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HUMAN RESOURCES MOTIVATION: AN ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE

PERSPECTIVE

Article  in  ANNALS OF THE ORADEA UNIVERSITY Fascicle of Management and Technological Engineering · May 2013
DOI: 10.15660/AUOFMTE.2013-1.2841

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 ANNALS OF
ANNALS OF THE
THE ORADEA
ORADEA UNIVERSITY
UNIVERSITY
Fascicle of
Fascicle of Management
Management and
and Technological
Technological Engineering
Engineering
ISSUE #1,
ISSUE #1, MAY
JULY2013,
2013, http://www.imtuoradea.ro/auo.fmte/
http://www.imtuoradea.ro/auo.fmte/

HUMAN RESOURCES MOTIVATION: AN

ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE
PERSPECTIVE

Gabriela RUSU1, Silvia AVASILCAI1

1“
Gheorghe Asachi” Technical University of Iasi, Department of Engineering and Management, Bd. D. Mangeron 29, Iasi, Romania,
[email protected], [email protected]

Abstract— In this article, theoretical aspects of motivation II. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF MOTIVATION
and performance concepts and processes are covered. The
paper aims to provide a research framework regarding the A. Motives and Motivation
influence of motivation on human resources performance. In Motives remain on the basis of human action. The
this regard, we applied Herzberg’s two factor theory, selecting actions which individuals initiate are influenced by the
the motivational factors which influence the activity of motives [1] that mobilize them, by needs, goals and by
employees from industrial firms. Considering the aim of the
research, the paper proceeds to analyze the influence of aspirations which are required to be accomplished. The
prevalent motivational factors on employees’ work motivation of the individuals is that interior state which is
performance. Within this view, there were selected based on the overall motives which direct the behavior of
representative performance criteria in order to develop an the individual in terms of attaining the proposed
integrated research framework regarding the factors which objectives. In other words, motives represent the cause
motivate employees working in industrial companies to
which direct actions to happen, that impetus which leads
improve their work activities and the overall company
performance. The result will represent the basis for further to action. Thus, motivation encapsulates complex
quantitative research analyzing the relationship between psychological processes causing “the arousal, direction
employees’ motivation and improvement of performance of and persistence of voluntary actions that are goal directed
their work activities. [2].” Motivation has been regarded as an internal state of
the individual which directs his behavior or activity in
Keywords— HR motivation, human resources performance, order to fulfill the proposed goals [3], as “the process
performance criteria. used to allocate energy to maximize the satisfaction of
needs” [4], or, relating to the workplace performance, as
I. INTRODUCTION
“eagerness to work well or sell large quantities of a

E MPLOYEES’ motivation has a fundamental role in

each organization which establishes strategic
objectives for achieving high performances. There can be
product” [5].
B. The Process of Motivation
underlined a direct relationship between employees’ Motivation is a very complex subject, it is influenced
motivation dimensions and human resources performance by and it influences many variables. Also, it can be
obtained at the workplace. In such context, it appears as asserted that motivation of individuals represents a
very significant to managers to identify the motivational process which appears with a stimulus (need, attraction
factors which determine employees to perform during element) and causes individual psychological and
accomplishing their daily work activities. Thus, the physical tensions. Motives and motivational forces which
current paper wants to provide a research framework are generated influence the individual to adopt an
development to verify the relationship between the appropriate behavior and to be focused on achieving the
factors which motivate employees in realizing their work desired result or objective. Then, the process continues,
and the performance they reach. In the light of this behaviors are re-evaluated, controlling the achievement
research, it is necessary to achieve an approach more of the objectives and the satisfaction of needs.
concise of the relation between the intrinsic and extrinsic In this view, it must be explained that, within
motivational factors which influence employees’ work organizations, managers should consider the process of
and the criteria of performance, which indicate the motivation as a very important factor influencing and
principles of establishing employees’ performance level. predicting employees’ actions and work performance.

