https://research-methodology.net Necessary knowledge to conduct a business research Sun, 12 Jun 2016 09:31:16 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://rm-15da4.kxcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/cropped-logoBRM-32x32.jpg https://research-methodology.net 32 32 https://research-methodology.net/complexity-of-technology-employed-in-the-industry-as-the-prime-cause-of-alienation-in-the-workplace-2/ Sun, 12 Jun 2016 00:01:11 +0000 http://research-methodology.net/?p=7868 Introduction Increasing range and complexity of technological developments employed in various industries has had dramatic implications on professional and even personal lives for many employees, along with impacting organisational culture. This article aims to assess the complexity of the technology employed in the industry as the prime cause of alienation in the workplace. The article starts with discussion of Marx’s Theory of Alienation followed by Blauner’s Theory of Technology and Alienation. Moreover, the article addresses a set of other relevant theoretical frameworks and approaches such as Nichools and Beynon’s (1977) criticism of Blauner and a brief analyses of studies conducted by Gallie (1978) and Zuboff (1988). It has been stated that “in the workplace the feeling of alienation mean that the individual has lost control over the process of production” (Sharma, 1998, p.22). Generally, alienation can be defined as “the feeling of being powerless to control one’s own destiny; a worker’s feeling of powerlessness caused by inability to control the work process” (Kronblum, 2011, p.474) and alienation is justly considered as an important issue from sociological viewpoint. Marx’s Theory of Alienation in the Workplace Marx specifies four types of alienation – alienation between worker and the work, alienation between workers, alienation of worker from the product, and alienation of worker from the process of work. Famously, Marx blames capitalism for the emergence of all of above types of alienation. It has to be noted that certain aspects of Marxist ideology including Theory of Alienation has been challenged from within communists by some philosophers such as Milovan Djilas, whereas different group communist philosophers such as Louis Pierre Althusser voiced against initiatives directed towards revising theoretical foundations of Marxism (Rehmann, 2013). Assessment of the impact of technology on the emergence of each of these types of alienation increases depth of this discussion. Specifically, with…]]> https://research-methodology.net/individual-differences-and-their-impact-on-learning-styles/ Thu, 11 Dec 2014 09:34:21 +0000 http://research-methodology.net/?p=6220 There are differences amongst employees in multiple levels and these differences do affect learning styles and capabilities of employees. This argument can be illustrated more effectively with the application of Honey and Mumford (1982) learning styles. According to this model learning can be divided into four different groups on the basis of individual preferences or styles: activists, theorists, pragmatists and reflectors. Activists include specific type of individuals who best learn by doing. Theorists, on the other hand, attempt to understand theoretical frameworks and they like to analyse core ideas behind the phenomenon to be learned. Pragmatists tend to be highly practical individuals, and accordingly unlike theorists pragmatists are interested in application of knowledge in real-life environment. Reflectors are observers who prefer to adopt a holistic approach towards the subject of learning. The model of Honey and Mumford learning styles has important practical implications in organisational settings. Senior level managers need to identify learning styles of key employees in order to be able to facilitate their learning more effectively. For example, employees with theorist learning style need to be assigned with tasks of analytical nature. Alternatively, individuals with advanced pragmatist learning styles need to be appointed in positions where problem-solving skills are prioritised. However, it has to be acknowledged that identification of learning styles of each individual employee is a challenging task and therefore this strategy needs to be applied only in relation to key members of the workforce.   References Honey, P. & Mumford, A. (1982) “Manual of Learning Styles” London]]> https://research-methodology.net/motivating-staff-and-volunteers-in-international-food-event/ Mon, 13 Oct 2014 10:41:05 +0000 http://research-methodology.net/?p=6055 Employee motivation tools can be divided into two categories: tangible and intangible. Salary and monetary bonuses is the main form of tangible motivation tools, whereas intangible motivation tools include sense of contributing to a great cause, recognition of employee performance by managers in verbal and written ways, celebrations of group and individual achievements etc. Both, tangible and intangible tools of motivation are going to be used in relations with chefs and sales assistant before and during the International Food Event.  