The Importance Of Motivation In The Workplace

According to researcher Lindner (1998), motivated employees are needed in our rapidly changing workplaces to aid in the survival of organizations. Not only is it important to meet the needs of the consumer, it is equally important that to make sure that associates are taken care of and remain motivated. For this reason, Gibson, Ivancevich, Donnelly and Konopaske (2012) “states much of management’s time is spent addressing the motivation of their employees” (p. 125). According to the Encyclopedia of Small Business (2007), employee motivation is the level of energy, commitment, and creativity employees bring to their jobs; the inner force that drives individuals to accomplish personal and organizational goals (Lindner, 1988). Despite its obvious importance, employee motivation can be an elusive quest for managers due to the multiplicity of incentives that can influence employees to do their best work. The reality is that every employee has different ways to become motivated and the knowledge of how to motivate them is key to organizational success. It is imperative that employers get to know the personal needs and wants of their employees in order to establish tactics in which to motivate each of them. Once achieved, “managers are in a better position to encourage and reward employees to behave in effective ways” (Gibson et al, 2012, p.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs was introduced in the mid-1940’s by Abraham Maslow; it is one of the most popular theories of work motivation to this day. the theory was originally used specifically in a psychological setting, but was made more popular by Douglas McGregor in the late 1960’s and began to be used by not only psychologists but managers as well (Steers & Porter, 1983). The hierarchy is based on the fact that human beings have needs, Maslow took these needs and separated them into five categories: physiological needs, safety, belongingness or social needs,

Employees should always be motivated; this attracts talent, opens up new channels for innovation and creativity and brings in a sense of satisfaction among them which helps the growth and development of the organization.

The purpose of this paper is to critically evaluate and review three journal articles by John Honore (2009), James Lindner (1998), and an article by Fred Herrera (2002). All three articles discussed the topic of employee motivation in the workplace. The authors examined several motivational theories and put forward their ideas on the concepts and application of motivational techniques. The authors’ work provides insight into the psychology of motivation and the different factors and theories that affect it. My conclusion is in line with the authors’, motivated employees are needed for the organisational survival and just like our constantly changing environment and each individual is different, motivational techniques need to be continuously explored and developed.

After analyzing this organization, it is apparent to that job satisfaction should be a priority for management. Job satisfaction can be best understood as a positive emotional state resulting from a perceived satisfaction from one’s job (Locke & Lathan, 2007). Employee satisfaction is an important retention strategy based on the knowledge that a satisfied employee is more effective in completing their duties, more productive, and seldom contemplates alternative employment. Achieving a goal of a high employee satisfaction rate consist of implementing compensation and reward strategies mentioned prior. It should be emphasized that employees, regardless of industry respond in a positive manner to positive recognition. Positive recognition can be achieved with more than compensation and rewards. Creating an atmosphere where employees feel like their ideas and opinions matter can be just as effective as monetary and non-monetary rewards. A routinely exchange of ideas

Extrinsic motivation e.g. Money is the critical incentive to motivation in today's work environment However , motivation differs from individual to individual and with their respective beliefs and values, circumstances and culture. It is important for mangers to identify which motivation factor works with which employee and apply it respectively In any environment, both Intrinsic and Extrinsic motivations are needed for work satisfaction and work performance

Job satisfaction comes from the attitude that employees have towards their work. There is a close relationship between the degree of satisfaction and the motivation level of employees. Explaining that if there is a lack of motivation in the workplace, it is likely due to a lack

The fact that motivation is the most important factor for productivity and quality is not something new. Job satisfaction is critical to high productivity, motivation and low employee turnover. Today employers face the challenges of finding ways to increase job satisfaction that their businesses can stay competitive. Employers face the challenges of maintaining productivity, profitability and also try to keep their workforce engaged as well as satisfied with their jobs. In general companies who fail to improve job satisfaction are at risk of losing their top talented people because of competition. Supervisors or managers who maximize the potential creative abilities and talent of entire workforce have a greater competitive advantage then those who don’t. Also, employees that are engaged in their work have a higher level of job satisfaction. This is a reason why leaders of the organization have responsibility for creating high level of job satisfaction. A motivating environment is one that gives workers a sense of pride in what they do ( Dr. Edward Deming ). Leaders can improve motivation within their organizations by following steps like: provide a positive working environment, reward and recognition, involve and increase employee engagement, develop the skills and potential of your workforce and

Work. Some love it, some hate it, others see it as an escape from reality, and still others view it as passing time, but everyone works to provide for our families and ourselves. Whether rich or poor, work is something that everyone will experience sometime during his or her lifespan. Motivation plays a key role in one’s opinion on work. In this struggling economy, organizations are asking how to motivate employees, as many have had to restructure and develop ways to maximize its resources. Using different motivational techniques together in the workplace can improve overall moral, improve employee job satisfaction, and quite possibly increase performance.

Maintaining employee morale and employee motivation with goals for the employee along with company goals help to influence the employee to increase their performance capabilities to accomplish a higher level of productivity. “It’s important to set goals both for your employees to achieve for you to accomplish as the owner to ensure a happy workplace. For instance, one of your goals could be to establish a successful employee recognition program or to increase employee productivity (which is related to motivation) by 20 percent over the next year. Customer experience consultant Chris Bailey states you should treat your employees like your customers.” (Management Goals & Objectives, 1). Employee motivation ranges from good working conditions, job security, feeling of belonging, self-esteem, employee recognition, opportunity for advancement, and realizing their full potential.

The purpose of this paper is to discuss motivation in the workplace. To have a successful company, employee must be motivated enough to work and get the job done. One way have success in the workplace is to define the morale and motivate employees. The human resource department or the manager are typically the personnel to identify the employees needs by either observing the generation, the psychological contract, or the main theories that were postulated by Victor Vroom (Vroom's expectancy theory), Abraham Maslow (hierarchy of needs), Frederick Herzberg (theory of motivation), Douglas McGregor (theory X and Y).

Motivational programs provided to employees can prove to be very useful tools to increase motivation from the employees, reduce employee turnover and help to maintain skilled and talented personnel. Strategies used to influence employee loyalty can be intrinsic motivation or extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation is explained as one's personal incentive to engage in an activity for a feeling of personal satisfaction and accomplishment without expectation of external rewards or recognition. Whereas, extrinsic motivation is defined as using external incentives such as prizes, money or rewards to motivate an individual to complete a task or engage in an activity.

Motivation is the study of what makes us do things. Every day we are faced with many decisions. What choice we make is the study of motivation. There are several theories of motivation; the theory of opportunity-cost is the most widely recognized. This paper will discuss (1) the major forces that drive us, (2) diverse influences, and (3) tangible and intangible outputs.

Human Resources is dependent on the success, happiness, and contentment of employees that keep the business on course. Motivation is one of the best ways to push employees forward while making sure everyone is in a comfortable position in their job. Motivational theories just attempt to explain what motivates or makes people act the way that they do. The goal of understanding these theories and their outcomes is to ensure a better performance from each employee, and to give each of those employees the best situation they can have in the workplace. Visionaries such as Abraham Maslow, Frederick Herzberg, and Henry A. Landsberger also brought forward new ways of management and ways to handle internal situations that changed the landscape of human resources as a whole. Motivational theories instituted in the workplace have a commonly positive effect on both employees and management, showing that it is important to strive for proven motivational practices.

2. What is MOTIVATION? Derived from the Latin word „MOVERE‟ which means „to move‟ The processes that account for an individual’s intensity, direction, and persistence of effort towards attaining a goal.