Motivation

“People management represents the catalytic condition – the essential “X-Factor” – that combines other factors into a formula for high performance” (Raising UK Productivity: Why People Management Matters. (2001) CIPD.)
Critically analyse and evaluate a particular element of people management which you feel might contribute to the “essential X factor”.

Introduction
“The real purpose of management is motivation of the group to use its energy to achieve objectives” this quote by John Harvey-Jones, chief executive of ICI (cited by Islam & Ismail, 2008) has influenced the decision to select motivation as the X-factor for discussion in this piece of work. The emphasis on motivation as a fundamental factor in maximising the outcomes of an organisation, is shared by Osteraker (1999) who suggests that the inability to motivate limits an organisation’s ability to survive, and Amabile (1993) who claims that motivated employees as persistent, creative, productive, and purveyors of quality work. Through analysis, critique and discussion this piece of work will present an overview of the development of motivation theory from Taylor’s (1911) Scientific Management and Maslow’s (1943) theory of human motivation, through to the more recent perspectives on motivation driven by the complexities of the globalisation of business. The modern business world is being challenged by, amongst many other aspects, the demoralising effects of downsizing (Gee & Burke, 2001), career path barriers (Baker, 1990) and the progressive increase in proportion of workers involved in knowledge or service industries as opposed to the historic emphasis on the production of goods (Gutek, 1995). Taylor’s (1911) assumption that money is the workers only motivator is investigated through the review of theory and research findings, with consideration in terms of the modern world. If Taylor is correct then it would negate motivation as a managerial X factor, in that a manager would only need to...