Ganta’s study on employee motivation
Discuss about the Motivation and its Theories for Journal of Engineering Technology.
The author Ganta (2014) has covered the importance of employee motivation in this study. The author of this study can be seen as over exciting for the concept and that is evident in the author’s work which also enables him to find the benefits of employee motivation and vice-versa. According to the author, motivated employees can yield a list of benefits for them and also for employers they are a part of. Motivated employees can efficiently utilize the potential they possess. Nevertheless, they feel motivated to contribute to the team’s cause and also justify their presence in the company. However, Ganta (2014) can be observed as worried regarding a fact that employee motivation has often remained a challenge for leaders or the managers. It is always challenging for managers to identify the factors of employee motivation as different employees have the range of choices for motivation. To some monetary values is the best resource whereas many are satisfied just with recognition or they need a good working environment. Employees, when not motivated, can look for actions which are not productive from the employer’s perspectives. Such employees can be found as half-heartedly connected with the project or they can also opt for a switch over to another job. Ganta (2014) has also identified Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and Herzberg’s Two-Factor Model as the two best resources which can be applied to the workplace to motivate the performance of workforce.
Njoroge and Yazdanifard (2014) have also understood employee motivation as an essential element to success. In an unconventional way, the authors have identified the social and emotional intelligence as a good resource to help managers equip with skills that are immensely required to deal with the diverse generations at the contemporary workplace. The authors have further emphasized on a fact that monetary values is an outdated concept and is not effective in regards to the multigenerational workforce. The multigenerational workforce needs more than this. There is a need for something that could promote employees who have engaged minds and captiveate hearts for the work they are put into. Managers, as opined by Njoroge and Yazdanifard (2014), must get a hold of the multigenerational differences that exist in the workplace. There are basically the three generations such as Baby Boomers, Boomers and Millennials exist in the workplace. The authors have identified a lot of differences in the different generations in regards to work culture, style of working, honesty & integrity and more. For example, Millennials are very keen to look for better jobs unless and until they are not satisfied with their existing employer. Baby Boomers are more supportive to change process than Boomers and Millennials. Boomers are resistive to change process because they develop the tendency to stick around the ongoing process. Millennials being in the immature stage they tend to persist in their comfort zone and are not eager to any such change that can potentially trouble their leverages. Social intelligence as noted by authors was being introduced by the psychologist Edward Thorndike in 1920. Daniel Goleman is remembered as popularising the emotional intelligence.
Njoroge and Yazdanifard’s study on social and emotional intelligence
In the opinion of Yidong and Xinxin (2013), ethical leadership and innovative behavior can help leaders to motivate the employees. The authors have found intrinsic motivation as the best of factors of motivation due to its characteristic to produce a lasting impact on the employee’s performance. Employees according to Yidong and Xinxin (2013) will be intrinsically motivated if they are working with the ethical leaders. Leaders must also have the essence for innovation as it does not only help to find the innovative ways to lead the team but, also provides the list of ways to positively influence the work behavior of employees. According to authors Yidong and Xinxin (2013), cognitive evaluation theory can be extremely effective in helping the managers to become both innovative and ethical as well. Cognitive Evaluation Theory is a psychological theory which is specifically designed to explain the effects of external consequences on the workplace motivation. The various external factors which could effectively influence the intrinsic motivation in employees can be derived with the help of the Cognitive Evaluation Theory. One of the external factors can be the ethical and innovative work values in the managers. Many employees are intrinsically motivated when they are under the supervision of an ethical leader.
The authors Ferris, Johnson, Rosen, Djurdjevic, Chang and Tan (2013) have identified Regulatory Focus Theory as the most effective way to regulate the motivational work behavior at the workplace. It is about the individual and its understanding of what needs to be the best set of actions leading to the set goal. The individual working in a firm used to have the certain set goals leading to which they feel like staying with the current employer and build up their career. However, this is challenging to realize the ways to lead to the set goals and the Millennials in specific are highly affected by this. They very easily lose their belief and think of quitting the existing job. As opined by Ferris et al. (2013), the RFT can prove to be an effective theory for such employees. It teaches on the ways to motivate the individual’s contribution at the workplace. Individuals are just required to identify both positive and negative aspects of a response such as an outcome of fulfilling a responsibility or the vice-versa.
