Employee Motivation and Leadership in Organizational Behaviour

This essay delves into the multifaceted realm of organizational behaviour, focusing on the critical elements of employee motivation and effective leadership. It explores various theories that shape the understanding of workplace dynamics, including Hertzberg's Two-Factor Theory, Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, the Hawthorne Effect, Expectancy Theory, and the three-dimensional theory of attribution. The essay examines how these theories provide frameworks for understanding what drives employees, how leaders can inspire and motivate their teams, and how organizational structures impact overall performance. It also analyzes the practical implications of these theories in fostering employee engagement, job satisfaction, and a productive work environment, emphasizing the importance of recognizing individual needs, providing constructive feedback, and setting achievable goals. Furthermore, it discusses how different leadership styles, such as Theory X and Theory Y, influence employee behaviour and outcomes, providing insights into creating a positive and motivating workplace culture. The essay provides valuable insights for students to understand the complex interplay between leadership and employee motivation within an organizational context.

Running head: ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR
Organizational Behaviour
Name of the student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Employee engagement is considered being a workplace approach that results in the
appropriate conditions regarding every organizational staffs for giving their utmost ever day,
committed to the goals and values of the company, having the motivation towards the success of
the organization as well as having an improved sense of their personal welfare. Certain factors
that can motivate employees are associated with the aspect of recognizing the abilities, having a
sense of achievement, stimulating work, promotion, having a sense of responsibility and
empowerment and so on. There are various ways in which an organizational leader will be able
to provide motivation and inspiration to their employees (Rumbles 2015). The most common
methods that are considered being effective in this regard are associated with the aspect of
showing confidence in each individual, encouraging a ‘take charge’ behavioural aspect, in which
individuals are making things happen, encouraging the aspect to involve as well as empower
each individual, giving credit as well as praising each person that deserves it, fostering the
process of working in a team as well as encouraging togetherness, assisting in building pride in
the contribution’s of individuals, encouraging the process of working in a team and for every
individual in assisting one another, providing scopes in respect of every individual for learning
new skills as well as capabilities and leading as well as individually contributing to the growth of
each individual (Mital 2014).
According to Hertzberg’s Two-Factor Theory, there are two factors that are influencing
motivation as well as satisfaction of the staffs. The motivation factors are considered to be the
factors that are leading towards satisfaction as well as motivating the staffs in working harder.
For instance, this might take into consideration the scope of enjoying the work, feeling
recognized as well as having a progression in their career (Moliner 2017). The Hygiene factors
state that they will be leading towards dissatisfaction as well as a lack of motivation when they

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are not present. These include salaries, organizational policies, advantages, relationships with
managers as well as colleagues. Although the motivator factors helped in increasing the
satisfaction as well as motivation of the staffs, the lack of these factors will not necessarily be
causing dissatisfaction. Similarly, the existence of the hygiene factors does not seem to increase
satisfaction as well as motivation, however their lack gave rise to the growth in dissatisfaction
(Martin 2017).
This theory provides the implication that in respect of having the most productive
workforce, there is the requirement for working towards the improvement of the motivator as
well as hygiene factors. For providing assistance in motivating the staffs, it is necessary ensuring
that they are having a feeling of appreciation as well as assistance. There is the requirement for
providing numerous feedbacks and ensuring that the staffs have an understanding in which ways
they can develop and make progression through the organization. For the prevention of job
dissatisfaction, it is to be ensured that the organizational staffs should be having a feeling that
they get the right treatment by getting the most suitable conditions for work as well as fair
wages. It is to ensure that proper attention is paid to the team and supportive relationships are
formed with them (Pettigrew 2014).
For the occurrence of true engagement within an organization, there is the requirement
for removing the concerns that are causing dissatisfaction – the baseline advantages provided by
the organization that will be satisfying the hygiene requirements of the staffs.
According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, the bottom-line of this theory is that the
most fundamental requirements of the individuals must be actualized before they will be
becoming motivated for achieving higher level requirements. The hierarchy comprises of five

