Perception and Communication

Perception is the course by which individuals interpret sensual imitations into a logical and integrated vision of their surroundings. By way of essentially founded on lacking and unsupported knowledge, perception can be biased such as stereotyping. There has been a situation where I, myself, misinterpreted the difficulty of taking up driving theory test as I was blinded with the people around me as they kept saying that it is such a common sense therefore I did not lend enough time revising. I became too confident that I was going to pass, and when the day of the exam came and found out I did not pass it, I felt shocked not realising, I was never prepared when I walked in on the test centre. After a couple of weeks, for the second time around that I booked my theory test, I was more organised and certainly planned my revision for it. I also, did not listen to other comments but concentrated on the revision materials, which gave me a better outcome at the end as I passed. I learnt a lesson from this experience that I should never listen to other people’s perception without having sufficient knowledge about something.

Appropriate communication is vital to effective doings. The approach of the way we interconnect results to how we do business and the purpose of communicating is to deliver message close to accuracy to avoid problems and conflicts in any way. From the article of “Measuring feedbacks”, it is important to make a clear statement of what is each student’s goals are in order to have one perspective to overcome the goals.  Teachers can do this by clearly issuing the aims and objectives every lecture that they do. Also, to measure whether they are on track, the lecturer can organise meetings for each individual stating where they are working at, at their phase, whether they are out of track or bound to success. The lecturers can then identify the students, who need further help so then extra classes can be offered. Secondly, fourth point of which is to consider channels. At present, technology has updated therefore, universities needs to hang on with the new trends. As having newer facilities, gives students the urge to use these facilities to finish off what they are required to do. Electronics also enables students and lecturers to work more efficiently which can also save them time and money. Emails and the use of blackboard are good examples of type of communications that can be used by the lecturers to transfer their messages when something comes up urgently. This then gives an advantage to the university, not having to send letters or see them one by one just to send a quick message. Lastly, out of every point, in my view, it is always apt to keep the personal touch as for point five. This includes verbal and nonverbal doings.  Nonverbal communication includes body language and writing and scheduling. Its purpose is to send a message through written communication and visual presentations. Lecturers need to have a neat writing to be understood by the students and prepare their PowerPoint presentations to be appealing and informative at the same time. This is crucial, especially for students at present, as they are easily distracted of other stuff, therefore, it is the lecturer’s job to make them interested and concentrated at the lecture.  Verbal doings includes the way the lecturer talks and the way he/she present her/himself.  The lecturer needs to have a clear voice to be understood by everyone. She/he also needs to make sure to use both democratic and autocratic way of lecturing at appropriate situations. In addition to this, it is important, to look as respectful and always arrive on time to act as a role model of the students.

In conclusion, perception and communication are part of our lives that can give two outcomes, either failure or success, depending if right perception and communication has been employed. In my viewpoint, perception should not be used to judge something straightaway as it is only your first thoughts without considering its surroundings.  It is important to choose the right communication in order to project the actual message that a person is trying to send across.

References:

Mullins, L.(2010) Management & organisational Behaviour : ninth edition. Harlow : Pearson Education Limited.
Wood,J.(2007)Interpersonal Communication: Everyday Encounters: sixth edition.Canada:Nelson Education Ltd.
Inui,T.,McClelland,J.(1996)Attention and Performance XVI : Information integration in Perception and Communication.United States of America: Asco Trade Typesetting.

Business Dictionary Website.(n.d)Definition of Perception [online].http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/perception.html  [ Accessed on 28 December 2010]

Kohrs, S.(n.d)Purpose of Business Communication [online] . http://www.ehow.com/about_5563166_purpose-business-communication.html  [ Accessed on 28 December 2010]

Enterprise Week

For the enterprise week, I went to two discussions that have two differing views of how they define business and how they interpret how to make profit. On the 11^th of November, with a duration of one hour only, from 12:00 PM to 1:00PM, I attended the PR Media chat that has been described by Mr. Tommy Lisler, who is one of the successful employee of the company Octopus. The discussion was held in Owen Harris 2 in Bucks New University in High Wycombe. 

