Introduction to motivation
Motivation is basis and a psychological feature that arouses an organism to act towards a desired goal and elicits, controls, and sustains certain goal-directed behaviors. It can be considered a driving force; a psychological one that compels or reinforces an action toward a desired goal. For example, hunger is a motivation that elicits a desire to eat. Motivation is the purpose or psychological cause of an action.
Motivation has been shown to have roots in physiological, behavioral, cognitive, and social areas. Motivation may be rooted in a basic impulse to optimize well-being, minimize physical pain and maximize pleasure. It can also originate from specific physical needs such as eating, sleeping or resting, and sex.
Motivation is an inner drive to behave or act in a certain manner. "It's the difference between waking up before dawn to pound the pavement and lazing around the house all day." These inner conditions such as wishes, desires and goals, activate to move in a particular direction in behavior.
Motivation has been shown to have roots in physiological, behavioral, cognitive, and social areas. Motivation may be rooted in a basic impulse to optimize well-being, minimize physical pain and maximize pleasure. It can also originate from specific physical needs such as eating, sleeping or resting, and sex.
Motivation is an inner drive to behave or act in a certain manner. "It's the difference between waking up before dawn to pound the pavement and lazing around the house all day." These inner conditions such as wishes, desires and goals, activate to move in a particular direction in behavior.
Motivation theory application
Three Dimensions of a Job:
Functional
What am I supposed to do?
Who will help?
How will I be evaluated?
What will I be paid?
Psychological
How hard do I have to work?
What recognition/reward will I receive?
Social
Does my organization have similar value to my own?
What are the informal rules of my organization?
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs:
Physiological Needs: The physical requirements for human survival, without meeting these needs the human body is unable to survive.
Air, water, and food are required nutrients for survival. Clothing and shelter provide essential protection from nature.
Safety Needs: With an individual's physical needs relatively satisfied, the individual's safety needs take precedence and dominate behavior.
Safety and Security needs include:
Love and Belonging Needs: The third level of human needs is interpersonal and involves feelings of belonging. The different types of relationships include:
Esteem: All humans have a need to feel respected; this includes the need to have self-esteem and self-respect. Esteem presents the typical human desire to be accepted and valued by others. People often engage in a profession or hobby to gain recognition. These activities give the person a sense of contribution or value.
Maslow's two separate types of esteem needs include:
The "lower" version of esteem, which is the need for respect from others. This may include a need for:
Self-actualization: This level of need refers to what a person's full potential is and the realization of that potential. Maslow describes this level as the desire to accomplish everything that one can, to become the most that one can be. Maslow believed that to understand this level of need, the person must not only achieve the previous needs, but master them.
Functional
What am I supposed to do?
Who will help?
How will I be evaluated?
What will I be paid?
Psychological
How hard do I have to work?
What recognition/reward will I receive?
Social
Does my organization have similar value to my own?
What are the informal rules of my organization?
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs:
Physiological Needs: The physical requirements for human survival, without meeting these needs the human body is unable to survive.
Air, water, and food are required nutrients for survival. Clothing and shelter provide essential protection from nature.
Safety Needs: With an individual's physical needs relatively satisfied, the individual's safety needs take precedence and dominate behavior.
Safety and Security needs include:
- Personal security
- Financial security
- Health and well-being
- Safety net against accidents/illness and their adverse impacts
Love and Belonging Needs: The third level of human needs is interpersonal and involves feelings of belonging. The different types of relationships include:
- Friendship
- Intimacy
- Family
Esteem: All humans have a need to feel respected; this includes the need to have self-esteem and self-respect. Esteem presents the typical human desire to be accepted and valued by others. People often engage in a profession or hobby to gain recognition. These activities give the person a sense of contribution or value.
Maslow's two separate types of esteem needs include:
The "lower" version of esteem, which is the need for respect from others. This may include a need for:
- Status
- Recognition
- Fame
- Prestige
- Attention.
- Strength
- Competence
- Mastery
- Self-confidence
- Independence
- Freedom
Self-actualization: This level of need refers to what a person's full potential is and the realization of that potential. Maslow describes this level as the desire to accomplish everything that one can, to become the most that one can be. Maslow believed that to understand this level of need, the person must not only achieve the previous needs, but master them.
