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Disc2rep

Instructions: At least 250 words; ach reply must incorporate the textbook, at least 1 peer-reviewed source, and Scripture, citing and referencing your sources in current APA format.

Reply 1: j stone

For this discussion, I selected self-determination theory.  This theory asserts that people tend to engage in actions or behaviors that are aimed at achievement of their goals, which fall into four motivating categories: intrinsic, extrinsic, autonomous, and nonautonomous (Spector, 2021).  Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation are derived from what could be categorized as awards.  Intrinsic motivation comes from enjoyment and a sense of satisfaction (internal), where extrinsic motivation comes from things like upward mobility and pay (external) (Spector, 2021).  Autonomous and nonautonomous motivation are similar in that they are parts of an internal/external dichotomy, but they differ from intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in a key way.  Autonomous motivation comes from self-directed activity that allows people to strive for their own purposes (internal), and this can manifest in either intrinsic or extrinsic rewards; nonautonomous motivation is motivation to do things other people want us to do (external) - generally under some level of threat for noncompliance (Spector, 2021).

In order to achieve higher levels of motivation, self-determination theory says that three needs must be met: autonomy, competence, and relatedness (Spector, 2021).  When considered closely, these three needs are based on internal motivators (intrinsic/autonomous), but can also lead to the reception of external reward (extrinsic).  What they do not readily cover is nonautonomous motivation, implying that that form of motivation is likely an uphill battle.

To structure a productive working environment, it is regrettably not as simple as, “motivate my employees and they will perform well.”  Aside from the fact that motivation is a somewhat abstract concept that applies differently to individuals (especially as we leave the level of theory and approach the level of detail), motivation is also just a spark.  To light charcoal, tossing in a match will not be sufficient.  The match carries tremendous energy and potential, but it needs an intermediary (fluid, paper, etc) to channel and sustain that energy in a way that lights the coals.  Or, much like a car, motivation is an engine.  It provides drive and power, but not direction.  There has to be an intermediary (steering wheel) to keep all of that power pointed in the right direction.  All of this (rambling, honestly) is to say that motivation theory is important when structuring a productive work environment, but it is not enough by itself.  There has to be an intermediary.

Moon, Hur, and Hyun (2019) performed a study with the intention to identify one or more of these mediating factors and found, from their studied items, that permitted/encouraged employee job creativity and customer orientation translated higher levels of motivation into higher levels of productivity in the service industry professionals they studied.  I chose to examine this specific study because it addresses mediators to maximize a motivation profile that contains several elements of self-determination, which I do believe is holds great potential based on my educational background and career experience.  But, no matter which theory you operate under, it shows the need to take it a step further and identify the mediating factors that will translate/direct that motivation into practices that benefit both the person and company.

A Christian worldview, in my estimation, would probably help to foster the more internal elements of worker motivation.  “In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” (English Standard Version Bible, 2001, Acts 20:35).  Much of the bible contains lessons on the intrinsic rewards one can derive from service.  Not to say that there is anything wrong with extrinsic rewards (we all have to help ourselves, right?), but a service-based worldview will be a strong influence on the amount and type of intrinsic motivation one derives on the job. 

References

English Standard Version Bible. (2001). ESV Online. https://esv.literalword.com/

Moon, T. W., Hur, W., & Hyun, S. S. (2019). How service employees’ work motivations lead to job performance: The role of service employees’ job creativity and customer orientation. Current Psychology: Research and Reviews, 38(2), 517-532. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-017-9630-8

Spector, P. E. (2021). Industrial and organizational psychology: Research and practice (8th ed.). Wiley. ISBN: 9781119805311

Reply 2 y grace

Goal-Setting Theory is one of the more beneficial work motivation theories for I/O psychologists (Spector, 2021).  It assumes that a person’s behavior is motivated by their own intentions or goals (Spector, 2021).  Since goals are specific to the individual, the motivation should be high to attain a goal the individual has created.  According to Locke and Henne (1996), there are four ways that goals affect behavior: goals guide one to follow specific  behaviors that a person thinks will help her/him reach the goal, goals make a person try harder, goals make a person dedicate more time on behaviors needed to attain the goal, and goals help motivate a person to find appropriate ways to attain the goal (Spector, 2021).  For goal setting to be effective and improve job performance, the employee must be committed to the goal, feedback must be given so the employee knows if she/he is making strides towards or away from the goal, difficulty of the goal should be included to increase performance, goals should be specific, and goals should be set by the employee for buy-in (Spector, 2021).

I am certain that many, if not all, of us have held a position or two in our careers where we were required to set goals.  These may have had time constraints attached to them such as annual or quarterly goals.  Often, the style of the goal is an expectation as well, such as SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timely) goals.  While the concept of goal setting is not uncommon to us, often it can be difficult for some employees to set individual goals.  Using the scenario of a teacher creating annual goals, the teacher may be reluctant to set a goal of improving student test scores if they feel that student test scores should not be a determining factor to reflect one’s ability to teach.  This is an example of the teacher lacking goal commitment where the teacher may not be fully committed to a goal and therefore would not be motivated to attain it, or it may affect the teacher’s performance (Schmidt, 2019).

Another example is a study examining Lean Management, a business approach that seeks continuous process improvement while working to minimize waste and loss (Schmidt, 2019), and the use of goal setting theory shows concern with setting goals that are too difficult.  Employees may lack motivation and commitment to attain the goal if the goals appear to be too challenging.  Additionally, an employee with low self-efficacy may believe the goals of Lean management are too great and will put in less effort (Schmidt, 2019).  However, goal setting theory also has positive impact on Lean management.  For instance, using specificity in goals help with employee performance (Schmidt, 2019).  As I/O psychologists, when we apply a work motivation theory we must look for the positive and negative aspects of the theory to truly access what is best for the company and its employees. 

Perhaps the best motivation can be found in the Christian worldview.  In Philippians 4:13, we are reminded to do all things through God for He gives us strength and in Colossians 3:23-24 it states that whatever we are doing, we must work with all our heart because our work is for God (King James Version, 1769/2023).  How we infuse these motivational qualities into our daily work may help to not only motivate ourselves but also the employees we will be working with.

 

References

King James Bible. (2023). King James Bible Online. https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/ (Original work published 1769)

Schmidt, G. B. (2019). The need for goal-setting theory and motivation constructs in Lean management. Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 12(3), 251-254. https://doi.org/10.1017/iop.2019.48

Spector, P. E. (2021). Industrial and Organizational Psychology: Research and Practice (8th ed.). Wiley.