Managing Organizational Behavior Research

MANAGING ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR RESEARCH : MOTIVATION

Introduction

Managing people in the organization is among the most complex challenges facing organizations today . In early 20th century rationalistic bureaucratic models of management were introduced and the major assumption applied was to organize the work place in a systematic well defined manner with strict laws and protocols . This led to mechanistic organizational structures that undermined the worker and reduced his /her roles into those similar to machines . Scientific management 's technique was based on the underlying assumption that labor was just like any other

factor of production should be used exhaustively to maximize productivity , in addition , the only motivation needed are financial rewards for workers to produce optimally (HRM Guide , 2006

This management approach has become unpopular especially in business organizations mainly due to its failure to adequately motivate the workers given the fact that managing the human element is subject to emotional , psychological and environmental factors that make workers inconsistent and imperfect in many aspects regarding organizational performance . Recent theories and research have acknowledged the fact that it is essential for management to take into consideration these aspects of human behavior in formulating policies and styles of management (Beach , 2007 HRM Guide , 2006 . According to DeMuse (1996 to attain sustainable development and profitability in the organization it is important for management to recognize and manage the human element effectively as it is to manage organizational structure , operational processes and strategies in the workplace . In recent times , complexity of human management is compounded by the growing phenomena of globalization , many firms have diversified and grown to a multi national level thus introducing the problem of cross cultural issues in relation to employees motivation and human management

Thesis statement

This is a discussion of non financial motivators in relation to the Maslow 's theory of needs and the expectance theory in an attempt to highlight non financial motivators that promote job satisfaction and motivation in the workplace . The will also focus on leadership style (as a non financial motivator ) based on the path goal theory and its potentiality and application from a cross cultural aspect in the organization

Organizations behavior theories

There are several theories discussing the emotional and psychological factors influencing personnel behavior with regards to motivation and job satisfaction in the workplace . The Hawthorne studies conducted in the 1930 's were among the initiation of human behaviour studies and its relation to productivity . Harvard researchers led by Elton Mayo extensively studied the effect of working environment and conditions on output . The team established that , it is not so much of physical conditions that influence workers performance natural forces of human behaviour have a greater influence on a firm 's productivity than mechanistic systems . This marked the inception of focus on individual human behaviour and group interaction in management and the establishment of social relationship in the work place in an effort to achieve optimal performance among workers (Blanchard and Hersey , 1988 Invancevich , 2005

The emphasis on human behaviour was further explained...