Contemporary Perspectives on Motivation
Contemporary perspectives on motivation emphasise the importance of a positive work environment in which the emphasis is just as much on the employee being satisfied with their job and the organisation in which they work, as it is with the employer continuing to employ them.
A positive work environment supports individual strengths, and values individual differences and diversity. Conflict is handled constructively. It is acceptable to display some level of emotion in the workplace. The number of positive experiences outweighs the negative experiences. There is a sense of personal security and safeness, colleagues can be trusted, and personal boundaries are not crossed . Employees feel a sense of purpose and belonging, and that their work has meaning. As a result, they are more highly engaged and committed to ‘going the extra mile’. They welcome the opportunity to contribute to the organisation’s vision, mission, values and goals. They feel emotionally connected to something or someone in the organisation. Their level of engagement can be measured by formal surveys which compare data across business units and industries, looking for longitudinal trends. The surveys can also reveal first-hand information about leadership effectiveness.
Contemporary theoretical perspectives on work also include other factors that lead to job satisfaction or dissatisfaction such as:
- Positive leaders: Employees feel empowered by working with leaders who value their individual strengths and quickly address negative behaviours that may arise, as part of promoting a positive work environment.
- Psychological Contracts: The psychological employment contract is no longer about having a job for life i.e. a transaction where effort and loyalty is exchanged for pay and security. It is about the job having meaning i.e. being a valued endeavour that the employee believes in and will subscribe to - an ideological perspective. And in addition, employees now expect a relational benefit from work – an affective component that they can count on for emotional support and assistance. Psychological success is the feeling of pride and accomplishment that comes from achieving life goals (not limited to those derived from work).
- Self-determination: Employees now expect that advancement opportunities will be available for those who work hard, and that they have control over these opportunities. Employees may look externally for another position if development opportunities are not available to them within their current organisation. The younger and older generations especially want flexibility in doing their job. They like to feel that the work they do is meaningful, appreciated and will lead to some definite organisational outcome (e.g. customer satisfaction) or personal outcomes (e.g. sense of achievement, alignment with personal values, promotion).
- Organisational justice: In a litigious society, employees need to know that justice is done e.g. in recruitment and selection decisions. In addition, they need to see that justice has been done. There are three forms of justice: distributive justice – “Who has what?” “Is that fair?”; procedural justice – “Was the process fair?”; and interactional justice - “Were interpersonal interactions fair?”
- Cultural Diversity: This perspective is concerned with the application of different cultural dimensions that apply to individuals in a particular cultural community as opposed to the community as a whole.
- Ethical management: Business practices are under increasing scrutiny for three primary reasons: to ensure that: all employees are treated with respect; the employment experience is positive for the majority of stakeholders; and there is mutual benefit in employment transactions.
- Employee Engagement: The degree to which an employee will contribute discretionary effort as opposed to required effort is an indication of the level to which the employee is engaged in their work. If the work output is minimal or low, this is a sure sign that things are not going so well and intervention is necessary. Sometimes it’s about the work, sometimes about the people, sometimes about perceived organisational constraints. Whatever the cause, the employee is looking for connection, meaning, and purpose. Being able to express these feelings in a supportive, organisational environment is the first step in taking corrective action.
This modified excerpt is taken from the book “Positive Psychology Coaching” by Dr Susanne Knowles which is available from www.amazon.com and www.barnesandnoble.com.
Book Reviews and a Book Trainer are available on www.susanne.knowles.com.
