Motivation in the Workplace Essay Example for Free

requisite in the Workplace EssayMotivation is difficult to explain and practice. However demand is still the one thing that makes people productive in their works. Whether the motivation is tangible or not, it all depends on the private and how solicitude takes the information and applies it. There argon m each theories and practices that push aside be studied and applied to any situation. Motivational theories ar studied and unspoiled by theorists and companies to change magnitude productiveness. According to Jerald Greenberg (1999) scientist have defined motivations as the process of arousing, directing and maintaining doings towards a conclusion. The act of arousing is fall in to the trust and vigor to produce. Directing is the election of behavior, and maintenance is the inclination to endure a certain manner until the desired out(p)come is met (Greenberg 1999).Much of the motivation theories will be cited to the definition provided. Some major motivation theories along with the method to successfully activate employees will be introduced. The theory and method that a theatre director may choose to hold will depend on the environment and on the item-by-item. There atomic number 18 two types of motivation theories content and process. The Content theories atomic number 18 establish on the elementary necessitate and drives. The other theories focus on the process by which people are rund (Pepitone, 1999). Content theories of motivation focus on this question What causes behavior to occur and stop? The answers usually center on (1) the necessarily, motives or desires that drive pres incontestable and forces employees to exercise and (2)employees relationships to the incentive that lead, induce, pull and persuade them to perform.The unavoidably or motives are internal to the individual. They cause people to choose a specialised course of action to satisfy a need. Incentives are external factors that give value or utility t o the goal or outcome of the employees behavior (Pepitone, 1999). Abraham H. Maslows Hierarchy of Needs is a content motivational theory. Maslows alkali was human behavior. He conducted his investigation between 1939 and 1943. The hierarchy of needs has five sets of goals that are called basic needs. Maslows idea was people will not be healthy and well-adjusted unless they have their needs met (Greenberg 1999). Maslow faced the needs in different levels in order of importance. As in a hierarchy the commence level are the most basic needs and the top are the higher level needs. facial expression at the figure below one can see how the hierarchy works.The lower order needs must be met before proceeding to the higher order needs. According to Greenberg (1999), Maslows needs are in the following order physiological need, sentry duty need, social need, esteem need, and self-actualization. Mans basic needs are physiological, for example, hunger, thirst, sleep, etc. When these are sa tisfied they are replaced by safety needs reflecting ones desire for protection against danger or deprivation. These in turn, when satisfied are replaced by the need for love or belonging to, which are functions of mans desire to belong to a group, to give and receive friendly relationship and to associate happily with people. When these needs have been satisfied, the esteem needs seeks to be met. superstar desires self -esteem and self-respect, which are affected by a persons standing reputation, and his need for recognition and appreciation. Finally, individuals have a need for self-actualization or a desire for self-fulfillment.The urge by individuals for self-development, creativity and job satisfaction (Boeree 1999) In the past, management retorts systems have attempted to satisfy an individuals lower level needs for safety and physiological security, for protection against deprivation and the threat to a worker or his family. However, management rewards systems should be, ai ming to satisfy the individuals actual need (Boeree 1999). When believed that a certain reward is important and can be attained, the individual will demonstrate a given(p) amount of try. This in turn will be show in performance. The link between effort, performance and expectancy is about accomplishing the task. The links between the performance and reward are connected. Ones assumption for whether the rewards are available if the person worked effectively describes the link. In this link the manager/organization is responsible of acknowledging the performance of the employee. If the manager/organization does not acknowledge the employee, there can be a breakdown in the motivation. The acknowledgment needs to be direct, strong, and immediate.Employees usually determine in advance what their behavior may accomplish and the value they place on alternative possible accomplishments or outcomes. Goal setting theory is the specification of goal to increase performance. Assigning difficu lt goals usually takings in higher performance. Goal setting has three components that have to be used to successfully book this concept. First the identification of the process, then the characteristics and finally the feedback. The characteristics of goal setting consist of making the goal specific and challenging. The goal must be challenging to increase self-efficacy. It has been noted that a difficult task tends to increase an employees performance. This may be because usually people work harder to reach a challenging goal as long it is believed that it can be done.Lastly, feedback will allow people to be informed of their climb on. This stage usually included praises about the good job that has been done (Wheaton Cameron, 1998). The descriptions of content and process theories of motivation traffic with organizational and individual behavior are briefly explained. The explanation is only a basis for a better understanding on why and how to blast the concept of motivating employees. All the theories conclude that the manner that managers perceive their organizations and their employees affect their productivity. Whether they are private, public or non-profit organization their aim is to be productive and effective. When sounding at the different sectors, they have different goals and objectives, and therefore they must take different approaches in management.though this may be true we must also acknowledge that all sectors require one to prompt their round to produce. As managers we must into consideration the different type of individual that make up our organizations. One must modify management styles and behaviors. Dr. Renis Likert has researched many organizations and developed an effective manner to motivate employees and have a productive organization. He has identified four management styles that he receives should be a part of management style in an