Employee Motivation and Job Satisfaction Quiz

Course Information

• Course: Organizational Behavior
• Professor: Dr. Patricia Prihodova
• Date: 2024/25

Job Satisfaction

• Job satisfaction is an emotional state from appraising one's job or job experiences.
• It's how one feels about their job and what they think about it (positive or negative)
• High satisfaction occurs when expectations are met or exceeded. Customers/individuals feel positive.
• Low satisfaction occurs when expectations are not met. Individuals feel dissatisfied or unhappy.

Increasing Employee Job Satisfaction

• Establish happiness in the workplace; employees come to work energized
• Increase enjoyment of work; spend time thinking about work outside of traditional hours
• Employee feel valued and fulfilled/loyalty
• Reduce absenteeism
• Increase sense of belongingness and security
• Lead to optimistic/challenging attitude at workplace
• Correlate with mental and physical health/personal wellbeing

Measuring Employee Contentment/Happiness Levels

• Track absenteeism and sick days/retention rates
• Conduct employee surveys/gather feedback on job satisfaction, work-life balance, and relationships
• Incorporate feedback from colleagues/team members
• Utilize digital platforms for anonymous employee feedback
• Form committees/teams for monitoring/improving employee happiness
• Measure cross-functional teamwork/collaboration
• Gather customer/client feedback
• Conduct exit interviews

Example Employee Satisfaction Questions

• How do you feel about work today?
• Would you recommend the organization as an employer?
• Do you feel excited about coming to work?
• Do you find your work meaningful?
• Do you feel your supervisor is invested in your success?
• Does your work challenge you and aid development?
• Have you recently thought of leaving?
• What motivational practices do we need?
• How can we improve engagement at work?
• Is there anything else important to your experience at our organization

Class Activity: High Satisfaction vs High Performance

• Discuss when high satisfaction might not be related to high performance

Job Satisfaction vs Productivity

• Job satisfaction can have positive impact on performance.
• However, increasing satisfaction alone isn't enough to guarantee higher productivity.

Example - Elevator Operator's Story

• Interviewer asks about operator's experience.
• Operator describes the joy and uniqueness of each ride.
• Job satisfaction stems from interactions/personal connection, despite repetitiveness

Example - Elevator Operator's Story - Continued

• The operator's story primarily focuses on job satisfaction rather than performance
• Emphasizes attentiveness to customer interactions and adaptability to diverse passenger needs.
• To measure operator performance, use passenger surveys, feedback cards, mystery shoppers, safety incident tracking (if applicable)

Satisfaction (SEM)

• Arises from multiple sources, dealing with positive attitudes & fulfillment of expectation (flexible hours, discounts, collaboration)
• Engagement brings loyalty, purpose, contentment, & belonging to an organization. Employees feel valued and integral.
• Motivation - Clear performance metrics and bonuses motivate employees to perform efficiently / innovate
• Employee satisfaction is a minimum for full employee engagement.

Motivation

• Internal or external factors driving, directing, and sustaining individual behavior, desires, wants, and choices
• Comes from "Movere" (Latin), meaning "to move"
• Drives behavior and actions by combining a person's desire & energy directed at achieving a goal.
• Involves willingness to invest time, effort, and energy to pursue a goal.

Negative Motivation

• Unpleasant or discomforting stimulus used to drive behavior
• Avoidance of discomfort is a motivator for specific actions, short term relief
• May create sense of urgency (ex: studying to avoid a poor grade)

Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation

• Intrinsic motivation comes from internal factors (interest, enjoyment, fulfillment)
• Extrinsic motivation comes from external factors (rewards, punishment)

Intrinsic vs Extrinsic Examples

• Examples provided of scenarios where either intrinsic or extrinsic factors motivate a person

Class Activity - Losing Motivation

• Discuss what things cause employees to lose motivation.

