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You need to understand
what makes people work - and what would make them work harder.
FOUR THEORIES ON MOTIVATION
Different employees have
different needs, and therefore before you can motivate someone you need to identify
what drives them. Four main theories attempt to do this.
1. We're all lazy.
Fred Taylor's study of American steelworkers (Scientific Management) concluded
that there was only one way to motivate the workforce: cash. The only reason
people got out of bed was to earn their wages, and therefore to improve productivity
you needed a combination of wages and bullying. The workforce comprised lazy,
selfish, cloned beings. Throw cash at the problem and it would disappear.
2. Poles apart. Taylor's
theory may well apply to low-paid manual industries, but does not provide an
ideal model for labour relations. This was recognised by Douglas McGregor, who
identified two extremes of the spectrum - 'Theory X' and 'Theory Y' workers.
Theory X workers correspond
to Taylor's steelworkers - they are lazy, work-shy and fearful of change. These
workers have little ambition, preferring to be led. The only way to increase
output is through coercian and pay.
Theory Y workers are an
opposite extreme - to them, work is 'as natural as play'. Because they are ambitious,
they cannot be motivated merely by cash. It is the employer's responsibility
to help the individual to achieve his own goals (responsibility? social needs?)
through work.
Most importantly, McGregor
suggested that failure to identify Y's needs would have a demotivating effect.
In other words, if you treated Y as if he were X, the end result would be a
Theory X employee. You have turned the model employee into one of little value.
Back to reality, and most
employees would probably place themselves somewhere between McGregor's extremes.
And we have yet to identify the real driving forces behind our Theory Y employees.
3. Satisfaction and motivation.
Herzberg's 'hygiene theory' returned to the difference between satisfied
and motivated workers. A satisfied worker doesn't mind working for his own ends,
but the satisfied and motivated worker positively relishes working harder. A
satisfied worker is loyal, comfortable at work and takes pride in the business
(those company umbrellas aren't given away to distant relatives for once): a
motivated worker provides (and demands) feedback, has a sense of urgency, is
committed to increased productivity.
- Hygiene factors. Ask
yourself this: what are the minimum standards you expect from your job? A
minimum salary? A pleasant working environment? 20 days' holiday? A creche?
These are your 'hygiene factors' - if they are not satisfied, neither are
you. If your employer failed to provide a basic wage, or comfortable chairs,
you wouldn't work. But does the mere fact that you have the salary, or the
chair, or the holiday, motivate you to work harder? Of course not. The fact
that the photocopier works today does not excite you - it's supposed to be
working. You are driven by promises of extra rewards.
- Motivating factors. To
encourage staff to work harder, we need not only to satisfy their hygiene
factors, but also to identify their 'motivating factors'. These will differ
for each individual: people may be seeking praise, promotion through merit,
a partner's office, or even performance-related pay.
4. Maslow's 'hierarchy
of needs'. Maslow took the idea of motivating factors a stage further, suggesting
that all behaviour is need-driven. His hierarchy attempted to identify five
levels of needs that the average person faces (see figure below). Maslow argued
that, once the level of need is satisfied, a worker is motivated by attempting
to attain the next level.
Maslow's
'hierarchy of needs'
Self-fulfilment
Ego
Social
Safety / security
Basic
There are two important
implications of Maslow's theory:
- Money is only seen as
a secondary motivator - it may help to achieve your primary goals, but is
not a goal in itself.
- Employers need to be
aware of workers' goals, both inside and outside of the workplace, and to
reward them accordingly.
Example. Buck Rogers
returns to Earth in the 25th century, having been reawakened from his cryogenic
chamber. Dr Theo, his new employer, wishes to motivate Buck to work for the
Earth Council, and seeks your advice.
Applying Maslow's hierarchy
of needs:
Basic needs - Buck will
initially be driven by the need for shelter, food and clothing.
Safety/security needs -
once he has his basics, Buck's needs will be longer-term - to obtain better
quality work from him, he could be offered the chance of a pension or a longer-term
contract with guaranteed salary. Medical insurance could be an incentive if
he meets his performance targets.
Social needs - once he is
convinced that his future with the Council is secure, Buck may turn to his social
life. He may be motivated by the promise of extra shore leave or the chance
to gain membership of the golf club.
Ego needs - Buck now has
friends, but this is no longer enough. He wishes to achieve respect within the
Council, and feels demotivated by the lack of status. Appointing him as ambassador
to Draconia could help to restore his ego.
Self-fulfilment - Buck finally
tires of the endless receptions, and feels he is not worthy of his reputation.
The Council could suggest that he take time out for a sabbatical working with
the deprived peoples of New Earth.
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