Employee Motivation in an Organization - Coursework Example

Employee Motivation Employee Motivation Introduction Human resource management personnel have the responsibility to mobilize employees towards achieving the organizations goals (Ahmad et al. 2014, p. 11). Ahmad et al. (2014, p. 12) emphasize that motivation is an aspects of various factors including the necessity, desire, or motive to work. They describe motivation as a compelling force for workers to attain the organizations’ objectives. According to Cadwallader et al. (2009, p. 219), business success is highly influenced by proper execution of an organization’s directives. Implementation, however, is determined by motivation of employees based on programs and initiatives by the organization’s management. Cadwallader et al. (2009, p. 220) argues that motivation is the inclination of the workers to the organization’s activities. Motivation constitutes two categories; intrinsic or extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic and extrinsic types determine whether the employees are motivated internally or externally. Internal motivation is whereby employees work for their love of the job while external motivation is due to benefits to the employees for working. Motivation in an Organization According to Cadwallader et al. (2009, p. 223), human resource management can adopt a motivational continuum to determine motivation type with its corresponding regulation behavior and employees behavior. In employee motivation, the management is concerned majorly on extrinsic motivation. Extrinsic motivation has four control types, which are external, identified, introjected and integrated. External regulation occurs when employees attain a healthy state or avoid certain consequences for failure to do the work. Identified regulation occurs when the organization’s activities are impacted into employees as being worthy making them approach directive implementation from and inherent perspective. Introjected regulation is whereby workers’ actions are determined by changes in the environment as sources of motivation. Attaining Motivation Employee motivation contributes to organization’s performance by through encouraging innovativeness (Fernandez & Pitts 2011, p. 205). Organizations’ management should contribute to employee management both intrinsically and extrinsically. Employee extrinsic motivation is achieved by satisfying their needs. Some of the ways of achieving extrinsic motivation are through financial incentives, giving of rewards and working policies. Human resource management can adopt right motivational structures either offering financial benefits or non-financial benefits. Various ways of attaining employee motivation are as discussed below. a) Rewarding Managers can adopt a structure of giving monetary benefits to their workers as a way to motivate workers (Fernandez & Pitts 2011, p. 205; Nohria, Groysberg & Lee 2008, p. 78). Usually, people work for money. Offering more money may be a suitable mechanism for triggering their desire to execute managerial directives. Rewards may be both positive and negative. According to Muhammad Ikhlas (2012, p. 86), rewards are because of employee’s performance. Better performance by employees is a way to secure more benefits for winning their commitment to organization’s operations (Johnson & Yang 2010, p. 227). b) Recognition Managers may opt to empower outstanding employees as way to show their recognition in the organization (Fernandez & Pitts 2011, p. 205; Muhammad Ikhlas 2012, p. 86; Danish & Usman, 2010, p. 162). The struggle for superiority among the workers is an effective motivational stimulus. According to Fernandez and Pitts (2011, p. 206), employee empowerment may take various forms. Such forms are seeking advice from workers, delegation of duties to them and participation in managerial decision-making processes. c) Job satisfaction Fernandez and Pitts argue that employees satisfied with their working conditions are more committed to their organization (2011, p. 208). Human resource management should ensure that working environment is friendly and conducive to achieve optimal performance of employees. The satisfaction with working conditions is essential for motivating workers. Good working equipments are essential in ensuring employee satisfaction. High-quality equipments offer a sense of pride to employees driving them to optimal service delivery. Job satisfaction also acts as a way to retain employees (Sandhya & Kumar 2011 p. 1779). d) Training employees Organizations operations usually change with the change of market demands. Corresponding change should hence be effected in organization’s operations. Frequent training to employees in relation to the changes in market demand is essential for customer awareness (Rizwan 2014, p. 35). According to Fernandez and Pitts, proper training of employees enables them to execute directives and fine-tune them for best operation of an organization (2011, p. 209). Training equips employees with the relevant knowledge required in organization’s process, which would otherwise ponder difficulties to employees. Consequently, difficulties encountered would hinder optimal employee service delivery. e) Good leadership Savage argues that just leadership is essential for good employee performance (2011, p. 29). Employees feel comfortable with such leadership, which is vital in their service delivery. Good leadership secures employees respect and trustworthiness making them implement directives efficiently and become flexible to organization’s management changes. f) Regular meetings Frequent meetings are essential for information sharing within the organization (Savage 2011, p. 29; Branch 2011, p. 5). Meetings offer an efficient platform for discussion of emerging or existing problems within the organization. Consequent review of raised issues helps in securing employee commitment to an organization. Behavioral Results on Employees due to Motivation According to Cadwallader et al. (2009, p. 226), employee motivation play a