Define Motivation

Motivation is defined as the complex of forces inspiring a person at work to

intensify his willingness to use his maximum capabilities for the achievement of
certain objectives.

According to Robert Dublin, “Motivation is the complex set of forces starting and
keeping a person at work in an organization.”

According to Stanley Vance, “Motivation represents an unsatisfied need which

creates a state of tension or disequilibrium, causing the individual to march in a
goal-directed pattern, towards restoring a state of equilibrium by satisfying the
need.”

Motivation is something that motivates a person into action and induces him to
continue in the course of action enthusiastically. It determines the behavior of a
person at work.
 Features of Motivation
1. Motivation is a psychological phenomenon. Motivation is an internal feeling
which means it cannot be forced on employees. The internal feelings such as
need, desire, aspirations etc. influence human behavior to behave in a particular
manner. For example, desire to have a new house, respect and recognition etc.

2. Motivation produces goal directed behavior. Motivation induces people to

behave in such a manner so that they can achieve their goal. Motivated person
need no supervision or direction. He will always work in desired manner. For
example of a person has a motive to get promotion so he will work efficiently to
get promotion.

3. Motivation is a dynamic and continuous process. Human beings are ever-

changing. Human needs are unlimited and go on changing continuously.
Satisfaction of one need gives rise to another so managers have to continuously
perform the function of motivation.
 Features of Motivation
4. Motivation is a complex process. Motivation is a complex and difficult task. In
order to motivate people a manager must understand various types of human
need. Human needs are mental feelings which can be measured accurately. If
manager measures them accurately then also every person uses different
approaches to satisfy his need. Some get satisfied with monetary incentives,
some with non-monetary, some with positive and some with negative motivators.
So it is not possible to make generalization in motivation.

5. Motivators can be positive as well as negative. To motivate employees

managers use various motivators. Some motivators are positive and some are
negative few examples of positive motivators are promotion, increment, bonus,
respect, recognition etc. if employee does not improve his performance with
positive motivators then manager uses negative motivators such as warning, issue
o memo, demotion, stopping increments etc. sometimes fear of negative
motivators also induces person to behave in a desired manner.
 Advantages of Motivation
Advantages to Management or Organization:

•Increase in the efficiency and productivity of employees. Motivation ensures a

high level performance of employees.

•Better co-operation from employees and cordial labor-management relations.

•Reduction in the rate of labor absenteeism and turnover.

•Reduction in the wastage’s and industrial accidents.

•Improvement in the morale of employees.

•Quick achievement of business/corporate objectives and favorable corporate

image.
 Advantages of Motivation
Advantages to Employees or Workers:

•Employees get various monetary and non-monetary facilities/benefits which provide better
life and welfare to them.

•Security of employment and other benefits due to cordial relations with the management.

•Job attraction and job satisfaction.

•Higher status and opportunities of participation in management.

•Positive approach and outlook of employees towards company, management and superiors.

•Reduction in the rate of labor turnover which is harmful to employees and management.

•Better scope for improvement in knowledge and skills of employees.

 Process of Motivation
1.Unsatisfied need. Motivation process begins when there is an unsatisfied need in a
human being.

2.Tension. The presence of unsatisfied need gives him tension.

3.Drive. This tension creates an urge of drive in the human being an he starts looking
for various alternatives to satisfy the drive.

4.Search Behavior. After searching for alternatives the human being starts behaving
according to chosen option.

5.Satisfied need. After behaving in a particular manner for a long time then he
evaluates that whether the need is satisfied or not.

6.Reduction of tension. After fulfilling the need the human being gets satisfied and
his tension gets reduced.
 Maslow’s Need Hierarchy Theory of Motivation
Maslow's theory is based on the needs of people. Maslow was of the view that
the process of motivation begins with behavior which at least in part, is
directed towards the . satisfaction of needs. He proposed that human needs can
be arranged in a particular order from the lower to the higher as shown in
figure:
 Maslow’s Need Hierarchy Theory of Motivation
1 Physiological needs: The needs that are taken as the starting point of
motivation theory are the physiological needs. These needs relate to the
survival and maintenance of human life. These needs include such things
as food, clothing, shelter, air, water and other necessities of life. These
needs must be met at least partly before higher level needs emerge.
They exert tremendous influence on behavior. They are the most
powerful of motivating stimuli. Therefore, we must satisfy most of them
for survival.

