MHR301 Project Motivation - Cal Poly Pomonamhr301项目的动机——加州波莫纳.doc

employee motivationbybao chiemmaria lainezernesto mirandah. alan tangadrian tarangoprinciples of managementmhr 301 section 0613:00 14:50dr. sharifzidatable of contentsi. introductionpp. 3 - 4ii. review of literaturepp. 4 - 8iii. interviewspp. 9 - 12iv. surveyp. 13v. compiled survey resultspp. 14 - 17vi. conclusionp. 18vii. referencespp. 19 - 20i. introductionthe ability to motivate employees is a fundamental requirement of effective management in the workplace. just mention the word “motivation” and managers immediately think of motivational theories such as maslows theory on the hierarchy of needs and herzbergs two-factor theory. maslows famous pyramid of human needs, which ranges from physiological to self-actualization, is usually the first thing that comes to mind. in fact, “most executives offices in the 1970s and 1980s almost always contained a little model pyramid on the desk.” (1, 8) maslows theory on the hierarchy of needs and herzbergs two-factor theory provide managers with valuable insight into the motivation and needs of employees. however, these are just two of the many perspectives that are available to help managers gain a complete understanding of employee motivation.our textbook states that motivation “refers to the forces that energize, direct, and sustain a persons efforts.” but, it is important to understand that when we speak of motivation, we are referring to the forces that drive an individual to put forth their best endeavors in the workplace. we are talking about the factors that bring about high performance in employees. when we examine motivation we are referring to “what makes the difference between doing as little as you can get away with and doing everything that you possibly can.” (2, 3) managers use many different techniques to motivate their employees, but “motivating people is hard work. it takes thought, attention to detail, know-how, and, perhaps most of all, flexibility.” (3, 8) among the more traditional means of employee motivation are bonus incentives and/or pay increases. true, “money is a wonderful communicator, a great attention-getter, and an excellent recruiter.” (4, 10) but “numerous studies have indicated that money is not a primary motivator among employees or an especially effective one.” (5, 158) in fact, when it comes to motivating employees, growth opportunities and challenges, recognition, and other non-cash rewards are more effective motivators than money.ii. review of literatureaccording to herzbergs two-factor theory of motivation, money isnt even a motivator. (6, 6) todays workforce is becoming more and more skillful and technologically inclined. managers have to think of new ways to manage this knowledge workforce. with knowledge and skills come higher salary demands. these knowledge workers will no longer “work for beans.” according to maslows hierarchy of needs, people have physical, security, social, ego and self-actualization needs. people are motivated to fulfill lower-level needs before they move on to fulfill higher-level needs, such as ego (esteem) and self-actualization. (7, 111) knowing what people need can help us understand how to motivate todays knowledge workers. given the fact that these workers command high-paying jobs, we can infer that money alone doesnt provide enough of an incentive as a motivator for performance. this is, of course, an element of herzbergs theory of motivation. managers need to provide challenging jobs in order to better motivate todays knowledge workers. because the physical or material, and social needs that come with the jobs are already fulfilled, these knowledge workers tend to move on to higher-level of needs such as ego (esteem) and self-actualization. the survey we conducted suggests growth opportunities and challenges have a positive effect on a persons motivation in the work place. the majority of people we surveyed rank growth opportunities higher than pay when it comes to job motivation. most of the people in the survey answered that they would take a high-profile job with more responsibilities but without any pay increase when given the opportunity. this behavior suggests that people prefer recognition associated with the job. also, the behavior in choosing the job with more responsibilities suggests that people are not afraid of challenges associated with the job when they are presented in the right context. in this case, by taking on the challenges, people may expect a certain amount of recognition. managers should keep this in mind when assigning work to their employees.work itself is a motivator according to herzbergs two-factor theory. a worker derives a sense of self-worth in the process of performing the job and, upon completion of that job, a sense of accomplishment. studies have shown that satisfied workers are more productive. (8, 120) in dealing with todays knowledge workforce, managers need to design jobs that are both challenging and satisfying. in order to design the “right” job for the right person, the job designing process needs to involve employees because their needs have to be addressed. a significant number of jobs in the workplace are apparently not very challenging. in situations like these, managers can set goals and objectives so employees know what is expected of them. these goals and objectives need to be specifically stated in order to have most motivating effect. (9, 161) having a clear goal can make a previously routine job become more of a challenge. with this view, the worker becomes more motivated in order to achieve that goal. whether the job is by design or by goal setting, a highly motivated worker is likely to be one who has the necessary skills and supplies to