Understanding Employee Motivation - Report Example

UNDERSTANDING EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION An Organizational Approach (NAME OF STUDENT) (NAME OF SCHOOL) (DATE OF SUBMISSION) ABSTRACT Understanding employee motivation is an organizational approach. It is important that organizations itself understand the patterns and factors affecting employee motivation. Thus, the paper presents motivational theories developed by Adam, Maslow and Hertzberg to understand how human behavior works consequently understanding employee motivation. Their theories uniformly show that employees are motivated by their inner goals which they seek to accomplish within their working environment. Consequently, working environment and opportunities respond to these motivational goals which affects whether an employee performs productively and remain with their jobs. Three studies were cited to determine the application of these theories in the workplace. Favorable working environment, competitive benefits, interesting work, and are some of the main factors that motivate employees identified by these studies. A. INTRODUCTION Motivation is the psychological factors within an individual that leads him to seek a certain level, direction and persistence on his work (Young, 2000). Such direction and persistence at work relates to his professional or social goal in the end. Thus, motivation is the force that drives an individual towards reaching his goal consequently having the feeling of fulfillment or accomplishment. However, environmental factors can affect the level in which an individual pursue his goals which consequently affect the level of motivation that drives him to reach it. The environment at work generally serves as a stimulus for employees affecting their motivation to perform in their respective jobs. It can also serve as an important factor to determine employees’ decision to retain their employment with certain organizations. Recent years introduce a paradigm shift in the area of Human Resource Management that change the way organizations approach employee motivation to address company productivity and sustainability. Monetary incentives became only one of the factors, instead of the only factor, that organizations recognize as a tool to motivate employees to work productively and retain their services within the organization. This new organizational approach to understanding employee motivation led to non-monetary activities to address employee motivation at work. Objectives This paper presents information that seeks to understand employee motivation by discussing the following aspects. 1. Patterns of employee behavior through presentation of motivational theories. 2. Three case studies that outlines the motivating factors of employees in organizations. 3. Relate the results of these studies in presenting how to motivate employees in our own organization. Methodology The presentation of objectives employs qualitative description of data gathered mainly from relevant electronic materials presented in websites of various organizations and individuals. The paper properly cites the information used as well as present relevant opinions and conclusion that supports the objective of the paper. B. PATTERNS OF EMPLOYEE BEHAVIOR Human behavior is an intrinsic aspect that every person involved in Human Resource Management must understand to be able to get a grasp of the patterns of employee behavior. Understanding the general concepts of human behavior is an important process to understand the behavior of employees at work and to effectively address problems that will arise related to employee behavior. Thus, it is crucial to get a grasp on certain concepts explaining patterns of human behavior or motivational theories that will help in understanding what motivates humans to behave in certain ways which redounds to understanding employee’s behavior and motivational pattern. This paper highlights three theories related to understanding human behavior in general and motivation in particular. This section summarizes the theories developed by Adam, Maslow and Hertzberg. Adam: Equity Theory John Stacey Adam developed the theory on equity to describe how a person behaves in certain way and describe how an employee motivates himself in the workforce. It states that a situation of inequity or inequality affects a person’s level of motivation with regards to his work and the workplace (“Approaches to Understanding Motivation”, (n.d)). The theory calls for balance between employee’s inputs and outputs in relation to his work. Hard work, skills, tolerance, enthusiasm, among others is the inputs that employee give into his work while salary, benefits, and recognition are outputs that he employee should get. Finding the balance between these two factors in employee performance contributes to contented and well motivated employees which redound to improved productivity. (Adam’s Equity Theory, (n.d) para.1) Maslow: Hierarchy of Needs Theory Abraham Maslow states five levels of basic needs or goals of a person arranged in different levels which means that