Effects of demotivated workers

Effects of demotivated workers

Figure 1: Effects of demotivated workers (Menda, 2020)

1.      Reduced organisational productivity

One of the most significant adverse impacts of demotivated personnel is a decline in production (Ng et al., 2004). Without the desire to complete their responsibilities, employees may miss deadlines and offer substandard work to clients, exposing the organisation to danger. Workplace productivity is measured qualitatively and quantitatively (Frost and Brockmann, 2014). Lower productivity resulting in a decrease in the quantity of work might lead to a decrease in total output. Low quality frequently leads to client complaints and discontent, reflecting poorly on the institution.

2.      Unproductive workforce

Without a committed and diligent team, an organisation cannot progress. Consequently, an unproductive staff harms the organisation (Boye Kuranchie-Mensah and Amponsah-Tawiah, 2016). During the appraisal of personnel, productivity is frequently utilised as a benchmark. However, the tactics for raising employee motivation are directly tied to staff productivity. The profits and losses of an organisation are directly impacted by employee productivity. Consequently, the unproductive workforce resulting from a lack of motivation might negatively impact the organisation's income.

3.      Key employees leave

People that are diligent and successful like to be surrounded by like-minded others who positively affect them (Roffey, 2016). However, uninspired employees may transfer their unfinished work to other, higher-performing colleagues, increasing their workload and stress. As a result of the unbalanced workload, high-performing employees may be compelled to leave their jobs if disengaged workers anticipate riding on their coattails. This may cause critical personnel to seek alternative employment options and leave the organisation (Vnouková and Klupáková, 2013). The outcome is a workforce comprised of unproductive employees.

4.      Absenteeism and tardiness

Absenteeism and tardiness to work are significant issues for many organisations. It has been estimated that absenteeism costs the United States around $225.8 billion annually (Stinson, 2015). Workers might be absent from work for various uncontrollable causes, including family situations, unanticipated accidents, severe weather, diseases, etc. (Fernando, Caputi and Ashbury, 2017). However, absenteeism and tardiness due to unwillingness to go to work are significant issues. If a certain employee is absent frequently, it is a cause for worry that should be explored.

Motivated absenteeism can lead to increased employee absence and tardiness, which can devastate productivity (Nicholson, 2007). According to this approach, employees report to work freely based on motivation. A highly motivated worker would be excited to go to work, but a demotivated worker would hunt for any excuse to avoid coming to work.

5.      Waste of time, money, and resources

A demotivated worker will take longer and longer to perform a given task (Hanaysha, 2016). For example, a demotivated individual would take four or five hours to finish work they had previously completed in two hours. With increased demotivation, the time required to perform activities will rise, resulting in the organisation losing the necessary money and resources. Demotivated individuals squander time in different ways, impede the productivity of others, and use an excessive amount of organisational resources.

6.      Disappearance of employee input

Employees are the essential component of an organisation, and their contributions to enhancing organisational performance are of the utmost importance (Chadi, Jeworrek and Mertins, 2017). Employee participation may result in innovations, new ideas, good momentum, and an upbeat environment. However, if a person feels disconnected and undesired by their organisation, they will not make constructive proposals or provide meaningful feedback. Motivation is the primary aspect that enhances the relationship between employer and employee, and the absence of motivation will diminish or eliminate employee contribution.

7.      Negative word of mouth

According to Uen et al. (2011), top management and consumers of an organisation frequently weigh favourable word-of-mouth since it significantly impacts the company's image. An organisation's negative ratings will arise primarily due to the low-quality work produced by unmotivated personnel. This can result in poor workplace-related word-of-mouth (Harris and Ogbonna, 2012).

"It takes twenty years to develop a reputation but only five minutes to destroy it. If you consider this, you will act differently." - Warren Buffet

References

Boye Kuranchie-Mensah, E. and Amponsah-Tawiah, K. (2016) 'Employee motivation and work performance: A comparative study of mining companies in Ghana', Journal of Industrial Engineering and Management, 9(2), p. 255. doi: 10.3926/jiem.1530.

Chadi, A., Jeworrek, S. and Mertins, V. (2017) 'When the Meaning of Work Has Disappeared: Experimental Evidence on Employees' Performance and Emotions', Management Science, 63(6), pp. 1696–1707. doi: 10.1287/mnsc.2016.2426.

Fernando, M., Caputi, P. and Ashbury, F. (2017) ‘Impact on Employee Productivity From Presenteeism and Absenteeism’, Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, 59(7), pp. 691–696. doi: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000001060.

Hanaysha, J. (2016) 'Improving employee productivity through work engagement: Evidence from higher education sector', Management Science Letters, pp. 61–70. doi: 10.5267/j.msl.2015.11.006.

Harris, L. C. and Ogbonna, E. (2012) 'Forms of employee negative word‐of‐mouth: a study of front‐line workers', Employee Relations, 35(1), pp. 39–60. doi: 10.1108/01425451311279401.

Menda, P. B. (2020) 'Critical Analysis of Teacher Motivation Policy in Schools in the Democratic Republic of Congo', Global Journal of Management and Business Research: A Administration and Management, 20(2).

Ng, S. T., Skitmore, R. M., Lam, K. C. and Poon, A. W. C. (2004) 'Demotivating factors influencing the productivity of civil engineering projects', International Journal of Project Management, 22(2), pp. 139–146. doi: 10.1016/S0263-7863(03)00061-9.

Nicholson, N. (2007) 'Absence behaviour and attendance motivation: A conceptual synthesis', Journal of Management Studies, 14(3), pp. 231–252. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-6486.1977.tb00364.x.

Stinson, C. (2015) Worker Illness and Injury Costs U.S. Employers $225.8 Billion Annually, CDC Foundation.

Vnoučková, L. and Klupáková, H. (2013) 'Impact of motivation principles on employee turnover', Ekonomická revue - Central European Review of Economic Issues, 16(2), pp. 79–92. doi: 10.7327/cerei.2013.06.03.