pychologicalfactorsthataffectorganizationalbehavior.docx

8/13/2019 PychologicalFactorsthatAffectOrganizationalBehavior.docx

1/13

Running head: PYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS THAT AFFECT ORGANIZATIONAL

BEHAVIOR 1PYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS THAT AFFECT ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR 2

PYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS THAT AFFECT ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR 3


Psychological Factors that Affect Organizational Behavior

Angela Austin

Indian River State College

Dr. Ricardo

1/20/2011


2/13






3/13





Abstract

Psychological factors that increase high motivation within Bills Auto Repair and Service are

examined using Herzbergs Motivation Hygiene Theory. The study of this organization

includes interviews with four employees including the owner and CEO Bill Knight.

Motivational factors include transportation and money. Demotivating factors are lack of health

benefits and software technology. The MotivationHygiene Theory proves that through

satisfying the needs of these employees, they become motivated to increase productivity.


4/13






5/13





Psychological Factors that Affect Organizational Behavior

There are many different factors that can affect behavior in an organization. Some of

these are psychological in nature. According to Herzbergs Motivation Hygiene Theory

Psychological factors that motivate high productivity are related to job satisfaction. Managers

can motivate employees by providing them with motivators that satisfy some sort of need.

There are also many factors within an organization that can demotivate productivity. These

factors include those that do not lead to satisfaction but rather dissatisfaction.

Psychological factors that motivate high productivity in an organization will be analyzed

according to Herzbergs Motivation Hygiene Theory. Then Herzbergs theory will be

evaluated and applied to a study on the organizational culture characteristics of Bills Auto

Repair, a local auto repair shop. Finally, it will scrutinize the dynamics behind these cultural

characteristics that either motivate or demotivate high productivity in the workplace.

Organizational behavior can be affected by many different elements including social,

economic, political and psychological. Employers are constantly trying to figure out the minds

of their employees. Managers try to hire candidates who will be motivated, produce more and

therefore become a competitive advantage for the organization.

Kreitner, 1989/2010 Text describes the following:


6/13





Motivation - psychological processes that arouse and direct goal directed

behavior. Researchers have proposed two general categories of motivation theories

to explain psychological processes underlying employee motivation : Content

theories and Process theories . Content theories focus on internal factors such as

instincts, needs satisfaction and job characteristics that energize employee

motivation. Process theories focus on explaining how the process by which internal

factors and cognitions influence employee motivation.

The idea that the text offers is that while Content theories suggest that

employees needs influence behavior, Process theories are more dynamic by nature

and along with internal factors such as needs, cognition also plays a part. Some

of the different theories include; Content - Maslows Need Hierarchy, Alderfers

ERG, McClellands Need and Herzbergs Motivation-Hygiene Theories, Process

Theories include Adams Equity, Vrooms Expectancy and Goal Setting Theories.

(212)

Although many different theories suggest that employee motivation is based on meeting

basic needs, it is necessary for a manager to determine what the individual needs of employees


7/13





are in order to motivate them. This may not be as easy as it sounds. Employees are very diverse

by nature and maintain different thoughts on what they may consider to be important. Treating

employees with respect and offering various types of motivational factors within the organization

will ultimately increase productivity.

Herzbergs theory was evident during a study conducted with employees from Bills

Auto Repair & Service, a local auto repair shop in Vero Beach Fl. There were four subjects

studied including Bill the owner - 16 years, Shawn a mechanic - 5years, Kyle a mechanic - 12

years, and Tom the companies detail man - 10 yrs. The subjects were first asked why they come

to work every day. Each of the four men answered with a similar response; the money. This

was an example of the Content portion of Herzbergs theory. Motivation to work is based on

the lower level needs to provide such things as food and shelter. The next question in this study

was Why have you never tried to get a better job paying more money? Shawn answered that

he does not drive and Bill picks him up and drops him off, this motivates him to be a loyal

employee to Bill. Kyle on the other hand replied Bill taught me everything I know. (Primrose

personal communication, February 17, 2011) The close knit culture at Bills Auto Repair and

the skills Kyle has learned from Bill keeps him loyal and motivated to work for the company.


8/13





Tomsanswer mirrored Shawns, with transportation being the motivating factor. The next

question in the study was If you could change anything about your job what would it be?

