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Running Head: EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION 1

Effective ways that organizations can embrace to improve motivation of their employees

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EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION 2

Introduction

Motivation refers to a process which controls and initiates certain behavior traits in

people. Motivation is barely a single item but is a phenomenon with many aspects that influences

the way individuals behave, the duration and strength of their behavior. Motivation can be

approached through many ways that include social, cognitive, behavioral and psychological

ways. It is a very integral element of any organization in their bid towards attaining the vision of

their goals. Research has proved that a person is able to influence their own motivation.

Accordingly, various theories ascertain that the basic purpose of motivation is to reduce all kinds

of pain; whether emotional or physical while maximizing pleasure at the same time.

The two major categories or types of motivation include intrinsic and extrinsic motivation

(Heathfield 2017). In their lifetime, a person may encounter the first type, second type or a

combination of both in their daily activities or workplace. Intrinsic motivation results from

internal factors that affect an individual such as fun and food while on the other hand extrinsic

motivation is one that results from external factors that are controlled by others. In this essay, we

are going to discuss how organizations can combine both to positively influence the performance

of their staff.

In the modern day, theories lay the groundwork for any discussion or science. They

provide ideas that aid practices of research and dissertations. Depending on the context, some

theories may be more useful than others. Despite the fact that many motivation theories have

been proposed, this paper will concentrate on five which are: Hertzberg’s Two-Factor Theory,

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, Hawthorne Effect, Expectancy Theory, and Three-Dimensional

Theory of Attribution as they are relevant to the topic. Based on the motivation theories, the

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following is a discussion of the most efficient ways in which organizations can increase the

motivation of their employees:

Hertzberg’s Two-Factor Theory

Ghazi et al., 2013 stated that this theory was developed in the 1950s by Fredrick

Hertzberg. As suggested by its name, the theory is based on two factors namely motivator and

hygiene factors affecting employee performance. Motivator factors encourage employees to

work harder next time and may include appreciating and rewarding employees. On the other

hand, hygiene factors are those that may lead to negative motivation in their absence and may

include relationships at the workplace, salary, and organizational policies.

Applications

I. Effective communication

According to Rajhans K. (2012), organizational communication has a very vital role in

promoting employee motivation. When information that affects an employee in an organization

is availed to the respective party, he/she will feel a sense of belonging to that particular

organization. To motivate employees, one needs to keep them updated on the most recent

changes in the organization. Such changes may include product improvements, customer

feedback, training opportunities or even important dates in the organization’s calendar. If good

communication is upheld, the employees would be able to adjust their activities so as to match

the new changes and make informed decisions about them.

Towers Watson (2012), suggested that an employee feels rewarded and motivated when

he/she spends more time with their employer. Effective communication promotes the open-door

policy whereby employees are now able to freely share noble ideas with their staff towards the

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improvement of the organization’s performance. Sometimes the ideas may not be implemented,

but at least the employee would feel motivated by the fact that the administration was able to

address their suggestion. An open door policy has got a lot of advantages. For example, it

enables an organization to change its culture and now allow the employees to contribute to

decision making. By doing this, the company welcomes new important ideas and broadens the

consultation of a decision to be made.

II. Appreciation

Sirota et al., (2013) suggests that companies tend to realize more profit when they allow

workers to receive what they want. When we critically look at Sirota’s argument, we will find

that the said companies appreciate employees so as to improve performance; a motivation factor.

When the employees work for the company, in return, they are rewarded by the corporation by

giving them the things they want such as better wages. It is important to let employees know how

much they have played in the success of an organization. When appreciating employees, it is

always a good practice to be specific. Employers should not just say, “Congratulations.” Instead,

they should say, “Congratulations for making it early.”

