...Why Managers Need to Understand and Use Different Techniques to Motivate Employees By Student Managers Motivating Employees, September 8, 2014 I. Introduction Managers keeping employees motivated is a problem in most organizations, because not all individuals are motivated in the same way. When individuals lose interest in the workplace this can cause problems for the organization as a whole, then the overall production and morale suffers. There are different techniques that can be used to help managers motivate their employees. Some of the techniques to understand are positive and negative reinforcement, nonmonetary incentive programs, award programs, recognition awards and showing appreciation. Managers can motivate employees by understanding what motivation is and by discovering what drives each individual by using different techniques to motivate each employee. II. Motivation A. Definition of Motivation Motivation is “defined as the psychological processes that arouse and direct goal-directed behavior” (Kinicki, Williams 376). Motivation “is not a one size fits all”, each employee is their own person and what drives them to effectivley perform while on the job is an important factor for managers to be knowledgeable about (Broder). B. Why Motivating Employees is Important Employees within an organization play a key role in how the company runs. Knowing about the different techniques that are used can help managers succeed in keeping...
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...Motivation in the Workplace According to Stephen P. Robins and Timothy A. Judge (2009), motivation may be defined as "the processes that account for an individual's intensity, direction and persistence of effort toward attaining a goal". Hence, motivation is an important factor in every individual's life because no matter the source, motivation leads to positive lifestyle and it will increase employee's efficiency and effectiveness within the workplace. Moreover, it should be clearly understood that the task of every manger in the workplace should be mainly to motivate their internal customers who are the staff, as managers need to get things done through them in order to deliver high quality to external customers. However, although it seems like a very easy term which may be applied by just increasing employee's benefits, it has been clearly noted that not every employee is motivated by the same factors. Hence, in spite of enormous research, the concept of motivation is yet not well comprehended and is sadly practiced as managers fail or simple do not bother to understand the "human nature itself". An understanding of the human nature should be a prerequisite that should be followed by every manager. Researchers have shown that well motivated employees are more likely to be productive and creative. Hence, it contributes to the reduction of turnover in the workplace which may be defined as "the voluntary and involuntary permanent...
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...Motivation at workplace. Introduction The job of a manager in the workplace is to guide and help employees to get things done. Managers cannot do anything if their employees are not motivated to do so. So they always have to look for new ways of increasing motivation among employees. Money is not always the best motivator, people also need to be recognized and appreciated. According to Pritchard and Ashwood (2008) motivation can be described as someone’s willing to perform well to accomplish their task. Motivation is always intrinsic-it is inside us. People are always motivated to do what is in their best interests and meets their desired ends. So” when employees identify their own welfare with that of the organisation, they will naturally work harder” (Bruce and Pepitone, 1999). Managers’ job is to create a workplace where employees feel good about them and can enjoy the work they do. This report shows the effect of motivation on organisational performance on the example of Tie Rack Company. Tie Rack is a British-based tie-retailer company founded by Roy Bishko in 1981. Main body 1. Tie Rack uses several ways of influencing employee motivation, which can be described as follows: Designing incentives for employees that results in higher performance levels and happier employees. For example, all sales representatives get 50% discount at Tie Rack. Additionally, shop staff gets discount cards for the nearest restaurants where they can go during lunch breaks. Recognition...
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...Motivation Motivation is how a person behaves in a goal directed manner. It is also the aspiration of achieving a goal combined with the efforts to work toward the goal. There are different ways to motivate employees in a workplace depending on the overall organizational goal. The three groups of employees in this organization are salespeople, production workers, and administrative staff. The main concept of motivation these groups would be the same despite the different functions they perform in an industry. The motivation theory that would be most effective to motivate these employee groups would be Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. This essay will discuss the reasons why Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs would be most effective for of motivation. The needs hierarchy model says “that individuals have a complex set of exceptionally strong needs, that can be arranged in a hierarchy” (Hellriegel & Slocum 161). It also indicates that an individual has five types of needs: physiological, security, affiliation, esteem, and self-actualization. Human needs must be satisfied in order to achieve motivation and challenge employers to provide a workplace environment that encourage and enables employees to reach their own self-actualization. Physiological needs are at the bottom of the model. These are the needs for desire of food, water, air, or shelter. These are the primary elements to live, therefore, motivates people to get a job. Leaders in this level know that employees are not focused...