organization. First exploitive style is where management makes all the decisions and the lower levels are given no power this style has an authoritative approach. The second is the benevolent style that has an authoritative approach, however in this case the management has some trust. The consultative style has substantial amount of trust in their faculty. The module is move by reward and some involvement.There is some communication and teamwork involved. Lastly the participative style is to a greater extent of the group approach. Management has confidences in their staff and the staff feels responsible in accomplishing the organizations mission. This style encourages communication and teamwork. The participative style is the best approach for profit and customer service organizations. Organizations should make the transition to train management to motivate their staff using the participative approach ( puddle 1991). As a manager it is difficult to motivate your staff to be productive however, using certain methods can create a positive environment. It was thought that money motivated people but that has changed. Much of the theories discussed before deal with individual behaviors and needs. One can conclude that motivation is internal and as employers one must make observations and decide what each individual desires.According to Cook (1991) manager must give their staff as much as an organization can. Many employees requisite to have benefits and security, however what happens after a job has provided those needs. Remember that Maslow theory has the five needs of an individual and they do not all deal with the necessary needs. As an employer identifying what stage your employee is in will booster in putting a plan into action. Collaboration is a way to give employees the feeling of importance. Eliminating any kind of obstacle will create an atmosphere that your staff is eager to perform (Bruce, A. Pepitone, J. 1999). Another approach is educating your employees and matches them to projects that they find interesting and those on which th ey are knowledgeable. Employees are willing to work harder on projects that they can relate to. This will also increase their success rate that will help in improving their self-esteem. in time another way to increase productivity is with empowerment.Giving people the choice to make decisions and giving them the tools and supports to their job will increase the inner motivation force within the employees. Encourage staff to satisfy their need for affiliation and create a relationship with the employee to be part of the organizations mission. It is difficult to motivate employees when a managers view is negative. For instance a managers behavior is explained with McGregors Theory X or Theory Y. In this case a manager must identify what style of managing is most effective. construct morale is an important concept when motivating employees. Morale will help create productivity in an organization. Developing a shared vision is a way to begin building morale. For instance as managers, one must communicate views honestly a directly during discussion with employees about performance. Make sure they have the necessary information to do their job. Allow employees to influence their own performance goals. Get out of the office, be visible and accessible. Communicate a clear view of the long-range direction of the organization. Listen guardedly and consider the opinions of others open-mindedly before evaluating staff. Communicate high personal standards informally with day-to-day contact.Remember to acknowledge the progress that the staff has achieved either with certificates, a note or just a tap on the shoulder. The staff wants to be told that they are doing a good job (Pepitone Bruce, 1999). Again empowering staff requires some basic principles. swear the staff what their responsibilities are. Give them authority equal to their responsibilities. Set standards of excellence. Provide people with training that will change them to meet these standards. Provide feedb ack on performance. Recognize them for their achievements. Trust and treat them with dignity and respect (Nelson 1997). Showing staff that management is listening and affirming that you understand their view will create positive work environment. The language that use is also very important. Using we and us when speaking of the organization this will make the staff feel a part of the organization, thus improving the productivity of the staff.Encourage employees to make suggestion no take how small the idea may be, and this will create a comfortable environment and inspire more significant ideas (Cook 1991). It is important to point out, however, that motivation must be used wisely. The misuse of some theories and techniques could go out in negative consequences. Remember that employees who receive rewards on performance tend to perform better than employees in groups where rewards are not based on performance. Understanding the causes of human behavior can predict the behavior t o the extent that the behavior can be controlled. Therefore, if managers understand the relationship between incentives, motivation, and productivity, they should be able to predict the behavior of their employees.Consequently, managers who know this, and know how to apply given incentive, can expect to realize increased productivity from employees. Today, 70% of employees are less motivated while 50% only put enough effort into their work to keep their job (Spitzer 1995). Many managers are not sure of the technique to use to motivate their staff. The best way to find what motivates staff is to ask them directly. This may be done informally or during performance evaluations. Find out what he/she wants from the organization and what makes them happy. A happy employee will be more productive than an unhappy one. If there has been a problem with absenteeism it may be because the organization is not fulfilling their needs. Whether it is need for achievement, the need for power, the need for affiliation, or the basic needs as studied by Herzberg, McClelland, or Maslow as a manager must examine and modify the management approach.ReferencesBoeree, C. George (2006) Abraham Maslow. Available http//webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/maslow.htmlCook, M. (1991). 10-Minute Guide to Motivating People. innovative York Alpha BookGreenberg, J. (1999) Managing Behavior in Organizational (2nd Ed.). current Jersey Prentice HallLearning, Reinforcement, takings System and Self-Management Teams. Available www.emporio.eduNelson, B (1997). 1001 Ways to Energize Employees. New York Workman PublishingPepitone, J. Bruce, A. (1999) Motivating Employees. New York McGraw HillSpitzer, D. (1995). Super Motivation. New York AMACON.Wheaton Cameron.(1998) Developing Management Skills 4th Ed. Addison Wesley Inc