significant role in determining their performance. It determines employees’ inclination to undertaking a particular task and consequently organization’s performance. Motivating employees is crucial in improving innovations of better services or new services pertinent to a particular organization’s operations and their consequent implementation. Cadwallader argues that the effect well-motivated employees have, affect the rate of positive mobilization in an organization (2009, p. 226). Mobilization is due to effect of motivation on recommendation behavior. Human resource management should exploit motivation as a way to ensure mobilization in the implementation of directives. Another essential behavior affected by motivation is interest to organization’s activities. Employee interest determines their degree of inclination to participate in execution of managerial directives (Cadwallader et al. 2009, p. 232). Managerial Results of Motivation The execution and implementation of directives usually is a difficult issue for poorly motivated employees. Cadwallader et al. (2009 p. 232) argues that directive execution requires the acceptance of the managerial command, implementation and promotion. Innovation of products or services related to the new directive is also essential for excellent organization operation. Right motivation for various organizations determine its overall service delivery or productivity. For instance, Cadwallader et al. (2009, p. 232) argues that in industries offering services, the right motivation determines the product. Task autonomy motivation plays an essential role in customer recommendation by employees (Bakker & Leiter 2010, p. 118). Role clarity motivation improves management by improving employee desire to participate in directive implementation as well as employee recommendation behavior. Various motivational forms however have varying degree of managerial benefits in relation to different employee behaviors. According to Cadwallader et al. (2009, p. 232), role clarity is better in effecting employee recommendation behavior. Employees desire for participation in an organization’s operations is increased by role clarity. Moreover, various motivational forms have varying managerial benefits. According to Cadwallader et al. (2009, p. 232), incentives (such as financial and recognition) and training offer the best results towards proper running of the organization by encouraging innovations. The above considered factors prove the need for proper motivation. However, keeping good motivational is difficult in many organizations. Difficulties result from an inherent problem of motivation by lack of clear ways of determining what would motivate a broad range of personalities. The lack of clarity of the approach to use to motivate employees has resulted in various motivational theories and models (Njoroge & Yazdanifard 2014, p. 166). There are two theories explaining approaches to implementing motivation to employees; Maslow hierarchy of needs and Vroom’s theory (Muhammad Ikhlas 2012, p. 86). Maslow hierarchy requires satisfaction of employee needs (these are ego, social, safety, physiological and self-actualization) in order to achieve their motivation. Vroom’s theory argues that workers’ efforts will determine good performance, which consequently calls for employee rewarding. Due to the existence of hindrances (such as social and emotional differences) of particular motivational approach implementation, human resource management should adopt ways to gauge employee motivation. These methods may also act as ways to determine the best motivational model to employ for a particular organization. Organization’s productivity forms the major way of determining employee motivation. Human resource considers volume of work per person done in a particular timeframe. Rate of grievances within the organization provides another way. Management considers effectiveness of problem resolution in claims rate method. Well-Motivated employees feel free to share ideas and offer suggestions. Organizations’ management can decipher extent of employee motivation by determining the rate at which they offer suggestions. Other ways include use of employee turnover rate and leaves such as health leaves. Conclusion Motivation of employees is crucial to attaining an organization’s objectives. Employee motivation acts as a driving motive in their working to achieve particular goals (Muhammad Ikhlas 2012, p. 88; Njoroge & Yazdanifard 2014, p. 166). Organizations’ success in the market results from customer awareness, which, on the other hand, is determined by innovativeness in the organization. Employee motivation profoundly affects their innovativeness and commitment (Iqbal, 2013, p. 4). Hence, it is crucial for management to ensure consistent motivation. According to Fernandez & Pitts (2011, p. 186), an organization’s human resource management can spearhead an increased operational innovation rate. The major contributing factor to increased innovation is by involving employees in managerial decision-making process and by empowering them. Muhammad Ikhlas Khan (2012, p. 93) argues that motivation is essential in improving an organization’s operations. An increase in motivation results to a corresponding increase in performance. Benefits arising from consistent employee motivation call for the need for management to ensure optimal organization’s productivity. Providing consistent motivation requires managers to exhibit skills of emotional and social intelligence. The skills will enable managers to implement holistic methods of attaining motivation of employees (Njoroge & Yazdanifard 2014, p. 169). This paper shows the relationship between organization’s performance and employee motivation. Individuals in human resource management can use this information as a guide for spearheading bottom-up performance of an organization by increasing extent of service delivery by employees. Bibliography Ahmad, F., Abbas, T., Latif, S., & Rasheed, A. (2014). 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