Motivation and Strategic HR Management

The aim of this study is to explore the relation between the theories of strategic human resource (HR) management and how it helps the employees to get motivated for the assigned job. Strategic HR management is hiring, maintaining and retaining the employees of an organisation with the help of apt planning, prudence and analytical judgement that positively affects the behavioural, cognitive and affective qualities of an employee (Beck, 2003). There are various reasons that drive the overall performance of the employees and impact its efficiency to work in an organisation. The strategic HR management helps the employees in engaging and keeping their loyalty towards the organisation with the supports of various predominant models, theories and theoretical framework.

Therefore, this research paper is focused on describing the motivational theories of strategic HR management. Along with this, it explains about the employee’s behavioural processes and affective processes. The study reports the features of affirmative work environment and its significance in encouraging employees through HR design jobs. In addition to this, strategic HR practices are very useful pertaining to increase the performance and productivity of an employee (Petri and Govern, 2012). In the end, the study discusses the job characteristics of Hackman and Oldham’s theories as well as Maslow’s theory that influences commitment of employees in the organisation.     

Strategic human resource management is very effective in improving the employee’s motivation in the organisation (Broecka, et al., 2008). Motivation helps an employee to formulate efforts willingly that benefits in attaining their personal as well as organisations objective. The factors that influence motivation of employees are different for different individuals such as beliefs, expectations, values, ideas and their attitudes. Furthermore, technical and financial resources also play a pivotal role in encouraging employees in different levels and are not very predictive. There are two classifications that impact the behaviour of the employees to attain organisational goals that are intrinsic factors comprising of soft factors like friendly work environment and extrinsic factors that is hard factor such as money, reputation and location or office space that influences employee’s satisfaction level (Broecka, et al., 2008).

Theories of motivation are based on the scientific management holding the conservative aspects and affect the human relations. Two types of basic theory that identifies the reason of motivation are content theory and process theory (Vellnagel, 2013). The content theory is depending on the needs and wants of human that hugely varies their behaviour, whereas process theory is based on the manner of thinking and decision making. Example of content theory is McClelland’s theory, Abraham Maslow’s theory, Federick Herzberg’s theory and Alderfer’s theory. Moreover, process theory’s examples are reinforcement theory, goal setting theory, equity theory and expectancy theory. These theories also have some limitations concerning its situations and behaviour which is not static and capricious at greater pace. The affective process and behavioural process is influenced with these motivational theories in strategic human resource management (Vellnagel, 2013). Some of the theories that are responsive in affective and behaviour process are as follows:  

Motivational Theories in Strategic HR Management

McClelland’s learned needs Theory: It is also defined as Achievement motivation theory which is driven by the three basic needs that are attained with the help of experiences, culture and learning and are not inherent in the nature of employee (Miner, 2015). The three needs of achievement are as follows:

• The need for Power- it refers to the force of the motivation through the need of control to be responsible for others and influence behaviour of others.
• The need for Association- it denotes the satisfaction of connection and relationship with others by building and maintaining the positive affiliations
• The need for Success- it is desire of achievement which is attained by attitude of qualitative standards in the competition (Miner, 2015)  

This motivational theory strongly supports the need to achieve with unusual needs of employees. Thus, it makes the theory not that influential for all the employees.

Maslow’s hierarchy theory of need- This theory motivates employees in five different levels that is physiological, social, physical, egotistical needs which is divided into two parts that is self actualisation and esteem (Fiore, 2004). The physiological needs are basic food and shelter needs, where social needs are security of job, financial, health and property and morality. Moreover, physical needs are family, friendship and sexual intimacy along with egocentric needs that is self achievement, self-respect, self esteem and self confidence need and self actualisation that includes acceptance of facts, problem solving, creative, morality, spontaneous and lack of prejudice. These factors help employees in accomplishing the task assigned to them earnestly. It is one of the very successful and effective theories of motivation that concisely help organisation as well as employee to attain their respective objectives (Fiore, 2004). Self-Actualisations are one of the needs that help mangers and executes or high-level management in motivating that results in achieving their goals. Reference: Appendix 1.  

McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y- This theory is similar to the Maslow’s theory which encourages employees to satisfy certain basic human needs with different level of satisfaction are arranged under a hierarchy (Lawter et al., 2015). McGregor’s theory X and y factor facilitates the control and direction of employees in the organisation. Where, the X factor states that disciplinary measures should be used to persuade and control the employees in case they avoid taking orginisational objectives seriously as their work ethics, avoiding their responsibilities and lacks in ambitions, but are very concerned with their financial benefits and compensation. On the other hand, Y factor defined as modern approach of motivation. Some employees complete their task successfully which is allocated to them sincerely and seriously. It incorporates organisational as well as individual goals, hence this theory is more accurate and précised theory that is realistic with the human behaviour.  It also helps the employees in being more creative and innovative in the way of work which is essential for the growth of organisation and individual skills. McGregor theory may beneficial for some organisation but does not offer full motivation or encouragement to the employees (Lawter et al., 2015). Thus, it is only semi-successful as motivational theory.  

McClelland’s Learned Needs Theory

‘ABC’ Analysis- the acronym of ‘ABC’ comprised of antecedent, behaviour, consequence. This theory is based on behaviour elements that define intangible satisfaction of values, motives and desires as driving force (McNamara, 2014). It helps the organisation in identifying the reason behind the poor performance of the employee. Antecedents comprised of communication, experience and learning and behaviour involves results and performance which is directly linked with the consequences embroiling reinforcement and feedbacks. This theory is based on behaviour and its results depend on the employee’s response. Thus, effectiveness of ‘ABC’ Analysis theory is based on the behaviour of individual but it is very useful for the organisation as well as the employee (McNamara, 2014).

Goal setting theory- It is introduced by Stacey Adams that focuses on the reward system design process which motivates employees to participate in the competition fairly (Chance and Chance, 2002). Being based on the hypothesis it emphasis on the improvement of the performance rather than various goals. Small and specific task oriented goals encourages employees more precisely. When employees are set for a difficult task they get motivated and with the newness in the work employees put more efforts in the work. However, at some point of time, it has also been felt that too much difficulty level in the task may discourage employee and tends to put less efforts for the same (Chance and Chance, 2002). This theory is very effective to motivate the employees in complex and large organisations, although the goals should be achievable and goal setting should be established aptly. Appendix 2 shows the goal setting aspects with the model.

Herzberg’s two factor theory- this theory is based on two factors that motivates employees that is intrinsic and extrinsic motivators that helps job satisfaction at the workplace and other factor that is associated with dissatisfaction (Hitt, 2006). It is a controversial theory that caters motivation to the employees. These two factors are extrinsic as hygiene factors and intrinsic factors as motivation factors. The extrinsic motivator that is salary and benefits whereas, challenging works are intrinsic factors that support additional motivation for employees (Hitt, 2006). Thus, this hygiene/motivators theory is very valuable and significant that helps the employees in completing their tasks and it is one of the very meaningful theories.  

It has been reported that the positive work environment help the organisation in maintaining the good organisational culture that encourage employees in improving performance and increase in productivity of the organisation (Kónya, 2016). The positive work environment is characterised and featured by following points such as good leadership and integration of strategic motivational theories that keeps pushing employees to do effective and efficient work. In addition to this, respect is another element that adds the standard in the behaviour and maintains dignity of employees in all levels and helps in building trusts. Moreover, the open discussion is very essential when any issue occurs or regular meeting is being held for the improvement in the productivity. The management skills and human resource management is also necessary to be qualitative so that no managerial level problem create problems. It is also essential for the organisations that diversified organisational culture will be promoted that respects and values every single employee (Kónya, 2016). The organisation should create and set goals that can enhance the career prospects of employee as well as their personal development. Moreover, the value of employees should be maintained that ensures their loyalty towards the organisation and involve them more into their work. Not only this, they should also be encouraged for engagement in the decision making of organisation which is especially for the welfare of the employees; it will help the employees in augmenting creativity and innovation in the organisation. The organisational culture should have a communication system smooth and flexible with lack of exclusive ‘clubs’ and conflicts (Ajala, 2012).  Apart from this, self determination and esteem of employees should be measured in the organisation so that actual work calibre and techniques that should be made to undertake any work has been illustrated.

