EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION

Importance of Competent and Motivated Employees

Importance of Competent and Motivated Employees

Introduction

“Having competent and well motivated employees are equally important for organizations.” Motivation of the employees is a significant factor which can lead an organization towards success. Motivation is the driving force behind every action. Human beings perform various tasks, but there is a driving force behind every task they perform. They should be motivated in order to perform their task in the best possible manner. Motivation plays a prominent role in outstanding performance. This performance can be in academics, work, house etc. All performances, whether small or big, require motivation and once an individual gains motivation he or she can perform the task in a remarkable manner.

Motivation

Motivation is an internal drive to satisfy one's unsatisfied needs (Higgins, 1994) and is commonly used in management of enterprises to make employees energetic for creating profits for company. Motivation also creates personal satisfaction. An employee who is motivated will be personally satisfied when he or she performs. He will do his work with complete hard work and will also try to outperform others. This will create a competitive environment in the organization which will eventually help the company. The company will reap the benefits of employees being motivated. Thus, motivation plays a dominant role in increasing productivity and creating a competitive environment in the organization (Pinder, 2007, pp. 54).

There are two basic types of motivation, namely Intrinsic and Extrinsic. Intrinsic motivation refers to the motivation that comes from with an individual. His inner motivation is the basic driving force behind his work, and it is due to that intrinsic motivation that an individual is able to do his tasks. Extrinsic motivation is that motivation that comes from monetary rewards, recognition programs and other external sources. This type of motivation is very important at workplace. Organizations should make sure that they provide extrinsic motivation so that employees perform at their highest level (Vroom, 2004, pp. 67).

Motivational Theories

Following are some of the major motivational theories which can be implemented in the organizations.

Self Actualization Theory

Rogers and Maslow's self actualization theory of motivation is very popular. This theory consists of a pyramid that defines the needs of an individual. The lowest level of needs are placed at the bottom of the pyramid, and as the individual progresses upwards, he or she moves towards self actualization (Herzberg et al, 2003, pp. 67). According to Maslow, achieving self actualization is very difficult and there are very few individuals who have achieved the stage of self actualization.

According to this pyramid, a human wants to fulfill his physiological needs first, then he wants his safety needs to be fulfilled. Then he wants his social needs to be fulfilled i.e. his belonging needs. Next are the self esteem needs which he wants to be fulfilled and then lastly is the stage of self actualization (Herzberg et al, 2003, pp. 67). According to Maslow, this is how an individual fulfills his needs and looks for achieving self ...