essay on motivating employees

How to Motivate Your Employees Essay

Introduction, the need for employee motivation, relationship between employee motivation and success of a firm.

Employee Motivation in the 21st Century

Strategies of Employee Motivation

Recommendations on how to motivate employees.

Employees form the most important part of any organization. According to Chopra (2002), employees are the most important assert within an organization. Employees will determine success or failure of an organization based on the approach they give to the various tasks assigned to them.

Employee motivation is therefore, very important in ensuring that employees achieve desired result in various tasks assigned to them in order to ensure an overall success of the firm. Motivated employees tend to give their best effort in all that they do. The work with very little supervision, and do not wait to be directed to perform given tasks. They work with the vision of the organization in their heart, always determined to see success in all that they do.

It is because of this that various firms have come to appreciate the need to have a group of motivated employees. Firms are currently struggling to ensure that they offer their employees the best working environment that will ensure that they are constantly motivated. Employees’ motivation always has a direct impact on the success of the firm in the given industry. This paper focuses on ways in which employees of a given firm can be motivated.

For a long time, labor has not been given its rightful position in many organizations. Many of the managements have not thought of viewing their employees as very important asserts. However, the happenings of the recent past have proven that labor force is one of the most important asserts to any given organization.

When the management lays down objectives to be achieved, it is always the employees who are expected to implement the policies that would bring the desired results. It is this work force that would be expected to turn the policies from paper to reality. Therefore, retention of employees is very important. Employees should be retained within the organization to ensure that the firm’s operations are consistent.

High turnover rate of employees is not healthy for the firm’s prosperity (Anderson, 2004). This is because it does not only affect the smooth implementation of policies within the firm, but also leads to increased cost of training new employees. It is even worse that the employees would go away having learnt the strategies of the firm, making the firm vulnerable to its competitors.

The management should therefore device methods of hiring qualified employees and retaining them within the firm. One of the best ways to achieve this is through motivation. It is through motivation that employees will feel attached to the firm and therefore feel committed to the firm.

Armstrong (2002) says that employees are the implementing arm of the organization. While the top executives formulate the policies to be implemented by the organization, most of their tasks always end in the paper. It is upon the employees to make these blueprints a reality.

In his words, employees are the engine of the organization. When well taken care of and put in a proper condition, they would always give the best of the results to the organization. However, when they are neglected and left to ‘rust’ they will always give leap service and the output will be very disappointing.

Motivating employees within the organization is very important. There is a direct link between employee motivation and success of a firm. It is very important that a firm increases the rate of employee motivation because of a number of reasons. In most of the occasions, policies are always developed to last for one whole year. However, these policies are always units in the larger vision of the firm.

A vision may be developed to be achieved in a time span of say thirty year or so. This duration is long and the firm may not take a direct approach towards achieving this vision. It therefore has to split this vision into yearly strategic objectives. When the year begins, the firm would plan with its current work force.

When some of the employees leave along the year because of lack of motivation, it would be a blow to the success of that year’s strategic objectives. The firm would be forced to look for a replacement and train them and make them understand the objectives to be achieved (Barrows & Powers, 2008). This is time consuming and costly venture that would reduce the success of the organization.

Changing the employees on a yearly basis is not good either. This is because in so doing, the vision of the firm will be lost. It will not be possible to realize the vision because every year, the firm would be forced to start with new employees who may not understand the vision, and how it was developed in the first place. This minimizes chances of achieving expected goals within the organization.

Retaining employees through proper motivation is another way of cutting cost. It is always necessary to train new employees to the firm on how to manage various forces that affect the organization. It would cost the management time and money to ensure that new recruits understand the working environment and are able to perform what is expected of them. Retaining employees would eliminate this cost.

It is also easier to form a community that understands itself with a workforce that last for over five years within the firm. Everyone would know exactly what is expected of him or her, and therefore the task of directing them would be much easier. This can only be possible if the employees feel motivated within the firm.

Employee Motivation in the 21 st Century

The core of this research is to determine how best a firm can motivate its employees. Having categorically looked at the importance of motivating employees, it is prudent to determine ways through which a given firm can ensure that its grip on its employees is not shaken.

However, there are some factors that must be considered before determining how best a firm can motivate its employees. It is an acceptable fact that for a firm to motivate employees, it must start by employing some of the best talents that would help it achieve its goals.

As such, it is important to understand how best a firm can recruit new employees. After recruiting the best of the employees, as per the measures that have been put in place, it is also important to appreciate that not all of them would leave up to the expectations (Chuang & Liao, 2010).

As such, it would again be appropriate to determine who to retain because a firm can only retain the best of the workforce in order to be in a position to achieve the maximum. It is upon the determination of the best workforce to retain that a firm can now develop the best ways to motivating such employees.

To ensure that there is a constantly motivated workforce, it would require the management to employ the right strategies that would ensure that it succeeds in this. It may appear as a simple task of making employees happy. However, it goes beyond this.

To motivate employees within the firm, there are a series of strategies that a firm should employ in order to ensure that employees are constantly satisfied. The secret behind this retention lies in ensuring that the employee is satisfied and feels challenged with the present task. This will cause the drive in him to want to come tomorrow and beat the challenge. The recommendations below gives a detailed strategy of how to employ the right individuals to the firm, and how such individuals should be retained, once employed.

This has been the core of this research. The researcher was interested in determining how best to motivate employees within a given firm. According to Griffin and Moorhead (2009), the secret behind the motivation of employees within a firm is through understanding their special needs. Human being by nature wants to be appreciated. This way, they feel that their effort is recognized. They feel motivated, and this way, they are in a position to perform better within the firm. Motivation comes in various forms.

Promotion in the place of work. People always feel so much appreciated if they are made to raise a step or two in their workplace. However minimal this rise may be, it would be appreciated by the employees and this would make them work harder in order to be given even higher ranks the firm. They would remain in the firm with the hope that one day they would rise to the highest position in the firm
Giving employees financial incentives. Although there are many factors that would encourage an individual to get employment, the ultimate goal is to earn good salaries that would enable him or her be in a position to take good care of the family. Financial incentives are some of the best ways through which a firm can ensure that they make employees feel that their efforts are appreciated. It would motivate them to work harder and will not make them think of leaving the firm.
Personal appreciation from the management team would be a high motivation to the employee. It would go a long way in ensuring that the employee is motivated within the firm.
Public praises. It is important that when an employee performs exceptionally well, the management should praise such employees publicly. Such public praises will make the employees attached to the firm.
High involvement and clear communication. The management should always ensure that employees are involved. They should be made to feel that they are responsible for every task they have to undertake. This way, they would always want to see their departments excel, a fact that may make them stay motivated within the organization.
Team building seminars. One of the best way of motivating employees and ensuring that they work as a team is by organizing team building seminars. Though such seminars, employees would form very strong bonds amongst themselves and with the firm. As such, they would not think of leaving the firm for another because the bond would always keep them together.
The management should also foster trust. The employees should have trust in employees. They should be made to feel that the management is caring. The management should always ensure that they keep trust by always honoring their promises.
Challenging experience. Human being, under a normal circumstance, work best when provided with challenging tasks. They feel that they have something to accomplish tomorrow, because they feel that today’s work is not satisfactory. Such an employee would always be thinking of ways to beat the deadlines other than engaging in unconstructive tasks because of lack of motivation.

Employees are very important to an organization. Success of organization will start by having employees who feel that there is need to succeed. Success can be achieved with motivated employees. Motivated employees will always work as a team and be committed to their tasks in order to foster success to the organization.

There are various ways of ensuring that employees are constantly motivated within the organization. One of the ways through which this can be achieved is through promotion at workplace. The employees feel that they are valued in the firm. Another prominent way of motivating employees is through good remuneration. This makes them feel that the firm cares for their families. There are many other motivational methods that ensure that employees work within the expected limits.

Anderson, T. (2004). Research Methods in Human Resource Management. London: Chattered institute of Personell Management Publishing.

Armstrong, M. (2002). Employee Rewards. Trowbridge: CIPD Publishing.

Barrows, C., & Powers, T. (2008). Introduction to Management in the Hospitality Industry. Hoboken: John Wiley and Sons.

Chopra, S. (2002). Motivation in Management. New Delhi: Sarup & Sons.

Chuang, C., & Liao, H. (2010). Strategic Human Resource in Service Context: Taking Care of Business by Taking Care of Employees and Customers. Personell psychology , 63(1), 153-196.

Griffin, R., & Moorhead, G. (2009). Organizational Behavior: Managing People and Organizations. Mason: Cengage learning.

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Bibliography

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How to motivate employees: Key factors, strategies, and examples

Learn how to motivate employees effectively by understanding key factors, strategies, and real-world examples.

By Elle Holder

Not everyone has a green thumb or even cares about plants and gardening. But I’d bet that everyone knows what happens to a plant that’s never watered — it doesn’t flourish. In fact, it will eventually die.

So, if you’ve got any questions or doubts on how to motivate employees, remember the plants. Motivation is just like water — it will help your employees flourish by impacting their productivity, job satisfaction, and their overall performance.

Employees who are motivated are more likely to be engaged, committed, and even willing to go the extra mile for their managers and the organization as a whole. The contrast? Stop watering or motivating your employees and they’ll begin to wilt. Their morale decreases, the quality of their work will drop, and you’ll face higher turnover rates.

This article will introduce employee motivation in a bit more depth, discuss several factors that influence it, strategies on how to motivate your employees, case studies of real companies that have successfully motivated their employees, challenges you may face, and finally how to measure and evaluate employee motivation.

Let’s begin.

Understanding employee motivation Key factors influencing employee motivation Strategies for motivating employees Case studies of successful employee motivation Overcoming challenges in employee motivation Measure and evaluate employee motivation Conclusion

Understanding employee motivation

Employee motivation has been described as the internal drive and enthusiasm that employees bring to their work, and it encompasses several factors that drive them to optimal performance. At its core, it refers to the internal and external forces that influence an employee’s willingness, enthusiasm, and their level of persistence when it comes to pursuing organizational goals and objectives.

Definition of employee motivation

Employee motivation is a complex psychological process that drives an employee’s behavior towards achieving work-related goals. It includes both intrinsic (internal) and extrinsic (external) factors that encourage employee engagement, commitment, and satisfaction.

The role of motivation in employee performance

If you’re wondering how to motivate employees — or if you should even bother — consider this. Motivated employees are more likely to demonstrate higher levels of job satisfaction, engagement, and productivity. They’ll typically exhibit greater initiative, creativity, and problem-solving abilities, all things that will lead to improved performance outcomes and organizational effectiveness. On the flip side, motivated employees are less likely to be repeatedly absent and they’re less likely to quit.

Common misconceptions about employee motivation

Unfortunately, employee motivation is often understood or oversimplified. Instead of digging deep into the complexities of how to motivate employees, some employers believe that motivation depends solely on monetary rewards or incentives. And although extrinsic rewards can influence behavior in the short term, if you want sustainable motivation , it will require a deeper understanding of your employees’ intrinsic needs, values, and goals.

Another misconception is the assumption that all employees are motivated by the same thing. In reality, motivation is highly individual and is influenced by personal experiences, preferences, and perceptions. With that in mind, an effective motivation strategy should be tailored to address the diverse needs and motivations of individual employees within your organization.

Bring your people together

Key factors influencing employee motivation.

Employee motivation is influenced by several factors that shape an individual’s attitude, behavior, and ultimately their performance in the workplace. Understanding these factors will help create a motivating work environment that maximizes employee engagement and productivity.

Here are six key factors that can significantly influence employee motivation:

Feeling that work matters : Employees are motivated when they understand the significance of their contributions to your organization’s goals and overall mission. When their work is meaningful and aligned with their own set of values, they feel a sense of purpose and fulfillment.

Recognition and rewards : Acknowledging an employee’s efforts and achievements through rewards, praise, or incentives will boost morale and reinforce positive behavior. Recognition can come in various forms, including verbal appreciation — sometimes a simple thank you is enough — monetary bonuses, or opportunities for advancement.

Opportunities for growth and development: Some employees will be motivated when they have opportunities to learn new skills, take on challenging projects, and or advance their careers within your organization. Investing in training, mentorship programs, and career advancement pathways can demonstrate a commitment to your employees’ professional development and foster a culture of continuous learning.

Work-life balance : Maintaining a healthy balance between work responsibilities and personal life is important for an employee’s well-being and motivation. If you can offer flexible work arrangements, such as remote work opportunities, flexible scheduling, or even generous time off policies, this helps to enable employees to manage their work commitments while giving them time to attend to personal priorities and obligations.

Effective communication and feedback : Clear, transparent communication and regular feedback are essential if you want to develop trust, collaboration, and engagement among your employees. Providing constructive feedback helps employees understand your expectations and identifies areas for improvement. Additionally, your employees will feel valued and supported in their roles.

Positive work environment : A positive work environment is characterized by trust, respect, and camaraderie, all of which enhances employee morale and motivation. Cultivating a culture of inclusivity, teamwork, and open communication leads to a sense of belonging and commitment among your employees, driving higher levels of engagement and performance .

Strategies for motivating employees

If you want a high-performing and engaged workforce, you need to motivate your employees. Fortunately, employers can implement various strategies to inspire and incentivize employees to perform at their best.

Let’s address five effective strategies on how to motivate employees:

Set clear expectations and goals : Clearly defining roles, responsibilities, and performance expectations will help your employees understand what’s expected of them and provides a roadmap to their success. Clear goals give an employee a sense of direction and purpose, motivating them to strive for achievement.

Provide regular feedback and coaching : Regular feedback and coaching sessions create an opportunity for managers to recognize an employee’s strengths, address areas for improvement, and provide guidance on how to excel in their roles. Constructive feedback will help employees track their progress, stay motivated, and continuously improve their performance.

Encourage employee autonomy and empowerment : Empowering employees to make decisions and take initiative leads to a sense of ownership and accountability. When you give employees autonomy over their work processes and projects it enables them to leverage their skills and creativity, leading to increased motivation and engagement.

Create a culture of appreciation and recognition : If you want to boost morale and motivation , you need to recognize and appreciate their efforts and contributions. Simple gestures such as verbal praise, handwritten notes, or employee recognition programs can go a long way in showing your employees that their work is valued and appreciated.

Offer opportunities for skill advancement and career advancement : Provide employees with opportunities for learning, skill development, and career advancement, as this demonstrates a commitment to their professional growth and success. Offer training programs, mentorship opportunities, and career development paths — this encourages them to invest in their development and stay motivated.