2 Safety and security needs: After satisfying the physiological needs,

people want the assurance of maintaining a given economic level. These
needs include job security personal security, security of the income,
provision for old age, insurance against risks, etc.
 Maslow’s Need Hierarchy Theory of Motivation

3 Social needs: Man is a social being. He is, therefore, inter steed in

conversation, social P interaction, exchange of feelings, companionship,
recognition, belongingness, etc. Socializing is one of those reasons why many
individuals (especially older people) go to work, and why people generally work
better in small groups where they can develop affiliations that are important to
them.

4 Esteem and status needs: These are concerned with awareness of self
importance and recognition from others. Most people feel this need to be rated
higher than other needs and seek recognition and respect on that account.
Satisfaction of esteem needs produces feelings of self-confidence, prestige,
power, and control. The fulfilment of esteem needs leads to self confidence
strength and capability of being useful in the organization. Whereas inability to
fulfil these needs results in feelings of inferiority, weakness and helplessness.
 Maslow’s Need Hierarchy Theory of Motivation
5 Self-Actualization needs: The final step under the need priority model is the
need for self-actualization also called self fulfilment or the need to fulfil what
one's potentialities for continued self-development and for being creative in the
broadest sense of that term. After his other needs are fulfilled, a man has t e
desire for personal achievement. He wants to do something which is challenging
and since this challenge gives him enough dash and initiative to work, it is
beneficial to him in particular and to the society in general. The sense of
achievement gives him satisfaction.

Maslow felt that the needs have a definite sequence of domination. The second
need does not dominate until the first is reasonably satisfied, and the third need
does not dominate until the first two needs have been reasonably satisfied and
so on. The other side of the need hierarchy is that man is never satisfied. If one
need is satisfied another need arises.
 Maslow’s Need Hierarchy Theory of Motivation
According to Maslow, if one's lower order needs (physiological and security
needs) are not satisfied, he can be motivated only by satisfying these needs first
and not by satisfying the higher order needs. Further, once a need or a certain
order of needs is satisfied, it ceases to be a motivating factor.

The physiological and security needs are finite, but the needs of higher order are
sufficiently infinite and are likely, to be dominant in persons at higher levels in
the organization. Studies have also revealed that those needs which are thought
to be most important like social needs, ego needs and self-realization needs are
also the best satisfiers.
 Herzberg Two Factor Theory of Motivation
A significant development in motivation theory is based on the distinction between
motivational and maintenance factors in job situation. On the basis of his research
findings Herzberg drew a distinction between what he called 'motivators' and 'hygiene'
factors.

Some job conditions operate primarily to dissatisfy employees when the conditions
are absent, but their presence does not motivate employees in a strong way. Many of
these factors are traditionally perceived by management as motivators, but these are
really more potent as dissatisfiers. The potent dissatisfiers are called maintenance
factors in job because they are necessary to maintain a reasonable level of
satisfaction among the employees. They are also known as dissatisfiers or 'hygienic
factors' because they support employees' mental health. Another set of job condition
operates primarily to build strong motivation and high job satisfaction but their
absence rarely proves Strong dissatisfier. These conditions are 'Motivational Factors'.
Herzberg's maintenance and motivational factors have been shown in the table given
below:
Herzberg Two Factor Theory of Motivation
 Herzberg Two Factor Theory of Motivation
Hygienic factors include wages, fringe benefits, physical conditions and overall company
policies and administration. The presence of these factors at a satisfactory level prevents
job dissatisfaction, but they do not provide motivation to the employees. So they are not
considered as motivational factors. Motivational factors on the other hand are essential for
increasing the productivity of the employees. They are also known as satisfiers and include
such factors as recaption, feeling of accomplishment and achievement, opportunity of
advancement and potential for personal growth, responsibility and sense of job and.
individual importance, new experience and challenging work etc.

