Therefore, it is paramount that best practices in policy and procedure are introduced and maintained by Human Resources departments. This research paper seeks to explore one of most important aspects of Human Resources, that of employee morale and performance. Specifically, the focus is on what motivates an individual and how this drives someone to perform whilst at work. The paper includes an introduction and brief description of the topic, research methods used and the limitations thereof, outcomes of that research, discussion, conclusions and recommendations.
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In particular, this paper explores how the understanding of motivational theories can aid managers in increasing employee performance. There are a number of factors that influence the motivational levels of employees. Firstly, there are the hygiene or inherent work conditions which are largely influenced and controlled by employers. Organisations should know and understand this and put in systems and practices to maintain these conditions. Secondly, there are outside work factors which influence how an employee feels before work and therefore whether they are motivated to perform whilst at work.
Motivation can be defined as the force driving an individual’s behaviour in either work or life (Mishra, 2008 p. 406). Essentially, it is the reason why an individual carries out a certain task and involves both emotive (feeling) and cognitive (thinking) aspects. Motivation is a key factor contributing to performance levels of employees at the work place (Mwita, p. 10). Latham (p. 85) shows that there are three aspects of motivation, namely: Direction: What is the behaviour and level of accomplishment of the employee? Effort: What level of psychological or physical capacity is an employee devoting to the behaviour?
Persistence: For how long can an employee maintain the direction and effort? Motivation does not solely dictate employee behaviour. The inherent nature of the workplace as well as the resources available to employees are two of the other factors that contribute to their behaviour. One of the main responsibilities of any modern manager is to achieve goals and tasks. These can only be achieved through employees that are engaged and motivated. Managers that understand the nature of the human that is being focused on are more likely to be able to offer efficient and effective motivational practices (Lumande & Ojedoku, 2005, p. 5)
