Employee motivation in the care of the elderly. How can long-term employee retention be achieved?

Livre Spécialisé , 2018 , 40 Pages

Gestion des ressources humaines - Motivation des employés

No industry has such difficulties in finding staff as nursing. Nursing professions currently have a negative image. Many young people therefore decide against training in this field. Also, trained nurses often change jobs and look for jobs outside of the industry.

The reasons for this can often be found in management. In her publication, Jessica Jess shows how important the flow of communication and information is, as well as the appreciation of work performance. In the care sector in particular, there is usually still a lot of catching up to do.

The author therefore examines the dissatisfaction of employees in nursing homes. She filters out potential problems and develops solutions. Jess explains in a practical way how employees can be motivated without financial incentives.

From the content:
- Care;
- Job dissatisfaction;
- Demotivation;
- Motivation;
- Nursing professions

Table of contents

List of abbreviations

1 Introduction
1.1 Problem statement
1.2 State of research
1.3 Structure and objectives

2 Acute and future challenges of the geriatric care industry
2.1 Demographic change – an ageing society
2.2 Job dissatisfaction and demotivation
2.3 Employee absenteeism and emigration problems
2.4 Personnel situation in geriatric care facilities

3 Motivation
3.1 Basics of Motivation – Intrinsic and Extrinsic
3.2 Content theories
3.3 Process Theories
3.4 Motivation theories in practice

4 Importance of non-monetary motivational measures on the part of the leadership
4.1 Differentiation of the term leadership – structural and interactive
4.2 Increase motivation through recognition and feedback – communication as a management tool
4.3 Corporate culture as a motivating factor – influence of leadership
4.4 Employee and target agreement appraisals

5 Conclusion

Bibliography

List of abbreviations

or. respectively

e.g. for instance

see above see above

VIE Valence-Instrumentality Expectation Theory

Hrsg. editor

1 Introduction

The importance of work motivation in the German economy is shown by the Wirtschaftswoche report entitled: Gallup. Unmotivated employees cost 124 billion euros. This article reports on a study by the economic researcher Gallup, which shows that only 15% of all German workers¹ Show commitment in their professional activities. It was found that 24% of employees have resigned internally. The remaining 61% of employed people do their job as prescribed, without attracting negative attention.² The internal dismissal describes a psychological process of the employee and manifests itself through demotivation and dissatisfaction up to the denial of performance and lack of commitment. This state of consciousness is difficult for outsiders to recognize.³ The situation described is not only a problem for companies, but also for employees, who, according to the results of the study, are physically and psychologically more dissatisfied than unemployed people. According to the study, this problem finds its origin in the superiors, or the managers in companies, who do not show enough respect for their employees and give them the feeling of neglect.⁴

In the following, this state of dissatisfaction and demotivation is examined especially in the geriatric care facilities in order to filter out potential problem states and to develop possible solutions by means of non-monetary motivation measures. In the context of this work, the term old people's home is defined as an institution in which older people⁵ because they are no longer able to shape their everyday lives independently. However, there are more and more mixed forms in Germany, so that old people's homes and nursing homes form an institution and the actual purpose of living in old people's homes is increasingly receding into the background. Among other things, not only the elderly live in these facilities, but also chronically ill or physically disabled people, who are cared for and cared for by nursing staff around the clock.⁶

By means of the next undercapital, the problem of the geriatric care industry in terms of employee motivation is to be worked out. It is shown which factors are decisive for the dissatisfaction of the employees and thus lead to a demotivation in everyday professional life. This chapter forms the starting point of this elaboration, so that the problem is repeatedly linked in the further course.

