Managing And Leading People: The Role Of Line Managers In Employee Motivation And Productivity

Emplyee Engagement Theories

Discuss about the Managing and Leading People.

In the strategic HRM, it is considered that human resource management directly affects the performance of the employees and is critical in the changing the attitude of the employees. The basis of all the HRM activities and the strategies is that it is dependent upon social exchange theory. This theory states that when an organization does a favor, the recipient of the favor feels an obligation to return it.  When this theory is applied to the strategic HRM, it is considered that the employees feel an obligation towards the organization when they consider that the organization values their contribution towards the organization (Meyer, 2016).

The line managers are crucial in the human resource management of the business organization. They are critical in the management as they monitor the work performed by them and are the face of the management in front of the employees. The front line managers are also responsible for the human resource functions of the organization. The frontline manager aligns the operations of the employees with the objectives of the organization. They are primary in achieving the human resource objectives of the organization as they are significant in the monitoring and controlling the performance of the employee under them (Hayre, 2015). They play a crucial role in the implementation of the implementation of the HR strategies. The development of the HRM strategies is important for the growth of the organization; however, the implementation of these strategies is also crucial for the increasing the performance of the employees (Armstrong, 2010).

The responsibility of the success of the HRM strategies is dependent upon the front line managers as they are important in the actual implementation of these strategies. The line managers’ role in motivating the staff is also crucial as they are the link between the manager and the employees. Although the front line manager is a management position, it is different from other management positions in several aspects. They have limited authority and their position involves direct contact with the employees (Ivancevich, 2001). As they have direct contact with the employees, they manage the performance of the employees, including enhancing the motivation and engagement towards the organization. In this regard, this report explains the meaning of the employee motivation, examines the models used for employee motivation and examines the role of line managers in the employee motivation and productivity.

Employee Motivation

The employee engagement can be be defined as a workplace condition wherein the employees are committed to the goals and values of the organization. They are motivated to contribute to the success of organization. There are several theories of employee engagement and motivation. The self-determination theory of employee engagement is based on the motiavational theories. It states that the employees can achieve motivation through intrinsic or extrinsic means which is required for the self-determination of the employees (Meyer, & Gagne, 2008).

There are several theories which posits how to drive employee engagemet in the employees. The most popular theories state that the leadership is responsible for employe engagement. The full range leadership theory states hat transformational leadership is responsible for fostering employee engagement moning the employees. The transactional leaders identify the needs of the followers and increase their motivation by reward and management by exception. According to the full range leadership style, there are four aspects of leadership. It includes balancing of vulnerability by embracing and confronting them, understanding that the relationship between leaders and followers is based on commitment and compliance, leaders should identify with the followers and trust them. The good leaders should also pooses clear vision and manage different perspectives effectively (Byrne, 2014).

Another model to increase the motivation of the emplooyees is increasing the emotional intelligence of the employees. The leaders with high emotional intelligence have positive relationship with the the employees. Emotional intelligence refers to interrelated skils which increases the interpersonal relationships and emotional regulation. It refers to the appraisal, perception and expression of emotions.

The employee motivation can be defined as the process of motivating or providing a cause or reason to a person. The motivation can result from providing rewards or other significant outcomes to the person when the task is accomplished. The work performance of an employee is dependent upon his ability, motivation and the organization support (Storey, 2007). However, several organizations miss to motivate the workforce which hinders their productivity.  The motivation refers to the intrinsic desire of a person to complete the assigned task with dedication. However, the most important thing in it is the motivation or the desire of a person to complete the task. The motivation can be only  achieved when a person is provided with a goal or aim. The performance of the employees is directly related to their motivation level; therefore, understanding motivation is important (Wilton, 2016). 

