Motivation Theories and Job Design in Human Resource Management

Motivation Theories
Theories of Motivation
5/28/2018

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT 1
Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Motivation Theories...............................................................................................................2
Motivation theories that influence effective processes of the employees..............................3
Equity theory......................................................................................................................3
Hawthorne effect Theory of Motivation............................................................................4
Motivation theories that influence behavioral processes of the employees...........................4
Maslow’s Need Hierarchy Theory.....................................................................................4
Expectancy Theory of Motivation.....................................................................................6
Characteristics of Positive Work Environment......................................................................6
Transparent and open communication...............................................................................6
Work-life Balance..............................................................................................................7
Training and Development focused...................................................................................7
Recognition for the Hard Work..........................................................................................7
Strong Team Spirit.............................................................................................................7
Designing Job to Motivate employees...................................................................................7
Hackman and Oldham job characteristics model and psychological states in relation to
work outcomes.......................................................................................................................9
The meaningfulness of work............................................................................................10
Meaningfulness of work...................................................................................................10
Responsibility...................................................................................................................11
Knowledge of outcomes...................................................................................................11
The relationship between Maslow’s components and job characteristics...........................11
Conclusion................................................................................................................................12
References................................................................................................................................14

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT 2
Introduction
Human Resource management is said to be a strategic method to the operative management
of business workforces such that they support the business in attaining the competitive
objectives (Price, 2011). This HR department is established to improve the performance of
the employees in the organization. The human resource manager is responsible for motivating
its employees and increases their productivity. Today, every organization is concerned about
their employees and is working to improve their productivity along with their standard of
living. In order to do this, they adopt various motivational theories and method that support in
attaining this objective (Martocchio, Laio and Joshi, 2011). This report is being prepared in
order to highlight the theories that are being used to motivate the employees of the firm.
Description of the characteristics of the positive environment of work and how designing of
the job is done by the HR to motivate the employees will be explained. Besides this,
discussion of the Hackman and Oldham's will be explained. In the end, discussion of the
relationship between Maslow's general components and job characteristics will be done.
Motivation Theories
The most significant factor to attaining success in the business is the capability to motivate
the employees. It is the fact that it there are two workers they will not be similar or alike; it
could be a challenge for the company to know what will influence the employee so that a
proper motivational theory can be implemented (Nduka, 2016). There are various numbers of
theories of motivation that support company in bringing out the best from the employees.
Some of the key Motivational theories are Herzberg's Motivation-Hygiene Theory, Vroom's
Expectancy Theory, Maslow's Need Hierarchy Theory, Porter and Lawler's Expectancy
theory, Argyris's Theory, McClelland’s Need Theory, Urwicks’s Theory, and McGregor’s
Participation Theory (Evans, 2015).

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT 3
Motivation theories that influence effective processes of the employees
Equity theory
Source [(Tankonyvtar, 2011)]
The motivation theory equity explains the relationship among the perception of employees of
how much fairly he is being treated and how much stronger he is being motivated to perform
his job. Equity theory says that employee recognizes what they receive from a task or job
situation (outcomes) in association to what they have involved or provided into it (inputs) and
then the inputs-outputs are compared with the rations of inputs- outcomes of others. This
theory of motivation shows:
Inputs- Inputs comprises every diverse and rich element that are believed by the employees
that they will bring or have contributed to the work such as their experience, commitment,
education, loyalty, and effort (Bell, 2012).
Outputs- Outcomes are said to be the rewards that are received by the employees’ from their
work and the outcomes of the employees are comprised of fringe benefits, psychological and
social rewards, bonuses and direct pay, and job security.
Over rewarded- If one worker is being over-rewarded then the theory of equity says that
they will feel an inequality in their relationship or bond with the other employee and will try
to regain that balance.