IGCSE Business Studies

2.1.1 The importance of a well motivated workforce

Learning Outcomes

To be able to understand:•Why people work and what motivation meansTo be able to understand and apply:•The concept of human needs – Maslow’s Hierarchy•Key motivation theories: Taylor and Herzberg

SO WHAT IS MOTIVATION???

How can we define motivation?

Motivation… Some definitions

What’s the motivation?

What might have motivated these people?

Task

• Can you think of a time when you (or someone else you know) really really wanted to achieve a particular goal?

• What motivated you (them)?

Let’s get them written on the board

MOTIVATION AND WORK

Why do people work and what makes them work hard once they’re there?

Why do people work?

Brainstorm as many reasons as you can

Increasing Worker Motivation

To get the best out of workers firms need to understand why people work and what might make them motivated to work harder.

Very Easy Question…….What are the benefits to a business of having a motivated workforce?

Why is Motivation Important?

• Higher productivity• Better quality work• Better customer service• Improved teamwork• Lower absenteeism• Lower labour turnoverThese all lead to LOWER COSTS or HIGHER

REVENUES and thereforeHIGHER PROFITS

Task: Can you analyse how? Write one sentence fully explaining ONE benefit of having a motivated work force

Task• What does this

picture mean?• What types of

factors do you think would motivate employees to work harder?

• Think of as many ideas as you can

THE CONCEPT OF HUMAN NEEDS - MASLOW

Abraham

Maslow

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs• Abraham Maslow (1908 – 1970) introduced

the Neo-Human Relations School in the 1950’s, which focused on the psychological needs of employees.

• Maslow put forward a theory that there are five levels of human needs

• All of the needs are structured into a hierarchy

• Once a level of need has been fully met, a person will be motivated by the opportunity of having the next need up in the hierarchy satisfied

Maslows Hierarchy of NeedsResearch Maslow’s hierarchy and fill in your templateInclude the name (or names) of each level and a description of what each level means

Maslows Hierarchy of Needs

Basic Needs

Safety Needs

Social Needs

EsteemNeeds

SelfActualisation

Needs

Maslow’s levels of Need

1. Basic Needs: We must satisfy our basic human needs to survive

2. Safety needs (security): Workers want to know that they won’t be made redundant and that their working environment is safe

3. Social needs: People want to be accepted as part of a group, like a family at home or a team in the workplace

4. Esteem needs: People want to feel that others respect them for what they can do– Self-respect is also important

5. Self-actualisation: The opportunity to achieve your full potential

APPLYING MASLOW IN THE WORKPLACE

Which level of needs will each of these meet?

Which need?

Paying workers a fair salary

Which need/needs?

Giving an employee a promotion

Which need/needs?

Having a staff Christmas party?

Which need/needs?

Employee of the month scheme

Which need/needs?

Providing protective clothing

Task

• How can employers aim to satisfy the needs at each level of the hierarchy?

• Each group will take one need and brainstorm ideas:

• Basic Needs• Safety Needs• Social Needs• Esteem Needs• Self Actualisation

House points for the best ideas.

The hierarchy of needs version 2.0????

KEY MOTIVATION THEORIES

Frederick Herzberg and Frederick Taylor

Frederick Herzberg: Two Factor Theory

Task

• Let Frederick Herzberg introduce you to his thoughts on what motivates workers

• Watch the video ‘Jumping for Jellybeans’

Questions:

• What are the 2 types of factors that Herzberg identifies?

• What are some examples of these 2 factors?

• What is the difference between movement and motivation?

• What is job enrichment?• What is meant by KITA?

Herzberg’s Two Factor Theory

• Herzberg developed the idea of job satisfaction

• In the right circumstances, people can get pleasure from their work

• If people enjoy their work they will be MOTIVATED

• Herzberg stated that MOTIVATION is different to MOVEMENT

The Two Factors

Motivators• Factors which if

present will motivate staff

• Relate to the work it’s self

Hygiene Factors• Factors which will not

in themselves motivate, but will demotivate staff if they are not present

• Relate to working conditions

• Also known as maintenance factors

Herzberg said that there are two types of factors that affect workers motivation

Frederick W Taylor: Scientific Management

What Taylor thought…..

Famous for applying his principles of scientific management to the world of work.

Taylor was interested to see whether a job or work could be designed to increase efficiency.

He tried to break down tasks into smaller steps and look at exactly how production actually worked.

Task

• Watch the video clip• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8

PdmNbqtDdI

Questions:

• What were Taylor’s core principles?• What were the benefits of Taylor’s

approach?• What were the problems of Taylor’s

approach?• What was Taylor’s view on pay?• What do you think Herzberg would

think of Taylor’s principles?

Taylor’s Views…..• Frederick Winslow Taylor (1856 – 1917) put forward the idea that

workers are motivated mainly by pay. His Theory of Scientific Management argued that workers do not naturally enjoy work and so need close supervision and control

• Managers should break down production into a series of small tasks Workers should then be given appropriate training and tools so they can work as efficiently as possible on one set task.

• He advocated Piece Rate Pay • Henry Ford adopted Taylors approach, as it increases productivity

and reduces unit costs.• However workers soon came to dislike Taylor’s approach as they

were only given boring, repetitive tasks to carry out and were being treated little better than human machines. Firms could also afford to lay off workers as productivity levels increased.

Motivation theoriestime line

1940s

Maslow’s

Hierarchy o

f Needs

1950s

Herzberg’s

Two Factory

Theory

1910s

Taylor’s

Scientifi

c Management

Homework

To what extent are Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and Herzberg’s 2 factor Theory similar in their approach to worker motivation? (12 marks)