This paper is intended to summarize some important issues in the historical development of management theories and to highlight the role that motivation plays in the development of effective management. We discuss the most relevant models for the study of motivations and their practical consequences in the organizational sphere.
People constitute the basic unit for the structure and operation of labor organizations and the proper administration of such human resources is closely linked to business success.
Hence, from primitive man empirically, rudimentary methods were sought to lead the group and successfully carry out activities such as hunting and fishing, of crucial interest for survival. The first contributions to the administration date back to the civilizations of Egypt, China, Rome and Greece between 4000 and 2000 BC, who applied various principles - still in force - such as planning, control, organization, decentralization of power and the functional organization of the administrative powers We can also mention the wise contributions of the ancient philosophers.
Socrates, for example, spoke of management as a personal skill that should be separated from technical knowledge and one's own experience (Medina and Avila, 2002).
These knowledge, which were developed throughout history, are systematized in true administrative theories after the industrial revolution of the 18th and 19th centuries and are considered pioneers of the same, the American Frederick Winslow Taylor (1856-1915) and the French Henry Fayol (1841-1925) with the theory of scientific administration and the classical theory of administration, respectively.
Both authors are criticized for not taking into account the specific human being of the organizations with their needs and socio-psychological motivations and for giving a hierarchical role to labor rationality, technical aspects and organizational structure from the point of view that a person will be motivated to work if rewards and penalties are directly linked to their performance.
Despite criticism, the Taylor system makes important contributions. It designs variable premium remuneration systems in which the maximum profit is acquired with the "optimal" productivity point and that constitutes the maximum sustainable, that is, the highest point that does not cause wear and tear on the worker and that can be maintained in the subsequent periods.
The works of Mary Parker Follet and Chester Barnad (Medina and Avila, 2002) transfer the focus of business attention to people, to the psychological and sociological aspects that generate effective human relationships.
This is how the theory of human relations began in the United States around the 1920s.
The focus of human relations, on the social man, in which there are motivations based on social needs that need to be satisfied at work and which in turn are related to the group, becomes a complement to the rational man perspective motivated solely by obtaining greater benefits, which defends the classical theories of Taylor and Fayol.
Both the classical theories of administration and that of human relations are criticized for simplifying the complex and comprehensive phenomenon of motivation for work (López, 2005), which is why there are other contributions that continue to place the human factor as a determining element in the objectives of the company.
Here are scientific theories such as Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory, Douglas McGregor's approach to X and Y theory, Chris Argyris's personality theory, Alderfer's motivation satisfaction theory, Herzberg's two factor theory, some of which will be more detailed in the present work.
These theories are considered important precursors of current administrative theories, who continue to generate important concepts and provide answers to the particular characteristics of the modern era (the Z theory, the total quality approach, the contingency theory, the systems, a new approach to human relations and organizational development).
Managing direction and motivation
Within contemporary approaches, Edwards Deming's philosophy of the late 1940s is cited by various authors for the recognized principles he recommends to management. Deming is called "the prophet of quality" when pointing out that managerial is predicting (Medina and Avila, 2002) and his 14 fundamental principles are (Naszewski, 2005):
1. Create a constant purpose towards improving the product and services, offering resources that cover long-term needs instead of short-term profitability.
2. Adopt the philosophy of economic stability, refusing to allow normally accepted levels of delays, errors, defective materials and manufacturing defects.
3. Eliminate dependence on massive inspections, requesting statistical tests inherent to quality in the manufacturing and purchasing functions.
4. Eradicate the habit of awarding deals only on the basis of price.
5. Maintain a constant search for problems in order to continually improve processes.
6. Continuously train staff.
7. Concentrate supervisory work on helping staff to perform their jobs better and take immediate action in the event of any difficulties.
8. Encourage effective communication and help people work together to achieve the purposes of the system.
9. Break down barriers between departments.
10. Eliminate the use of numerical goals, posters and slogans calling for new levels of productivity without offering the methods and ways to achieve them.
