Use of SMART for Objectives

 

As cited in (Lawlor & Hornyak, 2012), Morrison (2010) stated that during the 1940s and 1950s there were many engineering and educational publications beginning to discuss the merits of specific and measurable goals. In early managerial and educational publications, organizational activities were labeled with specific and measurable characteristics which suggest that SMART goals and its acronym were known and fairly prevalent (Lawlor & Hornyak, 2012).

Doran (1981) first introduced the specific, measurable, assignable, realistic, and time-related (SMART) method for writing effective management goals (Bjerke & Renger, 2017). Writing SMART goals is fundamental to effective planning of results-oriented action (Ogbeiwi, 2017).

 Below are the definitions of each component of SMART according to the previous research;

Specific

A goal is specific when it provides a description of what is to be accomplished. A specific goal is a focused goal. It will state exactly what the organization intends to accomplish. While the description needs to be specific and focused, it also needs to be easily understood by those involved in its achievement. It should be written so that it can be easily and clearly communicated. A specific goal will make it easier for those writing objectives and action plans to address the following questions:

         * Who is to be involved?

         * What is to be accomplished?

         * Where is it to be done?

         * When is it to be done?

(Cothran & Wysocki, 2005)

Measurable

A goal is measurable if it is quantifiable. Measurement is accomplished by first obtaining or establishing base-line data. It will also have a target toward which progress can be measured, as well as benchmarks to measure progress along the way. A measurable goal will answer questions such as:

         * How much?

         * How many?

         * How will you know when it is accomplished?

(Cothran & Wysocki, 2005)

Attainable

There should be a realistic chance that a goal can be accomplished. This does not mean or imply that goals should be easy. On the contrary, a goal should be challenging. It should be set by or in concert with the person responsible for its achievement. The organization's leadership, and where appropriate its stakeholders, should agree that the goal is important and that appropriate time and resources will be focused on its accomplishment. An attainable goal should also allow for flexibility. A goal that can no longer be achieved should be altered or abandoned. Relevant Goals should be appropriate to and consistent with the mission and vision of the organization. Each goal adopted by the organization should be one that moves the organization toward the achievement of its vision. Relevant goals will not conflict with other organizational goals. As noted earlier, goals are set by or in concert with the person responsible for achievement. It is important that all short-term goals be relevant (e.g., consistent) with the longer-term and broader goals of the organization.

(Cothran & Wysocki, 2005)

 Time-bound

Finally a goal must be bound by time. That is, it must have a starting and ending point. It should also have some intermediate points at which progress can be assessed. Limiting the time in which a goal must be accomplished helps to focus effort toward its achievement.

(Cothran & Wysocki, 2005)

Video 1 - SMART Goals - Quick Overview

Source: (DecisionSkills, 2014)

I work in a company in IT industry. In this company also, the goal setting is done based on the SMART objective criteria. Employees are taking part of the objective setting exercise for the goal setting of each year. Once the organization wide objectives and growth plans are set all the relevant information of such targets get communicated to all employees. Then the senior management is expected to cascade down those objectives to their level and communicate expectations for each division and team. Employees based on that information are expected to set their goals for the year which gets submitted to each of their reporting managers.

Once the objectives are submitted, managers are expected to ensure that the objectives are well aligned to the company objectives and then they are in line with the SMART objective criteria. If the employee MBO does not the SMART criteria most of the times the manager helps the employee to review it and resubmit again by meeting the criteria.

References

Armstrong, M., 2006. A Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice. 10 ed. London: Kogan Page Limited.

Bjerke, M. B. & Renger, R., 2017. Being smart about writing SMART objectives. Evaluation and programme planning, Volume 61, pp. 125-127.

Cothran, H. M. & Wysocki, A. F., 2005. Developing SMART Goals for Your Organization. [Online]
Available at: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu
[Accessed 10 05 2021].

