Knowledge of Motivational Theories for Better Management

Introduction In their existences, organizations and companies are constantly being pressured by the competitive forces around them to increase their productivity and raise their performance levels.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Knowledge of Motivational Theories for Better Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This is especially the case in the present day business environment which is rife with aggressive behavior and rampant competition which force businesses to look for innovative means to give them a competitive advantage therefore assure that they are not forced out of the market. In this environment, the role of management is more important than ever. Managers are the people who are taxed with the role of marshalling the human resource in the organization for its growth and expansion. For the manager to be of greatest benefit to the organization, he/she must be able to obtain optimum resu lts from his/her staff. This can be obtained through various means amongst which is the possession of exemplary leadership skills by the manager. However, the manager must also possess sound theoretic knowhow on relevant subjects which should then be converted to practical application. This paper shall set out to argue that sound in-depth knowledge of motivational theory by the manager will in fact enable him/her to be a better manager. This paper shall reinforce this assertion by highlighting a number of motivational theory and how knowledge of the same can be exploited by the manager for higher productivity. Use of Motivational Theories in Management Motivation is defined as a â€Å"process of stimulating people to action to accomplish desired goals† (Kondalkar 2002, p.245). Bearing in mind the fact that the manager is tasked with marshaling the organization’s resources to accomplish some organizational goal, it can be rightfully stated that part of the role of the m anager is to motivate his staff to achieve certain desired goals. It is the role of the manager to ensure that the employees have a high degree of motivation in their performance. One of the motivation theories that a manager can utilize is the Expectancy Theory. Chapman and Hopwood (2007, p.120) state that the expectancy theory as proposed by Vroom assumes that individuals choose intended actions, effort levels and occupations that â€Å"maximize their expected pleasure and minimize their expected pain, consistent with hedonism†. Expectancy theory asserts that a person’s individual motivational force is a function of their expectancy. In other words, the probability that one’s effort will result in a first-level outcome will result in the person being motivated to act in a certain manner.Advertising Looking for critical writing on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More By following this theo ry, the manager should therefore strive to demonstrate to the employee that the outcomes they seek are achievable. Once the individual believes that performing at a particular level will result in the attainment of the desired outcome, he/she will increase him performance level therefore benefiting himself as well as the organization. Arguably the most influential motivational theory is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory. This theory as proposed by Abraham Maslow states that human needs can be viewed as a hierarch and people are constantly ascending from the lowest to the highest and when one set of needs is satisfied, it ceases to be a motivator to the individual. A manager who understands Maslow’s theory can adopt a systematic approach in motivating his subordinates. The manager will understand that the needs of the workers who are at different levels will differ significantly. For example, the newly employed worker who is working at a low level will be more concerne d about his basic needs and will want minimal rewards. However, once the same worker has secured these physiological needs, they will cease to motivate him and the manager will have to come up with other motivators for the employers. By understanding this theory, a manager will be aware that for some of the employees, social needs are the motivator and this being the case the manager will seek motivators that are relevant to the particular employees. There are various aspects that one has to take into consideration when motivating employees. The two factor theory of motivation advanced by Frederick Herzberg suggests that job satisfaction has two dimensions which include hygiene factors which are work conditions and the motivation factors which include work incentives (Griffin 2007, p.296). A manager who has knowledge of this knowledge will realize that for motivation to be achieved, two particular angles must be considered. The hygiene factors which include working conditions, super visors, pay security and interpersonal relations must not be deficient. The motivation factors which include achievement and recognition, advancement and growth and responsibility must be present since these are the factors that create a drive in the employee. Most people are bound to compare their performances to that of other people in the same situation that they are in. This is also the case in the work environment where the employees constantly compare themselves with employees both within and outside of the organization.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Knowledge of Motivational Theories for Better Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The manager who is conversant with the Equity theory will be in a better position to manage his workforce and maximize their performance. The Equity theory is a social comparison theory which states that a balance of outputs to inputs is the goal that employe es are motivated to achieve (Pynes 2008, p.153). Knowledge of such a theory will enable a manager to be better at his job since he will seek to ensure that employees do not feel like they are under rewarded. Pynes (2008, p.154) highlights that an employee who feels that the ration of outcomes to inputs are equal is likely to be satisfied with the exchange relationship he/she has with his employer. However, if the employer has a perception of inequity and he feels that he/she is giving more and the outcome is less, the person can reduce his input efforts. This will hurt the organization since success can only be achieved if each employee is performing optimally. A manager who is well versed with this motivational theory will ensure that at any one time, the employees perceive the ration of their inputs being equal to the outcomes that they obtain from the organization. Without any in-depth knowledge on motivational theories, a manager is most likely to rely on the basic idea of rewar ds and punishments to achieve the goals that he desires. A study by Frey and Jegen (2001, p.591) reveals that monetary incentives and punishments may have the undesirable effect of crowding-out intrinsic motivation under some conditions. A manager who does not know this will only seek to motivate his workforce by offering incentives which may have the effect of reducing the intrinsic motives. According to Frey and Jegen (2001, p.591), some people are intrinsically motivated to perform an activity without receiving any apparent reward for it except for the activity itself. With this in mind, the manager can improve his managing skills by increasing the quality of work for the workers since this is all that some employees need to be motivated to give favorable performances. It is the role of the manager to come up with a vision and communicate the same to the employees so as to give them a sense of purpose and meaning. As such, the average manager will come up with a goal that he expe cts his employees to follow. The manager may com up with goals that are unchallenging, unclear or even unattainable by his workforce. Knowledge of the Goal-setting theory advanced by Locke will ensure that the manager does not get into such pitfalls. Pynes (2008, p.155) states that according to the Goal setting theory, high performance results from clear expectations. With such knowledge, a manager will set specific task goals for his employees and ensure that these goals are challenging, clear and attainable.Advertising Looking for critical writing on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In addition to this, the manager will realize that the goals may need to change in time since the same goals that were challenging and achievable in the past year may be unchallenging or unachievable for the next year. With such considerations, this manager who has an in-depth knowledge of this motivational theory will challenge his employees therefore bringing about positive results for the organization. Conclusion This paper set out to demonstrate how in-depth knowledge of motivational theory can help someone become a better manager. To this end, this paper has argued that knowledge of the various motivational theories can help a manager achiever his prime role which is to ensure the effective and efficient utilization of resources that are available to an organization for higher profitability to be achieved. This paper has shown how the decisions made by the manager can be enhanced by an in depth knowledge of motivational theories. It has also been shown that a lack of knowledge in motivational theories will greatly hamper the operations of the manager in inciting the best performances from the employees. From this paper, it can be authoritatively stated that knowledge and application of motivational theories makes someone a better manager. References Chapman, SC Hopwood, GA 2007, Handbook of management accounting research, Elsevier. Frey, BS Jegen R 2001, â€Å"Motivation Crowding Theory†, Journal of economic surveys vol. 15, no.5. Griffin, RW 2007, Fundamentals of management, Cengage Learning. Kondalkar, PF 2002, Organization effectiveness and change management, PHI learning Pvt. Ltd. Koontz, H Weihrich, H 2006, Essentials of management, McGraw-Hill. Pynes, JE 2008, Human resources management for public and nonprofit organizations: A strategic approach, John Wiley and Sons. This critical writing on Knowledge of Motivational Theories for Better Management was written and submitted by user Zavier N. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

