Theoretical Considerations on Motivation at the Work Place, Job Satisfaction and Individual Performance

Abstract

Motivation is one of the most complex processes that underlie all activities of the individual. Motivation is an important aspect for the individual, as an employee and also for the employer, because of the direct implications which work motivation has on employee performance. A better motivation is leading to better performances of the employees, thus increasing the chances of success of the organization. If the individual performance is high enough, the organization aims to achieve excellence. We can say that motivation can lead to satisfaction for a well done job, but also the satisfaction can involve motivation for a permanent growth of the individual performance. Studying specialty literature we see that the satisfaction is one of the possible causes of the individual performance, alongside motivation, with which close correlation is, having the quality of both the cause and effect. It is worth mentioning the dynamic character of the relations between the motivation, satisfaction and performance. Job motivation and satisfaction can influence both positive and negative the individual performance and the effectiveness of the organization. The article aims to identify the reasons which are leading to the stimulation of the individuals to obtain high individual performances and by default organizational. The presented aspects in this paper lead to the conclusion that, in the work process, the relations satisfaction- performance, motivation-satisfaction are not constant and must be interpreted nuanced following the developing conditions. The approach will be deductive based on the study of literature and reference theories.

Headnote

Abstract

Motivation is one of the most complex processes that underlie all activities of the individual. Motivation is an important aspect for the individual, as an employee and also for the employer, because of the direct implications which work motivation has on employee performance. A better motivation is leading to better performances of the employees, thus increasing the chances of success of the organization. If the individual performance is high enough, the organization aims to achieve excellence. We can say that motivation can lead to satisfaction for a well done job, but also the satisfaction can involve motivation for a permanent growth of the individual performance.

Studying specialty literature we see that the satisfaction is one of the possible causes of the individual performance, alongside motivation, with which close correlation is, having the quality of both the cause and effect. It is worth mentioning the dynamic character of the relations between the motivation, satisfaction and performance. Job motivation and satisfaction can influence both positive and negative the individual performance and the effectiveness of the organization.

The article aims to identify the reasons which are leading to the stimulation of the individuals to obtain high individual performances and by default organizational. The presented aspects in this paper lead to the conclusion that, in the work process, the relations satisfaction- performance, motivation-satisfaction are not constant and must be interpreted nuanced following the developing conditions.

The approach will be deductive based on the study of literature and reference theories.

Keywords: work motivation, motivational factors, professional satisfaction, and individual performance

JEL Classification: 015,E23,J24

Introduction

Organizations which have as a primary strategic objective the efficient functionality, the starting point for achieving this objective are the motivation of the human resource.

The Encyclopedic Dictionary " Le petit Larousse" considers the motivation as the grades motives which justify an action and the psychological factor consciously or unconsciously persuade the individual to act in a manner or another.

Motivation seen in the work context, expresses the availability of employees to engage in their work and to constantly strive to achieve professional goals. Thus we can say that motivation at work is the result of interdependence between the individual and the organizational context in which it operates. But because motivation is a process to satisfy his needs, one must be convinced that doing a certain activity will satisfy their own necessities.

Satisfaction according Explanatory Dictionary of the Romanian Language is a feeling of contentment, pleasure, which is gratifying. Job satisfaction is the degree to which individuals have positive or negative feelings related to their job. It is an attitude or emotional response to work tasks and simultaneously to the social and physical conditions of the workplace. Satisfaction should lead to positive employment relationships and individual performance.

Looking at the connection of motivation with the performance, practice makes us say that it is a relationship of mutual conditioning because when there is an overlap between the expectations of individual and organizational demands are high chances of obtaining professional performance.

Motivating employees successfully relies mostly on a managerial philosophy than applying a technique. Important is the manager's attitude toward the people he leads and their reaction to this attitude. People have a common nature and basic needs like, that simplifying things somewhat. Members of cultures or subcultures have, overall, hopes, expectations, goals and desires, this helping the manager to adopt an adequate attitude.

