The Challenges Faced In Employee Motivation Commerce Essay

The Challenges Faced In Employee Motivation Commerce riseOne question that is frequently asked by managers in m all organisations is How do I motivate my emloyees? The concept of motif is complex with numerous researches carried fall out and various theories prescribe forward in company to explain and look for to understand it. Many definitions exist for pauperism, but the mutual definition is that want is a pychological process inwardly an respective(prenominal) that drives a true behavior to achieve invest goals. Currently, penury is a source of frequent debates and is an departure of great signifi dissolvece and concern for both employees and organisations. Whilst reliable information systems and the latest technology be all important(p), in todays expanding supporter industry, employees remain the approximately cunning assets in any organisation. How well employees dress and their commitment at cipher argon crucial eventors to the success of their organi sation and in todays youthful pop off, where at that place is increasing competetion worldwide, organisations simply can non afford to sport a de actuate meltforce or take aim lose good employees to poor penury. therefore, motive of much(prenominal) employees is an requirement role of any manager, yet it is also amongst the most challenging tasks to bring to pass effectively. Managers must clearly understand and be sensible of the sort of factors that sterilise motivation of their nameforce because, by doing this, they argon able to focus employees efforts to run low efficiently and effectively to achieve desired goals of the business. Managers must also be aware of the fact that each employee is assorted and odd in their throw reek, hence they necessitate to take account of these variations when motivating them. check to the self-determination system (2), a useful stylus to understand the concept of motivation is to divide it into extrinsic and intrinsic mo tivation. Extrinsic motivation relates to motivation coming from former(a)s and the environment, where the item-by-item be fathers in a current way in order to get whateverthing (e.g. turn out) or because of external pressures (e.g. managers instruction). Intrinsic motivation, on the new(prenominal) hand, relates to motivation coming from within onself (3), where the item-by-item(a) acts in a certain way because of and actual interest in the act itself (e.g. live up toing need for competence). Frederick W. Taylor, the father of scientific management, had greatly influential views approximately motivation of workers. He believed that paying employees high wages, which is one of the sources of extrinisc motivation, was a sufficient incentive to motivate them to work harder and be more than productive (find ref). This was possibly the case when organisations familiarly and sought compliance from their employees, and extrinsic rewards extendd by managers were an easy ans wer to problems with module motivation and ensuring they did their work and followed the rules properly . However, in todays world and in the modern workplace, where employees are expected to self-manage and have more responsiblities, issues with motivation have get down practically more complicated and demanding. Motivating round is indeed a difficult taks and is normally easier said than done. Currently, many organisations are motivating their employees by using extrinsic motivators such as fiscal incentives. However, this is not forever and a day sufficient to maintain the right level of motivation, as it only satisfies them in come up toly. For this reason, employers need to also pay attention to intrinsic motivators, which serve to get together the direct necessarily of the employee, and consequently encourage better movement on a particular task. Monetary incentives and different extrinsic rewards are no long-lived sufficient to maintain stave motivation since emplo yees are now requisite to show more commitment and creativity (1) . This, in turn, would opine on deeper sources of satisfaction that are more meaningful to the employee that extrinsic rewards would ordinaryly rifle to offer on their own. In todays work setting, intrinsic rewards have a vital part in staff motivation these include psychological rewards such as recognition and a sense of appreciation, which provide employees with a great incentive for higher productiveness and achievement. For most, if not all employees, financial security is a strong motivator and will remain as such for a long time, but managers must be aware that it stops to be the only motivator at nearly point, and even could stop to be a motivator all together depending on an individuals circumstances and variations.The varied factors that can motivate the employee in the workplace can be expressed as necessitate which subsequently become motivators for greater productivity when they are fulfilled. Diff erent things can motivate different throng and be given different priorities. The manager must identify and because fulfill the inevitably for the employee, in order to form an environment in the workplace that encourages motivation. The various needs and expectations at work can be categorised into extrinsic and intrinsic motivationEXTRINSIC MOTIVATORSINTRINSIC MOTIVATORS hireSense of challenge and achievementJob securityReceiving appreciation promotionPositive recognitionContract of serviceGood intercession take a shit environmentGrowth and advancementSocial interactionResponsibilitywellness benefitsExtrinsic motivation relates to actual rewards such as