By Adewole Kehinde
“Praise, like sunlight, helps all things to grow.” Croft M. Pentz
The motivation of employees is clearly an important factor in the overall performance of an organization. Organizations would like their employees to work harder and be flexible. The link between reward schemes and motivation is a complex issue that is hotly debated in human resource-related literature.
A well-known theory relating to motivation is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Maslow stated that people’s wants and needs follow a hierarchy. Once the needs of one level of the hierarchy are met, the individual will then focus on achieving the needs of the next level in the hierarchy. The lower levels of the hierarchy are physiological, relating to the need to survive (for example, eating and being housed); once these have been met, humans then desire safety, followed by love, followed by esteem, and finally, at the top of the hierarchy, self-actualization, or self-fulfillment.
Applying Maslow’s hierarchy of needs to reward schemes suggests that very junior staff earning very low wages will be motivated by receiving higher monetary rewards, as this will enable them to meet their physiological needs. As employees become progressively more highly paid, however, monetary rewards become relatively less important as other needs in the hierarchy, such as job security, the ability to achieve one’s potential, and the feeling of being needed, become more important.
A reward system refers to all the monetary, non-monetary, and psychological payments that an organization provides for its employees in exchange for the work they perform.
Rewards schemes may include extrinsic and intrinsic rewards. Extrinsic rewards are items such as financial payments and working conditions that the employee receives as part of the job. Intrinsic rewards relate to the satisfaction that is derived from actually performing the job, such as personal fulfillment and a sense of contributing something to society.
What do organizations hope to achieve from a reward scheme? The following are among the most important objectives: To support the goals of the organization by aligning the goals of employees with them, To ensure that the organization is able to recruit and retain a sufficient number of employees with the right skills, To motivate employees; To align the risk preferences of managers and employees with those of the organization; To comply with legal regulations; To be ethical; and to be affordable and easy to administer.
From the above analysis of the motivation of employees and reward scheme, I was so excited when I saw the press statement from the indefatigable Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, saying that the Acting Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olukayode Adeolu Egbetokun, has ordered the resuscitation of the Awards and Commendation system for the Nigeria Police Force, implemented under the guidance of his administration, to enhance motivation and encouragement among Police Officers.
The Acting IGP said that this renewed commendation system represents a significant advancement from the past, as it now covers all officers involved in every major case, moving away from solely focusing on arresting officers or commanders.
I strongly stand with the Acting IGP because praise, appreciation, and recognition are like nourishment for the human spirit. Without them, we cannot grow, and we lose our sense of purpose.
When you are in the habit of giving others specific and sincere commendations, they will naturally value what you have to say. They trust you to be on their side and are confident you have their back.
Then, when it is time to give constructive criticism, they see it as intended: a way to help them get better.
The initiative by the Acting IGP will surely motivate police personnel to work harder and align their goals with those of the Force.
Individuals who excel in their careers and are recognized for their efforts serve as sources of motivation for everyone.
Additionally, recognizing an employee with a recognition award encourages that employee and the rest of their coworkers to give it their all at work.
When an employee is commended in front of their peers, they are ecstatic. They are filled
with excitement as a result of their sense of accomplishment, and this joy fuels their desire to do even better.
In conclusion, this timely initiative of the Acting IGP will surely increase motivation among police personnel. It will also show appreciation, encourage friendly competition, improve
productivity, and create a positive workplace.
Adewole Kehinde is the publisher of Swift Reporters and can be reached at 08166240846. kennyadewole@gmail.com