Tangible motivational tools offered to staff include financial compensation of £8 per hour. A set of intangible motivational tools to be used in this event include verbal encouragement of staff at all stages of the event, explanation of contribution of the event in terms of increasing the levels of cross-cultural awareness, and contributing to good cause as the profit to be made from the sale of food and ingredients are to be donated to the selected charity. Moreover, application of Hertzberg’s Two-Factor Theory (1959) assists in explaining staff and volunteer motivation practices in International Food Event. Two-Factor Theory makes a clear distinction between hygiene factors and motivators. Hygiene factors include salaries, adequate working conditions, appropriate management-employee relationships, acceptable levels of work-life balance etc. Hygiene factors are expected by employees to be in place and their presence may prevent dissatisfaction amongst employees. However, the presence of hygiene factors is not sufficient for employee motivation and employee motivation can only be achieved through the application of motivator factors. Accordingly, motivator factors to be applied in International Food Event include creating challenging, yet rewarding working environment, recognition of contribution of chefs, encouraging the sense of personal achievement due to the participation in the event etc. Alternatively, the issues of motivation at the event can be explained using the framework of Theory X and…]]> https://research-methodology.net/career-research-process-an-example/ Tue, 28 Jan 2014 00:39:19 +0000 http://research-methodology.net/?p=5441 It has been noted that “research is a term used literally for any kind of investigation that is intended to uncover interesting or new facts” (Walliman and Walliman, 2011, p.1). The career research process I have used is the one proposed by Morgan (2010) and it consists of the following stages: 1. Assessment. The research process commences with assessment of personal skills and knowledge, as well as, passion in order to be able to identify genuine career aspirations. Specifically, my hobbies and spheres that attracted my interest the most have been deeply analysed during this initial stage of career research process. 2. Collecting Information. Both, primary and secondary data sources have been used to collect the relevant information during the second stage of career research process. Secondary sources of data used in research process comprise industry analyses, industry magazines and newspapers, and a range of books devoted to career management. Primary data sources used during the career research, on the other hand, include individuals already employed in the industry. 3. Presentation.  This stage includes improvement of the verbal pitch, and development of a personal marketing plan as a prospective employee. A high level of importance of developing a personal marketing plan can be explained by increasing level of competition in the job marker for graduates with little or no formal job experiences. 4. Project management. Achievement of career objectives is approached as a project management with identification of short-term and long-term goals and organising regular reviews. 5. Interview preparation. Performances in interviews play a great role in the achievement of career objectives, and accordingly interview preparation is identified as a strategic stage in career progression. 6. Project update. This stage in career research process involves career progression monitoring conducted in a regular basis, and strategy modification if necessary.   References Morgan, H. (2010) “The…]]> https://research-methodology.net/factors-affecting-team-functioning/ Tue, 03 Dec 2013 00:53:21 +0000 http://research-methodology.net/?p=5055 There is set of factors that effect team functioning. These factors include, but not limited to the nature of group norms, the level of cohesiveness, team leadership, rewards and others. Group norms resemble a code of conduct that specifies the extent of acceptable behaviour within the groups. As an important factor impacting team functioning, group norms need to be formulated in a clear and straightforward manner. Moreover, group members need to be communicated about penalties for deviating form group norms. Group cohesiveness can be explained as the level of attractiveness of the group to its members and is a major factor impacting group functioning. Managers need to be focusing on increasing the levels of cohesiveness through associating being group members with personal and professional growth, as well as, a range of tangible benefits. Moreover, leadership plays substantial role on the effectiveness of team functioning. Team leaders need to be able to command respect from team members and they need to be emotionally intelligent as well. Importantly, team leaders need to be able motivate each member of team in personal levels. Rewards associated with team performance can be listed as another important factor impacting team functioning. Rewards to team members need to comprise tangible elements such as financial compensation and various perks, as well as, intangible elements such as celebration of achievement, recognition of contribution of each individual team member in formal and informal ways. Failure to achieve the positive impact of the factors listed above may cause the formation of dysfunctional teams that are not well positioned to achieve organisational aims and objectives.]]