Analysis of motivational factors of the ground-level managers’ personal features in industrial company

Straipsnyje nagrinėjama žemiausio lygmens vadovų (ŽLV) veikla, asmeninės savybės ir motyvaciniai veiksniai. Pateikiama mokslinės literatūros apie žemiausio lygmens vadovų veiklos specifiką ir atlikto tyrimo apie ŽLV asmenines savybes ir motyvacinius veiksnius rezultatai. Tyrime dalyvavo žemiausio lygmens vadovai ir jų tiesioginiai vadovai–vidutinio lygmens vadovai (VLV) – dirbantys Klaipėdos baldų gamybinėje įmonėje.The article describes personal features and motivating factors of the ground-level managers and presents the analysis of the survey results. There is analyzed literature about peculiarities and motivational factors of the ground-level managers for the purpose to assess motivating factors of the ground-level managers in an industrial company. Various studies have shown that in order to improve the daily work in an industrial company, the employee should be more responsible and he should have more freedom in decision-making. Of course, such measures can only be applied individually, because some people like routine tasks that require less responsibility. Company executives and middle managers, considering the ground-level manager’s motivation for work should apply the system of motivational measures, covering all possible internal and external motivational factors: salary, bonuses and other extras, social security, working environment, company culture enrichment, involvement in decision making, career opportunities, skill development, delegation and control, information and fair performance evaluation. Career management is a positive measure in motivating the ground-level managers and the organization also benefits from it, but it should be noted that a number of enterprises operating in Lithuania do not have career management system. The main reason for this is relatively small companies, with few managerial positions. This suggests that in terms of career only alternative career options should be discussed: horizontal career, job enrichment, going down, alternative forms of employment, greater responsibility / delegation of autonomy and eventually more money. Unfortunately, even these options are very limited, so it can be noted that the career development system is one of the biggest challenges in terms of ground-level manager's motivation. Executives in organizations should, as far as possible, promote the ground-level managers' initiative, creativity, reduce control etc., in order to meet such needs as respect, self-expression and recognition. Under current conditions, investigation of the ground-level managers, working in the furniture trade company showed that the following personal features for the ground-level managers are mostly valued: duty, task completion on time, honesty and energy. The best material motivational measures were found: wages, bonuses and extras. Among non-material measures the ground-level managers are mostly motivated by additional authority and acknowledgment. On the other hand, as the survey's results showed - their direct managers value professionalism, responsibility, self-confidence and desire to excel in ground-level managers. And there were identified the measures that should motivate ground-level managers most: money, work atmosphere, colleague acknowledgment, and sense of need. Considering this, it should be noted, that different level managers have different opinion on what really the ground-level managers need to do and how they should be motivated. It is clear that the ground-level manager's motivation has its own peculiarities, and motivating factors, which should be considered when creating motivational system for ground-level managers in industrial company