Motivation

DONE BY:

RESHMA SURESH

I M.A.(HRM)

Definition of Motivation:

Motivation is the driving force by which humans achieve their goals.

Motivation is said to be intrinsic or extrinsic. The term is generally used for

humans but it can also be used to describe the causes for animal behavior as

well. This article refers to human motivation. According to various theories,

motivation may be rooted in a basic need to minimize physical pain and

maximize pleasure, or it may include specific needs such as eating and resting,

or a desired object, goal, state of being, ideal, or it may be attributed to less-

apparent reasons such as altruism, selfishness, morality, or avoiding mortality.

Conceptually, motivation should not be confused with

either volition or optimism. Motivation is related to, but distinct from, emotion.

Motivation represents unsatisfied needs which create a state of tension or

disequilibrium, causing the individual to move in a goal directed pattern

towards restoring the state of equilibrium by satisfying the needs.”

Motivation has two components: internal needs (intrinsic motivation) and

external objects (extrinsic motivation).

Extrinsic motivation comes from external rewards (including besides money

other benefits that can satisfy your inner needs) and feedback when you are

treated as a human being. In the case in which you are a “very important

resource”, motivation will come from getting paid, punishment if you break

something and critics.

Intrinsic motivation is represented by internal forces that energize and direct

you towards your goals. The inner needs do not address only your work

environment, but your purpose of living. Therefore there is not always a good

fit between what your job requires from you and what you really need.

Organisational

Behaviour Motivation:It is understood that the effectiveness of a change is an end result of how

efficiently the change has been implemented and executed by the employees

without sacrificing the business objectives. For a company which is planning to

launch its set of Organizational Behaviour initiatives, it is extremely important

that it motivates its employees for them to execute the organizational behaviour

practices across the board. Professionals understanding Organizational

Behaviour categorize this as Organizational Behaviour Motivation - the factor

which seamlessly ensures that employees implement the Organizational

Behaviour principles day in and out.

How does one motivate the employees to implement Organizational

Behaviour practices?

Visualize and get the employees to visualize the big picture - This is

one of the classical motivational methods for employees of a company

where organizational behaviour practices have been launched. The

business owner and the employees are enforced to think at factors like

how the practices would improve the standing of the company in the

industry, how the practices will enable to company to boost sales etc. The

employees being empowered to visualize the big picture will enable them

to see the benefits of implementing these practices.

Provide incentives or manage performance around implementation

of Organizational Behaviour practices - We must understand this

clearly that what keeps the business running year after year is the money.

And hence, at the end of the day what counts for a company is how an

employee has performed on productivity and quality. At the same time,

discipline and ethics are some things which the company cannot forsake

in lieu of productivity and quality. Business owners could ensure this by

attaching metrics to the implementation of the Organizational Behaviour

principles. This will ensure that employees would treat the initiatives as a

part of their performance drivers and hence the business owner can

ensure that the initiatives are implemented.

Reverse Motivation - Not many companies have used this technique, but

in some cases, this has proved to be a highly effective tool for motivating

employees. As per Reverse Motivation, employees are motivated by

telling them the consequences of them not implementing the

Organizational Behaviour practices. The whole stream of Reverse

Motivation works on a completely negative aspect of motivating the

employees.

It is important that employees are motivated to ensure that Organizational

Behaviour strategies and initiatives are implemented across the board. Strategies

can only be implemented properly which can be achieved if all the employees

contribute to implementing them. Employees would be implementing the

initiatives if they are motivated enough to do the same. And to do the same one

would need to understand the motivational needs of every employee.

Motivation - An Inner

Drive:

NEED (Deficiency):

Needs are created  or come into existence whenever there is a

physiological or psychological imbalance. A need exists when cells in the

body are experiencing a shortage of food or water.

DRIVE (Deficiency with direction) :

A drive is a deficiency with a direction. Drives denote actions and

intention to act by individuals and they are exhibited to alleviate needs.  

Drives and motives are terms used interchangeably. Drives provide an

energizing thrust toward reaching an incentive or goal.

GOALS/INCENTIVES (Reduces drives & fulfills deficiencies):

Anything that will alleviate a need is an incentive or goal in the

motivation cycle.  Attaining an incentive or goal will tend to restore

physiological or psychological balance and will reduce the drive up to

zero level.

Importance Of

Motivation:

Motivation helps in identifies employee potentialities.

These potentialities are converted into performance by means of

motivation.

Motivation converts a normal employee into a loyal and a committed

employee.

Motivation helps in optimum utilisation of resources and also helps in

bringing in innovative & creative skills of the employees.

Motivation helps to increase the productivity.

Motivation helps to build cordial relationships among employees at

various levels of the organisation.

Motivation helps in Human Resource Development.

Nature Of

Motivation:

i. Continuous process:

Motivation is a continous process. It is not a time bound programme or a

touch-and-go affair.Human needs are infinite. As soon as one need is

satisfied new ones arise. In the words of Mc Gregor,” Man is a wanting

animal, as soon as one of his needs is satisfied another appears in

place.This Process is unending. “Satisfaction of one need gives feeling

of another and the process goes on.

ii. Psychological

Concept:

Motivation is a Psychological concept. It is based on human needs which

generate within an individual. Needs are feelings in the mind of a person

that he lacks certain things. Such feelings influence the behaviour and

activities of the individual.

iii. Entire Individual is

Motivated:

Motivation is total, not piece-meal. A person cannot be motivated in

parts. An Employee is an indivisible unit and his needs are interrelated.

