Chapter 47- motivation Flashcards
Motivation
A strong desire to act in a particular way and to achieve a certain result
What would a motivated employee want to do?
- wants to work hard
- take pride in their work
- committed to achieving the businesses goals
Morale
- ‘Spirit’; if morale in an individual, group or team is high then there exists a spirit of confidence and purpose and vice versa
- team members are more supportive of each other and there exists a spirit of confidence and purpose- leads to increased motivation
Why is motivation important to a business?
So that they can be fully effective in helping the firm to meet its objectives
Benefits of a motivated workforce
- less prone to absenteeism and have lower rates of labour turnover which will help lower costs
- they will see themselves as true stakeholders and they will be more productive
- more committed
- make change easier to implement
- present a better image of the business to external bodies
(Motivated employees help to give a business a competitive advantage)
Which two areas can motivation arise from?
- Monetary methods
- Non-monetary methods
Monetary methods
- these assume that motivation will result from linking employee performance to pay in some way such as piecework, commission, profit sharing, share ownership, or a bonus
Non-monetary methods
- these assume that motivation results from factors other than financial incentives
- these factors include being given work that is interesting and challenging, working as part of a team, being given responsibility, and receiving praise from management for work successfully completed
Frederick Taylor- scientific management
- Taylor was of the opinion that a scientific approach could be used to motivate employees whatever tasks they were performing
- scientific approach meant that the principles he believed in could be replicated and applied in most industrial settings
- approach meant that jobs would be carefully observed to see exactly what tasks were being performed
- they would then be broken down into simple tasks to ensure a high division of labour
- those who were best suited to each job would be recruited and then trained to perform the specialised task
- they would be paid on a piece rate
- basic premise was that money was the key motivator
- by using these principles a way could be found to use workers efficiently to increase productivity and link to their reward to their effort
- this would mean objectives of both managers and employees would be harmonised
Limitations of the theory (Frederick Taylor)
- it is in many ways a product of its creator and its time
- employees might have wanted more than simply a days work but were often grateful they had any work at all
Scientific management
The concept (originated by Frederick Taylor in the late nineteenth century) that a set of principles could be developed and applied by managers to motivate employees in most types of business
- a central part of the theory is that employees are largely motivated by money
Elton mayo- human relations management
- he was interested in improving employee productivity
- he felt that scientific management (Frederick Taylor) alone could not explain the behaviour, attitude and productivity of employees
- it was thought that the presence of the researchers was having an effect on productivity
- employees liked the fact that someone was taking an interest in them
- the result was that the increase in breaks and the shortening of the day, coupled with being able to work in a group and being managed by a democratic supervisor, led to an increase in productivity
What were the conclusions mayo reached?
- employees respond to changes in the working environment
- a sense of recognition and consultation is important to employees
- the workplace is a social system. Employees like to work in groups
- communication with management and group norms affect productivity
Limitations of the theory (Elton mayo)
- several variables were often changed at the same time and so identifying the exact cause of a change in productivity is difficult
Content theories
- deal with ‘what motivates employees?’ And are concerned with identifying a persons individual needs and then using motivation to fulfill those needs
Process theories
- deal with the process of motivation and are concerned with the issue of how motivation occurs
What are the three theories most commonly associated with content theory?
- McClelland
- Herzberg
- Maslow
David mcClelland- three needs theory
- he developed a motivational model based on the proposition that people have three needs; achievement, affiliation and power
- these needs exist regardless of gender, culture or race but can be changed by life experiences and shaped by cultural factors such as upbringing and parental expectations
- he attempted to explain how these needs drive a persons motivation
- if one of these needs is more dominant it will influence a persons behaviour in a particular way
- he used what is known as a thematic apperception test to measure these needs
What are the 3 needs? (David mcClelland)
- (N-Ach) the need for achievement
- (N-Aff) the need for affiliation
- (N-Pow) The need for power
(N-Ach) the need for achievement- someone with this sort of need typically:
- prefers challenging (but realistic) goals in order to feel a sense of achievement
- likes to work on a task or project in which the results are based on their effort
- likes to work with others driven by N-Ach
- likes to receive regular feedback on their work in order to assess progress towards the achievement of goals
(They are motivated by accomplishment in the workplace, wants to help achieve the organisations goals and will actively seek promotion)
(N-Aff) the need for affiliation- someone with this sort of need typically:
- enjoys working as part of a team because they like to feel accepted and liked by others
- people orientated rather than task orientated
- adheres to the culture of the workplace
- prefers a collaborative/ co-operative approach to work
(Is a team player, enjoys social interaction and is unlikely to challenge the businesses cultural norms when working and seeking a solution; this would make such an individual feel uncomfortable because of a concern about rejection)
(N-Pow) the need for power- someone with this sort of need typically:
- likes to influence, encourage or dominate others
- places a high value on their position in the businesses hierarchy
- enjoys recognition and status
- likes to win
(Likely to be motivated by seeking a management or leadership position, work best when they are in charge)
How can the different needs be shaped?