salary, security, promotion, contract of service and work environment these are often outside the control of an individual manager intrinsic motivation relates to psychological rewards such as the sense of challenge and achievement, receiving appreciation, substantiating recognition and good treatment at work these can usuall y be determined by the actions and behaviour of the individual manager(4). These sources of satisfaction differ from an individual to an individual and mingled with different circumstances. They are interlinked, and on that pointfore, cannot be isolated from one another, but must be employ as a combination of motivators in an organisation.MOTIVATIONAL THEORIESFor many decades, theorists have been trying to understand what motivates an individual to behave in a certain manner in the workplace. However, this is a subject that has seen many conflicting debates as some researches believed that individuals do not lack motivation but certain incentives that motivate them are missing, while others argue that motivation originates from within the individual regardless of the environment and other external casts (9). Theorists have researched the subject of motivation by supplyressing two main concepts. First is the content of motivation itself, which concerns factors within the individ ual and the work environment that define and shape certain do behaviour. Second is the process of motivation, which concerns the perceptive process that an indivdual has for motivation in a specific setting. This has led to the development of numerous content and process thoeries just about motivation in the workplace.CONTENT THEORIESIn the 1940s Abraham Malsow, a psychologist, essential the concept of Hierarchy of necessitate (10), which later became one of the most universal and influential theories of motivation. He proposed that in that location are five levels of needs that existed in a specific order, and that each level must be well-off in turn in order to motivate the individual to satisfy the need at the conterminous level. His argument was based on the fact that Individuals always had the desire for more, and for an individual to be motivated to pursue the next step, the needs at the previous level have to be in full satisfied. Therefore, certain lower-order needs needed to be fulfilled before other higher-order needs became motivators for the individual. According to Maslows ride, these needs are physiological needs (basics for survival, e.g. aliment or water), safety needs (physical and emotinal safety), societal needs (sense of love and social belonging), esteem needs (sense of recognition, respect and value) and self-actualisation (achieving ones full potential) (11).(rbs full)In the context of the workplace, there are potential ways that could satisfy an employees needsSelf-actualisation includes providing challenging tasks that would enhance creativity and evolvement.Esteem needs includes recognition, praise, social status, self-respect, delegating responsibility and skillSocial needs involves social interaction, group work and pariticipation.Safety needs include pedigree security, financial savings and living safe on the job(p) environment.Physiological needs include providing adequate breaks during work and a salary that book s workers to afford smell essentials (4).There are a number of set problems in applying Maslows supposition to the work place. In reality, other areas of life, beside work, can add to the individuals satisfaction, therefore the manager needs to also have knowledge of the employees life outside work. Also, the fact that individuals are different means that they place different values on the same need and that some rewards at work can satisfy more than one need, and not necessarily satisfy one need at a time (4). Additionally, it was criticised for having a pie-eyed order of needs which possibly would not apply to everyone, because priorities are believably to vary in different individuals and even for the same individual everywhere time (11). In spite of all these problems, Maslows hierarchy of needs model has been widely utilised in many organisations as a guidepost for managers to use to motivate their employees. It provides a valuable insight for managers about the general needs that individual employees have, and what can be utilize to motivate them (12).In 1972, Clayton Alderfer go on developed Maslows Hierarchy of Needs model by classify the different levels of needs in the hierarchy into three sets in his ERG (Existence, Relatedness and Growth) possible action. He placed the lower-order needs, physiological and safety, into existence needs social and esteem needs into the relatedness needs and finally, the self-actualisation need into growth needs. In step-up, Alderfer put forward a regression surmisal to accompany the ERG surmise, which states that when higher-order needs are not met, the individual will work harder to satisfy the lower-order needs in order to development their breaks of fulfilling these higher needs (21). For instance, an employee who is having difficulties satisfying their sense of full potential would thence probably put more effort into increasing their pay by dint of promotion in order to maximize their chances of achieving what they want.