essay motivation employee

• Share this:

How to motivate employees: Key factors, strategies, and examples

By Elle Holder

12 min read

Not everyone has a green thumb or even cares about plants and gardening. But I’d bet that everyone knows what happens to a plant that’s never watered — it doesn’t flourish. In fact, it will eventually die. 

So, if you’ve got any questions or doubts on how to motivate employees, remember the plants. Motivation is just like water — it will help your employees flourish by impacting their productivity, job satisfaction, and their overall performance.

Employees who are motivated are more likely to be engaged, committed, and even willing to go the extra mile for their managers and the organization as a whole. The contrast? Stop watering or motivating your employees and they’ll begin to wilt. Their morale decreases, the quality of their work will drop, and you’ll face higher turnover rates.

This article will introduce employee motivation in a bit more depth, discuss several factors that influence it, strategies on how to motivate your employees, case studies of real companies that have successfully motivated their employees, challenges you may face, and finally how to measure and evaluate employee motivation.

Let’s begin.

Table of contents

Understanding employee motivation Key factors influencing employee motivation Strategies for motivating employees Case studies of successful employee motivation Overcoming challenges in employee motivation Measure and evaluate employee motivation Conclusion

Understanding employee motivation

Employee motivation has been described as the internal drive and enthusiasm that employees bring to their work, and it encompasses several factors that drive them to optimal performance. At its core, it refers to the internal and external forces that influence an employee’s willingness, enthusiasm, and their level of persistence when it comes to pursuing organizational goals and objectives.

Definition of employee motivation

Employee motivation is a complex psychological process that drives an employee’s behavior towards achieving work-related goals. It includes both intrinsic (internal) and extrinsic (external) factors that encourage employee engagement, commitment, and satisfaction.

The role of motivation in employee performance

If you’re wondering how to motivate employees — or if you should even bother — consider this. Motivated employees are more likely to demonstrate higher levels of job satisfaction, engagement, and productivity. They’ll typically exhibit greater initiative, creativity, and problem-solving abilities, all things that will lead to improved performance outcomes and organizational effectiveness. On the flip side, motivated employees are less likely to be repeatedly absent and they’re less likely to quit.

Common misconceptions about employee motivation

Unfortunately, employee motivation is often understood or oversimplified. Instead of digging deep into the complexities of how to motivate employees, some employers believe that motivation depends solely on monetary rewards or incentives. And although extrinsic rewards can influence behavior in the short term, if you want sustainable motivation , it will require a deeper understanding of your employees’ intrinsic needs, values, and goals.

Another misconception is the assumption that all employees are motivated by the same thing. In reality, motivation is highly individual and is influenced by personal experiences, preferences, and perceptions. With that in mind, an effective motivation strategy should be tailored to address the diverse needs and motivations of individual employees within your organization.

Bring your people together

Key factors influencing employee motivation.

Employee motivation is influenced by several factors that shape an individual’s attitude, behavior, and ultimately their performance in the workplace. Understanding these factors will help create a motivating work environment that maximizes employee engagement and productivity. 

Here are six key factors that can significantly influence employee motivation:

Feeling that work matters : Employees are motivated when they understand the significance of their contributions to your organization’s goals and overall mission. When their work is meaningful and aligned with their own set of values, they feel a sense of purpose and fulfillment.

Recognition and rewards : Acknowledging an employee’s efforts and achievements through rewards, praise, or incentives will boost morale and reinforce positive behavior. Recognition can come in various forms, including verbal appreciation — sometimes a simple thank you is enough — monetary bonuses, or opportunities for advancement.

Opportunities for growth and development: Some employees will be motivated when they have opportunities to learn new skills, take on challenging projects, and or advance their careers within your organization. Investing in training, mentorship programs, and career advancement pathways can demonstrate a commitment to your employees’ professional development and foster a culture of continuous learning.

Work-life balance : Maintaining a healthy balance between work responsibilities and personal life is important for an employee’s well-being and motivation. If you can offer flexible work arrangements, such as remote work opportunities, flexible scheduling, or even generous time off policies, this helps to enable employees to manage their work commitments while giving them time to attend to personal priorities and obligations.

Effective communication and feedback : Clear, transparent communication and regular feedback are essential if you want to develop trust, collaboration, and engagement among your employees. Providing constructive feedback helps employees understand your expectations and identifies areas for improvement. Additionally, your employees will feel valued and supported in their roles.

Positive work environment : A positive work environment is characterized by trust, respect, and camaraderie, all of which enhances employee morale and motivation. Cultivating a culture of inclusivity, teamwork, and open communication leads to a sense of belonging and commitment among your employees, driving higher levels of engagement and performance .

Strategies for motivating employees

If you want a high-performing and engaged workforce, you need to motivate your employees. Fortunately, employers can implement various strategies to inspire and incentivize employees to perform at their best.

Let’s address five effective strategies on how to motivate employees:

Set clear expectations and goals : Clearly defining roles, responsibilities, and performance expectations will help your employees understand what’s expected of them and provides a roadmap to their success. Clear goals give an employee a sense of direction and purpose, motivating them to strive for achievement.

Provide regular feedback and coaching : Regular feedback and coaching sessions create an opportunity for managers to recognize an employee’s strengths, address areas for improvement, and provide guidance on how to excel in their roles. Constructive feedback will help employees track their progress, stay motivated, and continuously improve their performance.

Encourage employee autonomy and empowerment : Empowering employees to make decisions and take initiative leads to a sense of ownership and accountability. When you give employees autonomy over their work processes and projects it enables them to leverage their skills and creativity, leading to increased motivation and engagement.

Create a culture of appreciation and recognition : If you want to boost morale and motivation , you need to recognize and appreciate their efforts and contributions. Simple gestures such as verbal praise, handwritten notes, or employee recognition programs can go a long way in showing your employees that their work is valued and appreciated.

Offer opportunities for skill advancement and career advancement : Provide employees with opportunities for learning, skill development, and career advancement, as this demonstrates a commitment to their professional growth and success. Offer training programs, mentorship opportunities, and career development paths — this encourages them to invest in their development and stay motivated.

Create a connected workplace

Find out how high-performing teams keep everyone connected, motivated and doing their best work

Case studies of successful employee motivation

Wondering how other companies motivate their employees? Here are three examples:

Example 1: Google’s employee recognition program

Google is known for its innovative and comprehensive employee recognition programs . Most recently, one notable initiative is their peer-to-peer recognition program called Googler-to-Googler (g2g).

Employees are encouraged to nominate their colleagues for demonstrating outstanding work or for embodying Google’s values. Recognized employees receive rewards, such as monetary bonuses or personalized gifts, and their achievements are celebrated publicly within the organization. This program leads to a culture of appreciation and collaboration, motivating employees to strive for excellence and recognize each other’s contributions.

Example 2: Microsoft’s employee development initiatives

Microsoft invests heavily in employee development through a variety of initiatives, including extensive training programs, mentorship opportunities, and career development resources. The company offers access to online learning platforms, internal training sessions, and professional certification programs to help employees enhance their skills in advance their careers.

Additionally, Microsoft encourages employees to participate in cross-functional projects and rotational assignments to gain diverse experiences and expand their expertise. These development opportunities empower employees to take ownership of their career growth and build a culture of motivation and engagement.

Example 3: HubSpot’s flexible work arrangements

HubSpot, a leading provider of inbound marketing and sales software, prioritizes flexibility and work-life balance for its employees. They’ve built a hybrid company that allows for three flexible work options — at home, at the office, or flexible.

Employees have the freedom to manage their work schedules and locations based on their personal preferences and responsibilities. HubSpot also promotes a results-oriented culture, with a focus on outcomes rather than hours worked. This approach empowers employees to achieve work-life integration, leading to higher job satisfaction, lower stress levels, and increased productivity.

Overcoming challenges in employee motivation

A discussion on how to motivate employees wouldn’t be complete without also addressing its challenges. Employee motivation can face several challenges, ranging from individual issues to more systemic obstacles. However, if you want to maintain a motivated and engaged work force, these challenges must be overcome.

Here are four key challenges to employee motivation and strategies on how to address them: 

• Deal with demotivated employees:
• Identify the root causes of their motivation, such as a lack of recognition, unclear expectations, or limited opportunities for growth
• Provide individualized support and coaching to help employees rediscover their sense of purpose and reignite their passion for their work
• Create a supportive work environment where your employees feel valued, heard, and empowered to voice their concerns and seek solutions
• Address burnout and stress:
• Promote a work-life balance by encouraging your employees to take regular breaks, set boundaries, and prioritize self-care
• Implement stress management programs and resources, such as mindfulness sessions, wellness workshops, and provide access to mental health support services where needed
• Review workload distribution and make sure that tasks are allocated appropriately, as this will prevent burnout and overload
• Create a culture of open communication and psychological safety that allows employees to feel comfortable when they discuss what’s stressing them or look for help when needed
• Manage conflicts and foster teamwork:
• Be proactive when it comes to addressing conflicts in interpersonal issues by means of constructive dialogue, mediation, and conflict resolution techniques
• Facilitate teambuilding activities, workshops, and training sessions to help strengthen communication, collaboration, and trust among team members
• Clarify roles, responsibilities, and expectations to minimize misunderstandings and promote accountability within your team
• Encourage a culture of mutual respect, empathy, and appreciation for your team’s diverse perspectives as this will create a cohesive and inclusive team dynamic
• Sustain motivation in remote or virtual teams:
• Establish clear communication channels and guidelines to help facilitate collaboration and interaction among your remote team members
• Provide virtual team building activities, social events, and online forums to help promote engagement and camaraderie
• Make full use of technology and digital tools to help streamline remote work processes

Measure and evaluate employee motivation

If you want to understand the effectiveness of your motivation strategies and identify areas for improvement within your organization, then it is important to assess their motivation. 

Here are three methods you can use to measure and evaluate employee motivation:

Key metrics for assessing employee motivation:

• Employee engagement scores : Measure the level of emotional commitment and enthusiasm your employees have toward their work and your organization. You can do this through regular surveys or pulse checks.
• Turnover rates : Monitor the rate at which your employees leave the organization, as high turnover rates may indicate underlying issues with employee motivation, job satisfaction , or organizational culture.
• Performance metrics : Track individual and team performance indicators, such as productivity, quality of work, and achievement of goals.
• Absenteeism in attendance records : Keep track of how often your employees are absent. Attendance patterns often engage employee motivation and job satisfaction levels.

Conduct employee surveys and feedback sessions:

• Employee satisfaction surveys : Conduct periodic surveys to gather feedback from your employees on various aspects of their work experience, including their job satisfaction, motivation levels and their perception of your organizational culture.
• One-on-one check-ins : Schedule regular check-in meetings between managers and employees to discuss individual goals, challenges, and any areas for improvement. You can use the sessions to provide feedback, offer support, and/or address any concerns that are related to motivation and engagement.
• Focus groups : Organize focus group discussions with cross-functional teams or departments to dig deeper into any specific issues that may be affecting employee motivation, and then brainstorm potential solutions.
• Anonymous feedback mechanisms : Set up anonymous feedback channels, such as suggestion boxes or online surveys. This will encourage candid feedback from any employees who may be hesitant to voice their concerns openly.

Analyze performance and engagement data:

• Performance reviews : Regularly review employee performance data to assess the impact of motivation on individual and team performance. Identify any trends, patterns, and areas for improvement based on the outcomes of your performance reviews.
• Engagement surveys : Analyze data from employee engagement surveys to identify trends, areas of strength, and any areas that require attention.
• Use technology : Implement HR analytics tools and software platforms to help gather, analyze, and visualize employee data that’s related to motivation, engagement, and performance. Then use these insights to inform your decision-making and as a driver in your continuous improvement initiatives.

Conclusion 

So what can you learn from our discussion on how to motivate employees? We’ve explored various aspects of employee motivation, including what it is, how it’s influenced, how to foster it, how to overcome challenges, and even several methods for measuring and evaluating it.

In a bit more detail, this included:

• Make sure your employees are motivated through rewards and recognition, opportunities for growth and development, work-life balance, and more.
• There are several strategies you can use to motivate your employees, including setting clear goals, providing regular feedback and coaching, encouraging autonomy and empowerment, and creating a culture of appreciation.
• Some challenges to expect include demotivated employees, burnout and stress, and conflict.
• Measure and evaluate motivation with key metrics such as employee engagement scores, turnover rates, performance metrics, and even absenteeism and attendance records.

Why should you invest in employee motivation? It’s essential for the success of your organization and for employee well-being, since motivated employees are more productive, engaged, and committed to achieving organizational goals. Ultimately, organizations that prioritize employee motivation are better positioned to thrive in today’s competitive business landscape.

Unlock your team's full potential

Get the guide used to create motivated, high-performing teams!

Read more by Elle Holder

Add your comments

⟨ Previous post

Communication styles and how they affect the workplace

Next post ⟩

Leadership vs. management: Key differences between the two

Jostle’s employee success platform is where everyone connects, communicates, and celebrates at work. Find out more at jostle.me . © 2009–2024 Jostle Corporation. All rights reserved.

