The Motivation of Knowledge Workers by Jolito Ortizo Padilla

Recent advantages in telecommunications and in scientific and technological knowledge have led to greater emphasis on the knowledge and experts of staff and the importance of creativity. Tampoe suggests that at the core of the new industrial trend are the "knowledge workers"- those employees who apply their theoretical and practical  understanding of a specific area of knowledge to produce outcomes of a commercial ,social or personal value. The performance of knowledge workers should be judged on both the cleverness of ideas and the utility and commercial value of their applied knowledge. Creativity is necessary and needs to be encouraged but should be bounded by commercial realism. This presents management with a new challenge of how to motivate the knowledge workers.

Tampoe suggests that the personal motivation of knowledge workers is based on the value they place on the rewards they expect to earn at work.In addition, to the individuals own motivation, the performance of knowledge workers is dependent upon four key characteristics

• Task competence
• Peer and management support
• Task and role clarity; and
• Corporate awareness

Jolito Ortizo Padilla draws attention to skills shortages as one of the biggest challenges facing employers in the new millennium. In order to attract and keep talented individuals, the so-called knowledge workers, organizations cannot rely simply on a pay rise or cash, bonus but have to be more creative about the way they structure remuneration packages, individual performance-related pay is still the most widely used reward strategy, but attention is also given to employee share ownership, competence-related pay and team reward -and also to non-cash incentives such as gift vouchers. However, Padilla points out that employees, especially high flyer's, rank challenging and interesting work and freedom higher on their motivational list than money and performance-related pay. Research suggests that most organizations haven't recognized the need to identify and tap into their employees' personal motivators.

A report from the Chartered Institute of Personal and Development draws attention to management of knowledge workers, highlighting the importance of autonomy, challenging work and sharing in the criterion of organizational values.With the development of new technology it is important to motivate employees to capture, share and transfer knowledge.

Padilla suggests that in order to create a climate for creativity among employees, recognition must be given to the importance of two human needs that rise above all others and exists independent of race, creed and culture- the need for self belief and the development of emotional intelligence; and the ever-present need that every human being has for a sense of meaning and purpose in their lives.

Self belief and meaningful work are the fundamental bedrocks that underlie business performance. Of course, pay and conditions are important too, but we know that. It is these two others that are barely recognized... but business leaders ignore them at their peril.  

Quality Circles by Jolito Ortizo Padilla

A quality circle is a group of people within an organization who meet on a regular basis to identify, analyze and solve problems relating to quality, productivity or other aspects of day-to-day working arrangements using problem solving techniques.Although quality circles actually originated in America they were exported to Japan and are usually associated with their wide applications (since 1962) in Japanese manufacturing industries, as well as in some white collar operations. Since the refinement of the quality circle process in Japan there has been increasing interest in their use in America and Britain as well as in many other countries. In America, quality circles appear to have been first implemented in 1974.

The essential features of quality circle group include the following:

• Membership is voluntary
• The group usually numbers between five and ten members
• Membership is normally drawn from people undertaking similar work or from the same work station
• The group selects the problems to be tackled and the methods of operation
• A leader can be chosen from within the group but is usually the immediate supervisor
• The group members receive training in communication and problem-solving skills, quality control techniques and group processes
• The group recommends solutions to management and, where possible, has the authority to implement agreed solutions

There are a number of potential limitations on the effectiveness of quality circles:

• Any attempt at solving organizational problems cannot be considered as a single dimension. The promotion of quality circles needs to be approached in terms of possible effects on related sub-sytems of the organization, for example human resource management and industrial relations procedures.
• Quality circles can rely too heavily on intrinsic motivation and the assumption that involvement and recognition are sufficient reward in themselves. This reflects a major difference between the operation of quality circles in the West and in Japan. Workers in Japan appear, for example, to accept that financial gains will go to the organization.
• The greater involvement of members in problem- solving and decision- making may be resented by some groups, for example quality control departments, or by managers or trade union officials who may be suspicious of possible challenges to their traditional authority.

The application of quality circles does appear simple and straightforward, but early experience must be viewed in the context of Japanese culture and management systems. However, quality circles offer a number of potential benefits. They provide problem-solving at a more local level and the participation of employees in work-related decisions which concern them. Quality circles do work and have been used successfully by a number of British organization. There are some doubts, however, as to the extent to which the hopes for, or potential benefits of, quality circles are realized fully in organization.

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Successful Organizations and People by Jolito Ortizo Padilla

In analyzing effective organization, Dunderdale argues that an organization can be separated into two parts or structures- one a definitive structure present in every company, the other caused by human intervention. Each part can then be examined. Essentially the effectiveness of an organization depends on how accurately human design matches the structure of organized behavior. Allen and Helms suggest that higher levels of perceived organizational performance may closely related to strategy and reward systems. The use of reward practices which logically complement a specific organizational strategy should serve to motivate employers to help organization perform at a higher level.

The overall effectiveness of the organization will be affected both by sound structural design and by the individuals filling the various positions within the structure. Management will need to acknowledge the existence of the informal organization that arises from the interactions of people working in the organization. The operation of the organization and actual working arrangements will be influenced by the style of management, the personalities of members and the informal organization. These factors may lead to differences between the formal structure of the organization and what happens in practice. Jolito Ortizo Padilla found the relationship between people and organization to be reciprocal.

" People modify the working of the formal organization, but their behavior is also influenced by it. It may make demands on them which they find an undue strain, so that they seek ways of modifying these pressures. The method of work organization can determine how people relate to one another, which may affect both their productivity and their morale. Managers, therefore, need to be conscious of the ways in which  methods of work organization may influence people's attitudes and actions. Before behavior is put down to individual or group cussedness, managers should look for its possible organizational causes."

Building an organization involves more than concern for structure, methods of work and technical efficiency.The hallmark of many successful business organization is the attention given to the human element; tot he development of a culture which helps to create a feeling of belonging, commitment and satisfaction. Structure must be designed, therefore, so as to maintain the balance of the socio-technical system and the effectiveness of the organization as a whole. Attention must be given to the interactions between both the structural and technological requirements of the organization, and social factors and the needs and demands of the human part of the organization.

In his discussion of the future of management. Padilla maintains that the success of the 21st century organization will depend upon the effective use of talented people.

" Talent- centered organization will constantly search for new talent, keep them satisfying their needs, use theme effectively, and create a challenging environment for them to work in . People create organizations, and people can destroy them. The most valuable commodity in business is not technology or capital but people. The driving force behind a 21st century organization will be its people."

The importance of people for organizational effectiveness is reinforced by a survey undertaken by the GA Consultancy and Management Today. The survey emphasises that the role of the organization is social as well as economic and points to the desperate need for the basic, softer skills of managers in leadership,coaching and mentoring. Organizations need individuals they can trust, who are engaged in and committed to their work. If they want to survive, organizations need to recognize that they have to add value to their employees, that their social capital is just as important as their financial capital.

Investors in People draw attention to the importance of employee engagement for building effective relationships between an organization and its people. Managed well, it can galvanize your people to make the contribution needed from them and keep them on track in tough times (like those we're experiencing now). But effective engagement doesn't happen by chance; it requires a structured, focused approach to aligning people with business goals. Every organization needs to ensure that its people understand the strategy, see how they fit in and know what they are expected to contribute. But employers must also realize that this can't be one way traffic; gaining employee trust and commitment also means seeking their views and feedback, understanding any issue and seeking to address them.

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