Employees a person who works for another for financial gain Essay Example
The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (2006) defines an employee as someone who works for another person in exchange for financial or other forms of compensation.
Employees are motivated to work for reasons beyond just monetary compensation. They have personal goals that go beyond financial gain. Motivation is what drives employees to work diligently without feeling pressured. Motivating employees involves providing them with the incentive to complete tasks, either through positive or negative means.
Stating that cipher can motivate employees at work is equivalent to saying that there are no influential leaders, no effective directors, no motivational speakers, and that psychologists in athletics management teams are useless. It also implies that motivation is unachievable. However, effective managers have utilized motivation to inspire ordinary individuals to achieve exceptional results in various fields. While the philosophy of motiva
...tion remains the same across organizations, the level of motivation differs due to unique demands within different industries and organizations. In the UK industry, people earn more than the average income, yet the employee turnover rate is higher compared to other industries. This indicates that monetary compensation alone is not enough as a motivational factor. Employees also require financial and moral support to perform their job well under any circumstances. This literature review will evaluate various authors' perspectives on motivation within the context of the UK industry.
Reevaluation of Literature
Doubts have been raised by experts and writers about the effectiveness of motivating employees based on Abraham Maslow's "Hierarchy of Needs" and Frederick Herzberg's "theory of hygiene needs" or "two-factor theory" because human needs are never-ending. In his 1943 paper titled "A Theory of Human Motivation," Maslow explored the innate curiosity in
humans and classified human needs into five categories: physiological, safety, love/belonging, esteem, and self-actualization.
The physiological needs include breathing, food, water, sex, sleep, homeostasis, and elimination. Safety needs involve body security, employment stability, resource availability, moral standing, healthiness of family support system , and property protection. Love/belonging needs consist of friendship (both experiencing love and being loved), family bonds ,and sexual intimacy. Esteem needs encompass developing self-esteem , making efforts to build confidence , achieving milestones , respecting others' accomplishments as well as gaining respect from others . Self-realization involves fostering moral standards , promoting creativity exploration , encouraging spontaneity display , sharpening problem-solving skills , avoiding bias tendencies along with accepting facts without prejudice (Maslow 1943).
According to Jhon Sylvester (2010), the best strategy for UK employees to achieve their long-term goals is to implement comprehensive wages solutions. Employees should be recognized and compensated based on their performance. Andy Philpott (2010) suggests that offering higher salaries can motivate UK staff, but companies should also focus on engaging employees in both the short and long term. By providing support and incentives on a daily basis, companies can enhance performance and reward the entire team to encourage improvement among underperforming individuals. Alan J Grainger (2009) argues that wages alone are insufficient to reward employees in today's highly competitive business environment. The author believes that vacation allowance plays a critical role in increasing employee motivation. Giving employees time off to relax and recharge is important for maintaining high performance and enthusiasm.
Ambrose and Goleman, among others, have examined employee motivation within organizations. Many factors influence employee motivation, including the employees' own qualities and beliefs about their abilities, the behavior
of their managers, the characteristics of the organization such as culture and values, and the clarity of their job and tasks. The Hawthorne studies also demonstrated the impact of social factors on worker motivation. According to Porter and Mintzberg, motivation is linked to management and market development, with both evolving together. This relationship is known as the Contingency Theory, which suggests that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to managing a company, leading an organization, or making decisions.
The critical way analysis, analysis of employee suggestions, SMART analysis, and the analytic hierarchy procedure, among others, have been proven to be more effective than other methods in their respective fields. The only way to manage an underfunded organization is to either increase funding or reduce expenses. Mintzberg (1989) suggested that in order to motivate employees, various factors need to be addressed. Conducting employee opinion surveys could help management motivate all employees and improve overall production.
