Organizational Psychology: A Scientist-Practitioner Approach Jex, S. M., & Britt, T. W. (2014) Prepared by: Christopher J. L. Cunningham, PhD University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Kelsey-Jo Ritter Bowling Green State University Kristen S. Jennings Clemson University 182

Chapter 10: Organizational Applications of Motivation Theory 183

Motivation Assumptions Organizational efforts to improve employee motivation are based on the following main assumptions: 1.Organizations have a right to influence employee behaviors 2.Employees have some freedom of choice regarding their behaviors 3.There are no major internal or external constraints to employee behaviors 4.Employee behavior is somewhat changeable (Comment 10.1) 184

Behavioral Targets Organizations tend to target multiple employee behaviors (Figure 10.1) –Membership seeking, productivity, innovativeness, continual learning, retention Interventions exist at many stages: during attraction, socialization, and over time Other behaviors beyond basic performance should be considered Choices among motivation interventions are closely linked with an organization’s values 185

Organizational Reward Systems Tangible rewards: Money (either salary, merit pay, incentive pay, or bonuses) is itself a powerful motivator (for informational and practical reasons) for applicant attraction and employee performance Keys to proper performance-based merit pay systems: accurate measurement/documentation, fair administration, meaningful pay Personal characteristics such as positive affectivity and employee attitudes may also influence how motivating pay can be for employees Motivation is improved when the reward is clearly linked with specific employee behaviors 186

Organizational Reward Systems Intangible rewards: These tend to be less influential than tangible rewards, but still are common and useful within organizations Common forms include: –Recognition and awards –Praise –Status symbols –Increased autonomy and freedom 187

Executive Compensation Similar rewards exist, but on a different scale Rationale for high rewards: Supply-demand of executive skills and high-importance decision making Research has identified links between compensation and organizational performance, determinants of compensation, and theories of executive compensation (agency and stewardship theory) Critical question: How is executive compensation linked with organizational performance? 188

Motivation Through Work Design Job design, department setup, and organizational environments can help to motivate positive employee behaviors From farming to industrial operations in the United States in the late 1800s, then scientific management, to human relations approaches to motivation  Result is an increasing focus on the design of jobs and their motivational properties 189

Humanistic Job Design Focus is on the individual employee Common forms include: –Job rotation (cross-training) –Job enrichment (vertical loading) 190

Job Characteristics Approach Job Characteristics Theory says jobs can be classified on core dimensions of autonomy, variety, significance, feedback, and identity Presence of five dimensions  Experienced meaning Key moderators: growth-need strength and satisfaction with work context Resulting efforts for job redesign guided by the five JCT core dimensions: –Vertical loading, combining tasks, forming natural work units, establishing client relationships, open feedback Ineffective intervention often due to underestimating complexity or failing to involve all stakeholders 191

Interdisciplinary Approach Job diagnosed in terms of four major dimensions: motivational, mechanistic, biological, and perceptual motor Results highlight areas that an organization might target after a careful cost-benefit evaluation Redesign will differ depending on which dimension is most emphasized by the diagnosis Often necessary to work with specialists from other disciplines for success 192

Integrating Approaches to Job (Re)design Integration is the trend to maximize potential for effective interventions –Work Design Questionnaire (Morgeson & Humphrey, 2006) is an example of this Integration of work context and personality Eight general obstacles to redesign across these methods are presented in Table 10.1, along with suggested solutions Integrated approaches can better overcome these obstacles 193

Proactive Motivation Taking control rather than watching things happen Leads employees to set goals for changing the work environment or adapting to current demands Characterized by –Proactive motivational states –Proactive goal generation and striving 194

Job Crafting A type of proactive motivation Employees attempt to change their jobs or perceptions of their jobs Helps employees better see significance and use their skills, abilities, and interests Can include changes in: –The frequency or nature of work tasks –Work relationships –How the employee thinks about work 195

Organizational Disciplinary Procedures Motivation interventions can also be directed at discouraging counterproductive behavior Progressive discipline: Increasing levels of discipline to match increasing frequency or severity of transgressions –Important considerations: Nature of behavior and the legal environment –Possible keys to success or failure: Maintaining procedural and interactional justice 196