Task 1
Skim-read the proposal below and answer these questions. What is the aim? Who are the sample? In your opinion, is the research achievable?
Research Proposal
Draft title: An exploration of the management of employee motivation in the UK Higher Education sector.
Research Topic: The Management of Employee Motivation
1.0 Introduction
Employee motivation is key to the success to any institution. Motivation among academic staff plays an important role in contributing to positive outcomes in the quality of the institutions and the students’ learning (Stankovska et al., 2017). In February 2018, UK universities experienced the biggest industrial action by employees, which posed a threat to student studies, final year exams and graduation ceremonies (The Guardian, 2018). This industrial action was brought on by the dissatisfaction of employees in the higher education sector across the UK. Consequently, it is vital that the factors that motivate employees and actions by management that potentially demotivate staff and in turn to reduce job satisfaction (Imran Rasheed et al., 2016) are revisited.
1.1 The Research Aim
The aim of this research is to explore the management of the motivation of the teaching staff in the UK Higher Education Sector. The research questions are what motivates teaching staff in the higher education sector to work and fulfil employee obligations to the best of their abilities and what factors can demotivate them. The research will be based on a case study of the University of Hertfordshire Business School (HBS) with a view to establishing and making recommendations on how management can develop and implement methods of motivating staff and ultimately achieve maximum efficiency.
1.2 The Research Objectives
To explore the relationship between employee motivation and job satisfaction or dissatisfaction.
To investigate teaching staff motivation at the HBS using primary data collection (interviews and questionnaires) in an attempt to produce HBS specific guidelines for best practice by management to improve motivation.
Task 2
Find synonyms in sections 1.0/1.1/1.2 for the following words:
therefore | finally, | caused by | essential | appearance |
examine | Assess | possibly | field | represented a danger |
Task 3
Read the Literature Review and answer the following questions:
What is the overall structure of the Literature Review: general – specific (or) specific – general?
What is the function of the highlighted sentences?
Look at the structure of the second paragraph in the Literature Review. You will see that it generally follows the PEEL structure (Point / Evidence / Explanation / Link).
Click on the CASE Website/Academic Writing/ Essays, Reports, Reflective Writing and Posters/Essay Writing Skills for more information.
Explain the function of sentences 1-7.
Now look at the 3rd paragraph in the Literature Review. How many sentences does the student use to explain the theory of Self Determination Theory? Where does the writer use specific examples to make the paragraph more interesting to read? What sentences show that the writer agrees with the theory and will use it in their own research (we call this ‘critical evaluation’)?
Now look at the 4th paragraph: which sentences critically evaluate previous research? What grammar does the writer use to suggest improvements to this previous research?
What is the writer doing in the last 2 sentences of the Literature Review?
2.0 Literature Review
Motivation is a widely explored topic and vast research has been conducted to determine motivation importance and implementation. However, there are very few recent studies into the motivation in the context of higher education academic staff. The value of UK universities can not be over emphasised with their substantial £52.9 billion gross value added to the UK GDP, support for almost 944,000 jobs and vital development of skills and research (Universities UK, 2018), it is important to ensure that higher education institutions are delivering a high-quality service and key to this is ensuring academic staff are motivated. The ‘psychological contract’ is a component of the employer and employee relationship that captures a wide variety of unwritten expectations and understandings of the two parties about their mutual obligations. At the heart of the concept of psychological contract are the levers for individual commitment, motivation and task performance beyond the ‘expected outcomes’ (Bratton and Gold, 2017, p.12). According to Mayo (2002), motivation is a key indicator of an employee’s added value to the organisation, he refers to it as the nonfinancial component of employee capital which is affected by leadership, practical support, reward and recognition, and learning and development. While management is not responsible for another person’s motivation, leaders/ management are largely responsible for creating work cultures that encourage people to achieve high performance. This research endeavours to explore the factors that motivate employees in the higher education sector, specifically looking into the HBS with a view to developing guidelines on the manners in which employee motivation can be improved.