accomplish the job.the survey weve conducted shows that a majority of the respondents consider the opportunity for growth to be more of a factor in job motivation than pay. todays knowledge workers also demand growth opportunities from their work place. these workers value new knowledge and new skills. companies that can provide these growth opportunities reap the benefits of having a motivated workforce with improved skills. these growth opportunities can involve on-the-job training or company-paid technical training. managers need to understand that challenging work and opportunities for growth really go hand in hand. workers who routinely perform challenging work inherit personal growth and thus become even more motivated and productive. designing challenging work and providing growth opportunities can be cost-effective ways to boost employee motivation.non-cash rewards also play an important role in any organization, as rewards for exceptional performance are vital for employee motivation. employees want and need recognition on the job, and an effective way of satisfying this need is through non-cash rewards. non-cash rewards appeal to employees on a personal level.because non-cash rewards have proven to be effective motivators, companies that “want rewards to be cost-effective but memorable are seeking the services of firms that specialize in employee recognition, such as o.c. tanner. increasingly, says, kent murdock, its chief executive, companies want to give rolex watches or crystal knick-knacks to reward special performance. spend $3,500 on a bonus for a valuable employee, and he is unlikely to weep for joy; spend the same on a fancy watch, and he just might.” (10, 57) these non-cash rewards can range from anything like tickets to a local sporting event or amusement park to extra time off. as thomas g. kelley has noted, “we must go beyond the paycheck and recognize our employees. this will demonstrate that we truly value their contribution and their individual impact on productivity and profitability.”according to workforce magazine “ non-cash rewards and incentives- ranging from a post-it note that says, good job to a set of golf clubs or a vacation package can be not only cost effective, but also valuable tools that can help raise morale, increase productivity, improve quality, and improve safety standards and customer service.” employees like to be applauded for doing a great job for the simple fact that it is a good feeling.according to the survey we conducted, 94% of those surveyed felt that non-cash rewards can be very effective in motivating employees. this seems to demonstrate that money is not everything when it comes to motivating a person on the job. non-cash awards play an important role in employee motivation and knowing their contributions count is vital to employee performance.as previously mentioned, recognition is another important factor that managers must identify in motivating their employees. according to an interview we conducted with dennis foster, coo of lor management services, some of the most effective methods he uses to motivate employees are “establishing high expectations, setting goals and objectives with and not for the people, coaching them (rather than scolding), and recognizing them for work well done.” employees want to feel like they are making a contribution to their organization with their efforts.recognition can come in many forms, most of them with little or no real cost to a company. a compliment such as “a simple thank you still goes a long way in motivating employees.” (11, 1) or it can be more formal such as an “employee of the month” award. “the value of recognition is the attention they receive” (12, 2).saul w. gellerman states in his book, motivation in the real world: the art of getting extra effort from everyone including yourself, “if you are dealing with individuals who, regardless of their demographics, want to take charge of their own life, at least to the extent that circumstances permit them to do that, you can motivate them. what that kind of person needs is plenty of opportunity for achievement and recognition.” (13, 194) employees, and people in general, want to feel like they are individuals and that they can distinguish themselves by doing an exceptional or outstanding job. this concept would relate to the level of “ego” in maslows theory on the hierarchy of needs, which deals with independence, achievement, freedom, status, recognition, and self-esteem. as one of the vice-presidents of ibm asserts, my best guess as to the unfulfilled needs that motivate a majority of americans, and to which most american motivation systems do not respond effectively, are these: first, most americans prefer to be dealt with separately as distinct individuals, rather than as one among many. while they may or may not succeed in distinguishing themselves, they consider it important that they have a chance to do so. to make a name for oneself, to leave a mark, to be singled out for some kind of favorable recognition; these are all deep-seated needs that are bred in abundance by the american culture. (14, 297)by acknowledging the excellence and well-performed activities of employees, managers can determine the type of recognition required. the level of appreciation from recognition rises if it is an honest and well-deserve recognition because “if employees believe youre a fair, honest and caring boss, most of them will remain loyal and respond in kind.” (15, 2)iii. interviewseffective employee motivationinterview #1definition of motivation: the forces that motivate employees to put forth their best efforts in the workplace. the factors that improve job performance and push employees to go above and beyond the call of duty.1) please