11. Continuously improve quality and productivity.
12. Eliminate barriers that prevent workers from taking pride in their skills.
13. Institute a program of education and self-improvement.
14. Define top management's ongoing commitment to quality and productivity and their obligation to implement these principles.
Although they are not systematized theories on administration or direction, other scholars on the subject make contributions, outlining principles or recommendations aimed at increasing the effectiveness of such a complex activity. Marco (1997) for example, refers:
1. Coordination of interests. Management is efficient to the extent that it is aimed at achieving the general objectives of the company.
2 . The impersonality of command. The exercise of authority should be seen as a necessity of the organization to obtain specific results and not as a consequence of personal will or will.
3. Direct supervision. It has to do with the manager's need for support and communication with his subordinates during the achievement of objectives.
4. The hierarchical path. This principle is based on the importance of respecting the formally established communication channels to avoid conflicts, leakage of responsibility and weakening of authority at different levels.
5. The resolution of the conflict. It is essential `for the management to solve the problems that are generated in the course of administrative management.
6. Taking advantage of the conflict. Conflict is inevitable in any organization, but once it occurs, it is useful to think of solutions and new development strategies.
The relevant role that historically is given to the study and deepening of the management of the direction becomes as a consequence of the influence that it has for the achievement of the objectives of the organization.
In management management, motivation is repeatedly considered in the scientific literature as the task of greatest importance and complexity because it is the one who allows the achievement of the expected standards. This idea is reflected very clearly and accurately in the following quote from Cortes (2005): 2 “Managers have a high responsibility in determining the psychological and social climate that prevails in their organizations. Their activities and behaviors have a determining effect on the motivation of individuals at all levels of the organization,therefore, any attempt to improve employee performance must start from a knowledge of the organization and of those who create and exercise the main control over it (…) the employee of an organization is a being who seeks within the organization both to receive recognition as the satisfaction of their needs; If these two objectives are satisfied, their motivation becomes an important driver to assume responsibilities and direct their work conduct to achieve goals that will allow the organization to achieve its reason for being with high levels of efficiency ”.their motivation becomes an important driver to assume responsibilities and direct their work conduct to achieve goals that will allow the organization to achieve its reason for being with high levels of efficiency ”.their motivation becomes an important driver to assume responsibilities and direct their work conduct to achieve goals that will allow the organization to achieve its reason for being with high levels of efficiency ”.
Theories and concepts of motivation
Motivation is linked to both individual and sociocultural aspects and is present in all areas of human existence.
In Cuba, Diego Gonzáles Serra (1982), defines human motivation as “a complex integration of psychic processes that in constant transformation and reciprocal determination with activity and external stimuli is aimed at satisfying the needs of man and consequently regulates the direction and intensity of behavior ”and an even more encompassing concept is the one offered by González and Mitjans. (1989):“ Human motivation is not reduced to a state of mind that immediately stimulates behavior based on the experience of need.
The dynamic potential of motivation is associated with a content relevant to the subject that is structured in concept, reflections, evaluations and which in turn carries an emotional charge ”.
Motivation is a complex variable in which conscious, unconscious, cognitive, affective aspects intervene and that is distinctive to print strength and directionality to human behavior, which is why it has been the object of study of dissimilar scientific disciplines such as Engineering, Administration, Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology and Philosophy.
It is classified as positive and negative. The refusal is the obligation that enforces the person through the use of punishment, threats, etc.
The positive, for its part, is the constant desire to improve guided by a positive spirit and some authors divide it into intrinsic and extrinsic (Leonor, 1997).
The intrinsic motivation is characterized because the person sets his interest in the work, showing an active role in achieving its goals, aspirations and goals.
The activity is carried out for the pleasure experienced during it, which encourages exploration, knowledge and creativity.
In the case of extrinsic motivation, external motivators are taken into account, such as the advantages offered by the activity carried out, that is, that it constitutes a means to an end and not the end itself.