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...adapting to new structure, techniques, equipment, and strategies. In order to remain up to date and at the same level of competition, health care organizations need to refresh and update knowledge & skills by doing up training or continuing education classes. Also, upgrading equipment & supplies will contribute to helping the organization as a whole meet and exceed expectations. Along with the change and preparing for change should be motivation from the management team. Motivation is very important in the workplace because other factors that support good performance may not be present. Being motivated will help individuals strive to do their absolute although there may be obstacles present. There are different methods that can be used to motivate employees such as staying accessible, providing an explanation for the basis of the changes, showing results, providing meaningful and challenging work, providing clear targets and expectations, and giving supportive feedback. Also allowing input and options on how tasks are done can help to motivate employees. Motivated employees not only help boost individual performance but they help boost team and organizational performance as well. Change can cause anxiety and maybe even frustration. As the authority figure the manager should stay accessible. Staying accessible allows employees to come to you with any questions, problems, or concerns. Ensure that the employees are aware that your door is always opened and stress the fact that...
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...adapting to new structure, techniques, equipment, and strategies. In order to remain up to date and at the same level of competition, health care organizations need to refresh and update knowledge & skills by doing up training or continuing education classes. Also, upgrading equipment & supplies will contribute to helping the organization as a whole meet and exceed expectations. Along with the change and preparing for change should be motivation from the management team. Motivation is very important in the workplace because other factors that support good performance may not be present. Being motivated will help individuals strive to do their absolute although there may be obstacles present. There are different methods that can be used to motivate employees such as staying accessible, providing an explanation for the basis of the changes, showing results, providing meaningful and challenging work, providing clear targets and expectations, and giving supportive feedback. Also allowing input and options on how tasks are done can help to motivate employees. Motivated employees not only help boost individual performance but they help boost team and organizational performance as well. Change can cause anxiety and maybe even frustration. As the authority figure the manager should stay accessible. Staying accessible allows employees to come to you with any questions, problems, or concerns. Ensure that the employees are aware that your door is always opened and stress the fact that...
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... Queen’s Sport Staff Motivation Is Staff Motivation part of the Organisational Culture at Queen’s Sport? Do management of Queen’s Sport understand the factors which motivate their employees? By Frank McCusker January 2012 Table of Contents 1. Introduction and Literature Review 1. Introduction 2. Literature Review 2. Research into Staff Motivation at Queen’s Sport 1. Is there a culture of staff motivation within Queen’s Sport management? 2. Do employees recognise the importance staff motivation and do they believe there is a culture of staff motivation at Queen’s Sport? 3. What motivates Queen’s Sport employees to work? 4. Do management recognise the key motivating factors affecting their staff? 3. Results and Linked Theory 4. Conclusions 5. Bibliography 6. Appendices 1. Introduction and Literature Review 1.1 Introduction Ensuring staff are motivated is a fundamental objective of any organisation, and should be firmly cemented within the management culture of that organisation. Wiley (1997) points out that in order to improve productivity employers must understand what it is that motivates their employees. In today’s challenging economic climate organisations more than ever are being asked to perform to a high level whilst shackled...
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...Jessica Boyd Week 3 Employee Portfolio: Motivation Action Plan April 21, 2014 Susan Mills Employee Portfolio: Motivation Action Plan One of the most important aspects of a supervisor’s job it to ensure that his/her employees are happy and satisfied with their career. Motivation is defined “as the process that accounts for an individual’s intensity, direction, and persistence of effort toward attaining a goal” (Robbins & Judge, 2011). In the motivation plan that follows there are several different motivational theories that have been chosen for the three employees at Riordan Manufacturing which will be used in the effort to increase performance within the company. Samuel Boyd– Goal Setting Theory After reviewing the self-assessment survey taken by Samuel Boyd, there are many motivational theories that could be used; however the theory that will produce the best results for him is the goal-setting Theory. Samuel’s assessment indicates that he is willing to try new things but allows personal or professional setbacks to keep him from going after his ambitions. In order to motivate him management will use the reward system which will connect to the goal-setting theory and making sure his is setting obtainable, realistic goals. This will motivate him and encourage him to continue to strive for more out of his career. It is management’s understanding that Mr. Boyd has set unrealistic goals in the past which is the main reason for his frustrations and ultimately giving up on...
