Motivating Employees
Respond to at least two other posts regarding items you found to be compelling and enlightening. To help you with your reply, please consider the following questions:
What did you learn from the posting?
What additional questions do you have after reading the posting?
What clarification do you need regarding the posting?
What differences or similarities do you see between your initial discussion thread and your classmates’ postings?
How do your classmates’ chosen theories apply to other situations?
Student 1
Alicia
If a survey were to be conducted throughout an organization surrounding motivation, the results would illustrate that motivation means different things to different people at different levels of their careers. Additionally, the source of that motivation varies from person to person as well. Motivation can come from the nature of the job itself, the people that also work in the organization, or from an internal personal reason. In scenario C, the situation that presents itself is one that can be fairly common in certain industries. When individuals find themselves in the position of being in seemingly “dead end job” with no foreseeable opportunities for growth or job change, then the expectancy theory is applied in these types of scenarios.
The text describes that the expectancy theory “describes the cognitive processes involved in deciding the best course of action for achieving our goals” (Blanchard & Thacker, 2013). As a result of this theory being applied, it is just as important to note the three associated elements which include, “The level of success expected by the individual (e.g., how well she will be able to do what she sets out to do), which is termed Expectancy 1. The individual’s beliefs about what the outcomes will be if she is successful. The expected outcomes and their likelihood of occurrence make up Expectancy 2. The individual’s feelings about the various outcomes’ positive or negative value. An outcome’s subjective value is referred to as its valence” (Blanchard & Thacker, 2013). These elements play a significant part in the way a person feels about their current employment situation. The article reinforced these elements and the decision and outlook of scenario C by stating in motivation 6 that a stable future is a main component that motivates people (Llopis, 2012). Stability in many cases trumps change, which sometimes can keep people in jobs even when there is no room for advancement.
References
Blanchard, P. N., & Thacker, J. W. (2013). Effective training: Systems, strategies, and practices (5th ed). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.
Llopis, G. (2012, June 4). The top 9 things that ultimately motivate employees to achieve.Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/glennllopis/2012/06/04/top-9-things-that-ultimately-motivate-employees-to-achieve/
Student 2
John
You have been employed at the same company for 20 years. You have come to terms with the fact that you have no promotional opportunities here and you are at a “dead end job.” You contemplated changing jobs a few times in the last few years, but some of the reasons you stay include a manageable work load, flexible work hours, friendly co-workers, and a supportive upper management team. Yet, you are not motivated to go above and beyond the expectations identified for your position and job description.
Scenario C is my scenario of choice. The motivational theory I chose to apply to the scenario is expectancy theory. A summary of the scenario finds the employee in a state of just meeting the job requirements. The things the employee deem beneficial about the job are received at the level of his/her current output. The employee realizes additional output will not render additional benefits.
The expectancy theory aptly addresses this scenario. According to (Mathis & Jackson, 2003), “This theory states that individuals base decisions about their behaviors on their expectations that one or another alternate behavior more likely to lead to needed or desired outcomes. This model of motivation suggests that individuals’ level of effort (motivation) is not simply functions of rewards. Employees must expect that they have the ability to perform the task well; they must feel that high performance will result in receiving rewards; and they must value those rewards. If all three conditions are met, employees will be motivated to exert greater effort” (p.71).
The factors that motivate employees to achieve change as the employee mature (Llopis, 2012). The employee is no longer motivated by the thought of career advancement. The employee is however, motivated by a manageable work load, flexible work hours, friendly co-workers, and a supportive upper management team. These areas could be built upon as a manager to increase the worker’s happiness and relevance. The “coming to terms” concerning no promotional opportunities is a conclusion that may need to be revisited. Did the employee arrive at this conclusion alone or did management express this to him/her? Very few people make achievements beyond their expectancy. According to (Reece & Brandt, 2005), “This somewhat mysterious connection between what you expect in life and what you actually achieve is sometimes referred to as the self-fulfilling prophecy; If you can conceive it and believe it, you can achieve it” (p.170). It is possible that after the employee embraced the conclusion of no promotional opportunities, his/her level of output diminished, thus giving the conclusion reality.
References:
Llopis, G. (2012, June 4). The top 9 things that ultimately motivate employees to achieve. Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/glennllopis/2012/06/04/top-9-things-that-ultimately-motivate-employees-to-achieve/
Mathis, R.L., & Jackson, J.H. (2003). Human resource management (10th ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western .
Reece, B.L., & Brandt, R. (2005). Effective human relations (9th ed.). Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.
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Hi Alicia, it is indeed true that motivation means different things to different people and as such the sources of motivation are also varied. Finding yourself in a dead end job is a fairly common situation and thus your choice of the expectancy theory is on point. The associated elements of the level of success expected by the individual…………………….
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