Abstract
The motivation of employees is a critical human resource management aspect because of its implications for the organizational performance. Motivated employees tend to be committed to their tasks, hence supporting the management and the organization in realizing the objectives. This chapter presents research on the factors motivating and demotivating employees as well as strategies to motivating the employees. A quantitative research through a literature review gives an opportunity to learn about the concept as conceptualized by other researchers. Theories of motivation, including Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, Herzberg’s two-factor theory, and Vroom’s expectancy theory are discussed to enlighten on the basis upon which motivation strategies can be developed. The motivating factors identified include fair compensation and rewards, job description, leadership, management, and supervision. However, other factors can be demotivating, including unappealing leadership, negative perception of the employees towards the jobs performed, and poorly defined job path. The poorly defined job both make the employees uncertain about the future of their career and hence become uncommitted towards their jobs and responsibility. The strategies to motivate employees involve the incorporation of the motivating factors while eliminating or decreasing the de-motivators. The fundamental strategies identified include Work-job balancing initiatives redesigning the jobs, job performance evaluation, effective reward and compensation system, and empowerment of the employees. The discussion and conclusion provide a presentation on the findings in relation to the research questions and objectives. Furthermore, discussion of the research limitations and suggestion for a better research in the future is provided.
Chapter 2: Literature Review Cont.
Factors likely to De-Motivate Employees
It is imperative for a manager to be aware of the factors that can inhibit the realization of the objectives. The first de-motivator is the negative aspect among the employees’ concerning the jobs they are required to undertake (Goetsch, 2011). The negative perception about the job performed reduces commitment to the tasks assigned to the individuals. Such employees may not respond positively to the motivation strategies because of the fact that the nature of the job is likely to remain the same. The second barrier is the poorly defined job path. In workplaces where job responsibilities are undefined, unachievable, immeasurable, and matched with unrelated work goals, the efforts to motivate the employees becomes complicated and hard to achieve.
The third de-motivator is the unappealing leadership in which the leader in charge fails in manipulating the incentives that would attract effort and commitment. For instance, if a leader is not trusted, the employees are also not likely to trust and believe in his/her motivational strategies. Lastly, the efforts to motivate the employees can be drained by the interference of the third parties. For example, the influence of informal communication among the colleagues, trade unions, and family members can inhibit motivation, particularly when it imposes negative thoughts to the employees.
Strategies to Motivate the Employees
The factors identified that contribute to the development of a motivated team of employees give an idea on the strategies that can be used to inspire positive performance. Managers should come up with specific strategies that would motivate the employees. The first strategy is the effective reward system. A reward is a demonstration of recognition for the job done and compensation for the commitment (Karadag, 2015). An effective reward system should incorporate both the extrinsic and intrinsic rewards. Extrinsic are externally administered and are valued outcomes given by supervisors or higher-level managers to the subordinates. Some of the commonly applied examples include bonus payments, promotions, awards, and verbal praises among others. Intrinsic rewards are self-administered and are realized upon accomplishing a valuable objective. The manager, in this case, tries to provide an environment upon which the employees can achieve job objectives. For instance, the aspect of supporting personal development and allowing self-control over the work performed. In fact, all the initiatives by the manager provide a supportive environment upon which internal motivation of each employee help them to strive for the result.
An effective reward and compensation system must incorporate four elements. First, the rewards must satisfy the basic needs of the employees. In other words, the monetary rewards, including wages and allowances must be adequate to assist the employee in paying for personal bills such as the expenditure on food, shelter, clothing, and education. Secondly, the salaries must be competitive compared to what other organizations offer to employees in the same area and occupation. Underpaying the employees compared to what others working in other firms get is discouraging and can lead to poor performance and high turnover (Richardson, 2014). Thirdly, the system must be equitable and distributed fairly. In this case, the gap between the highest and lowest paid should be justifiable. Besides, individuals in the same positions should be paid equally, and where differences arise, the reasons must be defensible. For instance, the differences based on years of service can be acceptable. Lastly, the overall reward system should be multifaceted. In this case, the requirement is based on the realization that people have different needs upon which they can be motivated through. In other words, the compensation should be a mixture of the pay, time off, recognition, or promotion.
The second motivational strategy is the job performance evaluation. The assessment is a process, which job objectives and expectations are highlighted, and strategies to achieve them determined. Each of the employees is made aware of the expectations at the end of a task, project, or within a given time of operation. The management provides the required resources and appropriate work environment. The management would then measure the outcome and compare to the expectations ((Ukandu & Ukpere, 2010). Consequently, they should provide the feedback and reward those who have achieved the expectations. The employees strive to apply their skills, energy, and expertise to meet the goals and expectation. In other words, performance evaluation encourages the individuals to remain focused.
