Theories of Motivation

Key Elements

1. Intensity: how hard a person tries

2. Direction: toward beneficial goal

3. Persistence: how long a person tries

Key Elements

1. Intensity: how hard a person tries

2. Direction: toward beneficial goal

3. Persistence: how long a person tries

Motivation

The processes that account for an individual’s intensity, direction, and persistence of effort toward attaining a goal.

What is Motivation?

3 Major Types of Motivation Theories

• Content Theories of Motivation– WHAT motivates us

• Process Theories of Motivation– WHY and HOW motivation occurs

• Reinforcement Theory– HOW outcomes influence behaviors

Content Perspectives on Motivation

• Content Perspectives– Approaches to motivation that try to answer the question,

“What factors in the workplace motivate people?”

• Content Perspectives of Motivation– Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs– Aldefer’s ERG Theory– McGregory’s Theory X and Theory Y– Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory– McClelland’s Achievement,

Power, and Affiliation Needs

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Self-Self-

actualizationactualization

EsteemEsteem

BelongingnessBelongingness

SecuritySecurity

PhysiologyPhysiologyFoodFood

AchievementAchievement

StatusStatus

FriendshipFriendship

StabilityStability

JobJob

FriendsFriends

PensionPension

BaseBase

NEEDSNEEDSGeneral ExamplesGeneral Examples Organizational ExamplesOrganizational Examples

jobjobChallengingChallenging

titletitle

at workat work

planplan

salarysalary

Assumptions of Maslow’s Hierarchy

Movement up the Pyramid

•Individuals cannot move to the next higher level until all needs at the current (lower) level are satisfied.

Maslow Application:

A homeless person

will not be motivated to

meditate!

Maslow Application:

A homeless person

will not be motivated to

meditate!

•Individuals therefore must move up the hierarchy in order

Maslow’s Hierarchy of NeedsA Content Perspective

• What factor or factors motivate people• Weakness of Theory

– Five levels of need are not always present– Order is not always the same– Cultural differences

• Need’s Hierarchy in China…an example:

– Belonging– Physiological– Safety– Self actualizing in service to society

Alderfer’s ERG TheoryA Content Perspective

• Existence needs– Physiological

• Relatedness needs – How one individual relates to his/her social

environment

• Growth needs– Achievement and self actualization

Alderfer’s ERG TheoryA Content Perspective

Satisfaction-ProgressionSatisfaction-Progression Frustration-RegressionFrustration-Regression

Growth NeedsGrowth Needs

Relatedness Relatedness NeedsNeeds

Existence NeedsExistence Needs

Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory

Process Perspectives of Motivation

• Why people choose certain behavioral options to satisfy their needs and how they evaluate their satisfaction after they have attained their goals.

• Process perspectives of Motivation– Goal Setting Theory– Equity Theory– Expectancy Theory

Goal-Setting TheoryA Process Perspective

Basic Premise: That specific and difficult goals, with self-generated feedback, lead to higher performance.

• Difficulty– Extent to which a goal is challenging and requires effort.

• Specificity– Clarity and precision of the goal.

Goal Achievement Depends on:• Acceptance

– Extent to which persons accept a goal as their own.• Commitment

– Extent to which an individual is personally interested in reaching a goal.

Expectancy TheoryThe Basic Idea

• People tend to prefer certain goals, or outcomes, over others.

• They anticipate experiencing feelings of satisfaction should such a preferred outcome be achieved.

• Basically, people are motivated to behave in ways that produce valued outcomes.

Expectancy TheoryA Process Perspective

• Motivation depends on how much we want something and how likely we are to get it– Elements

• Effort to Performance Expectancy (E) is the probability that effort will lead to performance.

• Performance to Outcome Expectancy (I) is the perception that performance leads to an outcome.

• Outcome is the consequence or reward for performance.• Valence (V) is how much a particular outcome is valued.