Personal Reflection:
Relating Maslow's hierarchy of needs to motivating employees can be tough, but if we look at it level by level, employers can provide the resources and support needed for an employee to reach the self-actualization level. The first two levels, physiological and safety can be address by providing a competitive wage and benefits package. Transitioning through the next few levels becomes a bit more difficult. In order to achieve the needs of loving and belonging, organizational leaders need to cultivate a culture of acceptance, openness and support. Although not able to provide the sexual intimacy factor, employers with cooperative and engaged cultures can easily provide a feeling of belonging among employees. As I have been known to have a notable ability to naturally bring people together and achieve mutual goals, I can play to my strengths when developing my organizational culture. The next step, esteem, can be supported by employers by providing recognition and praise to address the "lower" version. To fulfill the "higher" version, an organization can provide the training and resources needed to gain skill mastery and competence. Not only does this involve technical training, but mentoring can provide an additional factor to an employees esteem. As one of the skills needed to achieve my goals, continuing to improving my mentoring ability will provide colleagues with the esteem needed to progress to the highest tier of Maslow's hierarchy of needs.
Relating Maslow's hierarchy of needs to motivating employees can be tough, but if we look at it level by level, employers can provide the resources and support needed for an employee to reach the self-actualization level. The first two levels, physiological and safety can be address by providing a competitive wage and benefits package. Transitioning through the next few levels becomes a bit more difficult. In order to achieve the needs of loving and belonging, organizational leaders need to cultivate a culture of acceptance, openness and support. Although not able to provide the sexual intimacy factor, employers with cooperative and engaged cultures can easily provide a feeling of belonging among employees. As I have been known to have a notable ability to naturally bring people together and achieve mutual goals, I can play to my strengths when developing my organizational culture. The next step, esteem, can be supported by employers by providing recognition and praise to address the "lower" version. To fulfill the "higher" version, an organization can provide the training and resources needed to gain skill mastery and competence. Not only does this involve technical training, but mentoring can provide an additional factor to an employees esteem. As one of the skills needed to achieve my goals, continuing to improving my mentoring ability will provide colleagues with the esteem needed to progress to the highest tier of Maslow's hierarchy of needs.
Additional Motivational Theories and Concepts
Hawthorn Effect - When you pay attention to people, they will become more productive.
Equity Theory - Relationships between the input(pay) and output(production) between different employees.
Motivational Force - The subconscious calculation used to determine ones concentration and effort applied to achieving a goal.
Expectancy (If you work, you will perform)
x Instrumentality (If you perform, there will be outcomes)
x Valence (The outcomes will be valued)
=Total Motivational Force
*A similar theory on motivation will be discussed in the article section.
Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Motivation:
Intrinsic motivation refers to motivation that is driven by an interest or enjoyment in the task itself, and exists within the individual rather than relying on external pressures or a desire for reward. Individuals are likely to be intrinsically motivated if they:
Personal Reflection:
As shown below, the highest tier in the motivational hierarchy is intrinsic motivation. By focusing my efforts to meet the three key factors of intrinsic motivation, developing a team of highly motivated colleagues can be achieved. To do so, gaining a deep knowledge of each operational and strategic sector will provide me with the ability communicate task importance, develop colleagues skills, and generate genuine enthusiasm.
Hawthorn Effect - When you pay attention to people, they will become more productive.
Equity Theory - Relationships between the input(pay) and output(production) between different employees.
Motivational Force - The subconscious calculation used to determine ones concentration and effort applied to achieving a goal.
Expectancy (If you work, you will perform)
x Instrumentality (If you perform, there will be outcomes)
x Valence (The outcomes will be valued)
=Total Motivational Force
*A similar theory on motivation will be discussed in the article section.
Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Motivation:
Intrinsic motivation refers to motivation that is driven by an interest or enjoyment in the task itself, and exists within the individual rather than relying on external pressures or a desire for reward. Individuals are likely to be intrinsically motivated if they:
- attribute their production results to factors under their own control
- believe they have the skills to be effective agents in reaching their desired goals
- are interested in mastering a task, not just focused on completing the given responsibility
Personal Reflection:
As shown below, the highest tier in the motivational hierarchy is intrinsic motivation. By focusing my efforts to meet the three key factors of intrinsic motivation, developing a team of highly motivated colleagues can be achieved. To do so, gaining a deep knowledge of each operational and strategic sector will provide me with the ability communicate task importance, develop colleagues skills, and generate genuine enthusiasm.