Researchers have debated whether external or internal rewards have an additive effect or whether external reward has a negative effect on intrinsic motivation.
The first recommendations were directed not to give rewards based on performance in complex jobs or those that involved making decisions, since external reward would reduce the effect of intrinsic motivation generated by the nature of the job itself.
Salaries had to be equal in nature and the strategy was aimed at reinforcing the intrinsic motivation to increase performance.
Later studies showed that it was not only important that the reward was contingent, but also that the type of information that it delivered must be considered.
If the incentive is perceived as a form of control, intrinsic motivation decreases, while if it is perceived as information about competition, this type of motivation increases.
Research results in this regard are contradictory (Cuesta, 2000).
Hierarchy of needs theory
Abraham Maslow (1908-1970) (Arana, Accel Team 2005) refers to the human being as a being with desires and behaviors aimed at achieving objectives.
The author establishes a hierarchy of needs in a pyramidal shape whose upper part is occupied by the needs of the ego and of full self-realization of man and at the base would be the basic needs, related to survival.
The hierarchy of needs is governed by a set of rules specified by Maslow:
- If the need of a certain hierarchical level is satisfied, the behavior is directed to satisfy needs of the immediate higher level, which become motivating.Not all people are capable of reaching the top of the hierarchical pyramid of needs. at a specific level it is not satisfied, it will predominate over the behavior generating tension.
The most pressing need monopolizes the organism and automatically tends to mobilize its different faculties to put itself in function of its satisfaction.
- There is more than one motivation. The different levels act together although the higher ones predominate. Each need is linked to the satisfaction-dissatisfaction of other needs. Any motivated behavior can be the way to express various needs together.
Finally, Maslow points out that if there is any obstacle in the satisfaction of a certain need, frustration appears, which constitutes a psychological threat for the person who experiences it.
Frustration can lead to the person directing their efforts towards solving the problem, but in other cases it includes forms of non-constructive behavior, disorganized behavior, aggressiveness, alignment, and apathy.
The practical usefulness of Maslow's approach to managerial activity lies in the fact that one of the most challenging tasks of the manager is to influence the behavior of those he directs, for which he can start from the knowledge of the relatively unmet needs and turn them into real “levers”. motivation ”(Hirschfeldt, 2003).
Three Needs Model
Around 1950, David McClelland (Hirschfeldt, 2003) points out that achievement motivation, power motivation, and affiliatives predispose people to behave in a certain direction.
McClelland establishes a direct relationship between the success achieved by industrialized countries and the prevalence of achievement motivation in their managers.
This type of motivation is described as the need to set realistic goals, to persist in achieving them, and is characterized by self-demand to achieve excellence in results. People in whom achievement motivation predominates:
- Strive for personal achievement rather than reward Feel the need to achieve better and more efficient achievements Assume responsibility in solving problems Require regular feedback on their performance Set goals of moderate difficulty, avoiding easy tasks or extremely difficult. The same chances of success or failure allow you to experience feelings of satisfaction and achievement, for the efforts made.
In the case of motivation to power, there is a need to control and manipulate other people and is closely related to the idea of achieving status.
This people:
- They prefer competitive situations and in which status is present They care about prestige rather than adequate performance They tend to control others and manipulate them for their own purposes Their thinking is directed to obtaining and exercising of power and authority. They help the group to set projects to achieve these goals.
Membership motivation refers to the desire to enjoy the appreciation and approval of others.
People in whom affiliative motivation prevails are aimed at:
- Strive to conquer friendship Seek cooperative situations instead of those that prevail competition Think frequently about the quality of their interpersonal relationships Worry about their deficiencies in relationships with others Seek appreciation, giving and receiving affection.
The predominant type of motivation predisposes the person to set certain goals. A person in whom achievement motivation predominates, constantly sets goals and seeks to improve their performance in order to achieve them.
As Oswalgo García (cited by Hirschfeldt, 2003: 4) refers that “within the motivations of adult men, there is one that is especially linked to productive work and that largely explains the tendency of men to use work as a means of personal and social growth.
