Job Satisfaction and Motivational Issues: Including Maslow's Pyramid of Needs and Herzberg's Two Factor Theory
In order to be able to address motivational issues, both from theemployer and the employee points of view, we need to discuss the sources ofmotivational actions: why and how the motivation need appears and some ofthe means by which these needs can be satisfied. In order to best addressthis, we will discuss, at some point, some of the motivational theories,including Maslow's pyramid of needs and Herzberg's two factor theory. Quoting Kamal Fatehi, motivation can be seen as "the process by whichthe human behavior is mobilized towards achieving certain goals, which willsatisfy certain individual or organizational needs"[1]. Discussing theindividual needs best applies in our case. According to Maslow, for example, there is a pyramid of needs thateach individual has. The first and fundamental needs are the biologicalneeds: food, shelter, water, etc. Once those needs are looked after, thesecond category of needs are represented by the need to have the primaryneeds permanently, hence, the need for safety and security. This meansthat you need to know that you will have something to eat and drink everyday. The third category of needs is the social needs: any individual will
For him, a higher position within the company or different materialadvantages (perhaps a higher control within the company or a higher levelof decision) will be the appropriate motivational tools. This iswhere the importance of a pleasant workplace environment comes into action. However, for a top managementemployee, who may also own shares in the company, this type of motivationis no longer useful or as useful as in the previous case, because it is tobe assumed that he has already reached a position of financial security. However, in Western cultures, there are different needs to beaddressed, hence different motivational tools. For example, in the Westernculture, a motivational tool that is most often used is the promotion. For example, a lower management employee can be motivatedby an increase in his monthly wage. If in the Western cultures, punishmentsoften takes the form of a monetary discount, where the employee is finedwith several percentages of his salary, in the Japanese culture, mostoften, fining is done my isolating the worker from the social group hebelongs to, that is, from the other workers. Indeed, the workplace is for a Japanese employee at times even moreimportant than his own family at home. Going back to Maslow's pyramid, the fourth category of needs is theneed for the society and the workplace environment to recognize hisabilities and intellectual capacities. If we look at the Japanese organization,for example, the social needs come immediately below the primary needs. The firstconclusion is that this is different according to cultures (Japanese vs. An employeewill perform better if the employer lets him know or specifies in thecontract that he will be eligible for a promotion in six months time, ifhis work is at the highest standards[2]. Promotions, trainingcourses and a pleasant workplace environment (sustained by group activitiessuch as company picnics) are better motivational tools here that will morelikely increase the individual performances. Prentice Hall, 1996[2] Again I need to emphasize the difference between the Western cultureand the Japanese one.
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