Role of Employee Motivation in an Organization

 

Role of Employee Motivation in an Organization

Introduction

When it comes down to it, the success of any aspect of a business can almost always be traced back to motivated employees. This is especially true and significant in today's turbulent and often chaotic environment, where commercial success is dependent on employees using their full range of abilities. A successful business must be able to attract, retain, and develop talented employees.

People are an organization's most valuable asset, especially in low-tech labor-intensive industries like construction, but they are also the most difficult resource for organizations to manage. They are individuals who bring their own perspectives, values, and characteristics to organizational life and, when managed properly, can provide significant benefits to organizations (Mullins, 1999). However, when poorly managed, they have the potential to severely limit organizational growth and jeopardize a company's viability.

Unsatisfied employees produce unsatisfactory results; thus, top management must take care of their employees to ensure that they are satisfied in their jobs; when they are satisfied, they strive for the company's goals and aim (Latham, 1994; Egan, 1998). The ability of managers to provide a motivating environment for their employees is critical to the success of any organization. The challenge for managers today is to keep their employees motivated and performing well at work. The manager must understand each employee's behavior and what motivates each one individually. Managers can use rewards to motivate employees if they understand their needs.

Most businesses want to benefit from positive employee behavior in the workplace by promoting a win-win situation for both the company and the workers.

What exactly is employee motivation?

Motivation - the level of enthusiasm, energy, commitment, and creativity that an employee brings to their role daily - is at the heart of employee performance.

The word "motivation" derives from the Latin word "movere," which means "to move." Motivation is inextricably linked to behavior, and to achieve desired goals and outcomes, this behavior must be effectively connected and guided. Motivation is a critical driver of workplace success, and understanding how to encourage and maintain it is critical to achieving crowning performance.

Motivation is a state of mind that is filled with energy and enthusiasm, and it drives a person to work in a certain way to achieve desired results. Motivation is a driving force that motivates people to work hard and stay focused even when things are not going their way. Motivation produces a particular type of human behavior. Motivation, in a nutshell, is the driving force behind human behavior.

Several psychologists have studied human behavior and formalized their findings in various motivational theories. These motivational psychological theories provide insights into how people behave and what motivates them.

Motivation theory investigates how a person's motivation influences their behavior, whether for personal or professional reasons. It is critical in all situations.

What are the 5 Theories of Motivation?

Motivation is a huge field of study. Psychologists have proposed many different theories of motivation. Some of the most famous motivational theories include the following:

1.      Maslow’s Theory of Hierarchical Needs

Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a theory of motivation that states that five categories of human needs dictate an individual's behavior. Those needs are physiological, safety needs, love and belonging needs, esteem needs, and self-actualization needs.

 

2.  Hertzberg’s two-factor Theory

The Herzburg two-factor theory, also known as Herzburg's Hygiene Theory, suggests that job satisfaction and dissatisfaction are not opposites. The research underpinni19ng this theory identifies characteristics of jobs that are related to job satisfaction - while a different set of job factors lead to dissatisfaction

 

3. McClelland’s Theory of Needs

McClelland's Human Motivation Theory states that every person has one of three main driving motivators: the need for achievement, affiliation, or power. These motivators are not inherent; we develop them through our culture and life experiences. Achievers like to solve problems and achieve goals 

 

4. Vroom’s Theory of Expectancy

According to Vroom's Expectancy Theory, the employee must believe the task is achievable, for them to put the effort into it. If the task is possible, the employee will be keen to perform well in anticipation of the bonus (Expectancy)

5. McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y

Theory X explains the importance of heightened supervision, external rewards, and penalties, while Theory Y highlights the motivating role of job satisfaction and encourages workers to approach tasks without direct supervision.

6. Alderfer’s ERG Theory

Alderfer's ERG theory suggests that there are three groups of core needs: existence (E), relatedness (R), and growth (G)—hence the acronym ERG. These groups align with Maslow's levels of physiological needs, social needs, and self-actualization needs, respectively.

