Motivating People
M.P.S.Ishari
M.Sc in Management (USJP), BBM (Hons) Spl. in Accountancy
& Finance (UOJ), MAATSL
Assistant Lecturer in Accountancy
Head/Department of Project Management
Advanced Technological Institute (SLIATE)
Kegalle, Sri Lanka
Motivation: as a
Management Function
Contents
Define Motivation.
Important in management.
Evolution of the concept of motivation
Process of motivation.
Theories of motivation.
Implications of theories of motivation
Motivation
Motivation
Essence of Life/ work
life
Motivation
is an important function of a Leader.
is one of the most important factors
determining organizational success.
All organizational facilities will go waste in the lack of
motivated people to utilize these facilities effectively.
Every manager in the organization
must motivate his/her subordinates
for the right types of behavior.
Challenges of Motivation
How to motivate employees to achieve the
goals of the organization
How to satisfy the needs of employees
How to identify the hidden human
capabilities of employees in the organization
De-motivation
Signs or Symptoms?
1. Show lethargy and frustration
2. Unwillingness to accept responsibility
3. Lack of co-operation
4. Passiveness
5. Work to rule or working carelessly
6. Blaming the boss and the present way of . .
management
7. Late attendance, un-notified absenteeism, . . . .
increased idleness, persistent Labour TO
8. Purposeful resistance to change
9. Increased grievances and complaints
Motivation
?
Generic and Work
Definitions
Definitions of Motivation
• “Motivation means a process of stimulating people
to action to accomplish desired goals”.
(Scott Cited in Griffin, 2010)
• McFarland has defined “Motivation refers to the
way in which urges, drives, desires, aspirations,
strivings, needs, direct control or explain the
behavior of human beings”.
(McFarland Cited in Griffin, 2010)
Motivation
Is it a Psychological
Process?
Motivation
Motivation is a leadership function
which influence the psychology of the
worker/s to generate positive attitudes
and willingness towards work.
It creates a psychological influence to
drive a person to behave positively.
Unsatisfied needs Tension Drives
Reduction of Satisfied need Search behaviour
tension
Process of Motivation
Conditions of Motivation
Rewards / Stimuli / Carrots
• Stimuli represent financial and non-financial rewards
• Stimuli should always be positive
• Stimuli should be relevant for the expectations
• Stimuli should be attractive
• The probability of receiving the rewards should be high
Historical Evolution of the concept of motivation
Classical Management - Worker is a Machine/Slave
Punishments Performance
Scientific Management - Worker is an economic/rational animal
Economic Rewards Performance
Human Relations Management - Worker is a human being
More extrinsic & less intrinsic Performance
Human Resource Management - Worker is a resource/asset
More intrinsic & less extrinsic Performance
Modern Human Resource Management - Worker is a partner
Extrinsic/Intrinsic/Humanistic Performance
Motivational Program
What factors should be
considered
?
Steps in Designing a Mot. Program
Find out the present degree of motivation
Carry-out a need analysis
Design an incentive or motivational package
Provide the required working environment
Carry-out a cost-benefit analysis
Communicate and implement
Review & evaluate the outcomes & performs
Improve and maintain the motivation Scheme
Theories of Motivation
• Content Theories
• Process Theories
What are Content Theories (Need
Theories)
Focus on the needs that motivate
behaviour
Answer what motivate a person
Consider only the need aspect of the
motivation process
What are Process Theories
(Composite Theories)
Focus on process that motivate
behaviour
Answer why a person gets motivated
Consider many internal and external
conditions of motivation
Theories of Motivation
Content Theories
1. Abraham Maslow’s Hierachy of needs theory
2. Fedric Herztberg’s Two factor theory
3. ERG theory
4. David McClelland’s Three forces theory
5. Douglas McGregor’s Theory X & Theory Y
Process Theories
1. Expectancy theory
2. Equity theory
3. Goal Setting theory
4. Reinforcement theory
Content Theories
Abraham Maslow’s
Hierarchy of Needs
5 needs which are in a hierarchy are
identified. When the lowest level need is
fulfilled, the next higher level need
emerges. Then individual moves up one
step of the hierarchy.
Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Needs Hierarchy
Theory
Self- • Maslow arranged five needs in a
Actualization hierarchy
Esteem • Satisfaction-progression process
• When the lowest level need is
Belongingness fulfilled, the next higher level need
emerges
Safety
• People who experience self-
Physiological actualization desire more rather
than less of this need
Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of
Needs Theory
Opportunities for satisfaction in Maslow’s hierarchy of
human needs.
Implications of Abraham
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Theory
?
Importance
Easy to understand, more logical and widely recognized
particularly among practicing managers.