> https://research-methodology.net/factors-impacting-employee-behaviour/ Mon, 25 Nov 2013 00:49:49 +0000 http://research-methodology.net/?p=4966 There are set of factors that impact employee behaviour in direct and indirect ways. These factors can be internal to organisation such as work culture, leadership, job responsibilities relationships with colleagues etc., or external such as the extent of work-life balance, changes in personal circumstances, employee cultural background, the extent of interpersonal skills etc. Work culture can be defined as “applying the general characteristics of culture to the specifics of how people work at a point of time and place” (Moran et al., 2007, p. 30) and work culture is one of the major factors impacting employee behaviour. Work culture is usually set by founder(s) of organisation, but it can change over a course of time. In simple terms, in order to survive employees have to fit in the current work culture. The quality of organisational leadership has also great impact on employee behaviour in a way that effective organisational leaders can inspire and motivate employees for greater performance, at the same time when ineffective leaders can cause employee knowledge, skills and competencies not being fully utilised. Employee job responsibilities can be mentioned as important factor impacting employee behaviour because extensive range of roles and responsibilities can cause burnout for employees with all the negative consequences. In personal level, the extent of work-life balance of employees has direct and significant implications on their behaviour. Specifically, lack of work-life balance is most likely to have negative implications on employee behaviour and performance in various levels. Similarly, employee-specific factors such as cultural background and interpersonal skills and competencies greatly affect employee behaviours. Therefore, managers need to take into account these differences when dealing with each individual employee.   References Moran, R.T., Harris, P.R. & Moran S.V. (2007) “Managing Cultural Differences: Global Leadership Strategies for the 21st Century” 7th edition,  Routledge]]> https://research-methodology.net/repairing-employee-morale-and-boosting-motivation/ Wed, 16 Oct 2013 00:12:15 +0000 http://research-methodology.net/?p=4616 Employee morale is “a composite of feelings and attitudes that individuals and groups have toward their work, working condition, supervisors, top level management, and the organisations” (Leonard, 2012, p.375), whereas motivation can be defined as “the process that determines the reinforcement value of an outcome” (Kalat, 2010, p.375). Strategies offered to Managing Director in terms of repairing employee morale and boosting motivation include determining the types of employee motivation, applying to the most immediate needs of employees, adopting an individualistic approach in employee motivation, using an effective combination of tangible and intangible motivational tools, and achieving equity in motivation. The rationale behind each of these strategies is discussed below in greater details.                                                                                                                                      1. Determining the Types of Employee Needs It is important to determine types of employee need in order to repair employee morale and boost the level of motivation at Company. McClelland’s Achievement Motivation (1965) can be used to deal with this task. McClelland (1965) divides employee needs into three groups: need for achievement, need for power, and need for affiliation. It has to be noted that all three types of needs – need for achievement, need for power, and need for affiliation can be possessed by any one individual; nevertheless, specific type of need generally prevails over others for each individual. Accordingly, managers need to engage in employee motivation taking into account their specific needs. For example, employees that have need for power can be effectively motivated by positions with greater level of responsibility. Motivation of employees with a greater need for affiliation, on the other hand, can be achieved through publicly acknowledging their contribution to the achievement of organisational goals in front of groups in general, and their immediate team members in particular.   