Subscribe for updates

Presentations made painless

• Get Premium

117 Employee Motivation Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

Inside This Article

Employee motivation is a crucial aspect of any successful organization. Motivated employees are more productive, engaged, and satisfied with their work, leading to increased job performance and overall business success. However, motivating employees can be a challenging task for managers and leaders. To help inspire and engage your team, here are 117 employee motivation essay topic ideas and examples:

• The importance of employee motivation in the workplace
• Strategies for motivating employees in a remote work environment
• The impact of recognition and rewards on employee motivation
• How to create a positive work culture that motivates employees
• The role of leadership in motivating employees
• The benefits of setting clear goals and expectations for employees
• How to empower employees to take ownership of their work
• The impact of feedback and communication on employee motivation
• The connection between employee engagement and motivation
• The role of training and development in motivating employees
• The impact of job design and job enrichment on employee motivation
• The importance of work-life balance in employee motivation
• Strategies for motivating a diverse workforce
• The impact of workplace stress on employee motivation
• The role of company values and mission in motivating employees
• The benefits of offering flexible work arrangements for employee motivation
• The impact of job security on employee motivation
• The role of creativity and innovation in motivating employees
• The importance of recognition programs in motivating employees
• The benefits of fostering a culture of trust and transparency in motivating employees
• The impact of employee morale on motivation
• The role of autonomy and empowerment in motivating employees
• The benefits of promoting work-life balance for employee motivation
• The connection between employee motivation and job satisfaction
• The impact of employee motivation on organizational performance
• The role of emotional intelligence in motivating employees
• The importance of setting SMART goals for employee motivation
• The benefits of offering career development opportunities for employee motivation
• The impact of peer recognition on employee motivation
• The role of employee wellness programs in motivating employees
• The benefits of promoting a culture of learning and growth for employee motivation
• The impact of employee recognition programs on motivation
• The connection between employee motivation and job engagement
• The role of intrinsic motivation in motivating employees
• The importance of providing regular feedback for employee motivation
• The benefits of offering competitive compensation and benefits for employee motivation
• The impact of job satisfaction on employee motivation
• The role of performance evaluations in motivating employees
• The benefits of promoting a culture of teamwork and collaboration for employee motivation
• The connection between employee motivation and organizational culture
• The impact of job enrichment on employee motivation

Want to create a presentation now?

Instantly Create A Deck

Let PitchGrade do this for me

Hassle Free

We will create your text and designs for you. Sit back and relax while we do the work.

Explore More Content

• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Service

© 2023 Pitchgrade

• SUGGESTED TOPICS
• The Magazine
• Newsletters
• Managing Yourself
• Managing Teams
• Work-life Balance
• The Big Idea
• Data & Visuals
• Reading Lists
• Case Selections
• HBR Learning
• Topic Feeds
• Account Settings
• Email Preferences

What Really Motivates You at Work?

• Carrie Ott-Holland

To get the recognition that matters most to you, start by identifying exactly what that looks like.

When we work hard, we generally expect our efforts to be recognized by our employer. And most employers will do just that — showering someone with praise at a company meeting, taking a team to a nice dinner, or quietly delivering a cash bonus. But sometimes an employer’s broader recognition strategy does not align with what its individual workers want and need. Some workers may be incentivized by more paid time off, while others may appreciate a gift card to a local shop. And some workers may be motivated by monetary rewards, while others hope to be assigned the role of team lead on the next high-stakes project. In this article, the author offers five practical techniques you can start using today to increase the likelihood of getting the rewards and recognition you value most.

Most of us want to feel rewarded and recognized for a job well done. And most employers want to incentivize their workers to perform well and stay engaged. While these two things should align, employers unfortunately don’t always get it right. A team dinner can be a fun culmination of a group project, or it can feel like a frustrating stand-in if you were hoping for a monetary reward. On the flip side, a cash bonus quietly appearing in your inbox may feel strange if you expected public recognition for a heroic work accomplishment. Yet some people would rather call in sick than stand in front of their colleagues to receive an award.

• Carrie Ott-Holland works as principal people analyst at Klaviyo. She has worked in people analytics and talent management in the tech industry for the past decade and is an organizational psychologist by training.

Partner Center

98 Employee Motivation Essay Topics

🏆 best essay topics on employee motivation, ✍️ employee motivation essay topics for college, 🎓 most interesting employee motivation research titles, 💡 simple employee motivation essay ideas, ❓ research questions on employee motivation.

• Lack of Employee Motivation at the XYZ Company
• Hilton’s Career Development and Employee Motivation
• Microsoft Company: Employee Motivation and Retention
• Employee Motivation: Rewards and Incentives Role
• Employee Motivation and Retention in Microsoft Corporation
• BHP Company’s Employee Incentive Systems
• Employee Motivation and Minimum Wage
• Employee Motivation and Incentives The issue of employee motivation has been under research for a sufficient period for developing a variety of topic-specific theories and frameworks.
• Employee Motivation in Secondary and Tertiary Sectors This paper seeks to analyze the concept of motivation and examine how it is differently applied in secondary and tertiary sectors.
• Employee Empowerment and Its Benefits for Business When leaders successfully empower their employees, organizations encounter better quality and heightened productivity while establishing work-life balance.
• Employee Motivation and Involvement Types The buy-in is considered crucial as it also encourages employees to care about the vision and mission of the company and not just the money they are getting paid.
• Bims Inc.: Case Study. Employee Motivation When it reaches a point of employees not giving a damn about losing there job, it is a clearly indication that an effective enhancing-motivation program is necessary.
• Employee Union and Productivity Incentive Plans The need for incentive rewards as a form of promoting quality and productivity has made companies across the global village to adopt different incentive plans.
• Key Employee Benefits in the Healthcare Sector Besides remuneration and health cover, firms can offer benefits depending on the sector, availability of resources, the employees’ needs, and the the employer creativity.
• Employee Motivation and Pay Plans Management role is characterized to address the objectives to be achieved with the involvement of employees in assessing the motivational factors impact in each situation.
• Employee Motivation: Rewards, Goals, Empowerment It is important to enhance the motivation of the employees in an organization in order to attain the objectives of the firm.
• Employee Benefits in Today’s Work Environment Subsidized meals at the company will be appealing because they provide an immediate cost-saving benefit to the potential employee.
• Employee Motivation and Organizational Behavior The paper discusses the influence of employee motivation and relevant appraisal techniques on organizational behavior. It implies using a qualitative design.
• Employee Motivation: Monetary and Non-monetary Motivators Keeping motivation in workers is oneself is critical skill in any leader as self-motivation translates to employee motivation, and employee motivation translates to productivity.
• Creating a Healthy Work Environment: Employee Benefits Brochure The brochure emphasizes the core structural components that secure and regulate the work of nurses in the organization.
• Employee Benefits Plan and Design for BAE Systems The core of theoretical literature describes different problems and issues related to benefits system and support policies followed by modern organizations.
• Employee Benefits as a Company Policy Most of the companies strive to gain more profits in financial prospect – and that is right when referring to the extent of the main value for the employer.
• Employee Motivation and Reward in Entrepreneurial Firm Successfully run organizations need the contribution of their employees. For efficient employee performance, a proper system of employee motivation and rewards should be in place.
• Employee Motivation: Self-Directed Work Teams Individuals assigned to such teamwork intensively to achieve this common goal and are assumed to have the skill set required to complete their job.
• Employee Motivation Meeting: Planning and Organizing The meeting “Motivating and Encouraging Newly-Hired Employees” will be held in a conference room. It is aimed at employee retention within the company.
• Employee Subsidies, Benefits and Workplace Safety Workplace incidents are of great concern to the owners of businesses who want to minimize the risk of hazards that can imperil the life and health of employees.
• USA Motors Company’s Employee Absenteeism and Incentives The research offers a plan for reducing employee absenteeism, causes for the failure of a paid absence plan, and gives advice to USA Motors.
• Employee Motivation at the Public Library The paper reports on a management consultancy of an acquisition librarian in a small public library. The key problems were low motivation and slow decision-making.
• Employee Compensation and Benefits Package This paper develops a comprehensive employee compensation and benefits package for a secretary of the human resource department of an ice cream company in Brooklyn.
• Healthcare Centers Employee Benefits and Compensation Although Iroquois Healthcare, Albany Medical Center, and Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital as nursing organizations share vision and missions, the employee benefit differ significantly.
• ABC Healthcare Organization’s Employee Benefit ABC healthcare organization provides its employees with affordable and competitive benefit and compensation package.
• Employee Benefits and Compensation Comparison Employee benefits and compensation are both ways of giving rewards and remuneration to members of staff and catering for their wellbeing while still underemployment or when under retirement.
• Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs as a Way of Understanding Employee Motivation
• Employee Motivation and Its Role in Modern Management
• What Is the Best Motivation for Workers – Salary, Job Satisfaction, or Helping Others?
• Factors Affecting Employee Motivation Towards Employee Performance
• Leadership Models and Its Connection to Employee Motivation in Google Company
• Employee Motivation and Organizational Impact of Innovation on Employee Satisfaction
• The British Airways Strikes Effects on Employee Motivation
• Fitness Industry and Employee Motivation From a Manager’s Perspective
• Tough Economic Times: The Impact on Employee Motivation and Morale
• Employee Motivation: Implementing McClelland’s Three Needs Theory
• Work Environment and Employee Motivation to Lead: Moderating Effects of Personal Characteristics
• Comparison Between Public and Private Companies: Whose Employees Are Motivated Better?
• Individual Approach to Employee Motivation: Is It Worthwhile?
• Gaining Market Shares Through Employee Motivation
• Employee Motivation, Recognition, Rewards, and Retention: Kicking It Up a Notch
• How Employee Motivation and Productivity Get Affected by Gender
• Employee Motivation: What Needs to Be Done
• Wage Equity and Employee Motivation in Nonprofit and For-Profit Organizations
• How to Motivate Team Members to Achieve Their Goals
• Employee Motivation as a Crucial Aspect in the Job Environment
• Techniques of Improving Employee Motivation Depending on the Goal of the Company
• Employee Motivation and Its Impact on Organizational Performance
• Does Employee Motivation Drive an Organization?
• Employee Motivation and Turnover in the Workforce
• Money: Is It the Best Way to Motivate an Employee?
• High Compensation Pay Will Influence Employee Motivation
• Extrinsic and Intrinsic Factors Influencing Employee Motivation
• How Internal Employee Motivation Can Be Encouraged
• Priority Distribution Method for Employee Motivation Business
• Employee Motivation: Create and Maintain Synergistic Teams
• HRM and Small-Firm Employee Motivation: Before and After the Recession
• Employee Motivation From Performance Measurement and Compensation System Management
• Relationship Between the Psychological Contract and Employee Motivation
• Strategies of Employee Motivation That Don’t Include Money Rewards
• Increasing Employee Motivation Through Intrinsic Rewards
• Employee Motivation, Recruitment Practices, and Banks Performance in Nigeria
• Organizational Behavior: Improving Employee Motivation in Hyperstore
• The Need for Employee Motivation in Mexico Commerce
• Employee Motivation Through Leaders’ Emotional Intelligence
• Risk Sharing and Employee Motivation in Competitive Search Equilibrium
• Methods of Keeping Employees Motivated in Stressful Times
• How Does Compensation Affect Employee Motivation?
• What Are the Factors Affecting Employee Motivation?
• Is Training a Form of Employee Motivation?
• How Does Employee Motivation Affect an Organization?
• What Is the Biggest Impact on Employee Motivation?
• How Do Reward Schemes Provoke Employee Motivation?
• Why Is Employee Motivation So Important for Performance?
• Does Employee Motivation Impact Organizational Behavior?
• Who Is Responsible for Employee Motivation?
• What Are the Drivers of Employee Motivation?
• Is HR Responsible for Employee Motivation?
• What Can HR Managers Do to Increase Employee Motivation?
• How Does Employee Motivation Affect the Workplace?
• Can Employee Motivation Improve Quality Performance?
• What Causes Low Employee Motivation in the Workplace?
• Does the Work Environment Affect Employee Motivation?
• What Are the Barriers to Employee Motivation?
• Why Is Employee Motivation Important in a Team Environment?
• How Does Pay Equity Relate to Employee Motivation?
• Is There Relationship Between Training and Employee Motivation?
• How Does Transformational Leadership Influence Employee Motivation?
• What Is the Relationship Between Morale and Employee Motivation?
• Is Quality Influenced by Employee Motivation?
• What Are the Theories of Employee Motivation?
• How Many Employee Motivation Theories Are There?

Cite this post

• Chicago (N-B)
• Chicago (A-D)

StudyCorgi. (2022, June 5). 98 Employee Motivation Essay Topics. https://studycorgi.com/ideas/employee-motivation-essay-topics/

"98 Employee Motivation Essay Topics." StudyCorgi , 5 June 2022, studycorgi.com/ideas/employee-motivation-essay-topics/.

StudyCorgi . (2022) '98 Employee Motivation Essay Topics'. 5 June.

