Understanding Motivation and Human Behavior:
Developing a Plan of Work
Abstract
Abraham Maslow designed a motivational theory in psychology which suggests that human needs are met or satisfied in a five-tier hierarchical sequence where the levels are arranged in a pyramid. According to the theory the needs placed lower down or at the bottom must be met, satisfied, or fulfilled before attending to the ones higher up the pyramid. These five categories of needs from bottom upwards include: physiological needs, safety needs, the need for love and belonging, esteem, and finally self-actualization needs. The first and second categories are basic needs, the third and fourth are psychological, while the fifth are self-fulfillment needs. The five categories can also be divided into two broad categories: the first four are deficiency needs while the fifth category comprises growth (being) needs (D needs and B needs respectively). In order to understand an employee’s level in life and their performance in the workplace, the human resource must understand his/her position in Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs. This paper examines the case of Gloria, an employee at Jones University, employed through Higher Learning Systems in Connecticut and having originally worked with the Higher Learning Systems in Canada.
Understanding Motivation and Human Behavior:
Developing a Plan of Work
Summary of the Scenario
Gloria is a data entry specialist at Jones University, employed through Higher Learning Systems in Connecticut. Prior to her current employment, Gloria had worked in Canada for the Higher Learning Systems for 5 years, but transferred to the United States with her husband through his military career and has now worked for 1 year in Connecticut. Gloria was on medical leave for 6 months due to her first pregnancy but because of complications, she was away from work for 3 months prior to the birth of her baby. Jones University, Connecticut, has a total of 12 data entry specialists. However, when Gloria went on an abrupt leave the remaining 11 specialists split up her duties amongst themselves. After delivery of her the baby, Gloria’s colleagues became upset that she took another 3 months off after giving birth despite having taken 3 months prior to the delivery of the child.
Gloria reported back to work, but in order to pump and securely store breast milk for her baby she took frequent breaks that exceeded the policy allowance. In order to compensate for Gloria’s breaks, the 11 other employees had to share Gloria’s workload until she stopped pumping and storing breast milk at work. The other university employees started to feel frustrated at Gloria for what they perceived as special treatment by the institution. Upon returning to work, Gloria immediately felt the frustration. This was despite the fact that Jones University policy indicated that the institution supported mothers on maternity leave and mothers who required extra time to pump breast milk after expiry of official maternity leave. As a result, Gloria felt disrespected by her colleagues and unappreciated by her supervisor and this discomfort in turn took a toll on her productivity at work. She started to lag behind. Gloria has been in the Higher Learning Systems for 6 years and does not want to quit her job with the company, so she opts to visit the Human Resource for help. The HR works with Gloria and her supervisor to create a plan to sort out the concerns.
Human Resource Response
Scholars agree that proper Human Resource management systems and practices enhance the overall motivation of employees and enhance organizational performance (Amanchukwu et. al, 2015). Jones University is an employee-centric institution and recognizes the importance of human resource in the success of its operations and in achieving its organizational goals. As a result, the Human Resource has the best interests of all employees and aims at enhancing employee’s engagement and their commitment to deliver their best. Employee satisfaction is a fundamental part of productivity, and the institution has a Human Resource Management system that strives to give the university competitive advantage in the global market by optimizing its workforce (Basset-Jones & Lloyd, 2005). All employees, including the data entry specialists are part of the source of competitive advantage for Jones University, Connecticut. It is in this regard that the HR of the university accords Gloria the attention she requires so as to best leverage her performance to the betterment of her health, her well-being and the overall well-being of the organization.
Employee relations play a key role in both employee motivation as well as productivity improvements (Kaur, 2013). The HR of Jones University therefore takes with utmost seriousness the need for dispute resolution and to overhaul how the system of interest representation. It is imperative to note that for organizational success, a healthy employee relationship must be attained through creating a safe working environment for everyone, incentives to motivate employees, commitment and cent percent involvement by all employees, and effective communication among organization’s employees (Basset-Jones & Lloyd, 2005). The Jones University HR intends to reduce the costs associated with attrition, turnover and replacement/hiring of new workers especially that Gloria has productively served the institution for 6 years. Together with the department, an arbitration tribunal shall determine how best to address the deteriorating relationship between Gloria and her co-workers and to reinstate the crumbling relations between Gloria and the supervisor.
