asd

Yarui Huang

Dr. Charles

ENG 2470

06/07/2017

A Study of Motivation: How to Get your Employees Moving

Position paragraph

Most employers in the modern day desire to have their workforce motivated and ready for the daily work and activities within the organization. However, they seem not to understand how to get personnel motivated for the sake of improved performance effectiveness. Organizations can be extremely useful in their operations especially if essential needs are met for personnel, and theories implemented by employers to ensure that employees remain motivated. This research is meant to uncover the impact of motivation on performance. Some theorists argue that motivation does not increase overall effectiveness and accuracy, but leads to increased will to work. Therefore, every employee has different needs and are at different stages of their lives. Common theories discussed include; Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, Herzberg’s two-factor theory and Aristotle’s seven causes of motivation.

There are two major types of motivation in the case of an organization setting; financial and non-financial motivation. This research focuses on the financial and non-financial aspects (Burton, 201). It is evident that most organizations don't have enough resources and financial strengths to cater for workplace motivation. There is a need to, therefore, understand how the management can be able to make personnel feel important without necessarily interfering with the financial objectives of the organization. Both elements, however, need to be implemented in the most efficient manner to achieve the best results.

In most cases, individuals end up concluding that managers spend a lot of time motivating their personnel to extend their existence. Employees are very crucial in an organization. If personnel lacks the commitment to work, they will not excel in their respective work units. According to research, it is evident that more than 80% of an organization ends up struggling regarding recruiting new employees, especially due to the challenges faced by having the old staff.

Considering that this study might be rendered outdated, this information is relevant in the modern day. The text emphasizes the need to maintain professionalism and more so, ensure that organizational objectives are not interfered with, despite the challenges facing the human resource team. There are two primary reasons why an employee needs to be motivated in an organization;

a) To be able to achieve their goals

b) To be able to achieve organization goals

In this research, it’s evident that personnel feel as if they have reached a dead end in their career, especially if they are not appreciated in their workplaces (Burton, 200). Personnel needs motivation, and management needs to devise ways which can be embraced to make employees motivated for increased productivity in the organization. The text further goes ahead to imply the importance of managerial participation in personnel activities. Decision making needs to be a collective process and not authoritative. If decision making is an interactive process, everyone involved feels appreciated and valued.

Motivation theories that can be embraced

Major scientists have been studying motivation for quite a while, and have made immense progress especially when it comes to explaining how motivation is interpreted in the workplace. Numerous theories have been discussed in the text, which is also inspiring enough in a team or family situation. Theories discussed include;

a) Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory

b) Herzberg's two-factor theory

c) PERMA model

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

Maslow states that individuals are motivated to achieve specific needs, and there are those needs which take precedence over the others. The most basic need is physical survival, which is mostly the first aspect which motivates individual behavior. Once the first basic need is fulfilled, a second need crops up and so on (Alfred, 45).

a) Physiological needs

These needs represent the physical needs which are essential for the survival of human beings. If the physiological requirements are not met, the body of a human being cannot be able to function in the most appropriate manner. It is bound to fail ultimately. Physiological needs are the most important and should be prioritized. These include; air, water, and food. Clothing and shelter are considered to be secondary.

b) Safety needs

Once the physiological needs of an individual are satisfied, safety needs take over. In this case, safety needs may be considered important especially considering the presence of war and natural disasters. The absence of economic safety makes people experience post-traumatic experiences, and even transgenerational trauma, due to the lack of work opportunities. Safety needs manifest themselves in various ways which include; job security, favorable insurance policies, and disability accommodations. This level of requirements is highly manifested in children considering that they have a greater need to feel safe in their environment.

c) Social belonging

The need to belong some in after the physiological and the safety needs are fulfilled. This need is strong during childhood and can override the safety needs. The need for social belonging can have an impact on the ability of an individual to maintain relationships such as family, intimacy, and friendships.

d) Esteem needs

Every human being feels the need to be respected. The need to have self-respect and self-esteem is critical. Esteem is the desire of every human being to be valued and appreciated by others in the society. People with a lower self-esteem may need to seek glory or fame from others. Psychological imbalances such as depression may, in turn, hinder an individual from obtaining self-respect or self-esteem from others (Ryan, 46).

e) Self-actualization

This level refers to an individual’s full potential and the realization of that potential. Maslow, in his level of needs, presents this level as the human being’s desire to accomplish everything which he or she desires in life. For example, if an individual has a very strong desire to become an ideal parent, this may be expressed in different ways, and need to be achieved in the long run.

Herzberg's two-factor theory

The text goes ahead to explain to the two-factor model as explained by Fredrick Herzberg. This source remains extremely beneficial to the reader, as it unveils a lot of theories which are related to motivation and self-happiness. According to the two-factor theory, two factors are analyzed broadly;

a) Hygiene factors

These factors refer to the job factors, which are necessary for the motivation of people. They include;

i) Individual pay

ii) Company policies and administrative requirements

iii) Fringe benefits

iv) Status

b) Motivational factors

Under motivation factors, hygiene factors cannot be considered to be motivational factors. Motivational factors result in positive satisfaction, while the lack of hygiene factors lead to dissatisfaction. Motivation factors include aspects such as;

i) Recognition

ii) Growth and promotional opportunities (Steger, 99)

iii) Meaningfulness of work

iv) Responsibility

There are various limitations associated with this theory as presented in the text. First, the theory overlooks situational variables. Herzberg also assumes a relationship between productivity of an individual and satisfaction. The text presents the uncertainty of the theory’s reliability as well. The theory is criticized for being biased, and it ignores all blue collar workers.

PERMA model

The PERMA model is considered a scientific theory of happiness. There are numerous ways to which individuals can be happy. For example, training one’s mind to embrace happiness, or spending money on others for the purpose of their wellbeing (Keith, 110). The model is an acronym developed for five distinct factors which include;

Positive emotion

Positive emotion is the obvious connection to happiness. According to the text, the ability to be optimistic is a positive perspective on life. There is a need to distinguish between pleasure and enjoyment.

Engagement

Engagement is critical in life. There is a need to grow and nurture individual happiness. Everyone needs something in their lives, and this aspect is important to stretch our intelligence and skills, as well as emotional capabilities.

Relationships

Social connections and relationships are very important in the aspect of life. Human beings can be regarded as social animals, considering their connection and correlation due to love, intimacy, and interactions. Friends are very important for the sake of spreading joy and having strong relationships.

Meaning

Having purpose and meaning is important to living a life of happiness and fulfillment. Rather than having the pursuit of pleasure and wealth, there is a need to know the reason for life, and more so, it's greater purpose. Influencing the lives of others is also considered important and beneficial for our wellbeing.

Accomplishments

The authors of the text emphasize the importance of having goals and ambitions, which help human beings have a sense of accomplishment. Everyone can make realistic goals. Having accomplishments helps individuals to push ourselves to flourish.

Works cited

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Bryson, Alfred & White, Meyer. HRM and Small-Firm Employee Motivation: Before and after the Recession. New York: John Wiley and Sons. 2017

Ryan, Jayson. Reflections on the conceptualization and operationalization of a set-theoretic approach to employee motivation and performance research. Journal of Innovation & Knowledge. 2017

Petrou, P., Demerouti, E., & Xanthopoulou, D. Regular versus cutback-related change: The role of employee job crafting in organizational change contexts of different nature. International Journal of Stress Management, 24(1), 62. 2017

Steger, Manuel. Creating Meaning and Purpose at Work. The Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of the Psychology of Positivity and Strengths‐Based Approaches at Work, 60-81. 2017.

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