This is a dissertation abstract on Employee Motivation:

Why study motivation? To state it simple you need to know motivation to be a better
leader to accomplish your business goals. Employees are like sheep you need to lead
them to accomplish the mission. It is much easier to lead a group of individuals when
they have a vested interest to accomplish it. You create that interest through
motivation.

The key to a successful organization in many ways is motivation. It is one of the most
difficult tasks that a manager faces because everyone is different. The methods that
are used to motivate employees must be tailored to fit each one. Every organization
should have motivation plans in placed to show how they value employees. Some of
the most effective ways for managers to motivate staff include giving praises,
recognition and positive feedback. Motivation is the responsibility of all supervisors.
The purpose of this dissertation is to propose a motivation plan that can be used to
implement in any organization to build commitment to the companies goals from
employees.

Tying in the companies goals together with the employees individual goals is what a
supervisor strives to accomplish. To work together towards the organizations goals
managers must offer employees something of value that will put the charge in their
step. Their main objective should involve increasing performance through self-
motivation, rather than having to use external motivation such as conditions of service.

Motivation should be built into the organization system so supervisors will have the
opportunity to communicate and motivate staff on their performances through
evaluations or words of praise. Managers must be able to recognize individual
differences, match people to jobs, use goals and ensure that goals are perceived as
attainable, individualize rewards, link rewards to performance, and check the system
for equity. (Robbins, 2001) The supervisors show employees how to fulfill their needs
while accomplishing the goals of the organization. Motivated employees are happy,
committed, and productive.

One of the first things that must be done is an assessment of the motivation issue.
Management must assess how to motivate the staff and to determine if there are signs
of de-motivation. If the assessment shows serious/critical signs of de-motivation, an
action plan needs to be implemented. The question that is probably most often asked
by managers is How do I motivate people at work? To answer that question
discusses with the staff on what their work goals are and how they feel it should be
accomplished.

Constantly provide feedback on what staff has done well and where improvement is
needed. Always encourage the staff to express their views on their performance.
Continually evaluate the staffs performance throughout the appraisal period rather
than focusing on periods where their performance was particularly good or bad.
Provide all the tools necessary and consider the training and/or development needs
of staff.

Individual basis motivation can be achieved using worthwhile work, power of

acknowledgement, and personal credibility. People need to know that what they are
doing has a meaning. This can be accomplished by delegating tasks that challenge
the skills and abilities of staff. Giving staff full responsibility of a task from start to finish
and then let staff know the why to a task. Also let the employees know the impact of
the result of their work while explaining the companys visions and goals of the
organization.

The power of acknowledgement addresses the issue of recognition. A word of

encouragement or a sense of respect can go a long way in motivating someone. This
power can be used by encouraging the staff and praise them when something is done
right. When you see performance improvement recognize quality performance of
individual team members and thank them personally and give credit to team members
for their assistance to your achievement. Show appreciation for the value of risk-taking
even if it ends with mistakes. An employee needs to see that you are behind them.

Personal Credibility deals with supervisors providing an open environment in which

employees feel comfortable to make suggestions. When this environment is achieved,
loyalty and commitment from employees is achieved. Managers must then personally
abide by the rules and laws of the organization, be a role model for team members. A
manager needs to be a motivated manager and be brave enough to admit when they
are wrong. Speak positively all the time and be organized with a open mind to
suggestions and opinions.
Managers have a responsibility to make the environment motivation friendly. This can
be done through people. Accomplish this by giving people work that demands their
best and opportunities to learn while keeping team members informed of new
developments. Encourage problem solving instead of faultfinding disagree, but never
say, youre wrong. Deal with mistakes constructively and be ready to coach team
members like recommending training courses for team members. Show you care by
going to team members desk instead of asking them to come to your office when
providing feedback.

Motivation is about communication, working together, sharing common goals, knowing

one another and helping one another do a more meaningful job. The end results of
motivation are employee loyalty and longevity, desired behaviors and performance
and employee accomplishments. It is a mental challenge to set your mind for the
improvement of staff motivation. The employees depend on us as managers to look
out for them.

THESIS: Motivation is the process of providing reasons for people to work in the best
interests of the organization; organizations must start focusing on why and/or how
motivation is developed rather than what motivated an employee.

I. Introduction on Motivation
II. Historical views on Motivation
A. Scientific Management
B. Hawthorne Studies
C. Maslows Hierarchy of needs
D. Herzbergs Motivation-Hygiene theory
E. Theory X and Theory Y
F. Reinforcement theory
III. New Methods to motivation
A. Equity theory
B. Expectancy theory
C. Goal-setting theory
IV. Techniques to increase motivation
A. Management by objectives (MBO)
B. Job enrichment
C. Behavior modification
D. Flextime
E. Part-time work and Job sharing
F. Telecommuting
G. Self-managed work teams
H. Employee ownership

INTRODUCTION ON MOTIVATION
Motivation has been defined as the individual, internal process that energizes, directs
and sustains behavior. In other words, motivation is the force that causes people to
behave in a particular way, whether positive or negative. A very important aspect
associated with motivation is the employees morale, which is the attitude or feeling
about the job, about superiors and about the firm itself. This means that an employee
with a high morale will be more dedicated and loyal to the job. High morality of the
employee results from different positive aspects to the job and the firm, for example,
being recognized in the workplace and being financially secured. In short, motivation
is the process of providing reasons for people to work in the best interests of the
organization.

