Key words: management process, motivation, needs, goals, values, judgements, AHP

Abstract

In the management process each organization has human, financial, material, technological and information reesources at its disposal. All of them are necessary for the rational functioning of the organization, but people are the most important capital of each company. In the management process motivation is considered as the most important and most difficult function. Motivating employees is a priority challenge for managers. For the purpose of this paper, motivation has been defined as a human psychological mechanism which consciously or unconsciously balances the set of different needs, aims, tasks and values directed at achieving, through various actions, objective or subjective satisfaction. The objective of this paper is to present a new approach to motivation fanction with the use of the AHP, in form of a multi-criteria model consisting of various theories and approaches, motivation models and the author's own considerations. This model differs from the hitcherto existing theories and models, since it has been constructed in the form of a hierarchical tree on top of which the main aim was set forth, namely the employees’ satisfaction from job and increased effectiveness of their work. Different motivation variants have been proposed, groups on the basis of age, gender, position, etc. The following main criteria have been considered in the model: (1) work and pay conditions, (2) organization culture, (3) interpersonal relationship, (4) personal abilities (intellectual and physical), (5) personal life, and (6) supporting others. Within each criterion, a family of subcriteria was considered. They enabled the establishment, justification and transformation of the calculated priorities into the alternative motivating activities of separate uniform groups of employees. The developped models were veified in selected companies in Poland.

INTRODUCTION

Transformation of Polish economy, the increasing complexity of business processes, acceleration of technological and information technology changes, globalisation of various economy sectors as well as 21st century world challenges are a stimulus to modify and increase organizational management effectiveness. Considerable autonomy of enterprises and competition force management skills upon managers so that they can cope with high risk situation – extremely difficult and risky. In a management process each organization manages the following resources: human, material, technological and information technology.