This motivation associated with the progress of individuals and nations, this motivation is the need for achievement "
Clayton Alderfer's Need Satisfaction Theory
Between 1969 and 1970 Alderfer exposes the ERG (Existence, Relation, Growth) theory on motivation, where, in a similar way to Abraham Maslow, he establishes a hierarchy of needs, however the author departs from Maslow's reflections, on two points:
I. Group needs only into three categories: existential needs, interpersonal or relationship needs, and needs for personal growth or creativity.
II. It argues that when the higher needs are frustrated, the lower ones will return, even when they are already satisfied; In other words, for Alderfer, people move up and down in the hierarchy of needs depending on the moment and the circumstances.
Frederick Herzberg's two factor theory
Herzberg (Arana, 2005) at the end of the 1950s developed the theory of the two factors, which states that low-level needs, including wages, do not necessarily lead to increased productivity. These needs are quickly satisfied and once satisfied, they only motivate by offering more of the same; which leads to a vicious cycle that never ends.
According to his theoretical proposal, two factors intervene in motivation: hygienic and motivating.
Hygienic or maintenance factors are aimed at avoiding dissatisfaction and “in the best of cases it provides workers with a neutral environment” (Hirschfeldt, 2003: 2).
These factors are found in the environment that surrounds the worker and in the conditions in which the work is performed, so there is little control over them, let us cite for example, salary, interpersonal relationships between the work team and with employees. bosses and subordinates, administrative policies, quality of supervision, personal life, general working conditions and status. López (2005: 5) refers in relation to Herzberg's considerations about hygienic factors that “he does not completely agree, since both salary and security achieve the satisfaction of physiological needs as necessary means to obtain a dignified condition of life because according to what Maslow himself raises would be essential needs to acquire a higher hierarchical level ".
The motivating factors, also called intrinsic, are those that are responsible for raising satisfaction and with it, productivity.
They have to do with the content of the position and the nature of the task being carried out, among them we have achievement, recognition, responsibility, promotion, the possibility of development and the work itself.
Traditionally, hygienic factors are those that have been associated with motivation for work, however today there is enough data to support the conclusion that when they are optimal, they manage to avoid dissatisfaction but do not manage to sustain it for long.
In cases where hygienic factors are precarious, they do lead to dissatisfaction, that is, although they manage to avoid dissatisfaction, they are not capable of achieving satisfaction.
Such findings have favored the consideration of other elements to promote motivation to work and thereby achieve organizational objectives.
The so-called "motivating factors" by Herzberg are already widely used as a basis in programs developed by management to increase the motivation of their workers through job enrichment.
The job enrichment philosophy is aimed at increasing the degree to which an employee controls, plans, executes and evaluates his job. Five specific actions are described in this regard (Arana, 2005):
1. Form natural work groups with which it is intended that the tasks performed by the employee constitute a meaningful and identifiable whole for which they feel responsible.
2. Combine tasks.
The tasks that are carried out in a fractional way must be integrated to form a new and broader work module, which increases the variety of necessary skills and the identity of the task itself.
3. Establish responsibility with the client.
It is intended that the client (who is the user of the product or service offered and who can be internal or external) maintains a direct relationship with the worker to offer systematic feedback about their performance.
4. Expand the post vertically. Its objective is to partially close the gap between doing and controlling, thereby facilitating worker autonomy.
The conditions are sought for the employee to plan his work, solve his problems and make certain decisions in relation to the activity he performs.
5. Open feedback channels. The aim is for the worker to receive feedback in a more systematic way and in different ways, not only through supervision.
Expectations theory
The expectations model lays its foundation in the research of Tolman and Lewin but is associated with contemporary research by Vroom, Lawler, Hackman, and Porter.
