A Theory of Human Motivation - Case Study Example

Case study Introduction Teams are small groups of people with complementary skills, who work together as a unit to achieve a common purpose for which they hold themselves collectively accountable.” Team building and an efficient system of team management is one the greatest challenges that face the management of human resources at the work place in the contemporary age. One could therefore use all the relevant help that one could gather theoretically, as it is with the implementation of a well-planned theoretical plan that success is usually achieved. In the following analysis there is an attempt at understanding some of the better known theories of motivation and its consequent implications for management and the implementation of these theories a case at the workplace analyzing how these can help in the better management of human resources and a better process of team management through the process of increasing employee motivation. Wlaster, Berscheid and Walster (1973) state that the equity theory consists of four basic propositions that are designed in essence to structure predictions about the perceptions that individuals have. These perceptions exist in the context of whether or not the treatment being meted out to them is justified and how they would react when they find themselves enmeshed in unjust relationships. The basic idea underlying the theory is the fact that individuals seek maximum reward at minimum cost-man is in essence selfish. The first proposition of the theory is that individuals will try to maximize their outcomes (where outcomes equal rewards minus costs). The idea therefore is that groups can maximize their collective reward by evolving accepted systems for equitably apportioning collective reward and costs among members. Thus, members will evolve such systems of equity and will attempt to induce members to adhere to and accept these systems. The theory also states that groups will generally reward members who treat others equitably and generally punish members who treat others inequitably. The idea in the above mentioned theory is therefore simple- for all intents and purposes every culture should make an attempt at the institutionalization of systems that aim at the equitable apportioning of resources among all of its constituent members. An equitable relationship is defined by the theory as a relationship that exists when the person scrutinizing the relationship perceives that all participants are receiving equal relative outcomes from the relationship. Outcomes in turn are defined as the positive and the negative consequences that a scrutinizer perceives a participant has incurred as a consequence of his relationship with another. Adamson (1973) therefore explains the basic underlying formula that the theory comes up with in terms of a system or a culture should aim at the creation of a set of working relationships where awards and punishments are apportionate to the amount of effort that is being put in by the respective individuals in question. Maslow’s Theory Maslow’s theory of the hierarchy of needs (1943) is based on the simple formulation that the integrated wholeness of the organism must be one of the foundation stones of the motivation theory. The theory rejects the hunger drive or any other psychological drive as the centering point or model for a definitive theory of human motivation. The theory bases itself on a stress on the ultimate or the basic goals rather than partial or superficial ones-the idea is to place focus on the ends rather than the means to these ends. The theory also states that any motivated behavior, either preparatory or consummatory must be understood to be a channel through which many basic needs may be simultaneously expressed and satisfied. The theory in essence underlines more than one motivation. All organismic states are to be understood as being motivated or motivating. The theory therefore lays primary stress on the human need for survival thus placing the fulfillment of hunger, breath, sex and thirst at the top of the pyramid, followed by the security needs, the social needs, the need for psychological safety, the cognitive need, the aesthetic need and finally the need for fulfillment and self-actualization at the bottom of the pyramid. The theory therefore states in essence that human being sprioritise their needs in terms of the genres ranging from the survival to the self actualization needs with survival needs topping the list and the self actualization ones being at the bottom. In the modern day scenario howevetr, given the fact that a career that pays well in terms of self actualization and the material rewards that could be gleaned from it are the outlining factors for how well the survival needs are fulfilled by an individual, one could state that there is now an intermingling of the survival and the self actualization needs with both occupying similar levels of importance where the factors of motivation are concerned in an individual’s existence. The expectancy Theory was devised by Victor Vroom and seeks to provide an explanation or the motivation and management factors within an organization for an individual. The theory is based on the assumption that behavior results from conscious choice that an individual chooses from among many options. the purpose of these choices therefore is to aim at the maximization of pleasure and the minimization of pain. He further suggests that the relationship that exists between people at work and the goals that they seek to pursue are not a simple tangent but in fact complex. An employee’s performance is based, according to the theory on various factors such as the employee’s personality, skills, knowledge, experience, and abilities. The crux of the theory is that individuals have different sets of goals and can be motivated if they have certain expectations. The expectations that the theory outlines are as follows: 1. There is a positive co-relation between efforts that an individual puts in his work and the performance that he ultimately displays 2. Favorable performances will result in favorable rewards 3. The reward would satisfy an important need 4. the desire to satisfy the need is strong enough to make the effort seem worthwhile. The theory of expectancy is based on three basic beliefs: 1. Valence: This is in reference to emotional orientations that people hold with respect to outcomes. The depth of the want of an employee is measured in terms of for extrinsic or intrinsic satisfaction in the shape of money, promotion, free time or benefits. It is therefore the role of the management to discover the expectations that a hard working employee has and justifiably fufill them to keep the employee motivated 2. Expectancy: This means in essence that each individual within the organization has a different set of expectations and these vary with the levels of confidence that an individual has within himself. The management therefore needs to figure ouyt the resources and training that these individuals need so that the best performance can be extracted out of every individual within the organization. 