2. Applying to the Most Immediate Needs of Employees Maslow’s Hierarchy of…]]> https://research-methodology.net/mcclellands-achievement-motivation/ Sat, 25 May 2013 01:25:38 +0000 http://research-methodology.net/?p=2842 The theory of Achievement Motivation proposed by David McClelland (1965) envisages that individuals have three different types of needs – need for achievement, need for power, and need for affiliation, but there is a difference between people in terms of the extent of influence of each need on their behaviour. It is important to note that “although workers may possess all these needs to some degree, each individual is most strongly motivated by one” (Lewis et al., 2011, p.150). Therefore, organisational managers are responsible to identify the nature of the need for each individual member of staff, and motivate them accordingly.   References  McClelland, D. (1965) “Toward a Theory of Motive Acquisition” American Psychologist]]> https://research-methodology.net/tangible-and-intangible-employee-motivation-tools/ Sun, 12 May 2013 15:15:01 +0000 http://research-methodology.net/?p=3652 Employee motivational tools can be divided into two categories: tangible and intangible. Tangible motivational tools include money, holidays, and other tangible perks and benefits in the workplace, whereas intangible tools of employee motivation include verbal and written acknowledgement of employee contribution, celebration of memorable dates such as birthdays, anniversaries and achievements, developing effective work environment etc. A major internet company, Google can be mentioned as a model workplace where design of workspaces and working environment has been developed in a way that they have positive impact on the level of employee motivation. Specifically, Google offices around the world are have many unique features in terms of design and decorations and these are aimed at increasing the level of employee motivation and creativeness. Organisational managers are recommended to recognise the level of employee motivation as one of the most crucial factors of competitive advantage in the market. Moreover, managers are recommended to use both; tangible, as well as, intangible motivational tools need to be used by management in an effectively integrated manner in order to benefit from highly motivated workforce.]]> https://research-methodology.net/maslows-hierarchy-of-needs-revisited/ Fri, 10 May 2013 01:05:11 +0000 http://research-methodology.net/?p=2833 The theoretical framework of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (1943) is considered by many to be the most substantial theory in the area of human motivation. Maslow (1943) categorises human needs into the five different levels and states that are evolved in a sequential manner. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Psychological needs include basic human needs that are necessary to sustain life such as food, clothing, sleeping etc. Satisfaction of psychological needs in individual results to an emergence of safety needs that include being free of fear or deprivation of basic needs. The next level of needs is social needs that follow after the satisfaction of safety needs. Namely, social needs relate to the sense of acceptance by various groups. Esteem needs, emerging in the next stage “motivates a person to contribute his or her best to the efforts of the group in return for the numerous forms of reward that recognition can assume” (Montana and Charnov, 2008, p.239). Adequate satisfaction of esteem needs makes self-actualisation needs predominant. This stage of need is closely associated with maximising an individual’s potential regardless of its nature. The practical implications of “Hierarchy of Needs” are that managers must adopt an individual approach when motivating their subordinates addressing the immediate needs of each individual employee. According Maslow (1943) in their practices organisational managers need to address more immediate needs of employees in order to achieve the highest level of motivation. In other words, trying to appeal to self-esteem needs of an employee that has not satisfied his belonging needs is not the best approach in terms of achieving a high level of employee motivation.    References  Maslow, A.H. (1943) “The Theory of Human Motivation”  Psychological Review, 50(4) Montana, P.J. & Charnov, B.H. (2008) “Management” Barron’s]]> https://research-methodology.net/motivation/ Thu, 09 May 2013 02:51:14 +0000 http://research-methodology.net/?p=185 Employee motivation can be defined as “influencing others in a specific way towards goals specifically stated by the motivator, conforming within organisational constraints” (MacKay, 2007, p.21) and the level of motivation of the workforce represents one of the most critical factors affecting organisational performance. One of the main reasons for increasing importance of motivation in the workplace relates to the role of human resources becoming greater in ensuring long-term growth for the business. Employee motivation is an essential component of a successful business practice. No matter how appealing products and services a company is providing, how efficient are company’s business and marketing strategy and what size of budget does a company have to operate, low morale and lack of motivation in employees could be a major problem for companies who aim to make a profit in marketplace. It has been argued that while each individual has a general idea of what motivation is, these ideas differ from each