When motivate some one, managers need to understand
what level of the hierarchy that person is currently on and
focus on satisfying those needs at or above the level.
Criticisms
Hierarchy is not accepted / as it is challenged. Need
hierarchy is not common to everybody. Ex. For some
people esteem need may be more important than
physiological needs and so on.
The finding of substantially fulfill need would not be
motivate a motivator is subject to criticism. Because
for some individuals, the more they satisfy and the
more they are desires of it. E.x. money, status.
Herzberg’s Two-Factor
Theory
Herzberg’s two-factor theory
Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory
Implications?
Introducing two sets of factors: Hygiene and
motivation
It is more directly applicable to work place.
It is more applicable to motivate higher level of
emplyees.
Cannot apply to every one.
Is money a hygiene or motivating factor?
ERG Theory (Clayton Alderfer)
Three categories of needs
Existence of needs -The needs for physical well-
being.
Relatedness Needs – The needs for satisfactory
relationship with others.
Growth Needs – The needs that focus on the
development of human potential and the desire for
personal growth and increased competence
Individual Human Needs Theory
(Three Needs Theory)
Need for achievement
The desire to accomplish a goal or task more effectively than in the
past.
Need for affiliation
The desire for human companionship and acceptance.
Need for power
The desire to be influential in a group and to control one’s
environment.
(Griffin, 2010)
Content Theories of Motivation
Needs Hierarchy ERG Motivator--Hygiene McClelland’s
Theory Theory Theory Learned Needs
Self- Need for
Actualization Achievement
Growth Motivators
Need for
Esteem
Power
Need for
Social Relatedness
Affiliation
Safety Hygienes
Existence
Physiological
Theory X and Theory Y (Douglas McGregor)
Little Ambition
Theory X Dislike Work
Workers
Avoid Responsibility
using lower order needs or hygiene factors
Self-Directed
Theory Y
Enjoy Work
Workers
Accept Responsibility
using higher order needs or motivational factors
Questions for summarizing the content
theories of motivation:
How many different individual needs are there?
Can a work outcome or reward satisfy more than
one need?
Is there a hierarchy of needs?
How important are the various needs?
Process Theories
Process Theories
Equity theory
Expectancy theory
Reinforcement theory
Goal Setting theory
Equity theory (J. Stacy Adams)
Equity theory focuses on individuals’ perceptions how
fairly they are treated compared with others.
Further, this theory proposes that people are motivated
to seek social equity in the rewards they receive for
similar contributions.
Equity theory and the role of social
comparison.
Equity Theory
Perceived Employee’s
Ratio Comparisona Assessment
Outcomes A < Outcomes B Inequity (Under-Rewarded)
Inputs A Inputs B
Outcomes A = Outcomes B Equity
Inputs A Inputs B
Outcomes A > Outcomes B Inequity (Over-Rewarded)
Inputs A Inputs B
aPerson A is the employee, and person B is a relevant other or referent.
Equity Theory (cont’d)
Choices for dealing with inequity:
1. Change inputs (work effort)
2. Change outcomes (increase output)
3. Change perceptions
4. Leave the job
Expectancy theory
Developed by Victor Vroom.
The theory suggest that motivation will be high when
workers believe that high levels of effort lead to high
performance and high performance leads to the attainment
of desired outcome.
Key expectancy theory variables:
Expectancy — belief that working hard will result in
desired level of performance.
Instrumentality — belief that successful performance
will be followed by rewards.
Valence — value a person assigns to rewards and other
work related outcomes.
Elements in the expectancy theory of
motivation.
Managerial implications of
expectancy theory
Goal-Setting Theory (Edwin Locke)
Goal Setting theory proposes that managers can
increase motivation and enhance performance by
setting specific, challenging goals
helping people track their progress toward goal
achievement
providing timely feedback
Key issues and principles in the goal-setting
process
Reinforcement Perspective on Motivation
By B. F. Skinner
This theory looks at the relationship between
behavior and its consequences.
It focuses on changing or modifying employees on
the job behavior through the appropriate use of
immediate rewards and punishments.
Reinforcement Theory
Reinforcement Tools are:
Positive reinforcement
Negative reinforcement(avoidance learning)
Punishment
Extinction
Content vs. Process Motivation Theories
Content theories
explain why people have different needs at different times.
Implications of Content Theories:
1. Match rewards with employee needs
2. Offer employees a choice of rewards
3. people have different needs at different times
4. Limit use of financial rewards as a source of motivation
Process theories
describe the processes through which needs are translated into
behavior
Self-Motivation
• Self-fulfilment and satisfaction
• Difficult goals lead to higher performance
• Motivation to act depends on the
attractiveness of the outcome
Thank You!
