employee motivation

The level of competition in the corporate world has prompted firms to embrace motivation strategies to encourage their employees with an aim of ensuring that quality services are offered to consumers. To attain this, firms have been prompted to initiate mechanisms that make their workplace desirable so that employees may be motivated to work efficiently and apply their skills optimally. Unlike past days when most firms regarded employees as just part of the inputs required in the production process of goods and services, it is now apparent that they are valued as the human capital without which an organization cannot attain its goals. There are a number of theories that have been used to explain the need for employee recognition and engagement, for instance: equity theory, two factor theory, expectancy valence theory and need hierarchy theory. Motivation of employees should be the primary focus for managers by offering: equity, support to employee aspirations and goals, good remuneration, and skill enhancement through continuous training.

The equity theory shows how employee performance is greatly influenced by the manner in which his peers are treated. For instance, firms that treat employees differently affect the motivation of employees by making it difficult for them to engage in teamwork or working effectively. This often happens in an environment where individuals holding certain positions are treated as more superior due to their closeness to managers in contrast to others occupying similar positions. This trend is detrimental. According to Kim (2006), the influences managers have in determining the behavior exhibited by their employees often define whether their firms are headed for failure or success. In most cases, moti...

... middle of paper ...

...vation of their employees. All the theories brought forth regarding employee motivation rotate on the need to make sure that employees are fully satisfied by offering both monetary and non-monetary incentives such as training, promotion and a safe working environment. It is often difficult for employees to devote themselves and engage fully in teamwork activities whenever their leaders favor some of their counterparts while showing bias against others. As the Two Factor Theory puts it, employee satisfaction and dissatisfaction have to be handled separately to ensure that the right measures are initiated whenever there are challenges that jeopardize the prospect of organizations attaining their goals. It is therefore the role of managers to make the environment of their workplaces ethical to attain the level of motivation needed to make employees perform effectively.