human resource management notes 11

7/28/2019 Human Resource Management Notes 11

1/19

Unit 11: Motivation

Structure:

11.1 Introduction

Objectives

11.2 Concept of Motivation

SAQs

11.3 Theories of Motivation

SAQs

11.4 Employees and Motivation

SAQs

11.5 Motivation Techniques

SAQs

11.6 Distinction between Morale and Motivation

11.7 Summary

11.8 TQs

11.9 Answers to SAQs and TQs

11.1 Introduction

The study of human motivation is of great importance in any theory of management. Man is

by nature constantly motivated. He is an organic system, not a mechanical one. The inputs

of energy such as food, water etc., are converted by him into outputs of behaviour. His

behaviour is determined by relationships between his characteristics as organic system and

the environment in which he moves. Management involves creation and maintenance of

environment for performance of individuals working together in groups towards

accomplishment of common objectives and therefore the manager cannot perform his

functions without knowing what motivates people.

Objectives:

After studying this unit, you will be able to:

Understand Motivation and its concept

Theoretical framework for workplace motivation

How is it linked to employee morale

11.2 Concept of Motivation


2/19

The personnel function is really all about motivation. It is agreed that unless individuals are

motivated to make sufficient potential to perform effectively, they may not achieve the

level of performance that is desired from them. Managerial people are always facing the

problems of motivating their subordinates to release their potential most effectively and

thereby permit the desired goals of the organization and the needs of employees to beachieved. Knowledge of the motivational process provides the basis for understanding why

people do what they do.

Motivation is positively correlated with concepts of (1) level of aspiration, (2) degree of

commitment, and (3) inclination towards action.

It is rightly said, "You can buy a man's time, you can buy a man's physical presence at a

given place, but you cannot buy his enthusiasm, initiative and loyalty." Motivation aims at

transforming the ability to do into the will to do. Motivated employees are in a state of

tension. To relieve this tension, they engage in activity. The greater the tension, the greater

shall be the activity to bring about relief.

Therefore, when we see someone working hard at some activity, we can conclude that the

individual is driven by a desire to achieve some goal which perceives as having value to

him.

Motivation has been defined as the act of stimulating someone to take a desired course of

action-to push the right button to get a desired reaction. It includes a stimulus and desired

results. Motivation concerns itself with the will to work. It seeks to know the motives for

work and to find out ways and means, by which their realisation can be helped and

encouraged.

Mr. Urwick has called it the dynamic aspect of management. According to Michael Jucius,

motivation is an 'act of stimulating someone to get a desired course of action'. James Driver

says that, motivation means the phenomena involved in the operation of incentives and

drives. In the words of P.T.Young, motivation is the process (a) of arousing or initiating

behaviour, (b) of sustaining an activity in progress, and (c) of channelling of activity in the

given course.

A man's performance on a specific task is a function of his skill and motivation. Thus it can

be said that p=f(S,M), where P is for performance, S for skill and M for motivation. Skill

does not guarantee that the individual will put forth his best effort. There is another

variable, namely motivation which finally determines the effort which can be expected

from such employee. That difference in motivation affects performance has been


3/19

demonstrated very conclusively. In laboratory experiments it was found that other things

being equal, performance level is higher if the motivation level is higher.

The key to understand motivation lies in the meaning and relationships between needs,

drives and goals. This demonstrated through 'the motivation cycle' given below:

1. Needs: The best one word definition of a need is efficiency. In the domestic sense,

needs are created whenever there is a physiological or psychological imbalance. For

example, a need exists when a cell in the body is deprived of food and water or when the

human personality is deprived of other persons who serve as friends or comparisons.

2. Drives: Drives are set up to alleviate needs. A drive can be defined as deficiency with

direction. Drives are action-oriented and provide an energizing thrust toward goal

accomplishment. The examples of the needs for food and water are translated into hunger and thirst drives, and need for friends becomes a drive for affiliation.

3. Goals: At the end of the motivation cycle is the goal. A goal in the motivation cycle can

be defined as anything which will alleviate a need and reduce a drive.

