Motivation and Empowerment for TOLD.

By Louise Hammer Pettersen

Motivation theory

Maslows hierarchy of needs.

In 1943 Maslow presented his paper “a theory on human motivation” and proposed the
hierarchy of needs. His theory contends that as humans meet 'basic needs', they seek to
satisfy successively 'higher needs' that occupy a set hierarchy. Once the level of need is
satisfied, then a person moves on to the next level of need. Without the satisfaction of the
lower order of needs, the higher ones will not be relevant.
Let's take an extreme case: if we were stranded in a high mountain range after a plane
crash, all our energies would initially go into finding food, shelter, defence and possibly,
medical assistance. Only after these needs were satisfied would we seek other objectives
such as respect, friendship, care of others and sexual fulfilment. If all these goals were
answered then we would be free to seek purer goals such as enlightenment, wisdom, great
works and perpetual remembrance.
Maslow divided these objectives into five distinct stages, starting at physiological needs
and ending at self-actualisation needs. In practice, the theory has its application in
ensuring that the workforce have sufficiently comfortable surroundings and working
conditions in order for them to be free to do their best for their company.

Implications for Management

If Maslow's theory holds, there are some important implications for management. There
are opportunities to motivate employees through management style, job design, company
events, and compensation packages, some examples of which follow:

 Physiological needs: Provide lunch breaks, rest breaks, and wages that are
sufficient to purchase the essentials of life.
 Safety Needs: Provide a safe working environment, retirement benefits, and job
security.

 Social Needs: Create a sense of community via team-based projects and social
events.

 Esteem Needs: Recognize achievements to make employees feel appreciated and

valued. Offer job titles that convey the importance of the position.

 Self-Actualization: Provide employees a challenge and the opportunity to reach

their full career potential.

However, not all people are driven by the same needs - at any time different people may
be motivated by entirely different factors. It is important to understand the needs being
pursued by each employee. To motivate an employee, the manager must be able to
recognize the needs level at which the employee is operating, and use those needs as
levers of motivation.

Alderfers version of Maslow

Alderfer (in Handy, 1990) grouped Maslow’s hierarchy into three sections – Existence
needs (Maslow 1&2), Relationship needs (Maslow 3 & part of 4) and Growth needs (part
of 4, & 5). He stated that these needs are Chronic – always there, or Episodic –
sometimes there. Existence needs might be paralleled with Task needs, Relationship
needs with Team needs, and Growth needs with Individual needs.

Maslow 5
Growth needs/ individual needs

Maslow 4
Relationship needs/team needs
Maslow 3

Maslow 2
Existence needs/task needs
Maslow 1

Hygiene and motivation theory, herzberg

To better understand employee attitudes and motivation, Frederick Herzberg performed

studies to determine which factors in an employee's work environment caused
satisfaction or dissatisfaction. He published his findings in the 1959 book The Motivation
to Work.

The studies included interviews in which employees where asked what pleased and
displeased them about their work. Herzberg found that the factors causing job satisfaction
(and presumably motivation) were different from those causing job dissatisfaction. He
developed the motivation-hygiene theory to explain these results. He called the satisfiers
motivators and the dissatisfiers hygiene factors, using the term "hygiene" in the sense that
they are considered maintenance factors that are necessary to avoid dissatisfaction but
that by themselves do not provide satisfaction.

The first part of the motivation theory involves the hygiene theory and includes the job
environment. The hygiene factors include

 the company,
  its policies and its administration,
 the kind of supervision which people receive while on the job,
 working conditions
 interpersonal relations,
 salary,
 status, and
 security.

These factors do not lead to higher levels of motivation but without them there is
dissatisfaction.

The second part of Herzbergs' motivation theory involves what people actually do on the
job. The motivators are

 achievement,
 recognition,
 growth / advancement and
 interest in the job.

These factors result from internal generators in employees, yielding motivation rather
than movement.

Both these approaches (hygiene and motivation) must be done simultaneously. Treat
people as best you can so they have a minimum of dissatisfaction. Use people so they get
achievement, recognition for achievement, interest, and responsibility and they can grow
and advance in their work.

