A Detailed Literature Review on Motivation in Organizational Behavior

This literature review examines the multifaceted aspects of motivation within organizational behavior, drawing from three journal articles. The first article emphasizes the importance of employee voice in boosting morale and productivity, while cautioning against potential bureaucratic challenges. The second article explores the impact of gender diversity on employee retention, suggesting that increased gender diversity can lower turnover rates. The third article reviews workforce research in the tourism and hospitality sector, highlighting the need for more comprehensive studies to understand and address the unique motivational factors in this field. The review concludes that understanding and addressing motivational factors, such as communication, diversity, and industry-specific needs, are crucial for fostering a productive and engaged workforce. Desklib provides access to this and other solved assignments.

Running head: MOTIVATION IN ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR 1
Motivation in Organizational Behavior
Name
Institutional Affiliation(s)

MOTIVATION IN ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR 2
ASPECTS OF ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR
Journal #1:
Wilkinson, A., Gollan, P. J., Kalfa, S., & Xu, Y. (2018). Voices unheard: employee voice in the
new century.
Summary of source
This paper is concerned about motivation of the employee by giving them a voice. It
examines the competing arguments and contributions towards the concept of employee voice in
the current generation of organizational setup. It highlights the significance of this kind of
communication by proclaiming its possibility of realizing cohesion and boosting the esteem and
productivity of the employee. It reminds the readers of the established Human Resource
Management conventions such as democratic freedom of workers and warns of the consequences
if such freedom is stifled. It insists on terminology that gives dignity to the employee
participation as opposed to those that demean this noble undertaking. Organizational behavior is
meant to realize improvement in an organization. Embracing a culture of communication helps to
realize this objective.
Strengths and weaknesses
The ideas proposed in the article such as upward communication and involvement of the
employees are significant in realizing the gains indicated such as boosting of morale,
safeguarding the dignity and assuring of cordial relationship between management and the
subordinates thus meeting the ideals of organizational behavior. However, the article fails to
avail alternatives that could cure the bureaucracy this proposal risks for the organization with
increased demands for consultation. If this is overemphasized also, the sense of control that is a
key tenet to management may be lost as there shall be limited space for the supervisors to direct

MOTIVATION IN ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR 3
their subordinates and expect limited challenge where employees question a little too much about
the running of the organization.
Relevance of source
This study highlights crucial factors that enhance and influence political behavior and
motivation of employees at the place of work as it elucidates the effect of upward
communication on the morale of the employee. The management also gets to learn from the
subordinates who are better placed to comprehend the working conditions thus fostering a good
working relationship between employees and their superiors.
Author background
Paul J. Gollan of the University of Wollongong is credited with a number of publications
on sustainability and management matters.
Personal conclusion about the source
Policies made for the good of the organization may not be popular with those tasked to
implement them. This could be for the reason that the competing interests between the top
management and the subordinates differ sharply. It could be informed by the response to
unpopular government policies forced down the population, but the top management must find
ways of implementing them. The top management could also be focusing on sustainability or
budget constraints, while their employees on their part looking into their present welfare that
should be improved. It is inevitable that there may be a failure to make sense of the voices and
call for the application of other conventions to strike a compromise.
Journal #2:

MOTIVATION IN ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR 4
Ali, M., Metz, I., & Kulik, C. T. (2015). Retaining a diverse workforce: the impact of gender‐
focused human resource management. Human Resource Management Journal, 25(4),
580-599.
Summary of source
A higher gender diversity translates to a lower turnover in an organization. Considering
that turnover is an expensive aspect, this paper strived to find out the key implication of
prediction drawn from demography theory which is of the view that high turnover could be
brought about by a high gender diversity. Moderating effect prediction was applied alongside the
demography theory. A survey applied in human resource decision making coupled with archival
databases were applied in drawing information from almost two hundred established
organizations. The findings indicated that increasing gender diversity was a workable formula to
realize lessened turnover thus cut costs.
Strengths and weaknesses
Every theory has its limitations. Marrying two theories to establish findings on a research
is virtuoso in that it moderates the severity of the limitations that may arise from relying on just a
single one. The sample size of almost two hundred organizations should be sufficient to
substantiate the findings drawn. However, the organizations that are operational are by far way
higher in percentage to the size taken. Reservations may, therefore, be drawn as to the
authenticity of the findings going by the sample size in relation to the population size in
question.
Relevance of source

MOTIVATION IN ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR 5
This source seeks to relate motivation of employees by stressing the significance of
workforce diversity. It avers that turnover rates are lowered when gender diversity is increased.
It, therefore, calls for adoption and execution of policies and practices that are gender sensitive.
Author background
Professor Carol Kulik is a specialist in Human Resource Management associated with the
Centre for Workplace Excellence and the University of South Australia.
Personal conclusion about the source
In a society that still grapples with gender inclusivity, scientific representation of the
importance of gender diversity is necessary to help right the wrongs some management are yet to
include in their organizations. This inclusivity has been established to motivate workers to
realize better productivity.
Journal #3:
Baum, T., Kralj, A., Robinson, R. N., & Solnet, D. J. (2016). Tourism workforce research: A
review, taxonomy, and agenda. Annals of Tourism Research, 60, 1-22.
Summary of source
The tourism and hospitality sector is a crucial area in terms of the nature of its service.
The employees in the sector are however a neglected lot in as far as workforce research is
concerned in publications regarding the sector. The write-up gives an assessment of the current
situation, illustrating the scope of the sector and what future research regarding the workers
should encompass.
Strengths and weaknesses
The paper has more of abstraction than solid recommendations on what changes and how
they should be affected. It is also limited to just a single sector, that is, of hospitality. It may

MOTIVATION IN ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR 6
therefore not give a sufficient representation of the dynamics of the workforce to be applicable
across the board. Moreover, the themes reviewed are not exhaustive and the scope of the study in
terms of duration and locality limits deductions of comprehensive insight into the welfare of the
workforce in the sector discussed.
On its strengths, however, it brings to the fore issues that have not been canvassed much
in terms of an under-researched topic in workforce issues. It also highlights the fragmented
analysis, theories, and topics of earlier research while laying a multi-level model for further
research.
Relevance of source
In order to understand organizational citizenship behavior and what motivates a set of
employees especially those unique to the sector they work in is crucial fostering productivity of
the workers.
Author background
Robinson RN is a Ph.D. holder at the University of Mississippi and Solnet DJ is a
renowned author of business and economics.
Personal conclusion about the source
Information is crucial in offering top management guide on how to handle the workforce.
Research provides for a source of such information. Limited research on an area thus stifles
availability of this information that could precipitate a crisis in an organization on account of
lack of reference or case studies from which to draw an example from especially on how best to
motivate those they supervise or exercise managerial authority over.