Unit-3

Introduction to Motivation:
The word motivation stems from the Latin word "movere" which means to
move. Your motivation level is what moves you to participate in an activity and
it affects your desire to continue the activity.
Motivation is important in acquisition & retaining of employees. The employees
are linked with the organizational objectives through the glue of motivational
tools. In addition to this, the creativity & performance of the employees are also
enhanced through the motivational factor.
Abraham Lincoln, until past forty, was a failure in almost all activities he
undertook. When asked about the change he said, My father taught me to work
but did not teach me to love my work. I hit that accidentally, when I was past
forty. This love or will to do (called motivation) depends on the strength of
peoples motives. Motives are the expressed needs and could be conscious or
subconscious. They are always directed towards goal
Motivating people to perform better and thus to achieve organizational
objectives has been the greatest challenge to managers. Why do some people
perform better than others? Why does the same person act differently at
different times? These and many other questions related to work performance
have been confronting managers continuously.
Motivating people to perform, higher than their normal physical and mental
capacities, and to keep them satisfied is a very complex function of
management.
Definition of Motivation:
1. Motivation is an inspirational process which impels the members of the team
to pull their weight effectively to give their loyalty to the group, to carry out the
tasks properly that they have accepted, and generally to play an effective part in
the job that the group has undertaken.
2. In the words of Michael Jucious, motivation is the act of stimulating
someone or oneself to get a desired course of action, to push the right button to
get a desired reaction.

Importance of Motivation:
Motivation is important in acquisition & retaining of employees. The employees
are linked with the organizational objectives through the glue of motivational
tools. In addition to this, the creativity & performance of the employees are also
enhanced through the motivational factor.
Following are the importance of motivation in an organization:
1. Greater efficiency:
Motivation enhances the efficiency of the employees and of organization. When
employees are motivated, they can perform with commitment and dedication.
2. Reduction in absenteeism and labour turnover:
Motivated employees may not remain absent or leave the organization. They
develop a sense of belonging towards the organization and thus improve their
overall performance.
3. Team spirit:
Motivation improves team spirit of employees, and this improves the work
environment and the overall performance of the employee and the organization.
4. Reduction in wastages and breakages:
Motivated employees take great care in handling machines and other resources.
This will reduce wastages and breakages, thus resulting in higher benefits to the
organization.
5. Cordial relations:
Motivation enables cordial and healthy relationship in the organization. Motivation helps reduce labour grievances and disputes. It ensures sound relations
between the management and the labour. It improves the overall efficiency of
the organization.
6. Promotion of innovation:

Motivated employees use their initiative to find out innovative ways in the
performance of their operations. Such employees are more creative and help the
organization to gain the competitive advantage.
7. Optimum use of resources:
Motivation leads to greater employee involvement and lesser wastages. This
leads to optimum utilization of resources.
8. Corporate image:
Motivated employees are more loyal to the organization. They work with a
sense of commitment and dedication. This improves the overall performance of
the employee, which enables better results for the company. This results in
better relations with all the stakeholders.
Characteristics/Features of Motivation:
1. Interaction between the individual and the situation:
Motivation is not a personal trait but an interaction between the individual and
the situation.
2. Goal-directed behaviour:
Motivation leads to an action that is goal oriented. Motivation leads to
accomplishment of organizational goals and satisfaction of personal needs.
3. Systems oriented:
Motivation is influenced by two forces:
a. Internal forces:
These forces are internal to the individual, i.e., their needs, wants and nature.
b. External forces:
These forces are external to the individual, which may be organizational related
such as management philosophy, organizational structure, and superior-

subordinate relationship, and also the forces found in the external environment
such as culture, customs, religion and values.
4. Positive or negative:
Positive motivation or the carrot approach offers positive incentives such as
appreciation, promotion, status and incentives. Negative motivation or stick
approach emphasizes penalties, fines and punishments.
5. Dynamic and complex in nature:
Human behaviour is highly complex, and it becomes extremely difficult to
understand people at work. Motivation is a dynamic and complex process.
Before talking about the process of motivation, it is important to know what is
motivation? The behavior of an individual is directed towards some goals by an
inner drive which is called motivation. In fact the human behavior is energized,
directed & sustained by the process of motivation. In the area of HRM the
motivation is defined as the desire of an employee to perform his job in an
excellent way or to exercise the full potential for performing the tasks assigned
to the employee. The main characteristic of motivation is that it guides the
human behavior towards objectives.
ProcessofMotivation:

The process of motivation starts with the need which may be the perception of
defici
ency in an individual. For example, an employee in the organization considers
the need for higher pay, more challenging work, for time off etc. These needs
influence the thought processes of employee that directs him to satisfy the needs
by adopting a particular pattern of action. In case the selected course of action
of an employee leads him towards expected results in the form of reward than

he will definitely be motivated by the similar reward to give the same

performance in the future. On the other hand, if the anticipated rewards are not
resulted by adopting a certain line of action, then the employee would not be
likely to repeat his behavior. So the rewards of certain action, act as a feedback
mechanism that supports the employee to evaluate the consequences when he is
considering his future action.
Fundamental Phases Process of Motivation
Following are the basic phases of the process of motivation.
1. Need Identification:
In the first phase of the process of motivation is the employee feels certain need
that is unsatisfied & hence he identifies that need. Then the unfulfilled need
stimulates the employee to search certain goal by creating tension in him. This
tension acts as driving force for the accomplishment of the set goals which can
satisfy the tension creating need.
2. Exploring Ways to Fulfill the Need:
In this phase of the process of motivation, different alternative ways are
explored that can satisfy the unsatisfied need that is identified in the first phase.
In fact the unsatisfied need stimulates the thought processes of the employee
that direct him to adopt a certain course of action.
3. Selecting Goals:
In the third phase of the process of motivation, the goals are selected on the
basis of identifying needs and alternative course of actions.
4. Performance of Employee:
In the fourth phase of Motivation Process, the identified need stimulates the
employees perform in a certain way that has already been considered by him. So
the employee performs certain course of action to the satisfaction of unsatisfied
need.
5. Rewards/Punishments as Consequences of Performance:
If the consequences of the particular course of action followed by an employee
are in the form of rewards, then the employee would be motivated to perform
the same level of efforts for acquisition of similar rewards in future. Whereas

when the anticipated results of the actions of an employee lack the rewards, then
he would not be willing to repeat his behavior in the future.
6. Reassessment of Deficiencies of Need:
When an employee feels satisfaction for his certain unsatisfied need through the
rewards of a certain line of action, then he again reassesses any further
unsatisfied need and resultantly the whole process is repeated again.
The Process of Motivation Motivational Process Theories:
The motivational theories answer the question that why one kind of job is
motivating & satisfactory for the employees as compared to any other job. The
managers must comprehend the motivational factors of the employees because
motivated employees perform quite well than non-motivated ones. Following
are the theories of motivation that are helpful to understand the motivation of
employees.
1. Maslows Need Hierarchy:
This theory of motivation is presented by the Abraham Maslow, who organized
the major human needs into five categories in a hierarchal manner. According to
Maslow, people tend to satisfy these organized needs in some specific order
which means that the lower level need is fulfilled first then the next upper level
need is considered. These organized needs are given below in an ascending
order.

Physiological (related to water , food & shelter)

Safety & Security ( related to protection against deprivation & theft)
Social (related to affection, belonging, friendship & love)

 Ego ( related to freedom, achievement, independence, recognition, status

& self-esteem)
Self-Actualization (related to the realization of the full potential about
ones self)

According to this theory, the lower level need is satisfied first before going
towards the satisfaction of higher level need. Furthermore, when a certain need
is satisfied then that need cannot be regarded as the powerful motivator. The
theory of Maslow is not much realistic & it has certain drawbacks, but there are
three main contributions that are provided through his theory. These
contributions are as follows.
01- The influential categories of needs are identified by the Maslow that can be
helpful for the managers in the organizations to utilize them as positive
reinforces.
02- Through this theory two normal levels of needs are identified which are
lower level needs and higher level needs and lower level needs are satisfied
first.
03- The importance of self-actualization 7 personal growth is presented to the
managers of the organizations by the theory of Maslow.
2. Existence Relatedness Growth Theory (ERG):
This theory is presented by Alderfer who point out three main needs of humans
which are as follow.
Existence
Relatedness
Growth
Existence needs have resemblance with the physiological needs & some
components of the security needs of Maslow theory. The relatedness needs are
the ones which are satisfied through personal interactions with others like self
esteem from others and prestige etc. Finally the growth needs are also same as
the needs of self-actualization & self esteem presented in the theory of Maslow.
3. McGregors Theory X & Theory Y:

This theory is presented by McGregor in which he explains two sub theories

which are Theory X & Theory Y. The theory X explains that the employees in
the organization are lazy & they are not interested in their jobs so they should be
stimulated to perform their duties. On the other hand the theory Y shows
opposite side, which is that the employees of the organization are creative,
mature &n complex ones that are interested to perform their jobs. The
McGregor explains that the employees of the organization show their talents &
ingenuity in their work when they are placed under the right circumstances.
Furthermore the employees of the organizations are provided with the freedom
to enhance their talents & therefore they have the choice of selecting the
methods for accomplishing their task which ultimately accomplish the goals of
the organization. This theory explains that the needs of the employees should be
aligned with the needs of the organization by the managers so that the
employees can show better performance by regulating their own actions. This
theory promotes further investigation in the area of motivation.
4. Expectancy Theory:
According to expectation theory, the employees motivate to exercise a specific
level of efforts on the basis of three things which are as follows.
Expectancy
Instrumentality
Valance
In other words expectancy is the function of above three things. Symbolically
Motivation=E x I x V. E is referred to the expectancy of an employee that
performance is resulted from his efforts. I is related to the relationship that is
perceived between the standard performance and the acquiring reward. V is
the value of the award that is perceived by the employee.
5. Reinforcement Theory:
The Law effect is formulated in 1911 by psychologist named Thorndike, which
states that the behavior that leads towards positive results will be repeated again
in the future. This law of behavior promotes the investigation on results of
positive consequences which can motivate the behavior and are referred to as
reinforces. In organizations the actions of the employees are attempted to be
motivated. Following are the four basic consequences that can either discourage
the behavior of employees or encourage it.
1. Positive Reinforcement:

In this situation a valued consequence is applied to enhance the probability that

the same behavior would be repeated in the future so that the similar
consequence appears. Following are some of the examples of positive
reinforces.
Letters of recommendation
Compliments
Pay raises
Favorable performance evaluations
Besides the above elements, the jobs should also be challenging, interesting &
enriched so that employees feel joy to perform the tasks.
1. Negative Reinforcement:
When an undesirable consequence is withheld or removed, negative
reinforcement is employed. Following are the examples of negative reinforces
that can be applied in the organizations.
An employee is taken off the probation on the basis of his improved
performance.
Threatening memos can make employees to accomplish their goals.
1. Punishment
When an aversive consequence is administered, punishment takes place.
Examples of punishment include the following.
Assigning of an unpleasant task
Shouting at an employee
Sending an employee back home without pay
There might be an involvement of threat of punishment in the negative
reinforcement when the employee performs well this threat vanishes. But in
punishment, the aversive consequences are actually delivered.
1. Extinction:

When a reinforcing consequence is failing to provide or it is withdrawn,

extinction takes place. This decreases the motivation of the person and
resultantly his certain behavior is eliminated or extinguished. Following are the
examples of extinction.
No compliment given on completing an effective task
No thanks is shown in favor by someone
Establishment of certain goals that is impossible to accomplish.
The good managers provide positive reinforcement to the employees that
perform well in the organization and negative reinforcement to those ones who
do not perform well. And even punishment & extinction are also given to the
poor performing employees that show wrong behavior.
6. Herzbergs Two Factor Approach:
In this theory the same needs of the Maslow are organized into two categories
that are higher level needs and lower level needs. But the employee is more
motivated when he is provided with the opportunity to fulfill his higher level
need which is self-actualization & ego. According to Herzberg, the lower level
needs are quite different motivator than higher level needs and it creates a bad
effect when lower level needs are used as a motivational tool for the employees
because the needs in the lower level are satisfied quickly.
Hygiene factors include:
Company policies
Working conditions
Salary
Status
Security

Satisfiers include:
Achievement
The work itself
Responsibility
Recognition
Advancement

 Personal growth

7. McClelland theory:
McClelland is also agreed with the Herzberg on the point that the higher level
needs are more significant in the working environment. According to him the
needs for power, affiliation & achievement are much more significant. He used
a test called Thematic Appreciation Test to point out the needs for power,
affiliation & achievement on an individual. The individuals that have higher
achievement need is more motivated to perform challenging tasks & goals and
prefer less to accomplish tasks that have lower chances of success. Also the
simple and easy tasks are not taken by these individuals. The individuals who
have higher needs of power love to take the jobs related to persuasion. While
those persons who possess a high need for affiliation is motivated by
development of warm & strong relationships.