Motivation

The various theories of motivation provide managers with a number of effective concepts of motivating employees. Hence, management can employ a variety of techniques to motivate employees.

The various theories of motivation provide managers with a number of effective concepts of motivating employees. Hence, management can employ a variety of techniques to motivate employees. Some important techniques are as follows:

1. Money
2. Participation
3. Quality of Working Life (QWL)
4. Job Enrichment
5. Behavior Modification

Money

Most managers have tended to place money high on the scale of motivators but behavioral scientist places it low. Probably neither view is right. However, money continues to be an important motivator at least in underdeveloped countries where the physiological needs of employees are only partially satisfied. Even in developed countries, monetary incentives do result in greater productivity. Money is a crucial incentive to work motivation. As a medium of exchange, it is the vehicle by which employees can purchase the numerous needs satisfying things they desire. Many studies reaffirm that for the vast majority of the workers, a regular paycheck is absolutely necessary in order to meet their basic physiological and safety needs.

Some writers have pointed out money is often more than a monetary value which can also mean status or power. Hence, an attraction of getting more money such as more pay, bonuses, allowances, provision of insurance, etc. is a powerful motivator to employees for high performance. At present, most managers agree that if money to act as a motivator the prospective payment should be large relative to a person’s income. If it is not large enough to be felt, it is not likely to be a motivator. It may keep the person from being dissatisfied. Thus, money can motivate people.

Participation

Another technique of employee motivation is participation. Participation means the physical and mental involvement of people in activities. Participation encourages and permits contributions to decisions, goals, and plans along with suggestions for implementation. It is also a means of recognition. Most people are motivated when they are consulted on action affecting them.

The underlying assumption of employee motivation through participation are:

1. People derived satisfaction from being a part of the management.
2. It increases the responsibility of the participants.
3. It fosters greater acceptance to change.
4. It provides the feeling of belonging, recognition and above all accomplishments, and
5. In addition, it encourages better decisions making, accepts responsibility, promotes teamwork and emphasizes the use of creativity.

Motivation theories and increasing researchers have increased the awareness and use of participation in the organization. Japanese managers allow their workers to participate in must of the decision-making and grant them considerable freedom over a day to day work methodology. Because of the high degree of success enjoyed by Japanese firms in recent times, this is becoming increasingly popular in Western too.

Quality of Working Life (QWL)

One of the most interesting techniques for motivation is the quality of working life program. The quality of working life is an attempt to integrate employee needs and well-being with the intention of improving productivity, greater employee involvement, and higher levels of job satisfaction through a formal program. It is more concerned with the overall climate of work. It is a systematic approach to job designs and job enrichment combined with a socio-technical systems approach to management.

Job design is the application of motivational concepts to the design of the work in order to improve both worker productivity and job satisfaction, job rotation, job enlargement, and job enrichment.

QWL has received enthusiastic support from a number of sources. Managers have regarded it as a promising means of dealing with stagnating productivity. Workers and union representatives have also seen it as a means of justifying higher pay.

Job Enrichment

The practical contribution of Herzberg’s theory is a motivational technique known as job enrichment. Managers support this technique as a solution to the problem of the quality of life at work. The major assumption of this theory is that in order to motivate employees the job must be designed to provide an opportunity for achievement, recognition, responsibility, advancement, and growth. Thus, the job is enriched so that these factors are included. To be specific, a job is enriched when the nature of the job is challenging and creative.

Basically, job enrichment occurs by increasing a job’s range and depth. Job range refers to the number of activities performed on the job while job depth refers to the autonomy, responsibility, and discretion or control over the job. Job enrichment vertically loads the job. On the other hand, job enlargement means that a job’s range, but not necessarily its depth, is increased. Research has indicated that job enrichment factors result in higher satisfaction and lower boredom and absenteeism.

Job enrichment gives the worker more authority and more control over the job situation. The worker is allowed to plan, schedule, and inspect own work activities. It incorporates high-level motivation factors in the work such as achievement, responsibility, recognition, and opportunities for growth and development. Companies that have introduced programs of job enrichment claim that productivity was increased, absenteeism and turnover were reduced. A job may be enriched through the following ways:

1. By giving workers more freedom in deciding about such things such as work methods, sequence, and pace of the work.
2. By encouraging participation and interaction among workers.
3. By giving workers a feeling of personal responsibility for their tasks.
4. By giving employees feedback on their job performance before supervisor supervises.

Behavior Modification

Behavior modification is a management technique for applying the concepts of reinforcement theory in organizational settings. Advocates of behavior modification, such as B.F Skinner, argue that people are basically passive and reactive instead of proactive. Hence, they tend to respond to stimuli rather than initiating behavior. They emphasize that this technique focuses on observable and measurable behavior rather than unobserved needs, attitudes or goals. In addition, behavior modification emphasizes permanent change that can be caused only through reinforcement. Generally, it uses positive reinforcement to motivate employees to engage in desired behaviors. Behavior modification technique consists of following fundamental steps:

1. Define and specify an acceptable level of behavior. This must be outlined in objective and measurable terms.
2. Conduct a performance audit.
3. Set specific behavior goals for each employee.
4. Employees keep a record of their own work. This record provides continuous feedback directly to the employees.
5. Supervisors praise employees for more positive performance. Provide the employees with sufficient reinforcement to shape their behavior and keep them on target.

