Studied by 3 peopleHuman resource management
The responsibility for maintaining the relationship between employees and the business.
human resource manager
coordinates all the activities involved in acquiring, developing, maintaining and terminating employees from a businesses human resources.
relationship between business objectives and HR
the successful management of employees helps a business reach many objectives, as people are the primary resource of a business and the achievement of objectives is dependent on their level of motivation.
3 roles of HR
managing the relationship between the business/mangers and employees
implementing training that will help achieve business objectives
motivate employees
motivation
the internal process that directs, energises and sustains a persons behaviour.
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
a motivational theory that suggests all humans have five fundamental needs that they strive to achieve in a sequential order.
5 levels of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs in ascending order
physiological needs
safety and security needs
social needs
self-esteem needs
self-actualisation
physiological needs
basic human needs. Fulfilled by providing an adequate wage to pay for food, water and shelter.
physiological need strategy
satisfactory pay
safety and security needs
employees are motivated by a sense of safety and security. fulfilled by having a safe workplace and job security.
safety and security need strategy
OH&S policies and ongoing contracts
social needs
desired interpersonal relationships across all aspects of a person’s life, including in the workplace. Fulfilled by encouraging teamwork, celebrating employee birthdays.
social need strategy
team rituals and going out for employee birthdays
self-esteem needs
employees are looking for a sense of achievement and respect. fulfilled by attention and higher job title.
self-esteem needs strategy
a job promotion or recognition for good work
self-actualisation needs
the employee is motivated to achieve their personal best. Fulfilled by providing engaging and challenging work that employees have drive to achieve.
self-actualisation need strategy
creative and interesting jobs and opportunities for career advancements
strengths of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
allows management to understand individual needs
allows management to be aware that their employees are at different stages and therefore need to be motivated with different strategies
weaknesses of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
no empirical evidence to show that this hierarchy is applicable to all people in all workplaces
managers may struggle to identify which stage employees are at and therefore not motivate them adequately
Locke and Latham’s goal setting theory
a motivational theory stating that setting goals improves performance, and that these goals should be: clear and specific and challenging, but achievable.
the five principles of Locke and Latham’s goal setting theory
clarity
commitment
challenge
complexity
feedback
clarity
goals should be specific and measurable. Fulfilled through having tangible goals in a numerical value.
commitment
employees should be involved in setting their goals, as this then involves their personal interests.
challenge
the goal should be difficult enough to encourage the employee to improve on their skills in order for it to be achieved
complexity
the goal should be difficult enough to motivate employees but not too difficult that it is unattainable.
feedback
managers should regularly provide feedback and monitor their employees progress towards their goal. this keeps them on track.
putting the goal setting theory in practice
managers and employees should work collaboratively to set the employee clear and specific, challenging yet attainable and measurable goals. the manager should regularly check in with their employee to ensure they are on the right track and to give them encouragement toward their goal.
strengths of Locke and Latham’s goal setting theory
goals are specific and challenging, so that employees are motivated to improve their performance and skills, which assists in achieving business objectives
fosters a better relationship between employees and managers, as they set the goals together and the manager regularly gives feedback and encouragement
weaknesses of Locke and Latham’s goal setting theory
making goals with employees and then providing them with regular feedback can be time consuming
failing to achieve goals could lower employees confidence and hinder their productivity
Lawrence and Nohria’s four-drive theory
a motivational theory that suggests that employees strive to fulfil 4 fundamental needs.
Lawrence and Nohria’s 4 drives
drive to acquire
drive to learn
drive to bond
drive to defend
drive to acquire
the achievement in material things like a company car and non-material things like a bonus for good work.
drive to bond
social interactions and the corporate culture of a business. Seeking positive relationships in the workplace.
drive to learn
the drive of the employees to gain knowledge, skills and experience. Fulfilled by the provision of training programs and sponsoring further education of employees.
drive to defend
the drive to defend is the desire for the work environment to be safe and non-threatening. fulfilled by ensuring that the workplace is welcoming and fair.
strengths of the four-drive theory
the theory is very adaptive to complicated or intricate environments or situations
A manager can also attempt to motivate all employees by supporting all four drives simultaneously
weaknesses of the four-drive theory
Employees may not value all drives equally.
Determining the specific needs of individuals could be time consuming
Similarities between Maslow and L&L
both focus on one thing at a time, Maslow 1 step and L&L 1 goal
feedback and recognition are significant in both theories. In Maslow’s recognition is achieved in esteem needs and in L&L recognition is achieved in feedback and setting the goals with management
differences between Maslow and L&L
Maslow’s is an ongoing long-term process through a series of steps whilst L&L is short term as new goals are set once one is achieved
Maslow concentrates on internal needs (personal) and L&L is external needs (business goals)
similarities between L&L and the four-drive theory
the achievement of a goal in L&L is comparable with fulfilling drive to acquire in the four drive theory
both theories heavily involve the manager in setting goals and assisting employees to achieve them
differences between L&L and the four-drive theory
L&L sees employees motivated by external needs whereas the four-drive theory sees employees motivated by internal drives
L&L sees employees striving towards one goal, whereas the drives can all be fulfilled simultaneously
similarities between Maslow and the four-drive theory
the drive to acquire can be compared to the physiological needs in Maslow as both involve being paid adequately
drive to learn can be compared with self-actualisation needs
differences between Maslow and the four-drive theory
Maslow’s theory assumes that the needs have to be fulfilled in sequential order whereas the four drives can be achieved all at once or in any order
Maslow sees needs of employees in a hierarchy, whereas the four-drives are valued equally
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