This was the situation when Rostel added its vitamin production line to the factory floor. The manufacturers of the vitamin plant had made claims as to the output of the plant upon which Rostel set its output targets. The employees could not hope to achieve these targets and resigned themselves to not even trying. This demotivation led to the output falling to fifty per cent of the target figures. The management realised the problem and in consultation with the employees set more realistic target figures which has resulted in output of around eighty per cent of the plant s designed capabilities.
Participation in decision making is a strategy that allows employees to have a say in things that makes them feel more involved in the company. This provides motivation for employees as it fulfils the two levels of social acceptance and esteem in Maslow s hierarchy of need theory. By being part of the decision making process an employee will have a greater sense of involvement and in being part of the company, which fulfils the social needs of the individual. Being able to make decisions increases an employee s perceived respect and status, which supplies the need for esteem. While this delegation of decision making process is beneficial to motivation and employee commitment it does have a few drawbacks. Controlling and monitoring the decisions employees make can be difficult especially considering that, due to their limited view of the company and its plans, employees can make the wrong decisions. Also with many employees making many decisions a manager will have to keep close control to ensure that the department is working together towards a common goal in keeping with the company s plans.
One of the problems with the Sales Department was that they were not properly motivated. Once they had fulfilled their basic physiological and security needs there was little or no motivation to increase sales. According to Maslow s theory the next step to motivate the Sales Department was to provide social acceptance and the need for appreciation. Rostel implemented a strategy that involved the Sales Department more in the Company s plans and decision making. The Sales Department was empowered to make many of their own decisions concerning the way in which they operated. The result was a more motivated sales-team that felt they were not only working for themselves but also for Rostel.
Relating reward and performance in a strategy is very important. The link between performance and reward must be clear and appropriate to an employee to motivate them to higher performance. This can be seen in Porter and Lawler s modification of Vrooms expectancy theory. To produce the desired performance the effective effort that employees put into their jobs are determined by two factors:
The rewards must be pertinent and valued by the employee in respect to satisfying their needs for security, social esteem, autonomy, and self-actualisation.
The rewards and the effort expended to gain the rewards are, according to the employee s expectations, fair. The reward and effort are commensurate.
This strategy is very good at increasing an employee s motivation and performance. However, unless the reward is something that the employee actually values, it can have little motivational use and performance will not be increased. It is also worth pointing out that mere effort is not enough and that to increase performance it must be effective effort.
Characteristics and considerations in motivational strategies
When considering the various theories and the strategies based on them it is important to take into account the following characteristics:
Employee perceptions this is the means by which people interpret the sensory information they receive and assign meaning too. A company must ensure that their employees perceptions of the company s mission, goals and plans, and the employees job role within the plans are in line with what the company has stated.
Employee expectations it is important for a company to know what employees expect for their efforts and the degree to which they are motivated by the fulfilment of these expectations.
Values and needs a company must know an employees values; the basic convictions and beliefs; and the needs that drive an employee. Understanding both these factors and the various theories involved are vital to properly motivate an employee.
Need for flexibility any motivational strategy must be flexible in that it can be modified to suit the individual and be able to adapt in accordance with the change in an employees needs.
Technology a company must be aware of the use of improved technology and the effect it has on motivations. New technology, in the drive for efficiency and cost cutting, can redefine jobs. This can have both a positive and negative influence on motivation. For example the increased use of computer applications such as spreadsheets and databases has revolutionised record keeping, making it easier and more convenient. Trained employees are more motivated in their jobs using such user-friendly applications. The negative side would be the example of an employee who just presses a button on a production line. Previously there were several tasks to perform and though the employee may have an easier time now, but becomes demotivated due to boredom and lack of interest.
Production systems a good production system can help to motivate employees by eliminating blocks to achieving their goals. A good system for the supply and conveyance of resources and raw materials, for instance, will prevent frustration and help to motivate the employees.
Organisational culture a company can have a culture which encourages the motivation of employees by giving them a sense of identity and unity of purpose, generating commitment and providing clear guidelines on what is expected of them.
Scott B Sutherland
HNC Student
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