Motivation

You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink or can you?

Definition

• The process that initiates, guides and maintains goal-oriented behaviors, it is what causes us to act

• It involves the biological, emotional, social and cognitive forces that activate behavior.

• In everyday usage, the term motivation is frequently used to describe why a person does something.

Theories of Motivation

1. Instinct Theory– People are motivated to behave in certain ways

because they are evolutionarily programmed to do so.

– The main problem with this theory is that it did not really explain behavior, it just described it.

– An example of this in the animal world is seasonal migration. These animals do not learn to do this, it is instead an inborn pattern of behavior.

Theories of Motivation

2. Incentive Theory– The incentive theory suggests that people are

motivated to do things because of external rewards.

– For example, you might be motivated to go to work each day for the monetary reward of being paid.

Theories of Motivation

3. Drive Theory– People are motivated to take certain actions in order

to reduce the internal tension that is caused by unmet needs.

– The problem with the drive theory of motivation is that these behaviors are not always motivated purely by physiological needs. For example, people often eat even when they are not really hungry.

– For example, you might be motivated to drink a glass of water in order to reduce the internal state of thirst.

Theories of Motivation

4. Arousal Theory– People take certain actions to either decrease or

increase levels of arousal. We are motivated to maintain an optimal level of arousal, although this level can vary based on the individual or the situation.

– When arousal levels get too low, for example, a person might watch and exciting movie or go for a jog.

Theories of Motivation

5. Humanistic Theory– Based on the idea that people also have strong

cognitive reasons to perform various actions.– This is famously illustrated in Abraham Maslow's

hierarchy of needs, which presents different motivations at different levels.

Types of Motivation

• Extrinsic motivations are those that arise from outside of the individual and often involve rewards such as trophies, money, social recognition or praise.

• Intrinsic motivations are those that arise from within the individual, such as doing a complicated cross-word puzzle purely for the personal gratification of solving a problem.

20 ways to motivate your employees without raising their pay

By: Dave Worman

1. Recognition / Attention2. Applause3. One on one Coaching4. Training5. Career Path6. Job Titles7. Good Work Environment8. On – the spot Praise9. Leadership Roles10. Team Spirit

11. Executive Recognition12. Social Gatherings13. Casual Dress Days14. Time Off15. Outside Seminars16. Additional Responsibilities17. Theme Contest18. Stress Management19. Pizza/Popcorn/Cookie Days20. Gags and Gimmicks

QuestionWhat are some ways to motivate a student?