other. One of the most comprehensive definitions of the term motivation is offered by Business Dictionary (2012) as internal and external factors that stimulate desire and energy in individuals to be interested and committed to a position, role or subject in a continuous manner, and exhibit persistent effort in achieving a goal. Alternatively, motivation can be defined as “a process of stimulating someone to adopt a desired course of action” (Kumar, 2008, p.12), and the level of employee motivation can be justly specified as one of the major factors contributing to overall organisational competitiveness It has been also said that “all employees have unique needs that they seek to fulfil through their jobs. Organisations must devise a wide array of incentives to ensure that a broad spectrum of employee needs can be addressed in the work environment, thus increasing the likelihood of…]]> https://research-methodology.net/theory-x-and-theory-y/ Thu, 21 Mar 2013 03:32:45 +0000 http://research-methodology.net/?p=1354 Theory X and Theory Y framework proposed by McGregor in his classic book The Human Side of Enterprise (1960) consists of two alternative set of assumptions. Theory X percieves employees to be lazy, irresponsible and untrustworthy, while according to theory Y employees are approached as one of the most valuable assets of the company. According to Theory X assumptions employees do not like their work, they lack ambition and responsibility and employees prefer to be led rather than leading others. Theory X assumes average human being to dislike the work and avoid it whenever possible. The following statements relate to Theory X assumptions: Most people must be controlled and threatened so that they can produce an adequate level of output Responsibility is avoided by an average human who desires security above all An average human being has a little ambition and has to be closely supervised at all times   Theory Y set of assumptions, on the other hand, is based upon the idea that employees are generally enthusiastic about their work, they are creative and self-directive, and also employees readily accept responsibility. Theory Y is based on the following alternative assumptions: The expenditure of physical and mental effort in work is as natural as play or rest Methods of making people work are not limited to control and punishment, high level of commitment in organisational aims and objectives can result in self-direction Commitment to organisation can be achieved by designing satisfying jobs If proper conditions are created, an average human can not only learn how to take responsibility, but he can also learn to seek responsibility In practical levels, McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y framework aims to demonstrate the potential of employees that organisations should recognise so that the level of organisational efficiency can be increased. However, as…]]> https://research-methodology.net/frederick-hertzbergs-two-factor-theory/ Sat, 02 Mar 2013 18:16:37 +0000 http://research-methodology.net/?p=1346 A major work in the field of employee motivation is done by Frederick Hertzberg (1964) that includes Two-factor Theory among other works of the author. According to the Two-Factor Theory a distinction has to be made in the workplaces between motivators and hygeine factors. Motivators cause the employees to enhance the level of their performance and effectiveness in the workplace and include career growth, responsibility, achievement etc. Hygeine factors, on the other hand, are essential in the workplaces in order for the employees not to be dissatisfied, at the same time, when these factors do not cause satisfaction. Hygiene factors include job security, financial compensation, the quality of management etc., whereas motivator factors are recognition of contribution by management, personal and professional growth opportunities, status associated with the position etc. It is important for managers to be able to make clear distinction between motivators and hygiene factors. This is because while the provision of hygiene factors may lead to greater level of employee satisfaction, it does not necessarily contribute to the level of employee motivation. Therefore, apart from ensuring the provision of hygiene factors in an effective manner, managers need to invest in motivational factors as well.  ]]> https://research-methodology.net/the-importance-of-learning-and-training-in-the-workplace/ Fri, 07 Sep 2012 11:42:04 +0000 http://research-methodology.net/?p=2072 The demand for highly competent and skilled employees is greater than ever before because of highly intensive level of competition in the marketplace. This demand also increases the level of importance of learning and training for the members of workforce so that they would be able to deal with increasing number of organisational challenges in an effective manner. Specific advantages of promoting and facilitating learning and training in the workplace include increased level of productivity and team spirit, improvements in organisational culture and climate, improvements in the image of the company and its overall performance, as well as consequent positive implications on profitability levels of private entities. Banfield and Kay (2008) use the notion of six ‘Es’ of training in their explanation of why organisations do train employees. Namely, according to authors six ‘Es’ consist of engaging, educating, enhancing, empowering, energising, and enlightening employees. At the same time, it is important to clarify differences between learning and training. Schuler and Jackson (2007) convincingly argue that the differences between learning and training have to be drawn according to the purposes of each. Specifically, training is organised in order to impart knowledge and skills directly related to specific tasks or job, whereas learning is concerned with improving future behaviour and performances in general. Moreover, Erasmus and Schenk (2009) draw clear distinctions between the terms of ‘training’, ‘education’ and ‘development’. Specifically, training is specified as a job-related learning, whereas education is the preparation of an employee for a different job. Employee development, on the other hand, is a broad terms that comprises education, training, as well as, various forms of learning. An alternative definition of training has been proposed as “the process whereby people acquire capabilities to perform jobs” (Mathis and Jackson, 2010, p.250), whereas specific form of training which is the focus…]]> https://research-methodology.net/employee-motivation-strategies/ Wed, 18 Jul 2012 06:10:16 +0000 http://research-methodology.net/?p=1364 Paauwe (2004) stresses the role of various types of team building activities in order for the each individual member of the team to be motivated. In order to achieve a greater positive impact, Paauwe (2004) stresses, team building activities have to be conducted in an environment outside of office and in informal circumstances. Shermon (2004) expands the above point by stating that company management has to adopt a proactive approach in terms of celebrating memorable dates that relate to everyone such as company anniversaries and a range of national and international holidays, as well as celebrations related to individual members within the workforce such as birthdays, additions to family etc. Moreover, Johns et al (2005) offer interesting viewpoint in terms of motivating employees in the workplace. Specifically authors state that managers have to be effectively motivated themselves in order to be able to motivate their subordinates. However, Johns et al (2005) fail to provide any sound recommendations in terms of self-motivation to be engaged by managers. Johns et al (2005) also maintain that employee motivation activities should be institutionalised within business activities and not to be occasional activities managers engage in. Furthermore, the authors state that there should be an employee motivation program established in organisations that should ensure systematic employee motivation through a range of measures that might include training and development programs, appreciations of the most notable contributions to the success done by individuals and groups through tangible and intangible means etc. Torrington et al (2008) take this advice to the next level by stating that ‘infrastructure of motivation’ should be present within organisations that include devising organisational systems including various policies and procedures in such a way that they contribute to the level of employee motivation. References Torrington, D, Hall, L & Taylor, S, 2008, Human Resource…]]> https://research-methodology.net/classification-of-motivational-tools/ Wed, 18 Jul 2012 05:43:21 +0000 http://research-methodology.net/?p=1359 Johns et al (2005) divides motivational tools exercised by companies into two categories: tangible and intangible. Tangible motivational tools include money, facilities, benefits, travels and some perks of the job, whereas such elements of employee recognition, appreciation letters, informal talks etc. Byars and Rue (2007) highlight the efficiency of intangible motivational tool, stating that this form of motivation causes a deeper emotional attachment compared to tangible motivational methods if effectively implemented, and at the same time they are cost effective for companies as well. This idea has been supported by a range of other authors as well who list the shortcomings of monetary motivation with statements like “money can motivate individual performance; however, the impact on performance is typically short-lived” (Marciano, 2010, p.33). Another effective employee motivation tool that has been mentioned by Simon (2007) involves the trend of ‘employee ownership’. Namely, nowadays increasing number of companies are offering or awarding stock options of the company to their employees. Simon (2007) stresses that the effectiveness of this strategy is ensured by two facts. Firstly, employees are going to feel appreciated for their contribution to the company through ‘employee ownership’ motivational tool. Secondly, ‘employee ownership’ plan will effectively motivate employees for future efficient