Therefore, the hygiene and motivation factors can be listed as follows:

Hygiene

 Company policies and administration

 Supervision
 Working conditions and interpersonal relations
 Salary, status and security

Motivators

 Achievement
 Recognition for achievement
 Interest in the task
 Responsibility for enlarged task
 Growth and advancement to higher level tasks

Effects on Individuals of Working Environment

The working environment has an effect on individuals as follows:

 It will provide at least sufficient for his basic needs and often much more. For
example, 50 years ago in the United Kingdom, food and shelter were a person's
basic needs. Today, most families will consider that the basic needs also include a
car, television, etc.
 It may or may not provide adequate security. Again, most individuals seek a
secure job, there are others including some men on oil rigs, who seek high pay for
a limited period but with limited security.
 It provides an individual with an identity. As a member of an organization, he
carries out a specific function.
 It also gives the worker comradeship, freedom from boredom, and an interest
during his working life.
 It also provides self-fulfillment for individual where consideration has been given
to ensure that the job is creative and gives job satisfaction.
 It provides the individual with status. There is a status in all jobs providing the job
content is investigated to make the work more interesting.

Effects on Work Groups of Working Environment

Rensis Likert has already described how the various management styles in an
organization can effect the groups in an organization.

Whilst the working environment will affect individuals, it will undoubtedly have a greater
effect on working groups, since whilst an individual may have certain needs, he will not
obtain those needs if the working environment does not provide the needs of the working
group.

The working group is the instrument of society through which in large measure the
individual acquires his attitudes, opinions, goals and ideals, it is also one of the
fundamental sources of discipline and social controls.

Therefore, the working environment has an effect on groups as follows:

 It will affect the morale of the group.

 It will determine whether the group achieves the objectives set by the
organization.
 It will determine whether the degree of cooperation provided by the group
 It will motivate the group to give of their best.
 It will determine whether the human relations within an organization are good or
bad.
 It will also affect the relations between management and trade unions.
Combining the hygiene and motivation factors results in four scenario's:

 High Hygiene + High Motivation: The ideal situation where employees are highly motivated
and have few complaints.
 High Hygiene + Low Motivation: Employees have few complaints but are not highly motivated.
The job is perceived as a paycheck.

 Low Hygiene + High Motivation: Employees are motivated but have a lot of complaints. A
situation where the job is exciting and challenging but salaries and work conditions are not up to
par.

 Low Hygiene + Low Motivation: The worst situation. Unmotivated employees with lots of
complaints.

Herzberg suggests that often work can and should be arranged in the following ways:
- job enlargement
- job rotation, and/or
- job enrichment.

Allan’s story – a story on what motivates people

Allan Buus Jensen is a former training director for IFMSA. This is Allan’s story on how
he got involved in IMCC Denmark.
Allan started in Sexexpressen (SCORA) in Copenhagen, and soon he became a peer
educator. Soon after he started Allan was given the task to be in charge of the sex box.
This is a box the peer educators use when they go out to primary schools and teach, and it
comprises of condoms, spirals and other prevention methods. It was Allan’s job to make
sure it was always filled up and ready for new teaching sessions.
This task was small and achievable for a newcomer, and is what made Allan feel
responsible. He later became the Danish NORA and IFMSA Training Director. This
show’s how a very small task can lead the way for a long IMCC/IFMSA career.

Motivators:
- Achieved something
- Enjoyable and fun
- See progress
- See importance
- Teamwork cohesive
- Encouragement
- Guilt
- Time pressures/deadlines
- Shared responsibilities
- Able to learn from it, personal development
- Results

4 Keys to Motivation:
Delegation Very motivating, even small roles make people feel involved and
important
Communication Team atmosphere must be open enough to discuss issues, regular
updates
Affirmation "thank you", tell someone "well done", encouragement, praise, be
positive and happy. Always say thank you, even if they don't
deserve it.
Socialization Have fun, get together, social atmosphere

Empowerment

What is empowerment?
em·pow·er
tr.v. em·pow·ered, em·pow·er·ing, em·pow·ers
1. To invest with power, especially legal power or official authority.
2. To equip or supply with an ability; enable

Why not empower?

 It’s too hard
 It’s too dangerous
 People are lazy, stupid, corrupt, selfish
 You can’t really change things

Why empower?
 Correction inequality
 Sustainable change
 Efficient use of few resources
 Maximising human potential

Where can we empower?

• Our colleagues
• Our friends & fellow members in IFMSA/EMSA/student organizations
• People from our community
• Our peers at home
• Disadvantaged groups

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST

• Our patients

How to empower?
 Facilitating the group to
- say what their problems are
- say what their strengths are
 Make them feel good

Steps and concept:

 Sharing Information
 Teambuilding
 Beginning with enthusiasm
 Be able to give “constructive” criticism
 Able to implement changes
 Further development

Exercise
• “Please explain the situation where you felt that you best managed to get your
message across?”
(with your neighbour)
• “why is this a good way to share information?”
(in groups of 4)