Question

Assume that you are a manager in a factory and your supervisor has asked you increase productivity without hiring additional workers or incurring overtime. Describe how you could motivate the existing workers using one content perspective and one process perspective. Support your answer.

Answer 1

I could motivate the existing workers using the content perspective with many different theories of needs. Among them we will discuss only one, i.e., Maslow's Hierarchy of needs.

According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs people must satisfy five groups of needs, i.e., physiological, security, belonging, esteem and self-actualization. A person's productivity can be increased when all his needs are satisfied. The first one, is physiological need, it means basic needs like, food, clothing, shelter and air to breathe must be met. Managers provide new employees a basic salary, which is essential to satisfy the food needs of workers.

Second is security, it means having a roof over your head and clothing for your body. It also consists of having a pension plan to secure worker's future. When workers feel secured about their job, it can encourage them to increase their productivity.

The third need of hierarchy is belonging which describes the need for love and acceptance. When workers feel that they have friends around them who love them, care for them and they are accepted by their friends, they feel motivated to work and increase productivity.

The fourth level in the hierarcy of need is esteem, it consists of self-image and self-respect. When workers reach a level in their job, they feel pride for them and their jobs. This helps them to boost their productivity level.

The last step in Maslow's pyramid is self-actualization, it is the point where everbody wants to reach. At this point, one should know himself, his strength and accept himself what he is. In this way, he can raise his confidence level and increase his productivity.

Process Perspective:

Expectancy Theory: According to expectancy theory motivation depends on two factors, one is how much we want a particular thing and another is how likely we think we are to achieve it. For example, an employee who is working good and behaving well expects that he must get an increment in his salary. This is expectancy theory. If the employee's expectancy is met, that is, he is provided with a hike in salary then it will raise his motivation level. So as a manager, I could motivate them by paying a higher salary.

Effort-to-Performance Expectancy: It says that whatever effort we put into a task, we get that type of result. If employees are putting their highest effort then they will get the highest outcome. They need to be encouraged in that way which makes them to put their maximum effort on their task, so that they will get best results.

Performance-to-Outcome Expectancy : This says that performance will give you a specific result. This is different from the effort-to-performance, in the sense that you need to hope that things will go in your side even if you didn't act. For example, if an employee will not work hard and expect that he will get a good salary and a good position. The manager should encourage the employees by showing them the real truth of life. As a manager, I would make them realize that nothing can be obtained without a good performance.

Outcomes and Valences: Outcomes are the results of behaviors in an organization, usually rewards, whereas valences are an index of how much an individual expects a particular outcome. Employees should be encouraged to behave well and increase their effort level so that they can expect a better result.