Motivational Strategies Paper (Essay Sample)

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Motivational Strategies Paper
A company’s values, mission and vision best define its organization’s goals. These three components of the company’s strategy not only help in setting its objectives, but also provide an appropriate working environment for its employees. An appropriate working environment, on the other hand, could refer to a place where employees are pleased to work for the organization. (Ahlstrom & Bruton 2010). This paper shall address the influence of the organization values, mission and vision on the company’s motivation strategies.
The mission of virgin Atlantic is to establish a setting where people love to work and fly. The core values of Virgin Atlantic emphasize on offering the customer with quality services for their money while creating a working environment full of fun (Virgin, 2012).
Virgin Atlantic’s motivation strategy is based on Abraham Maslow and Patrick Herzberg’s theories on employee motivation. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs stipulates that employees have immediate needs that require being satisfied and can be used as metrics for evaluating employee motivation (Maslow, 1970). In virgin Atlantic, motivation strategies for junior level employees are based upon financial incentives. Medium level managers, on the other hand, are motivated based on personal and professional growth (Balmforth, 2009).
Herzberg’s places hygiene factors and motivation factor as the key determinants to employee motivation. According to Herzberg, hygiene factors may include the working conditions, remunerations and company policies (Herzberg, 1966). Motivation factors, on the other hand, may include achievement, responsibility and recognition. Though hygiene factors may not contribute directly to employee motivation, they may result to de-motivation and dissatisfaction among employees (Herzberg, 1966). Virgin Atlantic strongly adheres to Herzberg’s theories. This is because it ensures that junior employees are free to communicate to senior level management officials including the CEO. The leadership style adopted by Sir Richard Branson also aligns to Herzberg’s theories. Branson is also reported to communicate directly to junior level through chats and delegates most of his responsibility to middle level management. The organizational structure of Virgin Atlantic is also decentralized where the communication model between junior employees and management is shortened. All these efforts by virgin Atlantic are aimed at increasing the employees’ feeling of belonging towards the organization (Balmforth, 2009). As much as virgin Atlantic adheres to Maslow and Herzberg’s theories, it contrasts to Taylor’s theory. Taylor believes that an employee's pay is directly proportional to employee motivation. Virgin Atlantic contradicts its point of thought by establishing a highly motivated workforce with low pay. While many companies adopt Taylor’s theory of rewards and punishment towards their employees, Virgin Atlantic’s motivation style is contrary. This is because many companies fall victim of an attribution error, one that virgin Atlantic carefully avoids. The attribution error assumes that the needs of one individual correspond to the needs of another individual. At virgin Atlantic, the company reduces the incidence of an attribution error by motivating employees based on personal and professional relationships rather than on employee pay (Griffin, & Moorhead, 2011).
An incidence of motivation towards employees was evident when a middle level manager made an investment decision that cost the company millions in losses. On meeting with Sir Branson, expecting to be fired, Branson pulled an unexpected move; he fired at the employee with a water gun. He later advised the employee about taking risk and responsibility to his work and reinstated the manager to his job (Balmforth, 2009). The employee scenario shows how Branson does not feel that punishment can result in a positive impact to his organization. He believes that delegating certain responsibilities employees shows your trust in them, therefore, highly motivating them.
The motivation factors that can be adapted by a company can be classified as either intrinsic or extrinsic. Intrinsic motivation involves motivation of employees without the influence of pay, co- workers and promotion. Extrinsic motivation, on the other hand, involves the use of financial rewards, co-workers, promotion and potential career opportunities for the workforce (Kippenberger, 2002). In virgin Atlantic, the motivation factors considered by the company are intrinsic. The company bases these factors on their mission, which is to establish an environment where people love to work and fly. The emphasis of their mission is creating an appropriate work environment. This emphasis is based on Richard Branson beliefs for a successful company. He believes that the primary preference should be ensuring that the workforce is motivated prior to the company’s shareholders. According to his beliefs, a highly motivated workforce is energetic and innovative and can translate to improved workmanship for the company. This motivated workforce will result in increased revenue and hence profits for the company (Kippenberger, 2002). The values of the company also try to point out to the employees. These values identify virgin Atlantic as a place where customers are satisfied with the quality of service. In addition, they also provide a work environment full of fun. The company values are meant to create a notion of comfort in the employees’ minds. The company adopts an informal framework where not only the airline business but also other franchises in the ‘Virgin’ conglomerate lack a centralized headquarters. Richard Branson is reported to hold management meeting at his multiple homes internationally. (Grant, 2008) This leadership style adopted by Richard Branson makes the senior and middle level management employees feel that the company is more of a home than a work place.
Critics of virgin Atlantic believe that charismatic and transformational leadership is not a good enough for employee motivation. Based on the views of these critics one can argue that Branson should consider adopting Taylor’s motivation theories. Taylor believes that the main motivator for a workforce is economic gain. He believes that a worker’s pay should be quantified with based the quantity of work done. Therefore, one can argue that employees will strive to ...