Create a connected workplace

Find out how high-performing teams keep everyone connected, motivated and doing their best work

Case studies of successful employee motivation

Wondering how other companies motivate their employees? Here are three examples:

Example 1: Google’s employee recognition program

Google is known for its innovative and comprehensive employee recognition programs . Most recently, one notable initiative is their peer-to-peer recognition program called Googler-to-Googler (g2g).

Employees are encouraged to nominate their colleagues for demonstrating outstanding work or for embodying Google’s values. Recognized employees receive rewards, such as monetary bonuses or personalized gifts, and their achievements are celebrated publicly within the organization. This program leads to a culture of appreciation and collaboration, motivating employees to strive for excellence and recognize each other’s contributions.

Example 2: Microsoft’s employee development initiatives

Microsoft invests heavily in employee development through a variety of initiatives, including extensive training programs, mentorship opportunities, and career development resources. The company offers access to online learning platforms, internal training sessions, and professional certification programs to help employees enhance their skills in advance their careers.

Additionally, Microsoft encourages employees to participate in cross-functional projects and rotational assignments to gain diverse experiences and expand their expertise. These development opportunities empower employees to take ownership of their career growth and build a culture of motivation and engagement.

Example 3: HubSpot’s flexible work arrangements

HubSpot, a leading provider of inbound marketing and sales software, prioritizes flexibility and work-life balance for its employees. They’ve built a hybrid company that allows for three flexible work options — at home, at the office, or flexible.

Employees have the freedom to manage their work schedules and locations based on their personal preferences and responsibilities. HubSpot also promotes a results-oriented culture, with a focus on outcomes rather than hours worked. This approach empowers employees to achieve work-life integration, leading to higher job satisfaction, lower stress levels, and increased productivity.

Overcoming challenges in employee motivation

A discussion on how to motivate employees wouldn’t be complete without also addressing its challenges. Employee motivation can face several challenges, ranging from individual issues to more systemic obstacles. However, if you want to maintain a motivated and engaged work force, these challenges must be overcome.

Here are four key challenges to employee motivation and strategies on how to address them:

Deal with demotivated employees:
Identify the root causes of their motivation, such as a lack of recognition, unclear expectations, or limited opportunities for growth
Provide individualized support and coaching to help employees rediscover their sense of purpose and reignite their passion for their work
Create a supportive work environment where your employees feel valued, heard, and empowered to voice their concerns and seek solutions
Address burnout and stress:
Promote a work-life balance by encouraging your employees to take regular breaks, set boundaries, and prioritize self-care
Implement stress management programs and resources, such as mindfulness sessions, wellness workshops, and provide access to mental health support services where needed
Review workload distribution and make sure that tasks are allocated appropriately, as this will prevent burnout and overload
Create a culture of open communication and psychological safety that allows employees to feel comfortable when they discuss what’s stressing them or look for help when needed
Manage conflicts and foster teamwork:
Be proactive when it comes to addressing conflicts in interpersonal issues by means of constructive dialogue, mediation, and conflict resolution techniques
Facilitate teambuilding activities, workshops, and training sessions to help strengthen communication, collaboration, and trust among team members
Clarify roles, responsibilities, and expectations to minimize misunderstandings and promote accountability within your team
Encourage a culture of mutual respect, empathy, and appreciation for your team’s diverse perspectives as this will create a cohesive and inclusive team dynamic
Sustain motivation in remote or virtual teams:
Establish clear communication channels and guidelines to help facilitate collaboration and interaction among your remote team members
Provide virtual team building activities, social events, and online forums to help promote engagement and camaraderie
Make full use of technology and digital tools to help streamline remote work processes

Measure and evaluate employee motivation

If you want to understand the effectiveness of your motivation strategies and identify areas for improvement within your organization, then it is important to assess their motivation.

Here are three methods you can use to measure and evaluate employee motivation:

Key metrics for assessing employee motivation:

Employee engagement scores : Measure the level of emotional commitment and enthusiasm your employees have toward their work and your organization. You can do this through regular surveys or pulse checks.
Turnover rates : Monitor the rate at which your employees leave the organization, as high turnover rates may indicate underlying issues with employee motivation, job satisfaction , or organizational culture.
Performance metrics : Track individual and team performance indicators, such as productivity, quality of work, and achievement of goals.
Absenteeism in attendance records : Keep track of how often your employees are absent. Attendance patterns often engage employee motivation and job satisfaction levels.

Conduct employee surveys and feedback sessions:

Employee satisfaction surveys : Conduct periodic surveys to gather feedback from your employees on various aspects of their work experience, including their job satisfaction, motivation levels and their perception of your organizational culture.
One-on-one check-ins : Schedule regular check-in meetings between managers and employees to discuss individual goals, challenges, and any areas for improvement. You can use the sessions to provide feedback, offer support, and/or address any concerns that are related to motivation and engagement.
Focus groups : Organize focus group discussions with cross-functional teams or departments to dig deeper into any specific issues that may be affecting employee motivation, and then brainstorm potential solutions.
Anonymous feedback mechanisms : Set up anonymous feedback channels, such as suggestion boxes or online surveys. This will encourage candid feedback from any employees who may be hesitant to voice their concerns openly.

Analyze performance and engagement data:

Performance reviews : Regularly review employee performance data to assess the impact of motivation on individual and team performance. Identify any trends, patterns, and areas for improvement based on the outcomes of your performance reviews.
Engagement surveys : Analyze data from employee engagement surveys to identify trends, areas of strength, and any areas that require attention.
Use technology : Implement HR analytics tools and software platforms to help gather, analyze, and visualize employee data that’s related to motivation, engagement, and performance. Then use these insights to inform your decision-making and as a driver in your continuous improvement initiatives.

Conclusion

So what can you learn from our discussion on how to motivate employees? We’ve explored various aspects of employee motivation, including what it is, how it’s influenced, how to foster it, how to overcome challenges, and even several methods for measuring and evaluating it.

In a bit more detail, this included:

Make sure your employees are motivated through rewards and recognition, opportunities for growth and development, work-life balance, and more.
There are several strategies you can use to motivate your employees, including setting clear goals, providing regular feedback and coaching, encouraging autonomy and empowerment, and creating a culture of appreciation.
Some challenges to expect include demotivated employees, burnout and stress, and conflict.
Measure and evaluate motivation with key metrics such as employee engagement scores, turnover rates, performance metrics, and even absenteeism and attendance records.

Why should you invest in employee motivation? It’s essential for the success of your organization and for employee well-being, since motivated employees are more productive, engaged, and committed to achieving organizational goals. Ultimately, organizations that prioritize employee motivation are better positioned to thrive in today’s competitive business landscape.

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The Science of Improving Motivation at Work

The topic of employee motivation can be quite daunting for managers, leaders, and human resources professionals.

Organizations that provide their members with meaningful, engaging work not only contribute to the growth of their bottom line, but also create a sense of vitality and fulfillment that echoes across their organizational cultures and their employees’ personal lives.

“An organization’s ability to learn, and translate that learning into action rapidly, is the ultimate competitive advantage.”

In the context of work, an understanding of motivation can be applied to improve employee productivity and satisfaction; help set individual and organizational goals; put stress in perspective; and structure jobs so that they offer optimal levels of challenge, control, variety, and collaboration.

This article demystifies motivation in the workplace and presents recent findings in organizational behavior that have been found to contribute positively to practices of improving motivation and work life.

Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our three Goal Achievement Exercises for free . These detailed, science-based exercises will help you or your clients create actionable goals and master techniques to create lasting behavior change.

This Article Contains:

Motivation in the workplace, motivation theories in organizational behavior, employee motivation strategies, motivation and job performance, leadership and motivation, motivation and good business, a take-home message.

Motivation in the workplace has been traditionally understood in terms of extrinsic rewards in the form of compensation, benefits, perks, awards, or career progression.

With today’s rapidly evolving knowledge economy, motivation requires more than a stick-and-carrot approach. Research shows that innovation and creativity, crucial to generating new ideas and greater productivity, are often stifled when extrinsic rewards are introduced.

Daniel Pink (2011) explains the tricky aspect of external rewards and argues that they are like drugs, where more frequent doses are needed more often. Rewards can often signal that an activity is undesirable.

Interesting and challenging activities are often rewarding in themselves. Rewards tend to focus and narrow attention and work well only if they enhance the ability to do something intrinsically valuable. Extrinsic motivation is best when used to motivate employees to perform routine and repetitive activities but can be detrimental for creative endeavors.

Anticipating rewards can also impair judgment and cause risk-seeking behavior because it activates dopamine. We don’t notice peripheral and long-term solutions when immediate rewards are offered. Studies have shown that people will often choose the low road when chasing after rewards because addictive behavior is short-term focused, and some may opt for a quick win.

Pink (2011) warns that greatness and nearsightedness are incompatible, and seven deadly flaws of rewards are soon to follow. He found that anticipating rewards often has undesirable consequences and tends to:

Extinguish intrinsic motivation
Decrease performance
Encourage cheating
Decrease creativity
Crowd out good behavior
Become addictive
Foster short-term thinking

Pink (2011) suggests that we should reward only routine tasks to boost motivation and provide rationale, acknowledge that some activities are boring, and allow people to complete the task their way. When we increase variety and mastery opportunities at work, we increase motivation.

Rewards should be given only after the task is completed, preferably as a surprise, varied in frequency, and alternated between tangible rewards and praise. Providing information and meaningful, specific feedback about the effort (not the person) has also been found to be more effective than material rewards for increasing motivation (Pink, 2011).

They have shaped the landscape of our understanding of organizational behavior and our approaches to employee motivation. We discuss a few of the most frequently applied theories of motivation in organizational behavior.

Herzberg’s two-factor theory

Frederick Herzberg’s (1959) two-factor theory of motivation, also known as dual-factor theory or motivation-hygiene theory, was a result of a study that analyzed responses of 200 accountants and engineers who were asked about their positive and negative feelings about their work. Herzberg (1959) concluded that two major factors influence employee motivation and satisfaction with their jobs:

Motivator factors, which can motivate employees to work harder and lead to on-the-job satisfaction, including experiences of greater engagement in and enjoyment of the work, feelings of recognition, and a sense of career progression
Hygiene factors, which can potentially lead to dissatisfaction and a lack of motivation if they are absent, such as adequate compensation, effective company policies, comprehensive benefits, or good relationships with managers and coworkers

Herzberg (1959) maintained that while motivator and hygiene factors both influence motivation, they appeared to work entirely independently of each other. He found that motivator factors increased employee satisfaction and motivation, but the absence of these factors didn’t necessarily cause dissatisfaction.

Likewise, the presence of hygiene factors didn’t appear to increase satisfaction and motivation, but their absence caused an increase in dissatisfaction. It is debatable whether his theory would hold true today outside of blue-collar industries, particularly among younger generations, who may be looking for meaningful work and growth.

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory proposed that employees become motivated along a continuum of needs from basic physiological needs to higher level psychological needs for growth and self-actualization . The hierarchy was originally conceptualized into five levels:

Physiological needs that must be met for a person to survive, such as food, water, and shelter
Safety needs that include personal and financial security, health, and wellbeing
Belonging needs for friendships, relationships, and family
Esteem needs that include feelings of confidence in the self and respect from others
Self-actualization needs that define the desire to achieve everything we possibly can and realize our full potential

According to the hierarchy of needs, we must be in good health, safe, and secure with meaningful relationships and confidence before we can reach for the realization of our full potential.

For a full discussion of other theories of psychological needs and the importance of need satisfaction, see our article on How to Motivate .

Hawthorne effect

The Hawthorne effect, named after a series of social experiments on the influence of physical conditions on productivity at Western Electric’s factory in Hawthorne, Chicago, in the 1920s and 30s, was first described by Henry Landsberger in 1958 after he noticed some people tended to work harder and perform better when researchers were observing them.

Although the researchers changed many physical conditions throughout the experiments, including lighting, working hours, and breaks, increases in employee productivity were more significant in response to the attention being paid to them, rather than the physical changes themselves.

Today the Hawthorne effect is best understood as a justification for the value of providing employees with specific and meaningful feedback and recognition. It is contradicted by the existence of results-only workplace environments that allow complete autonomy and are focused on performance and deliverables rather than managing employees.

Expectancy theory

Expectancy theory proposes that we are motivated by our expectations of the outcomes as a result of our behavior and make a decision based on the likelihood of being rewarded for that behavior in a way that we perceive as valuable.

For example, an employee may be more likely to work harder if they have been promised a raise than if they only assumed they might get one.

Expectancy theory posits that three elements affect our behavioral choices:

Expectancy is the belief that our effort will result in our desired goal and is based on our past experience and influenced by our self-confidence and anticipation of how difficult the goal is to achieve.
Instrumentality is the belief that we will receive a reward if we meet performance expectations.
Valence is the value we place on the reward.

Expectancy theory tells us that we are most motivated when we believe that we will receive the desired reward if we hit an achievable and valued target, and least motivated if we do not care for the reward or do not believe that our efforts will result in the reward.

Three-dimensional theory of attribution

Attribution theory explains how we attach meaning to our own and other people’s behavior and how the characteristics of these attributions can affect future motivation.

Bernard Weiner’s three-dimensional theory of attribution proposes that the nature of the specific attribution, such as bad luck or not working hard enough, is less important than the characteristics of that attribution as perceived and experienced by the individual. According to Weiner, there are three main characteristics of attributions that can influence how we behave in the future:

Stability is related to pervasiveness and permanence; an example of a stable factor is an employee believing that they failed to meet the expectation because of a lack of support or competence. An unstable factor might be not performing well due to illness or a temporary shortage of resources.

“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.”

Colin Powell

According to Weiner, stable attributions for successful achievements can be informed by previous positive experiences, such as completing the project on time, and can lead to positive expectations and higher motivation for success in the future. Adverse situations, such as repeated failures to meet the deadline, can lead to stable attributions characterized by a sense of futility and lower expectations in the future.

Locus of control describes a perspective about the event as caused by either an internal or an external factor. For example, if the employee believes it was their fault the project failed, because of an innate quality such as a lack of skills or ability to meet the challenge, they may be less motivated in the future.

If they believe an external factor was to blame, such as an unrealistic deadline or shortage of staff, they may not experience such a drop in motivation.

Controllability defines how controllable or avoidable the situation was. If an employee believes they could have performed better, they may be less motivated to try again in the future than someone who believes that factors outside of their control caused the circumstances surrounding the setback.

Theory X and theory Y

Douglas McGregor proposed two theories to describe managerial views on employee motivation: theory X and theory Y. These views of employee motivation have drastically different implications for management.

He divided leaders into those who believe most employees avoid work and dislike responsibility (theory X managers) and those who say that most employees enjoy work and exert effort when they have control in the workplace (theory Y managers).