Appreciation encourages employees to keep up the great work as well as making them

feel valued. Appreciation can either be group recognition or individual recognition. In an

individual form of recognition, the administration can praise an employee through a public

announcement, private appreciation through mail or even a physical call to their offices and

personally commend the employees. An organization can also appreciate its employees as a

group when they accomplished a particular task through teamwork. The company can organize a

meeting and recognize the group members, or it can choose to send them a newsletter.

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III. Rewarding your employees

When a person rewards his/her employees, it shows how much the person has been

impressed by the employees’ effort (Dobre 2013). A good reward system is whereby the

employer sets targets and rewards the employees who achieve them. This is an adequate criterion

and will ensure that only those who meet the reward requirements are rewarded. Rewards can

come in two different forms which are monetary rewards and non-monetary rewards. In a

financial reward system, an employee is given services which relate to money such as a free

dinner, a sponsored ticket to attend a certain event or a car wash service. They are mostly aimed

at relieving an employee from a certain unavoidable cost, or it can even be a direct reward to a

check or solid cash.

Non-monetary rewards are broad. They include favors within or outside the organization

and do not involve money. Examples include giving an employee a free vacation, allowing them

to work from where they prefer, letting an employee choose the tasks they would like to handle

or even allow them to dress the way they wish to. Consistent rewards boost employee motivation

over time as they begin to feel the importance of their hard work.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory

This theory was developed in the year 1943 by Abraham Maslow (Sadri & Bowen 2011).

This theory suggests that the basic needs of workers must be met before they become motivated

to work. The theory is made up of five levels namely self-actualization, esteem, safety and

physiological. Accordingly, a worker has to be safe financially and personally, in good health,

confident and is able to relate well with workmates and the administration for them to be

motivated in doing what they are supposed to.

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Applications

I. A pleasant work environment

For employee motivation to be realized, the workplace ought to be welcoming and

pleasant (Kultalahti et al., 2014). When a working environment is very conducive, employees

become motivated to work. Research has proved it that employees value a good working

environment than the wages they receive. If a person is to make a healthy working environment,

then the place should be able to accommodate fun, work, and relaxation. Things that can make a

workplace to be conducive include walls, temperature, lighting, food and employee relationships.

A good working condition is one in which the employees cooperate well towards the

achievement of a common good. It is characterized by active communication, a strong team

spirit, recognition of hard work, training of employees to improve organizational performance,

has transparency, people trust each other and where there is work-life balance. Such an

environment is free from fear and suspicion hence the employees can express themselves more

freely hence contributing to ideas that may propel the organization towards improved

productivity.

II. Building trust through transparency

Transparency pays an integral role in shaping trust among the employees and the

management in an organization as well as strengthening relationships (Schnackenberg et al.,

2016). All work relationships are built from trust. When workmates embrace transparency, a

trustworthy atmosphere is created hence empowering on employee motivation to deliver on their

respective tasks. In the construction of firm workplace relationships, trust is vital in ensuring that

an organizational set-up gets a sense of direction which in a great way work to give employees

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an enthusiastic spirit as they all have a common goal. Through transparency, employees get to

broadly understand a company’s vision and work for hand in hand with themselves to ensure that

the firm realizes its set goals. It is through the trust that a culture of better engagement is built

amongst employees which in essence is the driving force that gives motivational value to the

employees.

Rietz et.al., (2013) identifies a rigid interconnection between transparency and success.

As success is the target every other organizational set-up keeps an eye on, employees come

together in embracing trust which will ultimately see to it that they achieve their desired goals

and ambitions. Such a work culture boosts the morale of employees especially when targets are

met. Again the work flow that is brought by the trust is admirable for a given set of employees

work on a general information standpoint hence the openness significantly builds on the levels of

confidentiality upon which they execute their tasks. This in an excellent way keeps alive a high-

spirited attitude in the workplace. Transparency as well comes with a high degree of accessibility

to those in a managerial position that oversee the employees and therefore this fosters a habit of

caring and a sense of responsibility which boosts the morale of a given set of employees and

those tasked with the oversight of the latter.

