Improving Staff Performances

Following from my last blog, this one is comparing both the content theories and process theories. The difference between the two is – content theories focuses on people that have a set of needs in which they pursue, giving them a motivation strategy whereas process theories are individuals which set themselves their own goals and how they choose to get them. This meaning that the individual can give themselves reasonable goals in which they feel they can achieve instead of meeting a goal in which they can’t meet.

I have chosen The Holiday Inn as my company to study. They want to make sure that they have the best team on board. This means that their employees are happy so they have happy customers. To keep all their staff motivated, The Holiday Inn offer a wide range of benefits available.

Some of these benefits include –

-          Incentive Opportunities on Company and Individual Performance

-          Long-term incentives available at selected levels within the organisation

-         Medical, Dental, Life and Disability Insurance

-         Discounted hotel room rates for you and your family around the world

-         Flexible work arrangements to help balance work and home

-         Training, continuous education and educational assistance

-         Employee discounts and special offers

[The Holiday Inn Online 8^th December]

All of these benefits apply to all employees who work within The Holiday Inn. By having these benefits for the staff, The Holiday Inn can make sure that their staff are motivated all the time and are committed into going to work every day.  However, The Holiday Inn also uses additional strategies to motivate their staff.

For example –

-         Lots of Praise

-         Paid time off  and designated holidays

-         Team Building Exercises

-         Regular Reviews

-         Opportunities for Promotion

These strategies will help the employees get more motivated if they are able to talk more about their job, if they are getting more appraisals within their job, having time to get to know their colleagues who they will be working with, and having the opportunities for promotion. All of these are great motivational strategies to keep all their staff motivated within their job and The Holiday Inn.

Locke’s theory functions on individuals that create goals by making careful decisions. The individuals focus on their goals having been allowed to set them themselves. Locke’s theory status ‘if an individual sets goals, he will be motivated to achieve those goals by virtue of having set them’.  When setting the goals, they must be clear, challenging and attainable. Locke found that ‘higher expectancies lead to higher levels of performance’. Also, he pointed out that goal-setting is more appropriately viewed as a motivational technique rather than as a formal theory of motivation’. (Mullins)

The Holiday Inn uses this theory as they feel that if their staff are able to set their own goals then they will be more committed into achieving them.  For the goal to be successful, the individual must be committed to the process of completing the goal set as the individual has been assigned to the specific task and is believed that they are capable to complete it. However, there are some limitations, such as goal conflict, personality in goal determination and approach. 

Overall, I found that the best way to motivate your staff is with reasonable benefits – such as flexible work programmes, employee’s discounts etc. – and with lots of praise so the employees can be aware in the sub-areas in which they are doing well in and doing not so well in. All of the points stated above are all linked into Locke’s Goal Theory. Finally, I feel that The Holiday Inn are doing well within their company to keep their staff motivated.

References –

The Holiday Inn [Online] http://www.ihgplc.com/index.asp?pageid=577 [Accessed 8^th December]

Mullins, J. (2010) management & Organisational behaviour. 9^th ed. Essex: Financial Times Pitman Publishing.owHo

Motivation

Motivation is the reason in why people behave in a specific way and why people do what they do in certain ways. This all relates down to what the individual wants. This can mean that the individual behaves differently when being in the workplace, at school, college or at home.

There are many different content theories but i feel Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs relates to me more than the others. It was created in 1954, showing the different levels of survival. Each level needs to be completed before moving on to the next level. Each level of the model can be achieved within the workplace, at home, at school or at college.

[Ask Online Accessed 9th December]

The five different levels are -

- Physiological - This is the most basic level which you need to survive. For example, food, water, shelter, warmth etc.

- Safety - Once you have achieved physiological, you move up to the safety level. This is all about protection from elements, security, limits and stability to feel safe and secure about yourself.

- Social – This level is about belonging and acceptance from family, friends, relationships and work groups etc.

- Ego / Esteem–Having self-esteem, achievement, independence, and responsibility helps you to continue to climb to the top of the ladder for you to feel complete in the workplace, school, college or university.

- Self Actualisation– Realising the potential and the fulfilment, seeking personal growth and peak experiences within yourself will gain you confidence into motivating yourself. This is the final level you can reach on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Model.

Another content theory is McClelland’s ‘Motivational Needs Theory’. He is most noted for describing three types of motivational need. These needs are found to vary in all workers and managers. This mix of motivational needs characterises a person’s working style and behaviour both in terms of being motivated and in the management of others.

The three needs are –

- The Need for Achievement – McClelland found that if a person is ‘achievement motivated’ they seek achievement, attainment of realistic but challenging goals and advancement in the workplace, school, college and university. They have a strong need for feedback as to achievement and progress and a need for a sense of accomplishment.

- The Need for Power – He also found that if a person is ‘authority motivated’ they produce a need to be effective to make an impact. The have a strong need to lead and for their ideas to succeed. They also have the need to increase personal status and respect.

- The Need for Affiliation – If a person is ‘affiliation motivated’ then they have the need for friendly relationships and is motivated towards interaction with other people. This produces motivation and need to be liked and held in popular regard. This person is a team player.

[Ask Online Accessed 9th December]

Not everyone in the same department with a business will have the same need and another colleague.  

I am currently studying a degree at Buckinghamshire New University. I feel motivated into completing it as i want to achieve the best results possible. I came to this university as i wanted to achieve my aims in getting a business degree and i felt that coming to this university i would be able to achieve this. Being a sixth form student at school, it encouraged me into perusing my education by going to university and i feel that I’m getting the best results possible in my first year, will motivate me into staying on for the next 2 - 3 years.  My motivation has increased from level 1 to level 4 on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. This is as I feel more motivated when I am being supported by lecturers and friends around me. I am currently set on level 4 of Maslow’s Hierarchy as I have self-esteem, the need for achievement and I’m very independent. This is helping me to continue to climb to the top of the ladder to achieve self-actualisation. I feel after my first year at university, I will have realised my potential and fulfilment and gained more confidence into motivating myself. This will allow me to get to the top of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.

I feel i am motivated all the time as i like to complete tasks set. However, there are times when i feel demotivated. This happens most when I am in my workplace and if I am not appreciated for my completion of work then it demotivates me. When I am recognised for my hard work, it encourages me to keep motivated and achieve what I can.

In conclusion – Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Model has 5 different levels which all relate to everyone in different areas, such as in school, work, college, home or university. On Maslow’s Model, I feel that I fall into level 4 (Ego / esteem) as I am confident in what I do and feel I am able to achieve the best and continue to climb up to level 5. I feel I will be able to do this by the end of my first year at university.

References -

Ask Online http://uk.ask.com/wiki/Maslow's_hierarchy_of_needs [Accessed 9th December]

Ask Online http://uk.ask.com/wiki/Need_theory  [Accessed 9th December]

Blog spot http://motivation-khailiza82.blogspot.com/2007/08/content-theories-of-motivation.html [Accessed 9th December]