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MOTIVATION, PERFORMANCE AND EFFICIENCY
Kristína Tršková
Department of Managerial Theories, Faculty of Management Science and Informatics, University of Žilina
Univerzitná 8215/1
Žilina, 010 26, Slovakia
+421 41 513 4020
kristina.trskova@fri.uniza.sk
Abstract: This article talks about the importance of motivating the employees and underlines the motivation as a key factor
which influences the performance of employees, their efficiency and efficiency of the company. These facts are supported by a
model that expresses the relationship and connection between motivation, performance and efficiency, also how each other
influences and highlights the factors which affect the increase of performance maintaining the high motivation of employees.
Keywords: motivation, performance, efficiency, employees, skills
1. Motivation
In the company it is important to consider, why employees
do what they do, why they perform like they perform and
why they act the way they act. It is necessary to think if it
is just a habit, or it is a result of previous motivation. It is
right these facts that many organizations do not realize,
while sufficiently motivated employees are able to perform
and achieve their dream goals and goals of the
organization itself.
Quality of motivation of human potential principally
determines the quality of organizational engagement.
Individuals and groups with high motivation are able to
work more effectively, with a higher inventiveness, a
higher responsibility in comparison with the individuals
and groups with low motivation [1].
The most valuable thing new employees bring to the
company, is their willingness to work for the company. It
means that they work voluntarily, so they want to work by
their own decision and make it even with pleasure. It is
really difficult, almost impossible to achieve this state
through special directives or commands, but only through
the support of employees’ motivation.
When talking about employee motivation, it is about his
inner, own, self-imposed decision, why and with what
approach will he try to fulfill his tasks. A person has his
own reasons why he works in the company and the
company often even does not exactly know these reasons.
And these reasons may change overtime.
People working for charismatic leaders are motivated to
exert extra effort and, because they like and respect their
leader, express greater satisfaction. In a similar spirit,
Harter et al. (2010) conclude: Improving employee work
perceptions can improve business competitiveness while
positively impacting the well-being of employees [2].
Simplistically it can be said that motivation is an activity
through which is influenced the behavior of people in the
way we want them to behave and act. In the company,
with help of the proper management style, this can be used
by managers to influence and encourage the employees to
higher performance through satisfying their needs and
desires also with developing their skills and knowledge.
With achievement of higher performance also comes
increase of profit and possibility of better competitiveness
on the market.
2. Performance
The motivation topic is significant principally wherever
there where it is about performance [3]. Motivation
multiplies the performance that we are able to achieve with
certain abilities. Therefore, this relationship can be
mathematically depicted as follows: performance = skills x
motivation [4].
Previous idea about performance is supported in
publications of authors like Birknerová and Litavcová, and
they enrich it by the division of the work performance by
the factors on which performance depends. Work
performance of the employee depends on the consistency
of subjective (motivation, skills) and objective (working
conditions) performance factors. In principle all of these
factors can be controlled in a certain desired extent. It is
possible to conclude, that in motivation view the desired
level of performance is contingent upon an optimal level
of motivation [5].
Employee performance is the final result of particular tasks
which was made by employee, which is employee
responsible for and which will be evaluated. In other
words, work performance is the result of a specific work in
a certain quality in a certain time.
There are many different opinions on explanation of the
performance. It may be simply regarded as a record of
achieved results. From an individual perspective it can be a
record of a person achievement. Kane (1996) claims, that
performance is something that person leaves behind and
that exists separately from the purpose. Bernardin (1995)
says: Performance should be defined as the result of the
work, because it provides the strongest link to the strategic
objectives of the company, satisfaction of the customer
and economic benefit to the company [6].
Work performance is affected by many factors. First, it is
influenced by the skills of employees and the level of their
motivation, but it is also influenced by work conditions are
created for employees for the full application of their skills
and knowledge. Companies, which have the effort to
achieve better performance and greater competitiveness
through their employees, should focus mainly on the
effectiveness of its motivational systems and working
conditions.
Armstrong has defined four basic areas that affect
performance as follows:
Employee, which needs the right level of skills,
motivation, support and incentives to work effectively;
Working group of the employee, whose members will
have strong positive or negative impact on attitudes,
behavior and performance of the employee;
Manager, who for the interests in performance has to
provide continuous support and act as a role model,
coach and stimulator;
Company, which can create barriers to effective
performance in cases when there does not exist a strong
connecting vision, but on the contrary there is an
inefficient structure, culture or working system, nothing
helping policy and system of working relationships or
inappropriate leadership style and management [6].
Each company is finally interested in possible activities
which it can do to achieve positive results in the work
performance of its staff. It can also be said that the
achievement of positive results requires paying increased
attention to appropriate manner of motivating the
employees and the use of such tools that in optimal and
suitable way influence the employees in the connection
with their performance.
3. Efficiency
The performance is preparedness of the employee for a
certain activity. It is basically a set of features and
dispositions of the employee.
The management of performance is a tool of achieving
better results in the company, in teams and even in
individuals, thanks to the fact that the performance is
understood and managed within agreed planned objectives,
standards, and competencies. It is a process of creating of
shared idea about what should be achieved.
