Got Motivation? Motivation in the Workplace

By: Leanne Schnurer


According to Colquitt, Lepine, and Wesson, motivation is defined as a set of energetic forces that originates both within and outside an employee, initiates work-related effort, and determines its direction, intensity, and persistence (Colquitt, Lepine, & Wesson, 2011). When it comes to job performance in the workplace, if employees have no motivation to be successful or contribute to the organization, then there will be a serious lack of performance and growth in the organization and with the employee themselves. Just as in school, if we have no motivation to do our homework, for example if good grades is not enough motivation for someone, then they will not do the homework. However, if they focus on the motivating factor of eventually graduating, this goal could motivate them to want good grades, which will then motivate them to study and do their homework.

In organizational behavior studies there are many different aspects of motivation that are evaluated. Marylene Gagne and Edward L. Deci examine the Cognitive Evaluation Theory in there article Self-Determination Theory and Work Motivation. First, they discuss that there are two different kinds of motivation, intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic motivation comes from employees finding satisfaction and interest in the work itself. Extrinsic motivation needs some kind of outside source to motivate employees, such as tangible or verbal rewards. The Cognitive Evaluation Theory focuses a lot on autonomy in the workplace and how important it is for motivation in employees, whether it is intrinsic or extrinsic motivation. Autonomy, as defined in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is the quality or state of being self-governed. The CET suggests that outside sources such as tangible rewards and deadlines create a decrease a person's feelings of autonomy. However, external factors such as providing choice can increase a person's feelings of autonomy. For example, an employer can allow employees to have a choice in what they work on. So, if an employee has low intrinsic motivation, this can be increased by letting them choose on the variety of tasks they perform to help them stimulate more interest in the work itself. The CET proposes the idea that employees need to have a strong sense of autonomy to be successful and highly motivated in the workplace. So, according to this theory, employers need to focus on giving employees a say in what they do in the work place(Gagne & Deci, 2005).

Another aspect of motivation is The High Performance Cycle model, discussed by Locke and Latham in their article, Work Motivation: The High Performance Cycle. The model is basically focused on challenges or goals set by employees or managers, it is a type of Goal-Setting Theory. It is not as simple as the manager setting goals and challenges that creates performance, however. There are certain moderators to this model. The moderators are ability, commitment, feedback, expectancy and self-efficacy, and task complexity(Locke & Latham, 1990). 

Ability relates to an employees ability to meet goals set by managers because if an employee simply does not have the ability, whether it be a physical ability or a resource, then the challenge can not be completed. An employee must also be committed to reaching a goal. Simply setting a goal is not enough to get the job done. In this article, it discuses the solution found to the commitment motivation factor is that mangers could give employees a say in what the goals are, in other words, they can collaborate on creating goals with their employees rather than simply assigning them tasks. It will give them more attachment to the goal. Feedback does not create motivation completely nor does it take away from it completely. Knowing how they are doing does not automatically make employees more effective in performance. It is possible that having constant feedback on performance helps improve performance, but feedback itself is not enough motivation for employees on its own. If employees have high expectancy and self-efficacy, then they will be confident in their abilities to complete challenges given to them by employees. This confidence could then motivate them to perform more effectively until the goal is met. This article points out that task complexity has been defined as having three dimensions: component complexity (number of elements in a task), coordinative complexity (number and nature of relationships among elements), and dynamic complexity (number and types of elements and relationships over time). When summarizing these motivation factors, Locke and Latham state that the best results will come from a specific challenging goal when the employees have high ability, are committed to the goal, there is feedback showing progress in relation to the goal, they have high expectancy and self-efficacy of performing well, and the task is simple(Locke & Latham, 1990). 

You may be thinking, so how does this help me stay motivated at work? These motivation factors have a lot to do with how employers can help motivate their employees. An article on Fox Business (2012) discuses how we can help motivate ourselves at the workplace despite conditions controlled by managers. The four main suggestions this article gives are finding deeper meaning in our work, prioritizing, taking time for yourself, and using your skills. Finding deeper meaning in your work can help increase your intrinsic motivation because you are focusing on aspects of your work itself that interest you and motivate you. Prioritizing and taking time for yourself helps more with the stress of having a lot of work and keeping motivated and not getting overwhelmed. Using your skills means finding what natural talents you have and focusing on how you can use your skills and talents to their fullest ability. A combination of increasing motivational factors from employers as well as employees focusing on how to create motivation for themselves, effective job performance in the workplace can be fulfilled.


References

Colquitt, J., Lepine, J., & Wesson, M. (2011). Organizatinal Behavior: Improving Performance and Commitment in the Workplace. New York, NY: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

FOXBusiness. (May 3, 2012). How To Stay Motivated At Work. FOX Business. Retrieved from
http://www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/2012/05/03/how-to-stay-motivated-at-work/

Gagné, M., & Deci, E. L. (2005). Self‐determination theory and work motivation. Journal of Organizational behavior, 26(4), 331-362. Retrieved from

 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/job.322/abstract

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/autonomy

Locke, E. A., & Latham, G. P. (1990). Work motivation: The high performance cycle. Work motivation, 3-25. Retrieved from

http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=prw14f6SWq8C&oi=fnd&pg=PA3&dq=work+motivation&ots=m9CTZFHzpC&sig=q5nDlMSn8rE8YYDkPzWts3WoFjA#v=onepage&q=work%20motivation&f=false

Motivation

 Miranda Pickering

Motivation is something that drives us to act in a particular way, usually to reach some sort of goal we set with our job or personal life. Motivation in the work place is very important, and it is sometimes hard for employers to motivate employees. I believe in the work place it is important for the employer to keep their employees motivated and enthused about the job in order to produce the best results. There are many different theories of motivation such as; Expectancy theory would be the mental process about choice in the outcome of an event, goal setting theory would mean you set a goal for yourself and that would be the motivation needed to achieve that specific goal, Equity theory is not only what you can do, but also how other people and things can effect the outcome, psychological empowerment is the employee feeling that their affect on the job is meaningful.

One of the most important jobs where motivation is the key would be teaching. As many of us are in school most of our lives, I think the teacher is one of the greatest influences on us. It is up to the teacher to find activities to keep the students interested and motivated to do the required work. As we’ve discussed in class there are many different forms of motivation, generally speaking I believe all of the theories would apply to teaching. However with teacher I believe the one theory that stands out among the rest would be the expectancy theory. As a teacher you try your best to instill knowledge in your students to better prepare them for the future. That is the force that keeps the teachers motivated. They put in the effort of teaching which affects the performance and outcome of the students.

 In an article written by Alexandra Levit in the Wall Street Journal, she writes that if you find yourself lacking motivation or you no longer feel motivated you need to first admit that to yourself. Then look at the big picture, set a goal strive for that goal and give yourself credit. (Levit, 2009) This is the goal setting theory, and once you are able to set that goal for yourself either in your personal life or for work you will find yourself motivated to achieve the set goal.

In a Q&A article written in Time Magazine with Author Daniel Pink, he talks about motivation and what drives it. “Do you think intrinsic motivators are stronger than external rewards?” `I think they're more important for creative, conceptual tasks. If-then motivators — if you do this, then you get that — are really good for routine algorithmic tasks. The problem is fewer of us are doing that kind of work. Now, that doesn't mean that we stop paying people. Intrinsic motivators are clearly the primary root to high performance. In the world of behavioral science that's not even controversial; the idea just hasn't migrated to business (Oloffson , 2010). ` Not only in the business aspect but in every day life people fall into this routine, like Daniel Pink states if we do “this”, we get “this” in return. The mundane tasks of everyday life make it hard to find motivation. What Daniel Pink is we find something that interests us and set our goal around that, then will come the motivation to achieve said goal.

In the Nordic countries there was a survey done stating the effects age, gender, country of origin, etc on work satisfaction and motivation. In the study they found that age has a huge effect on job satisfaction in the Nordic countries compared to gender or race. The survey reviled the older the employee the higher the job satisfaction, and the younger the employee the lower the job satisfaction. This is the same concept we discussed in class previously. Normally job satisfaction and motivation in the job are found to be similar, but in this instance with the Nordic countries they did not find any correlation (Eskildsen, J. ., Kristensen, K., & Westlund, A. 2004). I think that may be because no matter what age if you know the purpose of your work and have the goal set for yourself, you will be motivated to accomplish the set goal. The study also showed that education did not play a role in those whom they found to be more motivated in the work place.  

In some way we have discussed all of these motivation factors in class. I think that everyone at some point in their life finds themselves lacking in motivation either with work or life in general. Students can take this information and apply it to their everyday life at school and at in their work place. The importance of motivation is if you find yourself lacking it, take a step back and see what you are trying to accomplish. Set realistic goals for yourself and accomplish them, them accomplishment of those goals will be enough motivation to keep you setting goals and continuing to motivate yourself.

Eskildsen, J. K., Kristensen, K., & Westlund, A. H. (2004). Work motivation and job satisfaction in the nordic countries. Employee Relations, 26(1), 122-136. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/235199686?accountid=12924

Levit, A. (2009, July 16). How to regain motivation at work . Retrieved from http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124752202512735007.html

Oloffson , K. (2010, Jan 12). Business guru daniel pink on what fuels good work. Retrieved from http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1952993,00.html

You Can Teach an Old Dog New Tricks

Written by: Marissa Kautz

      The saying “You learn something new every day” is absolutely true. From the age of four or five America’s youth is put into school, and the next 13 years, sometimes more, of their lives are devoted to just this. After college is when a lot of people think they stop learning, but they don’t have to be enrolled in school to retain new information. Knowledge is all around us, in the job, at home, etc., and you continue to learn even when you’re not even conscious of it.

     
       Learning is a pertinent mechanism to become successful in much of the business world. In some professions, such as accounting, there are new laws being passed often and many things to be aware of. New methods and concepts even require outside education each year to keep up. Employees have to sometimes go above and beyond their office hours to do all this extra learning, and it’s the employer’s job to help them learn all they need to know. To do this there are many different ways to teach.

      
      The first one is just learning by human nature. If something we do results in desired consequences, or positive reinforcements, you tend to continue with these behaviors. The opposite goes for negative consequences (Colquitt, Lepine, & Wesson, 2011). Managers can use compliments and positive attitudes or negative behaviors to shape the way that employers learn to act at work. It doesn’t even phase some people, they don’t even realize that they are being trained subconsciously so there is no conflict at all (Colquitt, Lepine, & Wesson, 2011).

      
      Two other methods that businesses use to lessen undesired behavior in the workplace are called punishments and extinction (Colquitt, Lepine, & Wesson, 2011). An employer could use punishments to correct bad behavior in an employee, as long as it completely follows along with business ethics. Alfie Kohn of the New York Times has a different opinion on punishments. According to him, rewards are much like punishments, “they are two sides of the same coin, and the coin doesn’t buy much.” (Kohn, 1993). Rewards and punishments can dampen the effect of teamwork if a promotion or something similar is up for grabs. On the other hand extinction is when there are no consequences as a result of a certain behavior. This is used when an employee is acting out mainly to get attention from managers or co-workers (Colquitt, Lepine, & Wesson, 2011).

     
       Another method that is becoming more and more popular with companies is gamification. This is the use of gaming software to help employees get more engaged in learning and practicing new concepts (Silverman, 2011). It’s an increasing trend because it brings a bit of fun to the work environment and also a bit of healthy competition between co-workers that can be turned into motivation to do well. Companies can either buy or create these simulations with real world situations. This is especially good for people that work from home so they can still be connected to the workplace as well (Silverman, 2011).  

      
       Similar to gamification, e- Learning is said to be bought by 86% of companies in 2013, which include webinars, video, mobile applications, and gaming/simulations (Pace, 20113). In this generation more and more things are being done with technology and this e-learning implements smart phones and other things that people already are familiar with in their everyday lives. This makes it easier for them to know the technologies they are working with.

        
       Overall, there are many different ways that people learn new information and how to act in the workplace environment. Positive and negative reinforcement are very simple concepts but can make all the difference when it comes to learning the norms of a new job and how to act. Punishments should be used very carefully, if at all, but could also be an effective form of learning what to do and what not to do. When dealing with an employee who is just trying to gain the attention of those he works with extinction would be a great learning method. If left alone the employee is sure to stop acting out in the workplace. Finally, two newer versions of learning are gamification and e-learning. These incorporate modern technology and even a little bit of fun into the job, and are sure to be a success. These aren’t the only methods but some very good ones that help keep our workforce educated.

