Employee Motivation in Fortune 500 Companies Paper Example

Introduction

A motivated workforce works harder and achieves greater output in limited time, therefore ensuing in reduced labor costs. In fact, the customer enjoys improved services and value for money as employees demonstrate pride in their work, requiring minimal or no supervision at all. A motivated workforce earns a company more profits, affects the organization positively while exhibiting increased productivity (Procter 5). Studies have revealed that a motivated workforce constitutes of individuals keen on minimizing mistakes with greater concentration and emphasis in profitable conflict resolution if any amongst them. Furthermore, the employees are likely to exhibit less absenteeism, showing greater loyalty to the organization and reverence for their leaders. On the other hand, unmotivated employees are often dissatisfied with their assigned roles, responsibilities and even the work environment. Consequently, their attitude affects the quality of work, employee efficiency, and customer satisfaction negatively, owing to the inflexible staff that fails to recognize and places emphasis on customer needs. This study delves into practical cases of employee motivation in three Fortune 500 companies (Apple Inc., Tesco PLC and Walmart Stores, USA) to improve business performance while promoting the workforce to demonstrate pride in their workplace responsibilities.

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Apple Inc. employee motivation approaches

Employee motivation is both situational and subjective requiring the implementation of different motivational theories in different situations. Hence, organizations apply motivation techniques that best meet the needs of their employees, though they mainly draw strategies from Maslow's hierarchy of needs.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

Apple Inc. for instance, transformed its operational approach into an innovative and creative platform coupled with strategies exclusively focusing on employee encouragement. Maslow's theory dictates the prioritizing of basic and physiological (low-order) needs. In Apple, the physiological needs of their employees are fulfilled through an attractive average salary of USD 108, 483 which ensures basic survival for the entire workforce. The company also focuses on higher-order needs in the hierarchy, rewarding its executives a recognition bonus on their salaries ranging from 3-5%. Mollah (179-181) outlines a number of techniques employed by Apple Inc in employee satisfaction, which entail the application of multivariate job satisfaction theories. Prevalent in the theories is balancing of an employee's work and personal life through facing the challenge of allowing employees to have adequate time with their families and friends to help foster inter-personal relationships. In Apple, the workforce work in short shifts, with most of them working for approximately 20 hours a week allowing them enough time to focus on personal life and an additional 401K salary and health benefits. In addition, employees are rewarded with non-financial benefits for their excellence and performance hence encouraging competition for talent amongst themselves, flexibility while providing leveraged performance.

The workers pride in the idea of creating innovative technologies which will always have their "fingerprint" behind the design. The motivation is drawn from focusing on outcomes of invested efforts in a given product rather than money, compelling them to keep learning and perform better. This freedom is facilitated by the company, which upholds creativity and innovativeness amongst employees whose ideas are always taken into consideration, and some come into fruition in the development of new technologies and "personal projects". In addition, Apple Inc. provides its workforce with employee stock purchase plans that enable them to become investors in the company, health, life and long-term care insurance, paid holidays and vacations, computer programs, onsite fitness centers and discounts on Apple products. Corporate and administrative employees receive free iPhones or iPod shuffles which often mirrors their personal efforts in designing the products (Mollar 176).

Walmart Employee motivation approaches

Walmart, on the other hand, motivates its 1.3million workers through various techniques. In 2015, the company announced higher base wages for new recruits amounting to $1 billion annually to help improve its customer service and satisfaction. Rather interestingly, employees were recently motivated with the motivational strategy that entailed looser dress-codes and the resumption of Radio Walmart, rather than playing audio songs by Justin Bieber and Celine Dion. In fact, individual stores now have more control over thermostats rather than leaving the decision to the headquarters exclusively. In respect to the looser dress codes, the associates will be allowed to dress in khaki and black denim, which was previously banned (Hayden et al. n.p.) The retailer, in a move to reward best performing employees who post higher sales in certain products, rolled out new and modest cash incentives to its workers to encourage productive competition amongst them.

The retailer also applies employee empowerment as a "therapy" that increases motivation and encouragement to put in appropriate amounts of workplace effort (Hayden et al., n.p.). At Walmart, the HR's role entails focusing the employees on continuous learning, improvement, employee empowerment, employee ownership and superior execution, all designed to promote a creative, synergistic teamwork. The employees are often encouraged to create a balanced and focused emphasis on customer service, theft prevention as well as keeping the Store's products in stock. As such, the retailer works on the premise that "Individuals do not win as teams do". In fact, the employees take their CEO as a partner, not a boss in driving the company's success.

Tesco PLC Employee Motivation Approaches

In its operations, Tesco believes that it requires a motivated staff who recognize and focus on customer needs. Tesco motivates its workforce by increasing employee skills, job satisfaction, and knowledge through various training forums and the provision of relevant recognition and timely rewards. This is drawn from the company's perspective that the success of a business corporation is dependent on two major groups-the customers and the workforce (The Times 100 105-108).

As such, the company appreciates the diverse lifestyles and cultural practices of their workforce outside the work environment hence support them with a uniquely exclusive work/life balance. In addition, Taylor's theory is employed in the administration of the Employee Reward Programme to provide workers a flexible working environment, staff discounts on select products, company share options, competitive salaries, reduced rates on health benefits as well as a discounted gym membership.

Conclusion

Drawing from the arguments presented herein, it is clear that employee motivation is key to the success of any company. This requires the application of different motivation theories in different companies to support employees in their diverse levels and needs. As such, companies may employ multiple strategies, ranging from Maslow's hierarchy of needs for Apple Inc. to Taylor's theory for Tesco. In light of Maslow's hierarchy, Apple focuses on priority needs to provide workers with a better working environment through supporting their need for social networks, enhancing worker-supervisor relationships, providing work/life balance, educational and development programs, competitive salaries, and work-group relationships. Taylor's theory emphasizes on the motivation of employees through non-financial factors and financial rewards to improve output. The non-financial factors motivate people intrinsically, compelling them to focus on their productivity and output instead of individual financial gains. Conversely, Walmart focuses more on the social needs of its employees such as alternative work schedules, selection, and training than the financial factors, though the salary increment forms part of its employee motivation approach. All in all, workforce motivation has proved to be effective in promoting business success in the achievement of greater output in less time, therefore reducing labor costs while increasing customer satisfaction.

Works Cited

Hayden, Patrick, et al. "Wal-Mart: Staying on top of the fortune 500: A case study on Wal-Mart Stores Inc." The Graduate School of Political Management, George Washington University (2002).

Mollah, A. "A critical analysis of employee job satisfaction: A case study of Apple UK." European Journal of Business and Management. 7 (7) (2015).

Procter, Michael. The Motivation Levels of a Diverse Workforce in a Large Retail Organisation in Ireland. Diss. Dublin, National College of Ireland, 2014.

The Times 100. Motivational Theory in Practice at Tesco. Is.muni.cz. N. p., 2018. Web. 3 Aug. 2018.