DecisionSkills, 2014. Youtube - SMART Goals - Quick Overview. [Online]
Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-SvuFIQjK8
[Accessed 10 05 2021].

Lawlor, K. B. & Hornyak, M. J., 2012. How The Application Of Smart Goals Can Contribute To Achievement Of Student Learning Outcomes. Developments in Business Simulation and Experiential Learning, Volume 39, pp. 259-267.

Ogbeiwi, O., 2017. Why written objectives need to be really SMART. British Journal of Healthcare Management, 23(7), pp. 324-336.

Performance Appraisals and Appraisal Tools in Practice

 

Performance appraisal has been synonymous with performance review, performance evaluation, performance assessment, performance measurement, employee evaluation, personnel review, staff assessment, service rating, etc. (Aggarwal & Thakur, 2013).

Performance appraisal provides information that is relevant for many personnel decisions, including salary increases, recommendations for promotions, transfers, and training programs, as well as for employee development and performance feedback as cited in (Cleveland, et al., 1989) by Huber et. All (1983). Performance appraisal is potentially a key tool for organizations to make the most of their human resources and the use of appraisal is widespread (Prowse & Prowse, 2009). Performance appraisal can be defined as the formal assessment and rating of individuals by their managers at, usually, an annual review meeting (Armstrong, 2006).

Appraisals often take the form of an appraisal interview, usually annual, supported by standardized forms/paperwork. The key objective of appraisal is to provide employees with feedback on their performance provided by the line manager (Prowse & Prowse, 2009).

Employee’s appraisal system may be considered one of the indicators of the quality of Human Resource Management in an organization. Properly designed and realized process of employees‟ appraisal is not only the necessary basis of successful employee performance management, but also provides valuable information for other human resource management functions (Aggarwal & Thakur, 2013). Performance Appraisal can be broadly classified into two categories: Traditional Methods and Modern Methods (Aggarwal & Thakur, 2013).

