Human Behavior in Organization

Theories of Motivation

Noel J. Maquiling, MICB, RCA, MBA CAR, CFMP

Facilitator
Overview

At a simple level, it seems obvious that people do things,

such as go to work, in order to get stuff they want and to
avoid stuff they don't want.
Basic Perspective of Motivation:

REWARDS

NEEDS BEHAVIOR SATISFACTION

Classifying Needs: 1 Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Need Home Job

Self Actualization Education, religion, Training, advancement,
hobbies, personal growth, creativity
growth
Esteem Approval of family, Recognition, high status,
friends, community responsibilities
Belongingness Family, friends, clubs Teams, departments, co-
workers, clients,
supervisors,
subordinates
Safety Freedom from war, Work safety, job
poison, violence security, health
insurance
Physiological Food, water, sex Heat, air, base salary
Classifying Needs: 1 Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Do all physiological needs including sex have to be

satisfied before higher needs?
Classifying Needs: 2 Alderfer’s ERG Theory

Self-development
Basic Material Interpersonal
and Personal
Needs Relationship
Growth

Existence Relatedness Growth

Needs Needs Needs

Satisfaction Progression

Regression Frustration
Classifying Needs: 3 McClellands Acquired Needs Theory

Some needs are acquired as a result of life experiences. This theory

states that human behavior is affected by three needs - Need for
Power, Achievement and Affiliation.
 Need for achievement. The urge to excel, to accomplish in relation to a
set of standards, to struggle to achieve success.
 Need for power. The desire to have control over others and to be
influential.
 Need for affiliations. A need for open and sociable interpersonal
relationships. In other words, it is a desire for relationship based on co-
operation and mutual understanding.
Classifying Needs:
Achievement
 Highly motivated by competing
and challenging work.
 They look for promotional
opportunities in job.
 They have a strong urge for
feedback on their achievement
 Such individuals try to get
satisfaction in performing
things better.
 They assume responsibility for
solving the problems at work.
 McClelland called such
individuals as gamblers as they
set challenging targets for
themselves and they take
deliberate risk to achieve those
set targets.
 Such individuals look for
innovative ways of performing
job.
 They perceive achievement of
goals as a reward, and value it
more than a financial reward.
3 McClellands Acquired Needs Theory
Power Affiliations
 Have a strong urge to be  Have an urge for a friendly
influential and and supportive
controlling. environment.
 They want that their  Effective performers in a
views and ideas should team.
dominate and thus, they  These people want to be
want to lead liked by others.
 Such individuals are  The manager’s ability to
motivated by the need make decisions is hampered
for reputation and self- if they have a high affiliation
esteem. need as they prefer to be
 Individuals with greater accepted and liked by
power and authority will others, and this weakens
perform better than their objectivity.
those possessing less  Prefer working in an
power. Generally, environment providing
managers with high greater personal interaction.
need for power turn out  Such people have a need to
to be more efficient and be on the good books of all.
successful managers.  They generally cannot be
 They are more good leaders.
determined and loyal to
the organization they
work for.
Classifying Needs: 4 Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory

According to Herzberg, there are some job factors that result in satisfaction
while there are other job factors that prevent dissatisfaction. According to
Herzberg, the opposite of Satisfaction is No satisfaction and the opposite of
Dissatisfaction is No Dissatisfaction.

 Motivator Factors – Factors that directly motivate people to work harder

i.e. giving responsibility, recognition for good work, opportunities for
promotion
 Hygiene (Maintenance) Factors – Factors that can de-motivate if not
present but do not actually motivate employees to work harder i.e. pay,
working conditions, job security
Classifying Needs: 4 Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory
Classifying Needs: 5 McGregor’s Theory of X and Y

This theory suggests two aspects of human behavior at work, or in other

words, two different views of individuals (employees): one of which is
negative, called as Theory X and the other is positive, so called as Theory
Y.
Classifying Needs:
According to McGregor, the perception of managers on the nature of individuals is based
on various assumptions.
Assumption X
 An average employee intrinsically
does not like work and tries to
escape it whenever possible.
 Since the employee does not want
to work, he must be persuaded,
compelled, or warned with
punishment so as to achieve
organizational goals. A close
supervision is required on part of
managers. The managers adopt a
more dictatorial style.
 Many employees rank job security
on top, and they have little or no
aspiration/ ambition.
 Employees generally dislike
responsibilities.
 Employees resist change.
 An average employee needs
formal direction.
5 McGregor’s Theory of X and Y
Assumption Y
 Employees can perceive their job as relaxing and
normal. They exercise their physical and mental efforts
in an inherent manner in their jobs.
 Employees may not require only threat, external
control and coercion to work, but they can use self-
direction and self-control if they are dedicated and
sincere to achieve the organizational objectives.
 If the job is rewarding and satisfying, then it will result
in employees’ loyalty and commitment to organization.
 An average employee can learn to admit and
recognize the responsibility. In fact, he can even learn
to obtain responsibility.
 The employees have skills and capabilities. Their
logical capabilities should be fully utilized. In other
words, the creativity, resourcefulness and innovative
potentiality of the employees can be utilized to solve
organizational problems.
Classifying Needs: 5 McGregor’s Theory of X and Y

Implications:

 Theory X presents a pessimistic view of employees’ nature and behavior at

work, while Theory Y presents an optimistic view of the employees’ nature
and behavior at work.
 Theory X encourages use of tight control and supervision. It implies that
employees are reluctant to organizational changes. Thus, it does not
encourage innovation.
 Theory Y implies that the managers should create and encourage a work
environment which provides opportunities to employees to take initiative
and self-direction.
Classifying Needs: 6 Locke’s Goal Setting Theory

This theory states that goal setting is essentially linked to task performance. It
states that specific and challenging goals along with appropriate feedback
contribute to higher and better task performance.

Direction
Task
Goals Performance
Efforts
Classifying Needs: 6 Locke’s Goal Setting Theory

The important features of goal-setting theory:

 The willingness to work towards attainment of goal is main source of job

motivation.
 Specific and clear goals lead to greater output and better performance.
 Goals should be realistic and challenging. The more challenging the goal,
the greater is the reward generally and the more is the passion for
achieving it.
 Better and appropriate feedback of results directs the employee behavior
and contributes to higher performance than absence of feedback.
 Employees’ participation in goal is not always desirable.
Classifying Needs: 6 Locke’s Goal Setting Theory

Eventualities of Goal Setting Theory:

 Self-efficiency. The individual’s self-confidence and faith that he has

potential of performing the task..
 Goal commitment. Goal setting theory assumes that the individual is
committed to the goal and will not leave the goal. The goal commitment is
dependent on the following factors:
 Goals are made open, known and broadcasted.
 Goals should be set-self by individual rather than designated.
 Individual’s set goals should be consistent with the organizational goals
and vision.
Classifying Needs: 7 Skinner’s Reinforcement Theory

It states that individual’s behavior is a function of its consequences. It is

based on law of effect i.e. individual’s behavior with positive consequences
tends to be repeated, but individual’s behavior with negative consequences
tends not to be repeated.

This theory focuses totally on what happens to an individual when he takes

some action. Thus, according to Skinner, the external environment of the
organization must be designed effectively and positively so as to motivate the
employee.
Classifying Needs: 7 Skinner’s Reinforcement Theory

The managers use the following methods for controlling the

behavior of the employees:
 Positive Reinforcement. This implies giving a positive response when an
individual shows positive and required behavior i.e. Immediately praising an
employee for coming early for job. This will increase probability of outstanding
behavior occurring again; reward.
 Negative Reinforcement. This implies rewarding an employee by removing
negative / undesirable consequences.
 Punishment. It implies removing positive consequences so as to lower the
probability of repeating undesirable behavior in future i.e. Suspending an employee
for breaking the organizational rules.
 Extinction. It implies absence of reinforcements. In other words, extinction implies
lowering the probability of undesired behavior by removing reward for that kind of
behavior i.e. if an employee no longer receives praise and admiration for his good
work, he may feel that his behavior is generating no fruitful consequence.
Classifying Needs: 8 Adam & Associates’ Equity Theory

As per this motivation theory, an individual’s motivation level is correlated to

his perception of equity, fairness and justice practiced by the management.
Higher is individual’s perception of fairness, greater is the motivation level and
vice versa.

While evaluating fairness, employee compares the job input (in terms of
contribution) to outcome (in terms of compensation) and also compares the
same with that of another peer of equal cadre/category.

Ratio Comparison Perception

O/I a < O/I b Under-rewarded (Equity Tension)
O/I a = O/I b Equity
O/I a > O/I b Over-rewarded (Equity Tension)
Classifying Needs:
Referents
The four comparisons an
employee can make:
 Self-inside. An employee’s
experience in a different
position inside his present
organization.
 Self-outside. An employee’s
experience in a situation
outside the present
organization.
 Other-inside. Another
employee or group of
employees inside the
employee’s present
organization.
 Other-outside. Another
employee or employees
outside the employee’s
present organization.
8 Adam & Associates’ Equity Theory
Moderating Variables Choices
 The gender, salary, The employees who perceive
education and the inequity and are under negative
experience level are tension can make the following
moderating variables. choices:
Individuals with
greater and higher  Change in input i.e. don’t
education are more overexert
informed. Thus, they  Change their outcome i.e.
are likely to compare produce quantity output and
themselves with the increasing earning by sacrificing
outsiders. quality when piece rate incentive
system exist)
 Choose a different referent
 Quit the job
 Change self perception i.e. I
know that I’ve performed better
and harder than everyone else.)
 Change perception of others i.e.
Juan’s job is not as desirable as I
earlier thought it was.
Classifying Needs: 9 Vroom’s Expectancy Theory

Vroom stresses and focuses on outcomes, and not on needs unlike Maslow
and Herzberg.

The theory states that the intensity of a tendency to perform in a particular

manner is dependent on the intensity of an expectation that the performance
will be followed by a definite outcome and on the appeal of the outcome to
the individual.
Classifying Needs:
Valence
(Outcome how much an
Individual wants a reward)
 The significance associated
by an individual about the
expected outcome.
 It is an expected and not
the actual satisfaction that
an employee expects to
receive after achieving the
goals.
9 Vroom’s Expectancy Theory
Expectancy
(Likelihood that the effort
wiil lead to expected
performance Performance)
 The faith that better efforts
will result in better
performance.
 Influenced by factors such
as possession of
appropriate skills for
performing the job,
availability of right
resources, availability of
crucial information and
getting the required
support for completing the
job
Instrumentality
(Belief that the performance
will lead to reward)
 The faith that if you perform
well, then a valid outcome
will be there.
 Affected by factors such as
believe in the people who
decide who receives what
outcome, the simplicity of
the process deciding who
gets what outcome, and
clarity of relationship
between performance and
outcomes.
Classifying Needs: 9 Vroom’s Expectancy Theory

The expectancy theory concentrates on the following three

relationships:

 Effort-performance relationship: What is the likelihood that the

individual’s effort be recognized in his performance appraisal?
 Performance-reward relationship: It talks about the extent to which
the employee believes that getting a good performance appraisal leads to
organizational rewards.
 Rewards-personal goals relationship: It is all about the attractiveness
or appeal of the potential reward to the individual.
Classifying Needs: 9 Vroom’s Expectancy Theory

Implications of the Expectancy Theory:

 The managers can correlate the preferred outcomes to the aimed

performance levels.
 The managers must ensure that the employees can achieve the aimed
performance levels.
 The deserving employees must be rewarded for their exceptional
performance.
 The reward system must be fair and just in an organization.
 Organizations must design interesting, dynamic and challenging jobs.
 The employee’s motivation level should be continually assessed through
various techniques such as questionnaire, personal interviews, etc.
Thank You . . .
Quiz Test II: True or False

1. Motivation will help in self-development of

individual
2. Motivation will lead to an optimistic and
challenging attitude at work place
3. One importance of motivation is to put
human resource into action
4. Job security is one of safety needs
5. It is through motivation that the human
resources can be utilized by making full use
of it
6. Morale is an individual concept while
motivation is a group concept
7. Things tied to morale are tied to the
performance of the individual
8. It is the employer who should work to make
work fun for each other in the organization
9. Motivation cause behavior-directed goal
10. One of the most important functions of
management is to create willingness
amongst the employees to fulfill their own
desires.