 For the second enterprise talk that I went to which was held in Park Room, Bucks new University Uxbridge campus was named ‘Entrepreneurship – not just about makingProfit!’ on the 16^th of November at 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM. The talk has been presented by Rob, who is a charity minder and another charity worker named Mr. Williams who helps to run a charity called MIND which is a mental health charity.

 For the PR Media talk, Mr. Tommy Lisler chose to send their company’s message across through PowerPoint. There were not many activities that have been planned, all we had to do is to listen and take notes of what they do and their purpose. The function of Octopus is to identify how communication has changed over time and how they can help interpret the languages of each business which ever sector they are in and whatever the size of the company, they could assist them. Unfortunately, from the whole hour of his discussion, it was not as informative therefore, most of us audience, did not get much notes from his presentation.

However for the discussion that Mr. Rob presented, he did not need to use a presentation, all he had on his hand was notes to explain the history and what they do as a business. He categorised their business, as they are a charity, as in a third sector, and describes the charity as a social enterprise as they believe that, the main aim of the business is about getting involve and being a part of the community. Their aim is to change the values of young individuals that have lost their way. They also want to abolish the racism and violence for a more peaceful community. For the second part, Mr. Williams portrayed the they do as a charity in MIND using a projector, where he stated all the activities that they do including IT & Media, healthy living club, day trips, Minders football club and drop in centres for the individuals that have mental illness. This talk has variable advantages; it gave me a totally different view of what business is. Even though, there was not much to do, Rob has made it more interesting by showing models of what activities he does with the kids.

In my point of view, I believe that the ‘Entrepreneurship – not just about making profit!’ talk was more successful as they clearly passed along their message, as they declare, it is more important for them to help and engage with other people’s lives for the better. It is also heart-touching, with all the stories that Rob depicted. He described one of the charities that they built which was called Yakhja , which means ‘togetherness’ in Afghanistan. This charity helps Afghan children’s needs as most of them are involved in crimes and home abuse and are vulnerable of what is happening back in their country. He stated the feeling that he felt seeing them joyful and dancing lively compared to what they were before they joined the charity house. For the MIND charity, it was well explained how they have been financed and where they got their investment from. Mr. Williams indicated that comic relief donates £15,000 to their charity every year. MIND also do not reflect money as gaining success and achievement, instead, they deem that seeing others in high spirits and the fact that they brought happiness in their lives, that all that matters, as for money can always be replaced. They also organized refreshment gathering after the talk which was very fastidious and helping after an extensive talk.

 With PR Media talk, I suggest for them to have more interesting activities to be planned well ahead. It would be pleasant to have seen how they are as a business by not just showing it in a presentation but by showing their action. In addition to this, they could have it in mind to prepare refreshments for the time of stay of the audience. Furthermore, in the future they should connect more with the audience by showing examples or involving the audience more, an example of this is by making a scenario showing how their business could truly aid business communication problems.

  Overall, for the Charity discussion, it was a very enlightening and useful but if they decide to create another speak about enterprise week.  They could maybe, show images and videos of the changes that they have made in people’s lives. It would be more fascinating to see gratifying documentary of how young people who grew up in crime and violence and with them, have been transformed to a better and a cheerful individual.

Conflict

Conflict is a comportment proposed to hinder the accomplishment of certain individual’s objectives. It is founded on the mismatch of aims and ascends from contrasting actions. Further explanation for conflict is that it tends to be related with adverse attributes and conditions which contribute to the growth of inadequacy, futility or inefficient concerns. It is remarked as unruly and peculiar and signifies a type of divergent conduct that must be well-ordered and altered.

There has been a problem at work where I had conflict with the personal assistant of my manager. We had different attitudes that made us clash and resulting to have various miscommunication causing arguments. I tried to keep calm all along and ignore her most of the time but it is not possible as she deals with important things to do with the staff especially with the part-timers like me. But there came a time, which I had enough of her attitude and asked my manager for resignation. However, after a week, my manager rang me stating he needs me back at the work place urgently and I agreed to come back the week after. On the day that I started working again, my manager invited me and his personal assistant to have a meeting in his office and told us that we need to communicate properly and set aside the conflicts that we had in the past as he said in order to work more peacefully, enjoyably and more comfortable, we had to settle our differences. From then on, we tried to take things very slow and decided to work as more professional individual not involving our personal issues.

