Understanding Employee Motivation

Scholars in the field of Organizational Behavior study human behavior in the workplace at the individual and group levels. Human Resource Management professionals and scholars likewise focus on the individual and group, focusing on processes and practices that effect human performance while providing and retaining the human resources necessary for organizational productivity. Employee motivation is a prime topic in both the Organizational Behavior and HRM literature.

Assignment 1 focuses on motivation in the increasingly diverse workplace. Content theories of motivation such as Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and Herzberg’s Two Factor Theory were early favorites that still are studied around the world. Other content theories include Alderfer’s ERG Theory and McClelland’s Need Theory. Content theories focus on what things motivate people. Here is a quick reference that gives you an overview of these four theories

:https://biz.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Management/Principles_of_Management_(OpenStax)/14%3A_Work_Motivation_for_Performance/14.02%3A_Content_Theories_of_Motivation

Process theories of motivation, on the other hand, focus on how people are motivated. These theories are typically more contemporary than content theories. The primary theories under this umbrella are Fiedler’s Expectancy Theory, John Stacy Adams’ Equity Theory and Goal Setting Theory. Here’s a quick reference that gives you an overview of these three theories and others.

https://biz.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Management/Principles_of_Management_(OpenStax)/14%3A_Work_Motivation_for_Performance/14.02%3A_Content_Theories_of_Motivation

Assignment One Directions: You are a high-level Human Resource Management professional. The CEO of your organization wants to initiate a new training program for mid-level management aimed at increasing their awareness of the important connection between motivation, employee productivity and job satisfaction. The CEO has asked you to prepare an 8-10 page report reviewing major motivation theories and recommending which one should serve as the basis for the new training program

In your report, give a brief description of the following content and process theories of motivation citing peer-reviewed, scholarly articles.

Content theories: (a) Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, (b) Herzberg’s Two Factor Theory, (c) Alderfer’s ERG Theory, and (d) McClelland’s Need Theory

Process theories: (a) Vroom’s Expectancy Theory, (b) Adams’ Equity Theory, and (c) Locke’s Goal Setting Theory

Next, choose one theory that you think would be best used as the basis for the new training program in how to motivate employees. Explain why you chose that theory and back up your choice with a review of the literature showing how that theory has been used in organizations to motivate employees and increase productivity and job satisfaction.

Because of the brevity of the paper, you should devote no more than one page to describing each theory and one to two pages to recommend your ultimate choice.

Use the following headings. Remember that first-level headings are centered and second-level headings begin at the left margin. Both are bolded. Here is an APA 7th edition template showing the placement of headings. Note that there is no heading for the introduction although I list it as a section below.

https://apastyle.apa.org/instructional-aids/heading-template-student-paper.pdf

Introduction (Be sure to include a thesis statement telling the reader what the paper is designed to do. Also identify and briefly describe your organization to give us context)

Overview of Content Theories (Tell us what content theories are, first level heading)

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (second-level heading)

Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory (second-level heading)

Alderfer’s ERG Theory (second-level heading)

McClelland’s Need Theory (second level heading)

Overview of Process Theories (Tell us what process theories are, first level heading)

Vroom’s Expectancy Theory (second level heading)

Adams’ Equity Theory (second level heading)

Locke’s Goal Setting Theory (second level heading)

Recommended Theory for Training Purposes (first level heading)

Conclusion (first level heading)

References (first level heading)

Paper must be written according to APA 7th edition format and submitted as a .doc file. Be sure to cite your sources completely and carefully with an emphasis on current, scholarly sources (2017 and beyond). Note that most of these theories were developed in the last century so some historically important, older sources may be used. However, at least 8 of your sources must qualify as current. Any plagiarism, intentional or unintentional, will result in disqualification of the paper and a grade of zero.

Expected length of assignment is 8 to 10 pages not counting title page and references and should include a minimum of 10 scholarly, peer-reviewed sources related to the topic. If you write a minimum of 8 pages, it must be 8 “FULL” pages of content. In addition, you may use other non-peer-reviewed sources such as Fortune or Forbes, but you may not use unreliable sources such as Wikipedia. Professional, scholarly writing is required as all paragraphs must have at least 5 to 6 academic level sentences and supported with at least 2 to 3 current scholarly sources.

Every written assignment must have an APA title page. Note that running headers are no longer required for student papers according to APA 7th edition.

Requirements: 10 pages