(20)However, according to (11) a common problem with both Maslow and Alderfers models of motivation is that they contain having descriptions of needs that are besides vague, particularly safety and esteem needs, which would essentially cause difficulties to managers in translation them and using them to provide certain opportunities for motivating their employees.In 1961, David McClelland created the Acquired Need possibleness which is based on three motivational needs including achievement, affiliation and power. He stated that all of the three needs are normally puzzle in an individual to a certain degree, but only one of them usually dominates. Thisis mix of motivational needs characterises a persons or managers frame and behaviour, both in equipment casualty of being motivated, and in the management and motivation others.Another theorist, Elton Mayo, has made significant influences on the concepts of human relations and motivation, with conducti ng large studies of workers in an electrical company in the United States between 1924 1927. His findings emphasised the importance of teamwork, communication and positive recognition on staff motivation. His studies have also led to the creation of a model called The Hawthorne inwardness which shows that the degree of interest shown by the manager has a positive influence on an employees job performance (5). However his model has been criticised for placing too much emphasis and reliance on social contacts within the organization on employees job performance (6). Nevertheless, the impact of Mayos research was huge, as it opened doors for further research into the subject of motivation by other theorists.Frederick Hertzberg (1959) developed a two factor theory based on findings from a sketch conducted in the U.S. finished interviews with employees from different industries, in which they were asked about specific things that prosperous or displeased them at their workplace. Fro m this, Herzberg realised that there were two different sets of factors, where one set caused satisfaction and the other one caused dissatisfaction. One set of factors, called hygeine or maintenance factors are concerned with the work environment they do not result in higher level of motivation, but there absence would result in demotivation. These include extrinsic motivators such as salary, security and work environment. The second set of factors are the motivator or growth factors which are concerned with content of the job itself they result in increased motivation if present. These include intrinsic motivators such as positive recognition, challenge and a sense of achievement. His research also concluded that some factors overlapped both sets but had a stronger emphasis in one of them.(7)The size of the bars represent the degree of concern that each of the factors has on job motivation or dissatisfaction. The reason why the bars for achievement and pay look different is becaus e they both offer short term satisfaction, as there is a continuous need to search for them to lead to satisfaction.This theory has been frequently criticised by many researchers for its limited application and possibly prejudice methodology. However, continue from pg 266 on bookFurthermore, it has been noted the theory does not allow for individual differences, such as particular in-personity traits, which would affect individuals unique responses to motivating or hygiene factors.4The theories of motivation that were put forward more than half a century ago are still pellucid and widely utilised in todays banking industry. Based on Maslows Hierarchy of Needs model, banks are always attempting to sustain a good level of motivation amongst their staff by understanding and fulfilling employees needs. At the physiological and safety needs levels of the hierarchy, basic needs such as food, shelter, warmth and safety are all provided by working in any bank by dint of paying salaries and having a safe environment to work in. In name of social and esteem needs, banks meet these by creating opportunities for employees to interact with each other and work in teams in addition to good recognition of achievements with praising the employee or giving a bonus pay, both of which are only a few methods out of many more used by banks to give the employee a sense of value and appreciation. In terms of self-actualisation, banks meet this need by offering promotion opportunities to the employees, and giving them the chance to progress in their careers. The motivators that banks offer also cover the hygeine and motivator factors that were put forward in Hertzbergs motivational model.Expectancy theory is a general theory of motivation that is based on the concept that individuals are influenced by the perceived results of their actions. It argues that there are a number of inter-linking factors which determine the strong point of an individuals motivation, such as the effo rts expended, the expectation that rewards will be available, and that these rewards will be linked to their performance. In other words, the individuals level of motivation will depend on their perceived expectation that it will lead to the desired outcome. This theory has been approached by several different writers, namely Vroom, Porter and Lawler (HRM book). Vrooms expectancy theory is based on three factorsValence the perceived gratification from a result.Instrumentality the degree to which a first level (performance-related) outcome, e.g. high productivity, leads to a second level (need-related) outcome, e.g. promotion.Expectancy the connection between a selected course of action and its expected outcome.The combination of valence and expectancy defines the level of an individuals motivation. Vrooms theory has been further modified by Porter and Lawler, to develop which takes account other factors besides motivation that could influence performance. These factors include in dividual skills, characteristics and role perceptions. These theories inspection