Employee Motivation Process

The employee motivation is the level of drive or the commitment of the employees towards their jobs. The employee motivation is a crucial aspect in the productivity and the efficiency of the organization. The business organizations with motivated workforce tend to achieve their organization’s goals more efficiently and quickly (Ramlall, 2004). Therefore, the business organizations emphasizes on implementing different strategies to increase the employee motivation. There are several theories that suggest that the employee motivation can be increased by offering incentives or increasing the employee involvement in the organization. The lack of employee motivation can result in employee disinterest and discouragement with the well-being of the organization which can result in serious harm to the organization.  The employees can be motivated by increasing transparent system wherein the employees can see their feedback directly (Dobre, 2013). When the workforce of an organization is motivated, the employees can become free from the day-to-day chores and management and think of the long-term development of the organization. The employee motivation also reduces the attrition rate of the organization and results in the retention of the motivated employees. Employees thrive to excel in a creative work environment which results in the organization’s success (Mikkelsen, Jacobsen and Andersen, 2015).

The motivation can be achieved through intrinsic motivation or the extrinsic motivation level. There are certain internal and the external factor which are significant in stimulating desire and the energy of the workforce. They enhance the commitment of the employees and motivate them to exert persistent efforts to attain the goals. The motivation results mainly from three factors such as intensity or the desire of a person, incentives or the reward value expectations from oneself or society. The motivation is a psychological process which gives purpose and direction to the employees, a direction so that they can behave in a specific manner to meet the goals and the objectives and the will to achieve the targets (Meyer, Becker and Vandenberghe, 2004).

Human resources are the core strength of a business organization. There are several core aspects in the workforce management such as employee engagement, culture and discipline.  These factors are significant in the retention and the attraction of the best talent. If the employees are acknowledged and appreciated for their work, they work harder and do not consider switching their work organization. Therefore, employee motivation is important. It is effective strategy to increase the employee productivity; therefore, establishing a formal structure for the employee motivation is important. It is important that the employers actively engage with their current and the future employees to establish a strong employer brand. It can be achieved through establishing formal and informal communication channels an establishing a transparent communication network. In this regard, the companies can use social media or digital networks. It will also ensure that the company is presented as an attractive employer in front of potential workforce (Burke and Cooper, 2005).

The employee motivation begins with identification of the work, commitment and the efforts of the employees. The workforce must be in an environment which best suits their emotional needs and provide them an aim to achieve further. There are certain needs of the employees at a psychological and the emotional level and addressing them can enhance the motivation level dramatically. The frontline or the supervisory management has certain levers at their disposal which can satisfy the intrinsic needs of the employees. The reward system which can actually value the good performance of the employees can increase the motivation level of the employees. The drive to excel in the performance can be achieved by promoting collaboration and the openness in the organization culture (DeCenzo, Robbins and Verhulst, 2016). The job design is another factor which can motivate the employees to achieve their targets. There are certain processes in the performance management such as justified allocation of the resources and establishing a transparent and trustworthy culture which can promote the employee motivation at the workplace. The business management of an organization can learn from the real world examples of other companies to determine how to implement these levers in an effective manner. The major source of the employee motivation is monetary gains followed by the security of the job profile (Burke and Cooper, 2005).

The motivation methods of an organization ranges can be soft or hard. The hard methods of the employee motivation include coercion, employee threats, and strict and tight work schedule and organization control. It establishes an environment of command and control for the organization. Another approach is the soft approach wherein the employees are provided supportive and flexible environment and in return it is expected that they will cooperate with the organization when asked. It is important that the organization implements the strategies according to the suitability of the approach to the organization. However, both of the approaches are not optimal when implemented in extreme. A tight strict work environment increases the hostility among the employees and reduces the overall productivity of the workforce. On the other hand, the implementation of the soft approach increases the desire for greater work reward in lieu of less performance outcomes. In the present times, the organizations have implemented the soft approach to increase the fulfillment of the employees with the organization. When the hard approach is implemented in an organization, the employees start to dislike their environment, avoid responsibilities and disassociate themselves with the goals and objectives of the organization. They establish a self-fulfilling attitude and resist change in the organization. It undermines the productivity of the organization (Meyer, 2016).

