Motivation in Organizations

This research examines motivation in organizations, with an emphasis on the different factors involved in the motivation of union and non union employees. A brief review of motivational theory, together with a consideration of motivation in the union/non union context, is followed by case examples of the motivation of union and non union employees. The final discussion considers the future outlook of motivation in the union/non union context.

REVIEW OF MOTIVATION THEORY AND A

CONSIDERATION OF MOTIVATION IN THE UNION/NON UNION CONTEXT

Two of the most widely accepted theories of motivation applied in organizational environments are those of Abraham Maslow and Fredrick Herzberg. Maslow's (1954) motivation theory was his hierarchy of needs. The hierarchy divides human needs into higher and lower orders. The lower order needs are primary, such as food, shelter, sex, and physical security, while the higher order needs involve love for other and selfactualization. When the lower order needs are absent in the life of an individual, the satisfaction of those needs become the center of the individual's life. In most modern societies, however, the primary needs are satisfied. Thus, real motivationespecially within organizational structuresresults from individual desires to satisfy their higher order needs (Maslow, 1968). Maslow's theory has been applied in a variety of organizational environments

Related Essays

EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION AND MANAGEMENT STYLE This rese .... and situations, each has made major contributions to the development of a variety of techniques for the motivation of individuals within organizations. .... (1889 8 )

Motivation and Reward Strategy , .... Another factor that has a strong effect on motivation and in A� turn on .... 8 J. Pfeffer, Power In Organizations , 4th ed. (Cambridge, A� Massachusetts: Ballanger .... (1493 6 )

Motivation & Reward Strategies .... Another factor that has a strong effect on motivation and in A� turn on .... 8 J. Pfeffer, Power In Organizations , 4th ed. (Cambridge, A� Massachusetts: Ballanger .... (1460 6 )

Cultures in Organizations .... However, many organizations have discarded or never implemented scientific management .... Expectancy theories attempt to explain worker motivation in terms of .... (1557 6 )

Structure of Work in the American Economy .... be investigated. These topics are motivation in organizations, and the application of power in organizations. A preponderence of .... (2734 11 )

e average profitsharing distribution was $15,566 (GrahamMoore & Ross). Not only did Lincoln Electric's permanent employees escape the ravages of unemployment in the recession, they still received generous profitsharing distributions. In the case of Lincoln Electric, a case can certainly be made that a profitsharing agreement, such as the one they have, would not be available without employee ownership/control, and, thus, the workers at the company work harder and better because they are also the owners of the firm. The profitsharing scheme is likely the primary causal factor, however, and similar productivity could likely be attained in any company willing to agree to such a profit sharing scheme. There are also other factors involved in the improvement of employee motivation and organizational productivity at the company. At Lincoln Electric, almost all employees (and all production employees) are paid on a piecerate basis. At the vast majority of firms (and at all unionized firms), a piecerate pay system would be rejected by employees. At nonemployee owned/controlled firms, workers tend to distrust piece rate pay systems, while at the employee owned/controlled Lincoln Electric, the workers accept such a syst

Category: Psychology - M