The role of job description as a motivational tool. (c2000)

Abstract

Employees are motivated when they feel engaged and stimulated by their work. They relish the prospect of diagnosing business challenges, evaluating creative approaches that meet those challenges and implementing results-oriented solutions. Keeping up with the pace of business requires strategic thinking and adaptability. Today, employees want rewards that are often very much different from those that earlier generations desired. Money is no longer the prime motivator for most people. Therefore, successful organizations must capture their employees' hearts and minds if they are to attract, motivate, and retain productive employees. Incentives cannot be a compensation for a lack of appreciation and value. Even when given an incentive, an employee who does not feel appreciated will label the employer as a fool and take advantage by taking the money and may even curse the employer behind his or her back. Merit increments do not necessarily increase productivity, but rather may increase alienation. Nor would withholding incentives increase productivity. Withholding incentives will increase alienation of the employee and will mostly likely decrease productivity. But if the employee feels that his or her organization is providing him or her with the necessary knowledge of his or her work, then it won't be difficult for the employer to find an ideal way to motivate that employee. With a job description the employee will work even harder to achieve the objectives of the organization and his or her work being clearly stated. Poor morale could result if the employee feels that the management does not care about his or her input as compared to that described in the job description. In this research, motivation of the employees was discussed and the effect of job description was obviously shown in the different tests, which was done with the sample of people chosen. The results of this research showed also the importance of training and development concerning the effective application and its proper usage for both, the employees and the management. Survival of the fittest today requires much more than the implementation of the employee involvement, developing Job Descriptions is a mean towards that end.