FACULTY OF MANAGEMENT, EDUCATION & HUMANITIES

BACHELOR OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (HONOURS)

(HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT)

BUSINESS ENGLISH (BBM 6133)

“INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT”

PREPARED BY:
SYAHIRA BINTI SUPANDI

MATRIC NO:
BHR09230005

PREPARED FOR:
MADAM NAZIHA BINTI TASIN

SUBMISSION DATE:
21st FEBRUARY 2024
 Table of Contents

1.0 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1

2.0 How to reduce dissatisfaction for the sales representative and the recommendation to

improve motivation in the organization. .................................................................................... 2

2.0.1 Paying a Productivity Bonus ................................................................................... 2

2.0.2 Offering Career Training ......................................................................................... 3

2.0.3 Establishing a Profit-Sharing Programme ............................................................... 5

3.0 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 7

References .................................................................................................................................. 9
1.0 Introduction

Motivator-Hygiene Theory, or two-factor theory, was proposed by psychologist Frederick

Herzberg in 1959. According to this theory, there are certain factors in the workplace that cause
job satisfaction, while others prevent dissatisfaction. These factors are known as motivators
and hygiene factors, respectively. However, satisfaction and dissatisfaction are not on a
continuum, with one increasing as the other diminishes, but are independent phenomena.

The purpose of this theory is to improve job attitudes and productivity. Motivator factors are
those that lead to positive satisfaction and motivation in the workplace and arise from intrinsic
conditions of the job itself, such as recognition, responsibility, and opportunities for personal
growth and advancement. When these factors are present in the work environment, employees
are likely to feel motivated, satisfied, and engaged in their work.

On the other hand, hygiene factors are those that are necessary to prevent dissatisfaction and
discomfort in the workplace, in this case, working conditions, company policies, interpersonal
relationships, and salary. When these factors are lacking, employees are more likely to feel
dissatisfied and demotivated in their jobs. As a result, the employees who deal with these
factors will have less interest and motivation to do a job and will be absent. The term “hygiene”
is used in the sense that these are maintenance factors. These are extrinsic to the work itself
and cause the dissatisfaction mentioned earlier.

Therefore, the organization needs to improve by focusing on providing a work environment

that is conducive to both satisfaction and motivation so the employees are not feeling pressured,
burdened, and stressed about their daily tasks all the time. For this reason, this essay is a
suggestion on how to reduce dissatisfaction with the sales representative position and the
recommendations the organization needs to follow so they won’t lose the best employees in a
short time.

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2.0 How to reduce dissatisfaction for the sales representative and the
recommendation to improve motivation in the organization.

A sales representative plays a crucial role in the success of a company. Their job is to actively
seek out and engage potential customers, build relationships with existing ones, and ultimately
drive sales for the organization. Sales representatives are the face of the company, often being
the first point of contact for customers. They are responsible for promoting the company’s
products or services and ensuring that customers are satisfied with their purchases. The
following are ways to reduce dissatisfaction for the sales representative with a
recommendation:

2.0.1 Paying a Productivity Bonus

When it comes to employment, one of the most important aspects that individuals consider is
the bonus that they will receive. In today’s world, there are many different types of jobs
available, each offering various types of salaries, such as fixed salaries and variable salaries.
Of course, as employees, they want a high salary, along with bonus and fair compensation,
which can benefit their personal lives but also benefit the employer by having a competent
employee, especially a sales representative. So, it is a win-win situation. That is what teamwork
is supposed to do by helping each other gain benefits from both parties.

Employers who give a low fixed salary without a bonus could affect employee job
dissatisfaction in the organization. Although the top and middle management mostly tend to
get a high salary with other benefits, this is not fair for a salesperson. Sales representatives only
depend on their commission and bonuses, but sadly, they will only get these benefits when they
achieve monthly KPIs. Some of the companies will raise the monthly KPI (key performance
indicator). So, each month depends on how long the employees will stay and their luck in
finding a permanent customer. If the individual is not paid fairly by the employer, the employee
will feel unhappy working with the company and probably leave a notice of resignation as soon
as possible and seek another better option from a company that could pay them fairly and at a
higher rate than the previous company.

