Human Motivation And Workers Productivity
[A CASE STUDY OF BETA GLASS PLC UGHELLI, DELTA STATE, NIGERIA]

Task 5.2. Classification of possible attributions for performance.

IMPLICATION OF ATTRIBUTION THEORY
The level of performance could be determined by the employee orientation. Those with internal control orientation believe they can influence their level of performance through their own abilities, skills, or effort.
Employee with external orientation believe that their level of performance is determined by external factors beyond their influence.
Studies so far shows that employee with internal control orientation are generally more satisfied with their job, participatory style of management and are more likely to be in managerial positions than employees with external orientation.
Employee with high achievement motivation may attribute their success to internal forces – ability and effort and not luck or nature of task. If employee fails to perform well, they may attribute it to external factors, as a result, they may reduce the level of future effort. Conversely, if staff perform well, but the manager perceive this is as a result of easy task or luck, the proportionate recognition or reward may not be given. If however, the employee perceive that the good performance was due to their ability and/or effort, the absence of recognition and reward may be demotivating in impact.
The impact of attribution theory to employee productivity could be seen in the employee perception of organizational activities. The people alignment and control of internal control orientation and external control orientation instrument of the organizational environment is critical. Furthermore, the manager perception of the causes of success and failure and the recognition and reward system instrument, have great impart on motivation and productivity. Recognition and reward is motivating and could improve performance while the absence of recognition and reward could be demotivating and may adversely affect performance.
6).    REINFORCEMENT THEORY
This is an approach to motivation based on the “Law of Effect” – the idea that behaviour with positive consequences tend to be repeated, while behaviour with negative consequences tend not to be repeated.
Psychologist B. F. Skinner et al showes how the consequences of post behaviour effect future actions in a cyclical learning process. This process may be expressed as follows: Stimulus – Response – Consequences – Future response. Individual own voluntary behaviour (response) to a situation or even (stimulus) is the cause of specific consequence. If those consequences are positive, the individual will in the future tend to have similar response in similar situations. If these consequences are unpleasant, the individual will tend to change his or her behaviour in order to avoid them.
The law of effect – At work people try to meet goal because of reward ‘a persons is motivated when he or she respond to stimuli in consistent pattern of behaviour overtime.
It link motivation with behaviour, just like expectancy theory. Making suggestion is a reinforced behaviour.

Hammer W. C. postulated six rule formula for using behaviour modification:
Rule 1:    Don’t reward all individuals equally. Base reward on level of performance.
Rule 2:    Be aware that failure to respond can also modify behaviour.
For example,
failure to commend a deserving subordinate may cause poor performance next time.
Rule 3:    Be sure to tell individuals what they can do to get reinforcement.
Rule 4:    Be sure to tell individual what they are doing wrong. To avoid confusion or feeling of being manipulated.
Rule 5:    Don’t punish any in front of others
Rule 6:    Be fair
THE CONSEQUENCES OF A BEHAVIOUR SHOULD BE APPROPRIATE.
It is posited that “reinforcement theory indicates that managers should link desirable outcome, such as pay rise or promotion to the behaviour, they want to encourage”. In all, reinforcement theory demonstrate that motivation is an instrument in the hand of the worker but it is in the contingencies that exist between behaviour and reward, Gomez – Mejia (2005:520).
Therefore, reinforcement principles can improve on productivity if the principles and practices are carried out to the letter. All things being equal
7)    SELF-EFFICACY THEORY
Bandura postulated the self-efficacy theory. Self-efficacy or social cognitive theory or social learning theory refers to an individual’s belief that he or she is capable of performing a task. High efficacy increase confidence in your ability to succeed in a task, try harder to master the challenge and respond appropriately to negative feedback with increase effort and motivation. The reverse is the case for those with low efficacy. Managers can help their employees achieve high efficacy by bringing together goal-setting theory and self-efficacy theory because they compliment each other.
Bandura argued that there are four ways self-efficacy can be achieved, they are:
i.    Enactive mastery
ii.    Vicarious modeling
iii.    Verbal persuasion
iv.    Arousal
Enactive mastery is gaining relevant experience with the task or job. Past and present experience.
Vicarious modeling or becoming more confident because you see someone else doing the task. Becomes effective when you see yourself as similar to the persons you are observing.
Verbal persuasion. This is becoming more confident because someone convinces you that you have the skill necessary to be successful.
Arousal – leads to an energized state, which drives a person to complete a task. The person get “psyched up” and perform better and when arousal is not important, the reverse is the case.