Introduction
Motivation at the workplace is considered to be a great catalyst for productivity; it is the fuel that propels the employees to achieve the company’s objectives and goals. Motivation at the workplace is conceptualised as a set of energy forces that have their origin from within and outside an individual employee that pushes such employees to begin a work-related initiative in a certain direction (Vo et al., 2022). Motivation at the workplace is the heart that gives employees a reason to work harder continuously. The more the employees are motivated, the more they produce what the company and the shareholders want in the form of productivity and quality products and services (Shkoler and Kimura, 2020). Therefore, company management that understands how to motivate its workforce can increase productivity (Forson et al., 2021). The construct of motivation is, therefore, a central pillar in the workplace. It is worth noting that unmotivated employees are infective and unproductive despite being skilful. Unmotivated employees merely show up at work (Vo et al., 2022). Motivation is essential to organisational psychology as it shapes the causes of each employee’s conduct. Motivation at the workplace is the theoretical foundation for individuals and overall conditions that optimise individual employee performance at the workplace. The literature review presents the existing research on the theories of motivation at the workplace, factors that promote motivation at the workplace, and the impact of motivation at the workplace. The paper shall identify areas of divergence and commonality within the current literature.
Literature Review
Motivation Theories
The research into workplace motivation is as old as civilisation itself. Throughout the industrialisation period, several theories have been put forward to explain the phenomenon of motivation in the workplace. According to Lee and Raschke (2016), the main theories that explain motivation at the workplace include the motives and needs theory, the equity and justice theory, the expectancy theory, and the reinforcement theory. Similarly, Marczak and Yawson (2021) stated that the motivation-hygiene theory is also important apart from the theories listed by Lee and Raschke (2016). It, therefore, can be argued that the leading theories of motivation at the workplace include the motives and need theory, the equity and justice theory, the expectancy theory, the motivation-hygiene theory, and the reinforcement theory. Zboja et al. (2020) explain that the expectancy theory asserts that employees are motivated when they know that a certain amount of effort gives them a certain amount of reward. Marczak and Yawson (2021) concur with Zboja et al. (2020) by asserting that the expectancy theory is based on the principle that effort equals rewards. Lee and Raschke (2016) assert that the motives and needs theory, famously known as Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, stipulates that understanding and providing employees with what they need keeps them motivated. Badubi (2017) concurs with Lee and Raschke (2016) on the motives and needs theory. According to Arvanitis and Hantzi (2016), the equity and justice theory asserts that employees at the workplace are motivated if they consider that the rewards they receive are fair and similar across the entire organisation for the same effort. Similarly, Lee and Raschke (2016) make the same assertion but further explain that the rewards must not actually be fair, but the most important thing is that the employee perceives it as fair. Thus, it is important to psychologically make the employee believe that the rewards are fair. Finally, according to Marczak and Yawson (2021), the motivation-hygiene theory argues that there are factors that motivate employees and those that detract from them. A similar argument is adopted by Alrawahi et al. (2020), who explain the factors that motivate employees to increase job satisfaction. Therefore, it is important that employers ensure the presence of the motivating factors in a workplace.
Factors That Promote Motivation at The Workplace
According to Shrestha (2021), there are extrinsic and intrinsic factors that promote motivation in the workplace. Shrestha (2021) explains that the intrinsic factors are those that come from within a person, and the extrinsic factors are those that are external. Similarly, Le Tan et al. (2021) acknowledge that factors that promote workplace motivation can be intrinsic or extrinsic. Therefore, it can be argued that intrinsic factors are those emotions that employees create inside them, while extrinsic factors are those factors beyond the employees’ control that affect their emotions. Shrestha (2021) asserts that intrinsic factors that promote motion at the workplace include: recognition, promotion, responsibility, and fairness. S agrees with Shrestha (2021) and goes further to explain that extrinsic factors include tangible rewards and bonuses. It, therefore, can be concluded that the factors promoting motivation at the workplace are those factors that instill a drive in the employees to be productive.
Impact Of Workplace Motivation
According to Asim (2013), motivation at the workplace increases employee performance and reduces employee absenteeism. Uzonna (2013), on the other hand, argues that motivation at the workplace ensures a high rate of employee retention. A similar argument is made by Fomenky (2015), who explains that motivation gives employees a reason to stay and work in a particular organisation. Thus, it can be argued that motivation at the workplace improves the overall performance of an organisation
Conclusion
In conclusion, the paper has adequately described the theories that underpin or provide an understanding of motivation at the workplace, outlined the factors that promote motivation at the workplace, and identified the impact of motivation at the workplace. The theories of motivation at the workplace provide an in-depth and descriptive analysis of how motivation at the workplace operates and how it is integral to the work environment. The paper has also shown that motivation as a construct is an important phenomenon in the work environment; it is the drive that fuels the workers into achieving the objectives of the organisations in that workforce. Evidently, having a skilled and knowledgeable workforce is not enough to ensure productivity. Skilled workers must be motivated for them to be productive. Motivation to work comes from within the individual workers and also from outside factors such as the working environment. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the management to ensure that they know what motivates their workforce. The paper recommends that there be future studies on motivation in the workplace for specialised industries. The main objective of such a future study is to determine whether motivation has an impact on the productivity level of employees who work in specialised industries, given the nature of their work. Such a study shall further find out whether overspecialisation waters down the impact of motivation in a workplace. The interaction of motivation and specialisation and the resulting impact on the overall performance of such industries may provide insight into motivating employees who perform their duties are routines without considering ways of creating more value.
Reference List
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Arvanitis, A., Hantzi, A., 2016. Equity Theory Ratios as Causal Schemas. Front Psychol 7, 1257. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01257
Asim, M., 2013. Impact of motivation on employee performance with effect of training: Specific to education sector of Pakistan. International journal of scientific and research publications 3, 1–9.
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