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ANNALS OF THE
THE ORADEA
ORADEA UNIVERSITY
UNIVERSITY
Fascicle of
Fascicle of Management
Management and
and Technological
Technological Engineering
Engineering
ISSUE #1,
ISSUE #1, MAY
JULY2013,
2013, http://www.imtuoradea.ro/auo.fmte/
http://www.imtuoradea.ro/auo.fmte/

C. Work Motivation dissatisfaction [8].

Work motivation can be described as an ensemble The author states that extrinsic factors have little or no
of internal and external forces which initiate the work effect on employees’ work performance. On the other
behavior, determining its form, direction, intensity and hand, intrinsic factors are associated with work
duration. The literature indicates that work motivation satisfaction and with the performance of work. Herzberg
involves a set of processes that determine a person’ s demonstrated that the absence of the hygiene factors,
persistence to allocate personal resources across a extrinsic to the work, generates dissatisfaction for
range of possible actions with impact on organizational employees and their presence does not produce
accomplishments [6], and also an intention of the stisfaction, whereas the absence of motivators it is not
employees to direct their efforts towards achievement associated with experiencing dissatisfaction, but their
of the organizational objectives and satisfaction of presence is a strong source of work satisfaction [9].
individual needs [7]. Employees’ work motivation can Therefore, according to Herzberg’s two factor theory it
be evaluated by investigating the attitudes (e.g. can be noticed that the increse of motivation and work
satisfaction) or the behavior and assessing their performances can be obtained especially through the
performance. Employees’ actions and behaviors in the influence of intrinsic factors’ action, which entails the
workplace are influenced by an array of motivational constitution of an important source of work satisfaction
factors [5] which energize individuals to apply effort in and job enrichment [10].
order to accomplish the organizational goals.
As it was mentioned previously, there are III. LINKING EMPLOYEES’ MOTIVATION TO
differences concerning the motivational force which PERFORMANCE IN THE WORKPLACE
conducts employees towards satisfying their needs and Work should be a source of satisfaction for employees,
performing the activities from the workplace. who intend to use their abilities in order to achieve high
Formulated in this way, there can be distinguished the standards of performance [11]. Motivation and
intrinsic motivation of the employees which can be satisfaction are related to individual performance [12]
closely related to the work process, self-fulfilment and which can be influenced positively or negatively.
individual performances, and extrinsic motivation, For employees who are intrinsically motivated in
which is generated by a source outside the individual performing their activities at the workplace, it can be
and represented by tasks, requirements, interdictions, identified a positive relationship between work
rewards, etc. motivation and performance. Therefore, we can notice
that, according to Herzberg’s two factor theory,
D. Motivational Factors According to Herzberg’s Two
employees’ intrinsic motivation determine work
Factor Theory
satisfaction which in turn increases work performance.
In the light of this research, it was chosen Herzberg’s When employees’ intrinsic motivation is high, they
two factor theory in order to achieve an approach more enjoy working and investing more time and energy in
concise of the prevalent extrinsic and intrinsic work activities, improving their job performance [13]. In
motivational factors which influence employees’ work other words, “intrinsic motivation is itself the outcome,
motivation, produce work satisfaction, and consequently, the result of a work situation that people enjoy-because
work performance. For Frederick Herzberg (1966), there they are in charge, because they have the opportunity to
are two distinctive categories of factors which affect the acquire new skills and abilities to match a different
employee during performing his work activities, challenge” [14], leading to creativity, productive energy
producing work satisfaction or dissatisfaction. According and performance. In such context, it appears as essential
to Herzberg’s two factor theory, motivators, such as to underline that extrinsic motivation does not guarantee
personal development, recognition for a job well done, employees’ performance in the absence of rewards.
achievement, autonomy and responsibility, are associated Regarding the influence of the intrinsic an extrinsic
with satisfaction and the performance of work. Also, incentives on employees’ performance, it should be
hygiene factors, such as working conditions, safety, the mentioned the fact that the extrinsic motivational rewards
amount of pay, quality of supervision and social (such as motivating salary, money) represent a prediction
environment of work, are associated with dissatisfaction factor of the performance, and intrinsic incentives can
[4]. Herzberg argued that the intangible, intrinsic factors determine, also, a high level of the individual
contribute to enriching a job and attention should be performances [15].
given to the job content, recognition, responsibility, Taking into account the motivational element in case
opportunities for advancement and achievement. There of the employees, they respond to extrinsic and intrinsic
were differences concerning the contextual, extrinsic or incentives that the organization offers, contributing at the
hygiene factors identified by Herzberg, such as working same time to the accomplishment of the organizational
conditions, company policy, supervision and pay, which purposes and improving the performance [16]. A
should be attended to only as ways of minimizing job motivated employee will realize very well the tasks of the