Motivation may range from a threatening gesture to a tradition inspired activity. Thus the

atmosphere of working situation, the past history of human relations in a company,

expectations about the future as well as a wage incentive plan be stimuli to action, It is

believed that the full force of motivation lies in the person doing the motivation. In the case

the management, it is the magnetic personality of the executive which induces high loyaltyand production. If the executive does not have this quality, he is obviously at a disadvantage.

However, he can develop effective plans of motivation.

Self Assessment Questions I

1. Unless individuals are motivated to make sufficient potential to perform effectively,they may not achieve the..............................

2. When we see someone working hard at some activity, we can conclude that theindividual is driven by a desire to achieve some goal which.

3. Drives are set up to alleviate___________.4. A ____________in the motivation cycle can be defined as anything which will

alleviate a need and reduce a drive.


4/19

11.3 Theories of Motivation

The importance of motivation to human life and work can be judged by the number of

theories that have been propounded to explain people's behaviour. They explain human

motivation through human needs and human nature. Prominent among these theories are

Maslow's Need Hierarchy Theory, McGregor's Theory 'X' and Theory 'Y', and Herzberg and

et alls Motivation-Hygiene Theory.

Maslow's Need Hierarchy Theory

Maslow's theory of basic needs provides valuable insights about human motivation. Maslow

views an individual's motivation as a predetermined order of needs which he strives to

satisfy. His model of 'Hierarchy of Needs' indicates the following propositions about human

behaviour.

i) Physiological Needs: These are basic to life, viz., and hunger for 'food, thirst, shelter

and companionship among others. They are relatively independent of each other and in

some cases can be identified with a specific location in the body. These needs are

cyclic. In other words, they are satisfied for only a short period; then they reappear.

ii) Safety Needs: If the physiological needs are relatively satisfied, a set of needs emerge

for protection against danger and threats. In an ordered society, a person usually

feels safe from extremes of climate, tyranny, violence and so on.

iii) Social Needs: If the physiological and safety needs are fairly satisfied, the needs for

love and affection and belongingness will emerge and the cycle will repeat itself with

this new centre. If he is deprived of these needs he will want to attain them more than

anything else in the world. An individual desires affectionate relationships with people in general and desires to have a respected place in his group.

iv) Esteem Needs: Everyone has a need for self-respect and for the esteem of others. This

results in the desire for strength, confidence, prestige, recognition and appreciation.

These egoistic needs are rarely completely satisfied. The typical industrial and


5/19

commercial organization does not offer much opportunity for their satisfaction to

employees at the lower levels.

v) Self-actualization Needs: The term "self-actualization" was coined by Kurt Goldstein

and means, to become actualized in what one is potentially good at. A person may

achieve self actualization in being the ideal fitter, supervisor, mother or an eminentartist.

People who are satisfied with these needs are basically satisfied people and it is from these

that we can expect the fullest creativeness. A. sound motivational system to be successful,

must be productive in the sense of inducing subordinates to work efficiently, must be

comprehensive, i.e., it must cover basic as well as higher needs and it must be flexible to suit

changes in the environment.

McGregor's Theory X and Theory Y (and Theory Z)

The character of an enterprise depends on the assumptions of the management in

controlling its human resources. Professor Douglas McGregor presented two opposite

sets of assumptions about employees; and about management views about the nature of

man at work. These have been represented by Theory X and Theory Y. Theory X stands

for the set of traditional beliefs held, while Theory Y stands for the set of beliefs based

upon researches in behavioural science which is concerned with modern social views on

man at work. These two theories represent the extreme ranges of assumptions; there are a

number of possible combinations on the continuum. The managerial attitudes andsupervisory practices resulting from such assumptions have an important bearing on

employee's behaviour.

Theory X is based on assumptions and beliefs which are based on the study of many

people at work, and the nature and structure of many organizat ions and their styles of

supervision. These assumptions imply that the supervisor has a low opinion of the

workers and still lower expectations from them. Such beliefs reduce the supervisors

efforts to enhance satisfaction in work, which in turn confirms a worker's view that work

is a necessary evil.Theory Y puts forward the opposite assumptions which provide a totally different picture

of human nature and therefore call for a different managerial strategy in dealing with

employers. Theory Y implies that on-the-job need satisfaction is necessary.