Table 1 - Techniques of Performance Appraisal

Sl. No.	Technique	Key Idea	Advantages	Disadvantages
A.	Ranking Method	Ranking employees from best to worst on a particular trait, choosing highest, then lowest, until all ranked.	1.Fastest 2.Transparent 3.Cost Effective 4.Simple and easy to use	1. Less objective 2. Morale problems who are not rated at or near the top of the list. 3. Suitable for small workforce. 4. Workers strengths and weakness cannot be easily determined.
B.	Graphic Rating Scales	A scale that lists a number of traits and a range of performance for each, the employee is then rated by identifying the score that best describes his or her performance for each trait.	1. Simple. 2. Easily constructed. 3. Ease of use. 4. Results are standardized what allows comparison to be made between employees. 5. Reduce the personal bias.	1. Rating may be subjective. 2. Each characteristic is equally important in evaluation of the employee’s performance.
C.	Critical Incident	Keeping a record of uncommonly good or undesirable examples of an employee’s work related behaviour and reviewing it with the employee at predetermined times.	1. Easy and economical to develop and administer. 2. Based on direct observations. 3. It is time tested and provides more face time.	1. Time consuming and laborious to summarize and analyse the data. 2. Difficult to convince people to share their critical incidents through a survey.  3. Provides a personal perspective of organizational issues.
D.	Narrative Essays	Evaluator writes an explanation about employee’s strength and weakness points, previous performance, positional and suggestion for his (her) improvement at the end of evaluation time.	1. Report actually shows employee’s performance. 2. Can Cover all factors. 3. Examples are given. 4. Provides feedback.	1. Time consuming. 2. Supervisor may write a biased essay 3. Effective writers are very difficult to find.
E.	Management by Objectives	Employees are evaluated how well they accomplished a specific set of objectives that have been determined to critical in the successful completion of the job.	1. Easy to implement and measure. 2. Employee motivated as he is aware of expected roles and accountability. 3. Performance oriented diagnostic system 4. Facilitates employee counselling and guidance.	1. Difficult to employees agree on goals. 2. Misses intangibles like honesty, integrity, quality, etc. 3. Interpretation of goals may vary from manager to manager, and employee to employee. 4. Time consuming, complicated, lengthy and expensive.
F.	Behaviourally Anchored Rating Scale	BARS combines elements from critical incident and graphic rating scale approaches. The supervisor rates employees‟ according to items on a numerical scale.	1. Job behaviours describe employee performance in a better way. 2. More objective 3. More acceptances due to participation of managers and employees.	1. Scale independence may not be valid/ reliable. 2. Behaviours are activity oriented rather than result oriented 3. Very time consuming for generating BARS. 4. Each job will require creating separate BARS scale.
G.	Human Resource Accounting(HR A)	The people are valuable resources of an organization or enterprise, Information on investment and value of human resource is useful for decision making in the organization	1. Ascertain the cost of labour turnover. 2. Development of human resources. 3. Planning and execution of personnel policies. 4. Return on investment on human resources. 5. Improve the efficiencies of employees.	1. There are no specific & clear-cut guidelines for finding cost and value of human resources of an organization. 2. The method measures only the cost to the organization but ignores completely any measure of the value of the employee to the organization. 3. The life of human resources is uncertain and therefore, valuing then under uncertainty seems unrealistic.
H.	Assessment Centers	Employees are evaluated over a period of time; say one or three days, by observing their behaviours across a series of selected exercises or work samples.	1. Concepts are simple. 2. Highly flexible methodology. 3. Helps in selection and promotion decisions and for diagnosing employee development needs. 4. Allow for the measurement of multiple attributes. 5. Exercise is hard to fake.	1. Expensive and difficult to manage 2.Requires a large staff 3. Requires a great deal of time. 4. Only a limited number of people can be processed at a time. 5. Much cognitive loads of assessors.
I.	360 Degree	It relies on the input of an employee’s superior, colleagues, subordinates, sometimes customers, suppliers and/or spouses.	1. Excellent employee development tool. 2. Accurate, reliable and credible system 3.Legally more defensible 4. More objective being multi-rate system.	1. Time consuming and very costly. 2. Sensitive to organization and national culture. 3. May damage self-esteem of employees if the feedback is brutal. 4. Prone to political and social games played by people. 5. Difficult to implement in cross functional teams. 6. Maintaining confidentiality may pose challenge in small organizations.
J.	720 Degree	360 degree appraisal method is practiced twice. When 360-degree appraisal is done, then the performance of the employee is evaluated and having a good feedback mechanism, the boss sits down with the employee again a second time and gives him feedback and tips on achieving the set targets.	1. Improved feedback from more resources. 2. Team Development 3. Personal and organizational Performance Development. 4. Responsibility for career development. 5. Reduced discrimination risk. 6. Improved customer Service. 7. Training	1. Exceptional Expectations for the process. 2. Insufficient Information. 3.Design process downfalls 4. Failure to connect the process. 5. Insufficient training and process understanding. 6. Focus on negatives and weaknesses. 7. Requires commitment of top management and the human resources (time, finance, resources, etc) 8.Paperwork (computer entry overload) 9. Rater inexperience and ineffectiveness.

Source: (Aggarwal & Thakur, 2013)

I work for a company in IT industry. The company uses Management by Objectives (MBOs) as a tool for performance evaluation of employees annually. This has been easy for both managers and employees to easily understand and execute throughout the year. The company tries its best to have more than two formal reviews every years, however most of the times annual year end review was done at the end of the year to provide ratings for the employees. These reviews play a major role in deciding employee performance bonus, annual salary increment, development plans, etc. However, incorporation of measuring employee behaviors has been a challenge as most MBOs cover only the results achievement rather than the behavioral indicators of performance. The company plans to increase the number of reviews every year in the expectation of more proactive feedback sessions and to support improved performance of employees.

