week 5- understanding and managing life at work- chapter 5 theories of work motivation

what is motivation- the extent to which persistent effort is directed towards the goal

the basics characteristics of motivation:

  • effort

  • persistence

  • direction

  • goals

analogy- high school physics. force (motivation) is determined by a vector that has direction (towards a goal), magnitude (effort) and, time (persistence)

example- in order to get 90+ in an exam u need to study right materials (direction), go thru all the details (effort) and it need a few days (persistence)

Intrinsic motivations:

motivations that stem from the direct relationship between the worker and the task and is usually self applied

Example:

  • feelings of achievement, accomplishment, challenge, and competence derived from performing one’s job, and the sheer interest in the job itself

extrinsic motivation:

  • motivation that stems from the work environment external to the task and is usually applied by others

examples include:

  • pay

  • fringe benefits

  • company polcies

  • various forms of supervision

  • some motivators have both extrinsic and intrinsic qualities e.g. recognition by the manager

extrinsic versus intrinsic motivators:

both in and ex are related to performance

  • extrinsic motivation is more strongly related to the quantity of performance (more effective for simple and mundane tasks)

  • intrinsic motivation is more related to the quality of performance (more effective for complex tasks)

need theories of work motivations:

  • needs are PHYSIOlogical and PHYSCOlogical wants or desires that can be satisfied by acquiring certain incentives or achieving particular goals

  • it is the behaviour stimulated by this acquisition process that reveals the motivational character of needs:

NEED———- BEHAVIOUR ——— INCENTIVES AND GOALS

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs:

  • a five level hierarchical need theory of motivation that specifies that the lowest level unsatisfied need has the greatest motivating potential. the need includes:

  • physcological needs

  • safety needs

  • belongingness needs (social needs)

  • esteem needs

  • self-actualization needs

esteem needs:

  • needs for feelings of adequacy, competence, independence, strength, confidence, and the appreciation and recognition of these characteristics by others

  • You need to be satisfied in a social setting and with urself as well

Organisational factors that might satisfy these needs include:

  • opportunity to master tasks leading to feelings of achievement and responsibility (individual setting)

  • awards, promotions, prestigious job titles, professional recognition (social setting)

Self-actualization needs:

  • They involve the desire to develop one’s true potential as an individual to the fullest extent and to express one’s skills, talents, and emotions in a manner that is most personally fulfilling

  • Example- creating a piece of art expresses one’s emotion

  • Organisational conditions that might provide self- actualization include absorbing jobs with the potential for creativity and growth

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs:

  • the lowest- level unsatisfied need category has the greatest motivating potential

  • When a need is unsatisfied, it exerts a powerful effect on the individual’s thinking and behaviour and is therefore motivational

  • . When needs at a particular level of the hierarchy are satisfied, the individual turns his or her attention to the next higher level

  • A satisfied need is no longer an effective motivator. The single exception involved self-actualization needs. Self-actualization needs become stronger as they are gratified

Alderfer’s ERG theory:

  • streamlines Maslow’s need classifications and makes some different assumptions about the relationship between needs and motivation

  • a three level hierarchial need theory of motivation that allows for movement up and down the hierarchy

  • existence needs (psychological and safety needs)

  • relatedness needs (belongingness and the social part of esteem)

  • growth needs (personal part of the esteem and the self- actualization)

How is Alderfer’s ERG Theory different from Maslow’s?

  • does not assume that lower-level needs must be gratified before a less concentrated need becomes operative

  • if the higher- level needs are ungratified, individuals will increase their desire for the gratification of lower-level needs

  • the frustration of higher-order needs will lead workers to regress to a more concrete need category, hence, an apparently satisfied need can act as a motivator by substituting for an unsatisfied need

McClelland’s Theory of Needs:

  • a non- hierarchal need theory of motivation that outlines the conditions under which certain needs result in particular patterns of motivations

  • Needs reflect relatively stable personality characteristics

  • concerned with the specific behavioural consequences of three needs:

need for ACHIEVEMENT

need for AFFLIATION- u want to have a good relatonship ppl with ppl

need for POWER

You cannot always gain affiliation and power; sometimes, power can take away ur affliation, it is hard to keep everyone happy while trying to be powerful at the same time

  • McClleland predicts that people will be motivated to seek out and perform well in jobs that match their needs

  • people with a high need for achievement: sales jobs or entrepreneurial positions

  • people with a high need for affiliation: social work or customer relations

  • people with a high need for power: journalism and management

Self- determination theory (SDT)

  • Motivation depends on the satisfaction of three basic psychological needs:

competence

autonomy

relatedness

needs are universal

SDT explains what motivates people and whether motivation is autonomous (intrinsic) or controlled (extrinsic)

  • when ppl have their three basic needs satisfied, their motivation will be autonomous

  • The focus is on the quality rather than the quantity of motivation

process theories of work motivation:

my professor offers me 1 million if i memorise the whole textbook

conclusion- the money does not actually matter to me because it is unrealstic

  • expectancy - effort—— performance link (no matter how much effort i put in, is probably wont be able to memorise it)

  • instrumentality- performance—— rewards link (my professor does not look like someone who has 1 million dollars)

  • valence- rewards——- performance goal link (there are a lot of wonderful things i could do with 1 million dollars)

Equity theory:

  • Motivation stems from a comparison of the inputs one invests in a job and the outcomes one receives in comparison with the inputs and outcomes of another person or group

  • Individuals are motivated to maintain an equitable exchange relationship

Tactics for reducing inequity:

  • perceptually distort one’s own inputs or outcomes

  • you try to change ur perception

  • perceptually distort the inputs or outcomes of the comparison person or group

  • choose another comparison person or group (up to this point u hear the ratio mentally being manipulated in ur head)

  • Alter one’s inputs or alter one’s outcomes

  • leave the exchange relationship/ job- ratios are behaviorally manipulated

gender and equity:

  • Both men and women tend to choose same-sex comparison persons- u will most likely compare urself to someone who is the same gender as u

  • This might provide a partial explanation for why women are paid less than men, even for the same job

goals setting theory- what kind of goals are motivational?

  • goals are most motivational when they are:

  • specific (measurable, with a time frame)

  • challenging (not too easy, not impossible)

  • Organisational members are committed to them

  • Feedback about progress toward goal attainment is provided

Why are goals motivational?

  • four mechanisms explain why goals are motivational:

  • they direct attention toward goal- relevant activities

  • they lead to greater effort

  • they increase and prolong persistence

  • they lead to the discovery and use of task- relevant strategies for goal attainment

Enhancing goal commitment:

  • factors that might affect commitment to challenging, specific goals:

  • participation in goal setting

  • Extrinsic rewards are not necessary

  • management support (no coercive encouragement, no punishment, desire to help subordinates in achieving the goal)

Goal orientation:

Goal orientation refers to an individual’s goal preferences in achievement situations

  • a stable individual difference that affects performance

Three goal orientations:

  • learning (permanent change in behaviour) goal orientation