Business
Study Notes
People Management: Introduction to Motivation (GCSE)
- Level:
- GCSE
- Board:
- AQA, Edexcel, OCR, IB
Last updated 22 Mar 2021
Motivation is essentially about commitment to doing something. In the context of a business, motivation can be said to be about
"The will to work"
However, motivation is about more than simply working hard or completing tasks. Entrepreneurs and staff can find motivation from a variety of sources.
Motivation can come from the enjoyment of the work itself and/or from the desire to achieve certain goals e.g. earn more money or achieve promotion.
It can also come from the sense of satisfaction gained from completing something, or achieving a successful outcome after a difficult project or problem solved.
Why does motivation matter in business? In short, people's behaviour is determined by what motivates them. The performance of employees is a product of both their abilities (e.g. skills & experience) and motivation. A talented employee who feels de-motivated is unlikely to perform well at work, whereas a motivated employee can often deliver far more than is expected from them!
Benefits of a well-motivated workforce
A well-motivated workforce can provide several advantages:
- Better productivity (amount produced per employee). This can lead to lower unit costs of production and so enable a firm to sell its product at a lower price
- Lower levels of absenteeism as the employees are content with their working lives
- Lower levels of staff turnover (the number of employees leaving the business). This can lead to lower training and recruitment costs
- Improved industrial relations with trade unions
- Contented workers give the firm a good reputation as an employer so making it easier to recruit the best workers
- Motivated employees are likely to improve product quality or the customer service associated with a product
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