(1) Existing research into the motivation of employees in general have been conducted relying on a number of key motivational theories. (2) Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (Maslow, 1943) is based on five types of human needs Biological/Physiological Needs, Safety Needs, Social Needs, Esteem Needs and Self Actualisation Needs. (3) His theory states that these needs arrange themselves in “hierarchies of pre-potency” where one need rests on prior satisfaction of a more pre-potent need. (4) Consequently, every need is related to the satisfaction or dissatisfaction of other needs. (5) Sadri and Bowen (2011) looked into the usefulness of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs to the motivation of staff and meeting employee requirements concluding that theory provides a guideline for companies recommending that they should ensure that working conditions, benefits and incentives satisfy needs at all five levels of the hierarchy. (6) Despite its seemingly straightforward and logical nature, Maslow’s theory has gone under much scrutiny over the years with academics finding fault in the methodology used to reach his conclusions. (7) Arguments include the bias nature, with his findings based dominantly on male perspectives culturally exclusive and based solely on non-scientific findings (Moran et al., 2012). (8) On the other hand, Udechukwu (2009) highly recommends the utilisation of Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory, arguing that it has and will continue to shape the understanding of job satisfaction in all companies, regardless of industry. (9) Alderfer’s ERG theory is a modification of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, arguing that when a higher category of needs such as esteem and self-actualising needs, individuals tend to divert more attention and instance on lower needs. (10) This concept will also be explored in the collection of data.
Self Determination Theory (Deci and Ryan, 1985, 2000) is a theory of human motivation based on the idea that humans are viewed as innately predisposed towards psychological growth, mastery of challenges and integration of intrapersonal and interpersonal experiences into a coherent sense of self. SDT proposes that interactions between individuals and their environment determine the quality of their motivation, through the satisfaction of three fundamental needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness. The theory recognises the distinction between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation which intrinsic motivation being characterised by behavioural engagement for reasons of personal interest, satisfaction and enjoyment while extrinsic motivation is participation in behaviour to meet external contingencies, such as deadlines and tangible rewards (McLachlan et al. cited in Tod and Lavallee, 2012). However SDT further divides extrinsic motivation into four types (i.e., external, introjected, identified, integrated) that vary in the degree to which motivation has been internalized (Gagné & Deci, 2005). Moran (2012) conducted a study of the approach to the self determination theory at work to measure the five identified types of motivation at work. The study conducted between employees in China across a range of 5 industries found that motivation levels of employees differed according to job characteristics and psychological need satisfaction and ratings of job performance were highest when all five motivations were high. This relates to Miner (2014) role motivation theories where he states that work motivations differ according to the role they play within an organisation. For example, a lecturer finding himself overloaded with administrative tasks or reporting duties with less time for research and personal development will be much less motivated. Several studies have supported SDT as an approach to work motivation by confirming aspects of the theory within organisations. Gagne and Deci (2005) found that SDT provided a fuller and useful approach to understanding the motivational basis for effective organisational behaviour. When using the SDT theory to measure employee motivation, Howard et al. (2016) also found that employees experience varying amounts of overall motivation or self-determination, they also tend to experience different types of motivation depending on the job type. This research has been conducted across a range of industries excluding the higher education sector, thus this research will be useful to give an insight into the category of motivation best suited to higher education academic staff. SDT improves on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs as it has been supported by a more scientific approach.
