| Employee motivation can be one of the biggest | | | | tangible, as in the form of monetary compensation, or |
| struggles for managers and supervisors. How do you | | | | they can be intangible, such as health benefits that |
| maintain motivation in employees? Is the answer in | | | | offer the employee peace of mind. Studies have |
| compensation, benefits, a state of the art work | | | | shown that extrinsic motivation is often the least |
| environment, or prestige? Could it be something | | | | effective in the workplace. Extrinsic motivation is |
| deeper and more meaningful such as how challenging | | | | reward-based in that rewards are used to encourage |
| they find the work or their impact on company goals | | | | the behavior to repeat. When viewed in terms of |
| and objectives? The answer can be all of these or | | | | monetary rewards, budgetary constraints can limit |
| any of these, depending on the employee. Company | | | | rewards, thereby limiting the effectiveness of a |
| culture plays a big part in how easy or difficult it might | | | | reward-based system. |
| be to motivate employees. | | | | Intrinsic goal orientation, on the other hand, is far more |
| Many organizations spend exorbitant amounts of | | | | successful in terms of employee motivation. Intrinsic |
| money in an effort to solve the problem of employee | | | | factors might include a state of being, altruism, or ideals. |
| motivation. Taking the approach that it's a problem is | | | | Intrinsic factors energize a person's desire to achieve |
| the first mistake. Motivation of an organization's | | | | or attain certain goals. Finding what these factors are |
| workforce is not a problem to overcome. Rather, it is | | | | in each employee is the responsibility of managers and |
| an understanding that managers and supervisors must | | | | supervisors. An organizational culture that encourages |
| have of those who report to them. Understanding why | | | | intrinsic factors and looks deeper into what employees |
| individual employees do, or do not perform well is the | | | | want encourages the workforce as a whole. An |
| hallmark of a good manager. Creating a motivating | | | | employee motivated by altruistic ideals can be placed |
| culture within the organization is one of the most | | | | on projects that feed his/her desire to do good. An |
| valuable achievements a person in a supervisory role | | | | employee motivated by challenge may be happiest |
| attains. Simply offering more money, more benefits, or | | | | heading a new project. A manager who can |
| increased responsibility may not be enough. | | | | determine these motivators stands the best chance of |
| Compensation, benefits, prestige, these are all extrinsic | | | | achieving company objectives and creating a |
| forms of employee motivation. Extrinsic motivation | | | | harmonious, satisfying workplace. |
| involves factors outside the individual. They can be | | | | |