Motivational Theories at Workplace: A Case Study of Tesco

This case study explores the implementation of motivational theories at Tesco to effectively manage the Jack discount stores. The study focuses on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory. Advantages and limitations of each theory are discussed.

Case study

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY..............................................................................................................................................3
Maslow- Hierarchy of needs....................................................................................................................3
Herzberg Two factor Theory...................................................................................................................5
CONCLUSION...........................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES............................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
Motivational theories at workplace help the organisation to make the new and existing
employees work effectively with full enthusiasm. Present study is based on the company Tesco
that is a British multinational firm located in England and was founded in the year 1919. Report
will include different motivational theories that may help Tesco to make its employees work
effectively. Report will also include advantage and limitation of these theories to jack discount
stores.
MAIN BODY
There are different motivation theories that may help jack discount stores and satisfy the
management of Tesco. These theories are helpful for the business to understand the behaviour of
its employees and accordingly motivate them so that they can work more effectively. A
motivated staff generally works harder and that results in greater outputs for the business in just
shorter period of time. This also reduces the labor cost with a great impact on the productivity.
Tesco is required to implement the respective motivational theories at its work place in
order to satisfy the management at Jack discount stores:-
Maslow- Hierarchy of needs
This theory will work effectively for Tesco to manage the Jack discount stores more
effectively as this theory works on the five essential needs of the working staff(Bouzenita and
Boulanouar, 2016). Organisation is required to work on fulfillment of these needs and these
needs are as following:-
Figure:- 1

Illustration 1 :- Maslow hierarchy of needs
 Physiological needs:- There are some basic needs like food, water, shelter etc. that every
working employee is required to survive so that they can work effectively for the
business. Tesco is required to provide monthly salary of the employees on time, company
can also provide a place where every employee can work and have to provide the
required facilities. This will motivate them to work more effectively.
 Safety needs:- As the physiological needs get fulfilled, employees want safety and
security at the work place. There are pension and sickness schemes that Tesco provides to
its working staff (Fallatah and Syed, 2018). Working employees are also set free to join
union. Company ensures health and safety of the staff that is quite beneficial to motivate
the employees working at Jack discount stores.
 Social needs:- As the safety needs gets fulfilled, employees looks for social needs that is
feeling of loved and accepted. For the same Tesco is making the staff work in team and it
also encourages home from home ethos.
 Self-esteem need:- With the fulfillment of social needs, workers looks for self-esteem
that is to be self-confident and to feel good about oneself. There are appraisal systems at
Tesco that motivate the working staff to work hard for the business. This helps in
recognizing the individuals work and to celebrate their achievements(Hale and et.al.,
2019).
 Self-actualization need:- As all the above needs get fulfilled, employees looks for self-
actualization need that is to be creative and different from others. For the same Tesco is

having different personal development plans for its employees which can enhance their
skills and can bring new opportunity for them. There are career programs that help the
staff to reach higher goals and become asset for the organisation.
Advantages and Limitations of Maslow hierarchy of needs:-
Advantages:-
 This theory motivates the individual working staff to move from the basic needs to higher
needs so that they can have effective growth. This growth will help Jack discount stores
to have skilled and creative staff members.
 With the help of this theory, Tesco will be able to have self-actualized staff that is having
full potential to operate business at Jack discount stores(Hopper, 2019).
Limitation:-
 This theory is having some limitation that is it become tough to understand why some of
the employees at Jack discount stores are ignoring basic needs in order to have higher
level of need.
Herzberg Two factor Theory
Figure:- 2

