The Excitement Of Being A New Manager Has Started To Wear Of

The Excitement Of Being A New Manager Has Started To Wear Offyour The excitement of being a new manager has started to wear off. Your boss is pressuring you because you need your team to work faster. You need to find a way to motivate them! Based on your psychology class, you realize that you have two choices.

CHOICE 1 - Praise.

You could focus on those who do really well and praise them for their success. There will be a bulletin board that highlights those employees with the best performance.

CHOICE 2 - Pay. For those employees who produce more, they get paid more. The top 5% get a big raise.

Which choice do you make? This is really important because your end-of-year bonus depends on your team's productivity. In your discussion post, share which choice you make and how that connects to what you have learned about motivation.

Paper For Above instruction As a new manager faced with the challenge of increasing team productivity, I would choose to implement a motivation strategy rooted in both recognition and tangible rewards, but if I must select exclusively between the two options presented—praise or pay—I would opt for praising employees' successes. This decision aligns with key psychological theories of motivation, such as Positive Reinforcement and Self-Determination Theory, which emphasize intrinsic motivation and the importance of recognizing effort and achievement to foster sustainable engagement.

Recognizing employees through praise leverages the psychological concept of intrinsic motivation.

According to Deci and Ryan’s Self-Determination Theory, individuals are motivated when they feel competent, autonomous, and connected to others (Deci & Ryan, 1985). Praise enhances employees' sense of competence by affirming their achievements, which in turn fosters increased intrinsic motivation. When employees receive genuine recognition, they are likely to develop a sense of belonging and personal satisfaction in their work, which can lead to sustained effort and higher performance over time (Kuvaas, 2006). Moreover, praising employees publicly through a bulletin board not only motivates the individual recognized but also sets a cultural norm that rewards achievement, encouraging others to emulate successful behaviors.

On the other hand, the pay-for-performance approach, while effective in providing extrinsic motivation,

may have limitations if used exclusively. According to behaviorist theories, monetary rewards can effectively alter behavior in the short term but may diminish intrinsic motivation if employees begin to see work solely as a means to financial gain (Deci, Koestner, & Ryan, 1999). Additionally, focusing primarily on top performers—such as the top 5% receiving significant raises—could generate competition rather than collaboration within the team, potentially undermining overall cohesion and collective effort (Gerhart & Rynes, 2003). While monetary incentives are powerful motivators, they may not sustain motivation once the reward system is removed or if employees perceive the rewards as unfair or unattainable.

Research supports the effectiveness of combining recognition with monetary incentives for optimal motivation. Studies indicate that when intrinsic motivators like praise are complemented by extrinsic rewards, employee engagement and performance are maximized (Gagné & Deci, 2005). For example, a study by Latham and Pinder (2005) highlights that recognition reinforces desired behaviors, which can be further amplified when tied to tangible rewards. In the context of my leadership strategy, praising employees creates a positive work environment that encourages ongoing effort, while financial rewards serve as an additional incentive for higher productivity among top performers.

In conclusion, as a manager seeking to motivate my team effectively, I would prioritize praise and recognition because it nurtures intrinsic motivation, enhances a sense of competence, and fosters a positive workplace culture. This approach aligns with psychological research emphasizing the importance of intrinsic rewards for sustainable motivation. However, integrating monetary incentives, particularly targeted rewards for outstanding performance, can complement intrinsic motivators to achieve optimal results. Balancing recognition with financial incentives can motivate employees to perform at their best while maintaining a healthy, collaborative team environment.

References Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1985). *Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behavior*.

Springer Science & Business Media.

Deci, E. L., Koestner, R., & Ryan, R. M. (1999). A meta-analytic review of experiments examining the effects of extrinsic rewards on intrinsic motivation. *Psychological Bulletin*, 125(6), 627-668.

Gagné, M., & Deci, E. L. (2005). Self-determination theory and work motivation. *Journal of Organizational Behavior*, 26(4), 331-362.

Gerhart, B., & Rynes, S. L. (2003). *Compensation: Theory, evidence, and strategic implications*. Sage Publications.

Kuvaas, B. (2006). Work performance, affective commitment, and work motivation: The roles of pay administration and pay level. *Journal of Organizational Behavior*, 27(3), 365-385.

Latham, G. P., & Pinder, C. C. (2005). Work motivation theory and research at the dawn of the twenty-first century. *Annual Review of Psychology*, 56, 485-516.