Research suggests staff motivation needn’t cost companies anything

Recent research by business psychologists Kaisen has suggested that while employee motivation is a multi-million pound industry, the actual benefits of these activities are shortlived because managers fail to follow through with ‘The Ten Commandments of Management’.

Whether they involve books, seminars or simply a good lunch, motivational events cost real money. In some cases, companies pay to send their employees skydiving or walking across hot coals – and motivational gurus can charge thousands of pounds for a few hours’ work.

However, Kaisen, which undertakes employee surveys for major companies worldwide, claims the key to motivating staff and improving performance – in any business and at any level – already lies in the hands of bosses and needn’t cost them anything.

According to Kaisen, what employers need to do is provide workers with what they have termed the ‘People Enablement Index’, which comprises the ‘Ten Commandments of Management’ – direction, job clarity, client focus, competence, resources, involvement, co-operation, feedback and recognition.

“These ten psychological requirements must be met in order to ensure that employees are fulfilled and productive, “commented Gwyn Rogers, spokesperson for Kaisen. “Meeting these needs leads to a more enduring and tangible effect on employees’ motivation than many of the experiential motivational events such as fire walking.” (CL)