Research On Motivation Theories
Research On Motivation Theories
Research On Motivation Theories
AND
ITS FACTORS
Motivational Factors
There are several factors that motivate a person to work.The motivational
factors can be broadly divided into two sectors:
1.Monetary Factors:
Salaries or wages:
Salaries or wages is one of the most important motivational
factors.Reasonable salaries must be paid on time.While fixing salaries
must consider such as:
Cost of living
Company ability to pay
Capability of the company ton pay etc,
Bonus:
It refers to extra payment to employee over and above salary giveb as
an incentive.The employee must be given adequate rate of bonus.
Incentives:
The organization may also provide additional incentuives such as
medical allowance,educational allowance,other allowance etc.
Special individual incentives:
The company may provide special individual incentives.Such
incentives are to be given to deserve employees for giving valuable
suggestions.
2.Non-Monetary Factors:
Status or job title:
By providing a higher status or designations the employee must be
motivated. Employees prefer and proud of higher designations.
Appreciation and recognition:
Employees must be appreciated for their services. The praise should
not come from immediate supeior but also from higher authorities.
Delegation of authority:
Delegation of authority motivates a subordinate to perform the tasks
with dedication and commitment. When authority is delegated, the
subordinate knows that his superior has placed faith and trust in him.
Working conditions :
Provision for better working conditions such as air-conditioned
rooms, proper plant layout, proper sanitation, equipment, machines
etc, motivates the employees
Job security
Guarantee of job security or lack of fear dismissal, etc can also be a
good way to motivate the employees. Employees who are kept
temporarily for a long time may be frustrated and may leave the
organization
Job enrichment:
Job enrichment involves more challenging tasks and responsibilities.
For instance an executive who is involved in preparing and presenting
reports of performance, may also asked to frame plans.
Workers participation:
Inviting the employee to be a member of quality circle, or a
committee, or some other form of employee participation can also
motivate the workforce
Cordial relations
Good and healthy relations must exist throughout the organization.
This would definitely motivates the employees.
Good superiors:
Subordinates want their superiors to be intelligent, experienced,
matured, and having a good personality. In fact, the superior needs to
have superior knowledge and skills than that of his subordinates. The
very presence of superiors can motivate the subordinates
Other factors:
There are several other factors of motivating the employees:
Providing training to the employees.
Proper job placements
Proper promotions and transfers.
Proper performance feedback.
Proper welfare facilities.
Flexible working hours.
KINDS OF MOTIVATION
A few polarities of of motivation that you’ll find in the theories and that serve to
create clarity on one’s own motivation. As with all polarities, it’s not about
either/or, but about the position one has in a certain spectrum.
Positive vs Negative
Motivating forces can be positive, as in impelling one to reach a certain
goal. They can also be negative, as in driving one away from an
unwanted situation.
You can be positively motivated about going to work because you like
your colleagues and some parts of the work, and negatively motivated
because you have bills to pay (moving away from poverty) and you
wouldn’t dare not show up.
Internal vs External
There is internal motivation, or push. It’s an internal state that impels one
to act towards achieving a certain goal. Then there is external motivation,
or pull. It’s when an external goal influences one’s behaviour towards
them. Behaviour is a complex blend of internal pushes and external pulls.
You can be internally motivated to go to work because it makes you feel
useful and creative. At the same time, it is expected of you by your
surroundings and you may be doing something that only partly fulfills
your desires.
Basic vs learned
Motivation leans on motives. Motives are often categorized into basic
motives and learned motives. Basic or primary motives are unlearned and
common to both animals and humans. We’re talking hunger, thirst, sex,
avoidance of pain, and perhaps aggression and fear. The learned or
secondary motives include achievement, power, recognition, love...
You’ll go to work to get food and avoid social exclusion. And you’ll also
go to work to achieve something, and possibly order others around.
MAJOR THEORIES OF MOTIVATION
1. Need Approaches:
Maslow’s Hierarchy Needs
Herzberg’s Two Factor Theory
Alderfer’s ERG theory
2. Cognitive Approaches:
Expectancy Theory
Equity Theory/Social Comparison
Goal Setting Theory
3. Reinforcement Theory or Operant Conditioning:
How Rewards & Reinforcements Sustain Motivation Over
Time(Behavior Modification)
Self-Actualisation Needs
Esteem Needs
Affiliation Needs
Security Needs
Physiological Need
Herzberg’s Two Factor Theory
In the 1950s, Frederick Herzberg conducted a study to examine the relationship
between job satisfaction and productivity within a group of about 200
accountants and engineers. He found that the factors leading to job satisfaction
were separate and different from those leading to job dissatisfaction – hence the
term ‘two-factor model’. Figure 20.3 on the next page shows the two-factor
model.
Achievement
Areas Recognition
of Work itself
Satisf Responsibity
action Advancemen
Not Satisfied
Hygiene Factors
Not Satisfied
Areas Orga. Policy
of Supervision
Dissatis Salary
faction Working Co
Interper.
Relationship
Disstisfied
Herzberg termed the sources of work dissatisfaction ‘hygiene factors’. These
are factors in the job context, including salary, interpersonal relations
(supervisor and subordinates), company policy and administration, status and
job security. If the organisation provides adequately for hygiene factors, there
will be no dissatisfaction. However, if they are not in place, it will cause
dissatisfaction. Herzberg found that hygiene factors are associated with
individuals’ negative feelings about their work and these factors do not
contribute to employee motivation. At Google, there are many examples of
hygiene factors, such as lunches in the cafeteria and a variety of benefits
including a choice of medical programmes, stock options, maternity and
paternity leave, and much more.
Clayton Alderfer refined Maslow’s theory by dividing Maslow’s five needs into
three broader categories of needs, namely existence needs, relatedness needs
and growth needs (ERG theory).
The theory differs from Maslow’s theory because Alderfer suggested that
more than one level of needs can motivate at the same time, for example,
a desire for friendship (relatedness) and the need for a promotion
(growth) can simultaneously influence the motivation of an individual.
The ERG theory also has a ‘frustration-regression aspect’, which means
that if needs remain unsatisfied, an individual may become frustrated and
revert to satisfying lower level needs. The ERG theory is more flexible
than the rigid hierarchy of needs theory which states that one level of
needs must be satisfied before the next level will come to the fore. The
management implications of the ERG theory is that employees strive to
satisfy various needs and that if their higher-order needs are not met, they
may regress to satisfying lower-order needs.
The expectancy theory suggests that the following three elements determine an
individual’s work motivation11:
MF=Expectancy×Instrumentality×Valence
Under-rewarded Over-rewarded