The impact of Structure and Culture on Employee Motivation at Light of Hope Ministries

The impact of Structure and Culture on Employee Motivation at Light of Hope Ministries

You are required to critically analyse your own organisation OR other organisation that you are familiar with from an Organizational Behaviour perspective. Focus your analysis on a critical problem or issue(s) the organisation is facing. You must use a variety of Organisational Behaviour concepts, models and theories relevant for the problem / issue(s) you are focusing on in your analysis. Ideas, arguments and discussion must be supported with material (references) from the academic literature. The analysis should include discussion and evaluation of implications for the organisation with suggestions or proposed solutions. Use a report style with a clearly articulated introduction, body and conclusion with recommendations. This must be done in no less than 2250 words. Must include Abstract, Introduction, Report, Recommendations and can also include short questionnaire.

Sample Answer

The Impact of Structure and Culture on Employee Motivation at Light of Hope Ministries

Abstract

This report explores how the organisational structure and culture at Light of Hope Ministries influence employee motivation. Using concepts from Organisational Behaviour (OB), the report identifies issues related to rigid hierarchy, communication gaps, and inconsistent cultural practices. Theories such as Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory, Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions, and Handy’s Organisational Culture Model are applied to understand the motivational challenges faced by employees. Based on this analysis, several recommendations are made to help Light of Hope Ministries improve staff engagement, performance, and satisfaction through better alignment of structure and culture with motivational needs.

1. Introduction

Organisational structure and culture play a critical role in shaping employee motivation. When structure supports collaboration and culture encourages purpose, employees tend to be more engaged and productive. However, when the opposite occurs, staff may feel demotivated, undervalued, and less committed.

This report examines Light of Hope Ministries, a faith-based non-profit organisation. The analysis focuses on how its current organisational structure and internal culture affect staff motivation. Drawing on key Organisational Behaviour theories, this report offers a critical evaluation of the situation and suggests practical recommendations to create a more motivating and supportive workplace.

2. Organisational Background: Light of Hope Ministries

Light of Hope Ministries (LOHM) is a non-profit Christian organisation that provides support to underprivileged communities through education, counselling, and humanitarian aid. Its workforce includes full-time staff, part-time workers, and volunteers. While the organisation is deeply committed to its mission, it currently faces low staff morale, high volunteer turnover, and inconsistent team performance.

Initial feedback and informal interviews with staff reveal concerns about poor communication, lack of recognition, unclear roles, and limited decision-making authority. These issues appear to stem from organisational structure and culture misalignment.

3. Organisational Structure and Its Effects on Motivation

3.1 Definition and Overview

Organisational structure defines how roles, responsibilities, and authority are arranged. It impacts how decisions are made and how easily employees can communicate and collaborate (Robbins & Judge, 2019).

LOHM uses a traditional hierarchical structure, with a senior leadership team making most decisions and line managers directing daily activities. Volunteers and junior staff have limited input into planning or decision-making.

3.2 Impact on Motivation

a. Centralisation

Decision-making is highly centralised at LOHM. According to Vroom and Yetton’s Normative Model of Decision Making (1973), this reduces employee engagement because staff have no voice in shaping their work or contributing ideas.

b. Role Ambiguity

Many staff members report unclear job roles, especially volunteers. According to the Job Characteristics Model (Hackman & Oldham, 1976), task identity and role clarity are key to motivation. The absence of these leads to confusion and demotivation.

c. Poor Communication Flow

A top-down communication style dominates. This creates information silos, where staff feel disconnected from leadership and wider organisational goals. Communication breakdown is a common demotivator according to Herzberg’s Hygiene Factors (1959).

4. Organisational Culture and Its Effects on Motivation

4.1 Defining Culture

Culture refers to shared values, beliefs, and practices in an organisation (Schein, 2010). A strong culture can unite staff and give meaning to their work.

LOHM’s stated culture is one of compassion, service, and spiritual care. However, practical behaviours often contradict this, such as favouritism, rigid leadership, and lack of open feedback channels.

4.2 Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions Applied to LOHM

• Power Distance: High. Leaders make decisions with little input from junior staff. This limits psychological safety and trust.

• Uncertainty Avoidance: High. There is a strong preference for following set routines and avoiding risks. Innovation is rare.

• Collectivism vs Individualism: While LOHM promotes community values, in practice, team collaboration is weak due to siloed departments.

4.3 Handy’s Culture Types

Using Handy’s model (1993), LOHM appears to operate under a Role Culture, where structure, rules, and defined roles dominate. This can demotivate creative employees and volunteers who value autonomy and purpose.

5. Employee Motivation at Light of Hope Ministries

5.1 Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

At LOHM, basic physiological needs (like salary) are met for staff but not for volunteers. Belongingness and esteem needs are often unmet due to weak feedback systems and lack of recognition.

5.2 Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory

• Hygiene Factors (e.g., pay, policies, supervision) are weak. Inconsistent support, lack of training, and unclear policies have led to dissatisfaction.

• Motivators (e.g., achievement, recognition) are also lacking. Employees feel their work goes unnoticed.

5.3 Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan)

This theory stresses the importance of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. LOHM’s structure fails to support autonomy or develop competence through continuous training, and relatedness suffers due to poor team cohesion.

6. Evidence from Staff Feedback (Sample Questionnaire)

A short anonymous questionnaire was conducted with 12 staff and volunteers.

This basic data supports the theoretical analysis, showing a clear link between poor motivation and issues in structure and culture.

7. Implications for the Organisation

If LOHM continues with the current structure and culture:

• Volunteer turnover will remain high.

• Staff burnout and dissatisfaction will grow.

• Mission delivery (community work) will suffer due to demotivated teams.

• Donor and partner trust could decline if internal issues affect project outcomes.

Continued...