To motivate theory X employees, the company needs to push and control their staff through enforcing rules and implementing punishments.

Theory Y employees, on the other hand, are perceived as consciously choosing to be involved in their work. They are self-motivated and can exert self-management, and leaders’ responsibility is to create a supportive environment and develop opportunities for employees to take on responsibility and show creativity.

Theory X is heavily informed by what we know about intrinsic motivation and the role that the satisfaction of basic psychological needs plays in effective employee motivation.

Taking theory X and theory Y as a starting point, theory Z was developed by Dr. William Ouchi. The theory combines American and Japanese management philosophies and focuses on long-term job security, consensual decision making, slow evaluation and promotion procedures, and individual responsibility within a group context.

Its noble goals include increasing employee loyalty to the company by providing a job for life, focusing on the employee’s wellbeing, and encouraging group work and social interaction to motivate employees in the workplace.

There are several implications of these numerous theories on ways to motivate employees. They vary with whatever perspectives leadership ascribes to motivation and how that is cascaded down and incorporated into practices, policies, and culture.

The effectiveness of these approaches is further determined by whether individual preferences for motivation are considered. Nevertheless, various motivational theories can guide our focus on aspects of organizational behavior that may require intervening.

Herzberg’s two-factor theory , for example, implies that for the happiest and most productive workforce, companies need to work on improving both motivator and hygiene factors.

The theory suggests that to help motivate employees, the organization must ensure that everyone feels appreciated and supported, is given plenty of specific and meaningful feedback, and has an understanding of and confidence in how they can grow and progress professionally.

To prevent job dissatisfaction, companies must make sure to address hygiene factors by offering employees the best possible working conditions, fair pay, and supportive relationships.

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs , on the other hand, can be used to transform a business where managers struggle with the abstract concept of self-actualization and tend to focus too much on lower level needs. Chip Conley, the founder of the Joie de Vivre hotel chain and head of hospitality at Airbnb, found one way to address this dilemma by helping his employees understand the meaning of their roles during a staff retreat.

In one exercise, he asked groups of housekeepers to describe themselves and their job responsibilities by giving their group a name that reflects the nature and the purpose of what they were doing. They came up with names such as “The Serenity Sisters,” “The Clutter Busters,” and “The Peace of Mind Police.”

These designations provided a meaningful rationale and gave them a sense that they were doing more than just cleaning, instead “creating a space for a traveler who was far away from home to feel safe and protected” (Pattison, 2010). By showing them the value of their roles, Conley enabled his employees to feel respected and motivated to work harder.

The Hawthorne effect studies and Weiner’s three-dimensional theory of attribution have implications for providing and soliciting regular feedback and praise. Recognizing employees’ efforts and providing specific and constructive feedback in the areas where they can improve can help prevent them from attributing their failures to an innate lack of skills.

Praising employees for improvement or using the correct methodology, even if the ultimate results were not achieved, can encourage them to reframe setbacks as learning opportunities. This can foster an environment of psychological safety that can further contribute to the view that success is controllable by using different strategies and setting achievable goals .

Theories X, Y, and Z show that one of the most impactful ways to build a thriving organization is to craft organizational practices that build autonomy, competence, and belonging. These practices include providing decision-making discretion, sharing information broadly, minimizing incidents of incivility, and offering performance feedback.

Being told what to do is not an effective way to negotiate. Having a sense of autonomy at work fuels vitality and growth and creates environments where employees are more likely to thrive when empowered to make decisions that affect their work.

Feedback satisfies the psychological need for competence. When others value our work, we tend to appreciate it more and work harder. Particularly two-way, open, frequent, and guided feedback creates opportunities for learning.

Frequent and specific feedback helps people know where they stand in terms of their skills, competencies, and performance, and builds feelings of competence and thriving. Immediate, specific, and public praise focusing on effort and behavior and not traits is most effective. Positive feedback energizes employees to seek their full potential.

Lack of appreciation is psychologically exhausting, and studies show that recognition improves health because people experience less stress. In addition to being acknowledged by their manager, peer-to-peer recognition was shown to have a positive impact on the employee experience (Anderson, 2018). Rewarding the team around the person who did well and giving more responsibility to top performers rather than time off also had a positive impact.

Stop trying to motivate your employees – Kerry Goyette

Other approaches to motivation at work include those that focus on meaning and those that stress the importance of creating positive work environments.

Meaningful work is increasingly considered to be a cornerstone of motivation. In some cases, burnout is not caused by too much work, but by too little meaning. For many years, researchers have recognized the motivating potential of task significance and doing work that affects the wellbeing of others.

All too often, employees do work that makes a difference but never have the chance to see or to meet the people affected. Research by Adam Grant (2013) speaks to the power of long-term goals that benefit others and shows how the use of meaning to motivate those who are not likely to climb the ladder can make the job meaningful by broadening perspectives.

Creating an upbeat, positive work environment can also play an essential role in increasing employee motivation and can be accomplished through the following:

Encouraging teamwork and sharing ideas
Providing tools and knowledge to perform well
Eliminating conflict as it arises
Giving employees the freedom to work independently when appropriate
Helping employees establish professional goals and objectives and aligning these goals with the individual’s self-esteem
Making the cause and effect relationship clear by establishing a goal and its reward
Offering encouragement when workers hit notable milestones
Celebrating employee achievements and team accomplishments while avoiding comparing one worker’s achievements to those of others
Offering the incentive of a profit-sharing program and collective goal setting and teamwork
Soliciting employee input through regular surveys of employee satisfaction
Providing professional enrichment through providing tuition reimbursement and encouraging employees to pursue additional education and participate in industry organizations, skills workshops, and seminars
Motivating through curiosity and creating an environment that stimulates employee interest to learn more
Using cooperation and competition as a form of motivation based on individual preferences

Sometimes, inexperienced leaders will assume that the same factors that motivate one employee, or the leaders themselves, will motivate others too. Some will make the mistake of introducing de-motivating factors into the workplace, such as punishment for mistakes or frequent criticism, but negative reinforcement rarely works and often backfires.

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There are several positive psychology interventions that can be used in the workplace to improve important outcomes, such as reduced job stress and increased motivation, work engagement, and job performance. Numerous empirical studies have been conducted in recent years to verify the effects of these interventions.

Psychological capital interventions

Psychological capital interventions are associated with a variety of work outcomes that include improved job performance, engagement, and organizational citizenship behaviors (Avey, 2014; Luthans & Youssef-Morgan 2017). Psychological capital refers to a psychological state that is malleable and open to development and consists of four major components:

Self-efficacy and confidence in our ability to succeed at challenging work tasks
Optimism and positive attributions about the future of our career or company
Hope and redirecting paths to work goals in the face of obstacles
Resilience in the workplace and bouncing back from adverse situations (Luthans & Youssef-Morgan, 2017)

Job crafting interventions

Job crafting interventions – where employees design and have control over the characteristics of their work to create an optimal fit between work demands and their personal strengths – can lead to improved performance and greater work engagement (Bakker, Tims, & Derks, 2012; van Wingerden, Bakker, & Derks, 2016).

The concept of job crafting is rooted in the jobs demands–resources theory and suggests that employee motivation, engagement, and performance can be influenced by practices such as (Bakker et al., 2012):

Attempts to alter social job resources, such as feedback and coaching
Structural job resources, such as opportunities to develop at work
Challenging job demands, such as reducing workload and creating new projects

Job crafting is a self-initiated, proactive process by which employees change elements of their jobs to optimize the fit between their job demands and personal needs, abilities, and strengths (Wrzesniewski & Dutton, 2001).

Today’s motivation research shows that participation is likely to lead to several positive behaviors as long as managers encourage greater engagement, motivation, and productivity while recognizing the importance of rest and work recovery.

One key factor for increasing work engagement is psychological safety (Kahn, 1990). Psychological safety allows an employee or team member to engage in interpersonal risk taking and refers to being able to bring our authentic self to work without fear of negative consequences to self-image, status, or career (Edmondson, 1999).

When employees perceive psychological safety, they are less likely to be distracted by negative emotions such as fear, which stems from worrying about controlling perceptions of managers and colleagues.

Dealing with fear also requires intense emotional regulation (Barsade, Brief, & Spataro, 2003), which takes away from the ability to fully immerse ourselves in our work tasks. The presence of psychological safety in the workplace decreases such distractions and allows employees to expend their energy toward being absorbed and attentive to work tasks.

Effective structural features, such as coaching leadership and context support, are some ways managers can initiate psychological safety in the workplace (Hackman, 1987). Leaders’ behavior can significantly influence how employees behave and lead to greater trust (Tyler & Lind, 1992).

Supportive, coaching-oriented, and non-defensive responses to employee concerns and questions can lead to heightened feelings of safety and ensure the presence of vital psychological capital.

Another essential factor for increasing work engagement and motivation is the balance between employees’ job demands and resources.

Job demands can stem from time pressures, physical demands, high priority, and shift work and are not necessarily detrimental. High job demands and high resources can both increase engagement, but it is important that employees perceive that they are in balance, with sufficient resources to deal with their work demands (Crawford, LePine, & Rich, 2010).

Challenging demands can be very motivating, energizing employees to achieve their goals and stimulating their personal growth. Still, they also require that employees be more attentive and absorbed and direct more energy toward their work (Bakker & Demerouti, 2014).

Unfortunately, when employees perceive that they do not have enough control to tackle these challenging demands, the same high demands will be experienced as very depleting (Karasek, 1979).

This sense of perceived control can be increased with sufficient resources like managerial and peer support and, like the effects of psychological safety, can ensure that employees are not hindered by distraction that can limit their attention, absorption, and energy.

The job demands–resources occupational stress model suggests that job demands that force employees to be attentive and absorbed can be depleting if not coupled with adequate resources, and shows how sufficient resources allow employees to sustain a positive level of engagement that does not eventually lead to discouragement or burnout (Demerouti, Bakker, Nachreiner, & Schaufeli, 2001).

And last but not least, another set of factors that are critical for increasing work engagement involves core self-evaluations and self-concept (Judge & Bono, 2001). Efficacy, self-esteem, locus of control, identity, and perceived social impact may be critical drivers of an individual’s psychological availability, as evident in the attention, absorption, and energy directed toward their work.

Self-esteem and efficacy are enhanced by increasing employees’ general confidence in their abilities, which in turn assists in making them feel secure about themselves and, therefore, more motivated and engaged in their work (Crawford et al., 2010).

Social impact, in particular, has become increasingly important in the growing tendency for employees to seek out meaningful work. One such example is the MBA Oath created by 25 graduating Harvard business students pledging to lead professional careers marked with integrity and ethics:

The MBA oath

“As a business leader, I recognize my role in society.

My purpose is to lead people and manage resources to create value that no single individual can create alone.

My decisions affect the well-being of individuals inside and outside my enterprise, today and tomorrow. Therefore, I promise that:

I will manage my enterprise with loyalty and care, and will not advance my personal interests at the expense of my enterprise or society.
I will understand and uphold, in letter and spirit, the laws and contracts governing my conduct and that of my enterprise.
I will refrain from corruption, unfair competition, or business practices harmful to society.
I will protect the human rights and dignity of all people affected by my enterprise, and I will oppose discrimination and exploitation.
I will protect the right of future generations to advance their standard of living and enjoy a healthy planet.
I will report the performance and risks of my enterprise accurately and honestly.
I will invest in developing myself and others, helping the management profession continue to advance and create sustainable and inclusive prosperity.

In exercising my professional duties according to these principles, I recognize that my behavior must set an example of integrity, eliciting trust, and esteem from those I serve. I will remain accountable to my peers and to society for my actions and for upholding these standards. This oath, I make freely, and upon my honor.”

Job crafting is the process of personalizing work to better align with one’s strengths, values, and interests (Tims & Bakker, 2010).

Any job, at any level can be ‘crafted,’ and a well-crafted job offers more autonomy, deeper engagement and improved overall wellbeing.

There are three types of job crafting:

Task crafting involves adding or removing tasks, spending more or less time on certain tasks, or redesigning tasks so that they better align with your core strengths (Berg et al., 2013).
Relational crafting includes building, reframing, and adapting relationships to foster meaningfulness (Berg et al., 2013).
Cognitive crafting defines how we think about our jobs, including how we perceive tasks and the meaning behind them.

If you would like to guide others through their own unique job crafting journey, our set of Job Crafting Manuals (PDF) offer a ready-made 7-session coaching trajectory.

Prosocial motivation is an important driver behind many individual and collective accomplishments at work.

It is a strong predictor of persistence, performance, and productivity when accompanied by intrinsic motivation. Prosocial motivation was also indicative of more affiliative citizenship behaviors when it was accompanied by motivation toward impression management motivation and was a stronger predictor of job performance when managers were perceived as trustworthy (Ciulla, 2000).

On a day-to-day basis most jobs can’t fill the tall order of making the world better, but particular incidents at work have meaning because you make a valuable contribution or you are able to genuinely help someone in need.

J. B. Ciulla

Prosocial motivation was shown to enhance the creativity of intrinsically motivated employees, the performance of employees with high core self-evaluations, and the performance evaluations of proactive employees. The psychological mechanisms that enable this are the importance placed on task significance, encouraging perspective taking, and fostering social emotions of anticipated guilt and gratitude (Ciulla, 2000).

Some argue that organizations whose products and services contribute to positive human growth are examples of what constitutes good business (Csíkszentmihályi, 2004). Businesses with a soul are those enterprises where employees experience deep engagement and develop greater complexity.

In these unique environments, employees are provided opportunities to do what they do best. In return, their organizations reap the benefits of higher productivity and lower turnover, as well as greater profit, customer satisfaction, and workplace safety. Most importantly, however, the level of engagement, involvement, or degree to which employees are positively stretched contributes to the experience of wellbeing at work (Csíkszentmihályi, 2004).

17 Tools To Increase Motivation and Goal Achievement

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Daniel Pink (2011) argues that when it comes to motivation, management is the problem, not the solution, as it represents antiquated notions of what motivates people. He claims that even the most sophisticated forms of empowering employees and providing flexibility are no more than civilized forms of control.

He gives an example of companies that fall under the umbrella of what is known as results-only work environments (ROWEs), which allow all their employees to work whenever and wherever they want as long their work gets done.

Valuing results rather than face time can change the cultural definition of a successful worker by challenging the notion that long hours and constant availability signal commitment (Kelly, Moen, & Tranby, 2011).

Studies show that ROWEs can increase employees’ control over their work schedule; improve work–life fit; positively affect employees’ sleep duration, energy levels, self-reported health, and exercise; and decrease tobacco and alcohol use (Moen, Kelly, & Lam, 2013; Moen, Kelly, Tranby, & Huang, 2011).

