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It's considered the engine that drives the employee's performance and behavior. If this engine is not well maintained, fueled and lubricated, the employee will not go far in his work, development, career progress and success.
However, motivation is not only external. There is internal motivation too where the employee can motivate him/her self using certain techniques, even if their direct manager or their colleagues are not playing an essential role in motivating them.
Generally speaking, motivation is what energizes, maintains, and controls behavior. As such, it is clear why it plays an important role in the workplace. But empirically measuring that role is another matter; it is challenging to capture an individual's drive in quantitative metrics in order to ascertain the degree to which higher motivation is responsible for higherproductivity However, it is widely accepted that motivated employees generate higher value and lead to more substantial levels of achivement. The managmentof motivation is therefore a critical element of success in any business; with an increase in productivity, an organization can achieve higher levels of output.
Research has shown that motivated employees will:
Always look for a "better" way to complete a task
Be more quality-oriented
Work with higher productivity and efficiency
In summary, motivated employees will retain a high level of innovation while producing higher-quality work more efficiently. There is no downside—i.e., the opportunity cost of motivating employees is essentially zero, assuming it does not require additional capital to coach managers to act as effective motivators.
Importance of motivation for employees are as follows:
Motivation can be defined as stimulating, inspiring and inducing the employees to perform to their best capacity.
Motivation is a psychological term which means it cannot be forced on employees. It comes automatically from inside the employees as it is the willingness to do the work.
1. Motive:
A motive is an inner state or desire which energizes an individual to move or to behave towards achievement of goal. Motive arises out of needs of an individual. When a motive emerges in an individual. It causes restlessness as he wants to fulfill his motive. For example motive to earn induces an individual to search for job or work. Individual searches for food to fulfill the motive of hunger.
2. Motivation:
It is a process of inducing people to perform to their best ability to accomplish the goal.
3. Motivators:
Motivators are the incentives or techniques used to motivate the people in an organisation. Common motivators used by the managers are increment, bonus, promotion, recognition, respect etc.
1. Motivation is a Psychological Phenomenon:
Motivation is an internal feeling which means it cannot be forced on employees. The internal feelings such as need, desire, aspirations etc. influence human behaviour to behave in a particular manner. For example, desire to have a new house, respect and recognition, etc.
2. Motivation Produces Goal Directed Behaviour:
Motivation induces people to behave in such a manner so that they can achieve their goal. Motivated person need no supervision or direction. He will always work in desired manner. For example if a person has a motive to get promotion so he will work efficiently to get promotion.
3. Motivators can be Positive as well as Negative:
To motivate employees managers use various motivators. Some motivators are positive and some are negative few examples of positive motivators are: promotion, increment, bonus, respect, recognition, etc. If employee does not improve his performance with positive motivators then manager uses negative motivators such as warning, issue of memo, demotion, stopping increments, etc. Sometimes fear of negative motivators also induces person to behave in a desired manner.
4. Motivation is a Complex Process:
Motivation is a complex and difficult task. In order to motivate people a manager must understand various types of human needs. Human needs are mental feelings which can be measured accurately. If manager measures them accurately then also every person uses different approaches to satisfy his need. Some get satisfied with monetary incentives, some with non-monetary, some with positive and some with negative motivators. So it is not possible to make generalization in motivation.
5. Motivation is a Dynamic and Continuous Process:
Human beings are ever-changing. Human needs are unlimited and go on changing continuously. Satisfaction of one need gives rise to another so managers have to continuously perform the function of motivation.
1. Motivation helps change negative attitude to positive attitude:
Without motivation the employees try to perform minimum activities in the organisation. But the motivation fills in the desire to perform to their maximum level. All the resources of the organisation are of no use unless and until the employees use these resources. The motivated employees make best use of the resources.
2. Motivation improves performance level of employees:
The motivation improves the efficiency level of employees which means the employees start performing the job to the best of their ability with minimum wastage of time and resources because motivated employees always go for best utilisation of resources. The motivation bridges the gap between the ability to work and willingness to work and willingness always improves efficiency.
3. Helps in Achieving the Organisational Goal:
The motivated employees always try to achieve the organisational goal and contribute their best efforts for the realisation of organisational goal as they know with the achievement of organisational goal only they can achieve their personal goal. All the employees contribute their efforts in one direction of accomplishment of goal.
4. Motivation creates Supportive Work Environment:
In motivation the relations between superior and subordinates are always improved. When the employees get their need satisfied or get the recognition and respect in the organisation then they always offer a supportive hand to superiors. There is more cooperation and co-ordination in the organisation and all the employees work with the team spirit.
5. Motivation helps the managers to introduce changes:
The motivated employees show less resistance in accepting the changes according to changes in the business environment because they know if the changes are not implemented in the organisation, not only the organisation will lose by this but the employees also will find it difficult to get their needs fulfilled. Motivated employees are always supportive and co-operative in accepting changes in the organisation.
6. Reduction in Employees’ Turnover:
The motivation creates confidence in the employees to get their needs satisfied in the organisation itself. They always select the alternative to remain in the organisation and increase their earning rather than leaving the organisation and increasing their earnings. With motivation the turnovers are less because the satisfied employees never leave the job.
Motivation is a psychological phenomenon and the needs of employees play very important role in motivation. To understand the needs of human beings we must learn Maslow’s Need Hierarchy Theory.
Maslow’s Need Hierarchy Theory. Need or the desire is a very important element in motivation because the employees get motivated only for their needs and if the needs are fulfilled completely then it is not possible to motivate the employees. Maslow has given a sequence or hierarchy of needs in the following way:
1. Physiological Needs:
These needs include basic requirements for survival and maintenance of human life. The common physiological needs are food, shelter and clothing. The employees develop these needs for their survival that is why they are at the top in the sequence. These needs can be satisfied when the monetary incentives are offered by the employers.
2. Safety and Security Needs:
Once the present day physiological needs are fulfilled then the people start thinking about their future as they want to secure their future by making sure that in future also they continue to satisfy their physiological needs.
Under safety and security there are two categories:
(a) Physical security. Which means safety from illness, accident, fire etc.,
(b) Economic security. Which means having sufficient funds to meet the future physiological needs and to come out of physical security threat?
The people who have more of safety and security need active get motivated by monetary incentives.
3. Social Needs Assiliation/Belonging need:
It means the need for love, affection, companionship, friendship, etc. Once the people satisfy their physiological and safety needs then the social need becomes more active and to fulfill the social needs the managers prefer team-work, arrange formal and informal get-together so that employees can develop social relationships.
4. Esteem Needs:
These needs are related to the respect and recognition. When the above three needs are satisfied then people start demanding respect for themselves in a group. This need is more common in higher level employees. Esteem needs can be satisfied through non-monetary incentives.
5. Self-Actualisation Needs:
This need refers to realising or reaching to the aim of your life. Once the employee becomes what he wants to become it means satisfaction of his actualisation need.
For example, when a soldier faces bravely the bullet of enemy he seems to realise the self-actualisation need.
Assumptions of Maslow’s Need Hierarchy Theory:
1. Behaviour of people depends upon their need. Human behaviour can be changed or motivated by fulfilling their needs.
2. Generally the needs follow the Hierarchy, i.e., starting from physiological need.
Incentive can be defined as monetary or non-monetary reward offered to the employees for contributing more efficiently. Incentive can be extra payment or something more than the regular salary or wage.
Incentive acts as a very good stimulator or motivator because it encourages the employees to improve their efficiency level and reach the target. The two common types of incentives are:
Monetary or Financial Incentives:
The reward or incentive which can be calculated in terms of money is known as monetary incentive. These incentives are offered to employees who have more physiological, social and security need active in them. The common monetary incentives are:
1. Pay and Allowances:
Regular increments in salary every year and grant of allowance act as good motivators. In some organisations pay hikes and allowances are directly linked with the performance of the employee. To get increment and allowance employees perform to their best ability.
2. Profit Sharing:
The organisations offer share in the profit to the employees as a common incentive for encouraging the employees for working efficiently. Under profit sharing schemes generally the companies fix a percentage of profit and if the profit exceeds that percentage then the surplus profit is distributed among the employees. It encourages the employees to work efficiently to increase the profit of the company so that they can get share in the profit.
3. Co-Partnership/Stock Option:
Sharing the profit does not give ownership right to the employees. Many companies offer share in management or participation in management along with share in profit to its employees as an incentive to get efficient working from the employees. The co-partnership is offered by issue of shares on exceeding a fixed target.
4. Bonus:
Bonus is a onetime extra reward offered to the employees for sharing high performance. Generally when the employees reach their target or exceed the target then they are paid extra amount called bonus. Bonus is also given in the form of free trips to foreign countries, paid vacations or gold etc. Some companies have the scheme of offering bonus during the festival time (Diwali, Christmas bonus, New Year, etc.)
