They all hold true at some time for certain individuals.
As an industrial psychologist the key task at hand is deciding which theory to apply in order to improve motivation at one's own workplace, or if working as a consultant, at the client's workplace. There is no clear answer or magic formula that will tell the industrial psychologist which theory to apply and at which time. In order to answer the question of which theory to apply, the industrial psychologist must be able to assess the climate and culture of the organization for which they are working. This can be done by several means. They can always take a survey, but this will only tell what the employees want the psychologist to know about them. There are many factors that can influence the outcome of survey results in the workplace. Employees may fear that their answers will elicit retaliation from management or might not trust the confidentiality of their answers.
Therefore, one must use other means to determine which theories would be most helpful in a particular situation. These can include observation, examinations of employee records and interviews. The psychologist has many means at their disposal to make a proper assessment of the workplace environment. The most effective industrial psychologist knows the workers personally and can feel that pulse of the organization. They must come out of their office and become an integral part of the workplace in order to understand the power dynamics, individual personalities and other features of the workplace that affect motivation and teams in the workplace. This was one of the key points that become apparent when reading the various theories on workplace motivational theories.
This observation is supported by Todorova, Argote & Reagans (n.d.). They found that workplace relationships are governed by a hierarchy and organized groups or teams. Attention to the development of teams has become more important to workplace performance than it was in the past. The emphasis on teams has led to the need to study interdependent knowledge structures. These are referred to as transactive memory systems (TMS). These researchers found that the attitudes of individual team member and their attitudes towards their own personal willingness to contribute was a key factor in building successful or unsuccessful teams. The team is only as strong as its weakest link. Research demonstrates that team members work better when members are willing to invest not only in individual performance, but also in understanding who know what in the team. Knowing who to go to for what is an important part of TMS. Todorova and associates found that even if a team member is highly motivated, if they are not willing to go to the proper person for communication, they weaken team performance. Dunlap (2010) supports the necessity of communication in the ability to build an excellent team. He also feels that a little friendly competition within teams can also help to stimulate strong teams. This can be used to foster communication and working together among team members.
Stewart, Courtright, & Barrick (n.d.), found that peer review and peer reward are important components of work motivation. Members who receive recognition for their efforts are more motivated to perform in the future than those who receive no recognition or negative recognition. Everyone wants to feel that they are doing a good job. This promotes positive feelings that are contagious and spread throughout the organization. I have experienced the affects of both positive and negative attitudes on a work team. One person can have a significant influence on the performance and attitudes of other team members.
Conclusion
Peterson (2007) discussed McGregor's Theory X and Theory Y as polar opposites. Theory X workers need constant attention and do not want to work. Theory Y workers are self-starters who have an inner drive to performance. Obviously, every manager's dream is to have a team of Theory Y workers. Theory...
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