Motivation is the most essential part of the work life of an employee. It inspires individuals for putting in their efforts towards the attainment of the organizational goals.

The motivational tools should be formulated by taking into consideration the fact that individuals join the organization because they feel that their personal goals would be satisfied by getting associated with the organization.

Motivation is required in every sphere of organizational life, as it helps in building the zeal and interest among the employees to pursue organizational goals. It also increases the efficiency of the employees.

Learn about:- 1. Meaning of Employee Motivation 2. Features of Employee Motivation 3. Objectives 4. Importance 5. Factors 6. Techniques 7. Types 8. Theories 9. Significance 10. Issues.

Employee Motivation: Meaning, Features, Importance, Types, Techniques, Theories, Significance, Objectives and Factors


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Contents:

  1. Meaning and Definitions of Employee Motivation
  2. Features of Employee Motivation
  3. Objectives of Employee Motivation
  4. Importance of Employee Motivation
  5. Factors of Employee Motivation
  6. Techniques of Employee Motivation
  7. Types of Employee Motivation
  8. Theories of Employee Motivation
  9. Significance of Employee Motivation
  10. Issues in Employee Motivation

Employee Motivation – Meaning and Definitions by Michael J. Jucius, Dale Beach, Mc Farland, Koontz and O’Donnell, Edwin B. Flippo, Scott, Dubin, Lillis

Motivate is a “Latin word” meaning “to move” human motives are internalised goals within individuals. We can define motive as a factor that makes a person act a particular way. It is an inner impulse causing man to action. Motive is defined as an inner state of our mind that energizes, activates or moves and directs or channelises our behavior towards goals. A motive is the mainspring of human action. A motive is the active form of a desire, craving or need, a motive works towards a cherished goal.

It is goal-directed, it in itself is invisible. Motivation is the process which influences people to act. The process involves need drives and goals. Motivation is always internal. It is externalised through behaviour. Motivation-behaviour-goal is called the cycle of Motivation. The cycle continues till the goal is achieved. It can be defined as the willingness to exert towards accomplishment of some goal. It focuses inner drives that activate or move an individual to action.

The force of motivation lies within the mind. It is a dynamic force setting a person into motion and action. A man is motivated or set into action either by extrinsic rewards and punishments or by intrinsic incentives. Motivation is, thus, an art of stimulating people to take desired course of action. Some people may be motivated by the rewards while others are self-motivated. Thus motivation is a process to get the needs of the people realised with a view to induce them to work.

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Indeed, motivation is nothing but an action of inducement. The skill of motivating the people is the life blood of an organisation. Hence it is important to understand people and the way to handle this dynamic human resource, so that people work to the utmost ability that too with interest. Psychologists define motivation as that which arouses behaviour, sustains it and channelises the behaviour into a specific course.

Motivation is the process of creating organisational conditions which will impel emphasis to strive to attain organisational goals. Psychologists generally agree that all behaviour, sustains it and channelises the behaviour into a specific course. Motivation is the process of creating organisational conditions which will impel emphasis to strive to attain organisational goals.

Psychologists generally agree that all behaviours are motivated and that people have reasons for doing the things they do or for behaving in the manner that they do. In other words, all human behaviour is designed to achieve certain goals and objectives. Such goal directed behaviour revolves around the desire for need satisfaction.

We may define motivation as, “a willingness to expend energy to achieve as goal or reward. It is a force that activates dormant energies and sets in motion the action of the people. It is a function that kindles a burning passion for action among the human beings of an organisation”.

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Here are some important definitions of motivation:

Michael J. Jucius – “Motivation is the act of stimulating one or oneself to get a desired course of action to push the right button to get desired results”.

Dale Beach – “Motivation can be defined as willingness to expend energy to achieve a goal or a reward”.

Mc Farland – Motivation refers to the way in which urges, drives, desires, aspirations, striving or needs, direct, control or explain the behaviour of human beings.

Koontz and O’Donnell – “Motivation is a general term applying to the entire class of drives, desires, needs, wishes and similar force that induce an individual or a group of people to work”.

