1. People in Organisations Motivation By Tsungai Gertrude Kurewa

2.  Solutions Software has recently employed a new General Manager, Jane Gordon who has been in her position for approximately three months.  Since being in this position, the manager has been faced with some workplace problems that will be highlighted in this presentation.  Although there are a number of themes around human relations raised in this case study; I will briefly list all of them but focus mainly on one major problem.  The issues raised include flexible working conditions, communication, attitudes and motivation. In this presentation I will mainly focus on the issue of motivation, although I will also briefly explain other themes. Background

3.  With the changing work dynamics and roles of women both in the workplace and at home; there is need for greater flexibility in the work place.  Men and women are now in a position were they share responsibilities and the woman is not confined to be just the house maker and stay-at-home mother as men are also spending more and more time in the home.  Flexibility in the workplace allows for better work-life balance which leads to more motivated and satisfied employees.  In this case, we have Susan and David who want to work flexible work conditions to enable them to do other things around their work hours  It is clear that Solutions Software favours flexible working schedules, Jane needs to acknowledge and encourage this.  A suggestion would be for her to talk Susan and David openly about working in a compressed week whereby they can work longer hours for 4 days of the week and then have the last day free to allow them to attend their to their other activities  In order to deal with the issue of allowing flexible working conditions, employers can engage in a number of creative ideas for example, Susan could telecommute from home and do equally as much work she would do at work but in the comfort of her home. Flexible Working Conditions

4.  Communication is an essential part of everyday life; it makes us understand ourselves better and to also better understand others.  Communication in the workplace can take place in various forms e.g. team meetings, supervision, gossip and informal meetings.  It is important that there be clear and honest communication in the workplace.  It is clear that there are some communication barriers at Software Solutions. Before Jane had even begun her job there were some negative perceptions about the type of a manager she was going to be coming from Hard Software. To deal with this issue and to avoid any misconceptions, the management should have utilised vertical channels of communication to dispel any negative rumours. Communication

5.  To deal with the communication flaws between herself and the other staff members, Jane should look at engaging in self- disclosure.  Self-disclosure is the process of letting other know what you think, feel or want.  By self-disclosing, Jane can shed light on some misconceptions surrounding her appointment to the position and the type of a person she is.  For example, she can let people know that she only chooses to spend so much time in the office because she does not have much family or friends in Sydney to spend her spare time with.  Letting people know this will give them a better insight as to the person she is and why she behaves or does things the way she does Communication Continued…

6.  Motivation can simply be defined as the drive that keeps people going to achieve certain goals.  It is clear that there are a number of different things that motivate people to do or act in different ways. For example a student motivated to achieve good grades will put in the extra hours studying.  In this case, Susan was working hard and achieving goals and making organisational changes in the hope that she would get the managerial position.  It is clear that since not getting the job, she is feeling unmotivated and not valued. Using Herzberg’s theory, Susan’s maintenance factors have been satisfied but not the motivational factors.  Motivational factors are the factors such as recognition and advancement that motivate people to go over and beyond and to improve their productivity.  Susan needs to feel valued and to be recognised for the hard work she has put in. The fact that she is feeling unappreciated is why she is now looking for flexible hours.  Herzberg’s theory promotes the idea that employees should always feel appreciated and valued; in this case Jane might look at delegating some of her duties to Susan thereby enlarging and enriching her job so she feels motivated to work and meet the organisational goals. Motivation

7.  Motivation is simply the factors that motivate people  These motives have different characteristics that can help us understand what is going on at Solutions Software.  Motives are individualistic:-  Jane is a high achiever who is motivated by achieving her set goals and achieving corporate goals. On the other hand, Susan was motivated by the idea that if she worked hard then she would one day be made the General Manager.  This clearly illustrates the notion that what motivates people is different and thus motives are highly individualistic.  It is easy to see why there is a relationship breakdown between Susan and Jane because they are being driven by different motives.  My recommendation would be for Jane to take a step back and understand Susan’s motives and why she is acting in the manner she is.  This will help them understand each other better and avoid unnecessary tension in the workplace Characteristics of Motives

8.  Another characteristic of motives is that motives change.  This is not only a theoretical perspective but I personally think it makes sense; what motivates a 21 year old young woman is quite different to what would motivate the same woman but at 31 years old, with a family.  This is evident in the issues affecting Solutions Software; Jane is a 28 year old who at the stage she is in her life she is more motivated by accomplishing as much as she can in her professional as evidenced by her achievements to date, her Honors, Masters and now the new position she is in.  The theory is also true in relation to Susan, clearly she feels she has done all she can in her professional position and now she wants to focus on starting a family and cutting back at work. Characteristics of Motives cont…

9.  Motives are often inferred: This is a true conclusion in this case because Jane does not have full knowledge or understanding of why Susan and David want flexible hours. From the facts given, it is clear that Jane makes inferences that people should be motivated by the same things that motivate her. Jane draws the conclusion that Susan and David should be motivated to climb the corporate ladder as she does. Her lack of knowledge as to what it is that is motivating her team members to ask for flexible working hours is clear because of the conclusions she draws about their requests. Characteristics of Motives cont…