It is an approach to management and development of
people in the way, which increases the probability of
achieving as short-term as long-term objectives [7]. In
other words, it is about management, influencing and
inspiring each employee or working groups to integrate
their own self-objectives, visions and attitudes with
company objectives, culture and intentions.
On the base of these facts we can determine the objectives
of working performance as follows:
- Integration of objectives of company and particular
employees and managers;
- Increasing of employees' share in fulfilling the company
objectives;
- Not to work more, but more effectively.
To achieve these objectives it is necessary to use system
approach, communication, and motivation.
4. Linkage motivation, performance and efficiency
Based on the theoretical knowledge and analysis of the
conclusions of other authors publications, in the context of
this issue it is possible to define and simultaneously
propose relationship diagram shown in following figure
(Figure 1).
Figure interprets the relationship of motivation,
performance and efficiency. Efficiency of the company is
formed by the efficiency of its employees; employees
efficiency is made up of a summary of individual
employee performance; and the employee performance is
strongly influenced by their motivation.
Figure 1: The relationship and linkage between
motivation, performance and efficiency.
The basement of the employee motivation in each
company is to integrate the employee objectives with the
company objectives. If there this balance or connection
occurs, the company can say that it is the best way to
consistently sustainable success.
Employee motivation is enormously influenced by a fair
assessment. If in the company appears an unfair
remuneration and evaluation of employees, there would be
an immediate decline of motivation of the concerned
employee. If this would happen repeatedly, it would lead
to employee departure from the company.
Other factor that influences the motivation of employees is
development of their skills and knowledge. To avoid the
stagnation of employees carrying out their work, it is
necessary to provide conditions for their personal
development. With supporting of development of
employees potential the company obtains not only more
skilled workers but also the opportunity to move the
company forward through new ideas, innovation, concepts
and thoughts of employees who are motivated thanks to
the newly acquired knowledge and skills. Substantial
impact on motivation has also shown trust of the manager
to its employees which is related to the application of the
correct management style and transparency of the manager
to its employees. This transparency can be understood in
the sense of sharing not only good but also bad news with
the employees, hearing their opinions, views and
recommendations. To maintain a high motivation
Efficiency of employees
Efficiency of the company
Motivation of employees
Personal goals = Company goals
Developing
skills
Education of
employees
Quality of
working
environment
Leadership style
Flexibility
Openness
Reliance
Fair
remuneration
Willingness
Successful and quality performance of employees
The efforts
made
Concentricity
employee
Skills
Knowledge
As is perceived task
contributes also flexibility and certain freedom in
performing employees work duties, as an employee has the
possibility to use his skills, abilities, and knowledge
entirely. Not least it is right a pleasant and high-quality
working environment with an atmosphere of trust and
friendship which help to make the employee motivation
even stronger.
It is a fact that only motivated employees can bring a high-
quality and successful work performance, therefore their
motivation should be continually improved, increased, and
maintained a high standards. Successful quality
performance is based on several factors. Specifically on
the effort made by the employee that is supported by his
acquired knowledge, skills and experiences. Into his
performance he has to put also a willingness to solve the
task with the highest quality and in most responsible way
considering the fact that he has to be fully focused on the
problem/task in sense of transferring his attention,
orientation and direction of his skills to required fulfilling
the objective. For the highest possible quality of
performance it is really important to understand the task by
employee, respectively to know the result of his work. It
would be really ineffective and counterproductive for the
company if employee gives all his effort for the task
uselessly only because of the misunderstanding the
purpose of his job description. If everyone properly
motivated employee will make a high quality and
successful performance, it will lead ultimately to a high
efficiency of employees and finally the company itself.
4. Conclusion
Currently for every company it is important to motivate its
employees and managers because everywhere is applicable
the principle: unmotivated employee = poor performance.
In this relation it is also true that the most is losing right
the employer and therefore the company. Desired level of
employee performance is conditioned by the level of his
motivation. Therefore it is up to each employer to make
sufficient effort for supporting employee motivation. The
main factors which influence the motivation are fair
remuneration, education of employees, developing their
skills, the proper management style, transparency of
manager to subordinated colleagues, shown trust,
flexibility and high quality working surrounding. The
performance represents achievements of each employee,
which were reached by his skills, knowledge, abilities,
willingness and effort of well-performed defined tasks and
his concentration to the objective. It is the effort of the
employee to fulfill the company objectives, in other words
it is effort to unite the objectives of employees with
objectives of company. Since motivation affects
performance intensively, it is necessary to continuously
increase the motivation of employees, respectively
permanently maintain at a high level.
Acknowledgements
The paper was conducted within the scientific project:
VEGA No 1/0890/14 Stochastic Modelling of Decision
Making Processes in Motivating Human Potential (granted
by Ministry of Education).
References
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[2] Robbins, Stephen P., Judge, Timothy A.,
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[3] Bedrnová, Nový a kol, Psychologie a sociologie
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[4] Rosina, J., Pracovná motivácia a vzťah k práci,
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[5] Birknerová, Z., Litavcová E., Motivation to
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