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stages that are physiological, safety, love, esteem as well as self-actualization. The physiological
requirements must be met for the survival of an individual that includes food, water as well as
shelter. The safety requirements will include the individual as well as financial security as well
as health and welfare. The love need is associated with friendships, relationships and family. The
esteem needs is associated with the requirement to feel confident and have respect from others.
And, finally self-actualization need is having the desirability for achieving everything that one
possibly can and becoming the best of oneself (Kelloway 2017).
For instance, Chip Conley, the founder of the Joie de Vivre chain of hotels and
Hospitality Head at Airbnb, made use of the Hierarchy of Needs pyramid for transforming his
business. According to him, there are many managers who are struggling with the abstract
concept of self-actualization and therefore, are focusing on the lower stages of the pyramid as an
alternative. During an employee retreat, Conley found that one of the ways for assisting with the
higher stages was to assist his staffs in understanding the meaning of their roles (Lyon 2015). His
team was able to realise their job towards the organization and towards the people they were
assisting. The team was able to feel respected as well as motivated for working harder when the
importance of their roles was shown to them. Therefore, it is recommended to a manager that for
getting the best out of the team, it is required to ensure that the team is given adequate support in
other areas of their lives outside work (Haslam 2014). He might offer flexible working hours for
providing the staffs with the necessary time for focusing on their families and ensuring that they
are paid in fair manner for assisting them in having economical stability.
According to the Hawthorne Effect, it can be stated that it is tendency of certain
individuals in working harder as well as performing more effectively when they were getting
observed by the seniors. It seemed that the productivity of the staffs had a gradual improvement

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when a change was made by the seniors in regard to a number of physical aspects that includes
the aspect of lighting, hours of working as well as intervals (Hogg 2014). It seemed that the
staffs gained motivation to work and started working more effectively in reply to the attention
that was paid to them in comparison to the authentic physical changes themselves.
This theory also suggested that staffs will be working more productively when they will
know that they are getting observed. Further improvement to this aspect can also be made by
offering daily feedback to the employees regarding their work. When the staffs will have a
feeling that they are being cared for in respect of their conditions for work, it might be
motivating them in working harder (Jan 2014). Seniors within the organization can provide
encouragement to their teams by providing feedback as well as suggestions relating to their
workspace as well as growth.
According to the expectancy theory, it was proposed that individuals will be choosing in
what ways behaviour should be conducted based upon the results they are expecting as an
outcome of their behaviour. At the work-front, it might be that staffs are working for longer
hours since they are expecting a rise in pay. On the other hand, this theory is also suggesting that
the method by which staffs are deciding upon their behaviours, is also affected by the ways in
which they are perceiving the rewards (Ghosh 2017). In this regard, the staffs might be having
the inclination towards working hard when a promise of a pay-rise will be made to them.
This theory is depending upon three components such as expectancy, instrumentality as
well as valence. The expectancy element is associated with the mindset that the effort of a staff
will be resulting in his/her anticipated goal. This is depending upon the previous experience of
the staff, the self-confidence of the staff and how much challenging it is for the staff to actualize

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the goal (Lammers 2013). The instrumentality element is suggesting that a staff is having the
belief that he/she will be getting rewarded when they will be meeting the performance
expectations. The valence element is associated with the value he/she will be placing on the
reward. As a result, in regard to the Expectancy Theory, employees get motivated when they are
having the belief that they will be receiving a much needed reward when they will be hitting an
attainable target (Judge 2014). On the other hand, the staffs are not having adequate motivation
due to the fact that they are not having the desire to receive the reward or they do not believe that
their endeavours will be resulting in the achievement of the reward.
This theory when applied in the workplace will be associated with the key aspect of
setting achievable objectives in respect of the staffs as well as providing rewards that they are
having an actual desire for. Rewards might not be occurring in the form of rise in payment or
bonuses. To provide motivation to the staffs, attributes such as praise, scope to progress as well
as ‘staff of the month’ rewards style will be going a long way to provide motivation for the staffs
(Rees 2015).
According to the three-dimensional theory of attribution, it can be stated that this theory
will be explaining in what ways the staffs are attaching meaning to their own as well as the
behaviour of other individuals. There are various theories in respect of attribution. The thee-
dimensional theory of attribution will be stating that the reasons the staffs are attributing to their
behaviour will be influencing in what ways they will be behaving in the future. It can also be
stated that particular attributions were having less significance in comparison to the attribution
traits (Pugh 2013). There are three major attribution traits that will be affecting motivation in the
future that will be including the aspect of stability, locus of control as well as controllability.

