IMPACT OF EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION IN ORGANIZATIONAL SUCCESS

Introduction

Motivation as a meaningful construct is a central pillar at the workplace. Thus, motivating employees adequately is a challenge as it has what it takes to define employee satisfaction at the workplace (Forson.A.J, Dwamena.E.O, Opoku.R.A & Adjavon.S.E, 2021). The Self-determination Theory (SDT) provides evidence that suggests that motivation fuels performance (Deci EL, Olafsen AH, Ryan RM, 2017).

Image 1: Importance of Employee Motivation (QuestionPro.com).

Definition of Employee Motivation

Campbell and Pritchard (1976, p.78) defined motivation as determinants of the choice to initiate effort on the given task the choice to expend a certain amount of effort, and the choice to persist in expending effort over a period of time.”

“Motivation is a stimulant desire and willingness to work in one's locomotion; it affects the arousal, direction, and maintenance of behaviours relevant to the work setting” (Sari, Mulyani, & Sari, 2019, p. 5).

Intrinsic & Extrinsic Motivation

When discussing employee motivation, the most important two aspects of this term are the intrinsic and extrinsic factors that impact employee motivation.

Intrinsic motivation

Intrinsic motivation means that an individual is motivated from within. He/she has the desire to perform well at the workplace because the results are in accordance with his/her belief system.

An individual’s deep-rooted beliefs are usually the strongest motivational factor. Such individuals show common qualities like acceptance, curiosity, honor, and desire to achieve success.

Research has shown that praise increases intrinsic motivation, and so does positive employee feedback. So if you are a manager, supervisor, or in a leadership role, please be intentional with your feedback or praise. Make sure it is empowering and that your employees understand your expectations.

Extrinsic motivation

Alternatively, extrinsic motivation means an individual’s motivation is stimulated by external factors- rewards and recognition. Therefore, some people may never be motivated internally, and only external motivation would work with them to get the tasks done.

Moreover, research says extrinsic rewards can sometimes promote the willingness of a person to learn a new skill set. Additionally, rewards like bonuses, perks, awards, etc., can motivate people or provide tangible feedback.

Image 2: Types of Motivation (QuestionPro.com)

The Relationship Between Managers and Employees

According to Ritter Joseph and Anker Richard (2002), the relationship between managers and their employees greatly affects motivation. Managers are supposed to come up with strategies that will ensure that employees remain motivated all the time. One related strategy is formulating a plan where the employee can have live forums with their supervisors and managers on a regular basis. Through those forums, managers are also supposed to recognize the behavioral patterns of their employees. Every employee has their own distinct behavior that cannot be compared to another. By understanding and appreciating the behavioral patterns of their employees, managers will be able to know which incentives and techniques to use to motivate their employees.

Better communication between managers and their employees is also another factor that strengthens the relationship between them. Managers who rarely communicate with their employees suffer a blow when it comes to the overall outcomes of the organization. Ritter & Anker (2002) further point out that the closer the managers are to their employees, the more motivated the latter become. Regular communication between the two also makes managers understand the needs of each personal employee, thus knowing which technique to use to motivate them. This generalization is what leads to dismal performances in most organizations.

Employee motivation and job performance

It’s a proven fact from the studies that the motivated employees have higher engagement in work which result in higher performance. The aggregated job motivation indicator when regressed on job performance reveals a positive and significant effect (Forson.A.J, Dwamena.E.O, Opoku.R.A & Adjavon.S.E, 2021).

Image 3: Graphical Illustration of Motivation and Job Performance (Alsayyed.N & Sweis. R.J, 2019)

 

Conclusion

The concept of “Employee Motivation” is one of the most prominent domains of “Human Resource Management” and is a continuing strategic element in all companies. Employee Motivation plays a vital role in building enthusiasm inside employees which allows them to work more and accomplish goals. Companies that can motivate their employees well are capable of upholding a sound employee retention rate. Companies should realize that the most vital capital in any establishment is the employees themselves. It is not about the information nor the infrastructure; it is the employees who have the brain and knowledge to run businesses and make them profitable.

References

Forson.A.J, Dwamena.E.O, Opoku.R.A & Adjavon.S.E, 2021, Employee motivation and job performance: a study of basic school teachers in Ghana (Available at) https://fbj.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s43093-021-00077-6 (Accessed on May 2023)

Campbell and Pritchard, 1976, Motivation Theory in Industrial and Organizational Phychology (Available at) http://web.mit.edu/curhan/www/docs/Articles/15341_Readings/Motivation/Campbell_&_Pritchard_Motivation_Theory_in_Handbook_Org_Psych.pdf (Accessed on May 2023)

Mulyani S.R., Sari V.N., Sari M.W.2019, THE MODEL OF EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION AND COOPERATIVE EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE (Available at) https://yadda.icm.edu.pl/baztech/element/bwmeta1.element.baztech-aff983fb-7668-43fa-8739-e439103c14c7/c/pjms.2019.20.2.32_379--390.pdf (Accessed on May 2023)

Deci EL, Olafsen AH, Ryan RM (2017) Self-determination theory in work organizations (Available at) https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Edward-Deci/publication/312960448_Self-Determination_Theory_in_Work_Organizations_The_State_of_a_Science/links/58d98132aca272d801d50019/Self-Determination-Theory-in-Work-Organizations-The-State-of-a-Science.pdf (Accessed on May 2023)

Ritter, J. & Anker, R. (2002). Good Jobs, Bad Jobs: Workers’ Evaluations in Five Countries. International Labor Review, 141(4), 331 – 358 (Available at) https://www.researchgate.net/publication/227993743_Good_jobs_bad_jobs_Workers'_evaluations_in_five_countries (Accessed on May 2023)

QuestionPro, Employee Motivation: The Complete Guide, (Available at) https://www.questionpro.com/blog/employee-motivation/ (Accessed on May 2023)

Alsayyed.N & Sweis. R.J, 2019, The Effects of Training and Motivating Employees on Improving Performance of Construction Companies The Case of Jordan (Available at)  https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Figure-2-Graphical-Illustration-of-Motivation-and-Job-Performance_fig2_333089038 (Accessed on May 2023)