Essay about Hierarchy Explains Motivation

Herzberg’s two factor theory of motivation at the workplace shows the difference between two factors of motivation. The two factors being satisfiers, which are the main causes for job satisfaction (motivation), from hygiene factors which are the main causes for job dissatisfaction (demotivation to stay in the job). Examples of motivating factors are achievement, recognition, responsibility and the work itself. Hygiene factors include: working conditions, salary, relationship with colleagues, supervision, etc. An organisation needs to influence satisfiers through performance management using range of tools such as: job descriptions, supervision, performance appraisals, continuous development/training, rewards and career development.

Without going into the fine details and depth of all the motivational theory, we will use

(Robbins and Millet and Cacioppe and Waters-Marsh, 1998, p.10). An important area within organisational behaviour is motivation.

Motivation theory links to other theories such as behaviourism, cognitive and social-cognitive theory to name a couple. Cognitive theory, which is a psychological learning theory, attempts to explain the mental process that a person goes through to understand and develop their knowledge. Purists of cognitive development often scorn behaviourism as it dismisses the complexity of human behaviour. Behaviourism

Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs was introduced in the mid-1940’s by Abraham Maslow; it is one of the most popular theories of work motivation to this day. the theory was originally used specifically in a psychological setting, but was made more popular by Douglas McGregor in the late 1960’s and began to be used by not only psychologists but managers as well (Steers & Porter, 1983). The hierarchy is based on the fact that human beings have needs, Maslow took these needs and separated them into five categories: physiological needs, safety, belongingness or social needs,

Motivation and theories -------------------------- 2.1. Definition and theory framework ------------------------------------ Motivation can be described as the driving force of individual behaviour to fulfill needs or achieve goals. Mitchell defines motivation as 'the degree to which an individual wants and chooses to engage in certain specified behaviours' (Mullins 2002:418). In terms of this definition, various theories have been developed around.

Motivational Theories are important to management today because employers and managers need to know what drives the employees to perform at their best, and why. As Hersey explains, “If we are to understand, predict, and influence behavior, we must know what our employees really want from their jobs. Only then can we appeal to their strongest motivations and increase the probability of meeting both professional and organizational goals”

Bauer, T. (2012). Motivation Theories. In B. Erdogan, An Introduction to Organizational Behavior (pp. 393-450). New york.

Motivation guides, initiates and maintain positive behaviors. Motivation consists of social, biological, emotional or cognitive behaviors. Many motivational theories can help an organization continue its success if implemented. The reinforcement theory can produces productivity

Osland, et al. (2007) provide a good introduction to three basic motivational content theories. The first theory is Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs that proposes man is motivated by a lack in the one or more of the five common needs. The needs that Maslow identifies are physiological, safety, social belonging, self-esteem, and self-actualization. Maslow believed that one fills needs from the most basic (like food and water) to the highest level (self-actualization). Maslow’s ideas are easy to relate to and attempt to provide an all-inclusive approach to the concept of motivation; however, there is little evidence to support the idea that man cannot have self-actualization without the other more basic needs first satisfied. The second content theory Osland, et al. discuss is McCelland’s learned needs. McCelland states that man is motivated by one of three things: achievement, power, or affiliation – or a mixture of the three. Each of these needs can possess a negative or positive connotation or implementation, but it is argued that people motivated by affiliation make better leaders. The third theory presented is McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y. McGregor asserts that Theory X people or employees are inherently lazy and must be controlled and forced to act, whereas Theory Y people are self-controlled, motivated, and ambitious.

The equity theory conceived by J. Stacy Adams is based premise that "people gauge the fairness of their work outcomes relative to others, any perceived inequity is a motivating state of mind" (Schermerhorn, Hunt, and Osborn, 2005, p.10, chpt.6). This theory when applied to a sales force would not be the best method to motivate this employee group as to what is deemed fair by a team leader could be perceived as unfair by the

David McClelland and Notably Jonh Atkinson, his associates, had done his research basically focused on needs according to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs model, higher order (social and esteem) needs (Venugopalan, 2007). McClelland’s acquired needs theory defines that an individual’s specific needs are accordingly to one’s life experiences which needs are acquired over time (Ball, 2009). As Motivation is essential to almost any feature of life and this word is also often used in reference to work. Work is not necessary due to innately human activity, but not in new modern-day work arrangement, motivation plays as an important role to create global productivity and scalability which mean that motivation drive people to use their ability and capacity into work to produce qualification of work. Therefore, McClelland described motivational need in three different types:

Theories can never be proven, only supported or rejected. Although there are many theories of motivation, there are only a few that I feel can be relevant and valuable in the work setting. Before settling on a theory to use to assist with the creation of my specific theory of motivation, I wanted to get a better understanding of some of the most well-known motivational theories. Throughout my research I’ve noticed a common trend in the motivational theories and how they are applied. Many theories such as McClelland’s Needs Theory (1961), Maslows’ Hierarchy of Needs Theory (1954), and

‘Motivation’ is derived from the Latin term ‘movere’ that means ‘to move’. Thus, motivation is a process that starts with a physiological or psychological deficiency or need that activates a behaviour or a drive that is aimed at a goal or incentive (Luthans). Broadly speaking, motivation is willingness to exert high levels of efforts towards organizational goals, conditioned by the efforts’ ability to satisfy some individual needs (Robbins). Need means some internal state that make certain outcomes appear attractive. An unsatisfied need creates tension that stimulates drives within the individual. These drives generate a search behaviour to find particular goals, that if attained,

4. 3 Major Types of Motivation Theories  Content Theories of Motivation WHAT motivates us  Process