Edwin B. Flippo – “Motivation is the process of attempting to influence others to do their work through the possibility of gain or reward”.

Scott – “Motivation means a process of stimulating people to action to accomplishing desired goals”.

Dubin – “Motivation is the complex of force starting and keeping person at work in an organisation”.

Lillis – “Motivation is the stimulation of any emotion or desire operating upon ones will and prompting or driving one to action”.

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J. E. Rosenz Weig and F. K. Kast – “Motivation is an inspiration process which impels the members of the team to accomplish the desired goals.”

S. Zedck and M. Blood – “Motivation is a pre-disposition to act in a specified goal directed way.”

The Encyclopedia of Management observes – “Motivation refers to the degree of readiness of an organism to pursue some designated goal, and implies the determination of the nature and locus of the forces, including the degree of readiness.”

Tolman observes, “More specifically, the term motivation has been called an intervening variable” Intervening variables are internal and psychological process which are not directly observable and which, in turn, account for behaviour.”

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Thus motivation consists of the three interacting and interdependent elements of needs, drives and goals. Needs are the deficiencies and are created whenever there is a physiological or psychological imbalance. Drives or Motives are set to alleviate needs. These are action oriented and provided an energizing thrust towards goal accomplishment. They are the very heart of motivational process.

Goals are anything which will alleviate a need and reduce a drive. There are some facts about motivation need, such as – (i) Motivation is a hypothetical concept which is defined in terms of antecedent conditions and consequent behaviour, (ii) Motivation is an intervening variable for it cannot be seen, heard or felt and can only be inferred from behaviour. For instance, motives such as hunger, sex, power and achievement cannot be seen. Restlessness, walking, running, eating or talking or winning a new friend can be observed.

Above definitions reveal the following characteristics of motivation:

1. It is an Internal Instinct or it is a Psychological Concept:

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Motivation refers to a feeling within individuals. It is an inner state that energizes, activates or moves and directs or channelises behaviour towards goals. All human behaviour is designed to achieve certain goals and objectives. Such a goal directed behaviour revolves around the desire for need satisfaction. The need setup drives to accomplish goals. Motivation consists of the three interacting and interdependent elements of needs, drives and goals.

2. Man is Motivated as a Whole and Not in Part:

It is not possible that a part of a man is motivated but whole man is motivated. A person’s basic needs determine to a great extent, what he will try to do at any given time. Needs are the deficiencies and are created whenever there is a physiological or psychological imbalance.

Motivation represents an unsatisfied need which creates a state of tension or dis-equilibrium, causing individual to move in a goal directed pattern towards restoring a state of equilibrium by satisfying the need. Motivation implies any emotion or desire which so conditions ones will that the individual is properly led into action.

3. Motivation is Always Goal Oriented:

Goals and motivates are inseparable. Man’s behaviour itself is goal oriented. Man works to achieve some goals or objectives. Motivation has a profound influence on human behaviour. It directs human behaviour towards the goals. As soon as his goal is achieved he would be two longer, interested in work.

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Therefore it is essential for management to know his goal to push him to work. In simple words motivation causes goal oriented behaviour.

4. Motivation is a Continuous or Endless Process:

The goals of the individual and the organisation can be achieved through stimulation workers towards productive performance called motivational process and it is a continuous process. Man is a social being and has unlimited wants, needs, desires, which induce him to work. If one need is satisfied, it loses its power as a motivator and at the same time another need arises. Needs, wants are innumerable and cannot be satisfied at one time. Satisfaction of needs is an unending process, therefore the process of motivation is a continuous one.

5. Motivation can be Positive or Negative:

Workers can be motivated either positively or negatively. Positive motivation, sometimes called “anxiety reducing motivation” or the “carrot approach”, offer something valuable to the workers, for instance, pay, praise, appreciation bonus, promotion etc. for better performance from them. Punishments, fear, removing security of job, demotion, fines, cut in pay, dismissal, retrenchment etc. are the examples of negative motivation methods where people work in fear.


