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MOTIVATION
and MORALE
MOTIVATION - is a force within a
person that make him/her act in a certain way to chieve some
goal.
MORALE
² is the way an employee
feels about all aspects of his/her job
²
the actual work
² supervisors and peers
² the organization
² working
environment
² an many more
What is motivation?
For
our purposes motivation is simply the amount of job-relatedeffort
a person puts forth. In a more general sense, motivation canalsobe
thought of as a tendency to do things that can result in the
satisfaction of personal needs.
Two basic
questions will help us understand motivation:
(1)
What are people's important needs? and
(2)
How do people decide how much effort they will exert? The answer
to the first
question guides
a supervisor in determining what rewards to offer, since only
those rewards
which satisfy important needs will motivate employees. The answer
to the second question
will reveal different options that are the basis for an employee's
choosing
to perform at a marginal, an average, or an outstanding
level.
Understanding the answers to these questions will help you as
supervisor attain higher
levels of performance from subordinates. It can also aid the
organization in establishing
policies, rules, and procedures to promote high levels of morale
and performance.
What are people's important needs?
Maslow's Need Hierarchy
Once answer
to the question of what motivates employees has been provided
by psychologist Abraham Maslow. There are three key points to
understanding his ideas. First, he proposed a set of categories
for human needs Second, he pointed out that as need is satisfied
it decreases in importance to the particular individual. Third,Maslow
suggested that as a given need is satisfied the next higher
need in the hierarchy will increase in importance. Maslow's
hierarchy of needs may be briefly outlined as follows:
1.Physical needs. These most basic human needs include the need
for food, water, rest, and
physical activity. If these needs are not met, their satisfaction
will be the dominant drive
in an individual's behavior.For example, a starving person will
be motivated by his or her
need for food.
2.Safety or security needs.
This category of needs refers to avoiding harm or threats to
a person's well-being.
In a work situation,these might surface s the desire for stable
and secure employment,
supervision that is fair and predictable, and nonhazardous working
conditions.
3.Belongingness or social needs. This refers to the need for
friendship, affection, companionship,
or in general, the need to relate to other people.In a work
organization this
might surface as the desire to be accepted by one's co-workers
and to have people
to talk with at work. It might also be expressed as a desire
to avoid working in
isolation without feedback from others.
4.Esteem
needs. These are needs both for self-respect and respect from
others. People need
to feel that they are competent in performing their jobs and
that they are doing a job
that is meaningful and worthwhile. It is important not only
to feel subjectively that our
work counts but also to feel that others share that view. The
supervisor who compliments
the good work a subordinate has done may be contributing to
the satisfaction of
the subordinate's need for esteem.
5.The need
for self-actualization, or development. This designation refers
to the need to become
what we are capable of becoming. It is the need to develop new
skills and to meet
even more difficult challenges, an need that is never rally
satisfied. In a work situation,
supervisors would do well to allow individuals to achieve expertise
in a giver area and
to develop their skills and capabilities to the fullest. Another
good technique is to
give employees opportunity to participate in decisions affecting
their work in the organization.
Figure 3-1 shows the Maslow need hierarchy in the form of a
ladder. As a person
satisfies physical needs, he or she looks for ways to meet security
needs, and
so forth.
(It should be noted that although a given category of needs
may be basically satisfied,
it still continues to play a background role in the individual's
life and may reemerge
in certain situations.) Maslow's provides a second key to understanding
job- related
needs when he says that as a need is satisfied its importance
to a
particular individual
declines. For example, as the need for security is satisfied,
its importance as
a motivator of behavior declines. This is important because
most organizations
find that high wages and stable employment(security-related
items)
cease to
be effective in motivating employees to work , beyond some
undetermined level.
It then becomes necessary to develop other kinds
of rewards and other
incentives to motivate to the work force. A good
example of his second principle is provided
by the labor relations officer who asks: "Won't the
union members ever be satisfied?They
used to bargain for better wages and fringe benefits, and
now our company is
an industry leader in wages and fringes. Yet union officials
complain that the work
is boring and that union members don't have a say in decisions
affecting their work."
The third key to understanding human motivation is that as one
need is
satisfied,
even partly another immediately moves in. For example, when
physical needs are
satisfied they decrease in importance and security needs become
the dominant
force
in the individual. After security needs are satisfied,
they also decrease in importance
and belongingness needs emerge as paramount. And so on down
the list until some
individuals are motivated chiefly by the need for self- actualization,
a drive that is never
fully satisfied . Figure 3-2 shows the sequence of satisfaction
of a need category,
decreased importance of that need category, and increased importance
of the next category
of needs, that is part of motivation.
Recent
Modifications to Maslow’s Need Hierarchy
Several changes have been suggested
that build on Maslow’s need hierarchy and expand our knowledge
of human needs. One concerns Maslow’s classification scheme.
