A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. He does not set out to be a leader but becomes one by the equality of his actions and the integrity of his intent. - Douglas MacArthur
Many different things and factors can motivate a person in the workplace, but various factors can also boost conflict and inflict stress in the workplace. One key factor is stress management; how the person manages stress will make or break a working relationship.
Three main vital theories suggest how people react and push people to have the initiative, motivation, or drive to do their job well and better while also relieving stress in the workplace.
Before we tackle the different theories of motivating employees in the workplace, let us find out why it is essential to emphasize and create a motivation process.
Any organizations flourish with employees. It is an essential part of any organization. Without them, there is no one to do the selling. Managers have long been known to think of creative ways to keep employees motivated and diligent. Make sure they come to work regularly, are energetic, and continuously supply work that positively contributes to the company. When so, the business can save up and cut costs while making more profit, which is the goal of any business or organization built.
Unmotivated employees are, what you can say, a bit of a challenge to handle.
Though they are qualified for their work, they are less likely to work on it. They are not willing to do well in their jobs, or sometimes organizations will even need to hire other people to do different jobs, which sadly results in high operating costs and reduction in profit, which are not in favor of the company's employees.
According to an article entitled "Need-based Perspectives on Motivation" by Moorhead and Griffin, job performance depends on three main factors:
Motivation, Ability, and Environment. For an employee to reach a higher level of performance, they must "want to do the job" (reason), "be able to do the job" (ability), and "must have the materials, resources, and equipment to do the job" (environment).
“Performance = Motivation + Ability + Environment”
As said above, within those three factors, motivation is simply the most complex and most challenging aspect to manage and apply. This is since a person's attitude, and behavior is too complicated. It is filled with complexities and fallacies, thus making it hard to categorize and manage.
While the other two factors – Ability and Environment – are things that the employee understands that they have been recruited for and has the awareness that they have the skills and ability needed to perform the tasks, as well as the fact that resources are readily available and if a manager sees that an employee lacks certain aspects of the job, they can supply training programs to learn that particular skill to be more efficient for the company.
If, however, an employee is not suitable for the job or lacks hereof the knowledge and ability for the job, there are other jobs that they can do, but if added resources are not available (the environment factor), the manager can act to ensure that they become available.
For example, if an employee needs a photocopier, they can formulate a request to the management team and ask for one. For this reason, the most challenging job for every employer is how to motivate their employees to strive their best to work for the organization.
But if other resources are unavailable (the environmental factor), the manager can ensure they become available. For example, if an employee needs a photocopier, they can formulate a request to the management team and ask for one. For this reason, the most challenging job for every employer is how to motivate their employees to strive their best to work for the organization.
Intrinsic Motivation Theory is used by "management teams" to motivate people with intrinsic rewards; under this theory, employees desire to do an excellent job because they are proud of what they are doing and want to be a part of something good. For example, a Disney Imaginer feels satisfied when creating a new ride. The feeling of being a part of something so spectacular motivates them to do an excellent job.
The Theory of Scientific Management has a unique view of how workers are motivated. It suggests that workers are motivated and inspired by what they produce and productivity, while Intrinsic Theory suggests that they are encouraged to do a tremendously satisfying job. It says that workers aim to have many products in a specific period. Simply put, workers are paid more if they are more productive. This theory is often used for businesses since they need high productivity and mass production. However, overuse of this theory also concludes that employees will soon feel they are machines rather than co-workers, resulting in dissatisfaction, which is why the Intrinsic approach promotes a happier workplace than the Scientific Management Theory.
Like the Intrinsic Theory, the Motivation-Hygiene Theory suggests motivation through pride, but rather than being result-oriented, this theory states about employees’ satisfaction through proper hygiene and appearance. Though this theory is still not entirely proven to motivate employees, how they look and manage their hygiene helps increase self-esteem, allowing for better performance. The best motivator is an employee'semployees' pride in a job well done.
Employees that are too stressed-out result to lower quality and productivity. Stress can also result in illness which can either be physical, like fatigue or mental, like anxiety and tension. However, a certain amount of pressure is needed to keep employees motivated. If things run too smoothly, employees can become inattentive and bored doing their work.