Many organizations have expressed the urge to discover, comprehend, and implement new and effective motivation techniques for their employees. Contemporary management teams and business owners understand the importance of a motivated workforce. The major reason is that motivation is an important element as far as work performance is concerned. Work performance is a fundamental aspect of the organization because it contributes to the success or failure of the firm (Sparrow & Cooper, 2003).
The purpose of this study is to assess and determine the level of employee behavior and motivation in Aabar Investment Company. Several motivational behaviors are identified and applied in this organization. The development explains the extent to which Aabar Investment Companyâs resource management strategies have been used to deal with various issues affecting the employees. The level and nature of incentives in this company are responsible for its current output. It is a major factor in addressing the expectations of investors, shareholders, and other stakeholders.
Motivation
According to Kenneth (2009), motivation is a force acting on or within an individual. It makes the person behave in a given manner. Pettinger (2010) provides an alternative definition of the concept. Pettinger simply describes it as the reasons why people behave the way they do. In a working environment, Kenneth (2009) suggests that motivation is the driving force to carry out a given task. The implication from these descriptions is that the concept is closely associated with the behavior. The relationship between the two points out to the fact that there is a reason behind the behavior. Behavioral patterns vary across the continuum because each has different needs they have to meet. For example, a low cadre employee may be motivated to achieve promotion at the workplace. On their part, a high ranking worker, such as a manager, may desire to maintain the status quo. As such, the two individuals will act variously in line with their aspirations.
The two concepts, together with the discourse provided above, apply to Aabar Investments. For example, the management team should first identify and acknowledge the personal differences among employees and the corresponding needs. After understanding these variations, the management team should then develop a model to motivate employees towards the achievement of a common goal.
Aabar Investments Company: Profile
Aabar Investment is a multinational company operating from Abu Dhabi, United Arabs Emirates (UAE). International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) acquired a controlling stake in Aabar in 2008. From that time, the company has recorded tremendous growth in terms of size and diversification. The mandate of Aabar is to invest in multiple companies across the world. It creates an opportunity for the implementation of the governmentâs investment strategy.
Aabar operates in several sectors in the local and global economy. The areas include, among others, real estate, financial services, energy, and aerospace. The investments are realized with the help of international partnerships and collaborations. The companyâs strategic association with other multinational corporations has resulted in successful and profitable economic undertakings. Such activities have direct and indirect benefits to the government. Aabarâs strategic investment plan is to build enduring economic value. The value is free from closed market disruptions. The company continues to create lasting relationships with outstanding entrepreneurs and corporations in the market. Such strategies have significantly contributed to the firmâs continued success (Aabar Investments, 2014).
Aabar appears to be biased towards corporations that understand the significance of keeping long term economic visions alive through global partnerships. Its strategic plan of nurturing the dreams of others has created new frontiers for success based on a general understanding of common and mutually beneficial goals. With the help of this strategy, the company ensures that it impacts positively on the agents it comes into contact with. The company remains an important part of the IPIC investment plan. It achieves this through the creation and maintenance of a diverse and synchronized investment portfolio (Aabar Investments, 2014). The behavioral patterns of employees are some of the factors behind the performance of the company.
Employeesâ Behaviours and Motivation in Aabar Investment Company
Forms of Employeesâ Behaviours
In their writings, Farmer and Yellowley (2012) describe employeeâs behavior from the perspective of business activities. They define it as a series of actions undertaken by workers with regards to their activities at the workplace. Such actions have both direct and indirect impacts on business operations (Farmer & Yellowley, 2012). Aabar Investments Company has identified Counterproductive Work Behaviour (CWB) among its employees. Such behaviors involve deviations from the legitimate goals of the company. The pattern was noted some years back after the management reviewed the performance of employees. After every two years, Aabar Investments carries out an internal review of its operations. The assessment includes investment undertakings, recruitment, and general performance of employees. The review that led to the identification of CWB made it apparent that some behavior patterns have negative impacts on the companyâs operations. Also, such activities were harmful to the people working with the organization, including the clients (Aabar Investments, 2014).
In the course of this research, Aabar Investment developed a four-pronged CWB framework. The assessment reflected the performance of the organization. The first dimension involved production deviance. In this case, it was found that employees engaged in activities involving leaving early and reporting late to work. They also worked slowly intentionally, taking long and frequent breaks than expected (Aabar Investments, 2014).
The other model involved property deviance. In this instance, a small number of employees were involved in sabotaging equipment, stealing, and corruption. Such activities slowed down the operations of the company in some departments. There was also political deviance. It involved cases of favoritism, gossiping, and blaming others. The last model revolved around personal aggression. Some members of staff encountered various forms of harassment, including verbal and physical abuse (Aabar Investments, 2014).
