Understanding Employee Motivation
Introduction
Mohsen et al, (2014) endorsed that the real assets of an organization are the employees and it’s considered as the engine of any company. There is a growing need to have staff performing their jobs to perfection and the organization acquire the required output from employees. In order to achieve the organizational overall objectives companies recruit employees who have the right frame of mind, the attitude and the desire to perform their duties. (Al –Madi et al, 2017, 134).
Employee Motivation plays a vital role in any organization for its long term growth and stability, which has a direct link with the performance of the employees. Employee motivation and performance are essential or critical tools for the success of any organization in the long run in this competitive and volatile environment.(Dobre, 2013). Based on numerous studies done, it is evident that there is a positive relationship between employee motivation and organizational effectiveness. (Dobre, 2013).
Motivation is the force that energises, directs and sustains behaviour. It provides the personal and dynamic element in the concept of engagement. High performance is achieved by well-motivated people who are prepared to exercise discretionary effort (Armstrong, 2010). To achieve the objectives of an organization, the individuals/ employees should be adequately stimulated and energetic, must have a clear focus on what is to be achieved and must be willing to commit their energy for a long period of time to realise their goals. People are motivated when they expect that a course of action is likely to lead to the attainment of a goal and valued reward – one that satisfies the need and the wants. (Armstrong and Taylor, 2014).
As suggested by Tella et al (2007) the responsibility of a manager is to get things done through employees, managing people within the organization is an integral part of the management process. According to Geomani (2012) to manage people, the manager should be able to motivate employees adequately.
Organizations use maximum potential of their human resources to stay in competition and to survive. Great organizations are built on the inherent value of their human resources ,motivation and commitment of its employees. (Mohsan et al., 2004).
List of References
Al-Madi, F.N., Assal, H., Shrafat , F. and Zeglat ,D. (2017) The Impact of Employee Motivation on Organizational Commitment. European Journal of Business and Management, 9(15) 134
Armstrong, M. and Taylor, S. (2014) Armstrong’s Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice. 13th Edition. UK: Ashford Colour Press Ltd.
Dobre,O.I. (2013) Employee motivation and organizational performance. Review of Applied Socio- Economic Research. 5 (1) 53-60.
Mohsan, F., Nawaz, M. M., Khan, M., Shaukat, Z., & Aslam, N. (2004) Are Employee Motivation, Commitment and Job Involvement Inter-related: Evidence from Banking Sector of Pakistan. International Journal of Business and Social Science. 2 (17) 226-233
Tella, A., Ayeni, C. O., & Popoola, S. O. (2007) Work Motivation, Job Satisfaction, and Organizational Commitment of Library Personnel in Academic and Research Libraries in Oyo State, Niger
At one time, employees were considered just another input into the production of goods and services. What perhaps changed this way of thinking about employees was research, referred to as the Hawthorne Studies, conducted by Elton Mayo from 1924 to 1932 (Dickson, 1973). This study found employees are not motivated solely by money and employee behavior is linked to their attitudes (Dickson, 1973). The Hawthorne Studies began the human relations approach to management, whereby the needs and motivation of employees become the primary focus of managers (Bedeian, 1993).
ReplyDeleteUnderstanding what motivated employees and how they were motivated was the focus of many researchers following the publication of the Hawthorne Study results (Terpstra, 1979). Five major approaches that have led to our understanding of motivation are Maslow's need-hierarchy theory, Herzberg's two- factor theory, Vroom's expectancy theory, Adams' equity theory, and Skinner's reinforcement theory.
Bartol and Martin (1998) consider motivation a powerful tool that reinforces behavior and triggers the tendency to continue. In other words, motivation is an internal drive to satisfy an unsatisfied need and to achieve a certain goal. It is also a procedure that begins through a physiological or psychological need that stimulates a performance set by an objective.
ReplyDeleteManagers should be aware of the differences between motivation and satisfaction. On the one hand, motivation is influenced by forward looking perceptions about the relationship between performance and rewards, while on the other hand, satisfaction is the result of past events and refers to people’s feelings about rewards they have received. Therefore, this distinction is important when trying to improve the organizational performance, as they need to focus on all the possible means to enhance motivation (Dobre, 20013).