Analyzing and applying motivation articles
Motivating employees through job design
Article Summary:
The early two-factor theory of job motivation was based around intrinsic (achievement, recognition, responsibility) and hygiene (work environment, pay, and supervision). These theories were later added upon by Hackman and Oldman's Job Theory Model which included: skill variety, task variety, task significance, autonomy, and feedback. This new theory model highlighted three key physiological characteristics: experienced meaningfulness, experienced responsibility, and knowledge of results. A study in 1991 found that employees that reported back higher perceptions of the five factors also reported back higher ratings of job satisfaction and intrinsic motivation. More recently, a similar study completed in 2005 generated results which concluded that perceived work demands, job control and social support through job design leads to higher productivity in employees. As shown in the diagram below, by focusing a job's design around the five factors can provide a catalyst to highly motivated, preforming and satisfied employees.
The early two-factor theory of job motivation was based around intrinsic (achievement, recognition, responsibility) and hygiene (work environment, pay, and supervision). These theories were later added upon by Hackman and Oldman's Job Theory Model which included: skill variety, task variety, task significance, autonomy, and feedback. This new theory model highlighted three key physiological characteristics: experienced meaningfulness, experienced responsibility, and knowledge of results. A study in 1991 found that employees that reported back higher perceptions of the five factors also reported back higher ratings of job satisfaction and intrinsic motivation. More recently, a similar study completed in 2005 generated results which concluded that perceived work demands, job control and social support through job design leads to higher productivity in employees. As shown in the diagram below, by focusing a job's design around the five factors can provide a catalyst to highly motivated, preforming and satisfied employees.
To expand upon the five core job characteristics, leaders must initiate and develop their social capital with three aspects:
Personal Application:
Once I have achieved my goal of being placed in a leadership position, utilizing these theories will become exponentially more important. When trying to fill a new or open position, it will be vital to analyze and redesign the job description to address each of the five core job characteristics needed for high preforming employees. Even more importantly, I will need to further develop the ability to communicate the importance, expectation, and feedback for each task an employee is requested to preform.
- the structural dimension, which concerns the overall pattern of relationships found in organizations
- The relational dimension, which concerns the nature of the connections between individuals in an organization
- The cognitive dimension, which concerns the extent to which employees within a social network share a common perspective or understanding
Personal Application:
Once I have achieved my goal of being placed in a leadership position, utilizing these theories will become exponentially more important. When trying to fill a new or open position, it will be vital to analyze and redesign the job description to address each of the five core job characteristics needed for high preforming employees. Even more importantly, I will need to further develop the ability to communicate the importance, expectation, and feedback for each task an employee is requested to preform.
HBR: Employee motivation - a powerful new model
Article Summary:
This Harvard Business Reviews article begins by describing the four underlying drivers of human emotion as first defined by Paul R. Lawrence and Nitin Nohria in their 2002 book Driven: How Human Nature Shapes Our Choices. Those four underlying drivers are as follows:
This Harvard Business Reviews article begins by describing the four underlying drivers of human emotion as first defined by Paul R. Lawrence and Nitin Nohria in their 2002 book Driven: How Human Nature Shapes Our Choices. Those four underlying drivers are as follows:
- Drive to Acquire - A desire to acquire scarce goods that bolster our sense of well-being and status among others.
- Drive to Bond - A need for a feeling of belonging, inclusion and connection while minimizing the sense of loneliness
- Drive to Comprehend - A desire to continuously develop, understand, and provide meaningful contributions
- Drive to Defend - A need for the sense of security and confidence while minimizing fear and resentment.
Finally, the article discusses the relationship between an employees perception of their immediate managers implementation of the four factors primary lever and their levels of satisfaction among their motivation drivers. If a manager has the ability to make the best out of a situation that they may not have the direct ability to change, their employees have a tendency to take notice of this additional effort and become more motivated. It is important to note that a manager must provide support in all four driving factors as employees tend to rate a managers performance poorly when just one driver is seen as lacking.
Personal Reflection:
In order to meet my goals of becoming a future leader and impact player, developing a highly motivated and supportive team will be essential. By implementing the primary lever as identified in HBR's Employee Motivation article, I can master the ability to address the four drives of employee emotion and motivation. Depending on the organization, this may be easier said than done, but by trying to make the best of each situation and providing transparent communications, I plan on becoming a highly rated leader in whichever organization I take part in.