French and Raven (1959) identified five main sources of power which are reward power, coercive power, legitimate power, referent power and expert power. Reward power is founded on the staff’s insight that the leader comprises the capability and means to gain recompenses intended for those who fulfil with the organisation’s orders. An example would be for the leader to promote the subordinate into a higher level with increased responsibilities. Coercive power is founded on fright and the staff’s awareness that the leader has the skill to penalise or to generate adverse consequences meant for those who do not conform to commands .An example would be dismissal by the leader, which is the opposite of the reward power. Legitimate power is founded on the staff’s view that the leader is reasonable to implement guidance as for the leader’s role in the organisation. An example would be for leaders and managers of the organisation where their roles are more important than the nature of association with others. Referent power is founded on the individual’s discovery with the leader. The leader employs guidance because of apparent desirability; own physical characteristics, status or what is called ‘charisma’. For instance, specific manager may not have the right to issue rewards or punish staffs, but they are still respected for their role. Expert power is founded on the individual’s insight of the leader as somebody who is proficient and who encloses various distinct acquaintance or capabilities in a specified capacity. An example would be for roles such as human resource manager who is one of the specialists.

There are a number of strategies that can be used to manage conflicts. The explanation and repeated enhancement of aims and objectives, role descriptions and routine principles will benefit to evade misinterpretation and disagreement. Another one would be for cautious and thorough consideration to impartial and reasonable HRM rules and ways may aid to lessen parts of conflict. Also, expansions of social/group progression services may support produce a healthier empathy of one’s personal manners, the other individual’s perspective, consultation developments and working out issues. Fourthly, Consideration to the arrangement of clusters and to issues that distress group unification may diminish conflict. Last of all, Conflict conditions may be condensed by courtesy to structural procedures as the disposition of the specialist arrangement; labour structure; forms of interaction and apportioning facts; autonomous working of the establishment; pointless devotion to administrative and authorised guidelines and principles.

In conclusion, although most conflicts are inevitable, leaders and organisations need to use their power to ease off with the conflicts that disrupts the well-being of their business. Also, they should also look upon whether the conflict that occurred can actually help the organisation itself for its future innovation.

References:

Mullins, L.(2010) Management  & organisational Behaviour : ninth edition. Harlow : Pearson Education Limited.
Bailes,A.,Frommelt,I.(2004)Business and security: Public-private sector relationships in a new security environment.United States:Oxford University Press Inc.
Johnson,C.,Keddy,J. (2010)Managing Conflict at work :Understanding and Resolving Conflict for Productive Working Relationships.United Kingdom:Kogan Page Limited.
The Team Building Directory.(2011) Resolving Conflict In Work Teams [online]. Available from: http://www.innovativeteambuilding.co.uk/pages/articles/conflicts.htm [ Accessed on 16 December 2010]

The Times 100 Website.Conflict at work[online].http://www.thetimes100.co.uk/theory/theory--conflict-at-work--309.php[ Accessed on 16 December 2010]

Leadership

Management and leadership have association with each other but they are totally different terms. Management is considered as involving to individuals employed contained by a controlled organisation and by set positions. Considering that for individual’s external of the establishment the manager may possibly not inevitably be comprehended in a leadership function. The importance of leadership is on social manners in a wider perspective. Leadership does not essentially occur within the ordered construction of the organisation. It happens at diverse stages and be capable of demonstration in various techniques.

Zaleznik discovers dissimilarity in attitudes and relations towards varying roles of being a leader and a manager. Managers have a tendency to espouse neutral or inert approaches headed for objectives. Leaders take on a more subjective and dynamic approach to their goals. Likewise, with the intention to induce individuals to consent resolutions, the manager must persistently direct and settle so as to concede disagreeing ethics. The leader generates enthusiasm at work place and progresses selections that offer elements to descriptions that stimulate individuals. In their associations with other individuals, managers uphold a minimal intensity of expressive immersion. Leaders ought with compassion with other individuals and contribute notice to what proceedings and activities intend.

