Organisational Behaviour
MOTIVATION
McShane et al. (McShane, et al., 2010) describes motivation as “the forces within a person that affect his or her direction, intensity and persistence of voluntary behavior”. In this section, we will examine how strategies implemented by the Qantas leadership influences its employees’ motivation and morale. To assist with this analysis we have adopted two motivational theories that will illustrate the motivation issues arise within the Qantas workforce:
1. Herzberg’s 2-Factors Theory 2. Equity Theory
Herzberg’s 2-Factors Theory
In the 1950s, Frederick Herzberg introduced the “motivator-hygiene” theory, now known as Herzberg’s 2-Factors Theory. Herzberg argued that employee outcomes can be experienced in two ways, through hygiene or existence needs and motivator needs. Hygiene needs are related to the physical and psychological context of the work environment that include job security, pay and comfortable working conditions that are also classified as lower order needs. In contrast, motivator needs relate to the nature of work itself that consist of interesting work, levels of responsibility and autonomy. All of which fulfill growth and self-esteem needs that have also been recognized as intrinsic motivators (McShane, et al., 2010).
Herzberg argued that characteristics of the job itself motivate employees, whereas the hygiene factors prevent them from being dissatisfied. This is somehow interesting when we relate to Qantas’ employees motivation concern, as Qantas is going through a long battle with its unions prior to its employees’ dissatisfaction over job security, pay and condition. Qantas’ new business model will shift as much engineering activity offshore as possible, and replace its Australian tax paying labor with cheaper international labor. There’s no doubt that employees are unsure whether they have a sustainable job. Through the lack of job security, employees did not even have the bare minimum to be motivated. What would
McShane et al. (McShane, et al., 2010) describes motivation as “the forces within a person that affect his or her direction, intensity and persistence of voluntary behavior”. In this section, we will examine how strategies implemented by the Qantas leadership influences its employees’ motivation and morale. To assist with this analysis we have adopted two motivational theories that will illustrate the motivation issues arise within the Qantas workforce:
1. Herzberg’s 2-Factors Theory 2. Equity Theory
Herzberg’s 2-Factors Theory
In the 1950s, Frederick Herzberg introduced the “motivator-hygiene” theory, now known as Herzberg’s 2-Factors Theory. Herzberg argued that employee outcomes can be experienced in two ways, through hygiene or existence needs and motivator needs. Hygiene needs are related to the physical and psychological context of the work environment that include job security, pay and comfortable working conditions that are also classified as lower order needs. In contrast, motivator needs relate to the nature of work itself that consist of interesting work, levels of responsibility and autonomy. All of which fulfill growth and self-esteem needs that have also been recognized as intrinsic motivators (McShane, et al., 2010).
Herzberg argued that characteristics of the job itself motivate employees, whereas the hygiene factors prevent them from being dissatisfied. This is somehow interesting when we relate to Qantas’ employees motivation concern, as Qantas is going through a long battle with its unions prior to its employees’ dissatisfaction over job security, pay and condition. Qantas’ new business model will shift as much engineering activity offshore as possible, and replace its Australian tax paying labor with cheaper international labor. There’s no doubt that employees are unsure whether they have a sustainable job. Through the lack of job security, employees did not even have the bare minimum to be motivated. What would