UNIT 3 - management skills - motivation Flashcards
what is motivation ?
motivation in management is the process through which managers encourage employees to be productive and effective.
managers put certain factors in place that cause employees to behave in certain ways for the benefit of the business. a culture of empowerment within a business motivates employees. employees behaviour can be influenced by motivating them to meet their unsatisfied needs.
what is McGregor’s Theory X
McGregor says that a Theory X manager believes that their employees are lazy and have no ambition in their profession, and don’t use their initiative and like to be told what to do.
theory x managers supervise workers and will either use threats and punishments to make sure they do their work, or else use more money as a key motivator.
a theory x manager would use an autocratic leadership style
implications for a business of adopting a theory x approach
1.more industrial relations problems - as a result of the autocratic approach, lack of consultation and empowerment.
a lack of trust, no delegation, low morale, may lead to disharmony between staff and management.
- higher labour turnover - higher recruitment and re-training(introduction training ) costs to replace unhappy staff that may leave.
3.poorer time management - the theory x manager will not delegate tasks, resulting in possible overwork and stress for the manager and less time for strategic planning.
4.lower quality work/ productivity - a lack of incentives for staff to be entrepreneurial and take an interest in work may see a business fall behind competitors and lack innovation, leading to reduced quality
McGregor’s Theory Y
Theory Y managers are the opposite. they believe their employees enjoy working and want to be better at what they do, have ambition and want to be delegated challenging work.
Theory Y managers motivate by offering promotions, recognition and would look to delegate tasks to good employees.
The Theory Y manager might use a Democratic leadership style.
implications for a business of adopting a Theory Y approach
- managers can prioritise important tasks - a manager can delegate less important tasks so they can give Strategic plans/ long term plans more focus, and also remove stress/ workload leading to better work life balance for them.
- lower staff turnover - existing staff feel trusted and respected and enjoy work more so are less likely to search for new jobs outside the business.
3.higher productivity/ quality - staff are encouraged to be entrepreneurial and innovative, and will take more interest in their jobs leading to improved output.
Maslow’s theory of motivation
based on 2 assumptions
1.every employee has the same needs organised into a hierarchy of 5 categories
-physiological ( physical) needs
-safety needs
-social needs
-esteem needs
-self actualisation needs
- as one need is satisfied on the hierarchy, then the need immediately above it becomes the dominant motivator for that person. A person wouldn’t be motivated to complete the needs higher up on the hierarchy until the lower needs are satisfied first.
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs - 1. physiological (physical) needs
the need for basic human needs such as shelter, food, water and clothes.
a manager can offer a fair wage, bonuses, profit sharing schemes to help satisfy this need for employees.
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs - 2.safety needs
the need to feel safe, secure, stable and for consistency
a manager can offer long-term contracts of employment, grievance procedures, medical check ups, health and safety courses. A manager could offer appropriate safety equipment eg hard hats
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs - 3.social needs
the need to feel wanted by other people, for friendship, ,contact, affection and love and a sense of belonging, whether its from friends and families or getting on with their co-workers .
a manager could arrange social nights/events, offering flexitime, teamwork, eg a table quiz for staff to build friendships , new friendships, relations, more free time
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs - 4. esteem needs
the need for recognition,, confidence, status, respect amongst other workers and self respect
a manager may give staff rewards, new job titles or making them a ‘team leader’ , praise, or an attractive office
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs - 5. self actualisation needs
the need to become sell fulfilled, becoming the best they can be/ develop as a person, becoming everything one is capable of becoming
managers can offer workers more challenging work, creating a career path, training + development opportunities, empowerment , promotions
possible limitations of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
-needs may not occur in the strict order specified by Maslow.
-not all employees are governed by the same set of rules
-needs may not be of equal value to all employees
-employees may be driven by different needs at different times, so it is difficult for managers to use them effectively.
-theory is not based on rigorous sampling
