Motivation in the Perspective of Equity Theory - Literature review Example

Motivation College: Introduction The work performance of employees is greatly affected and shaped by motivation. Thus, many practitioners and scholars have spent much time researching on motivation, its prospects and impact on employees’ performance. The result of this intense research has culminated to varied approaches and theories, developed to try and explain the manner in which motivation of employees shapes both the private and the public sectors. However, most of the research carried out has fallen short of explaining the real practicality of motivation. Moreover, some have been limited to explaining the result in the private sector alone. The greatest challenge in today’s public sector lies with the complexity of financial issues (Walster, Walster & Bershcheid, 1978). With the limited finances, the government is in a fix to try and make the best out of employees through adequate and sufficient motivation. The government is struggling to acquire more out of the employees for lesser value. This calls for the presence of highly productive and efficient staff members, a headache for most of the managers. Despite the fact that several factors have an impact on the productivity of jobs, the performance aspect is vital in achieving this desired productivity. Gerhart, Barry & Rynes (2003) indicate that organizational goals are usually achievable through the work of the employees and their performance. This job performance is an amalgamation of four different variables namely motivation, the grasp of the task at hand, environment and the ability of the employees to deliver. Achieving a perfect and productive performance, however, requires that the employees possess the necessary tools and knowledge for the business and have the will to deliver in their business. In this aspect, motivation can be equated directly with performance. Hence, motivation turns out to be an integral part in any private or public organization (Smith, 1994). Literature review A number of scholars have plunged into this subject, coming out with several antecedents of motivation in the public sector, with a few in relation to the private sector. The research begot the Public Service Motivation- PSM, a motivational theory that was conceptualized in trying to address the difference of motivation in the public and the private sector. The focus of this theory bases on the intrinsic the employees to serve and to work. Motivation can be said to be limited to the theoretical frameworks only. Better still; the managers have to find a way of translating the motivation in question into workable formats so as to impact on the efficiency of the workers. This situation mainly applies to the public sector in the United Kingdom, specifically because the financial crisis has overstrained the government. Motivation has been subject to research, leading to the formulation of several theories to try and explain what motivation is (Skinner, 1953). Instinct Theory of Motivation: In this theory, the motivation of people is derived from an evolutionarily programmed aspect. An example of this theory is the seasonal animal migration. As opposed to learning the pattern, the animals automatically migrate. This theory builds observes the instincts of human to be responsible for the motivation. However, this theory fell short of explaining behavior but just defined it (Maslow, 1943). Incentive theory: This theory focuses on the fact that external rewards are responsible for people’s motivation. An example is getting to work due to the monetary gains attached to doing the work. The driving theory: The drive theory looks into the fact that individuals get the motivation to do certain things as a result of their internal tensions caused by certain undone things. Motivation in the perspective of J. Adams and Equity Theory J. Adams tries to elaborate on the motivation through his equity theory. The basis of his argument if the aspect that satisfaction is highly dependent on the equitable distribution of resources across the board. The theory of equity was developed in the year 1963. This theory presents a proposition that the motivation on the side of the employee can only be achieved through fairness in an organization. The fairness helps to maintain the co- workers relationships in an organization and keeps the workers motivated to deliver more on their duties. Input’s ratio to outcome forms the fundamental basis of the equity theory. The employees’ contributions to the organizations define inputs (Kreitner, 2005). In the theory, Adams (1965), Adams alludes to the two concepts that are primary to the exchange between employers and other employers. In order for motivation to be realised, both the employer and the employee need to play their parts of the bargain. For instance, the employees input personal appearance, expended efforts, personality traits, creativity, seniority, skills and education or training. On the other hand, the business or the employer offers promotions, job security, assignment that is challenging, medical covers, and bonuses among other things. Through this module, the employee feels motivated by the group (Kovach, 1997). Motivation of public sector workers in the United Kingdom and relation to Adam’s theory According to Dickson (1993), there have been proposals fronted for improving the public sector in the United Kingdom. One of the proposals that have dominated this aspect has been the motivation of workers in the public sector. Research and proposals have pointed to the fact that the sole way of achieving the desired productivity in the public sector is through intrinsically motivating employees. According to the Britain’s longitudinal data, the majority of people are attracted toward working in the public sector mainly due to the intrinsic motivation that exists therein (Buford, Bedeian & Lindner, 2005). There is evidence that supports the aspect that a reduction on the propensity of individuals who are motivated in the UK public sector is as a result of extrinsic rewards that are extrinsic. A lower level of motivation is the main cause of poor performance. Furthermore, it has been established that lowering the level of extrinsic motivation leads to an increase in the work quality (Higgings, 2004). The motivation of the public sector in the UK widely borrows from Adam’s equity theory. The equity theory focuses mainly on the fact that the employees need to be equal in level and at par in order