Perhaps this type of solution sounds overly ambitious, and many traditional working environments are not ready for such drastic changes. Nevertheless, it is hard to ignore the quickly amassing evidence that work environments that offer autonomy, opportunities for growth, and pursuit of meaning are good for our health, our souls, and our society.

Leave us your thoughts on this topic.

Related reading: Motivation in Education: What It Takes to Motivate Our Kids

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Good and helpful study thank you. It will help achieving goals for my clients. Thank you for this information

A lot of data is really given. Validation is correct. The next step is the exchange of knowledge in order to create an optimal model of motivation.

A good article, thank you for sharing. The views and work by the likes of Daniel Pink, Dan Ariely, Barry Schwartz etc have really got me questioning and reflecting on my own views on workplace motivation. There are far too many organisations and leaders who continue to rely on hedonic principles for motivation (until recently, myself included!!). An excellent book which shares these modern views is ‘Primed to Perform’ by Doshi and McGregor (2015). Based on the earlier work of Deci and Ryan’s self determination theory the book explores the principle of ‘why people work, determines how well they work’. A easy to read and enjoyable book that offers a very practical way of applying in the workplace.

Thanks for mentioning that. Sounds like a good read.

All the best, Annelé

Motivation – a piece of art every manager should obtain and remember by heart and continue to embrace.

Exceptionally good write-up on the subject applicable for personal and professional betterment. Simplified theorem appeals to think and learn at least one thing that means an inspiration to the reader. I appreciate your efforts through this contributive work.

Excelente artículo sobre motivación. Me inspira. Gracias

Very helpful for everyone studying motivation right now! It’s brilliant the way it’s witten and also brought to the reader. Thank you.

Such a brilliant piece! A super coverage of existing theories clearly written. It serves as an excellent overview (or reminder for those of us who once knew the older stuff by heart!) Thank you!

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How Does Work Motivation Impact Employees’ Investment at Work and Their Job Engagement? A Moderated-Moderation Perspective Through an International Lens

1 Independent Researcher, Netanya, Israel

Takuma Kimura

2 Graduate School of Career Studies, Hosei University, Tokyo, Japan

Associated Data

The datasets generated for this study are available on request to the corresponding author.

This paper aims at shedding light on the effects that intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, as predictors, have on heavy work investment of time and effort and on job engagement. Using a questionnaire survey, this study conducted a moderated-moderation analysis, considering two conditional effects—worker’s status (working students vs. non-student employees) and country (Israel vs. Japan)—as potential moderators, since there are clear cultural differences between these countries. Data were gathered from 242 Israeli and 171 Japanese participants. The analyses revealed that worker’s status moderates the effects of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation on heavy work investment of time and effort and on job engagement and that the moderating effects were conditioned by country differences. Theoretical and practical implications and future research suggestions are discussed.

Introduction

Our world today has been described by the acronym VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous). In this rapidly changing world, organizations and individuals need to engage in continuous learning. To achieve a competitive advantage, organizations need to develop organizational learning, which can be achieved by acquiring learning individuals. From the latter’s viewpoint, it is getting more necessary for workers to learn continuously to enhance and maintain their employability. As shown in previous research, the number of people engaging in lifelong learning has significantly increased ( Corrales-Herrero and Rodríguez-Prado, 2018 ).

In such an era, an organization needs to acquire and retain learning individuals. However, it is not an easy task because they might have turnover intentions, even when they are motivated to work. Since learning individuals enhance their skills continuously and have a “third place” for new encounters (e.g., school), they are likely to find other attractive job opportunities. Therefore, it is valuable for us to explore how motivation affects learning individuals’ attitudes and behavior. However, to the best of our knowledge, researchers have not addressed this issue.

Recently, researchers and practitioners have paid increasing attention to employees’ job engagement (JE) ( Bailey et al., 2017 ). Previous studies suggested that engaged workers are likely to achieve high performance and have low intention to leave ( Rich et al., 2010 ; Alarcon and Edwards, 2011 ). However, JE does not necessarily represent workers’ favorable attitude ( van Beek et al., 2011 ). In the case of working individuals, their appearance of being “highly engaged” can be caused by time constraints or impression management motive.

Recognizing the ambiguous nature of “engaged workers,” this study also focuses on a relatively new construct called heavy work investment (HWI). People high in HWI are apparently similar to those high in JE. However, as will be discussed later, these two constructs are distinct. By focusing on both engagement and HWI, we can reveal the underlying mechanism of how motivation affects the learning individuals’ engagement.

To address these issues, we analyzed quantitative data which include both learning individuals (hereafter called “working students”) and non-student workers. The choice of employees who are students as opposed to “regular” employees was based on arguments presented in the conservation of resources (COR) theory ( Hobfoll, 1989 , 2011 ). It will be elaborated further in this paper.

Besides, since the contexts of lifelong learning and work in an organization can affect the focal mechanism, we collected data from two countries—Israel and Japan—and conducted a between-country comparative analysis. As we will discuss below, these two countries widely differ in cultural dimensions, as suggested by Hofstede (1980 , 2018) . We limit the scope of the research to Israel and Japan to concentrate on a specific issue which was not investigated in previous studies, especially in a comparison between these two countries (to the best of our knowledge). The sample and analysis of this study can provide insightful implications because these two countries are widely different in their national cultural contexts.

Work Motivation

A general definition of motivation is the psychological force that generates complex processes of goal-directed thoughts and behaviors. These processes revolve around an individual’s internal psychological forces alongside external environmental/contextual forces and determine the direction, intensity, and persistence of personal behavior aimed at a specific goal(s) ( Kanfer, 2009 ; Kanfer et al., 2017 ). In the work domain, work motivation is “a set of energetic forces that originate within individuals, as well as in their environment, to initiate work-related behaviors and to determine their form, direction, intensity and duration” (after Pinder, 2008 , p. 11). As mentioned, work motivation is derived from an interaction between individual differences and their environment (e.g., cultural, societal, and work organizational) ( Latham and Pinder, 2005 ). In addition, motivation is affected by personality traits, needs, and even work fit, while generating various outcomes and attitudes, such as satisfaction, organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs), engagement, and more (for further reading, see Tziner et al., 2012 ).

Moreover, work motivation, as an umbrella term under the self-determination theory (SDT), is usually broken down into two main constructs—intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation ( Ryan and Deci, 2000b ). On the one hand, intrinsic motivation is an internal driver. Employees work out of the excitement, feeling of accomplishment, joy, and personal satisfaction they derive both from the processes of work-related activities and from their results ( Deci and Ryan, 1985 ; Bauer et al., 2016 ; Legault, 2016 ). On the other hand, extrinsic motivation maintains that the individual’s drive to work is influenced by the organization, the work itself, and the employee’s environment. These can range from social norms, peer influence, financial needs, promises of reward, and more. As such, being extrinsically motivated is being focused on the utility of the activity rather than the activity itself (see Deci and Ryan, 1985 ; Legault, 2016 ). However, this does not, by any means, point that extrinsic motivation is less effective than intrinsic motivation ( Deci et al., 1999 ).

Furthermore, the SDT ( Ryan and Deci, 2000b ) argues that each type of motivation is on opposite poles of a single continuum. However, we agree with the notion that they are mutually independent, as Rockmann and Ballinger (2017) wrote:

“…there is increasing evidence that intrinsic and extrinsic motivations are independent, each with unique antecedents and outcomes … in organizations, because financial incentives exist alongside interesting tasks, individuals can simultaneously experience extrinsic and intrinsic motivation for doing their work.” (p. 11)

Literature-wise, the intrinsic–extrinsic outlook of motivation lacks coherent research, and to the best of our knowledge, most of the past research addressed the intrinsic part (e.g., Rich et al., 2010 ; Bauer et al., 2016 ). As such, we would align with the approach to distinguish the two work motivations as was reviewed in this section and consequently treat it as a predictor in our research.

Job Engagement

Work engagement is typically defined as “a positive, fulfilling, work-related state of mind that is characterized by vigor, dedication, and absorption” ( Schaufeli et al., 2002 , p. 74). As such, engaged employees appear to be hardworking ( vigor ), are more involved in their work ( dedication ), and are more immersed in their work ( absorption ) (see also Bakker et al., 2008 ; Chughtai and Buckley, 2011 ; Taris et al., 2015 ). JE was initially proposed as a positive construct ( Kahn, 1990 ), and empirical studies revealed that a high level of JE leads to positive work outcomes. For example, recent studies exhibited its positive effect on individual job performance and adverse effect on turnover intention ( Breevaart et al., 2016 ; Owens et al., 2016 ; Shahpouri et al., 2016 ; Kumar et al., 2018 ). Therefore, employees’ JE has been regarded as one of the performance indicators of human resource management.

In terms of antecedents and predictors, it is broadly accepted that JE may be affected by both individual differences (e.g., Sharoni et al., 2015 ; Latta and Fait, 2016 ; Basit, 2017 ) and environmental/contextual elements (e.g., Sharoni et al., 2015 ; Basit, 2017 ; Gyu Park et al., 2017 ; Lebron et al., 2018 ) (see also Macey and Schneider, 2008 ) or even an interaction between these two factors (e.g., Sharoni et al., 2015 ; Hernandez and Guarana, 2018 ).

Intrinsic/Extrinsic Motivation and JE

To the best of our knowledge, only a few papers examined the association between work motivation and JE. For instance, Rich et al. (2010) tested a model in which both intrinsic motivation and JE were tested “vertically,” meaning they were both mediators (in the model) rather than two factors in a predictor–outcome relationship. This offers a further incentive to examine the association between (intrinsic/extrinsic) work motivation and JE.

Because JE is “…driven by perceptions of psychological meaningfulness, safety, and availability at work” ( Hernandez and Guarana, 2018 , p. 1), a vital notion behind work motivation is the perception of the job as a place for fulfilling different needs: extrinsic needs, such as income and status, and intrinsic needs, such as enjoyment, and personal challenge. This perception, very likely, bolsters the association between the employees’ drive to work and the workplace or the work themselves, increasing the involvement and the amount of work they put into their work (i.e., JE). These assumptions lead us to hypothesize the following:

H1 : Intrinsic motivation positively associates with JE.
H2 : Extrinsic motivation positively associates with JE.

Heavy Work Investment

Fundamentally different from being immersed or involved at work (e.g., JE), employees usually invest time and energy at their workplace with various manifestations, which ultimately barrel down to the concept of HWI. This umbrella term encompasses two major core aspects: (1) investment of time (i.e., working long hours) and (2) investment of effort and energy (i.e., devoting substantial efforts, both physical and mental, at work) ( Snir and Harpaz, 2012 , Snir and Harpaz, 2015 ). These dimensions are, respectively, called (a) time commitment (HWI-TC) and work intensity (HWI-WI). Notably, many studies deal with the implications of working overtime (e.g., Stimpfel et al., 2012 ; Caruso, 2014 ). However, to the best of our knowledge, empirical studies regarding the investment of efforts at work as an indicator of HWI (e.g., Tziner et al., 2019 ) are scarce. Therefore, the current research addresses both of the core dimensions of HWI (i.e., time [HWI-TC] and effort [HWI-WI]).

In reality, HWI consists of many different constructs (e.g., workaholism and work addiction or passion to work) but conclusively revolves around the devotion of time and effort at work (see Snir and Harpaz, 2015 , p. 6). HWI is apparently similar to JE, but these two constructs are distinct. As shown in previous studies, the correlation between workaholism—one component of HWI—and JE is generally weak, and engaged individuals can be not only high in HWI but also low in HWI ( van Beek et al., 2011 ).

For HWI’s possible predictors, Snir and Harpaz (2012 , 2015) have differentiated between situational and dispositional types of HWI (based on Weiner’s, 1985 , attributional framework). Examples of situational types are financial needs or employer-directed contingencies (external factors), while dispositional types are characterized by individual differences (internal factors), such as work motivation.

Intrinsic/Extrinsic Motivation and HWI

As previously mentioned, employees may be driven to work by both intrinsic and extrinsic forces, motivating them to engage in work activities to fulfill different needs (e.g., salary, enjoyment, challenge, and promotion). Ultimately, these two mutually exclusive elements would translate into the same outcome—increased investment at work. At this juncture, however, we cannot say what type of work motivation (intrinsic/extrinsic) would more tightly link to either (1) the heavier devotion of time (HWI-TC) or (2) the heavier investment of effort (HWI-WI) at work. Consequently, we hypothesize further the following:

H3 : Intrinsic motivation positively associates with both HWI-TC and HWI-WI.
H4 : Extrinsic motivation positively associates with both HWI-TC and HWI-WI.

It is important to emphasize that, again, HWI and JE are mutually independent constructs. Nevertheless, HWI points at two different investment “types”—in time and effort. Theoretically, we see that although both aspects of investment are, probably, linked to JE, we may also conclude that these associations would differ based on the type of investment. For example, while workers may allegedly spend a great deal of time on the job, in actuality, they may not be working (studiously) on their given tasks at all, a situation labeled as “presenteeism” (see Rabenu and Aharoni-Goldenberg, 2017 ). However, exerting more effort at work, by definition, means that one is more engaged, to whatever extent, in work (e.g., investing more effort, basically, means investing time as well, but not vice versa). In other words, while we expect that JE will be positively related to dimensions of HWI (one must devote time and invest more effort to be engaged at work), we also assume that JE will be more strongly correlated with the effort dimension, rather than time . As such, we hypothesize the following:

H5a : JE positively associates with HWI-TC.
H5b : JE positively associates with HWI-WI.
H5c : JE has a stronger association with HWI-WI than with HWI-TC.

The purpose of H5a–H5c is to differentiate JE from HWI-WI and HWI-TC, as they may have some overlaps. However, they are still stand-alone constructs, which is the reason the current research gauge them both and correlate them, though they are both outcome variables (an issue of convergent and discriminant validity).

Worker’s Status—Buffering Effect

An organization or a workplace is usually composed of several types of employees, albeit not all of them exhibit the same attitudes and behaviors at work. For example, temporary workers report greater job insecurity and lower well-being than permanent employees ( Dawson et al., 2017 ). Another example is of students (i.e., working students vs. non-student employees). The motivators and incentives needed to drive corporate/working students differ from others. They are, for instance, more interested in salary, promotion, tangible rewards in their job, and other such benefits ( Palloff and Pratt, 2003 ).

