The Theory of Motivation

CONCEPTUAL UNDERSTANDING

Motivation in an organisation plays a vital role in individual and organisational success. This basically refers to the drive and processes which an individual possesses to achieve their goals. The self-determination theory is a wide-ranging theory of human personality and motivation concerned with how a human interacts with and relies on social scenarios (Lopez-Garrido, G. 2023).

SELF REFLECTION

Studying motivation enlightened me that I am highly driven by natural instincts for factors such as personal growth and competency, which align with the SDT theory. I thrive when I have the freedom to explore new ideas and utilize my skills and character to get the job done. Working at Sydney airport was a challenging task due to its fast-paced working environment. However, because of my natural instinct and social responsibilities, I astutely handled tasks to get the job done. This experience enlightened me the importance of instinct based motivation factor as highlighted by Herzbergs theory.

APPLICATION

To enhance my motivation, I will make sure to set crystal objectives, difficult goals which aligns with my natural instinct. Emphasising on regular skill building activities and constructive feedbacks will be the core element in the process. In my future jobs I will part take in projects which will allow me creative freedom and competent challenges to match with organisations requirements. Furthermore, I would also emphasise on making new connection with colleagues to align with the theory of relatedness.

Critical Evaluation

My current operational style lacks fostering deep-rooted motivation in my workplace. I believe, I lack relatedness and teamwork, as I believe my skills and motivation are well enough to get the job done. However, this derails me from the theory of relatedness and relevancy. I would now emphasise on applying my intrinsic motivation and focus on healthy collaboration with colleagues. Herzbergs theory states that while instinct motivational factors are crucial, overlooking hygienic factors can bring dissatisfaction (Herzberg, F., 2017). The theory of SDT will efficiently guide me through these changes to foster a healthy and proactive working environment.

Leadership

Conceptual Understanding

Leadership plays an integral role in the success of any organisation. Among many leadership theories, The Situational Theory of leadership enlightens that leaders choose the most compatible course of action which depends upon the situation and the circumstances (Amanchukwu, Stanley and Ololube, 2015). This theory is the most suitable theory for a flexible form of leadership as the environment and demands are forever changing.

Self Reflection

In my experience as a Team Leader for CSR at Sydney Airport, I always had to manage new challenges as the nature of work requires time to time. The situational theory of leadership aligns with my behavioural instinct as I believe the difference between a good and great leader is defined by responsiveness to change. For uncertain situations, we were always ready for unknown challenges, where I had to manage and align the manpower on the basis of the requirements of the situation.

Application

Based on my experience I have been applying the Situational theory of Leadership. However, post my leadership analysis I would like to implement The Participative theory of leadership, which enlightens us that an Ideal Leadership style is one which allows inputs from others (Wang, Hou & Li, 2022). This leadership style promotes a dialogic communication between team members and the leader, which curates trust and confidence between teams.

Critical Evaluation

I believe, in my quest to attain the goals and recognition in the corporate world, I was lacking a crucial leadership quality. The participative theory of leadership, as in my previous experience as a team leader. I was seeking input from my colleagues due to which, I was lacking creativity options and the trust of my colleagues. Analysing this leadership style, I was enlightened upon the power of dialogic communication and the trust it brings among team members. Furthermore, in my perspective, a great leader is one who amends both leadership style, situational leadership and Participative Leadership.

Communication

Conceptual Understanding

Communication plays an integral role in all realms of organisational behaviour. The transaction model of communication enlightens communication as a process where individuals create social realities within their social and cultural world (Lapum et al., 2020).

Self Reflection

Based on my experience communication is extremely crucial not just for business moreover for any living being. However, with my previous experience as a recruiter the requirements of the roles had to be communicated clearly, other wise there was always a chance of hiring a wrong individual. Moreover, I have realised it doesnt matter what skills a candidate possesses until they clearly communicate it to us. Thus communication plays a crucial role in any dynamics of the organisation.