1. StudyCorgi . "98 Employee Motivation Essay Topics." June 5, 2022. https://studycorgi.com/ideas/employee-motivation-essay-topics/.

Bibliography

StudyCorgi . "98 Employee Motivation Essay Topics." June 5, 2022. https://studycorgi.com/ideas/employee-motivation-essay-topics/.

StudyCorgi . 2022. "98 Employee Motivation Essay Topics." June 5, 2022. https://studycorgi.com/ideas/employee-motivation-essay-topics/.

These essay examples and topics on Employee Motivation were carefully selected by the StudyCorgi editorial team. They meet our highest standards in terms of grammar, punctuation, style, and fact accuracy. Please ensure you properly reference the materials if you’re using them to write your assignment.

This essay topic collection was updated on January 8, 2024 .

An official website of the United States government

The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

• Publications
• Account settings

Preview improvements coming to the PMC website in October 2024. Learn More or Try it out now .

• Advanced Search
• Journal List
• Behav Sci (Basel)

Work Motivation: The Roles of Individual Needs and Social Conditions

Thuy thi diem vo.

1 Department of Business Administration, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, No. 43, Section 4, Keelung Road, Da’an District, Taipei City 106335, Taiwan; wt.ude.tsutn.liam@31880701d (T.T.D.V.); wt.ude.tsutn.liam@nehcwc (C.-W.C.)

Kristine Velasquez Tuliao

2 Graduate Institute of Human Resource Management, National Central University, No. 300, Zhongda Road, Zhongli District, Taoyuan City 320317, Taiwan

Chung-Wen Chen

Associated data.

The data that support this study are publicly available.

Work motivation plays a vital role in the development of organizations, as it increases employee productivity and effectiveness. To expand insights into individuals’ work motivation, the authors investigated the influence of individuals’ competence, autonomy, and social relatedness on their work motivation. Additionally, the country-level moderating factors of those individual-level associations were examined. Hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) was used to analyze data from 32,614 individuals from 25 countries, obtained from the World Values Survey (WVS). Findings showed that autonomy and social relatedness positively impacted work motivation, while competence negatively influenced work motivation. Moreover, the individual-level associations were moderated by the country-level religious affiliation, political participation, humane orientation, and in-group collectivism. Contributions, practical implications, and directions for further research were then discussed.

1. Introduction

Work motivation is considered an essential catalyst for the success of organizations, as it promotes employees’ effective performance. To achieve an organization’s objectives, the employer depends on the performance of their employees [ 1 ]. However, insufficiently motivated employees perform poorly despite being skillful [ 1 , 2 ]. Employers, therefore, need their employees to work with complete motivation rather than just showing up at their workplaces [ 3 ]. Work motivation remains a vital factor in organizational psychology, as it helps explain the causes of individual conduct in organizations [ 4 ]. Consequently, studies on the factors that encourage work motivation can contribute to the theoretical underpinnings on the roots of individual and practical social conditions that optimize individuals’ performance and wellness [ 5 ].

Several decades of research have endeavored to explain the dynamics that initiate work-related behavior. The primary factor examining this aspect is motivation, as it explains why individuals do what they do [ 6 ]. The basic psychological needs have represented a vital rationalization of individual differences in work motivation. Psychological needs are considered natural psychological nutrients and humans’ inner resources. They have a close relationship with individual conduct and have a strong explicit meaning for work performance [ 7 , 8 ]. Different needs are essential drivers of individual functioning due to the satisfaction derived from dealing with them [ 9 ]. In addition to individual-level antecedents, the social context has also been regarded to have implications for work motivation. Social exchange and interaction among individuals accentuate the importance of work motivation as something to be studied with consideration of contextual factors [ 10 ].

Significant contributions have been made to the socio-psychological perspective of work motivation ( Table 1 ). However, current literature shows three deficiencies. First, over 150 papers utilize the key approaches of psychological needs to justify motivational processes in the workplace [ 11 ], which justifies the vital role of psychological needs in interpreting individual work motivation. The association between psychological needs and work motivation has often been implicitly assumed; however, the influence of psychological needs on work motivation has been inadequately tested [ 8 ]. The verification of the extent and the direction of influence will provide a better understanding of, and offer distinct implications for, the facilitation of work motivation. In examining the influence of psychological needs on work motivation, this paper mainly focuses on the intrinsic aspect of motivation. The study of Alzahrani et al. (2018) [ 12 ] argued that although intrinsic motivation is more efficient than extrinsic motivation, researchers have mostly neglected it.

Several investigated predictors of work motivation in general and intrinsic motivation in particular.

Second, there is no study examining the country-level moderating effects of social conditions and national cultures on individual relationships between psychological needs and work motivation. Pinder (2014) [ 20 ] argued that contextual practices could influence variables at the individual level. Culture is a crucial factor influencing motivation [ 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 ]. Researchers (e.g., [ 19 ]) have further suggested that both the proximal social situations (e.g., workgroup) and the distal social situations (e.g., cultural values) in which humans operate influence their need for satisfaction and their motivation type. Intrinsic motivation interacts with prosocial motivation in judging work performance [ 21 ]. By including the social conditions in the framework, prosocial motivation is considered. Prosocial motivation refers to the desire to help and promote the welfare of others [ 22 , 23 ]. The study of Shao et al. (2019) [ 24 ] proposed that prosocial motivation promotes employee engagement in particular organizational tasks. Researchers often consider prosocial motivation as a pattern of intrinsic motivation [ 23 ]. This implies that when intrinsic motivation is investigated, prosocial motivation should be examined together to obtain a comprehensive understanding.

Third, there are few studies using a considerable number of cross-national samples to investigate factors influencing work motivation. A cross-cultural analysis makes the findings more objective by minimizing individual bias towards any particular culture. Therefore, the examination of the study is crucial to expanding insights on the influence of social situations on the individual associations between psychological needs and work motivation.

2. Literature Review and Hypothesis Development

2.1. work motivation: a conceptual background.

Work motivation is considered “a set of energetic forces that originate both within as well as beyond an individual’s being, to initiate work-related behavior, and to determine its form direction intensity and duration” [ 20 ]. Nicolescu and Verboncu (2008) [ 25 ] argued that work motivation contributes directly and indirectly to employees’ performance. Additionally, research (e.g., [ 26 ]) has postulated that work motivation could be seen as a source of positive energy that leads to employees’ self-recognition and self-fulfillment. Therefore, work motivation is an antecedent of the self-actualization of individuals and the achievement of organizations.

Literature has identified several models of work motivation. One of the primary models is Maslow’s (1954) [ 27 ] need hierarchy theory, which proposes that humans fulfill a set of needs, including physiological, safety and security, belongingness, esteem, and self-actualization. Additionally, Herzberg’s (1966) [ 28 ] motivation-hygiene theory proposed that work motivation is mainly influenced by the job’s intrinsic challenge and provision of opportunities for recognition and reinforcement. More contemporary models also emerged. For instance, the study of Nicolescu and Verboncu (2008) [ 25 ] has categorized the types of motivation into four pairs, including positive-negative, intrinsic-extrinsic, cognitive-affective, and economic-moral spiritual. Additionally, Ryan and Deci [ 29 ] focused on intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation.

With the existence of numerous factors that relate to work motivation, this paper mainly focuses on intrinsic motivation. Previous research found that emotional intelligence and interpersonal relationship quality predict individuals’ intrinsic motivation [ 14 ]. Additionally, the study of Lin (2020) [ 13 ] argued that personal factors, including age, gender, educational level, living setting, health status, and family support, impact people’s intrinsic motivation. To understand more about intrinsic motivation, the authors examined individuals’ psychological needs. Fulfillment of the basic needs is related to wellness and effective performance [ 7 ]. Since intrinsic motivation results in high-quality creativity, recognizing the factors influencing intrinsic motivation is important [ 5 ].

Although a significant number of important contributions have been made regarding intrinsic motivation, self-determination theory is of particular significance for this study. Self-determination theory (SDT) postulates that all humans possess a variety of basic psychological needs. One of the primary crucial needs is the need for competence [ 30 , 31 ], which makes individuals feel confident and effective in their actions. Additionally, the need for autonomy [ 32 ] is one of the important psychological needs, which makes people satisfied with optimal wellness and good performance obtained as a result of their own decisions. Moreover, SDT proposed the crucial importance of interpersonal relationships and how social forces can influence thoughts, emotions, and behaviors [ 33 ]. This means that the psychological need for social relatedness [ 34 ] also plays a significant role in human’s psychological traits. Individuals need to be cared for by others and care for others to perceive belongingness. The need for relatedness can motivate people to behave more socially [ 35 ].

Prior research (e.g., [ 36 ]) has explored self-determination theory and related theories as approaches to work motivation and organizational behavior. The study of Van den Broeck et al. (2010) [ 37 ] emphasized grasping autonomy, competence, and relatedness at workplaces. This paper contributes to the exhaustive understanding of intrinsic work motivation influenced by further examining the impact of these three factors on work motivation as well as the moderating effects of social contexts.

2.2. Main Effect

2.2.1. individuals’ competence and work motivation.

Competence is “the collective learning in the organization, especially how to coordinate diverse production skills and integrate multiple streams of technologies” [ 38 ]. The study of Hernández-March et al. (2009) [ 39 ] argued that a stronger competence was commonly found in university graduates rather than those without higher education. Competence has been considered a significant factor of work motivation that enhances productivity and profits. Harter’s (1983) [ 40 ] model of motivation proposed that competence enhances motivation because competence promotes flexibility for individuals [ 41 ]. Likewise, Patall et al. (2014) [ 42 ] indirectly argued that competence positively affects work motivation. Individuals become more engaged in activities that demonstrate their competence [ 6 ]. When people perceive that they are competent enough to attain goals, they generally feel confident and concentrate their efforts on achieving their objectives as soon as possible for their self-fulfillment.

Individuals’ competence positively relates to their work motivation.

2.2.2. Individuals’ Autonomy and Work Motivation

Autonomy is viewed as “self-determination, self-rule, liberty of rights, freedom of will and being one’s own person” [ 43 ]. Reeve (2006) [ 44 ] argued that autonomy is a primary theoretical approach in the study of human motivation and emotion. Autonomy denotes that certain conduct is performed with a sense of willingness [ 30 ]. Several researchers (e.g., [ 45 ]) investigated the positive relationship between individuals’ autonomy and work motivation. When humans are involved in actions because of their interest, they fully perform those activities volitionally [ 36 ]. Dickinson (1995) [ 46 ] also proposed that autonomous individuals are more highly motivated, and autonomy breeds more effective outcomes. Moreover, when individuals have a right to make their own decisions, they tend to be more considerate and responsible for those decisions, as they need to take accountability for their actions. Bandura (1991) [ 47 ] has argued that humans’ ability to reflect, react, and direct their actions motivates them for future purposes. Therefore, autonomy motivates individuals to work harder and overcome difficulties to achieve their objectives.

Individuals’ autonomy positively relates to their work motivation.

2.2.3. Individuals’ Social Relatedness and Work Motivation

The psychological need for social relatedness occurs when an individual has a sense of being secure, related to, or understood by others in the social environment [ 48 ]. The relatedness need is fulfilled when humans experience the feeling of close relationships with others [ 49 ]. Researchers (e.g., [ 34 ]) have postulated that the need for relatedness reflects humans’ natural tendency to feel associated with others, such as being a member of any social groups, or to love and care as well as be loved and cared for. Prior studies have shown that social relatedness strongly impacts motivation [ 50 , 51 , 52 ]. Social relatedness offers people many opportunities to communicate with others, making them more motivated at the workplace, aligning them with the group’s shared objectives. Marks (1974) [ 53 ] suggested that social relatedness encourages individuals to focus on community welfare as a reference for their behavior, resulting in enhanced work motivation. Moreover, when individuals feel that they relate to and are cared for by others, their motivation can be maximized since their relatedness need is fulfilled [ 54 ]. Therefore, establishing close relationships with others plays a vital role in promoting human motivation [ 55 ]. When people perceive that they are cared for and loved by others, they tend to create positive outcomes for common benefits to deserve the kindness received, thereby motivating them to work harder.

Individuals’ social relatedness positively relates to their work motivation.

Aside from exploring the influence of psychological needs on work motivation, this paper also considers country-level factors. Previous research (e.g., [ 56 ]) has examined the influence of social institutions and national cultures on work motivation. However, the moderating effects of country-level factors have to be investigated, given the contextual impacts on individual needs, attitudes, and behavior. Although social conditions provide the most common interpretation for nation-level variance in individual work behaviors [ 57 ], few cross-national studies examine social conditions and individual work behaviors [ 56 ]. Hence, this paper investigates the moderating effects, including religious affiliation, political participation, humane orientation, and in-group collectivism, on the psychological needs-work motivation association.