Empoyee motivation is different from employee engagement. There are different methods of motivating employees. Different employees are motivated by different factors. Some people are motivated by the money and some are motivated by the power. Motivation is a psychological factor which determines the direction of a person’s behavior, a person’s level of efforts and persistence in times of difficulties. There are several motivation theories which provide insight upon how to motivate the employees and implement effective motivational strategies. All the motivation theories are complementary to each other and focus on different rewards or aspects of motivation.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

The Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is a common motivational theories used by the business organizations. According to this theory, there are five basic needs of employees such as psychological, safety, belongingness, esteem and self-actualization. These needs constitute a hierarchy of needs wherein the most compelling or basic needs re at the bottom. When one need is satisfied, people move to satisfy the needs at the higher level of this hierarchy. According to this theory, a person moves to the next level only when the lowermost level of the hierarchy is satisfied. Besides, when this need is satisfied, it stops to work as a source of motivation. The needs at the higher levels of the hierarchal needs motivate behavior (Maslow, 2013).

(Figure: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs)

(Source: McLeod, 2016)

Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory

The Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene theory is another theory that discusses how to motivate employees. This theory is dependent upon two factors, namely, the outcomes which can result in high level of job satisfaction and the outcomes which can prevent people from getting dissatisfied. According to this theory, the people have two kinds of needs, namely, motivation needs and the hygiene needs. The hygiene needs refers to the extrinsic rewards or punishments associated with the specific set of behavior. It refers to the psychological factors or the mindset with which the work is performed due to the presence of the extrinsic motivational factors. The consequences of a specific set of behavior are the source of motivation not the work itself. In an organization setting, the hygiene needs of the employees are satisfied by pleasant and comfortable working conditions, pay, job security, harmonious relationships with the management and the colleagues. According to this theory, when the hygiene needs of the employees are not satisfied, the workers cannot become satisfied with their work. However, satisfying the hygiene needs of the employees does not guarantee high level of job satisfaction of the workforce. In order to achieve highly motivated workforce, the employer must address the motivation needs of the employees (Herzberg, Mausner and Snyderman, 2011).

The motivation needs of the employees are associated with the kind of job profile and the challenges associated with it. In this regard, the motivational factors are interesting work, growth and development within the job profile, accomplishment and achievement of the employees with the work. They are the intrinsic motivational factors of the organization. Therefore, when such conditions are provided to the employees, they perform for their own sake rather than for other rewards. An organization can intrinsically motivate the employees by providing growth opportunities for growth and achievement to the employees and to recognize the high performing employees of the organization. According to this theory, the employees can be motivated by intrinsic factors, extrinsic factors or both motivation factors. The implementation of these strategies is dependent upon the personal characteristics of the employees such as personality, attitude, values and the needs of the employees and the organization structure and the management (Hoffmann, 2007).

Figure: Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory

(Source: FLVS Motivation Group, 2009)s

McClelland’ Theory

The McClelland’ Theory is another theory which researched the role of three factors, namely, achievement, power and affiliation with the motivation of the employees. It states that all the employees are motivated by either of the three factors, achievement, power and the affiliation. The achievement of the employees is defined as the extent to which an individual has a strong desire to perform challenging tasks and excel oneself. Similarly, the affiliation is defined as the ability and the desire of a person to establish cordial relations and maintaining good interpersonal skills with the colleagues and other employees. The power is termed as desire of a person control or influences other persons surrounding him. Every person has all of three needs albeit to different extents. However, this theory differentiates different needs according to the emphasis given by each employee on different needs. Moreover, in a workplace, the extent of importance is given to the needs is dependent upon the position of the employee in the organization. Accordingly, a high need of power is shown by the personnel at the supervisory or frontline management. Contrastingly, a high need for affiliation is not shown by the employees in the senior management roles (Motana and Charnov, 2008; Miner, 2011).