Managerial grid is issued by Blake and Mouton which can be used to evaluate different styles of management and published in 1964. It offers a foundation for correlation of managerial techniques in two major scopes which are apprehension for both production and for people. Concern for production is the volume of importance that the manager consigns on completing the responsibilities available, attaining a high stage of making and receiving outcomes or earnings. This is denoted laterally the horizontal axis of the Grid. Concern for people is the quantity of stress that the manager provides to assistants and co-workers as personalities and to their requirements and prospects. This is symbolised along the vertical axis of the Grid.

Below is an image of the managerial grid, taken from: http://web1.eng.coventry.ac.uk/EMDATA/Image10.gif.

The four corners and the centre of the Grid provide five basic combinations of degree of concern for production coupled with degree of concern for people .Managers with a 1,1 rating incline to be secluded from their assistants and have confidence in in the smidgen actions from their contemporary role. Managers with 9,1 rating are dictatorial . They tend to be dependent on a unified scheme and the custom of power. The 1,9 rating managers trust on a satisfied team will take on what is entailed of them and attain sensible level of production. The 5,5 rating is the standard management with the attitude of ‘live and let live’ movement to evade the existent problems. Managers with a 9,9 rating consider the participating job desires and matters for individuals.

My sales manager at present ,in Censura consulting, in my point of view is at the rating 9,1 as he has a higher concern for production rather than the people who works in the business .All the sales consultants are pressurised to do more sales as if we don’t reach our sales target, he describes us as failures. We, as his staff are viewed as a channels of creation and enthusiasm is built on a rivalry between the people to get each tasks completed. If a workforce confronts the manager showing a disagreement regarding an instruction or regular practise, that individual is expected to be seen as disobliging.

An article about Corazon Aquino, the first female president of the Philippines describes how she became a good leader in her own country and for the eyes of other leaders of other countries all over the world. She fought for the democracy of the country and seen as an inspiration to other countries that are suffering from oppression. She held a movement called people-power to conclude the sovereignty of Ferdinand Marcos who was seen by everyone as a consummate political animal. I believe that she implemented good leadership until the day that she passed away, as she was an recognized manifestation in the country’s political life, her character as a protector of equality and ethical model will be unbreakable. She came up with the changes of poverty, corruption and most deprivation that was happening in the country. She empathized with the people of the Philippines and listened to their problems. This article has been taken from the website http://www.opendemocracy.net/article/cory-aquino-and-democracy-in-the-philippines.

In conclusion,  we have seen that management and leadership have a lot of differences not just with their environments but also with their personalities. But more changes has been happening at present therefore emphasis of leadership and management are still transforming and illustrations such as management grid can be used to identify and evaluate framework for patterns of behaviour.

References:

Mullins, L.(2010) Management  & organisational Behaviour : ninth edition. Harlow : Pearson Education Limited


Northouse,P.(2010)Leadership:Theory and Practise:Fifth Edition.United States of America: SAGE Publications Inc.

Eersel, F.M (2010).Managerial Grid (Blake and Mouton)[online] .http://www.12manage.com/methods_blake_mouton_managerial_grid.html [ Accessed on 15 December 2010]

Coventry University .(n.d) Management concern for task and/or people [online].http://web1.eng.coventry.ac.uk/EMDATA/Image10.gif [ Acessed on 15 December 2010]

Coronel, S.(2009).Cory Aquino and democracy in the Philippines [online].http://www.opendemocracy.net/article/cory-aquino-and-democracy-in-the-philippines [ Acessed on 15 December 2010]

Culture

Culture’s concept is related to the disposition of an individual. Organisational culture is the assortment of societies, morals, strategies, principles, and outlooks that establish a persistent framework aimed at the entirety that we perform and contemplate in an establishment. There are visible factors that helps define the culture of a business. Examples include: mottoes, role models and rituals.

 Few months back, I used to work in an organisation called MD Homes, where it consists of five nursing homes. It has numerous visible factors that I believe gives an idea of why it can be linked as a power culture. Its visible factors would include the atmosphere as it is kept live in order to give hope and happiness for the elderly residents. Another one would be the uniform that they wear different job has different colour of uniform but same style. Uniform also pictures that they are in personal care working sector. The personality of each team member would be another main visible factor as carers need to have full of empathy and patience.

