Motivation
& Employee Productivity
Rudy Nydegger, Ph.D.
School of Management
Graduate College of Union University
Motivating
Employees Today
Not necessarily
in your organization, but what are some of the issues involved with
motivating workers today?
What Do
We Mean By “Motivation?”
Examples?
Basically, we usually
mean that we want people to work harder without our having to beat on
them to get it done—and like it!
Basic Motivation
Concepts
It is not a trait
It is the result
of the interaction of the individual with the situation
Motivation involves:
Arousal
Direction
Persistence
Some Theories
of Motivation
Maslow’s
Need Hierarchy
One of the most
widely used theories
Basic hierarchy
(see slide)
Although no need
is every totally satisfied, a thoroughly fulfilled need no longer motivates
As each type of
need is fulfilled you move to the next level, and you can’t skip levels
Lower level needs
are deficiency needs
Higher level needs
are growth needs
Maslow’s
Need Hierarchy
Physiological
Security
& Safety
Social
Esteem
Self-Actualization
Locke’s
Goal Setting Theory
Background
Goal setting is
motivating if the goals are:
Specific
Challenging but
attainable
People do better
working toward goals when they receive feedback
Expanded theory
(slide)
Expanded
Goal Setting Theory
Goal Difficulty
Goal Specificity
Goal Acceptance
Goal-Directed
Effort
Goal Commitment
Organizational
Support
Performance
Individual
Traits & Abilities
Intrinsic
Rewards
Extrinsic
Rewards
Satisfaction
Goal Setting
(cont.)
Goal setting as
an end in and of itself is irrelevant to performance
Other factors to
consider:
Self-efficacy
Task characteristics
Doesn’t work
as well with all tasks
Works best when
tasks are simple, well-learned, and independent
National culture—well
adapted to North American cultures
Equity Theory
The basic concept
is fairness
When people perceive
inequity they tend to be motivated to reduce it
Equity Theory
(cont.)
Equity Exists When:
OutcomesA=
OutcomesB
InputsA
InputsB
When:
Outcomes
= [Rewards – Costs]
Inputs
= What the person brings to the situation
When these conditions are not
met then a condition of inequity exists
The Formation
of Equity Perceptions
Evaluation
of Self
Evaluation
of Other
Comparison
of Self with Other
Feelings
of Equity or Inequity
Responses
to Equity & Inequity
Comparison
of Self with Other
Equity
Inequity
Motivation
to Maintain Current Situation
Motivation
to Reduce Inequity
Change
Inputs
Change
Outcomes
Alter
Perceptions of Self
Alter
Perceptions of Other
Change
Comparisons
Leave
Situation
Equity Theory
(cont.)
The most important
things to remember about this theory:
Fairness is a
concept that is very important in some cultures (esp. North American)
It is the perception
rather that the actuality of fairness that affects people
Expectancy
Theory
One of the most
widely accepted theories, and empirically supported
Victor Vroom started
working with this in the 60’s, and it has been refined over the years
Key Concepts:
Force: motivation
Expectancy: effortperformance
expectancy
Instrumentality:
performanceoutcome
expectancy
Valence: quality
of outcomes
Expectancy
Theory (cont.)
Force
Effort
Performance
Outcome
Expectancy
Instrumentality
What These
Theories Tell Us
Maslow—people
are motivated by different things, and many of them are not just basic
needs
Goal Setting—goals
can be motivational if done correctly
Equity Theory—fairness,
or the perception of it, is important
Expectancy Theory—a
way to tie goals to performance, effort, and motivation
Applying
the Theories of Motivation
Management
by Objectives
Based on top-down
collaborative goal setting throughout the organization
Needs to be measured
with frequent feedback
Should be tied to
a performance appraisal system
Must be consistently
applied throughout the organization
MBO (cont.)
Four ingredients
of MBO programs
Goal specificity
Participative decision
making
Explicit time period
Performance feedback
MBO (cont.)
Results of MBO programs
Usually last about
4-5 years
Generally accepted
by workers
Used in many settings
Must have top management
support and involvement
May favor simple,
easily measured goals
Requires a lot of
paper work and time
Needs to be tied
to the reward system
Employee
Recognition Programs
Recognition is a
powerful motivator
The best programs
use multiple sources and recognize both individual and group performance
Can take any form
from a “thank you” to formal awards
Suggestion programs
are very good
Is very cost effective
Special
Issues in Motivation
What are some of
the issues that make it difficult to motivate case managers and other
professionals and staff in COBRA agencies?