motivation in theory and practise

Question 1

motivation in the workplace

Answer 1

the ways a business can encourage staff to give their best

Question 2

what does a motivated workforce result in:

Answer 2

• increased output cuased by extra effort from workers
• improved quality as staff take a greater pride in their work

Question 3

methods to motivate employees

Answer 3

• financial methods (eg salary, bonus)
• non-financial methods (passing on responsibility or praise)

Question 4

theories of motivation

Answer 4

• taylor: scientific management
• mayo: human relations management
• maslow: hierarchy of needs
• herzberg: hygiene/maintenance factors

Question 5

taylors theory of motivation

Answer 5

• managers should maintain close control and supervision over their employees
• autocratic style of management
• motivate workers by using piece-rate payment

Question 6

taylors approach to management

Answer 6

• work study - identify the most effiecient methods of production
• identify = spot the most efficient workers
• train = train the remaining workers
• reward = pay workers

Question 7

maslows hierarchy of needs

Answer 7

1. basic needs - food/shelter
2. safety - job security/safe environment
3. social - feeling wanted/part of a team
4. esteem - self respect/level of status
5. self actualisation - intellectual needs/achieving targets

Question 8

maslows theory of motivation

Answer 8

• 5 levels of human needs which employees need to have fufilled at work
• a business should offer different incentives to workers to help them achieve each need

Question 9

herzbergs theory of motivation

Answer 9

• believed in 2 factor theory
• motivate by using motivators + ensuring hygiene factors are met
• use job enrichment + empowerment

Question 10

motivators

Answer 10

• responsibility at work
• meaningful, fufilling work
• achievement + recognition

Question 11

hygiene factors

Answer 11

• pay + financial rewards
• working conditions
• appropriate supervision + policies

Question 12

mayos theory of motivation

Answer 12

• workers are motivated by money + having their human/social needs met

Question 13

how does mayo think motivation can be increased?

Answer 13

• better communication between managers + workers
• greater manager involvement in employees working lives
• working in groupls

Question 14

3 elements to employee engagement

Answer 14

1. intellectual engagement - thinking about the job + how to do it
2. affective engagement - feeling positie about doing a good job
3. social engagement - takes opportunities to share work

Question 15

advantages of a well motivated workforce

Answer 15

• better productivity
• better quality
• lower levels of absenteeism
• lower levels of staff turnover
• lower training and recruitment costs

Question 16

reasons why people go to work:

Answer 16

• to earn money
• sense of achievement or job satisfaction
• to belong to a group
• for a sense of security
• to obtain a feeling of self-worth

Question 17

main financial incentives: (8)

Answer 17

• wages
• salaries
• bonus system
• commission
• profit sharing
• performance related pay
• share options
• fringe benefits

Question 18

wages

Answer 18

normally paid per hour worked and recieve money at the end of each week

Question 19

salaries

Answer 19

normally an annual salary which is paid at the end of each month

Question 20

bonus system

Answer 20

usually only paid when certain targets have been achieved

Question 21

commission

Answer 21

some workers are partly paid according to the number of products they sell (often salesmen)

Question 22

profit sharing

Answer 22

a system whereby employees recieve a proportion of company’s profits

Question 23

performance related pay

Answer 23

paid to those employees who meet certain targets

Question 24

share options

Answer 24

common incentive for senior managers who are given shares in company rather than a straightforward bonus or membership of a profit sharing scheme

Question 25

fringe benefits

Answer 25

• items an employee recieves in addition to their normal wage or salary eg private health insurance, company car, free meals etc
• known as ‘perks’
• often increases loyalty to company as these benefits are not always taxed
• more likely to recruit best people to company

Question 26

main non-financial incentives: (8)

Answer 26

• empowerment
• praise
• promotion
• job enrichment
• job enlargement
• better communication
• working envionment
• team working

Question 27

empowerment

Answer 27

delegating power to employees so they can make their own decisions

Question 28

praise

Answer 28

recognition for good work

Question 29

promotion

Answer 29

promoting employees to a position of high responsibility

Question 30

job enrichment

Answer 30

• giving employees more challenging and interesting asks
• seen as more motivating as tit gives workers a chance to further themselves
• herzberg in particular recommended this approach

Question 31

job enlargement

Answer 31

• giving employees more tasks of a similiar level of complexity and nature
• job rotation is a part of this

Question 32

better communication

Answer 32

employees have a chance to give feedback and advice to managers

Question 33

working environment

Answer 33

providing a safe, clean, comfortable environment to work in

Question 34

team working

Answer 34

offers employees an opportunity to meet their social needs and often accompanied by empowerment for team

Question 35

overtime

Answer 35

• additional hours worked over and above normal working hours
• paid at a higher rate - often 1.5 or 2 times normal hourly wage

Question 36

how are bonuses used?

Answer 36

• by motivating employees to work harder in order to meet a realistic yet challenging target and therefore achieve a bonus payment
• would only be effective if bonus payments were a significant sum

Question 37

profit sharing

Answer 37

a system whereby employees recieve a proportion of business profits

Question 38

advantages of profit sharing

Answer 38

• creates a direct link between pay and performance
• creates a sense of team spirit
• may improve employee’s loyalty to company
• employees more likely to accept changes in working practices if can see that profits will increase overall

Question 39

performance related pay

Answer 39

• increasingly popular method of paying people
• paid to those mployees who meet certain targets

Question 40

advantages of performance related pay

Answer 40

senior managers can easily monitor and assess indivdual employee performance during appraisal process
- setting of targets for employees can ensure they are all closely focused to compnay objectives

Question 41

disadvantages of performance related pay

Answer 41

• discourages a team based approach - unhealthy rivalry
• can be difficult to accurately measure performance of some workers
• incentives may not be larger enough to motivate employees

Question 42

piece rate payment

Answer 42

• relatively unusual and old-fashioned way of payment
• pay per item roduced in a certain period of time

Question 43

advantages of piece rate payment

Answer 43

• requires low levels of manager supervision
• encourages high speed production
• provides good incentive for workers ho are mainly motivated by pay

Question 44

disadvantages of piece rate payment

Answer 44

• workers are focued on quantity not quality
• it is repetitive for workers = de-motivating
• workers are used to one set method of production and may resist change

Question 44

commission disadvantage

Answer 44

sales may be influence by factors outside of employee control

Question 45

commission advantage

Answer 45

clear link between sales and remuneration