Background

Hospitality culture and people define the belief, values and attitude, which shape the organizational culture of a hospitality company (Karatepe & Vatankhah, 2015). The aim of this research report is to explore the level employee motivation of Thai Airway Company, which forms its organizational culture. Thai Airways International Public Co. ltd is a national enterprise subordinated to Ministry of Transport. The organization operates in the primary cities around the world. It is quite successful in the market till now (Thaiairways.com, 2017). However, recently, the organization is being unable to keep up the motivation level of the employees. It is actually de-motivating the employees preventing them to give their best in providing hospitality service. The objective of this research report is to discuss the issues of the organization in relation to employee motivation through accessing several secondary sources. Moreover, the research report will also provide suitable recommendations to the organization for overcoming the issues of employee motivation.

Thai Airways International Public Company Limited is the flag carrier airline of Thailand. The organization was formed in 1988 (Thaiairways.com, 2017). It operates airline business, which transports passengers, postal, goods and parcels through air transport via Thai major cities to the major cities around the world. The organization has held almost 32.1% market share in the world market of airline industry (Thaiairways.com, 2017). The vision of the organization is to be the first choice carrier with the touches of Thai. The mission of the organization is to serve holistic airfreight both for domestic and international markets. It ensures standard, convenience and safety airline service to the organization for its sustainable growth. However, the organization is little bit incapable of motivating their employees, which is hampering the overall hospitality service provided to the customers.

Employee motivation defines the level of commitment, energy and creativity, which are brought by the employees of an organization to their jobs. According to Gillet et al. (2013), employee motivation encourages the employees towards taking active initiatives for achieving their individual work goals. It is the intrinsic enthusiasm within the employees, which drives them in accomplishing activities related to work. However, Karatepe and Vatankhah, (2015) opined that managers can also motivate the employees extrinsically by offering rewards and recognition. Motivated employees can also enhance their productivity level, as they can align their individual goals with overall organizational goals and input their best to achieve those goals.

The motivational factors for the employees can be best identified through Herzberg Motivational theory. This theory identifies that hygiene factors are required for the existence of motivation within the employees. On the other hand, motivators are required for yielding positive satisfaction among the employees. According to Vomberg et al. (2015), hygiene factors includes the factors like pay, company policy, working environment, job security, interpersonal relation, fringe benefits for motivating the employees. Moreover, the managers need to ensure competitive pay to the employees for keeping up their motivation. Effective interpersonal relationship among the employees builds a flexible working environment, which motivates the employees. On the other hand, Karatepe and Vatankhah (2015) opined that motivator include recognition, sense of achievement, responsibility and promotional opportunities. Proper recognition and promotional opportunities highly value the contribution level of the hard working and talented employees. In this way, such motivators motivate the employees towards their further achievements.

Literature Review

 

Figure 1: Herzberg’s Two Factor Theory

(Source: Karatepe & Vatankhah, 2015)

Vomberg et al. (2015) pointed out that reward and recognition is the most essential factor for enhancing the job satisfaction and work motivation level of the employees, which are directly associated with organizational achievement. Proper reward and recognition are actually provided to value to true contribution level of the employees in organizational success. On the other hand, Gillet et al. (2013) opined that motivated employees their own career success through the success of the organization. Therefore, they are always willing to put their best level for achieving the success of the organization.

While considering the example of Ritz-Carlton hotel, it can be found that the managers of the organization always concerns for the employees and their well being. Moreover, they understand that the success level of their hotel is completely dependent on the dedication level of the employees in serving the customers. Hence, the organization always value for the employees through valuing their efforts with attractive rewards and recognition. In this way, the employees of the organization are at their peak in terms of their performance toward serving best and satisfactory service to the customers (Karatepe & Vatankhah, 2015).

According to Vomberg et al. (2015), empowered and motivated employees are always responsive at their definite goals and objectives, which they have to achieve for achieving their own work target as well as organizational goals. Moreover, such motivated can easily direct their efforts in right direction for getting success in their job roles. On the other hand, Karatepe and Vatankhah (2015) argued that lack of empowerment and cooperation with the employees creates mistrust among the employees, which are actually responsible for employee de-motivation leading to their reduced job performance.

While considering the example of Thai AirAsia, it can be seen that the mangers of the organization provides enough empowerment to their employees. In this way, the employees have learned to take their responsibility by their own and do their own job efficiently. The organization also allows their employees in organizational decision making process, so that they can better understand their own task and give their own ideas in business progress. In this way, the employees feel highly valued at their workplace and willing to put their best effort for achieving organizational success (Lee et al. 2015).

Employee motivation leads to inner drive within the employees for working efficient as per organizational goals and objectives. Motivated employees can best direct their effort towards right direction for achieving organizational success. In hospitality sector, customer service is the ultimate factor for achieving organizational success. In such situation the sectors have to largely dependent on performance level of the employees. Hence, employee motivation is the most important tool for keeping up success level employees leading to ultimate organizational success.

Every academic literature review has some limitations, which affect the overall quality of the research. In this case, there can be lack of critical penetration of the information, which can lower the quality of the research. The quality of the literature can also be affected, as it is difficult to access several secondary sources due to time and budget limitation.

Concept of Employee Motivation

This academic research can be a major secondary source for further researches, which are related to same types of topics. On the other hand, in further researches, it would be possible to access several secondary sources, which would enhance the quality of the research outcome and fill up the limitation of this research.

