Motivation theories and workplace applications from personal experience

Motivation Theory:

The Implementation of Motivation in the Workplace

Motivation lends a hand to one to achieve goals and can be either intrinsic or extrinsic (TheManager.org, 2001). In multiple theories, motivation is the need to decrease pain or increase one's happiness. Through the study of motivation, a management team will be better able to inspire their employees and the company as a whole. The satisfaction the employees may have the possibility to create internal happiness, a pleasant work environment, and an increase in productivity. This is especially true when one's motivation comes directly from bodily deficits, which then causes them to work towards reversing said deficit (Houghton Mifflin, 1998).

Example

A retail or commission-based job often requires a certain amount of products or services to be sold by an employee in a given set of time. In the financial bank setting, it is a common practice for the financial bankers to be issued a certain number of points per product or service they sell. If by the end of the month the banker gains enough points to meet one hundred percent of the goal set for them, they receive one hundred percent of their commissions. If they do not meet their goal, they are not able to receive the full commission. Being able to obtain a full payout is enough to motivate bankers, but bank tellers have a completely different incentive plan. Because a teller's goal is to provide excellent customer service rather than to sell products and services, surveys are given to customers at random. If the teller is able to provide satisfactory service, they receive an extra bonus on their paycheck. Banks are focused attempting to obtain maximum profits, and thus the tellers are requested upon to introduce products or services the customers they come in contact with may need. If the teller refers a product or service to the customer in which they decide to obtain, both the teller and the banker are able to receive financial rewards.

The bankers are given numbers in which they are required to meet each month. This goal meeting tactic will help bankers become motivated by allowing them to earn their full paycheck. As for the tellers, though the product and services selling is not required, those who perform are often thought of as promotion material and team players; this mixed with financial incentives help motivate the employee in setting individual goals for themselves.

Example 2:

In the financial banking industry, tasks for the teller are often mundane and repetitive, as most of the customer requests are the same transactions or services. For those employees that want more, a sense of achievement and the change to partake in challenges are often motivating factors. In the course of my career as a bank teller, I obtained many extra responsibilities in the work environment. These responsibilities made me a more satisfied employee because they allowed me to have a sense of achievement while giving me the opportunity to prove myself to the employers. It was from a deficit I felt within that urged me to work towards the achievements in order to fill the void.

Example 3:

It would be false to say that deficit is the only cause for motivation. In the example that bankers were motivated to sell products and services based on a goal set for them by managers above them, some were less than inspired. In fact, it was not uncommon to observe bankers failing to meet these demands due to lack of motivation caused by stress or dissatisfaction with their work environment. The stress could be due to the bankers not knowing whether or not they will receive their full paycheck or not. The employees that are displaying negativity in the workplace can make the environment unfriendly, stressful, and inefficient.

Tellers are more highly looked upon when helping bankers meet their goals, which results in tellers less motivated to assist in the process as more likely to not be looked highly upon. If the teller does not assist in this process, it is hard to get a promotion or a raise. In order for an employer to inspire their employees, they must know the employee's personal goals and help them line those up with the in-office goals.

Example 4:

Angry customers arguing about mistakes on their account, whether bank error, customer error, or external error does anything but motivate the typical employee to kindly fix the problem. There is often an internal battle between providing accurate assistance, such as telling the customer it was their fault, and customer service, such as waving a fee for their mistake. It would be on rare occasion that one would be eager to assist an angry customer; it is company policy that motivates one to assist a customer that is less than satisfied, not an internal deficit for that particular employee.

Reassessing Theory:

The theory that motivation comes directly from bodily deficits that a person wishes to progress oneself is a provable idea. However, it is not uncommon for one to be motivated because of their desires and wants of growth. A person should not have to feel a lacking within in order to want to better themselves. Recognizing this could help management find ways to motivate employees where the initial theory presented does not.