Lesson 21: Employee Motivation in the Workplace PDF

The importance of the motivation in the work place. Motivation: Desire to achieve goal. Why employee motivation important in business? 1. Easier to attract: Good candidates will be more likely to accept the job if they are impressed with what they see and feel about the workplace. A bu...

The importance of the motivation in the work place. Motivation: Desire to achieve goal. Why employee motivation important in business? 1. Easier to attract: Good candidates will be more likely to accept the job if they are impressed with what they see and feel about the workplace. A business might also develop a good reputation for employing a happy and well-motivated workforce. This will encourage people to apply for jobs in the first place. It might also attract good employees from rivals. 2. Easier to retain employees: If they are well motivated, they are less likely to leave their jobs. This means that staff turnover (the rate at which people leave their jobs) will be lower. This is good because if staff turnover is high, recruitment, selection and training costs will be higher. 3. Higher labour productivity: Well-motivated employees will work harder. This will produce higher levels of output. But if workers do not cooperate with each other, teamwork will be disrupted. However, well-motivated employees are likely to be cooperative, so a good team spirit is likely to develop, which will help to raise productivity. Poorly motivated staff are more likely to take time off. They may also become depressed, use minor illness as an excuse for missing work or simply take time off. This is bad for business because production will be lost, costs will rise and profits will fall. How can businesses influence motivation? A number of theories have been developed that suggests how businesses can motivate workers by satisfying human needs. These needs may be physiological, social, or concern safety and security. Businesses can meet these needs by providing adequately paid, challenging and creative work, for example. 1. Herzberg two factor theory Psychologist Frederick Herzberg discovered in the 1960s that certain factors at work would help to give employees job satisfaction. He called these motivators. He also found that other factors could leave workers dissatisfied. He called these hygiene factors. Hygiene factors: Things at work that result in dissatisfaction. Motivators: Things at work that result in satisfaction. Page 1|4  Motivators Hygiene factors Achieving aims Pay Chance of promotion Working conditions Responsibility Job security Interesting work Quality of supervision Recognition Staff relationships Personal development Company policy ✓ Herzberg said businesses must find ways of giving workers job satisfaction to motivate them. For example, they would have to ensure that jobs were interesting and that workers’ achievements were recognised. ✓ Workers must also be given the chance to perform exceptionally well and win promotion. As a result, job enrichment could be used to motivate workers. ✓ Furthermore, Herzberg said that hygiene factors would not motivate workers. But if hygiene factors, such as pay, working conditions and the quality of supervision were insufficient, workers would develop poor motivation. Job enrichment: Making a job more challenging and interesting. Job satisfaction: Pleasure, enjoyment or sense of achievement that employees get from their work. 2. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs ✓ The order of people’s needs starting with basic human needs. ✓ Psychologist Abraham Maslow recognised, in 1943, the needs of employees but arranged them into a hierarchy showing that some needs are more important than others. ✓ Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is usually presented in a pyramid. Page 2|4 Maslow’s hierarchy of needs Physiological needs Physiological needs are the basic human needs and are at the bottom of the pyramid. They include food, drink, shelter, warmth and rest. Humans also need protection from physical and physiological threats. If these needs are not met, humans cannot survive. Work provides the means to satisfy these needs. By going to work, people can earn money to buy food, clothes and safe shelter. Safety and security People need protection from any form of danger, and from physical and psychological threats. They also need routine and familiarity. Social needs People have social needs. People like to communicate and make friends. People also like to be cared for, to care and to belong to groups. Work can satisfy social needs. This is because people often work with others. This provides opportunities for people to meet and develop friendships and relationships. Esteem needs People need to be recognised and respected and their achievements praised. They also want self-respect and self-esteem. Self-actualization A lot of people want to develop skills and also develop as people. Also, many people want to reach their full potential. For example, they may want to create something or stand out in some way. These needs are at the top of the pyramid. Page 3|4 How the needs in the hierarchy can be satisfied at work? Maslow also said that when businesses try to motivate workers by satisfying their needs, they should recognise the following. ◼ Once one set of needs have been satisfied they are no longer a motivator. Workers can only be motivated by achieving the next set of needs in the hierarchy. Therefore, if a worker has enough pay and feels secure at work, raising pay levels would not motivate that worker. A business would have to find ways of satisfying higher needs. ◼ If lower needs are not met, workers cannot be motivated if a business tries to meet higher needs. ◼ If a business fails to meet a particular need, workers are not likely to be motivated. 3. Taylor’s theory of scientific management One of the first motivational theories to emerge was that of Frederick Taylor in 1911. Taylor said that workers were motivated by money. After observing workers in manufacturing, Taylor recognised that many employees were inefficient and not working to their full potential. He also thought that the pay systems were not motivating them to work. After making a close examination of working practices, he recommended that jobs should be broken down into simple tasks and that workers should: ◼ use specialist tools and equipment ◼ follow a strict working procedure ◼ receive proper training ◼ get breaks to recover from the physical strain of work ◼ be paid according to what they produce. Once a business had determined the most efficient way to carry out tasks and organise the workforce, Taylor felt that employees should get a ‘fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work’. This meant that pay should be linked to output in order to motivate workers. Page 4|4