Assessing the Role of Motivation on

Employee Performance
By
[Name of student]
Project paper submitted in partial
fulfillment of the reuirements
for the degree of
Master of Business Administration
[name of university]
[year]
0
!able of contents
"#AP!ER $%& 'N!R()*"!'(N++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++,
1.1. Background of the Study...................................................................................................2
1.2. Problem Statement............................................................................................................4
1.3. Study Purpose...................................................................................................................4
1.4. Study Significance............................................................................................................5
1.5. esearch !uestions...........................................................................................................5
1.". Scope of the Study............................................................................................................5
1.#. Brief $escription of esearch %ethodology...................................................................."
1.&. 'imitation of the Study....................................................................................................."
1.(. esearch Structure............................................................................................................"
1.10. )ime scale.........................................................................................................................#
References+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-
1
"#AP!ER $%& 'N!R()*"!'(N
1.1. Background of the Study
*n this modern era+ the business and organi,ational operations all around the globe are
-ery tough and challenging+ since they are e-ol-ing at a -ery rapid rate. )he internal and e.ternal
factors are continuously e-ol-ing and -arying+ /hich is challenging the de-elopment of the
organi,ations and businesses in terms of re-enue gro/th. 0or maintaining a reputable image in
the global or local market+ the organi,ations ha-e to maintain the rate of their gro/th and for this
they ha-e to bring in all the resources 12ad/allader+ 3ar-is+ Bitner+ 4 5strom+ 2010+ pp.21(6
23(7. 8uman+ financial and physical resources are the three areas /here e-ery organi,ation
should e.cel for ensuring a sustainable gro/th in the market. )he management of the /orking
staff of organi,ation is the main 9uest for the modern managers. )he effecti-e management of
employees re9uire skillful handling of the thoughts+ approach and sentiments+ so that the highest
producti-ity le-els can be achie-ed successfully by the effecti-e utili,ation of the total /ork
force of the organi,ation. 0or achie-ing full and profitable concentration of the employees+ the
moti-ation factors are -ery important since the moti-ation of an employee to/ards its /ork can
bring the best results for any organi,ation. )he moti-ated staff of any organi,ation is a precious
asset /hich is of immense -alue for the organi,ation 15:;eil+ 4 $rillings+ 20127.
%oti-ation is referred to a desire of any indi-idual for achie-ing something fruitful+ by
putting in efforts. %oti-ation+ according to many scholars+ is one of the most -ital elements of
performance. )he indi-iduals ha-ing the passion of becoming the high performers ha-e the
desire and the energy combined in the form of high le-el of moti-ation through /hich they are
able to attain the ob<ecti-es and goals they set for themsel-es 1Sara+ et al. 2004+ pp. 3&1=3(47.
)hus+ employee moti-ation can be defined as a reflection of the le-el of energy+ pledge+ and
originality that the /orkers of an organi,ation bring into account during their <obs. )he le-els of
moti-ation affect the beha-iors of the employees in a great deal and thus the moti-ation le-el can
be directly related /ith the different le-els of employee performance /ithin any organi,ation.
)he ma<or issue+ as highlighted by many scholars is that most of the managements fail to
communicate the employees about /hat is e.pected of them 12ad/allader+ 3ar-is+ Bitner+ 4
5strom+ 2010+ pp.21(623(7+ /hich results in lo/ le-els of performance. *n other cases+ the
organi,ations fail to deli-er their employees /hat they promise+ /hich ultimately results in
2
decreased le-els of moti-ation among the employees. )herefore+ it is the core responsibility of
the management to keep the moti-ation le-els ele-ated among their employees 1>ilbert+
8alliday+ 8ea-ey+ 4 %urphy+ 20117.
)he fact that e-ery indi-idual has a different role in any organi,ation makes this sub<ect
more interesting. )hus means that there are se-eral factors+ o-er a /ide range+ /hich can affect
the moti-ation le-els of employees /ithin a certain /orking en-ironment. 0or some+
ackno/ledgment and appreciation is all it takes to moti-ate them. 0or others+ a material re/ard
is more important rather than <ust the e.change of appreciating /ords. 8a-ing a 9uality human
resource is -ery important for organi,ations in order to ha-e a competiti-e ad-antage o-er the
others in the market 1Phil+ 200# pp.10(61117. ? lack of moti-ation among the employees can lead
to de-astating effects for an organi,ation in terms of lo/ output+ less interest in the
organi,ational operations and intentional faulty /ork. ?ll these factors pro-e to harm the
producti-ity of the organi,ation and are detrimental to the success of the organi,ation 1>ilbert+
8alliday+ 8ea-ey+ 4 %urphy+ 20117.