References

Aggarwal, A. & Thakur, G. S. M., 2013. Techniques of Performance Appraisal-A Review. International Journal of Engineering and Advanced Technology, 2(3), pp. 617-621.

Armstrong, M., 2006. A Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice. 10 ed. London: Kogan Page Limited.

Brown, M. & Heywood, J. S., 2005. Performance Appraisal Systems: Determinants and Change. British Journal of Industrial Relations, 43(4), pp. 659-679.

Cleveland, J. N., Murphy, K. R. & Williams, R. E., 1989. Multiple uses of performance appraisal: Prevalence and Correlates. Journal of applied psychology, 74(1), pp. 130-135.

Levy, P. E. & Williams, J. R., 2004. The Social Context of Performance Appraisal: A Review and Framework for the Future. Journal of Management , 30(6), pp. 881-905.

Prowse, P. & Prowse, J., 2009. The dilemma of performance appraisal. MEASURING BUSINESS EXCELLENCE, 13(4), pp. 69-77.

Werner, J. M. & Bolino, M. C., 1997. Explaining U.S. Courts of appeals decisions involving performance appraisal: accuracy, fairness, and validation. Personnel psychology, Volume 50, pp. 1-24.

 

Experiential Learning Theory and David Kolb’s Learning Cycle

An understanding of how people learn is necessary if learning is to take place effectively in an organization (Armstrong, 2006). There are a number of learning theories, each of which focuses on different aspects of the learning process as applied to people in general. The main theories are concerned with:

                      * reinforcement

                      * cognitive learning 

                      * experiential learning 

                      * social learning 

                                              (Armstrong, 2006)

Experiential learning takes place when people learn from their experience by reflecting on it so that it can be understood and applied. Learning is therefore a personal ‘construction’ of meaning through experience (Armstrong, 2006). Learning theories describe in general terms how people learn, but individual learners will have different styles – a preference for a particular approach to learning. The two most familiar classifications of learning styles are those produced by Kolb and by Honey and Mumford (Armstrong, 2006). 

Learning is the process of creating knowledge. ELT proposes a constructivist theory of learning whereby social knowledge is created and recreated in the personal knowledge of the learner (Kolb & Kolb, 2005). The ELT model portrays two dialectically related modes of grasping experience - Concrete Experience (CE) and Abstract Conceptualization (AC) - and two dialectically related modes of transforming experience - Reflective Observation (RO) and Active Experimentation (AE) (Kolb & Kolb, 2005).

Figure 1 - Kolb‟s (1984) Experiential Learning Cycle

Source: (Mughal & Zafar, 2011)

      * Concrete experience – this can be planned or accidental

      * Reflective observation – this involves actively thinking about the experience and its significance

      * Abstract conceptualization (theorizing) – generalizing from experience in order to develop various concepts and ideas which can be applied when similar situations are encountered

      * Active experimentation – testing the concepts or ideas in new situations. This gives rise to a new concrete experience and the cycle begins again

(Armstrong, 2006)

This process is portrayed as an idealized learning cycle or spiral where the learner "touches all the bases" - experiencing, reflecting, thinking, and acting - in a recursive process that is responsive to the learning situation and what is being learned. Immediate or concrete experiences are the basis for observations and reflections. These reflections are assimilated and distilled into abstract concepts from which new implications for action can be drawn. These implications can be actively tested and serve as guides in creating new experience (Kolb & Kolb, 2005). ELT as defined by Kolb posits that learning is the major determinant of human development, and how individuals learn shapes the course of their personal development (Kolb & Kolb, 2005).

                                                                Video 1 - Kolb's Cycle Explained

                                                                        Source: (Gaspar, 2018)

I work for a company in IT industry. In the company I work, it can observed that the learning takes place over a time period as a spiral which is highlighted in the work done by Kolb. Employees needed repeated trainings of same type of training again and again to capture the learning. As highlighted in the learning cycle of Kolb, employees capture some of the learning through the transfer of knowledge as theory. However, until the completion of the learning cycle employees do not capture the expected learning out of the modules taught through classroom trainings. When they come back for the same training as a refresher again, they have already gone through the learning cycle and they capture the theory more effectively in the second time of delivery. Similarly in the next refresher sessions.