McLeod’s Needs THeory

(Source: iEdunote, 2017)

Job Characteristics Model   

Hackman and Oldman have presented job characteristic model which states that the major source of the employee motivation is the task itself. This model posits that the employer should design the job profile so that they are motivated by the job itself. The job profile of the employees should be designed so that they can achieve growth and the expected satisfaction from the job functions. In this regard, the companies use job enrichment and the job rotation to increase the variety and the challenge in the job profile (SCarpello, 2008). According to this theory, there are five factors which can motivate the employees, namely, skill variety, significance of the job, identity of the job, autonomous nature of the job and the feedback given to the job. These characteristics affect the attitude and the behavior of the employees at the workplace. According to this theory, the motivation of the employees is associated with the meaningfulness of the work, responsibility and the knowledge of the outcomes (Petri and Govern, 2012).

The line managers have a fundamental role in the implementation of the human resource strategies in an organization. In a business organization, the line managers are provided with numerous HR related tasks. It includes the performance evaluation, performance management, employee motivation and recruitment. In small business organizations, there are no specialist HR professionals; however, in large business organizations there are HR specialists or even an HR department to oversee the operations related to the human resources in an organization. However, even in the presence of HR specialist or HR managers, the line managers play a crucial role in management of the day-to-day responsibilities and HR initiatives in an organization. Several times, it results in conflicts and tensions between the line managers and the HR managers. Both of them can have different opinion regarding the performance or the behavior of the employee. As the line manager is directly works above the employees, he is aware of the performance and the callibre of the employees. Moroever, the HR manager and the line manager can also have difference in opinion in the promotion and compensation of different employees.

There are a large number of HR functions wherein the HR manager plays a crucial role, such as employee engagement, performance appraisals, employee discipline and performance related pays. The managerial or the leadership approach taken by the employer to supervise the team or the employees pays a crucial role in the employee engagement. The line managers are the creators of the team culture (Armstrong, 2006).

They are responsible for creating either positive and flexible work culture or negative atmosphere by focusing on the negative aspects of the employee performance. The HR managers scale or measure the level of the employee engagement with the organization whereas the line managers are responsible for executing them. They also manage the performance appraisal of the employees as they asses the performance of the employees and rate them. Although the HR professionals are responsible for the design of the appraisal process, the execution of the performance appraisal is dependent upon the employees. The employee feedback is provided in one-to-one meeting between the employee and the line manager. The employee appraisal process will lose its credibility, if the line managers appear disinterested and consider it as a formal process. Therefore, the line managers play a crucial role in the performance appraisal of the employees (Bohlander and Snell, 2010).

As they represent the management to the frontline workers, they are also responsible for the employee motivation and discipline. In an organization, the discipline can only be set when the line managers clearly discusses his expectations with the team. The performance of the team can be supported by different policies and procedures developed by the HR department of the organization. Even though, the disciplinary rules and policies of an organization are developed by the HR department, their implementation is dependent upon the line manager and his enforcement technique (Marchington and Wilkinson, 2005).

Moreover, if an organization has performance-related pay structure, the line managers plays a crucial role in the employee motivation as his reports impacts the pay increases of an organization. The performance ratings of an employee are directly correlated with the pay increase of the employees. The intent that the performance-related scheme becomes successful in an organization can only be achieved with the cooperation of the line manager. They are responsible for the implementation of fair and objective performance related scheme. It is important that the line managers are provided training to ensure that they adopt a fair and impartial outlook toward the performance of the employees (CIPD, 2016).

The pivotal role of the line manager is in increasing the productivity of the organization and helping the business deliver its goals and objectives. However, besides it, the line manages also need to meet the individual need of the people they manage. The line-manager has a wide set of responsibilities and which requires demonstration of wide skills of behavior and skills. The responsibilities of the line mangers include meeting the training and the development needs of the organization and also creating an environment beneficial for the retention of the employees. The poor level of relationships with the employees and low level of engagement is a significant factor in the reduced employee motivation. Positive relationships between the mangers and the workforce can be attained when the manager engages in frequent and direct communication with the employees. Positive relationships can be developed when the manager takes the role of mentor or coach. It requires the employee to examine the career needs of the employees and showing them the right path to achieve them (MacDonald, 2017).

