Concrete Experience and Reflective Observation
Improving quality standards is one of my responsibilities as a leader. Since the role of the individual contribution of each employee in achieving his goals is significant, I have always strived to ensure that workers understood the range of personal responsibilities. While operating as a crew leader, I have to deal with the indifference of subordinates periodically, which affects the outcomes of performance negatively. Due to having sufficient experience in a particular environment, I have learned that employees’ productivity falls if they do not have appropriate motivation. In addition, when interacting with colleagues on the supervision board, I have found that job satisfaction is not a constant value. Some factors influence the willingness of subordinates to perform immediate duties as efficiently as possible. Consequently, I began to pay more attention to planning workloads and assessing the potential stress that employees may experience.
The first step that I use to operate with the concepts of motivation, job satisfaction, and job involvement and stress is analyzing the microclimate in the team and assessing subordinates’ feedback. If the overwhelming majority of employees are dissatisfied with specific innovations or conditions, for instance, material bonuses or workload, I and my colleagues from the supervisor board discuss how effective our intervention could be. At one of the training workshops, we were taught flexibility in the distribution of work assignments. Accordingly, when comparing two possible ways of interaction with subordinates, I choose the one that will influence their motivation, for example, by choosing favor of encouragement but not punishment.
The second step that I follow is comparing the results of employees’ activities with their personal abilities and skills. One of my tasks is to train and develop workers in the department, and I am well aware of the strengths and weaknesses of each subordinate. Therefore, if I notice that some of them show lower performance than during their normal mode, I seek to establish contact with this person and determine the cause of the incompetent execution of instructions. As a rule, subordinates make contact willingly since I show loyalty and strive to find out the reason but not to punish or report to the senior management. Adherence to this principle allows me to have confidence among employees, thereby influencing their workflow and correcting individual tasks if needed.
Theories and Principles/Abstract Conceptualization
Motivating personnel and the assessment of job satisfaction, including the degree of involvement and stress impact, are the essential aspects of leadership practice in the group. The application of current theories is a useful and effective method since it is impossible to control the workflow at the maximum level all the time. As Boxall, Hutchison, and Wassenaar (2015) remark, the outcome that subordinates demonstrate when performing their assigned duties is directly proportional to the success of firms and their economic stability. Therefore, appropriate theories need to be involved in monitoring all the crucial indicators.
Theory 1
Since I conduct individual work with subordinates and encourage their initiative quite often, the self-determination theory may be relevant in the context of the concepts under consideration. According to Boxall et al. (2015), employees are more interested and involved if they have a relative autonomy and may experience independence. Therefore, such an approach can help to increase productivity and motivate subordinates to improve personal performance indicators.
Theory 2
One of the most well-known approaches to addressing and evaluating employees’ job satisfaction is Maslow’s motivation theory. Judge, Weiss, Kammeyer-Mueller, and Hulin (2017) describe this concept as an up-to-date system of evaluating the factors that need to be taken into account when making opinions regarding subordinates’ interest in performing direct duties. This model is relevant and may be utilized in our working environment efficiently.
Theory 3
Some scholars agree that the theory of perceived organizational support is a valuable tool for motivating employees and reducing their job stress. In particular, according to Boxall et al. (2015), if the quality of staff training is appropriate and all subordinates feel the attention of the management, this is an additional incentive. Therefore, such a principle of work organization may be successful due to the general interest in the high results of joint activities.
Summary
A leadership role in stimulating the interest of subordinates to the effective performance of direct responsibilities and involvement in the work process is significant. As effective mechanisms for engaging and reducing stress, such concepts may be utilized as the self-determination theory, Maslow’s motivation theory, and the theory of perceived organizational support. Each of the approaches has relevance to my working environment and may be implemented effectively.
Testing and Application/Active Experimentation
When applying the first theory to my leadership practice, it can be noted that its principle is observed regularly because my subordinates are not under my and my colleagues’ pressure. They have sufficient autonomy to develop their abilities and talents and realize professional potential. In relation to the second theory, I can concentrate on the needs of workers, paying additional attention to their self-realization and personal growth, thereby involving them in active work. Finally, the third concept where organizational support occupies a significant role can be realized by rewarding the most productive employees and constantly improving the quality of bonuses. These measures may allow for subordinates’ high job satisfaction and dedication to the department.
References
Boxall, P., Hutchison, A., & Wassenaar, B. (2015). How do high-involvement work processes influence employee outcomes? An examination of the mediating roles of skill utilisation and intrinsic motivation. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 26(13), 1737-1752. Web.
Burke, W. W. (2017). Organization change: Theory and practice (5th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Judge, T. A., Weiss, H. M., Kammeyer-Mueller, J. D., & Hulin, C. L. (2017). Job attitudes, job satisfaction, and job affect: A century of continuity and of change. Journal of Applied Psychology, 102(3), 356. Web.