Motivating Potential Score (MPS)
Introduction
Motivating Potential Score is an integrated tool used by work evaluators to assess the capacity of a job to motivate. MPS model was develop to reflect the psychological state of worker, motivational characteristics of the work, and personal attributes that influence response to challenging and complex jobs (Hackman & Oldham, 1975). The tool is useful in informing managers concerning employee performance motivation and the need for work redesign. Job redesign is a popular term in management research and is commonly applied in improving motivation and productivity of workers. Therefore, this is a mathematical index that measures five aspects of motivation i.e. variety, identity, significance, feedback and autonomy dimensions of the job.
MPS Survey and Calculation
Motivating Potential Score Assessment Results
| MPS Assessment Question | Score | Task Variety |
9 |
|
1 |
3 |
Task Identity |
12 |
|
2 |
4 |
Task Significance |
11 |
|
3 |
4 |
Autonomy |
8 |
|
4 |
3 |
Feedback |
9 |
|
5 |
3 |
Meaningfulness of work |
10.7 |
|
6 |
3 |
MPS |
768 |
|
7 |
4 |
||
|
8 |
3 |
||
|
9 |
2 |
||
|
10 |
3 |
||
|
11 |
3 |
||
|
12 |
4 |
||
|
13 |
4 |
||
|
14 |
3 |
||
|
15 |
3 |
MPS = Meaningfulness of work × autonomy × feedback. Meaningfulness of work= (skill variety + task identity+ task significance)/3. Therefore, MPS= 10.7 × 8 × 9= 768. A score of 768 is a good score considering that the score in each of the criteria is 9 and above except for autonomy. A score below 9 in each of the variables points to the need to investigate and makes changes in the affected job. However, based on the score of 8 in the task autonomy, there is need to aspects of the job that accord the employee independence in decision making as regards the roles involved in the job. The highest possible score that the metrics given for this MPS scale can give is 1728 (i.e. [(12+12+12)/3] × 12 × 12]. This is so if the each criterion utilized in the formula scores a maximum of 4 points in each of the question.
If the work’s autonomy score is zero then the MPS would also be zero. The calculation would be 10.7 × 0 × 9= 0. MPS is completely dependent on autonomy and feedback. An employee whose motivation is completely absent would not perform the tasks at all. When either of the two scores a zero then MPS also comes to zero. The other variables (skill variety, identity and significance) may only reduce MPS but not to zero unless the average score of the three variables is zero. A poor score in these three job dimensions can only drag the value of calculated MPS towards but not zero.
People in Leadership Position
The phenomenon whereby leaders score highly in MPS than lower level employees can be explained by the stage-based models of personality (Kanfer & Ackerman, 2004). The theory describes the dynamic quality associated with the entry into the workforce and the normative and sequenced patterns of transition through developmental stages in the work environment. One such model is the Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs. It is the most commonly applied model in organizational theory.
Leadership positions are always offered on merit. Promotion to higher position is done in consideration of knowledge and skills, experience, performance appraisal rankings, attitudes and other criteria that are in most cases associated with higher motivation. In addition, leadership confers in an employee self-actualization which is a higher level need in the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Psychological state is an inter-link between job characteristics and performance (Hackman & Oldham, 1975). Therefore, people who are appointed in leadership positions are in most cases more motivated than the other employees.
Redesigning Jobs: Rotation and Enrichment
Jobs can be redesigned when their MPS score is less than 9 in any of the variables. The profile of the job can be redesigned in different ways that inject variety into the aspects of any particular job. Two of the methods in which work can be redesigned include job rotation and job enrichment. Job rotation is done with the shifting of employees across jobs. The advantage is that it is done to reduce bourdon among involved employees. Job rotation has a few disadvantages. It increases the cost allocated for training purposes in an organization. Also employees require more time for them to adjust to the new jobs and environments.
Job enrichment on the other hand involves expansion of the job vertically meaning that a few more motivational aspects are added to the job profile to make it more rewarding (Herzberg, 1968). Enrichment involves expansion of job benefits to employees that the job offers to make the job more attractive. There are several ways in which employees can be rewarded. Forms of rewarding include merit-based pay, bonuses, piece-rate pay, knowledge or skill-based pay, profit sharing, and stock ownership options. For instance, employees can be allowed to acquire stocks at prices lower than the market values.
Profit sharing can also be used as a motivational tool whereby employees are entitled to the company’s profits. In relation to skills and knowledge capacity, an employee can be rewarded based on the number of jobs an employee can perform. Bonuses are often offered as a form of reward on recent performance. Merit based pay on the other hand is pay given on the basis of performance appraisal rankings. Piece-rate pay is a reward given as a fixed sum for every unit of work completed.
Conclusion
MPS is an integrated method of determining job satisfaction and motivation. It is a tool that is highly significant in job evaluation. Managers use this tool to improve organizational productivity while ensuring that the work environments and job profiles are motivational to the worker. This model of job evaluation measures individual worker’s internal (psychosocial) motivational characteristics, the motivational capacity of the job, and worker’s ability to respond to complex and demanding work. The minimum possible score of Motivating Potential Score is zero while the highest possible score is 1728. Psychosocial states of individuals vary (Miner, 1990). This explains why persons in leadership position are likely to score highly in the MPS score than their employees.
Meaningfulness of work (variety, identity and significance), independence and responsibility for outcomes (autonomy), and knowledge of results (feedback), all combine to lead to high intrinsic motivation, work productivity, work satisfaction and less turnover and absenteeism in work.
References
Hackman, J. & Oldham, G. (1975). “Development of the job diagnostic survey”. Journal of
Applied Psychology, 60(2): 159-70
Herzberg, F. (1968). “One more time: how do you motivate employees?” Harvard Business
Review, 46(1): 53–62.
Kanfer, R. & Ackerman, P. (2004). “Aging, adult development, and work motivation”.
Academy of Management Review, 29(3): 440–458.
Miner, J. (1990). “The role of values in defining the ‘goodness’ of theories in organizational
Science”. Organizational Studies, 11(2): 161–178.
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