10.  There are a number of different theories on motivation namely: Maslow’s hierarchy of Needs Herzberg’s Motivation-Maintenance (Two-Factor) Theory The Expectancy Theory McGregor’s Theory X/Theory Y The Goal-Setting Theory Theories on motivation

11.  Maslow’s hierarchy of needs basically states that people have needs and these needs are usually satisfied in a particular order which becomes the hierarchy.  At the bottom of the hierarchy there are the basic things that everyone needs to survive eg. Food but at the top level there is Self-Actualisation which is a need for personal self-fulfilment  This theory has been used in different management books over the years and it is true in most cases. In this situation, Susan has satisfied all the bottom needs but what she is lacking now is the esteem and self actualization need.  The fact that she did not get the promotion has taken away the recognition she feels she deserves for all the hard work she has put into the organisation. In order to gain back her esteem, Susan needs to feel validated and given appreciation and recognition in the workplace to show that her work is not going unnoticed  However I also think that an argument can be made that perhaps she is at that stage of her life where she needs to feel that she can be all that she can be and this includes having a family and thus fulfilling the self-actualisation need. Linking theory to fact

12.  Herzberg’s theory simply states that there are maintenance and motivational factors and only the motivational factors actually motivate people.  It is important to note that if the maintenance factors are missing people will be unhappy and dissatisfied.  Examples of maintenance factors include fringe benefits, good working conditions and good salaries  Examples of motivational factors include, recognition and advancement  In the case of David and Susan, they have their maintenance factors satisfied but it also shows that motivation factors are still not satisfied. The only issue is that David’s motivational factors are outside the workplace however we know that if people are not fulfilled in all areas of their lives this can impact on their work performance.  David needs the status and recognition of being in the national basketball team to satisfy his motivational needs. His satisfaction outside the work place will lead to a happier more productive worker Herzberg’s Motivation-Maintenance (Two-Factor) Theory

13.  There are some clear similarities between the two theories: Herzberg v Maslow

14.  As illustrated, there is a link between the theories and what is raised in this case study.  As people move up the hierarchy of their needs, they feel satisfied and motivated to achieve the next ‘need’ but when they fail to achieve a particular need, they are more likely to feel unmotivated and might either quit the job or look at satisfying that particular need in some other way.  I agree with both theories and can see how they link and that they make sense. My criticism would be with Maslow’s hierarchy, it gives the impression that people fulfil one need at a time but people can fulfil different needs simultaneously.  For example, David wants to make the national basketball team to fulfil his need for self-actualisation but he might also want to satisfy his need to belong and be part of a social group by being in a basketball team thus showing that two or more needs can be satisfied at the same time. Thoughts on the Theories

15.  I have focused more on the content theory but in this section I will briefly highlight the Expectancy Theory.  The expectancy theory unlike the others mentioned above does not focus on needs but rather on the actual outcomes.  It is based on the notion that basically the drive/motivation to do something is dependant on the outcome you are expecting and how much that outcome appeals to you. Process Theory-Expectancy Theory

16.  The facts state that Susan was dedicated to the organisation, she had spent a lot of time mentoring other staff and she was a senior sales consultant.  It also says that she had applied for the General Manager position which had subsequently been given to Jane.  Applying the Expectancy Theory, it can be assumed that Susan had put in the extra time and work in the hope that she would ultimately get the General Manager job. So her effort led to her above average performance but unfortunately she did not get the reward she had hoped for.  This has caused her motivation levels to fall as well as feeling undervalued. Expectancy Theory

17.  My recommendations would be: 1.Jane needs to embrace the organisational spirit of Solutions Software and not what she learnt at Hardware Software because they are different organisations built on different principles. She needs to see the benefits of motivating her staff and having good, positive relationships with them. 2.Susan can benefit from job enrichment and to be motivated by being empowered. Susan is already a supervisor to 14 employees; through job enrichment she can be granted additional authority over the employees and more. Susan can be empowered to set her own strategies, goals and targets for the employees she oversees. By doing this she will again feel that the department appreciates her hard work and they trust her enough to award her hard work. Another suggestion would be for Susan and Jane to work more closely together and develop a mentor/mentee relationship where they can learn from each other. Both of them will be able to learn from each other which will be critical for their individual growth and for the organisation as a whole. Strategies/ Recommendations

18.  Jane should support Susan and David to reach their full potential and to ensure that they are satisfied and motivated in the workplace.  I think David would benefit from job enlargement, given that he has been with the organisation for five years and he has an excellent track record, he can benefit from being given new responsibilities and new task to invigorate and motivate him.  However Jane needs to appreciate the concept of work/life balance and that people are entitled to flexible working conditions so that they can satisfy all their needs and have a sense of self actualisation and fulfilment. Strategies/ Recommendations

19.  This case study has highlighted that in many organisations there is often more than one human relation issue going on.  In this case study there were the issues of communication, motivation and how to handle flexible working conditions.  I chose to focus on motivation and highlighted the different characteristics of motivation, different theories on motivation and linking this back to the case study.  The case study has shown that there are clear links between what is written in theory and what happens in practical terms.  I have offered my criticism of the theories and where I think there are some loopholes.  In conclusion, I have offered some recommendations on how the motivation levels can be increased. Conclusion