Employee Motivation and Compensation

Course Description

This course studies theories and practices for employee motivation and the administration of compensation and benefits. Topics include the role of compensation and motivation in organizational systems; human behavior, human motivation, and types of reward systems; the regulatory environment of wages and salaries; linking performance management systems to rewards; implementation and administration of reward systems; and future trends.

Topics and Objectives

Role of Compensation and Motivation in Organizational Systems

• Examine the history of compensation.
• Assess the importance of reward systems.
• Evaluate the relationship of compensation and motivation practices to organizational strategy.

Human Behavior, Human Motivation, and Types of Reward Systems

• Compare different perspectives on motivation.
• Apply theories of managing behavior to reward systems.
• Assess the fit of employee values and expectations with the organization's reward systems.
• Evaluate different types of reward systems within the context of the organization and its mission.

Regulatory Environment of Wages and Salaries and Market-driven Issues

• Review federal laws, regulations, and cases relevant to wages and benefits.
• Assess factors that define the internal equity of wages and benefits.
• Evaluate the internal and external competitiveness analysis for the development of a pay structure for a particular position within a department.

Linking Performance Management Systems to Rewards

• Propose a reward system including monetary, non-monetary, and benefit/services for a specific organization or a defined employee group.
• Determine the possible applications of compensation/rewards systems to work teams.

Implementation and Administration of Reward Systems

• Analyze the components required for effective administration of reward systems.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of a reward system.

Future Trends

• Examine future trends and compensation plans.
• Identify compensation and motivation issues for contingency workers.
• Evaluate the on-going need to revise reward strategies to fit the evolving mission of the organization.