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MOTIVATING EMPLOYEES.
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Motivation theories (Maslow, Herzberg, etc.), expectations, performance evaluation, incentives.... More...
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Paper Abstract:
Motivation theories (Maslow, Herzberg, etc.), expectations, performance evaluation, incentives.
Paper Introduction:
Introduction
Finding the key to motivating employees is not a lesson easily learned, nor is it a lesson which, once learned, can be considered mastered. Instead, individual employees respond to different types of motivation in different ways, and successful supervisors develop comprehensive understanding of each of their employees and the corporate environment in which they operate. This research examines types of motivation and the components the go into successfully motivating employees to meet their goals and objectives.
Motivation Theories
Understanding motivation and performance begins with understanding that the workers are not necessarily to be blamed if their performance or motivation is not what the supervisor envisions. Instead of ass
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Across the Board, pp. The Thematic Apperception Test was developed by Henry A. Factors that led to satisfaction were termed motivatorfactors, while factors that contributed to dissatisfaction were deemedhygiene factors. In this way, effective evaluation of an employee canprovide the basis for strong motivation in the future, and help theemployee develop the skills necessary for his own career growth. Freud and others focused on the role of unconscious motivation forhuman behavior. Vecchio, R. Understanding what the appropriate consequences should be requiresthat supervisors understand their employees, and also the legal environmentin which they work. This led to the development of the instinctual theory thatwas based on inborn or innate predispositions. Herzberg held that the absence of motivator factors wouldnot make employees unhappy, but would leave them feeling neutral abouttheir jobs. Sagie, A. Gordon, G. There are a number of different approaches to work motivation, most ofwhich can be broken down into either content theories or process theories.Content theories focus on what motivates people to perform, and areconcerned with identifying the different rewards that people seek in theirwork. Murray as anoutgrowth of his research on instinct theory. Chicago: DrydenPress. Training, pp. Two kinds of expectations are key to the expectancy model: effortwill lead to performance and performance will lead to reward. Instead, individual employees respond to different types ofmotivation in different ways, and successful supervisors developcomprehensive understanding of each of their employees and the corporateenvironment in which they operate. Motivation Theories Understanding motivation and performance begins with understandingthat the workers are not necessarily to be blamed if their performance ormotivation is not what the supervisor envisions. (1994). J. These are social needs,and include the need for affection, love and sexual expression. The issue of consequences is one that must be handled very carefullywithin an organization. Employees who perform well need to feel that theyare valued within the organization. Predicting corporateperformance from organizational culture. In these situations,it is up to the manager to determine what the problem is, and how best toremedy the situation. 34-39. 23 ). There is also reward for the subordinate who, with theassistance of his manager, is able to cultivate skills which will helpbuild his professional skills and which serve to enhance his self-esteemand self-worth. 51-52. & Koslowsky, M. By evaluating an employee's strengths and weaknesses, and byconsidering the needs of the organization in the future, a strong managerwill be able to help develop employees who are able not only to help theorganization meet its current needs, but also to fulfill the organization'sfuture needs. 783). Advocates of this approach hold that individuals makerational choices based on a careful evaluation of costs and benefits.While hedonistic approaches are useful for describing behavior after thefact, it has proven to be vague in terms of predicting behavior, and oflimited practical use. Thesetheories are concerned with the dynamics, or process aspects, of workmotivation (Gordon & DiTomaso, 1992, p. 36). Individuals with a highneed for affiliation tend to be warm and friendly in their relationships,but may be ineffective if their need for affiliation is not balanced withtheir needs for achievement and power. This research examines types ofmotivation and the components the go into successfully motivating employeesto meet their goals and objectives. New York:McGraw-Hill. Evaluating subordinates is most often accomplished through the use ofa formal performance evaluation strategy. The rating technique is used to evaluateemployees in a number of specific categories. Abraham Maslow developed a more complete view of individualmotivation, also based on needs, at approximately the same time that Murrayand McClelland were formulating their views. (1984). This evaluation and counseling is important not only to the immediatejob at hand, but also in anticipating the needs of the organization in thefuture. 