Chapter 9 - Motivation and Morale

Four Key Components of Contingency Theory

1) People have a basic need to feel competent 2) How people fill this need varies and will depend on how the need interacts with other needs and the strengths of those needs 3) Competence motivation is most likely to exist when task and organization "fit". 4) Feeling competent continues to be motivating even after competence is achieved.

Three Primary Sources of Job Satisfaction - Herzberg

1) The importance of the work itself 2) The sense of responsibility while doing the work 3) The feeling of recognition for that work

Three Step Process of Expectancy Theory

A motivating factor - a need to satisfy or goal to achieve - exists that is important to the employee The employee believes that by putting in the required or requested effort, the job can be performed The employee believes that by successfully performing the job as requested, the need will be satisfied or the goal will be achieved.

Morale

A person's or group's state of mind, level of enthusiasm and involvement with work and with life, how employees feel, in contrast to discipline, which is how employees act. It can make or break an individual and an organization. It is always present, it may be high, low or on an even keel. Good or poor morale is generally attributed to an individual whereas high or low morale characterizes the entire organization. Can be measured by observing the actions and statements of employees.

Symptoms of Unmotivated Officer

Absenteeism Constant Complaining Lack of Care for equipment Lack of respect for other officers Lack of respect for rules and regulations Low Morale Sleeping or loafing on duty Slovenly appearance Tardiness

Job Enlargement

Adds responsibilities, however, increasing the number of tasks can be seen as a threat. Given the right training and tools, officers should perceive this as motivating, giving them renewed interest in and enthusiasm for law enforcement work.

Physiological Needs

Air, food, water, sleep, shelter, sex

Motivation

An inner or outer drive or impetus to do something or to act in a specified manner; an inner or outer drive to meet a need or goal. Self-motivation is derived from within the individual. Outer motivation is provided from external sources to influence an individual or to furnish a reason for another person to do a desired act in a desired way. To keep motivation and morale high, managers must give recognition.

$80,000

Average cost of training a new officer from point of hire to three year mark, the point which officer becomes effective.

$16,000

Average cost of training new recruit at academy

Considerations for Criticism

Be Certain of the Facts, do not make mountains out of molehills Correct in private, praise in public Be objective and impersonal. Do not compare one officer unfavorably with another Ask questions, do not accuse. Allow those you are correcting to explain themselves. Focus on the action that needs correcting, not on the individual officer. Emphasize what is to be done, not what is wrong.

Reinforcement Theory - Skinner

Behavior can be shaped and modified using positive and negative reinforcement.

Options for Building Morale

Being Positive and Upbeat Setting, clear meaningful goals and objectives Setting appropriate standards Being Fair Making no promises that cannot be kept Providing necessary resources Developing organizational and personal pride Providing a sense of participation - teamwork Treating each person as an individual Giving deserved recognition Criticizing Tactfully Avoiding the boss attitude Communicating Effectively

To improve morale, managers must:

Believe that subordinates can grow and change Be Open and Honest with their subordinates, treat them with respect and seek to understand them Understand themselves (Credibility is critical, managers who seek to build morale must exhibit high morale themselves.)

Personal Growth

Can be achieved by providing opportunities for departmental training, seminars, college classes, or public talks to civic organizations and youth groups.

Promotion Panels

Consider formal education level, amount and type of specialized training, specific skills, length of employment, previous evaluations, productivity or performance levels, personal appearance, department awards and recognition and discipline/reprimand history.

$100,000

Cost of department failing to retain an officer; replacement costs is two to five times officer's annual salary. In addition to the costs of losing officers, agencies with higher turnovers suffer from reduced productivity, lower quality of service delivery, more frequent complaints, and lawsuits.

Punishment-Oriented Managers

Criticize or ridicule in public Ignore a job well done Withhold needed information Avoid discussion on expected promotion or raise

Encouragement and Praise

Destructive Words to someone who is down can be what it takes to kill them Encouraging words to someone who is down can lift them up and help them make it through the day

Disadvantages to Reinforcement Theory

Does not consider human needs Simplifies behavior and rewards Does not consider employees may be motivated by job itself, may be self motivated or may consider rewards as manipulation, which they will reject. Failing to reward leads to decreased production Failing to punish poor performance can reinforce that behavior Time Factor - many incentives may be delayed (paycheck)

Factors Influencing Retention

Economy - Factor from outside department Salary - most frequent factor within department poor supervisors or leadership poor job fit higher ordered needs dysfunctional organizational cultures generational differences lack of career growth inadequate feedback inadequate recognition inadequate training inadequate equipment Studies show poor supervision is more influential factor than salary, People dont quit jobs, they quit bosses.

