Organizational psychology Essay

I’m likely to be motivated most by personal growth factors. This is understandable for a person who seeks personal fulfillment and development. I’m achievement oriented and have a preference for an interesting and challenging job. However, all other factors pertinent to work environment are also important to me. There are several formal theories of motivation that help me to increase my own productivity and motivate my colleagues. The two-factor theory divides factors that affect employee performance and productivity into two broad categories, namely motivation factors (encompassing factors related to satisfaction and work content) and hygiene factors (those related to dissatisfaction and work conditions). The focus in the organization should be on enhancing employee motivation to the extent that it provides opportunities for (a) achievement, (b) recognition, (c) responsibility, (d) advancement, and (e) growth in competence. According to the two-factor model, both ‘satisfiers’ and ‘dissatisfiers’ are of value to a person that ranks factors related to the content of work (e. g. recognition and chances to advance) as high as factors related to work conditions (e. g. friendly co-workers and flexible schedule). For me, reward and recognition are less important than the nature of a job. Material needs are less important for me than personal satisfaction or clients’ approval. The most applicable theory in my case is Goal Setting Theory. Goal Setting Theory is the most critically acclaimed theory of motivation. It argues that individuals are motivated to achieve goals they set, and the strength of their motivation depends on goal specificity, goal difficulty, and commitment and feedback. Other moderating factors include self-efficacy of an employee and task complexity. My perception of difficulty of achieving a goal might be too subjective and my reliance on feedback might be less than by other employees, yet I’m very result-driven and challenged by complex yet interesting tasks. My motivation is influenced by the difficulty of goals (such as ensuring high customer satisfaction ratings on big projects were there are many stakeholders), yet goals’ value (excitement from working on a specific type of project delivering good results rather than cash influx) is more important. My superiors have recognized that it is important to give me freedom in choosing projects I’m motivated to work on and allow me to set my own objectives and performance measures. My high appreciation of autonomy and power also suggest that I am more effective as an individual worker than a team player. This is yet another reason why Goal Setting Theory is appropriate for my motivation: it has been argued that workers with higher self-efficacy are more effective in personal goal setting and fulfillment. However, this does not mean that I don’t value team spirit as a means of motivating my co-workers. Our company’s motto is ‘Let’s Build Something Together. ’ Therefore, encouraging teamwork is one of the ways to increase motivation and productivity. Our management succeeded in gathering and developing an outstanding crew by applying several important principles of group work management which I also follow. I foster group cohesion by a variety of methods and believed that sound preparation, ego less teamwork, and original strategizing are the inherent components of success. In my view, the emphasis should have been on team performance rather than individual performance. People, management, and psychology are three important aspects of teamwork. The emphasis on continuous learning makes it possible to stay ahead. When skills and knowledge of all group members combine in a way that exceeds the sum of knowledge of all individual members, the synergy effect can be observed, i. . the system as a whole has certain qualities its elements do not have. Therefore, it is of paramount importance to pay attentive to group cohesion so that exceptional results can be achieved with limited human resources available in each organization. Group decision making means not only working to achieve better solutions but also promote growth of community and trust. Group decision making ensures much higher level of member satisfaction and motivation. Greater commitment is also among important advantages of group decision making. Open, collaborative atmosphere ensures contribution from all levels and no domination, intimidation or judgment from the boss. Participation in problem solving increases acceptance; some even argue that a lower-quality solution that has wide acceptance can be more effective than a higher-quality solution that lacks acceptance. It’s possible to conclude that I’m motivated by complex yet interesting tasks, while teamwork and group decision making are the tools I use to motivate others.