The Importance of Staff Motivation

In many companies, there are various reasons why workers should be motivated. Primarily, staff motivation makes the management to meet the company’s set target. When a company does not stimulate its staff, they usually trade in dangerous waters regarding customer relation (Osterloh & Frey, 2014 p.110). Motivated employees, in this case, allow the firms to achieve their goals by increasing the productivity performance. However, when staff are not motivated, they usually waste the company’s time on phones while searching for greener pastures. In this essay, we will highlight and elaborate why staff motivation is crucial to the success of the company while giving an example of a company that uses the leadership and motivation skills.

One company that pampers and takes care of its employees is Google. Being a one-of-a-kind firm, it motivates the staff to extract products and outstanding ideas from them (Frensen & Kocher, 2011 p.588). When compared to other companies, Google gives its employees extrinsic benefits like tuition reimbursements, dental benefits, insurance, vacation packages, and, 401K plans (Frensen & Kocher, 2011 p.592). However, besides the attractive benefits and perks that Google is distinctively known for, the company goes to extreme lengths to make the workers extensively happy. Some of the benefits and perks that Google offers include reimbursements of employee’s legal expenses up to $5000, 18 weeks maternity leave with 100 percent pay, oil change, on-site car wash, gym facilities, and massage therapy who are present at the center (Frensen & Kocher, 2011 p.591). The company also offers free lunch and dinner with an assortment of healthy and delicious meals specially prepared by gourmet chefs.

Motivational theories used by managers to encourage employees

One of the methods that could be used to motivate employees is the Hertzberg’s two-factor theory. Developed in the 1950’s by Fredrick Herzberg, the method is known to hygienically stimulate workers in a company (Kluge, 2013 p.38). When staff are trained about hygiene factors, they tend to be driven because most of the time they feel supported and appreciated. To prevent dissatisfaction, the employees are given plenty of feedback just to ensure that they are in the same picture concerning hygiene. This will also make them pay attention thus forming supportive relationships with the entire company leaders.

The second theory used for staff motivation is the Maslow’s Hierarchy of employee’s desires which was first described by Abraham Maslow, in 1943. The theory states that the needs of the employee must be first dealt with before they are motivated. Usually, this approach has five levels to make it successful (Warren, 2011 p.44). The manager, in this case, must consider the psychological needs of a person, the safety which includes financial and personal security as well as the well-being and health of an individual. They should also consider their friendship and love life between their families, whether they feel confident enough with other people and the self-actualization of a person. The theory is applied by the manager when he makes sure that the employees are supported both at work and their outside lives. This means that workers should be given time to take care of their families.

The third theory is the Hawthorne effect which was first described in 1950 by Henry A. Landsberger. The name Hawthorne was described after Landsberger discovered a series of social experiments that affected the physical condition of employees at the Western Electric’s factory (Jones, 2012 p.121). The theory applies well when employees know that they are observed while working. The manager should, therefore, show them that they are working hard and that they are doing well.

The fourth theory is the expectancy theory which proposes that, employees choose how they will conduct their behaviors based on the outcomes they will get at work.  For instance, some of them have the expectations of a pay rise since they work extra hours. The expectancy theory is based on the elements of expectations where workers believe that their efforts will be recognized (Settles, 2010 p.218). They also think they will be rewarded when they meet their expectations and valence since most employees place their value on the reward more than performance. In this case, managers should motivate the employees first and make them believe that if they work hard enough, they will receive their rewards.

The last theory is the three-dimensional of attribution that attaches the behaviors of both the employees and management. According to Bernard Weiner, the developer of the opinion, he assumed that employees always believe what the managers do. In this approach, the manager should give the employees specific feedback that encourages them how they can improve their performance when they work hard (Kluge, 2013 p.41). As a result, the workers will feel encouraged because they are praised through correct methodology even if the expected results were not met.

Attributes of an effective leader

Few leaders have the success of putting people together even without talking, listening and empathizing with them. Leaders are very influential in organizational cultures. In fact when they don’t watch what comes out of their mouth there can be a tremendous impact on the company. A good leader, therefore, needs to observe what they say, because they may be held accountable for their actions. The team under them may also lose their faith with the words spoken by the manager (Storey, 2016 p.45).

