Motivation
The forces, either internal or external to a person, that arouse
enthusiasm and persistence to pursue a certain course of
action.
Motivation
• Employee motivation affects productivity
• Part of a leader’s job is to channel followers’ motivation toward the
accomplishment of the organization’s vision and goals
• Leaders use motivation theory to:
• Satisfy followers’ needs
• Encourage high work performance
A Simple Model of Motivation
Intrinsic and Extrinsic Rewards
Intrinsic rewards
• Internal satisfactions a person receives in the process of performing
a particular action
Extrinsic rewards
• Rewards given by another person, typically a supervisor, such as
pay increases and promotions
Content-Based Theories of Motivation
• Hierarchy of needs theory
• Two-factor theory
• Acquired needs theory
Hierarchy of Needs Theory
Maslow’s theory proposes that humans are motivated by
multiple needs and those needs exist in a hierarchical order.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Two-Factor Theory
Hygiene factors
• First dimension of Herzberg’s two-factor theory; involves working
conditions, pay, company policies, and interpersonal relationships
Motivators
• Second dimension of Herzberg’s two-factor theory; involves job
satisfaction and meeting higher-level needs such as achievement,
recognition, and opportunity for growth
Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory
Acquired Needs Theory
McClelland’s theory, which proposes that certain types of
needs (achievement, affiliation, power) are acquired during an
individual’s lifetime.
Acquired Needs
Need for achievement
• Desire to accomplish something difficult, attain a high standard of
success, master complex tasks, and surpass others
Need for affiliation
• Desire to form close personal relationships, avoid conflict, and
establish warm friendships
Need for power
• Desire to influence or control others, be responsible for others, and
have authority over others
Process theories explain how people select behavioral
actions to meet their needs and determine whether their
choices were successful
• Expectancy theory
• Equity theory
Expectancy Theory
A theory that suggests that motivation depends on individuals’
mental expectations about their ability to perform tasks and
receive desired rewards.
Key Elements of Expectancy Theory
Equity Theory
A theory that proposes that people are motivated to seek
social equity in the rewards they receive for performance.
Individual perceptions of fairness
State of equity whenever the ratio of one person’s
outcomes to inputs = the ratio of another’s outcomes to
inputs
Inequity occurs when the input-to-outcome ratios are out of
balance
Perceived inequity can be reduced by:
• Changing work effort
• Changing outcomes
• Changing perception
• Leaving the job
Working with
PAM
Purpose
Employees who find purpose in the work they do unlock the
highest level of motivational potential. Daniel Pink says that
joining a cause that is “bigger” than yourself drives the
deepest motivation possible. Purpose in this context means
waking up in the morning and going to work without
grumbling.
Autonomy
Autonomy is the desire to lead your own life. Assigning autonomy to
employees is effective, but is contrary to the traditional vision of
management--employees are expected to comply with what they are
asked to do.
According to Daniel Pink, giving employees autonomy ensures that
they are more involved in what they do. This concerns the following
four factors: time, technique, team and task.
Different organizations give their employees more time at work to do
what they want to do. (This freedom has shown to lead to much more
innovative ideas and solutions at Google.) Another good example of
autonomy is the growth of flexible working, from home for example.
By offering such technology and freedoms to employees, they
experience a stronger sense of autonomy.
Mastery
This intrinsic element of motivation is wanting to improve. This can
be frustrating for people just starting to learn an instrument or a new
language. If people feel they are not moving forward or are not
improving, then interest falls and people give up more quickly. A
sense of progress, both professionally and personally, enhances
people’s inner drive.
Pink suggests that organisations and leaders should look at calibrating
what people must do and what they can do. If the must-do tasks are
too difficult, employees will start to worry and feel outside of their
comfort zone. If the must-do tasks are too easy, employees will be
bored. The trick is to suggest tasks that suit the person’s capacity, but
also to give them space and support to promote improvement and
growth.
