Leadership and Human Motivation - Essay Example

? Human motivation Introduction The driving force through which human beings achieve their goals is referred to as motivation.The term can be used as a description of the behavior of animals, but it in most cases, it is used for humans. A number of theories describe motivation as being rooted in the basic need to lessen physical pain and increase pleasure. It may include specific needs such as eating and resting, or may be a desired goal, object, ideal or state of being. Motivation can also be brought about by less-apparent reasons of selfishness, morality, avoiding morality or even altruism. It should never be confused with either optimism or volition and although it is related to emotion, there is some distinct difference between the two. Intrinsic motivation is usually comes from within the individual and is usually driven by an interest in the task itself. On the other hand, extrinsic motivation emerges from outside as it does not allow the individual to enjoy the intrinsic rewards of the task. Self-concept refers to perception of an individual’s self in relation to any other characteristics that may include gender roles, sexuality, racial identity and many others. Self-esteem on the other hand, refers to individuals overall appraisal of his own worth. This paper will focus on how self-concept and self esteem impact on eating problems, goal setting and achievement. Self-esteem, self-concept and eating disorders Excessive or insufficient intake of food that affects the physical health of a person can be termed as an eating disorder. Such consumption of food can also affect the mental health of an individual. Even though eating disorders are on the rise the world over, evidence shows the western world will be most affected with women in the region being the most afflicted. The source of the Eating Disorders remains unknown. However, it is believed to be caused by a combination of biological, psychological and/or environmental abnormalities. A number of people are born with a predisposition to an eating disorder brought about by the surface pending on environment and reactions to it. Some people suffering from eating disorders also experience dysmorphic syndrome which alter perceptions of self (Cash, 2011) Most of the studies undertaken on eating disorders highlight a strong relationship with self-esteem. Some of the relationships include eating disorder, violent relationships and difficulty maintaining social relationships. According to Dr. Yellowlees (1930), low self-esteem operates as a contributory and predisposing factor in the development of depression, anxiety, eating disorders, alcohol abuse and drug abuse. Some researchers have linked low self-esteem to eating disorders since it has been shown that people with eating disorders also suffer from low esteem. Low self-esteem characteristics such as depression, insecurity, frail body, social withdrawal and day dreaming are observable in victims of eating disorders. Such people also display other low esteem characteristics (Reasoner, 1991). The teenage years are full of changes and turmoil that can substantially affect a girl’s sense of identity and her self-esteem. Through lack of a strong sense of identity, adolescent girls begin to lose confidence in themselves and turn to the diet as the answer to all their problems. However, they consider failure to stick to the diet as a personal failure. This subsequently results in even a lower sense of self-esteem and even more severe dieting. Despite a loss of weight boosting their self-esteem, this cannot end their low self worth that is rooted in them. As a result, self worth soon drops, resulting in the person repeating the dieting process once again as an attempt to boost self-esteem. This ultimately results to higher levels of dissatisfaction and lower self-esteem. According to Robinson et al. (1996), race plays a role in determining body satisfaction. This was shown through study that depicted white girls as more satisfied with their bodies than either Hispanics or Asian girls (Robinson et al., 1996). The study involved girls from grade 6 and 7 and only targeted 25% of the leanest girls. In another study, 48.1% of Native American youths were reported to have attempted weight loss while the percentage of other youths attempting to lose weight was approximated at 32.7% for the Asians, 31.9% for Blacks, 36.1% for Hispanics and 34.9% for the Caucasians. Low self-esteemed women who are prone to societal pressures for thinness may consider a distorted and negative body image as a belief that they can never be worthwhile. A significant thing to consider is that most of the causative psychological factors that results to eating disorders for both men and women are the same. Such factors range from low esteem, a need to be accepted, anxiety or other existing psychological illness, and an inability to handle emotions and personal issues as well as depression (Haff, 2009). The adolescent age is a period in which people discover their self’s and this is considered a milestone. This period involves numerous changes which may lead to a negative self-esteem in girls. Lack of self-identity may lead teenagers to negative self-esteem and ultimately, doubt in self. To achieve self-identity, one has to gain solid knowledge on morals, understand his personality and also identify groups that can engage in. Although this process looks outright, girls have a harder time than boy and this leads to various issues such as negative self-esteem and sensitive self-consciousness (Fairbum 1993). Generally, girls at this age look for similarities with other people and other positive aspects with which they can identify. Several processes take place during this period which includes finding friends, emotional separation from parents and association with peers. It is expected that this activities will enable people, especially girls, to find out who they are and with a mature self-identity. However, this process produces varying results and may leave a girl feeling insecure. Insecurity acts as a catalyst to heightened self-consciousness. At this point, self-criticism may crop up leading to reactive measures such as eating disorders (Fairbum 1993). Other studies have noted that such disorders arise to quell the self consciousness through improvement of the body (Rosen 1993). Impact of self esteem and self identity on goal setting and achievement Goal setting entails establishing objectives that are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-targeted. It’s an effective tool for making progress through making sure that participants in a group with a common goal are clearly aware of what is expected from them if an objective is to be attained. On a personal level, it is a process that allows people to specify then work towards their own objectives. This is most commonly with financial or career-based goals. Setting goals has a direct relationship with the amount of and self-esteem and self-confidence that one holds for oneself. The sheer act of setting