Polikarpova Yu.O., Cand. Phil. Sc., Assoc. Prof

The article deals with the problem of effective employees' motivation. Intrinsic and extrinsic motivating factors are considered. The latest trends in this motivation theory development are outlined.

У статті розглянуто проблему ефективної мотивації працівників. Проаналізовано фактори внутрішньої та зовнішньої мотивації. Окреслено останні тенденції у розвитку теорії мотивації.

Relevance of the research. Employee motivation is the level of energy, commitment, and creativity that a company's workers apply to their jobs. In the increasingly competitive business environment of recent years, finding ways to motivate employees has become a pressing concern for many managers. In fact, a number of different theories and methods of employee motivation have emerged, ranging from monetary incentives to increased involvement and empowerment [1, p.5].

Motivation is a necessary element in everybody's life, and can be one of the most crucial aspects in achieving goals by young specialists.

The objective of this research is to demonstrate the trends in employee motivation in the 21st century.

Results and discussions. Abraham Maslow states that people are motivated by a hierarchy of needs and that each person is motivated differently. These motivational needs range from safety and psychological needs to love and belonging needs. At the top of those needs is self-actualization where a person can achieve his full potential [2, p. 15].

Companies must recognize that everyone is motivated differently and must seek many ways to motivate employees. The employers should figure out how to inspire employee motivation at work. To create a work environment in which an employee is motivated about work the employers have to consider both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Employee motivation is the combination of fulfilling the employee's needs and expectations from work and the workplace factors.

Turner and Lawrence suggest that there are three basic characteristics of a "motivating" job:

1. It must allow a worker to feel personally responsible for a meaningful portion of the work accomplished. An employee must feel that his or her contributions were important in accomplishing the company's tasks.

2. It must provide outcomes which have intrinsic meaning to the individual. The results of an employee's work must have value to him or her and to others in the organization.

3. It must provide the employee with the feedback about his or her accomplishments. An appreciation or a constructive critique of the work performed is crucial to a worker's improvement [2, p. 60].

Researchers emphasize that employees can be motivated by: their ability to impact decisions; setting clear and measurable goals; clear responsibility for a complete task; job enrichment; recognition for achievement; belonging to the team; receiving timely information and communication; understanding management's formulas for decision making; meeting participation opportunities; opportunity for growth and development (education and training; career paths; team participation; succession planning; cross-training; and field trips to successful workplaces); leadership skills development, etc.

An effective employee motivation program can include:

1) Empowerment. Giving employees more responsibility and decision-making authority increases their realm of control over the tasks for which they are held responsible and better equips them to carry out those tasks.

2) Creativity and innovation. The power to create motivates employees and benefits the organization in having a more flexible work force, using more wisely the experience of its employees, and increasing the exchange of ideas and information among employees and departments.

3) Learning. Accreditation and licensing programs for employees are an increasingly popular and effective way to bring about growth in employee knowledge and motivation.

4) Quality of life. Companies that have instituted flexible employee arrangements have gained motivated employees whose productivity has increased.

5) Monetary incentive. For all the championing of alternative motivators, money still occupies a major place in the mix of motivators. The sharing of a company's profits gives incentive to employees to produce a quality product, perform a quality service, or improve the quality of a process within the company.

6) Others incentives. Proven nonmonetary positive motivators foster team spirit and include recognition, responsibility, and advancement [1].

The conclusion can be made that the importance of employee motivation lies in the fact that an unmotivated workforce will inevitably result in lower productivity, lower staff retention and more sickness absence – all of which can cost a company a lot of money.

Date: 2015-07-25; view: 370; Нарушение авторских прав