MOTIVATION

Definition

1. Motivation has been defined as the reason people do what they do.
2. It is the internal drive that encourages us to achieve our goals.

Motivation Is Two-Dimensional

1. Internal
2. External

1. Internal Motivation:

1. Internal motivation comes from the satisfaction that occurs when a task is performed.
2. When you enjoy doing your job, you are self-motivated.
3. The motivation comes from job content, not job environment.

2. External Motivation

1. External motivation is an action taken by another person.
2. It usually involves anticipation of a reward.
3. Typical rewards in the workplace setting include money, awards, and performance feedback.

The Motivation Cycle

1. The motivation cycle describes how most people go about satisfying a need.
2. There are five steps in the motivational cycle.

• A sufficiently strong need exists.
• The need creates tension.
• The tension makes a person take action.
• The goal is achieved.
• Tension is reduced.

Characteristics of Motives

1. Motives can be described as the “why” of human behavior.
2. There are five characteristics of motives that can be helpful in understanding what motivates you and others.

1. Motives Are Individualistic

1. People have different needs.
2. What satisfies one person may not satisfy another.
3. This variation often leads to human relations breakdown unless individuals take the time to understand what motivates their colleagues.

2. Motives Change

1. Our motives change throughout our lives.
2. What motivates us early in our careers may not motivate us later on.

3. Motives May Be Unconscious

1. Usually, we are not fully aware of the inner needs and drives that influence our behavior.
2. We may have unconscious feelings of inadequacy or desires for increased recognition.

4. Motives Are Often Inferred

1. We can observe the behavior of another person, but we can only infer what motivated the behavior.
2. Our motives and the motives of others are often difficult to understand.

   Motives Are Hierarchical

1. Motives for behavior vary in levels of importance.
2. When contradictory motives exist, more important motives usually guide behavior.
3. For example, people often leave jobs that are secure to satisfy their need for challenge.

5. Influential Motivation Theories

1. Many psychologists have added to our knowledge of what motivates people.
2. The basic problem is how to apply this knowledge in the workplace.
3. Several theories have become influential.

Maslow’s Hierarchy

1. According to Maslow, people tend to satisfy their needs in a particular order.
2. Maslow called this order: “The Hierarchy of Needs”
3. They include

1. Physiological Needs
2. Safety and security Needs
3. Social or Belongingness Needs
4. Esteem Needs
5. Self-Actualization needs

1. The theory has three main assumptions.

1. People have a number of needs that require some measure of satisfaction.
2. Only unsatisfied needs motivate behavior.
3. These needs are arranged in an order according to prepotency.

1. Physiological Needs

1. Physiological needs were described by Maslow as survival, or lower-order, needs.
2. They include needs for food, clothing, sleep, and shelter.

2. Safety and Security Needs

1. Safety and security needs reflect peoples’ desire for predictability in life.
2. Safety needs focus on protection from physical harm.
3. Security needs reflect the need to provide for oneself and one’s family.

3. Social or Belongingness Needs

1. Social or belongingness needs deal with emotional and mental well-being.
2. Research has revealed that our needs for affection, a sense of belonging, and group identification are as important for health as food and safety.

4. Esteem Needs

1. Self-esteem is a term that describes how you feel about yourself.
2. Esteem needs relate to a person’s self-respect and the respect he or she receives from others.

5. Self-Actualization Needs

1. Self-actualization needs represent a person’s need for growth.
2. Self-actualization is people fulfilling their potential or realizing their fullest capacities as human beings.

Maslow’s Theory Reconsidered

1. Maslow’s theory has helped us understand behavior.
2. The hierarchy should not be taken too literally.
3. Humans are motivated at any one time by a complex array of needs.

Herzberg’s Motivation-Maintenance Theory

1. According to Herzberg’s theory, maintenance factors include things people consider essential to any job.
2. Some factors are salary, benefits, working conditions, policies, and administration.
3. These basic maintenance factors do not act as motivators, but if absent, a change in organizational climate results.
4. The results can hurt employee morale and lower productivity.
5. Motivational factors are benefits above and beyond the basic elements of a job.
6. They tend to increase worker satisfaction.
7. Workers feel that they are getting more than a paycheck.
8. The list of motivational factors includes work itself, achievement, responsibility, recognition, and opportunities for advancement.
9. When these are present, they motivate employees to higher production levels.
10. Employees feel more committed to their jobs and find creative ways to reach goals.
11. Herzberg theorizes that when motivational factors are not met, workers ask for increased maintenance factors.

The Expectancy Theory

1. The mysterious power of expectations, referred to as the self-fulfilling prophecy, is at the heart of motivation.
2. Self-fulfilling prophecies reflect a connection between your expectations of yourself and your behavior.

