Workplace Motivation

Motivational programs provided to employees can prove to be very useful tools to increase motivation from the employees, reduce employee turnover and help to maintain skilled and talented personnel. Strategies used to influence employee loyalty can be intrinsic motivation or extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation is explained as one's personal incentive to engage in an activity for a feeling of personal satisfaction and accomplishment without expectation of external rewards or recognition. Whereas, extrinsic motivation is defined as using external incentives such as prizes, money or rewards to motivate an individual to complete a task or engage in an activity.

Thus, this paper will first examine how various motivational strategies affected productivity in my workplace. In addition, it will include an explanation of the organization's efforts to improve performance, employees' resistance to increasing productivity, and the management's philosophy of motivation and its practices. Lastly, the paper will identify and analyze the implications of applying any two motivational theories not currently in practice in my selected workplace and how these motivational theories would have impacted both management and employees.

Previously, I worked for an organization whose primary purpose was selling; as a value-added reseller for a computer company the company sold computers, computer parts, supplies, and peripherals; as an added service the company maintained and serviced the products sold. As an employee, I was a member of the sales department. The other departments consisted of clerical and office workers, administration, payroll, shipping and receiving, technical support, quality control, and customer service. The company had various motivational strategies in place for the employees. For instance, the company's compensation was very competitive and included a procedure for yearly performance evaluations and salary adjustments. Each year the department managers and supervisors submitted a performance appraisal for each employee. The performance appraisal rated the employee in the following manner: not meeting potential, meeting potential, or exceeding potential. As a result of the report, annual pay adjustments were given based on the employee's overall performance rating. In fact, the company rewarded individuals based on their performance, skills, and contributions. The company's focus was to maintain an overall working environment that was team-oriented. Therefore, teams which achieved their goals and teams which exhibited above average performance received additional bonuses. The purpose of the pay incentive was to help the company attain its goals by attracting, motivating and retaining highly-qualified support staff and salespeople.

In addition to compensation and team-based incentives, the company also had employee recognition programs by providing an outstanding employee award and an employee suggestion program. In recognition of outstanding employees the organization extolled the Outstanding Employee Award. This award was given once a year to one employee who performed above and beyond normal job expectations and demonstrated a high-level of teamwork and support for others. Whereas, the Employee Suggestion Program awarded $10 to an employee who made a suggestion for improving work safety, the work process, product improvement or any suggestion that management was considered to implement. An additional $50 was awarded to the employee if management decided to adopt and implement the suggestion.

Additionally, the company offered other incentives as well such as paid holidays, paid vacations, and flexible working schedules for some departments; health insurance was provided to employees and their dependents as well as dental and life insurance. In addition, the company sponsored contests as well as parties and other social events. Furthermore, the company provided educational assistance through tuition reimbursement incentives or training seminars and workshops to motivate employees with an opportunity to take the initiative to improve their work skills and upgrade their knowledge in order to develop their career within the organization.

As a result of these various motivational strategies the company experienced a reduction in employee dissatisfaction, complaints and turnover, a decrease in customer complaints and dissatisfaction and an increase in company growth and profits. Due to motivation the overall office environment was friendly, supportive, and cooperative. Staff worked efficiently and effectively. As a rule, motivational levels in employees tend to fluctuate and individuals are challenged to perform their work at an optimal level all the time. Therefore, the company's, motivation programs helped to not only boost employee morale but also encouraged intrinsic motivation which resulted in optimal output.

In spite of the company's positive results due to the motivational strategies in place the company focused on the sales department to further improve on the company's profitability. The organization's efforts to improve performance and productivity within the sales department was to transition from selling primarily to trade accounts such as suppliers and resellers and instead develop end-user accounts and compete for government bids and contracts. The first order of business in this transition was to phase out the smaller trade accounts while maintaining the larger and more profitable accounts. During a departmental sales meeting, management along with executive officers explained that in order for the company to strive, survive, and to realize continued growth change was inevitable. The sales team was expected to handle increased responsibilities by implementing the objective to develop service and manage end-user accounts, solicit government bids and contracts, respond to requests for bids while servicing our larger accounts as well as servicing and phasing out the smaller accounts. This transition would require management to place a demand for increased productivity until the objectives were achieved. Sales team members would be expected to work longer hours during the week and come into the office on weekends in order to handle and complete their paperwork and use the regular business hours for selling time. However, once the objectives were successfully attained the outcome would result in returning to the standard work hours, more profitability for the company and larger paychecks, commissions and bonuses for the salespeople. Management also asked us for our suggested approaches to achieve the goal. We were also asked for our opinions, concerns and feedback regarding the objectives.

Initially, the sales team reacted with fervor, enthusiasm, and excitement to be asked to spearhead the transition and to be a part of the company's