Work motivation theories

Since motivation deals with the factors that energise, direct and sustain behaviour (figure 2.1) ,there are a lot of important variables ,which may influence an individual’s motivation at work. These variables can be distinguished in three groups: characteristics of the individual, job characteristics, and work environment characteristics. Model developed by Steers will describe these variables as fallows.

model

According to Steers and Porter the antecedents of organizational commitment are personal characteristics (need for achievement, age and education),job characteristics (feedback, interesting and meaningful work) and work attitudes (group attitudes).All antecedents together determine a person’s organizational commitment, which in turn influences ,among others, a person’s job performance and desire to stay in membership with company.

They further pointed out that

Individuals enter organizations with certain needs, desires, skills, and so forth and expect to find a work environment where they can utilize their abilities and satisfy many of their basic needs. Where the organization provides such opportunities (e.g. where it makes effective use of its employees, its dependable, etc.),the likelihood of increasing commitment is apparently enhanced. However, where the organization is not dependable, or where it fails to provide employees with challenging and meaningful tasks, commitment levels tend to diminish.”

Each of the theories and studies considered in the following deals with at lease one of these sets of variables i.e. personal characteristics, job characteristics, and work attitudes.

3.6.2.1 Needs Hierarchy Theory

Abraham Maslow pointed out that human motivation has a hierarchical structure, which he called hierarchy of needs. There are at least five basic needs, which all individuals uphold. These are physiological, safety, social, esteem and self-actualization.  Physiological needs are for instance food, drink, shelter, sex and other bodily requirements. Safety needs deal with the security and protection from physical and emotional harm. Social needs refer to affection and belongingness needs. That means a person will strive for good relationships with people and a place in his/her group. Thereby, special attention is given to friends, wife and children etc. In addition all the individuals hold a need for a stable and high evaluation of themselves, self-esteem and respect given to them by other persons. Esteem needs may be categorised as internal and external factors. Internal esteem factors such as self-respect, autonomy and achievement and external esteem factors such as status, recognition, and attention.

Hierarchy

Figure3.3

The needs, which Maslow identified at the bottom of the pyramid, are based on basic needs concerned with survival, and these must be satisfied before a person can go to the next level. For example some people may be more concerned with basic needs such as food, than anything else. Although it must be noted that once each need has been satisfied the ones below become less important, with exception to self-actualisation at the top, Maslow argued that although everybody is capable, very few actually reach this level. These motivational theories along with others might give the managers an insight into what motivates their employees and how they supposed to act upon it.  

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While Maslow's hierarchy makes sense intuitively, there is little evidence to support its strict hierarchy. In fact, research contradicts the order of needs specified by the model. For example, some cultures appear to place social needs before any others. Maslow's hierarchy also has difficulty explaining cases such as the "starving artist" in which a person neglects physical needs in pursuit of aesthetic needs or spiritual needs. Finally, there is little evidence to suggest that people are motivated to satisfy exclusively one need at a time, except in situations where needs conflict. Maslow addressed some of these criticisms in his paper, Theory ...

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