How to Apply Motivation in the Workplace - Research Paper Example

? How to apply motivation in the work place Introduction In today’s hypercompetitive workplace, where companies are seeking to edge past their rivals, motivation is seen as the key factor for the employees to improve their performance. Every employee would want to get recognized for the effort they have put in their workplace to get recognition. Employee retention which is one of the main problems usually faced by the firms can be reduced or altogether eliminated if there is a scientific process of employee motivation put in place to recognize the effort. Whatever may be the macroeconomic environment, the goal should be creating a workplace which would engage the employees and motivate them to contribute more towards the company out of their own wish (Bradley and Frederic, 1997). Leibenstein argued more than forty years ago that “for a variety of reasons people and organizations normally work neither as hard nor as effectively as they could” and the both of them regarded motivation as an important factor to improve the efficiency of both employees an motivation. Since then, the debate has been on about what really motivates the people in the organization. It was found that an organization would really progress based on the commitment of the employees towards the organization rather than keeping them under their control. This led to the emergence of innovative management practices which targeted to enhance employees’ commitment towards the company through different techniques (Buford, 1993). Research question How to apply motivation in the work place? Background of Study Among the many functions that the Human Resource department has to work on, keeping employees motivated and retaining them is the foremost challenge that any organization face. Hence it is of the paramount importance that the employees stay motivated and hence new management practices be adopted to give them a boost in their motivation so that they can exert much more effort in the business. For any organization the employees are the key resource, neglecting which can lead to catastrophic results like strike, shutdown etc. which will result in insurmountable loss that the company may not be able to bear. Hence organizations are trying to come up with new techniques to attack this issue and lower the retention level. Through foundation of studies, research theories and practical examples this paper will address the issue of what actually motivates the employees and what the managers need to do to achieve it and supports motivation and hence the performance. Literature Review Numerous researchers have investigated the relationship that exists between job satisfaction and work motivation. In the current business scenario, organizations across industries are experiencing rapid competition. In this competitive environment the companies must consider the human factor that is becoming more and more important for the organization to survive. Business excellence will be achieved only when employees are motivated to work for the company (Dam, 2008). In difficult circumstances like violence, fear, tragedy, job insecurity the stress factor puts burden on the employees which result in reduced performance. Nowadays organizations have come to realize that motivated and satisfied employees are needed to powerfully deliver their task. As employee motivation is one of the primary tasks of management hence it is of prime importance that the management takes care of the employee’s needs. Motivation Motivation is the willingness of the employees to exert high efforts to achieve organizational goals, which must also satisfy some individual need. Here the important factor is the ‘need’ which is internal to the employee that makes certain outcome appears attractive. It is basically the psychological forces which determine the amount of effort along with the persistence level that the employee shows while facing any obstacle. A motivated employee himself finds solution to any obstacle that he will face and keep moving forward (Hay, 2002). The responsibility for motivating an employee is three-fold: It falls on the senior management. It falls on the immediate senior. It also falls on the employee itself. What Influences Motivation The main factors which are responsible for motivating the employees and enhancing their performance are Organizational vision and values Employee engagement Management acknowledgement Appreciation of the work well done Authenticity of the leadership. Motivation and engagement go hand in hand. It is basically a 50 -50 relationship between the employer and the employee. Employees are expected to have intrinsic motivation at the workplace with the desire to be successful and be recognized throughout the organization and add value to the company and contribute to the company’s vision. Conversely is the responsibility of the employer to provide them the necessary resources, give opportunities, recognition and a healthy competitive work environment for them to be successful (Hind, 1990). Employee Engagement Employee engagement is a concept where one is involved and enthusiastic about their work and hence works to further the cause of the organization’s interest. It is the passion and energy that the employees give to serve the customer. It is all about the willingness and ability of the employees to help organization achieve their goal. It is characterized by being committed to