Therefore it can be noted that the understanding and knowledge of how learning takes place is critical for any organization to implement its training and other learning and development programs effectively.

References

Armstrong, M., 2006. A Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice. 10 ed. London: Kogan Page Limited.

Gasper, J., 2018. YouTube - Reflection and Kolb's Cycle. [Online]
Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6gB4564vAk
[Accessed 09 05 2021].

Kayes, A. B., Kayes, D. C. & Kolb, D. A., 2005. Experiential learning in teams. SIMULATION & GAMING, 36(3), pp. 330-354.

Kolb , A. Y. & Kolb , D. A., 2017. Experiential Learning Theory as a Guide for Experiential Educators in Higher Education. A Journal for Engaged Educators, 1(1), pp. 7-44.

Kolb, A. Y. & Kolb, D. A., 2005. Learning Styles and Learning Spaces: Enhancing Experiential Learning in Higher Education. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 4(2), pp. 193-212.

Kolb, A. Y. & Kolb, D. A., 2013. www.researchgate.net. [Online]
Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/David-Kolb-2/publication/303446688_The_Kolb_Learning_Style_Inventory_40_Guide_to_Theory_Psychometrics_Research_Applications/links/57437c4c08ae9f741b3a1a58/The-Kolb-Learning-Style-Inventory-40-Guide-to-Theory-Psychometr
[Accessed 09 05 2021].

Kolb, D. A., 1984. Experiential learning: experience as the source of learning and development. 1 ed. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Mughal, F. & Zafar, A., 2011. Experiential Learning from a Constructivist Perspective: Reconceptualizing the Kolbian Cycle. International Journal of Learning & Development, 1(2), pp. 27-37.

Peterson, K., DeCato, L. & Kolb, D. A., 2015. Moving and Learning: Expanding Style and Increasing Flexibility. Journal of Experiential Education, 38(3), pp. 228-244.

 

 

Psychological Contract for sustained employee motivation and commitment

Although the concept of the psychological contract originates from outside the Human Resource Management (HRM) field, it has nevertheless become a major analytical device in propagating and explaining HRM. There is a considerable amount of interest in the psychological contract from academics and practitioners alike, as both search for the factors likely to contribute to sustained employee motivation and commitment (Cullinane & Dundon, 2006). As cited in (Guest, 2004), Blau (1964) states that the concept of the psychological contract is commonly traced back to the early work of Argyris (1960) and to social exchange theory.

The relationship between employees and their employers has been conceptualized as involving a "psychological contract." At a general level, the term "psychological contract" is used to refer to a set of beliefs regarding what employees are to give and receive with respect to their employer (Roehling, 1996). As cited in (Schalk & Roy, 2007) Levinson and colleagues applied Menninger’s (1958) concept of the “psychotherapy contract,” which ascribes the intangible aspects of the contractual relationship that exists between psychoanalysts and patients, to the work setting. They define the psychological contract, or “unwritten contract,” as the sum of all mutual expectations between the organization and the employee.

As cited in (Roehling, 1996), Rousseau (1989) initially described the psychological contract as follows:

The term psychological contract refers to an individual's beliefs regarding the terms and conditions of a reciprocal exchange agreement between the focal person and another party. Key issues here include the belief that a promise has been made and a consideration offered in exchange for it, binding the parties to some set of reciprocal obligations.

Video 1 - Inspiration Session: The Psychological contract

Source: (Briner, 2011)

How the concept of the psychological contract is related to organizational commitment is a fundamental question (Schalk & Roy, 2007). The existence of a psychological contract implies that the employee is in a certain state of commitment; he or she is willing to accept work roles and tasks offered by the  organization and to carry them out in accordance with certain standards (Schalk & Roy, 2007).

