Employee motivation in the City Hall supervisor's office using Maslow's hierarchy

Motivation refers to the driving force that results from desire and an individual's will in life. Motivation has been seen to have roots in the behavioral, physiological, social, and cognitive area. This is rooted in the basic impulse where individual's skills and well-being are utilized for the benefit of the organization. It is the inner drive to act or behave in a certain manner. The innermost conditions of an individual such as goals, desires, and wishes activate an individual to move in a positive direction. This report endeavors to explain about the motivators that exist in the public agency based on Maslow's hierarchy of needs. It also endeavors to explain the assumptions made concerning employees in my agency: the City Hall supervisor's office.

Maslow's Hierarchy of needs.

Maslow assumed that individuals are motivated by needs that are unmet. When an individual's needs are not met, they feel driven and motivated to accomplish and meet that need. There are mainly five major layers of needs and include self-fulfillment needs, safety needs, physiological needs, esteem needs and social needs. These needs are normally experienced by individuals in all spheres of life. Various motivational factors exist among the employees of City Hall.

Motivators that exist in my public agency

Physiological needs

These needs are basic and are required for survival of every employee in the agency. They include water, shelter, sex water, and food. For employees to work efficiently, they must have these basic needs. For instance, a hungry man desires only food, thinks about food, and emotes about food. In such circumstances, the man will not concentrate on work until he satisfies his desire for food. Therefore, I believe everyone must fulfill his physiological needs to perform at work (Ryan & Deci, 2000).

The Safety and security needs

These are the needs keep one free from harm. For instance, in modern society, these needs include medical checkups, insurance and a home or office in a safe neighborhood. Employees rely on their jobs to fulfill their security needs. For example, the public agency requires that every employee get insurance policies such as health benefits to assist them when they are faced by problems. Some of their security needs include also paychecks that they rely on to acquire physiological needs such as food and shelter.

Social needs

These needs entail the desire for friendship, companionship, and love. Employees seek to satisfy these needs through spending time with co-workers, family, and friends. In the City Hall, there are programs that are held to allow workers to interact and share their encounters, knowledge, ideas, and skills with one another (Ryan & Deci, 2000).

Needs that lack in my public agency

Esteem needs

These are needs that satisfy respect and self-esteem of an individual. However, I believe that the agency lacks motivators that will persuade workers to do their best. For instance, employees need to be motivated at the agency for solving a challenging problem. This makes the employees proud through their skillful performance of the assigned tasks. The agency can also establish training programs. Though this, employees can be motivated to undertake tasks displaying their skills when tackling a certain problem. Employees can also be awarded for the extemporary performance. Many employees have a problem with self-esteem needs since they feel that the agency does value them. They feel like this because they rarely receive coaching or feedback to assist them in executing their duties (Ryan & Deci, 2000).

Theory X

The first assumption is that individuals at the company are indolent by nature and will do as few tasks as possible while at the workplace. The second assumption is that an employee at the agency dislikes responsibility, lacks ambition and that he or she prefers to lead. However, this is not the case as not all individuals at the agency have these traits. Another assumption is that employees at the agency are resistant to change. In contrast, some employees accommodate new ideas and are always ready to implement them. Another assumption is that employees at the agency are gullible and are not very bright. The agency's organizational structure and managerial practices, programs, and policies reflect the assumptions made.

Theory Y

This theory assumes that not all employees at the agency are resilient or passive to organizational needs in nature. They become resistant to the agency's needs because of their experience in City Hall. The second assumption is that the potential, motivation for development, the readiness to direct one's behavior towards the company's goals and the capacity for one to assume responsibility is present in all the employees of City Hall. However, the administration is responsible for ensuring that it is possible for employees to recognize and develop these characteristics for themselves.