David Nadler and Edward Lawler establish four hypotheses about behavior in organizations, which become the starting point for the theory of expectations: first, behavior is determined by a combination of factors corresponding to the person and the environment.; second, people make conscious decisions about their behavior in the organization; third, people have different needs, wants, and goals, and finally, people choose any behavior based on their expectations that this behavior will lead to the desired result.
For the expectation theorists, from a practical point of view, when analyzing work motivation it is necessary to know what people are looking for in the organization and how they believe they can obtain it.
The theory formulated by Víctor Vroom around the 60s establishes that people make decisions based on what they expect as a reward for the effort made, that is, they prefer to give a performance that produces the highest possible benefit or gain.
The importance of the desired depends on the psychological value or level of desire that is attached to the result (valence), on the estimation of the probability or degree of conviction that the work-related effort will produce a successful performance (expectations) and on the the probability that their performance will be valued and rewards offered (instrumentality).
It is the combination of these three elements that produces motivation, the degree of which varies according to the strength of each of them.
The model proposes two ways to motivate workers:
1st . Recognize and attempt to affect the perception of rewards, valence and the probability of receiving them.
The perception factor is taken into account based on the fact that the worldview of the world is individualized and strongly influenced by personal values.
Management cannot motivate its employees taking into consideration only rational methods without assessing that “people act according to how they see the facts and not necessarily how management sees them” (Zornoza, 2005: 4)
2 gives.Fortalecer the real value of the rewards and the relationship between effort and performance, between performance and rewards.
At this point, it is important to recognize that the employee is not completely certain that he will receive the reward according to performance, while in this process there are primary and secondary results to his action that depend on others, which can also cause a certain degree of uncertainty.
Vroom's proposal constitutes a useful tool for managerial work because it makes available to the manager, the assessment of the human being in its true dimension: a thinking being with ideas, perceptions and probability estimates capable of influencing their behavior, therefore which has a more realistic connotation than other models.
It constitutes an approach consistent with the concepts of harmony between objectives and with the management system by objectives; However, as Arana (2005) points out, the model is criticized for the fact that there are no reliable measurements of the three aspects referred to by the author and that the model is not easy to apply in practice (López, 2005).
Goal theory
The theory of goals is exposed at the beginning of the last century by Edwin Locke, who argues that people set goals in order to achieve them. To achieve work motivation, workers must possess the skills necessary to achieve their goals.
Early and Shalley describe four phases of goal setting:
I. Establish the standard to be achieved.
II.Evaluate if it is achievable.
III.Evaluate if you stick to personal goals.
IV.Acceptance of the norm leads to the establishment of the goal and the behavior is directed towards that goal.
In a very detailed way, Hirschfeldt (2003) refers to the specific strategies aimed at achieving goals:
- Goal setting based on the criteria that goals are intrinsic or extrinsic, controllable and uncontrollable. Definition of the time required to achieve the goal. Determination of both human and material resources that are required.
4 ta define the activity, ie the actions to be carried out to fulfill the goal.
5 ta face the obstacles.
This aspect means persistence, which is expressed when a motive is truly intrinsic and also contains implicitly the possible variations in the course of action if barriers appear that prevent or hinder the achievement of the goal.
6 ta Set excellence criteria. If the goal is controllable, achievable and stimulating, it requires the establishment of levels of excellence for perfect execution.
It is important to seek satisfaction for doing the best in each and every one of the proposed goals.
The importance of goal setting is that it is an element that focuses on behavior and can become a motivation, which is increased if the person also receives feedback on the course of their behavior to achieve such goals.
The goal becomes a reinforcer that keeps motivation high.
The theory of reinforcement
Its highest representative is the psychologist BF Skinner (Early 20th century) and he explains the way in which the past acts of an individual produce variations in future behaviors through a cyclical process. A behavior that has positive consequences tends to be repeated.
Bob Nelson (1996) (cited by Cuesta, 2000) makes important distinctions regarding the concepts of reinforcement.
The author, based on a study carried out by Gerald H. Grahanm in different work environments, points out that the most powerful incentive that managers can use is personalized and immediate recognition and points out five motivation techniques:
1. That the manager personally congratulate his employees.
2. have the manager send congratulatory notes to those who have done well.
