The success of any organization is determined by several factors, including effective leadership, an appropriate organizational culture, and employee motivation. A company’s output is directly proportional to the level of enthusiasm that is exhibited by employees. Research studies have shown that motivated workers are committed to the achievement of organizational goals, exhibit high productivity, are more creative, readily embrace change, and adopt teamwork effortlessly. A company’s management team is responsible for devising ways of motivating employees. Several management theories cite the use of incentives and employee empowerment as two of the most effective methods to increase engagement at work. I will use empowerment to increase motivation within Walmart as it will give employees ownership of their accomplishments, working either individually or in groups.
How to Motivate Employees
Employee empowerment is the method of choice that I will use to increase motivation within Walmart. It will encompass two main aspects, namely autonomy, and delegation of tasks. Employee empowerment can be defined as the process of providing employees with autonomy, responsibility, and control over day-to-day activities, especially on matters that affect their jobs (Christiana, 2017). In order to empower workers, it is important to give them the freedom to make decisions on organizational matters that affect their work directly. They need to feel in control of the tasks that they are assigned. In that regard, managers should avoid micromanagement practices and instead, give everyone the power to create individual schedules. Micromanagement elicits a feeling of frustration because the employees’ main goal is self-preservation, rather than the completion of tasks (Huq, 2015). Delegation can be used to boost the confidence of workers for handling tasks that are out of their comfort zone. Individuals become motivated because of their leader’s trust in them that they can complete the delegated responsibilities adequately.
Autonomy as an aspect of empowerment involves allowing people to think and act independently. It enhances engagement and productivity, promotes responsibility and accountability, and increases satisfaction within the workplace (Huq, 2015). It is important for Walmart’s managers to engage the workforce in the decision-making process and delegate responsibilities in order to improve its competency. A culture of autonomy is built through trusting in employees’ potential to complete tasks satisfactorily, delegating responsibilities, and eradicating all barriers to creative thinking and innovation (Christiana, 2017). According to Huq (2015), intrinsic motivation comes from employees’ perceptions of competence that are generated from autonomy. It is important for workers to know that their results depend primarily on how they think and act, with regard to their assigned tasks.
The Importance of Motivation
Employee motivation is important for every organization because it increases employee commitment, lowers levels of absenteeism and staff turnover, encourages innovation, improves employee satisfaction, enhances professional and personal development, and improves efficiency. Research has shown that motivated employees are more creative and innovative because they readily embrace change and try out new ways of doing things (Huq, 2015). In addition, they are less likely to miss work or look for better jobs because they are satisfied with their working lives as they are in control of their schedules. Therefore, motivation benefits employees by increasing their levels of happiness and job satisfaction. In addition, it enhances their overall well-being because of being in control, owing to the opportunity to develop personalized work schedules, make decisions, and act independently.
Companies also benefit immensely from high levels of motivation among the workers. Low levels of staff turnover are associated with high levels of job satisfaction and engagement (Luthans et al., 2015). These are exhibited by employees who feel valued and who can see the positive impact of their work within their organizations. High retention rates mean that companies save money on the recruitment and training of new personnel. Research has established that motivated people display high levels of productivity and innovation (Luthans et al., 2015). Higher levels of output result from employees’ willingness to work faster and more efficiently. In that regard, they produce more and look for ways to improve their services and products. Autonomy is an important aspect of creating an organizational culture that is founded on trust and innovation.
Conclusion
The success of an organization depends on the levels of commitment, energy, and creativity that employees have. Companies use different methods to increase motivation in workplaces in order to enhance performance and output. The benefits of higher levels of commitment and engagement include higher productivity, lowered rates of absenteeism and staff turnover, higher levels of happiness and job satisfaction, greater organizational output, and increased innovation. Research has shown that employee empowerment is an effective method of increasing motivation within the organization. At Walmart, it will be twofold: delegating responsibilities and giving the staff the power to think and act independently. Delegation boosts the confidence of employees while autonomy enhances happiness and job satisfaction. It is important for workers to feel that they are in control of their professional lives. This will be achieved by giving them the power to make decisions on how to execute their tasks without any form of micromanagement.
References
Christiana, M. B. (2017). Organizational behavior. Educreation Publishing.
Huq, R. A. (2015). The psychology of employee empowerment: Concepts, critical themes and a framework for implementation. Routledge.
Luthans, F., Luthans, B. C., & Luthans, K. W. (2015). Organizational behavior: An evidence-based approach (13th ed.). Information Age Publishing, Inc.