Motivation Theories Summary

Motivation

• People work for various reasons, impacting their motivation.
• Understanding individual motivation is key for effective management.
• Motivation is a human process that activates, directs, sustains, and stops behavior, starting with a need.
• The manager's role is to influence the motivation cycle to achieve organizational goals.

The Motivation Cycle

The motivation cycle consists of six stages:

1. Unsatisfied need.
2. Search for alternatives.
3. Choice of the best way to satisfy the need.
4. Action to obtain the need satisfier.
5. Re-examination of the situation.
6. Possible re-motivation based on outcomes.

• The individual either achieves or fails to achieve the need satisfier sought.

Factors Affecting Motivation

• Individual differences (needs, values, attitudes, interests).
• Job characteristics (limitations, challenges).
• Organizational practices (rules, policies, rewards).

Motivation Theories

• Content Theories (Need Theories): Driven to meet basic needs for satisfaction.
• Process Theories: Concerned with how people are motivated and choose need satisfiers.

Content Theories

• Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.
• Alderfer’s ERG Theory.
• McClelland’s Achievement Motivation Theory.
• Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory

• Needs are satisfied in a specific order based on a hierarchy.
• Lower-order needs must be satisfied before higher-order needs emerge.
• Hierarchy of Needs:
  • Physiological.
  • Safety.
  • Love/Belonging.
  • Esteem.
  • Self-actualization.
• Limitations: static nature, full satisfaction rarely achieved, applicability across organizations.

Clayton Alderfer’s ERG Theory

• Three need levels:
  1. Existence needs.
  2. Relatedness needs.
  3. Growth needs.
• Satisfaction-progression principle - similar to Maslow.
• When unable to satisfy higher needs, lower needs motivation is raised.

David McClelland’s Achievement Motivation Theory

• Three needs:
  1. Need for achievement: desire to accomplish challenging tasks.
  2. Need for affiliation: desire for warm, friendly relationships.
  3. Need for power: desire to influence others.

Fredrick Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory

• Based on satisfaction related to employee motivation.
• Two factors:
  • Hygiene Factors: Work conditions causing dissatisfaction (e.g., company policy, supervision, salary). Absence leads to no dissatisfaction, not motivation.
  • Motivation Factors: Conditions for psychological growth (e.g., achievement, recognition, responsibility). Lead to superior performance.
• Limitations: Doesn't account for individual differences; Assumes uniform reaction to motivational factors.

Process Theories of Motivation

• Expectancy theory (Victor H. Vroom).
• Equity theory (Stacy J. Adams).

Expectancy Theory

• Motivation depends on:

  • Expectancy: Effort will produce desired results.
  • Instrumentality: Successful performance leads to rewards (e.g., pay rise).
  • Valence: Value attached to the outcome.

• Motivation will be high when workers feel:

  • High levels of effort lead to high performance.
  • High performance will lead to the attainment of desire outcomes.

Equity Theory

• Considers fairness of work outcomes relative to inputs.
• Workers compare their outcome/input ratio with that of a referent.
• Equity exists when ratios are equal.
• Comparisons are made to friends, neighbors, co-workers, and colleagues.
• When employees perceive inequity, they may change inputs/outcomes, distort perceptions, choose a different referent, or leave.
• Focuses on organizational justice: distributive, procedural, and interactional.

Reinforcement Theories of Motivation (B.F. Skinner)

• Individual's behavior is a function of its consequences based on the law of effect.
• Behavior with positive consequences tends to be repeated and vice versa.
• Methods to control behavior:
  • Positive reinforcement.
  • Negative reinforcement.
  • Punishment.
  • Extinction.
• Criticism: Ignores inner feelings, focuses on external environment.