and repair managers to understand the nature of human behaviour and the complexity of motivation in the work setting in addition to helping them recognise any problems with individual performance. They emphasise that managers should pay particular attention to factors such as an employees effort and performance, and use rewards whenever it is appropriate in order to maintain a good level of motivation amongst the employees additionally, managers are advised to create methods of evaluating employees performance as a way to ensure that their workforce are constantly motivated.The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) offers its employees a package called Total Reward (rbs full). in addition salary, this includes flexible working hours, health and medical benefits, lifestyle benefits such as shopping vouchers, and certain financial products at special rates. It also offers fiscal incentives such as bonus payment s based on profit-sharing and individual-performance schemes in addition to non-monetary incentives through recognition of good performance based on personal development plans, where the employee is given the opportunity for promotion. RBS gives the employees the chance to work flexibly through a variety of working practices including job sharing, compressed hours and home-working. In 2004, RBS win an award for its flexible working-hours program in the workplace (find ref). This enabled employees to achieve a work-life balance by choosing working hours that fit around their personal lives, which would have a positive influence on the employees commitment at the workplace, and in turn results in better overall performance. This was highlighted in Elton Mayos studies on staff motivation in the 1920s that showed that staff tended to be more motivated and productive if they were feeling comfortable and satisfied with their work environment.In 1963, keister Adams developed the Equity t heory which is concerned with the employees perception of fairness in the workplace, in terms of treatment received compared to co-workers on the basis of inputs and outcomes. He argued that fair treatment is highly valued by individuals, and the feeling of injustice may have a negative influence on their performance. There are a number of factors in the workplace that play an important role towards the feeling of equity including pay, promotion and recognition. Employees would expect equal treatment based on their contributions and performance compared to other co-workers. This would subsequently result in a sense of satisfaction and would strengthen their relationship with the organisation and the team of employees, all of which is important for their motivation.Edwin Locke put forward a Goal theory of motivation in the 1960s, which is based on the idea that individuals goals have a significant influence on their performance. He argued that individuals who have specific and chall enging goals set for them, to which they are committed to, would generally perform better, as they provide focus and motivation for the employee on the task given. The performance of the employee is further intensify if this is coupled with clear and constructive feedback of the results, which provides greater focus and gives the employee a greater sense of satisfaction and motivation for the tasks set.In the 1960s Douglas McGregors developed Theory X and Theory Y, which are theories that define two different approaches towards motivation in the workplace. Theory X implies an authoritarian management style, where the employee is often regarded as relatively unambitious, lacks responsibility, tends to avoid work and change, and is often in need for some contour of direction at work in order to perform and progress. So in order to achieve the organisations goals, managers would adopt a strict attitude towards the employee, in which they would often rely on threatening techniques of penalisation to force the employee to comply with the organisations goals. Based on Maslows Hierarchy of Needs model, McGregor argued that most employees in this environment would only seek to satisfy their lower needs, such as money however, since they are already satisfied they will not be a sufficient motivating tool for any longer. Therefore, this kind of management style would most definitely produce poor results in terms of staff motivation, and ultimately meeting the organisations objectives. For this reason, McGregor put forward a Theory Y, which assumes a participative management style, where the employee is considered to be self-motivated, responsible, ambitious, and that they genuinely enjoy working. According to this theory, managers believe that employees are self-directed and motivated to perform well at work. This creates a work environment where managers are able to exercise delegation, coaction and responsibility in decision making amongst their workforce. In thi s Theory Y environment, most employees are encouraged and driven to satisfy higher level of needs such as esteem and self-actualisation, which are not in full satisfied and would therefore keep them motivated for higher performance and productivity at the workplace.(8)McGregors model has been criticised for being too rigid and quite wild in the way it depicts management and employees as being one of both two extremes in the workplace. Nevertheless, his theories continue to provide a guide to managers about the fundamentals of management styles, and the importance of maintaining a positive attitude to staff motivation, where employees feel that they are well-treated and valued as part of the of the organisation.