Application

To enhance my communication skills, I will use concepts from the Transactional Model of communication which provides a better understanding of the delivery and acceptance of communication which is highly affected by cultural and social aspects. I would perform a background check before interview, which will help me to understand a candidates opinion effectively. I would focus on maintaining a comfortable environment where candidates can express themselves without lacking confidence.

Critical Evaluation

Based on self-analysis, I realised feedback was not a priority for me as I believed in myself. I was also lacking attention and attentiveness to be a good listener in order to be an effective communicator. In order to improve my communication skills I would emphasise on self awareness and feedback. Astutely utilising the concepts of the Transactional Model, I will be open to any upcoming feedback from colleagues. I would also be cautious of nonverbal cues as enlightened by the theory, that a good communicator is always ready to adjust their context in accordance to the situation.

Team Dynamics

Conceptual Understanding

Team Dynamics plays a vital role in organisations. The theory which entails the best concoction of team dynamics is the Social Identity Theory. According to SIT, individuals tend to classify themselves and others into varied social categories, which includes organisational membership, religion, gender and age (Ashforth, and Mael, 1989).

Self Reflection

As a team leader at Sydney Airport, I was expected to ensure that tasks were accomplished successfully and my team was clear and focused on the goal. According to the Social identity theory, my core identification with my team enlightens my commitment to its success. However, I have realised that many times I personally struggle while managing conflicts within my team, because aim for an harmonious working environment. I believe, this tendency to neglect and avoid conflict areas might stem from my desire to safeguard my team members' positive group identity, especially when we are working in a customer-centric role.

Application

Based on my further analysis, inorder to improve team dynamics, I will emphasise on developing my conflict resolution skill. I would find a compatible training programme which will help me procure strategies for managing and addressing conflicts efficiently. Moreover, I will promote a culture of open and free communication to build trust and openness among team members. For instance, I aim to hold team meetings to make sure all the team members are felt comfortable and heard throught the tasks. I believe this approach aligns with the SIT theory, as I inted to foster a strong and inclusive team that can manage and mitigate the adverse effect of in-group bias and enhance overall team collaboration.

Critical Evaluation

I am clear about my areas of improvement. Balancing my role of Team leader with efficient conflict management is essential for the growth and success of my team at Sydney Airport. The social Identity Theory suggests that assessing the importance of group identity and team dynamics will help in assessing and tackling the conflicts. I am aware that my actions directly affect my team's identity, I can astutely leverage this to foster a more impactable and resilient team. Additionally, my insights from Tuckmans stages of group development will help me to manage team progression via forming, storming,norming and performing stages. Which will ensure that the conflicts are resolved efficiently. Therefore, by application of such theories, I believe I can enhance my effectiveness as a Team leader.

• Lopez-Garrido, G. (2023). Self-Determination Theory: How It Explains Motivation.Simply Psychology. [online] Available at: https://www.simplypsychology.org/self-determination-theory.html [Accessed 10 Jul. 2023].
• Amanchukwu, R.N., Stanley, G.J. and Ololube, N.P. (2015).A Review of Leadership Theories, Principles and Styles and Their Relevance to Educational Management. [online] ed.fullerton.edu. Available at: https://ed.fullerton.edu/lift/_resources/pdfs/just_leadership/A REVIEW OF LEADERSHIP.pdf.
• Lapum, J., St-Amant, O., Hughes, M. and Garmaise-Yee, J. (2020). Transaction Model of Communication.library.torontomu.ca, [online] 1(1). Available at: https://pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca/communicationnursing/chapter/transaction-model-of-communication/.
• Ashforth, B.E. and Mael, F. (1989). Social Identity Theory and the Organization.The Academy of Management Review, [online] 14(1), pp.2039. doi:https://doi.org/10.2307/258189.

• Herzberg, F., 2017.Motivation to work. Routledge.

• Wang, Q., Hou, H. and Li, Z., 2022. Participative leadership: a literature review and prospects for future research.Frontiers in psychology,13, p.924357.