From Herzberg’s Two Factor Theory, Herzberg (1976) related his identification of two categories of motivational factors: hygiene factors and motivator factors to job satisfaction. He produced a list of factors that contribute to factors at work (motivation factors), and another separate list of factors that contribute to dissatisfaction (hygiene factors) and out of this came the concept of job enrichment, which has proven to be particularly attractive to management in developing employee motivation measures (Miner, 2005). According to Herzberg, hygiene factors are not directly related to the job itself but concern the conditions under which the job is performed. These factors, for example, company policies, salary, supervision, relationship with supervisor and peers, do not necessarily bring about satisfaction but can cause dissatisfaction when not satisfied (Turabik and Baskan, 2015). Lundberg et al. (2009) tested the two-factor theory on the work motivation of seasonal workers in hospitality sector and found that work motivation was grounded in the satisfaction of higher needs or self fulfilment needs as opposed to wage level. This research could have gone into more detail to compare wage levels between employees to consider whether this made a difference. This research will improve on this existing research to compare findings in a higher education context. The research will also try to explain how exactly the reduction in pensions causing the industrial action would have resulted in the demotivation of staff. Other motivation related theories including McClelland’s Achievement Theory, McGregor Theory X and Theory Y will also be considered in the main research considering their relevance and whether a single motivational theory will be successful across the board.
The motivation of teaching staff in the UK Higher Education sector is subjective and may be a result of a number of different intrinsic or extrinsic factors including but not limited to pay, working conditions, institutional support, training and promotion opportunities and lifelong study (Esdar et al., 2016). The main duties and responsibilities of teaching staff of the University of Hertfordshire include contributing to the design, implementation and delivery of taught modules, teaching, acting as project and research supervisors and being a member of programme and subject committees as appropriate (University of Hertfordshire, 2017). Academic staff manage the learning experience and are the main interface with students, thus their motivation is crucial to determining the quality of this interface. In addition, exceptionally motivated staff can, with the appropriate support, build a national and international reputation for themselves and the institution in research and publishing profile for the institution by engaging in ground-breaking research (Rowley 1996). This research seeks to explore what exactly are the key motivators of academic staff in UK higher education. Zlate and Cucui (2014) explored motivation and performance in higher education giving some insight into the motivation process within universities. They stated that each university employee has a set of factors of satisfaction, dissatisfaction and motivation, thus it is important for the management of each organisation to create a shared vision looking for new ideas that match the organisation strategy to enhance motivation. One of the very few and most relevant pieces of research into the motivation of academic staff in higher education was conducted by Rowley (1996), where she looked into factors such as financial rewards, the culture of teaching, the diversity of staff experience, personal autonomy and organisational structure that impact on the motivation of academic staff in higher education. This research hopes to explore how the identified motivated factors weigh up against each other and whether there are any particular factors where this absence of which substantially demotivate academic staff at HBS. The research will explore the different components of an academic staff member’s role within the organisation and how their motivation differs in relation to each role.
Task 4
Read the Methodology. What are the references used for?
3.0 Methodology
The research seeks to gather primary data relating to what motivates employees specifically looking at academic teaching staff in the UK higher education sector. The research design is based on a case study of academic staff at the University of Hertfordshire Business School (HBS). The case study cannot represent findings that will be representative and automatically applicable to all institutions in the UK higher education sector, and the aim is to generate extensive examination into a single case and engage in theoretical analysis (Bryman and Bell, 2003).
Positivism and Interpretivism are two basic methodological approaches to research. Interpretivism argues that truth and knowledge are subjective, as well as culturally and historically situated, based on people’s experiences and their understanding of them (Ryan, 2018), while Positivism depends on quantifiable observations that lead to statistical analysis in an objective manner (Wilson, 2010). Case study research is often associated with an emphasis on the importance of interpretation of human meaning (Mills et al., 2012). Interpretivism is the most appropriate research method in this instance as the research seeks to gain an insight into people’s perspectives and thoughts on what motivates and demotivates them in the workplace. The information gathered will be socially constructed rather than objectively determined (Carson et al., 2001).
The research draws on existing literature to explore and critically analyse the principles of key and most relevant theories on motivation relating and comparing them the primary data collected in forms of interviews and questionnaires.
Task 4
Read the remaining sections and:
Highlight the references. Are these integral or non-integral references? Can you see an example of critically using a reference?
