What Motivates Employees?

Created by: Jennifer CroymansStrategic Leadership MELS 618

“A basic rule of motivation is that no two people are motivated exactly alike. A wise administrator, therefore, will be able to match the correct motivational style to the situation and the individual.

“Pearson Custom: EDUCATION: Power, Politics, and Leadership in the Schools, John A Kaufhold

Table of Contents1. Three Common Models of Motivation

2. Theory X and Y

3. Needs Theories

4. Constructive Discipline

5. Proper Uses of Discipline Techniques With Adults

6. Dismissal Procedure

Models of Motivation

Traditional Model

Human Resources

Model

Human Relations

Model

Known as the carrot-stick system. Developed during the Industrial Revolution. Impersonal and dominated completely by management. Managements role is to prod, threaten or otherwise coerce workers to do their jobs under penalty of dismissal.Motivation given to workers was the wages they received or the forfeiture of wages if they were fired.

Developed during the 1930’s. Management treated workers as complete human beings and not just mindless drones. Workers are made to feel that they were useful and appreciated. Workers are allowed to participate in planning and to make decisions about their jobs. Understanding and compassion replaced threats and coercion and group incentives were used to foster teamwork.

Emerged during the 1960’s. Evolved from the human relations models. Considered human relations model to be manipulative. Allows people to meet their PERSONAL GOALs. Offered the idea that everyone is motivated differently and each person has special talents and resources. This model is best described by the Theory X and Theory Y.

Theory X and Theory YThe differences in the motivational models can be illustrated

by the Theory X and Theory Y which was developed by Douglass McGregor.

• Most workers have a negative disposition about work and will try to avoid it when possible.

• Most workers are not especially intelligent, and therefore, a manager can easily lead them.

• Most workers must be forced and then they must be closely supervised. • Most workers want to be directed by someone in authority because this

alleviates responsibility for making decisions.

Theory X

• Most workers view work as a natural activity; any negative views about work are attributed to past experiences and not to innate characteristics.

• Most workers can be highly committed to organizational objectives if they are motivated and rewarded properly.

• Most workers accept responsibility if conditions in the organization are favorable.

Theory Y

Hierarchy of Human NeedsAbraham Maslow, developed this theory.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjArLRXMH58&feature=related

In ascending order and also in order of importance.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of NeedsBelieved that man was motivated to achieve each of

these needs and once one set of needs was met, he moved to the next level.

The top level was self-actualization or fulfillment of oneself.

Maslow felt that man was driven by a COGNITIVE NEED or a “need to Know” as an ASTHETIC NEED which was a desire to move toward beauty and away form ugliness. Maslow leans toward intrinsic motivation with a

Theory Y mode.

Different Ideas from Other Theorist

1.David McClelland- ACHIEVEMENT AND AFFLIATION

2.Alfred Adler- NEED FOR POWER

3.B.F. Skinner- CONTINGENCIES OF REINFORCEMENT

David McClelland- ACHIEVEMENT AND AFFLIATION

ACHIEVEMENT AFFLIATION

1. Reasoned that people were motivated be a need for achievement.

His idea was that all human beings had an innate need to achieve. (They have a need to be challenged, to solve problems, to take risks and to be autonomous and get feedback.

Felt that humans could not accept boredom or routine tasks.

2. Reasoned that people also had a need for affiliation.

People have a strong desire for approval and reassurance.

People will conform to the wishes and norms of those they trust and value

Workers need supportive feedback instead of mere task-related feedback

McClelland leans toward intrinsic motivation with a Theory Y mode.

Alfred Adler: NEED FOR POWER

Had a different theory entirely1. Believed that mankind was motivated by a NEED FOR POWER. 2. The guest for power was behind all human activity. 3. People have an instinctive need to influence others, control

their environment and to try to lead those around them. 4. People have a quest to try to talk others into their beliefs, to

give opinions and to gain personal power.

This personal power orientation is by some followed with an institutional power orientation.

Believed that humans are motivated extrinsically. Behavior is controlled and motivated by those in authority. This is largely a

theory X philosophy.

B.F. Skinner-CONTINGENCIES OF REINFORCEMENT

1. Felt that all living being-including animals-are directed and motivated by CONTINGENCIES OR REINFORCEMENT.

Using experiments with rats and pigeons, he proved that the behavior of living beings could be controlled by controlling the reinforcement.

2. People can be directed to achieve any behavior toward a positive consequence and away from a negative consequence.

3. Leaders must provide consequences that were positive to the individual at appropriate behavioral intervals.

4. Motivation is a task of supplying the proper reinforcement for the desired behavior. Believed that humans are motivated extrinsically. Behavior is

controlled and motivated by those in authority. This is largely a theory X philosophy.

Extrinsic Motivation and Intrinsic Reinforcement

Both are effective in directing workers behavior.

Positive and Negative reinforcement can be used to successfully direct behavior.

It is believed that intrinsic motivation is more permanent and is more satisfying to the individual.

Intrinsic motivation cannot be controlled by outside force and can only be fostered under the best of circumstances.

The supervisor must determine which type of motivation is best for the circumstances.

Constructive DisciplineThere comes a time when an individuals job performance does not measure up to a standard and an intervention by the leader or supervisor is necessary.