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...* GM 591: Leadership and Organizational Behavior Course Project Outline Ashanta’ Savage 2331 Turnesa Avenue, Sacramento Ca, 95822 ashantasavage@hotmail.com 916-844-9269 GM591 ON/SEC V – Leadership and Organizational Behavior Professor Anne Hallcom February 19, 2011 DeVry University is an accredited nationwide University whose headquarters are based in Chicago, Illinois; there has also been global expansion to Belize and Calgary. DeVry University’s primary goal and focus is providing quality practitioner oriented education to students and has for nearly 80 years. “The Sacramento Center, as the campus is called, is booming. Marcela Iglesias, who has been dean since it opened in 2003, estimates that the campus will exceed its capacity of 825 students within a year, and DeVry officials have begun to search for more space.” (Keller, 2010). Along with DeVry University, Carrington College, Ross University, Keller Graduate School of Management, Becker and Stalla have also been acquired under the DeVry University Inc. umbrella and are affiliated with the brand. Advanced Academics is a school recently acquired that is targeted to middle school and high school students as a means of completing their middle school and high school degrees, to ensure a greater chance of success and continuing their education after they graduate; and also been acquired under the DeVry University Inc. umbrella and are affiliated with the brand. “DeVry's origins trace back to 1931...
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...The Effect of Reward to Employee’s Motivation towards Work Productivity Johnpaula Louise A. Sanchez COMARTS 2 Professor Chona Lajom October 4, 2012 A Review of the Literature Employee’s motivation is one of the most essential parts in a company’s development and success. In order to maximize the overall performance of the employee, the employer must know what is the most motivating for the employees and how to increase their job satisfaction. However, it may be challenging for the company to find out what motivates its employees especially because different people are motivated by different things. Motivation is the desire to achieve beyond expectations, being driven by internal rather than external factors, and to be involved in a continuous striving for improvement. In the context of work, motivation is a psychological process that results from the relationship between an employee and the work environment and it is characterized by a certain level of willingness. The employees are willing to increase their work effort in order to be rewarded and get a specific need or desire that they hold. According to Arnold (1991), motivation consists of three components. First is direction that tackles about what a person is trying to do. Second is effort, meaning, how hard a person is trying. And lastly, persistence, this means how long a person keeps on trying to get what he really wanted. Motivation theory tries to explain, why people at work, behave...
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...Motivational Methods Motivation is the key element in a workplace and it is extremely important to know the theories, methods, and applications associated with motivation. Motivation is a necessary skill for future managers and leaders as it is used to motivate employees to work more efficiently. Researching the different motivation methods has brought the realization of just how important motivation is in the workplace. For most managers, motivating their employees is a key issue. In today’s work force, managers are inclined to pay special attention to their employees. They also pay attention to motivates them to perform at a higher level. Not every individual works in the same manner or needs the same motivation. This paper will look at the different characteristics of professional workers and lower-level contingent workers. Also addressed in this paper will be the different motivational approaches that are used by managers today towards these two groups. Finally, by applying a set of motivational theories, this paper will attempt to explain why managers should apply different methods to each of these groups. There are many questions facing managers about motivation; questions such as how does motivation work, when to apply motivation, and whom to apply motivation techniques to. Motivation reflects how innovative and productive jobs are achieved within work organizations. Because motivation influences productivity, supervisors need to understand what motivates employees to reach...