to achieve the desired result in their jobs. This amounts to motivation. Both intrinsic and extrinsic motivations are very fundamental aspects in achieving efficient performance in the UK. The theory addresses the issues that have rocked the public sector in the UK. There have been many inequalities in the public sector, hence leading to lack of motivation in the sector. Just as Adam puts it, there is the need for governments to ensure that equity is achieved across the board (Bowen & Radhakrishna, 1991). This means that individuals under the same department, same educational qualifications and the expertise needed should be treated equally. For Instance, the UK’s public sector is characterized by imbalance in terms of information and the motivation. In many circumstances, there are individuals who work on the same job and put similar inputs. However, the government may raise the salary of one of the employees, leaving the other one waiting. An employee who has been left behind will have a sense of inequality. It goes without saying that in such as scenario, the employee who has been left out usually lacks the motivation needed to propel the organization to transcendent heights. Individuals who do not feel equally treated do deliver poor work quality. This disparity is there is in the UK government’s sector (Herzberg, Mausner & Snyderman, 1959). On Adams’ theory of equity, results and inputs are very instrumental in the achievement of motivated employees. This is what has been a great challenge to the UK government. An individual’s input in an organization is defined as the contributions of an individual that amounts to the person being entitled to costs or rewards. An individuals input can either be an asset or one that is a liability. In the theory, the inputs of an individual are used as a measure to determine and to separate the employees in terms of earnings so as to motivate everyone. The UK government has been struggling to achieve this equity. On the other hand, outcome is used to refer to the negative or positive consequences that come as a result of the perceived participation of an individual. The state of UK should work towards ensuring that there exists a very minimal gap between outputs and inputs. This will eventually lead to the employees being satisfied with the work that they are doing. This commitment and feeling of belonging and equity has been missing in the public sector of the UK. The government needs to ensure that there are results in equal proportions to the inputs by the employees (Harpaz, 2004). Unfolding of the Equity Theory in UK Just as Adams had proposed, the public sector in the UK provides for four different instances of thwarting of motivation. Firstly, the lack of equal treatment has been lacking. This culminates to lack motivation hence reducing the quality of performance of employees. The worker is forced to maximize the results. Secondly, the government of UK has overlooked the importance of motivation among the employees. This has led to the employees engaging in the maximization of rewards that are collective. However, the UK government has been trying to reward individuals in respect to the input they put at work. Workers in the public sector in the UK have exhibited some sense of distress. This is majorly because most of the employees have found themselves operating under environments that are seriously inequitable. The more these relationships have become inequitable; the more distressful the employees in the public sector have become. The equity theory indicates that both persons who get too much and too little get distressed in the end. The person who gets too much always feels ashamed or guilty. An individual who gets too little ends up feeling humiliated and angry. This inequality has been prominent in the Uk, with some employees in the public sector living large. Contrary to these, there are certain individuals in the public sectors which get very little. This has led to many employees in the public sector seek other pastures. The UK population that is in distress due to working under inequitable relationships have resorted to attempting to eliminate their distress and restoring the desired equity (Guerrero, Andersen & Afifi. 2007). Conclusion Motivation is still challenged to most governments, including the state of the UK. Getting the solutions to motivating individuals has been a complete thing. This complexity has been wrought about by the ever changing and shifting nature of the environment. The UK government needs to understand the fundamentals, theory and the concepts of motivation. The theory followed notwithstanding, the pay of the employees and work they do is important in building motivation in workers. References Adams, S. (1965). Inequity in social exchange. In L. Berkowitz (ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology. New York: Academic Press. Bedeian, G. (2003). Management. New York: Dryden Press. Bowen, E. & Radhakrishna, B. (1991). Job satisfaction of agricultural education faculty: A constant phenomena. Journal of Agricultural Education, 32 (2). 16-22. Buford, A. (2000). Extension management in the information age. Journal of Extension, 28 (1). Buford, A., Bedeian, G., & Lindner. R. (2005). Management in Extension: Columbus, Ohio: Ohio State University Extension. Dickson, J. (1973). Hawthorne experiments; the encyclopedia of management, 2nd ed. (pp. 298-302). New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold. Gerhart, Barry, and Rynes. (2003). Compensation: Theory, evidence, and strategic implications. Thousand Oaks, USA, Sage Publications Incorporated. Herzberg, F., Mausner, B., & Snyderman, B. B. (1959). The motivation to work. New York: John Wiley & Sons. Harpaz, I. (2004). The importance of work goals: an international perspective. Journal of International Business Studies, 21. 75-93. Higgins, M. (2004). The management challenge: New York: Macmillan. Kovach, K. A. (1997). What motivates employees? Workers and supervisors give different answers. Business Horizons, 30. 58-65. Kreitner, R. (2005). Management. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. Maslow, H. (1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review, July 1943. 370-396. Skinner, F. (1953). Science and Human Behavior. New York: Free Press. Smith, P. (1994). Motivation. In W. Tracey (ed.), Human resources management and development handbook (2nd Ed.). Walster, E., Walster. W. & Bershcheid, E. (1978). Equity: Theory and Research. Allyn and Bacon, Inc. Read More