 Psychological contracts are established at a certain point in time, and they are assumed to be able to change over time. Psychological contracts can be breached or violated, and can be abandoned or deserted (Schalk & Roy, 2007). Events that violate expectations about obligations that are included in the psychological contract (negative as well as positive) probably occur quite frequently (Schalk & Roy, 2007). Although the psychological contract is always present, it receives full attention only in response to certain situations. The psychological contract seems to include a standard for evaluating whether changes are, or are not, important enough to respond to (Schalk & Roy, 2007). As cited in (Schalk & Roy, 2007), Schein (1965) stated that the psychological contract is therefore not “operating at all times”.

 I work in the IT industry, psychological contracts with employees is one of the significant success factors for the business. There are terms and conditions mentioned in the employment contract, however for the organization to perform better, achieve growth, organization require employees to be committed and motivated to deliver extraordinary results. Such engagement levels have been a key factor to the success of the current business status. Therefore, it is critical for the businesses to understand what leaders to strong and positive psychological contracts and cultivate a culture that facilitate commitment from both employee and employer. At the same time it is vital that the psychological contract expectations are deliverable and minimize the breach of contracts.

Below video further elaborates as to how such organizational cultures are created by the leaders of organizations with practical examples such as military soldiers.

Video 2 - Why good leaders make you feel safe

Source: (Sinek, 2014)

References

Briner, R., 2011. Youtube - Inspiration Session: The Psychological contract: MSc Organizational Psychology. [Online]
Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iD9jLSWUlC8
[Accessed 07 05 2021].

Cullinane, N. & Dundon, T., 2006. The psychological contract: a critical review. International Journal of Management Reviews, 8(2), pp. 113-129.

Guest, D. E., 2004. The Psychology of the Employment Relationship: An Analysis Based on the Psychological Contract. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 53(4), pp. 541-555.

Roehling, M. V., 1996. The Origins And Early Development Of The Psychological Contract Construct. Academy of Management Proceeding, pp. 203-206.

Schalk, R. & Roy, R. E., 2007. Towards a Dynamic Model of the Psychological Contract. Journal for the Theory of Social Behaviour, 37(2), pp. 167-182.

Sinek, S., 2014. Youtube - Why good leaders make you feel safe. [Online]
Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmyZMtPVodo&t=91s
[Accessed 08 05 2021].

 

Herzberg's Theory of Motivation for Employee retention and engagement

 

Herzberg’s motivation-hygiene theory is a popular but controversial theory of employee satisfaction. The theory was at the center of a long debate that focused on conceptual and methodological problems with the theory (Sachau, 2007). Herzberg (1959) constructed a two-dimensional paradigm of factors affecting people's attitudes about work (Gawe, 1996). Herzberg’s motivator-hygiene theory provided great stimulus to the investigators for advancing research on job satisfaction (Malik & Naeem, 2013). It catalysed one of the most strenuously contested areas of management theory, largely because of the assertion that there was a weak correlation between financial reward and job satisfaction (Bassett-Jones & Lloyd, 2005).

The motivational-hygiene model states that employee motivation is achieved when employees are faced with challenging but enjoyable work where one can achieve, grow, and demonstrate responsibility and advance in the organisation. That is, when the employees’ efforts are recognized, it brings about job satisfaction and motivation (Dartey-Baah & Amoako, 2011). 

Hygiene Factors

The hygiene factors are also referred to as the maintenance factors and comprise of the physiological, safety and love needs from Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. They are factors that are not directly related to the job but the conditions that surround doing the job (Dartey-Baah & Amoako, 2011). As cited in (Dartey-Baah & Amoako, 2011), Gibson (2000) states that they operate primarily to dissatisfy employees when they are not present, however, the presence of such conditions does not necessarily build strong motivation. These factors include; company policy and administration, technical supervision, interpersonal relations with supervisor, interpersonal relations with peers and subordinates, salary, job security, personal life, work conditions and status. Herzberg called these hygiene factors, since they are necessary to maintain a reasonable level of satisfaction and can also cause dissatisfaction (Dartey-Baah & Amoako, 2011). 

