Motivation is what encourages us to act in a certain way and to achieve certain things in our everyday lives and is a major factor in deciding how we behave. Work motivation is especially important to managers in organizations. According to Kanfer et al (2008), work motivation is a psychological process that influences how employees allocate effort to their work. It also influences the direction, intensity and persistence of these actions. It is very important that managers motivate their employees in the workplace as having highly motivated employees can benefit the organization. Motivated employees are known to be happier at work and as a result will work harder and are less likely to leave their job. There are many different theories of motivation that managers can use to motivate employees. In this assignment I am going to discuss, in detail equity theory and goal- setting theory. I will examine the effectiveness of these theories, outline some problems associated with them an compare the theories.
The first theory I am going to discuss is equity theory which was developed by Stacey Adams. Equity theory is a process theory of motivation which is based on perceptions of inequity in the workplace. It is based on the idea that employees are motivated by fairness. The theory argues that if employees perceive themselves to be treated unfairly at work, they will experience tension and will be motivated to change their actions to reduce this tension to make the
Motivational theories are attempted to explain the way of employee effort is generated, in this they are different types of motivational theories which is perform the effective result of the organization development with the employee individual behavior. Different types of motivational theories are named as goal setting, social learning and equity theories.
An aspect of motivation that was answered early on in research was learning to understand individual needs. In early research, it was believed that employees worked or were motivated to do so based upon their needs; they were motivated to satisfy their needs in other words. There are four main need-based theories of motivation include: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, the ERG theory, Herzberg’s Dual Factor Theory, and McClelland’s Acquired Needs Theory (Carpenter, Bauer, Erodgogan & Short, 2013).
Clearly defined goals as they relate to the organization can motivate employees through goal setting. Goals challenge to employees to make them want to explore new technology, ideas, and gain insight from a diverse workplace. Additionally, giving employees more responsibility will make them believe they have contributed with a sense of higher importance. Without motivation in the workplace, a business will suffer from the lack of efficiency from employees. Perhaps the most significant of increased employee motivation is that of increased productivity (staff@incentives.com, 2010). Therefore, it is important that employers give their employees an opportunity to work hard for their reward to obtain a high level of performance, which is an essential to the success of any business.
The word Motivation is a common terminology which most employers are familiar with and in every organisation the employers has different techniques and strategies the use in motivating their employees. Many scholars have argued on different forms of motivation and argued that to be motivated should be individual employee’s responsibility and the employers responsibility, this theory was criticized by some school of thought.
Motivation in the workplace is one of the major concerns that managers face when trying to encourage their employees to work harder and do what is expected of them on a day-to-day basis. According to Organizational Behavior by John R. Schermerhorn, James G. Hunt and Richard N. Osborn the definition of motivation is "the individual forces that account for the direction, level, and persistence of a person's effort expended at work." They go on to say that "motivation is a key concern in firms across the globe." Through the years there have been several theories as to what motivates employees to do their best at work. In order to better understand these theories we will apply them to a fictitious organization that has the following
Motivation is a key factor in determining business success or failure. Successful organizations relentlessly seek to operate with a clear understanding of employee needs , and develop specific focus’ on how to meet them. Two key theories in organizational motivation are expectancy theory and equity theory. Both theories focus on the outcomes of a given decision or system rather than on individual employee needs. The goal of both process theories is to increase output.
Human Resources is dependent on the success, happiness, and contentment of employees that keep the business on course. Motivation is one of the best ways to push employees forward while making sure everyone is in a comfortable position in their job. Motivational theories just attempt to explain what motivates or makes people act the way that they do. The goal of understanding these theories and their outcomes is to ensure a better performance from each employee, and to give each of those employees the best situation they can have in the workplace. Visionaries such as Abraham Maslow, Frederick Herzberg, and Henry A. Landsberger also brought forward new ways of management and ways to handle internal situations that changed the landscape of human resources as a whole. Motivational theories instituted in the workplace have a commonly positive effect on both employees and management, showing that it is important to strive for proven motivational practices.
When working within any organization, it is important to make each person feel as if they are wanted and that they are needed. How can this be done? Motivation! To do this, team leaders and mangers need to motivate everyone in a positive manner to do their best and to always attempt to find new ways to create aa positive atmosphere in the workplace. In the article Organizational Communication: Communication and Motivation in the Workplace, it states, “The importance role of motivation to encourage employee morale in completing the work is very needed.” (Ramadanty, Martinus, 2016).
There are various theories of motivation that have been developed over the years. Based on the analysis and description of these theories, it can be concluded that my organization adopts the Locke’s goal-setting Theory and Vroom’s Expectancy theory to motivate its employees, while I am motivated by the combination of Herzberg’s theory and Locke’s theory of motivation.
The three main types of motivation theories are need-based, cognitive process, and job-based. Maslow’s need hierarchy and McClelland’s need theory are both need-based theories. This means that before an employee is motivated to perform there are certain needs that must be
The goal is to create a healthy workplace where team members receive and communicate appreciation, and where quality-trusting relationships are built in order to advance the church’s values and goals. Chapman and White write about the need for team members to feel appreciated in the workplace. They explain that the majority of workers do not feel appreciated or are under appreciated. This, according to the authors, is a major dilemma. They contend that feeling unappreciated or under appreciated is a major reason for high turnover in the workplace. Chapman and White argue that appreciation meets a fundamental need of all people. They assert that when this need is met, people feel satisfaction and that will translate in the workplace.
In every work environment, there are employees who work harder than other employees. Their work ethic can be motivated by different factors. Motivation can be defined as “the set of forces that cause people to behave in certain ways” (Ebert & Griffin, 2015, p. 256). Over many years, many studies have been conducted and theories have been created to explain an individual’s motivation. The four theories we will discuss in this paper are: The hierarchy of human needs model, the two-factor theory, the expectancy theory, and the equity theory models. These theories also apply to an individual’s personal life, but this paper will concentrate on how each model affects the work environment. It is important that managers understand these theories so they may identify how to motivate each employee into being a more productive and motivated worker.
Motivation is descried in this theory as a means to connect personal gain and an overall company objective while generating an effort from the employee creating the impact with employees
Industrial/Organizational (I/O) Psychology is devoted to the study of employee behavior in the workplace and understanding the issues facing organizations and employees in today’s complex and ever changing environment. Motivation refers to the set of forces that influence people to choose various behaviors among several alternatives available to them. An organization depends on the ability of management to provide a positive, fostering and motivating environment for its employees in order to increase profits, productivity and lower turnover rates of its employees. The purpose of this paper is to discuss and compare six academic journal articles and explore the behavior, job, and need based theories of motivation that can aid management in motivating and understanding their employees. Finding that delicate balance to can sometimes be elusive so effectively learning how to motivate by understanding, controlling and influencing factors to manipulate behavior and choices that are available to employees can produce the desired outcome.
Motivation can be defined as the intrinsic or extrinsic drive to meet expectation and accomplishment related to an activity. For organizations, some of the intrinsic drive is already held by the employee due to patterns of human behavior, personal character, and life experiences. However, the organization has a responsibility to motivate employees further in the workplace. This responsibility ultimately improves organizational performance. Taylor (2015) states, “motivation matters for organizations” (p.28). When this statement becomes reality, organizations will understand that motivation can be enacted through the work environment, relatedness, job resources and support, incentives, rewards, recognition, and feedback and consequences (Taylor, 2015).