Impact of Motivation on Individual and Team Performance in the Workplace

“Discuss and evaluate how levels of motivation can impact upon an
individual's and a team's performance in the workplace, taking the
strategies available to assist in sustaining motivation within an
organisation into consideration.”
INTRODUCTION:
Motivation is derived from the word ‘motive,' which implies a person's desire, needs,
wants, or urges. Motivation is a psychological process that takes place in the brain. It
motivates and inspires others to take action in order to achieve the desired outcome.
As a result, as an individual or as part of team, employees are more willing to
perform to their full potential.
Motivation is critical in the workplace as motivation covers elements like producing,
directing, and maintaining behaviour toward the achievement of goals.
Workplace motivation is one of the most crucial parts of any firm. This study defines
motivation and evaluates the requirements and desires that motivate people. In
addition, this study also discusses the function of motivation and how vital it is for an
organisation to have motivated personnel.
It also examines five main perspectives that have contributed to our knowledge of
motivation: Maslow's need-hierarchy theory, Herzberg's two-factor theory, Vroom's
expectation theory, Adam's equity theory, and McClelland's theory.
It is imperative to also focus on several motivational elements that are accountable
for employee motivation. As a result, by examining what employee motivation is, we
can emphasise the significance of motivated employees in today's fast changing
workplaces.
Motivation has been defined as “a psychological process resulting from the
reciprocal interaction between the individual and the environment that affects a
person’s choices, effort, and persistence” (Latham & Ernst, 2006).

Importance of motivation:
Motivation is an essential component of management. Managers must be able to
inspire their employees. There is a direct link between motivation and achievement.
According to Jex and Britt (2008),’’satisfaction in the workplace is crucial for
organizational success.’’ Employee motivation has long been a fundamental concern
for leaders and managers.
Employees that are unmotivated are more likely to put in little or no effort at work,
avoid going to work as much as possible, leave the company if given the chance,
and create low-quality work. Employees who are motivated to work, on the other
hand, are more likely to be persistent, creative, and productive, producing high-
quality work.
‘’If employees feel that management communicates in an efficient manner, it
motivates them to perform better and develop team spirit is very important for the
smooth functioning of the organization ‘’ (Rajhans, 2012:81).
Individual motivation is crucial for the following reasons:
 It assists them in achieving their personal objectives.
 They are content with their work.
 Individuals benefit from working in a dynamic, unstudied team.
Motivation is beneficial to the business because:
 Motivated employees enable teams to be empowered.
 Because of greater employee involvement, success and profitability have
been achieved.
 When it comes to making changes, creativity and adaptability are key.
 In the workplace, it creates a stimulating and upbeat environment.

The role of middle manager:
Motivating employees: Employees are an essential aspect of any firm. As a result,
keeping them engaged is critical to ensuring that the organization's goals are
realised. Employees should not only be inspired, but they need also be managed
and led in such a way that the organization's goals are met.
Recognize What Motivates Each Employee:
Because people are different, assuming that everyone can be motivated by the same
incentive is a mistake. Some are driven by money and advantages, while others are
motivated by praise and work-life balance compromises.
Assessing each employee's work duties and underlying motives is the first step in
motivating employees in management. An employee analysis necessitates meeting
with each employee individually to examine their work-related objectives.
Combine Work and Employee Goals
Managers may motivate their staff as a manager by ensuring that their work goals
correspond with their work goals. This necessitates strategic planning and
communication since managers must clearly communicate to their personnel what
managers expect of them.
A critical responsibility of the middle manager is to develop methods that will
increase employee and corporate productivity. They also assess junior managers'
performance and motivate them to do better.
Employee engagement entails motivating employees to contribute to the
organisation, particularly with regard to discretionary activities. Employees who are
engaged are more likely to join the organisation, stay with the organisation longer,
work harder at their jobs, and refrain from destroying the business.

Employee empowerment is a component of efficient people operations, albeit one
that is overused. For example, too much "empowerment" might sometimes imply
insufficient guidance, resulting in role ambiguity. One of the characteristics that tends
to reduce employee happiness and limit worker performance is "role ambiguity."
Motivation Theories:
Motivation theories can be used to figure out the best strategy to attain a corporate
objective or strive toward a certain outcome. Successfully implementing motivation
theories may also assist managers in providing more effective assistance to their
staff, increasing their production, hence their total revenues.
According to Elton Mayo, ‘’employees are not only motivated by pay, but could also
be highly motivated if their social needs are fulfilment especially when they are at the
workplace’’ (Sheldrake, 2003).
I. Maslow's Needs Hierarchy
Maslow described needs as a hierarchy. The idea is that needs at the bottom of the
hierarchy must be met before moving on to the next level and attempting to meet
those demands.
Now, each individual's needs change all the time, but an employer can utilise the
hierarchy at any moment to try to determine what will inspire an employee.
The hierarchy's five tiers are as follows:
According to Maslow, everyone has the same basic requirements that drive our
behaviour. When he first introduced the five phases in the original version of "A
Theory of Human Motivation," he presented them as a strict hierarchy, which meant
that each level of the hierarchy had to be met before moving on to the next.