Employee Motivation

Employee Motivation

              This article is based on project, which I have completed in my bachelors degree. The project was based on Herzberg’s two-factor theory. Some of important points, which can help to motivate and empower employees have mentioned in this article.

Motivation:

                One of the most important and underlying factors that drives every human being to reach their goals is motivation. This includes personal, as well as professional goals and targets. In fact, if this driving force did not exist then people would live in the root of monotony and no great discoveries or inventions would have happened. Motivation is an internal state of being, or an internal condition that activates one's behavior, giving it direction. Motivation has also been defined as a desire or need, which directs and energizes behavior that is oriented towards a goal.

Performance is considered a function of ability and motivation, thus:

Job performance =f (ability)(motivation)

Herzberg’s two-factor theory

• Two-factor theory fundamentals

              According to Herzberg, individuals are not content with the satisfaction of lower-order needs at work, for example, those associated with minimum salary levels or safe and pleasant working conditions. Rather, individuals look for the gratification of higher-level psychological needs having to do with achievement, recognition, responsibility, advancement, and the nature of the work itself.

                 However, Herzberg added a new dimension to this theory by proposing a two-factor model of motivation, based on the notion that the presence of one set of job characteristics or incentives lead to worker satisfaction at work, while another and separate set of job characteristics lead to dissatisfaction at work. Thus, satisfaction and dissatisfaction are not on a continuum with one increasing as the other diminishes, but are independent phenomena.



Motivator Factors
 Achievement

 Recognition

 Work Itself

 Responsibility

 Promotion

 Growth

Hygeine Factors:

 Pay and Benefits

 Company Policy and Administration

 Relationships with co-workers

 Physical Environment

 Supervision

 Status

 Job Security

 Salary



• Two-factor theory distinguishes between:

 Motivators (e.g. challenging work, recognition, responsibility) which give positive satisfaction, arising from intrinsic conditions of the job itself, such as recognition, achievement, or personal growth.



 Hygiene factors (e.g. status, job security, salary and fringe benefits) which do not give positive satisfaction, although dissatisfaction results from their absence. These are extrinsic to the work itself, and include aspects such as company policies, supervisory practices, or wages/salary.




• Suggestions For Employee Motivation:

1. Better carrier development opportunities should be given to the employees for their improvement.

2. If the centralized system of management is changed to a decentralized one, then there would be more active and committed participation of staff for the success of the organization.

3. Skills of the employees should be appreciated.

4. . Proper infrastructure should be provided to them, which will affect in positive manner on their work.

5. Employees should make permanent after certain time.

6. There should be some award schemes for employees.

7. While taking any decision if representative of lower level management is taken into consideration then they will also feel that they are also part of organization.