Introduction
Management and motivation of employees is a very instrumental aspect that should be emphasized in every organization. This is because the employees are very essential in the process of making other resources in an organization to yield profits through manipulation. Management is the act of getting things done through others and hence management of the employees entails proper coordination of the workforce to ensure that they are able to put all their efforts with an aim of achieving maximum productivity and profitability under all circumstances. Motivation entails an appreciation of the employees and can be achieved through various means for example through the provision of the conducive working environment. Just like any other professionals in various fields, IT professionals also require some form of management and motivation to make their work a success. This paper looks into the various aspects associated with the management of IT professionals.
Motivating IT professionals
The motivation of IT professionals is aimed at ensuring that the individuals involved are comfortable in their working place which in return contributes to their job satisfaction an aspect that is very crucial in allowing for good performance and morale-boosting which results in maximum productivity and profitability. Ralph (2005) asserts that motivation is a very critical aspect especially when it comes to the technical professions like IT personnel and an environment that supports motivation should thereby be maintained irrespective of the cost incurred. Ralph further argues that the motivation benefits are not usually easy to understand or even manage and that motivation does not automatically guarantee higher performance although its absence is much felt as it results in many long-term problems hence depicting its importance.
There are various ways that can be utilized to ensure that IT professionals in any organization are fully motivated and hence comfortable in their undertakings. One simple means through which the IT professionals may be motivated could be the use of rewards versus punishment. The reward versus punishment system work under the principle that the better you perform the more the reward is attained and vice versa. There is also a threat of punishment for poor performance which may even lead to loss of one’s job something that nobody would wish to happen to him or her under all circumstances. This motivates the IT professionals to do their best bearing in mind that they have something to enjoy in form of a reward for their good job which in most cases takes the form of an increase in pay or even promotion. The other way of ensuring that the IT professionals are motivated entails the management body being self-motivated in their practices which can be shown even in the way they communicate to the employees as it is evident that the more motivated the management is, the more likely the employees will be motivated and vice versa. The IT managers should serve as role models to the other staff and ensure that all work ethics are maintained. Hiring motivated staff is also another advisable strategy that allows for maximum motivation and hence better performance of the IT professionals. This is so because it is relatively easier to hire and manage motivated professionals than it is to motivate professionals who have no motivation especially due to the fact that they tend to employ their professional skills and knowledge to prove difficult to deal with. The IT managers should therefore act in a motivated manner and ensure that they boost the morale of the staff and help them appreciate their work and give it they’re all. it is also advisable to always measure the performance of the IT professionals to ascertain their progress and thereafter reward them accordingly so that they can be motivated to even do better (Alemi, 2007).
Although both male and female IT professionals require proper management and motivation, the females seem to be a bit complicated thus necessitating some more caution and efforts to ensure that they remain motivated at all times hence avoiding many chances of job turnover or underperformance. There are for instance fewer females in the IT profession as compared to the men due to the technicality involved and for this reason, they need to be highly motivated so that they can feel appreciated and recognized as important elements in an organization in a much better way than the men.
According to Carlaw, M, Carlaw P, Deming and Friedman (2002), there are various benefits that are accrued to increased motivation among the IT professionals, for instance, there is increased job satisfaction, high productivity, reduced rates of absenteeism, low turnover rates due to satisfaction, less job-related stress, increased affiliation to their organization and the clients as well as acting as good ambassadors on behalf of their organization where they work for their good as well as that of their organization at large.
Just like any other field, the IT profession is also faced with a lot of management challenges one of them being that of cultural diversity where an organization may be having a team whose members are of different cultural and ethnic origins making it a difficult task to manage them all together. The management should however ensure that it deals with the cultural differences to ensure that they do not affect the organization negatively. A good approach could be that of making the cultural differences an opportunity that can be exploited to allow for a competitive advantage where the different talents and capabilities of the various parties involved are combined to achieve the best. The negative aspects of cultural diversity should however be dealt with in a manner that does not undermine either party such that everybody involved feels appreciated for whom he or she is and the contribution he or she brings to the organization (Townsend, 1994).
Conclusion
The management of IT and other computer professionals is an aspect that has been faced with a lot of controversy with some people arguing that there exist some differences between these professionals and the rest while others argue that there is no difference and hence the treatment should be the same. All in all, it is evident that there are both aspects that point out some similarities for instance the fact that they are also professionals as well as those that display the differences like the technicality in their practices. From the research, it is evident that effective management and motivation of all employees in general and the IT professionals, in particular, is very essential as it determines the success and progress of the organization as depicted by the employees’ overall performance which in return affect the productivity and profitability of the organization.
Reference List
Alemi, F. (2007). Managing Computer Professionals. Web.
Carlaw, M., Carlaw, P., Deming, V.K., and Friedmann, K., (2002). Managing and Motivating Contact Center Employees: Tools and Techniques for Inspiring Outstanding Performance from your Frontline Staff. New York: McGraw-Hill Professional.
Ralph, K. (2005). Motivating Technical Professionals Today: To Thrive, Scientists and Engineers Need an Ambidextrous Environment That Can Support Motivational Dualism. All Business. Web.
Townsend, J. (1994). Effectively Managing and Motivating People. Somerset West, SA: Townsend International Pty Ltd.