There are four different types of organisational culture that Handy came up with, extending the views of Harrison. These are: power culture, role culture, task culture and person culture.

 Power culture is power centralised based which are the individuals to follow with business decisions and further changes in the business they are in. Most small organisations utilize power culture counting on communication skills, trust and empathy to make it more operative. Control is at extent and there are a small number of rules regulations to follow.  MD Homes can be easily linked to this culture as the company is structured as if the people in charge do not have much domination but have influences. Instead, the individuals make their actions through agreements for instance, the employees who will be doing different jobs will be allocated but can be done independently not having to gain consent from the supervisor but just making sure that the aim and objectives of the organisation has been met.

Role culture functions by lucidity and consistency .It gains strength from the resilient organisational ‘pillars’ which are the specialist’s functions an example of this would be finance and production. These pillars are regulated by rules and processes which then are synchronised by a small cluster of senior managers. Position of each individual is more important than the central source of power in role culture. Large supermarkets such as Tesco’s and Sainsbury’s are examples of role culture as they aim to make profit and they stick to what has been given to them in their job description.

Task culture is focused on the job and the scheme itself. Its structure can be likened as a net which contains strands that can be stronger compared to others with contemplating power. Matrix organisation is an example of task culture. Its main purpose is to pursue to combine the accurate resources and people to merge the power of the group and for it to be employed to the organisation. The power is more founded from on a professional power rather than a personal power. Matrix organisation can be an example of a task culture as their approach is team based in order to complete a task.

With Personal culture, the individual is the focal point which has a structure that assists the individuals within the organisation. When the group of individuals agree with one action such as approving to share office space and equipment for their own use, this organisation has a person culture. Power hierarchies and domination are viable with shared consensus. Individuals have mostly their own fully independency and influences possibly coming from the centre of personal power. Universities and charities are examples of personal culture as they focus on their aims and the individual itself.

There are other influences that can be a problem on identifying the culture of a business based on Handy’s ideas such as history, primary function and technology, size, location, management and leadership and the environment. History is the motive wherein the establishment was initially started, its phases and the viewpoint and morals of its proprietors and managers will distress culture of an organisation. In addition to this, size likewise has an effect on the organisational culture as generally grander establishments have further solemn arrangements and cultures. Enlarged size is to be expected to be an outcome in detached divisions and perhaps split -site actions. The environment can have significant effect on the character of company’s culture .For instance if the organisation functions in the interior of a self-motivated setting it entails an organisation and culture that are subtle and freely compliant to variation.

In conclusion, each organisation ought to possess distinctive culture and utmost businesses are expected to have assorted cultures from Handy’s ideas in varying types of organisation. Various people have their own needs and are happy in different cultures therefore they will be more enthusiastic with work if their traits and behaviours are reliable with the culture of that portion of the organisation in which they are employed. Also, to define the exact culture of a business, further investigation to the organisation needs to be made.

References :

Mullins, L.(2010) Management & organisational Behaviour : ninth edition. Harlow : Pearson Education Limited.

Becker,K.(1999)Culture and International Business.USA:International Business Press.

Singh,S.(2004)Market orientation,Corporate Culture and Business Performance.England: Ashgate Publishing Limited.

E-Coach. (2011)Corporate Culture: Achieving Higher Results Through Sustaining Employees' Focus on What to do and How to do it [online]. Available from: http://www.1000ventures.com/business_guide/crosscuttings/culture_corporate.html [Accessed on 14 December 2010]

Learn Management 2.Organisational Culture [online].http://www.learnmanagement2.com/culture.htm[ Accessed on 14 December 2010]

Motivation: Improving Staff performance

Content theories explicate those detailed entities that persuade the character of a person at work. These theories are connected with ascertaining people’s desires and their virtual intensities, and the aims and objectives they entail with the aim of filling these needs. Content theories stress on the disposition of requirements and what prompts the individual. Examples of content theories include: Maslow, Alderfer, Herzberg and McCelland.

