Factors affecting employees motivation

Background

The study will be dealing with employee motivation of Ethiopian organizations, finding out several factors affecting the level of motivation from looking at positive factors as well negative factors that will shake in the mode of motivation received by the employees. Ideally, from one point employees are being considered as a manpower basis into the production of goods and services (1973). The need to recognize if some employees are not motivated by money as employee behavior is linked to certain comprised attitudes ( 1993). (1995), define motivation as the psychological process that gives behavior purpose and direction also, an internal drive to satisfy an unsatisfied need according to (1994), and the will to achieve (1993). For the study, employee motivation assume an inner force that drives individuals to accomplish personal and organizational goals.

Research Objectives

The research objectives for this research would be, to describe the importance of certain factors in motivating employees of Ethiopian organization preferably, the small and medium sized business. Thus, research assumption sought to recognize rankings of certain employee motivating factors namely: job security, loyalty to employees, conducive working conditions, better wage system, work performance appreciation as well as promotion and growth at work

Research Questions

1. What is employee motivation? How it is applied in business organizations? Discuss motivation theories 2. What are the factors affecting employee motivation? List them and provide possible positive and negative factors 3. How does employees received motivation? Are they motivated based on standards and norms? 4. What are several ways that organization may use to constantly motivate their employees? 5. Is performance affected by factors such as wage systems and the issue of money, the amount of salary given? Explain in relation to theories. 6. Does flexible paying terms work effectively to positively motivate employees? Why? What can be done to improve employee motivation at Ethiopian organizations? Give cases of employee motivation

Significance

The significance of motivational factors of employees provides useful information for the centers' director and employees. Knowing how to use this information in motivating Ethiopian based employees can be complex if, Hertzberg's theory is followed, management should begin by focusing on pay and job security before focusing on interesting work and full appreciation of work done. If Adams' equity theory is followed,

management should begin by focusing on areas where there may be perceived inequities before focusing on interesting work and job security. The key to motivating centers' employees is to know what motivates them and designing a motivation program based on those needs.

Literature Overview

The Role of Motivation

According to (1994), organizations need necessary motivated employees for survival as needed in the fast moving and changing workplaces. Motivated employees help organizations survive. Motivated employees are more productive. To be effective, managers need to understand what motivates employees within the context of the roles they perform ( 1991). For example, research suggests that as employees' income increases, money becomes less of motivator ( 1987) and if becoming older, interesting work becomes one great motivator.

Motivation Theories

There can be approaches that assume understanding of motivation based on Maslow's need-hierarchy theory, Herzberg's two- factor theory, Vroom's expectancy theory, Adams' equity theory, and Skinner's reinforcement theory. Maslow argued that lower level needs had to be satisfied before the next higher level need would motivate employees. work categorized motivation into two factors: motivators and hygienes (

1959). Vroom's theory is based on the belief that employee effort will lead to performance and performance will lead to rewards ( 1964). Rewards may be either positive or negative. The more positive the reward the more likely the employee will be highly motivated. Conversely, the more negative the reward the less likely the employee will be motivated. Adams' theory states that employees strive for equity between themselves and other workers. Equity is achieved when the ratio of employee outcomes over inputs is equal to other employee outcomes over inputs (1965). theory simply states those employees' behaviors that lead to positive outcomes will be repeated and behaviors that lead to negative outcomes will not be repeated (1953). Pay was not ranked as one of the most important motivational factors by (1987), but was ranked second in this research and by (1990). Full appreciation of work done was not ranked as one of the most important motivational factors by (1990), but was ranked second in this research and by (1987). There supports the idea that what motivates employees differs given the context in which the employee works. What is clear is that employees rank interesting work as the most important motivational factor.

Methodology

The research method design will have to employ in descriptive survey method, target population of study will include employees At Ethiopia based organizations and sample size will comprise of 15 employees of target population and be participants of the survey to come up with such participation ratio. A survey questionnaire was developed to collect data for the study ( 1991; 1990; 1987). Data will be collected through use of

written questionnaire hand-delivered to participants. Questionnaires to fill out by participants and return through mailbox. The questionnaire will be asking the 15 participants to rank the importance of several factors that motivated them in doing their work based on scaling process 1= as most important and so on. The instrument will be pilot tested to be situated as employees within the institution, comparison will also be used as a research method linking to Maslow's need-hierarchy theory, compares to highest ranked motivational factor to Vroom's expectancy theory and interrelated to other theories of motivation.

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Five Factors Every Employee Wants From Work

What do employees want from work? There are five factors that must be present in your workplace for your employees to be happy and motivated at work. Your employees need respect, to be members of the in-crowd, to impact decision making about their jobs, to have the opportunity to grow and develop, and access to reasonable leadership. The following describe what employees want from work

Respect is the fundamental right of every employee in every workplace. If people feel as if they are treated with respect, they usually respond with respect and dignified actions. Part of respect is praise and feedback so people know how they are doing at work. Employees want to feel as if they are members of the in-crowd. This means that they know and have access to information as quickly as anyone else in your workplace. Employees want to learn new skills, develop their capabilities, and grow their knowledge and careers. Making developmental opportunities available to each employee demonstrates your commitment to helping them develop their careers. They appreciate this. Employees want to have an impact on decisions that are made about their jobs. Employee involvement and employee empowerment help to create engaged employees willing to put forth their discretionary energy for the business. Employees do want leadership. They want a sense of being on the right track, going somewhere that has been defined and is important. They like being part of something bigger than themselves. Employees like to know that someone, who is trustworthy, is in charge.

If these five factors existed in ever workplace, productivity, motivation, and happiness would soar.

Factors that affect motivation in the workplace

Created on: August 27, 2010 Last Updated: September 09, 2010 There are many things which affect motivation in the workplace, however two of the largest contributory factors are the cultural and environmental facets of an organization. If a negative cloud shrouds either of these components employee motivation has high potential to spiral downward. *Cultural Factors If an organization's cultural atmosphere is plagued with negativity this can be disastrous as once a cultural mindset is in place it is difficult to change. Leaders who invest time and effort into developing a positive working environment often find their employees are happier and this attitude becomes a part of the company's culture. However, if little to no effort is given to this factor, a wave of pessimism could overtake the organization and as a result, low morale and motivation because there is nothing positive to strive towards. *Environmental Conditions Environmental conditions tend to impact motivation in the workplace. This includes temperature, lighting, decor, ergonomics and tools. If employees are to be motivated, the environment should promote efficiency and allow staff to both be comfortable and have the tools needed in order to do a good job. Leaders who invest in these factors are likely to yield higher motivation in the workplace. Many other dynamics can affect motivation in the workplace are related to how management runs the organization. Here are a few other contributing factors to employee motivation: *Rewards Many organizational studies over the years have suggested rewards play a distinct role in levels of employee motivation. Employees who lack motivation are more likely to be careless and sloppy with their work, but on the other hand employees who are valued and provided some sort of initiative are more apt to take pride in their work and strive to do a good job. *Security and Job Advancement Job security can result in higher motivation. Employees who spend each day worrying whether or not they are going to get the axe may become too distracted to be motivated, or fear could overtake concentration abilities. Employees who are able to reasonably reassure their staff their jobs will be there next week, next month or even next year, are likely to see stronger motivation. People also may be more willing to work hard if they know there is room for advancement.

*Respect A lack of respect is going to likely result in poor motivation as no one likes to be treated poorly or with disrespect. Staff members who get respect from their bosses will be more apt to respond and go out of their way to help the organization meet its' mission and goals. It is important for any leader to remember that respect is a two way street. The factors that affect motivation in the workplace are worth the time for an employer to take a look at. Employees who do a good job are valuable assets to any organization and leadership that takes a solid interest in the morale of their staff are more likely to find happier employees and better levels of productivity. Ultimately this results in better profitability and makes the organizational setting a win-win for all. While good employees are the backbone of a business operation it can be hard to keep them motivated. Unfortunately, once employees lose their motivation it begins to have a negative impact on their performance and your business operations. There are many factors that can lead to a loss of motivation from burnout to simply not caring. The good news is that through a proactive approach, there are ways to increase motivation and get productivity rolling again. Hiring The first step in the process of increasing motivation is hiring the right people. Nothing will poison the work environment worse than a lazy, uncaring, or non committed worker. During the interview process, it is important to find employees who are filled with energy, positive, and reflect the attitude that you want the company to portray. Dont be afraid to ask tough questions that try and probe a candidate;s values and work style. If a bad seed gets through the cracks, it is important to cut them out as soon as possible. Attitudes are infectious, so it is critical to find people that are positive, energy, and people friendly. Team environment Having an environment where everyone carries their share of the work not only makes the business more efficient, it greatly increases morale while raising the work standard. This starts from the top down. If you are a small business owner or a manager than it is important to show their staff that you are willing to get in the trenches to help them out. This does not mean do their job but when times get rough helping out will go a long way to build trust and show the staff that you in fact practice what you preach. The behaviors of the leader will be reflected by the staff. Business leaders create the company culture and what you do truly matters. Teamwork creates unity which in turn will boost morale while helping create a culture where people want to be a part. Safe clean environment Nobody wants to work in an environment that is run down and filled with safety hazards. Nothing will ruin morale faster than an environment where the staff lacks proper tools to do their job. This includes constant broken down equipment, poor sanitation, and other hazards that show

that those in charge do not care. After all if the person in charge does not care enough to provide a safe environment than why should the employees care? In business the smallest details matter and providing a clean safe environment not only shows you have but it reflects the character of the business. A little pride and attention to details will go a long way to helping moral. Promotion potential Not many people will be filling to work years in a job that has no upward potential. If there is a career path that employees know is attainable that will help with morale. Most people are willing to work hard if they know there is potential in it for them for their hard work. Nothing says you do not appreciate an employee more than putting a cap on their career. The best think about having internal career paths for employees is that there is always a talent pool of future leaders within the organization with the training and skills to guide the company years down the road. Training Many people lose morale simply because of the fact they are unsure of themselves and whats expected. This can be cleared up through a vigorous training program that teaches all the essential elements an employee will need to do their job. As well, all know the business word changes and it is important that training reflects those changes so that all employees can keep up with the skills they need to be successful. Those who know what is expected of them and have the tools to be successful will have more confidence and perform better. No one likes to be in a situation where they feel they are in over their heads. Without proper training, not only will poor habits develop but staff will lose respect for the companys leadership. This in turn will reduce morale lead to higher turnover, increased costs, and worse company performance. Meetings Lets face it, work can often lead to tunnel vision and a breakdown in communication as the daily grind gets in the way. As leaders will all have a hundred things pulling us in different directions? It is easy to get bogged down and lose track of the all important element of communication. Staff meetings are a way to keep everyone on the same page. Staff responds better when they are aware of what is going on within the organization. Meetings should be used as a way to keep people up to date with policy changes and keep people focused on organizational goals.