This must be done with a good deal of skill, otherwise, the situation could escalate to the point where nothing can be salvaged in the relationship between the supervisor, the worker and the organization.

It is important to remember that there is no one best way to motivate all employees, there is no best way to discipline people either.

Keys to Constructive Discipline

1. Must be able to “read” the individual’s personality in order to decide what action is best to take.

This “action” will necessarily take two forms: negative motivation or punishment.

The wise leader or principal should use great caution, therefore, when employing these tactics.

Negative MotivationIs motivation by removing something that the subject considers to

be unpleasant.

Negative implies subtracting something that the individual dislikes.

Examples: The presence of officers of the law who hide in “speed traps” In

order to avoid getting a ticket, the driver must keep a constant vigil on their speed.

In a school setting, a principal may use negative motivation by offering to remove lengthy after school meetings in exchange for compliance with desired behaviors.

PunishmentDenotes a plus or minus-adding something unpleasant or subtracting something

pleasant. A leading proponent of behavioral psychology B.F. Skinner, noted that punishment is a highly efficient way of motivating individuals.

His research with animal behavior, revealed that most organisms human or animal-when given a choice will gravitate toward what is considered to be pleasant and will avoid what is unpleasant.

Skinner noted that while punishment as well as negative motivation might be effective in deterring undesirable behavior, it also carries undesirable side effects and must be used with great care and only after other forms of motivation have been tried and have failed.

Examples:A costly fine to drivers who break the law and speed. A result of this type of

punishment is that people might develop unpleasant feelings about police officers and the duties they are called upon to perform in regulating traffic.

In a school setting, this could consist of adding a few more rules of behavior that teachers find unpleasant (such as signing in each morning before they report to class) or by subtracting something pleasant (such as the freedom to leave the school to perform short personal errands).

Proper Uses of Disciplinary Techniques With Adults

Negative reinforcement or punishment should be applied only when other measures have been tried first.

Punishment may show one what NOT to do it does very little to direct them in what TO DO.

Something CONSTRUCTIVE should come out of any disciplinary situations that arises. The management of personnel is what separates the outstanding leaders from the mediocre ones.

It takes skill, patience, experience and a thorough study of human nature.

Application Procedures

1. Choosing the right time- act sooner rather than later. 2. Be Specific- be careful to not “tar everyone with the same brush”-

this technique can only have the effect of causing frustration as well as bitterness in those who are performing up to par.

3. Containing the emotional level- speak softly in direct proportion to the loudness of the other person.

4. Focusing on performance- focus on the performance task and not on attacking someone’s personality.

5. Keeping it Private- do not discipline in a public place or a hallway, this can only serve to embarrass a person and will not lead to fostering any sort of corrective behavior.

6. Explaining the “big picture”- People do not like to be kept in the dark and compliance is easier to achieve if it can be shown how the improper behavior affects the entire organization.

7. Avoiding generalities- provide statements in the lines of “Your progress reports have been consistently late and this reflects on your entire department”. This is much more to the point and illustrates the correct behavior to be preformed.

Harry LevinsonHe wrote a timely article entitled “Getting Past the Bad

News” in the Management Review Journal.

Levinson advised:1. Don’t be apologetic- don’t apol0gize for facing the

facts or making tough decisions. Remember, you will never make everyone happy.

2. Be honest- Be direct, be firm and lead people to re-direct themselves voluntarily.

3. Be constructive- Talk the problem through with the employee and solicit his or her suggestions for improvements.

Dismissal ProcedureAn extremely poor or incompetent teacher should never be

kept on the staff of a school simple because dismissal is difficult.

The law establishes definite rights for employer and employee. Procedural due process is guaranteed but due process does not mean that teachers cannot be dismissed.

“What is does mean is that teachers have specific rights, such as the right to a hearing, the right to be treated in a fair and nondiscriminatory fashion, and the right to require that just cause be shown for dismissal.” (Ubban, 2001)

Making the Decision….Decisions for dismiss should not be made

quickly.

A tentative decision not to rehire a first year teacher for the following year should be contemplated three or four months before the deadline.

For a tenure teacher, often two or three years are needed to build a case defensible in court.

Questions the Courts May Ask During a Hearing

Was procedural due process used? Is the evidence appropriate and supportive of the case?Was the employee discriminated against?Were efforts made to help the employee?Did the employee have prior knowledge that his or her

work was unsatisfactory?Was the employee provided time and opportunity to

improve or correct whatever deficiencies existed?Was anything done to or for this employee that was not

done or available to other employees?Was the assignment fair?Was supervision uniform?Was the teacher asked to do more or less than the rest

of the staff?

ProceduresEmployees must be informed that they have the opportunity

for and the right to a hearing. The hearing time, date and place should be stated in the letter. All evidence should be firsthand, factual and documented accurately with appropriate dates. Finally, the courts will want to know what was done to make the teacher an effective employee. Was adequate supervision of a helping nature developed? Was adequate time give for the improvement effort? (Ubban, 2001)

If these procedures are not followed, the courts may not uphold the dismissal action and reinstate the employee with the suggestion that the supervisory staff provide continuous assistance. Most cases resulting in a failure to dismiss are caused by poor preparation and improper procedure on the part of the school district.

Questions?