The authors Guillén, Ferrero and Hoffman (2015) have indicated towards a few most important factors like the ethical & religious motivation and human motivation taxonomy. According to authors, factors must be ethically proven that are being used at the organizational level. It means that whatever is committed must be supplied to employees. It is the responsibilities of leaders that they are ethical in committing and fulfilling the motivational factors. Another fact highlighted in this study is related to religious motivation. Few employees are found to have a strong passion and love for the religion they practice. They feel hurt and demoralized as well when they do not observe the expected respects for their religion from their colleagues and the managers. This according to the authors has now become a good resource to motivate the employees. Human motivation taxonomy is also believed as a way to motivate the employee’s participation. It governs the importance of many factors that also include autonomy which means that employees must have the inbuilt tendency to be motivated. They must not get influenced by the external resources as this may also be misguiding. Such as someone can be an addict to alcoholism under the influence of a group or an individual. However, if the individual has control over its tendency to get influenced by the external resources, would remain protected from the addiction of alcohol.
Yidong and Xinxin’s study on ethical leadership and innovative work behavior
The author has kept his study confined to behavioral differences of different genders specifically Gen X and Gen Y in regards to intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. The author before conducting the study is aware of the facts that few studies on the similar topic had found differences in Gen X and Gen Y in context to their behavior for motivation; however, few others have found no such differences. The author has considered two factors of motivation such as intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. The author has also found no such differences between Gen X and Gen Y in regards to their behavior for intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Both Millennials and Gen X were being found as equally interested in extrinsic motivation such as monetary values. Monetary values can vary from one employer to another. At the basic level, payment for over-time, performance-based incentives and others are the few examples of monetary values. Intrinsic motivation can be anything that acknowledges the work of individuals. This basically includes but not limited to like giving positive feedback to employees, acknowledging their hard-works and others.
In the opinion of Shahzadi, Javed, Pirzada, Nasreen and Khanam (2014), employee motivation does impact the employee performance which is the ultimate desire for managers these days. Shahzadi et al. (2014) have identified a few factors such as intrinsic rewards and employee perceived training that significantly influence the employee motivation. The authors have also identified that motivation is important for an improved employee performance. According to authors, performing employees make things easier for the employer in regards to aligning the employee’s action with the organizational goals and objectives. Authors have identified intrinsic rewards and perceived training programs as two factors that significantly impact the employee’s performance. Intrinsic motivation according to authors is all those external factors which management can adapt to influence the work behavior of employees. This includes but is not limited to like acknowledging the hard-works, appreciating the efforts, recognizing the potential employees, congratulatory emails and others. Perceived training as according to authors can also help employees align their actions with the organizational goals and objectives. This is what is more important to attain a committed workforce.
Perryer, C., Celestine, N.A., Scott-Ladd, B. and Leighton, C., (2016) have found gamification as the emerging trend in the 21st-century workplace. Gamification can also be successfully integrated with the range of motivation theories that also include Self-Determination Theory and Four-Drive Theory. Gamification as according to Perryer et al. (2016) can be used in a most feasible form to influence the employee behavior. This means presenting work tasks to employees in an interesting way, so that, they feel excited and motivated as well. The Self-Determination Theory states that people make their self-choices for motivation. Such construction can include the list of elements which is specific only to employees. The Four Drive Theory is based on four underlying drives such as the drive to Bond & Belong, to Acquire & Achieve, to Define & Defend and to be Challenged & Comprehend. Hence, the theory actually covers some essential elements which are needed to motivate the employee’s participation. Perryer et al. (2016) have indicated that Gamification is mean to present the tasks with different elements of motivation embedded with it and being influenced from the various theoretical frameworks such as the two presented in this study.
Ferris et al’s study on Regulatory Focus Theory
The authors Yusoff, Kian and Idris (2013) have studied the validity of Two-Factor Theory at the contemporary workplace. According to Two-Factor Theory, there are two important factors of motivation known as motivators and hygiene. Herzberg had identified that the different factors of motivators as the good resources to employee motivation. Some of these factors include challenging work, involvement in decision making and others. These factors require a real courage from employees; however, once they are able to handle such challenges they will be highly motivated. Hygiene factors of Two-factor Theory include many such as job security, salary, work conditions and others. These factors if not being provided to employees can hamper their motivation level. They may get distracted from their responsibilities. The authors based on their study have made an argument that hygiene factors are not at all the time hygiene for productivity. Extrinsic motivation can also produce the effective results.
Cherian and Jacob (2013) are focussed on self-efficacy in their study. Self-efficacy is also the essential element of the Social Cognitive Theory. Self-efficacy means identifying the personal level of competency and then summing the needs for improvement. It then follows a rectification of the identified weaknesses by means of training & development process. According to authors Cherian and Jacob (2013), self-efficacy can be applied at the workplace to encourage employees to identify their competency level. Moreover, it can also be done by the management team. The authors in their study have shown the importance of implementing the effective training & development programs. In another way, the authors have cited the importance of a continuous learning program which can be attained by appropriately implementing the training & development process and by having the analytical employees who know the ways to remain engaged with the self-efficacy process. The “needs for training” has remained a challenge to the management; however, the implementation of the social cognitive theory can effectively help to overcome the issue.
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