3. That the company builds on performance to promote employees.
4. That the manager makes public the recognition of the good performance of the employees.
5. That the manager organize meetings that raise the morale of his workers to celebrate the triumphs achieved.
In operational management terms, R. Moss Kanter (1986) outlines strategies that facilitate effective social recognition, we consider highly useful by scholars of the subject (Cuesta, 2000):
- First Principle: Highlight the successes more than the failures. You tend to neglect the positives if you are constantly looking for the negatives. Principle 2: Express your appreciation and reward openly and publicly. If it is not done in public, the recognition loses much of its effect and does not achieve the purpose for which it is intended. Third Principle: Express your appreciation personally and sincerely. Avoid giving recognition that seems affected or excessive. Fourth Principle: Match the recognition and award to the unique needs of the people who are to receive it. Fifth Principle: Timeliness is essential. Acknowledge contribution throughout a job. Reward that contribution at the precise moment something has been accomplished. Delays weaken the effect of most recognitions.Sixth Principle: Strive to establish an unequivocal and clear connection between achievements and awards. Make sure people understand why you are being rewarded and what the criteria are used to establish rewards. Principle 7: Be grateful for recognition. That is, express your appreciation to those who recognize others who do what is best for the company.
Positive recognition is not restricted to affective-emotional and psychosocial actions, but also encompasses material actions about the work system and economic actions, particularly wages. There are even extra-salary economic actions, identified by remuneration or gratification in kind.
Sociological School
The approaches of Maslow, Herzberg and other theorists of motivation are enriched with what is called the Sociological School, which has among some of its exponents Renis Likert, Chris Argyris and Douglas McGregor. This school focuses on the human side of organizations, so it highlights aspects such as the organizational climate, management style, interpersonal relationships and motivation.
Douglas McGregor (1906-1964) distinguishes two approaches, which are called by him, theory X and theory Y.
In theory X (Taylor and his followers), people see work as a necessity but dislike it, avoiding it whenever possible. Work motivation in this sense is aimed at forcing people to do something they do not want.
Theory Y (Mayo, Maslow, Herzberg and the Sociological School itself), for its part, holds the point of view that men innately want to do things and do them well. Work motivation aims to eliminate the obstacles that the organization and power introduce and that limit the development of their potential, their creativity and their natural tendency to do the job well. The premises of the Y approach are the following:
1. The administration is responsible for the organization, of the elements of the productive company - money, materials, equipment, people - for the benefit of economic ends (this is the only premise that remains in common with Taylor's X theory).
2. People are not by nature passive or refractory of the needs of the organization, in any case they have become so as a result of their experience in organizations.
3. Motivation, development potential, the ability to take responsibility, the willingness to direct behavior towards organizational goals, all of these are latent in people.
4. The essential task of the administration is to adapt the conditions of the organization and the methods of operation so that people can achieve their own goals in the best way, directing their own efforts towards the objectives of the organization.
Theory Y is based on the participatory management model, which is considered the best way to harness the human potential in organizations.
The motivational approach to participatory management is continuity, at a different stage of development, of the approach to human relations and constitutes a radical break point with the Taylorian approach and its variants, located by McGregor in the aforementioned theory X.
From this perspective, the active participation of employees in labor management is sought, by integrating planning and execution (which identifies it with administration by objectives), seeking self-control or internal control on the part of the worker and increasing the cooperation of work for the achievement -in psychological terms- of the satisfaction of the work itself through the self-realization of the personality.
Integrative model of motivation
Hodgetts and Altman present an integrative model of motivation where the central theme is the motivation-performance relationship.
It represents the recent discoveries on the subject and tries to cover the different issues that have been addressed about motivation, such as needs, the drive to achieve, hygiene factors, expectation, performance and satisfaction.
