The Productivity Of The Employees: Reflection On Motivational Theories (Essay Sample)

Reflection on motivational theories Name Institution affiliation Date Reflection on motivational theories The productivity of the employees is mainly dependent on the level of motivation towards their work. Highly motivated employees tend to work harder thus increasing the productivity of the work. Different people have diverse motivating factors in their work. Various theories have been proposed to describe the various motivating factors for the employees. I believe that organization leaders have to determine the factors that would effectively motivate their employees before applying them. The theories include the two-factor theory proposed by Hertzberg. Hertzberg proposed the two-factor theory, which holds that two major factors influence the employees’ level of motivation as well as satisfaction. The factors are the motivator factors which make employees satisfied with their work and the hygiene factors which when absent lead to dissatisfaction (Hayes, 2018). Another theory is the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs which holds that some needs need to be met before others to ensure satisfaction. Hawthorne effect and the expectancy theories are some other approaches that can determine the motivation of the employees in the workplace. I find the two-factor theory proposed by Hertzberg and the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theories to be more effective for my motivation in the workplace. I have experienced some situations where I feel that the two-factor theory was effective in my motivation. I once worked in a company where I felt I was neither motivated nor satisfied with my work, the working conditions and the polices were “substandard.” I did not enjoy working in the company; there were no clear policies or channels to be used in the company. I would raise the issue to my supervisor hoping that he will make the appropriate adjustment, but he would ignore the issue. I remember when I woke up in the morning; I did not have the morale to go to work. However, a new supervisor was introduced who addressed the issue appropriately. He improved on the policies of the company as well as the working conditions. After the changes I felt that I was motivated to work, I enjoyed my work. In some occasions, I would even offer myself to do extra shifts just because I felt the desire to help my team achieve its objectives. In this case, I realized that the two-factor theory was used in my motivation. The hygiene factor, in this case, the poor working conditions lead to dissatisfaction of the work, but when the factors were removed( the conditions improved), I felt motivated towards my job (Miner, 2015). In another situation, I felt that the idea that was used to motivate me did not work accordingly since I did not feel motivated. In an organization I worked, I used to think that I had the best skills and experience to deliver the best in any project I was awarded. One way to prove this was to win the employee of the month award. Therefore when I was given a project to handle, I felt that it was time for me to do my best and claim the reward. I employed my techniques and skills to ensure that the project was delivered with the desired quality and satisfaction. After completing my project, my supervisor called me to his office and congratulated me for delivering “one of the best projects” he claimed. He offered me a pay rise as the organization's appreciation for my work; he claimed that he has been observing my work and was satisfied with it. The recognition bolstered my hopes that I was going to win the employee of the month award. However, when it was time to announce the employee of the month, I was eagerly waiting, but my name was not mentioned. I felt dissatisfied with my work, for the next few weeks I did not work as hard as I used to. Looking back at the situation now I realized that the company employed the expec...