Causes of Lack of Personal Motivation

• Inconsistent energy due to life events, stress levels, and health
• Lack of purpose, interest, difficulty finding personal meaning
• Fear of failure, paralyzing initiative and effort
• Overwhelm, excessive workload, & high expecations
• Self-doubt, lack of confidence
• Unsupportive environment (Lack of encouragement, peers, friends, etc.)
• Instability or unpredictable external conditions
• Lack of challenge - a person may find the tasks too boring
• Lack of progress

Causes of Lack of Employee Motivation

• Ineffective communication (misunderstandings, lack of flow)
• Mismatched job roles (underqualification, overqualification)
• Insufficient access to resources (tools, facilities)
• Excessive bureaucracy (complex procedures)
• Poor conflict handling (creates tense/demotivating environment)
• Lack of leadership mentorship
• Inconsistent workloads (stressful)
• Limited freedom/expression
• Ineffective reward systems

Causes of Lack of Employee Motivation During Covid

• Vaccine and health concerns
• Isolation/inconsistent work schedule
• Uncertainty and anxiety
• Disruption of routine
• Technological overload
• Reduced leaning opportunities
• Caregiver stress
• Economic pressure
• Lack of physical activity

Theory X and Y by McGregor

• Theory X: employees inherently dislike responsibility and prefer direction (lazy). Need consistent rewards & punishments
• Theory Y: Employees are responsible, self-directed, proud of work, willing to take on challenges. Participate happily in decision-making and use self-direction/control

Measuring Performance

• Performance is a critical driver of organizational success and sustainability.
• Measuring performance helps identify strengths and weaknesses to improve.
• Objectively differentiating between performers and nonperformers to create a fair culture of recognition.

Motivating Through Goal Setting (Locke)

• Individuals perform better with specific, difficult goals, compared to vague/easy ones
• Goals effectively direct attention and effort for goal relevant activities: mechanisms for improved performance
• Mechanisms are clarity, commitment, feedback, and self-regulation

Examples of Goal Setting

• Examples provided from a software team project to illustrate process

"Vision Visualization" in Locke Theory

• Having a compelling vision can create emotional connection with employees.
• Clear, inspiring visions provide a roadmap and help clarify the organization's future for individuals
• Effective communication from leaders is important to help employees understand/internalize this vision

Example - Florence Chadwick (Channel Swim)

• Example of someone who had a strong vision to get through a challenging activity. Vision was a guiding force to motivate her.

Vroom's Expectancy Theory

• Motivation based on beliefs about effort, performance, and outcomes
• Valence: value of outcome
• Expectancy: ability to achieve (perform) the behavior
• Instrumentality: belief that the performance will lead to a desired outcome./reward

Components of Expectancy Motivation

• Valence: the individual's preference for the outcome (e.g., how much do you value the rewards)
• Expectancy: belief the outcome can be attained (e.g., can they make the sale)
• Instrumentality: belief that performance will lead to outcome

Example Expectation/Instrumentality/Valence (EIV) Model

• Example of specific scenarios (such as tailoring rewards or personalizing opportunities to individuals) to improve the team performance

Company Examples (Strategies for Increasing Motivation)

• Examples given of companies with positive strategies using examples of policies and programs

Motivation Trends

• Remote work/safe work environments
• Psychological safety/wellness initiatives (mental health counselors, exercise/healthy food options)
• Policies that support work/life balance (flexible schedules, unlimited time off)
• Organizational changes to tailor rewards/recognition to individual employees (flexible, organic, dynamic approach)
• HR departments update budgets, compensation, and create risk plans

Motivation Trends - Continued

• Use of technology for collaboration and communication
• AI-driven personal coaching apps for improving self, goal tracking, and habit suggestions
• Virtual talent platforms for feedback and rewarding
• Mental fitness focus programs

Class Activity - Designing a Motivation Model

• Develop a personal model of motivation
• Identify top 3 things employers can do to increase job satisfaction

Class Activity - Encouraging Motivation

• Describe actionable steps for encouraging people (keeping morale and productivity up)
• How to utilize expectancy theory

This quiz explores crucial factors influencing employee motivation and job satisfaction, including communication, rewards systems, and hygiene factors based on Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory. Test your knowledge on the complex relationships that define a supportive work environment and its impact on productivity and satisfaction.