The following points are important:

1. Both theories X and Y make certain not-so-valid judgements.


6/19

2. They may not reflect man's inherent nature; rather such behaviour in man is in part

the result of management philosophy and practices.

3. Theory Y particularly unduly emphasizes self-actualization and freedom, implying

that all people seek freedom, while there are definite indications that all people may

not feel comfortable with freedom because freedom entails responsibility andindependent decision-making which people may not subscribe to.

4. In an organization, depending on the situation, either theory X or theory Y could be

effectively applied. However, in choosing one or the other managers have to bear the

implications in mind so that problems such as interpersonal or interdepartmental

conflict can be avoided.

Douglas McGregor, with credentials among university scholars equalling his practical

experience as a corporate executive, wrote two books which became classics and still

exert a profound influence upon modern management theory and practice. These books

explain his experience with two utterly different assumptions (operating consciously or

subconsciously) which managers tend to use in dealing with workers. In the interests of

objectivity and to avoid the "complications and prejudice of labels," he dubbed them

simply "Theory X" and "Theory Y."

Theory "X" Managers and Theory "X" Workers

Examining the history of the relationship between managers and workers, kings and

subjects, how they perceive and "view" each other, McGregor noted that managers

throughout history assume, and just take it for granted, that workers are naturally lazy,

hate work, try to avoid it, care not at all about an organization's goals and must simply

be forced to work against their wil l by threat and fear. This assumption by managers he

called "Theory X" ("X" managers) and workers with indeed such anti-work attitudes "X"

workers.

Leadership by "X" managers over "X" workers had to be firmly, even cruelly, autocratic

with tight control and constant supervision over each worker ("supervision" literally

means "watching over," overseeing). Without tight and forceful supervision "X" workers

slack off or cease work at every opportunity. Given the grim and life-threatening

conditions of work throughout history, from dawn to nightfall in the cold or heat and

danger of primitive farms and factories prior to today's modern workplace, it is little

wonder that most managers and workers were "Xs." The natural condition of the

workplace was therefore bluntly adversarial, managers against workers and vice versa,


7/19

managers forcing work and workers resisting in every way possible. Needless to say, in

such an "X" work environment, workers do the least they can get away with and

managers get the least of the high human potential of people at work.

But when "boss was king," the prevailing condition throughout most human history, he

did get work results and could force extremes of hard work from workers (despite their hatred of it and him) by the sheer raw power of fear, threat and sometimes money. Thus

and then the "X" work environment was highly effective because of the unlimited power

of managers over workers.

Today, however, in the 1990s, managers no longer have such unlimited power, workers

now protected by a host of "workers' rights laws" as noted above. "Theory X" no longer

works well or even at all. Few managers can look a worker in the eye and threaten him

with "do this or else'." Most workers today would just laugh at the threat. For most, the

"or else" means not starvation but merely a slightly inconvenient change to

unemployment compensation, government welfare income and similar safety-net social

programs, maybe a few hours a day moonlighting - and probably a lawsuit against the

employer. Unlike "X" bosses of the past, motivating workers to extreme effort with

virtual life-and-death power over them, today's managers have no such power; "X"

workers just pass the time, clock-watching, breaking for coffee, socializing and waiting

for 5pm with little work results done. This is the typical "X" work environment today

with no effective motivation.

Theory "Y" Managers and Theory "Y Workers

Because an "X" work environment had become powerless to motivate people to high

productivit y, McGregor speculated about other means of motivating workers, a different

assumption managers might use, the assumption that under certain circumstances

workers actually like and enjoy working. This assumption by managers he called

"Theory Y ("Y" managers) and workers with indeed such two-work attitudes "Y

workers. In theory, "Y workers love their work, look forward to it and enjoy it. Clearly,

managers are spared all of the motivational problems of an "X" work environment; "Y'

workers are highly self-motivated.


8/19

At first glance, the "Y assumption seems idealistically unreal and unnatural. Human

experience shows that most people just naturally dislike work and hence the historical

prevalence of "X" works environments with harsh bosses forcing work from ever-

resisting labourers. However, a "V mindset is possible and even common among people

working at projects they naturally enjoy and from which they gain high personalsatisfaction or rewards.