Hawthorne Effect Theory

This theory was described first in 950 by Henry A. Landsberger (Sedgwick et al., 2015).

Henry noticed that some people tend to perform better than others according to the researchers’

observations. The name of this theory was coined from tests that were conducted on how

physical conditions influence motivation at an electric factory in Hawthorne, Chicago. Here the

researchers realized an improvement when certain changes such as lighting were made

(Sedgwick et al., 2015). This theory suggests that employees will be motivated to work hard

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when they receive a good care. The theory assumes that when employees are noted, they will

tend to perform well. Accordingly, employees should be allowed to give their suggestions and

feedback concerning their work.

Applications

I. Social outings and events/change of scenery

According to Mollick et al., (2014), to motivate employees, managers have to create a

positive experience in the workplace by employing practices that can make employee experience

excellent. Introducing events such as gaming will improve employee motivation. Games are

attractive and will draw many employees to engage themselves in it. Gaming is also a tool for

keeping fit. When an employee is physically healthy, he/she will be able to perform well in the

workplace. Games like football instill a sense of teamwork to employees. It gives them a

collaborative fighting spirit and bonding in a bid for victory.

It is very likely to come across a workplace or organization whose employees don’t know

about each other. Here, they will not effectively communicate. However, social events such as

gaming bring together all the members of an organization to a platform where they can know

each other and possibly form friendships. Bonds create a very conducive working environment

that will surely be attractive and motivate in nature. Organizational management should also

provide for outings such as tours where employees would experience a change in scenery. It is

believed that spending time in a different environment can create a noticeable motivation boost.

II. Giving regular breaks

Taylor et al., (2013) mentioned that over the past few decades, sedentary behavior has

been increasing at an alarming rate all over the world. He further makes it clear that this

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sedentary behavior is related to the deaths that we witness and has adverse effects on the

employees’ health. Therefore, it is important to interrupt the prolonged sitting periods through

regular breaks so as to reduce the metabolic risk associated with prolonged sitting. Nobody

would be motivated to work when they are exhausted. Hence, allowing employees to take a

break and refresh themselves and regain energy makes them motivated as well as maintaining

their good health.

Taking breaks at the workplace promotes enjoyment and reduces stress. After a break,

people tend to have more energy and even focus well on what they were doing. Breaks make

employees meet new faces at their organization and have a great experience (Taylor et al., 2013).

Booster breaks facilitate behavior change and enable one to be aware of his or her health status.

Breaks have a positive influence because it makes people understand the importance of physical

activities and the accompanying benefits.

III. Loosening the reins

An efficiency in the workplace can be promoted by allowing employees to choose when

and how they are going to complete their work and the time they are going to arrive at the

workplace. This will motivate employees as they will be able to plan themselves accordingly. If

the administration is to loosen the reins, they should only give the specifications of the task and a

deadline so that the employees can decide on their own how they will tackle it. The primary

importance of loosening reins is to allow employees to work on when their motivation is

strongest and not just when they are within the organization. Giving employees the freedom to

choose how they are going to complete the task eliminates micromanagement while empowers

them to have much control of their work.

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Loosening reins do not mean that employees are given unlimited powers. It only suggests

that the employees should be allowed to participate in decision-making activities hence

empowering them. When employees are denied authority to participate in the decisional making

processes of the organization, often at times they will become more fearful and fear to cross the

boundaries that had been set before them for they could lose their jobs.

Expectancy Theory

Liao et al., (2011) proposed that according to Expectancy Theory, people’s behavior and

performance is directly related to what they expect after accomplishing a task. For example, a

person may work for long hours expecting to be paid more. Expectancy theory is based on three

elements namely Valence; quality of expectation, Instrumentality; belief that one will be

rewarded when they perform as expected, expectancy; an individual’s belief that their effort will

accomplish a certain target. Generally, this theory is based on rewards and recognitions as

motivational factors when somebody meets a certain desired achievement.