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In respect of the characteristic regarding stability, it is to be found out how much stability
is there within the attribution. It needs to be stated that the steady attributions in respect of
successful achievements will be leading towards positive anticipations and therefore, higher
motivation in respect of future success. On the other hand, in challenging circumstances,
constant attributions will be leading towards lower future expectations (Lee 2016).
In respect of locus of control, it can be stated whether the event that occurred was
because of an internal factor or external factor.
In respect of controllability, it can be stated how controllable was the circumstance. For
instance, when an employee is having the belief that they could have provided a better
performance but did not do so, in the next time they might feel less motivated in trying once
more in the future in comparison to an individual who is having the belief that the reason for
their failure was due to the factors that were out of their controlling ability (Amulf 2014).
In regard to the application of this theory in the workplace, it can be stated that it is
having the implications in respect of staff feedback. It is to ensure that the staffs will be receiving
particular feedback, which will help them in having the knowledge that they can improve and in
what ways they need to proceed with it (Wilson 2013).
According to the Theory X, Theory Y Model, it can be stated that there are two ways to
manage as well as motivate the employees. In accordance with this theory, it can be stated that
many managers are tending towards the Theory X and in general, starts getting poor outcomes.
On the other hand, the managers that are enlightened as well as successful are using Theory Y
that is producing better performance as well as outcomes, and allowing the employees in having
growth as well as having a development in their roles (Biswas 2015).

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Theory X is considered as the authoritarian style of management stating that an average
staff is detesting work and will be avoiding it whenever it is possible for him to do so. As a
result, majority of the staffs need to be forced for actualizing the organizational goals by
threatening them with punishment. An average employee is having the preference of being
directed, for the avoidance of responsibility, and is somewhat having less ambition and longs for
security more than anything else (Pearson 2014).
Theory Y is considered being the participative management style stating that employees
are applying individual control as well as individual direction for pursuing the goals of the
organization without having any external control or the threat of getting punished. Employees are
generally accepting as well as mostly seeking responsibility. Being committed to their goals is a
functional aspect relating to rewards that is associated with the achievement of the employees
(Reynolds 2017).
To conclude the discussion, it can be stated that for understanding the team through the
use of theories of motivation, certain stages need to be applied for assisting in inspiring,
motivating as well as influencing the team towards becoming successful. In this regard, there is
the requirement for putting a plan together, completing with actions as well as time-scales, for
including these factors within the organizational team as well as practices of leadership. In
today’s modern world of business, managers are having the realization that motivation is very
much significant within the place of work and therefore, having a strong dependence upon the
principals as well as constructs that are explained in different motivational theories, having the
belief that these will be assisting in improving the performance as well as satisfaction of the
staffs. Also, employee engagement is associated with the emotional experiences as well as
welfare of the organizational employees. It has been found out that emotional factors are having

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a link with the individual satisfaction of an employee as well as the sense of inspiration as well
as confirmation they are getting from their work as well as from being a part of the company.
It has also been stated that employee engagement is considered having meaning when
there occurs a more authentic responsibility sharing amongst the management as well as staffs
regarding matters of substance. One of the major drivers of staff engagement was in relation to
the staffs having the scope for feeding their opinions to the seniors. In addition, the engaged
staffs are more likely to do the displaying of discretionary behavioural aspect. Engagement is
considered having a close relation with the feelings as well as insights for getting valued as well
as having an involvement that as a result, will be generating the types of flexible effort that will
be leading towards improved performance. Therefore, irrespective of how automated a company
might be, increased productivity will be depending upon the motivational level as well as the
efficiency regarding the workforce. As a result, the training of the employees is considered being
a vital strategic aspect in respect of motivating the employees. Certain factors that will be doing
the enhancement of staff motivation are fair pay, special allowances, leadership, supervision
quality, sufficient relationship to work, scope for growth, organizational loyalty, identifying as
well as fulfilling the requirements, better conditions for work and so on. Moreover, there are
three major attribution traits that will be affecting motivation in the future that will be including
the aspect of stability, locus of control as well as controllability.

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