Employee Motivation and Group Cohesion
Introduction
Different organizations and/or companies use different kinds of tactics to enhance the levels of job satisfaction and motivation towards the attainment of organizational goals. On an annual basis, FORTUNE Magazine provides a comprehensive list of the “100 Best Companies to work for” in the USA. Based on the latest rankings, Google Inc. leads the way as the best company to work for in the United States of America. Other companies that made it to the top ten in these rankings include Boston Consulting Group and Edward Jones. This paper seeks to examine the working environments in these companies from the perspective of employee motivation and group cohesion.
Salary Scales
Even though there are numerous factors that enhance group cohesion among employees, money stands out as one of the most significant motivation elements among the top ranked companies by FORTUNE Magazine. For instance, the Boston Consulting Group pays an average annual salary of more than $139,000, the payment rates or salary scales at Google Inc. and Edward Jones are equally impressive. (FORTUNE, 2012)
In essence, when the employees are paid well, they are highly likely to replicate their appreciation in terms of performance and dedication to their work. According to George Homan’s theory of exchange, psychology plays an instrumental role towards the enhancement of cohesion and motivation among employees; this is the case with the best companies all over the world.
Minimal Surveillance
Apart from money, another outstanding element in terms of employee motivation and group cohesion pertains to supervision. In all the top ranked companies, the level of surveillance on employees is quite low; this facilitates for an enabling environment for employees to be creative and open about ideas. For instance, Google Inc. promotes excellent levels of group cohesion by organizing informal gatherings such as games. (FORTUNE, 2012)
Consequently, this unique approach has instilled an element of togetherness, unity and harmony within the company’s workforce. On the other hand, companies such as Edward Jones only use video surveillance for the enhancement of security and not monitoring of employees; the employees therefore feel entrusted in different capacities. (Bruce, 2006)
Entertainment
Most organizations perceive entertainment as a major hindrance for concentration among employees. However, this is not necessarily the case more so on evidence gathered from top companies like Google Inc.; these firms attach strong value to employees’ entertainment and invest heavily towards the same. (FORTUNE, 2012)
The entertainment sessions provide employees with an excellent platform for interactions; consequently, this approach goes a very long way towards fostering team spirit among the employees. Different exchange theorists such as George Homan have underscored the important role played by bonding activities towards the enhancement of group cohesion and motivation among employees. (Bruce, 2006)
Leadership Strategies
Leadership style or strategy is also another influential factor as far as employee motivation is concerned. In order to motivate employees, organizations must develop efficient leadership frameworks that strongly enhance the flow of information or communications among all employees. Furthermore, the leadership hierarchy should be devoid of stringent bureaucracies that hinder the flow of information. At a company like Edward Jones, employees can easily communicate with the chief executive officer irrespective of their rank within the company’s hierarchical arrangement. Such an approach facilitates for sense of belonging among all employees; in line with this approach, employee motivation is tremendously enhanced. (Bruce, 2006)
References
Bruce, A. (2006). How to motivate every employee, NY: McGraw-Hill Professionals
FORTUNE (2012). 100 Best companies to work for, FORTUNE Magazine,Accessed on 8thJuly 2012 from http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/best-companies/2012/full_list/
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