Common examples of a "Y" mindset are people building their own small businesses,

engineers or scientists virtually obsessed with their ongoing projects, lonely singles of

all ages relishing the human contact at their jobs, professional athletes training and

straining to the extreme for personal pride on the field and money bonuses, salesmen

nearing big commissions with extra but rewarding effort, women in hot kitchens baking

pies for their children and friends, men straining hard at cherished hobbies or home

improvement projects. For the Japanese, culturally imbued with their deep need for

group and family approval, high-quality productivity on the job is the standard path to it

and a powerful self-motivator. Indeed, many people are extreme "Ys," "workaholics,"

wedded to their jobs as joy even more than their wives or husbands.

For such 'Ys" there is no difference between "work" and "play" - they become one and

the same. "Ys" bring the same high energy and enthusiasm to their adult work as they

did to games and favourite hobbies when kids delighting in the strenuous play of

running, kicking, catching footballs and playing games they loved. As adults, their

serious, now world-enhancing work is still their ever-new, joyful play - providing they

like their work ("play") whether at age 7 or 70.

In a "Y' work environment, there is no need for managers to motivate people (it is

alread1y there, built in!) - Except maintaining the human conditions creating it.

Sophisticated managers of today build and maintain a healthy "Y" work environment by

sensitive awareness of each worker's individual needs (as in Maslow's Needs Hierarchy

above), consulting with each worker about his work ideas, preferences, methods and

progress, recogniz ing and praising good work often, arranging work assignments to fit

the individual as well as the organization's goals ("Human Brokerage" again). Instead of

the ancient (and obsolete) "X" force and fear motivation, today's managers gain their

organization goals by permitting, not forcing, workers to do their best work. McGregor

summarized it well:

"Theory X places exclusive reliance upon external control of human behaviour, while

Theory Y relies heavily on self-control and self-direction. It is worth noting that this


9/19

difference is the difference between treating people as children and treating them as

mature adults."

Theory "Z" Managers and Theory "Z" Workers

As McGregor was well aware, theories "X" and "Y" are polarized extremes of workplaceattitudes implying the more realistic daily condition among workers of degrees

between the extremes. Let's conveniently think of such degrees on a scale of "I"-to -"10,"

a "1" meaning a pure 100% "X" and "10" a 100% "Y." Any management trainer or

consultant with actual experience in today's workplace knows that a pure "10" (100%

"V) workplace is idyllic; to expect it in the realistic limitations of budgets and recessions

is naive. Few managers, even with the most sophisticated motivational efforts, will

succeed in achieving a "10" (100% "Y') workplace for every worker every day and every

hour.Thus a pure "Theory Y' workplace is intended as an ideal, something rarely fully

reachable but rightly to be sought after by managers, still always aimed at and worked

for. But realists know that actual managerial success consists usually in a partial, but

high and significant, achievement of a "Theory Y' workplace, seldom the pure "10" work

environment. This more realistic "half-way" position about human motivation is now

called "Theory Z." "Zs" make every effort to achieve a "10" workplace but, knowing its

impossibility as a pure ideal, accept as reasonable success significant progress toward

the ideal, higher and higher partial successes in daily productivity. The only alternativeto such a balanced ("Z") approach by managers is to become impatient, frustrated by

"half a loaf," abandon Theory "Y' entirely and revert to an "X" environment.

Many (most) managers abandon realistic, achievable use of "Theory Y' in two most

common ways: (1) by never trying it at all, or: (2) by excessive and unrealistic

expectations, trying it, failing to achieve quick 100% success (a "10" workplace), then in

personal frustration abandoning all efforts and reverting to a familiar autocratic, but fail-

for-sure, "X" environment. (The latter [#2] is typical of managers completing short, often

excitingly video-dramatic, management training programs with excessive and unreal

expectations. When these fail back on the job, as they will, managers soon revert to a

near-extreme "X," a "2" or "3.")

As with the now generally accepted "Contingency Theory of Leadership," always closely

linked to human motivation on the job, Theory "Z" is equivalent to a "Contingency

Theory of Motivation" in which managers must match and fit daily the most appropriate


10/19

motivation methods to each person and situation, depending on here-and-now

contingencies. Typical managers today don't or can't, but should. Otherwise, they are

forced to revert to or remain in a failed "X" workplace, with little or no productivity for

organization goals, until they or their workers leave it in utter frustration (by choice or

being fired).

