Workplace Motivation: Key Theories and Applications
What is Motivation and Why Does It Matter?
Motivation encompasses the internal and external factors that stimulate people to take actions leading to goal achievement. Motivated workers are crucial for helping a business achieve its objectives effectively. Furthermore, highly motivated staff are more likely to remain with the company, reducing turnover.
Indicators of poor staff motivation can include:
- Absenteeism
- Lateness
- High labor turnover
Key Motivation Theories
Taylor’s Scientific Management
Taylor sought to analyze worker motivation to advise management on the best ways to increase worker performance or output.
How to Improve Output per Worker (Taylor’s Method):
- Select workers suitable for performing a specific task.
- Observe these workers performing the task and note the key elements involved.
- Record the time taken to complete each part of the task.
- Identify the quickest method recorded among the observations.
- Train all workers in this quickest method.
- Supervise workers to ensure they adhere to the method.
- Pay workers based on results (output), aligning with the theory of the economic man.
The theory of the economic man posits that motivation is primarily based on money, suggesting extra pay is the unique factor influencing it. Taylor believed paying workers per unit produced, known as the piece rate system, was an effective approach.
Mayo’s Hawthorne Effect Insights
Mayo’s research initially assumed that working conditions – such as lighting, heating, and rest periods – significantly affected workers’ productivity. However, Mayo was eventually forced to accept that working conditions alone were not the primary determinants of productivity levels and that other motivational factors were necessary.
Conclusions from Mayo’s Work:
- Changes in working conditions and financial rewards had little effect on their own.
- Motivation improved significantly when managers consulted with workers and showed an interest in their work.
- Working in teams tended to improve productivity.
Evaluation for Today’s Businesses:
The trend of empowering workers with some decision-making authority reflects Mayo’s findings. Team working and involving employees are common practices applied in today’s businesses.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Maslow conceptualized human needs as a hierarchy. He interpreted this hierarchy as follows:
Maslow’s Interpretation:
- An individual’s needs start at the lowest level of the hierarchy.
- Once one level of need is satisfied, the next level up becomes the primary motivator or goal.
- Self-actualization (the highest level) is not reached by many people.
- Once material (lower-level) needs have been satisfied, they cease to be strong motivators.
- It is possible for individuals to revert to focusing on lower-level needs.
Limitations:
Maslow’s theory has limitations: Not everyone has the same needs or hierarchy; it’s difficult to identify the degree to which each need has been met for an individual; money is necessary to satisfy physical needs (and often other levels); and self-actualization is rarely, if ever, permanently achieved.
Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory
Through interviews and questionnaires, Herzberg aimed to discover:
- Factors that led employees to have good feelings about their jobs (Satisfiers/Motivators).
- Factors that led employees to have negative feelings about their jobs (Dissatisfiers/Hygiene Factors).
Herzberg’s Conclusions:
His conclusions were that:
- Job satisfaction resulted primarily from five factors (Motivators): Achievement, Recognition, The work itself, Responsibility, and Advancement.
- Job dissatisfaction resulted primarily from five factors (Hygiene Factors): Company policy, Supervision, Salary, Relationships with others, and Working conditions.
Consequences of Herzberg’s Theory for Today’s Businesses:
Improving pay and working conditions (Hygiene Factors) can reduce dissatisfaction but may not necessarily increase motivation. Herzberg noted that it’s possible to make someone do a job by paying them adequately – he called this movement, distinct from true motivation.
For workers to be truly willing to work hard and consistently give their best, Motivators need to be in place. Herzberg suggested that job enrichment could be provided to employees to enhance motivation.
Key Features of Job Enrichment:
- Assigning complete units of work.
- Providing feedback on performance directly to the worker.
- Offering a range of tasks to challenge the individual.
Evaluation of Herzberg’s Work:
Herzberg’s ideas have influenced modern management. Team working is now much more widespread, aligning with aspects of job enrichment and responsibility. Furthermore, group meetings that allow for two-way communication facilitate successful interaction and feedback, reflecting the importance of recognition and relationships.