Studies focusing on categories of human needs have come up with
several different classificatory schemes. Although none can
be branded either true or false, a more useful classification
device might be simply to distinguish between higher-order and
lower-order needs. The lower-order needs would include Maslow’s
physical, safety or security, and belongingness categories,
and the higher order would include the need for esteem and self-respect
as well as the need for self-actualization.
Maslow’s
idea that the more fully a need is satisfied, the less important
that need becomes, does have the support of several studies.
The implication for supervisory people is that the use of only
one kind of reward--- for example, praise---will lessen that
reward’s effectiveness over time. It then becomes necessary
for the supervisor to find other kinds of rewards to satisfy
employee’ unmet needs. A second implication is that when
a certain set of needs has been met, changing a work situation
to provide even more satisfaction of this same category of needs
will have no effect on motivation. However, changing the situation
so as to leave these needs unsatisfied once again will usually
cause them to resurface as highly important. Therefore, since
highly important needs are not being met, dissatisfaction will
be great. Block 3-1 illustrates this problem.
The Two-Factor Approach to Motivation
Frederick Herzberg, an organizational psychologist who developed
the two-factor approach to motivation, feels that there are
two classes of rewards in a work situation. These he terms motivator
factors (intrinsic rewards) and hygiene factors (extrinsic rewards).
What Are Motivators? The motivators factors that have been identified
are
1. Achievement,
or completing an important task successufully
2. Recognition, being singled out for praise
3. the nature of the work itself, that is, whether it is interesting
or meaningful
4. Responsibility for one’s own work or for the work of
others
5. Advancement,
changing one’s status through promotion
BLOCK:3-1 Change of Supervisor
Marlene thinks that her supervisor, Ed Wheeler, is fair and
predictable, and does not worry about unfair treatment by her
supervisor, Setting up a grievance procedure in which an employee
can appeal what are felt to be unfair or unreasonable actions
by supervisors will not create greater satisfaction for Marlene.
Time passes and Ed
Wheeler is transferred to another location and is replaced by
Mike Paulson. Mike does not treat people consistently. There
have been a number of instances, but this week has been too
much. On Monday and Tuesday, Marlene and Stella worked together
getting out a crash report. Both had worked late Monday night
and had come in early Tuesday to get it done. Mike complimented
Stella personally and later told his supervisor, in front of
other members of the department, what a fine job Stella had
done. Not a word was said about Marlene.
This morning, Wednesday, both Stella and Marlene come in two
hours late. With Ed Wheeler it had been the practice that if
you had to put in some extra time to get your work done, you
could take a couple of hours off the next day if there wasn’t
anything pressing. Marlene arrived a few minutes after Stella.
Nothing was said to Stella, but Marlene was called in Mike’s
office and told, if you don’t have a good reason for being
late, I will have to give you a one-day disciplinary layoff.
Regardless of
Mikes reaction when Marlene explains why she was late. Marlene
would probably like to have some means available for initiating
a grievance. This example demonstrates how a change in a work
situation can withdraw the satisfaction of a need and thereby
cause that need to reemerge.
Motivators are fob factors that are thought to lead to high
levels of satisfaction with work and the motivation to put forth
superior effort. When motivators are absent from a work situation,
dissatisfaction does not necessarily occur, but high motivation
will not be forthcoming either. Motivator factors are assumed
to reflect a need for personal growth. Relating them to Maslow’s
need hierarchy, motivators seem roughly equivalent to self-actualization
and self-esteem. What Are Hygiene Factors? Hygiene factors identified
by Herzberg are
1.Pay or salary level
2.Technical supervisior, or having acompetent supervisor
3.The human relations
quality of supervision, that is, the interpersonal skills of
a supervisor
4.Company policies
and administration
5.Working conditions or physical surroundings
6.Job security When hygiene factors are absent, workers usually
have job dissatisfaction.
However, their presence does not automatically ensure high levels
of job
satisfaction and motivation to work. Hygiene factors reflect
a need for avoiding
the unpleasantness in one’s job. They relate to the
environment in which the job is done.
Exhibit 3.1 Overview of Leadership Styles |
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WHAT
IS MORALE?
Morale is the attitude
of each individual in a group toward the group’s
purposes and goals. It is always present n some form,
although it may change from moment to moment. People are
more ape to notice morale when it is conspicuously high
or low. High morale develops over a long time, is difficult
to maintain, and often is taken for granted. If morale
is low, sometimes little else is noticed.
In
the same way that health is important, so is morale. It
requires regular attention, diagnosis, and treatment.
Morale has been defined as a state of mind
and emotions. Morale is a composite of the feelings of
individuals and groups toward life, environment, and work
it affects our attitude, which in turn affects others.
