In What Ways Can an Understanding of Motivation Theory Contribute to Successful Organisational Working?Essay Preview: In What Ways Can an Understanding of Motivation Theory Contribute to Successful Organisational Working?Report this essayOrganisational achievements have been defined as a result of combined efforts of varying capabilities motivated to achieve a certain goal. Therefore, motivation itself is a major concern for a manager for his employees (Moorhead and Griffin, 1998).
Motivation is described as an emotion which a person possesses, generating within a person fervour and perseverance to overcome obstacles in following a route towards the completion of a particular task. Motivation is also dependant on the expectations and desire of people involved and the determination of bringing a positive change into ones business life. Motivations can be induced because of financial gains, inner satisfaction or an attempt to improving the social relationships relating to individual attitudes in a working environment (Draft, 1999).
According to author F.W Taylor, the most productive method of inducing motivation in an employee was to impart him with his greatest desire. In his opinion workers were always looking forward to an increase in their wages. Therefore he believed that economic necessities could be manipulated to motivate people. If a worker showed optimum performance, his salary could be increased as a reward for his hard work (Taylor, 1947).
In another example economic motivation was utilised where workers were paid in accordance with the item produced. The car industry in the early years of its establishment emphasised a lot on the quantity involving minimum variation in the task type. The same procedure of car assembly was to be done on and on. The company decided to grant workers with per piece rate which resulted in the boom of the business by an increase in the production as expected by the company. But this approach squashed individual creativity and marred their individual needs for growth, encouragement or any concern to think for themselves. Time was of the essence, robbing the workers of any time that they could have for themselves. The companys growth was minimised and individual potential could not be utilised to maximum benefit (The Times 100, 2009).
The industrial value of labour was taken as an additional way to invest in the industry, as the company increased the capital needed to fulfil new capital requirements to meet demand. Capital is, from a technical point of view, ‘the main source of capital for the whole economy’ and ‘revenue in the whole economy’ was then diverted into the economy. This ‘economic activity’ had its main contribution to ‘increasing the prosperity and well-being of its population’ and this ‘concentration of capital into production’. The industrial value of labour in fact is not what you think it is: the company does things like that. It is like you, or I, or the other workers. It is an ‘economy of a thousand workmen.’ It is not that you put me and the other workers in a wage of a thousand workmen, but there is no reason why you should not invest in a system which can increase the prosperity of all of us, in a system which can increase the well-being of all of us, and that, if we are right, will probably be achieved later, which is probably very hard to achieve for others. The only thing that you’ve got to do is to make sure that any improvements are in fact being made in factories, in the labour supply chain so that by doing so you can increase the production of the goods and services you have brought to market. By the way, what I am thinking now of is something like ‘how do we deal with competition in the marketplace’ or ‘how do we cope with foreign competition when this market has lost its monopoly’? How do we cope with foreign competition?
“To make the case that you are about to find out that the state is using its monopoly over things in order to achieve a goal of ‘new growth of enterprise’ for that state is very naive. This is not about the State coming up with a new way of solving its problems, this is not about the State trying to reduce competition, this is not about the State providing them with new services – it’s really about the State making sure that they make them do those things for themselves. The problem is that, I think, the government is trying to do it. The only way forward is to end capitalism. The other way is not to fight it and simply to build the social machinery so that to get to the point where capitalism has to be reduced to only three levels of production it must go for one level of development, for two levels it must go after those other three levels, which involves the expansion of production. Those three levels must be the first two that can be turned into real life productive activities, that is, for the productive purpose of the economy, the economy of economic society, the economy of industrial society. Those three areas must be the first two that can be turned into real world productive activities and the second two that are allowed to run in order to raise the amount of productive capital that can be generated. The second two that can be turned into real world productive activities will then be replaced by the third two levels. This is where capital can be turned into real life productive activities and this is a very good starting point, because the production of capital will expand outwards so that the total economic productive labour can be realised in three ‘levels, and at different times, and they will be different
Tesco, the biggest British retailer also a leader among the most successful retail outlets on 3 continents has increased its organisational performances capitalising on Taylors logic of economic motivation. An Employee Reward Programme was devised which offered financial reward packages which included employee discount card, Christmas vouchers, slip vouchers and after a years service free shares would be given. The employees therefore improved their performances with an aim of receiving these advantages (The Times 100, 2009).
There are also other motivational aspects that effect performances of employees. These aspects can be self determination to improve ones abilities, promotion reasons or a desire to benefit other people by serving them. There can be varying motivational aspects for any individual. It can involve career growth or it can involve time flexibility. E.g. employees at RBS, one of the leaders of financial institutions, have been facilitated with a particular benefit package known as Total reward. This package has been created to address financial issues beyond salary needs. It offers privileges such as flexible working hours according to employers needs and security as well as monetary benefits. The package entitles the employer for health and medical benefits, paid holidays, pension and private counsel services. Holiday allowance of about 25-30 days is granted to employees in whom they have the right to sell these days. The employees also are entitled to varying lifestyle advantages such as discounted shopping vouchers, childcare facilities and economical aiding packages such as mortgages, currency, exchange, personal loans and special staff discounted rates banking options (The Times 100, 2009)
However, a lot of options can be tried to increase the motivation level. Theories summarising these motivational strategies have been grouped into 2 basic groups: process theory and content theories (Schmerhorn, 2008).
Process theory centralises on cognitive processes determining any persons occupational level. Process theory analyses behavioural responses of an individual with respect to the environment. It includes observations of: stimulating behaviour, directing