Motivation Is the Impetus or Force - Essay Example

Motivation Self motivation Introduction Motivation therefore is the impetus or force that drives us to do things this is a result of our individual desires being met so that people have the drive and inspiration to complete the task. These requirements vary from an individual to individual because everybody has their personal needs to motivate themselves. Depending on how well employees are motivated in the work place, it may determine the effort employees put in the work and thus, increase the standard of the output (Kenneth, 2009). Human motivation is an individual characteristic, and not one that fits all options. Most people perceive motivation in terms of high salary this is true because some employees in the work place will be motivated by high salary. However, the wrong reason is that it does meet or satisfy others. This endorses the statement that human motivation is an individual characteristic, and not a one fits all options. The idea of motivation is very essential in business in that it has an effect on the output of business since it concerns quality and quantity. For instance, a business depends heavily on the efficiency of production employees to make sure that goods are produced in large numbers that satisfy the demand of the week. Therefore, if these employees lack motivation to manufacture the goods to meet the demands, then the business faces problems that led to disastrous results. Employee motivation has been listed by business researchers as a key contributor to increased productivity. Every effect or action is normally necessitated by some cause and this is no exceptional to employees’ performance in an organization. What drives people to work is very essential and related to the output of a particular organization. If the employees find satisfaction in the reason for their contribution in an organization, then the outcome of their efforts also improves. Employees with good reasons to work or those motivated to work usually out perform their less motivated counterparts. Aspects listed as good or positive motivation that boost employees performance include, satisfaction as a contributor to an organization’s mission, job security, desire and room for career advancement, employees benefits and wages and enjoyment or passion for work. According to Douglas’ theory of motivation of x and y, people in any organization can be managed in two manner. The first way is the negative which he categorizes as x and the other way is the positive side which he categorized as y. Under the category of theory x, employees in the organization have inner dislike of work and that whenever possible, they tend to avoid work. Due to the fact that they hate working, it is the role of the managers and supervisors to force and threaten them with punishment in order to attain organizational goals. In addition, employees would everything to avoid their responsibilities and do not like to be issued with directions to work. This in turn can affect the business if the manager is not strict. Contrary to theory x, theory y states that mental or physical effort in the work place is as natural as play or rest (Maslow, 1943). More so, it stresses that employees at work do exercise self control and direction if they are committed to those goals. To add on that, average people are ready and willing to take responsibility and exercise creativity in handling organizational problems. In this manner, things are organized and the business will succeed since the average human brain is occupied partly. From this discussion, it can be deduced that theory x suggest that lower needs dominate people and theory y, assumes that high order needs dominate people. Therefore, an organization that uses theory x, tend to be authoritarian, whereby the manager has the power to enforce obedience while the one that uses theory y is participative where organizational aims and needs are integrated thus giving individuals a chance to attain their own goals by directing their energy towards the success of the firm. Both intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation are relevant in any motivational program. However, intrinsic motivation is more preferable as it has a lasting impact. This program is thereby based on intrinsic motivation. The motivational program shall follow the following steps: Identifying Driving Wants This is the starting point of the motivational program. This is meant to guide the participants to understand their inner self and the reason why they want to live a better life. This is also meant to help them picture the beauty of their dreams and change any negative feelings about themselves. Picture Success At this stage, different motivational speakers who have already achieved in various fields talk to participants to prompt the students to imagine success in its real form, imagine themselves enjoying life and doing things they have always wanted to do. This shall help to heighten the personal desire for success, which encourages hard work. Setting Specific Objectives and Goals These goals are used as a tangible target that can be used to evaluate the progress of each individual. In addition, these goals act as an encouragement to work towards the broad dream. This stage is meant to guide students to split their objectives into smaller achievable goals which prompt them to work even harder. Self evaluation At this stage, the whole motivational program is assessed to determine the extent to which it has worked. The results of the participants in the motivation program shall be analyzed for any improvements. In addition, interviews shall be conducted with different students to determine their attitude towards life, their beliefs, and determination to achieve their dreams (Mathis, 2011). Pay is not the strongest motivator for employees. This is because there are situations where there is a high employee turnover rates even in well paying companies. I believe there are other factors that motivate employees more than just a high pay. Some of these include appreciation and recognition from the authorities, employee involvement in decision making in an organization and an employee-friendly working environment. Most of the employees are motivated by the work itself rather than money. Money comes just as a by-product. The emotional sources of motivation are stronger than money and are normally conveyed through the admiration of subordinates, respect of peers, and the approval of an employee’s community and personal network. Contrary to common belief that non-monetary rewards such as praise and recognition are hard to value and are not strong motivators, praise, admiration and recognition form part of the strongest motivators in any organization and although it is hard to attack monetary value to them, they are very valuable because of the impact they have on employees. Employees motivated through the non-monetary rewards tend to be more productive than the ones rewarded by being given more pay. Money is normally a default motivator and the problem normally arises when the prospect of more money becomes the main goal of an individual. Reference Kenneth, T. (2009). Intrinsic Motivation: What really drives employee’s engagement? Berret- Koehler Publisher: Virginia. Mathis, R. L., & Jackson, J. H. (2011). Human Resource Management (13th ed., pp. 318-393). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. Maslow, A. H. (1943). A theory of human motivation, Psychological Review, July 1943, 370- 396. Read More