a person has to fulfill the first need before he tries to fulfill the succeeding levels of basic needs. Figure 1 illustrates such level of basic needs according to Maslow. TABLE 1 MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF BASIC NEEDS Level Basic Needs 1. Physiological Needs Food, shelter, drink, rest, etc. 2. Safety Needs Protection against danger or deprivation 3. Social Needs Acceptance, affection, belongingness 4. Ego Needs Achievement, self-esteem, respect and status 5. Self-actualization Needs Self-fulfillment, self-development, creativity Source: Maslow, 1954 cited in Approaches to Understanding Motivation Maslow believes that a person has to address the fulfillment of the first three basic needs before he can address the two higher needs of ego and self actualization. He stressed that once a person fulfilled the needs for each level he is motivated to achieve the next level of basic needs. A person can also be motivated to fulfill more than one need at a time but the importance in fulfilling varying needs differ in magnitude. (Approaches to Understanding Motivation (n.d)) Hertzberg: Two Factor Theory Frederick Hertzberg introduces a two factor theory of employee motivation that states that two kinds of needs namely hygiene factors and motivating factors. Hygiene factors refer to external factors in the form of salary, relationship with others, working environment, leadership, security, level of work, working hours and employment position. These factors do not necessarily motivate people to do well at their jobs but these are the things needed to make people work and not become discontented. (Approaches to Understanding Motivations (n.d)) Motivational factors, according to Hertzberg, are factors found in a person’s employment which allows him to experience accomplishment, responsibility, recognition, development, and challenges. These factors are the things the encourage employees to do well with their works and excel in their respective work areas, thus, contributing to overall organizational productivity. C. MOTIVATING FACTORS OF EMPLOYEES IN ORGANIZATIONS This paper cites three studies that illustrate motivating factors of employees in organizations. It shows the actual application of these motivating factors in an actual work environment. Employee Engagement and Motivation in Call Center: A Case Study of Welsh Call Center Industry (Sandears and Neal Ltd., July 2006) This is a study on employee engagement and motivations in a call center which reveals that call center employees mainly find favorable morale and cultural working environment as well as career opportunities (Sandears and Neal, 2006 ) as effective motivating factors that motivates them to report to work regularly and influence their decision to stay with the organization. Career opportunities consequently relate to promising level of salary and benefits towards employees. Understanding Employee Motivation: A Study of Employees at the Ohio State University’s Piketon Research and Extension Center and Enterprise Center (Lindner, 1998) Twenty five employees participated in the survey which strives to address the motivating factors using the concepts of employee motivation theory of Maslow. The study showed an interesting result since it debunked Maslow’s arrangement of motivating factors based on his levels of basic needs. The following is the result of the study vis-à-vis Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. TABLE 2 Hierarchy of Motivating Factors for Employees Vis-à-vis Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Based on a Study Conducted in 1998 for Employees of Piketon Research and Extension Center and Enterprise Center Hierarchy of Motivating Factors from Employee Respondents What Level of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs It Falls 1. Interesting work Level 5 - Self Actualization Needs 2. Good wages Level 1 - Physiological Needs 3. Full appreciation of work done Level 4 – Ego Needs 4. Job security Level 2 – Safety Needs 5. Good working conditions Level 2 – Safety Needs 6. Promotions and growth in organizations Level 4 – Ego Needs 7. Feeling of being in on things Level 3 – Social Needs 8. Personal loyalty to employees Level 3 – Social Needs 9. Tactful discipline Level 3 – Social Needs 10. Sympathetic help with personal problems Level 3 – Social Needs Source: Understanding Employee Motivation: A Study of Employees at the Ohio State University’s Piketon Research and Extension Center and Enterprise Center (Lindner, 1998) Table 2 shows that the results of the study are in contrast to Maslow’s hierarchy of basic needs or motivational factors. The highest ranking motivating factor cited by employees involves self actualization needs which according to Maslow are achieved much later in an employee’s progression into his work which is after he accomplished his physiological, safety and social needs. The study further illustrates that the range of employees motivational factors in performing in their respective jobs are mixed vis-à-vis the hierarchy of needs outlined by Maslow in his theory. Identifying Job Motivation