Knowledge of Motivational Theories for Better Management

Introduction In their existences, organizations and companies are constantly being pressured by the competitive forces around them to increase their productivity and raise their performance levels.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Knowledge of Motivational Theories for Better Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This is especially the case in the present day business environment which is rife with aggressive behavior and rampant competition which force businesses to look for innovative means to give them a competitive advantage therefore assure that they are not forced out of the market. In this environment, the role of management is more important than ever. Managers are the people who are taxed with the role of marshalling the human resource in the organization for its growth and expansion. For the manager to be of greatest benefit to the organization, he/she must be able to obtain optimum resu lts from his/her staff. This can be obtained through various means amongst which is the possession of exemplary leadership skills by the manager. However, the manager must also possess sound theoretic knowhow on relevant subjects which should then be converted to practical application. This paper shall set out to argue that sound in-depth knowledge of motivational theory by the manager will in fact enable him/her to be a better manager. This paper shall reinforce this assertion by highlighting a number of motivational theory and how knowledge of the same can be exploited by the manager for higher productivity. Use of Motivational Theories in Management Motivation is defined as a â€Å"process of stimulating people to action to accomplish desired goals† (Kondalkar 2002, p.245). Bearing in mind the fact that the manager is tasked with marshaling the organization’s resources to accomplish some organizational goal, it can be rightfully stated that part of the role of the m anager is to motivate his staff to achieve certain desired goals. It is the role of the manager to ensure that the employees have a high degree of motivation in their performance. One of the motivation theories that a manager can utilize is the Expectancy Theory. Chapman and Hopwood (2007, p.120) state that the expectancy theory as proposed by Vroom assumes that individuals choose intended actions, effort levels and occupations that â€Å"maximize their expected pleasure and minimize their expected pain, consistent with hedonism†. Expectancy theory asserts that a person’s individual motivational force is a function of their expectancy. In other words, the probability that one’s effort will result in a first-level outcome will result in the person being motivated to act in a certain manner.Advertising Looking for critical writing on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More By following this theo ry, the manager should therefore strive to demonstrate to the employee that the outcomes they seek are achievable. Once the individual believes that performing at a particular level will result in the attainment of the desired outcome, he/she will increase him performance level therefore benefiting himself as well as the organization. Arguably the most influential motivational theory is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory. This theory as proposed by Abraham Maslow states that human needs can be viewed as a hierarch and people are constantly ascending from the lowest to the highest and when one set of needs is satisfied, it ceases to be a motivator to the individual. A manager who understands Maslow’s theory can adopt a systematic approach in motivating his subordinates. The manager will understand that the needs of the workers who are at different levels will differ significantly. For example, the newly employed worker who is working at a low level will be more concerne d about his basic needs and will want minimal rewards. However, once the same worker has secured these physiological needs, they will cease to motivate him and the manager will have to come up with other motivators for the employers. By understanding this theory, a manager will be aware that for some of the employees, social needs are the motivator and this being the case the manager will seek motivators that are relevant to the particular employees. There are various aspects that one has to take into consideration when motivating employees. The two factor theory of motivation advanced by Frederick Herzberg suggests that job satisfaction has two dimensions which include hygiene factors which are work conditions and the motivation factors which include work incentives (Griffin 2007, p.296). A manager who has knowledge of this knowledge will realize that for motivation to be achieved, two particular angles must be considered. The hygiene factors which include working conditions, super visors, pay security and interpersonal relations must not be deficient. The motivation factors which include achievement and recognition, advancement and growth and responsibility must be present since these are the factors that create a drive in the employee. Most people are bound to compare their performances to that of other people in the same situation that they are in. This is also the case in the work environment where the employees constantly compare themselves with employees both within and outside of the organization.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Knowledge of Motivational Theories for Better Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The manager who is conversant with the Equity theory will be in a better position to manage his workforce and maximize their performance. The Equity theory is a social comparison theory which states that a balance of outputs to inputs is the goal that employe es are motivated to achieve (Pynes 2008, p.153). Knowledge of such a theory will enable a manager to be better at his job since he will seek to ensure that employees do not feel like they are under rewarded. Pynes (2008, p.154) highlights that an employee who feels that the ration of outcomes to inputs are equal is likely to be satisfied with the exchange relationship he/she has with his employer. However, if the employer has a perception of inequity and he feels that he/she is giving more and the outcome is less, the person can reduce his input efforts. This will hurt the organization since success can only be achieved if each employee is performing optimally. A manager who is well versed with this motivational theory will ensure that at any one time, the employees perceive the ration of their inputs being equal to the outcomes that they obtain from the organization. Without any in-depth knowledge on motivational theories, a manager is most likely to rely on the basic idea of rewar ds and punishments to achieve the goals that he desires. A study by Frey and Jegen (2001, p.591) reveals that monetary incentives and punishments may have the undesirable effect of crowding-out intrinsic motivation under some conditions. A manager who does not know this will only seek to motivate his workforce by offering incentives which may have the effect of reducing the intrinsic motives. According to Frey and Jegen (2001, p.591), some people are intrinsically motivated to perform an activity without receiving any apparent reward for it except for the activity itself. With this in mind, the manager can improve his managing skills by increasing the quality of work for the workers since this is all that some employees need to be motivated to give favorable performances. It is the role of the manager to come up with a vision and communicate the same to the employees so as to give them a sense of purpose and meaning. As such, the average manager will come up with a goal that he expe cts his employees to follow. The manager may com up with goals that are unchallenging, unclear or even unattainable by his workforce. Knowledge of the Goal-setting theory advanced by Locke will ensure that the manager does not get into such pitfalls. Pynes (2008, p.155) states that according to the Goal setting theory, high performance results from clear expectations. With such knowledge, a manager will set specific task goals for his employees and ensure that these goals are challenging, clear and attainable.Advertising Looking for critical writing on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In addition to this, the manager will realize that the goals may need to change in time since the same goals that were challenging and achievable in the past year may be unchallenging or unachievable for the next year. With such considerations, this manager who has an in-depth knowledge of this motivational theory will challenge his employees therefore bringing about positive results for the organization. Conclusion This paper set out to demonstrate how in-depth knowledge of motivational theory can help someone become a better manager. To this end, this paper has argued that knowledge of the various motivational theories can help a manager achiever his prime role which is to ensure the effective and efficient utilization of resources that are available to an organization for higher profitability to be achieved. This paper has shown how the decisions made by the manager can be enhanced by an in depth knowledge of motivational theories. It has also been shown that a lack of knowledge in motivational theories will greatly hamper the operations of the manager in inciting the best performances from the employees. From this paper, it can be authoritatively stated that knowledge and application of motivational theories makes someone a better manager. References Chapman, SC Hopwood, GA 2007, Handbook of management accounting research, Elsevier. Frey, BS Jegen R 2001, â€Å"Motivation Crowding Theory†, Journal of economic surveys vol. 15, no.5. Griffin, RW 2007, Fundamentals of management, Cengage Learning. Kondalkar, PF 2002, Organization effectiveness and change management, PHI learning Pvt. Ltd. Koontz, H Weihrich, H 2006, Essentials of management, McGraw-Hill. Pynes, JE 2008, Human resources management for public and nonprofit organizations: A strategic approach, John Wiley and Sons. This critical writing on Knowledge of Motivational Theories for Better Management was written and submitted by user Zavier N. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

