MANAGEMENT DISSERTATION PROPOSAL PROFORMA

 PROPOSED DISSERTATION TITLE: Investigating Motivation Elements Related to Project Teamwork’s Performance.

MANAGEMENT DISSERTATION PROPOSAL PROFORMA

Aim, objectives and feasibility of the dissertation (first draft required in Week 2 of RM module)

            Introduction and background for the topic:

            Motivation refers to ways in which the management enhances productivity among the members of a team (Peterson, 2007, 62). Motivation can encourage inspire or stimulate team members in a project attain significant accomplishments and can build an environment that facilitates collective initiatives to achieve teamwork and the set common goals (Peterson, 2007, 63). 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 individual work characteristics are continuously related job satisfaction.  Thus to motivate the team members, there is a need to eliminate factors that bring about dissatisfaction while creating working conditions that will enhance job satisfaction.  Motivation is a factor that project managers must consider since it influences the ability of teamwork to carry out planned activities and thereby achieve the required objectives and goals (CHELLADURAI, 2006, 114). 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 objective of this research paper is to identify and define the various motivation elements that enhance teamwork performance in a given project with an overall goal of achieving the set organization goals. The purpose 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 standard set organizational goal.

            Feasibility

            The research report will give a criterion to organizations to make the best out of the conclusions and recommendation.  The dissertation will be grounded on global databases such as articles, books, interviews and prior research to generate accurate findings.

            Research Objectives and Rationale

            This research will mainly study the determinants of employee’s satisfaction elements in the context of motivation, how team performance is related to effort intensity, persistence and direction and how team’s project performance is enhanced by motivation elements.

The objectives were developed in order to establish the motivation elements related to project teamwork’s performance.

            Literature review (first draft required in Week 3 of RM module)

(Week 3 of RM module requires 3 academic articles. You will then extend this to 10 when working in your DA classes during Weeks 5 to 7.)

            Team motivation in any organization is crucial because it yields both organizational and works satisfaction benefits (LAUBY, 2005, 8). The act of motivating employees or teams is essential to any business as it results in increased productivity. According to Howard, Gagné, Morin, & Van den Broeck, (2016) team’s motivation allows the employees as well as the organization to attain advanced output levels.  The literature relates to this study as it helps in illustrating the major determinants to employee’s motivation. Motivation can thus be termed as the essential energy that helps the organization in controlling and maintaining team’s behaviours.  The function of team’s motivation in a corporation cannot be typically measured as it is based on developments. This study addresses the significance of employee’s motivation towards achieving work goals.

            Amabile, (1997) asserts that in real instance salary offered to employees is good enough to ensure that the employees are motivated, but this is not effective because it fails to pressure them in achieving full potential.  When the employees in any organization are motivated it helps in ensuring the high innovation level is maintained in the organization and at the same period generating high-quality work due to improved efficiency.  Regarding motivation, the opportunity cost stands at zero as the corporation is bound to extract maximum benefits from the program. This is supported by equity theory which gives a rationale for why conditions and pay are not the primary determinants of motivation.   This theory, therefore, holds the belief that individuals are more satisfied if treated equally and this fairness assists in maintaining relationship amongst the teams (LAUBY, 2005, 9). This is crucial in answering the research questions to this research as the study involved determining the impacts of employee’s motivation.       

            Productivity determines Employee's aspect of satisfaction determination regarding motivation.  Motivated employees are bound to generate increased and high quality yields unlike those that hold no motivation. Howard, Gagné, Morin, & Van den Broeck, (2016) states that motivation is the way of directing people to work by helping them utilise their potential. Motivation should be the basic working ground because it helps in developing relationships as well as developing suitable strategies to accomplish the stated goals.

Based on, West, Braumand, Wastian & Rosenstiel, (2015, 27), Project teamwork necessitates high level of motivation because this is an activity that is aimed at generating numerous benefits. Team motivation helps in ensuring that the goals of the projects are met at the stated time. Team motivation helps in ensuring that individual behaviours towards the project are well guided. Motivated behaviour refers to a behaviour which is focused on fulfilling a motive a need or a certain desire (West, Braumand, Wastian & Rosenstiel, 2015, 27).           