Factors of Restaurant Servers: Insight for the Development of Effective Recruitment and Retention Strategies (Dermody, Young, and Taylor (2004)) A study conducted for “servers of chains of independent restaurants located in a metropolitan city in the southeastern region of the United States” (Dermody et al, 2004). Study results show that both financial incentives garnered the most number of responses that influence motivation of servers to continue working in their respective restaurants and in the industry in general. However, non-financial factors closely followed in the ranking of motivational factors for employees. Relationship with co-workers, flexible working hours and working atmosphere of restaurants are majority of the non-financial factors identified by respondents that helps motivate them to continue working in their respective jobs. ((Dermody et al, 2004) D. MOTIVATING EMPLOYEES WITHIN YOUR ORGANIZATION The results of the three studies above illustrate the motivating factors of employees from three different fields within the service industry namely, call center, restaurant and hospitality services, and research or consultancy. It provides an idea on how we can motivate employees within our own organizations. Offering a mixture of plans or activities that address a mixture of needs of employees is the important insights provided by the results of the studies above. Our organization must address not only the first basic needs of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs but crate a mixture of responses or environment that address all these needs applicable within a work related environment. Table 3 illustrates the motivational plan that we can come up basing from the results of the studies cited above. TABLE 3 PROPOSED PLAN OF EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION WITH OUR ORGANIZATION NEEDS ACTIVITIES EXPECTED OUTPUT 1. Physiological - Set a standard salary structure that is relative to the industry salary standard. -Create a monetary incentive scheme to reward employees that meets work requirements. It can take the form of employee car loan program, retirement package, fringe benefits, among others. Address the monetary requirement of employees to be able to live within reasonable means in supporting himself and his family. Also, to provide monetary security the future in the form of retirement package. 2. Safety -Implementation of employment contracts that protects tenure Gives employees a sense of security with their jobs. 3. Social -Holding of regular meetings and teambuilding sessions -Implementation of a code of conduct among employees Allow employees to act within a disciplined but humane working environment where relationships among employees are strengthened such that there is an atmosphere of kinship. 4. Ego -Established structure for employee promotion -Send employees to appropriate trainings Allow employees to experience a sense of accomplishment and determine their worth through trainings they attend 5. Self-actualization -Rotation of employees to various work areas. -Train them to new skills and responsibilities Allows employees to develop skills on the job as well as improve themselves through trainings they are sent to. E. CONLUSION Understanding employee motivation is clearly illustrated in the presentation of motivational theories of Adam, Maslow and Hertzberg. These theories arrive at a common ground that employees are motivated not only by monetary aspects but also non monetary aspects which play crucial role in one’s decision to continue working for their respective organization. Also, it shows that motivating employees is an organizational approach wherein organizations help to create a working environment that helps motivate employees to be more productive and contribute to the sustainability of the organization. REFERENCES 1. Adam’s Equity Theory: Balancing Employees Inputs and Outputs. (n.d). Retrieved June 03, 2007 from website: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_96.htm 2. Approaches to Understanding Motivation. (n.d). Swinburne University of Technology. Retrieved June 02, 2007, from http://opax.swin.edu.au/~388226/howto/it2/mproc.htm) 3. Dermody, M., Young, M., Taylor, S. (2004). Identifying Job Motivation Factors of Restaurant Servers: Insights for the Development of Effective Recruitment and Retention Strategies. Retrieved June 02, 2007, from http://www.haworthpress.com/store/toc/J149v05n03_TOC.pdf?sid=MTG48ME71TSE8GCQ3XJSGWBSVFEU8JQ3 4. Sanders and Neal Ltd (2006). Employee Engagement and Motivation in Call Center: A Case Study of Welsh Call Center Industry . Retrieved June 01, 2007 from, http://www.slideshare.net/vdimitroff/employee-engagement-and-motivation-in-call-centres/# 5. Lindner (1998) (n.d.). Understanding Employee Motivation, Journal of Extension of Ohio State University. Retrieved June 1, 2007, from, http://www.joe.org/joe/1998june/rb3.html 6. Young, B.C., (2001), para. 2. Methods of Motivation: Yesterday and Today. Emporia State University. Retrieved June 02, 2007, from: http://academic.emporia.edu/smithwil/00fallmg443/eja/young.html Read More