Motivating, Satisfying, and Leading Employees

Discuss the importance of job satisfaction and employee morale and summarize their role in human relations.

     Good human relations are important to business because they lead to high levels of job satisfaction and morale among workers. Satisfied employees generally exhibit lower levels of absenteeism and turnover than do dissatisfied employees.

Identify and summarize various theories of employee motivation.

     Views of employee motivation have changed dramatically over the years. The classical view, typified by the work of Frederick Taylor, holds that people are motivated solely by money. The Hawthorne studies were the first to demonstrate the importance of making workers feel valued. According to McGregor, there are two kinds of managers: Theory X managers, who believe that people are inherently lazy and must be forced to work, and Theory Y Managers, who believe that people are naturally energetic, responsible, and productive. Maslow proposed that people have a number of different needs that they attempt to satisfy in their work. At the bottom of Maslow's needs hierarchy are physiological needs; at the top are self&-actualization needs. People must fulfill their lower&-level needs before they can seek to fulfill their higher&-level needs. Herzbergs's two&-factor theory builds on Maslow's hierarchy, suggesting that basic (hygienic) factors must be met, or workers will be dissatisfied; but only by increasing more complex (motivating) factors can companies increase employees' performance. Expectancy theory suggests that people will work hard if they believe that their efforts will lead to desired rewards. Theory Z holds that successful management systems integrate the most successful aspects of the traditional U.S. and Japanese systems.

Discuss different managerial leadership styles and their role in human relations.

     Effective leadership is an important determinant of employee satisfaction and motivation. Managers can choose from three basic managerial styles&-autocratic, democratic, and free&-rein&-in leading and motivating their workers. Managers need to assess their situation carefully and use a managerial style that best fits that situation.

Describe some of the strategies used by organizations to improve employee motivation and job satisfaction.

     Managers can use several strategies to increase employee motivation and satisfaction. Rewards work only if (1) employees believe that they can do better, (2) believe they will be rewarded for performing better, and (3) want the offered reward. Punishment, while sometimes necessary, can lead to hostility or retaliation. Management by objectives and participative management techniques can improve human relations by making employees feel like part of the team. Job enrichment, job redesign, and modified work schedules such as flextime and work&-share programs can enhance job satisfaction by increasing motivating factors and ensuring satisfactory hygienic factors.