Underline any examples of the passive.
3.1 Data Collection and Analysis
Initial pilot semi structured interviews will be conducted with a stratified sample of 12 academic teaching staff from the HBS. The sample will endeavour to consist of equal number of male and female staff and an equal number of principal lecturers, senior lecturers, lecturers and academic advisers. Where possible the ratio between postgraduate and undergraduate teaching staff shall be kept as narrow as possible. Although Bryman and Bell (2003) indicate that the issue of representativeness is less important in qualitative research than in quantitative research, as this research is exploratory the idea is to gain representative opinions and perceptions of the research issues, which can be analysed based on their peculiar characteristics and where research variables can be introduced. For example, academic staff who mainly supervise research may be more motivated by self actualising factors as opposed to lecturers or academic supervisors. As the research is exploratory in nature, open questions will be asked leaving room for the respondents to give as much detail as possible on the questions asked.
The information gathered from the interviews will be used to develop the questionnaires, which will be used to make a well-developed conclusion on the factors that motivate, specifically HBS academic staff. Survey strategies using questionnaires are popular as they allow collection of standardised data from a sizeable portion in an economic manner. The questionnaire will be distributed to 70 out of the 209 academic staff at HBS. The questionnaires will have closed questions for eliciting precise information and open questions to allow to expatiation.
The potential respondents have their details contact details on the University of Hertfordshire website, they will be contacted by email first requesting for their participation to be interview. Based on the fact that it is an academic exercise and with prior permission from management of the University, the participation of 12 interviewees is attainable. The questionnaires will be distributed to a larger number of respondents, who will be approached in person by visiting their offices, explaining the essence of the research and asking them to fill out the anonymous questionnaires. The questionnaires will contain a mixture of open and closed questions.
As this is an exploratory research, the analysis will commence with a narrative analysis followed by analytic induction from the questionnaire data. Emerging themes will be used to develop a conceptual framework to guide subsequent work (Saunders et.al 2016). NVivo will be used for the coding and analysis of the qualitative data collected. Any trends identified will be compared to existing research and theories.
3.2 Ethics and Consent
Ethics consent will be sought from the University and consent forms signed by all participants. Results from the primary and secondary research will be used to make recommendations and develop guidelines on best practices for employee motivation of teaching staff in higher education.
3.3 Limitations
The research in this study is limited in that only the HBS is surveyed. The results may vary across departments for example in Life Sciences or Law for example. Another limitation in this research is that the case study is based on soley the University of Hertfordshire, a fairly new and business facing school (University of Hertfordshire, 2018). Further research may be conducted comparing the outcome of an older university that may be more research intensive or with a superior academic reputation.
3.4 Conclusion
Rowley (1996) rightly stated that motivation is central to a quality culture. As higher education institutions become more sophisticated in their approach to quality and move on from the current emphasis on quality assurance to a stronger focus on quality enhancement, motivation will become an even more central issue. She suggested further survey- based research to investigate the relative importance of a variety of factors on staff motivation and identify expectations of staff and their managers and the coincidence of these expectations. This research hopes to add to the limited research in this regard and achieve this, also creating a model for use by other higher education institutions in the UK.
3.5 Progress timelines
Task | May | June – Sept. | Oct | Nov | Dec | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr |
Submit Research Proposal | 4th |
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Planning/Design/Initial Drat: 1. Abstract 2. Introduction 3. Literature Review |
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Data Collection and Interview Schedule Meetings times for interviews (phone or face to face).
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Conduct Interviews and transcribe key parts of interviews |
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Analysis of Interview data |
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Design questionnaires based on outcome of interviews
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Conduct collection of questionnaires. Retrieve/collate data |
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Analysis of questionnaire data |
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Draw Conclusions 1. Findings / Recommendations 2. Limitations |
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Complete draft supervisor/address comments |
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Binding research – work/Submission |
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