It can vary from appositive to negative form at any time:
yet for all its evasiveness, good morale is vital to an
organization.
Most would agree that people
need personal recognition. Work, more than any other activity
is a source of such recognition. Recognition in work gives
a sense of pride, a feeling of personal fulfillment, and
an up lift in morale. Denying people this recognition
causes them to become bored and frustrated. Importance
of the Employee’s Attitude
An employee’s
attitude is an important factor in determining his or
her job success. Repeated studies reveal that an employee
is more often released because of poor attitude than because
of inefficiency. Similar studies show that when a supervisor
fails to attain his or her objectives, the cause is closely
related to attitude. Often it is not what supervisors
do, but rather how they try to do it----not what they
say, but rather how they say it----that determines their
success in working effectively with people.
In
modern industry, morale is closely related to productivity
and the attainment of work objectives. The morale of everyone
within th company---supervisors and employees alike---largely
determines the company’ success. Understanding the
Attitudes of Today’s Employees
Today’s
employees are different from yesterday’s. Past managerial
approaches were authoritative, because employees depended
upon the owner-manager for wages and jobs. Today’s
employees are better educated and expect management of
recognize their knowledge, skill, aptitude, and expectations.
They want to achieve objectives, rather than merely follow
orders or procedures.
Successful management approaches involve power through
people, instead of power over people. Good results are
obtained when management is oriented toward achieving
objectives and setting goals for performance appraisal.
In the past, jobs were designed for unskilled workers
whose priority was security and decent living. Today workers
need a sense of accomplishment and a belief that their
work has meaning. Individual Morale
Our
general outlook on life depends to a great extent on how
we feel about ourselves. Our self—concept must be
in a state of continuous renewal. As we pass through life,
we accumulate habits and opinions that affect our general
feeling. In simple terms, individual morale involves knowing
one’s own expectations and living up to them. If
we recognize our needs and how to satisfy them, our morale
will be high. Group Morale
Whereas individual
morale is one person’s attitude toward life, group
morale reflects the general tone or esprit de corps of
a group of personalities. Each person either heightens
the prospect of the esprit de corps or lowers the concept
of a cooperative effort. Group morale is everyone’s
business.
To many workers teamwork and team spirit are often more
important than their individual achievement. This is especially
true in teams of ten or less. Workers may also be more
concerned with the team success than with the overall
success of the company.
The final choice
of a goal and of how hard to work at it depends on two
conflicting tendencies. One is a person’s need for
success---a person with strong success motives tends to
choose challenging goals. The other is a person’s
fear of failure---a person with strong motives to avoid
failure will choose goals that are either extremely easy
or extremely hard. Groups operate in a similar manner.
When members have a strong desire for their group to succeed,
they tend to choose realistic goals and work hard for
them. Members who strongly desire the group to avoid failure
often choose very easy or very difficult goals, and they
won’t work very hard at either. It is understandable
why groups select easy goals. Groups that select unrealistic
and difficult goals find scapegoats and give outside forces
as the reasons for not achieving their goal.
Working
conditions that emphasize the negative consequences of
failure actually reduce performance. Repeated failure
gives group members a Who cares any more? attitude. Members
of failure groups enjoy their jobs less, have less pride
in their group, and then to blame others for their failure.
They feel their success is unimportant. METHODS OF DETERMINING
MORALE
Analysis of Records
What methods can
industry use to ascertain employee morale? The first one
is analysis of the company’s own records. Heavy
absenteeism, excessive tardiness, long lunch hours, quitting
early and poor safety records all could indicate low morale.
Low production and a high amount of spoilage may be another
indication. Finally, personnel records show the percentage
of employee turnover, which in some industries can be
expected to be 10 or even 20 percent.
The personnel department can certainly do much to evaluate
the company’s morale. Every employee who terminates
his position should be given an exit interview so that
he or she can be encouraged to speak freely about the
positive or negative aspects of the job.
The following records should give some indication of employee
morale. These should be reviewed before a company survey
is attempted. Attitudes and Morale
Labor turnover
Production
records
Waste
and spoilage
Abesenteeism
vTradiness
vCrievance
reports
vExit
interviews
vSafety
records
vMedical
reports
vSuggestion
boxes SELF CONFIDIENCE GEGINS WITH THE SUPERVISOR
Success and high morale in a department
begin with a self confident supervisor, and that feeling
of confidence can be contagious. Psychologists claim that
you need a large dose in order to succeed in business.