In the process of work, motivation is the factor that leads to the achievement of performance and links the interest of the organization and the individual. An employee may be motivated if they know the variety of its needs and if their satisfaction is given the opportunity, as far as organizational objectives are achieved. Relations manager -employee affecting the motivation, perception of the level of satisfaction of a need having profound implications on employee motivation.

Obviously, any organization can meet the demands of progress and competitiveness only by directing efforts to motivate managers and employee satisfaction. The main purpose underlying the good leadership of an organization is appropriate for employee motivation. Through good motivation it creates opportunities for accountability, fulfillment of individual and team goals, reward and recognition. Accountability can provide an opportunity of recognition, providing an opportunity to individual promotion. Achievements ensure organization's success and ensure the promotion of individual professional success.

To ensure success in business, organizations must develop personal strategies that meet employees' needs and fit into the overall the strategy adopted by the company. Staff motivation can be achieved through a set of policies, financial and nonfinancial actions that respond to the aspirations, needs for individual development and self esteem of employees.

1. Interaction between job satisfaction and motivation at work

1.1. Relationship between motivation and satisfaction:

Motivation refers to what is desired, what is expected by exercising an action and the achievement expectation of job satisfaction. This realization may take different forms, from the tangible achievements to imaginary achievements. Satisfaction comes from experience; it is a particular type of experience: what we experience when we realized our expectations.

Over time, the relationship between motivation and job satisfaction was approached from several perspectives in organizational psychology and managerial.

Some authors consider that only gives a boost motivation leading to behavior change, while satisfaction is a subjective state of pleasure. In this way, it is concluded that only affects the work performance motivation, not the satisfaction. But research has shown that there is a strong link between satisfaction and performance of individuals.

Other authors believe that this relationship is one-sided, satisfaction is an effect of motivation or satisfaction is the direct cause of motivation. These perspectives are incomplete, however, because it does not explain the interaction between the phenomena analyzed.

I believe that the clearest approach to the interaction between motivation and job satisfaction is given by Professor Mielu Zlate. After this, the relationship between motivation and satisfaction are crucial three statements:

a. "The state of satisfaction / dissatisfaction is an indicator of motivation, specifically of how efficiently or inefficiently is its achievement."

Contentment ensures achieving individual and organizational goals and objectives, so is achievement of motivation. If there are no reasons which stimulates the individual at a time or whether the efforts and results are not appreciated and / or rewarded according to expectations, appears job dissatisfaction. After E.A. Locke (1976), satisfaction arises when the work is in harmony with the needs and values of the individual. Motivation pursues the fulfillment of needs specific to individual labor.

b. "The motivation and satisfaction appear in a double capacity, cause and effect.

After McGregor and Likert satisfaction is the direct cause of motivation, and Martin Wolf (1970) believes that satisfaction is a final state, an effect of motivation. Observations of practice lead us to believe that the relationship between motivation and job satisfaction is bidirectional. There are cases where the motivation leads to a certain kind of satisfaction, but also cases where a deep satisfaction turns into a source of motivation and increase the level of motivation that already exist.

c. "Both motivation and satisfaction is reported with the performance of the business which can be influenced positive or negative."

Studies have highlighted a number of links between motivation, job satisfaction and individual performance on the one hand, and counterproductive behaviors evidenced by phenomena that personnel turnover and absenteeism, on the other hand.

There is controversy in the literature on the relationship between individual performance, motivation at work and job satisfaction. Initially, psychologists believed that the yield of work is determined by the knowledge and skills of individuals, but it is now obvious that the motivation, the force that stimulates internal human behavior affects the individual's performance, employment and its work behavior.

Studying literature notes can be observed that satisfaction is a possible cause of the performance, along with motivation, which is closely correlated with quality of cause and effect. Performance is achieved in a relaxed organizational climate, based on equity to employees and communication. Relations between motivation, satisfaction and individual performance are dynamic, which varies depending on the working environment of business, the tasks of the job, but also the traits of individuals that perform that activity.

Individual performance and effectiveness of the organization can be influenced positively and negatively, motivation and job satisfaction at work.