Herzberg (1987) identified two main categories of motivational factors: contextual factors and descriptive factors. Contextual factors encompass wages, working conditions, and administrative policies, among others. Descriptive factors consist of threats and opportunities, competencies, skills, and a sense of belonging. In his research, Herzberg (1959) found that the factors that cause dissatisfaction are entirely distinct from those that create satisfaction. He referred to the positive factors as "motivational factors." These factors fulfill unique human needs and include achievement, personal growth, job satisfaction, and recognition.
Bettering these factors can provide employees with job satisfaction. According to Levinson (1989), it is crucial for directors to motivate and encourage employees, while also addressing their individual needs and aligning them with the administration's goals. Each employee has their own aspirations
and objectives that they aim to accomplish within the organization. Responsible directors should help them achieve their modest aspirations.
According to Lewis-McClear and Taylor (1998), breaching an employee contract can result in employees losing motivation and contemplating leaving the company. Having well-defined goals can serve as a source of motivation for employees. The Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS, 2009) conducted a study which disclosed that small business owners in the UK have been informed that their employees are unaware of their goals for the upcoming year and are lacking motivation. The BIS study discovered that only 25% of staff members have had their goals for 2010 clearly communicated to them, while another third are uncertain if the company has a vision for its future. This lack of clarity is adversely affecting employee motivation levels, with only 27% feeling optimistic about the year ahead. The study suggests that when leaders fail to elucidate the direction and objectives of the company, it becomes challenging for employees to feel motivated or comprehend how they can contribute. MacLeod (2009) highlights in his quote that clear goals are essential for achieving both performance and productivity.
The effectiveness of motivation factors can vary among different employees or groups. This issue requires study, questioning, and feedback to be conducted. For example, the use of bonuses as a motivation factor may lead some employees to be suspicious, self-centered, selfish, and individualistic rather than working towards the success of the team. The UK Parliament is currently considering a Financial Services Bill that aims to eliminate the old bonus system where bank executives receive bonuses based on a percentage of profit (BBC News, 2009). While
bonuses can encourage good performance, past experience has shown that some bank executives manipulate the system by producing superficial annual reports and engaging in shady transactions. They avoid writing off "Bad Debts" and instead classify them as "Debtors" in order to falsely inflate figures such as "Employee turnover" and "Net income after Tax".
The responsibility is always passed on to their successors. In addition to receiving bonuses for exceeding expectations, employees should also be penalized for having a negative attitude. In order for employees to be fully motivated, managers must recognize that individuals have varying ways of thinking, perceiving, believing, feeling, and reasoning. The Myers-Briggs model (1956) explored these human differences.
This paragraph discusses personality types and how individuals differ from each other. According to Myer-Briggs, there are four ways in which people differ: in their thinking process, their perception, their emotions/perceptions, and their perspective (Myers, 1980). To understand an individual's needs, it is important to observe or interview them. Psychologist Eduard Spranger identified six values that all humans possess to varying degrees. These values include a thirst for knowledge (theoretical), a desire for practicality (useful), an appreciation for beauty and balance (aesthetic), a drive to serve others (social), a hunger for power and control (individualistic), and a search for meaning in life (traditional).
According to Spranger (1955), he mentioned that fulfilling your top two values is essential for achieving happiness in life. Nohria et al (2008) state that motivating employees involves creating an environment that satisfies their emotional needs to acquire, bond, understand, and protect. Amabile (1998) emphasizes the importance of creativity in today's knowledge economy, and how many companies unknowingly suppress intrinsic motivation in their employees,
which is the internal desire to engage in activities based on interests and passions.
Directors unintentionally hinder creativity while pursuing productivity, efficiency, and control. Mishra and McKendall (1993) propose the use of employee suggestion plans (ESPs) to involve employees in decision making and motivate them. ESPs provide an opportunity to tap into the intelligence and resourcefulness of employees, resulting in significant cost savings. Mishra and McKendall (1993) emphasize the economic benefits of ESPs as the primary advantage for companies and directors.
