Rusudan Tsitskishvili
PhD in Psychology
The University of Georgia
Professor
Tbilisi, Georgia
Rusudan Tsitskishvili
PhD in Psychology
The University of Georgia
Professor
Tbilisi, Georgia
The Relationship Between Employee Motivation and
Characteristics of Interpersonal Relations
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to observe the relationship between employee motivation and some dimensions of interpersonal relations in the organization. Motivation is a necessary condition for organizational effectiveness. Motivated employees are engaged in the work process and put in more effort, leading to better performance. They are more satisfied and committed to their job and organization. There are various theories, approaches, and practical tools regarding this matter. Employee motivation is difficult, since there are many variables involved in the process, and every organization, like every person, is unique.
Motivation may be extrinsic or intrinsic. Extrinsic motivation directs behavior to earn material or psychological rewards or to avoid punishment. For employees, it means wages, salaries, commissions, bonuses, benefits, promotions, status. Intrinsically motivated behavior is performed for its own sake, the source of motivation is an employee’s interest or personal wish. Nowadays intrinsic motivation is considered as more effective than extrinsic. An employee’s intrinsic motivators can be: autonomy, professional growth opportunities, a sense of self-importance, interesting and challenging work, self-actualization, being creative, enjoying the job, and also social environment and relationships with people at work.
Interpersonal relationships are a powerful motivational tool. But in practice, it is often difficult to determine what type of relationship is most beneficial to organizational interests, and what type of relationship will encourage the employee to work well and diligently. Effective human resource management requires both knowledge and creativity because social situations are always unique. However, it is possible to identify general regularities and principles.
A survey was conducted, in which psychologists, managers and regular employees of organizations in Georgia participated. They were asked to name how the interpersonal relationships in the organization could be characterized. They were speaking about such dimensions as: respect, trust, benevolence, teamwork, altruism, enmity, common interests, willingness to help, deception, information sharing, sincerity, recognition, conflict, fairness. Finally, three dimensions of the relations between employees in the organization were identified: authoritarianism-democracy, partnership-competition, and formality-informality.
A questionnaire was used as a research tool, through which the employees of different organizations evaluated the interpersonal relationships in their organization according to these three dimensions, a well as their work motivation. Accordingly, the questionnaire, consisting of 24 statements, was divided into four parts, and each part contained 6 statements, the degree of agreement with which was measured on a seven-point Likert scale from -3 to +3. The survey results were analyzed by gender and age. Three age groups were distinguished: 18-28, 29-50, and from 51. A total of 360 respondents were interviewed 60 respondents in each subgroup.
The main results were as follows: a high level of motivation was associated with extreme scores on the authoritarianism-democratic dimension, especially among middle-aged and older respondents. Partnership was associated with higher motivation for middle-aged and older women. A moderately high degree of informal relationships was associated with high motivation in all subgroups of the respondents. The results obtained in the research have practical value, as far as they can be directly considered in the management of the organization.
Keywords: Interpersonal relations, employee, motivation, dimensions