Motivation in the workplace (Essay Sample)

Motivation in the workplace
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Abstract
It is important for employers to have employees motivated in an organization. It would help both the employee and the company get the most of the employees, while an organization is also able to retain the best employees. Most companies look for the best employees, and these employees are always in high demand. Good employees would always want to change companies if they are not well motivated in their place of work. It should be noted that employee motivation does not necessarily entail using a lot of money, but having the ability to think creatively and being flexible. Business managers and leaders in most cases may find it difficult to motivate their workers. This is mainly contributed by the fact that one drives one employee in work place is totally different from one drives another person. It is therefore, important to understand what drives every employee in your company. Some employees could be motivated by the belief that their jobs are secure and reassuring, and that their job is not overwhelming or too hard. It is also important for employers to accept the limitations of their employees hence should not push them too much towards advancement. “Assuming that their work is satisfactory, however, continues to assure them of their security by maintaining consistency in their tasks, so they remain capable of sufficiently doing their jobs” (Mosley, 2007).
Outline
Abstract
CHAPTER ONE
introduction
1.2 Significance of the research
1.3 Research Questions
1.4 Aims and Objectives
CHAPTER TWO
literature review
Job satisfaction
Downward communication
UPWARD PROBLEM-SOLVING
Task-Based Participation and Teamwork
Financial involvement
Expansion of Employee Involvement
Employee engagement
CHAPTER THREE:
Methodology
Research strategy
Qualitative and quantitative
Testing and exploration
Data collecting considerations
Potential limitations of the research
Research project plan
questionnaire design
Data analysis
Primary data analysis
Questionnaire completion
Ethical parameters adopted for the study
Telephone Interviews
Secondary data analysis
Practical difficulties and resolutions
CHAPTER FOUR
Findings and analysis
CHAPTER FIVE
Recommendations
CHAPTER SIX
6.1 Conclusions
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 Introduction
The world economy has been experiencing increasingly more competitive markets for the past three decades. It is therefore, essential that both the employers and employees maintain cordial working relationships by pulling to the same direction so as to realize maximum benefits. Recognition of a third party that is impartial helps to improve relationships between employers and their workers. Most governments in various countries have set up labor relations organization that helps in brokering and offering advices whenever disagreements occur. These organizations offer on the good practices in developing efficient places of work that are effective in producing high quality goods and services. Conciliation is has become a common ground between employees and employers in helping the either side in acknowledging the other's point for easy settlement of disputes. The good thing about arbitrators is that they listen to both sides and come up with a solution that both parties will adopt (Ackers, P. 2002p.3)
1.1 Significance of the research
The competition for the best employees in organizations has been on the rise in the recent past. As a result, every company is trying to do its best to attract and maintain the best employees. This research will attempt to look into the causes of employee dissatisfaction, and ways in which companies can improve employee satisfaction through motivations.
1.2 Research Questions
In view of this, this research will address the following research questions:
What are the programs and strategies can a company put in place to address employee service-related problems and complaints.
What are the benefits of motivating employees to a company
What implication does improving amenities and brand standards have on the performances of employees? In what ways can the physical and administrative improvements help in improving the performance of employees?
1.3 Aims and Objectives
The main aim of this research is to determine how the overall improvement on brands, including employees and amenities, could contribute to motivation among employees.
In specific, the research aims at accomplishing the following objectives:
To examine the benefits of the already existing brand standards and amenities, and to identify ways of improving them.
To explore the driving forces behind employee satisfaction
To establish the impacts of organizational improvement to employee satisfaction
To identify the need of improving brand standards through employee and amenities improvements.
CHAPTER TWO
2.0 Literature Review
In the last decade, much of the attention has mainly been given to values embodied in joint consultation and collective bargaining. This approach entirely rested on a public policy commitment to trade unions, pluralistic industrial relations, and beliefs in democratic values and due process of collective bargaining. Collective bargaining was seen as a way of not only providing industrial democracy but also a means in which industrial conflict could be institutionalised, and consequently ‘withered away’ (Ross and Hartman 1958 p. 5). The growth of ‘organisation-based employment systems’ together with the development of HRM and particularly employee involvement represents a major departure from this more collectivist movement. Employee involvement is important mainly because of the assumed connection between ‘high involvement’ and ‘high performance’ work systems.
2.1 Job satisfaction
In the recent past, the concept employee engagement has gone past job satisfaction and ‘gone an extra mile’ with a psychological contract. It is evident that engaged workers perform better, do not always take sick leaves and are less likely to leave work. This type of workers appears to be satisfied with their work and general emotions towards their work. In regard of their psychological contract; workers are made to deliver on their commitments. This reinforces employees’ sense of fairness as well as engendering trust in the organizations hence, leads to a positive psychological contract. Furthermore, the sense of positive psychological contract can be reinforced by a sense of justice and fairness in the working environment, how managers treat their employees and their opportunities to influence decisions. Indeed justice comes from a combination of effective employee voice and employment rights. This is enhanced through consultations and negotiations with trade unions. However, this underscores the idea that several concerns of traditional industrial relations still remain even though the means of addressing them have somehow changed. Employee Involvement has been defined as;
‘A concerted attempt by employers to find participative ways in which to manage their staff by investing in human capital’ (Kersley 2006 P.7). This is characterized by;
The employer’s initiatives that supports the goals of the management.
Has employee involvement that directly operates in relation to improvement in performance and competitive advantage
Employee Involvement that operates directly in respect to individual workers.
Employee Involvement that tends to operate at lower levels in the hierarchy of an organization hence, should be task based and focused.
It is therefore, notable that the Employee Involvement initiatives appears to contradict the forms of industrial democracy where initiatives more often are about political democracy and rights of employees being involved in making decisions at work. The major forms of Employee Involvement mainly found in organisations include;
2.2 Downward Communications
This approach is used to educate and inform employees so that they can easily accept management plans. This includes group and team briefings as well as other types of management communication such as employee reports, e-mails, house journals, videos and company newsletters. These forms have been in rapid growth for the past 20 years and are very popular forms of direct Employee Involvement in countries such as Britain. Moreover, the varieties of techniques used have equally increased more so in bigger places of work such as in the financial information and investment plans (Kersley 2006 p.4)
2.3 Upward problem-solving
This is meant to tap into employees’ opinion and knowledge at individual or group level. It is normally meant to;
Increase ideas in an organization
Encourage workers to co-operate at work
To legitimize change
This is connected to resource-based analysis of the organization, that individuals are the main source of competitive advantage. (Edwards, P. 2003P.7)
2.4 Task-Based Participation and Teamwork
Employees are encouraged to extend the type and range of tasks they perform at work. This includes;
Job enrichment
Team work
Vertical role integration
2.5 Financial Involvement
This encompasses schemes that re-designed to link individual’s rewards to the success of the enterprise. It normally covers ESOPs and profit-sharing schemes.
The profit-related pay operated in more than half of the private sector workplaces in the late 1990s and employed more than 25% employees. A number of factors have contributed to the success of employee involvement initiatives and these include;
Leadership skills – the success of any given organization is enhanced by t...