Aabarâs Motivational Techniques
Job Design
In its motivational framework, Aabar developed a series of job designs that positively impacted on the performance of employees. The strategy was both challenging and interesting to the employees. It was meant to ensure that employees worked efficiently and effectively (Aabar Investments, 2014).
Four job designs were initiated. The first involved job simplification. In this case, the goal is to create standardized and specialized tasks. Employees are motivated to take up roles that falling within their specializations. Refresher courses are held frequently to ensure that employees acquired up-to-date sets of skills. However, this approach is considered to be inefficient in harnessing the production of the workers. According to Farmer and Yellowley (2012), simplification results in âmundaneâ tasks. The scenario is very dangerous to any organization.
Job enlargement was another job design. It was introduced to solve the âmundaneâ issue. Aabar managers noted that employees specialized in several tasks. As such, it was expected that job enlargement would help to combine a series of tasks. In light of this, the company operates in several industries. With the help of this approach, employees can test their skills in different fields. Another fundamental aspect of Aabarâs motivation technique involves job rotation. In this context, workers are engaged in various tasks at different times. In this approach, boredom and redundancy are effectively dealt with as employees are actively involved in their work (Aabar Investments, 2014).
Finally, Aabar initiated what is referred to as job enrichment. Scholars opine that this model is the most important approach to job motivation. The design is aimed at raising the status of the actual task by involving employees in a series of motivational undertakings. It is noted that such employees are more productive than those who are motivated on an occasional basis. Kenneth (2009) is of the view that improved performance in an organization with highly motivated employees increases job satisfaction. There are few obstructions to goal achievement.
Personality and Work
Organizations continue to explore areas that will help them to effectively utilize their human resource. To fully utilise the workforce, companies identify and promote characteristics that are aimed at improving performance. Apart from cognitive abilities, experts say that a set of psychological elements differentiates one individual from another. Such variations affect performance among employees (Pettinger, 2010).
Aabar realized that relationship among its employees was poor. The company is a multinational corporation with personnel from different parts of the world. Embracing personal differences was a problem in the work setting. To build employee relationships, work personality index was used in team building. Team building has one major objective. The aim is to help people understand themselves and those around them better. In this context, the team can fully make use of each personâs abilities and help them understand why and how individuals adopt different working procedures. By employing this approach, teams allow members to appreciate differences among themselves. It makes it possible to constructively use their diverse skills to enhance organizational performance. For instance, there are situations where the team is supposed to engage in brainstorming and offer solutions. In such cases, a democratic and innovative initiative is paramount. Because the company is a multinational corporation, democratic views from all members are important in providing alternative innovative solutions (Aabar Investments, 2014).
Using a work personality index for career development in international partnership is core to Aabar Investmentâs success. The company identified career development as an initiative that can help people achieve self-awareness about their work, values, and preferences. Work preferences are vital when it comes to performance in a given occupation. Work personality index is very important in reshaping employeeâs behavior towards career and skill development. For example, employees who achieve low on energy but high on attention to detail enjoy working in a high paced and organized environment. Employees working in financial departments operate at a steady pace compared to those operating in the manufacturing departments. Aabar Investment is aware of these work personality traits. Workers are organized according to their preferences. For example, those employees working in Aabarâs real estate development sector are always dissatisfied if they work in loosely structured environments.
Rewards
Rewards are used extensively to recognize and motivate employees in different departments. There are two types of rewards. They include extrinsic and intrinsic rewards. External rewards are extrinsic, while internal ones are intrinsic (Kenneth, 2009). Since extrinsic rewards are readily available, Aabar Investment Corporation has mainly focused on the intrinsic aspect. The company has used its participation in different industries to offer different intrinsic rewards. For example, it has used Job Characteristic Model (JSM) to make sure that workers are intrinsically motivated (Aabar Investments, 2014).
There are five JSM elements employed by Aabar Investment. Skill variety is one of the major components of this approach. In this context, one is assigned to a given task depending on the different skills and talents required to perform a given job. Such are the reasons that made Aabar establish different departments in varying fields across the world. It then spread skills and talents across these fields, ranging from the real estate to the oil industry.
The other components of JCM (task identity, significance, autonomy, and feedback) are used to predict index through motivation potential score. Autonomy ensures that employees are working independently without interference. To this end, the issue of what motivates employeesâ behavior is a concern that has troubled organizational psychologists. Aabarâs CEO has argued that if the motivation is equivalent to zero, then production is nil. In this regard, the performance of employees is enhanced when they operate in areas where their abilities are recognized (Aabar Investments, 2014).