Rationale:
The research aims to investigate the factors influencing employee motivation in the UK industry.
Our aim is to address the shortcomings in employer-employee relations by using qualitative and quantitative research methods. This will help improve performance and align personal and business goals. The problem statement highlights that companies in the UK struggle with employee motivation, affecting their ability to attract and retain talent. According to YouGov Research, 30% of UK employees lack motivation at work. Our research aims to review existing literature on Employee Motivation, investigate the causes of employee turnover in the UK, and recommend strategies for improving employee relationships and motivation. We seek answers to questions such as the reasons behind employee demotivation, the success of UK organizations in motivating their employees, and how companies can overcome these challenges. Our hypothesis suggests that while UK organizations may be implementing motivational theories, they are not effectively inspiring their employees as needed. To conduct this research effectively in social sciences, particularly with employees, we will employ both qualitative and quantitative methods through triangulation - combining various research methods to gather complementary information.This approach offers the benefit of combining information gathered from one method with information collected
from another method.
Conducting comprehensive sentiment analysis enables researchers to extrapolate and analyze the emotions of individuals.
Secondary Research:
The process of gathering existing research results and data from published sources that may not be directly related to the specific project at hand (MRS 2007) is known as secondary research. To gather information from readily available and cost-effective published resources, I will use secondary research methods. This includes utilizing external resources like UK industry reports, internet sources, Ofcom reports, college library resources, and Contact Babel surveys.
Primary Research:
The process of collecting fresh data on the impact of the previous Orange marketing communication campaign will be conducted. Both qualitative and quantitative research will be carried out to understand the motivation level of UK employees.
Quantitative Research:
"Research that is undertaken using a structured research approach with a sample of the population to generate quantifiable insights into behavior, motivations, and attitudes" (Wilson 2007). For the purpose of quantitative research, interviews will be conducted in two different locations in the UK, London, United Kingdom. Twenty questionnaires containing basic factors about motivation will be administered, and ten employees will be interviewed using a structured interview method.
Sampling:
"A portion or subset of a population taken to be representative of the population as a whole for the investigative purpose of research" (MRS 2007). The graded random sampling method will be used as it is suitable for large populations. Individuals working in the UK will be selected as participants and screened through a short questionnaire to explain the research objectives. Their consent will also be obtained before participating in the interviews.
We will choose 2 groups of 20 people from two
different UKs in London.
Questionnaire:
- A questionnaire is a structured data-collection mechanism affecting a scope of inquiry formats and completed orally or in print. ( Housden 2010 ) .
- We will plan a good structured questionnaire including designation, categorization and chief capable informations. All inquiries will be near ended.
MRS codification of behavior and Data Protection Act 1998:
We will follow the MRS codification of behavior during all the research procedure including:
The individual will act ethically and will non make anything which might damage the repute of market research. Respondents' cooperation is voluntary and must be based on adequate, and non deceptive, information about the general intent and nature of the undertaking when their understanding to take part is being obtained and all such statements must be honored. The rights of respondents as private persons will be respected by research workers and they will non be harmed or disadvantaged as the result of collaborating in a group treatment.
- Participant's information must be processed reasonably and legitimately
- Information must be obtained merely for specific and lawful intent
- Personal information should non be kept for longer than necessary
A research methodology refers to a set of methods that enable a person to conduct research in a scientific manner. A researcher can use a research methodology to gather data for a research project, analysis, thesis, or proposal. This data may be for either a theoretical or practical research project. The validity of a project depends on the validity of the research data and the ethical manner in which it was obtained.
Ethical Considerations
The researcher also needs to be aware of ethical laws before undertaking the research project.
It is crucial for the information to
be accurate in order for the project to be valid. If the information is inaccurate, it will render the project invalid.
Research Time Frame
The research requires a specific time frame to achieve a successful outcome. I will need 13 weeks to gather all the information and present it in the form of a valid report. The diagram below illustrates the research schedule.
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