1.1 Problem statement

The German healthcare system will face several challenges in the future. Demographic change is progressing more and more, a shortage of skilled workers is imminent or has already occurred. Many positions will remain unfilled.⁷ In addition, the Federal Ministry of Health predicted in 2013 that the number of people in need of care would increase by 72% by 2050 and assumes an increasing life expectancy of the German population. In addition, the auditing firm Ernst & Young said in 2011 that an additional 90,000 to 108,000 nurses would be needed by 2020. In addition, an estimated 19,000 certified geriatric nurses will be missing by the end of 2016.⁸ No other industry will have such severe personnel problems in the future as the care industry. The first challenge is staff retention and the prevention of emigration. Another difficulty for personnel management in care facilities will be the procurement of qualified personnel.⁹ Another problem is that nursing professions currently have a rather negative image and therefore many young people decide against training in the nursing sector.¹⁰ In addition, many nurses change their profession and look for job offers outside the care industry. Reasons for this can often be found in management, because communication and information flow as well as the appreciation of work performance are crucial for satisfied employees and are often neglected in the industry.¹¹ In addition, the profession of geriatric nurse is a demanding job, both psychologically and physically the employees are exposed to strong demands. The physical strain caused by supporting those in need of care in their mobility is a major problem, especially with regard to older employees. The daily confrontation with death and illness also has a negative effect on employee satisfaction. The conditions in geriatric care are marked by shift work, high workload, operational disruptions as well as staff shortages and the resulting staff turnover.¹² Furthermore, about two-thirds of geriatric nurses are employed as part-time employees and there is a high level of sick leave in the geriatric care industry.¹³ Human resources management must be aware of this and work on measures in a goal- and solution-oriented manner to satisfy employees in the care of the elderly and to prevent emigration. Within this work, not all challenges and problems of the geriatric care industry can be analyzed in relation to the employees and solutions can be developed. Therefore, this elaboration is limited to the question: Which non-monetary motivational measures, especially leadership, are suitable for increasing employee motivation in geriatric care facilities and preventing employee emigration? In addition, a distinction must be made between different groups of employees in geriatric care facilities. Special focus is placed on increasing the motivation of the certified geriatric nurses. In this context, the term motivation increase refers to the work motivation of employees in terms of satisfaction and performance in the workplace.

1.2 State of research

The profession of geriatric nurse was developed by the charities Caritas and Diakonie. The origin of this professional development comes from the hospital, as there was an increase in people in need of care and a lack of nurses. As a result, in 1969, the first state training as a geriatric nurse was offered. As early as 1970, about 8,000 people completed training as geriatric nurses and the number of employees in the geriatric care sector has increased immensely in the following years.¹⁴

From these facts, it can be deduced that the need for workers in the geriatric care sector has grown enormously. The popularity of the elderly care sector increased, so there was more public discussion of working conditions, which have deteriorated over time. Furthermore, the problem of the geriatric care industry with regard to the job satisfaction of employees in Germany is well known. Not only well-known daily newspapers and journals report on this topic, but studies have already been carried out and special specialist literature can also be found. The studies come from professional associations and universities. In addition, further studies have been carried out in which employees in geriatric care facilities and hospitals were interviewed and thus a comparison between these care areas could be made. As early as 1984, Kempe and Closs conducted a nationwide study to find out the motives for choosing a career for geriatric nurses in inpatient facilities. Reasons were, for example, the need to help other people, one's own self-realization and the desire for contact with older people.¹⁵ In 1997, studies by Becker and Meifort yielded similar results. It turned out that people choose the profession out of intrinsic motivation rather than extrinsic motivation.¹⁶

In the 1930s, the first starting points for motivation theories as a countermovement to Taylor's image of man could already be¹⁷ are recorded. A departure from the mechanistic image of man was noted and man was no longer seen as a machine but as a human resource. Over time, the working person was considered an individual with desires and needs. In addition, the topic of employee motivation is not only of great importance for human resources, but psychology also deals with this topic. At the beginning of the 50s, the psychologist Abraham Maslow developed the pyramid of needs, which has become indispensable in many textbooks, although it has been criticized several times due to its lack of empirical validity. Another popular content theory is Herzberg's two-factor theory, which also emerged in the 50s, and McGregor's X and Y theory. Content theories were replaced by process theories in the 1960s and 1970s. In this context, Vroom's valence-instrumentality expectation theory (VIE) and the model of Porter and Lawler can be mentioned. The management also recognized the importance of motivating their employees and motivational measures such as the employee feedback interview and target agreement discussion were developed, which are applied by the management. These measures will also be discussed in the course of this work.

