Course Unit Module 8

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN CIVIL ENGINEERING:
ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT
COURSE MODULE COURSE UNIT WEEK
2 8 9
MOTIVATION
 Read course and unit objectives

 Read study guide prior to class attendance
 Read required learning resources; refer to unit
terminologies for jargons
 Proactively participate in classroom discussions
 Participate in weekly discussion board (Canvas)
 Answer and submit course unit tasks
At the end of this unit, the students are expected to:
1. Define motivation and identify all the factors contributing to motivation.

2. Describe different theories of motivation
3. Understand different techniques of motivation
Chapter 7: Engineering Management by Robert Medina, Rex Store (2002)

WHAT IS MOTIVATION?
Motivating refers to the act of “giving employees reasons and incentives to work to achieve
organizational objectives.”
Motivation refers to the “process of activating behavior, sustaining it, and directing it toward a
particular goal”. It is useful because it specifies three stages: activating, sustaining and directing
actions towards the achievement of objectives
FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO MOTIVATION

1. Willingness to do a job. People who like what they are doing are highly motivated to produce
the expected output.
2. Self-confidence in carrying out a task. When employees feel that they have the required skill
and training to perform a task, the more motivated they become.
3. Needs satisfaction. People will do their jobs well if they feel that by doing so, their needs will be
satisfied.
THEORIES OF MOTIVATION
There are various theories of motivation, but only the four (4) most influential ones will be
discussed. They consist of the following:
 Maslow’s Need Hierarchy Theory
 Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory
 Expectancy Theory
 Goal Setting Theory
MASLOW’S NEED HIERARCHY THEORY
Abraham Maslow, a psychologist, theorized that human beings have five (5) basic needs which are
as follows:
1. Physiological
2. Security
3. Social
4. Esteem
5. Self-actualization
These needs are hierarchical, which means, one need will have to be satisfied first before the other
need.
PHYSIOLOGICAL NEEDS
Those that are concerned with biological needs like food, drink, rest and sex fall under the category
of physiological needs. These needs take priority over other needs.
SECURITY NEEDS
After satisfying the physiological needs, people will seek to satisfy their safety needs. These needs
include freedom from harm coming from the elements or from other people, financial security which
may be affected by loss of job or the breadwinner in the family etc.
SOCIAL NEEDS
After satisfying his physiological and security needs, the employee will now strive to secure love,
affection and the need to be accepted by peers.
ESTEEM NEEDS
The fourth level of needs is called esteem needs and they refer to the need for a positive self-
image and self-respect and the need to be respected by others
SELF-ACTUALIZATION NEEDS
The fifth and the topmost level need in the hierarchy are called self-actualization needs and involve
realizing our full potential as human beings and becoming all that we are able to be.
THE RELEVANCE OF MASLOW’S THEORY TO ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT

Even if Maslow’s theory has been largely questioned, one basic premise cannot be discarded: a
fulfilled need no longer motivates an individual. If this is the situation the subordinate is in, the
engineer manager must identify an unfulfilled need and work out a scheme so that the subordinate
will motivate to work in order to satisfy the unfulfilled need.
HERZBERG’S TWO-FACTOR THEORY

The two-factor theory is one developed by Ferderick Herzberg indicating that a satisfied employee
is motivated from within to work harder and that a dissatisfied employee is not self-motivated.
EXPECTANCY THEORY
Expectancy Theory Is a motivation model based on the assumption that an individual will work
depending on his perception of the probability of his expectations to happen. The theory poses the
idea that motivation is determined by expectancies and valences.
GOAL SETTING THEORY

Goal Setting theory refers to the process of “improving performance with objectives, deadlines or
quality standard”. When individuals or groups are assigned specific goals, a clear direction is
provided and which later motivates them to achieve these goals.
The goal setting model drawn by Edwin A. Locke and his associate consists of the following
components:
1. Goal content
2. Goal commitment
3. Work behavior
4. Feedback aspects
GOAL CONTENT
To be sufficient in content, goals must be challenging, attainable, specific and measurable, time-
limited and relevant.
GOAL COMMITMENT
When individuals or group are committed to the goals they are supposed to achieve, there is a
chance that they will be able to achieve them.
WORK BEHAVIOR
Goals influence behavior in terms of direction, effort, persistence, and planning. When an individual
is provided with direction, performance is facilitated.
FEEDBACK ASPECTS
Provide the individuals with a way of knowing how far they have gone in achieving objectives. Feed
also facilitate the introduction of corrective measures whenever they are found to be necessary.
MOTIVATION TECHNIQUES
1. Motivation through job design
2. Motivation through rewards
3. Motivation through employee participation
4. Other motivation techniques for the diverse work force
MOTIVATION THROUGH JOB DESIGN

