation of specialized skills was managed efficiently. It led to better on core business objectives, and coordination was easier to meet the dual demands of the customers. Matrix structure balances the need for teamwork and information sharing. Whether it is engineering or a marketing firm, the employees are temporarily assigned to a specific project team and they have a permanent functional unit (McShane & Glinow, 2008). Communication improves and innovation can be expected. However, in a matrix structure, dual authority could result in role ambiguity and shirking of responsibilities or accountability. To avoid this, an organization must ensure that people possess excellent interpersonal skills and intense training. It also requires great effort to maintain power balance as politics could lead to more conflicts. As a firm grows in size there has to be standardization and decentralization to improve productivity. They must be able to respond innovatively to the changing environment. 5. Cultural influences Organizational culture is the sum total of the elements that make up the personality of an organization. It is a set of meanings shared by a group of people and the group is able to relate better as they are bound by these norms. Culture, according to Schein (1998) encompasses beliefs, values, norms, ideology and managerial style. When resistance to change is encountered, it is referred to as cultural change. The culture of an organization usually lags behind the reality. The culture is defined by a set of beliefs but when the reality changes these beliefs or the culture does not change. To have a winning strategy the organization must determine the beginning point of the culture. Through observation and discussions, the leader has to determine whether the organizational culture is in sync with the current business environment. At Micro Switch the managers continued to think of their company as the market leaders for years even after the customers had come to think of electric switches as dinosaurs. Micro Switch could never imagine that their customers could switch suppliers despite their price increases. This is lagging behind reality (Duck, 2004). Retailers like Wal-Mart changed the landscape of retail shopping but Gillette took a long time to realize this. They had the culture of dictating the terms for sales and delivery and they did not realize when and how Wal-Mart had started controlling the market. These suggest that an organization needs to change its course of action and working system to suit the market place. Each organization has its own personality that determines its behaviour. Arthur D Little and McKinsey were in the same business but worked differently due to different organizational cultures that influenced their work pattern (Steen, 2003). The corporate culture depends to a large extent on the attitude of the senior managers. Arthur D Little did not consider data analysis as important and they had several strategies as consultants. They were happy with their chaotic organization but McKinsey backed every conclusion by data and followed strict format for presentations. They had the culture to constantly improve upon their previous weaknesses. This when repeatedly practiced becomes the corporate culture over time and is practiced by individuals and teams. Globalization has brought about workforce diversity but national cultures continue to play a dominant role in determining the practices and operations. Societies develop common set of beliefs that are handed down from one generation to another and these are difficult to change. Realizing this, Motorola undertook a firm-wide training and corporate training investment through its corporate university, ‘Motorola University’ (Shaw, 2005). Employees have to necessarily complete 40 hours of training every year. The company offers this training across 100 sites in 24 countries spanning six continents. They are thus able to provide training and development to all the employees including manufacturing and operations. In addition, the employees are trained in leadership and trans-cultural studies, in technology and the emerging markets. This ensures that the entire workforce globally views a particular market and has the same perception as they see through the same lens – the culture is unified. They become a part of the value chain. 6. Challenges confronting organizations Management of people has become more challenging than managing products, service quality or processes (Gollan, 2006). There is a definite relationship between employee performance and their attitude. Change in an organization can arise due to mergers, downsizing, change in the work pattern forced by the global business environment. Most often change gives rise to resistance. Resistance to change can occur due to several reasons. When the purpose of change has not been communicated properly it can lead to misunderstandings (Hoang, 2007). People are used to a certain pattern of working and do not like to disturb the equilibrium. They presume that they would not be able to work in the new automated environment. Employees also fear changes when they feel downsizing could take place as fewer employees would suffice due to advanced technology. Kent County Council (KCC) is one of the largest UK local authorities. During 1990s, a turbulent government agenda led to cuts in public expenditure, local government review, compulsory competitive tendering and new legislation demanding the local authority (KCC) was required to attain more with fewer resources (Beard & Rees, 2000). Organizational restructuring took place as human and financial resources were further cut. The green team members were unable to attain a competitive edge. KCC’s environmental programme allowed risk taking and adopting initiatives. KCC could bring about a revolutionary change by adopting private business practices and philosophies into the public sector. This led to identity crisis, demoralization and insecurity for some time. KCC had 12 different departments and each department had voluntary ‘green teams’ of people from differing positions of responsibility. The planning department surrounded by departmental management hierarchy and could hardly achieve any progress. The green teams plated a significant role by bring about transformation. Staff training helped to translate environmental rhetoric into reality. Awareness could be brought among the staff and they could be sensitized. Individuals were motivated to move from the state of intent to one of implementation. The success was limited from various department but the biggest achievement in the process was that the concern for environment became synonymous with good business practice even though there conflicts on some fronts. This example of KCC demonstrates that through organizational restructuring, through the right leadership, through motivation and training, it is possible to change the culture of an organization. Behavioural patterns, the thought patterns and cultural change are possible. Conflicts would still exist but the organization starts realizing how far they are from reality. It serves to motivate, provide job satisfaction, change the work patterns, and make them conscious of the changes necessary for survival and growth. References ABC, 2006, Organizational Structure & Design. 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