Motivational Strategies in the Workplace

Week 2 Motivational Strategies in the Workplace

There are numerous efforts to improve performance, employees' resistance to increasing productivity, and the management's philosophy of motivation and its practices in the workplace. The efforts used in the workplace, may vary from each job or workplace depending on what the details of the job include. This paper will be discussing how and what efforts are best used in the workplace. As well as analyze the implications of applying any two motivational theories that are not used at RJ's Bar and Grill, and how the two theories would impact both management and employees.

Strategies used in the workplace that influence employee's loyalty are intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Extrinsic motivation refers to motivation that comes from outside an individual. The motivating factors are external, or outside, rewards such as money or grades. For example an extrinsically motivated person will work on a task even when they have little interest in it because of the anticipated satisfaction they will get from some reward. The rewards can be something as minor as a smiley face to something major like fame or fortune. Whereas intrinsic motivation is defined as the stimulation that drives an individual to change a behavior or adapt to an individual's internal fulfillment. Intrinsic motivation is usually self-applied. It is typically caused from a direct relationship between the individual and the situation.

Another theory is the goal setting theory by Dr. Edwin Locke. The goal setting theory is generally accepted as among the most valid and useful motivation theories in industrial and organizational psychology, human resource management, and organizational behavior. Locke believed that employees were motivated by clear goals and appropriate feedback. He also felt that working toward a goal provided a major source of motivation to actually reach the goal – which, in turn, improved performance.

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