Student ID: GUNHC1401
Module: ILSC2
Tutor: Dr David Westlake
2. How can a manager motivate a workforce and what are the major benefits of this to a company? Support your answer with examples.
Word count: 971
Motivation has to do with a set of independent/dependant variable relationships that explain the direction, amplitude, and persistence of an individual’s behaviour, holding constant the effects of aptitude, skill, and understanding of the task, and the constraints operating in the environment. (Campbell and Pritchard, 1976) Porter et al (2003) says that this definition has three common denominators that may be said to characterise the phenomenon of motivation, that is, (1) what energizes human behaviour, (2) what directs or channels such behaviour, and (3) how this behaviour is maintained or sustained.” This essay will illustrate the different types of motivation techniques that can be used by a manager in an organisation, and how these methods could benefit an organisation and also prove that it is better to work with a motivated staff rather than the alternative.
Maslow’s (1954, 1968) hierarchy of needs is one the most widely used theories. He classified human needs into logical and simple categories, where “individuals attend to needs in a sequential fashion, moving from the bottom of the hierarchy toward the top.”(Porter et al, 2003:6). It would help manager’s understand an employee’s status in the hierarchy using this theory. Maslow further distinguished this human needs between two basic categories (2003:6) Deficiency needs and growth needs; most unskilled and operational level staff members would be working their way towards growth needs, because to reach this, “needs for safety, the feeling of belonging, love and respect (from others)” (2003:6) need to be satisfied (deficiency needs). Tesco uses this motivational theory to motivates it employees. To help fulfil an employee’s security needs Tesco “provides the security of
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