Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Assessment Tasks:

“Employees who are adequately motivated to perform will be more productive, more engaged and feel more invested in their work.  When employees feel these things, it helps them, and therefore their managers, be more successful.

It is a manager’s job to motivate employees to do their jobs well!”  Lawrie Mullins.

“It is a widely accepted notion that motivation is a primary driver of behavior.  Human motivation theory describes motivation as effectively laden anticipations of desired situations that guide human behaviours toward these situations.” McClelland, 1985.

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There are a number of key motivational theorists (as discussed in lectures).  You are required to prepare a report for submission in week 8.  The report should include the following factors:

• A discussion of four motivational theorists of your choice.
   
• An assessment of the techniques used to implement each of these theories to a real life organization of your choice. ( TESCO PLC)

• Demonstrate and determine the effectiveness of the implementation of these theories at these organizations.

(this could include the implementation of any of the elements below:

• Discuss the degree to which the company has managed to achieve set targeted outcomes through the implementation of the motivational theory.

• The degree to which the company has improved its business performance in terms of market share, sales volume, profitability, customer satisfaction.

• The increase of employee satisfaction.

• The decrease of employee turnover.            

• Prepare a range of recommendations as to how the implementation of these techniques could be improved in the future at your chosen organization.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

One replica of motivation which has attained great attention, yet not total recognition, has been brought by Abraham Maslow. This theory actually argues that people get motivated and satisfied through several different types of needs. Few of these are extra powerful than few others. Some needs are more proponent than others. Here the term prepotency means a concept that some requirements and needs are seen as being extra pressing as compared to others. The theory also argues that until such most pressing requirements and needs are not satisfied, all the other needs in reality have very little effect upon the entity’s behavior (Fitzgerald, 1977). Maslow actually represents such prepotency of requirements and needs as a proper hierarchy.

Source: (Gawel, 1997)

The vitally proponent needs also are shown at bottom of ladder, with the prepotency declining as one shifts upwards.

• Self-actualization- it is about reaching the maximum potential, and performing own best part
• Esteem- it is related to the respect that one attains from others, and also the self-respect, as well as recognition (Umoren, 1992)
• Belonging- it is regarding affiliation and acceptance plus being a part and parcel of something
• Safety- it relates to the physical safety as well as psychological security needs of people
• Physiological- it relates to the needs like hunger and thirst, sex as well as rest (Taormina and Gao, 2013)

Herzberg has classified the job factors in dual categories-

Hygiene factors- these are such job elements which are necessary for continuation of proper motivation at the workplace. These never lead to optimistic satisfaction in the long run yet if such factors are not present then they result in dissatisfaction. Some of ways to attain this are appropriate as well as reasonable salary structure, fringe benefits to staffs, abiding by firm’s rules and policies, providing good and safe work conditions as well as maintenance of staff’s status and relations amongst each other (Bragg, 1982).         

Motivational factors- As per Herzberg, hygiene factors are the ones those cannot be felt as motivators. All motivational elements yield optimistic satisfaction. Such factors are also inherent towards work. These elements motivate staffs for a greater performance and are named as satisfiers. This type of factors is time when employee needs to be recognized as well as praised for any accomplishment or attainment, also staffs need a feeling for achievement  and also should be provided with timely growth as well as promotions (Shipley and Kiely, 1986).

Herzberg’s Dual-Factor Theory

Source: (Smith, 1979)

Interior or external elements might also motivate people to change otherwise develop all of their activities. For instance, an interior factor might be desire to know and learn a novel skill. This might also reward individual in optimistic way. External factors here can be include, sales targets as well as incentives. A negative motivator could be less or no pay or no rise in the salary if targets are not attained (James, n.d.).

In early 1930s Elton Mayo recommended that motivation in the work place are promoted by following factors:

• Proper communication
• Efficient and coordinative teamwork
• Demonstrating interest in the others
• Taking suggestions while decision making
• Ensuring wellbeing of people
• Ensuring work being interesting as well as non-repetitive (Springer, 2008).

