Human Resources - Motivation Employee

Human Resources - Motivation

EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION and ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE RESEARCH PROPOSAL

Context of the Problem:

Employee motivation is one of the most important factors in the realm of maintaining business productivity and a competitive edge in the modern business environment. In addition to maximizing output, highly motivated employees work more efficiently and reduce overhead costs by minimizing employee turn-over rates. With every new hire representing significantly higher costs than the cost of retaining a motivated employee, motivation is especially important in connection with reducing long-term employee turnover.

The factors contributing to employee motivation are varied and include operational elements of their specific employment responsibilities, their perception of management, relationships with coworkers and supervisors, and general perceptions about their work environment and the corporate mission statement and values. In this regard, one of the most overlooked components of employee motivation relates to matters that normally are not direct functions of their employment while actually engaged in work; namely, the degree to which employment responsibilities comport with employees' personal and family lives and schedules outside of work.

These are often, precisely, the very aspects of employment that factor most directly into employee satisfaction, and therefore, foremost on the minds of prospective employees before accepting vocational offers. Paradoxically, they are also the aspects of employment over which employees typically have the least control (or choice) once hired, they contribute substantially to their long-term satisfaction and motivation.

The modern professional business environment has incorporated computer technology to such a degree that many traditional job functions are now completely capable of being conducted outside traditional business hours and off premises.

Employees whose positions require them to adhere to rigid traditional schedules are likely to be less satisfied in their employment than employees whose positions allow flexibility in this regard.

Employee satisfactions relates directly to employee motivation and employee motivation relates directly to business productivity and employment longevity, it would be in the distinct interest of employers to investigate the degree to which their business operations are conducive to improving employee motivation by incorporating some flexibility with respect to defining work shift hours and with respect to the opportunity to conduct business at home, where appropriate. Statement of the Problem:

There is a lack of information about the prospect of increasing employee motivation by addressing certain factors of known importance in the decision to accept job offers that are not usually subject to employee input or even supervisory discretion after hire. Specifically, elements of employment that fall under the category of "take it or leave it" such as working hours and the prospect of working from home may not deter an individual in need of work from accepting a proffered position, but often weigh heavily in subsequent decisions to consider alternate employment should a comparable vocational opportunity present itself that offers more flexible hours, work schedules that are at least partially open to employee input, and the prospect of working from home.

Modern business has now fully integrated computer technology and Internet connectivity within the professional business environment, but has been comparatively slow to adapt the new reality that many professional business functions are fully capable of being conducted from the home, for at least some significant portion of the typical office employee's work week.

Research Question:

Is it possible to increase employee motivation by providing increased employee input into factors that normally are not subject to employee preference in the professional business environment? Specifically:

To what extent would greater autonomy and individual choice of work shift hours and structure (length of shift, work hours, etc.) improve employee motivation while at work?

To what extent would the opportunity to work from home improve employee satisfaction and therefore, motivation at work?

To what extent is the prospect of improving employee motivation through implementation of greater autonomy in relation to work shift structure and working from home underutilized by professional business corporations? Research Methodology:

The proposed research questions lend themselves particularly well to the collection of relevant research data through anonymous questionnaires distributed to employees. Ideally, the proposed inquiry into employee preference should also include a different inquiry into the perspective of supervisors to determine whether employee preference in this regard is a viable option in terms of its effect on overall integrated business operations. Specifically, the data collection mechanism should include the following types of questions:

What percentage of your typical employment responsibilities do you think could be accomplished equally effectively outside of normal business hours?

What percentage of your typical employment responsibilities do you think could be accomplished equally effectively of premises or at home?

How much would your job satisfaction increase by virtue of the opportunity to adjust your work shift to suit your life away from work?