In its basic assumptions it is found that rewards are the basis of the process and people feel satisfied or not, motivated or not depending on the rewards they receive for what they do; to which they add that these rewards can be both extrinsic and intrinsic.
The challenge for management lies in knowing what reward each one expects within their organization and associating it with their performance.
Work motivation
“One of the characteristics observed in this competitive and globalized world is that companies strive to be better and better. For this they resort to all available means that allow the fulfillment of their objectives.
In this context, the optimal management of the human factor is of singular importance. It is said that a company will be good or bad depending on the quality of its human resources. With the aim of developing human potential to the maximum, companies develop complex processes.
Among others, the motivation of the staff is one of the factors of special importance for the achievement of the business objectives and facilitate the development of the worker ”(Arana, 2005: 1)
Genoveses (1997) goes on to quote: ”People must be given reasons and incentives to influence their behavior. They have the freedom to choose when to have an aptitude for cooperation or resistance towards authority.
They also decide their share of commitment to the objectives of the organization and because people cannot be controlled in the same way as tools, management management must be concerned with ensuring the contribution of the individual efforts of its members and a way of achieving this is by emphasizing motivation ”.
The quotation of both authors ratifies the motivation already as a universal phenomenon that acquires particular relevance in the labor area since a significant amount of time of our lives passes in it.
More motivated workers have been shown to perform better, feel more satisfied and enjoy what they do more. Questions are imposed such as what to do to motivate workers and work teams to give the best of themselves? How to achieve this by integrating individual interests with organizational ones?
If we analyze the reasons why a person works or makes contributions to your organization, we find a wide range of elements, from wanting to have money to higher-order aspirations such as personal self-fulfillment, which Maslow refers to.
The emergence of work motivation is framed around the year 1700 in Europe. The transformation of artisan workshops into factories brings out the need for a greater number of people, a production associated with the operation of machines and a greater complexity in the relationships between workers and between workers and supervisors.
This amalgamation of elements brings about the appearance of a decrease in productivity, lack of interest in work, the appearance of interpersonal and intergroup conflicts and lack of motivation.
Management of motivation is imposed by management managers, which does not mean in any way that other variables related to production or the operation of the company in general are ignored.
Personnel management imposes strong challenges in the coming decades: increasing employee productivity, reducing costs and useless operations, improving the level of knowledge and techniques of personnel, increasing worker morale. and increased motivation.
These new challenges cannot remain on the sidelines of a worker with different values than humanity faces, a worker who is more faithful to his profession than to his boss, who has more interest in achieving objectives than in following rules and procedures, who You want a meaningful job, showing a heightened desire for autonomy and participation in decision-making, and a keen interest in information and less rigid authority in the company structure.
Management by authority is giving way to management by motivation, objectives and work team.
“To say that managers motivate their employees is to say that they do things with which they hope to satisfy their impulses and desires and induce them to act in a certain way” (Koontz and Heinz, 1999) (quoted by López, 2005: 2).
This means that managers need to plan strategies to motivate and retain their employees, among which are cited (Hirschfeldt, 2003):
- Assume the role of results manager Clearly define the work to be done and the expected results Treat each employee as a person Offer opportunities for participatory decision making Establish effective communication channels Seek challenging jobs Offer praise, recognition and trust when needed.
To the approaches of Hirschfeldt (2003) we can add the recommendations of Marco (1997) also directed towards the same objective:
- The team spirit that consists of identification with a work team to achieve common plans. Identification with the objectives of the company that aims to coordinate the interests of the group with the individuals and all in turn with those of the company in general. The participatory administration, whose objective is to achieve the emotional and mental integration of the group to the tasks of the organization through active participation in certain decisions The establishment of adequate human relationships to establish adequate communication and performance systems that favor personal efficiency The elimination of non-motivating practices such as excessive control, low regard for competition, rigid decisions, sudden changes and not taking conflict into account.
