Motivation Flashcards
Motivation
The internal and external factors that stimulate the desire in workers to be interested and committed to the job they do
Benefits of motivation
-Productivity will be high
-Reducing labour turnover
-Workers will be more likely to offer useful suggestions
-Workers work hard for promotion and responsibility
F.Taylor motivation theory
F.Taylor’s theory (the economic man) suggests that workers are motivated by money alone.
Thus the suggestion of “wage levels based on output (Piece rate)”
Elton Mayo motivation theory
-Changes in working conditions or pay have little to no influence on productivity
-Consultation w workers improves motivation
-Working in teams can improve productivity
-Some control over work life such as breaks improves motivation
Maslow’s motivation theory
Includes a hierarchy where
-Physical needs
-Safety needs
-Social needs
-Esteem needs
-Self actualisation
-Individual must start in the lowest levels
-Once a level is satisfied, humans progress to the next level
-Once a need is satisfied, it will no longer motivate the person
Limitations of Maslow’s theory
-Not everyone has the same needs in the hierarchy
-In practice it is difficult to identify which need is met and which isn’t
-Money is needed to satisfy physical needs but can also satisfy other needs
-Self actualisation is never permanently achieved
Herzberg’s motivation theory
This theory includes motivators that provide satisfaction and hygiene factors that cause dissatisfaction. So the goal is to increase motivators and reduce hygiene factors
-Motivators include achievement, recognition, work itself, responsibility and advancement
-Hygiene factors include low salary, low status, over supervision and bad working conditions
Herzberg also introduced job enrichment, where it includes giving challenging work.
It includes completing units of work, feedback on performance and range of task
Time-based wage rate
Payment for each period of time worked
Advantages
-Offers some security over pay
-Different rates offered to different workers
Disadvantage
-No incentive to increase output
-Labour cost per unit will depend on output
Vroom’s motivational theory
-Valence- the desire for extrinsic reward or intrinsic reward
-Expectancy- the belief which people believe that the effort they put in will lead to given level of performance
-Instrumentality- The confidence of employees that they will actually get what they desire
McClelland’s motivation theory
-Achievement motivation- which includes the need for achievement
-Authority motivation- which includes the desire to control people to increase motivation
-Affiliation motivation- which includes the need for friendly relationships and interaction to be motivated
Piece rate
Payment based on each unit of produced
Advantages
-Workers increases output
-It is easy to calculate
Disadvantage
-Quality might fall
-In some jobs, individual worker output cannot be calculated
Salary
Annual income payed monthly
Advantages
-It offers security
-Suitable for jobs where output is not measurable
Disadvantages
-Not linked to output, employees may become complacent
-May lead to low achievement motivation
Commissions
Payment for each sale made
Advantages
-Incentive to increase sales
-Maybe in addition to basic salary
Disadvantages
-Discourages teamwork
-May least to pressurised selling which damages consumer relationships
Bonus
Addition to contracted initial pay
Advantages
-Paid to outstanding workers only
-Creates incentive to do well
Disadvantages
-Can cause resentment if bonus isn’t received
-Reduces motivation if not paid
Profit sharing
Bonus payed from profits
Advantages
-Aims to increases commitment
-Leads to suggestions for cost cutting
Disadvantages
-May be small proportion of profits
-Reduces profit retained for expansion
Share-ownership scheme
Gives employees company shares at discount
Advantages
-Reduces conflict of objectives
-Increased sense of belonging
Disadvantages
-Very small number of shares
-No long term commitment
Fringe benefits
AKA perks of a job, benefits given separate from pay by employer to some or all employees
Job rotation
Allowing workers to switch from one job to another
Advantages
-May relieve boredom
-More flexible workforce
-Workers can cover colleagues absence
Disadvantages
-Limited scope than enrichment
-Does not increase responsibility
-Just a series of separate task of similar difficulty
Job enrichment
To increase the opportunity to do more challenging work
Advantages
-More challenging work offered
-Direct feedback on performance
-Tasks are offered as part of range of activities
Disadvantages
-Employee may not cope with greater depth of tasks
-Employees may see this as a enrichment process to make them do more work
-If employee cannot cope w challenging jobs may lead to demotivation
Job redesign
The restructuring of a job to make it more interesting and challenging
Development
The gaining of new or advanced skills and knowledge
Advantages
-Increased productivity and flexibility
-Access to more challenging jobs
-Opportunity to reach self actualisation
Disadvantages
-Training can be expensive
-Employees taken away from their work
-Employees may leave after becoming qualified and may apply to other companies
Empowerment
Giving of skills, resources and authority to employees
Advantages
-Quicker problem solving
-Higher level of motivation
-Higher level of involvement
Disadvantages
-Lack of experience, increases risk
-Reduced supervision may lead to poor decisions
-Lack of coordination between teams
Quality circle
A group of workers who meet regularly to discuss issues and work related problems
Advantages
-Workers have hands on experience of work problems
-Results of QC are presented to management
-Allows employee participation
Disadvantages
-Time consuming
-Not employees want to be involved
-Management may not have power to make changes recommended
Team working
Production organised into groups to complete units of work
Advantages
-Reduced absenteeism
-Low labour turnover
-Increased productivity
Disadvantages
-Not everyone is a team player
-Teams may develop attitudes that may conflict w the organisation’s
-Maybe some disruption in production
