Employee Motivation Theory

 

Employee Motivation Theory


Motivation is an important stimulus that influences human behavior (VARMA, 2017) Because no two people have the same attitude or behavior, organizations must develop practices that will satisfy the group as a whole rather than just an individual (VARMA, 2017) Organizations should be able to identify and evaluate internal motivation derived by employees from job satisfaction and supplement it with external motivation as needed, for which organizations should consider motivation theories (VARMA, 2017) A variety of motivation theories have been developed to explain similar aspects of motivation (VARMA, 2017) 

There have been numerous theories proposed and supported to explain the concept of motivation (Mansaray, 2019) Furthermore, researchers have been studying the topic of motivation for many years and have made remarkable progress in expounding motivation that can be construed in the workplace (Mansaray, 2019) This paper will examine some of these theories that have been demonstrated and accepted by the general public (Mansaray, 2019) Maslow's hierarchy of needs, McGregor's theories x and y, McClelland's theory of learned needs, Alderfer's ERG theory, Herzberg's two-factor theory, Vroom's expectancy theory, and various types of motivation, such as intrinsic and extrinsic, are among them. (Mansaray, 2019)


Some important management theories, such as Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs theory, Herzberg's Two-factor theory, Expectancy theory, and McGregor's X and Y theory, can support motivational factors for employees to improve business operations (Jain, et al., 2019) 

Steers et al (2004: 379) state that the earliest approaches to understanding human motivation date back to the time of Greek philosophers and focus on the concept of hedonism as a primary driving force in behavior (Armstrong, 2014) Individuals were perceived to be directing their efforts toward obtaining pleasure and avoiding pain (Armstrong, 2014) This principle was later refined and expanded upon by 17th and 18th century philosophers such as John Locke and Jeremy Bentham (Armstrong, 2014) Motivation theory has progressed since then (Armstrong, 2014) It began in the early twentieth century with the contributions of proponents of scientific management (instrumentality theory) (Armstrong, 2014) Behavioral scientists entered the field in the middle of the century and began to develop the 'content' or 'needs' theory of motivation (Armstrong, 2014) Although the first formulation of the process theory of reinforcement occurred in 1911, the main process theories such as expectancy theory emerged in the 1960s and 1970s (Armstrong, 2014) The three major areas of motivation theory are examined below: instrumentality, content, and process (Armstrong, 2014)

 

References

Armstrong, M., 2014. Armstrong’s handbook of human resource management practice. 13 ed. LOndon: Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data.

Jain, D. A., Gupta, D. B. & Bindal, D. M., 2019. International Journal of Engineering and Management Research. A Study of Employee Motivation in Organization, 9(6), pp. 65-68.

Mansaray, H. E., 2019. Budapest International Research and Critics Institute (BIRCI-Journal) Humanities and Social Sciences. The Role of Human Resource Management in Employee Motivation and Performance-An Overview, 2(3)(2019), pp. 183-194.

VARMA, D., 2017. nternational Journal of Social Science & Interdisciplinary Research. IMPORTANCE OF EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION & JOB SATISFACTION FOR ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE, 6(2)(2017), pp. 10-20.




Comments

  1. Good introduction on Motivation Farhan. Believe you have covered all the core Theories of Motivation. I would kindly to shed some insight on a more modern Motivation study. Developments in Industrial and Organizational (IO) Psychology Theory have led to a reasonable understanding of how to motivate employees – through various initiatives, such as job design, incentive structure, well-being interventions, and objective-setting (Arnold et al., 2010). Despite early psychoanalytical interpretation of the unconscious motives of employees (Argyle, 1973), most organizational interventions are based on the bedrock of neo-classical economic assumptions, namely, behavior is “rational” – although, in individual cases, subject to constraints – and individuals are assumed to seek utility optimization reflecting their non-biased processing of information in the environment guided by a consistent set of preferences. According to this view, a change in, for example, incentives should shift the behavior of the rational agent (homo economicus) in the desired direction. Social exchange theory provides an example: employees are assumed to match their effort and contribution to the support provided by their employers and managers (Colquitt et al., 2013). In this way, IO behavior is seen to be flexible and responsive to initiatives designed to harmonize with organizational objectives. As a big-picture theory, there is much to commend this approach especially as applied to the aggregate behavior of groups.