HISTORICAL VIEWS ON MOTIVATION

There have been several historical perspectives on motivation that only focused on
what motivated an employee rather than on why and/or how motivation is developed.
Highlighting the above-mentioned theories may give a good base for comparison with
the more modern methods to studying motivation.

SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT
One of the above mentioned historical views on motivation was known to be called
Scientific Management which applied scientific principles to the management of work
and workers. Frederick Taylor suggested a system that was very simple and that did
not address the other ways of motivation except for pay. He came to this concept after
he noticed that workers were soldiered where employees worked slowly in fear of
losing their job or running out of work. Taylor suggested that jobs should be broken
down into separate tasks. He believed that jobs will be performed best and that output
was expected from the job. At that time, he suggested the piece-rate system for
compensation to the working employees, where employees are paid a certain amount
for each unit they produce. This theory only emphasized the pay aspect of how to
motivate employees. This is a drawback because people work for other reasons than
pay.

HAWTHORNE STUDIES
Later the Hawthorne studies were carried out. This theory was named after the plant
where it was conducted and it determined the effect of work environment on employee
productivity. Two experiments were done, one was by variance in lighting and the
other studied the effectiveness of the piece-rate system. In the first experiment, two
groups were researched with reducing the light for one of the groups. The result was
that productivity increased for both groups. The second experiment, researchers
expected that productivity will increase because faster workers would put pressure on
slower employees. The end result was that output remained constant. The Hawthorne
studies concluded that the human factor caused the results of the two experiments. In
the lighting experiment the sense of involvement increased productivity. This means
that as workers were asked to join in the research they felt they were important. In the
piece-rate experiment, each worker in the group informally set the acceptable rate of
output of the group to gain or keep the social acceptance of the group. In the end,
the final result of these studies showed that happy workers perform best because they
are motivated. This proves that there are other ways because not everyone is pleased
by the same means.

MASLOWS HIERARCHY OF NEEDS

Another theory was the Maslows hierarchy of needs is based on the concept that
people act to fulfill five levels of needs, which are personal requirements from the most
important to the least important. The five categories of needs from the most important
are: Physiological needs (the need to attain basic human needs, for example food,
shelter), Safety needs (the need for physical and emotional security, for example job
security, health insurance), Social needs (the need for a sense of belonging), Esteem
needs (the need for respect and recognition of others) and Self actualization (the need
to grow, develop and become all that he/she is capable of). However, needs at one
level do not have to be fully satisfied before the next need. This means that one does
not have to satisfy his/her basic needs before trying to attain feeling of safety in the
job or firm itself. This theory holds that motivation to work arises from a variety of
social, psychological and economic forces. People need income to pay their bills, feel
that they have a role in society and also feel a sense of achievement. As it may seem
to some people, the more a worker gets paid, the more encouragement that worker
has to work more hours and produce more output. However, not everyone works for
money. A large percentage of workers say they would continue to work even if they
had enough money to live comfortably without working. Another aspect of happiness
from labor is the non-monetary incentives the environment that is being worked in.
People prefer to work in a safe, pleasantly colorful environment. In short, there are
many different reasons why people get up and go to work each morning and the levels
of satisfaction differs from one person to another.

HERZBERGS MOTIVATION-HYGIENE THEORY

Another theory was the Herzbergs Motivation-Hygiene theory holds the idea that
satisfaction and dissatisfaction are completely separate issues. In other words, not
that low pay can cause an employee to feel bad, a high pay will make him happy.
Herzberg believes that there are two factors with regard to his theory. Motivation
factors are the job factors that if present increase motivation but whose absence does
not necessarily result in dissatisfaction. They include achievement, recognition, growth
etc. These aspects are called satisfiers if present. On the other hand, Hygiene factors
are the job factors that decrease dissatisfaction when present. They include
supervision, working conditions, job security. Herzberg believes that there is no
dissatisfaction because at any time there must be an employee who is not happy.

THEORY X AND THEORY Y

Another study of motivation was called Theory X and Theory Y, where X and Y are
opposites. Theory X is a concept of employee motivation in a way relevant to the
scientific management approach mentioned earlier. It assumes that employees dislike
work and will function only in a highly controlled work environment. This means that
managers should make all decisions and employees take all the orders, i.e. managers
should lead autonomic way. On the other hand, Theory Y assumes that employees
accept responsibility and work toward organizational goals if by so doing, they also
achieve personal rewards.
REINFORCEMENT THEORY
The Reinforcement theory is also considered to be one of the historical views on
motivation. It is based on the idea that if behavior is rewarded, it is likely to be repeated,
whereas behavior that is punished is less likely to occur again. This is because positive
reaction by managers to any employees work strengthens the desired behavior, for
example, through pay raise, recognition from superiors etc. On the other hand,
negative reactions or punishments eliminate an undesirable task or situation.