Self-Motivation

Employees know agency's goals and choose to help meet them. Employees work for personal job satisfaction. Dedicated to their work and make every hour count. Gives them a sense of accomplishment and personal value. More apt to work towards organizational as well as personal goals.

Signs employee may be considering leaving

Expressing prolonged disappointment about being passed over for transfer or promotion Perceiving that a close friend who has gone to another job has better opportunities Reviewing personnel and training records to update resumes Making inquiries of human resources about early retirement or transfers of benefits ** If an officer does leave, an exit interview should be conducted to determine cause(s).

Problems with Punishment

Fight - Cause a get even attitude Flight - Workers quit but stay; put in required time Have to constantly watch over employees May associate punishment with manager and dread manager coming around Any kind of attention, even punishment, may be better than being ignored

Social Needs

Friendship, love, affection, group and team belonging

Internal Intangible Motivators

Goals and Expectations Encouragement and Praise Achievement, Recognition, Growth and Advancement Self-Esteem A Feeling of Importance Being Involved, Included and "In" on Things Compassion

Reasons For Morale Problems

Inadequate, non equitable salaries and fringe benefits Lacks Modern Equipment Does Not Provide Adequate Resources Poor Management Internal politics Favoritism by Supervisors Uncaring police administration Rude or Disrespectful Supervisors Job Dissatisfaction Failure to meet important individual needs

Safety and Security Needs

Includes protection from serious injury and death, freedom from fear and a clear authority structure

Negative Reinforcement

Increases a given behavior by removing an unwanted stimulus as a consequence of that behavior. Seat belt chime. Not to be confused with punishment. Not the same. Reinforcement aims to strengthen or increase the likelihood of a behavior, punishment attempts to weaken or decrease the likelihood of a given behavior. Closer in time to the behavior, the more effective.

Positive Reinforcement

Increases the likelihood that a behavior will occur in the future by introducing an appealing or pleasurable stimuli as a consequence of that behavior. Typical Reward Cycle scenario.

Motivator Factors

Intangible rewards that can cause satisfaction. Most employees still believe that satisfying work is more important than increased salary and advancement, if the basic salary is adequate.

Three Ways to Make Law Enforcement Work More Interesting and Motivating

Job Rotation Job Enlargement Job Enrichment

Job Related Factors Contributing to Low Morale

Lack of Administrative Support Ineffective Supervision Lack of Necessary Equipment or Training Lack of Promotion Opportunities Political Interference Corruption within the Department The Criminal Justice System Itself Image of Police Portrayed by the Media

Most Common Indicators of Morale Problems

Less Positive Attitude Loss of Interest and Enthusiasm Negativism Lack of Respect Excessive Absenteeism, sick leave and turnover Longer Lunch Hours or Breaks Coming In Late and Leaving Early Low Productivity Less Attention to Personal Appearance Increasing Number of Grievances and Complaints Increase in Accidents

Benefits of Motivated Personnel

Less Sick Leave Better Coverage More Arrests Better Investigations

Self Actualization Needs

Meeting individual goals and fulfilling one's potential, including expressing creative talents.

Recognition

Most effective if it can be related to a person's personal qualities rather than the performance itself. Managers often fail to use this reward that costs nothing. Some managers can not bring themselves to praise subordinates either because it is not in their nature or they are too busy.

Written Examinations

Most frequently used technique to make promotional selections of mid to lower level police positions. Most law enforcement agencies us a civil service examination, both written and oral. Final selection of the top three candidates is made from the written and oral examinations.

Two Factor Hygiene/Motivator Theory - Herzberg

Motivational Theory that employees' needs can be classified as hygiene factors (tangible rewards that can cause dissatisfaction if lacking) and motivator factors (intangible rewards that can create satisfaction)

Hierarchy of Needs - Maslow

Motivational Theory that people have certain needs that must be met in a specific order going from basic physiological needs to safety and security, social, esteem, and self-actualization needs.

