Motivation Theories in the Modern Workplace: A Unilever Case

This essay explores the critical role of motivation in organizations, focusing on how it drives workers to achieve individual and collective goals. Using Unilever as a case study, the report examines motivation theories, particularly Maslow's hierarchy of needs, and their practical application in the modern workplace. It analyses how Unilever identifies and addresses the needs of its employees to enhance productivity and engagement, covering physiological, safety, social, esteem, and self-actualization needs. The essay concludes that understanding and applying motivation theories is essential for businesses to foster a positive work environment, reduce employee turnover, and achieve organizational objectives. Desklib provides this content as a student contribution, offering a valuable resource alongside past papers and solved assignments.

Assessment 2
Individual Essay

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION..........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................4
Cover theories of motivation and how to utilize them in the modern workplace.......................4
Analysis.......................................................................................................................................7
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
Organisation includes motivation so that they drives the workers in order to meet
individual and collective goals. This increases the level for commitment of workers for enterprise
so they can achieve targeted goals in effective manner. Organisations gives many kind of factors
of motivation to their workers which includes benefits, incentives and perks. The report is based
on Unilever which is a international consumer commodity organisation( Umida, Zarina and
Shahram, 2020). The company have their headquarter in London, United Kingdom and this was
formed on September 2nd, 1929. This offers different products of nutrition, hygiene and personal
care to the consumers for make them satisfy their needs. This report also includes the motivation
theories and their application in modern workplace.
MAIN BODY
Cover theories of motivation and how to utilize them in the modern workplace.
Motivation is an essential factor which aids a person for achieving their personal goals so
that they develops their career and required manner. The organisations achieves target in an
effective manner through motivating the workers according to their preferences. Unilever
focuses to analyse the demand and needs of the workers so that they gives benefits as per them
which increases their productivity(Nolen, 2020). Objective and goals is to be achieved through
Unilever when they motivates the workers in an proper manner which improvise their habits for
work. This helps to enhance the employee's engagement in an enterprise so they can eliminate
workers turnover. For identification of the requirements, Unilever utilise Maslow's hierarchy as
want in their enterprise. This was introduced through Abraham Maslow in 1943 and this suggest
that workers are motivated when their basic wants were fulfilled. This includes hierarchy for
various needs which will be fulfilled one after another in order for motivating workers in best
possible manner.

Figure 1 Maslow's need hierarchy
The first need of hierarchy referred as physiological needs which is being said as
elementary need of individual. Enterprise have to fulfil the needs so the workers can survives in
good manner because this is important to survive. This consists requirements for water, shelter,
food, air, clothes and sleep which is to be fulfilled by Unilever in effective way through
providing accommodations so the workers can get motivated. This assists workers to motivate
themselves in order to fulfil the operations in an effective manner. Completion of the needs have
to be carried on in effective manner due to goals can be achieved when all needs were satisfied.
This is essential for Unilever for satisfy the needs, as after fulfilment of these needs the next
level of needs have to be developed from the hierarchy. The need is essential for fulfilled so any
of the person can develop next level need which is higher in hierarchy.
The next level needs come when security and safety is developed after need of
physiological in the hierarchy. Need of an individual to control actions and activity in the life so
they can achieve success and growth in an appropriate manner. Safety is very essential factor as
this helps in contributing effort with their will without any disturbances. Some security and
safety wants includes wellness and health, financial security, emotional security, personal

security and many other(Hennessey, 2019). Unilever gives formal letter of job which will satisfy
the needs of job security in place of work. They give different benefits such as accommodations,
insurance policies, authorities and many other benefits which motivates them for performing in
their desired manner. Unilever also gives an safe working environment to unemployed through
focusing on the grievances and problems of them, which increases the productivity. Regular
health care facility were provides through Unilever so that they maintains good work force in the
organisation. The company focus on requirement of the workers in regular basis which helps in
good motivation which result in objectives achievement. Policy of workplace and procedure
have to be made in desired manner which makes sense for security. Unilever also gives
compensation for accidents and injuries on place of work so the workers can work in an efficient
and effective manner without any type of burden.
Fulfilling the security and safety needs to develop needs of next level from hierarchy
which is social and love belonging needs. This suggests human beings which need interpersonal
relationship a place of work so that they shares their feelings, views, thoughts and emotions in
desired manner. Unilever make sure that the workers respect each other and accept various
religious groups so they can promote harmony and peaceful workplace. Belongings have to
involve acceptance, trust, affection and friendship with other workers so they feels satisfied and
they feel motivated and contribute the efforts in an positive manner(Hattie, Hodis and Kang,
2020). Unilever focus in celebrate arrange sport, diverse occasions and organise events so each
and every worker participate. This helps them to eliminate loneliness, social anxiety and critical
depression of the workers so they can increase and improvise the productivity and performance
in an effective manner. Enhance interaction will results in maintain positive working
environment which assists in resolving different doubts and misunderstandings so the outcome
have to be achieved in an effective manner. Maintaining good relationship also helps in share
innovative and creative ideas in good manner so the operations have to be performed in required
manner.
The next need revolves around the hierarchy which is raised by need of esteem which needs the
self respect from other peoples. Workers need stable esteem so they can develop in their career
in their desired ways by encouraging the self. It includes the different needs such as status,
recognition, prestige, prestige and fame at the place of work which encourages them in
completing the operations which are needed for target achievements. Unilever acknowledge the

