BX2195: Employee Motivation, Theories & Application in Thai Airlines

This report discusses employee motivation theories and their relevance to organizational success, focusing on Thai Airlines as a case study. It reviews literature on motivation, including Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory and Vroom’s Expectancy Theory, and analyzes the challenges and opportunities for employee motivation within Thai Airlines. The report identifies issues such as work-life balance and talent retention and recommends strategies for improvement, including organizational citizenship behavior and the application of motivational theories to enhance job satisfaction and reduce employee turnover. The analysis considers McClelland’s and Maslow's theories, providing a comprehensive overview of how Thai Airlines can better motivate its workforce. Desklib offers similar resources for students.

Student Name
INSTITUTIONAL AFFILIATION(S) |
Hospitality, Cultures
and People
EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION

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Table of Contents
Executive summary....................................................................................................................2
1. Introduction............................................................................................................................3
2. Background............................................................................................................................3
3. Literature review....................................................................................................................3
3.1. Definition.........................................................................................................................3
3.2. Conditions required for internal motivation among employees......................................4
3.3. Employees needs and expectations.................................................................................5
3.4. Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory.......................................................................................5
3.5. Vroom’s Expectancy theory............................................................................................5
3.6. Research gaps and limitations.........................................................................................6
4. Discussion and Analysis........................................................................................................6
5. Recommendations/Conclusion...............................................................................................9
References................................................................................................................................12

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Executive summary
Purpose: This report intends to discuss employee motivation theories and how it enhances
organisational successes. This report will apply and recommend Thai Airlines concerning
how employee motivation can eliminate issues in its employee management.
Methodology: This report will use majorly peer-review journal articles and web-based
information related to the company.
Findings: The employee motivation within hospitality, culture and people study has gained
much prominence especially for airline industry that is facing rapid change within its
business environment.
Recommendations/Conclusion: After analysing various motivational theories and concepts,
this report recommends Thai Airlines in considering organisational citizenship behaviour that
ascertains implementation of required changes within its employee management system.

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1. Introduction
Thai aviation industry has expanded significantly in last few years with entry of many
new aircrafts that prompts consolidation of employee motivation concept with Thai
hospitality and airline industry. This research report aims at making a detailed research
concerning employee motivation theories and concepts that can motivate employees
operating in hospitality and airline industry. This report will use academic and credible
sources related to motivational theory in literature review section that can be further applied
in Thai airlines businesses. This report objectives lays in finding critical factors that are
associated with employee motivation that can enable job satisfaction within Thai airline
employees.
2. Background
Established in the year 1960, Thai Airlines will complete 60 years in 2020, still
committed to preserve Thai identity in its service and for achieving company’s objectives
with the support of its staff and executives (International Trade Administration, 2018). Thai
company’s mission and vision plays a significant part in spreading awareness regarding
uniqueness in Thai culture and tradition alongside revealing the company’s respect for its
employees. Thai government is planning to open around 29 airports in next decade and to be
in line with Thailand’s rule, Thai Airlines divided its organisational structure into 2 parts:
Company committee and Company’s management division that comprises diversified
generation employees (Thai Airways, 2019).

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3. Literature review
3.1. Definition
Motivation can be defined as “a need or desire that causes a person to act” (Ahmad &
Khan, 2016, p. 43). Employee motivation can be referred as an expression or intention to
perform given tasks for achieving something. Motivation is been derived from the word
move, push or proceed to accomplish certain goals (Singh, 2017). In literature, many
scholarly definitions of employee motivation are stated, however motivation in employees is
most commonly regraded as a significant driver that can build desire among employees to
work in an enhanced and effective manner. Different industries utilise different ways to
motivate their workforce as today’s managers understand the benefits behind motivated and
satisfied workforce to accomplish organisational success (Badubi, 2017).
3.2. Conditions required for internal motivation among employees
Figure: Outcomes of Motivated Workforce (Bhatti , Syed , & Shaikh , 2012)
The job characteristics framework proposed by Hackman and Oldham reveals that
structure of work can lead to high motivation within employees along with enabling superior