A person will be highly motivated to perform if he is assigned a job he likes. The first requisite,
however, is to design jobs that will meet the requirements of the organization and the persons who
will occupy them. Job design may be defined as “specifying the tasks that constitute a job for an
individual or a group.”
In motivating through the use of job design, two (2) approaches may be used: fitting people to jobs
or fitting jobs to people.
Fitting people to Jobs – routine and repetitive tasks make workers suffer from chronic
dissatisfaction. To avoid this, the following remedies may be adapted:
1. Realistic Job previews – where management provides honest explanations of what a job
actually entails.
2. Job rotation – where people are moved periodically from one specialized job to another.
3. Limited exposure – where a worker’s exposure to a highly fragmented and tedious job is
limited.
Fitting Jobs to People – instead of changing the person, management may consider changing
the job. This may be achieved with the use of the following:
1. Job enlargement – where two or more specialized tasks in a work flow sequence is combined
into a single job.
2. Job enrichment – where efforts are made to make jobs more interesting, challenging and
rewarding.
MOTIVATING THROUGH REWARDS

Rewards consists of material and psychological benefits to employees for performing tasks in the
workplace. Properly administered reward systems can improve job performance and satisfaction.
Rewards may be classified into two (2) categories:

1. Extrinsic – those which refer to payoffs granted to the individual by another party. Examples
are money, employee benefits, promotions, recognition, status symbols, praise, etc
2. Intrinsic rewards – those which are internally experienced payoffs which are self-granted.
Examples are a sense of accomplishment, self-esteem and self-actualization.
MOTIVATION THROUGH EMPLOYEE PARTICIPATION
When employees participate in deciding various aspects of their jobs, the personal involvement,
oftentimes, is carried up to the point where the task is completed.
The specific activities identified where employees may participate are as follows:
1. Setting goals
2. Making decisions
3. Solving problems
4. Designing and implementing organizational changes
The more popular approaches to participation includes the following:

1. Quality control circles
2. Self-managed teams
QUALITY CONTROL CIRCLES – a method of direct employee participation is the quality control
circle (QCC) the objectives of the QCC is to increase productivity and quality of output.
SELF MANAGED TEAMS – when workers have reached a certain degree of discipline, they may
be ripe for forming self-managed teams. Also known as autonomous work groups or high
performance teams, self-managed teams “take on traditional managerial tasks as part of their
normal work routine.”
REQUISITES TO SUCCESSFUL EMPLOYEE PARTICIPATION PROGRAM
To succeed, an employee participation program will require the following:
1. A profit – sharing or gainsharing plan.
2. A long-term employment relationship with good job security.
3. A concerted effort to build and maintain group cohesiveness.
4. Protection of the individual employee’s rights.
OTHER MOTIVATION TECHNIQUE

The advent of theories on individual differences and the biological clock of human beings put
pressure on the engineer manager to adapt other motivation techniques whenever applicable.
These refer to the following:
1. Flexible Work Schedules – there is an arrangement, called flextime, which allows employees
to determine their own arrival and departure times within specified limits
2. Family Support Services – employees are oftentimes burdened by family obligations like
caring for children. Progressive companies provide day care facilities for children of
employees.
3. Sabbaticals – a sabbatical leave is one given to an employee after a certain number of years
of service. The employee is allowed to go on leave for two (2) months to one (1) year with pay
to give him time for family, recreations and travel.
Study Questions
1. Why motivation is an important function in management?

2. Which do you think is the most effective motivation technique? Why?
3. On your own words, differentiate the theories for motivation.
Engineering Management by Robert Medina, Rex Store (2002)

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BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN CIVIL ENGINEERING:

 Read course and unit objectives

At the end of this unit, the students are expected to:

1. Define motivation and identify all the factors contributing to motivation.

Chapter 7: Engineering Management by Robert Medina, Rex Store (2002)

FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO MOTIVATION

MASLOW’S NEED HIERARCHY THEORY

THE RELEVANCE OF MASLOW’S THEORY TO ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT

HERZBERG’S TWO-FACTOR THEORY

GOAL SETTING THEORY

MOTIVATION THROUGH JOB DESIGN

MOTIVATING THROUGH REWARDS

Rewards may be classified into two (2) categories:

The more popular approaches to participation includes the following:

OTHER MOTIVATION TECHNIQUE

1. Why motivation is an important function in management?

Engineering Management by Robert Medina, Rex Store (2002)

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