The Goal-Setting Theory

1. Motivation researchers indicate that goals tend to motivate people in four ways.
2. First, goals provide the power of purpose by directing your attention to a specific target.
3. Second, they encourage you to make the effort to achieve something specific.
4. Third, achieving a goal requires sustained effort and therefore encourages persistence.
5. Fourth, having a goal forces you to bridge the gap between the dream and the reality.
6. Applying the goal-setting theory requires an understanding of the criteria for developing realistic goals.

McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y

1. Douglas McGregor outlines a set of assumptions that he says influence most managers in his book: “The Human Side of Enterprise”
2. He divides the assumptions into two categories.

1. Theory X
2. Theory Y

1. Theory X: A Pessimistic View

1. This theory represents a pessimistic view of human nature.
2. It assumes that people do not really want to work; they have to be pushed, closely supervised, and prodded into doing things.
3. Managers who operate under this theory believe that workers are paid to do a good job.
4. They believe that management’s function is to supervise the work and correct employees if needed.

2. Theory Y: An Optimistic View

1. Theory Y reflects an optimistic view of human nature.
2. Work is as natural to people as play or rest.
3. People are capable of self-direction and will learn and accept responsibility.
4. People will become committed to organizational objectives if they are rewarded for doing so.
5. A healthy, mutually supportive work climate based on trust, openness, and respect will influence workers to give more of themselves.

Contemporary Employee Motivation Strategies

1. The search for better ways to motivate employees has taken on a new level of importance.
2. International competition and the growing demand for products and services underpins the need for more effective motivation strategies.

1. Motivation Through Job Design

1. Job rotation allows employees to move through a variety of jobs, departments, or functions in a prescribed way.
2. It facilitates career advancement by cross-training workers, allows a hedge against absenteeism, and reduces boredom.
3. Job enlargement means expanding an employee’s duties or responsibilities.
4. Motivation is often increased when workers are encouraged to take on new skills and responsibilities.
5. Employees enjoy new and different challenges.
6. Companies benefit by having employees who are trained in several facets of work.
7. During busy periods, these employees can help fill the gaps.
8. Job enrichment is an attempt to make a job more desirable and satisfying, thereby triggering motivation.
9. One way is to assign more difficult tasks to employees, or grant them more authority.

2. Motivation Through Incentives

1. Incentives are used to improve quality, reduce accidents, increase sales, improve attendance, and speed up production.
2. Organizations frequently use incentives to drive results.
3. Many companies are using programs that reward the development of new ideas, called entrepreneurship.
4. These encourage employees to pursue their ideas at work, with the company providing the funds, space, and time.
5. These programs often result in cash bonuses and cash awards to employees for their ideas and development.

3. Motivation Through Learning Opportunities

1. Learning opportunities can be a strong motivational force.
2. Employees know that education and training are critical to individual growth and opportunity.
3. Learning is oriented toward securing the future.

4. Motivation Through Empowerment

1. Empowerment means efforts made to move authority and responsibility to the lowest ranks of an organization.
2. The results give employees a sense of pride, self-expression, and ownership.

Motivation Through Others’ Expectations

1. There is also a relationship between a person’s level of motivation and the expectations of others.
2. Research has revealed that high expectations from others lead to high performance.

5. Self-Motivation Strategies

1. Go outside your comfort zone
1. Don’t be afraid to move outside your comfort zone.
2. Reflect on messages you might have received from family and friends concerning success.
3. Self-Motivation Strategies
4. Learn to showcase your abilities.
5. Sell yourself to others, especially those who make decisions about your earnings or advancement.
2. Toot your own horn!

• Learn to love the job you hate

1. Redesign your job so that it offers more challenge, more variety, or less stress.
2. Perhaps you can delegate to someone the task that you do not like to do.
3. Develop a special project that will give your job greater meaning.
4. Do things that make you feel good about yourself while you do your job.
5. Build an immunity to cynicism

• Cynicism is a destructive thinking pattern.
• Employees grow cynical when managers make mistakes.
• This is amplified when employers are not open and honest.
• To become immune to cynicism, you must first maintain an open mind.
• Avoid the temptation to blame management for every real or perceived problem.
• Take time to learn why changes are being made and try to separate fact from fiction.
• Remember that bad news gets more attention than good news.

1. Strive for balance 
2. Motivation decreases when we no longer have a sense of balance in our lives.
3. This happens when employees are not treated as “whole” people who have lives away from the job.
4. To achieve balance, take time to reflect on what is important in your life.
5. Take stock of your most satisfying experiences and determine whether you are doing the things you value, then try to make the necessary adjustments.

Remember:

1. There are many keys to success in your personal and professional life; self-motivation stands out as a major ingredient.