)he topic of employee moti-ation and its relation /ith the performance of the employees
themsel-es and the organi,ation has been studied and researched 9uite comprehensi-ely.
8alf/ay the t/entieth century the initial moti-ational theories started to de-elop and the most
prominent of them /ere %aslo/@s hierarchy of needs 11(437+ 8er,berg@s t/o6factor theory
11(5(7 and Aroom@s e.pectancy theory 11("47. )hese theories /ere related to the moti-ation of
an indi-idual and the moti-ation of employees in specific. *n the literature+ moti-ation has been
defined many times and 8er,berg 11(5(7 defined employee moti-ation as the /ill to perform any
/ork. )he scholars and theorists ha-e agreed that the employee moti-ation can be classified into
t/o typesB intrinsic and e.trinsic 1Bedeian+ 1((37. Sta/ states that 8er,berg@s )/o60actor
)heory 11(5(7 helped in making this classification of the employee moti-ation. 8o/e-er+ the
relati-ely recent years ha-e focuses on the intrinsic and e.trinsic moti-ation.
)he most important point here is that ho/ these t/o types of employee moti-ation can
contribute in raising the le-els of employees@ performance 1?ntoncic+ 4 ?ntoncic+ 2011+ pp.5&(6
"0#7. *t is a fact that the relation bet/een employee moti-ation and <ob performance has been
studied in the past+ but ade9uate correlations ha-e not been established. 8o/e-er+ recent studies
ha-e concluded about the positi-e correlation bet/een these t/o 15ldham+ ;ottenburg+ Cassner+
0erris+ 0edor+ 4 %asters+ 1(&2+ pp.&461117. )his relationship+ bet/een the employee moti-ation
3
n and the performance of employee is studied in this thesis and the factors /hich increase the
moti-ation of the employees are also acutely discussed 12ru,+ PDre,+ 4 2antero+ 200(+ pp.4#&6
4(07.
1.2. Problem Statement
Effecti-e employee management results in a competiti-e ad-antage by ha-ing a
moti-ated and enthusiastic /orkforce. )he ma<or problem in this conte.t is to find out the factors
/hich are responsible for increasing and decreasing the moti-ation le-el of employees /ithin an
organi,ation+ and that ho/ these factors influence the performance of the employees /ithin that
organi,ationF
1.3. Study Purpose
)he main reason behind choosing this topic is curiosity to kno/ ho/ an organi,ation
moti-ates its employees. *n today@s recessionary period+ organi,ations are reducing cost by
reducing number of employees. Employees /ho sur-i-e do/nsi,ing ha-e burden of /ork load
on them. )here must be some factors that moti-ate them in achie-ing the goals of the company
as they perform the <ob of t/o people.
)here are some organi,ations that do not use moti-ational factors to moti-ate their staff.
)hey undermine the importance of in-ol-ing employees and practicing good retention strategies.
?bsence of moti-ational factors cause high turno-er of employees and it also de6moti-ates and
reduces producti-ity of the employees. Gnderstanding the concept of moti-ation and its
implication in an organi,ation is -ery important. )his research paper can be used as the guide to
understand the concept of moti-ation and to e.plore its different facets. Gnderstanding
moti-ation and its different facets is imperati-e because it is this concept of moti-ation that helps
managers to dri-e their employees to/ards optimal performance. )o create the 9uest of optimal
performance among employees a manger must kno/ each and e-ery detail about moti-ation+
/hen to pro-ide moti-ational factors to employees and ho/ to moti-ate employees. ? clear
picture of these different facets of moti-ation /ould enable the managers to apply the concept of
moti-ation in their organi,ation.
