Motivation

• Motivation 


  Encouraging subordinates to perform in the most efficient way willingly through rewards
• What are the four motivational theorists?

  • Taylor
  • Mayo
  • Maslow
  • Herzberg
• Taylor : Scientific management (1900s)

  • Efficiency expert - concerned with time
  • Division of labour (small tasks)
  • He believed workers were solely motivated by pay
  • Close supervision
  • Training needed
  • Piece-rate -> paid according to number of items produced
• Problems with Taylor's theories

  • Unpopular with shop-floor employees -> they did not co-operate
  • Lower productivity -> workers only worked hard when observed
  • Micro-managed: supervisors were appointed -> increase costs
• Mayo: Human Relations Management (1920s-1930s)

  • Experimented with the effects of 10 varying physical factors on worker's productivity (Hawthorne Studies)
  • Illumination experiment - productivity increased when lighting lessened and also increased -> responding to the level of attention
  • Productivity increased when employees were given breaks / holidays
  • Extra interest in workers made them feel valued
  • He believed workers were motivated by better communications and greater involvement, he also thought working in teams was important for morale
• Maslow: Hierarchy of Human needs

  • Most popular - used in many workplaces
  • Lower level needs to be fully met first before moving up
  • Not everyone has the same needs
  • Not realistic as most employees will not reach the top

  A) Physiological

  B) Safety

  C) belonging

  D) Esteem

  E) Self-actualisation

  
• Herzberg: The Two Factor Theory (1944)

  • Focused on psychological aspects of motivation
  • Interviewed engineers and accountants asking them what incidents made them satisfied / dissatisfied at work
  • Motivators: Factors that give people job satisfaction, acting to motivate people
  • Hygiene (maintenance) factors: Reduce job dissatisfaction but cannot positively motivate on their own
• Examples of motivators 


  • Recognition
  • Achievement
  • Responsibility
  • Meaningful and fulfilling work
  • Personal growth and development
• Examples of hygiene factors

  • Pay
  • Fair treatment
  • Appropriate supervision and policies
  • Working conditions
  • Employee and employer relations
  • Company policies + administration
• Financial methods of motivation

  • Wages and salaries
  • Piece-rate pay
  • Commission
  • Profit-sharing schemes
  • Performance-related pay
  • Share ownership
• Non-financial methods of motivation

  • Involvement with decision-making
  • Responsibility and recognition
  • Challenging and interesting work -> empowering
  • Personal development
  • Words of encouragement / praise
• Factors affecting reward systems for motivation

  • Finance
  • Nature of work
  • Culture (hard / soft)
  • External factors (e.g. economic cycle)