Moreover, it is like a war among sales groups to make comparisons just to know who will get
a high monthly sale with a bonus. In fact, the term ‘the more sales, the more commission’ is
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unacceptable because not every salesperson has the ambition and good strategy to find a target
customer in a short period of time. The employer tends to force them every day to find a
customer; at least 10 people per day is torturing their mind, especially for the newbie employee
who just enters the organizations, Obviously, the employees will hate the position and
experience trauma due to the high stress they face while working as sales representatives.

According to the situation above, the organization needs to pay the productivity bonuses of
sales representatives. Bonuses are a type of compensation paid to an eligible employee by an
employer to increase their productivity, improve retention, thank employees for their effort,
and create a positive work environment. For instance, a referral bonus is given to employees
who recruit talent to join the organization, other than that, it provides a holiday bonus around
the end of the year. This type of bonus is common in the United States. Later, the employees
will be more productive and dedicated to doing their job, especially when they successfully
deal with problematic customers with a positive vibe that brings satisfaction from customers.
This will give a high rating to the company because of their good attitude and communication
skills.

2.0.2 Offering Career Training

Career training plays a crucial role in equipping individuals with the skills and knowledge
necessary to excel in their chosen field. With the constant evolution of industries and
professional standards, for a successful company, they need to invest in workplace training so
the employees can develop their own career paths and meet the organization’s goals. It is an
advancement strategy for organizations to practice to produce the perfect employee and to be
consistent in doing their job according to the company mission.

Lack of knowledge and skill could affect the employees job dissatisfaction because they have
no idea the procedure of working in a company, so it became hard for employees to follow up
on the next assignment that their employer gave them. This particular situation often occurs
among newbies, especially internship students. Their mind is fresh with zero experience and
could not do the hard task yet, so it is employer duty to coach them by teaching them the kind
of job they need to do, so they will not be lost and stare blankly in front of computers and
papers, killing time while the other employer is not helping them.

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During the coaching process from inside the organization, sometimes employees would not
feel motivated; they would feel restless while listening and start to think that the job was boring
and they were not interested in the position. In this case, the employer needs to switch
strategies, such as inviting any speaker from an outside organization to share their own
thoughts, knowledge, experience, or any talk about working that can increase the employee’s
motivation. For example, the speaker can share stories of his success journey, talk about how
to lock customers, how to become a good seller, how to talk with customers for the first time,
understand selling items, and many other topics. The speaker presentation should be excellent,
provided with a lesson story to enlighten the trainee.

Next, employees’ morale needs to be focused too, otherwise, they will lose motivation to
perform according to organizational expectations. Giving them too many tasks at once without
proper training guidance will increase the chance of employee errors. This mistake occurs when
employees lack the training or skills required for a particular job. For example, as a sales
representative, when the customer asks about the function and benefit of the product or items,
with employee training, they will know and explain it well to the customer, so the customer
will think that the employee is knowledgeable and trained by the company because the
salesperson is the face of the company product after all.

For this case, to improve employee training, the employer needs to boost their morale, which
can give them responsibility because employees are part of the team, not only customers, to
make them satisfied, while employees also deserve it because employees could help
organizations achieve their mission and plan with their innovative ideas and faster rates. Soon,
the employee will be enhancing the quality of the task with excellent creative and critical
thinking. As well as when employees make errors and mistakes on the job, it is a basic part of
workplace life. By strengthening the functioning and abilities of the workforce with employer
guidance, the employees will have no problem dealing with a hard task in the future and will
reduce errors and mistakes.