A notable theory to explain the importance of contextual factors in work motivation that is customarily linked with SDT is the concept of prosocial motivation. Prosocial motivation suggests that individuals have the desire to expend efforts in safeguarding and promoting others’ well-being [ 58 , 59 ]. It is proposed that prosocial motivation strengthens endurance, performance, and productivity, as well as generates creativity that encourages individuals to develop valuable and novel ideas [ 21 , 60 ]. Prosocial motivation is found to interact with intrinsic motivation in influencing positive work outcomes [ 21 , 61 ]. However, there are few studies examining the effects of prosocial motivation on work motivation [ 62 ].

Utilizing the concept of prosocial motivation and examining it on a country-level, this paper suggests that prosocial factors promote basic psychological needs satisfaction that reinforces motivational processes at work. Therefore, prosocial behaviors and values may enhance the positive impact of individuals’ basic psychological needs, including competence, autonomy, and social relatedness, on work motivation.

2.3. Moderating Effects

2.3.1. religious affiliation.

Religions manifest values that are usually employed as grounds to investigate what is right and wrong [ 63 ]. Religious affiliation is considered prosocial because it satisfies the need for belongingness and upholds collective well-being through gatherings to worship, seek assistance, and offer comfort within religious communities. Hence, religious affiliation promotes the satisfaction of individuals’ psychological needs, which directs motivation at work and life in general. Research (e.g., [ 64 ]) has argued that religious affiliation is an essential motivational component given its impact on psychological processes. The study of Simon and Primavera (1972) [ 65 ] investigated the relationship between religious affiliation and work motivation. To humans characterized by competence, autonomy, and social relatedness, attachment to religious principles increases their motivation to accomplish organizational goals. Religious membership will increase the influence of psychological needs on work motivation. The tendency of individuals affiliated with any religion to be demotivated is lower compared to those who are not. Individuals with religious affiliations also tend to work harder as the virtue of hard work is aligned with religious principles. Accordingly, religious affiliation may enhance the positive association between individuals’ psychological needs and work motivation.

2.3.2. Political Participation

Political participation, indicated by people’s voting habits, plays a crucial role in ensuring citizens’ well-being and security [ 66 ]. Political participation encourages shared beliefs and collective goals among individuals [ 67 ]. The communication and interaction among people help them grasp the government’s developmental strategies, motivating them to work harder. Political participation is a collective pursuit that makes societal members feel more confident, socially related, and motivated at work to achieve communal targets. Increased political participation reinforces effective public policy to enhance its members’ welfare, congruent with the perspectives of prosocial motivation. The prosocial values and behaviors derived from political participation satisfy human needs and interact positively with intrinsic motivation. Therefore, political participation may strengthen the positive influence of individuals’ competence, autonomy, and social relatedness on work motivation. Conversely, poor political participation is perceived as a separation from the society that may lead to demotivation. In a society with poor political participation, an individualistic mentality is encouraged, thereby decreasing the desire to pursue cooperative endeavors.

2.3.3. Humane Orientation

GLOBE characterizes humane orientation as “the degree to which an organization or society encourages and rewards individuals for being fair, altruistic, generous, caring, and kind to others” [ 68 ]. Research (e.g., [ 69 , 70 ]) has argued that a high humane orientation encourages members to develop a strong sense of belonging, commit to fair treatment, and manifest benevolence. The desire to help others or enhance others’ well-being indicates prosocial values and behaviors [ 71 , 72 ]. Since humane orientation is correlated with philanthropy and promotes good relations, this cultural value may enhance work motivation. Fairness, which is derived from a humane-oriented society, is one of the most vital influences on work motivation [ 1 ]. Moreover, altruism, promoted by humane-oriented societies, encourages individuals to sacrifice individual interests for shared benefits. Altruism then encourages attachment to others’ welfare and increases resources needed for prosocial behaviors such as work [ 73 , 74 ]. Members of humane-oriented countries view work in a positive light—it is an opportunity for them to perform altruistic behaviors and engage in collective actions. Therefore, people are more likely to work harder for common interests in humane-oriented societies. In such conditions, individuals with competence, autonomy, and social relatedness will be more motivated to work. By contrast, a less humane-oriented society gives prominence to material wealth and personal enjoyment [ 75 ]. Although this may be perceived as a positive influence on the association between psychological needs and work motivation, such an individualistic mindset works against the prosocial factors that further motivate individuals.

2.3.4. In-Group Collectivism

House et al. (2004) [ 68 ] defined in-group collectivism as “the degree to which individuals express pride, loyalty, and cohesiveness in their organizations or families”. Collectivistic cultures indicate the need for individuals to rely on group membership for identification [ 76 ]. High collectivism enhances equity, solidarity, loyalty, and encouragement [ 77 , 78 ]. Humans living in a collectivist culture are interdependent and recognize their responsibilities towards each other [ 79 ]. In-group collectivism transfers the concepts of social engagement, interdependence with others, and care for the group over the self (e.g., [ 79 , 80 , 81 ], thereby motivating individuals to work harder for the common interests. Oyserman et al. (2002) [ 82 ] have further argued that individualistic values encourage an independent personality, whereas collectivistic values form an interdependent one. Therefore, in-group collectivism is a prosocial value that emphasizes the importance of reciprocal relationships and encourages people to work harder to benefit the group. By contrast, low collectivism promotes individual interests and personal well-being while neglecting the value of having strong relations with others [ 70 ]. Considering that in-group collectivism promotes individuals’ prosocial behaviors of individuals, people who are competent, autonomous, and socially related to collective societies are less likely to be demotivated at the workplace. Consequently, in-group collectivism may intensify the positive influence of individuals’ competence, autonomy, and social relatedness on their work motivation.

(a–d): The positive relationship between individuals’ competence and their work motivation is enhanced as religious affiliation (a), political participation (b), humane orientation (c), and in-group collectivism (d) increase.

(a–d): The positive relationship between individuals’ autonomy and their work motivation is enhanced as religious affiliation (a), political participation (b), humane orientation (c), and in-group collectivism (d) increase.

(a–d): The positive relationship between individuals’ social relatedness and their work motivation is enhanced as religious affiliation (a), political participation (b), humane orientation (c), and in-group collectivism (d) increase.

3.1. Sample

The data came from the seventh wave (2017–2021) of the World Values Survey (WVS) [ 83 ], which examines humans’ beliefs and values. This survey is performed every five years to explore changes in people’s values and perceptions. Face-to-face interviews, or phone interviews for remote areas, were conducted by local organizations. Almost 90 percent of the world’s population is represented in the WVS. At least 1000 individuals were selected as respondents to exhibit each nation’s population. Further information regarding the WVS can be reached at the WVS website ( http://www.worldvaluessurvey.org , accessed on 14 October 2021).

The samples of this study were based on the availability of national-level data for the moderators and individual-level data for the measures of independent and dependent variables. Respondents without answers on the individual measures and corresponding country-level data were excluded from the analysis. The final data included 32,614 respondents in 25 countries aged 18 and above. The 25 countries included Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Philippines, Russia, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, and the USA.

3.2. Dependent Variable

Consistent with previous researchers (e.g., [ 84 ]), the authors used four items to gauge individual work motivation, namely “Indicate how important work is in your life”, “People who do not work turn lazy”, “Work is a duty towards society”, and “Work should always come first, even if it means less spare”. The first item was measured on a scale from 1 to 4, in which lower scores indicate a higher level of work importance. The other three items were gauged on a scale from 1 to 5 (1 indicating strongly agree and 5 indicating strongly disagree). The scores for each item were reverse coded, and the mean scores were computed so that higher scores indicate greater work motivation.

3.3. Independent Variables

The independent variables of this study include individuals’ competence, autonomy, and social relatedness. First, people’s competence was measured by the item “What is the highest educational level that you attained” on a scale from 0 to 8, in which higher scores indicate a higher level of educational attainment. The authors used the item to gauge individual competence, as a capacity for learning is highlighted in the examination of competence [ 39 ]. Second, a scale from 1 to 10 was utilized to measure the item “How much freedom of choice and control”, which represented individual autonomy (1 indicating no choice at all and 10 indicating a great deal of choice). The authors used the item to gauge people’s autonomy as this item indicates the degree to which individual can make their own decisions. Finally, the individual’s social relatedness was gauged by twelve items, representing twelve types of organizations where individuals are active/inactive members or do not belong. The twelve items were measured on a scale from 0 to 2 (0 indicating do not belong, 1 indicating inactive member, and 2 indicating active member). The mean score of the twelve items represents the individual’s social relatedness. The membership in organizations represents social relatedness, as this indicates the reciprocal relationship between the individual and the organization through their mutual rights, responsibilities, and obligations towards each other [ 85 ].

3.4. Moderators

The four country-level moderators in this study were religious affiliation, political participation, humane orientation, and in-group collectivism. Similar to prior research (e.g., [ 86 ]), the authors used the percentage of the country’s population with religious affiliation obtained from Pew Research Center 2015 [ 87 ]. Secondly, the index of voter turnout collected from the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance [ 88 ] was utilized to gauge political participation. Voting habits are an indicator of an individual’s presence in their country’s life, and a nation with a high index of voter turnout illustrates its substantial degree of political participation [ 89 ]. Finally, two cultural values, including humane orientation and in-group collectivism, were obtained from the GLOBE study [ 68 ]. The authors used scores on cultural practices as the moderators for this study because they indicate the actual behaviors as “the way things are done in this culture” [ 68 ].

3.5. Control Variables

Several individual-level and country-level elements related to the dependent variable were considered control variables. The effects of gender, marital status, age, and income level were accounted for, as these four variables are basic personal factors that may impact individual’s motivation [ 90 ]. Gender (1 indicating male and 0 indicating female) and marital status (1 indicating married and 0 indicating other status) were dummy coded. Moreover, age was measured in years, while income level was gauged using a scale from 1 representing the lowest group to 10 representing the highest group. Along with the above individual-level controls, education and family strength were treated as country-level control variables. Education and family are primary institutions that shape individuals’ motivation [ 91 , 92 ]. Similar to prior researchers (e.g., [ 93 ]), education was computed as two-thirds of the adult literacy rate attained from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics 2020 [ 94 ] and one-third of the mean years of schooling obtained from the Human Development Report 2020 [ 95 ]. This score is commonly approved as representing access to education in a country [ 42 ]. Regarding family strength, the score was quantified by the ratio of divorces to marriages per 1000 members of the population consistent with previous researchers (e.g., [ 93 ]). The data was obtained from the United Nations Demographic Yearbook [ 96 ].

3.6. Measurement and Analysis

To perform the descriptive statistics, cross-level correlations, scale reliability, confirmatory factor analysis, convergent validity, and discriminant validity, the authors utilized SPSS software.

The framework of this study considers independent variables, dependent variables, and moderators at different levels. Thus, the authors used a hierarchical linear model (HLM) [ 97 ] to test the hypotheses. HLM was defined as a “complex form of ordinary least squares (OLS) regression that is used to analyze variance in the outcome variables when the predictor variables are at varying hierarchical levels” [ 98 ]. This technique evaluates the impacts of higher-level outcomes on lower-level ones while preserving an appropriate degree of analysis [ 99 ]. HLM has been employed in several cross-level studies (e.g., [ 100 , 101 ]).

Table 2 presents a matrix of correlations and sample statistics from the individual-level to country-level variables. Table 3 and Table 4 report convergent and discriminant validity test results, respectively. Finally, Table 5 illustrates results for hypotheses testing using HLM. Three models are presented in the table: those of individual-level main effects and control variables (Model 1), those of country-level main effects (Model 2), and country-level moderating effects (Model 3).

Descriptive statistics, cross-level correlations and scale reliability a,b,c .

a   n = 32,614 level 1; n = 25, level 2. b * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01. c The reliability found in the parentheses is expressed as Cronbach’s alpha for scales with ≥four items.

Convergent validity.

Discriminant validity—Fornell and Larcker’s criterion.

* p < 0.05.

HLM results: (The DV is work motivation) a,b .

a , n = 32,614 level 1; n = 25, level 2. b , †, p < 0.10, * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001.

For the confirmatory factor analysis, previous research (e.g., [ 102 , 103 , 104 ]) suggested that analysis of each variable requires at least three items. Factor analysis using statistical software will provide imprecise results if there are fewer than three items per variable [ 105 ]. Therefore, the authors only performed Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) for social relatedness and work motivation.

To assess the measurement, convergent and discriminant validity were tested. Composite Reliability (CR) and Average Variance Extracted (AVE) were performed to illustrate convergent validity. The study of Hair et al. (2019) [ 106 ] suggested that CR is required to be above a threshold of 0.7. On the other hand, the AVE value should be higher than a threshold of 0.5 [ 107 ]. As shown in Table 3 , CR is acceptable while AVE is slightly lower than a threshold of 0.5. Despite the limitation of AVE, the acceptable result of the discriminant validity is achieved. The discriminant validity was tested using Fornell and Larcker (1981)’s criterion [ 107 ]. This proposes that the square root of the AVE of any latent variable should be higher than its correlation with any other construct. The result of the discriminant validity test indicates that all the two latent constructs have a square root of AVE higher than its correlation with the other construct, as presented in Table 4 .

