Motivation in the Workplace - Book Report/Review Example

Motivation in the Workplace Table of Contents Introduction 2 Content Theories 3 Maslow’s-Hierarchy of Needs Theory 3 Two-Factor Theory 5 Process Theories 6 Expectancy Theory 6 Goal Setting Theory 7 Anne’s Main Motivating Factors 7 Impact on Anne’s Motivation on a Long-Term Basis 9 Conclusion and Recommendations 10 References 11 Bibliography 13 Introduction Motivation is a significant factor that determines the behaviour of an individual at the work place as well as other situations. There are various motivational factors that motivate an individual to work accordingly. The motivational factors can either be based on the basic needs or on the social needs of an individual. Notably, motivation plays a major role for the individuals to work attentively in order to achieve personal as well as organisational goals. If the employees are motivated to work then it not only facilitates the organisation to sustain in the long run achieving the determined organisational objectives, but also assists the individuals to attain their personal goals (Martin & Joomis, 2007). With this perspective, the objective of this paper is to analyze the content and process theories of motivation and relate it to the case of Anne Henderson who had been quite dedicated towards working throughout her life and to identify the major motivating factors which encouraged Anne to work so hard. Content and Process Theories of Motivation Content Theories Maslow’s-Hierarchy of Needs Theory The Hierarchy of Needs theory was first introduced by Abraham Maslow. According to this theory, individuals get strongly motivated by the influence of five fundamental needs which can be identified as the physiological needs, safety needs, needs for love and belongingness, needs for self-esteem, and self actualization needs. These fundamental needs have been ranked according to their importance and impact on the human behaviour in the hierarchy which are discussed below (Management Consulting Courses, n.d.). Physiological Needs Physiological needs are considered to be the needs which include the basic needs such as food and water. Until and unless these physiological needs are not satisfied completely, they continue to influence the human behaviour and act as a motivating factor (Management Consulting Courses, n.d.). Safety Needs After the basic needs, in second place of the hierarchy is the need for safety which includes shelter and security and thus tends to be the motivating factors for individuals. These needs are based on the human desires for security and stability. Every individual desires for a secured and stable life and may get motivated in order to achieve these. Safety needs also includes the needs for dependency, law and order (Management Consulting Courses, n.d.). Social Needs These kinds of needs refer to the need for love and care. Humans, being a social creature, feel the need for love as well as belongingness. This need for love and belongingness can act as a motivating factor for the individuals. This is for the reason that in the present social scenario it has been noticed that the individuals with higher positions are more accepted in the society which encourages other individuals in the workplace to work harder (Management Consulting Courses, n.d.). Ego and Esteem Needs These needs become the motivating factors for an individual after the social needs are satisfied. Esteem needs are the desires of an individual for self-respect. Moreover, from the external point of view it can also consist of the human longing for status, dominance, fame and others (Management Consulting Courses, n.d.). Self-Actualization Needs After the esteem needs, the next motivating factor for an individual is need for self-actualization. In the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory, self-actualization needs have been placed at the highest place. This includes the overall self-development of a person. At this stage, an individual intends to attain everything that is possible by a human being and as a result gets motivated to work even harder. It is worth mentioning in this context the self actualization needs are considered to be the strongest motivating factors for individuals to perform better in their workplaces as well as in their social life (Management Consulting Courses, n.d.). Two-Factor Theory This theory was proposed by Herzberg and is based on the motivators and hygiene factors present at the work place. According to this theory, it has been stated that the extent of satisfaction and dissatisfaction at the workplace is dependent upon these two factors, i.e. motivators and hygiene. The existence of motivators at the work place acts as a driving force for the employees to work attentively; however, the absence of it is not likely to cause dissatisfaction; whereas, the presence of hygiene may result in a competitive working atmosphere that motivate the employees to perform better from their peers (Oxford University Press, n.d.). The various motivation and hygiene factors have been categorized in the figure below, Source: (Olson, 2012) Process Theories Process theories are those theories which explain the self initiatives taken by the individuals to maintain their own motivation level. There are many proposed process theories which commonly emphasize on the cognitive procedures for determining the intensity of motivation of an individual such as expectancy theory and goal setting theory (IESE Business School, n.d.). Expectancy Theory This theory was first proposed by Victor Vroom in the year 1964. According to this theory, human behaviour is influenced by conscious choices made by individuals amongst the alternatives that are available. Vroom’s theory states that an individual is likely to consider the possible outcomes of a particular situation and decides the course of action that would result in achieving the greatest reward of that situation (Management Consulting Courses, n. d.). This theory basically explains that an individual at times tend to get motivated himself/herself with an anticipation of achieving a desired outcome (Goldsmith International Business School, 2012). Goal Setting Theory This theory was proposed by Edwin Locke which states that setting up of specific goals are likely to act as a strong motivation factor for individuals and result in an improved performance. Fixed goals motivate the individuals to put more effort in their work to achieve the particular goals. The difficulty level of the goals can be inferred as directly proportional to the performance level of an