1.3 Structure and objectives

Since an increase in remuneration or the payment of premiums can only achieve an increase in motivation for a short time,¹⁸ non-monetary motivational measures are deliberately dealt with within this elaboration. Further reasons why explicitly non-monetary measures are considered are the complex salary variations, because a distinction must be made in the remuneration between certified geriatric nurses and auxiliary nurses as well as trainees. In addition, there are public institutions in Germany that pay according to collective agreements and private institutions without collective agreements with their own salary models.

The chapter 1 Introduction and the section 1.1 Problem definition described various challenges for the personnel management of geriatric care facilities. However, the focus is on the work motivation of the employees, which is to be increased. Therefore, it is important to examine whether and in what way motivation theories and leadership concepts remedy. It is claimed that by increasing motivation, a higher satisfaction of the employees can be achieved and an employee churn is prevented. This is followed (see above) by the sub-item 1.2 with the explanation of the State of research on the above-mentioned topic. In order to create a starting point, Chapter 2 first discusses the acute and future challenges of the geriatric care industry which have already been touched on in the problem. The challenge of an ageing society was mentioned, so in chapter 2.1 Demographic change – Ageing society to provide an overview of the age situation in Germany. By means of the chapter 2.2 Job dissatisfaction and demotivation and the chapter 2.3 Employee absenteeism and emigration problems further challenges are addressed, which are then discussed in the chapter 2.4 Personnel situation in geriatric care facilities be specifically projected onto geriatric care facilities. The next chapter 3 Motivation subdivided 3.1 Basics of motivation – intrinsic and extrinsic as well as 3.2 Content theories and 3.3 Process theories. Within these chapters, selected motivation theories are presented, which are then presented in chapters 3.4 Motivation theories in practice be examined for possible applicability. There are, of course, other content and process theories. However, the following motivation theories were deliberately selected, as they build on each other or can be made with each other. In the further course, the leadership is focused. Under the chapter 4 Importance of non-monetary motivational measures on the part of the leadership the motivation possibilities through the leadership are examined. The section 4.1 Differentiation of the term leadership – structural and interactive explains two different types of leadership. The first motivational measure is summarized in chapter 4.2 Increasing motivation through recognition and feedback – communication as a management tool and shows the importance of communication between the company members. The corporate culture is also discussed in chapters 4.3 Corporate culture as a motivating factor – influence of leadership in order to filter out possible correlations. Subsequently, by means of the chapter 4.4 Employee and target agreement discussions it is checked whether this measure is suitable for increasing the motivation of employees. A summary of the results is provided in the last section 5 Conclusion in order to find solutions to the problem described.

The aim of this elaboration is to increase employee motivation in geriatric care facilities and thus prevent employee emigration. By means of suitable non-monetary motivation measures that the leadership applies, a solution approach is to be found so that a migration of employees can be prevented and motivation is increased.

2 Acute and future challenges of the geriatric care industry

The Wirtschaftswoche report on unmotivated workers mentioned at the beginning only gives an idea of the problems that companies are confronted with. This chapter aims to highlight future developments and potential problems in the elderly care industry. As already mentioned in the problem, demographic change represents a particular challenge for the geriatric care industry, so this topic will be examined in more detail in the following chapter.

