Unilever's Employee Motivation: Theories and Strategies

This essay delves into the critical topic of employee motivation within organizations, using Unilever as a practical case study. It begins by highlighting the significance of employee motivation for achieving organizational goals, emphasizing the role of leaders in fostering a motivated workforce. The essay then explores two prominent motivation theories: Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and McClelland's Theory of Needs. Maslow's theory is discussed in detail, outlining the hierarchy from physiological needs to self-actualization, and how Unilever addresses these needs. McClelland's theory, focusing on the needs for achievement, power, and affiliation, is also examined, with examples of how Unilever implements strategies related to these needs. The conclusion synthesizes the analysis, reiterating the importance of motivation in the workplace and the effectiveness of the discussed theories in driving employee engagement and achieving business objectives. The essay draws upon various academic sources to support its arguments.

Individual Essay

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES:...............................................................................................................................7
Books and Journals.....................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
Motivating the employees in the workplace is very important for the organisations in
order to achieve the goal in effective manner (Koenka, 2020). Leaders of the business firms uses
various techniques through which they which they motivate their employees in the company. It is
seen that motivated employees shows more engagement with work and values the goals of the
organisations. For this report, Unilever has been undertaken into the account. It is a British
multinational consumer goods company that is based in the London, UK. They provides various
types of products to their customers like tea, coffee, minerals, clothing, toothpaste, soap etc. In
the following report there will be the discussion on the various theories of the motivation in
relation to the chose organisation.
MAIN BODY
One of the most important theory is the Maslow's Hierarchy theory of needs that
clearly explains the concept of the motivation at the workplace. This concept was given by the
Abraham Maslow in the year 1943. This concept of the motivations explains that there are
various factors involved which provides the motivation to the individual at the workplace. The
concept of the motivation starts from the basic needs to the high level of the needs through which
the employees can focus more in achieving the goal of the company.
Physiological needs is the basic needs of the individual that is to be fulfilled in order to
fulfil the basic needs through which employees in the company can maintain their living. This
factor includes food, shelter, water and al the other essentials that is required for living.
Organisation and the business firms should focus on to fulfil these needs in the workplace
through which the employees cannot face any difficulty in living (Schunk and DiBenedetto,
2020). For example, Managers of the Unilever provides these basis needs to the employees
through which they do not face any challenges in easily spend their life. It is one of the basic
needs of the employees that the organisation focuses on to fulfil. After fulfilling this needs the
second that comes out in this motivation theory is the Security and safety needs. This factor is
the second factor that focuses on that the employees should provide safety and security while
they carry out the work in the organisation. It is a complex stage in which all the steps are taken
by the organisation related to the safety measures that should be [provide to the employees in the
organisation. This types of needs includes different kind of safety like financial security, health

& wellness, safety against the accidents and injury. These are the major security needs that
employees wanted in order to complete the work in the company. For example, Unilever
company leaders provides these security to their employees in the company that helps them to
increase their motivation towards the work. Third need that comes in this theory is the Social
needs. This means that the organisation and the business firms should focus on to fulfil the social
needs of the employees. This needs of this theory means that the upper level of the management
should make healthy and family relationships with the employees in the workplace through they
can develop the sense of belongingness (Hiver, Kim and Kim, 2018). This type of needs highly
shapes the behaviours of the employees and after getting this needs they work with more
motivation. For example, Unilever managers conduct several meetings and seminar through
which they develop healthier relationships with their employees in the workplace. Fulfilling this
needs facilitates the company to increase the engagement of the employees towards the goal and
values of the business. They also focuses on that the employees should develop healthy
relationships with each other through which they can work with more integrity. After this need,
Esteem needs comes (Brandmiller, Dumont and Becker, 2020). This needs means that the
employees of the company wanted that they should get respect and the appreciations from the
upper level of the management. This needs means that the organisation should recognise their
employees according to their work and the efforts they are making in order to achieve the goal.
For example, managers of the Unilever helps their employees to gain the respect and recognition
at the workplace by appreciating them. Last needs of this theory is the Self-actualisation needs.
Unilever company focuses on that the goal of the company should be achieved but with the
personal goals of the employees.
Another theory that best explains the concept of he motivation MCCLELLAND'S
Theory of needs and motivation (Abdurashitovna, 2020). This theory of the motivation was
developed by the David McClelland in the year 1960. This theory mainly focuses on the three
points that are need for achievement, power and the affiliation that helps the organisation to
motivates their employees at the workplace. This theory explains that the needs of human is not
developed at the time of their birth but It takes place with the life. Needs of the individual is
decided by the experience they has in their past life. This theory of needs and motivation mainly
consists three parts that are achievement, power and affiliation. It is also known as the three
needs theory. First part of the theory is the Need for achievement. This part of the theory means