An Essay About Scholarship Samples

An Essay About Scholarship SamplesIf you are looking for a good way to improve your grades in college, look no further than an essay about scholarship samples. Scholarship samples have become quite popular over the last few years. Scholarships are still a popular way for people to get financial aid, but there are many other ways they can also get help, too.The problem with getting aid like this is that they are very specific, so it makes it much harder to figure out how to tackle them. Some students would rather just take a test than write a paper, but that can often be even more time consuming. Plus, these tests don't give you any feedback, either.Now, you may be wondering what an essay about these is going to be like. Basically, the essay is going to be one long argument about why a particular university is a good choice for getting a scholarship. There are some things you will want to make sure you cover.One of the first things to remember is that if you feel like you are being bu llied by the other students in your class, you should report it as soon as possible. This is a big part of how you show you are serious about your school. They will likely be very disappointed in you if you do not stick to this. It will go along way.Then, you will want to make sure that you cover certain things. You should know that these scholarships vary quite a bit from one to the next. Some will be similar, while others may have many things in common.The best way to make sure that your essay about scholarship samples is effective is to tailor it to the university. That way, you can really make it unique. Also, if you write a great essay, the admissions officer will notice it and put your name in for consideration. That can definitely help your cause.After you have completed your essay, you may need to send it in to the university. In order to get your essay accepted, you need to include all of the things in the curriculum. That way, they can see that you know what you are talkin g about and that you have taken the time to prepare a well-written essay. And since they want to know that you really took the time to learn about scholarships, you will probably get some scholarships as a result.Another thing you should do is to ensure that your essay is 100% honest. The school will judge your essay based on how much work you put into it. Plus, they will see how much research you did. Make sure that yours is straight from the heart, and you will be just fine.