Contrariwise, process theories ascertain the association amid the vigorous variable that structures motivation. These theories have to do more about in what manner performance is introduced, engaged and continued. Process theories highlight the authentic practise of motivation. Main theories underneath the heading of process theories are: expectancy theories, equity theory, goal theory and attribution theory. 

Vue is a lively business where they presume their employees to seize factual responsibility. Their methodology is casual; nonetheless their principles are tremendously extraordinary. It is their aim to create surroundings for the employees as entertaining, pleasant and gratifying as possible. Their ethos is exceedingly wide-ranging and they incite their people to communicate with their notions concerning by what method the company can construct a Vue encounters be enhanced for clients and employees identical.  They organise employee forums which are held regularly from all levels of the company in which they debate in issues that affect them all. They propose an operative way for people to get draw in the system the company is managed. As an organisation, it is their target to nurture a labour force that is in cultural terms conscious of the varied societies they assist. They enthusiastically raise a nature in which all workers have a chance to interpose, understand, develop and progress. They also offer rewards and training for future developments. Rewards includes contributory pension, free uniform, private medical insurance, life assurance, tuition support, family friendly benefits and up to 33 days’ holiday a year and other financial rewards.

 

Linking back to the way Vue motivates their employees, I believe that the Vue management utilises expectancy theory as for the reason being that they have rewards available in every good performance each employee achieves. Expectancy theory is based on how the people are induced by the predictable outcomes of their actions. Motivation is an act of the association amongst exertion consumed and professed intensity of enactment, the anticipation that rewards will be connected to each accomplishments and the hope that rewards are obtainable. Vroom stated three key variables of expectancy theory which are valence, instrumentality and expectancy. The theory is initiated that people favour assured results as of their performance upon others. They expect outlooks of fulfilment ought the ideal result to be attained.

In conclusion, expectancy theories are not straightforward to comprehend or to relate being as there are a lot of further variables which modifies performance at work. However, it attracts awareness to the difficulties of work motivation in the labour condition and aids to detect glitches in enactment. Expectancy theory specifies that managers be duty-bound to consider upon the custom of rewards suitable in terms of staff’s act by means of conclusions with prohibitive valence must be depleted as an inducement for enhanced performance. In addition to this, managers must endeavour to verify strong interactions concerning rewards and efforts, as supposed by the employee. Organisations will also need to look upon other process theory such as equity and goal setting theory which might suit the way they motivate their employees and to make them improve their performance.

References:

Mullins, L.(2010) Management \7 \organisational Behaviour : ninth edition. Harlow : Pearson Education Limited

Bruce,A.,Pepitone,J.(1999)Motivating Employees. United States of America - the McGraw Hill Companies,Inc.

Williams,R.(2002)Managing Employee Performance:Design and Implementation in Organizations.London: Thomson Learning.

The Rain Maker Group. (2005).How You Can Better Motivate Employees? [online]. Available from: http://www.therainmakergroupinc.com/add.asp?ID=50 [ Accessed on 13 December 2011]

Vue Cinema Website . People with a different VUE [ online]. Available from: http://www.vuecareers.com/about_us02.htm [ Accessed on 13 December 2010]

Naseebullah,A . Motivation 4 [online]. Available from: http://www.scribd.com/doc/13639579/Motivation-4 [ Accessed on 13 December 2010]

Motivation

Motivation illustrates the reason behind why people act in a particular manner. Motivation can be seen as the determination and path of action to have an outcome of achieving a certain goal to gain some kind of necessity or prospect.

There are a number of motivation theories that relates with me as a person but the handiest one is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory. He defines human beings as having eight key needs in order to be motivated but only the hierarchy is normally shown as having five main stages and these are, ranging from the lowest to the highest level: physiological needs, safety needs, love needs, esteem needs and self-actualisation needs. With physiological needs, the reason why I am working part time at present while studying in university is so that I can wear the clothes that I desire, the foods that I wish to eat, go to places I’ve never been to and to obtain other sensory pleasures in my life. After gaining all the physiological needs, my safety is the next level to be concerned about to feel the secureness of what I am doing and to be free from the threat of any deprivation in my surroundings. Love needs is on the third level , which massively affect of the way I behave as having people beside you give you someone to be inspired to work harder and to reach success. Also, having various number of people to work with, gives a smooth environment to work more peacefully and the workplace more enjoyable. The fourth stage is the esteem needs where it involves self-respect and approval of others. This gives an individual more confidence and strength to be independent as for having the freedom and to be trusted on and to be appreciated by everyone around you. Lastly , self-actualisation needs is the development as a person and the recognition of own prospective , as Maslow states ‘ becoming everything that one is capable of becoming’.