indicate your name and your current position within the companydennis foster, coo, lor management2) can you tell me a little bit about your experience in the field of management7 years of project management in engineering and operations, 7 years as a manager/director in management consulting (deloitte), 3 years as president of a company ($15m/year revenue).3) what are some factors that have motivated you to achieve your current position?challenge, growth, creativity and financial independence.4) what, if any, are some factors that have had a de-motivating effect on you in the workplace?politics, bureaucracy and administrative duties.5) there are many methods that can be used to motivate an employee, what method or methods do you find to be the most effective?establishing high expectations; setting goals and objectives “with” not for people; coaching them (rather than scolding); and recognizing for work well done.6) what, if any, additional methods have you used to motivate your employees?only things that didnt work.7) do you agree with the following statement? “in the absence of challenging, measured work goals, high performance has little or nothing to do with level of pay.” why or why not?true, the issue with pay is simply one of being able to attract and retain the talent needed to get the job done. jack welch is highly self-motivated, but it will cost you a fortune to hire him!8) how about this statement? “motivating people is hard work. it takes thought, attention to detail, know-how, and, perhaps most of all, flexibility.” clearly true. that is why it is illusive. it takes a little understanding of the human condition and experience that can only come with time (and failures). and the motivating factors do vary by individual and type of task (e.g., you motivate your sales team slightly different than your engineering team).9) why or why not?see above.10) we recently did a survey of employees and found the following results. what do you make of them? (see employee survey data attachment)nice job. why the focus on volunteer work? also, i am sure you understand that “good” compensation is “necessary, but not sufficient” for high performance. and “good” compensation is defined by the market place. market-based compensation is necessary to attract and retain high performers at any level (otherwise they will leave and go somewhere else if you attempt to “short” them here). but money is short-lived in terms of a motivator since expectations become “reset” with each raise or bonus. hope this makes sense. keep up the good work.effective employee motivationinterview #2definition of motivation: the forces that motivate employees to put forth their best efforts in the workplace. the factors that improve job performance and push employees to go above and beyond the call of duty.1) please indicate your name and your current position within the company2) phil jablonski - cto3) can you tell me a little bit about your experience in the field of management4) most recently, i have managed two type of teams. one is a team of technical programmers and the other is a team of accountants and accounting associates.5) what are some factors that have motivated you to achieve your current position?6) mainly, the challenge of building a company from scratch and being a part of something as it grows.7) what, if any, are some factors that have had a de-motivating effect on you in the workplace? when there are a list of impossible tasks and no time to get them done, i will get de-motivated.8) there are many methods that can be used to motivate an employee, what method or methods do you find to be the most effective? i mainly try and work with the person to determine what it is that they want out of a job. i talk to them to determine what their own personal goals are and then work that person to help them achieve them.9) what, if any, additional methods have you used to motivate your employees? everyone wants to be recognized for his or her contribution. i go out of my way to give someone else credit for what has been accomplished. in this way the individual sees that upper management is noticing their actions. it is usually their goal to earn more money, so a lot of praise to upper management makes it easier to give that person a raise when the time comes.10) do you agree with the following statement? “in the absence of challenging, measured work goals, high performance has little or nothing to do with level of pay.” why or why not? people always want to make more money. to do that the person must be an outstanding employee for the company. they want it known that they are working hard and are making a difference in the company. 11) how about this statement? “motivating people is hard work. it takes thought, attention to detail, know-how, and, perhaps most of all, flexibility.” it has been said the person who is the most flexible in a system, will control the system. motivating people is hard if you are not used to doing it. once you learn how people as well as a specific individual work, it is easier to motivate them.12) why or why not?13) we recently did a survey of employees and found the following results. what do you make of them? (see employee survey data attachment) looks right to me.interview #3brian regan, ceo of lor management services, llc was interviewed with a micro-cassette recorder. a copy of the interview is available upon request.iv. employee survey questionsdefinition of motivation. forces that energize, direct, and sustain a persons effort.1. what motivates you to put forth you best effort in the workplace? (rank 1 4)_ recognition_ opportunity for growth_ pay_ challenging work2. do you think non-cash rewards (i.e. gifts from the company, extra vacation time, tickets to an amusement