michaelagelo essays

michaelagelo essays Michelangelo Di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni is known as the greatest sculptor of the sixteenth century. He was known in the same magnitude as Donatello in the fifteenth century and Bernini in the seventh century. Michelangelo was not only a renowned Italian Renaissance sculpture and painter, but also an architect and poet. He exerted an paralleled influence on the development of Western art(Encyclopedia Britannica, 1994). The Artist that is known around the world simply as, Michelangelo resisted a paintbrush. He often claimed that his only tool would be the chisel. Born at Caprise, in Tuscany on March 6, 1475, he was the second of five boys. Even though he was born in Tuscany, he considered himself from Florence. This loyalty to Florence would later help shape his life. He was sensitive about being considered an artist, and treated as if he ran a shop. Michelangelo would later profess that his family paid taxes and held government posts in Florence for three hundred years. This would place him among the citys upper echelon. With this would come wealth, land, and social status, and this disconnected Michelangelo from the fellow artists. Michelangelos mother became very sick and could not take care of the future painter of the Sistine Chapel, so he was placed with a nurse, in a family of stone cutters. This is where Michelangelo was first exposed to stone working. This would help explain how he developed his own personal style at the tender age of sixteen. Michelangelo first showed this personal style in two relief sculptures, The Battle of the Centaurs, and The Madonna of the Stairs (Both 1489-92, Casa Buonarroti, Florence). Along with these two sculptures, Michelangelos early style is shown in the marble David. Michelangelo worked on this gigantic (4.34 m/ 14.24 ft) stature between 1501 and 1504. He chose to represent David as an athlet ...