By training
Limitations of the theory (David mcClelland)
- employees wont always be motivated by what their need suggest that they will be
- the person might be ‘right’ for the role in the sense that their needs technically match the role but their behaviour in achieving those needs may negatively effect the motivation of others
Frederick Herzberg- the two-factor theory
- he was particularly interested in the factors that cause job satisfaction and job dissatisfaction
- not surprising that he found that factors such as interesting work, responsibility, and the opportunity for self-development proved to be motivating for employees
- interesting that his research demonstrated that factors such as pay, pensions, working conditions and the relationship with the line manager did not result in job satisfaction
- Herzberg called these hygiene factors (also known as maintenance factors)
- this gave rise to his two-factor theory
Hygiene factors
- similar to the lower levels of Maslow hierarchy
- employees are dissatisfied by a ‘bad’ working environment but not motivated by a ‘good’ working environment
- hygiene factors don’t motivate employees no matter how ‘good’ they are
- Herzberg claimed that the absence of them causes job dissatisfaction and a negative attitude to the job
- improving these factors will improve the working environment and can lead to reduced discontentment
Motivating factors
- these motivators (which are similar to the higher levels of Maslow hierarchy) relate to the job itself and not the working environment
- they are factors such as responsibility, recognition, meaningful and rewarding work and the opportunity for promotion
Conclusion of theory (Frederick Herzberg)
- business will need hygiene factors in place to prevent job dissatisfaction but also motivating factors in place if it want to motivate them
Strengths of Frederick Herzberg theory
- demonstrates a straightforward approach to motivation
- relatively easy for managers to apply
Job enlargement
- redesigning and broadening the nature of the job
- ## employees should be encouraged and supported (e.g. via training) to take on new and more challenging tasks
Job enrichment
- employees need greater autonomy at work and the chance to accept responsibility
- job itself needs to be interesting and enriching to the employee
- jobs need to be analysed and redesigned to allow personal growth
- enrichment could take the form of employees taking more responsibility for work being undertaken (getting rid of unnecessary supervision) and greater involvement in decision making
Job rotation
- allows a greater variety in the task to be undertaken
- prevent boredom.
- enable employees to gain experience for promotion
Everyone involved in motivation should realise;
People like to be praised for their efforts
What did Herzberg emphasise the importance of?
Positive feedback to provide recognition and a sense of achievement
Limitations of the theory (Frederick Herzberg)
- work could be considered a product of its time
- people have different personality traits
- later researchers found that respondents stated that they received job satisfaction and dissatisfaction from both the motivating and hygiene factors
- job enlargement, enrichment and rotation will be very time consuming to plan and implement
- not always easy to enrich unskilled, repetitive jobs
Abraham Maslow- the hierarchy of needs
- Maslow is famous for his work on human needs
- employees have a variety of needs at work that have to be satisfied and until the lower order needs are met, the higher ones cannot be
- once a persons needs are met at a particular level then they cease to be motivated by them and will need to move up to a higher level- unsatisfied needs are a motivating factor
- if lower order needs are not satisfied then an employee will no longer be concerned about achieving higher order (esteem and self actualisation needs)
Maslow hierarchy of needs
- self actualisation needs
- esteem needs
- social needs
- safety and security needs
- physiological needs
Self actualisation needs
- concerned with personal growth and the achievement of ones full potential as a human
Esteem needs
- humans look for self esteem
- they seek the respect of others, some recognition for effort as well as a degree of status
Social needs
- love and belonging needs
- humans don’t like loneliness and isolation
- they have a need for friendship and positive relationships with others
Safety and security needs
- humans seek security, stability and protection (once physiological needs are taken care of)
Physiological needs
- need for shelter, water and food
What is the significance of the hierarchy of needs to the business?
- if employees are to be motivated then managers must provide the conditions for needs to be met and employees to progress up the hierarchy
How would a business meet the physiological needs?
- a business would have to pay a ‘fair’ wage for a ‘fair’ number of hours worked and allow appropriate breaks
How would a business meet the safety and security needs?
- a business would have to ensure a high standard of health and safety as well as ensuring that appropriate policies on issues such as bullying, discrimination and discipline are in place
How would a business meet the social needs?
- there should be an opportunity for social interaction with others
How would a business meet the esteem needs?
- there should be the opportunity for leadership and promotion
How would a business meet self actualisation needs?
- managers should try to identify what these needs are (via methods such as appraisal) and help to guide employees to appropriate goals and challenges
- training should be provided to help meet them
Limitations of the theory (Abraham Maslow)
- the theory was not specifically designed for use in the business
- something of a generalisation
- are needs really hierarchical within an employee
What did content theories pave the way for?
- process based theories that seek to explain the sort of mental processes employees go through when making a decision on how to behave
Victor vroom- expectancy theory
- the theory suggests that individuals will decide to behave in a certain way because they are motivated to choose the particular behaviour instead of another type of behaviour due to what they expect the result of their choice to be
- expectancy theory is about the mental processes an employee goes through when making a decision on a choice of action
What are the first 2 aspects of the victor vroom- expectancy theory?
- Expectancy
- Valence
Expectancy
- does the employee think that they will be able to achieve a target/ complete the task
- view will be influenced by factors such as previous experience, support from others, and the availability of resources
- if an employee feels that achieving a task is definitely possible then the expectancy value is 1
Valence
- this refers to the value that an employee puts on the reward that is on offer
- can be between 0 and 1
- if the completed task leads to an outcome that is highly desired by the employee the valence will be near to 1
- the higher the figure the more that person values the outcome
Motivation/force =
Valence x expectancy
What is another component to expectancy theory ?
Instrumentality
(Will i get a reward for my actions at all?)
A person will only perform in a particular way if they believed their performance will lead to a desired outcome
Motivation/force= I X (Valence x expectancy)
Reflects the fact if instrumentality is negative the whole calculation will be negative- employee wont be motivated to perform the task
What is a strength of the victor vroom (expectancy theory)
Managers using it can identify what there employees needs are
If the theory is accepted then in terms of motivating employees, managers must ensure that:
- there is a positive relationship between effort and performance
- ‘correct’ performance will result in a desirable reward
- desire to gain reward is strong enough to make the effort worthwhile
- promises of rewards are fulfilled
- targets set are achievable
Limitations of the victor vroom (expectancy theory)
- once persons perception of effort and performance can be very different from another’s (very subjective)
- trying to apply the theory in practice by identifying each employees needs could be very difficult and time consuming (might have a large opportunity cost in terms of managers time)
- theory isn’t applicable to all organisations
- cost to the organisation of making the monetary rewards might be very high
Peter drucker- ‘the father of modern management’ (goal setting theory)
- he identified the sort of skills necessary for managers to succeed in their role: time management, knowing how and where to apply talents, prioritising and planning, and making effective decisions
- the most important asset of any organisation is its employees who should be recognised as such and not treated as costs to be minimised
- drucker claimed that a manager primary purpose is to enable people to perform n
Important factors for managers if they want an effective and motivated workforce are to:
- decentralise and delayer the business as much as possible to allow organisational freedom for managers and employees to respond quickly to consumer demands
- take an interest in their employees and value their contribution to the organisation
- offer ongoing training to create and nurture ‘knowledge workers’
Advanatges to operating a system of management by objectives
- motivation: can lead to greater job satisfaction and commitment to the business
- clarity of goals
- improved communication and coordination
- achievement of objectives can be linked to employee rewards: this could improve motivation
Edwin Locke
- publication of toward a theory of task motivation and incentives
- setting appropriate goals for employees can be a useful and powerful tool for motivation
- he considered that employees like to have a goal and if the goal is appropriate they will enjoy the process of working towards it and will be motivated to achieve it
- without a goal that recognises the employees contribution to the business they may feel unimportant and demotivated
- he arrived at 5 principles that are important to gaol setting and therefore motivational success
If a manager wants to set effective goals then the principles should be followed. These are:
- clarity
- challenge
- feedback
- commitment
- task complexity
Limitations of the theory of goal setting
- the mere setting of goals will not motivate an employee
- goal setting can mean that employees may feel that they have to concentrate on reaching that goal at all costs and in doing so fail to pay sufficient attention to other important aspects of their job
- goal setting can be difficult for new and complex tasks where there is no guidance on how best to approach them
- if goals are linked to a reward (particularly a monetary reward) then there may be well an understandable tendency to try to set a simple goal that is not appropriate for the employee or the organisation
- goal setting requires regular monitoring and feedback. This is time consuming for managers and can be seen negatively by employees
Tom peters- in search of excellence
- his research found cautious executives who disliked change and who were obsessed with three things: numbers, bureaucracy and control
- this obsession was a mistake he claimed as they did not focus on the things that really mattered to business success- people, customers and action
- he pointed out that problems are not likely to be solved quickly or effectively when a business is governed by bureaucratic policies, rigid organisation and multiple layers of hierarchy
- business needs to focus on its customers and be run with the customers rather than itself in mind
- if employees are to be motivated they need to be valued and empowered at all levels of the firm
Many of peters suggestions mirror the ideas of those who had preceded him. They include:
- acknowledging employee achievement and effort and also giving praise
- involving employees in decisions
- encouraging participation
- trying to offer continuous improvement
Limitations of tom peters work
- been accused of inconsistency
Empowerment
Allowing employees to make decisions about when and how a task is performed
Motivation
Fair play
Variety and challenge
Meeting social needs
Autonomy and empowerment
Opportunity for self development
Interest and praise from managers
Factors affecting the chosen methods of motivation depend on?
- culture of the buinsesss
- nature of the workforce
- a managers people skills and leadership style
- resources available
