Motivation: what makes people work well
Motivation is the inner push that makes a person start a task, keep going and try hard. Two classic theories explain it.
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs: people have five levels of needs: (1) body needs such as food and rest, (2) safety such as a steady job, (3) belonging such as friends and team, (4) respect such as praise and status, (5) self-growth such as using your talents. A lower need must be mostly met before the next one pushes strongly. Criticism: real people do not always climb in this order.
Herzberg’s two-factor theory: Hygiene factors (salary, working conditions, job security, company rules, relations with colleagues) do not motivate; if they are bad people are unhappy, if they are good people are merely not unhappy. Motivators (achievement, recognition, responsibility, interesting work, chance to grow) give real satisfaction and effort. So managers must fix the basics first, then add motivators.
Other ideas: McGregor’s Theory X (people dislike work and need control) and Theory Y (people like work and want responsibility).
Quality of work life
Quality of work life means how good it feels to work in a firm: safe place, fair pay, reasonable hours, respect, a say in decisions, balance between work and family, and chances to learn. Firms improve it with flexible hours, home-work options, clear roles, team spirit, listening to staff and fair promotion. High quality of work life reduces absence and staff leaving, and raises output. A simple way to check is a short staff survey and counting how many people leave each year.
Working conditions and ergonomics
Working conditions are the physical and social setting of a job: light, noise, heat, air, safety, hours, breaks and shifts.
Ergonomics is the study of fitting the job to the person, not the person to the job. Examples: a chair that supports the back, a screen at eye level, tools that suit the hand, breaks from long sitting, machines with clear controls. Poor ergonomics causes back pain, tired eyes and repetitive-strain injuries; good ergonomics prevents them and makes work faster and safer.
CSR and social performance
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) means a company takes responsibility for its effect on people and nature, beyond just making profit. It looks at staff (fair pay, safety, equal chances), customers (honest products), the local community (jobs, schools, health) and the environment (less waste and pollution). In India, large companies above a size limit must spend a share of profit on CSR; many countries rely on rules and voluntary reports.
Social performance is how well the firm does on these social goals. It can be measured with social indicators such as staff turnover, accident rate, training hours, equal pay gap and staff satisfaction. A firm with good social performance attracts good workers and trusting customers, so it often also does better financially.
Key formulas and definitions
- Maslow levels: body → safety → belonging → respect → growth
- Herzberg: hygiene factors prevent unhappiness; motivators create satisfaction
- Staff turnover rate (%) = staff who left ÷ average staff × 100
- Absence rate (%) = days lost ÷ days possible × 100
Worked examples
1. Pay, safe building and clean toilets improve in a factory but workers are still not eager. Use Herzberg to explain.
Pay, safety and cleanliness are hygiene factors. They remove unhappiness but do not create motivation. The firm should add motivators such as recognition, training and responsibility.
2. A firm with 200 staff on average saw 30 leave in a year. Find the staff turnover rate.
Turnover = 30 ÷ 200 × 100 = 15%.
3. In a team of 50 people working 20 days a month, 40 working days were lost to absence. Find the absence rate.
Days possible = 50 × 20 = 1000. Absence rate = 40 ÷ 1000 × 100 = 4%.
4. Give two ergonomic changes for staff who type all day.
Use a chair with back support and a screen at eye level; add short breaks every hour and a keyboard at elbow height. These cut back and wrist pain.
Common mistakes
- Thinking more pay always motivates. By Herzberg, pay mostly prevents unhappiness; recognition and growth motivate.
- Treating Maslow’s steps as strict laws. People can chase respect even when some lower needs are only partly met.
- Mixing ergonomics with simple decoration. Ergonomics is about health and fit of body and job.
- Believing CSR is only charity. It covers how the firm treats staff, customers and nature in daily work.