motivational issues at the workplace

motivational issues at the workplace, writing homework help

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     Usually, employers complain of a lack of motivation among their staff. Motivational problems often affect not just the performance of the employees but can even affect business and profitability negatively. In most cases of failing performance motivation gets to be the main underlying reason. The relationship between motivation and performance is well known and there is hardly any need to highlight it. The key thing is how such issues can be managed and what methods can be most effective at addressing the motivational issues. Performance, productivity and organizational efficiency all are linked to motivation of the work staff. However, the source of motivation may also differ from individual to individual and as such the task before the companies gets to be even complex. Yet, these issues can be resolved and often resolving these motivational issues also proves highly beneficial for businesses.

      Recently, I came across a similar issue reported by a multinational corporation. This performance problem was causing million dollars of loss each year. Senior management had made several attempts to solve the problem but all in vain. However, no major results could be achieved. Again after a few months, the condition was same. Even after technological improvement no significant improvement was felt. 2500 of the company’s service technicians located world-wide were making simple but costly mistakes. Such errors were obvious in more than 60 percent of the reports. After a few attempts to solve the problem proved futile, the service technicians started getting angry and cynical regarding any regarding attempts to solve the problem. Believing that the problem was linked to knowledge and skills, the company tried to adapt computer based training programs. However, on deeper analysis there was found to be an underlying problem related to motivation and commitment. The technicians on being interviewed mentioned that they could do the task well and speedily. However, they did not feel that the paperwork was a part of their task and had no motivation to do it.  It was due to a lack of commitment to the task and motivation to do it, there were errors happening, which cost the company millions every year. (Clark, 1998)

      According to Herzberg’s two-factor or motivation-hygiene theory the primary motivators are achievement, recognition, responsibility, advancement and the nature of work itself. However, Herzberg had also given a set of factors which can be the cause of dissatisfaction among the staff. These factors include company policy, supervision, technical problems, salary, interpersonal relations and working conditions. (boundless, n.d.) In the current situation one major one major factor affecting the motivation of the technicians was the nature of the task. The technicians were unable to connect with the task since the nature of the task was not related to main work area. As a result their commitment to the task was low and they were not feeling interested in the work.

     The technicians described that they felt it was the office staff’s task to do the paperwork. Some of the technicians explained that report writing is not their job and that it is the job of the office staff. They are expected to meet their response deadlines on their service calls, fix the electronic equipments and keep their customers happy.  Almost all the technicians had the same problem. They could not value their task due to its nature. They had positive feelings about their work and also believed that they could do the job. However, the widespread belief among the technicians was that preparing timely and accurate reports only detracted them from their main job of servicing their customers and in turn made them less effective. They thought of themselves as technicians and engineers who were not meant to do the paperwork. As a result they could not assign any importance to the task and due to it the commitment to the task remained missing in them. Thus, we see that apart from other factors, it is the nature or type of the task which is a primary motivator. If the employees do not find the nature of the task suitable, it will bring their motivation down and thus affect performance and productivity. In some cases, as in the current task a lack of motivation can be really costly for the business. (Clark, 1998)

At the base, there were three motivation problems with the technicians which are mentioned below:-

1. Barriers existed when the volume of service calls increased.
2. Some felt angry because they thought they were being asked to do someone else’s job.
3. Most of them did not value the task.

   The general solution to their problems is obvious. It could be resolved by increasing the staffing during volume periods. The major challenge is how they can be made to value the task. It was the main problem which was killing their motivation. They could not value their task and could not feel committed to it despite trying. So, there is required to find some way in which their motivation to the task can be increased or the technicians may be made to value the task. As per Herzberg’s theory, recognition is a great motivator for employees. (Sacbusiness, n.d.) The technicians felt that the paper work reduced their effectiveness and since it was not connected to their main job, they could not expect any recognition or achievement in this task either. If somehow the recognition and achievement factors were there, the technicians could easily find enough motivation to do the task effectively.

So, in order to handle the situation effectively, it is required to add value to the task of filling reports accurately and timely. The best way is to create some kind of competition. There are actually two things which are highly valued by employees. The first is competition and the second is reward. So, to make the technicians value the task of preparing correct reports in a timely manner, there is only a need to introduce some kind of competition into the task. The element of competition can make the technicians value the task and pay attention to it. Carelessness which had resulted from a lack of motivation was the main cause of errors. With competition and rewards involved the motivation as well as attention to the task is bound to rise. Informal contests with rewards can also be implemented to make the task valuable. The employees/technicians presenting error free and timely reports can be rewarded on a monthly basis.

Most of such motivation related problems can be solved using Herzberg’s two factor theory of motivation. This theory outlines some hygiene factors and some motivation factors. The hygiene factors do not influence motivation directly, but their lack may also ruin motivation badly. If the motivation factors are addressed properly, it can help at keeping the work force motivated. (Boundless, n.d.) But apart from that it is also essential to pay attention to the hygiene factors and ascertain that the work place does not lack them. As happened in the current case, a lack of motivation was the key reason behind the decline in performance. It had also resulted in carelessness and attention deficit. However, if motivational factors like achievement and recognition can somehow be added to the task, it can increase commitment. With increased motivation, technicians’ commitment to the task may increase and in this way prevent the loss of millions which has been happening till now. In fact the nature of the task is a very important factor linked to staff’s motivation, as proved in the current situation.