3. Instrumentality: This is a factor that is related to the perception that decides whether or not employees will actually receive what they desire. This means in essence that the management has a responsibility to ensure that promises that have been made to employees are fulfilled. Herzberg’s Two Factor Theory of Motivation Nelson and Quick, (2007) state that the theory departed from the need theories of motivation and examined the experiences that satisfied or dissatisfied people at work. This motivation theory became known as the teo-factor theory. According to the two factor theory, people have two essential sets of needs-one related to the avoidance of pain and one related to the desire for psychological growth. Conditions in the work environment affect one or the other of these needs. Works conditions related to satisfaction of the need for psychological growth were labeled motivation factors. Job satisfaction is produced by the entwining motivation factors into a job, according to Herzberg through a process that is known as job enrichment. Motivation factors lead to positive mental health and challenge people to grow, contributing to the work environment and encouraging their investment in the in the organization. According to the theory and original research, the absence of these factors does not lead to dissatisfaction. Rather, it leads to the lack of satisfaction. The motivation factors are the more important of the tow set of factors, because they directly affect a person’s motivational drive to do good work. When these factors are absent, the person is demotivated to perform well and achieve excellence. All of the above mentioned theories could be stated to have a certain level of relevance in the case study that has been offered in the question. The first thing that one would need to understand is that fact that all of the theories that have been outlined in the evaluation deal primarily with the attitude that employees display in relation to the organization and to the work that they perform within the organization. Attitudes can in turn be understood in the context of three basic terms- 1. Cognitive - Opinion or belief segment 2. Affective - Emotional or feeling segment 3. Behavioral - Intention to behave in a certain way toward someone or something. Maslow’s theory of motivation has a direct relevance to the case in as much as the evaluation of the theory demonstrated that the factor of self actualization, provided by appreciation at the work place, is in direct relation to the fulfillment of survival needs. Hence a scenario where an individual would feel that he or as in this case, she is not getting her due at the workplace, there would automatically be an erosion of motivational factors that prompts the worker to put in his 100 percent. One can refer to the four values that have been propounded by Meglino et al’s in relation to understanding of fair treatment at the work place: 1. .Achievement 2. Helping and concern 3. Honesty 4. Fairness In keeping with the theories that have been mentioned above one can state with a certain level of confidence that Lesley Watt as a hard working member of the organization had certain expectations of her job and the reward that the efforts that she put in her work would pay her back (expectancy theory). Given the fact that these expectations were never fulfilled, there was an erosion of the levels of her motivation. Theoretically, it is asserted that groups will generally reward members who treat others equitably and generally punish members who treat others inequitably (equity theory). This did not in fact happen in the case of Ms Watt’s organization given the fact that someone who had not put in the kind of effort that Ms Watt did reaped great6er rewards. There was thus a non-fulfillment of her expectations. On a theoretical level, job satisfaction would be achived by an employee when the work being done is mentally challenging and provides equitable rewards. There is also the requirement of supportive working conditions and supportive fellow employees. Changes that the firm needs to make: Communication is the process by which information is exchanged and understood by two or more people, usually with the intent to motivate or influence behaviour. Accurate interpersonal communication: when the thoughts, facts, beliefs, attitudes or feelings that the sender intended to transmit are the same as those understood by the receiver. Communication can be upward, downward, or lateral. The need that the employer needs to fulfill if the organization is to be saved from the loss of a trusted and hardworking employee is to ensure that she is made to feel like she is part of the team and ensuring that the rewards that she gets are commensurate with the efforts that she puts into her work. This can in turn be achieved by providing training that would help the employee get a feeling of growth within the organization and a formal process of appraisal that would outline all the strengths and weaknesses of the employees so that they understand the areas of growth that they need to work on and the process of raise giving has a certain level of credibility attached to it. Finally, a Ms Watts would be happiest when and if she gets to be involved in a job that is suited to by virtue of her personality. In conclusion, therefore it may be stated that there are a number of theories in the psychological stream of thought that if applied to the management of individuals in the professional work space would help the management in a better understanding and comprehension of the manner in which the constituent individuals of the organization function. There should be therefore an application of these theories to the process of man management at the work space to effect a more efficient system with which human resources are handled in office. Reference: Wlaster, E, Berscheid, E, and Walster, G, W,. (1973). New Directions in Equity Research pub, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol 25.No. 2, pp151-176 Adamson J S, Equity Theory: toward a general theory of social interaction, pub, Academic Press, p2 Maslow H, 1943, A Theory of Human Motivation, pub, psychological Review, Vol.50. No.4 Goble F G, 2004, The Third Force: The Psychology of Abraham Maslow, pub, Reinventing Yourself Publications, pp22-28 Vroom’s Theory of Expectancy, accessed September 11, 2009, < http://www.12manage.com/methods_vroom_expectancy_theory.html> Montana P J, Charnov K, Bruce H, (2008), Barron's Educational Series, pub, Management – 4th edition Nelson D L and Quick J C, 2007, Understanding Organizational Behavior, pub, Cenage Learning EMEA, pp197-198 Frederick Herzberg's motivation and hygiene factors, accessed September 11, 2009, < http://www.businessballs.com/herzberg.htm> Read More