In all honesty, taking up accounting and finance in university was not well thought about. Three main motivations gave me the urge to choose this course which are my dream to be successful, family and money. My future aspirations have been the major motivation that pursued me to continue studies in higher levels. In my point of view, by having enough knowledge and qualifications, my experience as an individual will extend and turn me into an independent civilized woman in the future. This reflects Maslow’s view of Self-actualisation needs and esteem needs as having the vision of being more confident and believing that I can fulfil my ambitions. In  addition to this, having my parents expectations aside gives me such a gigantic drive to work hard in every way I can and to behave in a suitable way in order to fulfil my dreams as an accountant. Returning to Maslow’s idea of Love needs and esteem needs as having close people to give you reassurance to do better is a substantial motivator. Most of us see money as the key motivator for all the hard work that we insert from the beginning of our lives. As in my point of view, to consume more money, I, as an individual see all the effort to be worthy.  Therefore, choosing accounting and finance as a course gave me the outlook of earn a lot of money in the future to pursue my needs and my family. This considers Maslow’s idea of physiological needs and safety needs as having money gives me a chance to purchase all the needs to prevent hunger and thirst and also to feel the secureness of myself and the people important to me.

At the moment, I am working as sales consultant in a private company called Censura Consulting. The company does not have a proper motivation techniques to ensure that their employees are satisfied therefore, various employees leave continuously instead, the company focuses on making profit only, not realising , that they are losing staff, week by week, and suddenly pressurised on how to handle other jobs as for the lack of employees. They demotivate us employees as I believe that the rate of pay they give us is not worth of how much work we do.In addition to this, the way they communicate with their employees are inappropriate and instead of getting motivated from harsh words, most employees instead depart from the company.  I believe that it would be a good idea for them to utilise Herzberg’s two factor theory which are the hygiene and motivating factors. Hygiene factors are served to prevent discontent and motivators for the growth of the individual relating to their job. Hygiene factors can be likened to Maslow’s lower level theory and motivators to the higher level theory of Maslow’s theory. Hygiene factors should be used to preclude distastefulness at work and biased treatment , an example would be to think about how the employees are supervised, as having more freedom will make them work harder and building up good working relationships means having a better communication skills on both sides preventing disagreements. While motivators, looks upon how the individual have the quality experience at work and to gain the advancement and recognition from the management.

In conclusion, Maslow’s theory gives an idea of where an individual is working at and how the management can help build the satisfaction of the employee by focusing on their needs compared to the levels of the pyramid , however, there are doubts and limitations whether Maslow’s idea is significant to apply in work situations as there are differences in an individual’s motivational gratification regarding on the culture there in. Herzberg’s theory has its criticisms and supporters. Some people criticises that his theory only applies on monotonous ,unskilled jobs and is limited in range as some workers are not troubled with job contentment and motivators. On the other hand, Crainer and Dearlove states that rewards and remuneration gave a helping hand to the employees to impel them to work harder and happier.

References:

Mullins, L.(2010) Management & organisational Behaviour : ninth edition. Harlow : Pearson Education Limited.

O'neil,H.,Drillings,M.(1994)Motivation:Theory and Research.New Jersey:Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

McClleland,D.(1987).Human Motivation.United States of America:Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge.

BBC Bitesize.(2011) Business Studies: Motivation [online]. Available from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/business/people/motivationrev1.shtml [ Accessed on 12 December 2010]

Tutor2u Website. Motivation Theories [online] Available from: http://tutor2u.net/business/gcse/people_motivation_theories.htm [Accessed on 12 December 2010]