Can a Manager Motivate Employees - Assignment Example

Can a manager motivate employees? Introduction The functioning of large organizations is based on the working pattern of individual employees and for any organization to be successful, it is essential that the employees are motivate in appropriate manner to get the desired outcome of organizational activities. The role of management leadership in this regard cannot be overlooked, since they are the most closely involved with the workers. A variety of factors play their role in motivating or demotivating the workers in any organization and it is essential that the workplace contains abundant factors that cause motivation to work. Managers are therefore responsible to create a working environment that is contributory to the working of individual workers and their actions can have a direct impact on the motivation level of employees. Ranging from their relationship with the subordinates to the handling of complex organizational tasks, the managers have to perform a wide array of activities on routine basis. Human interaction is a very challenging aspect of managerial positions and it is essential for managers to face this challenge in order to allow the working of organization in a smooth manner. One prime importance of effective working relationships is the impact that these relationships can have on the productivity of organizations. If healthy relationships exist between managers and the working staff, the workers get their desired motivation and hence the productivity of an organization increases which is of course the central aim of every organization. On the other hand, poor working relationships can contribute to demotivation and employees can therefore hinder the progress at organizational level. This paper will take into account the role that managers can play in motivating employees and attempt to explain why I feel that managers can motivate employees. Discussion The managerial leadership can perform a key role in motivating employees. Managers can take a number of actions that can serve to improve the performance and hence result in enhanced outcomes of the activities of the organization (Lee, 2007). Since the actions taken by Managers can directly affect the lives and working pattern of employees, managers are in a position to motivate employees. The main driver of daily activities is the economic interest of individuals and organizations. Managers can work to align the economic interest of employees with the performance of organization (Kirkman et al, 1999). Provision of incentives that provide monetary compensation upon achievement of certain targets can be a strategy that can serve to align employees’ economic interest with organizational performance. Better performance should result in rewards and vice versa (Wagner & Hollenbeck, 1998). The hidden source of motivation in this case is perhaps the feeling that the individual’s growth is related to the growth of organization; an aspect that convinces the workers to put extra effort to achieve a desired goal. Another approach that managers can adopt to motivate employees is to take genuine interest in the professional career of workers. Every professional expects to witness a growth in his worth with the passage of time and with growing experience (Lauby, 2005). Managers can take benefit of this desire by discussing with employees their professional goals and their expectations in the long run. Demonstrating concern regarding the future pathways of employees can serve to motivate employees. Managers can also play the role of mentors in this regard. Additionally, they can arrange professional development programs to allow the workers of organization to continue to improve their working skills with the passage of time. Once professional growth is witnessed, the employees are likely to become motivated due to the hope of becoming better professionals in the future (Vaiman & Vance, 2008). Since managers have to perform leadership roles, it is essential that a manager is aware of the prevailing work-life equilibrium in the lives of employees. Overworked employees often underperform and it is for this reason important that managers take necessary actions if work-life balance of workers is being compromised (Jeanneret, 1998). Interestingly, there is only the need to be flexible about working schedules and by simply allowing the workers to play their role in their social lives, the managers are in a position to motivate them. Managers can help the employees with things like performance of religious rituals, family commitments and spending quality time with family, to make sure an optimum level of motivation is maintained to ensure continuous productivity within the organization. The successful working of an organization is dependent upon the performance of individual employees. Every worker expects to be encouraged when a project is completed. Managers can therefore use this opportunity to give due credit to the employees that have successfully completed a project. Demotivation may ensue if a manager chooses to deprive the working team of the credit and praise that they desire (Bertagni, 2010). Additionally, such a behavior may cause the others to believe that the manager is using them for his own benefit and is not concerned about their success in the organization. For this reason, the managers should be very careful not to deprive any individual of the credit that s/he deserves, upon completion of a project. Moreover, taking credit for the work that is done by subordinates creates distances between the manager and employees; a major factor that hinders smooth functioning of the organization. “Maslow’s hierarchy of needs” is an excellent way of judging the needs of employees in an organization (Maslow, 2012). Managers should be aware of the fact that five basic kinds of needs should be met to ensure employee motivation. These include physiological needs, safety, belongingness, esteem and self-actualization. Motivation can be ensured if managers are able to identify the level of needs of individual workers. The lowest level of need has to be met, in order to see the person struggling for the next level. Hence, of prime importance are the physiological needs of individuals. When physiological needs of individuals are met, they start to struggle for their safety needs, which is essential to exist peacefully. Following safety, the individuals struggle for belongingness and so on (Lauby, 2005). Managers should be able to identify the needs of individuals to provide them optimum level of motivation. Hence, if the manager observes that the physiological needs of an individual are already met, he should incentivize the individual by making him struggle for safety, which will function to motivate the individual (Jones et al, 1991). Similarly, if a person is satisfied regarding safety, the manager can use the notion of belongingness to provide him some level of motivation for work. Change is an essential part of modern working style and most organizations are continuously undergoing change in the modern corporate scenario (Newberry, 2008). Change is often the most disliked aspect and employees are often inclined towards rejecting the changes. Under these circumstances, the employees of organizations need continuous support to make sure change is implemented in a manner that protects their interests. Managers can play a key role in this regard, as they can facilitate the process of change by maintaining a close association with the employees. This connection with the employees can be maintained by effective communication that can be ensured by development of healthy working relationships. The managers can share with the employees the purpose, vision and aim of change that the organization aims to implement. Such activities can contribute to trust building and employees are therefore in a better position to cooperate with the managers. This pattern of motivation has a long lasting impact since the employees work themselves to achieve the aim and are more concerned about the success of the change after it has been implemented (Shockley-Zalabak et al, 2010). Moreover, when the door of communication is opened, my new ideas emerge due to the collective wisdom of employees within the organization. This democratic approach is itself contributory towards enhancing the motivation level of employees. Conclusion Based on the above discussion, it can be concluded that employee motivation is essential for the success of any organization and this is in turn related to the managerial activities that are performed by the managers of an organization. Motivation is the driving force behind the working of employees and this is reflected in the productivity of the organization. Perhaps the most important aspect related to employee motivation is the relationship that is developed and sustained between the workers of an organization. Positive working relationships are contributory to the development of an environment that allows the workers to accept challenges during their working on daily basis. If employees are encouraged by the managers for performing extraordinarily, the workers get motivated for further work. This encouragement therefore not only contributes to enhancing working relationships but also works as a motivation for further work. Moreover, managers can play their role in improving the working environment of an organization. Removing or limiting the obstacles or disturbances that hinder the working of employees also serves as a motivation and this is a role that mangers can perform on routine basis. Lastly, if the managers are able to meet or exceed the expectations of workers regarding their personal concerns like family issues or earnings, they are very likely to get motivated and respond in a positive manner by demonstrating improved performance. References Bertagni, L. R. (2010). Ethics & business. Sustainability, social responsibility and ethical instruments. FrancoAngeli. Jeanneret, R. 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