A performance issue which resulted from a motivational problem:
Most employees in an industry prefer to have a straightforward reward system that links performance with rewards. This keeps them motivated as a salary raise or a higher wage bill is linked to better performance, while the initial entry level wage itself acts as a powerful attraction for manpower and talent. However, companies often need to restructure their operations, rationalize their processes, and downsize their capacity. This is a painful and tiresome process for both the management and the employees, as it may involve cutting or freezing some of the rewards and perks to those employees normally come to expect. Layoffs are part of this process as well, and a significant number of workers may be laid off, causing distress and demoralization among the employees who remain, since they often form deep friendships with their colleagues .
Thus, at a company which is downsizing, the remaining workers may feel a severe lack of motivation. As a number of workers have been laid off, they may feel insecure about their future and look for other jobs. Or conversely, they may feel a lack of loyalty to the employer and a corresponding decrease in energy and effort for the company. Especially if an employee feels his or her efforts will not be rewarded, at least not in the same way as before, he will suffer from a severe lack of motivation. This will impact his daily performance, such as ability to meet deadlines and production quotas. Once his productivity starts falling, it turns into a vicious cycle as he earns reprimands and warnings from management, which further antagonize him from the company and lowers his motivation and self-esteem. This ultimately turns into a net loss for the company, both in terms of productivity and valuable manpower attrition .
Maslow theory of motivation and how it explains the problem for the organization:
According to Maslow’s theory of motivation, described in the hierarchy of needs model, human beings have different steps of motivation that they need after their prior needs are met. Thus, basic human needs such as food, water, clothing and shelter feature at the highest priority for poor people, those with no job and no financial security. Naturally, their expectations are lower and they tend to work hard for these basic needs. After this, the second lowest priority of needs is safety, especially physical safety from war and violence. People who are in these two lowest levels in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, tend to be satisfied with lower rewards when working in an organization. After someone has had their basic needs attained, they are likely to aspire for higher wages and self-esteem needs related to basic human respect, dignity, and appreciation of their efforts. These often tend to be non-monetary in nature. Thus, employees who already receive a fairly high wage will tend to aspire to non-monetary incentives such as promotion, perks such as better food at company cafeteria, better work-life balance and time off .
Thus, most successful companies will usually have employees who are at Stage 3 or 2 in the Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. They mostly aspire to love and belonging needs or self-esteem needs, and simple monetary incentives may no longer work as a motivating factor. Thus, lay off large numbers of workers may act as a disincentive or demoralizing factor for them since they lose a large number if colleagues with whom they shared a sense of love and belonging. Constantly receiving reprimands and warnings of a disparaging tone from the management may similarly affect their sense of self-esteem and self-respect. Thus, criticism from the management has to be constructive and has to help the employee improve his performance by motivating him, and not by demoralizing him .
How the performance problem can be corrected and changed.
As the main problem of motivation has been identified as self-esteem and sense of belonging as a result of difficult company policy, encouraging these traits without compromising the company policy can go a long way. Being a piece of a learning society is a vital helper for a worker. Preparing can fill the hole between absence of abilities and better efficiency in the wake of preparing needs is evaluated. Suitable preparing ought to be seen as a speculation as opposed to a liability. The days of quarterly or yearly audits being the sole type of input are a distant memory. Representatives need to get steady, particular, and unmistakably characterized input from their bosses. Positive input about achievements is crucial to propel a worker .
Open correspondence is most workers' need. Discover what intrigues them and what doesn't. Talking with a worker regularly demonstrates that you think about them in more routes than essentially needing them to stay aware of profitability. Inspiration requires a technique customized to every laborer's needs. These thoughts can help the company recognize what can drive its representatives to need to make a superior showing with regards to. In the event that the management’s attention is on the primary concern and long haul development of the association, it's imperative to concentrate motivating the manpower which is a company’s most critical resource. Thus, having a critical training infrastructure in place, along with regular feedback loops and appraisals, will be able to deal with the problem of motivation in a more effective manner. The core aim of such a plan is to increase the motivation rather than induce feelings of guilt and self-loathing in the employee. Thus, managers may have performance-improvement plans for employees who suffer from low motivation and low self-esteem; this is likely to improve it .
References
Bruce, A., & Pepitone, J. (2009). Motivating Employees. Madison: McGraw-Hill.
Price, A. (2011). Human Resource Management. Andover: Southwestern Cengage Learning.
Thomas, K. (2010). Intrinsic Motivation at Work: What Really Drives Employee Engagement. New York: Read How You Want Inc.