Herzberg further stated that managers have hitherto been very much concerned with
hygienic factors. As a result, they have not been able to obtain the desired behavior from
employees. In order to increase the motivation of employees. It is necessary to pay
attention to the satisfies or motivational factors.
 Herzberg Two Factor Theory of Motivation
According to Herzberg today’s motivators are tomorrow's hygiene because the latter stop
influencing the behavior of persons when they get them. When a person gets one thing,
then something else will motivate him and the need which has been fulfilled will have only
negative significance in detaining his behavior. It should also be noted that one's hygiene
may be the motivator of another. For instance it is likely that workers in underdeveloped
economies will designate some of the maintenance factors as motivators because their
primary needs have not been fulfilled and they continue to be motivated by these factors.
 McGregor Theory X & Theory Y of Motivation
McGregor has suggested two contrasting theories on motivation based on certain
assumptions.

Theory X: Theory X revolves around the traditional approach to motivation and control. It
represents traditional stereotyped and authoritarian management style. It has following
assumptions:

i. An average human being is lazy and doesn’t like to work. He will avoid work if he can.
ii. Most human beings lack ambition and thus don’t want responsibility. They prefer to be
directed rather than to lead.
iii. Most human beings are self centered and indifferent to the organizational goals.
iv. Most people are not creative to solve organizational problems.
v. Most human beings are motivated with physiological and safety needs.
 McGregor Theory X & Theory Y of Motivation
Theory Y: Theory Y assumes that people are not unreliable and lazy by nature. It has a
positive view on employee motivation and their behavior. The management undertakes the
responsibility of helping the employees to develop and express their creative skills. The
assumptions of McGregor’s Theory Y are as follows:

i. An average person doesn’t dislike work rather work is natural as play.

ii. An average human being will exert self control and direct himself for his objectives.
iii. An average individual knows that he will be rewarded if he is committed for the
objectives. And generally these rewards are higher order needs namely ego satisfaction
and self-actualization.
iv. An average person tends to seek responsibility and is ambitious.
v. Imagination, creativity, and ingenuity can be used to solve work problems most of the
people.
vi. Considering the present scenario of present industrial life, the intellectual potential of
an average man is only partly utilized.
 Types of Motivation
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.
 Types of Motivation
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
 Methods of Motivation
1. Financial incentives: First techniques of motivation are financial incentives as money is
indicator of success. Therefore, it fulfills psychological safety and status need as people
satisfy their needs by money. Wages, salary motivates employees to perform better.
2. Job enlargement: Under this technique, task assigned to do job are increased by adding
simile task. So the scope of job enlargement is high for the motivation of subordinates. It is
also known as horizontally leading of job.
3. Job enrichment: Under this technique jobs are made challenging and meaningful by
increasing responsibility and growth opportunities. In such technique of motivation,
planning and control responsibility are added to the job usually with less supervision and
more self evaluation. It is also called vertical leading.
4. Job rotation: it refers to shifting an employee from one job to another. Such job
rotation doesn’t mean hanging of their job but only the employees are rotated. By this it
helps to develop the competency in several jobs which helps in development of employees.
5. Participation: Participation refers to involvement of employee in planning and decision-
making .it helps the employees feel that they are an asset of the organization which helps
in developing ideas to solve the problems.
 Methods of Motivation
6. Delegation of authority: Delegation of authority is concerned with the granting of
authority to the subordinates which helps in developing a feeling of dedication to work in
an organization because it provides the employees high morale to perform any task.
7. Quality of work life: It is the relationship between employees’ and the total working
environment of organization. It integrates employee needs and well-being with improves
productivity, higher job satisfaction and great employee involvement. It ensures higher
level of satisfaction.
8. Management by Objectives: It is used as a motivation and technique for self-control of
performance. By this technique supervisor and subordinates set individual and
organizational goals. Each individual’s responsibilities are clearly defined which would help
identify the skill sets one has to make the best use of the same to meet organizational
mission and vision. This also helps the organization function effectively.
9. Behavior modification: The last technique of motivation is behavior modification. It
develops positive motivation to the workers to do the work in desired behavior in order to
modify behavior.