Employee Motivation Strategies of Faith-Based Organizations to Achieve Sustainable Organizational Leadership

Employees may not give quality performance as the result of inadequately designed and poorly applied motivation programs. The purpose of this single case study was to explore strategies faith-based organizational leaders use to motivate employees to achieve sustainable organizational leadership. The population of the study was 11 leaders of a faith-based organization in western Birmingham, Alabama. The conceptual framework was the expectancy theory of motivation in which leadership styles and motivational strategies were explored. Data collection process involved semistructured face-to-face interviews, a focus group interview, and one policy and training manual. Data analysis process included mapping and coding by highlighting commonalities in phrases, descriptions, reactions, and common themes. Data saturation was achieved when responses were repetitive and no new insights emerged from data collected. The 3 themes that emerged from the research were lead by example, motivational strategies and leadership styles, and the effectiveness of motivational strategies. The findings of this research revealed inadequacies in leaders training employees and some inconsistencies in leaders communicating the overall vision to employees. Recommendations for leaders training employees of the faith-based organization are to develop written policies, purchase adequate training equipment, share the overall vision, and provide professional training for leaders from experts in the field of leadership. The implications for positive social change are for leaders to motivate young people who are members to volunteer to serve in the faith-based organization and for leaders to provide training that is useful and extends to business practices outside of the faith-based organization