Weaknesses Of Employee Motivation

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Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time (Thomas A. Edison). “Motivation relates to a range of psychological processes that guide an individual toward a goal and cause that person to keep pursuing that goal” (Sadri). Motivation determines what direction an employee will choose to take, how hard they will work toward that chosen path, how long they will persist and how long they will persevere in the face of obstacles. Positively motivated employees will work harder and produce more high quality work than non-motivated employees. The ability to motivate employees is paramount to achieving a competitive advantage over the competition and keeping ones employees from seeking more fulfilling employment elsewhere (Fairbank). Motivating employees can be accomplished by meeting their needs and requirements, positive reinforcement, and through organizational identification or attachment.
Employees need a variety of motivators to keep them engaged in their work. “Employers are looking at how to satisfy their employees on both an extrinsic, financial level as well as an intrinsic, psychological level.” In 2004 the Employee Benefit Research Institute found employers were spending approximately 92% of total compensation payments on employee wages and salaries. One year later they were only spending 81% on wages and salaries. In balancing financial extrinsic and intrinsic incentives, employers are using various motivators ranging from competitive wages to concierge services. Companies need to continuously adjust their benefit packages to attract and retain quality employees (Sadri). Maslow’s hierarchy of needs can be used to satisfy the employees’ needs and to increas...

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