Free Motivation Research Paper Example

It is evident that most employers in today’s business setting would love to have their employees motivated and ready to work. However, most of the personnel do not know how to motivate their employees. Additionally, most of the employers do not know what motivates their employees. It should thus be noted that business firms could be more efficient if the staff members had a devoted interest in the future of the business. This means that for a company to be successful, there are specific needs that have to be met so that the employer-employee relationship works successfully. This paper examines the different concepts of motivation in terms of theories, how the motivation theories are relevant in the workplace and how the various employees can implement the various theories so as to ensure that the personnel are motivated and happy.
For employers, there are three vital theories that they have to consider. These theories include Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, Aristotle’s seven causes, Herzberg’s two-factor theory and different other types of motivation. All of these theories are vital in that employer have to deal with different types of people. Additionally, employees are in different stages of motivation meaning that employers have to use different techniques to motivate their employees. In terms of motivation, there are two specific types of motivation. These include non-financial motivation and financial motivation. Employers have to comprehend how to motivate their employees by using both the financial and non-financial motivation techniques. Currently, most of the employees do not only need financial motivation so that they feel valued in any business setting. Both the financial and non-financial motivation techniques have to be executed strategically so that the best results are achieved in the business.
One of the most vital questions that one has to consider is why do employers take time to motivate their employees. This is to extend their existence in the workplace and increasing their organizational commitment. If the employees do not have organizational commitment, then they do not have the incentives to excel in their jobs. If the employees of any organization leave their jobs, then it is the organization that loses the most as it suffers from the loss of knowledge and the individual experiences that the employees have. Additionally, the mass exodus of employees translates to financial losses as the employees may be hired in competing firms of the organization. All of the problems that arise due to the exodus can be solved by using proper motivation techniques. The employees have to be kept involved in the organization and committed.
Employees have to be motivated because of two vital reasons. One of the reasons is to ensure that they achieve their own personal goals. Ramlall (2004) argues that the second reason is to guarantee that they enable the organization to achieve its goals. It is thus imperative for managers to comprehend the concepts of motivation so that they are able to understand the actions that they have to take in order to motivate the employees. The more the employees are motivated, the more likely that the organization achieves its goals and objectives.
According to Maslow, individuals are motivated to fulfill their own needs. In his hierarchical setup, every individual begins at the bottom of the pyramid and works his way to the top. When the individual has achieved the basic needs, they move to the next level of the pyramid until all their needs are met. The base of the pyramid contains the physiological needs that one has to meet in order to survive. The needs include food, clothing sleep and shelter. The next level is the security needs. One has to feel safe in any working condition, and if employees do not feel safe in their workplaces, then they may leave the organization. The safety of the workplace also guarantees the employees to work at optimum levels. The next stage is the affiliation. Employees want to feel loved in any place that they work. Once an employee does not feel loved, and then the input that they are providing the organization feels useless. After the stage of affiliation, it is the self-esteem. Once an employee’s feels threatened whether it was the job promotion that they are not getting, then they have a tendency to reduce their work input. Once the employee has achieved the level of self-actualization, then the work output is maximized. This is because the employee has nothing to lose, and all the personal goals have been met or achieved.
There are numerous methods that can be used to motivate employees. Managers can remove most of the job controls. Some of the job controls tend to hinder the employees. Another method that managers can use if to increase the worker accountability of their own work. Through minimum supervision, the workers can be able to pace themselves as they know that they have the responsibility to complete the jobs that they have been assigned to. This method can also be fortified by the provision of greater job freedom. The job freedom can also be increased through the use of additional authority to the employees. Once the job that the employees are performing starts becoming easy to them, then it is up to the manager to ensure that higher job descriptions are introduced. Tasks that are a little bit more difficult to perform can be added to employees who have the required experience to work on the job. Additionally, the increase in the tasks that the employees perform can also be rewarded with an increase in the salary that the employees are getting. For the individuals who do not consider the use of rewards such as money, and then the manager can create a post so that the individual has a job title of his own.
Managers can also learn the different motivation factors such as intrinsic motivation, the extrinsic motivation and interjected motivation. According to Lam et al. (2001) when the employees have the desire to perform certain tasks, and they are not able to complete them, they tend to feel a certain urge of guilt and failure. This motivates them to want and achieve that task regardless of how they feel. Sometimes the employees just want to prove that they can complete certain tasks. Managers have to comprehend these kinds of workers and ensure that the proper strategies of motivation re-implemented (Porter and Lawler,1968). Where employees love the idea so financial motivation, the manager can introduce the profit sharing programs. This means that employees are able to share in the profit that the organization gets. This is normally best done in the service industry. In hotels, the waiters have to share the profit that they make. This makes them work extra hard as they know that the reward that they get is based on the quantity of work that they put in.
In a nutshell, the concept of motivation as employed by managers entails the need to keep employers working without constant nagging and close supervision. As such, employee motivation does not occur spontaneously nor in isolation. Instead, it calls for the understanding of various factors that are likely to motivate employees towards the attainment of organizational goals and objectives. Managers need to comprehend well with various factors that motivate the organizational personnel. This will offer a comprehensive platform that makes manager to become better managers.
Many at times, intrinsic factors are likely to motivate employees to devote more time and efforts on the work allocated to them. For this reason, extrinsic factors such as punishment or threats may not motivate organizational personnel. Extrinsic factors prompt organizational personnel to work for the sole intent of satisfying the managers. In the long run, work will only be done, regardless of whether it is done appropriately or not. In conclusion, the role of managers entails the need keep employees working without use of force or coercion. Motivation allows people to work willingly, which enhances their productivity.

References

Ramlall, S. (2004). A Review of Employee Motivation Theories and Their Implications For
Employee Retention within Organizations. The Journal of American Academy of
Business, Cambridge, 5(1/2), 52-63.
LaLopa, J. M. (1997). Commitment and Turnover in Resort Jobs. Journal of Hospitality
and Tourism Research, 21(2), 11-26.
Lam, T., Baum, T. & Pine, R. (2001). Study of Managerial Job Satisfaction in Hong
Kong’s Chinese Restaurants. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality
Management, 13(1), 35-42.
Ramlall, S. (2004). A Review of Employee Motivation Theories and Their Implications For
Employee Retention within Organizations. The Journal of American Academy of
Business, Cambridge, 5(1/2), 52-63.
Porter, L. & Lawler, E. (1968). Managerial Attitudes and Performance. Illinois: Irwin