1.4.4 Motivation in theory and practice

Question 1

What is motivation and what can it lead to?

Answer 1

• How inclined and enthusiastic employees are about carrying out certain tasks.
• Greater productivity = less wastage = higher profitability.

Question 2

3 things that employees may do if they feel demotivated:

Answer 2

• Higher absenteeism.
• Lack commitment/loyalty to the business.
• Low productivity.

Question 3

If many employees, on a wider scale, feel demotivated, what may this lead to?

Answer 3

• Industrial disputes.
• High labour turnover.

Question 4

What was Taylor’s motivation theory?

Answer 4

• Scientific management
• “fair days pay for fair days work”
• believed that if employees weren’t supervised they would do the bare minimum.
• carried out time and motion studies to find the most efficient ways to do things by breaking down each job into smaller, repetitive tasks (division of labour) and the most efficient workers to carry out the jobs.
• employees that did more should get paid more.

Question 5

Conclusions of Taylor’s motivation theory:

Answer 5

• higher motivation = needs higher wages. higher wages = higher output
• managers should tell employees what to do.
• workers should just do as they are told and get paid based on this.

Question 6

Main drawback of Taylor’s motivation theory:

Answer 6

• Repetitive tasks can be highly demotivating.

Question 7

What is Mayo’s motivation theory?

Answer 7

• human relations theory.
• workers at hawthorne factory.
• one group of workers worked in typical conditions while the others had their conditions changed.
• changes such as lengths and times of breaks, brightness etc.
• those that faced changes were more productive.
• people worked better in teams rather than solo.
• needed attention from management to motivate them better, those with changed conditions had more focus on them from management.

Question 8

Conclusions that we can draw from Mayo’s motivation theory:

Answer 8

• managers should boost communication and value their employees more.
• meet social needs = higher motivation

Question 9

What did Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory say?

Answer 9

• pyramid of needs.
• once one level had been met they could move up to the next.
• each need will have some importance to all workers.

Question 10

What were the levels in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs?

Answer 10

Bottom - top
1. Basic (food, water, clothes)
2. Safety (safe work environment and job security)
3. Social (friends, teamwork)
4. Self-esteem (achievement)
5. Self-actualisation (meeting potential)

Question 11

Drawbacks of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs:

Answer 11

• isn’t always obvious which level the individual is at.
• different workers may put their needs in different orders.
• life experiences outside of work may impact on which level the individual is on.

Question 12

What’s Herzberg’s motivation theory?

Answer 12

• two factors that impact on the motivation of workers.
• hygiene : good supervision, working conditions, pay. Don’t motivate but if they aren’t good, workers may get dissatisfied.
• motivation : interesting work, personal achievement, scope for responsibility, etc. Do positively motivate workers.
• recognises that motivation comes from individuals’ needs.

Question 13

What is the main criticism of Herzberg’s motivation theory?

Answer 13

• based on a small sample.
• doesn’t consider that different people will have different hygiene and motivational factors.

Question 14

Five financial methods of motivating employees:

Answer 14

Piecework
Commission
Bonus
Performance-related pay
Profit share

Question 15

What is piecework?
One adv plus two dis

Answer 15

• workers paid per unit produced.
  + may motivate to work harder/faster in order to make more units.
• quality may suffer as employees may rush
• slow workers may be working at below minimum wage

Question 16

What is commission?
One adv plus one dis

Answer 16

• money paid for completing a task (making a sale, etc) on top of their salary or on its own.
  + skilled employees, sales ppl etc, can make very good money and this may motivate them.
• not a stable salary for the employees especially during times of a recession etc.

Question 17

What could a bonus be based on?

Answer 17

• targets allocated by the business, which motivates the employees to work harder in order to meet these and get the bonus.

Question 18

What is profit sharing?
One adv plus one dis

Answer 18

• when employees are paid a dividend of the profit made by the company.
  + motivates employees to meet the business’ main goals.
• not guaranteed if the business doesn’t make much of a profit that year.

Question 19

What is performance related pay?
One adv plus one dis

Answer 19

• workers are paid either based on their performance or the business’ performance.
• goals will be set at the start of the month, year, etc and then a further appraisal will determine how much of a bonus the employee will be given.
  + workers are motivated to reach their own challenges.
• demoralisation of staff if only certain employees are getting pay increases even if the business as a whole is doing well.

Question 20

8 non financial incentives for motivation:

Answer 20

delegation
consultation
empowerment
team working
flexible working
job enrichment
job enlargement
job rotation

Question 21

What is delegation?
One adv one dis

Answer 21

• allocating certain tasks to different employees.
  + empowers managers and gives them self confidence
• managers may delegate unfair tasks to the wrong employees

Question 22

What is consultation?
One adv one dis

Answer 22

• giving employees a chance to be a part of the decision making process
  + shows that they are valued
• employees may not have experience in making decisions from a management perspective

Question 23

What is empowerment?
One adv one dis

Answer 23

• allowing employees the authority to delegate tasks to others.
  + staff’s abilities are recognised and they are giving control = less frustration with the business and higher productivity
• some ppl may view it as more of cost cutting and a way of delayering, more to do for employees but less pay.

Question 24

What is team working?
adv plus dis

Answer 24

• grouping staff together to work in teams.
  + pooled talents, shared responsibilities, more likely to take risks.
• tension, not everyone gets along,

Question 25

What is flexible working?
adv plus dis

Answer 25

• variety of methods of working provided so that employees can continue to have a good work life balance.
  + attracts talented people who otherwise may not be able to fit work around their personal life, kids, etc.
• harder to find shifts and schedules to suit all individuals.

Question 26

What is job rotation?
2 x adv plus 2x dis

Answer 26

• moving employees from one task to another.
  + multi skilled employees who can carry out more than one task.
  + less boring for employees = productivity
• one boring job to another = no change in motivation.
• uncertainty over job security may demotivate workers.

Question 27

What is job enrichment?
adv plus dis

Answer 27

• vertical extension of a job.
• greater variety of jobs with higher responsibility.
  + motivation due to challenge
• could be seen as too much work or could be too challenging.

Question 28

What is job enlargement?

Answer 28

• horizontal extension of a job.
• greater variety of job with same responsibility level.
  + less boring, repetitive.
• could just be seen as more of the same and more to do.

Question 29

Which methods of motivation incentives are more long term?

Answer 29

• Non financial.