In most of the instances, the employees limit themselves by setting goals and objectives according to their comfort level and do not try to challenge or push themselves. However, the line managers play a crucial role in motivating the employees to achieve more, take him out of his comfort level and changing their perception relate to self-efficacy. The employees need someone to motivate them to push themselves hard and exceed the expectations set by themselves and their bosses. The line managers who implement motivational strategies to encourage the employees by appreciating the efforts demonstrated by the employees, communicating which adds to the positive environment of the organization and show that they have confidence in the capabilities of the leader can develop a team with high motivation and positive attitude.

It is important that the mangers create a positive culture wherein the employees can freely express their ideas and are not afraid of the challenges demonstrated by the work profile. In the present times, the innovation and research are also significant in the organization success. The human resources are significant in the fostering innovation and research in an organization. Moreover, it is important that the line-managers establish a positive and flexible organization culture so that the employees do not shy away in demonstrating their ideas. It is universally acknowledged truth that the creative people function better in a free environment and where they presume that there is no possibility of negative comments simply because they perceive things differently. If the employees are not allowed to challenge or ask questions in a professional manner, their enthusiasm for the job can reduce.

Moreover, it is important that while motivating the employees, the manager remains consistent in their statements and the actions. The managers can also increase the motivation of the employees by demonstrating confidence in his skills. Even when the employees are beyond their expected level, they should not stop there, but recognize the talent and reward the employees. Most of the employees try to work something which is fruitful and has a positive impact on the society and the work environment. However, without the right guidance, the daily work of the employees will seem mundane and they will remain unmotivated for the work (Wilton, 2016).

Conclusion

Employee motivation is a significant factor in the organization’s success. The human resources are the critical strength of the organization and play a crucial role in the productivity and the efficiency of the organization. They are also significant in the innovation and product development of the organization. As a result, the business organizations have implemented a wide range of strategies to increase the employee motivation in an organization. Although the human resource department of an organization is responsible for the development of these strategies, the line managers play a crucial role in the execution of these strategies. They represent the higher management to the front line employees and their role requires high communication and interaction with the frontline workers. Therefore, they are also responsible for motivating them. The employee motivation can be defined as the process of providing a motive or intent to the employees. It can only be achieved when the employees are provided with a goal or objective. The employee motivation is the drive or the commitment of the employees of the organization towards their work and the organization. When the workforce is motivated, the employees strive to achieve more than their stated objectives.

There are several theories of the employee motivation such as Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene theory and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. The Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is the most common model which represents the employee motivation strategies of the business organization. It starts that the employee motivation can be achieved by satisfying the basic needs of the human beings. In this model, the needs of the people are divided into different hierarchal categories and it states that a person moves to another level once he theneeds at the lower level are satisfied. In the Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene theory, the motivation factors are divided into two categories, namely, hygiene factors and the motivation needs. It is important that the organization satisfies the hygiene needs of the employees so that they do not remain dissatisfied and demotivated with their job. It includes organization culture, flexibility and infrastructure. On the other hand, in order to motivate the employees, the organizations have to identify the motivation needs of the employees and satisfy them. The line managers play a crucial role in the employee motivation as they implement the motivation strategies and conduct the performance management of the organization.

You will have to add employee engagement from the outset when you are mentioning motivation…may be some theories and relevant models of employee engagement..

Whilst you are writing about the role of line manager, you must not forget about the tension, conflict, limitation between the two when managing HR activities, so you should have some part of your work that relates to this

Once you have covered the general role of line manager in HR activities then look at their specific role in motivating and engaging people

Have more headings and bring more illustration, figures.

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