Policy, Politics And Public Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Policy, Politics And Public Management - Essay Example These are the factors why the size of interest groups in the real estate increases. The impact of these interest groups, who favor moving not just their residential but also their business functions in New Jersey, is apparent in the state's real estate. Since New Jersey is ideally situated in the heart of major cities and seaports in the country, many sectors in the country become part of the interest group, thus providing innovations in the state. According to Thompson (1999), the major impact of the interest groups in the real estate market of New Jersey owes its credit to the manifold factors including the favorable conditions in the state. In his book, New Jersey: A Big Pearl House, Thompson showed that as interest groups increase by 1%, the real estate industry grows by as high as 5%. This analysis showed that the increase in the size of interest groups in New Jersey is four times directly proportional to the improvements in the real estate market of the state. Thompson also showed that the real estate industry accounts for more than 7.8% of the present improvements in the infrastructure which every citizen in the state enjoys. This only proves the huge impact of interest groups not just in the real estate industry but also in the local economy of the state. Smithso

Real Options Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Real Options - Essay Example Use of standard techniques to evaluate real optionsTraditionally the use of standard techniques was predominant though lacked merit in its application. The techniques included use discounted cash flows and net present value analysis. Here, future expected cash flows are treated as the present values of the empirical probability measure that reflects the risk of the project under a discounted rate. Cash flows that is expected are highly valued in this approach than any other flexible issue that alters the strategy to market goal realizations. The net present value approach presents management as being passive to their Capital investment. Most analysts account for this real option problem by adjusting the discount rates. However, real options valuation looks at management as being active and they revolve interests with varying market trends. Real options usually bring into action the best contingency plan. Management has a duty to fight any negative occurrences by lowering the possibil ities of exposure and limit the firm’s benefits from uncertainties in the market.The contingent characteristic of profits to be realized in the future of a business, in real options models is exhibited by applying financial option techniques. Using the risk-neutral measure approach comprises the reduction of the probability distribution for the risk being accounted for. Real options valuation accounts for uncertainties in the future of definite parameters that define the value of the business.