In the year 1911 engineer named Frederick Taylor made one of earliest theories for motivation. As per this theory, people work merely for money. In beginning years of car assembly sector, work on the production line actually was on the basis of producing quantity as well as was very much repetitive. Workers also were paid a thing called ‘piece rate’, which was paid for each item that was produced. This loom of paying by results in reality was seen well for business. The result was better production yet it gave very little opportunity and encouragement to the employees and made them less creative and innovative (Miner, 2007).

Source: (Fisher, Erdelez and McKechnie, 2005)

Employing Maslow’s & Herzberg theory-

Tesco aims to motivate its staffs by emphasizing attention towards hygiene elements as well as through enabling the satisfiers. For instance, it aims to motivate and also empower its staffs by proper and timely interaction as well as communication, through delegating accountability and responsibility as well as involving employee in the decision making process (Lauer, 2003). It actually holds forums each year where the staffs become a part of discussions on rise of payment. This also demonstrates recognition of work that Tesco people perform and also rewards them. Employees get properly motivated to take decisions and make choices which would help in enhancement of their utilization of things (LeMon, 2000). Tesco is well known for higher payment to staffs and people here are always happy and satisfied with the salary. Such high wages as well as salaries are actual motivating factors for satisfying basic plus physiological needs for the Maslow’s theory.

Employing Taylor’s theory-

Employee rewards

Tesco’s Reward Program for its staffs has few similarities to the Taylor’s theory. The financial remuneration packages of the firm are basic motivating factor. Moreover, there also exist factors except money that motivates staffs in their personal as well as working lives such as support to varied lifestyles which people lead by supplying relevant as well as targeted benefits. Also some non-financial elements like desire towards serving people; improvement of personal knowledge and skills and also attainment of higher position via promotion, exist in the firm. Employees here are more actually motivated as the employer creates proper working ecology to staffs where employees sense their value for the firm and feel happy. Tesco even spends a lot behind regular training as well as development of the staffs (Pustai, 1989).

The Mayo effect

Tesco measures staff satisfaction- Each year Tesco invites all its employees to participate in the survey of staff satisfaction named as Viewpoint which supplies them real opportunity to articulate their points and views on approximately every aspect related to their job. Few benefits attainable to Tesco’s staffs are:

• Lifestyle break which offers a proper 4-12 weeks off work plus guarantees job back
• Career break which permits staff amid 6 months to 5 years to stay away from the work with full right to return back
• Pension scheme which provides definite long run benefits (Peak, 1979).

Communication

At Tesco, Mayo effect is actually seen to function all through the firm. Interaction is enormously important elements as per Mayo theory when it comes to motivate staffs. Tesco enables face to face and sole discussions with the executives and seniors, and also allows interaction through firm’s intranet otherwise newsletters. Line managers in the firm hold day to day Team Meeting which ensures updating of staff about current happenings for present day and also giving out of the value awards (Temminck, Mearns and Fruhen, 2013).

Training & development

Tesco even promotes motivation via training & development opportunities. Each employee in the firm has proper access totraining they require and also to the leadership training that would push them towards growth.  Tesco also offers a strategic planning forcareer to support staffs in ‘achievement of extraordinary results’. In 2009 the firm appointed some 3,000 executives amongst which 80% were recruited internally. The firm carries discussion of annual career with each employee. Tesco has also implemented a scheme of360 degree feedback (Hammett and McMeikan, 1994).

All Tesco staffs have their own Personal Development Plan that they build via the feedback plan which is a 360 degree program and also with many other tools. Such a fact enables the Tesco executives to offer significant feedback to staffs to help and support them as well as supply opportunities to them for constant personal development. Such an approach also helps the staffs to attain their total potential and also help them to encourage their self-assessment as well as providing progression through constant training (Newby, 2003). It even enables people to take the responsibility for all of their development. Such a dual-way relation ensures that staff is dedicated to values of firm, that he works in corporation with some other staffs and helps enhance business for the customers.

