Organizational Behavior

Assignment
Motivation

Submitted By: Dhurba Raj Pandey Submitted To: Dr. Sapna Rijal
Organizational Behavior Assignment

1. Analyze the application of Maslow’s and Herzberg’s theories for Nepal, where the
number of management graduates is higher and employment opportunities are fewer.

Answer

The application of Maslow’s theory of motivation in the context of Nepal, where the
number of management graduates is higher and employment opportunities are fewer can
be explained as follows:

It is not universally applicable to all individuals. Each individual may have their own
needs. For instance, some people may attain self-actualization need but some may not able
to attain basic physiological need also.

 Physiological need: People who do not have job might first think about the basic
needs like food, water, shelter, sex, rest etc. In Nepal, due to unemployment, many
people are not gratified with physiological need.
 Safety need: People whose physiological needs are fulfilled, safety and security
become predominant. Most of people in Nepal do saving which arises out of concern
for the fulfillment of physiological needs in future. An individual seeks economic or
social protection against future threats and dangers that he is exposed to.
 Social need: These needs include the need for love, affection, belongingness,
friendship and social interaction. Many people in Nepal, who are able to fulfill
safety needs, tend to spend their money in entertainment and relaxation with their
families and friends.
 Self-esteem need: Once an individual achieves his social need, he thrives for self-
respect, autonomy, status, recognition and attention. In Nepal, many people who
work at higher positions tend to get the attention of others by show-off.
 Self-actualization need: Basically there are very few people in Nepal who are
motivated by self-actualization need. It is the highest level in Maslow’s theory of
motivation where an individual drives to become what s/he is capable of becoming;
includes growth, creative, independent and self-fulfillment.

Hence, most of the management graduates in Nepal are looking for physiological and safety
needs rather than self-actualization need due to fewer employment opportunities.

Shreejay Shrestha
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Organizational Behavior Assignment

The application of Herzberg’s theory of motivation in the context of Nepal, where the
number of management graduates is higher and employment opportunities are fewer can
be explained as follows:

There are some hygiene factors that provide no motivation to the employees, but the
absence of these factors serves as dissatisfiers. Motivational factors provide motivation to
the employees and serves as satisfiers. Since, the number of management graduates is
higher and employment opportunities are fewer, the hygiene factors and motivational
factors can be as follows:

Some of the Hygiene and Motivational factors that is present in Nepal:

Hygiene Factors Motivational Factors

1. Company policy 1. Recognition
2. Technical supervision 2. Advancement
3. Inter-personal relations with supervisor 3. Responsibility
4. Inter-personal relations with peers 4. Personal growth opportunities
5. Job security 5. Achievement
6. Personal life
7. Working conditions
8. Status
9. Salary

Hence, in Nepal due to fewer job opportunities, management graduates faces above
mentioned hygiene factors and motivational factors

Shreejay Shrestha
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Organizational Behavior Assignment

2. Suppose an executive make three statements: “Entrepreneurs are driven by

achievement motivation”, “Managers in big firms need to be power motivated”, and
“Affiliation- motivated people make lousy managers”. Explain the undying validity of
the three observations.

Answer

The statements made by an executive mainly highlight the McClelland’s theory of needs
and the undying validity of the three observations can be explained by the following three
needs.

 Need for achievement - Some people have a compelling drive to succeed and they
strive for personal achievement rather than rewards of success. Entrepreneurs
differentiate themselves from others by their desire to do things better. They
seek situations where they can attain personal responsibility for finding solution
to problems, where they can receive rapid feedback on their performance so
they can set moderately challenging goals. Hence, entrepreneurs prefer the
challenge of working at a problem and accepting the personal responsibility for
success or failure, rather than leaving the outcome to chance or the actions of
others.

 Need for power – The need for power is a drive to have impact, to be influential
and to control others. Managers in big firms enjoy being “in charge”, strive for
influence over others, prefer to be placed into competitive and status oriented
situations, and tend to be more concerned with gaining influence over others
than with effective performance. Power motivated managers wish to create an
impact on their organizations and are willing to take risks to do so.