Light throws sparks Essay Example for Free

Light throws sparks Essay The article discusses the recent event that happened within the University of Zulia (LUZ). Last May 8 and 9, there had been launching of tear gas canisters at the Faculty of Liberal and Education as well as in the Faculty of Dentistry. The two consecutive events created fear and anxiety for the students, faculty, and administrators of the University. The incident left 17 students and 1 professor severely injured. As a result, the incident disturbed most of the classes, and led to the cancellation of all the classes in the morning. Classes in the afternoon resumed but fear was still felt by the students and the faculty. In order to address and prevent the terrifying incident, the University had already called the attention of the government. Although the University of Zulia is known for its autonomy from the government, Rose Nava, a Vicerrectora Academic, stated Article 7 of the University law which stipulates that in times of grave danger, the police must be called. The said incident was believed to be caused by the clash of candidates for the election of the Confederacy of Universities (FCU). Although no parties are admitting the violent act, candidates have spoken to their co-students to stop the violence and resort to proper and legal means for their concerns. Luiggi Nery, a candidate of the Initiative 13, said, â€Å"We should avoid the registration of destructive actions. † Jose Vine, also a student leader, stated that anything that results in human losses or action that leads to violence must be stopped. Title: Behind Closed Doors They Sign the Collective contract of Sidor Author: Henry Parada Lopez Published: 05 -13-2008 Tuesday From: Nuevaprensa. com (http://www. nuevaprensa. com. ve/index. php? option=com_contenttask=viewid=10060Itemid=2) The article narrates the recent event that involved the Government of Venezuela and Sutiss, a steel producing company. The government and Sutiss both signed a contract for the creation of another corporation which will bear the name â€Å"Iron Steel Works of Venezuela. † The mission of this new corporation is to enhance the steel and iron products as well as develop the technologies to create quality products. The contract signing was supposed to be conducted in public, but the higher ups changed their plan, as sudden actions against constructing the corporation created worries. Thus, rather than having the Guyanese Region present, the workers were the only audience in the contract signing. Instead of conducting a collective signing, President Hugo Chavez was given a tour of the corporation. The President truly believes that the promotion of mining and enhancement of steel and iron production would truly enhance the economy of Venezuela. President Hugo Chavez, a known socialist, said â€Å"We are going to create this corporation to order all the system of production of our steel, since the mines where the mineral of the iron is produced. † The President also said that capitalism is not good for a state and in order to stop that, â€Å"one must continue dominating spaces inside the country. † Though there lots of negative comments towards the corporation, President Hugo Chavez is positive towards the outcome of this corporation, not only economically but socially. In achieving success, the President called for action towards unity and cooperation. He encouraged the working class, students, peasants and the National Armed Forces to be matured and to leave each others differences for their own success. Title: Politics and Sex Should Be in the Same Scale Author: Charlie Garcia Published: 05-12 -2008 Monday From: CadenaGlobal. com (http://www. cadenaglobal. com/Noticias/? Not=174607) The column was about a question raised by a reader in which she asked the rights of women and how is it addressed by the government. As the writer discussed, we are currently in the modern times wherein women could easily relate to love and sex. Due to this, there is a need for the government to open up this topic and create official political documents addressing such issue. The writer stated that in the past, sex is not something that the international community is paying attention to as it is viewed as only an external factor. However, because of the emergence of globalization and strengthened Western relations, the ways on how the issues of sex are viewed have changed. Although openness in terms of sex can be observed in many societies, there are still countries that are not open to changes. In Afghanistan and Iraq—countries currently occupied by the United States—women are killed or given death threats if they hold any government positions. In Venezuela, the government has very well reflected the current female rights but it is not enough to address the problem of the rights of women. As the writer put it, the â€Å"the government at times find the theme of the female human rights too problematic to discuss in detail or they see it with little interest†. In the international community, there are evident examples of discrimination of women. These include the little reference on the female rights against domestic violence, sexual exploitation, and forced marriages, among others. There are no sanctions against countries that have a high percentage of human rights, specifically for women. Commentary: I often heard of the country Venezuela through international pageants, newspapers, television and the internet. As I have known, it is filled with interesting tourist spots due to its location and rich culture. However, as I was browsing the internet trying to find news that seemed interesting to me, I learned more about the country Venezuela. It is not simply a country with a lot of tourist destinations; it is a country filled with issues and concerns, just like others countries of today. As a developing country, Venezuela has a lot of concerns to address and one of them is the strict competition when it comes to elections. Just like in any country or culture, a person or organization that strongly feels about their advocacy would result in violence if he or she does not see that their goals are attained. I do believe that the launch of the tear gas canisters which led to violence was caused by their strong belief or was a form of protest. Although it is not a terrorist attack, it still brought fear to the University. The second article that I chose discussed about a contract that supposedly signed by President Hugo Chavez and Sutiss. I find the news intriguing, because the reason behind the sudden closed door the contract signing was not publicized. There are a lot of speculations that came into my mind, including corruption and conspiracy. The news was interesting but I suddenly questioned the real intentions of the government and the Sutiss in cooperating to establish a new company. The last topic was about sexuality and the current actions of the government towards creating female human rights. This story really piqued my interest because it focused on the reality of what really is happening in terms of the rights of women. The statement given by the writer, for instance, drew my attention. The creation of and addressing the human rights of women is very complicated to discuss as it may require recreating the laws of the land to fit the rights to be granted for women. It is evident that even in the modern world, women are still limited due to the restrictions made by the society and the government. Although there are plans made for the women to have determined and precise laws applicable to them, there are no direct actions made by the government to present their real interest to create equality between men and women. All the news articles made me realize that every country has its own issues that need to be solved. Further studies on Venezuela would reveal the roles of culture, society, and history in the issues that this country is currently facing. The hunger for power, development, and equality are the major struggles seen in these articles. Each of these presents the different sides of Venezuela which I have never seen before. There is a huge difference between life in Venezuela and the lifestyle of United States. In Venezuela, I believe that poverty is definitely hard to eradicate due to lack of education and opportunities for the people. On the other hand, development and progress is also a challenge to achieve. This is evident in the lines uttered by President Hugo Chavez in which he encouraged and called for all the citizens to unify and cooperate in achieving success and development. Although there are many struggles in attaining these goals, hope is still exhibited by the President which shows his passion and desire to create a successful Venezuela. Works Cited Garcia, Charlie. Politica y sexo deberian estar en la misma balanza. Cadena Global. Cadenaglobal. com. 12 May 2008. 14 May 2008 http://www. cadenaglobal. com/Noticias/? Not=174607