2.1 Demographic change – an ageing society

Abbildung in dieser Leseprobe nicht enthalten

Figure Age structure of the population in 2013 compared to 1990

Source: Federal Statistical Office 2015

The term demographic change is no longer a foreign word for many people and companies in Germany. The increasing life expectancy and the declining birth rate describe this scenario and thus a change in society. Many companies are already confronted with a shortage of skilled workers.¹⁹ Because the declining birth rate also results in a decrease in the number of people in employment, as no baby boomers follow.²⁰ Demographic change depends on three factors. The development of the birth rate, the ageing development of the population and the course of immigration and emigration determine demographic change.²¹ The Federal Statistical Office records a forecast of demographic change in Germany at certain intervals. This measure is particularly important for future political and economic decisions. The figure shown in this chapter shows the age structure of the German population in 2013 compared to 1990. The yellow marking depicts the year 2013 and the black border represents the year 1990. It is clearly visible that the birth rate has steadily decreased. In addition, the number of 70-year-olds has risen from 8.1 million to 13.1 million, suggesting an increase in the number of residents in nursing homes. This assumption will be reviewed on the following pages. Looking at the upper age groups, it is noticeable that men are now also reaching a higher age. Previously, women were characterized by a significantly higher life expectancy.²² The Federal Statistical Office has already been able to draw up a forecast for the year 2060. This shows that the average life expectancy will be 84.8 years for men and 88.8 years for women. This is also an important aspect that the personnel management of nursing homes should adapt to in order to be able to manage the additional burden. In addition, by 2060, one in three, or 33% of the population, will have a minimum age of 65. Thus, twice as many seniors live as children are born.²³

Emigration and immigration is also, as mentioned above, a hallmark of demographic change. The balance of migration of the German population has been negative for years. This means that more and more German citizens are leaving the Federal Republic. It should be noted that the people who emigrate are particularly well qualified persons. More than 5 million German citizens have emigrated in the last 30 years. However, immigration is taking place at the same time, because in 2008 about 8 percent of the total population came from abroad.²⁴ However, it must be mentioned that immigration will not compensate for the decline in births. By 2050, the German population is expected to shrink to 69 to 74 million inhabitants.²⁵

Demographic change has changed from the employer market to the employee market. The supply of qualified workers is decreasing and the demand for labour on the part of companies is increasing. Years ago, the work situation was such that jobs were scarce and companies could choose their employees. In today's world, due to demographic change, employees have higher demands, are mobile and ready to change jobs for better conditions.²⁶

By means of this elaboration, measures to increase the motivation of employees are to be found. However, for the time being, the reasons for demotivation and job dissatisfaction should be filtered out. As a result, this topic is dealt with in the following chapter.

2.2 Job dissatisfaction and demotivation

The chapter 1.1 Problem definition has already touched on the topic of job dissatisfaction. But how does job dissatisfaction arise and is this state of consciousness associated with demotivation? This question will be clarified in the following section of the elaboration.

If an employee experiences positive emotions about his work in the workplace, he can be described as satisfied.²⁷ "Job satisfaction describes employees' assessment, evaluation, attitude, feelings, and behaviors about their workplace."²⁸ The feeling of satisfaction can be achieved by eliminating a deficiency state and achieving a satisfaction of needs.²⁹ This topic is discussed in the chapter 3. Motivation theories examined in more detail.

The state of job dissatisfaction is the opposite. In addition, job dissatisfaction and the phenomenon of demotivation of employees are closely related, because demotivation can lead to job dissatisfaction. Reasons for demotivation lie above all in unsatisfied needs of the employee.³⁰ The state of demotivation can also be described as the lack of motivation.³¹ The term demotivation describes a blockage or loss of energy for motivation. With regard to the world of work, the demotivated employee concerned loses sight of the goals of the organization and shows less commitment to performance.³² In this context, the term organization describes a social entity with employees and managers who act as actors and communicate with each other.³³ An organization is characterized by a formal structure and is geared towards a permanent pursuit of goals. By means of the formal structure, the actions and behaviors of the organization members should be directed to the pursued goal of the organization.³⁴ The aspect of goal tracking is also important in relation to the employees, because goals are considered a prerequisite for motivation and satisfaction.³⁵ Another question can be asked about the described problem: What are the consequences for companies of dissatisfied employees? If employees are dissatisfied, the frequency of conflicts within the organization increases, absenteeism increases, motivation and motivation decrease, the image of the company is carried out in a negative way and the willingness to change companies increases.³⁶

The involvement of the management with regard to job satisfaction is particularly important and will also be dealt with in the further course of the elaboration.

Another focus is on preventing emigration. However, the question arises, why do employees migrate and is this associated with demotivation? The following chapter therefore explains the problem of absenteeism and employee churn.