Applications

I. Realistic workload/measurable goals

To motivate employees, an organization is supposed to give them a measurable workload.

This is the virtue by which the companies make their employees work on only projects which

they are capable of accomplishing. The workload should be balanced since too much work will

make an employee lose focus while on the other hand, too little work will make the employee

lack attention. An organization should, therefore, engage in drafting a suitable workload basing

on the working environment, intellectual and physical requirements of the job and finally the

duration in which the work must be completed. It is always a good practice to ask employees

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how they feel about the workload so that any necessary adjustments be made for them to work

efficiently.

Zeidner et al., (2012) argues that mental intelligence affects the way we relate, work and

our mental health. Therefore, if a person is not interested in a particular job or task, he/she will

see as if the workload is too heavy. Such incidents can be avoided by allowing employees to

work on different parts of the organization where their interest lies. Realistic workloads mean

that employees will not be demoralized in working on something that would seem never to end.

They will develop a good feeling of progress and work toward the completion of particular tasks.

The effects of realistic workloads can be further felt when those achievements are celebrated.

II. Setting a clear vision

According to Vaccaro et al., (2012) an organization should have a clear vision so as to

direct and keep it in a specific direction. Having a clear vision would not only drive the direction

of employees to work but also create consistency in the way they are viewed by other people.

Defining a clear vision can positively affect its ability to succeed in achieving the set goals. A

vision clarity always has a positive effect towards the performance of employees. A clear vision

guides the development process of an organization. The firm vision should be shared and

accepted by the company employees. Without a clear vision, employees will face uncertainty in

executing its roles. For a new project development, a clear role is ideal for the success of a team

working on it. Having a clear vision enables team-members to focus on the market,

environmental changes, and technology among other obstacles towards fast achievement and

learning.

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Three-Dimensional Theory of Attribution

This theory was developed by Bernard Weiner and it explains how individuals

understand things based on their behavior and that of others (Weiner 2010). This theory assumes

that leaders try to determine motivational elements towards what their staff are doing. According

to Weiner, the main elements of attribution that may impact on motivation include stability; high

performance will lead to high expectations in future and vice versa, controllability; achievement

not attained due to uncontrollable factors, Locus of control; whether failure or success was

caused by an internal or external factor. By praising employees even when they have failed, they

will assume that their failure was caused by unavoidable circumstances. Hence they will be

motivated to work harder to produce the best results in future (Weiner 2010).

Applications

I. Staying positive

When the administration in an organization gives positive feedback to the employees,

they get to know that they are doing something well; hence they will continue doing it well or

even improve. Employee motivation in the workplace increases when they are empowered and

recognized more (Manzoor 2012). When an employee is empowered, motivation towards

working increases and finally the overall organizational effectiveness is realized. Giving a

positive feedback to employees and letting them know on the good work they have achieved can

boost their morale by far. It is not always good to focus on the negatives because employees will

eventually learn how to hide their mistakes. Instead, the management should create an

accountability system where all the images will be handled in the right manner.

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An employer should be enthusiastic and let the employees feel a positive energy. The

employee can create a positive environment in many ways such as playing favorite music at the

workplace. According to Ni et al., (2012) soft music has a soothing effect and will let a person

engage with the rhythm as they continue with their work. Music is also said to help in relieving

stress; hence such an environment will be a great one for relaxation. Other means are joking

around, having fun and even embrace games such as chess that might help employees sharpen

their creativity.

II. Encouraging teamwork

Gaki et al., (2013) suggests that cooperation lays the foundation upon which the

employees in a given organization are motivated to do what is expected of them. The latter gives

meaning to the unity is strength phrase because the coming together and the combining of effort

to achieve the desired goal brings out morale among employees. When employees are united, the

spirit of oneness becomes the driving force in achieving goals; thus the team members are

brought under one umbrella meant to meet a target. Teamwork creates an avenue through which

the employees of a given organization get to share ideas going forward. Through that, they get to

harmonize on the most appropriate of an option to go for that will see to it that their agenda is

achieved because fresh and sober ideas are the driving force in this competitive world.