Contingency Theory - Morse and Lorsch

Motivational Theory that suggests fitting tasks, officers and agency's goals so that officers can feel competent

Expectancy Theory - Vroom

Motivational theory that employees will choose the level of effort that matches the performance opportunity for reward

Promotions

Must be fair and based on management qualities such as leadership and communication skills, not on technical skills and seniority. Promotion process must be fair and those who want promotions must be helped in their quest. However, not everyone is management material.

Job Rotation

Often done on a temporary basis. Cross training that provides a better understanding of the total law enforcement effort and gives supervisors more flexibility to deal with absences and requests for vacations. Also prepares officers for promotions and can serve as a motivator as such officers begin to feel competent doing new and different tasks.

Praise

One of most powerful tools we can use. Must be presented correctly Must be believable Must be credible Appropriate for situation and person Needs to be timely, and public if possible Be specific

Causes of Unmotivated Work Force

Overwork Downsizing Endless restructuring Boredom Frustration Promotions - who gets them and why Work Conditions Court system

Assessment Centers

Properly designed and administered assessments are more reliable than traditional testing methods for evaluating supervisory, managerial, and administrative potential, especially at the upper levels.

Reasons for Staffing Crisis

Retirement (Primary Reason) Poor Pay and Poor Working Conditions Weakened Economy Significant number of officers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan

Key Considerations to Building Morale Include:

Salary Quality of Supervision Organizational and Public Support Physical Conditions at Work Favoritism *Individual most able to raise or lower individual and departmental morale is the manager/supervisor through leadership and open communication.*

Esteem Needs

Self respect and respect and recognition from others, achievement, status, a title, added responsibility, independence and recognition for job performance.

Retention Costs

Separation Costs Recruitment Costs Selection Costs New Employee Costs Soft Costs - stacking calls and forgoing proactive work

Goals and Expectations

Should make officers reach to their level of competence. Should be set by first line supervisors and middle managers with the participation of patrol officers. Should be consistent and communicated.

Job Enrichment

Similar to job enlargement except that the focus is on the quality of the new jobs assigned rather than the quantity. Appropriate for any highly routine job. This may also be perceived as a threat to some officers.

Hygiene Factors

Tangible rewards that can cause dissatisfaction if lacking. Help explain why many people stick with jobs they do not like. They stay because they are not dissatisfied with the tangible rewards such as pay although they are not satisfied with the work itself.

Three Phases of Assessment Centers

Testing: Written examination, verbal screening and psychological testing Oral Board Interview, situational testing, leaderless group discussion and individual psychological interview Polygraph examination, background check, physical examination and officer/staff interviews **Whatever method chosen, whenever possible it is best to promote from within the agency. Passing over qualified personnel to bring in an outsider almost invariably erodes morale.

External Tangible Motivators

The Compensation Package (i.e. salary, benefits) - Equitable procedure for raises, employees know what to expect and when in return for performance Working Conditions and Schedules - Inadequacies in working conditions can cause great dissatisfaction; work environment can have a great impact on morale Security - Fair work rules, adequate grievance procedure, reasonable policies and discipline, seniority privileges. Social - Opportunities to mix with one's peers and superiors Status - privileges, title, private offices, awards, symbols of rank and position. The aforementioned are sometimes called maintenance factors. They merely prevent dissatisfaction.

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

The theory that people live up to expectations - if people believe they can do a job, they usually can, but if people believe they cannot do a job, they usually cannot. The more self-esteem individuals in the agency have, the higher the organizational esteem will be. Officers with low self esteem will perform low-level work. If they have been told they are incompetent, they probably will not perform well.

Disturbing Trend

Use of contracts to require officers who leave an agency before a specified number of years to pay the employer back for training, tuition, room and board.

Pygmalion Effect

What managers and supervisors expect of their officers and how managers treat officers largely determine officers performance and career progress. A man's reach must exceed his grasp.

Hawthorne Effect

Workers are positively affected by receiving attention, which affects research efforts. Production increased not as a consequence of actual changes in working conditions introduced by the plant's management but because management showed interest in such improvements.