Employee Motivation – 4 Important Features

The ultimate goal of every organisation is to increase its productivity. Hence, motivation of employees at all levels is the most critical function of management. Motivated employee produce a goal directed behavior with his own generator. Outside simulation is not needed to such employee again and again. Inspire of outside forces he is driven himself.

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The analysis of various definition and following on motivation reveals.

The following features of motivation are:

1. Motivation is an internal feeling. The urge, desires, aspirations, striving or needs of human being, which are internal influence human behavior.

For example – People may have the urge or desire for possessing a motorbike, comfortable house, reputation in the society. These urges are internal to an individual.

2. Motivation produces goal directed behavior for example – The promotion in the job may be given to employee with the objective of improving his performance. If the employee is interested in behavior to improve performance.

3. Motivation can be either positive or negative. Positive motivation provides positive towards like increase in pay, promotion, recognition etc. Negative motivation uses negative means like punishment, stopping increments, threatening etc. Which also may induce a person to act in the desired way?

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4. Motivation is a complex process- As the individuals are heterogeneous in their expectations, perceptions and reactions, any type of motivation may not uniform effect for all the members.


Employee Motivation – 6 Main Objectives: To Create Conditions, Stimulate Employee Growth, Achieve Organisational Goals, For Job Satisfaction and a Few Others

Following are some important objectives of motivation:

1. To Create Conditions:

Main basic objective of motivation is to create conditions in which people are willing to work with zeal, initiative, interest and enthusiasm with a high moral satisfaction personal as well as group. Motivation, as well creates feeling or responsibility and loyalty. This ultimately results indiscipline. Naturally the workers feel pride and confident towards achievement of organisational goals effectively.

2. To Stimulate Employee Growth:

Motivational techniques are utilised to stimulate employee growth. Clarence Francis rightly said that “You can buy a man’s time, you can buy a man’s physical presence at a given place, you can even buy a measured number of skilled muscular motions per hour or day, but you cannot buy enthusiasm, you cannot buy initiative, you cannot buy loyalty, you cannot buy devotion of hearts, minds and souls. You have to earn these things.” Motivation helps management in winning those that cannot be bought.

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Managers believe that motivation is one of the most important factors in managing human resources today.

3. To Achieve Organisational Goals:

Predetermined objectives and goals of any organisation can be achieved by willful as well as efficient work by the work force. Motivation only, can make the workforce to stand to expected standards and efficiency. It, therefore, is a basic duty of every manager to motivate his subordinates for the attainment of predetermined organisational goals and objectives.

4. For Better Utilisation of Human and Non-Human Resources:

It is the duty of every manager to utilise both human and non-human resources in the best possible way. If managers motivate the employees continuously, they will automatically ensure best utilisation of human resources. If human resources are timely and properly motivated, they, in turn utilise the non-human resources properly. Through motivation there will be better utilisation of resources and worker’s abilities and capabilities.

5. For Job Satisfaction:

Higher motivation leads to job satisfaction of workers which can reduce absenteeism, turnover and labour unrest.

6. For Better Industrial Relations:

If management is successful in understanding the motives or needs of the workers and provides an environment in which appropriate incentives are available for their need satisfaction, it leads to better industrial relations between management and workers. It also will increase efficiency and effectiveness of the organisation. Motivation will also foster team spirit among the workers and increase their loyalty to the organisation.


Employee Motivation – Importance

In the directing process, motivation is one of the important elements. By motivating people, the manager guides people’s actions in the desired direction so as to enable him to achieve the organisational objectives. For performing any job, two important things are necessary, viz., will to work and ability to work. The importance of motivation lies in converting this ability to work into the will to work. For performing any job, there is a need for both, viz., the ability and willingness to work.

Without willingness, ability to work is of no use. Hence, there is a need for motivating a person to do his job. Performance depends on ability and willingness and in turn, willingness depends on motivation. It can be expressed in a formula – Performance = Ability x Motivation.

