Human resource management and motivation
Domain overview
Human resource management and motivation examines how businesses plan, recruit, develop and retain people, and why employees work productively. The exam expects theories applied to retention, absenteeism, appraisal or restructuring, with awareness of Namibia's Labour Act 11 of 2007 on contracts, dismissal and leave.
Core rules and concepts
- HR planning forecasts labour needs. Recruitment may be internal (promotion, known culture) or external (fresh skills, wider choice). Selection uses application forms, interviews, tests and references.
- Induction socialises new staff; training improves job skills; development prepares for future roles; appraisal reviews performance and identifies training needs.
- Motivation may be financial (pay, bonus, commission) or non-financial (recognition, autonomy, teamwork, career paths).
- Maslow's hierarchy moves from physiological and safety needs to social, esteem and self-actualisation needs. Herzberg separates hygiene factors (pay, conditions, policy), which prevent dissatisfaction, from motivators (achievement, responsibility, growth), which create satisfaction.
- Labour turnover and absenteeism are symptoms; diagnose causes before prescribing rewards.
Worked example
A Namibian packaging firm has 35% annual turnover among machine operators. Exit interviews show pay is near market rate, but shifts are unpredictable and supervisors rarely give feedback. Using Herzberg, pay and conditions are hygiene factors: improving them may stop complaints but not build commitment. The firm should stabilise rosters, train supervisors in feedback, and create a clear operator-to-technician progression. These are motivators linked to responsibility and growth. A pay rise alone would be a weak recommendation because the evidence points to supervision and job design.
Traps that cost marks
Do not describe Maslow as a rigid sequence that everyone follows. Herzberg's opposite of satisfaction is not dissatisfaction; hygiene factors prevent dissatisfaction. Training is not the same as development. Appraisal is not primarily a disciplinary tool. Dismissal and redundancy are different: redundancy arises from a job no longer being needed. Avoid recommending higher pay for every motivation problem.