For individual employees, career training can lead to increased job satisfaction, career
advancement opportunities, and higher earning potential while contributing to their
organization. It helps employees improve their daily tasks and their overall performance to
develop efficiency in their jobs. Besides, carrier training will boost employee confidence by
helping them understand the job and reach the organization’s expectations for business success.
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Evidently, it is important for the employer to take responsibility by providing employee
training to enhance member productivity.

Another example of how the organization can offer career training for their employees is
traditional classroom training. This type of training is something that people usually do for
decades and involves in-person instruction by a qualified trainer. Then, it allows for direct
interaction between the instructor and the trainee in the learning process. Classroom training
provides a structured environment that promotes discipline and focus. However, when the
COVID-19 pandemic arrives, the online training method should be more effective. Therefore,
classroom training is limited by natural disasters.

Online training has gained popularity in recent years due to its accessibility and flexibility. It
allows individuals to access training programmes from anywhere with a good internet
connection. This form also enables individuals to access a wide range of courses and materials
and provides a cost-effective alternative compared to traditional classroom training. For
instance, employees who work from home are likely to use this form to meet their clients
through online video. Other than that, a lecturer who cannot physically come to class due to
some urgent issues can also use online training, as long as it benefits their employees.
Additionally, online training requires a high level of self-discipline and motivation to complete
the programme effectively.

2.0.3 Establishing a Profit-Sharing Programme

In organizations, individuals are often called ‘whistle-blowers,’ and most of the time these
people will get a sum of money higher than anyone else, which is not fair to other employees.
Although this characteristic is good for employees to implement, it also saves the company
money. However, many employees are not using this type correctly, instead, they tell liars and
fake accidents to the employer so that the person who tells a lie could get their own benefits,
such as promotion, higher wages, and other benefits considered by the company as a hero,
while the truth is not revealed.

In this case, it will affect employee job dissatisfaction as a peer. Meanwhile, others are afraid
to tell the truth to their employers because of blackmail or personal abuse by inside companies.
This particular situation leads to violations of employment laws and company and
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administrative policies that result in the firing of employees and further issues. The company
is also affected by employment issues such as turnover rates among employees. As a result, the
company will lose trust and confidence among employees due to the toxic environment and
toxic boss that cause disaster incidents that affect employees emotionally, physically, and their
duty tasks in the organization.

To prevent the situation that has been mentioned above, the organization should establish a
profit-sharing programme. Profit sharing is another solution to reduce employee job
satisfaction. This form is known as a pre-tax contribution plan for employees that gives workers
a portion of a company depending on the business’s profitability, the employee’s regular salary
and bonuses, and the amount that the business has been setting. Generally, employers will give
a certain amount based on company profit to their employees, either in cash or company stock.
Many companies that offer profit sharing for their staff, especially retiree employees, will
benefit from this.

There are three types of profit-sharing plans, based on the Patriotsofware.com article, that
companies could implement in their organizations. First, pro-rata, meaning there is no
exclusion for the employees from receiving the same contribution amount from the employer.
This type is the most common in organizations. Everyone will get the same profit, such as a
percentage or fixed dollar. Obviously, the employees will get high job satisfaction, and even if
the company does not get a high percentage of business, the employees will still work harder,
so the business will continue to rise in the market and the staff will also receive a profit.

Next, non-comparability or cross-testing, which means only specific groups of employees at

different rates, can contribute to employers. For example, full-time employees like sales
representatives in companies may get profit-sharing from employers, whereas part-time
employees only get a minimum fixed salary. Hence, it depends on the employer itself whether
they want to give to different types of groups or all groups of employees included.

Age-weighted is the last type of profit-sharing, meaning employees age and salary in the
organization are matters that employers could consider. This type will benefit employees who
are closer to their retirement age. Employers can offer them a higher percentage than younger
employees. Of course, the employer has the freedom to choose the type of age, whether it is 55
or 60 years old, for them to apply for. Also, this type is only focused on the employees who
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stay longer in the company, and there is a chance their contribution rate will become higher,
and they could be used as retirement plans.