Maslow’s Hierarchy Theory of Need

Besides the positive working environment, there is certain feature while designing the job in the organisation that promotes employees to increase their performance (Abbas et al., 2011). The measurement of such job design is done with the outcomes that come in affective and behavioural outcome. It has been described that there are three job factors that motivates the employees for better work that is internal, external and social job factors. The internal job factors are anatomy and development of skills associated with the intrinsic motivation, whereas external job factors are salary and job security related with individual work values plus social job factors that is feedback from others and co-work-relation connected with personality of an employee. The outcome variables are divided into two types which is affective outcome involving satisfaction and organisational commitment along with this, behavioural outcome that is performance and turnover intention (Ajala, 2012). Thus, these major job designs help the HR in determining good organisational culture for employees that encourages them to reach the objectives. The theoretical model of job design has been presented in appendix 3.

Hackman and Oldham’s core job characteristics are responsible for the support and motivation of employees that helps in achieving the personal goals and organisational goals simultaneously (Casey and Casey, 2014). The core job characteristics are skill variety, task identity and task design which helps an employee fulfilling the psychological states related with the experience and work of meaningfulness. Its affective process outcome is high internal work motivation and high growth satisfaction. In case of the job feature is autonomy outcomes of the work satisfaction, the critical psychological situation is to grab the high responsibility and high general jobs in the organisation, which is directly related to high growth satisfaction in the behaviour process as an outcome. In this context feedback also plays an important role and feedback from job facilitates the knowledge of real results from the performance and it ultimately increases work effectiveness. The methods of feedback from job and its results are comprised of three moderators that are knowledge and skill to identify and respond accordingly, need of growth and strength plus satisfaction termed as ‘context’ (Casey and Casey, 2014). Additionally it can be described in formulas that provide the motivating potential score of the employee as follows:

Motivation potential score=

[Skill variety+ Task identity+ Task significance]/3X Autonomy X Feedback

In context with the Maslow’s theory of needs that is arranged in hierarchy it has been observed that its components are very much similar to the overall need of any individual that satisfied social as well personal needs of the employee. There are various strategies that can help the management in achieving the engagement of employees plus increases motivation to accomplish the task with qualitative results. Some of the strategies in human resource management to satisfy safety, social belonging, physiological, self esteem needs and self actualisation through reward management, ethical practices, Performance appraisal and management, International strategic human resource management that involves diversification, Cross culture consideration, organisational orientation and cultural shocks. Furthermore, Employee’s right and employee responsibility should also be concerned by the organisation to make the full use of employee’s efficiency (Abbas et al., 2011).

McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y

E HRM technology comprising transaction, traditional and transformational activities, Knowledge management and learning through training and orientation program also comes under the Maslow’s hierarchy theory of needs that ensures increase in employee’s satisfaction level. In relation with the job characteristics that is feedback, measurement of work done, reviews, job identity. Autonomy and job significance and skill variety gives the personal outcome that helps the employee to be loyal to the organisation ad motivated for the growth in the organisation though engagement in the decision making (McNamara, 2014). The Maslow’s needs model is very influenced with the internal satisfaction just like job characteristics. Thus, it can be inferred that the relation of Maslow’s hierarchy theory of needs is similar to the job characteristics that facilitates internal satisfaction to the employees and ensures their involvement and motivation in the organisation to achieve targeted goals and objectives.  

Conclusion 

In the above text, it can be concluded that the motivation theories which are strongly responsible to encourage employees by satisfying ABC’s analysis, Maslow’s and Herzberg theory of motivations are the most successful theories while integrating in the organisation most of time. On the other hand, behaviour and psychological impact may change the degree of influence in different employees. Besides that it can be implicated that the theories have a profound relationship with the job characteristics which influences the motivation level of the employees. Lastly, environment surroundings and job designs are very intrinsic factor that really affective in encouraging employees. 

References

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