Personal Reflection:
In order to meet my goals of becoming a future leader and impact player, developing a highly motivated and supportive team will be essential. By implementing the primary lever as identified in HBR's Employee Motivation article, I can master the ability to address the four drives of employee emotion and motivation. Depending on the organization, this may be easier said than done, but by trying to make the best of each situation and providing transparent communications, I plan on becoming a highly rated leader in whichever organization I take part in.
HBR: One more time - how do you motivate employees
Article Summary:
The most commonly known, ineffective way to get someone do preform is know as a KITA, or Kick In The...well you get the picture. There are a few varieties of KITA that managers have previously utilized including: Negative Physical KITA which is the literal application, Negative psychological KITA which is better than the prior but still has long-term detrimental side-effects, and Positive KITA which involves rewards and recognition. Among today's management, positive KITA is almost unanimously preferred as it transfers the kick applicator from the organization to the individual. Some positive personnel practices that have been developed in an attempt to motivate employees are:
Results of a study on the factors which lead to employee satisfaction or dissatisfaction:
The most commonly known, ineffective way to get someone do preform is know as a KITA, or Kick In The...well you get the picture. There are a few varieties of KITA that managers have previously utilized including: Negative Physical KITA which is the literal application, Negative psychological KITA which is better than the prior but still has long-term detrimental side-effects, and Positive KITA which involves rewards and recognition. Among today's management, positive KITA is almost unanimously preferred as it transfers the kick applicator from the organization to the individual. Some positive personnel practices that have been developed in an attempt to motivate employees are:
- Reducing time spent at work
- Upward Spiraling Wages
- Fringe Benefits
- Human Relations Training
- Sensitivity Training
- Communications
- Two-way Communication
- Job Participation
- Employee Counseling
Results of a study on the factors which lead to employee satisfaction or dissatisfaction:
Personal Reflection:
One of the most interesting take-away from this article for me was that it seems that in the right environment, with the right support and stimulation, individuals become most satisfied with their work when they are able to have a sense of achievement and are recognized for that achievement. As an aspiring future leader, I plan on implementing a personal policy which was utilized at the very first organization I worked for utilized, an personal Thank You/Appreciation note per month program. By writing personalized thank you notes, you provide employees with an ensured confidence that their leadership is aware of their achievements and appreciates their efforts.
One of the most interesting take-away from this article for me was that it seems that in the right environment, with the right support and stimulation, individuals become most satisfied with their work when they are able to have a sense of achievement and are recognized for that achievement. As an aspiring future leader, I plan on implementing a personal policy which was utilized at the very first organization I worked for utilized, an personal Thank You/Appreciation note per month program. By writing personalized thank you notes, you provide employees with an ensured confidence that their leadership is aware of their achievements and appreciates their efforts.
Exercises and practices to improve my motivation skills
Motivation Survey Exercise
To find out what really motivates your employees as individuals, try this exercise. Compose a survey of motivators and ask your employees to rank them in the order of importance, with No. 1 being the most important. Include categories covering career development, comfort, work-life balance, leadership, learning, possessions, recognition, financial security, popularity, status, task accomplishment, teaching or mentoring others, vitality and others. Include a section for comments about improving the work environment. Before inviting employees to take the survey, take it yourself. As a manager, understanding what really motivates you may help you motivate your employees. Then give the survey to your employees and collect the results.
One-on-One Meetings with Employees
After collecting the surveys, set up a meeting with each employee individually to talk about the meaning of the survey and to discuss what really motivates them. Conduct these meetings in a quiet place with no interruptions. As busy as you may be, one of the most important things you can give an employee is your undivided attention. The meeting itself can be a source of motivation to many employees who would just like the opportunity to chat about their jobs and what drives them to succeed.
Follow Up
Now that you have the results of the surveys and you have met with each employee individually, you must act upon the results. It is possible to customize a motivation plan for each employee. This is not to say that you should give one employee a raise and another a pat on the back, if they both deserve a raise. Instead, commit to an initial plan that involves employee recognition for exceptional work. This could mean rewards or incentives that are customized to each employee. For example, an employee who ranked increasing knowledge as number one in the survey could be rewarded by being allowed to attend an industry conference. Another employee may well appreciate compensation time for overtime worked. Each plan should be based with the individual in mind.