the organization and believes in what it stands for and prepares to go beyond and above that to deliver outstanding service to the customer (Jacob, Bond, Galinsky & Hill, 2008). Engagement can be summed up by how positively the employee Feels about the organization Thinks about the organization Proactively achieves the organizational goals Vision and Values Organizations need to know what is important to their employees in the work place. Some of them are trying to look at ‘work spirituality’ by understanding what really the employees want to form this work to accomplish their goals in life. Apart from the monetary gain, people look for fulfilling their vision and mission in the life which can enhance their quality of life. Though the reason can change over time in response to people’s responsibilities but the vision remains the same and if the company can help achieve the employees’ vision and mission the employee will be motivated enough to stay in the organization. Management Acknowledgment and Appreciation This is a strong determinant of employee motivation and their performance. They must treat their employees fairly and justly and it is fundamental to creating organizational success and effectiveness. It is a two way process with organizations themselves developing ways to treat their employees so that they stay satisfies and motivated and at the same time employees behaving in ways to help organization achieve high-performance. This requires a holy partnership between the organization and their employees. The challenge is to design management process such that the employees perform at high levels and treat them in ways that will reward and satisfy them (Harpaz, 1990) Discussion Leadership for Motivation Leader’s in today’s work environment need to reach the hearts and minds of the employees. For that they need to have an impelling vision. According to Ken Blanchard, world-renowned management coaches “It is extremely important for any leader of any organization to communicate his or her vision constantly to ensure that there is no doubt about the direction a team in heading”. A leader should never be arrogant. It is a destructive trait for a leader to have. At the same time he must know his vulnerability. It helps the leader to stay focused towards his vision without breaking down under pressure. A leader must connect the organization’s vision and values to the employees and guide them in their everyday work. According to a study conducted by Bloomberg BusinessWeek.com and Hay Group they found that strategic thinking and inspiring leadership are the most valued qualities in a leader. Leaders must make the employees passionate about their work and train them to handle challenges. Hence leadership development programs are a must (Linder, 1998). Motivational Theories Motivational theories can help HR professionals attract and retain the best and brightest talent. It offers insight into what really employees expect from an organization. Expectancy Theory Offering employees something which will satisfy them is not enough. Employees are not motivated when managers offer them something they want, but first they need to believe that they will get it if they can perform well. It involves three distinct beliefs. The first belief (B1) involves relationship between effort and performance. The second (B2) deals with the relationship between performance and outcomes. The third (B3) deals with the relationship between outcomes and satisfaction. First belief (B1) is employee’s belief on the probability that his effort will lead to performance. The second (B2) is about the probability that performance will lead to outcome. The third (B3) is the expectation of how satisfying the outcomes will be. According to Victor H. Vroom’s theory the motivation will be high when he believes in all the above beliefs. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs According to this theory there is a hierarchy which people seek to satisfy in order to achieve motivation. There are five basic levels of hierarchy. Physiological Needs Safety Needs Belongingness Self-esteem needs Self-actualization needs. According to this theory when the lower-level needs are met, the next higher levels needs become the motivational factors for the employees (Patel, 2010). Herzberg’s Motivator-Hygiene Theory Frederick Herzberg gave two factors in the workplace which affects motivation. Hygiene factors Motivational factors Hygiene factors basically refer to meeting the basic expectations of an employee. It brings the motivation level to zero. For example providing a healthy working environment, maintain good relationships with workers, giving adequate pay etc. But it is the Motivational factors like giving opportunities for recognition, professional growth and advancement which are critical for motivating an employee. McClelland’s Needs for Achievement, Affiliation and Power According to this theory every person has three needs Achievement Affiliation Power The need for achievement is the desire of the employees to do work more efficiently and to master it. The need for affiliation is the desire to maintain friendly and cordial relationships with other employees. The need for power is the desire to influence the behavior of other people. Managers must learn to recognize the strength of each of the above need in the employees and assign them suitable work preferences accordingly which will motivate them (Middlebrook, 1999). Equity Theory This theory