1.2. The factors leading to job satisfaction

After conducting numerous investigations, it was concluded that there are factors that can trigger systematic job satisfaction. It can analyze job satisfaction taking into account the specific individual expectations and socio-organizational data.

Managers must be able to deduct employee job satisfaction by careful observation and interpretation of what they say and do in relation to the tasks they have. It is useful to observe formal satisfaction levels of employee groups through interviews and questionnaires, focus groups or surveys attitude using the computer.

Some of the most used questionnaires to measure satisfaction on the job, which refers to aspects of satisfaction that a good manager should consider to increase employee motivation and achieve higher performance, are:

· Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ)

· Job Descriptive Index (JDI)

MSQ measures job satisfaction through 20 different facets of job satisfaction among them:

- working conditions;

- able to use its judgment;

- chances of advancement;

- personal development needs;

- the need to do various things;

- sense of accomplishment;

- appreciation for a job well done.

JDI measures job satisfaction through 5 facets:

- work itself: interest, responsibility and growth;

- promotional opportunities: the chance to advance their careers;

- relationships with colleagues: respect and harmony;

- quality supervision: social support and technical support;

- payment: proper reward and perceived fairness in relation to others.

The importance of job satisfaction is viewed in the light of two decisions that people take related to their work. The first is the decision of belonging when they decide to join and remain in an organization, and the second is the decision to be efficient, to work to achieve high levels of performance. Job satisfaction affects absenteeism and staff turnover, less satisfied employee's often missing item and may decide to leave the organization.

A grouping of job satisfaction factors is made by the teacher Mielu Zlate so:

· organizational factors - job duties, working conditions, promotion;

· group factors - relationships with colleagues and bosses, cohesion, morale of the group;

· personal factors - personality characteristics or socio-demographic.

According to Herzberg are two categories of motivators that can generate satisfaction or dissatisfaction of employees:

1) intrinsic factors - internal forces that lead to action (needs, impulses). The internal factors are the needs and aspirations (the pleasure of working a need for knowledge and self-development, curiosity, desire for prestige) that determine the adoption of certain conduct. The presence of these factors creates satisfaction.

2) extrinsic factors - when the individual is not compelled to do something or is motivated to act in a certain direction under the pressure of external factors: salary, relationships with others, working conditions, etc. The presence of these factors does not bring satisfaction, but their absence leads to dissatisfaction.

After G. Johns, must be considered satisfaction of various elements that make up the work, so he believes that "job satisfaction refers to a collection of their workers attitudes towards their work," showing two concepts concerning:

· facet satisfaction - individual tend to be more or less satisfied with the facets of his work (duties, working conditions, wages and other rewards, recognition, colleagues, organization policy)

· overall satisfaction - all attitudes that individuals have towards different facets of their work.

Another grouping of determinants of work satisfaction after Porters and Steers is: 1) wide organizational factors - organizational policy, opportunities for promotion, organization structure;

2) factors on the immediate environment of work - relationships with colleagues, working conditions, participation in decisions, the size of the working group;

3) factors on work content or activities at work - role clarity employee of the service range;

4) personal factors, the different characteristics of individuals - personality, age, experience etc.

1.3. The effects of job satisfaction

Consequences of satisfaction in daily life:

Satisfaction is an attitude that all depends on the attitudes of life, there is a link between optimistic or pessimistic trend about life in general and job satisfaction.

It is believed that several factors are statistically correlated with satisfaction:

- there is a direct correlation between the relative importance given to work with other activities of life and satisfaction. This importance can play a compensatory factor.

- it is a direct link between physical health and job satisfaction. Atherosclerosis, cholesterol level, gastric or circulation diseases are correlated with the index of dissatisfaction. Psychosomatic diseases transmitted among others, stress and dissatisfaction at work.

- the studies found a direct correlation to the satisfaction of mental health. Kornhauser defines mental health over a six components: anxiety, tension, self-esteem, hostility, sociability, life satisfaction, humor or "moral" in general.

So the employee should be treated as a "whole" management organization seeking understanding its behavior at work, and satisfaction in particular.