Herzberg et al's Motivation Hygiene Theory

In one group of needs are such things as company policy and administration,

Supervision, working conditions, interpersonal relations, salary, status, job security, and

personal life. These were found by Herzberg and his associates to be only dissatisfies

and not motivators. In other words, if they exist in a work environment in high quantity,

they yield no dissatisfaction. Their existence does not motivate satisfaction; their lack of

existence would, however, result in dissatisfaction. These were called Hygiene factors

and were found to job-context variables. In the second group, Herzberg listed certain

satisfiers and therefore motivators all related to job content. These include the factors of

achievement, recognition, challenging work, advancement, and growth in the job. Their

existence will yield feelings of satisfaction or no satisfaction.

The first group of factors Herzberg called 'maintenance' or 'hygiene' factors. Their

presence will not motivate people in an organization; yet they must be present or

dissatisfaction will arise. The second group, or the job-content factors, are found to be

the real motivators because they have the potential of yielding a sense of satisfaction.

The following points are worth-noting about the motivation-hygiene theory:

1. Job content and job context factors are discrete aspects of work and are neither

different points on the same continuum nor different levels in the motivation

hierarchy. Absence of one does not mean the presence of another.

2. A satisfactory situation can also have elements of job context just as a dissatisfactory

situation can have elements of job content. However, a satisfactory situation will be

context-oriented.

3. Some doubts have been raised on the methodology. Since it involves recalling events,how can we guarantee its authenticity? Despite this drawback, the theory has been

supported across various Kinds of samples, organizations and cultures.

4. The theory implies that to generate satisfaction, attempts have to be made to improve

the job content!


11/19

Classes of Motivators

The range of stimuli which motivates people is very wide. Motivators may be either financial

or non-financial. Again non-financial motivators may be individual, group or company. As

regards individual motivators, it is obvious that as human beings; people have some basic

needs. Unless these are satisfied, life is not worth living. So in various ways people try tosatisfy these needs. Food, shelter, clothing, sex are such basic needs. These needs are served

through work. We earn money to purchase particular commodities and services which will

satisfy our basic needs'.

In the second place, equally powerful as motivators are the stimuli which arise out of social

interactions. We are powerfully affected by what others think of us and our actions. Even the

basic wants are affected by group approval or disapproval. That we live in particular

communities put on particular kinds of clothing and prefer certain types of occupations are

due to adherence to group opinion of our families, neighbours or working associates. As man

is becoming more and more civilized, the power of group motivators grows. Simply by

inveighing against them, one cannot undermine their importance. Management should utilize

group pressures and if possible, should improve their quality and standards.

In the third place, attention should be given to the specific relation of non-financial

motivators to the business situation. Sometimes the goals of life may come into conflict

with the goals of business. Here some adjustment is necessary. A man has to give up a large

part of life to earn his living.

Self Assessment Questions II

11.4 Employees and Motivation

A common question that is raised is whether employees can at all be motivated, too

many, it is obvious that neither direct pressure nor good treatment can effectively

1. Maslow views an individual's motivation as a predetermined order of needswhich.........................

2. ____________________presented two opposite sets of assumptions aboutemployees; and about management views about the nature of man at work.

3. McGregor noted that managers throughout history assume, and just take it for granted, that workers are naturally lazy, hate work, try to avoid it, care not at allabout an organization's goals and must be..........................


12/19

motivate employees to do a job satisfactorily. There are no ready-made remedies for

bringing about an effective motivation but certain factors as analyzed by research

scientists, could be used as guidelines. Firstly, basically the people motivated themselves

and are seldom motivated directly by other people, Instead of direct manipulation,

creation of an atmosphere that will help individual to greater achievement, is important.Secondly, motivation of people depends on their image of themselves and their

expectation of what that image should be. A person's psychological needs affect his self-

image. Thirdly, achievement is always a result of motivation i.e., ability to achieve. Both

ability and desire to achieve therefore must be considered in any programme aimed at

motivation. Fourthly, a person's desire to modify or control his behavioural patterns

when they interfere with positive achievement should be considered. It is the

responsibility of the management in such situation to help and understand his

motivational pattern and provide the environment in which he can achieve his goal.