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job satisfaction and work objectives (Bhatti , Syed , & Shaikh , 2012). According to the
above figure, internal motivation among employees are influenced due to three basic factors
that influences them to work more alongside increasing job satisfaction level in them. For the
same, individuals need to understand their job role clearly and how to perform the job that
fulfil their basic motivational needs (Bhatti , Syed , & Shaikh , 2012).
3.3. Employees needs and expectations
The concept of job satisfaction to motivate employees was developed by Elton Mayo
after conducting Hawthorne studies in Chicago’s Western Electric Company. He found that
employees perceive influential workplace atmosphere that establishes psychological factors
and social relationships (Rast & Tourani, 2012). According to the research conducted by
Kingir & Mesci (2010), organisational citizenship behaviour can considerably influence
regions in west culture especially in terms of organisation-based culture and application as it
brings job commitment, productivity and satisfaction for motivating employees significantly.
3.4. Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory
This proposes one of the most controversial yet popular theory according to which
employee motivation does not merely concern upon rewards or incentives only (Plessis,
Douangphichit, & Dodd, 2016). Rather, Herzberg finds that hygiene factors create more job
satisfaction and motivation among employees. His theory mainly grounded on two factors
that influences employee’s behaviour: motivator and hygiene factors. He proposed that
hygiene factors include company policy, work conditions, administration, payroll etc. and if
any of these factors remains absent, employees may face dissatisfaction from their job along
with getting demotivated to work effectually (Ahmad & Khan, 2016).

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3.5. Vroom’s Expectancy theory
Established in 1964, expectancy theory is based upon three basic relationship: effort
performance and reward. Effort-performance relationship leads in successful completion of
certain job. Performance-reward relationship leads to specify organisational rewards for
conducting specific job. Reward-goal relationship provide sync with employee’s goals and
rewards that attracts them to work more. When all the goals are met, employees tend to be
motivated in their workplace as they receive higher than expected which eventually leads to
organisational success (Ahmad & Khan, 2016).
3.6. Research gaps and limitations
Since employee retention and turnover has become significant issue in many industries,
airline industry is no exception to it. While contemporary organisations are developing in
terms of challenges faced, employee retention issues have made many researchers and
authors conduct empirical research upon employee motivation related study (Garcia, 2018).
Though most of the current literature do not particularly emphasise upon airline industry, this
report will apply employee motivation theories from broader concept that can effectively
assist Thai Airlines in developing motivated workforce.
4. Discussion and Analysis
Human resources especially for airline industry paly a very critical role for the successes
in the businesses. In airline companies, employees perform service-related job the most and if
it is not providing excellent service, it is expected that job-related motivation within staff is
not up to the required level. According to Saad (2018), employee motivation can be used as a
critical tool for enhancing organisational productivity and thus top-level management must
properly analyse their employee motivation factors after considering their social,
psychological and economical needs. The increased complexity in aviation industry
environment brought many challenges for Thai Airlines in Thailand and since the company’s

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success majorly depends upon its employee’s performance, motivating them effectively can
be proved as most considerable way.
Due to extensive expansion of airline businesses seen within Thai airline industry, the
work quality and employee work-life-balance issue has been recognised by Jangisiriwattana
(2016) and the author shows an urgency to consider this issue by the firm’s HRM
practitioners. Kampitak & Yoopetch (2018) reveals that in most of the Thailand’s airline
companies, businesses strategies do not involve devising and creating strategies that can
retain talented labour. According to the author, airline industries are not considering
environment that motivates and encourages its employees so that they remain loyal with their
firms. However, present literature indicates that management performance is been expressed
at its peak when every individual objectives and organisational goals are supported by its
people and strong organisational culture (Tungtakanpoung, 2016).
According to Garcia, Pongkrapan, Sacares, & Surinta (2018) series of issues within HRM
affects airline industry due to which Thai Airlines have to face pilot and labour shortages.
Although Airline executives are considering people as a significant part of their company, the
employees working for Thai Airlines feel poor relationship with top executives which
threatens overall financial and other operation related functions in the company. The authors
added that since airline employees faces personal and professional issues like health issue,
emotional difficulties, cultural diversification and work-overload, top management of Thai
Airlines must address the identified issues immediately so that the firm can sustain in the
upcoming years.
The issue identified in Thai Airlines employee management reveals that the company
needs to motivate the workforce extensively through application of Herzberg’s motivational
theory. This will help the organisation in creating opportunities for employee’s personal

