Motivating Workers

Question 1

What is Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs?

Answer 1

The theory that there are five levels of human needs that employees need to have fulfilled at work which are in a hierarchy.

Question 2

What are Maslow’s hierarchy of needs in order?

Answer 2

1. Physiological
2. Safety
3. Belonging/social needs
4. Self-esteem/self-fulfilment
5. Self-actualisation

Question 3

What is McGregor’s X and Y theory?

Answer 3

X theory describes that employees do not want to work and must be strictly supervised while Y theory says that employees enjoy work and are committed to achieving goals which they want to achieve.

Question 4

What is motivation?

Answer 4

Motivation is the willingness of an individual to work.

Question 5

What is Herzberg’s motivational theory?

Answer 5

That there are hygiene factors (the factors which are necessary for people to work, but do not actually motivate employees). He also believed that there were motivating factors (factors connected with the job itself and motivate employees).

Question 6

What are examples of hygiene factors?

Answer 6

1. Pay
2. Satisfactory working conditions
3. Helpful organisational policies

Question 7

What are examples of motivational factors?

Answer 7

1. How interesting a job is
2. Prospects for promotion
3. Added responsibility

Question 8

According to Herzberg’s motivational theory, how can a business improve employee’s motivation?

Answer 8

By improving the nature and content of the employee’s job.

Question 9

Why do people work?

Answer 9

1. Money - people need money in order to satisfy their needs and wants.
2. Security - people like having a secure job, perhaps with promotion prospects. It also gives employees the ability to plan for the future.
3. Job satisfaction - people may feel like they are contributing to society and they may enjoy doing their job.
4. Self-esteem - people may gain a higher self-esteem through work.
5. Belonging - people may like to belong to a workgroup.

Question 10

What did Maslow’s motivational theory say?

Answer 10

That workers are motivated by attempting to meet each need in his hierarchy in ascending order. Employees could only be motivated by the first need they had not yet fulfilled and could not be motivated by any need they had already fulfilled or was higher than the one they were fulfilling. Maslow said that firms should offer incentives to help employees fulfil their needs.

Question 11

What are financial incentives?

Answer 11

Financial incentives are incentives that are designed to motivate employees that have monetary value. They include:

1. Time work
2. Productivity agreements
3. Piece work
4. Performance related pay
5. Bonuses
6. Profit sharing
7. Share ownership
8. Commission
9. Fringe benefits

Question 12

What is time work?

Answer 12

Where workers are paid according to how many hours they work.

Question 13

What are productivity agreements?

Answer 13

Where businesses agree to increase employees pay in return for their increased productivity.

Question 14

What is piece work?

Answer 14

Where employees are paid according to how many pieces or units of work they produce. This can often lead to poorer quality products as quality may be sacrificed for speed.

Question 15

What is performance related pay?

Answer 15

Where an employee’s pay is based off an assessment of how well they do their job.

Question 16

What are bonuses?

Answer 16

Where employees are paid a bonus sum of money in recognition of their contribution to a business’s success.

Question 17

What is profit sharing?

Answer 17

Where employees receive an additional payment based on how well a business performs, if employees expect to share in profits, they will be motivated to aim to increase those profits by working hard.

Question 18

What is share ownership?

Answer 18

Where employees can purchase shares in a business at advantageous price.

Question 19

What is comission?

Answer 19

Where a employee is paid a percentage of the sales that an employee makes for a business.

Question 20

What are fringe benefits?

Answer 20

Things like company cars, health insurance and holidays.

Question 21

What are non-financial incentives?

Answer 21

Incentives designed to motivate employees that do not have a monetary value but they are connected with the job or well being of the employee.

Question 22

What is job enrichment?

Answer 22

Where an employee is given a larger variety of tasks which require more skill. This is usually in the form of promotion. The employee may gain a greater feeling of responsibility.

Question 23

What is job rotation?

Answer 23

Where employees are able to switch jobs at a variety of times. They are usually motivated by this as they gain more skills and it gives them opportunities for career development.

Question 24

What is job enlargement?

Answer 24

Where employees are given a greater variety of similar tasks. This can make an employees job more interesting.

Question 25

What are appraisal schemes?

Answer 25

Ways to find out the needs of an employe, a well done appraisal can make an employee feel valued and motivated.

Question 26

What should the incentives that a business should use depend on?

Answer 26

1. The costs to the business.
2. The type of business. For example, piece work cannot be implemented in every business.
3. Employees may be motivated differently from other employees.

Question 27

What are net earnings?

Answer 27

The earnings of an employee after tax.