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Motivation

© Agha Sadarrudin

The motivation function is one of the most important, yet probably the least understood, aspects of the HRM process. Why? Because human behavior is complex and difficult to understand. Trying to figure out what motivates various employees has long been a concern of behavioral scientists. However, research has given some important insights into employee motivation.

First of all, one must begin to think of motivation as a multifaceted process - one that has individual, managerial, and organizational implications. Motivation is not just what the employee exhibits, but also a compilation of environmental issues surrounding the job. It has been proposed that one's performance in an organization is a function of two factors: ability and willingness to do the job. Thus, from a performance perspective, employees need to have the appropriate skills and abilities to adequately do the job. This should have been accomplished in the first two phases of HRM, by correctly defining the requirements of the job, matching applicants to those requirements, and training the new employee on how to do the job. But there is also another concern, which is the job design itself. If jobs are poorly designed, poorly laid out, or improperly described, employees will perform below their capability.

Consequently, HRM must look at the job. Has the latest technology being provided in order to permit maximum efficiency? Is the office setting appropriate (properly lit and adequately ventilated, for example) for the job? Are the necessary tools readily available for the employee use? For example, If an employee prints on a laser printer throughout the day, and the printer is networked to a station two floors up, that employee is going to be less productive that one who has a printer on his desk. While not trying to belittle the problem with such an example, the point should be clear. Office automation and Industrial engineering techniques must be incorporated into the job design. Without such planning, the best intention of managers to motivate employees may be lost or significantly reduced.

Once the measures have been taken to ensure that jobs have been properly designed, the next step in the motivation process is to understand the implications of motivational theories. Some motivational theories are well known by practicing managers, but recent motivation research has given us new and more valid theories for understanding what motivates people at work. Performance standards for each employee must also be set. While no easy task, managers must be sure that the performance evaluation system is designed to provide feedback to employees regarding their past performance, while simultaneously, addressing any performance weakness the employee may have.