17. Motivation in theory and practice

Question 1

Bonus

Answer 1

A payment in addition to the basic wage for reaching targets or in recognition for service

Question 2

Commission

Answer 2

Percentage payment on a sale made to the salesperson

Question 3

Consultation

Answer 3

Listening to the views of employees before making key decisions that affect them

Question 4

Empowernment

Answer 4

Giving official authority to employees to make decisions and control their own work activities

Question 5

Hawthorne effect

Answer 5

The idea that workers are motivated by recognition given to them as a group

Question 6

hygiene or maintenance factors (Harzberg’s)

Answer 6

Things at work that result in dissatisfaction

Question 7

Job englargement

Answer 7

Giving an employee more work to do of a similar nature; horizontally extending their work role

Question 8

Job enrichment

Answer 8

Giving employees greater responsibility and recognition by “vertically” extending their work role

Question 9

Job rotation

Answer 9

The periodic changing of jobs or tasks

Question 10

Maslow’s hirearchy of needs

Answer 10

The order of people’s needs sarting with basic human requirements

Question 11

motivated

Answer 11

the desire to take action to achieve a goal

Question 12

motivators (Herzberg’s)

Answer 12

things at work that result in satisfaction

Question 13

Payment by results

Answer 13

Payment methods that reward workers for the quantity and quality of work they produce

Question 14

Performance-related-pay

Answer 14

A payment system designed for non-manual workers where pay increases are given if performance targets are met

Question 15

Piece rates

Answer 15

A payment system where employees are paid an agreed rate for every item produced

Question 16

Profit sharing

Answer 16

Where workers are given a share of the profits, usually as part of their pay

Question 17

Scientific management

Answer 17

A theory that suggests there is a ‘best way’ to perform work tasks

Question 18

Self-actualisation

Answer 18

A level in maslow’s hirearchy where people realise their full potential

Question 19

teamworking

Answer 19

organising people into working groups that have a common aim

Question 20

Taylors approach

Answer 20

Motivating people at work with money. His approach was that pay should be linked to output through piece rates.

Question 21

Problems with taylors approach:

Answer 21

• He saw humans as if they were machines
• Taylor overlloked that people also work for reasons other than money

Question 22

Mayo’s theory (Hawthorne effect)

Answer 22

Increase in ouput is not due to changes in conditions and financial rewards, it is because of stronger teams and better communication between workers as they motivated each other to work together

Question 23

Problems with mayo’s theory:

Answer 23

• It assumes workers and management share the same goals
• It is asumed that communication between workers and managemet will break down barriers
• It is biased towards management. Workers are ‘tricked’ into being productive by managers

Question 24

Maslow’s hirearchy of needs:

Answer 24

• Physiological needs, e.g. wages high enough to meet weekly bills, good working conditions…
• Safety needs, e.g. security,safe working conditions…
• Love and belonging, e.g. working with colleagues that support you at work, teamwork, communicating…
• esteem needs, e.g. being given recognition for doing a job well
• self actualisation, e.g. being promoted and given more responsability, scope to develop and introduce new ideas…

Question 25

Herzberg’s two-factor theory:

Answer 25

• Motivators
• Higiene or maintenance factors

Question 26

problems with Hezberg’s theory:

Answer 26

Improving pay or conditions may remove dissatisfaction at first. It is likely that better conditions will be asked for in following years

Question 27

Financial methods to imrpove staff performance:

Answer 27

• Piecework
• Commission
• Bonus
• Profit sharing
• Performance-related-pay

Question 28

Piecework

Answer 28

Payments for each unit produced

Question 29

Commission

Answer 29

Is a payment for achieveing a target

Question 30

Non financial methods to improve staff performance:

Answer 30

• Delegation
• Consultation
• Empowernment
• Teamworking
• Flexible working
• Job enrichment
• Job rotation
• Job enlargement