The authors argued that individuals’ competence (H1), autonomy (H2), and social relatedness (H3) positively relate to their work motivation. However, the findings only supported H2 (β2 = 0.036, p < 0.001) and H3 (β3 = 0.042, p < 0.001). In contrast, the findings presented that H1 was also significant, but in the opposite direction compared with our original prediction. The result suggests that individuals’ competence negatively relates to their work motivation.

In Hypotheses 4a–d, we proposed that higher levels of religious affiliation (4a), political participation (4b), humane orientation (4c), and in-group collectivism (4d) strengthen the relationship described in H1. However, the results only demonstrated support for the two hypotheses, H4c (γ13 = 0.032, p < 0.001) and H4d (γ14 = 0.042, p < 0.001). In contrast, the findings presented that H4a was also significant, but opposite our initial prediction. This different result proposes that a higher level of religious affiliation weakens the association between individuals’ competence and work motivation.

In Hypotheses 5a–d, the authors argued that the higher levels of religious affiliation (5a), political participation (5b), humane orientation (5c), and in-group collectivism (5d) enhance the positive relationship between individuals’ autonomy and their work motivation. However, the results only supported the two hypotheses H5b (γ22 = 0.012, p < 0.05) and H5c (γ23 = 0.012, p < 0.1), while H5a and H5d were not significant.

In Hypotheses 6a–d, the authors argued that the higher levels of religious affiliation (6a), political participation (6b), humane orientation (6c), and in-group collectivism (6d) enhance the positive relationship between individuals’ social relatedness and their work motivation. However, the results only supported H6c (γ33 = 0.019, p < 0.01). In contrast, the findings indicated that H6d was also significant, but in the opposite direction compared to our initial hypothesis. The different result suggests that higher in-group collectivism weakens the positive association between individuals’ social relatedness and work motivation. Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 represent the significant moderators of the associations examined.

The association between competence and work motivation at different levels of humane orientation.

The association between competence and work motivation at different levels of in-group collectivism.

The association between autonomy and work motivation at different levels of political participation.

The association between autonomy and work motivation at different levels of humane orientation.

The association between social relatedness and work motivation at different levels of humane orientation.

Regarding the statistical results of the control variables, gender, marital status, and age consistently indicated significant positive relationships with work motivation across three models. On the other hand, family strength indicated a significant negative association to work motivation only in Model 1.

5. Discussion

The study’s objective was to examine the influence of individuals’ competence, autonomy, and social relatedness on their work motivation, as well as the impact of country-level moderators, including religious affiliation, political participation, humane orientation, and in-group collectivism on their relationships. Seven primary findings are crucial in this research. First, people’s autonomy and social relatedness positively relate to their work motivation. This result is in line with the findings of prior researchers (e.g., [ 45 , 52 ]), postulating that humans’ autonomy and social relatedness breeds work motivation. The study of Theurer et al. (2018) [ 108 ] argued that, among motivational elements, autonomy had been found to greatly predict positive work motivation. When people feel they have enough control over their activities, they are more confident and motivated to work. Along with autonomy, humans’ social relatedness promotes communal benefits, thereby motivating people to work harder for their organization. Second, the association between individual competence and work motivation is moderated by cultural values, including humane orientation and in-group collectivism. The findings are consistent with the viewpoints of prior researchers (e.g., [ 69 , 70 , 77 , 78 ]), namely that a society with higher levels of humane orientation and in-group collectivism strengthens altruism, solidarity, loyalty, and the encouragement of individuals, which results in work motivation. Consequently, there will be an increase in the differences in individuals’ competence and work motivation if they live in a society with greater humane orientation and in-group collectivism. Third, political participation and humane orientation moderate the relationship between individual autonomy and work motivation. These results are in line with the investigations of prior researchers (e.g., [18,45), which found that social circumstances and cultural practices promote people’s motivation. Accordingly, the differences in individuals’ autonomy based on their work motivation will be enhanced if they belong to nations with higher political participation and humane orientation. Fourth, the association between social relatedness and work motivation is moderated by humane orientation. Accordingly, in a humane-oriented society, the differences in individuals’ social relatedness based on their work motivation will be strengthened.

The remaining findings were contrary to the original propositions. Pinder (2014) [ 20 ] argued that it is possible to find that contextual practices can influence variables at the individual level in the opposite prediction in motivation research. Fifth, individuals’ competence negatively influences their work motivation. This finding proposes that more competent individuals are less motivated at work. One possible interpretation of this opposite result is that, when the majority of the organization members recognize individuals’ competence, these individuals may perceive that it is not necessary to devote most of their time and energy to work anymore. These individuals may believe that no matter how unwillingly they perform, they are still competent enough because of their prior achievements. Additionally, competent individuals recognize that they have already sacrificed their enjoyment of life for their previous successes; therefore, they tend to offset this by investing their valuable time in other aspects. This is consistent with other researchers’ investigations (e.g., [ 109 ]), which found that low-skilled individuals are more often compelled to engage in regular work activities and are more easily motivated than others. By contrast, highly competent individuals tend to be motivated by challenging tasks and improving themselves through further education. Sixth, the relationship between competence and work motivation is negatively moderated by religious affiliation. This finding suggests that religious affiliation weakens the association between individuals’ competence and work motivation. One possible explanation for this finding is that strong religious beliefs are the foundation for virtuous living [ 110 ]. Individuals with religious affiliation usually employ religious principles to guide their behavior, regardless of their competence. In other words, both competent and incompetent individuals tend to be more motivated at the workplace if they are affiliated with any religion, thereby diminishing the influence of competence in work motivation. Seventh, the relationship between social relatedness and work motivation is negatively moderated by in-group collectivism. This result proposes that a higher degree of in-group collectivism weakens the association between individuals’ social relatedness and work motivation. One possible explanation for this is that, under an in-group collective society, people put more weight on mutual relationships and encourage acts that may build up the solidarity of groups. Since in-group collectivism is viewed as a social attachment in which people emphasize the group over the self (e.g., [ 79 , 80 , 81 ]), individuals are fairly conscious of their responsibility to the group regardless of their social relatedness. Both socially related and unrelated individuals belonging to in-group collective cultures tend to work harder for common goals. Accordingly, the influence of individuals’ social relatedness on their work motivation is reduced.

6. Limitations and Future Research

Despite its significant contributions, this study has its limitations. The use of secondary data represents the fact that the data collection process was beyond the authors’ control. However, the collection of cross-national data is time-consuming and costly. The authors used the available data but strove for the efficient use of multilevel data. The secondary data also limited the measurement of individual-level factors based on the available data. Moreover, it is quite complex to gauge an individual’s work motivation appropriately, since personal work motivation may not be one-dimensional. Nevertheless, the authors made efforts to employ the measurements utilized by prior research. Moreover, it is complicated to measure social factors such as political participation. There are challenges in investigating social contexts due to the absence of direct measurements [ 111 ]. This compels the authors to identify substitute measurements for this study. Finally, this study covered 25 samples from 25 countries with different characteristics. Despite the attempt of this study to include the most relevant social conditions in the framework, the influence of other national differences and cultural sensitivities were not considered.

This paper directs further research considering that several frameworks and approaches should be employed to better examine motivation [ 112 ]. First, as some of the results were opposite to the original propositions based on the theoretical foundations employed, combining different concepts and approaches is necessary to enhance perspectives of psychological needs and social issues. For instance, the relationship between competence and work motivation can be further investigated by employing other theories to understand their association better. Similarly, the moderating effects of social contexts such as religious affiliation and in-group collectivism should be further examined to obtain a more in-depth comprehension of the roles of contextual circumstances and cultural values in individual-level relationships. Additionally, self-determination theory and the concept of prosocial motivation may be used to explore motivation towards specific behavior in organizations, such as organizational citizenship and proactive behaviors. Organizational context, such as rewards, training, and culture, can be considered as part of the framework to enhance the conception of work motivation.

7. Conclusions

This study has utilized a multilevel framework to examine the influence of psychological needs and social context on work motivation. Through this research, a deeper understanding of the roles of competence, autonomy, and social relatedness, as well as social situations and cultural values on work motivation, is achieved. The contrary findings call for integrating other concepts and approaches towards a more comprehensive knowledge of work motivation.

Along with the theoretical contribution, the study’s findings offer practical implications. The satisfaction of psychological needs promotes self-motivation, which creates positive outcomes. Hence, organizations can provide programs and activities to promote employees’ autonomy and social relatedness as this will enhance their work motivation. Employee empowerment can be advocated by encouraging them to make their own decisions at the workplace, providing constructive criticisms rather than instilling the fear of failure. Additionally, managers should encourage solidarity, support, and mutual care among employees. Putting more weight on employees’ fulfillment of needs will further increase employees’ motivation, thereby diminishing costs related to stress or turnover [ 50 ]. To establish a novel mechanism towards promoting work motivation in the entire nation, the government should pay attention to the political structure and conditions that encourage citizens’ participation. Additionally, a culture of humane orientation should be promoted in the workplace and society so that solidarity, kind assistance, and altruism among communities as well as among individuals can be strengthened. For instance, teamwork should be encouraged for employees to help each other overcome difficulties at the workplace or share responsibilities with their colleagues. This will motivate people to work harder for collective goals, contributing to the development of organizations.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, T.T.D.V. and K.V.T.; data collection, T.T.D.V.; methodology, T.T.D.V. and K.V.T.; formal analysis, T.T.D.V. and K.V.T.; resources, K.V.T. and C.-W.C.; writing-original draft, T.T.D.V. and K.V.T.; writing-review, editing & proofreading, T.T.D.V., K.V.T. and C.-W.C.; visualization, K.V.T.; supervision, K.V.T. and C.-W.C.; project administration, K.V.T. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

This paper does not receive funding from any individuals or organizations.

Institutional Review Board Statement

Not applicable.

Informed Consent Statement

Data availability statement, conflicts of interest.

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Essay on Employee Motivation

In the society, we live in currently, the rate at which employees get depressed is rising. There is an urgent need to ensure that the employees have a good working environment. The environment is inclusive of how the employees are treated by their superiors. Employers need to learn and embrace the need for employee motivation in their places of work. This essay aims at addressing employee motivation as a whole and its benefits.

Companies and other sectors that need a workforce to run their operations must value their workers. The workers are a crucial part of any firm as no work can occur without them, and therefore, superiors must respect them. They have to feel that their worth is recognized and appreciated by their employers. Employers have to know how to recognize their workers’ work as it is one significant way of motivating the laborers. Trainers can take the Employers through a training system targeting how they handle their workers (Sabbagha et al., 2018). It will significantly improve how the workers perceive their tasks and undertake them. They will be more willing to work than in situations where they appear to be forced to work.

Scholars should not ignore the need for employee motivation to be included in the study of human resources. The unit is crucial as it is undertaken by any person who wishes to lead people or manage a firm. Incorporating employee motivation issues in such a unit will go a long way in ensuring that the managers and leaders are qualified and know how to treat workers. When set out in such a manner, managers will take the issue of employee motivation with more seriousness as it deserves (Haryono, 2020). The managers will understand better the need for conducting such practices in their firms. A way of grading the students of human resources based on who understands the topic of employee motivation will challenge the students and make them more attentive and thirstier to learn about it. The better they know it, the more effective the implementation will be.

How an employer treats their staff determines whether they will remain working for them or move to new places. When one is not satisfied or feels undermined, one will always want to look for a better place (Sabbagha et al., 2018). It is human nature to influence each other, and one person quitting the job could lead to hundreds of others following. To curb these, the management must ensure that they are satisfied. The complaints raised should be attended to in due time to make sure that the workers have an easy time as they work. When everybody feels at ease, things run smoothly, and tension is completely done away with for good. Tension can tamper with the quality of one’s work and affect the firm’s overall performance.

One most important way of motivating employees is by paying them well and giving them reasonable allowances. With the current economy, people need jobs to sustain themselves and have something to save. The introduction of house and transport allowances in places of work will help the employee significantly save some cash as the employer has catered for some parts. It is evident that companies with these allowances in place attract more employees and retain them for a long time because they motivate them well with good pay. When the people come in large numbers to be employed, cases where laborers are overworked, are rare. Overworking can be led to hating the job and having a bad attitude towards it which will affect performance negatively (Sabbagha et al., 2018). On the other hand, where there is job satisfaction, the attitude towards work is positive, and work is done well; hence there is the growth of the business and retainment of workers.

The management of any firm must know the academic qualifications of every person working for them. It makes it easy for the company to conduct training and promotions. It can sometimes even be used to determine the amount of salary that one is paid. The aspect of training employees makes them optimistic as it shows them that the company has a plan to be with them for an extended period. A person cannot be trained and then offloaded in a short period as it will be a waste of resources. Promotion is crucial for employers as it shows them that the management recognizes their work. It will motivate them to work even harder in the posts they have been assigned, contributing to the general productivity of the farm (Lăzăroiu, 2015). management can promote them based on their academic qualifications or the time of service they have offered to the firm as it increases the experience. Employees’ salaries need to be improved whenever the company makes profits to appreciate their work and encourage them to put in more effort.