Illustration 2:- Herzberg's two factor theory
There are certain factors on which the motivation of the employees usually depends and
these factors are true motivators and satisfiers. If these factors are not there in the working
conditions of the employees, it will leads to dissatisfaction among them. This dissatisfaction will
result in absenteeism of workers or inadequacy in their work. Tesco is required to improve these
two factors in order to make employees work effectively at Jack discount stores. Tesco needs to
empower its employees by having timely communication with them and by involving the staff in
the decision making process. Employees are required to be set free for sharing their opinion with
respect to pay rise and promotions. Giving rewards for good performance also motivates the staff
members (Kotni and Karumuri, 2018).
Hygiene factors:-
 Pay:- Employees at are required to be satisfactory with respect to the pay that they are
getting while working at Jack discount stores. Pay must be equal and have to be
competitive as compared with other organizations that are working in the same industry.
 Policies:- It is essential part that the policies of Tesco are not too rigid and have to be fair
enough in eyes of the employees. If flexible working hours are provided to employees

while they work at Jack discount stores, this will motivate them to work more
effectively(Alfayad and Arif, 2017).
 Working conditions:- It is important to have safe and hygienic working conditions with
the help of good equipments that are well maintained by Tesco.
 Interpersonal relations:- Employers are required to build an effective relation with its
employees as it helps in making them work more effectively.
 Job security:- Tesco provides job security to its working employees that will encourage
them work at Jack discount stores to increase its productivity(Alshmemri, Shahwan-Akl
and Maude, 2017).
Motivational factors:-
 Recognition:- Employees working at Jack discount stores are required to be praised for
their good work and time to time appraisals must be given in order to motivate them to
keep a quality of work.
 Promotional opportunity:- For getting improved performance of staff, Tesco is required
to motivate them with different promotional opportunities.
 Meaningfulness of work:- The work at Tesco must be interesting and also challenging so
that employees can put their creative mind and get motivated to work with innovative
ideas(Holmberg, Caro and Sobis, 2018).
Advantages and Limitations of Herzberg’s two factor theory:-
Advantages:-
 This theory helps to work on dissatisfaction of the working employees at Jack discount
stores and make them motivated to work effectively for the business.
 Helps to utilize the skills of working employees in right direction (Hur, 2018).
Limitation:-
 This theory only work on satisfaction and not on the productivity of the working
employees.
 This theory ignores blue collar workers and that leads to a limitation.

CONCLUSION
From the above report it is been concluded that the Tesco is required to implement
motivational theories like Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs and Herzberg’s two factor theory at the
work place in order to make the new working employees satisfied and motivated to work at Jack
discount stores and increase its productivity.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Alfayad, Z. and Arif, L.S.M., 2017. Employee voice and job satisfaction: An application of
Herzberg two-factor theory. International Review of Management and Marketing. 7(1).
pp.150-156.
Alshmemri, M., Shahwan-Akl, L. and Maude, P., 2017. Herzberg’s two-factor theory. Life
Science Journal. 14(5). pp.12-16.
Bouzenita, A.I. and Boulanouar, A.W., 2016. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs: An Islamic
critique. Intellectual Discourse. 24(1).
Fallatah, R.H.M. and Syed, J., 2018. A Critical Review of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.
In Employee Motivation in Saudi Arabia (pp. 19-59). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Hale, A.J. and et.al., 2019. Adapting Maslow's hierarchy of needs as a framework for resident
wellness. Teaching and learning in medicine. 31(1). pp.109-118.
Holmberg, C., Caro, J. and Sobis, I., 2018. Job satisfaction among Swedish mental health
nursing personnel: Revisiting the two‐factor theory. International journal of mental
health nursing. 27(2). pp.581-592.
Hopper, E., 2019. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Explained. Viitattu. 12. p.2019.
Hur, Y., 2018. Testing Herzberg’s two-factor theory of motivation in the public sector: is it
applicable to public managers?. Public Organization Review. 18(3). pp.329-343.
Kotni, V.D.P. and Karumuri, V., 2018. Application of Herzberg two-factor theory model for
motivating retail salesforce. IUP Journal of Organizational Behavior. 17(1). pp.24-42.
ONLINE
Maslow hierarchy of needs. 2020. [ONLINE]. Available.
through<https://www.google.com/search?
q=maslow+need+hierarchy&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwitzP7Pk7Pp
AhVHbysKHbsmBJMQ_AUoAXoECBIQAw&biw=1366&bih=657>
Herzberg’s two factor theory. 2020. [ONLINE]. Available. through <
https://www.google.com/search?
q=herzberg+two+factor+theory&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiapa_0
pbPpAhVKfisKHXOrAUcQ_AUoAnoECBIQBA&biw=1366&bih=608#imgrc=IhUosa
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