            Direction, intensity, and persistence are the attributes of motivated behavior and a person’s experience with that action, 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).

            According to needs motivation theories, motivation is defined as the ability of the will to put increased effort level towards the objectives of the organization. This is fueled by the knowledge efforts of individuals in satisfaction of personal needs (LAUBY, 2005, 6). This theory may help in developing the performance of team’s project as they assist in increasing individual’s motivation.  This is achieved through the transformation of psychological and physical behaviors. 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 the working time for the whole team members instead of going for a holiday or weekend outings. The members are thus motivated by over their particular 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 and methods (first draft required in Week 4 of RM module)

            Research methodology is the primary investigation of gaining research answers (Tavakoli, 2013). The research methodology choice involves a form of theoretical analysis which is followed by an empirical illustration which is based on a survey. The investigation method that will be applied is the deductive technique which begins with most relevant, general theories of motivation and is narrowed down to the three elements of motivation.  An own research design will be used to look into studies on the various motivation elements. Quantitative analysis 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 a survey.

            Target Population and Sample Population

            This study’s target population will include leaders and employees of an organization.  The research will incorporate both genders to ensure that the chances of biases are eliminated (Antonisamy, Solomon, C& Prasanna, 2010). The research will thus use a list of 30 employees and 10 organizational leaders which will be utilized as the sampling frame and the list will be outsourced from the corporation’s database.

            Research Design

            The research will utilize primary research which will involve random sampling and descriptive design. Data will be collected through questionnaires distribution among distinct organizations. The questionnaires will thus be tested in the development process to ensure that the analysis of this research utilizes only the valid responses. This will help in ensuring that maximum information is gathered from the investigation (Antonisamy, Solomon, C& Prasanna, 2010).

            Variables and Measures

The variables consist of team performance as the dependent variable, training as the next dependent variable and motivation limits as the moderating variables in the association between dependent and independent variables. Behavioral, affective and cognitive measures will be utilized in measuring motivation and performance variables.

4. Timing mileposts

NB: You must reach Stage 8 at least 4 weeks before your deadline. A 30-day contingency provision is also advisable to allow for potential slippages. This will enable your DA to give you sufficient feedback on your final draft.

            You should produce a final Proposal for submission to the DA for approval within 1 to 2 months from your module start date. However, please aim for 7 weeks from your start date at the latest, to ensure time for any necessary revisions and final approval by the 8 week cut-off.

 

Milestone	Description	Due date	Remarks
1	Stage 1: Area of interest identified	Aug - 2016
2	Stage 2: Specific topic selected	Aug - 2016
3	Stage 3: Topic refined to develop dissertation proposal	Sep - 2016
4	Stage 4: Proposal written and submitted	Oct - 2016
5	Stage 5: Collection of data and information
6	Stage 6: Analysis and interpretation of collected data/information
7	Stage 7: Writing up
8	Stage 8: Final draft prepared— submission of dissertation
9	Final Deadline—9 months from module start date.

 

            What are the variables you'd be investigating?

The variables that will be investigated in this research will be team’s performance and motivation. A research variable is mentioned as anything that holds a particular quantity or a varying quality. In research, a dependent variable is that specific aspect that the person conducting the research is highly concerned about (JACKSON, 2016, 54).  On the other hand, an independent variable is that study variable that is assumed to be affecting the function of the dependent variable. These variable are important because the help in showing how they are connected to the dependent variable (MCBURNEY, & WHITE, 2010, 121). Based on the study’s literature review, this research will require the development of a theoretical framework to establish the relationship that exists between team performance and motivation.  The motivation’s dimensions that influence team’s performance in this research are salary, incentives, freedom, bonuses, training, friendly and conducive working environment, promotions, fairness as well as job security.  The above factors are the independent variables that will be utilized in this research.  The dependent variable is only made up of one major variable which is team’s performance.