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...2.0 A GOOD PERFORMER “Why is employee’s motivation important?” it is because in today’s economy recession, it is more important than ever to have better motivated employees. A motivated employee is a productive employee. A productive employee is a more profitable employee. When people are not motivated, they become less productive, less creative and which could make the company loss their assets. When an employee works hard and believes there will be some kind of reward and does not receive one, the employee can easily stop the motivation of wanting to perform their duty. In order to enhance the connection between performance and outcomes, managers should use systems that tie rewards very closely to performance. Employees who are working hard every day want to feel needed and appreciated. Leaders or managers need to make sure the employees get what they deserve so that they would not feel useless and might make them less motivated to work. Motivating employees requires creativity and an understanding of the areas where employee performance exceeds organization's expectations. Motivation also may come for bringing improvement before become major problems. In order to improve the connection between effort and performance, managers should get a training to improve employee capabilities and help employees believe that added effort will in fact lead to better performance. 2.1THE EXPECTANCY THEORY Figure 2.0 Victor H. Vroom proposed the Expectancy Theory in 1964. Victor...
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...University Online Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Motivation is an important aspect in the workplace. Employees seek it and managers develop ways to motive employees. Maslow’s needs theory can also aid in maintaining a competitive edge if applied successfully. History of Maslow’s Needs Theory Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is a model that was developed between the years of 1943 and 1954 ("Maslow Theory of Motivation - A Paradigm Shift", n.d.). The model consisted of five basic needs when it was first created, since then more levels have been added, however, the five basic needs are most popular. Maslow's Hierarchy of Need rose from the perception that everyone is motivated by needs that are natural; physiological, safety, love and belongingness, self-esteem, and the need for self-actualization ("Maslow Theory of Motivation- A Paradigm Shift", n.d.). Needs Described by Maslow Maslow described physiological needs as our basic needs of air, water, food, and sleep. Humans might experience sickness, irritation, pain, and discomfort when these needs are not satisfied ("Maslow Theory of Motivation - A Paradigm Shift", n.d.). Our instincts motivates us to satisfy these feelings to create stability of our feelings. Once these needs are met, one can move forward to satisfy other needs. Safety needs are most psychological in nature. When a person is seeking safety need, they are looking for security, assurance, and uniformity. In the workplace, employees like to feel secure that their schedule...
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...The word “motivation” is derived from a Latin word movere, meaning ‘to move’. So motivation can also be defined as those forces that cause people to behave in certain ways – the level of desire employees feel to perform, regardless of the level of happiness. Employees who are adequately motivated to perform will be more productive, more engaged and feel more invested in their work. Employee motivation has always been an issue, I believe, for leaders and managers. Unmotivated employees are likely to spend little or no effort in their jobs, avoid the workplace as much as possible, exit the organization if given the opportunity and produce low quality work. On the other hand, employees who feel motivated to work are likely to be persistent, creative and productive, turning out high quality work that they willingly undertake. Reality however is that every employee has different ways to become motivated and as leaders and managers we need to get to know, and understand, our employees well and be able to use different tactics to motivate each of them based on their personal wants and needs. Motivation can also be defined as something inside a person that drives them to action. This motivation varies in different people. We can also say that motivation is the willingness to work at a certain level of effort. Motivation emerges, in theories, out of needs, values, goals, intentions, and expectation. Motivation comes from within, so, as leaders need to cultivate and direct the motivation...
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...Sample Research Proposal on Motivation Executive Summary With such a rapid moving economy, a shortage of qualified workers, and plentiful business opportunities, the topic of motivating employees has become extremely important to the employer, as motivation has a great impact on the way employees perform in an organisation. If employees do not enjoy their work, it will affect the success of the organization’s goals. As an internal drive to satisfy unsatisfied needs, motivation can direct individuals’ behavior to satisfy those needs. Hence, the employer must understand what employees need and how to achieve those needs. To be effective, the employer needs to understand what motivates employees within the context of the roles they perform. Different people are motivated by different factors because individuals differ in the level of their needs. Some employees may want more income but others may require a more interesting and challenging job. In today’s world, it seems that money has become less of a motivator. The employee’s request is more than just good wages. They now do require some benefit and flexibility to bring their work and personal life together. A good working relationship with colleagues, as well as the opportunity for growth is a must. It becomes the employer’s responsibility to involve employees in the business and let them know that the employer appreciates their ideas and suggestions. Knowing what it takes to do what is right for employees can help a...
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