Consequences of satisfaction at work: the most commonly observed correlations between absenteeism and satisfaction are. If satisfaction is high, absenteeism is reduced. But it must take into account the personal circumstances: an employee close to retirement will afford to miss even more if satisfied, as will a mother faced with the problems of children.

Regarding the social situation and the labor market with high unemployment periods an employee is reluctant to leave his job even if he is not satisfied. Satisfaction is influenced by the social climate: the satisfaction is great when climate (the combination of subjective impressions and perceptions that employees have to their own job) is acceptable.

It states that employees working more satisfied and better than dissatisfied employees. But there is a clear relationship between the two variables. Satisfied employees can remain in low productivity, without this to disturb them. These are the findings of Vroom (1964) and Lacke (1976). Productivity could be a determinant of satisfaction, important by the effects it produces: raw, promotion, recognition hierarchy, the feeling of doing the best job and succeed.

2. The relationship between job satisfaction and individual performance

This relationship is still the subject of dispute and study, existing alternative views:

· Satisfaction generates performance. If job satisfaction lead to high performance, managers need to understand that in order to increase the performance of the employee must make them happy. The research found that this relationship works better for those occupying higher positions and highly skilled. Considered alone, job satisfaction is not a predictor of performance.

· Performance generates satisfaction. If high performance is causing satisfaction, managers should concentrate their effort to provide help to employees to achieve performance and satisfaction will follow. Porter and Lawler's model states that attainment leads to reward performance and it leads to satisfaction. This model rewards are intervening variables to tie the performance of satisfaction. This relationship is influenced by the perceived fairness of employee rewards. It will establish that performance leads to satisfaction only if it considers that it is fair reward.

· Reward generates performance and satisfaction. This is the most convincing approach, suggesting that an appropriate allocation of reward and performance can positively affect satisfaction. But the key word is "appropriate". Research proves that people who receive big rewards, says a big satisfaction. But the reward amount varies depending on achievements. So small rewards offered a poorly performing employee will lead to dissatisfaction and is expected to make efforts to improve its performance to achieve greater rewards in the future.

Finally, managers should consider the satisfaction and performance as two separate but related labor results, which are influenced by the allocation of rewards. Rewards well managed can have a positive impact both on satisfaction and performance.

There is an integrated model of work motivation, as shown in the figure below:

This model is in line with the global approach proposed by Martin G. Evans in "Organizational Behavior: The Central Role of Motivation" (1986) and combines theory of expectations Vroom's with Porter - Lawler model.

Satisfaction and performance are separate and interdependent:

- Motivation is what determines individual effort at work. The key to motivation is to create a working framework that meets the needs and individual goals. But it depends on motivation and rewards, the perceived value. The rewards individuals deemed attractive are those we perceive to be a high valence. These important is job satisfaction, the conceptual equivalent of valence that is itself activity.

- Performance is influenced by individual attributes (knowledge, skills, experience), the respective work effort, but also organizational support and technology resource.

3. The interaction between individual motivation and performance at work

3.1. The relationship between the intensity of motivation and the performance level

The intensity of motivation and the performance level depend on the complexity of the task that the employee must execute:

- For simple tasks (routine, repetitive, with few options to resolve) Performance Levels increase with the intensity of motivation.

- For complex tasks (creative, content rich and several variants of solution) increasing the intensity of motivation is associated only to a point with increased performance, then the latter decreases.

This was demonstrated by an investigation in 1908 by Yerkes and Dodson (known as the law of Yerkes-Dodson), which launched the concept of optimal motivation, that "increasing the intensity of motivation leads to improved performance only up to a critical zone after that, the intensity continues to increase motivation, performance begins to decline."

The critical area of the intensity of motivation, as demonstrated by experimental research varies according to: the individual's personality, experience, simplicity / complexity of the task, the difficulty perceived load etc.

In classical motivational optimum is obtained by action on two variables:

- on the one hand, by getting used to charge individuals as fairly difficult task; if it means a relationship motivational optimum about equivalence between the two variables (if task difficulty is high, it required a high intensity of motivation to carry it).