Even if the employees have a high potential for self-motivation, it shall be the duty of

the management to provide the climate in which it will flourish. The following

suggestions would be very helpful in developing an atmosphere conducive to sustained

motivation:

1. Establish clear-cut objectives and standards. The individual must know what is

expected of him.

2. Evaluate the man's progress against these yardsticks.

3. Discuss his progress or lack of it with him as often as is possible-help him to make

necessary adjustments.

4. Take prompt corrective action when necessary. Good discipline is essential to any

healthy environment.

5. Use rewards promptly and app ly when resu lts are good. Rewards must be tied to

the specific result and to commensurate with the contribution.

6. Encourage and appreciate excellence among people.

7. Consider your expectations for the man in terms of his capacity. Encourage the man with

high talent who produces much, but be appreciative of the less talented man who lives

up to the last ounce of his capacity.

8. Try to assign intermediate goals to give the feeling of achievement. A series of small

successes can build confidence and expand horizons.

9. Give a man a difficult challenge on occasion, particularly in less critical areas and

build up his ego.


13/19

10. Give him an understanding of the organization's total goals and the part that he is

contributing. This provides him with a sense of involvement essential to his need to grow

and develop.

Self Assessment Questions III

11.5 Motivation Techniques

Following Michael Jucius, let us see how management may proceed to motivate employees.This activity may be divided into two parts: (a) what is to be done and (b) how and why

what is done. The former are steps in motivation and the latter are rules governing the

steps. Both are performed simultaneously. The steps of motivation are listed below:

1. Size up situation requiring motivation: The first stage of motivation is to make

sure of motivational needs. Every employee needs motivation. However, all people do

not react in exactly the same way to the same stimuli. Keeping this in mind the

executive shall size up how much and what kind of motivation is needed and when and

by which individuals.2. Prepare a set of motivating tools: Having determined the motivational needs of a

particular person or group an executive must have a list from which he should select and

apply specific tools of motivation. An executive from his personal experience should

prepare a list of what devices are likely to work with what type of people and under what

circumstances.

3. Selecting and applying the appropriate motivator: Proper application of motivational

plan is very important. This involves selection of the appropriate technique, the method of

application and the timing and location of applications. Having selected appropriate

techniques, thought must be given to its application.

4. Follow-up the results of the application: The last stage of motivation is to follow-up

the results of the application of the plan. The primary objective is to ascertain if an

employee has been motivated or not. If not, some other technique should be tried. A

secondary purpose of follow-up is to evaluate motivation plans for future guidance.

1. There are no ready-made remedies for bringing about an effective motivation butcertain factors as analyzed by research scientists, could be usedas_________________.

2. A person's psychological needs affect his_________________.3. Even if the employees have a high potential for self-motivation, it is the duty of

______________to provide the climate in which it will flourish.


14/19

Rules of Motivating: In following the steps of motivation a manager should be guided by

some fundamental rules which should be based upon the following principles:

1. Self-interest and Motivation: Undoubtedly, motivation is mainly built on selfishness.

Psychologically speaking, selfishness is a part and parcel of life. To deny this is to buildthe theory on unrealistic foundation. To seek some other basis of motivation would be to

ignore the real nature of man. The aim should be to learn more about selfishness.

2. Attainability: Motivation must establish attainable goals. What is prescribed for a

particular person must be attainable by him. This does not mean that the goal is realised

at once. Such goals as promotion or desirable transfer may take years to attain. But it

must be within reach.

Eight Ways to Motivate Plant Employees: Based on a fact-finding study conducted at

several manufacturing plants of the General Electric Company, Sorcher and Meyer have

made the following recommendations for improving the motivation of employees in routine

jobs.

1. Provide assembly line employees with more than minimum training. Providing some sort

of formal training for a factory employee beyond the required minimum should result in

greater personal involvement in the job.

2. Create sub-goals to measure accomplishment. A sense of competition is important to

good motivation. When people work towards clearly defined goals they perform better.

Moreover, they are likely to be more interested in the work which will reduce monotony

and mental fatigue.