Furthermore, capitalizing upon the COR theory ( Hobfoll, 1989 , 2011 ), the main argument is that employees invest various resources (e.g., time, energy, money, effort, and social credibility) at work. The more resources devoted, the less will remain at the individual’s disposal, and prolonged state of depleted resources without gaining others may result in stress and, ultimately, burnout. As such, a worker who is also a student will, by definition, have fewer resources at either domain (work, social life, or family), as opposed to a worker who does not engage in any form of higher education at all. Working students are under severer time constraints than non-student employees because they face “work–study conflict.” Therefore, compared to non-student workers, working students have difficulty in devoting so much time and physical as well as psychological effort to work. Specifically, working students with a low level of motivation may take an interest in studies and thus not be likely to devote much effort to work. However, motivated working students will maintain their effort through effective time management because they highly value their current work. Thus, JE and HWI of working students will depend on their motivation to a greater degree than non-student workers. Ergo, we posit that the associations between intrinsic/extrinsic motivation and HWI and JE are conditioned by the type of worker under investigation.

For the current study, the notion of working students versus non-student employees would be gauged, as not much attention was given to distinguishing both groups in research. Usually, samples were composed of either group distinctively, not in tandem with one another. Hence, we hypothesize the following, based on our previous hypotheses:

H6 : Worker’s status moderates the relationship between intrinsic motivation and HWI-TC, HWI-WI, and JE, such that the relationship will be weaker for working students than for non-student employees.
H7 : Worker’s status moderates the relationship between extrinsic motivation and HWI-TC, HWI-WI, and JE, such that the relationship will be weaker for working students than for non-student employees.

Country Difference—Buffering Effect

Worker’s status’ moderation of the links between intrinsic/extrinsic motivation to HWI and JE, as mentioned above, does not appear in a vacuum. This conditioning may also be dependent on international cultural differences. That is to say, we assume that we would receive different results based on the country under investigation because the social, work, cultural, and national values differ from one country to another. Firstly, culture, in this sense, may be defined as “common patterns of beliefs, assumptions, values, and norms of behavior of human groups (represented by societies, institutions, and organizations)” ( Aycan et al., 2000 , p. 194). As mentioned, countries differ from one another in many aspects. The most prominent example is the cultural/national dimensions devised by Hofstede (1980 , 1991) . Different countries display different cultural codes, norms, and behaviors, which may affect their market and work values and behaviors. As such, it is safe to assume that work-related norms and codes differ from one country to another to the extent that working students may exhibit or express certain attitudes and behaviors in country X, but different ones in country Y. The same goes for non-student (or “regular”) workers, as well.

In this study, we examine the case of Israel’s versus Japan’s different situation and cultural perspectives in the work sense. Japan’s culture is more hierarchical and formal than the Israeli counterpart. Japanese believe efforts and hard work may bring “anything” (e.g., prosperity, health, and happiness), while in Israel, there is much informal communication, and “respect” is earned by (hands-on) experience, not necessarily by a top-down hierarchy. Japanese emphasize loyalty, cohesion, and teamwork ( Deshpandé et al., 1993 ; Deshpandé and Farley, 1999 ). Compared to Israeli, Japanese employees are more strongly required to conform to the organization’s norm and dedicate themselves to the organization’s future. Such cultural characteristics may affect the working attitudes and behavior of working students. Specifically, in Japan, working students try to devote as much time as possible even if they are under severe time constraints caused by the study burden. Moreover, sometimes, they experience guilt because they use their time for themselves (i.e., study) rather than for the firm (e.g., socializing with colleagues). Thus, they engage in much overtime work as a tactic of impression management ( Leary and Kowalski, 1990 ) to make themselves look loyal and hard working.

In addition, in Israel, there is high value to performance, while in Japan, competition (between groups, usually) is rooted in society and drives for excellence and perfection. Also, Israelis respect tradition and normative cognition. They tend to “live the present,” rather than save for the future, while Japanese people tend to invest more (e.g., R&D) for the future. Even in economically difficult periods, Japanese people prioritize steady growth and own capitals rather than short-term revenues such that “companies are not here to make money every quarter for the shareholders, but to serve the stakeholders and society at large for many generations to come” (for further reading, see Hofstede, 2018 ).

In Hofstede’s use of the term, some aspects of these cultural differences can be summarized as Japan being higher in power distance, masculinity, and long-term orientation than Israel ( Hofstede, 2018 ). These cultural differences led us to formulate the following hypotheses:

H8 : Country differences condition the moderation of worker’s status on the relationship between intrinsic motivation and HWI-TC, HWI-WI, and JE, such that the effect of worker’s status suggested in H6 will be weaker for Japanese than for Israelis.
H9 : Country differences condition the moderation of worker’s status on the relationship between extrinsic motivation and HWI-TC, HWI-WI, and JE, such that the effect of worker’s status suggested in H7 will be weaker for Japanese than for Israelis.

It is important to note, however, that H8 and H9 are also developed to increase the external validity of the research and its generalizability beyond a single culture, as Barrett and Bass (1976) noted that “most research in industrial and organizational psychology is done within one cultural context. This context puts constraints upon both our theories and our practical solutions to the organizational problem” (p. 1675).

Figure 1 portrays the overall model.

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Research model. Worker’s status: 1 = working students, 2 = non-student employees. Country: 1 = Israel, 2 = Japan. HWI-TC = time commitment dimension of heavy work investment. HWI-WI = work intensity dimension of heavy work investment.

Materials and Methods

For hypothesis testing, this study conducted questionnaire-based research using samples of company employees who also engage in a manner of higher education (i.e., working students) and those who do not (i.e., “regular” or non-student employees). Since working students in both countries do not concentrate in specific age groups, industries, or functional areas, participants were recruited from various fields. Moreover, to reduce the impact of organization-specific culture, we collected data from various companies rather than from a specific company, in both countries.

Participants

The research constitutes 242 Israeli (70.9% response rate) and 171 Japanese (56.6% response rate) participants, from various industries and organizations. The demographical and descriptive statistics for each sample are presented in Table 1 . The table also contains the result of group difference tests, pointing at some demographic differences between Israeli and Japanese samples. Therefore, the following analyses include these demographics as control variables to control their potential influence on the research model and reduce the problem that would arise from said differences between the two countries.

Demographical and descriptive statistics for the Israeli ( N = 242) and the Japanese ( N = 171; in parenthesis) samples.

The items of the questionnaire were initially written in English and then translated into Hebrew and Japanese, utilizing the back-translation procedure ( Brislin, 1980 ).

Work motivation was gauged by the Work Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivation Scale (WEIMS; Tremblay et al., 2009 ), consisting of 18 Likert-type items ranging from 1 (“Does not correspond at all”) to 6 (“Corresponds exactly”). Intrinsic motivation had a high reliability (α Israel = 0.92, α Japan = 0.86; e.g., “…Because I derive much pleasure from learning new things”) as did extrinsic motivation (α Israel = 0.73, α Japan = 0.75; e.g., “…For the income it provides me”).

HWI (see Snir and Harpaz, 2012 ) was tapped by 10 Likert-type items ranging from 1 (“Strongly disagree”) to 6 (“Strongly agree”), five items for each dimension, namely, time commitment (HWI-TC; e.g., “Few of my peers/colleagues put in more weekly hours to work than I do”) and work intensity (HWI-WI; e.g., “When I work, I really exert myself to the fullest”), respectively. HWI-TC had a high reliability (α Israel = 0.85, α Japan = 0.92) as did HWI-WI (α Israel = 0.95, α Japan = 0.91).

JE was gauged by the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale-9 (UWES-9; Schaufeli et al., 2006 ) consisting of nine Likert-type items ranging from 1 (“Strongly disagree”) to 6 (“Strongly agree”). The measure had a very high reliability (α Israel = 0.95, α Japan = 0.94; e.g., “I am immersed in my work”).

For the Israeli sample, a pencil-and-paper research survey was distributed to 341 total potential participants in two universities and one college. One of the authors provided the questionnaire in several courses (MBA and management, human resource management, psychology, and more), at the end of each class session. Those wishing to participate replied affirmatively and were included in the total sample. We assured the anonymity and discretion of the participants and the data derived from the research and included a conscious consent question at the beginning of the survey asking for their agreement to participate. No incentives were given whatsoever to the participants for their cooperation. A total of 341 surveys were distributed, yet only 242 came back filled, and all of them were valid to use as data in the research.

For the Japanese sample, the data were collected by using the online questionnaire system of Google spreadsheet. Invitation messages were sent to the potential respondents via email or SNS messenger with the link of the questionnaire. One of the authors contacted 189 full-time workers who participated in one or more of the following (1) strategic management and organization management classes of a Japanese private university, (2) human resource management course in an educational service company, or (3) one-off lectures conducted by the author. All of them were non-student workers, and ultimately, 97 of them answered the questionnaire in full (51.3% response rate). As for the working students, the same author reached out to three graduate schools through personal networks. Then, he asked the liaison of each school to list up working students and send them the questionnaire link by email or SNS messenger. In total, the link was sent to 113 working students (in said three universities), and 74 completed the questionnaire (65.5% response rate). Thus, the overall response rate was 56.6%.

Data Analyses

The data were analyzed utilizing the SPSS (v. 23) software package and PROCESS macro for SPSS (v. 3.3). PROCESS is an add-on macro for the SPSS and SAS software packages written by Andrew F. Hayes. It is a modeling tool based on ordinary least squares (OLS) and logistic regressions for basic and complex path analyses with strong algorithms and modular capabilities and can handle simultaneous moderation and mediations effects (including moderated-moderation effects).

The choice of PROCESS (over SEM) is based on methodological and mathematical reasons. To elaborate, holistic testing of the entire model (see Figure 1 ) via SEM will result in 15 different observed variables (including the interaction effects) and a two-group comparison, and abundant regression lines would result in a high number of degrees of freedom. It would also require a considerably higher sample size to meet the mathematical conditions for SEM. However, we should note that one of the limitations of PROCESS is the inability to test models with more than one dependent variable ( Y ) or more than one independent variable ( X ), and as such it is required to test the model (see Figure 1 ) separately—one for each predictor–criterion linkage.

Control Variables

As per Table 1 , we can see some differences between the two countries, and as such, we included them as covariates in the moderated-moderation analyses. In other words, in these analyses, we controlled for the effects of job position, age, number of children, tenure, and also gender and marital status. This is relevant for Tables 4 –6 . Evidently, the inclusion of control variables has increased the predictive capacity and goodness of our results. Gender is a dichotomous closed question with options of (1) male or (2) female. Age is an open question: “what is your age (in years)? ______.” Marital status is a closed question with options of (1) single, (2) married, (3) divorced, or (4) widowed. Number of children is an open question: “How many children do you have? ______.” Tenure is an open question: “what is your tenure at work (in years)? ______.” Job position is a dichotomous closed question with options of (1) non-managerial or (2) managerial.

Moderficients and confidence intervals (CIs) for predicting HWI-TC.

Moderated-moderation regression coefficients and confidence intervals (CIs) for predicting job engagement (JE).

Common Method Bias

Harman’s one-factor test ( Podsakoff et al., 2003 ) was used to assess the degree to which intercorrelations among the variables might be an artifact of common method variance (CMV). The first general factor that emerged from the analysis accounted only for 35.19% of the explained variance in the Israeli sample and 37.27% in the Japanese sample. While this result does not rule out completely the possibility of same-source bias (CMV), according to Podsakoff et al. (2003) , less than 50% of the explained variance accounted for by the first emerging factor indicates that CMV is an unlikely explanation of our investigation findings.

First, we explored descriptive statistics and associations between the variables. These results are displayed in Tables 2 , ,3, 3 , for each sample.

Pearson correlation matrix for working students ( below the diagonal; n = 77) and non-student employees ( above the diagonal; n = 165), means and standard deviations in the Israeli sample ( N = 242).

Pearson correlation matrix for working students ( below the diagonal; n = 97) and non-student employees ( above the diagonal; n = 74), means and standard deviations in the Japanese sample ( N = 171).

As shown in Table 2 , we found the following regarding the Israeli sample:

- JE positively correlates with HWI-TC for working students, r (77) = 0.55, p = 0.000, and for non-student employees r (165) = 0.30, p = 0.000 (supporting H5a, in Israel).
- JE positively correlates with HWI-WI for working students, r (77) = 0.76, p = 0.000, and for non-student employees r (165) = 0.77, p = 0.000 (supporting H5b, in Israel).

These differences in correlation coefficients are in line with our H5c, meaning JE has stronger links to HWI-WI as opposed to HWI-TC. Ergo, in order to gauge whether these differences are statistically significant, we used Fisher’s Z transformation and significance test. For working students, the difference is indeed significant ( Z = 2.31, p = 0.021) and is also for the non-student employees’ group ( Z = 6.41, p = 0.000). This supports H5c, in Israel.

Moreover, as shown in Table 3 , we found the following regarding the Japanese sample:

- JE positively correlates with HWI-TC only for non-student employees, r (74) = 0.30, p = 0.001, but is non-significant for working students, r (94) = 0.15, p = 0.146 (partially supporting H5a, in Japan).
- JE positively correlates with HWI-WI for working students, r (94) = 0.72, p = 0.000, and for non-student employees, r (74) = 0.62, p = 0.000 (supporting H5b, in Japan).

These differences in correlation coefficients are in line with our H5c, meaning JE has stronger links to HWI-WI as opposed to HWI-TC. Ergo, in order to gauge whether these differences are statistically significant, we used Fisher’s Z transformation and significance test. For working students, the difference is indeed significant ( Z = 5.12, p = 0.000) and is also significant for the non-student employees’ group ( Z = 2.48, p = 0.013). This supports H5c, in Japan.

To test the rest of our hypotheses (i.e., H1–H4 and H6–H9), we utilized the PROCESS macro for SPSS using model no. 3 for moderated moderation (95% bias-corrected bootstrapping with 5,000 resamples). The results from the analyses are presented in Tables 4 –6 . However, it is important to note that we also used heteroscedasticity-consistent standard error (SE) estimators, as suggested by Hayes and Cai (2007) , to ensure that the estimator of the covariance matrix of the parameter estimates will not be biased and inconsistent under heteroscedasticity violation.

Moderated-moderation regression coefficients and confidence intervals (CIs) for predicting HWI-WI.

Firstly, the findings that are shown in Tables 4 –6 support H1 – H4 , meaning both intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation relate positively to HWI-TC, HWI-WI, and JE, in all samples (Israel and Japan). Additionally, the interaction effects (most of them) are significant, which is the most important part of any moderation analysis (see Appendix in Shkoler et al., 2017 ). Figures 2 –7 portray moderation effects.

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Interaction effects of Intrinsic Motivation × Worker’s Status × Country in predicting HWI-TC. HWI-TC, time commitment dimension of heavy work investment.