Shawn answered that he would like to have an insurance plan. The fact that he has no insurance

is a hygiene factor according to Herzberg. Kyle answered that a lot of other auto repair shops

have a software program that would make life easier for them as mechanics; however, Bill

cannot afford this kind of expense. This would be a hygiene factor because Kyle has the

painstaking job of manually looking up a lot of codes that other organizations simply enter into a

computer. This is a demotivating factor to Kyle because he knows that he could easily produce

more at a faster rate and more efficiently with this software program. On the other hand if Bill

did install the new software program, the mechanics would be motivated to produce more, at a

faster rate and more efficiently. It would then become a motivator according to Herzbergs

MotivatorHygiene Theory. With the present economy there have been a couple Fridays

(payday) where payroll could not be met. The boys had to wait to get paid. This was definitely a

hygiene factor in which they were demotivated. This was also a hygiene factor to the owner

Bill. Not being able to meet payroll demotivated Mr. Knight and according to him; I am not

sure if I will soon have to close the doors for good). (R. Knight, personal communication,


9/13





February 17, 2011)

The motivating factors at Bills Auto Repair are money, transportation and skills received

from employment at the organization These factors were all related to the outcomes associated

with content of the task being performed. Herzberg labeled these factors motivators because

each was associated with strong effort and good performance. He hypothesized that motivators

caused a person to move from a state of no satisfaction to satisfaction. (Kreitner & Kinicki,

2010)

The demotivating factors included not having the software that would make the

mechanics job easier which would be no satisfaction and not being to meet payroll which would

be dissatisfaction. Herzberg concluded that in order for an organization to maintain a sense of

no dissatisfaction they would need hygiene factors. (Net MBA Business Knowledge Center)

According to an article on NetMBA Business Knowledge center

Herzberg reasoned that because the factors causing satisfaction are different

than those that causing dissatisfaction, the two feelings cannot be simply treated as

opposites of one another. The opposite of satisfaction is not dissatisfaction but rather

no satisfaction. Similarly, the opposite of dissatisfaction is no dissatisfaction.


10/13





(Net MBA Business Knowledge Center)

Satisfaction or Dissatisfaction usually begins with the culture of an organization. At

Bills Auto Repair the clan culture consists of an internal focus and values flexibility. The

dynamics behind the culture at this auto repair shop are based on the family atmosphere that is

portrayed. Shawn is actually Bills nephew, Kyle was hired when he was a ripe 16 years old and

Tom is Bills lifelong friend since elementary school. (40+ years) Bill Knight tries to

accommodate his employees in every way possible. By providing the guys transportation to and

from work Bill has eliminated reasons for his employees to arrive late or not at all. By training

Kyle since the age of 16 he has created a mechanic that values the skills he has been given and

things are done according to Mr. Knights philosophy. By paying Tom by the car (piece work)

to detail, he has managed to increase motivation and productivity.

By analyzing Herzbergs Motivation Hygiene Theory and applying the theory to the

culture of Bills Auto Repair & Service many different motivational factors have been revealed.

Bill Knight, owner CEO and General Manager uses transportation issues that are specific to his

subordinates as a way to ensure motivation within his firm. Bill also embraces a clan culture that

keeps his employees close knit. Hygiene factors within the organization include no health


11/13





benefits and not having the latest software that would increase efficiency and make a lot of tasks

easier within the company. By offering ongoing training Bill Knight keeps loyal motivated

employees year after year. The retention rate at this establishment is 99%. This Organization

has many lifetime, loyal customers due to the friendly atmosphere and loyal employees.

Weather Bills employees know it or not, these employees are motivated to higher production for

many reasons other than just money.


12/13






13/13





References

Harper, T. (2011, February 17). Personal interview.

Knight, R. (2011, Febuary 17). Personal interview.

Kreitner, R. (2010). Organizational Behavior(Ninth Edition Ed.). New York: McGrawl - Hill

Irwin. (Original work published 1989)

Net MBA Business Knowledge Center. (n.d.). In NetMBA.com (Ed.),Herzberg's Motivation -

Hygiene Theory. Retrieved from NetMBA.com Business Knowledge Center Web site:

http://www.netmba.com/mgmt/ob/motivation/herzberg/

Newland, S. (2011, Febuary 17). Personal interview.

Primrose, K. (2011, Febuary 17). Personal interview.

pychologicalfactorsthataffectorganizationalbehavior.docx

Documents