3. Provide regular feedback on performance. Psychological studies show that people

perform better when they receive positive as well as negative feedback about their

performance on a regular basis.

4. Maintain a neat and orderly work area. If the foreman does not care about neatness,

employees may feel that they need not care about it and this attitude may also affect the

quality of their work.

5. Arrange work situations so that conversation between employees is either easy or

impossible. Experienced workers can do routine jobs with little attention to the task.

Conversation while working may reduce monotony and fatigue and thus have a

favourable effect on output.

6. If possible, increase the number of operations performed by one employee. This can be

done by the simplification of manual operations. It offers several advantages, viz.,


15/19

i) the risk of errors is reduced;

ii) training costs are minimized;

iii) Management can hire employees at lower wages.

iv) Structure jobs, so that workers can, at least occasionally move about the work area.

Besides job rotation, there are other ways to provide for physical movement such assetting employees secure their own tools or by adding operations which require some

physical activity.

v) Explore ways to assign greater personal responsibility. Increased responsibility

means greater self-esteem and greater job meaningfulness. One way to enlarge

responsibility is to let an employee inspect his own work.

Self Assessment Questions IV

11.6 Distinction between Morale and Motivation

Morale and motivation even though inter-related are NOT synonymous. Motivation is

individualistic while morale is a group instinct. An employee may be motivated to do a job

well even if the morale is low. Morale is on account of various favourable attitudes and

congenial climate available in an organisation. Motivation is intrinsic and can be improved by

external factors. Industrial morale is the composite expression of attitudes of the various

individuals employed by the organisation which is ultimately reflected through the

generalised feelings of the individual employee, both as an individual as well as the member of

his group. It is generated by the group and its leadership through the development andmaintenance of adequate inter-personal relationships.

As a practical matter for managers needing genuine motivation and productivity, this key

distinction between "hygiene factors" and "motivators" becomes critical in the motivation of

workers. Like a doctor curing aches and pains (hygiene problems), a manager can not ignore

inadequate working conditions or other "hygiene" factors dissatisfying his people and

1. Every employee needs motivation, however, all people do not react in exactly thesame way to the same _____________

2. The last stage of motivation is to follow-up the results of the....................

3. Psychologically speaking, _______________is a part and parcel of life. To deny thisis to build the theory on unrealistic foundation.


16/19

damaging their productivity. But, after the effort to correct inadequate conditions, a manager

must know that he has importantly, but only, accomplished a first step: restoring worker

morale, not "motivating" anyone. The second step is entirely different and must be pursued

with equal effort: actually "motivating" people to high productivity by imaginative daily use

of the "top six" motivators on the list. Most managers don't; it is the responsibility of management trainers to show them how.

For example, many a manager, after hard hours of phoning to fix a worker's problems with

his air conditioning, computer system and personal insurance files, restores that worker's

morale, then sinks exhausted into his chair - as if that's "job done." Not done at all! He's done

well the first step, restoring morale; but has not even begun the second step of searching out

new ways to motivate the worker to high productivity.

Morale and Motivation A Winning Combination: Understanding the difference betweenmorale and motivation is extremely important. The best results come when an organization

has both high morale and high motivation. Consider the following tips to boost motivation

and morale in your organization:

1. Emphasize the positive. Even when faced with a negative outcome, what went well?

What was done correctly? Dont fall prey to a desire to complain but spend some time

focussing on the good aspects.

2. Reward members and volunteers for exceeding expectations. When someone goes above

and beyond, recognize them for this. It will make that individual feel great andencourage others.

3. Ask for the input from others. Seek their opinion and suggestions. Are there things that

could be done to help make things better? Keep an open mind and encourage others to

give their honest opinion.

4. Provide regular feedback on accomplishments. Use proven, effective techniques for

praising and correcting a member or volunteer performance.

5. Hold members and volunteers accountable for their performance. One of the many

important benefits to this is that it shows that you are aware of their activities and what isgoing on.

6. Ask members and volunteers for their feelings on issues and decisions that impact the

organization and involve them in decisions that affect the organization or club.

7. Offer a task completion schedule with as much flexibility as possible.


17/19

8. Give members and volunteers all the information they need to complete the task given to

them. Talk to them about the overall mission of the organization or event and how their

efforts will contribute to the overall success.

