The role played by salary and by non-financial incentives in promoting motivation in middle managers in practice

Résumé du document

At a time where the work has changed of sense and reorganize itself, where the competition is global, the motivation of associates becomes again a priority problem. During the twentieth century, several have been the writers to interest in the work motivation. It was a change period due to the industrial and technological development with a more important taking in consideration of people in term of personality. Indeed, the man becomes little by little not only someone which is able to accomplish repetitive tasks but a person which can have a true potential for company.

Through this evolution, the employees have seen new needs to meet which could be financial or not, what implies a necessary adaptation for firms. Today, the competitiveness and performance of an enterprise is based for a large part on the staff motivation and effectiveness of motivational strategies implemented by an enterprise depends on complicated features concerning the individuals, the organizer as well as the economical, technological and cultural environment. What means that there is no universal ways of proceed to motivate but techniques which have to be adapted for every sort of worker. In order to satisfy these growing new needs in the work motivation, companies could select tools which will be more oriented on financial aspect (individual and collective performance) but which can have equally their limits. It is not enough that's why we see to appear new methods which are non financial and which corresponds more to the new expectations of work protagonists.

In order to reach its objectives, every company has to get from its employees an important work quality and productivity . From this perspective, it is necessary to adopt an adapted organization and to gather together the appropriate competences but above all to maintain and to develop the motivation of all the staff. To this end, it is advisable to wonder about the suitable methods to create the involvement of everyone, the means to implement them given the firm and wage earners or again on their effectiveness.

Currently, the work allows to middle managers to fulfill themselves through a professional activity whom the social dimensions gain ground : it is anymore only the occasion of an exchange between material rewards and individual efforts. Since few years, we see to appear new compensation forms because even if the remuneration always seems to be one of the deciding factor in motivation, it is possible that it can't be a motivation source in some case : for example when the payment is insufficient.

Extraits

[...] Since few years, we see to appear new compensation forms because even if the remuneration always seems to be one of the deciding factor in motivation, it is possible that it can't be a motivation source in some case: for example when the payment is insufficient. Indeed, we note a salary individualization (in order to reward the most competitive managers) to the detriment of collective salaries increase. The work motivation[2] can be defined as an inner strength, driving the individual to act in the direction of organizational goals as he feels them: it is an effort optimization toward a precise aim. [...]

[...] It is a way to make understand implicitly that objectives have to be reached otherwise the worker could be replaced. Fourthly, this continuous quest for good results in order to collect more profits can entail to a smaller quality of carried out tasks. For instance, it can happen that an employee in order to reach his objectives makes a superficial work of different assignments and don't carry out them. He also can try to enhance his work rate as quicker as possible. [...]

[...] Concerning the compensation of individual performance, there are the benefits in kind, the variables wage and the premiums. The benefits in kind[10][11] could take the form of a company car, food, cell phone, portable computer and even housing. They are an undeniable motivation factor: to offer them help to develop loyalty and to seduce talents (last Blackberry or IPhone– accommodation to attract a candidate from another region). Moreover, they can be a sign of statutory recognition for example in the case of a car company. [...]

[...] The relatedness need is the external and social esteem (participation with associates and boss). The growth need is the internal esteem and individual actualization (desire to be creator, productive and to carry out significant tasks). Contrary to Maslow, the ERG categories are simultaneous needs. However, Alderfer admits that importance of these three classes can differ for every people: the managers have to acknowledge their multiplicity. If we concentrate exclusively on one of these necessities at a time, it will not motivate effectively. [...]

[...] The fourth element is the esteem need: the only fact to be interested in persons contributes to increase their motivation (“Recognized people and they will be motivated”). It comes from the motivation theory of Elton Mayo[6] : it is the social need of relationship and integration in a primary group. A new motivation factor emerges: the dynamic of group work. Within an united team, the individual motivation is supported and developed by a common spirit which aims an attractive purpose. [...]