Plan of Work
According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, human beings are motivated to satisfy or fulfil their needs starting from the most basic to the least basic or more advanced needs, in a hierarchical order. In the workplace, employee motivation is based on their level of needs. Customs, beliefs, and values may differ from one group to another but all individuals have similar needs. For this reason, in Gloria’s case the Human Resource must prepare a plan of work to assist with the areas of concern and must include measurable and attainable goals for Gloria, goals for the supervisor, and goals for the department. Needs are very powerful motivators. First, to note her concerns, Gloria felt disrespected by her workmates owing to her cultural beliefs on the importance of breast milk to an infant, and breastfeeding in general. It is therefore essential to first ensure Gloria’s physiological needs are met by allowing her enough rest. Gloria shall be closely monitored at the workplace until such a time that she will no longer to pump and store breastmilk for her baby.
Secondly, HR has to correct Gloria’s notion and her changed attitude towards her colleagues. Gloria started to dread going to work as the discomfort due to broken relationships at work had started affecting her performance at work. She often cried and felt that her supervisor did not appreciate her. Gloria also felt that the supervisor did not approve of her 3 months absence after delivery of her baby and that she equally did not approve of her frequent breaks to pump and store breast milk. In the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, after physiological needs safety needs must be satisfied. Gloria dreaded going to her workplace. This means she became kind of insecure. The Human Resource must therefore seek to meet these needs after the first three months of returning to work and after she stopped pumping breast milk. Safety needs include security, comfort and stability.
Gloria had often overhead her colleagues joke and make fun about her. This made her uncomfortable at the workplace and in turn affected her performance – she started to slow down on her tasks. The Human Resource must therefore seek to satisfy and fulfil this need, the need for stability and comfort, which is the second rank of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. This must involve the supervisor, the department, and Gloria’s co-workers. As Gloria recovers physiologically over the first three months after reporting to the HR, she needs to undergo some counselling and emotional support from the supervisor and the department. To meet security needs, Jones University must minimize downsizing and layoffs and provide its employees with well-defined job descriptions. Over the next 6 months after Gloria returned to work, the HR should restructure how the workload is split among co-workers whenever one or more worker is out on leave or otherwise.
According to Maslow, security needs at the workplace include fair and just compensation. Gloria worked in a team of 12. When she was away on medical leave, the 11 other co-workers split and took up her workload. It was would have therefore been ‘fair’ enough for the organization to compensate Gloria’s colleague commensurate to the increased workload so that they do not feel frustrated or perceive that Gloria was receiving preferential treatment by the company. This in particular ought to apply after the first official parenting leave and medical leave. Moreover, security needs which are the second level in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs may also entail providing supportive fringe benefits for employees from time to time to motivate them and enhance maximum productivity at the workplace.
Social needs encompass belongingness and love needs. At the workplace, every worker needs that sense of belonging and to be loved. After Gloria’s physiological and safety concerns have been addressed, the third level of needs that must be met is social needs. The need for interpersonal relationships at the workplace motivates behavior and enhances productivity. Social, belongingness and love needs at the workplace include friendship, acceptance, giving and receiving love and affection, intimacy, and trust. The relationship between Gloria and her colleagues, and Gloria and her supervisor has dwindled after her unexpected long maternity and medical leaves. Therefore, there is urgent need to restore and heal the broken office relationship. Gloria needs to feel loved, accepted, and feel part of the family comprising co-workers, her supervisor and the Jones University fraternity particularly the Higher Learning Systems family which she has been part for 6 years. The HR should achieve this within the first 12 months after Gloria’s return to work.
Maslow argued that esteem needs often succeed love and belongingness needs. Essentially, due to her cultural beliefs about the value of breast feeding, Gloria lost some esteem as she thought her colleagues disrespected her. It is the institution’s policy that parenting mothers who may require extra care and extra time to pump and secure milk for their newborns are accorded the necessary support. Esteem needs may be in two forms: self-esteem (from achievement, dignity, independence, or mastery); and the desire for respect from others and for good rapport. When her productivity went on a downward spiral at the workplace, Gloria lost her esteem. Gloria’s supervisor should therefore make it clear that she approved of Gloria’s frequent breaks as well as the deserved 12 week break Gloria took after the birth of her baby. Lastly, the department on behalf of the institution should clarify to Gloria and the rest of the employees the applicability of the company policy about new mothers who require extra time and space to pump and secure milk for their babies postpartum. Overall, it should take Gloria, the supervisor, and the department a maximum of 12 months to ensure normalcy is reinstated at the workplace.
References
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