The strategies that are proposed to increase work motivation are varied, so it can also be noted the improvement of working conditions (hygienic factors), the person-job adaptation, the recognition of the work carried out, the evaluation of work performance, the establishment of objectives in the form of periodic agreements between subordinate-boss on the objectives to be achieved in specific periods of time, which in turn implies a systematic review that analyzes the degree of compliance, the clarification of the requirements (that the people know what is expected of them and the consequences of not doing it the right way), develop a sense of commitment (integrate as much as possible,the general needs of the organization with those of its employees so that people feel that as the organization prospers with their contributions, they will also prosper) and motivate through the work itself.
Money is also used as compensation and incentive for being considered as “the most obvious extrinsic motivation” (Gutiérrez, 1997).
However, considering money as a motivator implies having competitive salary levels that attract and retain people, knowing that the salary level needs to reflect the value that the worker has for the company, work that must be paid fairly and equitably and relate the payment with performance or results whenever possible, which works as a direct incentive.
In order to be applied effectively, economic rewards need to be clearly perceived as broad enough to justify the extra effort required by the task to be completed to receive it, to be perceived as a direct consequence of the required task and to follow it contingently and must be perceived as equitable by most of the members (Leonor, 1997; Pérez, 1997).
However, experience shows that many needs are satisfied at work, which transcend the merely economic ones, such is the case that many people work despite having their financial needs completely satisfied.
The specialists of the "empowerment" - strategic process that seeks a relationship of partners between the organization and its people as well as increase trust, responsibility, authority and commitment to better serve the client - defend work motivation using VIP, which means: validation, information and participation.
Traditional motivations are job security, financial rewards and promotions and adding a VIP to them implies:
1. Validation: respect for employees as people, flexibility to meet personal needs and stimulation of learning, growth and new skills.
2. Information: know why things are done and obtain internal information about the company.
3. Participation: the employees' control over the way of doing their own work and the intervention in the decisions that affect them.
The key is to explore among these motivations to create an environment where people want to work and feel treated as a person in whose organization they belong to, their needs are taken into account.
On the subject of motivation, there has been a lot of research.
In Mexico, Dr. Rogelio Díaz Guerrero (1979) conducted a study through surveys in various companies that showed that 68% of the workers surveyed liked their work and also found that motivation was not linked directly and only with the content of the activity they carry out but rather as a strong motivator, human relationships appeared (Cortes, 1997).
In Cuba, the issue of motivation is carefully treated by managers and studied by different scientific disciplines, however there is still much to say about it.
Herzberg's theory with its hygienic (extrinsic) and motivating (intrinsic) factors has been reconsidered, stating that although “it is not without reason, the conceptions of our times have changed, workers are mostly more motivated to be stimulated materially in the form of modules, reservations, rather than just moral recognition.
Of course, the system that each company has to control the designation of incentives to workers also influences.
In one way or another, workers can motivate themselves and this is what matters ”(De la Torres, 1997). The author studied companies in the tourism sector, finding that security needs expressed such as having more clients every day and staying in their jobs predominate.
The intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors were mentioned in the different moments of the analysis, we have, for example, achieving the objectives of the institution, fulfilling the plan, the importance for the country, the work content, the opportunity for improvement, and satisfaction and loyalty. of customers.
An objective order of the factors was not found and the hierarchy they have depends on the job position they occupy.
In our country we are also working on what is known as the "Comprehensive Human Resources Development Policy" (Cruz, 2005), which constitutes the definition of strategic guidelines, actions and priorities to prepare and develop human resources in a continuous process. of reproduction and growth.
This approach facilitates the job enrichment strategy, among others that favor increased motivation.
Final thoughts
Today's times demand from managers special care towards the internal clients of organizations, who will ultimately guarantee the achievement of business objectives and the pursuit of excellence.
Dealing with internal customers implies putting the human factor and all the factors associated with it to the fore.
In this framework, human motivation is of relevant importance. His studies cover a variety of models and theories but it is not yet a closed topic in the scientific field. That is why talking about motivation, as well as deepening its study is a timely and current objective.
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