3.6.4 Improving motivation and engagement

Question 1

9 What did Mayo think about The Human Relations school

Answer 1

workers are not concerned with money but could be more motivated by having their social needs met whilst at work

Question 2

9 what did Mayo conclude?

Answer 2

Better communication between managers and workers
Greater manager involvement in employees working lives
Working in groups or teams
His theory most closely fits with a paternalistic style of management

Question 3

9 What was Taylor’s approach to management

Answer 3

Work Study- identify most efficient methods of production
Identify- Spot the most efficient workers and see why they are so good
Train- remaining workers to work like the best
Reward- pay workers based on productivity

Question 4

9 what is Maslow’s Theory of Needs

Answer 4

five levels of human needs which employees need to have fulfilled at work
Only once a lower level of need has been fully met, a worker would be motivated by the opportunity of having next need up in the hierarchy satisfied
A business should therefore offer different incentives to workers in order to help them fulfil each need in turn and progress up in the hierarchy

Question 5

9 What is Maslow’s

Answer 5

Self Actualisation- intellectual needs achieving targets
Esteem- self-respect, level of status
Social- feeling wanted, sense of belonging
Safety- safe working environment
Psychological- basic needs

Question 6

9 What is the Physiological side (Maslow)

Answer 6

acceptable pay and working conditions

Question 7

9 What is the Safety side (Maslow)

Answer 7

Job security
clear job role an description
health and safety
insurance

Question 8

9 What is the Social side (Maslow)

Answer 8

Working in a team
social facilities
mentoring and coaching

Question 9

9 What is the Esteem side (Maslow)

Answer 9

Status
Job title
authority trust and recognition

Question 10

9 What is the Self-achievement side (Maslow)

Answer 10

promotion opportunities
challenging work
job enrichment

Question 11

9 what is a criticism of Maslow

Answer 11

Not everyone has the same needs
perceptions of what is important at work will vary
not realistic that most employees will reach the top of that hierarchy

Question 12

9 what was Herzbergs 2 factor theory?

Answer 12

motivators and hygiene factors
motivate by using motivators plus ensuring hygiene factors are met
use job enrichment and empowerment

Question 13

9 what are Motivators (Herzbergs)

Answer 13

factors directly motivating people to work harder
giving responsibility, recognition for good work, opportunities for promotion

Question 14

9 what are hygiene factors (Herzbergs)

Answer 14

de motivate if not present but do not actually motivate employees to work harder
pay, working conditions, job security

Question 15

9 what is Taylor’s view on pay?

Answer 15

emphasis pay, in particular piece rate as best motivation method

Question 16

9 What is Maslow and Herzbergs view on pay?

Answer 16

non-financial rewards such as teamwork, empowerment or job enrichment acted as a better incentive for employees to work harder

Question 17

10 whats the best mix of financial vs non financial methods of motivation?

Answer 17

most businesses use both
market determines base financial rewards for most jobs and skills
offering employees some flexibility in choosing which rewards they get often works well
financial rewards are closely influenced by what a business can afford

Question 18

10 What is motivation?

Answer 18

The will to work
Comes from enjoyment of work itself and/orfrom desire to achieve certain goals e.g. earnmore money or achieve promotion

Question 19

10 How do you motivate people

Answer 19

financial methods
non-financial methods

Question 20

10 why do people work/ go to work?

Answer 20

To earn money
For a sense of achievement or job satisfaction
To belong to a group
For a sense of security
Toobtain a feeling of self-worth

Question 21

10 what are fringe benefits

Answer 21

Examples include company cars and discount vouchers. May not encourage greater productivity but often build company loyalty.

Question 22

10 what are bonuses

Answer 22

A payment usually related to the achievement of a target. Usually easier to apply to sales or production than the provision of a service.

Question 23

10 what is profit share

Answer 23

Employees are encouraged to work hard to ensure that the business is profitable, however, it is usually spread evenly between both hardworking and less hardworking staff.

Question 24

10 what is commission

Answer 24

Payments are made in relation to the number or value of sales made. Encourages increased sales but may lead to heavy handed selling techniques.

Question 25

10 what is piece rate

Answer 25

Payments are made per item produced. Encourages productivity but sometimes at the expense of quality.

Question 26

10 what is overtime?

Answer 26

Additional payment made for extra hours worked. Can provide greater flexibility to the workforce but may result in low productivity during normal working hours so employees can access overtime payments.

Question 27

10 what is performance related pay (PRP)

Answer 27

Is only paid to those employees who meet or exceed some agreed targets. Employees are paid for their contribution to the organisation, rather than their status within it.

Question 28

10 what is a criticism of PRP?

Answer 28

PRP as unfair – particularly within the service sector where performance is difficult to measure. Majority of businesses operating PRP systems do not put sufficient funds into the scheme. Therefore, employees enjoy relatively small performance awards, which may be inadequate to change employee performance.

