Theory's of Employee Motivation

Employee Motivation

Motivation theories seek to explain why employees are motivated by and satisfied with one type of work than another. It is essential that mangers have a basic understanding of work motivation because highly motivated employees are more likely to produce a superior quality product or service than employee who lack motivation.

At one time, employees were considered just another input into the production of goods and services. What perhaps changed this way of thinking about employees was research, referred to as the Hawthorne Studies, conducted by Elton Mayo from 1924 to 1932 (Dickson, 1973). This study found employees are not motivated solely by money and employee behavior is linked to their attitudes (Dickson, 1973). The Hawthorne Studies began the human relations approach to management, whereby the needs and motivation of employees become the primary focus of managers (Bedeian,1993). 

Theories of Motivation by various authors

1. Maslow’s Need Hierarchy
2. Existence Relatedness Growth (ERG) Theory
3. McGregor’s Theory-X and Theory-Y
4. Expectancy Theory
5. Reinforcement Theory
6. Herzberg two factor theory
7. McClelland (Needs for Affiliation, Power, and Achievement) Theory of Motivation
8. Adam’s Equity Theory

Essential Stages of the Motivational Process

Need Identification:

First phase of motivation process is need identification where the employee feels his/her some unsatisfied need. The motivation process begins with an unsatisfied need, which creates tension and drives an individual to search for goals that, if attained, will satisfy the need and reduce the tension.

Searching Ways to satisfy needs:

Second phase is finding the different alternatives that can be used to satisfy the needs, which were felt in first stage. These needs lead to thought processes that guide an employee’s decision to satisfy them and to follow a course of action.

Selecting Goals:

Once if the need is assessed and employee can find out the way to satisfy the need than next phase is selection of goals to be performed.

Employee Performance:

These needs lead to thought processes that guide an employee’s decision to satisfy them and to follow a course of action in form of performance.

Consequences of performance Reward/punishments:

If an employee’s chosen course of action results in the anticipated out come and reward, that person is likely to be motivated by the prospect of a similar reward to act the same way in the future. However, if the employee’s action does not result in the expected reward, he or she is unlikely to repeat the behavior.

Reassessment of Need deficiencies:

Once felt need is satisfied through certain rewards in response to performance than employee reassesses any deficiencies and entire process is repeated.

Definitions of Motivation by Different Author.

Many contemporary authors have also defined the concept of motivation.

Motivation has been defined as: 

• the psychological process that gives behavior purpose and direction (Kreitner, 1995).

• a predisposition to behave in a purpose manner to achieve specific, unmet needs (Buford, Bedeian, & Lindner, 1995).

• an internal drive to satisfy an unsatisfied need (Higgins, 1994); and the will to achieve (Bedeian, 1993). For this paper, motivation is operationally defined as the inner force that drives individuals to accomplish personal and organizational goals.

Internal and external factors that stimulate desire and energy in people to be continually interested in and committed to a job, role, or subject, and to exert persistent effort in attaining a goal.

Findings

Success story of any firm is usually scripted by an efficient and driven workforce. Any organization that fails to maximize the potential of its human resources is not productive. A good leader, or a team leader, must try to capture the best out of their colleagues.

Reference 

Armstrong (2006),10th edition Human Resources Hand Book.

Mayo. Elton (1933), The Human Problems of an Industrial Civilization.

Gennard J and Judge G (2002), Employee Relations. London: CIPD.

Herzberg F (1966), Work and the Nature of Man.

Dassler. Gary (2006), Framework for HRM.