Employees are the primary unit of a firm, and they experience challenges just like any other unit. The management should always ensure that systems deal with solving issues experienced by these people. A system that begins by collecting complaints, articulating them, and delivering solutions to the workers should be implemented. The workers will be at more ease to raise their issues, and employers will make their environments better according to their suggestions. Most workers usually fear sharing their problems with their bosses directly; therefore, they work under conditions in which the job satisfaction levels are deficient. Human Resource mainly undertakes to ensure that all workers are working under the best conditions (Hanaysha & Majid, 2018). It has significantly helped firms’ growth as productivity is directly proportional to workers’ contentment with their environment.

How employees are treated is likely to affect the people they serve. Mistreatment of an employee will set them in a bad mood and breed a lousy attitude and environment for work. If one is working in an outlet store, the chances of talking badly to clients are very high as their moods are not right. The same applies to teachers when their bosses undermine them and pour their frustrations on the students, which is incorrect. Students will receive unnecessary punishments and fail to understand what is being taught. The motivation of workers also works the same way as workers will treat their clients with the kindness their superiors accord them.

The act of motivating workers does not only help in building them, but it also ensures the growth of businesses. When laborers are inspired, they do good work, and productivity is guaranteed, and it is a win-win situation for both parties. Motivation should be encouraged and embraced by managers across the globe.

De Sousa Sabbagha, M., Ledimo, O., & Martins, N. (2018). Predicting staff retention from employee motivation and job satisfaction.  Journal of Psychology in Africa ,  28 (2), 136-140.

Hanaysha, J. R., & Majid, M. (2018). Employee motivation and its role in improving productivity and organizational commitment at higher education institutions.  Journal of Entrepreneurship and Business , 6(1), 17-28

Haryono, S., Supardi, S., & Udin, U. (2020). The effect of training and job promotion on work motivation and its implications on job performance:  Evidence from Indonesia. Management Science Letters , 10(9), 2107-2112.

Lăzăroiu, G. (2015). Employee motivation and job performance. Linguistic and Philosophical Investigations , (14), 97-102

Cite This Work

To export a reference to this article please select a referencing style below:

Related Essays

Expo dubai culture, unveiling sustainable success: skwachàys lodge’s environmental efforts in british columbia., evaluating the advantages and disadvantages of a particular subscription service, navigating pricing quandaries in managerial marketing: the atlantic computer case, a report on opportunities in sports safety niche for bea21 technologies ltd, venture development project-analysis and recommendations for saltbox company, popular essay topics.

• American Dream
• Artificial Intelligence
• Black Lives Matter
• Bullying Essay
• Career Goals Essay
• Causes of the Civil War
• Child Abusing
• Civil Rights Movement
• Community Service
• Cultural Identity
• Cyber Bullying
• Death Penalty
• Depression Essay
• Domestic Violence
• Freedom of Speech
• Global Warming
• Gun Control
• Human Trafficking
• I Believe Essay
• Immigration
• Importance of Education
• Israel and Palestine Conflict
• Leadership Essay
• Legalizing Marijuanas
• Mental Health
• National Honor Society
• Police Brutality
• Pollution Essay
• Racism Essay
• Romeo and Juliet
• Same Sex Marriages
• Social Media
• The Great Gatsby
• The Yellow Wallpaper
• Time Management
• To Kill a Mockingbird
• Violent Video Games
• What Makes You Unique
• Why I Want to Be a Nurse
• Send us an e-mail

Why Motivate Employees in workplace? Essay

Introduction, production of quality results, retention of employees, effective performance, reference list.

It is the dream of every organization to attain success in all its undertakings. To achieve this, organizations have to realize that success stems from the people employed to work for it. If these people are not motivated, they lack the morale to work hard. It is the responsibility of senior managers to ensure that employee’s needs are met as they strive to meet the organization’s needs. It is normal for one to feel discouraged if his/her contributions are not recognized and rewarded appropriately.

One cannot be able to achieve the goals of an organization if he feels that, he is being exploited. Motivation does not mean giving huge salaries but a simple word of mouth, for instance “well done”, can play a great deal. This paper looks at the benefits of employee motivation to an organization. How it helps in the production of quality results, achievement of goals, employee retention, and improvement performance.

According to Pfeffer & Veiga (1999), motivated workers have ambition to produce quality results and emulate better ways of undertaking their duties. They feel part and parcel of the organization and all their efforts are aimed at making the organization better. By encouraging them, they feel valuable and ready to take any challenges that comes their way.

They involve their soul and mind in searching for better strategies to address certain issues in an organization. Motivation also comes along with respect; if managers respect the employees working under them by giving them the freedom of speech and room to express new ideas they are encouraged to be creative. Failure to motivate employees may result in poor performance of a company.

Motivation is one of the strategies that an organization can use to retain employees. The process of selection and recruitment for job appointment is usually costly and an organization cannot afford to waste such funds simply because of failing to motivate its staff. More to this, training costs are usually very high because of the cost incurred and the reduction in production an organization experiences due to the appointment of unskilled staff.

When employees are motivated, they feel obliged to work for an organization and may find it difficult to leave without valid reasons. On the other hand, when employees are not motivated they feel out of place and start looking for other places where they can feel valuable and their services being appreciated. Organizations that are able to retain employees are assured of a good performance because they do not need to train new employees every now and then (Fergusin, 2010).

From research, it is clear that employees are not only motivated by money but also their attitudes. The first furtive to efficacy is to understand the people one works with and depend on so that one can make use of their influence, their tradition of working, and their values.

An employee inputs are the positive contribution he makes for the betterment of an organization including the work he does, his skills, behavior, and experience while outcomes are the rewards he gets out of his hard work, this may be in the form of appreciation, promotion, incentives, salary rise, to name but a few.

Employees perceive that, they should be given rewards that consummate with their organizational performance. It is a form of organizational behavior that holds that, employees are likely to perform better if they perceive their rewards to be high.

It predicts that, majority of employees be motivated to work hard if they suppose the reward they expect to get to be directly proportional to the work done, and if they value the rewards expected from the organization. HR managers should provide employees with opportunities to participate in educational seminars and programs.

Employees acquire new skills which they use on their jobs for their benefit as well as that of the organization. They should also be provided with study leaves or allowances for furthering their studies. This may appear to be an added cost in the short term but the results are worth it. Employees develop new skills and strategies for handling their responsibilities, work becomes easy and more time is saved which can be used for other productive activities.

Goal setting and motivation

There is a positive relationship between goal setting and motivation. In organization behavior, goal setting is one of the most common theories. Goals help one to work hard to achieve a particular task. Organizations have goals for the different personnel employed in different departments some call them performance contracts.

An employee is given a task which he is expected to accomplish within a set deadline. Without motivation employees cannot be able to achieve these goals. Managers have realized motivation is the only way forward and many are trying to appreciate the contribution employees make in an organization, for instance the goals they help an organization to achieve. Goals act as good stimulants for organization performance and self-efficacy.

This is more so if an individual gets positive feedback in relation to goals which they have achieved. Feedback helps in increasing self motivation and self worth. When an employee has successfully achieved a certain goal and received positive comments for the same, he feels important and valuable (Neil, 2008). This motivation leads to sustained achievement and a process of goal setting emerges. Goal setting theory requires individual to evaluate their performance in relation to the goal.

That is, they need to know their current position before setting the goal. This will help them determine which areas need to be worked on. When it is incorporated into HRM systems, the individual has a ready environment and many opportunities to talk about his or her needs and take proper steps. On the other hand, the organization gains insight and information that will help ensure that the right people are placed in the right positions at the right time (McKenna, 2002).

Motivation inspires employees to look for ways of undertaking their tasks effectively and lack of it can completely dishearten them. People need to be encouraged and appreciated in order to achieve their mission and that of others. Employees’ team working groups that are well structured with good communication help in fulfilling the group needs.

Self actualization needs can be fulfilled by encouraging employee developments by use of appraisal tool where employees gauge their performance. Provision of secure working environment coupled with training on safety and health issues can assist in meeting the security needs of the employees.

On the other hand, reward systems on job promotion based on employee’s efforts, skills, and experience can help in raising their self esteem and meet the needs that come with it (Bob, 1995). One critical factor is the level of trust in the organization. For the process to be successful, there first must be a background of trust and openness in the organization. Otherwise, people will not feel safe in providing the authentic feedback that is required for developing leadership skills.

If an organization wants to succeed, it must recognize and reward the efforts of the work force, failure to do so results in poor performance which in turn lowers production of the organization. The human nature is so simple yet so complex in some cases. Human beings respond differently to certain situations although their behavior is influenced by the surrounding circumstances. Like the saying go, “you can take a horse to the river but you can never force it to take water”, human behaviors in some way resembles this saying.

One can employ as many people in an organization as he/she wants but can never force them to take up their responsibilities. This is something that comes from inside and can only be initiated by the things we get or hear. Employees are motivated to work for an organization because of the reward they expect to get at the end of the day. If there is no recognition of the work done I doubt whether any one would be willing to offer his/her services.

Motivated employees are happy and are ready to face the daily challenges, when they are appreciated, they feel part and parcel of an organization and all their efforts are directed to the betterment of the organization. This increases organization’s performance and also helps in retaining employees. Supervisors should recognize the value of employees in the organization and the importance of thanking them either through writing or verbally for their precise contributions.

Bob, N. (1995). Motivating employees with informal awards. Management Accounting (USA), Vol. 77 Issue 5 p30

Fergusin, W. J. (2010). Creative compensation: keeping employees on board. Journal of property management, Vol. 55 Issue 3, p12

McKenna, T. (2002). Motivating the front line. National Petroleum News, Vol. 94, Issue 11, p18

Neil, S. (2008). Employees’ benefit- It takes more than cash to make workers happy. Database: Academic Onefile, eweek, p80

Pfeffer, J. & Veiga, J. (1999). Putting people first for organizational success. The Academy of Management Executive, Vol.13 No.2

• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2019, February 7). Why Motivate Employees in workplace? https://ivypanda.com/essays/why-motivate-employees-in-workplace/

"Why Motivate Employees in workplace?" IvyPanda , 7 Feb. 2019, ivypanda.com/essays/why-motivate-employees-in-workplace/.

IvyPanda . (2019) 'Why Motivate Employees in workplace'. 7 February.

IvyPanda . 2019. "Why Motivate Employees in workplace?" February 7, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/why-motivate-employees-in-workplace/.

1. IvyPanda . "Why Motivate Employees in workplace?" February 7, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/why-motivate-employees-in-workplace/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Why Motivate Employees in workplace?" February 7, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/why-motivate-employees-in-workplace/.

• Motivation and Performance
• Employee Motivation and Reward at Google
• How to Motivate Your Workforce: Issues and Challenges
• Perspective of housekeeping management
• Universal Retail Corporation Human Resource Management
• Analysis of the Transferable Skills in Education
• Workplace Health & Safety: The Ethical Dilemmas
• Communication and Leadership: a Discussion

This website uses cookies in order to provide you the most relevant information. Please accept cookies for better performance. Read more »

Employee Motivation Essay Example

Every business is expected to yield profit. However, raising profits can only be possible if the managers and workers perform their duties with their best efforts towards achieving a common goal. A workplace where the employers and employees are dedicated to their work and meet their deadlines without being supervised can score better proceeds. In the competitive business world, each organization yearns to succeed and improve the quality of its services and raise performance levels. Employee motivation is what makes an employee willing to improve personal performance and effectiveness, resulting in the provision of the high-quality outcome at the workplace (Berrin & Bauler 182). It is divided into intrinsic motivation (internal factors), such as a feeling of enjoyment brought by the work, and extrinsic motivation (external factors), such as rewards. This paper will research on employee motivation types, factors affecting it, its importance, and techniques applied in motivating employees.

Types of Employee Motivation

Intrinsic motivation is a feeling that comes from within a person. It is self-driven and comes from the inner feeling of an individual rather than being imposed by someone or being triggered by a particular reward (Kovach 59). When a worker feels motivated by the work, it is referred to as intrinsic motivation. It is the job itself that motivates a person, especially when it is enjoyable and includes an understanding of the reasonable goals. One can be intrinsically motivated by the work environment. For example, if the environment is favorable, an employee is more likely to feel at peace with the work thus driving him/her to work even more. On the contrary, if the environment is unfriendly, the employee is more likely to be discouraged to work. In fact, he/she will not like the idea of going to work. Intrinsic motivation may be generated through job satisfaction. Most employees feel gratified with their job when they are permitted to have control and liberation and to contribute to innovations on their job. Intrinsic inspiration can also be prompted by an environment that emboldens the exploration and learning. Intrinsic motivational factors can be accomplished by job design that encompasses job simplification, job rotation, job enlargement, and job enrichment.

Order-Essays.com Offers Great PowerPoint Presentation Help!

We will create the best slides for your academic paper or business project!

