Motivation in the Workforce

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer notes that in order for a business to be successful, profits must exceed costs, and one of the best ways to ensure that this happens is to maintain high levels of productivity among employees. The writer points out that worker motivation is very important to ensuring high levels of productivity and product quality. In order to ensure work motivation many industrial organizational psychologists have studied the topic in search of what motivates employees best. This paper reviews the issues surrounding motivation in the workforce and includes solutions that have been offered by researchers in the field, including the topic of goal setting. The writer concludes that motivated employees are the key to having a successful organization, company or business.

From the Paper:

"The United States is known in particular for developing methods which have been described as being the most sophisticated in the world in terms of manufacturing goods which are purchased around the world. Industrial organizational psychologists have been a central part of developing these sophisticated methods. Often times, the routine of a workplace is sufficient enough to ensure high levels of productivity and quality, but even the most well thought out routine or method of doing business will fail if employees are not properly motivated to complete their jobs. Thus, employers are faced with a significant challenge in this day and age. Employers must manage to continue their advantage over other industrialized nations while not sacrificing their employees' safety or satisfaction. If employees are placed in dangerous positions on the job without proper compensation, or if they are asked to keep high levels of productivity without high levels of incentives, eventually their motivation will diminish and employers will be left with a demoralized workforce, which is never good for productivity and profit."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Colman, A.M. (2004). Oxford Dictionary of Psychology. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Katzell, R.A. & Thompson, D.E. (1990). Work motivation: Theory and practice. American Psychologist, 45, 144-153.
• Locke, E.A. & Lantham, G.P. (1990). A theory of goal setting and task performance. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
• Stone, E.F. (1986). Job scope - job satisfaction and job scope - job performance relationships. In E.A. Locke (Ed.) Generalizing from laboratory to field settings. (pp. 189 - 206). Lexington, MA: Lexington Books.
• Zuckerman, M.B. (1995, February 27). The glass is half full. U.S. News & World Report, p.80.

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