Theories

Theorist's Motivational Theories
=Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs= ** Since part of the framework for effective motivation includes a person’s attitude it is important to understand what motivates people’s actions and behaviors. Abraham Maslow hypothesized that needs are ranked in order from low to high and as each need is met or satisfied, the needs at the next level begin to determine the individual’s behaviors and consequently their actions. When the lowest level need is satisfied the person is motivated to move onto the next level of need until that level is satisfied. This widely recognized theory is called Maslow’s Needs Hierarchy Model. The five “basic” needs that complete the hierarchy model are: physiological needs, safety needs, belonging and love needs, ego needs, and self-actualization needs (Appelbaum, p.47). Physiological needs consist of the desire for food, water, air, and shelter. These are the most basic of needs that will come first on the totem pole. A person will not move on to the next level until these most basic desires and needs are met. **
 * The second level consists of the desire for safety, stability, and the absence of pain or discomfort. People who are motivated by this level of needs value their job primarily as a way to avoid the loss of their most basic needs. After the first two levels of needs have been satisfied the individual will now shift their focus to the third level, the need for affiliation and belonging. This is the individual’s desire for developing friendships, finding love, and having a sense that they belong to a group. Persons motivated by affiliation are focused on building and maintaining new relationships with other people. **

** Managers can study the theories of motivation until they are blue in the face. The trick is to take the knowledge gained from studying theory and transform it into a practical, pragmatic, and workable plan of action that can be implemented in the work place. The most important aspect of a manager’s skill set is the ability for that manager to know how to motivate and lead their followers. “Organizations can only achieve their goals of perpetuation by revitalizing their human resources (Appelbaum, p.47).” The job of a manager is to change and adapt their style to fit the individual’s needs and not try to recreate the individual into something that they are not. Managers should test different techniques with their employees to find out which ones are considered effective and which ones are not. Transformational leaders motivate followers by creating an exciting new vision, encouraging followers to move beyond their own self interests for the benefit of the organization, and stimulate the employee’s higher level needs. The followers of transformational leaders verbalize feelings of admiration, respect, trust, and appreciation towards their leader and as a result will go above and beyond the expected norm to get the job done. They are able to motivate workers to higher levels of personal expectations and individual commitment. ** []
 * The next level of needs involves the desire for achievement, self-worth, and recognition. In my opinion this is where a majority of workers fail in the pursuit of needs fulfillment. With that being said, I truly believe that managers and leaders can have the greatest impact helping employees fulfill their esteem needs. **
 * The fifth and last level of needs that are found on Maslow’s needs hierarchy focuses on the individual realizing their full potential. Most people do not reach this level until late in their lives and some people never reach it at all. Managers can contribute to an employee's desire to obtain this need by involving them in designing jobs, creating special assignments for the employee, and giving them the autonomy to plan, implement, and make decision concerning their work. The three lowest levels in this needs hierarchy model are referred to as deficiency needs. They are needed in order to facilitate proper development both physically and mentally. The highest two needs are considered growth needs that help the individual grow and develop into an effective human being (Hellriegel, p.131-133). Two researchers, Ajila and Kamalanabhan believed that Maslow’s theory had some practical significance and application in the following ways. “Physiological needs are considered in decisions regarding space, lighting, and overall working conditions; safety in terms of work practices; love in regard to forming cohesive work teams; esteem through responsibility and recognition; and self-actualization in terms of opportunities for creative and challenging jobs and tasks (Latham, p.488).” **

= Motivation Theory - Herzberg =

**Herzberg two factor theory** Herzberg's Two Factor Theory is a "content theory" of motivation" [|(the other main one is Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs)] . Herzberg analysed the job attitudes of 200 accountants and engineers who were asked to recall when they had felt positive or negative at work and the reasons why.  From this research, Herzberg suggested a two-step approach to understanding employee motivation and satisfaction:  **Hygiene Factors**  Hygiene factors are based on the need to for a business to avoid unpleasantness at work. If these factors are considered inadequate by employees, then they can cause dissatisfaction with work. Hygiene factors include:  - Company policy and administration  - Wages, salaries and other financial remuneration  - Quality of supervision  - Quality of inter-personal relations  - Working conditions  - Feelings of job security