References

Colquitt, J., Lepine, J., & Wesson, M. (2011). Organizational Behavior . New York City: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.

Kohn, A. (1993, October 17). For Best Results, Forget the Bonus . The New York Times.

Pace, A. (20113, Febuary 18). Learning Technology Trends in 2013. Retrieved from Academic OneFile: http://go.galegroup.com.huaryu.kl.oakland.edu/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA318345748&v=2.1&u=lom_oaklandu&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w

Silverman, R. E. (2011, October 10). Latest Game Theory: Mixing Work and Play. Retrieved from Wall Street Journal: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204294504576615371783795248.html

Business Ethics in the Organization

By Renee Lessard

            Ethics in the business setting are both necessary and complex at the same time. There are at times significant differences between what a person or organization should do and what they actually do. These differences are called prescriptive and descriptive threads of ethical theory. The study of business ethics also focuses on the behavior of individuals faced with unethical behavior and their response to it. While some people may be eager to report unethical behavior by individuals or the organization, others may be hesitant to report.

            For this post, I will be focusing on what businesses can do to establish ethics within their organization, how to bring those ethics to their employees and train them on their importance, and finally the importance of follow-through within the organization. I will bring focus to the different facets of ethics in the organization and the potential consequences to employees and the organization when good ethical behavior is not embraced.

            According to Sims, organizations can use a three part system to institutionalize ethics into their organization. The first step is to adopt a culture within the organization that encourages learning and openness to communication and purpose. The second step is for the organization to adopt a written code of ethics. This code should outline the ethics of the organization both involving its employees and its customers. The third step involves training. Employees of the organization should be trained in the ethics of the organization. This training should continue throughout the life span of the organization to keep all employees, old and new, up to date on the ethics of the organization.

            Bayley encourages organizations to incorporate ethics training within the organization as a proactive tool to the success of the organization. This training, according to Bayley, should involve educating employees about the ethics of the organization as well as empowering them to make ethical decisions within their work. He asserts that this training is essential for the success of the organization because the practice of ethics will produce better output for the organization as well as protect it from scrutiny.

            So far, I have focused on implementation and continuation of ethics within the organization. Within this scope, the importance of ethics are explained in theories and what ifs. There are very real consequences to a lack of ethics within an organization. These consequences can fall both on the organization and the employees of the organization. These consequences can be dire to the point of ending the organization so it is important to be aware of them as more than just a cautionary tale but a very real possibility.

            A general lack of ethics or an ethical code can lead to laxity in the organizational politics and work ethic. A code of ethics is the organizations outline of what behavior is acceptable and what is not. While individuals within the organization may have their own personal ethics, without a code of ethics established by the organization each person may use their own personal code of ethics. The friction here can be caused by one individual’s ethics conflicting with another’s. This friction may cause a lack of productivity or, at worst, detrimental conflict among employees that may lead to one or more employees losing employment.

            Another scenario involves an organization establishing a code of ethics, possibly even a training program, and then neglecting to follow through on their own policies regarding ethical behavior. Trevino and Weaver outline some of the possible consequences and the driving forces behind them. One of the reasons for employee strife in an organization can be a feeling of injustice. When a code of ethics has been established by an organization and that organization does not follow through on their policies the employees of that organization feel that the justice system within the organization is corrupt or lacking. This leads directly to dissatisfaction by employees and can directly contribute to low productivity and lack of employee morale.

            Trevino and Weaver also point out that a lack of follow through with an organizations code of ethics can lead to unethical behavior by employees within the organization. Unethical behavior can vary from theft and vandalism to a disregard for the well being of the organization involving possible acts of maliciousness against the organization such as the selling of trade secrets or misuse of organizational power. These can have lasting or permanent consequences or both the employees and the organization.

            It is well known that ethics play a key role in an organization’s well being and productivity. The complexity arises when organizations begin to take steps to implement and continue ethical values and training within the organization. If not done correctly, a focus on ethics within an organization can be as detrimental as a lack of an ethical code and policy.

