What Motivates Employees - Report Example

Motivation Report Contents Introduction 3 Survivor Syndrome and its Effects on Employees 4 The Integrated Model 4 The Application of the Integrated Model 5 Employee Empowerment 6 Application of Empowerment 7 Conclusion 8 References 9 Introduction The performance of an organization is determined by the productivity of its workforce. For the employees to remain productive and keep on working, they need to feel motivated to do so. It is the role of the manager in an organization to ensure that they are motivated and empowered. Motivation entails the intrinsic force within a person that plays a role in determining the persistence, direction and the level of input that an employee puts in work. There are various motivational theories that have been adopted to facilitate the work of managers in motivating their workforce. The content theories of motivation mainly focus on what motivates the employees, in particular, the satisfaction of their needs. On the other hand, the process theory puts into perspective the working of the process as well as its sustainability. According to the process theory, such as Adam’s equity theory, motivation is considered as a rational cognitive process that takes place within a person. A blend of these two categorizations of theories has been developed to reach a neutral ground on understanding what motivates employees and to help them remain motivated. It is often possible to forget the needs of the employees that escape downsizing in an organization, which often results in survivor’s syndrome (Appelbaum, Delage, Labib, & Gaulr,1997). Therefore, in order to prevent this scenario, employers ought to utilize these theories in order to motivate the staff left in the organization. In this report, an integrated model of content and process motivational theories in an effort to motivate employees after downsizing will be put into perspective. Survivor Syndrome and its Effects on Employees The survivor syndrome is a condition that is likely to affect employees that remain in an organization after downsizing (Appelbaum, Delage, Labib, & Gaulr,1997). It is not all excitement for the survivors since the downsizing process sends a message to them. Guilt, reduced working morale, and a feeling of job insecurity can characterize the syndrome (Quigley & Tymon, Walter, 2006). Having to handle extra work requires that the employees should be motivated in order to meet the expected targets. The Integrated Model The integrated model encompasses the aspects of content and process motivational theories. The content theory focusses on what is within an individual or within their environment that facilitates the sustenance of a given behavior. The needs that act as motivation to an individual are analyzed in order to establish the actual aspect that makes an individual motivated. On the other hand, process theories pay particular attention to the processes that take place in people’s mind so that they are able to achieve better results. Two theories used in describing motivation of employees are described in this essay; the Adam’s equity theory and the Vroom’s expectancy theory. The equity theory is founded on the need for equity based on employees comparing themselves with others. According to Adams (1963), the fairness that is exemplified in the work place plays a critical role in motivating employees. The employees’ state of mind of when they feel that they have been treated unfairly usually causes them to be less productive in their work. The key aspect in this theory is employee satisfaction; this means that employees should be treated in an environment they perceive to be fair. The research done by Adams when developing this theory shows that the feeling by an employee that they are being overpaid resulted to an increased output by the employee. Contrarily, in places where there is negative inequality, the individuals harbouring the mindset feel demotivated, hence their output declines. Advanced by Vroom (1964), the expectancy theory provides an explanation of the motivation of employees based on expected rewards. The effort that an employee puts in their work is a function of their future expectations as well as the attractiveness of the anticipated rewards. According to the theory, people exemplify expectancies with probabilities of not less than zero and not more than one. In this regard, employee’s expectancy is based on probability that their efforts will be able to deliver performance (Quigley & Tymon, Walter, 2006). Consequently, the performance ought to attract a reward for employee. On the other hand, the attractiveness of rewards is categorized according to valence (-1 to +1). These two aspects can help managers or employers in quantifying the motivation of their employees. The Application of the Integrated Model Managers can embrace two aspects of the integrated model in order to keep their workforce motivated even after the process of downsizing. Firstly, satisfaction of employees is very significant. Employees become satisfied when they feel that their rewards are relative to their efforts. This makes them feel that they have been treated fairly. In most cases, fairness is based on social comparison. In this case, an employee should consider the payment and conditions that people at their level get or what the organization offers to others. A manager has the discretion of ensuring that any feeling of negative inequality is avoided in the organization. This can be achieved through transparency and fairness in rewarding. Contrarily, a feeling of positive inequity in an organization is very beneficial since the employees find a reason to work harder and produce more results. For effective management of social comparisons, a manager ought to be open and transparent when giving rewards to the employees. In addition, the managers ought to explain why they give the rewards in the manner they do. On the other hand, the manager should ensure that their employees feel the