The following points highlight the importance of motivation:

(1) Maximum utilisation of factors of production – Motivation makes workers work sincerely for completing the task assigned to them. By this, there is a possibility of utilising the enterprise resources, viz., human, physical and financial, to the maximum.

(2) Reduced employee turnover and absenteeism – Attractive motivational schemes bring about satisfaction to employees and by this, their commitment to organisation increases and they are not easily tempted by offers from competitors. This means reduced employee turnover. Further, because of their satisfaction, they will be attending to their work regularly.

(3) Increase in efficiency and output – As motivation brings about satisfaction to employees, they work wholeheartedly. Because of this, there will be an increase in their efficiency and output.

(4) Sense of belonging – A proper system of motivational schemes promotes closer identification between enterprise and workers. The workers begin to feel that the enterprise belongs to them and the interests of the enterprise are their interests and there is no difference between them. This result in better relations between management and workers.

(5) Easy availability of right personnel – Because of the proper motivational schemes, the enterprise is in a position to attract highly talented and competent persons from external sources to serve in its organisation. This helps the company in increasing its efficiency.

(6) Helps in realising organisational goals – Motivated employees develop a feeling of total involvement in the task of organisation and put forth their efforts wholeheartedly for the relations of organisational goals.


Employee Motivation – 8 Important Factors

Following are some important factors of motivation:

1. Money – Money is the traditional factor of motivation. Peter Drucker also considered money to be the most important motivator for the employees. Today also money is a powerful motivator in developing countries. “Money” as a “motivator factor” means monetary incentives offered to all categories of employees.

2. Achievement – ‘To achieve something’ is a natural instinct and urge in every human being. Achievement is, therefore, said to be one of the esteem needs. Naturally chances of achievement serve as motivating factor to the employees.

3. Recognition – Every human desires to get recognised for his extra ordinary performance or any great or positive thing achieved by him. This satisfies his ego. In such conditions he is automatically motivated to perform better. Getting recognition is also another need of a human being. Thus hard work, devotion outstanding performance by the employee must be recognised by the organisation.

4. Advancement – Employee’s urge for self-advancement is also powerful factor of motivation. Many employees are always after their advancement may be called as self actualisation. It is the apex level of needs which always motivates the employees.

5. The work itself – Work motivating factor is a basic factor of motivation. Every human being keeps himself busy in some work and earn money for livelihood.

6. The growth – The possibility of growth gives satisfaction to the employees. If the organisation provides opportunities for personal growth of employees, they will be highly motivated.

7. Responsibility – The opportunities of higher responsibility motivate the employees more, as they get along with higher responsibility more authority also. Therefore responsibility is also motivating factor.

8. Job Security, Working condition, Status are same factors of motivation.


Employee Motivation – 6 Main Techniques: Monetary, Job-Based, MBO, Leadership Styles, Group-Based and Sensitivity Training

Following are the main techniques of motivating the personnel in an organisation:

1. Monetary Techniques:

These techniques are based on this popular belief that a person works for money. Hence, an attraction of getting more money will prove to be the most powerful motivator. Incentives such as more pay (through various premium plans), fringe benefits, security of tenure and condition of service are some examples of the monetary techniques of motivation.

2. Job-Based Techniques:

These techniques are based on social, human and psychological beliefs. Job simplification, job rotation, job enlargement, job enrichment, freedom in planning for work, sense of recognition, responsibility and achievement are some examples of such technique.

3. MBO Technique:

Peter Drucker, a well-known author of management, has developed this technique which emphasises on self-control and self-motivation. It is a participatory tech­nique of motivation whereby managers and their subordinates jointly participate in achieving the common goals. It requires an emphasis on the MBO policy in the concern.

4. Leadership Styles:

Leadership styles or supervisory techniques also have a great role in moti­vation of employees. Autocratic, democratic, and free-rein techniques of leadership are important styles and have their own implications for employee motivation, morale and productivity. The management must try different supervisory styles in different circumstances for different employees.