1 ). Effective managers also understand the importance of spottingperformance problems before they become significant issues, and understandtheir employees' strengths and weaknesses. Acrossthe Board, pp. Understanding all of the factors which influenceperformance, including skills, abilities, task understanding, obstacles andthe consequences in place, is critical if a supervisor is to be effective. Safety needs relate to obtaining a secure environment in whichan individual is free from threats. The firstexpectation, that effort will lead to performance, refers to an employee'sassumption that increased effort on his part will lead ton increase inproductivity (or another desired accomplishment). Another consideration by the employee iswhether a given level of performance will result in reaching a particularoutcome. Assuming that the workers arebeing willfully disobedient or unproductive is to put responsibility whereit does not belong (McGregor, 1985, p. Financial remuneration as a motivator has only limited effectin the work environment, as employees are also motivated by recognition andthe overall work environment. Management and OrganizationalBehavior. Another view of work motivation, developed by Fred Herzberg, is thetwo-factor theory. One of themost widely cited versions of expectancy theory is the Vroom model, whichholds that the psychological force on an employee to exert effort is afunction of his expectancies of the future, and the attractiveness offuture outcomes (Scanlan & Keys, 1988, p. These theories have gainedmuch attention because they stem from the idea that personal andsituational influences are important in employee motivation. McClelland took the story-telling approach further byuncovering three dominant needs: the need for achievement; the need foraffiliation; and the need for power. Under this environment, managersshould offer valued rewards, and these rewards should be based on personaland institutional perceptions. Effective motivationdepends on understanding need theories and which needs are important towhich individuals, and then communicating how those needs can be effectiveaddressed in the work situation at hand. (1992, November). Similarly, addressing hygiene factors would result in littlemore than neutral feelings from employees, while failing to meet hygienefactors would result in strong dissatisfaction. 175). However, effective managers recognize that informalevaluation performed more frequently helps keep staff members apprised ofwhat is expected of them, and how they are measuring up to thoseexpectations. (1998, October). Performance Evaluation and Motivation Managers with even the best understanding of motivational processesare likely to encounter situations where their expectations and theperformance of their subordinates fail to coincide. Expectancy theories attempt to explain worker motivation in terms ofanticipated rewards. Tasksshould be designed so that performance is measurable in an objective andquantifiable way, and base rewards on the performance of these tasks.Rewards also need to be perceived both as fair and equitable. & Keys, B. Preferential treatment must be based on ability andcannot be based on overtly subjective determinations by employers thatmight indicate an unfair bias (such as only promoting white males, orhaving only minority workers in menial positions). Consequences and Motivation Consequences cut across both positive and negative work performance.The most often used consequence is that of pay: strong performers arerewarded with increases in their wages; weak performers receive no suchincreases. Negativeconsequences vary, but generally include a limiting of potential careergrowth or the final action of termination if performance does not improve. Journal of Management Studies,pp. 51). The hierarchical ordering in terms of potency (prepotency)means that a deficiency in a lower-order need can supersede a higher-orderneed (DuBrin, 1984, p. Why we work. The more strongly the employee believes that this is the case,the easier the motivational task (Kinni, 1998, p. References DuBrin, A. Organizational Behavior. This approach issignificant in that it suggests that the issues that lead to satisfactionand dissatisfaction are not the same (Moats Kennedy, 1998, p. 7 ). What makes people work hard? Moats Kennedy, M. Theabsence of friends or loved ones can lead to serious maladjustment ofindividuals and prevent the individual from meeting higher-order needs. These theoretical models assume that individuals makerational decisions based on economic realities. 55-56. The need for achievement determines how employees will respond tochallenging job assignments because task persistence and the acceptance ofchallenge are closely related to this need. (January 1994). G., & DiTomaso, N. Critical incidents(informally known as management by exception) makes notes of actual jobbehaviors and are evaluated as to whether these behaviors constituteeffective or ineffective behavior. According to Maslow, needscan be classified into a hierarchy, with the needs that are lower in thehierarchy being more essential to survival than higher order needs. Most organizations have thisformal process in place so that it occurs annually, and it is often tied topay increases. One of the first attempts at developing a motivational theory focusedon the principle of hedonism, which finds that people will seek pleasureand avoid pain. Foundations of Organizational Behavior.Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. Instead of assuming thatthe workers in question are lazy or unskilled or unwilling to perform thetask at hand, the wise manager seeks to understand why the workers are notperforming to his expectations. The Porter-Lawler model, developed by Lyman Porter and Edward Lawler,seeks to combine content and process theories and incorporates many of theelements of the theories discussed above. (1998, August). Fundamentally, it is the manager's responsibility toevaluate the performance of the subordinate, and counsel the subordinate onhow best to improve that performance. (1988). P. (1985). Other methods use different criteria,but often center around techniques similar to management by objectives(MBO) in which employees are judged against objectives that they, theirsupervisor, or the two acting in common have developed. 55). Process theories focus on how rewards control behavior. Organizational attitudesand behaviors as a function of participation in strategic and tacticalchange decisions. 38). Kinni, T. As withhedonistic approaches, the instinctual approach is best used to describeactions after they occur rather than as predictors of specific behavior(Vecchio, 1994, p. Lower-order needs he termed deficiency needs and must be satisfied tonsure anindividual's very existence and security. Reduced work schedules (such as a day off),a free lunch or dinner, or even trips can be strong work incentives whichcan be used to reward those employees who meet or exceed their supervisors'expectations. If a person is reasonably safe andsecure, the third set of needs can be considered. Finck, G., Timmers, J., & Mennes, M. New York: John Wiley & Sons. Journal of Organizational Behavior, pp. Murray created a test forestablishing the presence and strength of various personal needs.Specifically, he used a set of drawings from magazines that, when subjectsdescribed them, could be used to highlight the needs that were dominant inthe subjects. Oncethese needs are met, the second order needs, safety needs, can beaddressed. For example, each employeecould be rated with regard to quality of work, dependability, cooperationand knowledge of the job. The highest level set of needs, self-actualization needs,includes the desire for self-fulfillment. Introduction Finding the key to motivating employees is not a lesson easilylearned, nor is it a lesson which, once learned, can be consideredmastered. motivation. Additional regulations can be imposed by unions andother organizations, and today's human resource professional must keepapprised of the vast sea of regulations that form the business environment. Maslow's deficiency needs are identified as physiological needs,including the need for food, water, sleep and freedom from pain. Conclusion Motivation in the workplace is a complicated issue that depends onwork in the behavior science field in order to build a foundation.Understanding how individuals are motivated, and determining how differentindividuals are motivated in a specific environment, is what determines asupervisors success in motivating his subordinates. If the employeeanticipates that increased effort will not lead to increased performance,motivation becomes difficult. While it may be that the workers do notpossess the requisite skills (which can be remedied through training),there may be other factors involved which are more complicated and whichreach to the heart of effective management. Esteem needs include the desire forachievement, prestige and recognition as well as appreciation and attentionfrom others. High achievers are driven bythe prospect of performance-based satisfaction rather than by monetarygain. Generally, performance evaluation techniques can be divided into fourcategories: rating, ranking, critical incidents and other methods (Sagie &Koslowsky, 1994, p. Instinctual views gainedacceptance to the point that the number of proposed instincts were toonumerous to render the theory applicable to real-world situation. Scanlan, B. (1998, May). 37-47. The Human Side of Enterprise. This may mean that positiveconsequences are increased responsibility, additional compensation,recognition within the organization, or a clear promotional path. Negative consequencesare covered by a variety of regulations and laws, including regulationsregarding how people are laid off, what must be done to document poorperformance before a worker is dismissed, and the number of hours thatindividuals can work. Such understanding often comesfrom a formal performance appraisal process, but may also involve informalapproaches, as well. Managers also need to hire qualified employees,and train them adequately for the tasks to which they are assigned. In a ranking environment, employees are rankedagainst each other in a hierarchical fashion. 783-798. This theory holds that the factors which contribute tojob satisfaction are different from the factors which contribute to jobdissatisfaction. Higher-order needs, growthneeds, are concerned with personal development and the realization of one'spotential. Managers also need to create the perceptionthat effort will lead to rewards, and design jobs so that increased effortleads to high performance. Satisfactionvs. The growth needs begin with the need for esteem, including self-respect and the esteem of others. For these individuals, money is primarily a source of feedback onpersonal performance rather than an end in itself. McGregor, D. Personal development may beexpressed in many different ways, but some individuals may never experiencethe desire to develop their own potential (Finck, Timmers & Mennes, 1998,p.
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