Elements of Motivation in project teamwork
Motivation refers to ways in which the management enhances productivity among the members of a team. Motivation can encourage inspire or stimulate team members in a project attain great accomplishments and can build an environment that facilitate collective initiatives to achieve teamwork and the set common goals. Herzberg’s Hygiene model that involves the motivation-hygiene theory attempts to find out how employees can be motivated. This model outlines that various factors are linked to job satisfaction while certain work characteristics are continuously related job satisfaction. Thus to motivate the team members, here is need to eliminate factors that bring about dissatisfaction while creating working conditions that will enhance job satisfaction. The key elements that will enhance satisfaction and thus motivation include the persistence, effort intensity and direction towards the projects needs and goals (Peterson, 2007, 63). Thus, motivation is a factor that project managers must consider since it influences the ability of teamwork to carry out intended activities and thereby achieve the required objectives and goals. They should be aware that the level of job satisfaction among the team members determines their willingness to focus their efforts towards the completion of the work which they are supposed to do collectively (CHELLADURAI, 2006, 114).
Aim
The aim of this research paper is to identify and define the various motivation elements that enhance teamwork performance in a given project with an overall aim of achieving the set organization goals. The goal of the research is to comprehend the extent to which the motivational elements determines success in the achieving the set objectives of teamwork whose focus is a common set organizational goal.
Questions
What determines employee satisfaction as the major aspect in their motivation?
How do persistence, effort intensity and direction relate in a teamwork job environment?
How do the above motivation elements enhance teamwork in a project?
Research objectives
The intent of the study is to look into the stimulus of effort intensity which activates the decision processes which are in turn created by various needs in the project. The paper also an outline the direction determines how a decision is made among various alternatives so that to come up with the right decision that is appropriate for members’ satisfaction. Another objective is to identify how persistence helps to maintain the effort intensity among the team members so that there is no deviation from the main goal of the organization.
Literature review
Motivated behavior refers to a behavior which is focused on fulfilling a motive a need or a certain desire. Direction, intensity and persistence are the attribute of motivated behavior and a person’s experience with that behavior or anticipation of the results of the same can also affect their behavior. Herzberg motivation model is need based, such that when a need is not fulfilled, someone is aroused and motivated to find out the various sources of satisfaction of the need and carries out some acts so as to be satisfied. However, the motivation process theories look into a person’s evaluation that makes them choose a given course of action and how other aspects affects the results of the course of action taken (West, Braumand ,Wastian & Rosenstiel, 2015, 27)
Effort means the reason behind a person’s increased energy in the context of work and the effort level is an indication of the state of their motivation. Therefore, the amount of effort that someone is willing to employ is connected to the value they attach to possible positive outcomes or rewards or the perception of the possibility that their increased effort will bring about the reward. This defines intensity as a motivation element (Peterson, 2007, 67). Direction connotes the choices made by a person among the various behavioral alternatives such as extending working time for the whole team members instead of going for a holiday or weekend outings. The members are thus motivated on the basis of over their certain behavior over others. Persistence connotes the amount of time that someone spends in a given work or project. They can be rated as highly motivated on the basis their persistence related to the project at hand. It is thus an indication of how long that individual member in a certain team can maintain their intense effort and channel it towards collective project performance and consistent with overall organizational goals. For these elements to work out well, the project managers must stimulate individuals in a team through harnessing interpersonal skills and create motivational work environment by associating with these key elements of motivation. The manager must realize the significance of individuality in these motivation elements especially in the ability to connect to and relate with team members and the environment (Matthews & McLees, 2015).
Research methodology
The research methodology choice involves a form of theoretical analysis which is followed by an empirical illustration which is based on survey carried out on project teams in various organizations. The investigation method applied is the deductive technique which begins with most significant, general theories of motivation and is narrowed down to the three elements of motivation. An own research design will be used in order to look into studies on the various motivation elements. Quantitative research is used since many elements of motivation are related to theories and other studies. Information is gathered from previous motivation research and literature while data is collected through questionnaires that are self administered for survey.
References
CHELLADURAI, P. (2006). Human resource management in sport and recreation. Leeds, Human Kinetics.107-118
Peterson T. (2007).Motivation: How to Increase Project Team Performance. Project Management Journal, Vol. 38, No. 4, 60–69
West, M, Braumandl, I, Wastian, M, & Rosenstiel, L 2015, Applied Psychology For Project Managers : A Practitioner's Guide To Successful Project Management, Cham: Springer, Discovery eBooks, EBSCOhost, viewed 22 August 2016. 21-28
Matthews, R, & McLees, J 2015, 'Building Effective Projects Teams and Teamwork', Journal Of Information Technology & Economic Development, 6, 2, pp. 20-30, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 22 August 2016.
