Introduction
Motivation is the set of forces that cause people to behave in a certain way. The goal of the manager is to maximize the likelihood of employees working hard and minimize the likelihood of employees not having the morale to work hard. Different authors have tried to explain the importance of employee motivation in organizations. This is because a motivated employee leads to the good performance of the organization’s operations. This article will explain how different authors view employee motivation. The first author is Linder (1998) in his article “understanding employee motivation,” and the second one is Hasan (2007) in his article “motivating your staff.”
Summary of the articles
In these two articles, the authors are concerned with the importance of motivation. Linder (1998), in his article, examines how motivational factors are important to the employees. He also addressed different factors of motivation in different motivation theories and how they can help to increase the morale of employees and thus lead to the high performance of the organization. On the other hand, Hasan (2007), in his article, looks at the techniques which can be used by managers in an organization in order to create a good working environment. Hasan (2007) has also explained how motivation can be achieved by applying motivational techniques in order to improve the morale of the employees and thus their productivity. He says that planning is important in order to come up with motivational strategies.
On their concern on the importance of employee motivation, the two authors have similar views. According to Linder (1998) in his article, the performance of motivated employees helps a company to be successful. Motivated employees are also hard-working and thus are able to achieve the company’s goals. Therefore, managers in an organization need to understand the motivators of these employees in the jobs they do. Similarly, Hasan (2007) states in his article that employees are the key to an organization’s success. According to this author, when employees are motivated, they will meet the needs of the customers satisfactorily. Motivated employees do the job very easily in an organization, and thus, Hasan (2007) explains in his article that managers must understand their employees’ needs in order to help them achieve their needs as they achieve the company’s objectives.
These two authors have come up with different ways of motivating the employees. According to Hasan (2007), one way of motivating the employees is through validation. This ensures that the employees are treated with a lot of respect in the job place. It also involves the management encouraging employees’ growth through learning and skill development. Validation also involves the company being flexible in order to meet the needs of the employees. This can be achieved by giving the employees a chance to make decisions. The other way of motivating the employees, according to Hasan (2007), is through participation. Employees should be involved in making organizational decisions and particularly those decisions that affect them so that their needs can be addressed adequately. Employees should also be allowed to have control of how they do their work. The other factor in employee motivation, as explained by Hasan (2007), is information.
The employees should have access to all the inside information about the organization. This will help them to feel part and parcel of that organization and thus work hard to achieve the set goals. They should also be kept updated on anything being done in the organization. Linder (1998), in his article, explained that motivation could be achieved by focusing on various theories. One of the theories that he suggested is Maslow’s theory of need hierarchy. According to this theory, the motivation process begins with unsatisfied needs. It ends after the individual has assessed the consequences of attempting to satisfy those needs or when the process is interrupted for some reason. Physiological needs must be met repeatedly within relatively short periods of time in order for employees to remain motivated. The company should also satisfy the employees’ safety needs because if an employee thinks that his security is in danger, other things seem less important to him, including his work. Esteem and self-actualization needs should also be satisfied in order to keep the employees motivated.
Linder (1998) also talked of Vroom theory in his effort to explain the motivational factors in a company. In this theory, employee hard work results in some payment which may either be good or bad. If the rewards are positive, the employees get motivated to work hard, but if they are negative, the employees’ morale to work goes down. Adams’ theory, according to Linder (1998), can also be used in explaining the motivational factor. This theory states that employees work hard to achieve equity among themselves. Finally, Skinner’s theory is also used by Linder (1998). He states that employees’ behaviors should be positively influenced by managers in an organization in order to help the employees work hard and also improve their morale.
The two authors have used an objective approach to address the issue of employee motivation. They have quoted relevant facts of ensuring employees are motivated and how this motivation can lead to high performance. For example, Linder (1998), in his article, has gone ahead and given the theories that explain how employees can be motivated in the workplace. The two authors have also used a rhetorical approach in their journals. They have clearly used language effectively and persuasively to help one get their opinions on the topic of employee motivation. They have also elaborated their points which make it easy for one to understand.
The article by Hasan (2007) is persuasive because the author tries to give the techniques that managers should adopt in order to ensure that the employees are motivated, and the company succeeds. On the other hand, the article by Linder (1998) is informative because the author is trying to teach managers how motivation can be achieved. That’s why he is using some theories to explain the motivation factors and how it is important to an organization.
Critique of the articles
The article “motivating your staff” by Hasan (2007) is a good one. The author has clearly explained the techniques that managers can use to motivate employees and ensure that they are productive in an organization. He has also explained how these techniques can be applied in an organization to motivate employees. However, in his introduction, the author has not clearly given the definition of motivation and what necessitated him to write about the topic. The author did not also explain clearly how these motivational factors would achieve motivation. The structuring of the article is not clear, and thus, it leads to confusion.
The article by Linder (1998), “understanding employee motivation,” is a good one. The author has introduced his work clearly, giving the reasons as to why he had to write about employee motivation. He has also defined his topic, which makes it easier for one to understand it clearly. Moreover, the author has given the motivation factors that can result in an employee working hard and thus resulting in high productivity. By including some theories in his article, one is able to understand clearly how employee motivation can be achieved. The structuring of his article is well arranged, which allows for better understanding. On the other hand, the author was very sketchy on how the theories can be used in motivating employees. He did not bring out the idea properly.
Conclusion
According to Linder, motivation can be defined as the process that increases or decrease an individual’s desire and commitment to achieve personal and organizational goals. Motivation is important in an organization because when it is high, employees do their best, enjoy their job and perform well at work. On the other hand, when motivation level is low, employees are indecisive, unhappy, and underperforming. Motivation in an organization can be achieved through validation, information, and participation. It can also be achieved by applying some theories. These theories include Maslow’s theory of hierarchy needs, Vroom’s expectancy theory, Adams’ theory of equity, and Skinner’s theory. Therefore, it is important for an organization to spend time and effort trying to increase the motivation, performance, and productivity of their staff in the current climate of fierce competition and rapid, perpetual change in most organizations.
Bibliography
Linder, James. “Understanding employee motivation,” Journal of extension 36 (19980, 21-22, Web.
Hasan. “Motivating your staff,” how-to guides for small business 22 (2007), 34-35, Web.