goals highlights ones’ personal belief that he can accomplish what he sets for himself. When a person set his plans in motion, his confidence grows with the accomplishment of each step he takes towards achieving the goal. This shows the basic Law of Cause and Effect. The cause is the goal and the effect is the accomplishment of that goal. If there is failure to set goals by oneself, it will be very difficult and next to impossible to truly move forward in life. One of the critical factors of a happy, fulfilled life is a powerful foundation of personal accomplishment. The self affirmation of setting goals and achieving them is the best that life has to offer. The emotional make-up of the human beings makes them strive to achieve success through the accomplishment of goals that they set (Waitley, 1996). The goals people set to go after are the things that they truly desire out of life. When setting goals they really want to be sure that they give each and everyone of them some proper consideration. They require having a true emotional connection, or a deep seated desire for their goal. If they are not really emotionally connected to their goal they will end finding it very difficult and challenging to continuously take action towards accomplishing the plans and goals they have set. There are three main aspects of setting and achieving the set goals. The three main aspects include setting or choosing a goal, striving towards achieving the goal, and then finally reaching or attaining success. It is important for a person to enjoy the pleasure of accomplishment each step towards achieving a goal (Waitley, 1996). A person will be resultant to take up risks, accepting new challenges and to some extent stretching themselves beyond their current comfort zones. On the other hand, an individual may not be prepared for an event and this may lead to failure. They may over-estimate their knowledge and skill in a certain field and thereby fail to perform better. Success breeds confidence and confidence builds success. But there requires being a factor of reality in that process – a realistic assessment of a persons success is what brings about high self confidence and subsequently performance that is comparable to or exceeds his expectations (Pilegge, 1997) It is critical for a person to be aware of what they are doing, the skills and knowledge is necessary to attain the goal and the physical fitness required to perform the task. The assessment of the success of person should be based on whether they went beyond their personal goals not on the basis of winning or losing. An absence of confidence results to the fear of failure, self-doubt, and negative expectations. An individual will be reluctant to take risks, and may put the on himself despite the fault not being his. Reframing the way a person views himself is the only way to overcome low self-confidence (Pilegge, 1997) According to a study, Social identification with co-workers was examined as a moderator of the frequently inscrutable link between worker self-esteem and goal setting. Weak or strong social identity was created in groups comprised of either high or low self-esteem persons. As expected, strengthening social identity increased perceived similarity to in group members regardless of self-esteem. Furthermore, only high self-esteem individuals with a strong social identity set higher goals for themselves, and achieved better performance, compared to high esteem/weak identity individuals or low self-esteem persons in either social identity condition. Increments in the goals and performance of high self-esteem individuals were associated with perceived similarity to in group members, and performance was attributed to personal ability. In contrast, the goals and performance of low self-esteem individuals were associated with certainty of goal achievement, and performance was attributed to perceptions of task difficulty. Asymmetrical effects of social identification are discussed in relation to group member personalities (Pilegge, 1997). The importance of setting goals cannot be overstated. From businesses to social life, people use this strategy to motivate them towards achieving their targets. Set goals have the advantage of enabling a person to focus his energy and resources towards achieving those goals. In addition, budgeting of resources becomes an easy task. After setting goals, a person draws up strategies that enable him to move towards his goals. The milestones set in the goals boost self-esteem and inspire confidence in a person when attained. The process enables a person to recognize his weaknesses as well as strengths (Blanchard, 1994). Conclusions Several studies have identified a strong relationship between eating disorders and a negative self-esteem. Some of the factors leading to low esteem include lack of self identity, stress and problems during adolescence. These factors often lead to eating disorders as a corrective measure. Physical appearance seems to be the only solution to low esteem and most girls resort to eating to improve their appearance. More often than not, this becomes an eating disorder and is later reversed for a slim body. The expectations are often termed as unrealistic although the victim may not realize such irrationality. Despite the large number of studies, results have mainly focused on causes and this has led to the neglect of studies in preventive measures and treatment of self-esteem issues. Future studies should, therefore, focus on the treatment of low esteem as well as how it can be prevented. Setting goals can be a rewarding task. Achieving set goals can increase self-esteem while an increase in self esteem can motivate achievement of goals. Ability to achieve goals increases with an increase in self and the opposite is also true. It is important to take note of the thought process as this will enable a person to identify negative thoughts and replace them with more positive thoughts. The whole process, however, takes time to master. References Blanchard, K. H., Zigarmi, P., & Zigarmi, D. (1994). Leadership and the one minute manager: [increasing effectiveness through situational leadership]. Hammersmith, London: HarperCollins Business. Cash, T. F., & Smolak, L. (2011). Body image: A handbook of science, practice, and prevention. New York: Guilford Press. Fairbum, Christopher G., and G. Terrence Wilson (1993). Binge Eating the Guilford Press; New York. Haff, D. (January 01, 2009). Racial/Ethnic Differences in Weight Perceptions and Weight Control Behaviors among Adolescent Females. Youth & Society, 41, 2, 278-301. Reasoner, R. W., & Dusa, G. S. (1991). Building self-esteem in the secondary schools. Palo Alto, Calif: Consulting Psychologists Press Pilegge, A., & Holtz, R. (January 01, 1997). The Effects of Social Identity on the Self-Set Goals and Task Performance of High and Low Self-Esteem Individuals. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 70, 1.) Waitley, D. (1996). The new dynamics of goal setting. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Audio. Read More