Motivating group members to improve productivity

• Main Author: Robles, Ralph Raymund C.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2017
• Subjects: Employee motivation; Industrial productivity; Business Administration, Management, and Operations
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_masteral/5650
• Institution: De La Salle University

Social cognitive theory clarifies the psychological mechanisms through which social-structural factors are linked to organizational performance. It provides explicit guidelines about how to equip people with the competencies, the self-regulatory capabilities, and the resilient sense of efficacy that will enable them to enhance both their well-being and their accomplishments. The model explains how behavior, cognitive and other personal factors and environmental events operate as interacting determinants that influence each other bi-directionally. There are four ways peoples beliefs about their efficacy can be instilled and strengthened. (1) Mastery of experiences. Performance successes strengthen self-beliefs of capability. Failures create self- doubts. (2) Modeling. Proficient models build self-beliefs of capability by conveying to observers effective strategies for managing different situations. It can also affect belief in self-efficacy through social comparison wherein people partly judge their capabilities by comparing themselves to others. (3) Social persuasion. If people receive realistic encouragements, they will be more likely to exert greater effort and to become successful than if they are troubled by self-doubts. (4) Enhance their physical status (e.g. people judge their fatigue, aches and pains as a sign of physical incapability). In this paper, the research team applied the second way of improving efficacy which are modeling and social comparison to improve the performance of the focal unit. The team created an environment to wherein the subjects will be comparing themselves to their peers. It affected the members reasoning which caused them to change their behavior. Using social influence as the main force to partly disrupt the existing culture, the research team was able to motivate the focal unit to increase their focus and dedication on work leading them to achieve the units goal to meet 100% productivity by the end of the year.