Cherian and Jacob (2013), page 80 Motivation is defined as anything that influences our decisions and produces direction, intensity, and persistence in our actions. Motivation is an internal action that shapes and directs our reaction to meet demands. Workers can build the necessary persistence to achieve established organizational and personal goals and objectives over a set period of time through motivation. In the context of an organization, motivation may also be defined as the drive that allows one to complete a task or tasks. When workers in a group feel unmotivated, they can become alienated. Their social and emotional state most often than not affects their production leading to significant financial losses to the team.
How the levels of motivation impact upon an individual and a team meeting organizational goals and objectives.
According to Abraham Maslow, humans are motivated to satisfy five basic needs. According to Maslow, an individual seeks to fulfill the lower level needs before he or she moves to the higher order needs. An individual runs through the five levels one after the other until all the requirements are met and addressed. Within an organization, for instance, the activities within the levels include;
Physiological needs: these entail the fundamental issues of survival such as having a stable employment and salary.
Security needs: these entail a stable physical and emotional environment such as having work benefits, receiving pensions, working in a safe environment with fair and adequate working conditions.
Belongingness needs social acceptance issues such as friendship or cooperation on the job.
Esteem needs: positive self-image, respect, and recognition, matters such as job titles, nice workspaces, and prestigious job assignments
Self-actualization needs achievement that includes workplace autonomy, challenging work and subject matter expert status on the job.
When the needs are met, the individuals are motivated to work better for the organization. The fulfillment of one obligation leads to the increased demand to fulfill another requirement. The individuals within the team will be motivated to work better. The individuals will also be demotivated if their needs are not met and thus will not work to achieve the organizational objectives to the optimal levels if they are not well motivated. In contrast, Frederick Herzberg (1968), formulated the two-factor theory which shows the hygiene and motivational factors in the workplace that influence production.
The hygiene factors are; low salary, proper supervision, ensuring the job is secure, better conditions that can be tolerable and how to relate to others. When these factors are absent, people are dissatisfied; when they are present, they can avoid job dissatisfaction. Though, these factors alone will not motivate people and lead to job satisfaction. These shows how these factors can lead to an impediment to the achievement of set objectives or success in the overall organizational and individual goals. Motivation factors include work that is meaningful and satisfying, to develop and advance opportunities, when there are responsibilities versus recognition. Presence of these factors enhances motivation and job satisfaction. When they are absent, people have a neutral attitude about the situation and the organization. As a result, the presences or absence of motivational factors affect to a significant extent the achievement of organizational objectives.
What is the role of the middle manager in maintaining motivation in the workplace?
For the levels of management to have a positive effect on the individual, team, and organization, the middle-level managers have a very significant role in the achievement of these positive results. The middle-level managers supervise some first level managers usually with related specialties or in a given geographical area. The middle-level managers are thus expected to have excellent managerial skills. The middle-level managers should also inform the top managers of gaps in motivation within the workplace. As they are a liaison between the first line and the lower level managers, they should possess the ability to identify any gaps in motivation. They should locate instances such as low staff turnout during workdays, increased sick-offs and decreased profits within the organization which can precipitate little motivation within the workplace. The middle-level managers should find ways of calculating these and creating significant and appropriate solutions to this problem.
To improve motivation, the middle-level managers can aid (in association with the top level managers and first line managers) in the development of staff functions and activities that would increase staff motivation. Such actions would include: improving the salary allocations; improving salary for damages incurred during work; involving the staff in the generation of policies where appropriate. Also creating forums to cool down such as parties and seminars at the end of the year; creating instances such as worker of the year where the best worker is can do among others.
Above all the middle-level managers should be instrumental in the solving of issues related to motivation in the organization. The middle-level managers need to have excellent interpersonal skills. They should be able to listen and act decisively to improve motivation levels within the organization.
What strategies are available in sustaining high levels of motivation in an organization?
In essence, it is significant to maintain high levels of motivation with an organization. These are methods that can be employed so that to maintain high levels of motivation. This approach when putting it correctly within an organization can improve the overall profits and reduce losses that are related to low motivation levels. These strategies are of diverse types. Some of the ways to be employed would include: Employees and staff pay for performance- the employees, should be allocated payment that significantly represents the work that they have done ( Garber's and Konradt, 2014. P112). Not paying an employee based on the work they have done actively demotivates them. On the other hand, spending these employees based on the work they have done makes them work even better since they realize the work they have done is not appreciated.
Intrinsic motivation actively improves performance. Enhanced hygiene factors is another strategy these would entail activities such as; safe and clean environment, good salary and fringe benefits, job security, proper staffing, time off the job, adequate equipment. These hygiene factors create the as significant ground for job satisfaction. The employees work better as a result of these better working environments.
Give feedback on performance- The employers should give employees appropriate feedback on their performance. It will enable them to work even better and realize their strengths and weaknesses and thus improve their motivation and performance.
The employers should also give employees opportunities to display skills or talents- they should ensure proper creation of opportunities for the display of their abilities and skills. It establishes intrinsic motivation which builds, even more, confidence in the employee.
Improved information concerning organization or department- The employees should be well taught on the organizational needs or departmental needs as necessary. These avoid the creation of conflict and hence demotivation as a result of going against the set regulatory set rules and regulation.
Increased employee involvement and participation- The employees should be well involved in the formulation of policies as appropriate and needed. This involvement drastically increases their motivation level (Anitha, 2014. P66).
Professional development opportunities- training opportunities created for the well-performing employees. When the employees attain better training, they become even more motivated and thus perform even better at the end of the day.
Recognition, praise, and rewards- recognition and praise should be instituted for the best working employees and appropriate rewards given to these employees.
Job autonomy- the employees should be given authority over the job that they do. They should be allowed to operate autonomously with little or no interaction. Once an employee receives this ability to function independently, they are comfortable with what they do, are more motivated and more productive.
Promotion in ranks or positions- There should be a continuous review of working activities in the workplace. The performance of employees should be heightened based on their productivity and educational level. Performance appraisal should include completion through giving better ranks to the employees in question.
Opportunity to mentor or train others- Employees should also receive the opportunity to mentor and guide others. It helps them to motivate employees about what they can do and thus develop more and more in their sphere of work.
In conclusion, motivation is an essential aspect of the job market. Within any workplace that exists, we can endow with the ability to lead the business or job to fail or may lead to the overall improvement of the company or position. Any workplace that exists requires that all the staff and managers are appropriately motivated to avoid burnouts and absenteeism within the workplace. Motivation is the crucial foundation for the improvement of workplace output (Massenberg, Spurk, and Kauffeld, 2015. P164).
References
Cherian, J. and Jacob, J., 2013. Impact of self-efficacy on motivation and performance of employees. International Journal of Business and Management, 8(14), p.80.
Garbers, Y. and Konradt, U., 2014. The effect of financial incentives on performance: A quantitative review of individual and team‐based financial incentives. Journal of occupational and organizational psychology, 87(1), pp.102-137.
Hau, Y.S., Kim, B., Lee, H. and Kim, Y.G., 2013. The effects of individual motivations and social capital on employees' tacit and explicit knowledge sharing intentions. International Journal of Information Management, 33(2), pp.356-366.
Massenberg, A.C., Spurk, D., and Kauffeld, S., 2015. Social support at the workplace, motivation to transfer and training transfer: a multilevel indirect effects model. International Journal of Training and Development, 19(3), pp.161-178.
Anitha, J., 2014. Determinants of employee engagement and their impact on employee performance. International journal of productivity and performance management.