Thai Airway Company is concerned about the motivation level of the employees for keeping up their performance as per organizational standard. The organization mostly uses reward strategy for motivating the employees. Moreover, the organization provides monetary rewards to the hard working employees for valuing their contribution level in organizational success (Hussain et al., 2015). Furthermore, Thai Airway shares bonuses as per the organizational profit level. On the other hand, the organization has also adopted job redesigning strategy for motivating the employees. In this strategy, the job responsibilities are reviewed and reallocated among the employees for enhancing their performance level. Restructuring the job responsibilities often encourage the employees with new job responsibilities (Thaiairways.com 2017). Furthermore, the managers of the organization are quite supportive to the employees, which reduce their complexity level at their job. In this way, the employees of the organization get motivated for better performance.

The mangers of Thai Airway Company are only concerned about monetary rewards for motivating the employees. However, they are not concerned about the recognition of the employees as per their standard of performance. Moreover, the employees are not getting adequate promotional opportunities in the organization. Hence, such lack of promotional opportunity is hampering the career development option of the organization. The employees are not getting right track for developing their career in this organization. On the other hand, the employees of the organization do not get adequate empowerment option at their workplace (Nick Allen, 2017). The managers are not willing to delegate the authority of job to the employees. Moreover, the employees cannot adopt their own way of performing their job. They always have to follow the instruction of their supervisors. Hence, the employees are not getting sense of ownership or freedom in their job role, which is actually lowering their motivation level. Furthermore, the organization does not allow the employees at their organizational decision making process (Fu, 2013).  Hence, the opinions and ideas of the employees are not valued at their workplace. It ultimately lowers down the morale of the employees. The decision making process is always limited to the upper level management, which becomes the reasons for employee frustration.

The employees of Thai Airway Company do not get adequate promotional opportunities as per their job performance level. Such lack of career development options discourages the employees in keeping up their further performance level intact with the organizational standard. Furthermore, lack of proper career growth option is actually encouraging the employees in seeking better job opportunities outside of their existing organization (Vomberg et al. 2015). Therefore, the organization is ultimately losing their valuable and talented employees, which have great impact on the overall organizational performance level. On the other hand, lack of empowerment also discourages the talented and skilled employees towards concentrating on their job roles. Moreover, constant instruction and ruling attitude of the supervisors cause frustration to the employees. In this way, increasing frustration level of the employees is leading to their job inefficiencies, which hampers the ultimate success level of the organization (Nick Allen, 2017). Apart from that, the employees also feel undervalued and de-motivated, when their ideas and opinions are considered at organizational decision making process.

Theories of Employee Motivation

The employees of Thai Airway Company are actually de-motivated for not getting any non-monetary recognition and empowerment. Hence, the organization should be highly concentrated on providing proper promotional opportunity to the high performers. Moreover, the employees should be provided with attractive promotional opportunities as per their performance standard. Such promotional opportunities can encourage the employees in keeping up their performance level intact with the organizational standard. Furthermore, such opportunities will also reduce the need for the employees towards seeking better job options outside of their existing organization. The organization should also provide enough empowerment to the employees for motivating them. Moreover, empowerment would provide employees a sense of ownership for their own job. Hence, such empowerment can make the employees more responsible and dedicated to their work, which can enhance their overall job efficiencies and productivity.

It has been understood that the organization does not have any concrete initiative for employee management. Therefore, primarily it needs to implement policies for employee reward and recognition. Best employee and employee of the month have to be organized by the management for each of the departments. Performance measurement criteria have to be designed based on which each employee can be measured and accordingly recognized. Rewards can be either fringe or other awards that makes a difference.

Considering employee empowerment, it can be highlighted that the management needs to ensure participative leadership style where old employees will form the part of decision making panel. This will certainly create a difference as employees will understand that the organization values their words and implements creative process in future. These associates will create a sense of motivation among fellow employees as collective desires will be addressed in near future. In this way, gap between the stakeholders will be reduced and communications will get strengthened.

Finally, the organization needs to design the career planning and succession planning for its existing employees. Employees must get attracted to new roles and responsibilities for future. Such initiatives will strengthen teamwork and stakeholder bonding internally as employees will get the opportunity to develop their career. Eventually, attrition will get reduced and talent management will be ensured. This initiative can also be modified with course of time by ensuring job rotation planning where potential associates will be given the opportunity to act in different working condition with new responsibility. Employees will certainly feel that the organization gives new opportunities if someone outperforms.

References

Fu, Y. K. (2013). The influence of internal marketing by airlines on customer-oriented behavior: A test of the mediating effect of emotional labor. Journal of Air Transport Management, 32, 49-57.

Gillet, N., Gagné, M., Sauvagère, S., & Fouquereau, E. (2013). The role of supervisor autonomy support, organizational support, and autonomous and controlled motivation in predicting employees’ satisfaction and turnover intentions. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 22(4), 450-460.

Hussain, R., Al Nasser, A., & Hussain, Y. K. (2015). Service quality and customer satisfaction of a UAE-based airline: An empirical investigation. Journal of Air Transport Management, 42, 167-175.

Karatepe, O. M., & Vatankhah, S. (2015). High-performance work practices, career satisfaction, and service recovery performance: a study of flight attendants. Tourism Review, 70(1), 56-71.

Lee, C., An, M., & Noh, Y. (2015). The effects of emotional display rules on flight attendants’ emotional labor strategy, job burnout and performance. Service Business, 9(3), 409-425.

Nick Allen. (2017). American Airlines employee challenges passenger to fight. The Telegraph. Retrieved 21 December 2017, from https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/04/22/american-airlines-employee-challenges-passenger-fight/

Thaiairways.com. (2017). Thaiairways.com. Retrieved 21 December 2017, from https://www.thaiairways.com/

Vomberg, A., Homburg, C., & Bornemann, T. (2015). Talented people and strong brands: The contribution of human capital and brand equity to firm value. Strategic Management Journal, 36(13), 2122-2131.