Internal Disposition - Essay Example

Motivation at Work There is no secret to having motivated employees. However, there are theories that can help managers to successfully motivate employees. These theories are divided into two general categories. The first category is made up of the content theories and these focus on the basic needs and drives of individuals and how they contribute to motivation. The second category is made up of the process theories, and these focus on he processes involved in motivating people. Within these categories, there are a number of different theories that managers can apply to help them to motivate employees. Five of these theories will now be described, including a description of how a manager can use these theories to motivate staff. The first motivational theory that will be considered is Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory. This is a content theory that states that there are five levels of needs that an individual moves through. The first level is physiological needs, which refers to the basic need for food and shelter. The second level is safety needs, which includes having job security. The third level is belongingness needs, which refers to an individual's need to feel like they are part of something and to feel that their contribution is important. The fourth level is esteem, which refers to an individual's need to feel good about themselves, including feeling that their work is appreciated. The fifth and final level is self-actualisation, which refers to the individual feeling that they are realising their potential. This final level represents the individual being at their most motivated. At this point, the employee works to be the best that they can be, while feeling maximum satisfaction and while also feeling that their contribution is valued. The important thing about the hierarchy is that individuals cannot achieve any stage without first progressing through the earlier stages (Daft 1997, p. 529). Therefore, an employee cannot reach the self-actualisation stage if their physiological, safety, belongingness and esteem needs have not first been met. This means that a manager must ensure that every level of need is provided for if they want employees to be highly motivated. The first level is physiological needs, which is the need for food. To provide for this need, the manager needs to ensure that employees are adequately compensated. The next stage is safety needs. Safety needs have been provided for when employees feel that they have job security and that they are physically safe within the workplace. The third stage is belongingness needs, which refers to an employee's need to feel that they are part of something. This means ensuring that employees know their role in the organisation and how they fit into the organisation as a whole. The fourth stage is esteem needs, which is the employee's need to feel good about themselves. To achieve this, employees need to be praised for their actions. This praise could be in the form of a monetary reward, an award for their efforts, or a simple thank you. This can also be achieved by giving the employee an opportunity to achieve that they feel like they are contributing. The final stage is self-actualisation. This stage occurs when all other needs have been met. At this stage, employees work for themselves, as much as for the company, where they desire to achieve goals because it matters to them. This is the maximum motivation achievable based on the fact that all individuals will ultimately value themselves more than anyone else. This theory can be applied by managers by recognising the level that employees are at and taking actions to help them progress through the stages until they reach the maximum level of motivation. The next theory that will be considered is ERG theory. It is another content theory and is quite similar to Maslow's theory. ERG theory describes three levels of motivation: existence needs, relatedness needs, and growth needs. The first level of existence needs is similar to Maslow's first two stages, where existence needs refers to the individual's need to live adequately. This need can be met by paying the staff adequately and giving them job security so that they know their needs will be provided for. The second level is relatedness needs, which is the need to feel part of a group. To achieve this, the manager needs to create an adequate environment for employees where they feel like they are part of something. The final stage is growth needs. This refers to an employee's need to feel that they are going somewhere. This level of need could be satisfied by developing training programs so employee's skills are increased, by implementing a system for promotion so employees are aiming towards taking on a higher role, or by implementing skill-sharing programs so an employee's skill range is increased. Unlike Maslow's theory, ERG does not consider that the three levels of need have to be met in order. Instead, the theory suggests that failing to consider any of the three areas will limit an employee's motivation. Managers can use this theory by considering whether all three needs are being met and making changes if they are not. The final content theory that will be considered is Herzberg's two-factor theory. This theory states that there are two types of factors, hygiene factors and motivators. Hygiene factors do not motivate employees but do demotivate them if they are not present. Motivators are the factors that actually increase motivation. Importantly, employees will not be motivated unless the hygiene factors are first provided for. These hygiene factors include pay, security, company policies, and interpersonal relationships. The first thing that the organisation must do is ensure that these