When we talk about the motivation of employees, we usually mean the process of motivating employees to work, leading to the achievement of a whole organization and their own.
Attempts to motivate employees in order to improve the results of their activities always exist. The question is that many of them fail. Especially if leaders are committed to old motivational theories such as carrots and sticks. In Soviet times, it was believed that a person should be grateful for the opportunity to provide his family with the possibility of survival. Therefore, as a motivating factor, it was the whip that was most often used. Currently, the approach to work for most people has become completely different. A person is looking for an opportunity not only to provide himself with a minimum subsistence level of income, but is striving for self-realization in the workplace. Old campaigns to create the right mood have largely outlived themselves. There was a need to create new ones that will increase labor productivity.
The approaches to employee motivation, which are most often used at enterprises at present, can be divided into two categories: substantive and procedural theories of motivation.
The first group includes those that pay attention to the study of the needs that underlie any human actions. These include theories of such authors as A. Maslow, F. Herzberg and others.
Procedural theories of motivation are a more modern approach to the problem. They study the factors that force a person to make certain efforts to achieve a goal. In addition, these theories are built taking into account such mental processes as perception and cognition.
This group includes V. Vroom's theory of expectations, based on the assertion that needs are not the only force that prompts a person to act.
The activity of an individual will depend on his assessment of the effectiveness of the chosen mode of action or type of behavior. This is the expectation of the result that he will get by performing this or that activity.
Procedural theories of motivation (theory of expectations) in practice will look as follows. If a person does not feel a direct relationship between the efforts made and the results that he receives, this leads to a weakening of motivation. Such a situation may arise if the employee incorrectly evaluates his own actions, or if the employer does not provide the necessary remuneration for overtime activities and so on. To solve the problem, the leader must establish a clear reward system for the achieved result.
Other procedural theories of motivation are Porter-Lawler's theory of justice and D. McGregor's approach . Let us consider in more detail the theory of equality (or justice).
According to her, people not only correlate efforts and the result obtained, but also compare the level of their remuneration with what employees received for similar activities.
Psychological stress arises if the comparison shows that another employee has received a greater reward. Work motivation in such cases will weaken. If a person feels that he is being overpaid, he will not only not reduce the level of effort, but, possibly, will increase it.
The remuneration system in the enterprise must be clearly calibrated and fair. In this case, employees should be notified on the basis of what they receive certain bonuses and other incentives.
Almost all procedural theories of motivation are based on a sense of balance between the effort and reward spent, as well as between the activity and the result.
Effective work leads to a feeling of satisfaction, which means that in the future a person will undertake work with the desire to make it even better. Thus, the task will be solved, and the motivation of employees will be increased.
Procedural theories of motivation in management complement the classic. They enable the leader to create a flexible and effective system that increases employee productivity based on basic needs, as well as perception and assessment of the situation.