Extrinsic motivation is a type of motivation that is affected by the external factors to self-motivate an employee (Kovach 62). These factors usually drive an employee to reach a particular goal either willingly or unwillingly. They originate from the management, and the employees can either react to them positively or negatively. Thus, employers should use external motivators that generate a positive response from the workers. The examples of these factors are punishments and rewards system. When a punishment is set for not achieving a particular target, employees tend to do their best to hit the target. Likewise, when a reward is given to those workers who meet an objective, they will be motivated to work harder to reach the target and get the award. However, in some cases, a punishment produces a negative result; for example, some employees may cheat in their results when they are given a precise target to achieve, making the organization calculate its performance rate on false information. This information will include data that supports the improvement but no financial proceeds to support it.

Employee motivation is important because it facilitates the sustainability of the business organization by enhancing its improvement. Without motivation, whether intrinsic or extrinsic, it will be challenging for a business to succeed and prosper in the future. Thus, a key to the development of any company is motivation. People cannot be forced to work well but rather be motivated to perform better than before.

Employee Motivation Techniques

The following are techniques used to create and increase motivation of employees: fashioning a positive work environment, celebrating achievements made by employees, offering job security, providing incentives, training, surveys on employees, and promotions to best performers, and, lastly, sharing profits with the workers. A positive work environment motivates the employees because they feel free, comfortable and welcomed at the workplace. Promoting teamwork and sharing of ideas between employers and employees result in enhanced job performance (Berrin & Bauler 223). Bonding is necessary at the workplace because employees will learn to work together to achieve a common goal and promote healthy competition among workers. A manager should be a good mediator when a conflict arises at the workplace and eradicate conflicts as soon as they arise. As much as teamwork creates a positive work environment, employees should be reminded to work independently to perform their assigned task.

Recognizing and celebrating achievements made by the workers motivate them to perform better than before (Berrin & Bauler 228). Naturally, people like to be recognized for their achievements; the same regards a workplace setting. Awarding workers with the certificates of accomplishment, vacation days, and employee of the month or year titles, giving trophies and gift vouchers are ways of recognizing and celebrating the efforts of the employees. When an employee is honored and known for an excellent work done, he/she will be motivated to do their best. However, if his/her achievements are not recognized, they will be discouraged because their efforts have not been celebrated. There is no need to make a success if you are not going to be known for it.

Setting goals to be achieved by the end of a specified time gives an employee a reason to strive to attain a particular target (Berrin & Bauler 237). Professional goals encourage competition between workers thus motivating them to reach a particular objective. However, the goals should be reasonable that is an employee can achieve that. When goals are not set, it is difficult for employees to know what is expected of them; thus, they will feel relaxed at their job. On the contrary, when a goal is set, they are made aware of what is expected of them. Setting specific goals and time limits will motivate the employees.

Incentives boost employee motivation because when an incentive is put in place, it lures the employees to work harder and smarter (Berrin & Bauler 255). Those include cash prizes, gift cards, parking spot and office space. Employees are more likely to be motivated if their efforts are rewarded.

Conducting surveys to get feedbacks on how employees feel about the management if they face any problems will provide possible solutions to the problems. This technique can determine if there is a barrier in the workplace and allows the managers to solve the problem. If there are no barriers in the workplace, employees will be motivated to work because there is a peaceful co-existence (Berrin & Bauler 228). A survey can be facilitated with questionnaires. These questionnaires should be filled by employees anonymously for the protection of their identification and making them feel free to share their feelings and ideas.

A promotion granted on performance motivates employees to perform better. When an employee sees a reward or promotion for good job performance, they will be motivated to work their best. When one worker sees his/her co-worker being promoted because of performing well in his/her duties, he/she will be motivated to do the same to get a promotion (Berrin & Bauler 250). Promotions come with a monetary increase in the salary, bigger office and better rank in the office. Acquiring a status through the promotion motivates the promoted employee to work at his/her best not wanting junior workers to think that their senior employee cannot handle the assigned new tasks. It also encourages other employees to copy the behavior of the promoted employee to achieve the same success.

The managers should motivate their employees by encouraging them to get more knowledge by sending them to seminars and workshops. This technique enables the employees to acquire new knowledge that helps them advance in their job. Training is very important because it ensures that employees are knowledgeable about new technology or any new way of performing a job. New work is made easier after undergoing a well-constructed training; the training also works as a refresher course for the profession (Berrin & Bauler 262).

Providing job security also motivates the workers to work better. A worker who is at a company that offers job security is calmer, relaxed and has trust in the business, unlike an employee who is working in an organization with no job security. An employee has faith in an organization where job security has been offered hence will do what is expected of him/her by the employers (Kovach 64). Unlike an employee who has no job security, whose managers may dismiss him/her any time they wish too, he/she will always be anxious and tensed because of being unsure at which point the employment will be terminated whether he/she works at his best or not.

Sharing of the company’s profits is also another way of motivating the employees (Berrin & Bauler 259). When the profits of a corporation are reflected in the employee’s salary, it will make him/her want to get more profit for the company to earn more. The more profits they make, the more money they get. That is salary plus profits made by the company. Financial gains mostly motivate employees. When they release an input, they expect an output to them by the management.

Theories of Employee Motivation

These theories support the techniques of motivating the employees and are divided into process and content theories. Motivation content theories concentrate on the exact thing that motivates an employee (for example, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, McClelland’s Achievement Motivation, Herzberg’s Two Factor Theory, and Alderfer’s Modified Need Hierarchy) while process theories look at how behavior is instigated and sustained; they include Vroom Expectancy Theory and Adam’s Equity Theory.

Herzberg’s Theory is also referred to as Hygiene Theory. It is a two-factor approach that states that two different factors influence satisfaction and dissatisfaction (Herzberg, Mausner, & Snyderman 288). Herzberg ’names the factors that influence dissatisfaction as dissatisfiers (maintenance and hygiene factors) while factors that influence satisfaction are called satisfiers or motivators. Dissatisfiers include working conditions, policies, job security, and status while satisfiers include recognition of achievements, responsibilities, and growth. Dissatisfiers do not have the same impact on job satisfaction but rather influence job dissatisfaction. These factors will not motivate an employee, but their absence in a workplace will influence job dissatisfaction (Berrin & Bauler 188). To motivate workers effectively, the management should work on providing good hygiene factors that ensure the staff’s job satisfaction thus motivation.

Maslow’s Hierarchy Theory of Needs arranges the interdependent needs of a human being from the basic need to the highest level of requirements (Berrin & Bauler 184). The author concludes that once a person has satisfied the lower level of need, the next level of requirements motivates him/her to work harder to attain it. The most fundamental needs are physiological, for example, shelter, food, air, and clothing (Maslow 372). They are the key needs to sustain life, and when they are not met, it affects a person physically. Once a person can sustain his/her life, he/she can be motivated to achieve the next step; but if he /she cannot afford these basic needs, it will be difficult to move to the next level. Employees should be able to afford these necessary basic needs with their salaries to be motivated to get to the next level. Safety needs are the next level, where employees feel a sense of having security, feeling peaceful and orderly at the workplace (Maslow 380). Social needs comprise of friendship, a sense of belonging to a certain group, love and acceptance in a certain environment. Employees usually want to fit in a particular group at a workplace or feel accepted and loved by the others. To satisfy these needs, they tend to work harder to reach a target that will allow them to be identified and accepted by others. A person will strive to reach that rank. Esteem needs generate motivations only when the lower needs are satisfied. They include self-esteem, freedom, and self-confidence. When an employee satisfies these needs, he/she feels capable, in power and worthy to be in that place. However, if the needs are not met, an employee will lack esteem and will feel inferior to the others. What is more, he/she might not be able to tend even to the duties. The highest need is self-actualization that includes creativeness, self-realization, and self-fulfillment (Berrin & Bauler 185). When an employee realizes his/her potential, he/she feels the satisfaction of oneself. This process serves as a continuous motivational fact because when an individual completes one need another need arises.

Alderfer’s Modified Hierarchy of Needs is a modified Maslow’s Hierarchy Theory (Berrin & Bauler 187). Alderfer agrees with Maslow that human needs can be arranged in levels but instead of categorizing them in five, he reduces them to three levels of existence, growth and relatedness. According to Alderfer, two levels can be achieved at the same time. It is not necessary to move from one stage to another (Berrin & Bauler 187). A person can attain the highest level of need without fulfilling the lower needs. Thus, in these two propositions, he is not in agreement with Maslow’s theory. When an employee satisfies growth needs, he/she will have the desire to meet relatedness needs. The fewer existence needs are met, the more desire a person will feel to fulfill them.

Book The Best Top Expert at our service

Your order will be assigned to the most experienced writer in the relevant discipline. The highly demanded expert, one of our top-10 writers with the highest rate among the customers.

In McGregor X-Y Theory, X stands for autocratic management while Y is participative management. X theory assumes that external motivation is achieved through punishment or threat while Y theory believes that an employee is internally motivated with a good environment. X Theory assumes that people dislike work and, therefore, have to be pressured to contribute to a company’s goals. Y implies that although punishment can motivate a worker to work, it is not the only way because employees are self-motivated. Employees can get motivation from within themselves because of good environmental factors surrounding them at a workplace.

According to McClelland’s Need-Based Motivation Theory, human beings have three needs: achievement, power, and affiliation (Berrin & Bauler 190). In his research, McClelland found out that businessmen have a desire for achievement motivation. According to him, motivation achievement can be taught through training by teaching an employee to act in terms of achieving a motive (Berrin & Bauler 190).

Locke’s Goal Theory illustrates how setting specific goals to induce high performance and setting more challenging goal increase performance efforts. Through employees’ participation in making goals, they will set higher goals and be motivated to achieve even more to gain superior performance. Workers will set reasonable and attainable goals since they are the ones expected to reach the objective unlike when employers set unreasonable goals. In this theory, for a goal to be achieved, there has to be an effort to achieve it. When the goals set are unreasonable, there will be no motivation to attain them. Thus, it is important to involve the staff in setting the goals.

Skinner’s motivation through positive reinforcement suggests that stimuli trigger behavior. Thus, in a business set up, any factor that results in behavior change is a motivational change (Berrin & Bauler 205). The change can either be positive or negative. Skinner advises managers to use positive reinforcers such as promotion and salary increment to promote motivation in the workplace. Managers should also solve problems in the workplace to create a peaceful environment that will motivate employees. The staff can only be motivated if there is a positive reinforcer.

Vroom’s Model Theory asserts that effort leads to performance and performance leads to either positive or negative rewards. Positive rewards motivate employees while negative rewards do not motivate them. Employees’ work effort is based on what they are expecting to gain at the end of it thus the expectancy theory (Berrin & Bauler 203). Ensuring the staff expects a pay rise and promotion will motivate them to work harder on achieving the set goals. When there are no reward expectations, a minimum effort will be put since there is no potential gain at the end of it. No one wants to work for free unless it is charity. Work is believed to have some payment after its completion; thus, an extra work of achieving a goal should have an extra bonus to the salary. If the management considers bonuses, its staff is more likely to be motivated.

Adam’s Equity Theory illustrates how employees seek fair treatment at the workplace in cases of rewards and the rate of their efforts (Berrin & Bauler 195). Employees base their judgments on comparing themselves with people around them or with persons of the same profession. They will feel undermined if they realize that they are contributing more than the other employees and are not being rewarded the same way. The level of motivation is based on the percentage of fairness that has been found out by the employees. When employees believe they are treated equally, they will be motivated; but when they believe there is unfairness; they will be discouraged. Unfairness can cause the staff to be hostile, disruptive and silent.

The best way to know how to write good essays is by getting a sample of an essay from competent experts online. We can give you the essay examples you need for future learning.

Free Essay Examples are here .

This paper has critically explained the concept of employee motivation and the various advocated theories used to motivate employees towards helping the organization to accomplish its goals. Theories of employee motivation suggest that there are many variables influencing how employees perceive their work and are motivated to achieve a high level of performance. Concepts of fairness, hierarchy, motivational effects and external motivational factors all give tools to help to analyze motivational influences and come up with strategies to increase levels of motivation at a workplace. Although most theories seem to conflict, they do shed light on those areas of motivation. Motivation is a vital area in the study of organizations and management, and it cannot be ignored even with the presence of many unanswered questions and conflicting theories.

Employees are the most important resource in an organization and, for this reason, they should be treated well and should always be motivated. Well-motivated employees are always ready to work hard towards achieving the set goals of the organization. Employees individually and collectively contribute to the attainment of the set goals for sustainable competitive advantage. It can be achieved through various ways including providing safe working conditions for employees, rewarding the employees well according to the work they do, and providing training programs to sharpen the employees’ skills.

Get a Free Price Quote

• Call to +1 844 889-9952

Employee Motivation and Work Engagement

Introduction, key findings of the articles, article synthesis, conclusion and recommendations.

The motivation of employees is a significant issue in the field of organizational behavior. Motivation can be defined as a psychological process that makes people adopt and maintain behavior that is oriented toward achieving goals (Singh et al., 2016). It is closely related to work engagement, meaning employees’ awareness of the company’s objectives and willingness to take efforts to help the organization to reach success (Rana et al., 2019).

