Running head: EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION
Employee Motivation
Mandy Crabtree
Siena Heights University
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Introduction
Leaders often think of what they can do or say to get their employees to be motivated.
Not everyone is motivated by the same thing, therefore, the topic of motivation can be quite
complex. Motivating employees can be a tough task. Employers spend a great deal of time and
money on trying to get employees motivated. Even though employers put a great deal of focus
into motivating they do not always get the results they had hoped for. Since not everyone is
motivated by the same thing it is expected that there are many things that can motivate an
employee. “Employees may be motivated on the job by many things, such as a sense of
achievement, recognition, enjoyment of the job, promotion opportunities, responsibility, and the
chance for personal growth” (Kamery, 2004, p. 139). Employees look for workplace
environments that they enjoy and can be comfortable in.
The Basics of Motivation
“Motivation originates from the Latin word movere, which means to move” (Herrera,
2002, p. 40). From a work perspective motivation is to move employees to perform. There are
two types of motivation, internal and external (Kamery, 2004). External motivators include:
salary, benefits, and bonuses. Internal motivators include: satisfaction, job enjoyment, challenge
acceptance, feeling of accomplishment, appreciation and recognition, treatment, feedback, and
decision making. Kamery (2004) states furthermore that external motivators keep an employee
on the job, while internal motivators are the key to effective performance. Employers look for
employees who are well-rounded and can not only perform well but who are also self-motivated.
Employees who are internally motivated are typically more excited, interested, persistent and
confident (Kamery, 2004, p. 50). External factors might affect how an employee performs, while
internal factors will affect how an employee performs.
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Leaders need to know their employees in order to know what motivation techniques
excite them. When leaders know their employees it is easier to create a more motivating
environment. Kamery (2004) states “the purpose of a motivating environment is to encourage
every member of an organization to motivate himself to contribute his best effort to the job at all
times” (p. 139). Motivated employees who contribute their part are likely to be more engaged
and satisfied in their positions. Herrera (2002) mentions that the important factors employees
want in their workplace are:

Open and honest communication along with issue-resolution processes

Dignity and respect along with fair and equal treatment

Rewards and recognition
Communication is extremely important in any organization. Leaders should ensure they
are doing their part to effectively communicate to all members of their teams. Employees want
open and honest communication and there are many ways in which leaders can provide such
communication. According to Herrera (2002) leaders should share with their employees the
corporate long and short term goals, this informs them where you are leading them and why, in
turn motivating them to assist the company achieve these goals. Including employees will build
trust and ultimately boost their contributions.
When employers view their employees as replaceable and interchangeable parts they are
missing the fact that each employee brings something different to the table (Herrera, 2002).
When employees feel respected and appreciated they will be motivated to do more and produce
better work. Many times companies hire young individuals with little experience to lead teams
and this oftentimes leads to a parent/child style of leadership (Herrera, 2002). It has been said
many times that people do not quit companies they quit people. “People do not change for the
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sake of change; people change when they reach a point at which their current position or status
become so unbearable that they are willing to make a move, even if they are plunging into the
unknown” (Herrera, 2002). When people are inspired to make the change and seek what they
deserve, they are motivated.
At the end of the day people are motivated by pay. People want to be paid what they
believe they are worth (Herrera, 2002). According to Herrera (2002) rewards are not always
motivating but rather they become demotivators. When we are rewarded for our contributions we
typically have a level of recognition in mind. However, “if we feel the reward was less than the
effort, then the reward becomes a negative motivator” (Herrera, 2002, p. 44). If we want
motivated employees we must ensure we recognize the good work they produce.
Motivation Theories
Just as there are many things that motivate employees there are also many motivation
theories. These theories are based on the five methods of explaining behavior which include:
needs, reinforcement, cognition, job characteristics, and feelings/emotions. This section will
discuss four of the many motivation theories: need theories, equity theory, expectancy theory,
and job design model.
Need theories determine internal factors that energize behavior (Ramlall, 2004). Every
human has needs; therefore, employers should recognize the needs of their employees. It is
believed that there are five basic needs: physiological, safety, love, esteem, and self-actualization
(Ramlall, 2004). Some ways managers can satisfy employee needs are as follows: offer
competitive benefits, give praise, provide good working conditions, allow and encourage
participation, create team spirit, provide challenges, encourage creativity, and delegate
responsibilities (Ramlall, 2004). Managers should provide an environment for their employees to
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grow and encourage them to do so. According to Ramlall (2004), failure to provide an
environment that encourages development will likely result in employee frustration which could
then result in poorer performance and low job satisfaction.
“Equity theory recognizes that individuals are concerned not only with the absolute
amount of rewards they receive for their efforts, but also with the relationship of this amount to
what others receive” (Ramlall, 2004, p. 56). Employees want equality and fairness, especially
when it comes to salary and benefits. When it does not appear that equality is taking place it will
likely create conflict. Employees who do not believe that they are being treated fairly may start
to put less effort into their work or may search for better opportunity elsewhere.
“Essentially, the expectancy theory argues that the strength of a tendency to act in a
certain way depends on the strength of an expectation that the act will be followed by a given
outcome and on the attractiveness of that outcome to the individual” (Robbins, 1993). Based on
how well an employee performs will determine the outcomes, whether it be a raise, promotion,
etc. A motivated employee will typically outperform others which will in turn likely produce a
better outcome in terms of salary and other benefits.
Job design theory is based on the idea that the task at hand is the key to employee
motivation (Ramlall, 2004). According to Ramlall (2004) when an employee is challenged they
are typically more motivated to do well. Employees can list many things that they consider to be
dissatisfying about their work experience. According to Ramlall (2004) a study that was
conducted by Herzberg in 1966 called such dissatisfying experiences hygiene factors and they
included: company policies, salary, co-worker relations, and managerial styles. Ramlall (2004)
further states that by eliminating such factors it will create peace not satisfaction or motivation.
Kreitner & Kinicki (1998) state that instead of giving employees additional tasks of similar
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difficulty (horizontal loading), they should be given more responsibility (vertical loading).
Vertical loading in turn will create motivation as it allows employees the opportunity for growth
and advancement.
Conclusion
Motivating employees is not something that will be an easy task for management.
Managers must get to know their employees and understand what it is that their employees want
from the job. Once a manager knows their employees it will make the process much easier. Since
there are various ways and techniques in which to motivate, it helps when you know what your
employee expects of you and the company. When employees are getting what they want from the
job they are much more likely to be motivated and perform well.
When it comes down to it employees want communication, respect and recognition.
Managers who communicate with their employees will see an increase in effective work.
Communication is what will keep an organization alive, and poor communication can tear it
apart. You will often find that teams with bad communication will crumble under pressure. Great
communication will help create a better overall understanding for all involved. When employers
respect their employees they build trust and employees feel as though they matter. It is also
important to recognize an employee for their hard work. When an employee feels as though their
managers communicate with them, respect them, and recognize their hard work and effort they
will be motivated to perform better because they want to, not because they have to.
Managers have the tools available to assist them in motivating their teams; however, it is
up to the leaders to take the initiative to do so. Employees will be self-motivating if they feel the
environment allows for it. Employees naturally want to do well and be successful in their jobs;
all they need is an encouraging environment from their employer to do so.
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References
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Kamery, R. H. (2004). EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION AS IT RELATES TO EFFECTIVENESS,
EFFICIENCY, PRODUCTIVITY, AND PERFORMANCE. Allied Academies International
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Kretiner, R., &Kinicki, A. (1998). Organizational Behavior (4 ed.). Boston: Irwin McGraw-Hill.
Ramlall, S. (2004). A review of employee motivation theories and their implications for
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Robbins, S. (1993). Organizational Behavior (6 ed.). Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall.
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doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/17465261211197421