Considerations
Not all employee motivation plans are made up of incentives. After reading the surveys, you may decide as a manager that your organizational culture needs an overhaul. Consider how you can improve your company's working environment for everyone who works there. Perhaps you can implement a new work schedule where employees get one Friday off per month. There are numerous ideas that can be implemented both in improving the physical surroundings and the psychological impact of the work environment. Motivating your employees may take more than the traditional gift card or plaque in the hallway. Give the results of the survey plenty of consideration and think outside of the box to improve your workplace.
Exercise Experience:
My group was unable to complete this exercise, but I plan on sharing this within my organization to see what Human Resources alterations can be made to improve employee satisfaction and reduce turnover.
To find out what really motivates your employees as individuals, try this exercise. Compose a survey of motivators and ask your employees to rank them in the order of importance, with No. 1 being the most important. Include categories covering career development, comfort, work-life balance, leadership, learning, possessions, recognition, financial security, popularity, status, task accomplishment, teaching or mentoring others, vitality and others. Include a section for comments about improving the work environment. Before inviting employees to take the survey, take it yourself. As a manager, understanding what really motivates you may help you motivate your employees. Then give the survey to your employees and collect the results.
One-on-One Meetings with Employees
After collecting the surveys, set up a meeting with each employee individually to talk about the meaning of the survey and to discuss what really motivates them. Conduct these meetings in a quiet place with no interruptions. As busy as you may be, one of the most important things you can give an employee is your undivided attention. The meeting itself can be a source of motivation to many employees who would just like the opportunity to chat about their jobs and what drives them to succeed.
Follow Up
Now that you have the results of the surveys and you have met with each employee individually, you must act upon the results. It is possible to customize a motivation plan for each employee. This is not to say that you should give one employee a raise and another a pat on the back, if they both deserve a raise. Instead, commit to an initial plan that involves employee recognition for exceptional work. This could mean rewards or incentives that are customized to each employee. For example, an employee who ranked increasing knowledge as number one in the survey could be rewarded by being allowed to attend an industry conference. Another employee may well appreciate compensation time for overtime worked. Each plan should be based with the individual in mind.
Considerations
Not all employee motivation plans are made up of incentives. After reading the surveys, you may decide as a manager that your organizational culture needs an overhaul. Consider how you can improve your company's working environment for everyone who works there. Perhaps you can implement a new work schedule where employees get one Friday off per month. There are numerous ideas that can be implemented both in improving the physical surroundings and the psychological impact of the work environment. Motivating your employees may take more than the traditional gift card or plaque in the hallway. Give the results of the survey plenty of consideration and think outside of the box to improve your workplace.
Exercise Experience:
My group was unable to complete this exercise, but I plan on sharing this within my organization to see what Human Resources alterations can be made to improve employee satisfaction and reduce turnover.
References
Pooja Garg, Renu Rastogi, (2006) "New model of job design: motivating employees' performance", Journal of Management Development, Vol. 25 Iss: 6, pp.572 - 587 - See more at: http://www.emeraldinsight.com.prox.lib.ncsu.edu/journals.htm?articleid=1556757&show=abstract#sthash.nvGVGBIh.dpuf
Nohria, Nitin, Boris Groysberg, and Linda-Eling Lee. "Employee Motivation: A Powerful New Model." HBS Centennial Issue. Harvard Business Review 86, nos. 7/8 (July–August 2008): 78–84.
Herzberg, Frederick. "One More Time: How Do You Motivate Employees?" Harvard Business Review (2003): n. pag. Harvard Business Review. Jan. 2003. Web. 5 Nov. 2013.
http://www.edpsycinteractive.org/topics/conation/maslow.html
http://smallbusiness.chron.com/training-exercise-understand-employee-motivation-19290.html
Nohria, Nitin, Boris Groysberg, and Linda-Eling Lee. "Employee Motivation: A Powerful New Model." HBS Centennial Issue. Harvard Business Review 86, nos. 7/8 (July–August 2008): 78–84.
Herzberg, Frederick. "One More Time: How Do You Motivate Employees?" Harvard Business Review (2003): n. pag. Harvard Business Review. Jan. 2003. Web. 5 Nov. 2013.
http://www.edpsycinteractive.org/topics/conation/maslow.html
http://smallbusiness.chron.com/training-exercise-understand-employee-motivation-19290.html