PLATE 9

1. Why is motivating relevant to the job of the engineer

manager?
-Motivation is a very important characteristic for every
job, particularly that of an engineering manager.
Motivation makes the team strive better and do their
best work. Motivated people would try to put in the
effort and attain results while solving problems. An
encouraging manager and supporter helps build
confidence and cooperation among members of his or
her team, which depicts good results in minimal time and
happiness. Motivation makes the team withstand
challenging periods and deliver within deadlines. An
engineering manager can therefore ascertain the success
of projects in addition to general happiness of the team
by building a great environment where everyone is
cherished.
2. Are motivation techniques applicable to engineers?
How and why?
-Motivation forms an extremely vital component for
achieving success in any job, and the same holds for
engineers. Engineers work with hard problems, and
motivation help them to concentrate even more so they
can deliver excellent solutions. Simple techniques of
motivation such as saying "good job," giving clear goals,
or helping them learn new things, can make a lot of
difference when engineers feel motivated and tend to be
creative with others. Motivated engineers feel happy,
work hard, and solve problems in a faster way. A
manager who knows how to motivate his team can lead
them to be their best self and do projects successfully.
3. When Maslow insinuated that needs are hierarchical,
what does he mean?
-Abraham Maslow, a psychologist, developed a theory
that described five basic human needs: physiological,
security, social, esteem, and self-actualization.
Physiological needs involve basic things like food, water,
rest, and shelter. Once these are satisfied, people move
toward looking to fulfill their security needs such as
safety and stability. Esteem needs focus on developing a
positive self-image and gaining respect from others. The
relevant aspect of Maslow's theory for engineering
management is that the manager understands what
motivates their team at different levels. This creates a
work environment safe to work in, valued, and motivated
to perform well and growth professionally, thus helping
all these needs to be addressed.
4. What factors are associated with employee
satisfaction and dissatisfaction?
-Good working conditions, equitable remuneration,
recognition of one's work, opportunity for development,
and friendly relations among coworkers and supervisors
are all aspects involving job satisfaction. In the case of
such fulfillment, employees are valued, respected, and
cared for, which might result in job satisfaction. While
reasons why people experience low levels of job
satisfaction include poor working conditions, poor pay,
lack of recognition, few opportunities for career
advancement, or conflicts with supervisors or coworkers.
In case employees are thought to be treated unfairly or
underappreciated, frustration and low motivation will
build up. This is thus important to balance those factors
to have a happy and productive workforce.
5. What are expectancies and valences? How do they
affect performance?
-Expectancies and valences are important to understand
what drives people at work. Expectancies are when a
person believes that his effort will result in good results.
If they think that working hard makes them succeed,
then they will exert more effort. Valences are how much
a person values the reward he gets from his work. If it
really matters to them that they get the reward, then
they'll work harder for it. Expectancies and valences
together affect performance because when people
believe that a return on effort is pay and cherish the
reward, they are likely to give it their best efforts.
6. What us meant by goal setting? What are the
components of the goal setting model?
-Goal setting is the process in which a person or team
defines specific targets or objectives to be achieved. This
enables to focus efforts and provides direction. Goal-
setting model includes several key components: goals
have to be specific, meaning the target defines precisely
what has to be achieved, measurable, so that progress
may be tracked, achievable, meaning they must be
realistic and within reach. They must also be relevant,
meaning they ought to bear a relation with wider
personal or organizational objectives. Lastly, they must
have time boundaries; each goal has an explicit deadline
when it must be completed. These characteristics mean
that goals are realistic and inspiring.
7. How may an individual be motivated through job
design?
-Motivation through job design involves task
arrangement to make work more satisfying. Two ways to
do this exist: first, fitting people to jobs avoids boredom
due to repetition. Management may give realistic job
previews that describe what a job entails. A job rotation
allows workers to change tasks; this keeps things fresh.
There's limited exposure, thereby limiting time spent on
boring jobs. Jobs that fit into an employee can make for
exciting work. Job enlargement involves combining a set
of various jobs into one, while job enrichment involves
adding challenges or rewards to the same job. Both
ensure employees remain motivated and happy at their
workplace.
8. How much rewards be classified?
-The two types of rewards are extrinsic and intrinsic.
Extrinsic rewards are the payoffs given by others -
salaries, bonuses, among others-by fulfilling people's
needs. Intrinsic rewards are provided from within, like
personal satisfaction and pride in doing a good job. For
the extrinsic reward to take effect, they must satisfy the
individual needs, and the employees ought to believe
that their efforts will lead to the reward. Reward system
should be performance-based equitable. The appropriate
management of the rewards can eventually enhance
performance and job satisfaction within an organization,
thereby promoting a motivating and productive work
environment.
9. In what specific activities may employees participate?
-Specific activities that employees may participate in
include setting goals, making decisions, solving problems,
and helping with organizational changes. These practices
make employees more involved and responsible in their
jobs, and this boosts motivation and job performance.
The most common ways of promoting participation
include: quality control circles and self-managed teams.
Quality circles involve smaller groups of workers who
meet at regular intervals to consider and develop ways of
improving work processes. Self-managed teams assume
some of the roles that managers are expected to play-
including planning and organizing. By involving
employees in these ways, organizations can work to
develop more engaging and motivating environments.
10. What benefits are made possible under flexible
work schedules?
-Flexible work schedules, or flextime, allow employees to
choose their arrival and departure times within certain
limits. This arrangement has several advantages. First, it
allows balancing work with the personal life of the
employees, helping them take control of time. Stress
levels often decrease, and employees tend to report
increased job satisfaction. Second, productivity increases
because employees can work during the hours they
consider productive. Third, flexible schedules reduce
absenteeism as employees can be able to handle
personal responsibilities. Generally, the adoption of
flexible work schedules brings a more positive working
environment to an organization, hence benefiting both
the employee and the organization.