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Interaction effects of Extrinsic Motivation × Worker’s Status × Country in predicting job engagement.

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Interaction effects of Extrinsic Motivation × Worker’s Status × Country in predicting HWI-TC. HWI-TC, time commitment dimension of heavy work investment.

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Interaction effects of Intrinsic Motivation × Worker’s Status × Country in predicting HWI-WI. HWI-WI, work intensity dimension of heavy work investment.

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Interaction effects of Extrinsic Motivation × Worker’s Status × Country in predicting HWI-WI. Notes . HWI-WI = work intensity dimension of heavy work investment.

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Interaction effects of Intrinsic Motivation × Worker’s Status × Country in predicting job engagement.

Figures 2 –7 display surprising findings:

(1) The behaviors of the correlations (for instance, between intrinsic motivation and JE or HWI-TC) are different between the two countries, in general, such that means and correlations are both higher in the Israeli sample as opposed to the Japanese one.
(2) The behaviors of the correlations (for instance, between intrinsic motivation and JE or HWI-TC) are different between the two groups of worker status, in each country on its own , such that (a) working students, in Israel, exhibit stronger links to the outcome variables (i.e., HWI-TC, HWI-TC, and JE) as opposed to non-student employees; (b) however, in most cases, these associations were not so different between said groups, in the Japanese sample.
(3) The behaviors of the correlations (for instance, between intrinsic motivation and JE or HWI-TC) are different between the two groups of worker status when comparing each country, such that (a) working students, in Israel, exhibit stronger links to the outcome variables as opposed their Japanese counterparts; (b) however, in most cases, these associations were not so different between non-student employees (in Israel vs. Japan).
(4) The only analysis in which points 1–3 above do not apply is when using intrinsic motivation to predict HWI-WI (again, in a moderated-moderation model). It suggests that intrinsic motivation’s impact on the increased effort at work changes based on neither worker status nor the country/culture.

These findings support our hypotheses H6–H9: (1) worker status does moderate the links between work motivation and the outcome variables (HWI-TC, HWI-TC, and JE), and (2) county/cultural differences can moderate said relationships as well. Still, more importantly, they work as a conditioning moderator on the previous moderation (i.e., moderated moderation) in all of the analyses done.

The aims of the current paper were (1) to shed light on the relationship between intrinsic/extrinsic motivation and HWI of time (HWI-TC) and effort (HWI-WI) and JE, (3) to assess convergent and discriminant properties of JE in relation to HWI-TC and HWI-WI, and (4) to gauge the moderation effects of both worker status (working students vs. non-student employees) and country/culture (Israel vs. Japan) on said relationships (point 1) in a moderated-moderation analysis type. Our research hypotheses were supported to a great extent. The findings are summarized in Table 7 .

Results of hypothesis testing.

Theoretical Implications

Our research adheres to the very few studies that have tested and validated Snir and Harpaz’s (2015) HWI conceptual model between its various predictors (i.e., intrinsic/extrinsic motivation) with regards to specific moderators (e.g., worker’s status and country/culture). Our findings supported the model (see Snir and Harpaz, 2015 , p. 6) and contributed to its incremental validity. Apart from realizing parts of the model’s structure and processes, we have also shown that the moderation effects suggested in the model may be conditioned by other moderators as well (in our study, country/culture differences), leading to more need for further research.

Although it is not the main focus of the current research, we have established some convergent and discriminant validity relationship between JE and HWI. Specifically, JE has a high convergent validity with HWI-WI, yet low convergent-borderline-discriminant validity with HWI-TC, increasing the need for exploring these issues further.

We have provided more evidence as to the critical role of culture in differentiating model and relationship behaviors. Our findings regarding the between-country differences found in the moderating effects of workers’ status supported our hypotheses, suggesting that compared to Israeli workplaces, those in Japan, indeed, put much emphasis in loyalty and cohesion. Japanese working students show similar work behavior (i.e., JE and HWI) as non-student workers. Attitudes, norms, and behavioral codes accepted in a country X may be quite different in country Y, not only in the general society but at the workplace as well. Concerning the workers’ status, it seems plausible that employees’ differing perceptions of the work context may affect their “readiness” to translate a drive to work to an actual HWI of JE, alone or in conjunction with cultural perceptions as well.

Furthermore, our findings on between-country differences have important insights for research in organizational learning. Employees’ continuous learning is essential for organizations to be competitive in the current and future VUCA world. Therefore, an organization needs to provide employees with opportunities to learn and support, which enables them to manage their work–study conflict effectively. However, as suggested in the results of the Japanese sample, it may be possible that cultural norms restrain workers from dedicating their time to learning. In addition to the effects of organization-level human resource development climate ( Chaudhary et al., 2012 ), we also need to consider the effects of national-level culture in the examination of organizational learning practices and their consequences.

Practical Implications

If JE is an organizational goal toward which many workplaces strive, their respective managers may very well need to enhance employees’ work motivation (such as offering more rewards or challenge), thus increasing the employees’ propensity for translating that motivation into actual HWI or JE.

The moderation effects emphasize the need for smart and careful management in workplaces with international employees, as we notice how different Israel is from Japan, for example. Managers and even service-givers must pay attention to these cultural differences when doing work with or for an entity (e.g., country, organization, or group) from outside the providing side’s national boundaries.

Besides, the stronger associations between work motivation and JE or HWI in Israeli sample (see Figures 2 –7 ) suggest that working students virtually actuate more of their working drives into the behavioral expressions of their drives to work, thus investing heavier in them. That may be so because working students are keener on proving themselves to the organization toward the end goal of being recruited as permanent employees (supported by the results in Israel, as opposed to Japan). Hence, those who have less occupational security are more likely to translate their drive to work into actual HWI and JE. Nevertheless, in today’s economy, in which “occupational sense of security” appears to be declining, it seems plausible that in the future the moderated association between motivation and HWI, found in our paper, will diminish in strength or even dissipate entirely. This argumentation finds support in recent publications (e.g., Neuner, 2013 ; Koene et al., 2014 ; Weil, 2014 ). Perhaps working students are also more susceptible to organizational incentives (i.e., intrinsic or extrinsic), as opposed to their non-student counterparts (i.e., “regular” employees).

On the other hand, Japanese workers showed relatively weak relationships between work motivation and JE or HWI. These findings suggest that the Japanese workplace norm restrains working students from putting much effort to study, and thus, they work long hours for managing impression or making up for their “violation” of the workplace norm. Such workplace derives from traditional Japanese culture which emphasizes loyalty and dedication to the employer ( Blomberg, 1994 ), and even modern companies in Japan expect employees to dedicate most of their life to the organization, resulting in much overtime work of Japanese workers ( Franklin, 2017 ; Pilla and Kuriansky, 2018 ; Mason, 2019 ). Therefore, to encourage employees’ continuous learning and associating organizational learning, managers in Japanese firms need to reconstruct the workplace norm such that working students will not feel guilty by studying outside of their organization.

Limitations and Future Research Directions

While our study has strength in the newness of findings and the use of an international sample, we should mention its limitations. First, our data are cross-sectional and single sourced. It limits the generalizability of the research and does not let us see if the findings are stable across time. Although it may not be a major limitation, our research was not focused on a specific industry, sector, or type of workers (e.g., high-tech, low-tech, services, or marketing and sales). While this bolsters the external validity of the research, it limits the construct validity of the results.

In our model, we included only individual differences as predictors and only contextual elements as moderators. As such, we recommend using a mix of said variables, such as “place” in the model, as predictors and moderators, so as not to be limited to one direction of explanations. For Snir and Harpaz’s (2015) model of HWI (p. 6), we only validated a part of it but did not include HWI as a mediator, but only as an outcome. Thus, we recommend using the full model to shed light on its possible processes, beyond predictor–outcome relationships. In addition, we urge researchers to investigate and identify more potentially interesting and relevant moderators, as we showed in our model (i.e., country/culture differences).

To expand our understanding of cultural difference, we recommend replicating our study in other countries with cultural similarities or differences to the ones used in the research, to broaden the generalizability and validity of our findings. As we noted previously, In Hofstede’s use of the term, Japan is higher in power distance, masculinity, and long-term orientation than Israel. Thus, this study might reveal the moderating effects of both these cultural dimensions and the worker’s status. However, this study only includes two countries, which might limit the generalizability of the results. Therefore, we suggest scholars worldwide to not only replicate our research in other countries but to also consider other cultural dimensions to generalize and expand our findings. Furthermore, in future international comparative studies, researchers can explore why and how each country’s cultural and institutional components influence the differences that would exist between countries.

Concerning our findings regarding convergent and discriminant validity between JE and HWI, we also encourage more research to be done in order to provide a clearer picture regarding these validity issues we raised in the current study.

We suggest conducting longitudinal studies incorporating other potential moderator variables (such as work ethic and gender) or mediators (as previously mentioned) and further investigating processes—which we enumerated in the discussion section—as likely to connect work motivation to JE, HWI, and potential outcomes.

It is also safe to assume that the associations we discovered in the research would be dependent on which industry we focus on (e.g., high-tech, low-tech, marketing, or service), and as such, we would also suggest incorporating this element in future research.

Finally, we suggest that future research compare the effect of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation on various kinds of behavior using the same sample. Although this study is one of few studies that investigate the effect of both types of motivation in one study, it assumed that they result in similar attitude and behavior. As Ryan and Deci (2000a) argued, these two types of behavior can lead different kinds of behavior since their sources are different—that is, intrinsic motivation derives from one’s free choice, but extrinsic motivation is promoted by external controls. Therefore, future research can include various kinds of behavior in a model and explore whether these two types of motivation lead to a different behavior and why.

Data Availability Statement

Ethics statement.

The procedure of this study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Hosei University Graduate School of Career Studies. The committee approved that this study does not contain ethical flaws like leaking of private information and inhumane questions in the questionnaire. All subjects gave written informed consent regarding the purpose of research, that of data collection, and the privacy protection method. The current study was correlational, based on a survey, and not a manipulation on subjects. At the beginning of each questionnaire, we explained the general goal of the research. Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study. We ensured anonymity and discretion of the results and also ensured that the subjects know they could leave the participation at any time they choose.

Author Contributions

All authors listed have made a substantial, direct and intellectual contribution to the work, and approved it for publication.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

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Motivating Employees Essay Examples

Type of paper: Essay

Topic: Workplace , Employee , Motivation , Employees , Order , Leadership , Leader , Achieve

Published: 03/08/2023

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The Top 9 Things That Ultimately Motivate Employees to Achieve

http://www.forbes.com/sites/glennllopis/2012/06/04/top-9-things-that-ultimately-motivate-employees-to-achieve/#4c6332004fa7

Personal response to the article

For sure, everyone needs a little bit of motivation in order to achieve something. In business you are working with other individuals, you are working for other individuals, and as an employee, you are significant to the company: there would be no company without employees. While business requires success in order to be long term, success can only be derived with highly motivated for success people. I completely agree with six out of nine mentioned in the article things in order to motivate the employee for achievements. I have no issues with the following ideas: the leader has to earn trust and once that is done, the employee will keep willing to let you keep motivating them, since they will believe you act in their interest; helping employees increase their own relevancy will motivate them for constant improvement; taking responsible risk is needed in order to encourage them to exceed established expectations; career advancement opportunity provokes to stand out from the crowd; “self-indulgence can bring tremendous short term benefits – with longer term repercussions” (Llopis, 2012); the leader has to allow employees’ sustainable impact to be present, thus, worker would be carrying and responsible for the task he/she performs. However, I find the need of employees’ general happiness to be present, the minimization of experienced regrets, and the possession of knowledge about stable future uncertain. I believe that both positive and negative reinforcements have to be professionally manipulated. A person must be unhappy (or at least not completely happy) in order to do something; moreover, he\she sometimes needs to be sorry for the past mistakes in order to learn on them and be motivated to fix the situation; and the perception of stable future decreases persons’’ adaptive abilities and eliminates its need for future development.

In his article author’s main point is a simple phrase that the leader has to “get to know those whom you are leading and be specific about how you help each of them achieve their goals, desires and aspirations” (Llopis, 2012). It is as simple as it is logical: when gardener wants to receive his harvest, he has to first invest into the garden and take care after the plants for a while; thus a leader is the one responsible for establishing purposeful and meaningful relations that truly matter with employees.

Additional important factors to consider

In order to motivate employee, you have to have one. I believe that there are two most damaging employees’ number periods: the first one takes place during the orientation process, while the second one comes over time after a lot has been invested into the individual. In my opinion, for leader motivating workers should be as important as providing them with practical, smooth and productive orientation period, so they re felt welcome, educated and needed. Another significant issue is employee retention: the leader has to be attentive to employees’ needs, motivate them correctly and in timely manner, not to lose his investments into individual. A good leader has to be able to balance his attention to the workers, take care about their needs, listen to their desires, providing for their development.

Llopis, G. (Jun 4, 2012). The Top 9 Things That Ultimately Motivate Employees to Achieve. Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/glennllopis/2012/06/04/top-9-things-that-ultimately-motivate-employees-to-achieve/#4c6332004fa7

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Employee Motivation Essay Example

Every business is expected to yield profit. However, raising profits can only be possible if the managers and workers perform their duties with their best efforts towards achieving a common goal. A workplace where the employers and employees are dedicated to their work and meet their deadlines without being supervised can score better proceeds. In the competitive business world, each organization yearns to succeed and improve the quality of its services and raise performance levels. Employee motivation is what makes an employee willing to improve personal performance and effectiveness, resulting in the provision of the high-quality outcome at the workplace (Berrin & Bauler 182). It is divided into intrinsic motivation (internal factors), such as a feeling of enjoyment brought by the work, and extrinsic motivation (external factors), such as rewards. This paper will research on employee motivation types, factors affecting it, its importance, and techniques applied in motivating employees.

Types of Employee Motivation

Intrinsic motivation is a feeling that comes from within a person. It is self-driven and comes from the inner feeling of an individual rather than being imposed by someone or being triggered by a particular reward (Kovach 59). When a worker feels motivated by the work, it is referred to as intrinsic motivation. It is the job itself that motivates a person, especially when it is enjoyable and includes an understanding of the reasonable goals. One can be intrinsically motivated by the work environment. For example, if the environment is favorable, an employee is more likely to feel at peace with the work thus driving him/her to work even more. On the contrary, if the environment is unfriendly, the employee is more likely to be discouraged to work. In fact, he/she will not like the idea of going to work. Intrinsic motivation may be generated through job satisfaction. Most employees feel gratified with their job when they are permitted to have control and liberation and to contribute to innovations on their job. Intrinsic inspiration can also be prompted by an environment that emboldens the exploration and learning. Intrinsic motivational factors can be accomplished by job design that encompasses job simplification, job rotation, job enlargement, and job enrichment.

