Motivation and Employees Essay

Motivation

Motivation is how a person behaves in a goal directed manner. It is also the aspiration of achieving a goal combined with the efforts to work toward the goal. There are different ways to motivate employees in a workplace depending on the overall organizational goal. The three groups of employees in this organization are salespeople, production workers, and administrative staff. The main concept of motivation these groups would be the same despite the different functions they perform in an industry. The motivation theory that would be most effective to motivate these employee groups would be Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. This essay will discuss the reasons why Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs would be most effective for of motivation. The needs hierarchy model says “that individuals have a complex set of exceptionally strong needs, that can be arranged in a hierarchy” (Hellriegel & Slocum 161). It also indicates that an individual has five types of needs: physiological, security, affiliation, esteem, and self-actualization. Human needs must be satisfied in order to achieve motivation and challenge employers to provide a workplace environment that encourage and enables employees to reach their own self-actualization. Physiological needs are at the bottom of the model. These are the needs for desire of food, water, air, or shelter. These are the primary elements to live, therefore, motivates people to get a job. Leaders in this level know that employees are not focused on their job, but need any job to live. Individuals work on satisfying these needs before moving up the model to fulfill other needs. Zachry Industrial offers employees at the plant a lifetime membership of twenty dollars to encourage well being and exercise at the plant gym. This level of the hierarchy can motivate the three groups of employees. There are many ways companies offer employees perks for well being as a motivational tool to retain employees. The next level in Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs is security. Security is personal security, health and well being, personal security, and financial security. When economic crisis and lack of job opportunities arise, individuals get the sense they need job security in the workplace to have their financial and personal securities. This level can be a motivator for all employees that perform various tasks in the workforce. When the economic recession occurred, individual securities were threatened because of massive layoffs. Having health and life insurance also gives individuals a sense of security, therefore, motivates employees. A retirement fund can also give individuals security knowing they have financial security when they can no longer be an active participant in the workforce. Affiliation is the next level in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and states the need to feel like belonging. Individuals in this level value their work to finding and building interpersonal business relationships. In a company, a leader should establish a good work/life balance with the employees. When employees are valued with the company, they become connected with the company. A company should create a team environment to discuss techniques as a group and work as a team to make individuals feel like belonging. Some ways to increase affiliation are to build leadership understanding, communication, listen and learn about the organization, characterize and build on employee/workforce relationships, and individual fulfillment. When this is achieved, it makes employees of all types motivated. Esteem needs are feeling of achievement, recognition, and respect. Leaders motivate employees in this level by giving special recognition for job well done. Esteem is essential for building ones inner self and to build confidence to be motivated to achieve greatness. Zachry Industrial gave quarterly bonuses throughout the company to reward employees for working safe. Giving verbal and written praise encourages employees to want to

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