Theme
Motivation
Theories
[General Notes]
Description
Motivation is the
"psychological forces
that determine the
direction of people's
behavior, their level of
effort, and level of
persistence," (p. 101).
Maslow's Hierarchy of
Needs
Needs
Physiological:
Food, water, shelter.
Security:
Stability, protection.
Social Belonging:
Social interaction,
friendships, love.
Self Esteem:
Respect, appreciation.
Self-Actualization:
Realize full potential.
Herzberg’s Two-Factor
Theory
Suggested that
dissatisfaction and
satisfaction are two
separate continuums.
People are not
automatically
motivated just because
de-motivators are
absent.
Needs
Affiliation:
Close interpersonal
relationships.
Power:
Influence others and
control environment.
Achievement:
Accomplish goals, excel,
and become better.
McClelland's Need
Theory
Main Points
Intrinsic: activities done
for their own sake,
because they are
pleasurable.
Extrinsic: activities done
as a result of
consequences, both
positive and negative.
Performance = Ability X
Motivation
Lower-order needs
must be satisfied before
higher-order needs
become motivators.
Once need is satisfied, it
no longer motivates
behavior.
Organizations fulfill
these needs in various
ways, through wages
and promotions.
Punishment and
rewards are based on
elements of these
needs.
Extrinsic factors, a.k.a.
hygiene factors, cause
dissatisfaction when
absent. Intrinsic
factors, a.k.a.
motivators, are
necessary to stimulate
positive motivation.
People have different
levels of need for each,
and this translates into
their job. People with
high need for affiliation
prefer cooperative
situations, and
managers tend to have
high need for power
and achievement, but
Job Characteristics
Model
Goal-Setting Theory
Characteristics
Skills
Task identity
Visible outcome
Task significance
Whether the job is
perceived as having
positive impact on
others.
Autonomy
Freedom in tasks.
Job feedback
"...setting a clear
objective and ensuring
that every participant is
aware of what is
expected from him or
her, if this objective is
to be achieved," (p.
109).
Equity Theory
Employees evaluate
what they receive from
a job in relation to what
they contribute. This
includes pay,
promotions, time, skills,
effort, etc.
Expectancy Theory
1. If a person puts in
effort, it will result in
good performance
2. Good performance
has rewards
3. The value of the
reward to the person is
influential
B. F. Skinner's Operant
Conditioning: "the idea
Reinforcement Theory
their success is also
contingent upon their
value base.
High motivation for
employees must be met
by these characteristics,
as well as
1. Experienced
meaningfulness of the
work.
2. Responsibility for the
outcomes.
3. Knowledge of results.
1. Specific goals
increase performance
2. Difficult goals that
are accepted by
employees result in
higher performance
3. Feedback leads to
higher performance
4. People are more
committed to goals
they set and that are
made public
Employees will attempt
to fix this inequity on
their own, either
justifying overrewarding or through
decreasing performance
and production.
Perceived fairness
affects an employee’s
level of motivation.
If the payoff is
uncertain, people may
not put in much effort.
Reinforce desired
behavior (with rewards)
that people continue
behavior that is
rewarded and suppress
behavior that does not
lead to desired
consequences," (p.
111).
and discourage
undesirable behavior by
negative reinforcement,
extinction, or
punishment.