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    1. Agree with you Vidura & in another way Emotional intelligence allows leaders to positively affect their situation by creating an environment of open communication, enhanced trust, and greater empathy by gaining a better understanding of their own emotions as well as the emotions of others (Aloysius, 2010) Emotional intelligence is emerging as an important characteristic for leaders to possess as organizations become more aware of the importance of these vital skills that allow for a higher level of communication within teams, with customers and suppliers, and with all stakeholders (Aloysius, 2010) The ability to recognize and regulate emotions in ourselves and others is referred to as emotional intelligence (E.I.) (Goleman, 2001). (Aloysius, 2010)

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  2. A great blog. I would like to add a point “Employees who believe that management is concerned about them as a whole person – not just an employee – are more productive, more satisfied, more fulfilled. Satisfied employees mean satisfied customers, which leads to profitability.”

    – Anne M. Mulcahy

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    1. The goal is to develop people's capacity to meet and exceed expectations and to realize their full potential for the benefit of both themselves and the organization. Importantly, performance management is concerned with ensuring that people have access to the support and guidance they require to develop and improve (Armstrong, 2014)

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  4. Agreed Farhan, most of the motivation theories that have been mentioned are already being played a key role of employee motivation every nook and corner of the companies of all over the world. Moreover, As motivating people is about making them to change to the course you want them to go so as to get result. Nevertheless, employees can only display ‘high performance’ if they are soundly inspired and eager to workout optional effort (Armstrong 2009).

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    1. Agree with you & performance management is critical for increasing the productivity of human resources. Human resources and productivity are now the most important factors determining organizational success in new and progressive organizations. (Rostam, 2020)

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  5. Agreed. Furthermore, it was explained by Ouchi (1987) that the importance of motivation is closely linked to the productivity of an individual. Therefore, it can be regarded as a set of internal and external factors that initiates work-related behavior and determine its form and direction (Pinder 1998).

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    1. Agree with you & furthermore Extrinsic motivation, on the other hand, is a type of motivation in which an individual is motivated by desires outside of themselves (Jain, et al., 2019) Instead of being motivated by the desire to look better and feel better, imagine Bob was under pressure from his significant other to slim down and improve his physical appearance so that she would be more drawn to him (Jain, et al., 2019) Extrinsic motivation is demonstrated by the fact that this weight originates (Jain, et al., 2019)

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  6. Good content Farhan. In addition I would say there is an important motivation theory called the Equity (Equivalence) Theory and it's clearly described by Eren (2004). Workers compare rewards given to them for the same business line their own institutions or in different institutions with rewards given to people in the same position. From this point, it is understood that the Equity Theory was built on concepts of inputs (the efforts of the individual), outputs (intrinsic and extrinsic rewards from organizations) and comparison with others. Inputs in the theory are defined as required knowledge of the worker to achieve in the job, experience, abilities, intelligence, age, skills, labors and achievement and even his attractiveness, health, tools being owned (Eren 2004)

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    1. And also, Herzberg's (1957, 1966) two-factor model of motivation was based on an investigation into the sources of job satisfaction and dissatisfaction among accountants and engineers who were asked what made them feel exceptionally good or exceptionally bad about their jobs. According to Herzberg, this study discovered two factors that influenced feelings of satisfaction or dissatisfaction (Armstrong, 2014)

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  7. Agreed Farhan, According to Maslow theory, if people grew in an environment in which their needs are not met, they will be unlikely to function as healthy individuals or well-adjusted individuals (Kaur, A., 2013).

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  8. Interesting article Farhan, Furthermore, Boosting employee engagement through effective communication and a healthy work culture should be a priority for all business owners, at all times, particularly during times of change (Bragg, 2022). An understanding and supportive staff will help facilitate smoother transitions, giving businesses the confidence needed to make change, and continue keeping up with the competition.

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