He cannot be motivated by fulfilling some of his needs partly.

iv. Incentives:

Motivation may be Financial or Non-Financial. The form of motivation

depends upon the type of needs. Financial Incentives include pay,

allowances, bonus and perquisites. Non- Financial Incentives consist of

recognition, praise, responsibility, participation in decision- making,

challenging jobs , etc.

v. Goals leads to

Motivation:

Motivation causes Goal-directed behaviour. A person behaves in such a

way he can satisfy his goals and needs. A Person will work so long as he

feels his actions are fulfilling his strongly felt needs. He will not pursue

the activity and will lose interest in work , if he feels that it is not

satisfying his needs.

vi. It is a Complex

Process:

Motivation is a complex process. There is no universal theory or

approach to motivation. More over, individuals differ in what motivates

them. Therefore, a manager has to analyse and understand variety of

needs and has to use variety of rewards to satisfy them. He should not

expect over night results.

Features Of

Motivation:

1. Individual’s Inner

Feeling.

2. Concerned with the Total

Person.

3. Motivation=Anticipated

Values x Percieved

Probability.

4. Willingness to Exert.

5. Involves the arousal,

direction, and maintenance

of behaviour towards a

goal.

Types Of

Motivation:There are two types of motivation, Intrinsic and Extrinsic motivation. It's

important to understand that we are not all the same; thus effectively motivating

your employees requires that you gain an understanding of the different types of

motivation. Such an understanding will enable you to better categorize your

team members and apply the appropriate type of motivation. You will find each

member different and each member's motivational needs will be varied as well.

Some people respond best to intrinsic which means "from within" and will meet

any obligation of an area of their passion. Quite the reverse, others will respond

better to extrinsic motivation which, in their world, provides that difficult tasks

can be dealt with provided there is a reward upon completion of that task.

Become an expert in determining which type will work best with which team

members.

Intrinsic Motivation:Intrinsic motivation means that the individual's motivational stimuli are coming

from within. The individual has the desire to perform a specific task, because its

results are in accordance with his belief system or fulfills a desire and therefore

importance is attached to it.

Our deep-rooted desires have the highest motivational power. Below are some

examples:

Acceptance: We all need to feel that we, as well as our decisions, are

accepted by our co-workers.

Curiosity: We all have the desire to be in the know.

Honor: We all need to respect the rules and to be ethical.

Independence: We all need to feel we are unique.

Order: We all need to be organized.

Power: We all have the desire to be able to have influence.

Social contact: We all need to have some social interactions.

Social Status: We all have the desire to feel important.

Extrinsic Motivation:Extrinsic motivation means that the individual's motivational stimuli are coming

from outside. In other words, our desires to perform a task are controlled by an

outside source. Note that even though the stimuli are coming from outside, the

result of performing the task will still be rewarding for the individual

performing the task.

Extrinsic motivation is external in nature. The most well-known and the most

debated motivation is money. Below are some other examples:

Employee of the month award

Benefit package

Bonuses

Organized activities

Financial

Incentives:

Non-Financial

Incentives:

Theories Of

Motivation:

1. Maslows

Hierarchy Of Needs

Theory:A sequence of human needs (personal requirements) in the order of their

importance:

Physiological needs—survival

Safety needs—physical and emotional safety

Social needs—love and affection and a sense of belonging

Esteem needs—respect, recognition, and a sense of our own

accomplishment and worth

Self-actualization needs—to grow and develop and become all that we

are capable of being

2. McGregor’s

Theory X and

Theory Y:Two distinct views of human beings: Theory X (basically negative) and

Theory Y (positive).

Managers used a set of assumptions based on their view

The assumptions molded their behavior toward employees

No empirical evidence to support this theory.

Examples :

Theory X :

Theory Y:

3. Alderfer’s ERG

Theory:Three groups of core needs:

Existence (Maslow: physiological and safety)

Relatedness (Maslow: social and status)

Growth (Maslow: esteem and self-actualization)

Removed the hierarchical assumption

Can be motivated by all three at once

Popular, but not accurate, theory

Conclusion:It is important first to recognize that if you have not succeeded in learning

what you first wanted, that you have not failed.  Success is not always

determined by quantity of knowledge.  We are not all meant to be brain

surgeons, soccer players, plumbers, or even spellers.  But we can

recognize that some subject matter can be gained/enjoyed in other ways:

consulting a specialist; watching or refereeing a game; hiring a plumber;

using a spell checker.

Success in learning is also determined by an evaluation of your process,

and what you have learned from this process. Motivation to learn is

paramount to student success. The sources of motivation are complex.

The motivation to learn is personal and comes from within an individual,

but can be influenced by external factors. Educators must keep the

principles of motivation at the fore front of all instructional design. The

applications of motivation theory are limited only by one's imagination.

The concepts learner motivation underline the importance of learner

analysis in instructional design.