Teamwork in a great way builds the culture of inclusivity whereby each member of an

organizational set-up feels part of a union that has come together to realize a group’s potential.

Again, the sense of inclusivity and deep commitments towards a common agenda gives

enthusiasm to the team members who are aboard the same vehicle of ambition and goal. Having

several people on board as well greatly helps in problem-solving.

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A team can brainstorm and exchange ideas that will see to it that creative and informed

decisions are arrived to. By merging efforts together, solutions that work best are found which in

great way work to motivate the employees as the latter gives way for a viable way forward.

Togetherness is essential in every organizational set up for it creates synergy in the

communication process within an organization thus the employees are brought as one by the

information which is a team’s driving force. Teamwork provides an opportunity through which

the employees within an organization can interact, bond and save relations within them. This

cultivates a unifying factor that ensures that the employees remain encouraged, grounded and

motivated.

III. Training and development

Training has been defined as being a planned and systematic effort to develop abilities,

attitudes, knowledge and skills through learning experiences in a bid to attain or reach adequate

performance in a range of activities or a single activity (Khan et al., 2011). Becoming employed

is an opportunity for sharing knowledge, continuing professional development, and gaining new

knowledge and education. There are many interpretations and definitions of training and

development which can be found in the literature of Human Resource development. For

example, Van Wart et al. (1993) suggested that training is driven by its application and that its

primary aim is to equip individuals with skills which are immediately applicable or useful to

specific situations. Training is mainly a planned experience whose main aim is to facilitate the

process whereby individuals or employees who are part of an organization learn behavior which

is related to their jobs. Therefore, it is a systematic process which enables organizations and its

employees to improve performance. It is needed so as to have effective methods and ways for

enabling the companies’ improvements to be fulfilled as well as developing its employees.

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Accordingly, training and development should be considered as important and required

elements of the practices aimed at developing companies. Consequently, it seems inevitable for

all companies especially the construction companies to look at employee training and

development as an art of the Human resource practices as well as development. Through training

and development, the workers of a company or firm will be very flexible and will adapt to their

working conditions. Therefore, teamwork will be facilitated as all the stakeholders will have

almost the same capability to execute the tasks available at their workplaces hence effective

coordination of their duties, unlike a situation whereby some employees lack much knowledge in

their work. Managers and controllers who are responsible for companies such as the one for

construction whose activity heavily depend on manpower should ensure that its employees

receive enough training and development for them to realize their goals and motivate their

employees (khan et al., 2011).

Conclusion

From the discourse above, it is easy to identify that a series of conclusions can be drawn

from the text. The essay above is dominated by five motivational theories. Motivation has been

seen to affect the way individuals perform in their respective workplaces. Accordingly, it is the

same motivation that determines the duration and extent of such behavior. Hertzberg’s two factor

Theory has it that two factors namely motivator and hygiene affect the behavior of employees.

Therefore, we conclude that employees have to uphold the factors so as to realize the maxima of

potential.

In regard to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory, workers’ basic needs are essential for

them to have a working spirit. Therefore, employees have an obligation to ensure that those

needs are met according to the plain dictates of this theory for them to realize the fruits of their

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service. As per Hawthorne’s Effect Theory, physical conditions affect employee motivation

towards work performance. Hence, some employees tend to perform better than others because

of their different exposure to physical variables. People’s behavior and performance is directly

related to what they expect after accomplishing a task (Liao et al., 2011). From the Three-

Dimensional Theory of Attribution, we can conclude that praising employees even when they

have failed will make them assume that their failure was caused by unavoidable circumstances.

Hence they will be motivated to work harder to produce the best results in future.

EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION 17

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