individual. The more difficult the goals are; the higher is the performance level of the individuals. Notably, the performance level depends on who is the goal setter, the organisation or the individual himself (Management Consulting Courses, n. d.). Anne’s Main Motivating Factors Anne Henderson can be observed as quite ambitious from the very beginning about her career. Thus, it can be stated that the major motivating factors in the case of Anne includes her own desire of gaining reputation as well as wealth. Moreover, Anne is likely to have set some specific goals for herself from the beginning of her career. It is in this context that in order to achieve those she had been working so hard. This type of human behaviour has been explained in the goal setting theory of motivation. Anne’s case is quite relevant to this theory and the desired goals set by Anne can be considered to be a significant motivational factor for her. Anne must have set the desired goals at a higher difficulty level and accordingly worked harder to attain the goals. On completion of her master degree, Anne was offered with the position of a research assistant at same institute where she studied. However, she did not accept the post and instead joined Wallace-Price for gaining some commercial experience. In this context, it can be stated that Anne was driven by her desire for getting recognition in the society and also by several materialistic needs of an individual as stated in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory. Anne seemed to be quite loyal to the company in which she worked and consequently was always appreciated by the employers. This kind of a positive feedback from the side of the employers often act as a motivating factor for the employees as mentioned in the expectancy theory and Anne’s case can be regarded to be the same . In addition, Anne used to receive quite a good annual salary from the company along with many other rewards from Wallace-Price. These rewards along with the salary can also be considered as the major motivating factor in Anne’s case. Subsequently, after working for so many years for Wallace-Price Anne became sick and on her fortieth birthday she was alone in hospital. After returning to health, she again wanted to work for Midshires University. In this prospect, the self-actualization needs of Anne can be considered to be the driving force or the motivational factor. Impact on Anne’s Motivation on a Long-Term Basis Anne Henderson, at the beginning of her career, can be noticed as fully dedicated toward earning social and professional reputation. Even though she was offered with the place of a research assistant at the Midshires University, she did not accept the proposal and instead she opted to work at Wallace-Price to gain commercial experience. During the early stages of Anne’s career, the chief motivating aspect that acted as a driving force for her can be identified as the needs for achieving recognition and wealth. Moreover, the appreciation that she usually received from her employers also motivated her to work harder of the company. However, at the later phase of her career, Anne even agreed to work for the same University where she had once refused to work. The reason for this may be that Anne considered herself as incompetent for the work which she used to perform in Wallace-Price because of the physical problems that she was facing. This kind of behaviour of Anne can be identified as directed by the self-actualization needs of individuals. Therefore, it can be stated that throughout her career, Anne had been highly motivated towards working hard, even though, the motivating factors that influenced Anne seems to have changed with the course of time. Conclusion and Recommendations From the above mentioned facts and discussions, it can be stated that Anne Henderson was quite ambitious from the early phases of her career. Being a self motivated individual, she had been trying to continuously provide greater efforts for higher efficiency. Anne was driven by her needs for recognition to work for Wallace-Price, even though she was offered the post of a research assistant at same University where she studied. During her career at Wallace-Price, Anne received quite a good annual salary and many other facilities as well. These facilities and salary seemed to act as a motivating factor to Anne and she performed consistently well. However, after recovering from sickness, Anne opted to work for Midshires University which can be regarded as a result of the change in motivation factors that influenced Anne in her career. It is advisable to Anne that though she is joining Midshires University because of her bad physical conditions, she should work as efficiently as she had been doing at Wallace-Price. In addition, it can be also advised to Anne that she should try to get appreciation from her higher officials at Midshires so as to keep her motivated. References British Arab Academy for Higher Education, 2012. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Arab British Academy for Higher Education. [Online] Available at: http://www.abahe.co.uk/Free-En-Resources/Theories-of-Management/Maslow-Hierarchy-of-Needs.pdf [Accessed Aril 25, 2012]. Goldsmith International Business School, 2012. Key Theories of Motivation. Motivation Is The Driving Force Behind Human Behaviour. [Online] Available at: http://www.goldsmithibs.com/resources/free/Motivation/notes/Summary%20-%20Motivation.pdf [Accessed Aril 25, 2012]. IESE Business School, No Date. Motivation. Cross-cultural Management Network. [Online] Available at: http://www.iese.edu/es/files/IRCO-CrossCultural-motivation_tcm5-6119.pdf [Accessed Aril 25, 2012]. Management Consulting Courses, No Date. Motivation & Its Theories. Management Consulting Courses. [Online] Available at: http://managementconsultingcourses.com/Lesson20Motivation&ItsTheories.pdf [Accessed Aril 25, 2012]. Martin, D. & Joomis, K., 2007. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Cengage Learning Oxford University Press, No Date. Motivation and Job Satisfaction. Oxford University Press. [Online] Available at: http://fds.oup.com/www.oup.co.uk/pdf/bt/fincham/Chapter5.pdf [Accessed Aril 25, 2012]. Olson, E. M., 2012. Herzberg's Two-factor Theory. Job Design Overview. [Online] Available at: https://wikispaces.psu.edu/display/PSYCH484/10.+Job+Design [Accessed Aril 26, 2012]. Bibliography Lacpa, 2010. Expectancy Theory. Motivate Your Team by Linking Effort with Outcome. [Online] Available at: http://www.lacpa.org.lb/Includes/Images/Docs/TC/TC341.pdf [Accessed Aril 25, 2012]. . Read More