4
1.4. Study Significance
)he significance of this study lies in the research 9uestions /hich /ill be addressed. )he
ma<or problem in today@s /orking en-ironment is to gain the focus of the market. 5rgani,ations
ha-e al/ays stri-ed for gaining a competiti-e position in the market /here they operate. 0or
gaining the success and for achie-ing the re9uired goals and ob<ecti-es+ it is -ery important that
the goals and ob<ecti-es of the /orkforce of that organi,ation are aligned /ith those of the
organi,ation. )hus+ this study /ill help the organi,ations and the managements to highlight their
moti-ational procedures+ so that the /orkforce can be moti-ated for achie-ing higher interest in
the /ork and thus better and effecti-e results.
1.5. Research uestions
)he research /ill be addressing the follo/ing 9uestionsB
1. Hhat is employee moti-ation a must for organi,ations in order to ensure gro/th and
successF
2. Hhat are the factors /hich contribute to increased le-els of moti-ation of the employees
/ithin a certain /orking en-ironmentF
3. Hhat is the impact of moti-ation on the performance of an organi,ationF
4. 8o/ do different types of moti-ation influence the performance of the employeesF
1.!. Scope of the Study
)he topic of employee moti-ation and its link /ith the employee performance has been
studied 9uite acutely in the past. )his study aims to find the positi-e correlation bet/een both the
terms and thus the scope of this study /ill be a -ery /ide one. )his study /ill be helpful for the
managements of different organi,ation for kno/ing the importance of increasing the employee
moti-ation. *t is a fact that in his busy era+ the organi,ations and business do not focus much on
the moti-ation of their employees+ /hich pro-es to b harmful. )his study /ill help the
organi,ations in finding the importance of moti-ation and its positi-e link /ith increased
employee performance. )he factors /hich lead to increased moti-ation /ill help in determining
the layout of the employee beha-ior and thus appropriate moti-ation modeling can be done by
the employers for attaining the attention of their /orkforce.
5
1.". Brief #escription of Research $ethodology
)he core aim of this study is to find /hat the role of employee moti-ation on
performance is. ?longside+ this study aims to find highlight the factors /hich contribute to
increased le-els of moti-ation among the employees of an organi,ation. 0or adhering to the
research 9uestions and problem statement 9uite comprehensi-ely and effecti-ely+ both primary
and secondary data /ill be used in this study i.e. both 9ualitati-e and 9uantitati-e methods /ill
be used. %i.ed methodology /ill help in increasing the credibility of the research. )he primary
data /ill be e.tracted from the most rele-ant and up to date literature that e.ists on this topic.
)he secondary data /ill comprise of the findings of the 9uestionnaire sur-ey /hich /ill be taken
at both employee and management le-els. )he sur-ey /ill be taken from both managers and
employees+ for ha-ing a descripti-e resolution of the research problem. )he inter-ie/s /ill be
focused and random sampling /ill be done. )he data attained from the 9uestionnaire sur-eys /ill
be analy,ed /ith the help if statistical tools.
1.%. &imitation of the Study
)he natural e.planation to /hich the study has been limited by the researcher can be
considered as one of the limitations of this study. )he study limits to the e.isting theories and
models. 'ack of enthusiasm of the participants+ biasness from the participants+ possible faulty
ans/ers from the managements inter-ie/ed+ and the different condition of different
organi,ations are among the other limitations of this study.
1.'. Research Structure
2hapter 02B 'iterature e-ie/B )his chapter /ill e.plain the concept of moti-ation the
help of e.isting literature. )hen the literature re-ie/ /ill e.plain the factors /hich increase eth
moti-ation le-els of the employees and then the positi-e correlation bet/een the employee
moti-ation and employee performance /ill be e.plained. $ifferent models and moti-ation
theories /ill be used for the support of the arguments /hich /ill be made in this chapter. )his
/ill include the data from the publication like articles+ books and <ournal and maga,ines.
2hapter 03B esearch %ethodologyB )his chapter /ill e.plain the research strategy /hich
/ill be used for this study. )his chapter /ill comprise of the method /hich /ill be used and the
sampling+ and analy,ing techni9ues to be used /ill be e.plained.
"
2hapter 04B esults 4 0indingsB )his chapter /ill focus on the findings of the research.
)he data analysis /ill be done in this part and the research 9uestions /ill be ans/ered /ith the
help of both the findings of the 9ualitati-e and 9uantitati-e data.