relationship between effort and performance while at the same time getting to decipher the link between performance and rewards. It is the work of the manager to ensure that the work environment is conducive for employees to the best of their ability. In addition, they should know the individual needs of their workforce so that they are able to provide workable solutions to the employees’ predicaments. Employee Empowerment Employee empowerment involves the process of giving the employees the leeway to make decisions on their own, behave in their own way, and think independently. It has been cited as a major contributor to performance in organizations today. As a result of the heightened competitiveness across the economic sectors, employees have continued to be empowered in order to become more innovative. In a number of organizations, decision-making has been delegated to ensure that employees develop initiative in what they do. In this regard, employees across the strata are obliged to bear the consequences of their decisions. In addition, they are required to execute operations on timely basis. In addition, the employees get to learn more about their work specializations in details. Empowerment brings forth job satisfaction that makes the employees to be more productive in their work. According to a research by Light (2004), employee empowerment contributed immensely to their involvement in work while at the same time exemplifying higher satisfaction. In addition, it was found that the satisfaction by employees was positively correlated with retention of employees by an organization. Employee empowerment brings forth a number of benefits to the organization. There is an improvement in productivity since the workforce is motivated to engage in what they have been given the powers to do. This means that their self-efficacy is greatly enhanced. In addition, employees get to put their ideas in the production process, an aspect that results to improved productivity (Sarwar & Khalid, 2011). As a result, employees become open and do not shy away from expressing their mind. This goes a long way in reducing the cost of operations for organization. Further, the employees are flexible to change and always perform their best to deliver quality services to the customers (Pelit, Yüksel Öztürk, & Yalçin Arslantürk, 2011). Application of Empowerment Haiyin and Kevin (2010) have pointed out the influence of empowerment on Australian manufacturing businesses. Such benefits include job satisfaction. Based on these benefits, the managers have a role in implementing the empowerment initiatives in their organizations. A manager is required to delegate duties not only to their immediate assistant but also to the entire team in the organization. This would ensure that all staff members are able to execute diverse functions efficiently. Apart from delegation of duties, the employees can be empowered to make decisions that entail their docket (Robbins, Crino & Fredendall, 2002). Employees can be allowed to make decisions but advised to consult when there is a need to do so. In addition, they can also be empowered by giving them a chance to present their views in board meetings and other high profile meetings in the organization. Employees can also be motivated through providing them with immediate feedback so that any issues of concern are addressed instantly. A manager who successfully empowers their team to give instant feedback facilitates the realization of the workflow in the organization. Through presentation of new challenges, the manager promotes the ability of their team to reason and solve problems. Finally, it is important that the manager allow flexibility among the employees by discouraging any form of baby-sitting in the organization (Baird & Wang, 2010). Conclusion Employees are more satisfied and motivated to work when they are given rewards based on their performance. They consider fairness as an important parameter that makes them feel motivated to work. Rewards are also a good source of motivation for employees since they make them feel appreciated hence they are able to deliver results. Finally, through empowerment employees exemplify high working standards, understand their work, and are able to apply their innovativeness and creativity without the fear of intimidation. Managers that comply with these theories are meant to produce positive results in their organizations. References Adams, J. S. (1963). Toward an understanding of inequity. Journal of Abnormal and, Social Psychology, 67(5), 422-436. Appelbaum, S.H., Delage, C., Labib, N. And Gaulr, G. (1997). The survivor syndrome: aftermath of downsizing, Career Development International 2/6, 278–286. Baird, K., & Wang, H. (2010). Employee empowerment: Extent of adoption and influential factors. Personnel Review, 39(5), 574-599. Light, J. N. (2004). The relationships and effects of employee involvement, employee empowerment, and employee satisfaction by job-type in a large manufacturing environment. Capella University, p. 255-255Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/305041635?accountid=45049. Pelit, E., Yüksel Öztürk, & Yalçin Arslantürk. (2011). The effects of employee empowerment on employee job satisfaction. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 23(6), 784-802. Quigley, N. R., & Tymon, Walter G. Jr. (2006). Toward an integrated model of intrinsic motivation and career self-management. Career Development International, 11(6), 522-543. Robbins, T. L., Crino, M. D. & Fredendall, L. D. (2002). An integrative model of the empowerment process. Human Resource Management Review, Vol. 12 No.3, pp. 419-443. Sarwar, A., & Khalid, A. (2011). Impact of employee empowerment on employees job satisfaction and commitment with the organization. Interdisciplinary Journal of Contemporary Research in Business, 3(2), 664-683. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/878741556?accountid=45049 Vroom, V.H. (1964). Work and motivation. New York: McGraw Hill. Read More