Introduction
Motivation describes the wants or needs that direct behaviour toward a goal. It is an urge to behave or act in a way that will satisfy certain conditions, such as wishes, desires, or goals. Older theories of motivation stated that rational thought and reason were the guiding factors in human motivation; however, psychologists now believe that motivation may be rooted in basic impulses to optimize well-being, minimize physical pain, and maximize pleasure
Motivation is a general and common word in the business world but it is quite difficult to explain it in a scientific way. The idea or concept of motivation is quite different from other concepts like as instincts, drives and reaction of policy but at some extent it is also related with theses all concepts. People must be motivated to achieve certain goal or ambitions in life whether it may personal or business but it is always related with drives means eager to get something by anyway. In addition, motivation must be co-related with the ambitions. People are only motivated after setting up certain goals. Except natural behaviour, motivation should only be on the base of emotional feelings.
Good leadership demands good people-motivation skills and the use of inspirational techniques. Motivational methods are wide-ranging, from inspirational quotes and poems, to team building games and activities, as ice-breakers, warm-ups and exercises for conferences, workshops, meetings and events, which in themselves can often be helpful for staff motivation too. Motivation is an essential part of life coaching processes and techniques too. Motivated people perform better – see McGregor’s XY Theory for example. People playing games or competing in teams learn about each other, they communicate better and see each other in a new light. Mutual respect grows. People often enjoy events which include new non-work activities, especially when bosses and superiors take part in the same teams as their junior staff, which also helps cohesiveness and ‘can-do’ culture.
Powerful positive imagery stimulates visualization in the conscious and sub-conscious brain, which encourages self-motivation, developmental behaviour, confidence and belief. Playing games enables people to experience winning and achieving in a way that their normal work might not. People become motivated to achieve and do better when they have experienced the feelings of success and achievement, regardless of context. This is why fire-walking and outward-bound activities have such powerful motivational effect
Definaitions
The following three definitions cover all aspects of the meaning of the term ‘Motivation’.
‘Motivation is driving force which stimulates an individual to initiate and sustain a behaviour’.
‘Motivation is a biological social or psychological state that drives a person towards a specific action
‘Motivation is desire that fuels an individual to perform or continue an action based on needs and wants of the individual’.
Examples Of Motivation In The Workplace
Here is a simple list of what motivates people in the workplace:
· Acknowledgment and appreciation
· Trust from management
· The ability to do work they love
· Incentives such as bonuses or vacation days
· A positive and healthy work environment
· Transparency and honesty
· Flexible hours
· Being inclusive
· Allowing employees to voice their opinion
· The ability to learn, grow, and move up in their career
Create an atmosphere and culture where people want to work
When employees have favourable perceptions of their work situation, their organisation, and the support they receive from their managers and supervisors, they are motivated to work more diligently and identify with the mission of the organisation. High levels of employee engagement contribute to employee retention – employees are much less likely to quit because they are engaged with the organisation as a whole and are invested in the overall success of the company.
Most employees are proud of their organisations and have a personal connection with the company that extends beyond daily tasks. Creating a positive atmosphere and organisational culture where employees want to work motivates many individuals to stay and not seek employment elsewhere.
A good corporate culture enables employees to combine their strengths with the attitudes and values of the organisation. The leadership skills of the managers are critical in providing an atmosphere where employees will be motivated to perform and remain loyal to the organisation.
The Role of Motivation in Organizational Behaviour
Though we have discussed motivation extensively earlier, the role of the HR department and the role of the organizational culture in motivating employees have not been discussed at length. As organizational theory states, employees need to be motivated to actualize their potential and there are several ways of enabling them and empowering them to do so. These include the role of reward systems in motivating employees according to their needs for extrinsic or external motivation and by providing them opportunities that appeal to their intrinsic or internal motivation needs. The other factors that motivate employees are the kind of job that they are asked to perform, the added benefits like extended vacations and perquisites like company provided accommodation and funding for kids schooling as well as provision of medical insurance coverage for the employees and their families. In recent years, there has been lot of emphasis on motivating employees by organizing offsite events and fun and recreation events where the employees let their hair down and indulge in the much-needed stress relieving activities. Further, many employees are motivated because of the presence of famous business leaders in the top management of the company as is the case with Apple, Microsoft, Infosys, and the TATA Group.
Some Factors that can Motivate Employees
The organizational structure is another aspect that can motivate employees. For instance, it has been found that flat organizations as opposed to hierarchical organizations motivate employees more. Next, the organizational culture plays an important role in motivating employees. The examples of Google, Facebook, and start-up companies where the organizational culture is open and collegiate are relevant in this regard. Third, the HR managers have an important role to play in motivating employees by interacting with them, finding their grievances, and proposing solutions to behavioural problems. There are many multinationals like Fidelity where the HR managers hold one on one sessions with the employees to foster an open and inclusive culture where employees do not hold anything back and where they are encouraged to be as forthright as possible. Fourth, organizations that promote diversity as an organizational imperative are known to motivate women employees who feel less threatened and less insecure than in organizations where bias and prejudice are rampant. Fifth, many organizations have the habit of saying one thing and doing something else altogether which means that they are hypocritical in their approach. Such organizations cannot motivate the employees particularly at the lower levels since the fresh recruits and those with less experience often look to the senior managers and the leadership for integrity and consistency.
Salary and Benefits are not the only Motivators
Having covered the various aspects of how the organizations can motivate the employees, it needs to be mentioned that mere reliance on salary and benefits cannot motivate employees completely. With the advent of the software and services sector, the attraction of being sent onsite has become an important motivator for the employees who when given the chance to go onsite ramp up on their performance noticeably. Apart from this, the fact that the brand image of the organization makes a lot of difference to the motivation levels of the employees is another factor. For instance, many graduates have their own preferences for dream companies or companies that they would like to work in after graduation. This important motivator attracts the best talent to those companies that are often viewed as the benchmark for industry peers. Of course, if the image does not meet up to reality or if the hype is without substance, many employees lose motivation to work in such companies.
Concluding Thoughts
Finally, as discussed above, there is no set formula on what organizations can do or cannot do to motivate the employees. The best approach would be to let employees find their own niche within the organization and let them actualize their potential instead of forcing them to do work that is not to their liking. Apart from this, many industry veterans are also of the view that employees have to find their company that suits them and hence, clinging on to jobs that do not motivate them is counterproductive.
CONCLUSION
· Motivation is the key to success in each of our lives
· Employees can give their best if they are motivated
· Employee’s satisfaction can lead the company to the success
· Money is a good motivator, actually all employees’ work for money, employees need the money, and a good salary and good compensation are key factors in satisfying the employee.
· A good work environment and good work conditions can increase employee job satisfaction and the employees will try to give their best which can increase the employee work performance.
· If companies create a fair competitive environment like fair treatment, fair compensations, fair work hours, these will improve employee job attitudes; fairness can also motivate employees to be hard working.
References
Stephen P.Robbins
https://www.ukessays.com
https://motivationping.com
https://www.managementstudyguide.com