Motivator Factors

According to Herzberg, the motivator factors pertain to the job content, they are intrinsic to the job itself and do not result from “carrot and stick incentives”. They comprise the physiological need for growth and recognition. The absence of these factors does not prove highly dissatisfying but when present, they build strong levels of motivation that result in good job performance. They are therefore called satisfiers or motivators. These factors include; achievement, recognition, advancement, the work itself, the possibility of personal growth and responsibility (Dartey-Baah & Amoako, 2011).

Figure 1 - Dissatisfiers and Satisfiers on the Job.

Source: (Ozguner & Ozguner, 2014)

As cited in (Ozguner & Ozguner, 2014), according to Albers (1982), “the context factors were categorized as dissatisfies or hygiene factors; the content factors were called satisfiers or motivators”.

Figure 2 - The Relationship of Hygiene and Motivational Factors

Source: (Ozguner & Ozguner, 2014)

As cited in (Ozguner & Ozguner, 2014), Scanlan, and Keys (1987) mentioned that, Herzberg summarizes the situation: Because the factors on the left serve primarily as preventives, that is to prevent job dissatisfaction, and because they also deal with the environment, I have named these factors the hygiene” factors in a poor analogy with the way the term is used in preventive medicine. The factors on the right I call the “motivators” because other results indicate that they are necessary for improvement which in substance amounts to coming up to a fair day’s work.

Figure 3 - Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory

Source: (Ozguner & Ozguner, 2014)

Even though half a century is gone since Herzberg theory was first proposed, organization leadership is urged to first identify what satisfies or dissatisfies their workforce and initiate change programs to nurturing their job satisfaction and elevating job dissatisfaction which may motivate them for higher productivity and retention besides reducing their exit turnover or its intentions (Malik & Naeem, 2013). 

I work for a company in IT industry and it can be observed that most of the employees have basic expectations from the job such as a good salary, good working conditions, welfare. In the absence of such benefits they either voice their disliking/dissatisfaction. However, it should be noted that employees still tend to look out for better opportunities even when these needs are being fulfilled. After having one to one coaching discussions over the time, it would noticed that these basic needs fulfillment alone is not enough for them to retain in the organization and for highest engagement levels. It was found that they seek for new challenges, learning opportunities, growth opportunities and appreciation for their contributions which keeps them motivated.

As an organization it is worthwhile to provide both hygiene factors and motivators to ensure that employees are not dissatisfied and also motivated to retain in the organization.

References

Bassett-Jones, N. & Lloyd, G. C., 2005. Does Herzberg’s motivation theory have staying power?. Journal of Management Development, 24(10), pp. 929-943.

Dartey-Baah, K. & Amoako, G. K., 2011. Application of Frederick Herzberg’s Two-Factor theory in assessing and understanding employee motivation at work: a Ghanaian Perspective. European Journal of Business and Management, 3(9), pp. 1-8.

Gawe, J. E., 1996. Herzber Herzberg's Theor s Theory of Motiv y of Motivation and Maslow' ation and Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Practical Assessment, Research, and Evaluation, 5(5), pp. 1-3.

Malik, M. E. & Naeem, B., 2013. Towards Understanding Controversy on Herzberg Theory of Motivation. World Applied Sciences Journal, 24(8), pp. 1031-1036.

Ozguner, Z. & Ozguner, M., 2014. A Managerial Point of View on the Relationship between of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and Herzberg’s Dual Factor Theory. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 5(7), pp. 207-215.

Sachau, D. A., 2007. Resurrecting the MotivationHygiene Theory: Herzberg and the Positive Psychology Movement. Human Resource Development Review, 6(4), pp. 377-393.