Performance and Motivation
Performance and Motivation Free Essay
A motivational factor plays a huge role in an organization’s success and effectiveness. Without motivated employees, it is impossible to reach the desirable results. However, the motivational aspect is quite complex and requires a deeper analysis to be understood and applied properly. Many factors such as job resources, environment, leadership style, or job design can have a huge impact on workers’ motivation, performance, and satisfaction. Some individual aspects like personal development and financial rewards can be significant as well. All of the above-mentioned issues have a great influence on the final achievements of each separate worker and the organization in general. Hence, this paper is focused on employees’ motivation as a crucial factor in a company’s success, ensuring the highest level of workers’ productivity and devotion.
It is very important to understand the nature of motivation because it contributes to the best performance levels of employees, which is the main goal of organizational management. It has to be realized in terms of the final result and has to explain the reason for the desired behavior, and what can stop undesirable actions (Baack, 2012). If the organization has a motivational problem, the performance level will be as low as possible. To understand this issue, better, it is crucial to analyze the problem at the Erica Company, Hong Kong. Its workers are not motivated properly, and it causes many issues. The lack of motivation leads to poor employee performance. It is a general rule that unmotivated people perform worse than other workers. In the case of the Erica Organization, people do not feel excited to achieve the organization’s goal. As a result, the quality and productivity of the project are likely to remain very low. With insufficient motivation, workers report that they feel as if they have to work harder without benefits. Therefore, very often, the manager deals with unfinished tasks or low results, unmet aims, and deadlines (William, 2010). The reason for such troubles at Erica Jewelry Company is that people just cannot see the importance of their position. No encouragement can help employees to understand that they are appreciated. At the same time, the results of poorly performing workers are unfinished projects and failures that can seriously harm an organization’s reputation and lead to negative financial consequences (Dobre, 2013). Moreover, without motivation, employees simply do not have any energy and inspiration to work with customers. Erica has many difficulties with motivating people working in sales or other important departments because they cannot show the company’s strong sides. The lack of motivation leads to serious consequences in their work with clients (Deeb, n.d.). Workers do not offer proper explanations or show no interest in satisfying customers’ requests or even can be rude in case of client complaints. Hence, the organization receives a bad reputation in the customer service area. It is necessary to avoid negative consequences that can be so great that the company’s destruction can occur. Therefore, the leaders of Erica are not attentive enough to motivational factors and such a position is very unfavorable for the company.
The motivation study has developed two main theoretical parts that can be very useful for employees’ motivational programs. The first one is content theories, and the second is process theories. Content theories are focused on factors that direct, stop or sustain a person’s behavior. They were elaborated by Maslow, McClelland, Alderfer, and Herzberg. Maslow provided the motivation theory that is based on the hierarchy of needs approach, which consists of five stages, namely physiological, safety, social, esteem, and self-actualization (Baack, 2012). The first level includes the basic needs of the body, while safety needs are concentrated on protection and security, which means that the workplace has to be free from danger. Social needs imply the desire to make new friends at work and to build a social network. Esteem needs can be satisfied through recognition, respect, and prestige. All these stages can be considered by the organization through reviews, awards, and promotions. Self-actualization needs to concentrate on the feeling that someone’s work means a lot to other people. McClelland’s theory is based on achievements, power, and affiliation needs (Baack, 2012). The first is connected with risk levels. Such people like to receive feedback immediately, as well as valuable financial rewards and accomplishments. Power needs are focused on the desire to make other people behave as is expected from them. Such needs are often in close relation with managerial success. Affiliation needs are based on interpersonal relationships. It can be useful for the company because people with such needs can be very effective managers.
Therefore, the content theories presented above show that without satisfying a person’s needs the performance problem will not disappear. According to Maslow’s five-stage theory, the satisfaction of the basic needs will increase the motivational level, and this will lead to higher results in employees’ performance (William, 2010). The Erica Company can use this theory effectively because it provides an understanding of the basic needs of employees and the means to satisfy them. This approach enables to motivate them to show better performance results. In case of the McClelland’s theory of needs, the situation is the same. By understanding these specific aspects, Erica can easily increase her motivational level. In contrast to it, ignoring employees’ needs in achievements, power, and affiliation, motivation will not be provided, and the performance level will be extremely low.
Understanding and applying the content theories allow for changing employees’ performance by taking the right decisions and avoiding common mistakes. Therefore, it is crucial to satisfy employees’ needs to correct the performance problem at Erica. According to Maslow’s theory, physiological needs can be satisfied by providing physically comfortable working conditions, refreshments, rest breaks, and reasonable work hours. To deal with safety needs, the company has to provide benefits and compensation programs, safe work conditions, and job security. In the case of social needs, the organization has to develop a friendly environment, as well as respectful and pleasant relationships among employees and managers. To satisfy esteem needs, it is crucial to provide a job promotion, autonomy, flexibility, recognition, and praise from the top management. Possibly, public praise at the morning meeting can be effective. To deal with self-actualization needs, it is important to provide employees with participation in decision-making and with challenging or creative work. It is crucial to stimulate cooperation attempts and individual efforts. Moreover, a benefit system that will include life, dental, and medical insurance, vacation pay, and sick leave is of great importance. According to McClelland’s theory, understanding the three main person’s needs will help to motivate such people. For example, employees with achievement needs seek personal responsibility for finding some solutions, waiting for fast feedback, and dealing with challenging goals. People with power needs prefer to be in charge, deal with competitive situations, influencing other people, and gain prestige. Employees with affiliation needs are interested in social approval, friendship networks, and cooperative work. It is crucial to understand such specific aspects because it will help to motivate people to do their work at a high level. Therefore, all these attempts will help managers to be attentive to employees and to appreciate them. People will be highly motivated, and it will lead the Erica Company to gain higher profits.
Overall, it is very important to be an attentive manager who will notice all factors that influence performance results. One of the brightest examples is Edward Jones, who has managed to build a strong company environment that is based on friendly relationships and cooperation (Baack, 2012). From the beginning, Jones provided his employees with proper training through the online system. Such workers were quickly supported, and all their questions were immediately answered. Moreover, mentoring programs that had to assist them in opening their full career potential were provided. The company’s compensation system included hourly wages under the position and performance level or geographic location. Moreover, in the company, the bonus system was based on the firm’s branch, profitability, and individual productivity (Baack, 2012). This model can also be applied to the current situation of Erica.
In conclusion, motivational aspects are very important. They have a huge impact on the performance level and the company’s success. Many motivational theories can be used by managers to improve their motivational levels. By understanding and using them, employees’ performance results will be higher.