Many leaders feel they are seriously lacking in this vital
ingredient. Certainly, to be a successful supervisor,
you must have a strong sense of self confidence. You are
the sole determiner of what you think about any circumstance:
it’s your choice. If you go into a situation with
a negative and self defeating attitude, you will destroy
your self confidence before you can act. So shift negative
thoughts such as, I’m not very good at this sort
of thing, and I’ve always been poor at speaking
in front of groups, to affirmations such as, I’m
going to work at this thing until I become good at it.
I’ve been giving people too much power over me,
and I’m going to stop worrying about it.
Self
expectations and self confidence go hand-in-hand. If you
expect to fail, and expect that others will surpass you,
then it is unlikely that you will succeed. Start expecting
to be effective, to succeed: see yourself as talented
and don’t worry about what others are thinking.
You are deluding yourself, if you blame others for your
shortcomings. As a child, it may have been true that your
confidence was affected by others, but you are now an
adult, and you must assume the responsibility.
Bag
behaviors are way sin which people enclose themselves
and limit their development. Even their speech patterns,
such as excessive use of just, if any, perhaps, and I’m
not sure prove their lack of self confidence.
Bag behavior also can enclose others. That is, baggers
bag people with sarcastic and belittling words. They tend
to dump their negative feelings and attitudes on others.
Assertive behavior
helps overcome bag behaviors. Be direct, honest, and demonstrate
your respect for others. People can choose either to stand
by their issues or to jump back into the bag. We must
recognize that we are not infallible and we must take
risks, knowing that some mistakes are inevitable. You
must accept yourself and your limitations, and remember:
If you aren’t number one with yourself, you won’t
be number one with anyone.
Give
yourself rewards for mastering a new situation. When you
have resolved an employee conflict or finished a project
on time, take yourself out for a cup of coffee and a piece
of pie. At times take a big risk. Muster your courage
to tackle a big situation. Ask for the raise you want,
or talk to your partner about your feelings of being cheated.
Start changing your life to suit the person you choose
to be. How to Get More from Your Job
Judge
your work by your employer’s goals as well as by
your own. Consider both, and work toward both together.
It is important to evaluate your work, ideas, and decisions
in nut and bolt terms. How are you contributing to the
profit-making potential of your company? Are you an asset
to your employer? If you do not relate to your company’s
needs, your work may be found unsatisfactory for that
reason. Never downplay your work or ideas in public: however,
do your self-criticism in private.
Taking work seriously is the only way to get ahead, but
taking your work too personally can adversely affect your
progress. Think of work as a competitive sport and of
yourself as a team member. Viewing it from a group perspective
enables you to think and act objectively.
More people get fired for not playing the rules of the
game than for not doing the job well. If you are too involved
in your work, you may unknowingly overstep your bonds.
The closer your philosophy and personality are to your
company’s, the greater are your chances of success.
Avoid overreaction. It is natural to become defensive
when under pressure, but try to phrase your reply in objective
rather than personal language. If you cannot respond with
control, remove yourself from the situation. Vent your
emotional reactions elsewhere. If your colleagues and
boss see that you are not oversensitive, they will be
more apt to deal with you honestly. Find the Elements
of the Supervisory Management Process
Best Boss
The best boss I ever had was a shift supervisor. She knew
what was happening in the hospital and what the staff
was doing. You had ever support and knowledge in decision
making, but the people involved were allowed to make private
with only the people involved there. She praised staff
when warranted.
My best boss was an intelligent, compassionate, strong
woman. Knew her nursing. Knew the staff. She would stand
behind the staff against anybody. Her main concern was
patient care and getting the job done, and she enforced
it.
My best boss never to seemed to get upset no matter what
went wrong or who may have been shouting at him. He would
try to calm the agitated party or would get with the group
involved and try to find what went wrong and then made
a decision to rectify the situation. If I was snowed under
with work, he would help out or get help for me. He listened
to your problems and gave the time necessary to complete
the task. You never actually thought of him as a boss
and were never intimidated by him. You did tasks he gave
you because you wanted to, it gave you satisfaction working
for him. He also stood up for what he thought was right,
including sticking up for this workers. |
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Worst
Boss
The worst boss I ever had was a shift supervisor. She berated
personnel in front of patients, visitors, and other staff. Her
planning was crisis oriented. She was always quick to criticize,
but slow to praise. She couldn’t handle constructive criticism.
My worst boss got her job as assistant manager by reason of
experience. She loved the people she’d worked with before,
but didn’t like anyone else. She criticized in front of
others, got unnerved when busy, did not to help train new personnel,
just shouted at them when they did something wrong. I quit within
three months.
The worst boss I’ve ever had when put in a crisis situation
couldn’t handle it: she would begin shaking, shouting,
screaming at employees over very minor things. She wouldn’t
allow you to finish a task. She would come and tell you to do
something and wouldn’t allow you to finish your present
task and then when both tasks were half done, she would scream,
actually scream at the workers. Totally out of control. |
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