factors are present. Employees require adequate pay and job security. They also require clear company policies that give them something consistent to believe in and something consistent to base their behaviours on. Finally, interpersonal relations are required, which refers to adequate relationships with superiors and with peers. The relationship between an employee and their boss is especially important, with employees needing to feel that they can speak to their boss and trust their boss. Each of these items allows the employee to feel comfortable in the workplace. Once these items are present, the organisation can then consider motivators. These motivators include achievement, recognition, responsibility, and personal growth. These motivators can be provided via incentive schemes, reward systems, and opportunities for advancement. However, importantly, these systems will not be effective unless the hygiene factors are first present. This is a useful strategy for managers to use when employees are less motivated for expected. For example, perhaps the organisation has implemented a strong incentive program, but is not seeing an increase in motivation. Rather than trying to find more ways to motivate employees, the manager can first consider whether all the hygiene factors are present. By identifying the missing hygiene factors, the manager can take action to provide these hygiene factors. The motivating factors will then begin to show results. In effect, the theory is one that can be effectively used to identify problems causing reduced motivation. This allows the manager to fix the problem at the source instead of trying to add on solutions without really getting to the base of the problem. The process theory that will be considered is equity theory. Equity theory has been defined as "a process theory that focuses on individuals' perceptions of how fairly they are treated relative to others" (Daft 1997, p. 535). According to the theory, individuals will determine whether equity exists by comparing what they receive with what other employees receive. This comparison involves considering both inputs and outputs. For example, an employee might consider that they work harder than others and that they have a greater level of skill and knowledge than others. This means that they consider their input to be greater than others. For the employee to see the situation as equitable, they will also have to perceive that they receive more rewards than others. According to the theory, when an employee perceives an inequity they will be motivated to change their behaviour to make the situation equitable. This motivation is not necessarily a positive thing. For example, if an employee considers that they work harder than everyone else but receive the same pay, they will perceive an inequity. They may correct the inequity by choosing to input less and not work as hard. In this case, the person has been motivated in a negative way. The opposite occurs if an employee perceives that they receive more reward than others. In this case, the individual may increase their input to match with what they receive. This theory can be used by managers to identify problems when employees start changing their inputs. For example, if a hard-working employee starts to work poorly, the manager can consider if a perceived equity problem could be the cause. The manager can then correct the inequity so that the employee's high input level is maintained. The second process theory that will be described is expectancy theory. This theory states that an individual's motivation depends on how their expectations about receiving desired rewards for completing tasks. The more certain employees are that they will receive rewards for their efforts, the more likely they will be to take the action. Managers can apply by this theory by taking action so that employees perceive that their will be a strong likelihood of actions leading to desired reward. This can be achieved by implementing incentive schemes. It can also be achieved by providing employees with feedback and linking positive performance with promotion decisions. It can also be provided by recognising the achievements of employees, such as by having an employee-of-the-month program. Finally, it can be as simple as praising employees for all positive actions. By taking any of these actions, a manager is creating a clear link between a positive performance and some kind of positive reward. By taking this action consistently and by applying it equally to every employee, a manager can create a workplace where all employees are motivated. Five theories of motivation have now been described, three being content theories and two being process theories. This has shown that there are many theories that a manager can apply to motivate employees. Since there is no one theory, it can be said that there is no secret to motivating staff. Instead, motivating staff is a more complex process where managers have to choose the right motivation theory to suit the situation and the staff involved. Mullins (1996) notes that a manager will not succeed by applying one theory to all employees because people are different and are motivated in different ways and by different things. This makes it important that a manager is able to use a range of theories and able to select the most appropriate theory for a particular person. In addition, each of the theories are suited to certain situations. Overall then, an effective manager motivates by having knowledge of a range of theories and the ability to understand which ones to apply to certain people in certain situations. References Mullins, L.J. (1996) Management and Organisational Behaviour. London: Pitman Publishing. Daft, R.L. (1997) Management. Fort Worth, TX: Dryden Press. Read More