5. Group-Based Techniques:

Herbert Bonner, a well-known author, has advocated group-based techniques for motivating the employees. According to him, ‘Motivation is not wholly, nor even primarily, an individual variable. Certainly its force and direction are functions of the social situation in which it arises and is exercised’. Hence, management should foster group consciousness and cohesiveness among individual employees by laying down general norms and guidelines of work for the group as a whole.

6. Sensitivity Training:

This is a technique of training given to groups of managers (known as T-groups) themselves so that they behave with and motivate their subordinates better. The sensitivity training is imparted to make the managers understand themselves better, becoming more open-minded, developing insight into group process and cultivating a systematic approach towards the problem of motivation.

A manager thus trained is supposed to be more consistently able and willing to communicate with his/her subordinates and inspire them to contribute their best to the common goals and objectives.


Employee Motivation – Types: Positive Motivation and Negative Motivation

Motivation is an organised way of inducement to the employees. How far can it create an environment in which employees are effectively induced to do the work? The way management selects the method to inspire the workers will depend upon the un­derstanding of management about the workers’ need.

Thus, motivation can be classi­fied as:

1. Positive motivation.

2. Negative motivation.

Type # 1. Positive Motivation:

Positive motivation is a reward-oriented method. According to Edwin B. Flippo, “Positive motivation is a process attempting to influence others to execute their will through the possibility of gain or reward.” People work for incentives viz., Praise, Prestige, Promotion and Pay (Wages).

Positive motivation includes the following aspects like:

i. Praise and credit for work done,

ii. A sincere concern for the subordinates,

iii. Competition,

iv. Participation pride,

v. Delegation of authority,

vi. Appreciation, and

vii. Pay (Wages).

Type # 2. Negative Motivation:

This is intended to create fear, mainly backed by force, coer­cion/compulsion. This can further be of two kinds – financial and non-financial. Nega­tive financial motivation is inflicted on an individual by making a reduction in his pay or wage, etc., and includes denial of privileges- leave, overtime, perks and so on. This is mainly based on ‘force and fear’.

A person fears, for he knows the consequences of not performing the duty as­signed to him. Management, at times, threatens the worker with ‘Pay off, ‘Demotion’, etc., if he does not comply the instructions passed on with him. Negative motivation has limitations because punishment may lead to ‘Hostile attitude’ amongst the workers and there is every possibility of outburst of riots/strikes, etc., when this negative tool is used excessively.

Recent trend in HRM is to avoid negative motivation and integrate workers for a long-lasting relationship with the management.


Employee Motivation – Theories: Hierarchy of Needs, Theory X and Theory Y and Other Related Theories

1. Hierarchy of Needs:

One of the most well-known theories of motivation is Maslow’s (1954) hierarchy of needs. Maslow highlighted on primary needs as motivators as per hierarchy of needs.

The primary needs of an individual are as follows:

i. Physiological – The need to survive; for example, for food, drink, health.

ii. Safety – Physical and emotional security, such as clothing, shelter, protection against unemployment, and old age pension.

iii. Social needs/love and belonging – The desire for affection and the need to belong within the family and in society.

iv. Esteem – Accomplishment and achievement that is recognized and appreciated by someone who matters brings a sense of self-respect and bolsters self-esteem. The achiever feels good about the self.

v. Self-actualization – To utilize one’s potential to the maximum, working with and for one’s fellow beings.

Usually, the fulfillment of primary needs leads to higher order needs and, thereby, the primary needs related motivators become redundant for some people.

2. Theory X and Theory Y:

Douglas McGregor (1960) proposed two distinct views of human beings—theory X that was labeled negative, and theory Y, that was labeled positive. Under theory X, managers assume that the employee does not like work, and given a chance would avoid it. Employees need to be coerced and controlled, or punished to achieve goals; they will avoid responsibilities and basically seek formal direction.

The majority of workers like security and place it above all other factors. As against these negative assumptions about human behaviour under theory X, managers make posi­tive assumptions under theory Y.

They believe that employees view work as something natural such as play, rest, or relaxation; people are basically self-directed and self-con­trolled; an average person accepts and seeks responsibility; and above all, the ability to innovate is widely distributed throughout the population and is not necessarily among those who hold managerial positions.