- on the other hand, by manipulating the intensity of motivation to increase or decrease it, depending on the situation when task difficulty is perceived incorrectly individual. Difficult task may be underestimated (the individual is under motivated and act in terms of energy shortage in the end could not accomplish the task), or overrated (the individual is supra motivated and act in terms of surplus energy that it cautions and disorganized spending it unnecessary energy before to face the task, which prevents progress, leading even to regress).

To achieve optimum motivation should be considered a permanent combination of extrinsic motivation positive intrinsic motivation in order to get not only increasing performance, but also the development of human potential personal life. An important role of individual psychological peculiarities of employees such us balance, self-control, emotions can stimulate or hamper tasks.

Professor Mielu Zlate propose another motivational optimum approach based on so-called "golden triangle of motivation" (highlighted in 1981 by L. Bellenger) containing three poles:

· self-esteem (self-image depends and the positive feedback received from outside);

· internal perception of legitimacy (internal feeling of adequacy between what is individual attention that is given);

· Identification (if the individual is recognized in an amount resonating with imaginary).

If one of the poles is affected, motivation becomes unbalanced and is reached demotivation, motivation. So it is very important to balance the triangle forces of motivation to achieve optimum motivation.

Optimal motivational has a personal dimension, but also a group. Motivation is individual excellence, but also social contexts work product. If a working-teamis sub motivated and more people have big influence on the group, they will be influenced and motivated correctly and thus decreases the performance of the whole team.

The performance expresses the extent to which a member of the organization contributes in achieving its objectives. Motivation contributes to the achievement of performance, but the relationship is not one-to-one. Although a person is motivated, its performance may be low because it has low skills or underdeveloped abilities for that task, or did not understand the task. Conversely, a highly motivated person can achieve at high levels if understood very well the task and directs the effort.

Studies have demonstrated that the mutual relationship between motivation and performance: each is cause and effect for the other. For example happy employees make happy customers, but the reverse is true, happy customers increase morale and motivation of employees, because they awaken pride, generating improved performance.

3.2. Forms individual performance

Individual performance depends on the system of motivation, willingness of employees to do the necessary work, their level of training and development, and the ability to perform tasks that have provided the service.

Individual performance is expressed in three basic forms:

· Productivity: simplistic defined as the ratio between the output and input of an activity. For example, hours of work necessary to create a product represents input and quantity of goods produced can be output. Individual productivity or efficiency is the efficiency of the work of the individual.

· Innovation: it is a sure way of achieving success. It is a form of expression of performance consisting of new methods of execution of activities / works, new services or products.

· Loyalty refers to the total dedication and trust the organization. Stability is what gives the staff of any organization. A loyal employee is a real gain for the organization, disloyalty leading easily leaving the organization, minimal effort and little involvement in carrying out its duties, even absenteeism, sabotage or theft.

Achieving these forms of expression performance leads to job satisfaction, that individual experiences a pleasant emotion, positive, resulting from the evaluation of the work.

Failing to achieve job satisfaction by employees lead to negative manifestations thereof (employee turnover, absenteeism, etc.) and ultimately reduce performance.

Absenteeism can be reduced by positive encouragement of employees and more discipline in work and staff turnover should be reduced by increasing employee satisfaction, a more careful selection hiring, and dismissal. The cost of staff turnover is determined by a performance indicator organization. Correspondence between the expected rewards and satisfaction of their employees can reduce the problems it causes fluctuation. It is particularly important for the organization to practice a system of fair and equitable rewards. Management should ensure a rigorous evaluation and reward performance based on fairness, transparency, openness, leading to fair rewards for employees, coupled with the performance and ultimately lead to achieving satisfaction by them.

The Romanian organizations fluctuation is high, managers neglecting losses caused by training new employees generates costs and other indirect costs due to staff turnover. Practice "if it is not another good employer" is totally wrong, proving managerial incompetence and putting into question the quality of manager selection and quality staff to train and motivate human resources at its disposal.

