Employee Motivation

Thèmes abordés

Motivation - Drives - Manager

Résumé du document

Motivation can be defined as internal and external factors that stimulate desire and energy in people to be continually interested in and committed to a job, and to exert persistent effort in attaining a goal.
As a matter of fact, it appears that no one can actually truly motivate others. People can do their best to ensure all the conditions are fulfilled to enable others to motivate themselves, but no one can actively be the self-starter of others' motivating process. Such a process therefore seems to be exclusively personal, depending on both intrinsic value system and extrinsic data such as environment.
This report analyses four motivation drives and the role of the direct manager in employees' motivation process.

Extraits

[...] When fulfilled, those four drives would stimulate employees' motivation at work. As a result, it appears to be essential for an organization as a whole, and for each and every manager, to be aware of those four drives and to ensure they are as fulfilled as possible. Moreover, it is essential to be aware of the fact that fulfilling only one, two or three drives is not sufficient to ensure a high level of motivation: it is only when all fulfilled that the motivation process can start completely. [...]

[...] Actually, it seems employees' perceptions about their immediate manager matter just as much. It is the manager's objective to fulfill the four drives, within the framework set by the organization's policy. On a very practical point of view, managers could for instance link rewards and performance in areas such as praise, recognition and choice assignments. They can also allocate a bonus pool in ways that distinguish between top and bottom performers. One of the core elements is also to encourage team work and to make jobs more meaningful and interesting. [...]

[...] What is motivation? Motivation can be defined as internal and external factors that stimulate desire and energy in people to be continually interested in and committed to a job, and to exert persistent effort in attaining a goal. Motivation is the energizer of behavior and mother of all action. It results from the interactions among conscious and unconscious factors such as the intensity of desire or need, incentive or reward value of the goal, and expectations of the individual and of his or her significant others. [...]

[...] Will to make events comprehensible and to suggest reasonable actions and responses. Will to protect against external threats and to promote justice. POSITIVE SIDE When fulfilled NEGATIVE SIDE When not fulfilled Drive to acquire Delight when fulfilled. Discontentment when thwarted. Drive to bond Associated with strong positive emotions like love and caring. Enormous boost in motivation when employees feel proud of belonging to the organization. Invigoration related to the challenge of working out answers. Associated with negative emotions like loneliness and anomie. [...]

[...] Loss of morale when the situation betrays the individual. Drive to comprehend Frustration when things seem senseless. Drive to defend Feeling of security and confidence. Strong negative emotions like fear and resentment Organizational repercussions on motivation For each of those drives, the organization has to develop ways to ensure employees meet their own personal expectations and manage to motivate themselves. Several tools exist to reach such an objective: Elsa Pairaud Applied Psychology and HR Researches - Assignment Page 2 / 3 DRIVE Acquire PRIMARY LEVER Reward system - ACTIONS Sharply differentiate good performers from average and poor performers Tie reward clearly to performance Pay as well as your competitors Foster mutual reliance and friendship among coworkers Value collaboration and teamwork Encourage sharing of best practices Design jobs that have distinct and important roles in the organization Design jobs that are meaningful and foster a sense of contribution to the organization Increase the transparency of all processes Emphasize their fairness Build trust by being just and transparent in granting rewards, assignments, and other forms of recognition. [...]