The use of both dependent and those variables that are independent is crucial because they will serve as the guide for the research because they provide an adequate basis for solving the researcher’s curiosity (MCBURNEY, & WHITE, 2010, 121).  These variables are therefore essential in driving the general process of the research because it is mainly objected and generating solutions to the existing issues in the organization in regard to team’s performance development.  Despite the fact that the variation of all the independent variables will demonstrate different impacts on the dependent variable this will generate a focus for the research (JACKSON, 2016, 55).  The both kinds of the variables that will be utilized for this study are essential because they will assist in determining the impacts and the causes of the study. This will, therefore, help in clarifying the aspects of motivation on developing the performance of teams in the organization.

Theoretical framework

The theoretical framework of this research wills the following variables.  The variables consist of team performance as the dependent variable, training as the next dependent variable and motivation limits as the moderating variables in the association between dependent and independent variables.

Did you review them in previous research?

Both the dependent and independent research variables had been mentioned in the previous literature throughout the review of the literature. They were mentioned in support of how the aspects of motivation can influence the development of team’s motivation in an organization. 

Are you aware of any scales to measure them?

Yes, I am aware of measure scales that I will utilize in measuring this study’s variables. This will include the use of Behavioural, affective and cognitive measures. In measuring how motivation elements affect team’s project performance in an organization a survey approach will be utilized.  This will, therefore, involve the performance of interviews as well as developing questionnaires for the respondents.  The developed questionnaires will be made up of two major sections. In the first part of the questionnaire information that is relevant to individual’s profile will be involved. This will include educational level, marital status, gender age and others and this will thus be measured by the use of a nominal measurement scale. The subdivision of the questionnaire will be essential min generating maximum data in regard to the study questions as well as act as a measure of the study variables.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

           

 

 

            References:

• Amabile, T.M. (1993). 'Motivational Synergy: Toward New Conceptualizations of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation in The Workplace', Human Resource Management Review, Vol. 3, No. 3, pp. 185.
• Amabile, TM 1997, 'Motivating Creativity in Organizations: ON DOING WHAT YOU LOVE AND LOVING WHAT YOU DO', California Management Review, 40, 1, pp. 39-58, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 3 September 2016.
• Antonisamy, B., Solomon, C., & Prasanna, S. P. (2010). Biostatistics: Principles and practice. New Delhi: Tata McGraw Hill Education.
• Chelladurai, P. (2006). ‘Human resource management in sport and recreation’. Leeds, Human Kinetics.107-118
• Howard, J, Gagné, M, Morin, A, & Van den Broeck, A 2016, 'Motivation profiles at work: A self-determination theory approach', Journal Of Vocational Behavior, 95-96, p. 74-89, Scopus®, EBSCOhost, viewed 3 September 2016.
• JACKSON, S. L. (2016). Research methods and statistics a critical thinking approach.
• LAUBY, S. J. (2005). Motivating employees. Alexandria, Va, ASTD Press. http://www.books24x7.com/marc.asp?bookid=12182.
• Matthews, R. & McLees, J., (2015). 'Building Effective Projects Teams and Teamwork', Journal of Information Technology & Economic Development, 6, (2), pp.20-30.
• MCBURNEY, D., & WHITE, T. L. (2010). Research methods. Belmont, CA, Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
• Peterson T. (2007).’Motivation: How to Increase Project Team Performance’. Project Management Journal, 38(4), pp.60–69.
• Tavakoli, H. (2013). A dictionary of research methodology and statistics in applied linguistics. Tehran: Rahnamā.
• West, M, Braumandl, I, Wastian, M, & Rosenstiel, L (2015),’ Applied Psychology for Project Managers: A Practitioner's Guide to Successful Project Management, pp.21-28
• Wiley, C, (1997), 'What motivates employees according to over 40 years of motivation surveys', International Journal of Manpower, 18(3), p.263, (accessed 16 August 2016). Retrieved from https://brainmass.com/file/305727/7+Wiley+on+motivation.pdf