CLASSICAL THEORIES OF MOTIVATION
Motivation is the internal force that drives a person to carry out a certain behavior. It is
a psychological process related to the needs of the individual and their satisfaction.
HIERARCHY OF NEEDS (ABRAHAM MASLOW).
Abraham Maslow first introduced the concept of a hierarchy of needs in his 1943 paper,
titled "A Theory of Human Motivation". He suggests that people are motivated to fulfill
basic needs before moving on to other, more advanced needs.
While some of the existing schools of thought at the time, such as psychoanalysis and
behaviorism, tended to focus on problematic behaviors, Maslow was more interested in
learning about what makes people happy and what they do to achieve that aim.
As a humanist, Maslow believed that people have an inborn desire to be self-actualized,
that is, to be all they can be. To achieve this ultimate goal, however, a number of more
basic needs must be met. This includes the need for food, safety, love, and self-esteem.
Maslow believed that these needs are similar to instincts and play a major role in
motivating behavior.
There are five different levels of Maslow’s hierarchy:
https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-maslows-hierarchy-of-needs-4136760
THEORY OF NEEDS (DAVID MCCLELLAND).
Managing a group of people with different personalities is not an easy task. Leaders
must know what motivates their teams, how they respond to feedback and praise, and
what tasks fit them well.
David McClelland's Human Motivation Theory allows leaders to identify people's
motivating drivers.
Step 1: Identify Drivers
Examine your team to determine which of the three motivators is dominant for each
person. You can probably identify drivers based on personality and past actions.
For instance, perhaps one of your team members always takes charge of the group when
you assign a project. They speak up in meetings to persuade people, and delegate
responsibilities to others to meet the goals of the group. They like to be in control of the
final deliverables. This team member is likely primarily driven by power.
You might have another team member who never speaks during meetings. They always
agree with the group, work hard to manage conflict when it occurs, and visibly become
uncomfortable when you talk about doing high-risk, high-reward projects. This person
is likely to have a strong need for affiliation.
Step 2: Structure Your Approach
Based on the driving motivators of your workers, structure your leadership style and
project assignments around each individual team member. This will help ensure that
they all stay engaged, motivated, and happy with the work they're doing.
https://www.mindtools.com/aznjntj/mcclellands-human-motivation-theory
TWO-FACTOR THEORY: MOTIVATION AND HYGIENE (FREDERICK I.
HERZBERG).
The two-factor motivation theory, otherwise known as Herzberg’s motivation-hygiene
theory or dual-factor theory, argues that there are separate sets of mutually exclusive
factors in the workplace that either cause job satisfaction or dissatisfaction.
Generally, these factors encouraging job satisfaction relate to self-growth and selfactualization. To Herzberg, motivators ensured job satisfaction, while a lack of hygiene
factors spawned job dissatisfaction.
Motivation Factors
 Achievement: positive achievement can involve, for example, completing a
difficult task on time, solving a job-related problem, or seeing positive results
from one’s work.
 Recognition: when employees receive praise or rewards for reaching goals or
producing high-quality work, they receive recognition.
 The work itself: the content of job tasks can positively or negatively affect
employees. The job’s difficulty and level of engagement can dramatically
impact satisfaction or dissatisfaction in the workplace.
 Responsibility: responsibility encompasses both the responsibilities held by the
individual and the authority granted to the individual in their role. People gain
satisfaction from being given the responsibility and authority to make decisions.
 Advancement: Herzberg defined advancement as the upward and positive status
or position of someone in a workplace.
 Possibility for growth: possibilities for growth exist in the same vein as
Maslow’s self-actualization; they are opportunities for a person to experience
personal growth and promotion in the workplace. Personal growth can result in
professional growth, increased opportunities to develop new skills and
techniques, and gaining professional knowledge.
Herzberg’s Hygiene Factors
 Bureocracy: company policies and administration include factors such as the
extent to which company organization and management policies and guidelines
are clear or unclear. For example, a lack of delegation of authority, vague
policies and procedures, and communication may lead to job dissatisfaction.
 Relationships: involve the personal and working relationships between an
employee and his supervisors, subordinates, and peers. This can manifest in, for
example, job-related interactions as well as social discussions in both the work
environment and during informal break times.
 Work conditions: involve the physical surroundings of the job and whether or
not they are good or poor. Factors leading to a good or poor workspace could
involve the amount of work, space, ventilation, tools, temperature, and safety.
 Salary: includes wage or salary increases and negative unfulfilled expectations
of wage or salary increases.
 Supervision: involves an employee’s judgments of the competence or
incompetence and fairness or unfairness of the supervisor or supervision. For
example, this could include a supervisor’s willingness to delegate responsibility
or teach and their knowledge of the job.
https://www.simplypsychology.org/herzbergs-two-factor-theory.html