The relation between theory & practice is very important as without theoretical knowledge it is impossible to set the skills into practice and make the right decisions. Theory gives deep understanding and allows the manager to view the problems from different perspectives which leads to decision-making & practice

Impacts of Recognition on Employee Motivation

Employee motivation is clearly one of the key factors for organizational success, as discussed above. Better pay, incentives, and working conditions are all important factors in motivating employees.

However, studies have shown that employee recognition can significantly boost motivation. Organizations that consistently recognize employees' accomplishments and efforts achieve high productivity as a result of increased motivation.

Employees gain a sense of accomplishment when they are recognized. It makes them feel appreciated and increases their confidence and willingness to take on new challenges. Thus, a good recognition program can boost employee engagement and loyalty while also increasing employee retention.

 

Benefits of Employee Motivation

1. Motivated employees increase profits.

To stay afloat, every organization must generate a sustainable profit margin. Profit is determined by the quantity and quality of a company's work.

Organizations can implement a variety of initiatives to keep their employees motivated. Organizations that have motivated employees can increase the quality and quantity of work they produce. As a result, the profit margin can be raised accordingly.

Profit growth enables organization leaders to provide better salaries, incentives, rewards, and benefits to employees, making their lives easier. As a result, employees remain loyal and engaged with the organization while it develops.

2. Employee motivation helps to reduce employee turnover.

Businesses incur reasonable financial losses as a result of employee turnover. Each organization devotes significant time and resources to training employees to develop skills and maintain well-being. As a result, when employees leave, the organization loses all of its time and resources. This is why motivation is essential in the workplace.

Organizations that keep their employees motivated can significantly reduce turnover. Organizations can bring out the best in their employees and keep them engaged with their culture by using the right motivation approach. Employees tend to change jobs less frequently as a result. Hence, organizations can effectively reduce turnover costs as well as the cost of training new employees. It enables organizations to maintain consistent output while expanding seamlessly.                       

3. Employee motivation improves work-life balance. 

Most employees nowadays are more concerned with maintaining a good work-life balance. This trend has been observed in millennial workers, who now constitute a large proportion of the workforce.

Organizations that keep their employees motivated can provide a good work-life balance for their employees. This allows employees to separate their personal lives from their work lives and treat each with the importance it deserves.

Employees will be able to deal with personal issues in their own time and provide the best input in their work as a result of this opportunity. As a result, workplace productivity rises and an excellent office culture emerges.

4. Employee motivation is directly related to product quality.

Employee motivation drives work quality and improves organizational performance. Production can continue uninterrupted when organizations keep their employees motivated. As a result, organizations achieve great harmony in the entire workflow, positively influencing productivity.

Error margins are reduced when the workflow is in harmony. As a result, the product quality has significantly improved. Furthermore, motivated employees outperform unmotivated employees in terms of job performance.

Employee attitudes and skills improve significantly with improved motivation. Hence, they become more involved in the manufacturing process and deliver high-quality products.

5. Motivated employees prioritize customer satisfaction.

Customer satisfaction is essential for any business. It assists the organization in developing loyal audiences and transforming the company into a well-known brand.

When an organization has a sufficient number of motivated employees, it will give it all to improve product quality. They also make every effort to solve any problems that arise with the products or services that their organization trades.

Employees who have direct contact with customers can have a significant impact on customer satisfaction. Employees who are properly motivated will use their best efforts to ensure that the customer is satisfied with the product or service. When customers are pleased with a product or service, the organization receives recognition and its reputation grows.

 

Conclusion

Motivation is the state of mind that drives all humans to perform to their full potential while remaining cheerful and optimistic. The various motivation theories discussed above help us understand what factors drive motivation. It is a leader's responsibility to ensure that every member of the team and organization is motivated and inspired to do their best. This is neither quick nor easy, but the benefits of happy employees far outweigh the time and effort spent motivating them in the long run!

 References

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