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THE ORADEA
ORADEA UNIVERSITY
UNIVERSITY
Fascicle of
Fascicle of Management
Management and
and Technological
Technological Engineering
Engineering
ISSUE #1,
ISSUE #1, MAY
JULY2013,
2013, http://www.imtuoradea.ro/auo.fmte/
http://www.imtuoradea.ro/auo.fmte/

organization, being proactive and implicated, thus motivation to work hard and, therefore, increases in
leading to a high performance of the organization. As a motivation should result in greater effort and higher
consequence, high motivated employees have positive performance [2].”
attitudes regarding their work and register high work Concerning this issue, the term performance is used in
performance which intensifies the organizational order to identify how well an employee does the work,
productivity [17]. evaluating the results of the work [3].
Also, according to Hackman and Oldham’s job
characteristics model, there are three critical V. PERFORMANCE CRITERIA AND RESEARCH
psychological states that a job must foster in order to FRAMEWORK DEVELOPMENT
achieve desired outcomes as work satisfaction and high-
quality performance. Meaningfulness, responsibility for A. Designing the Research Framework
work outcomes and knowledge of work activity results In the light of this research, it is necessary to achieve
are psychological states that are likely to occur when jobs an approach more concise of the relevant performance
are designed to contain five characteristics: skill variety, criteria which can be chosen to assess human resources
task identity, task significance, autonomy and feedback performance in relation to motivation. In this context, the
[4]. performance criteria defined in behavioral and individual
The scheme below highlights the established terms must correspond with motivation which is also
relationships between features that can be designed into defined relating to the individual behavior [2]. In other
jobs, the psychological effects of these features (such as words, the measurement of human resources performance
the responsibility for work outcomes) and the outcomes should be related to individual behavior, considering
of employees and organizations (such as satisfaction and motivation having an important role among factors such
work performance). as ability, role expectation [2] and contributing to work
performance.
In order to conceive a research framework
development, there were established the motivational
dimensions, according to Herzberg’s theory, and the
performance criteria to measure the human resources
performance. Thus, it has been arrived at the idea of
creating a research method design using intrinsic and
extrinsic motivational dimensions and established human
resources performance criteria.
B. Research Summary
The research framework examines an integrated
approach regarding the influence of motivational factors
on employees’ performance in industrial firms, where the
exploratory issues can offer useful conclusions regarding
the interdependence between these elements and how
they can influence overall company performance.
The main objective of the research framework is to
identify employees’ performance degree in relation to
motivational factors. The research problem states that a
Fig. 1. The relationship between job characteristics and high degree of performance is directly influenced by
employees’ work performance [4]. motivation. The scientific research aims at bringing into
light the degree of motivation of employees from
IV. HUMAN RESOURCES PERFORMANCE industrial companies, determining the prevalent type of
motivation (intrinsic or extrinsic motivation) which
To ensure a higher percentage of performance of their
coordinates their activities and influence their work
employees, managers should create the right structure
performance.
that allows employees to have the autonomy and the skill
This approach is very useful as it allows the
variety they need to perform their tasks. In such context,
establishment of the motivational factors which influence
it appears as essential to emphasize that the process of
human resources performance in industrial companies,
training human resources into direction of obtaining
determining managers to focus their motivational
outcomes implies the influence of motivational forces
strategies towards employees’ needs and enhancing the
which determines the achievement of high-quality work
overall organizational performance.
performance. Therefore, we can notice that job
performance of employees is “partially determined by the

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Fascicle of
Fascicle of Management
Management and
and Technological
Technological Engineering
Engineering
ISSUE #1,
ISSUE #1, MAY
JULY2013,
2013, http://www.imtuoradea.ro/auo.fmte/
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C. Selecting the Research Items motivation explain employees’ behaviors, their

Considering the contents of this paper, there were compatible needs with the job and energize in order to
selected significant motivational factors, according to improve the performance of their work activities.
Herzberg’s two factor theory. Within this view, there
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that the current integration directions of the theories of
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