Redesigning the jobs is another valuable strategy upon which employees can be motivated. The strategy is based on the realization that when people work at the same place for a long time they experience the burnout and hence the need for actions before the employees gets bored. Both the job scope and depth are considered when redesigning jobs. The attempts to adopt the strategy may embrace three initiatives, including job enlargement, rotation, and enrichment (Dobre, 2013). Job enlargement is also regarded as horizontal job loading and involves the additional of tasks in a job to reduce monotony (Ukandu & Ukpere, 2010). The second approach is the job rotation in which different jobs and tasks are assigned to different people at different times. The aim is to expose the employees to different jobs rather than having them work on the same job all through. The rotations assist in renewing interest and enthusiasm and eventually benefit the organization due to the cross-trained workforce. At the time of crisis; for example, when one employee is absent, the manager concerned can assign the duties to another employee to stand in and perform appropriately. Lastly, a manager can embark on job enrichment, which is also called the vertical job loading. The approach involves the addition of tasks to a job accompanied by more responsibilities and authority. As a result, the employee affected feel more valued and hence enjoy improved morale and performance.
Work-job balancing initiatives, particularly creating flexibility is another powerful strategy used in motivating employees. The concept is applied based on the realization of the importance of fulfilling both the job and personal/family demand. Therefore, the flextime is applied to permit the employees to have control over their work hours. The first approach is the compressed work, which allows an employee in a full-time employment term to complete their weekly jobs in less than the weekly standard hours and days (Richardson, 2014). The employee is allowed to work for a few days and complete the assignments; for instance, within three days in a week. He/she is then set free to attend to personal demands. However, the approach is likely to increase fatigue as the employees strive to achieve a lot within a limited timeframe.
The second approach is the job sharing or twinning in which one full-time job is allocated to two or more people. In this arrangement, each person is allowed to work half day. However, the sharing can be done on weekly or monthly arrangements. The approach is significant because it can attract employees with expertise in a certain job who may not be available for the full-time arrangement. For example, young mothers with small children would find the arrangement supportive, as they would require adequate time to look after their young ones. As a result, the employees are motivated to bring out the best of their skills and expertise.
The third approach is telecommuting or flexplace work arrangement. The strategy allows the employees to complete a portion of their work at home or at any other place of their choice. The arrangement frees the employee from wearing special attire, work for fixed hours, or have a direct contact with the supervisor. Modern technology, particularly computer connectivity has enabled the effective application of this method. The employee can work at home and send the report to his/her boss who might be at the working place (Richardson, 2014). The freedom and the relief from traffic movement enhance the job satisfaction. The individuals allowed to work through the arrangement would like to attain quality performance to retain the right to continue working from home. Nevertheless, the arrangement is appropriate when the individual employees have the sense of responsibility and have the relevant computer system skills.
Finally, yet importantly, empowerment is the other strategy applied in motivating employees. The approach entails giving the subordinates the authority and freedom to make decisions on the tasks and jobs they are assigned. Furthermore, the individuals have their capabilities enhanced to facilitate the discovery of their full potential. The empowered people get the responsibility to participate in management functions in line with the goals and objectives of the organization. The employers using this strategy encourage the employees to adopt new ideas, which are a key ingredient towards the development of competitive advantage (Armstrong, 2012). In fact, to ensure that the employees have the capability of making quality decisions, the employers are keen to match the job requirements and the qualifications. Besides, regular training is conducted to equip the employees with the latest ideas and approaches. Coaching and mentoring is also highly advocated for when empowering the employees. The manager or the supervisor in charge seeks to undertake collaboration to ensure that before an employee is given the authority and responsibility, they have what it takes to fulfill the expectation (Ukandu & Ukpere, 2010). At first, the new employees or those allocated new tasks and jobs are given the technical and personal support to unlock their potential. However, the strategy is considered appropriate only for the individuals whose commitment to work is strong and their levels of skill are adequately defined.
Chapter Summary
The literature review is considerably informative about the topic. The knowledge about the relevant theories gives an idea about the connection between the strategies applied and change in behavior among the employees. It is evident that the strategy adopted to inspire the employees in a certain setup depends on a number of factors, including the nature of the employee, the working environment, and the ability of the organization. Apart from the traditional approaches, particularly better compensation, other strategies, including flexible work schedules, recognition, and job enrichment are considered powerful in the modern world. However, business managers are encouraged to be aware of barriers to motivation, which include poor leadership, negative attitude among the employees, and undefined job path.
References
Goetsch, L. D. (2011). Developmental leadership: Equipping, enabling, and empowering employees for peak performance. Bloomington, Ind.: Trafford Publishing.
Leonard, E., D & Trusty, K, A. (2015). Supervision: Concepts and Practices of Management. Boston: MA. Cengage Learning.
Ukandu N., E., & Ukpere, W., I. (2010). Strategies to improve the level of employee motivation in the fast food outlets in Cape Town, South Africa. African Journal of Business Management. (28). 11521-11531.
Armstrong, M. (2012). Armstrong’s handbook of management and leadership: Developing effective people skills for better leadership and management. London: Kogan Page.
Dobre, O., (2013). Employee motivation and organizational performance. Review of Applied Socio- Economic Research. 5(1). 53-60.