that the employees in the organisation wanted to achieve new goals and targets and want to be
established their names in the specific field. For achieving this types of needs in the company
they set their personal goals high through which they can feel more motivated after completing
that task in the company. For example, Unilever company provides various types of
opportunities of the work to the employees through which they can develop the needs of
achievement. Through this employees become more innovative in relation to carry out the work
in the company (Batson, 2022). They finds innovative and effective ways to accomplish the task
in the company. By achieving the objectives in the company that has been given by the upper
level of the management they develop the feel of the achievement. Second part of this theory is
the Need for power. This needs focuses on that the individual should have the power through
which they can have the control over the other persons and can change their decision in relation
to their needs and wants. This need focuses on increasing the self esteem and reputation of the
employees in the company through which they can feel superior and powerful. This needs is
appropriate for those who performs as a leader in the company. This helps the leaders to
accomplish the tasks according to the goals of the organisation. This also facilitates them to have
control over the employees decision making power and allows them to satisfy the needs of
power. In order to increase the motivation of the leaders in the company they provide this needs
to them through which they can exercise the control over their employees. For example, Unilever
company provides the power to their leaders accomplish the task by exercising control over the
employees in the company (Nolen, 2020). Management department of the company focuses on
that this type of needs should be provide to the leaders of the company because they are the most
appropriate people who can feel motivated after exercising this needs. More motivated leaders in
the workplace facilitates the organisation to carry out the work in a discipline manner. Another
needs that comes in this motivation theory is the Need for affiliation (Weiner, 2018). This need
means that some people in the organisation believe to develop and make healthy relationship
with others in order to carry out the operations at the workplace. For example, Unilever leaders
focuses on to create an environment in which the employees can work by making healthy
relationship with each other. They find the employees who wants to work in the groups in order
to achieve the goal.

CONCLUSION
From the above report it has been analysed that motivating individual at the workplace is
very important for the organisation and the business firms in order to achieve the goal of the
company. It has been evaluated that leaders are the main persons in the company who are
responsible for increase the motivation of the employees through which they can effectively
carry out the work. In above report, Maslow's hierarchy theory of needs has been critically
evaluated in relation to the organisation. It has been discussed that this theory contains various
needs that starts from the basic level and goes to the higher level. At the end of the report,
Mcclelland's theory of needs and motivation has been undertaken.

REFERENCES:
Books and Journals
Abdurashitovna, A.S., 2020. The influence of motivation in the foreign language learning
process. Наука и образование сегодня, (6-2 (53)), pp.37-38.
Batson, C.D., 2022. Prosocial motivation: A Lewinian approach. Motivation Science, 8(1), p.1.
Brandmiller, C., Dumont, H. and Becker, M., 2020. Teacher perceptions of learning motivation
and classroom behavior: The role of student characteristics. Contemporary Educational
Psychology, 63, p.101893.
Hiver, P., Kim, T.Y. and Kim, Y., 2018. Language teacher motivation. Language teacher
psychology, pp.18-33.
Koenka, A.C., 2020. Academic motivation theories revisited: An interactive dialog between
motivation scholars on recent contributions, underexplored issues, and future directions.
Contemporary Educational Psychology, 61, p.101831.
Nolen, S.B., 2020. A situative turn in the conversation on motivation theories. Contemporary
Educational Psychology, 61, p.101866.
Schunk, D.H. and DiBenedetto, M.K., 2020. Motivation and social cognitive theory.
Contemporary Educational Psychology, 60, p.101832.
Weiner, B., 2018. The legacy of an attribution approach to motivation and emotion: A no-crisis
zone. Motivation Science, 4(1), p.4.