How Employee Motivation Takes Place in Microsoft?
Question
Task: Write a reflective journal on computer architecture assignment analysing the theoretical concepts captured from the weekly material.
Answer
Introduction
Employee motivation plays a central role in every organization and helps in defining its performance over time. Highly motivated employees play an active role in the organization and have high impact on the performance of the business . Human resource department of the company play an important role in motivating the employees by forming new policies and procedures. The purpose of the essay is to analyze the concept of HR and motivation and motivational theories. Further, the essay examines the way Microsoft motivates its employees and ensures that the employee’s remains motivated even in long turn.
Definition of HR
HR is defined as a part of the business that is responsible in finding, screening and recruiting potential applicants and form policies related to training and employee benefit in the organization. Human resourced department is responsible for all employees and employee related operations in the business that can help retain employees actively over time. Human resource is one of the strategic resources of an organization that helps the organization to grow and develop over time by knowing their limits . Human resource is the potential human of the business that has the capability to achieve the objectives of the organization.
Definition of Motivation
According to , motivation is defined as the effort in a person that allow them to move his direction and intensity of voluntary behavior. This means that is the level of effort that an employee voluntarily wants to apply for a period of time to meet the goals of the business. Motivation is the forces that direct the effort of the person to a certain direction. It is the voluntary efforts shown by a person in the organization for performing a task. Motivation is one of the most vital forces in the organization that pushes the action of each employee towards success.
Motivational Theories
Several theories help in explaining the employee motivation process in the organization and the reason behind each employee in the organization remains motivated and the psychological process behind it. The two most common theory that explains employee’s motivation are Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs theory and McGregor’s Theories X and Y.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory
Figure: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory
One of the most common theories of motivation that help in showing the way human needs play an integral role in motivating the employees in the business. The diagram above explains that there are five categories of human needs that is placed in hierarchy that helps in defining human behavior. The needs can be psychological needs, safety needs, need for love and belonging, self-actualization needs and esteem needs. The need in the lowest level of pyramid are the basic needs such as safety and psychological needs and the needs at the top of the pyramid are complex needs such as self-actualization needs and esteem needs. This means that the need for food, water, sleep and others are basic physical requirements and can be easily fulfilled for the employees for motivating them . Moreover, offering the feeling of accomplishment and the ability to achieve one’s full potential are complex needs that are difficult to fulfill, however, help in motivating the employees.
McGregor’s Theories X and Y
Further, McGregor shaped the theory that help in understanding the way people in the organization can be motivated. The theory divided the expectations of the managers in two different categories such as Theory X and Theory Y. Theory X is an old-fashioned view that believes that employees should be controlled and directed to work effectively. Theory Y focuses that self-direction will help employee to be committed and is an employee centered style . It helps in exploiting the capability of the employees fully.
Figure: McGregor’s Theories X and Y
Company Background
Microsoft is one of the leading organizations in the information technology industry that aims at empowering the person and entities in the world to achieve more. The company was founded in April 1975 in United States. It aims at enhancing the capability of the people in the planet with basic information and system. The company aims at their people and empower them to take decisions and become an active part of the business . Microsoft is known to represent communities and cultures together with the goal to achieve more.
Ways the Company Motivating their Employees
Microsoft aims at motivating the employees through implementation of HR policies such as diversity and inclusion workplace, equal employment opportunity policy, employee training and employee complaint system. Microsoft is known to implementation of diversity and inclusion in the workplace that makes the employees feel valued in a positive work culture. Similarly, the company implements equal employment opportunity policy that employees are treated with dignity and respect and give equal opportunity to employees to grow on the basis of their capability. This makes the employees feel motivated to work and give their best effort at work. This shows that Microsoft effectively fulfills the basic needs of the employees by making them feel respected and allowing them to grow .
In addition to this, Microsoft has a positive environment where it encourages collaboration and continuous innovation. This in turn motivates the employees to grow by giving them opportunity to grow. This shows that Microsoft effectively meets the complex needs of the employees by allowing them to accomplish goals and achieve creative activities in business . Microsoft effectively aligns with theory Y of McGregor by implementing an employee centered environment.
Moreover, to ensure that the employees still remain motivated, Microsoft plans and implements training and development of employees from time to time and recruit staffs based on their merits.
Conclusion
In conclusion it can be stated that Microsoft effectively motivates its employees using Hierarchy theory of needs and McGregor theory Y. This is done through various policies and procedures such as equal employment opportunity, diversity and inclusion, training and development, collaboration and innovation and training and development. This makes the employees feel valued and respected over time as their needs are fulfilled. The employees receive opportunity to grow and show their talent in the organization.
References
Mansaray, H.S., ‘The Role of Human Resource Management in Employee Motivation and Performance-An Overview’. Budapest International Research and Critics Institute (BIRCI) Journal, 2019, pp.183-194.
Microsoft, "Legal Guidelines | Microsoft Careers", in Careers.microsoft.com, , 2021,
Microsoft, "Microsoft Human Resources (HR) Transformation", in Microsoft.com, , 2021,
Muscalu, E. and Ciocan, F., ‘Attracting and motivating employees during changes in organization.The role of the human resources department’. Journal of Defense Resources Management, vol. 7, no. 2, 2016, p.153.
