Study unit 4 Motivating employees

Question 1

Motivation

Answer 1

Motivation is the internal drive that encourages people to achieve certain goals. It has two dimensions – internal and external.

Question 2

Internal motivation

Answer 2

Internal motivation is the satisfaction one experiences when a task is completed successfully or a duty is performed well.

Question 3

External motivation

Answer 3

External motivation is the motivation that one feels in anticipation of a reward.

Question 4

Motivation theories are divided into two groups

Answer 4

Content theories or approaches, and process theories or approaches.

Question 5

The content theories

Answer 5

The content theories emphasise the things in us that guide behaviour.
Maslow
Alderfer'erg
Herzberg
McClellands

Question 6

Process theories

Answer 6

Process theories focus on why people choose certain behavioural options and how they evaluate their satisfaction following goal achievement.
Expectancy
Equity
Goal Setting

Question 7

Maslow’s hierarchy

Answer 7

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs groups needs into five main areas and states that some needs must be satisfied before others can become important. This is the crux of the theory. Maslow’s theory assumes that lower-level needs must be satisfied before we can progress to higher-level needs and that satisfied needs can no longer motivate.

Question 8

Alderfer identifies three core needs:

Answer 8

existence, relatedness and growth.

Question 9

Herzberg

Answer 9

Herzberg is of the opinion that for the motivation to be possible, maintenance factors must be present even though maintenance factors do not act as motivators. Motivational factors (growth factors) concentrate on the content of the job and these are the factors that motivate employees. Maintenance factors are issues such as organisational policy, equipment, interpersonal relationships, salary, status and working conditions. Motivational factors are successful completion of tasks, recognition of achieve- ment, the meaningfulness of the job and the feedback.

Question 10

McClelland

Answer 10

McClelland indicates that three main areas of needs exist (namely for achievement, power and affiliation), and that managers must determine the dominant need of their subordinates and offer opportunities for employees to meet their individual needs.

Question 11

The expectancy theory

Answer 11

The expectancy theory is complex, but briefly states that our motivation is influenced by how much we want something, and how likely we think we are to get what we want. This means that managers should set attainable standards, link rewards such as incentive bonuses to per- formance standards and try to link personal goals to organisational goals. The equity theory states that employees compare how much effort they put into their work and the compensation they get with how other employees fare.

Question 12

Equity

Answer 12

Equity should exist and when employees perceive that it does not exist they will use certain means to restore equity.

Question 13

Goal-setting theory

Answer 13

Goal-setting theory states that employees will perform better if they strive towards a specific goal and receive feedback on their performance.