2.3 Employee absenteeism and emigration problems

Employee turnover and the problem of absenteeism on the part of employees are closely related to demotivation and motivation. The term absenteeism means an unscheduled absence from the workplace. However, a distinction must be made between intentional absence and unforeseeable absence of workers.³⁷ The unforeseeable absence or unintentional absence is an illness of the employee. However, this is not the only reason for absenteeism. An employee can consciously stay away from the workplace due to their mental well-being or job dissatisfaction. This type of absenteeism is called absenteeism.³⁸ If there is a high absenteeism of employees in an organization, this is an indicator of internal operational causes such as a bad working atmosphere or problems associated with the managers and can lead to employee turnover as a result.³⁹ Reasons for the churn of employees lie in the dissatisfaction with work and the resulting demotivation, as described in Chapter 2.2. The importance of leadership in terms of employee satisfaction will be deepened in the further course of this elaboration.

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¹ In this elaboration, for reasons of better legibility, gender-related terms are used exclusively in their masculine form. The respective female form is of course implied.

² cf. Wirtschaftswoche (2013)

³ cf. Badura, Hehlmann (2003), p. 149 f.

⁴ cf. Wirtschaftswoche (2013)

⁵ By older people are meant seniors or pensioners.

⁶ cf. Care Germany (2016)

⁷ cf. Flato, Reinbold-Scheible (2009), p. 14 ff.

⁸ cf. Deutscher Berufsverband für Pflegeberufe (2015), p. 2 f.

⁹ cf. Loffing, Loffing (2010), p. 4

¹⁰ cf. German Professional Association for Nursing Professions (2015). P. 32

¹¹ cf. Deutscher Berufsverband für Pflegeberufe (2015), p. 12 ff.

¹² cf. Initiative Neue Qualität der Arbeit (2005), p. 8 ff.

¹³ cf. White (2012), p. 102

¹⁴ cf. Zellhuber (2003), p. 77 ff.

¹⁵ cf. Kempe, Closs (1984), p. 330 ff.

¹⁶ cf. Becker, Meifort (1997), p. 105 ff. The two types of motivation mentioned are explained in more detail in the following pages.

¹⁷ "The working person is regarded as a kind of power machine that must be controlled and controlled from the outside. But humans do not achieve the reliability and performance of a machine." Breisig (2015), p. 24

¹⁸ cf. Hintz (2016), p. 191

¹⁹ cf. Federal Ministry of Health (2016)

²⁰ cf. Holste (2012), p. 5

²¹ cf. Flato, Reinbold-Scheible (2009), p. 14 ff.

²² cf. Statistisches Bundesamt (2015), p. 5ff.

²³ cf. Federal Statistical Office (2015), p. 17 ff.

²⁴ cf. Flato, Reinbold-Scheible (2009), p. 12

²⁵ cf. Flato, Reinbold-Scheible (2009), p. 18 ff.

²⁶ cf. Holste (2012), p. 8 f.

²⁷ cf. Spichalsky (2016), p. 45

²⁸ Wehner (2012), p. 53

²⁹ cf. Niermeyer (2007), p. 30

³⁰ cf. Wunderer, Küpers (2003), p. 15

³¹ cf. Czech-Winkelmann (2003), p. 127

³² cf. Wunderer, Küpers (2003), p. 10

³³ cf. Heimerl (2011), p. 161

³⁴ cf. Kieser, Walgenbach (2010), p. 6

³⁵ cf. Niermeyer (2007), p. 13

³⁶ cf. Wehner (2012), p. 55

³⁷ cf. Kolb, Burkart, Zundel (2010), p. 165

³⁸ cf. Kleinbeck (1996), p. 87 f.

³⁹ cf. Brandenburg (1998), p. 101 ff.

• Auteur: Jessica Jess (Auteur)
• Année de publication: 2018
• Pages: 40
• N° de catalogue: V1222600
• ISBN (PDF): 9783346639578
• Langue: anglais
• mots-clé: employee