is based on the assumption that people are motivated so that they can obtain and preserve equal treatment for themselves. Equity is rewards which the employee gets in proportion to the contribution towards the organization. Motivation is affected by comparing one’s own outcome/input ratio with that of others’. When an employee feels that the ratio is unfair i.e. he is underpaid or underappreciated it may result in decrease in individual’s performance. But on the other hand if they feel that outcome/input ratio is same then they continue to contribute according to their present levels of performance. But there are limitations to this theory. Most of the research has been performed in Lab settings, so it doesn’t reflect the real world settings. The prediction of overpayment inequity condition has not been confirmed yet. This theory doesn’t predict choice of comparison in persons. Goal-Setting Theory Here the employee establishes specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound (S.M.A.R.T) goals. According to this theory the employees in a group should clearly be aware of what is expected from them. If the employees know their goals then they would be motivated to work towards their own objectives. Goals are a form of motivation which sets a standard for self-satisfaction along with performance. It will increase the effort and persistence level of the employees. It will automatically motivate the employees to search for effective strategies in attaining the goal. But it has been shown that for multiple goals in complex jobs this theory hasn’t worked well. Employees become so much goal-focused that they start to ignore other important aspects of the job. Also setting multiple goals can lead to a conflicting situation where one goal can prevent other goal from achieving it (Owens, 2009). Action Theory This theory links the goals to the behaviors. The process involves five steps. Employee first desires to achieve something Then goals and objectives the set by the employee and specific task is linked to the goals A plan is formulated to achieve the task. Then the employee engages into actions to carry out the plan Then Feedback is received from people Overall the following are the important factors that the employers need to do to motivate the employees Communicate with their staff on a regular basis. This keeps everyone in the loop. This makes the employees feel that they are given importance by their leaders and want to be a part of it. Sharing of Status report with every employee. This is basically like letting employee now how they are performing. They must celebrate success and discuss about any course correction if needed. The employers must recognize the achievements which may be small, but important to the employee, which may encourage him to achieve something bigger next time Employers must give feedback to each and every employee. It shows that all the employees are being watched over and carefully monitored. The leaders must listen with genuine intent to everything that the employees need to say. They will not agree all the time, but they will feel that there might be a chance that their views get accepted next time (Natoli, 2004). Conclusion and Recommendation Organizational success can’t be achieved without the involvement of strong leadership, healthy work environment that promotes motivation. Whatever may be the industry, HR managers must be in touch with the employees, to know what is important to them. They must foster en environment which is based on trust, acknowledgement and recognition for optimal performance. The management must provide the employees with full information and resources which they need to do their job. They must as ask the employees for their input which they can implement them in their decision making. This makes the employees feel that they are being given importance and creates a sense of involvement among them. They must also ask the employees directly what motivates them. They also must create a good channel of communication so that the employees can speak freely. They must also have a promote-from-within policy. This makes the employees feel that they are being given the preference over other people. The employees must be recognized publicly for their good work. They must include recognition as morale-building mechanism to celebrate success. The management must foster a sense of community within the organization. The organizations must use performance as a basis for promotion. Hence Motivation is the best way to retain best talent and improve the overall performance of both the employees and the organization as a whole. Hence the organization must always develop new scientific ways to identify and meet the needs of the employees to satisfy them. References Bradley, J. H. and Frederic, J. H. (1997). The effect of personality type on team performance. Journal of Management Development. Vol. 16(5). Buford, J. A., Jr. (1993). Be your own boss. Journal of Extension, 31 (1). Dam, K. V. (2008). Time Frames for Leaving; An Explorative Study of Employees’ Intentions to Leave the Organization in the Future. Career Development International, 13 (6), 560 – 569. Harpaz, I. (1990). The importance of work goals: an international perspective. Journal of International Business Studies, 21 (1). Hay, M. (2002). Strategies for Survival in the War of Talent. Career Development International, 7 (1), 52 – 55. Hind, M. (1990). 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