Managers and leaders have always found employee motivation as a central problem. Employees that are indifferent are likely to put less effort and spend less time at their job, exit the organization if offered the chance, avoid their workplaces and produce inferior quality work. Motivated employees, on the other hand, are likely to be creative, persistent, and productive and are likely to turn out high quality work in any task they undertake. A lot of research on employee motivation has already been done, but the group behavior of people to try to deduce why not all employees perform effectively has been neglected. This can be answered from different perspectives; the truth is that some motivational strategies don’t work well with some employees. Motivation is an individual thing such as ambitions, thought and goals. Managers are often more interested in motivational studies since they may give an insight into the different behavior of people at work, and, as a result, offer the management with strategies to increase worker output (Kreisman, 2002, p 18).

Problem statement

Additional analysis on motivation is essential; therefore, the agenda of this essay is to identify what is necessary for managers to motivate their employee performance to be optimal and achieve better results at all time. One of the outdated mechanisms of management, along with organizing, planning and controlling is motivation. Many managers do different things for example people ranking, contests, shifts, plants departments, teams and performance appraisals, sales quotas, production and commission pay. All these methods are applied in the faith that they influence performance. Some researchers believe it produces the exact opposite results. Instead of using extrinsic motivators to obtain higher levels of performance from the employees, management will be better served by analyzing the entire organization as one system. Management mandates for results. Without which the organization is doomed for failure. Motivation management is, therefore, a necessity for productivity (LaMalfa & Expert, 2007, p. 3).

Importance of the Project

This analysis is proposed to improve the performance of the employees at the workplace, to help companies establish a good image and to retain employees. If the employees in a company do not attain this motivation then the company could lose customers, large amounts of money or even go out of business. Alternatively if the employees in that company were well motivated and trained by their employers it could help keep customers, have great potential income and gain a lot of market share. Many leaders and managers in our society can be helped by this research to identify the strategies they have to implement so as to be able to motivate their workers and heighten their own production. This knowledge for a manager will therefore help them to identify the exact strategy needed for achieving these optimal results.

Motivational Methods

Currently, there are as many different ways of motivating employees as there are companies running in the international business level. Some strategies still are dominant across all organizations determined to better their employee motivation. The most effective motivational efforts will centralize on what the employees view as relevant. It can be that employee within the same working environ will have different reasons. Many organizations currently find that job rewards and flexibility have resulted in employee longevity increase with the organization, better morale and increased productivity.

Empowerment: giving employee more decision-making and responsibility increase their practicality of control over the jobs for which they are responsible held and better equips them to handle those responsibilities. As a consequence, feelings of frustration arise from being held accountable for something they don’t have resources to produce. In such cases, energy is redirected from self-preservation to improved performance (Aguinis et al., 2009 p 462).

Innovation and creativity: employees in many companies with creative ideas do not share them with the management due to fear, ridicule or rejection of their input. Toeing company line and company approval have become integral in most workplaces that both management and employees alike suffer. When an organizations power to create is transferred from the top management levels to line personnel, employees familiar with a product, job or service are best given their opportunity to implement their ideas to improve it. Employees are motivated by the power to create and profit the organization in having a workforce that is more flexible, using more wisely the employee’s experiences, and increasing the exchange of information, and ideas among departments and employees.

Learning: if employees are given the opportunity and tools to achieve more, most will take the challenge. Employees in companies can be motivated to achieve more by committing to continuous employee skills improvement. Licensing programs and accreditation for employees are an increasing effective and attractive means of attaining development in employee motivation and learning. These programs often change employee attitude towards the company and clients, while boosting self-confidence.

Quality of life: Analysis shows that the number of hours an American worker spends at work is increasing, and in those increased hours families have two adults simultaneously working. Many workers, under these circumstances, are left wondering how to cater for their needs that are not work related. This concern often occurs while at work and may lessen an employee’s morale and productivity. Companies that have implemented flexible employee contracts have attained motivated employees with heightened work output. Programs integrating condensed workweeks, flextime, or job sharing, for example, have been successful in returning the employee attention away from their private lives demands and back towards the work at hand (Gesme et al., 2010, p, 104).

Other incentives: prolonged research has shown that the best motivators of employees are non-monetary. In part, they fail as incentives because results often exceed expectations and because disparity between individuals in payrolls may divide rather than unite the workers. Proven nonmonetary positive motivators encourage recognition responsibility and team spirit, and advancement. Managers, who recognize and celebrate the small achievement of the workers, promote competitive environments, and treats employees with respect and fairness will discover that the staffs are more highly motivated. Long term, sincere individual gestures and praise are far more efficient and more economical than monetary incentives alone. Eventually, a program that combines money oriented systems and quells primary, self-actualizing needs may be the most effective employee motivator.

Conclusion

Growth needs form the basis for motivation. It is an important factor, and its advantages are evident over an extended period. The final reward in motivation is self-development. The only way an employee can be motivated is through giving them a daunting task that they can assume responsibility. Human motivation is so important and complex; successful management development for the future must incorporate practical and theoretical education about the types of motivation, effects on performance, sources and their vulnerability to various factors. The company’s best assets are the employees. If they are not as motivated, it will have dire consequences on overall productivity. The overall efficiency of the organization will drop due to the unmotivated employees. Therefore, investing on motivation of the employees needs to be an important aspect in all organizations.

Work cited

Aguinis, Herman, and Kurt Kraiger. “Benefits of training and development for individuals     and teams, organizations, and society.” Annual review of psychology 60 (2009): 451-   474.

Gesme, Dean H., Elaine L. Towle, and Marian Wiseman. “Essentials of staff development     and why you should care.” Journal of Oncology Practice 6.2 (2010): 104.

Kreisman, J. B. “Insight into employee motivation, commitment and retention.” Business     Training Experts: Leadership Journal (2002): 1-24.

LaMalfa, K., & Expert, L. (2007). The Top 11 Ways to Increase Your Employee Loyalty.     Business Week Technology Research.1-3

Further reading

Britton, Paul B., Samantha J. Chadwick, and Terry Walker. “Rewards of Work.” Ivey     Business Journal May 1999.

Frase-Blunt, Martha. “Driving Home Your Awards Program.” HRMagazine. February 2001.

Herzberg, Frederick. “One More Time: How Do You Motivate Employees?” Harvard     Business Review . January-February 1968.

Parker, Owen. “Pay and Employee Commitment.” Ivey Business Journal. January 2001.

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