Motivational Strategies in the Workplace

The work performances and the productivity of employees who work for organizations are crucial to the success of these corporations. Although acknowledging this statement seems to be simply established by relying on the ability of the human capital, the entire situation is not as simple as it is on the exterior. Drawing out the quality performance and productivity of workers for organizations requires the implementation of various strategies and techniques that will necessitate the management’s time and efforts In particular, work performances and productivity are highly dependent on motivational strategies which seek to present a working environment that is pleasing or satisfying, as well as enriching, to drive the human capital to work or perform for the organization as best they can. (Li, 2003) With this in mind, organizations should realize the importance of designing and implementing motivational strategies within the work environment if they expect their human capital to fulfill the goals and objectives of the organization.In general, motivation refers to the process of setting up the environment and presenting stimuli to individuals that will prompt them to submit to the requirements or necessities that are requested of them to fulfill particular goals and objectives, most especially within the organizations that they work for.

Carrying out motivation is manifested through the existence of various motivational strategies and techniques that target the involvement of individuals to accomplishing goals and objectives that are presented to them. Reviewing the role of motivation, the remainder of this text will discuss the role of motivation strategies to worker performances and productivity under the dimensions of a particular organization – Toyota – in order to establish information on the necessity of exerting time and effort in improving performance, the function of motivation in diminishing employee resistance to organizational changes and requirements, and such.The experiences of Toyota through the years have led the management to realize that motivation is an important contributor to success. The ultimate goal or purpose of Toyota was to fully implement Lean through the employment of various motivational strategies.

(Bodek, 2008) Lean is a kind of business scheme or process that allows organizations to organize and manage various business processes and operations that constitute the foundations or various organizations. For instance, Lean tools facilitate the project planning process through the organization and systematization of the various steps that lead through the accomplishment of plans and projects for implementation, the carrying out of practical or technical processes or operations, considerations regarding customer concerns and demands and the strategies or approaches to address them, and other aspects of the organizational structure and dimension that contribute to its overall success. The Lean system was introduced by Henry Ford of Ford Motors, and since its introduction to the corporate arena, various organizations have started to adapt the particular system to their organizations, including Toyota. (“What is Lean?,” 2008)During the initial phases of the implementation of the Lean system, Toyota only harbored minimal results from it. It was through in depth research and frequent observation that Toyota realized the need to couple the implementation of Lean tools with employee motivation in order to achieve the most exceptional results from the entire process.

(Bodek, 2008) Since then, Toyota has employed various motivational strategies within the organization under the context of people management. This is because Toyota regards the full attention and engagement of its human capital to the company’s desire to accomplish goals and objectives as highly instrumental and significant. (Karlsberg & Adler, 2008)The evaluation and assessment of Toyota of the effects and outcomes of the various motivational strategies that it implemented resulted to the increase in productivity and quality of work performances of its human capital. The various strategies that Toyota implemented – both intrinsic and extrinsic in nature – include the tangible motivational strategies pertaining to the benefits and compensation received by its employees, the nature of tasks and requirements specifically making them challenging and worthwhile for the employees, the conditions within the working environment that eliminates stress and pressure that discourages worker productivity and efficiency in accomplishing tasks and responsibilities, and such. The combination of various intrinsic and extrinsic motivational strategies has led to the success of Toyota in driving its human capital to perform better not only for the sake of their positions or occupations but also for the benefit and advantage of the organization.

(Karlsberg & Adler, 2008)The underlying psychological principles and concepts believed to be true by Toyota have mapped out how important motivational strategies are for the organization. For instance, Toyota attributes that motivation is supported by the feeling of satisfaction to one’s own person, the working environment, and the work itself. That is, if an individual feels content or satisfied with everything that has something to do with his work, then the organization is rest assured of his enthusiasm to work for the organization. In addition, another concept that contributed to the design of the organization’s motivational strategies has something to do with the theory of the basic needs of man. If the organization is successful enough to provide the basic needs of man (i.

e. Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs), it will be able to create a sense of security for its employees that will lead them to believe that they need to give back to the organization the pleasure and satisfaction that is granted to them. (Karlsberg ; Adler, 2008)From this perspective, we realize the kind of relationship that exists between organizations and human capitals. Organizations and its employees establish a kind of give-and-take relationship which facilitates the reciprocity of contributions that benefit them both. Perhaps, this is the main reason why Toyota has utilized much of its time and exerted so much effort in establishing the implementation of motivational strategies within the workplace as it regards the importance of its employees in its success. During the entire process, Toyota has made its employees feel important to the company which made them feel attached to the organization as well.

With this in mind, the company believes that it will cease to exist and experience success if not for its workers, enabling it to formulate organizational philosophies that overlook the needs and demands of its human capital which is its major contributor of organizational successes. (Karlsberg ; Adler, 2008)Even without looking through valid and reliable sources, we all perceive the importance of motivation in eliminating the resistance or protests of employees to some changes and added tasks or challenges that may be presented to them by the organization. In this case, the implementation of the Lean system is a major change that the employees realize they have to adjust to. Sometimes, unfamiliar conditions presented in the working environment threaten the workforce because it is primarily unknown and new to them, and the expectations, perceptions, results, and outcomes are not recognizable to them. From this situation, employees become fearful of what might happen as uncertainty is certainly the predecessor of fear. The effect of this fear will lead employees to resist the planned implementation of the Lean system within Toyota.

To address this issue, the process of motivation comes in. In fact, motivation helped Toyota in effortlessly facilitating the changes and the introduction of the Lean system or program within the organization. Through motivation, the human capital was assured of their strengths and capabilities of handling unfamiliar situations eliminating anxiety, stress, and pressure that usually interfere with worker performance and productivity. (Bodek, 2008)Although from the aforementioned information, Toyota seems to be highly successful, there is still a need to consider reinforcing the motivational strategies that it currently implements with other kinds of strategies and techniques. For instance, utilizing training and knowledge management principles as motivational strategies will improve the management philosophies and styles employed by the organization. First, providing training on how the Lean tools should be used will result to self-confidence and courage within employees, leaving them self-assured of their strengths and abilities to handle the upcoming changes and unfamiliar situations.

Second, involving employees on the formulation and development of knowledge for the benefit of the organization further fortifies the current motivational strategy of Toyota which results to the employee’s feeling of self-importance and pride to the organization which consequently increases worker performance and productivity. However, these two recommended motivational strategies require the professionalism and expertise of the management as well as the full involvement and cooperation of employees. Overall, the efficiency of motivational strategies and the success of the organization are highly dependent on the kind and quality of relationship and collaboration that exists between the organization and its human capital.