Positive & Negative Motivation & Maslow's Need Hierarchy Theory

ir jobs for the attainment of the objectives. There are several ways to classify the motivation. The motivation can be classified mainly into four groups and they are:

1. Financial and non-financial motivation
2. Individual and group motivation
3. Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation
4. Positive and negative motivation

From among the above-mentioned classes of motivation, positive and negative motivation is taken for our discussion.

1. Positive Motivation
   Positive motivation is the process in which a manager attempts to influence the employees’ behavior in such a way that could enhance the courage and zeal towards the job. Positive motivation is virtually a kind of technique to inspire subordinates. It is concerned with the incentives such as an increase in salary, allowances, benefits, provision of promotion, rewards, and others; achievement such as praise, encouragement, acceptance by group and respect by the management. Positive motivation may be financial or non-financial or individual or group motivation.
   
   
2. Negative Motivation
   Negative motivation is understood as the act of forcing the staff members to work by holding out threats or punishment such as reprimands, disciplinary actions, demotion, loss of a job, dismissal from the post, deduction of salary, group rejection. Any kind of deterioration may be included in negative motivation.

Maslow’s Need Hierarchy Theory

There are several Human Motivation Theories propounded by many learned authorities. Some of the motivation theories and the name of the propounders are given below:

• The expectancy theory - Victor H. Vroom
• Equity theory - J. Stacy Adams
• Reinforcement theory - B.E Skinner
• Need theory of motivation - David C. McClelland
• Two-factor theory - Frederick Herzberg
• The hierarchy of need theory - Abraham Maslow

From among the above-mentioned theories, the hierarchy of need theory, which is also called Maslow’s Need Hierarchy Theory is the most popular, well known and widely accepted theory. This theory is propounded by Abraham Maslow and is based on the need of people which appears in a distinct way. Maslow saw human needs in the form of a hierarchy, ascending from the lowest to highest. Lower ordered needs are experienced first which must be satisfied before higher-ordered needs are perceived.

Maslow’s theory is based on the following assumptions:

1. Unlimited Wants
   Human wants are unlimited and never-ending. As soon as one of his wants is satisfied, another appears in its place. Again, to satisfy other wants, a man engages himself in work. The unsatisfied need is a motivator: If needs are satisfied, man will lose his willingness to work and his capacity too. So, it is the only unsatisfied need which may encourage or motivate the staff to perform the job.
   
   
2. Hierarchy of Importance
   Among the human needs, one can easily ascertain the most important to less important needs. It means need can be classified according to priority and they can be arranged in priority according to the hierarchy of importance. Maslow's opinions that need can be satisfied on a priority basis.

The basic human needs to be placed by Maslow in ascending order of importance can be illustrated as:

1. Physiological Needs
   The physiological needs are the primary or basic needs for food, water, air, clothing and shelter that are present in all humans and must be satisfied before the individual can consider higher-order needs. A hungry person, possessed by the need to obtain food, ignores other needs. Once the physiological needs are satisfied, other needs enter. Labor may feel physiological needs and he may be worried to satisfy them. In an organization, these needs are generally satisfied by providing adequate salary, wages, and other allowances and benefits. Besides, an organization also provides a work environment.
   
   
2. Safety or Security Needs
   The second level of safety needs includes security, protection from physical harm and avoidance of the unexpected risk of loss. Virtually, these needs are concerned with physical safety and economic security. These needs may be like saving accounts, life insurance, membership of health club, old-age provision, security from risks, etc.
   
   
3. Social Needs
   The man is a social animal. He lives in a society, loves society, believes in society, learns from society and gets from society. Being social, he gains experiences from society and thus feels some needs- the acquired needs in his life. These needs include belonging needs, friendship, love and affection, association and social acceptance. The satisfaction of physiological and safety needs to this third hierarchy of needs- the desire to be accepted by members of the family and other individuals in groups. The manager should know these needs and manage well to motivate the employees.
   
   
4. Esteem or Egoistic Needs
   The higher or egoistic needs are more prevalent in developed countries, where per capita income is high and people there have sufficient means to satisfy their basic needs and to concentrate on the desire for status, esteem, and ego. These needs are of two types:
   • Self-esteem: Self-esteem means esteem in the eye of self which is self-confidence and self-respect.
   • Public esteem: Public esteem means to esteem or image in the eye of the public as praise, power, prestige, appreciation, recognition, etc. These all needs are concerned with once prestige and respect of an individual.
     
     
5. Self-actualization Needs
   The top rung on the ladder of human needs is self-actualization the need for fulfillment, for realizing one’s talents and capabilities totally. These needs are also known as self-prestige, self-achievement, and self-confidence. These self-actualization needs are most difficult for the manager to identify and focus on. A manager, in the case, simply can help the employees providing challenging jobs of one’s interest and capacity and allowing risk-taking decision making. Thus, they may help the employees to achieve one’s self –prestige and self-confidence. If he is satisfied in this stage, it may enable him to realize fully the potentialities of his talents and capabilities.

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs can be broadly classified into two groups:

• Lower- order Needs: In this category of needs physiological and safety needs can be well labeled.
  
  
• Higher-order Needs: Maslow’s rest of needs such as social, self-esteem and self-actualization needs can be labeled and placed on high order needs.