employee's efforts so they fulfil the needs of esteem which aids in development. Company
promotes the employee's and give them bonuses so they get encouragement for achieving higher
success. Executives of Unilever provides value to the employee's and makes them feel vital in
firm by acknowledging their efforts(Grant and Shandell, 2022). They even celebrates the
achievements which are small so employee's desire for great achievement with motivations help.
Business organisations must allow the employee's in participating in professional tasks and
promote the participation in teams so they effectively satisfy the needs of esteem. It enhances the
employee's confidence level of employee's which aids them in growing the abilities and skills so
they develop the career in proper manner. Giving respects to the employee's will help them in
analysis of self worth which is important factor of motivation for achievements of set goals and
desires.
It is the last need in hierarchy which is need of self actualisation. This need is related with
personal growth, self awareness, and fulfilment of potential of the person. Employee's must
realize their potential so they meet the needs in efficient manner(Chamberlin, Yasué and Chiang,
2018). The need is different for each person due to the expectations, abilities and skills. Unilever
promotes the employee's for fulfilment of needs of self actualisation and give power for
motivating them. It is vital for satisfying the needs as its the last needs stage which must be
identified by executives of business organisation. Unilever gives different benefits to employee's
so they encourage for achieving success. Employee's think that they are capable of every task
due to past experiences. Executives of Unilever promote employee's to position where they a
boost of morale in proper manner. Personal development is the factor of highly focused in
hierarchy level which must be satisfied in proper manner.
Analysis
It has been analysed that motivation is the significant factor in modern work places for
getting the things done by the employee's in proper manner. Unilever has used the theory of
Maslow's need hierarchy for encouraging the employee's in accordance to their choices. The
theory analyses the various levels of requirements in proper order which must be fulfilled by the
business organisation. The very first level of hierarchy consists of fundamental needs which aids
the employee's in survival(Batson, 2022). Contemporary business organisations such as Unilever

fulfil the the needs of physiological which includes the next level needs which are security and
safety. It aids in enhancing the engagement of employee's in the business enterprise for long time
period. The 3rd level in hierarchy suggests that workers needs the belongingness and love which
is fulfilled by Unilever in proper manner by including all the employee's in all tasks. After the
activities fulfilment the business organisation must focus on the esteem need of workers by
providing them respect. In hierarchy the last need is self actualisation which suggests that
workers needs to be recognize for the achievements. It has been analysed that Unilever has
successfully found the employee's need resulting in positive results.
CONCLUSION
The above project concludes that business organisations encourages their employees for
improving the performance. Motivation basically refers to the needs, desires, and wants which
the person have for completing the activities and tasks. Business organisations uses different
factors of motivation for stimulating the employee's so they perform the business tasks in proper
manner which aids them in achieving the collective goals. Business enterprises must always
analyse the needs and preferences of employee's and encourage them in accordance to their
wants and needs so they achieve positive results. In addition the project also includes about the
theories of motivation which is used by the business organisations for motivating the employee's.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Batson, C.D., 2022. Prosocial motivation: A Lewinian approach. Motivation Science, 8(1), p.1.
Chamberlin, K., Yasué, M. and Chiang, I.C.A., 2018. The impact of grades on student
motivation. Active Learning in Higher Education, p.1469787418819728.
Grant, A.M. and Shandell, M.S., 2022. Social motivation at work: the organizational psychology
of effort for, against, and with others. Annual review of psychology, 73, pp.301-326.
Hattie, J., Hodis, F.A. and Kang, S.H., 2020. Theories of motivation: Integration and ways
forward. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 61, p.101865.
Hennessey, B.A., 2019. Motivation and creativity.
Nolen, S.B., 2020. A situative turn in the conversation on motivation theories. Contemporary
Educational Psychology, 61, p.101866.
Umida, K., Zarina, R. and Shahram, A., 2020. Characteristics, significance and role of
motivation problms in foreign language learning. Asian Journal of Multidimensional
Research (AJMR), 9(3), pp.61-65.