The impact of this situation is that employees are inspired and motivated in the process of
working together in an organization. Employees will be eager to work hard and achieve the
organizational plan, and they will stay longer to help the company become successful in the
future. A dedicated and honest employer is the most wanted in the business world. In fact, it
will affect employees’ spirit and influence to follow the leader’s actions. In addition, leaders
should become excellent supervisors by making wise decisions in the company for important
matters to achieve good health in the organization. The employer characteristic itself, which
could give a positive vibe, could decrease job dissatisfaction among all employees in the
company.

3.0 Conclusion

To conclude, motivator-hygiene theory provides a valuable framework for understanding and

improving employees’ motivation and satisfaction in the workplace. By recognizing the
distinct nature of motivators and hygiene factors, organizations can develop strategies to create
a work environment that promotes motivation, engagement, and satisfaction among employees.
Herzberg theory could help employers discover their employees regarding staff behaviour and
attitude towards job dissatisfaction in the workplace. So, the employer will know how to deal
with their employees in the future.

The roles of sales representatives are demanding and pivotal. It requires a combination of skill,
qualities, and dedication in order to be successful. Also, it is instrumental in driving sales and
revenue for a company and plays a crucial role in its overall success. When it comes to job
dissatisfaction, a low fixed salary without a bonus would be the topic of discussion. The
employer should give them a productivity bonus, such as a referral bonus or a holiday bonus,
as a form of gratitude and thanks for their hard work in the company.

To become a salesperson, the employer needs to be alert about staff knowledge and skills when
handling their customers because the job of a sales representative is not an easy task. A lack of
knowledge and skills in handling tasks will increase mistakes and errors. Then, the employees
would not feel motivated due to too many tasks when nobody was willing to offer to coach
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them. The solution to this is that employers should invest in offering their employees a career
training programme, whether in a traditional classroom or an online classroom. This form
should be the most effective one because the learning process is another procedure to become
successful in business with skilled employees. So, the employees will know how to handle
tasks accordingly with fewer mistakes and increase their career advancement to meet company
expectations.

In addition, a profit-sharing programme should be implemented by the employer because the

employees are part of the team that is considered to be helping the company become successful.
In this case, it is a form for an employee’s job satisfaction regarding the reward they will receive
when they want to plan a retirement. The employer can choose different types of profit-sharing
plans, such as pro-rata, non-comparability, cross-testing, and age-weighted. The employees
will take interest in the plan recommendation by the employer and continue to work harder to
achieve company expectations of profit or more.

In brief, without Frederick Irving Herzberg’s Motivator-Hygiene Theory, employers would be

hardly able to find the causes of employee behaviour to reduce hygiene factors, instead
focusing on employee motivation, such as paying a productivity bonus, offering career training,
and establishing profit-sharing programmes in the workplace that could help the whole
organization succeed in their business.

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References

1. Wikipedia contributors. (2023b, November 30). Two-factor theory. Wikipedia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two-factor_theory
2. Wikipedia contributors. (2023a, October 26). Frederick Herzberg. Wikipedia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Herzberg
3. Herrity. J. (2023, March 11). Most Common Types of Bonuses and How They Work.
Indeed. https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/bonuses
4. Syptak, J. M., Marsland, D. W., & Ulmer, D. (1999, October 15). Job satisfaction: Putting
theory into practice. AAFP. https://www.aafp.org/pubs/fpm/issues
5. Kerpen, D. (2021, April 20). The perfect employee in 17 simple words.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/perfect-employee-17-simple-words-dave-kerpen
6. Kappel, M. (2023, December 13). What is profit sharing? | Definition, examples, & more.
Patriot Software. https://www.patriotsoftware.com/blog/payroll/what-is-profit-sharing
7. Gupta, D. (2024, January 9). 14 Types of employee training programs (+Benefits,
Examples). The Whatfix Blog | Drive Digital Adoption. https://whatfix.com/blog/types-
employee-training-programs/