Motivation is the enthusiasm to apply high levels of effort towards the goals of an organization, trained by the skill to satisfy an employee’s needs. In most organizations, the management views employee motivation as a fruitful technique to increase employee productivity. When employees get motivated, they try to strive even more and this points out the fact why motivation is crucial in management.
Problem statement
To what extent do motivational factors lead to high performance for temporary employees of the organization?
Currently, management in many organizations is tasked with finding new ways to motivate their employees. According to Miner J, (2007) factors that contribute to this include:
- limited motivation
- Inadequate socialization
- Perceptions of injustice
- Exclusions from decision making
- Expectations for permanent work
- Lower age and tenure
- Low levels of commitment
- Lower tolerance for inequity
According to Noorderhaven (2003), management should always thrive to ally the goals of the organization with those of the employees. In most cases, employees of an organization are usually passionate about their work and they strive hard. However, if their work does not contribute to the goals of the firm, subsequently the firm is not better off than if the employees were sitting on their hands. As a result, it is crucial that the management know and understand what they want from their employees.
These goals are usually set up during the initial strategic planning of the firm or organization.
Herzberg’s motivation theory
Miner (2007) pointed out that Hezberg performed studies to better comprehend employee attitudes and the factors that motivated them. He came up with the motivation-hygiene theory to enable him to get answers regarding the above. Hezberg called the satisfiers motivators and the dissatisfied hygiene factors. He used the word “hygiene” in the sense that they are considered maintenance factors which are extremely necessary to avoid dissatisfaction but that by themselves do not provide satisfaction (Miner, J, 2007) According to Hezberg, the factors that led to employees feeling dissatisfied were:
- Company policy
- Supervision
- Relationship with the boss
- Work conditions
- Salary
- Relationship with the peers
The other factors that led to employee satisfaction were such as:
- Achievement
- Recognition
- Work itself
- Responsibility
- Advancement
- Growth
Herzberg articulated that because the factors that caused employee satisfaction were different from those that caused dissatisfaction, the two thoughts could not be treated as opposites of each other. After looking at the factors that caused both satisfaction and dissatisfaction, one can conclude that these factors are not part of the work itself but external factors. According to Griffin & Moorhead (2009), Herzberg often referred to these hygiene factors as “KITA” factors, where KITA is an acronym for Kick in the Ass, the process of providing incentives or a threat of punishment to cause an employee to do something.. According to Hertzberg:
- The job should have ample challenge to exploit the full ability of the employee.
- Employees who display mounting levels of ability should be given rising levels of responsibility.
- If a job cannot be intended to fit the abilities of an employee, then the organization should consider substituting the employee with one who has a lower level of skill.
Definition of temporary employee
A temporary employee is an employee who works for an organization for a short period and in most cases it he or she is given a contract to work in the organization (Griffin & Moorhead, 2009).
Research Questions
How should management in an organization motivate their employees?
People are different from each other hence, what motivates one employee varies from how another employee can be motivated.
What should the management recognize regarding the motivation of employees?
The management should recognize that employee motivation is a process and not a task (Hampton, 2002). Organizations, as well as people, change all the time and certainly, it is an ongoing process to maintain an environment where each employee can strongly motivate him or herself. If the
Management of an organization looked at supporting employee motivation as an ongoing process, and then they would be more fulfilled and motivated themselves (Andrade, 2006)
How should management support employee motivation in an organization?
Management should always strive to ally the objectives of the business enterprise with those of the employees. In most cases, employees of an organization are usually passionate about their work and they strive hard. However, if their work does not contribute to the goals of the firm, subsequently the firm is not better off than if the employees were sitting on their hands. As a result, it is crucial that the management know and understand what they want from their employees. These goals are usually set up during the initial strategic planning of the firm or organization (Hampton, 2002).
Should management adopt fear as a good motivator in their organizations?
“The management should not use fear as a good motivator because it works for a short time and the employees can not last in the organization for a long time if the management appears to be too compromising.
Dependent Variable
Firing Employees: This is getting rid of employees who are not enthusiastic about their jobs.
Independent Variable
Incentives: Things given to employees to encourage, motivate and reward their cooperation and loyalty to the organization.
Increased Salaries: Through improved wages, the employees will feel that they have been recognized for their hard work
Conclusion
Motivation is the enthusiasm to apply high levels of effort towards the goals of an organization, trained by the skill to satisfy an employee’s needs. In most organizations, the management views employee motivation as a fruitful technique to increase employee productivity. When employees get motivated, they try to strive even more and this points out the fact why motivation is crucial in management. They have tried and applied different strategies in trying to tackle this issue and in most cases they have not been successful. The major guideline management in organizations can apply in tackling this problem is for them to understand what motivates each employee. Incentive programs should be aimed through the whole organization as they provide the best solution to motivating employees.
References
Andrade, K and Ontveros, S (2006). Organizational behavior: contemporary viewpoints Goleta, CA: ABC – Clio
Griffin, R, and Moorhead, G. (2009). Organizational Behavior: Managing People and organizations Boston, MA: Cengage Learning
Miner, J (2007). Organizational Behavior: From theory to practice, Volume 4 Armonk, NY: M.E Sharpe Publishers
Noorderhaven, N (2003). MIR – Management International Review: can multinationals bridge the gap between global and local? Journal of International Business Wiesbaden, Germany: Gabler Verlag Publishers
Hampton D, Summer C and Webber A (2002). Organizational behavior and the practice of management Glenview, IL: Scott, Foresman Publishers