Of Mice and Men :: essays research papers

John Steinbeck wrote Of Mice and Men in an effort to illustrate the social limitations imposed upon the working class during the Great Depression era by creating various characters who shared one common dream, the â€Å"American Dream,† Steinbeck dramatized on one individual level, the life of the protagonist, George, the grueling struggles and sanguine dreams of an entire social class of people Poet Robert Burns once said, â€Å"The best laid plans of mice and men gang oft a-glae,† Steinbeck parallels this quote with the ill-fated dreams of iterant workers. Delving into the mind of George, Steinbeck exposes his yearning desire to be on his own and his conflicting desire to remain guardian of Lennie and follow their dream. George recognizes that without Lennie’s companionship their dreams will never suffice.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  George, one of the two protagonists of the novel, provides insight into the psyche of a member of the working class during the destitute 1930s. Like all migrant workers during this time period he has a dream, the central theme of the novel, to â€Å"live offa the fatta the lan† and have his own place. Unfortunately, this dream is unrealistic, living in an oppressive society which views him as a nonentity and confines him to the ranch and bunkhouse, a symbol Steinbeck utilizes to represent drastic limitation, he knows his dream is in vain. George’s dream is ironically barred by his relationship with Lennie, his burly companion who suffers from mental disabilities, and often wonders what it would be like without Lennie. He would be free of all obligations and able to go out with the guys, drink and spend his money. He often blames Lennie for depriving him from activities such as these. Despite his desire to be on his own, George realizes that life with out Lennie would be meaningless. George’s desire for freedom constantly conflicts with necessity of Lennie’s friendship in an otherwise bleak world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The affectionate companionship between George and Lennie is unusual among single, white migrant workers. The arrogance and selfishness of other workers on the ranch, reinforces the importance of the friendship George and Lennie uphold throughout the novel. The friendship between George and Lennie replaces desolation is experienced by many of the workers. Their friendship also allows them to sustain their dream, which remains alive through their conversation. George tells Lennie, the story of their dream so often that even a smart-minded worker like George comes to believe it.

Neoclassical and Romantic Writing Essay

Neoclassical and Romantic movements cover the period of 1750 to 1850. Neoclassicism showed life to be more rational than it really was. The Romantics favored an interest in nature, picturesque, violent, and the sublime. Unlike Neoclassicism, which stood for the order, reason, tradition, society, intellect, and formal diction, Romanticism allowed people to get away from the rational views of life and concentrate on an emotional and sentimental side of humanity. In this movement the emphasis was on emotion, passion, imagination, individual, and natural diction. Resulting in part from the liberation and egalitarian ideals of the French Revolution, the Romantic Movement had in common only a revolt against the rules of classicism. Neoclassicism was an artistic and intellectual movement, beginning in the mid-17th century in England, both progressive and traditional in its goal of rivaling the literary and artistic accomplishments of Augustus Caesar’s day and the classical period in general. This movement could be characterized as a â€Å"religion of the head. † Neoclassical writers imitated great poems of the past because of the belief that men had agreed on certain fixed ways of writing across the centuries. Rules for pastoral poetry, the satire and the epic were respectfully followed Romanticism was an artistic and intellectual movement that spread across Europe in the late 18th and early 19th century. This movement was a reaction in direct opposition to the Age of Reason in its understanding of human happiness and the means to achieve it. This literary revolution could be characterized as a â€Å"religion of the heart. † Romantics, in direct opposition to the previous age, believed in the guiding forces of nature. They believed that nature held all truth, and didn’t search for such in science and mathematics as the neoclassicists did. They were impassioned and fond of beauty, as well as myth.