Since engaged workers commit themselves to organizational goals, they contribute to the company’s growth and development (Singh et al., 2016). Therefore, it is vital for organizations to motivate their employees in order to survive and thrive. The aim of this paper is to review the recent literature on employee motivation to identify the factors influencing workers’ motivation and the effects of employee engagement on the organization’s performance. In the end, practical recommendations for practitioners and policymakers are given, which are likely to improve employee motivation in organizations.

The rationale for choosing the articles was their relation to the topic of employee motivation and work engagement. The majority of the selected articles are related to the chosen organizational behavior issue within the UAE, which is the region of interest of the author of this paper. Arab culture is different from the Western one, which is true for the workplace culture in particular (Al Sahi Al Zaabi et al., 2016). Therefore, for this paper, it was decided to minimize the number of articles that are not directly related to organizational issues in the Arab world.

Recently, researchers have expressed interest in exploring the influence of leadership on employee motivation. Al-Bahri and Othman (2019) aimed at studying how leaders influence the motivation of workers and their productivity. The researchers used the descriptive research design to identify the role of leadership in employee motivation and productivity in the Omani public sector. The rationale for their research was that in Oman, leaders often did not know the principles of motivating workers, and employees in the public sector had a low level of motivation because of guaranteed employment (Al-Bahri & Othman, 2019).

The study indicated that leaders had a significant influence on employee motivation and productivity. It was found out that leaders could foster workers’ innovative behavior, job satisfaction, and organizational performance by establishing a collaborative, respectful, and trustful climate and using financial and non-monetary incentives (Al-Bahri & Othman, 2019). The value of this study is in a thorough exploration of the existing literature on the effect of leadership on employee motivation.

Two studies were concerned with the interrelation between authentic leadership and staff engagement. Authentic leaders are individuals who are aware of their strengths and weaknesses, share information transparently, make objective and well-thought decisions, and act according to their moral values (Al Sahi Al Zaabi et al., 2016). Al Sahi Al Zaabi et al. (2016) conducted a quantitative empirical analysis to identify the influence of authentic leadership on employee empowerment and work engagement.

The method of the study was a questionnaire sent to 376 managers of a large petroleum company in the UAE. The participants were chosen using stratified random sampling, and the response rate was 50.3% (Al Sahi Al Zaabi et al., 2016). The results showed that authentic leadership motivates employees, thus increasing their work engagement and organizational citizenship behavior.

Al Samkari and David (2019) conducted a survey among 45 head teachers and 200 teachers in four private schools in Dubai to explore the relationship between authentic leadership and staff engagement. Their findings confirmed the results of the study by Al Sahi Al Zaabi et al. (2016) with a special reference to the field of education. The researchers found out that self-awareness, autonomy, and objectivity in making decisions, and moral values are vital for teachers; therefore, school leaders should possess these qualities and cultivate them in their employees (Al Samkari & David, 2019). These two studies suggest that authentic leadership is a suitable leadership style for improving employee motivation.

Another study was designed to explore what factors, apart from leadership, influenced employee engagement. Al Mehrzi and Singh (2016), driven by the evidence that only 26% of UAE workers were engaged in their jobs, decided to investigate what affected the engagement of employees in the UAE. They found out that organizational culture, including the workplace and relationships with coworkers, leadership, work in teams, and perceived corporate support, had a large influence on workers’ engagement (Al Mehrzi & Singh, 2016). These findings imply that for an organization to have an engaged workforce, it should improve each of the identified factors.

Researchers also expressed interest in investigating the relationship between the characteristics of jobs and the level of employee motivation. Singh et al. (2016) used the job characteristics model (JCM) to assess what parameters of jobs motivate workers in the UAE. The JCM proposes five characteristics that affect work outcomes: skill variety, feedback, autonomy, task significance, and task identity (Singh et al., 2016). If a job has high levels of at least three of these parameters, it has a high potential to motivate workers (Singh et al., 2016).

Singh et al. (2016) aimed at exploring the relationship between age, gender, and culture and the motivating potential of five job characteristics. The findings showed that people aged 30-39 experienced lower motivation due to a lack of feedback. Furthermore, white-collar jobs were found to be more motivating than blue-collar jobs. As for gender, females were usually more motivated, especially in terms of feedback, while men were motivated by task significance and skill variety.

Some studies were focused on investigating factors that help organizations to improve employee motivation. Syed et al. (2018) aimed at exploring how training could enhance workers’ job commitment and performance. Their findings indicated that training, such as transfers to other work areas or the development of work knowledge, increases employee motivation, thus improving their productivity (Syed et al., 2018). Al Naqbi et al. (2018) conducted a study to investigate how financial and non-financial incentives influenced employee performance and to what extent these incentives were used in the UAE public sector.

The researchers found out that non-monetary incentives, such as certificates of appreciation, enhance employee motivation as effectively as financial stimuli (Al Naqbi et al., 2018). As for the incentive system in the UAE, it was found to be good, but further improvements could be made because some employees were not awarded for excellent performance (Al Naqbi et al., 2018). These findings can be of value to policymakers developing the systems of employee motivation.

Scholars also paid attention to the question of how the motivation of employees affected organizational performance. Rana et al. (2019) distributed 200 questionnaires among IT and Telecom companies in India to study the relationship between work engagement and individual performance. They found out that high employee engagement led to outstanding task performance (Rana et al., 2019). Kim et al. (2017) intended to investigate the causal relationship between work engagement and organizational commitment.

Upon completing a literature review, the researchers concluded that in most cases, work engagement resulting from such factors as professional growth, job characteristics, and social support, led to organizational commitment (Kim et al., 2017). However, inclusive or interpersonal leadership could at first make workers committed to the organization, and after that, employees would become engaged in their work (Kim et al., 2017). Thus, employee engagement positively affects the performance and organizational commitment of employees, but, sometimes, leaders can make workers loyal to the company, thus causing them to be engaged in work.

Finally, one study attempted to evaluate the degree of employee motivation in the UAE banking industry and identify its impact on performance. Bose (2018) collected data from six major banks in the UAE and found out that employees in the banking industry in the UAE are insufficiently motivated. The researcher also identified that the job impact was the most significant motivating factor that enhanced employee motivation, while organizational culture was the least significant (Bose, 2018). These findings indicate the need for the UAE banking industry to improve its systems of employee motivation.

The key findings of the reviewed literature indicate that motivation is a crucial issue related to organizational behavior. It has a direct relationship with organizational performance since motivated employees are more committed to a company, more engaged in work, and more willing to fulfill the goals of an organization. The reviewed studies indicated a significant role of leadership in employee motivation. Al-Bahri and Othman (2019) found out that leaders can increase workers’ productivity by motivating them through establishing a collaborative and respectful working atmosphere. Other studies emphasized the role of authentic leadership on employee motivation.

Researchers proved that leaders could better motivate their employees if they exercised self-awareness, transparency in working relationships, objectivity in making decisions, and the adherence to moral principles and developed these qualities in workers (Al Sahi Al Zaabi et al., 2016; Al Samkari & David, 2019). Apart from leadership, such factors as organizational culture, perceived organizational support, and teamwork can increase employee motivation and engagement if they are well-organized within a company (Al Mehrzi & Singh, 2016). These findings give an insight into organizational aspects that managers should consider to enhance employee motivation.

There are certain measures that organizations may implement to empower their workforce. Syed et al. (2018) discovered that training workers and enhancing their competencies and skills raised their motivation and engagement levels. The study by Al Naqbi et al. (2018) showed that motivation was composed of three factors: non-monetary incentives (appreciation from managers), financial rewards, and the social dimension (the retirement system and allowances).

Singh et al. (2016) found out that job characteristics, along with age, gender, and culture, also influenced workers’ motivation. For a job to be motivating, it should possess high levels of such qualities as skill variety, task significance, task identity, feedback, and autonomy (Singh et al., 2016). Further, researchers discovered that workers of all ages often felt a lack of autonomy, and middle-aged employees experienced a lack of skill variety (Singh et al., 2016). A lack of feedback resulted in a low motivation in male workers and expatriates (Singh et al., 2016). Managers and policymakers may use these findings to redesign jobs and develop an incentive system to increase employee motivation.

The reviewed literature also proved the need for organizations to pay attention to employee motivation and engagement. Engaged employees outperform their tasks and have high productivity, which leads to the effective accomplishment of organizational goals and an overall increase in organizational performance (Rana et al., 2019). Employee engagement also leads to organizational commitment, but this relationship is reciprocal, meaning that in case of inclusive and interpersonal leadership, organizational commitment may lead to increased work engagement (Kim et al., 2017).

The considered studies also give some insight into the situation with employee motivation in the UAE. Although the system of incentives is perceived as good, it needs further improvements, particularly in the banking industry (Al Naqbi et al., 2018; Bose, 2018). The emphasis should be put on factors that workers consider important and the binding nature of rewarding employees for outstanding performance.

Employee motivation depends on such factors as leadership, organizational culture and support, teamwork, the system of incentives, and job characteristics. In its turn, it influences workers’ productivity and commitment, as well as the performance of an organization. Therefore, some recommendations may be given to practitioners and policymakers on what they should consider while planning to enhance employee motivation. First, it is necessary to educate leaders about the importance of motivating the workforce and provide them with tools for empowering workers. It may be beneficial to employ the principles of authentic leadership to motivate the staff.

The second recommendation is to redesign jobs so as to make them more motivating. It may be noted that men need more motivation than women, and expatriates need more empowerment than native workers. Thirdly, employees, especially middle-aged ones, should be provided with training to improve their skills. Finally, organizations should work on developing and refining their systems of financial and non-monetary incentives.

Al-Bahri, A. A. S. K., & Othman, K. B. (2019). The role of leadership in increasing employees’ motivation and productivity. International E-Journal of Advances in Social Sciences , 5 (14), 1134-1143.

Al Mehrzi, N., & Singh, S. K. (2016). Competing through employee engagement: A proposed framework . International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 65 (6), 831-843. Web.

Al Naqbi, R. A. K., Yusoff, R. B. M., & Ismail, F. B. (2018). The effect of incentive system on job performance motivation as mediator for public sector organization in UAE . International Journal of Engineering & Technology, 7 (4.7), 380-388. Web.

Al Sahi Al Zaabi, M. S., Ahmad, K. Z., & Hossan, C. (2016). Authentic leadership, work engagement and organizational citizenship behaviors in petroleum company . International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 65 (6), 811-830. Web.

Al Samkari, H., & David, S. A. (2019). The role and impacts of authentic leadership on staff engagement and performance: A study among school leaders and teachers in private schools in the UAE. Specialty Journal of Psychology and Management , 5 (4), 65-78.

Bose, I. (2018). Employee empowerment and employee performance: An empirical study on selected banks in UAE. Journal of Applied Management and Investments, 7 (2), 71-82. Web.

Kim, W., Kim, J., Woo, H., Park, J., Jo, J., Park, S.-H., & Lim, S. Y. (2017). The relationship between work engagement and organizational commitment: Proposing research agendas through a review of empirical literature . Human Resource Development Review, 16 (4), 350-376. Web.

Rana, S., Pant, D., & Chopra, P. (2019). Work engagement and individual work performance: Research findings and an agenda for employee relationships . Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research, 6 (5), 17-32. Web.

Singh, A., Singh, S. K., & Khan, S. (2016). Job characteristics model (JCM): Utility and impact on working professionals in the UAE. International Journal of Organizational Analysis, 24 (4), 692–705. Web.

Syed, N. A., Shaikh, N. A., & Pirzada, I. A. (2018). Training and development: Its effects on job performance in the selected companies of UAE. Journal of Social and Administrative Sciences , 5 (3), 181-195. Web.

Cite this paper

Select style

• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

BusinessEssay. (2022, December 16). Employee Motivation and Work Engagement. https://business-essay.com/employee-motivation-and-work-engagement/

"Employee Motivation and Work Engagement." BusinessEssay , 16 Dec. 2022, business-essay.com/employee-motivation-and-work-engagement/.

BusinessEssay . (2022) 'Employee Motivation and Work Engagement'. 16 December.

BusinessEssay . 2022. "Employee Motivation and Work Engagement." December 16, 2022. https://business-essay.com/employee-motivation-and-work-engagement/.

1. BusinessEssay . "Employee Motivation and Work Engagement." December 16, 2022. https://business-essay.com/employee-motivation-and-work-engagement/.

Bibliography

BusinessEssay . "Employee Motivation and Work Engagement." December 16, 2022. https://business-essay.com/employee-motivation-and-work-engagement/.

• Human Resource Career Paths and Strategic Planning
• Prejudice in Organization and How to Fight Them
• Effective Communication for Training Purposes
• Employee Transitioning to China
• Electronic HR Management: Issues and Recommendations
• Electronic HR Management Using Clerk.ly as an Example
• Developing Your Team on Example of Netflix
• Organizational Behavior: Stress Factors in Workplace
• The UnitedHealth Group’s Compensation Package Analysis
• HRM and Labour Market: Challenges and Solutions