References:

Bayley, B. K. (2012). Organizational ethics training: a proactive perspective. The Journal for

            Quality and Participation, 35.2, 15-19. Retrieved from

http://search.proquest.com.huaryu.kl.oakland.edu/docview/1033210820/fulltext?acc

untid=12924

Sims, R. R. (1991). The institutionalization of organizational ethics. The Journal of Business

Ethics, 10.7, 493. Retrieved from

http://search.proquest.com.huaryu.kl.oakland.edu/docview/198021310

Trevino, L. K., Weaver, G. R. (2001) Organizational justice and ethics program “follow-through”:

            Influences in employees’ harmful and helpful behavior. Business Ethics Quarterly, 11.4,

            651-671. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/3857765

Stress Reducers

Miranda Pickering

                To find out how to reduce stress, you have to find the source. Worrying about money, your job, weight, bills, relationships those are all examples of things in our life that can cause stress. Now that we know where the stress is coming from it is important to find ways to reduce it because stress can have serious effects on one’s health, and quality of life. I’ve found that being with other people, particularly someone you are close with during stressful times will help, time flexible work policies/ schedules, and also meditation. When one can learn to reduce the stress in their life it can increase their efficiency. However having some stress in your life can be beneficial because it can help give you enough motivation to get the tasks accomplished.
                During one study I found, adults deal with stress in two ways; “control coping”, and “secondary control coping/ relinquish control”. Control coping is where one would try to change the stressful situation the best they can into something less stressful to deal with. The second way would be to change the situation or just to ignore the stressor completely. When a study was done with children the results showed that only 3.5% were able to relinquish the control of any situation given. It also stated that school issues resulted in control coping, while medical issues resulted in secondary control. Although the study was done on children, they seem to find similar results in adults (Weisz, and Band, 1988).
                One way that can help reduce stress in life is to surround yourself with people you are familiar with or related too. It helps to have those particular people around because they are able to share the stress, and help manage it. Also being with family when in stressful situations can make the outcome positive, and helpful rather than negative and harmful. It helps when you have someone with you to help you understand and make sense of the situations, and cope (Kissel, 1965).
                Meditation is one of the best ways found to reduce stress, as well as many other added benefits. In a recent study done, it showed that daily meditation made the cerebral cortex in the brain thicker. The cerebral cortex can help reduce stress, help with decision making, and help with memory. When practicing meditation you focus on your breathing. This technique calms your nerves, and helps you cope with certain situations. Many corporations are offering free meditation classes as an added benefit for their employees. When you can control your stress you will be much happier overall, and improve productivity in the work place (Takeuchi Cullen, 2013 ).
                Setting up ways to manage time in your life can also help reduce stress. When you manage your time you are able to let some of the stress go. For instance you should plan each day accordingly, prioritize your tasks, delegate, take breaks, get plenty of sleep, and take time out for yourself. When each of these techniques comes into play, you will find it a lot easier to deal with stress at work and in everyday activities.
                I believe when working in high stress environments it is important for employers to provide resources for the employees to deal with situations. For instance police officers have shrink evaluations, and they have access to physiologists when situations become too difficult to handle. I do not believe every job needs to have a physiologist available; however I do think other options should be available for the employees. Employers should provide benefits such as yoga classes, gym memberships, and flex time. I think it is beneficial for students to know this information because stress is something that everyone deals with on a daily basis. It is good for the students to know what outlets they can use to help reduce stress, rather than the negative alternative (drugs and alcohol).

Resources:

Kissel, S. (1965). Stress-reducing properties of social stimuli. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2(3), 378-384. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/h0022223 

Takeuchi Cullen , Lisa. "Scientists find that meditation not only reduces stress but also reshapes the brain." TIME MAGAZINE. n.d. n. page. Web. 3 Mar. 2013. <http://williammartino.com/content/time-magazine-scientists-find-meditation-not-only-reduces-stress-also-reshapes-brain>.

Weisz, John, and Eve Band. "How to feel better when it feels bad: Children." Developmental Psychology .     24.2 (1988): 247-253. Web. 3 Mar. 2013. <http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/dev/24/2/247/>.