OB 03

Motivation and Communication in the Workplace : 

Motivation and Communication in the Workplace

I - Motivation in the Workplace : 

I - Motivation in the Workplace

Motivation Through Recognition : 

Motivation Through Recognition Julie Hans holds up the award coupons that Progress Energy employees give to one another as recognition for their good work and support. Recognition is one of the best ways to motivate employees. © H. Lynch/Raleigh News and Observer

Challenges of Motivating Employees : 

Challenges of Motivating Employees Layoffs, restructuring Damaged trust, commitment Flatter organizations Fewer supervisors to monitor performance Changing workforce Younger employees have different needs Diverse workforce

Needs Hierarchy Theory : 

Needs HierarchyTheory Needs Hierarchy Theory Self- Actualization Esteem Belongingness Safety Physiological Maslow arranged five needs in a hierarchy Satisfaction-progression process People who experience self-actualization desire more rather than less of this need Not much support for Maslow’s theory

ERG Theory : 

ERGTheory Needs HierarchyTheory ERG Theory Self- Actualization Esteem Belongingness Safety Physiological Growth Relatedness Existence Alderfer’s model has three sets of needs Adds frustration-regression process to Maslow’s model Somewhat more research support than Maslow’s theory

Innate Drives Theory : 

Innate Drives Theory Drive to Bond Drive to Learn • Need to form relationships and social commitments • Basis of social identity • Need to satisfy curiosity and resolve conflicting information • Basis of self-actualization Drive to Defend • Need to protect ourselves • A reactive (not proactive) drive • Basis of fight or flight Drive to Acquire • Need to take/keep objects and experiences • Basis of hierarchy and status

Innate Drives and Motivation : 

Innate Drives and Motivation Emotional brain center relies on innate drives to assign emotional markers to incoming information Emotional markers influence rational thoughts and become the conscious sources of motivation

Learned Needs Theory : 

Learned Needs Theory Some needs are learned, not innate Need for achievement Desire for challenging and somewhat risky goals, feedback, recognition Need for affiliation Desire to seek approval, conform, and avoid conflict Try to project a favorable self-image Need for power Desire to control one’s environment Personalized versus socialized power

Recognition v. Money at Encana : 

Recognition v. Money at Encana Many Encana employees who received a “High Five” card from co-workers displayed them in their offices rather than redeem them for the $5 value. This small symbol of recognition was worth far more than the monetary value of the cards. Courtesy of Encana Corp.

Implications of Needs Theories : 

Implications of Needs Theories Organizations need to support employees to achieve a balance of their innate needs People have different needs at different times Offer employees a choice of rewards Do not rely too heavily on financial rewards Courtesy of Encana Corp.

Expectancy Theory of Motivation : 

Outcome 1 + or - Outcome 3 + or - Outcome 2 + or - Expectancy Theory of Motivation

Increasing E-to-P Expectancy : 

Increasing E-to-P Expectancy Train employees Select people with required competencies Provide role clarification Provide sufficient resources Provide coaching and feedback

Increasing P-to-O Expectancy : 

Increasing P-to-O Expectancy Measure performance accurately Describe outcomes of good and poor performance Explain how rewards are linked to past performance

Increasing Outcome Valences : 

Increasing Outcome Valences Ensure that rewards are valued Individualize rewards Minimize countervalent outcomes

Effective Goal Setting : 

Task Effort Effective Goal Setting

Goal Difficulty and Performance : 

Goal Difficulty and Performance High Task Performance Low Moderate Challenging Impossible Area of Optimal Goal Difficulty Goal Difficulty

Characteristics of Effective Feedback : 

Characteristics of Effective Feedback Effective Feedback Specific Relevant Timely Credible Sufficiently frequent

Multisource (360-degree) Feedback : 

Multisource (360-degree) Feedback Evaluated Employee

Inequity of British “Fat Cats” : 

Inequity of British “Fat Cats” British protesters (including company employees) express their anger over unfair executive pay by dressing as “fat cats” in business suits outside the company’s annual general meetings. © Simon Clark

Elements of Equity Theory : 

Elements of Equity Theory Outcome/input ratio inputs -- what employee contributes (e.g., skill) outcomes -- what employee receives (e.g., pay) Comparison other person/people against whom we compare our ratio not easily identifiable Equity evaluation compare outcome/input ratio with the comparison other © Simon Clark

Overreward vs Underreward Inequity : 

Overreward vs Underreward Inequity You Comparison Other

Consequences of Inequity : 

Consequences of Inequity Change inputs Change outcomes Change perceptions Leave the field Act on the comparison other Change the comparison other

Equity Sensitivity : 

Equity Sensitivity Benevolents Tolerant of being underrewarded Equity Sensitives Want ratio to be equal to the comparison other Entitleds Prefer receiving proportionately more than others

Organizational Justice Components : 

Distribution Principles Structural Rules Social Rules Organizational Justice Components

Procedural Justice Structural Rules : 

Procedural Justice Structural Rules Voice Bias-Free Knowledgeable Consistent Listens to all Appealable