9. Establish effective and user-friendly channels of communications. You may need to

adapt these styles based on comfort levels of all participants.10. Tell the truth, but in a compassionate, friendly manner.

11. Use we rather than I as often as possible.

12. Always celebrate success. You may need to look hard for it at first, but when you find it,

show it off.

13. Like a good recipe where careful selection of the quality ingredients and proper mixing

is paramount to its end result, the careful mix of morale and motivation can take an

organization and its members to great heights.


1. ..can be defined as the act of stimulating someone to take a desired course

of action-to push the right button to get a desired reaction.

2. James Driver says that, motivation means the phenomena involved in the operation

of..

3. .are action-oriented and provide an energizing thrust toward goal

accomplishment.

4. A ..in the motivation cycle can be defined as anything which will alleviate aneed and reduce a drive.

5. Motivation must establish...

6. The Need Hierarchy Theory of motivation was put forward by.

11.7. Summary

Good organizational morale is a condition in which individuals and groups voluntarily make a

reasonable subordination of their personal objectives of their organization.

The building of morale is not a mechanical problem that could be solved by either rewards or punishments or by issuing orders regarding morale.

Morale depends upon the relations between expectations and reality. The closer the individual's

environment comes to providing the kinds of rewards he expects; the better will be his morale.

One of the most unpredictable effects of the level of morale is its impact on worker productivity.

Morale can be measured by assessing attitudes and job satisfaction.


18/19

The guided interview is a useful method of investigating the morale of supervisors or other

groups that are small in comparison with the employees as a whole.

Signs of low morale are generally not noticed till it is obviously low or when something goes

amiss.

Perceptive managers are constantly on the lookout for clues to any deterioration in the moraleof the employees.

Morale can be improved by adapting several measures such as employee contest, special

recognition and awards to long service employees, film shows to employees during their lunch

hour, free coffee during rest pauses, and training the supervisors in how to handle people.

The study of human motivation is of great importance in any theory of management.

Unless individuals are motivated to make sufficient potential to perform effectively, they may

not achieve the level of performance that is desired from them.

Motivation aims at transforming the ability to do into the will to do.

The key to understand motivation lies in the meaning and relationships between needs, drives

and goals.

Motivation may range from a threatening gesture to a tradition inspired activity.

The importance of motivation to human life and work can be judged by the number of theories

that have been propounded to explain people's behaviour. They explain human motivation

through human needs and human nature.

Maslow views an individual's motivation as a pre-determined order of needs which he strives to

satisfy.

There are no ready-made remedies for bringing about an effective motivation but certainfactors could be used as guidelines.

Basically, people are motivated by themselves and are seldom motivated directly by other

people.

Instead of direct manipulation, creation of an atmosphere that will help individual to greater

achievement is important.

Motivation of people depends on their image of themselves and their expectation of what

that image should be.

A person's psychological needs affect his self-image.

Morale and motivation, even though inter-related, are not synonymous. Motivation is

individualistic while morale is a group instinct.

A careful mix of morale and motivation can take an organization and its members to great heights.

11.8. Terminal Questions

1. Define Motivation. Distinguish between Motivation & Morale.

2. Explain the views of Herzberg and Maslow on Motivation.


19/19

3. Critically examine Maslows Need Hierarchy theory with examples.

4. Critically discuss the McGregors Theory X and Y and contrast with the principles of

Theory Z

5. Discuss three motivation techniques that you think are most relevant and explain why you

think so.

11.9. Answers to SAQs and TQs

Self Assessment Questions I

1- Level of performance that is desired from them, 2- perceives as having value to him, 3-

needs, 4- goal

Self Assessment Questions II

1- He strives to satisfy, 2- Professor Douglas McGregor, 3- forced to work against their will by

threat and fear.


1- Guidelines, 2- self-image, 3- the management

Self Assessment Questions IV

1- stimuli., 2- application of the plan. 3- selfishness

Answer to TQs:

1. Refer to 11.2 & 11.6

2. Refer to 11.3

3. Refer to 11.3

4. Refer to 11.3

5. Refer to 11.5

human resource management notes 11

Documents