**Motivator Factors** Motivator factors are based on an individual's need for personal growth. When they exist, motivator factors actively create job satisfaction. If they are effective, then they can motivate an individual to achieve above-average performance and effort. Motivator factors include: - Status - Opportunity for advancement - Gaining recognition - Responsibility - Challenging / stimulating work - Sense of personal achievement & personal growth in a job There is some similarity between Herzberg's and Maslow's models. They both suggest that needs have to be satisfied for the employee to be motivated. However, Herzberg argues that only the higher levels of the Maslow Hierarchy (e.g. self-actualisation, esteem needs) act as a motivator. The remaining needs can only cause dissatisfaction if not addressed. **Applying Hertzberg's model to de-motivated workers** What might the evidence of de-motivated employees be in a business? - Low productivity - Poor production or service quality - Strikes / industrial disputes / breakdowns in employee communication and relationships - Complaints about pay and working conditions According to Herzberg, management should focus on rearranging work so that motivator factors can take effect. He suggested three ways in which this could be done:

http://www.tutor2u.net/business/people/motivation_theory_herzberg

=McClelland's Human Motivation Theory=

Discovering What Drives Members of Your Team
Do you know what motivates team members? © iStockphoto/stevecoleccs One of your team members recently created a report that was so thorough and well-written that the board of directors asked you to make sure that she was praised for her efforts. So, at your monthly staff meeting, you stood up in front of the group, and congratulated her on her achievement, and for the good impression she made for the team. However, instead of smiling and appreciating the attention, she looked embarrassed. She lowered her head, and as soon as she could, she left and went to her office. What did you do wrong? Managing a group of people with different personalities is never easy. But if you're managing or leading a team, it's essential to know what motivates your people, how they respond to feedback and praise, and what tasks fit them well. David McClelland's Human Motivation Theory gives you a way of identifying people's motivating drivers. This can then help you to give praise and feedback effectively, assign them suitable tasks, and keep them motivated. Using McClelland's theory in the example above would have helped []

ATTITUDES & THEORIES OF ATTITUDES Attitudes are evaluative statements or judgments, either favorable or unfavorable concerning objective, people or events. They reflect how one feels about something e.g. if is said, “I like my job”, I am expressing my attitude about work. Attitudes are not the same as values, but the two are interrelated. There are three components of an attitude: Cogn ition, affect, and Behavior. Cognitive Component of an attitude The opinion or belief segment of an attitude. Affective Component of an attitude The emotional or feeling segment of an attitude. Behavioral Component of an attitude An attention to behave in a certain way toward someone or something. In organization, attitudes are important because they affect the behavior. If workers believe that supervisors, auditors, bosses, and time-and-motion engineers are all in conspiracy to make employee work harder for the same or less money, then it makes sense to try to understand how these attitudes were formed, their relationship to actual job behavior and how they might be changed. Types of ATTITUDES A person can have thousands of attitudes, but OB focuses on a very limited number of work-related attitudes. These work related attitudes tap positive or negative evaluations hat employees hold about aspects of their work environment. Most of the research in ob has been concerned with three attitudes; Job Satisfaction, Job Involvement and Organizational Commitment. Job Satisfaction An individual’s general attitude toward his or her job. A person with at high level of job satisfaction hold positive attitudes about the job, while a person who is dissatisfied with his or her job holds negative attitudes about the job.

Job Involvement The job involvement measures the degree to which a person identifies psychologically with his or her job and considers his or her perceived performance level important to self-worth. Employees with a high level of job... [continues]Read full essay

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APA(2008, 11). ATTITUDES & THEORIES OF ATTITUDES. //StudyMode.com//. Retrieved 11, 2008, from http://www.studymode.com/essays/Attitudes-Theories-Attitudes-1152396.html