Question 29

10 what is job rotation

Answer 29

Employees move between different jobs e.g. on a production line. Results in flexible, multi-skilled staff but ultimately workers may just be moving from one boring job to another.

Question 30

10 what is job enlargement

Answer 30

Workers are given a wider variety of different tasks to carry out although there is no increase in the level of responsibility. This is sometimes called horizontal loading.

Question 31

10 what is job enrichment

Answer 31

Giving employees the chance to fully utilise their abilities through, for example, providing a range of challenges, training workers and allowing them to demonstrate their skills.

Question 32

10 what is empowerment

Answer 32

Allowing workers greater autonomy. They have greater freedom and power to control their own working lives.

Question 33

10 what is team-working

Answer 33

Involves organising workers into groups, setting team goals and awarding team rewards for achieving targets. Team-working fits with Mayo’s findings.

Question 34

10 what is participation

Answer 34

Employees participate in organisational decision making through such things as quality circles and works councils.

Question 35

10 which is financial methods of motivation

Answer 35

bonuses profit share commission piece rate over time PRP

Question 36

10 which is non-financial methods of motivation

Answer 36

fringe benefits job rotation job enlargement job enrichment empowerment team-working particpation

Question 37

11 advantages of commission

Answer 37

High performing sales people earn large sums according to effort and ability. An incentive to employees to work hard and be productive. Payroll costs are directly related to sales value achieved.

Question 38

11 disadvantages of commission

Answer 38

If only paid on commission there is no stability in income. Invites dishonesty to earn more. May cause resentment else where in the business.

Question 39

11 advantages of piece rate

Answer 39

Direct links to pay and effort. Reduction in costs. Lower labour turnover. Self-funding Reduce influence of trade unions.

Question 40

11 disadvantages of piece rate

Answer 40

Source of conflict between staff. Crowd out intrinsic motivation and undermine teamwork. Only a small amount of salary. How is it measured fairly?

Question 41

11 advantages of salary schemes

Answer 41

Simple and cheap to administer. Stability in pay and understanding. Security in schedule. Fewer disputes

Question 42

11 disadvantages of salary schemes

Answer 42

No direct incentives to improve productivity. Payment by time is payment for input rather than output.

Question 43

11 advantages of PRP

Answer 43

Increase Motivation Improves Productivity Rewards High Performance Encourages performance culture Helps retain top talent Aligns employees goals with business objectives

Question 44

11 disadvantages of PRP

Answer 44

Demotivating for low performers Can cause stress and pressure May lead to unhealthy competition Difficult to measure performance fairly Short term focus over long term growth Costly for the business Potential for unethical behaviour

Question 45

11 advantages of empowerment

Answer 45

Increases motivation and job satisfaction Improves productivity Encourages innovation and creativity Leads to better decision-making Reduces the need for supervision Enhances employee skill development Improves customer service

Question 46

11 disadvantages of empowerment

Answer 46

Lack of experience may lead to mistakes Potential resistance from managers Not suitable for all employees Time-consuming training process Risk of inconsistent decision-making Increased stress for employees Possible conflict within teams

Question 47

11 advantages of team-working

Answer 47

Increases motivation and morale Encourages creativity, innovation Improves productivity Enhances communication and collaboration Develops skills and knowledge Better decision-making Can increase flexibility

Question 48

11 disadvantages of team-working

Answer 48

Potential for conflict Risk of "social loafing" Slower decision-making Unequal contribution issues Not suitable for all tasks Increased pressure and stress Difficulties in measuring individual performance

Question 49

11 advantages of flexible working for employees

Answer 49

Better work-life balance Increased job satisfaction and motivation Reduced commuting stress and costs Higher productivity More inclusivity

Question 50

11 disadvantages of flexible working for employees

Answer 50

Blurring of work-life boundaries Potential isolation Distractions at home Risk of overworking

Question 51

11 advantages of flexible working for businesses

Answer 51

Lower overhead costs Higher employee retention Attracts a wider talent pool Reduced absenteeism Environmental benefits

Question 52

11 disadvantages of flexible working for businesses

Answer 52

Reduced teamwork and communication Difficulties in monitoring performance Not suitable for all industries Potential security risks Initial setup costs Possible resistance from managers

Question 53

11 advantages of job enrichment

Answer 53

Develops unused skills. Greater contributions to decision making. Enhances promotional prospects. Higher degree of self control over work.

Question 54

11 disadvantages of job enrichment

Answer 54

Intimidating process, additional pressure. Delegation by simply delayering. Costly, benefits are a long term goal. Not all jobs can be enriched.

Question 55

11 advantages of job rotation

Answer 55

With various tasks, there is relived boredom and more motivation. If absent, the job can be covered without difficulty. Workers are more flexible as have a wider skill set Greater sense of participation.

Question 56

11 disadvantages of job rotation

Answer 56

Retraining costs increase and output falls due to less specialisation. Simply involving a greater number of boring tasks, but with reduced social benefits.