NEW METHODS TO MOTIVATION

As mentioned earlier there are new methods to motivation that include the Equity
theory, Expectancy theory and Goal setting. Equity theory is based on the idea that
employees are motivated to obtain the same treatment as others for themselves. This
theory is most relevant with pay. It holds the concept that distribution of rewards should
be associated with the employees contribution to the organization. This theory is
exercised with employees when they compare themselves with friends or co-workers
and according to the results, they attempt to equalize by for example, increasing or
decreasing output. The Expectancy theory is based on the assumption that motivation
depends on how much a person wants something and how likely they think they will
get it. The Goal-setting theory is a motivation theory suggesting that employees are
motivated to achieve goals they and their managers establish together. By allowing
employees to participate in goal setting, they will in return be more motivated because
they will feel important.

TECHNIQUES TO INCREASE MOTIVATION

There are several techniques for increasing employee motivation. They provide
motivation by satisfying employees less tangible needs, for example if an organization
provides its employees with gift certificates to restaurants or large stores, it will boost
their morale and therefore increase motivation and job satisfaction.

MANAGEMENT BY OBJECTIVES (MOB)

Management by Objectives (MOB) is a motivation technique in which managers and
employees collaborate in setting goals. It is effective because management
involvement reflects the mission of the organization. It motivates employees to get
more involved in their jobs and in the organization as a whole. MBO clarifies the roles
of the employees that are expected to reach organizational goals and allows them to
participate and therefore motivation is increased.

JOB ENRICHMENT
Job enrichment is another method of motivating employees by providing them with
variety in their tasks while giving them some responsibility and control of the job. In
other words, the employees skills are broadened. Job enlargement (which is
expanding a workers assignments to include additional but similar tasks) can lead to
job enrichment. Job redesign is a type of job enrichment, where work is restructured
in ways that develop the worker-job match. This can be accomplished by combining
tasks and/or by forming work groups, in order to show employees how the work fits in
the organization.

BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION
Behavior modification is a systematic program of reinforcement to encourage
desirable behavior. It involves both rewards and punishments. Rewards for quality,
productivity and loyalty may change employees behavior in desired ways and also
increase motivation. This can be accomplished by managers if they compare target
behavior with existing level and provide rewards or punishments accordingly.

FLEXTIME
Allowing employees to work more flexible hours is another way to build motivation and
job satisfaction. Flextime is a system in which employees set their own work hours
within employer-determined limit. There are two types of time: core time is when all
employees must be at work and flexible time is when employees choose whether to
work. This has to be in process under a condition that all employees must work a total
of 8 hours per day. The motivating factor in using flextime is the sense of
independence employees gain from saying when to work. However, this method has
the drawback that superiors find the job more complicated by having employees come
and go at different times.

PART-TIME WORK AND JOB SHARING

Part-time work is the permanent employment in which individuals work less than a
standard work week. However, this method does not provide the benefits of a full-time
job. Job sharing (also known as work sharing) is the arrangement where two people
share one full-time job or position. It combines the security of a full-time position with
the flexibility of a part-time job. However, it will never be effective if the two people
involved do not communicate well.

TELECOMMUTING
Telecommuting is working at home all of the time or for a part of the workweek. It can
be accomplished through computers, modems, fax machines, cellular phones etc.
Individuals can therefore set their own hours and have more time with their families.
There are other benefits to this method such as lower travel costs, reduced employee
absenteeism or turnover, increased work/life balance and improved morale. However,
telecommuting can lead to feelings of isolation on the employees sides or difficulty in
monitoring productivity on the supervisors sides.

EMPLOYEE EMPOWERMENT
Empowerment means making employees more involved in their jobs and in the
operations of the organization by increasing their participation in decision making. This
means that employees have a say in what they do, and how and when they do it.
Therefore employees must work with managers in order to set the goals and
communicate standards. However, there are barriers to this method which include lack
of employee training, distrust of management on the part of workers and poor
communication between management and employees.

SELF-MANAGED WORK TEAMS

Self-managed work teams are groups of employees with the authority and skills to
manage themselves. This help increase motivation as employees have more task
variety and more job control. When this method is implemented correctly, the
employees in those work teams have higher morale, increased productivity and
sometimes innovation. Intensive training should be done in order for such work teams
to be successful.

EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP
Employee ownership is a situation in which employees own the company they work
for by being stockholders. This means that when the company enjoys increased sales,
the employees benefit directly. This method encourages employees to be more
productive in their work areas in an attempt to increase the overall productivity of the
organization and hence gain from its returned income directly. This means that
employees are motivated to work and produce more for their own benefit at the end.

__________________________

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