The major contribution by McGregor was in line with the framework given by Maslow in the hierarchy of needs. Theory X assumed dominance of lower level needs in individuals, while theory Y assumes the dominance of a higher order of needs in individuals. McGregor himself believed that theory Y is more valid and dependable than theory X.

The major application of this theory lies in managers making assumptions about the employees and turning to motivators that would work under each of the assumption.

Related Theories:

Some factors motivate while other do not. The need for job satisfaction acts as a motivator. Herzberg (1966) identified hygiene and comfort related environmental factors as leading to improvement in productivity. According to him, it is not the work but the way work is being performed that motivates people.

In his book Professional People and Manual Workers, Myers (1964), stated that people are motivated by the challenge in a job, which brings a feeling of achieve­ment, responsibility, growth, advancement, fulfillment, enjoyment of work itself, and earned recognition. Workers become dissatisfied when opportunities for meaningful achievement are lacking or eliminated.

Herzberg had also considered that feelings of job satisfaction were more important than money for persuading people to contribute more and increase productivity. Myers, however, defined job satisfaction in more detail. Once the basic factors for job satisfaction were met by the worker, attempts were made to take the satisfaction to another level by job enlargement and job enrichment.

Job enlargement consists of making jobs more challenging and interesting by increasing carried out. Job enrichment refers to providing greater growth opportunities to the employee. Hence, motivation towards better performance depends on the satisfaction of needs for responsibility, achievement, recognition, and growth.

The intensity of these needs varies from person to person and from time to time, and so does the extent to which they are motivated. The term ‘recognition’ in the definition includes money rewards. Note that both job satisfaction and money are motivating factors. One works to achieve what one needs and does not have. This could be either one of the two factors or both.

In reaction to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, Alderfer propounded the theory of existence, relatedness, and growth (ERG). Alderfer’s ERG theory was first published in 1969 in an article titled ‘An Empirical Test of a New Theory of Human Need’ in Psychological Review.

The ERG theory approaches the question of ‘what motivates a person to act?’ or ‘why do we ever do anything?’ The theory assumes that all human activity is motivated by needs. Existence (E) needs are material and physiological desires. Relatedness (R) needs are relationships with other people that are fulfilled by sharing thoughts and feelings with others. Growth (G) needs motivate people to change themselves or their environment.

These needs are realized by the complete utilization of existing capacities and developing new capacities. David McClelland (1961) proposed that each of us have three fundamental needs that exist in different proportions. These affect both how we are motivated and how we attempt to motivate others. The most important needs for a manager, according to McClelland, are the needs for achievement, affiliation, and power.

i. Need for achievement – A manager seeks achievement, this is realized by the attainment of goals and advancement, a strong need for feedback, sense of accomplishment, and progress.

ii. Need for affiliation – Need for friendship, interaction and to be liked.

iii. Need for power – Managers are motivated by authority and seek to exercise influence and to make an impact, that is, to lead and to increase personal status and prestige.

A low need for affiliation and a moderate to high need for power are associated with managerial success for both higher- and lower-level managers.


Employee Motivation – Significance

Motivation is important in view of the following reasons:

1. Every employee has a set of unfulfilled needs. Employer, by fulfilling some of those needs, can motivate the employee thereby achieving the organization’s overall objectives.

2. Motivational initiatives unearth the potential of the employees. This leads to optimum performance which in turn brings down the cost of operation. Both optimum performance and consequent lower cost paves way for achieving maximum efficiency.

3. Highly motivated employees self-direct themselves; they need no persuasion to observe safety precautions, repeated insistence on saving material, time and resources. Thus, self-discipline caused by motivation facilitates optimum utilization of productive resources.

4. There is less scope for workplace accidents, damage to tools and equipment, mishandling of machine, breakages, etc., in facilities where motivation has been applied in full force.

5. Registration of grievances and redressal thereof are out of place in organizations, putting in place different motivational tools.

6. Strike, lockout and mediation will hardly arise in organizations which have set in motion various motivational techniques.