Tesco has exposed that through valuing their staffs the firm attains all of their practical goals as well as appealing ecological enhancement of their staff’s motivation. It also means that the staff will focus extra upon the customers’ needs as well as will treat each of the employees fairly. Tesco’s reward program works analogous with the Taylor’s, Mayo’s, Herzberg’s and Maslow’s theories. Tesco ensures total motivation of staff and through applying these theories into practice the firm attains proper success. To support overall growth, the firm requires staffs that are motivated and flexible as well as properly trained. For this application of the theories makes the firm capable of attainment of all these facts in the firm’s ecology and carrying of a good environment all around (Tamkin, 1996). Here is a case and incident that will prove how Tesco has attained success and good position through motivated and happy staffs. This will also looks at the way in which Tesco motivates all its employees by enhancing their skills, knowledge and job satisfaction via training plus development as well as through providing pertinent and opportune reward as well as recognition.

In 1980s, Tesco’s major focus was on generation of revenue and work culture within the firm was conquered by total fear where staffs actually were frightened of their executives and seniors. People here were hired and then immediately fired arbitrarily. The employees were not even paid properly and were not also managed well. Along with a labor force of approximately 45,000, the firm’s average staff turnover was seen some 75%. Approx 1000 was actually spent on each employee’s recruitment plus training which also added to cost of about 30 million every year. Then the firm implemented a novel strategy related to the Tesco’s populace as an essential part of Tesco Steering Wheel, as the firm felt that employees were main parts for success within the firm’s strategies as well as attainment of goals and aims (Srivastav and Pandey, 2015). For keeping things simple, Tesco accepted many new schemes like electronic shelf labeling throughout the store, via which costs could be altered from sole central point and self monitoring tills; as well as self service products, coffee shop and even merchandising of the fresh manufacture. The key findings through implementation of such strategies were as follows:

• Tescowas able to motivate the staffs through using excellence circles as well as team building.

• Tescowas able to feel that it is vital to supply staff a proper feeling of accountability leading to the empowerment.

• Tescoalso started believing that communication is a major part of staffs satisfaction.

• Tescoutilized a profit allocation as proper incentive as well as to supplied employee a proper feeling of possession of firm.

• Tesco’srewards attained help for staffs and also raised the productivity.

Taylor´s motivational theory

The above mentioned method of unswervingly asking staffs about things that motivates them seemed to be very feasible for the firm. This helped the firm to elaborately understand staffs and their feelings and also supported the firm in its proceedings.

In the firm tough, competitive and also results-leaning management team came under pressure towards improvement of performance of staffs. The firm decided to do this through getting people extra involved, and through capitalizing on energy as well as experience.  In answer to new openness, as well as encouragement of immediate supervisors, staffs initiated changes within production processes that were close to their jobs. The changes that were made by the firm ensured and made staff’s lives simpler and also removed the annoying roadblocks, as well as correspondingly enhanced the staff’s efficiencies (Srivastav and Pandey, 2015).

Even if the workforce was seen at place and was performing well. Being a retailer the firm still needs to carry on meeting staffs’ expectations to make sure that job satisfaction as well as improved staff motivation plus performance is maintained in the firm. However, there are still rooms for improvement and growth in this filed for Tesco:

• Still there are some unsatisfied staffs and they need to be recognized by the firm
• The firm needs to know what its staff actually wants and then communicate with them accordingly
• The firm needs to continuously develop new and better idas on this path and must not stop innovating in this field
• The firm needs to consider that people get bored easily and thus it must change frequently with motivating factors
• The firm still is lacking in feedback process and needs to develop this properly.

Conclusion:

Motivation is very crucial in process of controlling and managing people in the workforce. Without motivation, a manger of any firm fails to attain the desired aims and goals and also fails to attain monetary values for the firm.  Motivation is that driving force through which people in the firm are encouraged to perform better with each passing day. It enables people to feel committed, and feel accountable for actions that the firm does and decisions that firms take. For Tesco motivation has proved to be that important tool which has been utilized by all its managers to achieve its aims and objectives through a hurdle free path. Managers in this firm have used motivation in workplace to motivate people towards better performance, individually as well as in groups. It was also once understood that motivation lead to get generation of new ideas and novel concepts from staffs who were encouraged for two way communication in the firm.  Though Tesco still needs to develop on this part it has also taken several initiatives for the motivation of staffs which was highly appreciable.

References

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