One of the primary characters portrayed by an effective leader is by having a pleasant attitude. He must have an understanding with the employees by having a conversation on a personal level. These people listen to their employee concerns, emphasize with them and collaborates every team member to be together. In workplaces, employees enjoy working with a leader who understands them by not making cold decisions in case there was a challenge (Storey, 2016 p.48).

Another attribute of a good leader is that they need to have visions of what they need to accomplish. Great leaders have minds that have visions which are never distracted by significant problems. With this, these leaders unit their workforce by creating a roadmap of ideas on how to tackle a specific situation. As a result, there is no disorganization and less confusion because the leader has a visionary mind.

Effective leaders usually have the motivational factors. They inspire employees, bring them together to make them perform and accomplish the company’s goals.  A good leader will know that he cannot do everything alone but along with his workforce. He also understands how the employees work by rewarding them with raises, promotions and other rewards. Good leaders usually want to see the employees secede in their career.

The influence of leaders in a company’s culture (Storey, 2016 p.55).

One of the ways where a leader may influence the culture created in an organization is when they have model behaviors. Every employee looks unto the leader with how they communicate and display their expectations. In normal circumstance, the manager cannot change the habits of the employees if he does not change his character. Another way is when leaders establish what people should believe in (Storey, 2016 p.58). Successful leaders usually give clear conscious to employees by providing them with clear motivational words threat emotionally connects them to the manager’s journey. For instance, the manager may choose to make every worker provide exceptional customer service. In this way, every member understands what they are told and support the purpose of the leader.

When a leader sets expectation to assist in building the required skills in a company, then he allows the employees to gain and grow their confidence to meet the expectations set by the vision the organization set. To do this, the manager must provide the workers with resources, opportunities, and tools by offering training, coaching, and reinforcement which actualizes the company’s vision, value and mission through regular communication (Storey, 2016 p.62). The leader should also set expectations in personal objectives annually to ensure that every team member understands that they are part of the company’s culture and their hard work contributes to the success of the business.

A leader may also plant the culture of accountability to influence the culture of the organization. When employees are held accountable, they understand that they are entirely responsible for everything they do. Therefore when responsibility is not embraced, and the leader tries to influence the team members, then workers are like deaf people (Storey, 2016 p.74). The team members, in this case, need to understand how the business is run by internal systems and processes to make the culture a reason for them to follow. These measures are later clarified every year based on the agreed criteria when defined. When building the culture of accountability, the leader needs to be very transparent.

Positive influences are derived in a company when the leader makes it personal for the team. When the manager established the precise purpose of making people responsible, he then influences their performance and culture only when he makes it personal. With this model, the desired culture may challenge the employees and make them resistant unless the manager connects with them rationally and emotionally (Storey, 2016 p.80). In other words, when workers are understood, they are usually motivated because they are given new opportunities to create workable environments as well as developing new skills that work for both the company and them as individuals.

Conclusion

Leadership, as elaborated in the essay, is when a person takes charge of the company’s mission and vision and embraces it to the employees, he makes them attain the same value. A great leader, in this case, is the one that motivates the employees. When employees are encouraged, their performance increases, they become bold with the customers, and they also fulfill the company’s mission. Through the use of the motivational theories, the leader can have an understanding of the employees by having a conversation on a personal level. The team members, in this case, understand how the business is run and ensure that they are in the same direction as the company’s culture.

References

Fransen, J., & Kocher, M. (2011). Google forms for staff self-assessment: Creating customization. College & Research Libraries News, 72(10), 587-591. doi:10.5860/crln.72.10.8653

Jones, S. (2012). Hawthorne effect. Place of publication not identified: Equ Press. pp 112-132

Kluge, L. (2013). Implicit theories and motivational focus: Desired future versus present reality. Motivation and Emotion, 38(1), 36-46. doi: 10.1007/s11031-013-9359-0

Osterloh, M., & Frey, B. S. (2014). Does pay for performance motivate employees? Business performance measurement, 107-122. doi:10.1017/cbo9780511753695.008

Settles, D. V. (2010). Expectancy theory: the impact of motivation on rater behavior within the context of a workplace multiple task simulation. New York: Elsevier Pub. Co. pp 214-233

Storey, L. G. (2016). Principalship: attributes of an effective leader. St. Catharines, Ont.: Brock University, Faculty of Education. pp 41-86

Warren, E. T. (2011). The implications of A.H. Maslow’s “Hierarchy of needs” theory for adult education. Totowa, NJ: Springer Science & Business Media. pp 34-55