Motivation Concepts & Applications for the Workplace

Motivation Concepts and Application

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It is a cardinal truth that the most important aspect of a successful management is to motivate its employees . Motivation can be defined as the willingness to exert high levels of effort towards organizational goals , conditioned by the effort 's ability to satisfy some individual needs (Robbins 1998 ,

. 168 . In any type of organization , a manager must know what motivates his workers the most in to make each

br individual employee perform to the best of his ability . In simple words motivation is the psychological characteristic of human beings that affects his /her degree of commitment and dedication (James and Charles 1987 ,

. 442 . It is the set of forces that move a person towards the desired objective . Hence the management 's challenge is , therefore , to channel this energy and direct this behavior toward the organizational ends (Mitchell 1982 ,

. 88

Concepts of Motivation

Numerous theories have been developed by the behavioral scientists regarding the process of motivating employees (Massie ,

. 107 . These theories assist managers in understanding why an individual chooses to work , why he may continue to work for a particular organization for a considerable amount of time , how to boost his morale of the worker and inspire him to produce at his /her highest possible level . These theories can be classified under two broad categories - content theories and process theories . Motivation theories based on human needs determine the motives that drive individual behavior . Need theories contend that the way one behaves is entirely dependent on the internal needs which one attempt to fulfill . These theories specify the content of needs of individual and , hence , are called content theories or need theories Several other theories are concerned with the mechanics of motivation These theories are known as process theories of motivation . Thus , while the content theories focus on the individual need that leads motivates them , the process theories aims at the dynamics of motivation and the process through which it occurs (Reddy 1995 ,

. 211

Content or Need Theories of Motivation

Some of the major need theories of motivation are discussed hereunder one by one

Maslow 's Need 's Hierarchy Theory

One of the most popular explanations for human motivation was developed by the psychologist , Abraham Maslow and was popularized during the early 1960s . Maslow 's hierarchy of needs theory argues that human needs form a five-level hierarchy

Physiological Needs : These are the basic needs for food , clothing and shelter . An organization helps in satisfying the physiological needs of its employees by offering them adequate wages . According to Maslow 's theory , until these needs are satisfied to the degree necessary to maintain life , other needs will not motivate an individual and once these basic needs are satisfied , they will no longer motivate the individual

Safety and Security Needs : Once the physiological needs of an individual are met , the individual aims to satisfy his safety and security needs...