11-03-2014, 04:40 PM
Motivating Staff for Higher Productivity and Increased Retention
Motivating Staff for Higher.pdf (Size: 234.78 KB / Downloads: 81)
Staff quality is a key determinant of success for all service organiza-
tions, but for think tanks it is fundamental. Senior researchers and
policy analysts provide ideas about which problems facing their coun-
tries an institute can profitably address, direct the analysis on the prob-
lems, and proffer policy responses to meet them. They are also an insti-
tute’s representatives for convincing policy elites that the course of
action the institute proposes will be effective and efficient. As in other
service organizations, staff compensation accounts for two-thirds or
more of think tanks’ costs.
It is not surprising, then, that “motivating staff ” ranked first in an
Urban Institute survey, conducted in 2001, of what think tanks in nine
countries in Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent
States most want addressed in a training session.1 This rating is consis-
tent with comments from leaders of other think tanks in the region
about management issues they would like to be able to confront with
greater assurance. Obviously, staff motivation problems can adversely
affect an organization’s operations, as they are associated with lower pro-
ductivity and expensive high staff turnover.
GOOD PRACTICES
This section includes an outline of strong practices distilled from the lit-
erature on motivating staff. Some points have been interpreted to make
them more applicable to think tanks, based on the author’s experience in
working closely with a dozen think tanks over the years.
Rewards
Theories on motivation can be divided into two groups: motivational
structures that rely heavily on external rewards and reinforcements, and
those that rely on factors internal to the position.3 While personnel pro-
grams founded on either type of theory can be applied to any job, the
nature of policy research suggests that it is more appropriate for think
tanks to emphasize factors intrinsic to the job. In general, under this
approach staff are given more, rather than less, responsibility in the
organization, and the job is made more intrinsically motivating.
Performance Evaluation
Staff assessment is a subject of some controversy among personnel spe-
cialists. A strong appraisal system is one that is used primarily as the
basis for discussion between the supervisor and the employee on the
employee’s record of achievement, the suitability of the employee’s goals
for the future, and a plan for how the supervisor and organization can
help the employee achieve the new goals.
Training
Staff training consists of both formal training events and on-the-job
training (OJT). The importance of OJT is hard to overestimate, although
at most firms and think tanks it is organized haphazardly and therefore
fails to realize its potential (Bowsher 1998; Rothwell and Kazanas 1994).
The focus here is on formal training because this type of training is more
closely related to staff rewards.
Broadly, management can use staff training in two ways. In principle,
training needs are identified through analysis of organizational needs and
personal assessments. In the first, staff skills are improved so that employ-
ees are better able to do the particular jobs assigned to them, closing a
“performance gap.” This kind of training can also prepare staff for
higher-level assignments in the future or help them take on a different
assignment at a similar level of responsibility. This training is usually
driven by the organization’s future business strategy (explicit or implicit)
and the corresponding staff requirements (Bowsher 1998; Ban, Faerman,
and Riccucci 1992).