5. Commission:
Commission is the common incentive offered to employees working under sales department. Generally the sales persons get the basic salary and along with this, commission on every sales order. The income of the sales persons is directly linked with the efforts put in by them. More orders mean more commission.
6. Suggestion System:
Under suggestion system the employees are given reward if the organisation gains with the suggestion offered by the employee. For example, if an employee suggests a cost saving technique of production and organisation is able to reduce the cost by that technique, then extra payment is given to employee for giving that suggestion.
The amount of reward or payment given to the employee under suggestion system depends on the gain or benefit which organisation gets with that suggestion. It is a very good incentive to keep the initiative level of employees high.
7. Productivity Linked with wage Incentives:
There are certain wages rate plans. Which offer higher wages for more productivity, for example under differential piece wages system efficient workers are paid higher wages as compared to inefficient workers? To get higher wages workers perform efficiently.
8. Retirement Benefits:
Some organisations offer retirement benefits such as pension, provident fund, gratuity etc. to motivate people. These incentives are suitable for employees who have security and safety need.
9. Perks/Fringe Benefits/Perquisites:
It refers to special benefits such as medical facility, free education for children, housing facility etc. These benefits are over and above salary. These extra benefits are related with the performance of the employees.
Non-Monetary/Non-Financial Incentives:
Money is not the only motivator, the employees who have more of esteem and self actualisation need active in them get satisfied with the non-monetary incentives only.
The incentives which cannot be calculated in terms of money are known as nonmonetary incentives. Generally people working at high job position or at high rank get satisfied with non-monetary incentives. The common means or ways of non-monetary incentives are:
1. Status:
Status refers to rank, authority, responsibility, recognition and prestige related to job. By offering higher status or rank in the organisation managers can motivate employees having esteemed and self-actualisation need active in them.
2. Organisational Climate:
It refers to relations between superior/subordinates. These are the characteristics which describe an organisation. These characteristics have direct influence over the behaviour of a member. A positive approach adopted by manager creates better organisational climate whereas negative approach may spoil the climate. Employees are always motivated in the healthy organisational climate.
3. Career Advancement:
Managers must provide promotional opportunities to employees. Whenever there are promotional opportunities employees improve their skill and efficiency with the hope that they will be promoted to high level. Promotion is a very big stimulator or motivator which induces people to perform to their best level.
4. Job Enrichment/Assignment of Challenging Job:
Employees get bored by performing routine job. They enjoy doing jobs which offer them variety and opportunity to show their skill. By offering challenging jobs, autonomy to perform job, interesting jobs, employees get satisfied and they are motivated. Interesting, enriched and challenging job itself is a very good motivator or stimulator.
5. Employees Recognition:
Recognition means giving special regard or respect which satisfies the ego of the subordinates. Ego-satisfaction is a very good motivator. Whenever the good efforts or the positive attitudes are shown by the subordinates then it must be recognised by the superior in public or in presence of other employees. Whenever if there is any negative attitude or mistake is done by subordinate then it should be discussed in private by calling the employee in cabin.
Examples of employee’s recognition are congratulating employee for good performance, displaying the achievement of employee, giving certificate of achievement, distributing moments, gifts etc.
6. Job Security:
Job security means life time bonding between employees and organisation. Job security means giving permanent or confirmation letter. Job security ensures safety and security need but it may have negative impact. Once the employees get job secured they lose interest in job. For example government employees do not perform efficiently as they have no fear of losing job. Job security must be given with some terms and conditions.
7. Employee’s participation:
It means involving employee in decision making especially when decisions are related to workers. Employees follow the decision more sincerely when these are taken in consultation with them for example if target production is fixed by consulting employee then he will try to achieve the target more sincerely.
8. Autonomy/Employee Empowerment:
It means giving more freedom to subordinates. This empowerment develops confidence in employees. They use positive skill to prove that they are performing to the best when freedom is given to them.
Thanks
Totally agree with the answer given by Mrs. Ghada
I guess they have clearly elaborated the meaning of motivation and I completely agree with their answers. I have nothing more to add. Thank you for the invitation.
Because it is the one who motivates employees to do their job to the fullest .
agree with ms. ghada .
Because it has been demonstrated that employees/humans usually improve their works and get satisfied by motivations !
Thank You
