Benefits of a Motivated Staff

What is motivation? Motivation is defined as “an individual’s willingness to respond to the organization’s requirements in short run.” (P.71 Dixon, 1998) For the purposes of this research paper, I find the most fitting definition of motivation is to define it as “the force that Energizes, Directs, and Sustains behavior.” (uri.com, 2014) Motivation is imperative to productivity. A highly motivated staff often leads to high productivity from the workforce.

But why is motivating staff the most difficult task for managers in so many businesses? One of the primary reasons is because “behavior on the individual level is a very complex phenomenon” (Davidson 2005, p.304) Clearly, If a manager wants to build and/or sustain a successful company, they must “make motivating workers a top priority of their job.“(Harvard Business School Press, 2005, P.3) To increase the level of motivation of a given worker, we should be aware of that workers’ needs and the workers’ perception. The needs of the workers are their desires that go unrealized. The present and expected impression of an employee’s place within a given company are that employees in perception of themselves in that company. (Dixon, 1998, p.72) To discover the needs and perceptions of a worker, a manager can use Maslow’s theory that explains an individual’s hierarchy of needs in combination with Douglas McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y to identify their needs. A plan can then be devised to boost their motivation so that they may perform the duties of their job at his or her most optimum level.

According to Maslow, the needs of an individual are the primary motivators that drives that person. The needs of an individual were categorized into 5 levels. In descending order, they are self...

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A more consultative and participative style of management is encouraged by Theory Y. (Dixon 1998, P.64) Employees in this environment are assumed to be self-controlling and self-motivated. Managers most often will feel employees want to do well in on their job and will do their best. Managers in this setting also often have more trust between themselves and their employees and as a result there is less of a distinction between the superior and the subordinate. Employees in this environment often play a part in decision making.

A possible indicator that staff members are not motivated is overall low productivity. By understanding and meeting their mental and physical needs, creating a safe and secure working environment, and rewarding good performance of workers, morale can be boosted. Motivation can be boosted and productivity can be increased.