A Study on Motivation: How to Get Employees of Abh Moving?

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- Importance of the study

This precise study is imperative for both ABH and the island as a whole since ABH is a well-known hospital in the Indian Ocean and also across the world. Employees are considered as assets to an organization, as such, ABH should treat the employees with full importance so as they are motivated to work better and to be happy within their work environment. The hospital has been going through bad phases leading to a bad reputation within the whole island. Besides, this study is significant since due to the past incidents at ABH, there has been a rise in the employee turnover and the employees who are actually working at ABH are not meeting their goals and objectives since the profit of the hospital has drastically been decreased. As such, through this study, the specific reasons why the employees are not motivated to work are determined thus techniques to motivate them are developed accordingly. With this particular investigation, the motivational tools for ABH employees are developed thereby helping the employees to achieve their goals thereby decreasing employee turnover and at the same time increasing the profit of the organization.

- Objectives of the study

In line with this particular study, the objectives which are derived are as follows. At the very outset, the reasons why the employees are not motivated to work are firstly assessed whereby the working environment, roles and responsibilities and financial and non-financial incentives are considered. As such, methods for motivating the employees are derived accordingly whereby every factors contributing to their motivation are taken into account. As the motivational tools are developed, techniques to keep the employees motivated are then developed so as the employees keep performing their job in an effective and efficient manner. Similarly, the satisfaction of the employees over the motivational tools is then analyzed whereby the use of surveys has helped to determine their satisfaction on the motivational tools which have been derived. Ultimately, a relationship between, the motivational tools, the satisfaction of the employees of ABH and the performance of the employees is then established.

- Literature Review

The main purpose of motivation theories is to explain the driving forces which convert the thoughts of employees into behaviors. There are various theories of motivation whereby each theory explains the same motivational concept with a different verbiage. Most motivational theories differentiate between intrinsic and extrinsic factors whereby the former are concerned with an individual's interest, enjoyment and willingness to contribute in an activity. Employees with higher self-confidence and beliefs that their own abilities and talents will lead to accomplishment are more likely to have high levels of intrinsic motivation. Extrinsic motivations emphasizes on the outcome of the activity whereby employees are driven by the outcome rather than the activity itself. Motivation theories can be classified broadly into two different perspectives: Content and Process theories. Content Theories deal with “what” motivates people and it is concerned with individual needs and goals. Maslow, Alderfer, Herzberg and McCelland studied motivation from a “content” perspective. Process Theories deal with the “process” of motivation and is concerned with “how” motivation occurs (Cohen 2001, Miner 2002, Turner 2010, Richardson and Watt 2010), herein, the four motivation theories which are analyzed in regards to the employees of ABH are as follows.

- Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

In line with Tikkanen (2007), Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is the first theory when motivation theories are considered. In Maslow’s hierarchy of needs there are at least five sets of goals which are categorized as basic needs as illustrated in Figure 4.0, herein, physiological, safety, love, esteem, and self-actualization. Maslow believed that human beings aspire to become self-actualizing.

[pic 4]Figure 4.0 – Maslow hierarchy of needs

Tikkanen (2007) pointed out that through the Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, employees strives to seek a higher need when lower needs are fulfilled. Once a lower-level need is satisfied, it no longer serves as a source of motivation. Needs are motivators only when they are unsatisfied. As such, the five level of the hierarchy are analyzed. The very first level the psychological needs include the most basic needs for humans to survive, such as air, water and food. Furthermore, the second level which is safety needs represent the desire to be free of danger thereby including personal security, health; well-being and safety against accidents remain. In the view of Cao et al. (2013), if both the physiological and safety needs are fairly well gratified, consequently the needs for love, affection and belongingness arise. The belongingness or love needs of the employee represent a wide variety of needs from a sense of affiliation to friendship and love of spouses, children, and parents, Tikkanen (2007) thereby categorize these needs as social needs, including affection, love, and friendship. Similarly, Tikkanen (2007) claimed that all employees have a need for a stable, high evaluation of themselves for self-respect and for the respect of other individuals. Herein, Tikkanen (2007) stated that the esteem needs represent an employee desire for a feeling of self-confidence and adequacy thereby reflecting the internal feelings of strength, achievement and independence. Ultimately, Tikkanen (2007) highlighted the last level of the hierarchy which is self0actualization, stating that even if all the needs are satisfied, employees often expect that a new discontent and restlessness will soon be developed unless the employees have an inward vocation. As such, self-actualization indicated the desire to realize the full potential of an employee. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory has been studied in order to shed some light in the view of motivating the employee of ABH, herein, the employees should firstly have base salary whereby the basic needs, food, shelter and clothing are meant. Secondly, the employees should have job security and their health insured. Thirdly, there should be a favorable relationship among the co-workers. Next is the recognition and responsibilities which are provided to the employees and finally, training should be continuous to ensure the growth of the employees.

- Alderfer’s ERG Theory

According to Lemak (2010), Alderfer’s ERG Theory is a simplification of Maslow’s theory

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