7. There may be minimum attrition i.e., employees leaving the organization where workers are kept motivated to the hilt.


Employee Motivation – Issues: Employee Engagement, Fun at Work and Management of Office Space

1. Employee Engagement:

A robust employee engagement programme figures on the top of every organization’s HR agenda today. Employee engagement is the alignment of employee’s goals, aspirations and values with those of the organization and achievement of goal compatibility. The various parameters of employee engagement are job satisfaction, organizational commitment, effort, proficiency, proactivity and intention to stay.

More than one-third of the employees (42%) in India are engaged with their place of work, combining maximum job satisfaction with maximum contribution, putting India at top of a survey by global consulting firm Blessing White Inc, during summer and autumn of 2012.The percentage of employees engaged has been increased from 37% in 2011.

2. Fun at Work:

Fun at work, which is an important part of motivation, is now a corporate buzzword. Most companies are adopting unique approaches to motivate the employees through fun activities.

Tavant Technologies has instituted a wide range of initiatives to encourage and foster employee motivation at workplace which are as follows:

a. Lunching of rewards and recognition programmes named as Tavant Excellence Awards,

b. Lunching of A Spot Award Scheme and Best Interviewer Award.

c. Starting of Killing Geeks’ Boredom (KGB) forum which conducts various fun activities such as Tavant Premier League (TPL), Ping Pong Wars (PPW) and online games such as KodeBrk and Pehchaan Kaun.

d. Mentoring and grooming initiatives such as discussing career paths through programmes like Career Development Initiative (CDI) and Individual Development Plan (IDP).

e. Encouraging work-life-balance and a flexible leave policy.

f. Supporting an open communication channel through open house sessions, monthly newsletter from the CEO, etc.

g. Valuing good health of employees through stress management, health camps, parenting, personal counselling, nutrition, yoga etc.

h. Covering various indoor games and outdoor sports through Synergy: the month long sporting event.

Aviva Life Insurance practices the following methods to motivate its employees:

a. Creating a Base Camp-a challenging, fun and organized series of spaces, events, and initiatives.

The Base Camp has seven peaks such as:

i. Community Climber Activities for CSR exposure.

ii. Financial Climber Activities for providing tax and legal assistance.

iii. Career Climber Activities on presentation skills, time management skills, grooming, etc.

iv. Fit Climber Activities like marathons, cricket tournaments, adventure clubs.

v. Social Climber Stage for kid’s day, festival etc.

vi. Personal Climber Activities to create a fit mind through life skills workshops, personal counselling sessions.

vii. Possibility Climber Activities to create forums for expression such as “my voice portal”.

b. Lunching of CEO Awards Programme

c. Lunching of IDEAs interactive channel for inviting ideas and

d. Taking Talent initiative for identifying, building and managing the strong performers.

3. Management of Office Space:

Managing office space is now days one of the important factors of motivation. Nobody wants to work in an office that is gloomy, unstructured and without any personality. An office is a place where working professionals spend a good deal of their time during the day. They see the same interiors every single day, day in and day out, so attention should be given in the way the office space is designed and maintained.

There should be a distinct characteristic that should be reflected in the office space, which gives one a sense of belonging and cheer to the employees working there. Fresh paint, integrating new or refurbished furniture, improving task or accent lighting and defining spaces with area rugs and seasonal plants are some examples of innovations in designing office space.

Office space management is a dedicated balancing act which gives a positive impact in terms of low absenteeism, reduces employee turnover, increases productivity and many more. On one hand employers want their office space to be inviting and pleasant for both employees and visitors, while on the other hand, they are also concerned about its professional look and feel.

Office space management is gaining importance in Indian organizations today as they are realizing that it is another step towards ensuring employee engagement leading to increased motivation. When the office environment is welcoming and unique, employees feel a sense of happiness when reporting to work every day.

Organizations can strive to make their office a healthy and comfortable workplace by using accessories that make the place approachable. Proper lighting and a functional design to minimize discomfort and distraction can help employees work more effectively and productively.