In the process of staff motivation should be taken into account a variety of factors, some related to intrinsic aspect of individual personality, others related to the extrinsic characteristics sensitive to the organizational environment in which individuals operate. These factors must be understood and used by managers so that they can create and maintain collective performance. Any person acting under the impulse of motivation both extrinsic and intrinsic motivation spur, but the extent to which these two types of motivation affect and determine the behavior differs from person to person.

The manager must develop employee tasks so that the latter obtain the right intrinsic reward as a result of his work. Thus, the employee will give the maximum possible for the mere satisfaction of well done work. In determining extrinsic rewards the manager must consider a series of individual differences clearly understand what they want and pay rewards employees that satisfy both the interests of individuals and the organization.

Unfortunately, many times the salary package is deemed sufficient by the employer to his employee motivation. Experience has shown, however, that is important, but not independent of non-financial motivational elements that make an organization attractive to labor market. A policy of effective long-term motivation should combine financial incentives with the non-financial. The employer must create a work environment that stimulates employee motivation; we must identify and use intrinsic motivation, and extrinsic motivational factors. Identifying motivational factors can build effective programs to increase individual performance and implicitly of the group.

3.3. Motivational strategies to increase performance

Developing human resource potential available to the company should be a major objective for any organization that wants to be efficient and adapt to market requirements. A program of human resource development should be seen as an investment with future results are evaluated in terms of labor productivity, increase staff stability, improve work efficiency and social climate.

Performance evaluation is a very complex process, analysis and assessment of work behavior, performances, but also of the capacity and potential for development. So human resources assessment involves:

- performance evaluation (a results, the quality of previous work)

- assessment of behavior,

- assess the potential and capacity for personal development.

The motivation links the reward they hope to obtain an employee and the achieved, the succession being: productivity - performance evaluation - reward. Salary is the most important motivator (performance is ensured by salary increases based on merit, not on seniority), but should consider other strategies to enhance employee motivation: recognition of the permanent merits and the negative facts, creating a working environment based on an atmosphere of trust and openness to new, encouraging personal and professional, fair and democratic behavior of the organization's management etc.

The correct evaluation of employee performance is particularly important, recommending the assessment not only heads to subordinates but vice versa, selfevaluation, evaluation by colleagues and performance evaluation by external evaluators. The judgment of the manager should be objective, based on actual performance. If the assessment is done by a group of superiors increases the likelihood of more accurate assessments.

Conclusions

Finally, motivation is a valuable "tool" used by managers to obtain for increased performance. The performance primarily refers to the objectives of the organization in optimal costs (minimized) and quality (high).

Staff motivation can be achieved through a set of policies and financial and nonfinancial actions to respond to the aspirations, needs for individual development and self esteem of employees. This requires staff to develop strategies that meet their needs and fit within the organization's overall strategy.

As outlined in the paper, the relationship between motivation and satisfaction or the satisfaction and performance are not constant and linear relationships, they must be interpreted nuanced depending on the manifest. So it is very important the work climate in increased satisfaction and performance, and from a managerial perspective is necessary to develop an organizational culture that promotes values, equity, fairness and creativity, aimed both organizational performance and employee satisfaction. Any person may be motivated in some way or another. But there is a reasoning model that can be applied to all people in all situations or cultures; the risk of failure is inevitable when attempting a model existing, without taking into account their particular situation. Each individual is different, has a different experience and aspirations and, of course, different motivations. The challenge for managers is to create a work environment where people are motivated primarily by their work priorities.

So for effective management we believe that it is necessary to find a balance in terms of motivation and job satisfaction of employees. Employers must make a fine adjustment between satisfaction of needs of the organization and its customers on the one hand, and the discovery and meeting the needs of employees on the other. Ideally is that both groups to reach a high degree of satisfaction. Individual satisfaction leads to individual performance, the performance can be stimulated by finding effective ways to motivate and increase employee satisfaction.

"This work was supported by the project "Interdisciplinary excellence in doctoral scientific research in Romania - EXCELLENTIA" co-funded from the European Social Fund through the Development of Human Resources Operational Programmer 20072013, contract no.POSDRU/187/1.5/S/155425. "

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