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What is Motivation?
Motivation is a psychological process through which a person acts or behaves
towards a particular task or activity from start to completion. Motivation drives or
pushes a person to behave in a particular way at that point in time. When the
motivation is positive, a person is happy, energetic, enthusiastic & self-driven to
perform the work and when it is negative motivation, person is demoralized, sad,
lethargic & pessimistic leading to drop in productivity and performance.
Importance of Motivation
It is an important psychological factor for any individual as it defines the work,
ambition and drive of that person to do any work. A person with high levels of
motivation is motivated to do good quality work, help others, spread their energy and
focus on achieving goals. On the contrary, a person with low levels of motivation,
demotivates others, works shabbily and creates a negative atmosphere.

It is an important human factor in an individual’s personal as well as professional life.

Positive motivation for people is required in every field like business, sports, politics,
entrepreneurship etc. It is the desire of an individual to work towards a motive, which
is a certain task. In business, good motivation helps employees learn important
managerial skills like leadership, team management, time management, decision
making, communication etc.
4 Types of Motivation

It is driven by several factors which influences the behaviour and attitude of an

individual. Based on the different factors and the kind of impact it has on a person,
there are different types of motivation. The different types of motivation in people
are:
1. Intrinsic Motivation

This type comes from within a person to do a task or achieve a particular goal. It is a
feeling of being self-driven and achieving objectives for oneself. Intrinsic motivation
is driven by motives like social acceptance, eating food, desires to achieve goals,
biological needs etc.
2. Extrinsic Motivation

This type drives an individual due to external forces or parameters. Some other
person or organization motivates the individual to work hard to achieve certain goals
or tasks. Extrinsic motivation is driven by motives like financial bonus, rewards,
appreciation, promotion, punishment, demotion etc.
3. Positive Motivation

This type drives an individual by offering positive accolades and rewards for
performing a task. In this type of motivation, the individual is rewarded by monetary
benefits, promotions etc. which drives an individual to work hard.
4. Negative Motivation

This is where fear and threat are used as a parameter to get the work done. In this
type of motivation, individuals are threatened with things like demotion, reducing
benefits, withdrawing merits etc.

For every individual, all the types are interlinked based on which he or she takes an
action. The resultant behaviour of any person is basis the motivation types he or she
has been influenced by.
Factors Influencing Motivation

Keeping employees motivated is the biggest challenge for companies for ensuring
that they give a high productive output at work and help in achieving company goals.
A positive motivation amongst employees helps drive the business positively &
enhances creativity. On the other hand, a demotivated employee will not contribute
efficiently and slowdown progress at workplace. The key elements & top factors
which influence employees in business or people in general are as follows:
1. Salary

Monetary compensation & benefits like gross salary, perks, performance bonuses
etc. are the biggest motivation factors. The better the salary and monetary benefits,
the higher is the motivation level & passion of a person towards a job.
2. Recognition

Rewards, recognition, accolades etc. are important for ensuring high enthusiasm
levels for an employee. If the hard work of an individual is appreciated, it keeps them
motivated to perform better.
3. Work Ethics

Ethical working environment, honesty etc. are important factors for any individual.
Good work ethics in a company helps keep employees motivated at work place.

On the other hand, if the work environment is not ethical, then the workforce might
be demotivated.
4. Transparency with Leadership

The leadership in an organization helps in employee motivation if there are

transparent discussion and flatter hierarchies. The senior management has to
ensure that all subordinates are happy, focused & motivated.
5. Culture at Work

A good, vibrant, positive culture at workplace is always an important factor. People

from different backgrounds, religions, countries etc. working together helps create a
social bond at workplace.
6. Learning and Development

Another factor influencing is the training and development opportunities that a

person gets. L&D helps individuals develop more skills and have better opportunities
in their professional career.
7. Work Life Balance
Having a good quality of work life (QWL) helps in the motivation of people. A good
work life balance ensures that a person can give quality time to both office work as
well as family.
8. Career Growth Opportunities

Career development opportunities have a positive influence on the motivation of any

person. If a person knows their future & career path is secure, they tend to work with
more passion.
9. Health Benefits

Health benefits, insurance & other incentives act as a source of motivation for
people. If the medical bills, hospitalization charges etc. are taken care of by the
company, it helps build a strong trust.
10. Communication

A positive & transparent communication between managers and subordinates gives

a sense of belonging and adds to the employee’s motivation. Discussion related to
work as well as personal life help make a friendly bond at workplace.

There are not finite factors influencing positive attitude of an employee. These keep
on changing depending upon the type of environment, job responsibility, experience
in life etc. Hygiene Factors of motivation are also given by the Hygiene Theory.

Advantages of Motivation
There are several advantages of an employee being motivated at work. Some of the
main benefits of motivation for employees and companies are as follows:

1. Feeling of belongingness and self-respect.

2. A motivated employee is excited to learn and contribute more.

3. Higher productive output due to positive motivation.

4. Reduced absenteeism and lower attrition.

5. Employees high on motivation help reduce costs & improve profits.

6. Reduce stress & anxiety at workplace.

Disadvantages of Motivation
Despite several advantages, there are some probable drawbacks as well. Some of
them are:

1. It is a relative feeling and hence there is no way of ensuring that everyone would
feel the same way.

2. Motivating employees in a company requires additional efforts, money and time on

employee related activities.

3. It among people is mostly a short-term feeling. Afterwards a person become

demotivated or even uninterested about a particular task.