Literature Review

Objective

For the articles in my Literature Review, I have chosen one objective from my research proposal. The objective that I have chosen is the following

Ð'„Ð'« To inform Pizza Hut about the value of motivation and ways to motivate its employees

Reviving staff spirit: a key to impressive service. (Customer Service).

Ð'„Ð'« Scott, Gail (Sept Ð'ÐŽV Oct 2001)

- Objective:

This journal article is concerned with workers in the healthcare industry, who are demoralized and dissatisfied with their jobs. The article mentions the methods that successful systems use to help their staff members reconnect with the firmÐ'ÐŽÐ'¦s mission and vision, and bring new life and meaning to their work. The various motivational techniques mentioned that are used in this article can be applied to other industries as well.

- Tools:

The first tool is to Ð'ÐŽÐ'ҐRaise the barÐ'ÐŽÐ'¦, where the workplace should demand high quality service from its staff. This will help to breed pride, professionalism, morale, commitment and unity. Roadblocks should be eliminated, and staff should be empowered. A learning environment should also be created, and flexibility should exist. Teamwork should be emphasized in as many ways as possible. Also, employees should be appreciated for their contributions, by means of thank you notes, prizes, etc.

- Findings:

An important business strategy today and a key to customer satisfaction, is to revive staff spirit. Continuously ensuring that staff members are recognized for their value is important to organizations.

Small rewards can push productivity. (Small, Medium, Large).

Ð'„Ð'« Gale, Sarah Fister. (June 2002)

- Objective:

This web-based article is clear in mentioning the methods that can be used when motivating employees. It provides tips on how to create satisfied workforce, especially in todayÐ'ÐŽÐ'¦s competitive environment.

- Tools:

If the firm has a big budget for recognition programs, then cash is the best motivator. On the contrary, inexpensive gifts can also provide a great stimulus for better performance. When creating a motivational program, the first step is to establish a clear-cut goal that is tied to company values. Training may be a necessary component. Also, choosing the wrong incentives can affect the success of the program Ð'ÐŽV the gifts should be appealing and varied. Communication is also another critical element. Once the program is implemented, employees need to be reminded about who has received the awards and what needs to be done to receive an award. The article also gives three different scenarios of companies following this strategy.

- Findings:

In conclusion, motivational programs need to follow a proper set up process in order to be successful. The key to all motivational programs is recognition Ð'ÐŽV Ð'ÐŽÐ'§Recognition is like oxygen to employees; they canÐ'ÐŽÐ'¦t survive without itÐ'ÐŽÐ'Ё.

Differential Effects of Incentive Motivators on Work Performance.

Ð'„Ð'« Stajkovic, Alexander D. and Fred Luthans (June 2001),

- Objective:

The purpose of this study was to find if a relationship existed between money and work performance. The study was administered systematically based on stages of the organization behavior modification model. The study also examined the effects of money, social recognition, and feedback on performance when all three are commonly applied based on the organization behavior modification model.

- Tools:

The study was conducted in a large company consisting of 7000 employees, out of which 182 participated. The participating employees were divided into four sets of groups:

Routine Pay for Performance n=50

Monetary Incentives n=43

Social Recognition n=50

Performance Feedback n=39

- Findings:

The study found that money has the strongest effect on performance, followed by social recognition, and then performance feedback. Also, the effect of performance between money and feedback was statistically significant while the effect on performance between social recognition and feedback was not statistically significant. (There were no statistics given in the journal article)

Employees not encouraged to go extra mile

Ð'„Ð'« Morris, Linda. (April 1996)

- Objective:

The focus here is on a survey that was conducted by New JerseyÐ'ÐŽÐ'¦s Response Analysis. The survey identified important factors that initiated employees to work better, and also factors that discouraged effort.

- Tools:

The survey was administered to 1563 managerial, technical and professional employees in manufacturing, services and government/education sectors. Employees responded to the open-ended questions mentioning that a sense of worth would make them feel valued, a good relationship with the manager would also be appreciated, compensation would be a good incentive, etc. The responses by those surveyed are summarized in the chart below.

Also A four-step plan to motivate employees is outlined by Dave Lynn

Ð'„X Give employees responsibility

Ð'„X Ð'ÐŽÐ'ҐFocus on employees strengthsÐ'ÐŽÐ'¦

Ð'„X Celebrate Success

Ð'„X Build better communications between managers, employees and peers

- Findings:

The survey identified the areas where employees would like improvement, and a proper motivational program can be implemented based on these findings (using the four-step plan).