What is management? On the simplest level it implies getting things done through others. A manager is expected to get desired results from and through people. For this purpose, people should be motivated in the manner in which they are expected to behave. Peter F Drucker has rightly said that the first test of management's competence is its ability to keep people working with the minimum of disruption and the maximum of effectiveness.

A company that is worried about its efficiency and level of productivity, needs to examine the competency of its management team. They may have product knowledge and technical skills, but by deflating the ego of its staff and enervating its motivation they may cause disaster for the company. Everyone knows that good managers motivate with the power of their vision. They know how to motivate the people to reach the organisation goals. They ask for solutions from the people instead of forcing their ideas on them.

Employees' behaviour at work

Four principal factors determining employee behaviour at work, and thus performance results are,

• Performance objectives are critical, as they provide the direction for effort, i.e. what is to be accomplished and how will we know it is accomplished

• The structure and content of work activities. They consist of job design, organisation structure and working relationships

• The skills, abilities and knowledge of the individuals are critical as a performance factor

• Finally, rewards are necessary as incentives and recognition of performance.

Any one of these factors may be a weak link, contributing to sub-optimal organisational performance.