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growth, recognition as well as enrichment. Every employee can get promoted after
completing certain stages that may boost their professional and career related uncertainties
along with recognising paid rewards for special achievements. For example, if any employee
contributes exceptional outcomes in his/her subjects, the company can promote his/her job
position along with granting few days leave that may motivate others also to work in
excellent manner. However, since Herzberg theory comes with an additional drawback that
fails to distinguish between psychological and social aspects, it might fail to explain what
motivates individuals more effectively and how they differ from hygiene factors (Shahzadi,
Javed , Pirzada , Nasreen, & Khanam, 2014). Therefore, Vroom’s expectancy theory might
prove more applicable in Thai Airlines case as this theory stipulates employee’s behaviour as
per their choices that determines their motivational needs. Expectancy theory derives
satisfaction among individuals and helps in minimising dissatisfaction among them. Human
factors like personality, skills and performance determines employees job role. This theory
explains that individual’s performance, effort and motivation are within individuals’ variables
like instrumentality and valence (Badubi, 2017). Thus, higher individual efforts in work, will
bring more performance measurements in Thai Airlines.
Looking from the lenses of McClelland’s motivation theory, Thai airlines employees can
significantly focus upon one particular need that is achievement. According to the
McClelland’s theory, achievement is not a universal motivator that works for every
individual and needs varies from person to person (Badubi, 2017). Employees who poses
experience or needs achievement never faces risk or dissatisfaction. Similarly, Thai Airlines
employees needs to be motivated by developing a sense of need among them that may
considerably make their job role more acceptable and healthier. On the other hand, Maslow’s
motivation theory can motivate Thai Airlines employees by evaluating their needs hierarchy
from low level to high level that can be provided by the firm. It can potentially assist

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managers in comprehending why their employees tends to leave their job or shows
dissatisfaction due to which the company has to face increased employee turnover. Moreover,
it will explain the company employees about ways to respond to certain things or issues that
they are currently faced by them while working in the firm. However, this theory also has few
drawbacks like insufficient information regrading what motivates individual employees’ as
every person need might differ from each other.
5. Recommendations/Conclusion
As per various motivational theories, employee motivation can be rooted within
individuals by minimising physical pain and maximising workplace pleasure. Or, workplaces
may include human satisfaction needs that can potentially energises and motivates employees
along with attributing less apparent reasons like selfishness, morality, work-overload and
altruism. Conceptually, motivation factors must be included after combining various
motivational factors that can enable employees with desired empowerment, encouragement,
support, desire, feedback and training (Kaithapall & Gundal, 2009).
Plessis, Douangphichit, & Dodd (2016) claims that when employees are inspired and
motivated, they remain involved with their organisation’s activities to their best potential
which further assist companies in achieving core organisational successes. Moreover, the
rapid changes in aviation industry requires the human resource departments to drive policies
and system that can influence employee’s behaviour, performance and attitude to keep them
motivated and satisfied (Jangisiriwattana, 2016). In literature and text books, many
approaches have been mentioned that can potentially motivate workforce out of which four
common approaches includes: psychological, social, behavioural and cognitive approach that
fits crucially in attaining and setting organisational goals.

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Figure: Relationship between employee motivation and organisational citizenship
behaviour (Ahmad & Khan, 2016)
Organisational citizenship behaviour is one discipline that can explain individual
behaviour and the reasons behind different behaviour along with defining advantages and
disadvantages of it. As behavioural discipline has gained much prominence in literature,
many workplaces are considering this phenomenon to influence individuals as well as the
teams through instilling motivation among them (Veličkovska, 2017). There are many
motivational theories present in literature, as discussed above in this report all of them try to
connect organisational outcomes with individual behaviour. Nevertheless, the basic goal
behind all the theories is to improve organisational effectiveness and efficiency but utilising
most significant factor of the firm which is employees. Organisational culture of Thai
Airlines certainly defines employees’ attitude, behaviour and values, but still requires
adequate organisational culture that can be enabled through motivated workforce only. Other
than strong organisational citizenship approach, this report also recommends Thai Airline to
consider effective communication system within its workplace so that employees are able to
share their viewpoints with top management. This will significantly reduce gap between

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employees and top executives along with helping the organisation in achieving good results
with enhanced employees’ satisfaction.

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References
Ahmad , S. W., & Khan, T. (2016). Does Motivation Lead to Organizational Citizenship
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Badubi, R. M. (2017). Theories of Motivation and Their Application in Organizations: A
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Bhatti , N., Syed , A. A., & Shaikh , F. M. (2012). Job Satisfaction and Motivation in
Banking Industry in Pakistan. Journal of Asian Business Strategy, 2(3), 54-62.
Garcia, M. (2018). Recruiting And Training For Critical Jobs Threaten Airline Growth. Can
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critical-jobs-threaten-airline-growth-can-technology-help/#57f6eb945104
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Kaithapall, M. L., & Gundal, R. R. (2009). Motivating Hospitality Industry Employees: A
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Tungtakanpoung, M. (2016). Employee Behaviour and Role of Culture: The Case of Thai
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