Business Management - Work and Private life relating to Motivation and Stress in Organization - Essay Example

People go to work in order to earn a living to support their families. The actual performance of the worker depends on the level of motivation the person has. Motivation can be defined as the forces within an individual that account for the level, direction, and persistence of effort expended at work (Schermerhorn & Hunt & Osborn, p.102). Motivation varies across cultural boundaries. There are various theories that explain how motivation works. One of these theories is Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.

Maslow’s hierarchy identifies five distinct levels of individual needs. These needs are divided into higher order and lower order needs. Self-actualization and esteem are the higher order needs, while social, safety, and psychological are the lower level needs (Cherry). Higher order needs tend to be more important as workers move up the corporate ladder. Imagine a new worker starting out at corporation. This person does not have any friends among his colleagues. The individual will be motivated to accomplish social bonds with his fellow workers.

Another theory that explains motivation in the workplace is Adam’s equity theory. The equity theory states that people will act to eliminate any felt inequity in the rewards received from their work in comparison with others. An example of equity theory in action would be the case of one worker receiving preferential treatment from the boss. The rest of the staff will feel that the actions of the managers are unfair. A third theory of motivation is Vroom’s expectancy theory. Expectancy theory states that motivation is determined by individual beliefs regarding effort/performance relationships and work outcomes (Valuebasedmanagement).

Companies that reward their employees for achieving higher levels of performance are aligned with expectancy theory. Due to the pressures of the workplace many employees suffer from stress. Stress can be defined as tension from extraordinary demands, constraints, or opportunities (Schermerhorn, et al., p.409). Stress is an unwanted occurrence because it reduces the work performance of the workers and it negatively impacts the health of a person. Workers can feel either constructive or destructive stress.

An example of constructive stress occurs when a person gets a promotion and is starting out his/ her new duties. The person will feel stress because the individual is not accustomed to the new job and the person is overly excited about the opportunity. Destructive stress has a negative impact on the performance and attitude of the worker. An employee that is given too much work and that work must be delivered in an unreasonable short deadline is likely to suffer from destructive stress. Some of the consequences of stress are work are physiological, psychological, and behavioral symptoms.

A person that is stress out at work might become depressed because the individual does not know how to deal with the stress. Organization should offer their employees access to a psychologist or counselor so that they can have a professional to speak too to deal with work related problems. Other techniques to deal with stress include time management, diet and exercise, and assertiveness training. Work Cited PageCherry, K. 2010. “The Five Levels of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.” 3 November 2010.

< http://psychology.about.com/od/theoriesofpersonality/a/hierarchyneeds.htm> Schermerhorn, J., Hunt, J., Osborn, R. 2003. Organizational Behavior (8th ed.). New York: John Wiley & Sons. Valuebasedmanagement.net. 2010. “Expectancy Theory – Vroom Room.” 3 November 2010.