performances, because employees will feel the sense of ownership for the business. Currently, this form of motivational tool is especially popular with a number of leading retailers in UK such as Tesco, Marks and Spencer, Sainsbury’s and others. It needs to be said that although many works have been done to address issues associated with motivation in the workplace most aspects of the issue are explored only in the surface within the business context. In other words, motivation issues within the business context are studied only with cause-and effect approach as “we can only observe the outward behaviour…]]> https://research-methodology.net/training-development/ Fri, 29 Jun 2012 01:07:05 +0000 http://research-methodology.net/?p=708 Employee training and development. The following purposes of training and development as proposed by Beardwell et al (2004): a)  Maximising  productivity and service provision for the company b) Developing  the adaptability for the workforce c) Developing an organisation as a whole d) Increasing job satisfaction, motivation and morale of workforce e) Improving  standards and safety at work f) Promoting the Better utilisation of other resources g) Standardisation of work practices and procedures Wood (2009) divides trainings methods into two categories: traditional training methods, and electronic training methods. Traditional training methods include lectures, on-the-job training, apprenticeship training, offside training, programmed learning, informal learning, job instruction training, and training stimulated by audiovisual tools. As a traditional training method, on-the-job training includes job rotation, coaching, and action learning, whereas the main elements of off-the-job training (offside training) are case-study, games, external seminars, Internet-based seminars and conferences, university-related programs, role-playing, behavioural modelling, Internet educational portals, and behavioural modelling. The main elements of electronic training are computer-based training, video-conferencing, electronic performance support systems, tele-training, learning portals and others. Paauwe (2004) specifies task analysis to be a detailed study of the job to be undertaken in order to identify skills required for the job. Performance analysis, on the other hand, as Shermon (2004) informs, examine individual and collective performances within organisations in order to identify deficiencies, then training and development programs can be devised in order to eliminate these performance deficiencies. Moreover, Behaviour Modelling has also been identified as an important element of training and development programs and Dessler (1984) informs that behaviour modelling includes three following components: a) Showing trainees the right (or “model”) method of performing a task b)  Giving opportunities to trainees to perform in this way c) Giving feedback on the trainees’ performance. Strengths of behaviour modelling as an element of training and development scheme is…]]> https://research-methodology.net/abraham-maslows-hierarchy-need/ Mon, 25 Jun 2012 14:16:27 +0000 http://research-methodology.net/?p=665 Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. The nature of initial studies on motivation can be summarised in the idea that “early and modern approaches to motivation are based on the premise that increasing the amount of time and effort that an individual devotes to a task (i.e. task motivation) will result in higher levels of individual performance and increased productivity for the organisation” (Landy and Conte, 2010, p.368). Arguably the most prominent author on the topic of motivation is Abraham Maslow. Maslow states (1943, p.372) that employees have five levels of needs: 1.  The Physiological needs. This is the basic needs for living, which includes oxygen water, protein, salt, sugar, calcium, and other minerals and vitamins. They are also known as the “Biological necessities”. They also include the needs to be active, to rest, and to sleep. These needs are the strongest because a person needs to have the factors above in order to survive. In business environment it means good payment, and good environment for working. 2.  The safety and security needs. When physiological needs are reached, the second need comes into place, which for employees means finding the safe circumstances, stability, and protection. 3.  The belonging needs. When the both satisfactions are reached, belonging needs layer would arise. Employees might begin to feel the needs of friendships, affectionate relationships in general, or even a sense of community. 4.  The esteem needs. Maslow has divided esteem needs into two parts: lower and higher self-esteem needs. The lower one is the need for respects for others, whereas the higher one requires self-respect, which includes the sense of confidence, achievement, independence, and freedom. 5.   Self-actualization needs.  This is the level, when employees satisfy all their needs, including the four needs above. In business sense it means the opportunities for developing new skills, scope to meet challenges and room to perform…]]>