I - Motivation in the Workplace : 

I - Motivation in the Workplace

II-Communicatingin Teams and Organizations : 

II-Communicatingin Teams and Organizations

Communicating at Pixar : 

Communicating at Pixar Pixar Animation Studios has created a workplace that encourages communication among team members and across the organization. ©Mike Kepka/San Francisco Chronicle

Four Functions of Communication : 

©Mike Kepka/San Francisco Chronicle Four Functions of Communication Knowledge management Decision making Coordinating work activities Fulfilling drive to bond

Communication Process Model : 

Receiver Sender Form message Transmit Message Transmit Feedback Communication Process Model

City of Liverpool Bans E-mail : 

City of Liverpool Bans E-mail Civic leaders at Liverpool City Council have banned e-mail one day each week because they fear that the electronic medium is undermining face-to-face communication among employees. ©UK Out Epa-Photo/PA Files/Phil Nobl.

Communicating Through E-mail : 

Communicating Through E-mail Preferred medium for coordinating work Tends to increase communication volume Significantly alters communication flow Reduces some face-to-face and telephone communication Increases information flow to higher levels in the organization ©UK Out Epa-Photo/PA Files/Phil Nobl.

Evaluating E-mail Communication : 

Evaluating E-mail Communication Advantages of E-mail Messages quickly formed, edited, sent, and stored Needs little coordination Random information access Fewer social status barriers Problems with E-mail Information overload Flaming Interpreting emotions Lacks social support ©UK Out Epa-Photo/PA Files/Phil Nobl.

Guessing E-Mail Emoticons : 

:-) :-} <:-) :-X :-j {} Guessing E-Mail Emoticons Happy Smirk Dumb question OOPS! Tongue in cheek Hug

Nonverbal Communication : 

Nonverbal Communication Actions, facial gestures, voice intonation, silence, etc. Transmits most info in face-to-face meetings Influences meaning of verbal and written symbols Less rule bound than verbal communication Important part of emotional labor Automatic and unconscious

Emotional Contagion : 

Emotional Contagion The automatic process of “catching” or sharing another person’s emotions by mimicking their facial expressions and other nonverbal behavior Emotional contagion serves three purposes: Provides continuous feedback to speaker Increases emotional understanding of the other person’s experience Communicates a collective sentiment -- sharing the experience

Hierarchy of Media Richness : 

Face-to-face Telephone E-mail Newsletters Oversimplified Zone Overloaded Zone Routine/ Clear Nonroutine/ Ambiguous Rich Lean Media Richness Situation Hierarchy of Media Richness

Communication Barriers : 

Communication Barriers Perceptions Filtering Language Jargon Ambiguity Information Overload

Information Overload : 

Information Overload Episodes of information overload Employee’s information processing capacity Time Information Load

Managing Information Overload : 

Managing Information Overload Solution 1: Increase information processing capacity Learn to digest information more quickly Temporarily work longer hours Solution 2: Reduce information load Buffering Omitting Summarizing

Thumbs Up to the Boss! : 

Thumbs Up to the Boss! In Australia, a co-worker asked Patricia Oliveira why she laughed when he gave the thumbs up that everything is OK. She explained that this gesture “means something not very nice” in her home country of Brazil. After hearing this, several co-workers gave the boss a lot more thumbs up signs! ©Mark M. Lawrence/Corbis

Cross-Cultural Communication : 

Cross-Cultural Communication Verbal differences Language Nonverbal differences Voice intonation Interpreting nonverbal meaning Importance of verbal versus nonverbal Silence and conversational overlaps ©Mark M. Lawrence/Corbis

Gender Communication Differences : 

Men Women Gender Communication Differences

Getting Your Message Across : 

Getting Your Message Across Empathize Repeat the message Use timing effectively Be descriptive © Photodisc. With permission.

Active Listening Process/Strategies : 

Active Listening SENSING • Postpone evaluation • Avoid interruptions • Maintain interest EVALUATING • Empathize • Organize information RESPONDING • Show interest • Clarify the message Active Listening Process/Strategies

MBWA at Hiram Walker : 

MBWA at Hiram Walker Ian Gourlay, CEO of Hiram Walker, values management by walking around (MBWA) because face-to-face communication helps him to understand what is really happening in the company. Windsor Star Group

Communicating in Hierarchies : 

Communicating in Hierarchies Work space design Newsletters and e-zines Employee surveys Direct communication with management Windsor Star Group

Organizational Grapevine : 

Organizational Grapevine Early Research Findings Transmits information rapidly in all directions Follows a cluster chain pattern More active in homogeneous groups Transmits some degree of truth Changes Due to Internet E-mail becoming main grapevine medium Social networks are now global Vault.com extends gossip to everyone

Grapevine: Positives and Negatives : 

Grapevine: Positives and Negatives Benefits Supplements information Strengthens corporate culture Relieves anxiety Signals that problems exist Problems Suggests lack of concern for employees Distortions might escalate anxiety

II-Communicatingin Teams and Organizations : 

II-Communicatingin Teams and Organizations