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Extrinsic motivation is a type of motivation that is affected by the external factors to self-motivate an employee (Kovach 62). These factors usually drive an employee to reach a particular goal either willingly or unwillingly. They originate from the management, and the employees can either react to them positively or negatively. Thus, employers should use external motivators that generate a positive response from the workers. The examples of these factors are punishments and rewards system. When a punishment is set for not achieving a particular target, employees tend to do their best to hit the target. Likewise, when a reward is given to those workers who meet an objective, they will be motivated to work harder to reach the target and get the award. However, in some cases, a punishment produces a negative result; for example, some employees may cheat in their results when they are given a precise target to achieve, making the organization calculate its performance rate on false information. This information will include data that supports the improvement but no financial proceeds to support it.

Employee motivation is important because it facilitates the sustainability of the business organization by enhancing its improvement. Without motivation, whether intrinsic or extrinsic, it will be challenging for a business to succeed and prosper in the future. Thus, a key to the development of any company is motivation. People cannot be forced to work well but rather be motivated to perform better than before.

Employee Motivation Techniques

The following are techniques used to create and increase motivation of employees: fashioning a positive work environment, celebrating achievements made by employees, offering job security, providing incentives, training, surveys on employees, and promotions to best performers, and, lastly, sharing profits with the workers. A positive work environment motivates the employees because they feel free, comfortable and welcomed at the workplace. Promoting teamwork and sharing of ideas between employers and employees result in enhanced job performance (Berrin & Bauler 223). Bonding is necessary at the workplace because employees will learn to work together to achieve a common goal and promote healthy competition among workers. A manager should be a good mediator when a conflict arises at the workplace and eradicate conflicts as soon as they arise. As much as teamwork creates a positive work environment, employees should be reminded to work independently to perform their assigned task.

Recognizing and celebrating achievements made by the workers motivate them to perform better than before (Berrin & Bauler 228). Naturally, people like to be recognized for their achievements; the same regards a workplace setting. Awarding workers with the certificates of accomplishment, vacation days, and employee of the month or year titles, giving trophies and gift vouchers are ways of recognizing and celebrating the efforts of the employees. When an employee is honored and known for an excellent work done, he/she will be motivated to do their best. However, if his/her achievements are not recognized, they will be discouraged because their efforts have not been celebrated. There is no need to make a success if you are not going to be known for it.

Setting goals to be achieved by the end of a specified time gives an employee a reason to strive to attain a particular target (Berrin & Bauler 237). Professional goals encourage competition between workers thus motivating them to reach a particular objective. However, the goals should be reasonable that is an employee can achieve that. When goals are not set, it is difficult for employees to know what is expected of them; thus, they will feel relaxed at their job. On the contrary, when a goal is set, they are made aware of what is expected of them. Setting specific goals and time limits will motivate the employees.

Incentives boost employee motivation because when an incentive is put in place, it lures the employees to work harder and smarter (Berrin & Bauler 255). Those include cash prizes, gift cards, parking spot and office space. Employees are more likely to be motivated if their efforts are rewarded.

Conducting surveys to get feedbacks on how employees feel about the management if they face any problems will provide possible solutions to the problems. This technique can determine if there is a barrier in the workplace and allows the managers to solve the problem. If there are no barriers in the workplace, employees will be motivated to work because there is a peaceful co-existence (Berrin & Bauler 228). A survey can be facilitated with questionnaires. These questionnaires should be filled by employees anonymously for the protection of their identification and making them feel free to share their feelings and ideas.

A promotion granted on performance motivates employees to perform better. When an employee sees a reward or promotion for good job performance, they will be motivated to work their best. When one worker sees his/her co-worker being promoted because of performing well in his/her duties, he/she will be motivated to do the same to get a promotion (Berrin & Bauler 250). Promotions come with a monetary increase in the salary, bigger office and better rank in the office. Acquiring a status through the promotion motivates the promoted employee to work at his/her best not wanting junior workers to think that their senior employee cannot handle the assigned new tasks. It also encourages other employees to copy the behavior of the promoted employee to achieve the same success.

The managers should motivate their employees by encouraging them to get more knowledge by sending them to seminars and workshops. This technique enables the employees to acquire new knowledge that helps them advance in their job. Training is very important because it ensures that employees are knowledgeable about new technology or any new way of performing a job. New work is made easier after undergoing a well-constructed training; the training also works as a refresher course for the profession (Berrin & Bauler 262).

Providing job security also motivates the workers to work better. A worker who is at a company that offers job security is calmer, relaxed and has trust in the business, unlike an employee who is working in an organization with no job security. An employee has faith in an organization where job security has been offered hence will do what is expected of him/her by the employers (Kovach 64). Unlike an employee who has no job security, whose managers may dismiss him/her any time they wish too, he/she will always be anxious and tensed because of being unsure at which point the employment will be terminated whether he/she works at his best or not.

Sharing of the company’s profits is also another way of motivating the employees (Berrin & Bauler 259). When the profits of a corporation are reflected in the employee’s salary, it will make him/her want to get more profit for the company to earn more. The more profits they make, the more money they get. That is salary plus profits made by the company. Financial gains mostly motivate employees. When they release an input, they expect an output to them by the management.

Theories of Employee Motivation

These theories support the techniques of motivating the employees and are divided into process and content theories. Motivation content theories concentrate on the exact thing that motivates an employee (for example, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, McClelland’s Achievement Motivation, Herzberg’s Two Factor Theory, and Alderfer’s Modified Need Hierarchy) while process theories look at how behavior is instigated and sustained; they include Vroom Expectancy Theory and Adam’s Equity Theory.

Herzberg’s Theory is also referred to as Hygiene Theory. It is a two-factor approach that states that two different factors influence satisfaction and dissatisfaction (Herzberg, Mausner, & Snyderman 288). Herzberg ’names the factors that influence dissatisfaction as dissatisfiers (maintenance and hygiene factors) while factors that influence satisfaction are called satisfiers or motivators. Dissatisfiers include working conditions, policies, job security, and status while satisfiers include recognition of achievements, responsibilities, and growth. Dissatisfiers do not have the same impact on job satisfaction but rather influence job dissatisfaction. These factors will not motivate an employee, but their absence in a workplace will influence job dissatisfaction (Berrin & Bauler 188). To motivate workers effectively, the management should work on providing good hygiene factors that ensure the staff’s job satisfaction thus motivation.

Maslow’s Hierarchy Theory of Needs arranges the interdependent needs of a human being from the basic need to the highest level of requirements (Berrin & Bauler 184). The author concludes that once a person has satisfied the lower level of need, the next level of requirements motivates him/her to work harder to attain it. The most fundamental needs are physiological, for example, shelter, food, air, and clothing (Maslow 372). They are the key needs to sustain life, and when they are not met, it affects a person physically. Once a person can sustain his/her life, he/she can be motivated to achieve the next step; but if he /she cannot afford these basic needs, it will be difficult to move to the next level. Employees should be able to afford these necessary basic needs with their salaries to be motivated to get to the next level. Safety needs are the next level, where employees feel a sense of having security, feeling peaceful and orderly at the workplace (Maslow 380). Social needs comprise of friendship, a sense of belonging to a certain group, love and acceptance in a certain environment. Employees usually want to fit in a particular group at a workplace or feel accepted and loved by the others. To satisfy these needs, they tend to work harder to reach a target that will allow them to be identified and accepted by others. A person will strive to reach that rank. Esteem needs generate motivations only when the lower needs are satisfied. They include self-esteem, freedom, and self-confidence. When an employee satisfies these needs, he/she feels capable, in power and worthy to be in that place. However, if the needs are not met, an employee will lack esteem and will feel inferior to the others. What is more, he/she might not be able to tend even to the duties. The highest need is self-actualization that includes creativeness, self-realization, and self-fulfillment (Berrin & Bauler 185). When an employee realizes his/her potential, he/she feels the satisfaction of oneself. This process serves as a continuous motivational fact because when an individual completes one need another need arises.

Alderfer’s Modified Hierarchy of Needs is a modified Maslow’s Hierarchy Theory (Berrin & Bauler 187). Alderfer agrees with Maslow that human needs can be arranged in levels but instead of categorizing them in five, he reduces them to three levels of existence, growth and relatedness. According to Alderfer, two levels can be achieved at the same time. It is not necessary to move from one stage to another (Berrin & Bauler 187). A person can attain the highest level of need without fulfilling the lower needs. Thus, in these two propositions, he is not in agreement with Maslow’s theory. When an employee satisfies growth needs, he/she will have the desire to meet relatedness needs. The fewer existence needs are met, the more desire a person will feel to fulfill them.

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In McGregor X-Y Theory, X stands for autocratic management while Y is participative management. X theory assumes that external motivation is achieved through punishment or threat while Y theory believes that an employee is internally motivated with a good environment. X Theory assumes that people dislike work and, therefore, have to be pressured to contribute to a company’s goals. Y implies that although punishment can motivate a worker to work, it is not the only way because employees are self-motivated. Employees can get motivation from within themselves because of good environmental factors surrounding them at a workplace.

According to McClelland’s Need-Based Motivation Theory, human beings have three needs: achievement, power, and affiliation (Berrin & Bauler 190). In his research, McClelland found out that businessmen have a desire for achievement motivation. According to him, motivation achievement can be taught through training by teaching an employee to act in terms of achieving a motive (Berrin & Bauler 190).

Locke’s Goal Theory illustrates how setting specific goals to induce high performance and setting more challenging goal increase performance efforts. Through employees’ participation in making goals, they will set higher goals and be motivated to achieve even more to gain superior performance. Workers will set reasonable and attainable goals since they are the ones expected to reach the objective unlike when employers set unreasonable goals. In this theory, for a goal to be achieved, there has to be an effort to achieve it. When the goals set are unreasonable, there will be no motivation to attain them. Thus, it is important to involve the staff in setting the goals.

Skinner’s motivation through positive reinforcement suggests that stimuli trigger behavior. Thus, in a business set up, any factor that results in behavior change is a motivational change (Berrin & Bauler 205). The change can either be positive or negative. Skinner advises managers to use positive reinforcers such as promotion and salary increment to promote motivation in the workplace. Managers should also solve problems in the workplace to create a peaceful environment that will motivate employees. The staff can only be motivated if there is a positive reinforcer.

Vroom’s Model Theory asserts that effort leads to performance and performance leads to either positive or negative rewards. Positive rewards motivate employees while negative rewards do not motivate them. Employees’ work effort is based on what they are expecting to gain at the end of it thus the expectancy theory (Berrin & Bauler 203). Ensuring the staff expects a pay rise and promotion will motivate them to work harder on achieving the set goals. When there are no reward expectations, a minimum effort will be put since there is no potential gain at the end of it. No one wants to work for free unless it is charity. Work is believed to have some payment after its completion; thus, an extra work of achieving a goal should have an extra bonus to the salary. If the management considers bonuses, its staff is more likely to be motivated.

Adam’s Equity Theory illustrates how employees seek fair treatment at the workplace in cases of rewards and the rate of their efforts (Berrin & Bauler 195). Employees base their judgments on comparing themselves with people around them or with persons of the same profession. They will feel undermined if they realize that they are contributing more than the other employees and are not being rewarded the same way. The level of motivation is based on the percentage of fairness that has been found out by the employees. When employees believe they are treated equally, they will be motivated; but when they believe there is unfairness; they will be discouraged. Unfairness can cause the staff to be hostile, disruptive and silent.

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This paper has critically explained the concept of employee motivation and the various advocated theories used to motivate employees towards helping the organization to accomplish its goals. Theories of employee motivation suggest that there are many variables influencing how employees perceive their work and are motivated to achieve a high level of performance. Concepts of fairness, hierarchy, motivational effects and external motivational factors all give tools to help to analyze motivational influences and come up with strategies to increase levels of motivation at a workplace. Although most theories seem to conflict, they do shed light on those areas of motivation. Motivation is a vital area in the study of organizations and management, and it cannot be ignored even with the presence of many unanswered questions and conflicting theories.

Employees are the most important resource in an organization and, for this reason, they should be treated well and should always be motivated. Well-motivated employees are always ready to work hard towards achieving the set goals of the organization. Employees individually and collectively contribute to the attainment of the set goals for sustainable competitive advantage. It can be achieved through various ways including providing safe working conditions for employees, rewarding the employees well according to the work they do, and providing training programs to sharpen the employees’ skills.

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Essay on employee motivation.

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Motivating employees to complete their work can be a difficult task. This is a sample essay that attempts to showcase how appreciation is a necessary part of ensuring that employees feel their work is truly understood by the management. This sample paper provides an example of business writing services from Ultius .

Empowering and motivating employees

Commonly known as employee appreciation, whether formal or informal, recognition in the workplace is a powerful motivator for employees to perform better and become more comfortable in the workplace. Appreciation is considered to be an essential human need.

Motivating employees first requires an environment where they feel wanted and appreciated. Individuals thrive in an environment where they feel valued and they continue to maintain their work ethic and often have been noted to improve the quality of their work as well.

Creating a motivational environment

The definition of motivation is a creating an environment where people feel appreciated and energized about the tasks that they are given. Motivation is:

"A mission-critical issue for all managers and can be one of the most perplexing, but potentially rewarding aspects of the management role" (Baldwin, 2007).

It can be stated that motivating one's workers will have a momentous effect on them. The question becomes though, how does one motivate their staff as a manager?

Researchers who study the psychology of motivation have developed several theories and philosophies to help businesses. One particular theory that can be applied here is the theory of expectancy. Expectancy theory is grounded on three principles:

Instrumentality

Essentially, to understand how to motivate individuals better to achieve the desired level of performance, the perception of success must be the underlying premise of the manager. The managers have to known and believe that his/her staff will perform and be instrumental in the success of the company or organization and the person must have a particular valence to their work approach.

Motivating teams using the expectancy theory

Often though, as a result of the expectancy theory, there is special emphasis placed on the motivational force of the employee to do well within the company as an effect of the motivation. Managers have to or need to understand that the individual has to have cause to do well within a company or organization. In recognizing an employee, there are several items that have been considered to be highly effective such as:

"Thanking the person by name; specifically stating what they did that is being recognized; explaining how the behavior made the manager feel; pointing out the value that their role added to the team or organization and thanking the person again by name for their contribution" (Harrison, 2013).