In Aabarâs motivation cycles, different theories are employed. An analysis of the values that determine the behavioral needs of employees is carried out. The review is followed by motivational undertakings to address various gaps in the organization. There are various motivational processes that are continuous throughout the organizationâs operational process (Aabar Investments, 2014).
Motivational Theories
Aabar Investment is aware of the fact that employees evaluate their input against what they receive in return. In this context, the company has made efforts to strike a balance between work and rewards. To achieve this, the human resource management office offers a range of benefits that are acquired in different areas of performance. Pettinger (2010) opines that once workers have achieved the required threshold and objectives in their job, they expect some rewards in return. In this connection, reinforcement theories have played a fundamental role in establishing the type of rewards and performance incentives for successful employees.
The behavior of employees at Aabar can be reviewed from the perspective of this theory. To this end, it is apparent that the force behind employeeâs performance is determined by their emotional and physical attributes, as well as their pursuit of job-related goals. There are various motivational theories employed by different organizations. They include needs-based theories, such as those proposed by Abraham Maslowâs hierarchy of needs and McGregorâs theory X and theory Y. Others include cognitive approaches, such as equity and reinforcement theories (Sparrow & Cooper, 2003).
Maslowâs Hierarchy of Needs
In this theory, the basic tenet is that individuals are driven by their inner desire and deficiencies. The attributes are grouped in a hierarchical manner, with those at the lower levels considered to be more urgent than those at the upper echelons. Aabar employed this approach by ensuring that the employees have met their psychological basic needs of survival. The objective is achieved through the companyâs daily operations. For example, the company provides the employees with food for lunch and snacks during mid-breaks.
Social needs apply to love, security, and support. The company tries to address these needs, especially for those employees working in dangerous environments. They are protected from harmful agents, such as fire and dangerous chemicals. Protective gear is given to those involved in real estate during construction. Insurance cover is also provided for all employees. A special package is offered to those working in the oil industry in case of a disaster (Aabar Investments, 2014).
Equity Theory
The theory stipulates that individuals are driven by force to realize a condition of equity with other employees and with the organization in general (Farmer & Yellowley, 2012). In Aabar, workers are compared across the board using their level of output. The review is carried out through a comparative analysis of their qualifications, experience, and effort. In return, their outcomes are recognized in the same manner through promotions, benefits, status, and improved working conditions. All workers are motivated to achieve some of these outcomes.
The cumulative total production of output and input is referred to as equity. Inequity in the work place results in tension or go-slows by some employees. However, according to Aabar Investment Companyâs employment data, some level of inequalities exist along gender lines, where many women are denied the opportunity to actualize their potential (Aabar Investments, 2014).
Lockeâs Goals Theory
According to Kenneth (2003), this is a goal-setting theory. The approach holds that people are motivated by an internal force that drives them to work hard (Kenneth, 2009). For instance, Aabarâs long term vision to become a world-class partner has impacted on the performance of the employees. The workers have acquired behaviors that are needed to achieve this objective (Aabar Investments, 2014).
In most cases, Aabar focuses on increasing employeeâs persistence. The theory acknowledges that workers need to be engaged fully for them to realize the objectives of the organization. The management acknowledges that there are various challenges facing the achievement of the companyâs global vision. However, the CEO argues that an increase in the number of challenges raises the motivation and creativity of the employees (Aabar Investments, 2014).
Conclusion
The analysis made in this paper reveals that employeeâs behavior and motivation are important to any organization. Aabar has used the need theory to acknowledge the fact that the behavior of employees is determined by their personalized and innate needs and desires. Achievement oriented individuals are, for instance, influenced by the urge for power and affiliations. It is for these reasons that Aabar has invested in programs meant to ensure that the needs of the employees are met. The management tries to understand the employees at a personal level. As such, it is possible to customize the tasks and the working environment.
It is clear from this analysis that understanding an innate need, which involves the desire to perform well, reduces the amount of time needed to supervise employees. Close the revision of employees in this company is deemed as demotivating. Also, employees need to feel that their work is meaningful and challenging. As such, the human resource department should ensure that such employees derive satisfaction from their work.
References
Aabar Investments. (n.d.). IPIC. Web.
Farmer, M., & Yellowley, W. (2012). Organisational behaviour. London: Taylor & Francis Ltd.
Kenneth, K. (2009). Intrinsic motivation at work what really drives employee engagement (2nd ed.). San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers.
Pettinger, R. (2010). Organisational behaviour: Performance management in practice. New York: Routledge.
Sparrow, P., & Cooper, C. (2003). The employment relationship: Key challenges for HR. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann.