Managing Employees Flashcards
Employee expectations
• Fair pay and good working conditions
• Job security
• career advancement
What management expects of employees
• Reliable and responsible
• Loyal to a business
• Respect the values and culture of business
Employees and relationship to objectives
Ultimately it is the employees’ job to achieve the objectives of business. The HR department will need to have strategies that ensures that decisions that affect employees enhance the objectives of the business. E.g if objective is to increase sales the HR manager will need to ensure employees have adequate product knowledge either by recruiting well skilled staff or train existing.
• Motivation
Motivation for individuals is the drive to achieve an objective. It is an internal process that makes a person move towards achievement.
Why is motivation important?
Motivation is important in business as it impacts mental and physical human reactions. Highly motivated individuals will get the job done efficiency and effectively resulting high productivity, increased revenues, cost saving. Low motivated workers tend to work slower, without regard for efficiently and effectively. Can be caused by lack of direction or purpose.
Hierarchy of needs (Maslow)
• Only 5 needs. Bottom Physical, safety, social, self-esteem and self-actualism top. A person will start at the bottom of the hierarchy and will initially seek to satisfy basic needs. Once satisfied there is no longer motivation and individual goes to the next level. Employee must be able to satisfy all needs to maximises productivity and motivation. Employee cannot move upwards unless need is met.
Levels of Maslow
- Physical- basic needs such as food, water, shelter, air: Having a job, remuneration
- Safety- Security and protection from physical and emotion harm: Job Security, benefits, safe working environments (bullying), superannuation and insurance
- Social- feeling belonging and accepted in a business: Friendly work colleague
- Self-esteem- external need of status recognition and attention, internal need of self-respect and achievement: Job title and task responsibilities, promotion, bonus, prestige and power
- Self-actualisation- The ultimate need that results in personal growth, achieving your own potential using own talent: Allowing creativity and participation in a workplace.
Maslows Strengths and Limitations
Strengths: The individual needs of an employee are considered and can progress through the structure at their own pace.
Manager can put strategies in place to cater for the different needs of employees.
Limitations: Can be time consuming for manager in large organisation to identify what level they are on.
It is theoretical in nature- may not to relate to all individuals.
Goal setting theory (Locke and Latham)
• Employees are motivated to achieve goals they have helped to set
• Goals should be clear and specific
• Should be challenging but not overwhelming
• Constant feedback and recognition for effort is vital
• The goal setting theory is based around a strong connection between goal setting and workplace performance.
5 goal setting principals (Locke and Latham)
• Clarity- specific goals that are obvious. Employees understand what is expected and the result will be awarded. E.g improve sales by 10%
• Challenge- Goals should extend employees yet achievable. Goals should be aligned with business objectives.
• Commitment- Goals where employees has contributed to setting it will be more likely to achieve it as they will be motivated.
• Feedback- effective goal must provide opportunity for recognition during timeframe to keep employees on track. Feedback allows managers to recognise progress. Can be formal or informal process.
• Task complexity- task should not be overwhelming. Deadlines should be appropriate, and training provided if needed.
Locke and Lathams Strengths and weaknesses
Strengths: many studies support this theory that goals, and feedback will motivate employees
Staff will perform to a higher standard
Better relationship between managers and employees will occur as managers work with employees collaboratively
Weakness: Setting too vague goals can lead to poor performance goals that are not challenging or too challenging can demotivate
Employees can be focused on goals they ignore their job aspects
Failing a goal can be detrimental to an employee’s confidence.
Four Drive Theory (Lawrence and Nohria)
• Based on four drives and it is a contingency based theory as it differs according to the situation.
• Attempts to identify the basic human drives that determine all human behaviour and the means of motivating employees in the workplace.
• We are all driven to achieve however one drive that is more dominate may change over time.
• If one drive dominates a workplace it could cause imbalance between personal and business outcomes.
The Four Drives (ABCD)
• Drive to Acquire- includes the desire to own material goods and encompass the desire of status and power. Strong link to physical in Maslow
• Drive to bond- strong need to form relationships with individuals and groups. Strong link to social in Maslow.
• Drive to comprehend/ learn- Desire to satisfy our curiosity and learn new skills. Strong link to self-actualisation
• Drive to Defend- to remove threats for our safety and protect. Strong link to safety in Maslow.
The drive to acquire
• Can be regarded as basic and complex.
• Basic- relates to the necessities of survival- e.g clothing and housing
• Complex- relates to acquiring status- e.g private office or promotion
• Awarding competitive levels of remuneration
• Career advancement opportunities
• Recognising good performance from employees
• Establishing high levels as the norm
The drive to bond
• Managers are people orientated
• Cares about individuals on a personal level
• Employees will be encouraged to trust each other
• Personal friendships between employees are fostered and supported
The drive to comprehend/learn
• Learning new skills
• Tasks are made interesting
• Variety of tasks are included to avoid boredom
• Employees gaining additional skill and valuable experiences
The drive to defend
• The workplace is welcoming
• Managers treat employees fairly
• Employees encourage to speak up to air their concerns and offer suggestions
Lawrence and Nohria Strengths and Weaknesses
• Strengths: The drives work independently allowing managers to be flexible in the strategies implemented
• Four Drive theory is very adaptable to situations
• The four Drives will directly improve behaviour thereby achieving objectives.
• Weaknesses: Other drives may exist it doesn’t explain all individual characteristics that may motivate
• Some of the drives that involves workplace competition can have detrimental effects. E.g lacks cooperation.
• Employees may have other drives
Similarity and differences between M+LL
Sim
Both theories focus on achieving one thing at a time. LL one goal at a time. M one hierarchy at a time.
• Both theories highlight the importance of achieving job satisfaction as a motivator
Dif
• M is more long-term motivating and LL is short-term in the achievement of a goal and a new one is implemented
• M concentrates of internal needs of employee LL looks at setting employee external goals.
Similarity and differences between M+LN
Sim
• Both theories place great deal of importance on the achievement of employee satisfaction. M achieving high order hierarchy status. LN satisfying all drives
• Drive to acquire in LN aligned with physical in M
Dif
• M has 5 hierarchical structures LN has 4 drives
• M theory assumes a set of steps must met one need before the next. LN says a person can satisfy drives at the same time.
Similarity and differences between LL+LN
Sim
• Both theories primarily focus on employees. LL employees have significant role in goal setting and LN drives of employees.
• Both theories cooperation between managers and employees is essential. LL they both help create a goal and LN manager to understand employees drives
Dif
• LL an employee is pursuing one goal, LN assumes need to satisfy all drives
• LL goals aligned with business LN goals aligned internally with employee
Motivational Strategies
• Strategies can lead a motivated workforce
Motivational Strategies (Performance related pay)
• A financial reward to employees whose work is considered to have reached standard or above standard. Given to individual or group
• Could be monetary, sales commission, profit sharing or bonuses
• Features: performance gets appraised against a standard, employees get sorted into groups e.g high achievers to did not meet goal, rewards employees monetary
Motivational strategies (Career advancement)
• Promoting employees to a position that include more responsibility and is a motivation tool used by managers.
• Promotions could include remuneration, fringe benefits, variety in job positions giving employee challenging role, gives employees ambition due to a sense of status.
• Motivational theorist believes that challenge will make employee motivated. Business should incorporate challenging tasks in job design. E.g promotions, job enlargement, job enrichment vertically expanding a job, job rotation.