2hapter 05B Summary+ 2onclusion and ecommendationsB )his chapter /ill summari,e
the /hole findings of the study and the research 9uestions /ill be e.plained. )he conclusions of
the analysis /ill be made and the correlation bet/een the employee performance and the
employee performance /ill be e.plained+ and in the end+ a set of recommendations s /ill be
pro-ided for the organi,ations to impro-e the le-els of moti-ation /ithin their setup+ for
achie-ing high le-els of employee performance.
1.1(. )ime scale
)ime is an important factor /hen considering pro<ect /ork. ? considerable amount of time
/ill be re9uired to complete this research+ as it /ill re9uire the gathering of primary and secondary
data. %oreo-er+ the research /ill make progress according to the uni-ersity rules and on full time
basis so as to collect e.tensi-e data for the research study to make it an effecti-e one. )he time
ad<ustment of daily hours /ill be accumulated according to the submission date gi-en by the
instructor. 0urthermore+ the final submission date of the dissertation may get negotiable /ith the
instructor keeping in -ie/ the current scenario of the research /ork at that moment of time. 5ne
needs time to allo/ ade9uate problem diagnosis before decisions are made about appropriate
strategies and means of implementation+ ho/e-er+ this must remain fle.ible to allo/ for
unforeseen factors.
)he researcher has spent ade9uate time in order to identify the problem and to relate to the
actual area of the study. )herefore the researcher has taken a strategic decision in order to conduct the
research. )herefore the researcher has adopted a timeframe that is achie-able as /ell as fle.ible. )he
researcher has planned the follo/ing timeframe in order to conduct this research in an appropriate
manner.
.antt chart
!A/0/
1EE0/
% 2 3 4 - %% %2 %3 %4 %- ,% ,2 ,3 ,4 ,- 2%
"onstruct research proposal
)ra5 up uestionnaires
/ubmit proposal
#
!imetable intervie5s
Begin intervie5s and hand out
uestionnaires

Analysis and redefine problem
'mplement findings
Prepare draft report
Begin full data analysis
!ype dissertation
&
References
?ntoncic+ 3. ?.+ 4 ?ntoncic+ B. 120117. Employee satisfaction+ intrapreneurship and firm gro/thB
a model. Industrial Management & Data Systems+ 111147+ pp.5&(6"0#.
Bedeian+ ?. >. 11((37. %anagement 13rd ed.7. ;e/ IorkB Dryden Press
2ad/allader+ S.+ 3ar-is+ 2. B.+ Bitner+ %. 3.+ 4 5strom+ ?. '. 120107. 0rontline employee
moti-ation to participate in ser-ice inno-ation implementation. Journal of the Academy
of Marketing Science+ 38127+ pp.21(623(.
2ru,+ ;. %.+ PDre,+ A. %.+ 4 2antero+ 2. ). 1200(7. )he influence of employee moti-ation on
kno/ledge transfer. Journal of Knoledge Management+ 131"7+ pp.4#&64(0.
>ilbert+ $.+ 8alliday+ S.+ 8ea-ey+ 2.+ 4 %urphy+ E. 120117. Enhancing performanceB Bringing
trust commitment and moti-ation together in organi,ations. Journal of !eneral
Management.
'il<eholm+ %.+ 4 5@$oherty+ 3. P. 120127. 2ontributions of the striatum to learning+ moti-ation+
and performanceB an associati-e account. "rends in cogniti#e sciences.
5ldham+ >. .+ ;ottenburg+ >.+ Cassner+ %. H.+ 0erris+ >. .+ 0edor+ $.+ and %asters+ %. 11(&27+
)he selection and conse9uences of <ob comparisons+ 5rgani,ational Beha-ior and 8uman
Performance+ -ol. 2(B pp.&46111
5:;eil+ 8. 0.+ 4 $rillings+ %. 1Eds.7. 120127. Moti#ation$ "heory and research. outledge.
Phil+ $. 1200#7. State of the GnionsB 8o/ 'abor 2an Strengthen the %iddle 2lass+ *mpro-e 5ur
Economy+ and egain Political *nfluence. Mc!ra%&ill Professional+ pp.10(6111
Sara+ '. et al. 120047 )he importance of pay in employee moti-ationB $iscrepancies bet/een
/hat people say and /hat they do. "he 'ontri(utions of Psychological )esearch to
&uman )esource Management* Aol 43B pp.3&1=3(4
(