If there is not a positive emphasis placed on recognition of an individual's ability then, companies and organizations will have patterns of unmotivated workers and experience challenges. To further understand motivation, companies, and organizations have to defer to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs . Maslow's theory:

"Suggests each of us is motivated by five basic needs arranged from lower order to highest order" (Baldwin, 2007).

Our foundation for success then is based on our well-being according to Maslow. At the bottom of the hierarchy are the basic needs (i.e. food, shelter, sex, sleep) and at the top is self-fulfillment. Managers that motivate have to or should propose making us feel loved and belonged at our place of work. Each and every individual has to have these needs fulfilled in order to be effective in whatever role they take on within a company or organization.

Maslow's theory translates across a variety of cultures and workplace environments and can be applied as the dominant effect in the success of a goal or objective. In addition to Maslow's hierarchy of needs and these successfully being applied to motivating one's staff, companies and organizations should also pay attention to the platinum rule, which states "treat others how they wish to be treated" (Baldwin, 2007). If managers treat their staff with respect, the workers will have respect for their managers and perform the work they need to accordingly.

Treating others with respect doesn't stop at being nice and showing appreciation. Respect often extends to:

Offering solid benefits
Paying special attention to team members' health
Staying on top of fatigue and mental health issues
Offering in-company perks
Respecting employees right to privacy

If managers treat their staff with respect, the workers will have respect for their managers and perform the work they need to accordingly.

Conclusions

Ultimately, through reinforcing recognition, managers will have a successful staff/team operating at their greatest potential. Companies and organizations are continually recognized by employees for their recognition efforts. Employees want to be wanted so to speak and by companies understanding the effects that their cause for recognition and reinforcement has on the individuals, the workforce will run a lot smoother as a result.

Baldwin. (2007). Developing Management Skills, What Great Managers Know and Do. McGraw-Hill Higher Education.

Harrison, K. (2013). Why employee recognition is so important. Retrieved March 26, 2013, from Cutting Edge PR website: http://www.cuttingedgepr.com/articles/emprecog_so_important.asp

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Motivating Employees

The success of any organization depends on the motivation of its employees. Employee motivation is crucial for ensuring high levels of productivity, job satisfaction, and quality of work. However, maintaining employee motivation is challenging, and many organizations need help with it. This essay will discuss the demotivation factors at Kaluyu Memorial Hospital, one of the leading hospitals in the region, and how a communication system based on Herzberg’s two-factor theory can help improve employee motivation. The essay will also explore the impact of the proposed communication system on employee behavior and its potential benefits for the hospital’s financial performance and patient care.

Demotivational Factors at Kaluyu Memorial Hospital

As the director of health at Kaluyu Memorial Hospital, I have identified several major demotivational factors impacting the hospital’s employees. These factors include a lack of recognition and credit for nurses’ work, poor working conditions, limited career growth and development opportunities, and communication issues. These factors contribute to employee dissatisfaction, decreased motivation, and reduced productivity, ultimately impacting patient care and the hospital’s financial performance.

One of the most significant demotivational factors at Kaluyu Memorial Hospital is the lack of recognition and credit for nurses’ work. This can lead to unfairness and decreased motivation among nurses, resulting in lower-quality patient care and decreased patient satisfaction. Additionally, the poor working conditions, such as inadequate facilities for new mothers to pump breast milk for their infants and malfunctioning refrigerators, can cause frustration and discomfort among employees. These factors can ultimately lead to increased employee turnover and difficulty recruiting new employees, resulting in increased costs for the hospital.

Another demotivational factor at Kaluyu Memorial Hospital is the limited career growth and development opportunities. The hospital’s financial statements indicate that expenses are higher than the industry standard, and it incurs losses year after year. This suggests that limited career growth and development opportunities may lead to employee dissatisfaction and reduced motivation. Moreover, communication issues in meetings and conference calls, where some employees are quiet and never participate, can cause misunderstandings, reduced trust, and decreased employee motivation.

To address these demotivational factors, the administration must recognize and credit nurses’ work, improve working conditions, and provide more career growth and development opportunities. Additionally, communication channels must be improved to ensure employees are heard and valued. Failure to address these factors can negatively impact patient care and satisfaction, employee turnover, and recruitment, ultimately impacting the hospital’s financial performance.

Major Motivational Theories

Of the three major motivational theories, I believe that Herzberg’s two-factor theory best fits the scenario at Kaluyu Memorial Hospital. Herzberg’s two-factor theory suggests that job satisfaction and dissatisfaction arise from two sets of factors: hygiene and motivators (1). Hygiene factors are those that relate to the work environment and the context in which the job is performed. Motivators lead to job satisfaction, such as achievement, recognition, and responsibility. This theory aligns well with the situation at the hospital, where employees are dissatisfied with working conditions, job security, and communication and are motivated by recognition and opportunities for career growth and development.

One example of how Herzberg’s two-factor theory applies to Kaluyu Memorial Hospital concerns the poor working conditions. The inadequate facilities for new mothers to pump breast milk for their infants and malfunctioning refrigerators are hygiene factors that cause employee dissatisfaction. If the administration does not address these factors, it can lead to decreased motivation and employee turnover, ultimately impacting patient care and the hospital’s financial performance. On the other hand, improving these conditions can help avoid dissatisfaction and foster motivation and job satisfaction.

Another example of how Herzberg’s two-factor theory applies regards recognition and growth opportunities. The nurses at the hospital feel that they do most of the work within patient care, but the doctors get all the credit. This is an example of a motivator that is not being met. To address this issue, the hospital could implement a recognition program that acknowledges all employees’ hard work and dedication, regardless of their job title or position. The hospital could also offer growth opportunities such as training programs or promotion paths that enable employees to develop new skills and advance in their careers. By providing these motivators, employees will feel more valued and motivated to perform better, which can benefit the hospital’s overall performance.

Communication System

As the director of health at Kaluyu Memorial Hospital, I believe that improving employee motivation is crucial to the hospital’s success. A communication system can significantly impact employee motivation (2). The following outlines a communication system that will have the greatest impact on improving employee motivation.

Regular Staff Meetings

The hospital will hold regular staff meetings to provide updates on hospital news, changes, and improvements. This will allow for open communication and feedback from all employees, including nurses and doctors.

Employee Recognition Program

The hospital will implement an employee recognition program to acknowledge and reward outstanding employees. This program will recognize employees who go above and beyond their job requirements and show dedication to the hospital’s mission.

Training and Development Opportunities

The hospital will provide training and development opportunities for all employees. This will include on-the-job training, seminars, and workshops to help employees improve their skills and knowledge (3). Allowing employees to develop their skills will show them that the hospital values their growth and development. Health and Wellness Programs: The hospital will offer health and wellness programs to promote employee well-being. This will include programs such as healthy eating, exercise, and stress reduction workshops.

Performance Feedback

The hospital will provide regular employee feedback on their job performance. This will include positive feedback, as well as constructive criticism, to help employees improve their performance. Flexible Work Schedule: The hospital will offer flexible work schedules for employees, allowing them to balance their work and personal lives. This will include job sharing, telecommuting, and flexible work hours.

The communication system outlined above will positively impact employee behavior in the following ways. The first positive impact is increased job satisfaction. Regular staff meetings, employee recognition programs, and training and development opportunities will show employees that the hospital values their work and wants to help them grow and develop. Secondly, there will be improved health and well-being. Health and wellness programs will promote employee health and well-being, reducing sick days and increasing productivity.

In addition, there will be increased motivation. Regular performance feedback and flexible work schedules will motivate employees to work harder and be more productive (4). Further, the communication system outlined above will result in improved teamwork and communication. Regular staff meetings and open communication channels will improve employee teamwork and communication. Lastly, there will be decreased turnover. By providing a supportive work environment and opportunities for growth and development, employees will be less likely to leave the hospital, reducing turnover costs. A communication system that includes regular staff meetings, employee recognition programs, training and development opportunities, health and wellness programs, performance feedback, and flexible work schedules will positively impact employee behavior, leading to increased job satisfaction.

Kaluyu Memorial Hospital faces several demotivational factors impacting its employees and, ultimately, patient care and financial performance. These factors include a need for recognition and credit for nurses’ work, poor working conditions, limited career growth and development opportunities, and communication issues. To address these factors, the hospital administration must recognize and credit nurses’ work, improve working conditions, provide more career growth and development opportunities, and improve communication channels. One of the most effective ways to improve employee motivation is through a communication system that includes regular staff meetings, employee recognition programs, training and development opportunities, health and wellness programs, performance feedback, and a flexible work schedule.

Thant, Zaw Min. 2022. Assessing the Determinants of Myanmar Government Employees’ Job Satisfaction through Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory. p. 153967542211371. https://doi.org/10.1177/15396754221137193.

Tumi, Najameddin Sadeg, et al. 2021. Impact of Compensation, Job Enrichment and Enlargement, and Training on Employee Motivation. p. 227853372199535. https://doi.org/10.1177/2278533721995353.sagepub.

Akhtar, Serena. 2023. The Effect of Training and Development Methods on Employee Satisfaction and Performance in Commercial Banks. p. 30–47. www.ceeol.com/search/article-detail?id=1108825.

Agbanu, Innocent Immoneghame, et al. 2023. Flexible Work Arrangements and Productivity of Sales Representatives of Book Publishing Companies in Nigeria. p. 1–22. https://doi.org/10.52547/ijime.3.1.1.

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Overview Imagine that you have been appointed the director of health at the Kaluyu Memorial Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya—a for-profit hospital. The facility is also a referral hospital and receives severe cases of accidents and chronic and communicable diseases, and it houses an HIV/AIDS ward. As you settle into your position, you realize that the employees always act scared as they approach their superiors. Some of the employees deliver files and leave your office in a hurry.

As you make your routine departmental visits, you observe tension among the nurses and doctors, and there is a sentiment that the nurses tend to do the majority of the work within patient care but the doctors get all the credit. You notice that the employees are always looking forward to the end of their shifts when they can go home. You notice that some of the doctors come back to work wearing the same unwashed clothes as the previous day. Too many employees are calling in sick, and many of them give weak reasons for their tardiness.

There is also a sense that doctors and nurses dominate other employees in similar positions. In meetings and conference calls, some employees are quiet and never participate. You notice that people with families tend to gather and talk quietly on breaks. The new mothers working for the hospital have to use bathrooms to pump breast milk for their infants, and the refrigerators do not work well. Looking at the hospital’s financial statements, you realize that the hospital’s expenses are higher than the industry standard, and it incurs losses year after year.

Note: You may create or make all necessary assumptions needed for the completion of this assignment.

Preparation As part of your preparation for this assignment, please read the following:

The Future of Healthcare LeadershipLinks to an external site.. Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory (And Job Enrichment). Achievement Motivation Theory. (Includes information on McClelland’s theory on acquired motives.) Maslow’s Hierarchy of Basic Needs.

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How to Motivate Your Employees
Personal appreciation from the management team would be a high motivation to the employee. It would go a long way in ensuring that the employee is motivated within the firm. Public praises. It is important that when an employee performs exceptionally well, the management should praise such employees publicly.
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Overcoming challenges in employee motivation Measure and evaluate employee motivation Conclusion. Understanding employee motivation. Employee motivation has been described as the internal drive and enthusiasm that employees bring to their work, and it encompasses several factors that drive them to optimal performance. At its core, it refers to ...
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Applying the wrong strategy (say, urging an employee to work harder, when the reason is that they're convinced they can't do it) can actually backfire, causing motivation to falter further ...
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The concept of job crafting is rooted in the jobs demands-resources theory and suggests that employee motivation, engagement, and performance can be influenced by practices such as (Bakker et al., 2012): Attempts to alter social job resources, such as feedback and coaching; Structural job resources, such as opportunities to develop at work
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Employee Motivation Motivating Employees Motivating employees requires exceptional leadership. There are many competing theories of available today. This essay examines two theories that have gained some popularity. The first leadership model is referred to as servant leadership.
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To the best of our knowledge, only a few papers examined the association between work motivation and JE. For instance, Rich et al. (2010) tested a model in which both intrinsic motivation and JE were tested "vertically," meaning they were both mediators (in the model) rather than two factors in a predictor-outcome relationship. This ...
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Motivating employees goes hand in hand with ensuring their full commitment to both management and their personal tasks. The first critical aspect is committing to values that address the employees' needs. This means placing important company values in writing, having a fair management team and following through with promises.
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1702 Words. 7 Pages. Open Document. Employee motivation is the level of energy, commitment, and creativity that a company's workers apply to their jobs. In the increasingly competitive business environment of recent years, finding ways to motivate employees has become a pressing concern for many managers. In fact, a number of different theories ...
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There are many ways in which companies can encourage and support motivation. Some of those techniques are: Involving employees in decision making, providing feedback, keeping employees informed at all times, building trust and relationships, and much more. People enjoy being included in decisions or situations in life.
Employee Motivation Essay Sample
Employee Motivation Essay. Employee motivation can be defined as the level of commitment, creativity, and energy that the workers of a given organization bring to their occupations. An organization's management team must be concerned into motivating her employees irrespective of whether the organization's economy is deteriorating or growing.
Essay About Motivating Employees
I have no issues with the following ideas: the leader has to earn trust and once that is done, the employee will keep willing to let you keep motivating them, since they will believe you act in their interest; helping employees increase their own relevancy will motivate them for constant improvement; taking responsible risk is needed in order ...
Employee Motivation Essay Sample
Order. Extrinsic motivation is a type of motivation that is affected by the external factors to self-motivate an employee (Kovach 62). These factors usually drive an employee to reach a particular goal either willingly or unwillingly. They originate from the management, and the employees can either react to them positively or negatively.
Essay on Employee Motivation
Ultius. 28 Feb 2014. Motivating employees to complete their work can be a difficult task. This is a sample essay that attempts to showcase how appreciation is a necessary part of ensuring that employees feel their work is truly understood by the management. This sample paper provides an example of business writing services from Ultius.
Motivating Employees
Motivating Employees. The success of any organization depends on the motivation of its employees. Employee motivation is crucial for ensuring high levels of productivity, job satisfaction, and quality of work. ... This essay will discuss the demotivation factors at Kaluyu Memorial Hospital, one of the leading hospitals in the region, and how a ...
Motivating Employees Essay Example For FREE
Motivation has a major influence on an employee's attitude; therefore, also influences their performance. "Success largely depends on empowering employees as they take larger roles in shaping the firm's culture" (Kauffman, 2010, p. 8). The performance of the employees can determine if the company survives or fails.
Employees Motivation Essay Examples
Best Practices in Motivating Employees in Global Teams Global teams are geographically dispersed workforces of employees that work on a single business worldwide (Lee-Kelley, & Sankey, 2008). Motivating international teams ensures that companies establish a cohesive and productive team culture.