 Need for affiliation – The need for affiliation can be viewed as the desire to be
liked and accepted by others. It is the drive to relate to people on a social basis.
Affiliation-motivated people make lousy managers as they strive for friendship,
prefer cooperative situations rather than competitive ones, and desire
relationship involving a high degree of mutual understanding.

Shreejay Shrestha
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Organizational Behavior Assignment

3. Identify three activities you really enjoy and three activities you really dislike. Using the
expectancy model, analyze each of your answers to assess why some activities stimulate
your effort while others do not.

Answer

Three activities that I really enjoy are:

 Learn and explore new things.
 Do same activities in different manner than from others.
 Giving witty remarks.
Three activities that I dislike are:
 Gossiping
 Travelling
 Waiting for something or someone.
According to expectancy model, individuals have different sets of goals and can be
motivated if they have certain expectations. It argues that the strength of our tendency to
act a certain way depends on the strength of our expectation of a given out-come and its
attractiveness. High level of effort will lead to good performance appraisal; performance
appraisal will lead to rewards and rewards will lead to personal goals.
Similarly, while assessing the three activities that I really enjoy, giving witty remarks does
not stimulate my effort but other two activities stimulate my effort that can lead to
performance appraisal. By doing those two activities in an attractive way can lead to
rewards in future. Ultimately, those rewards can fulfill individual’s personal goals or
needs. But the three activities that I really dislike do not stimulate my efforts that can lead
to performance appraisal. In sum, there are some activities that stimulate our efforts and
there are some activities that do not stimulate our efforts.

Shreejay Shrestha
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Organizational Behavior Assignment

4. Which is likely to be a more serious problem – perceptions of being under-rewarded or

perceptions of being over-rewarded?

Answer

According to Equity theory, individuals compare their job inputs and outcomes with those
of others and then respond to eliminate any inequities. Based on equity theory, both
perceptions of being under-rewarded and perceptions of being over-rewarded create
problem within an organization. But, a perception of being under-rewarded is likely to be a
more serious problem.

Generally, employees compare what they get from their job (their “outcomes,” such as pay,
promotions, recognition, or having the corner office) to what they put into it (their
“inputs,” such as effort, experience and education). They take the ratio of their outcomes to
their inputs and compare it to the ratio of others, usually someone similar like a co-worker
or someone doing the same job. Employees who perceive inequity will certainly change
their mindset towards their job.

An employee having perceptions of being under-rewarded may exert less effort if s/he is
underpaid. If s/he is working on piece rate basis, s/he may focus on higher quantity of
output with low quality. S/He may develop negative attitude towards her/his job. S/He may
quit the job. These things may hamper the organization’s productivity and working
environment. But, an employee having perceptions of being over-rewarded may generate
feeling that s/he deserves what s/he gets. S/He may feel that s/he works harder than
everyone else and s/he is worth of overpayment. But, these things might not hamper the
organization’s productivity and working environment.

Hence, from an organization’s perspective, a perception of being under-rewarded is likely

to be more serious problem.

Shreejay Shrestha
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Organizational Behavior Assignment

5. Pradeep argues, “For every worker, there is one best motivational application to drive
performance.” Seema responds “Nonsense – there is no single best way to motivate
anyone.” Who is correct? Explain.

Answer

The fact that motivational theories have flourished for decades means that people are
motivated by various ways. In the given question, I think Seema is correct because each
individual may have their own needs. For some worker money or salary may be more
important but for some job satisfaction or working environment may be more important.
Also, same individuals might have different needs or motivations during different time
periods. There is no way that every worker is motivated by same factors. If that is the case,
then all workers shall be motivated towards their job and there is no need of any
motivational theory.

At the moment there are increasing reasons to feel exhausted, unmotivated, and eventually
burned out due to competition, political instability, work life balance and so on. Motivation
is decreased by stress and pressure, by economic insecurity, by overwork, and so on. So
what’s the best way to remain motivated differ from person to person. An individual may
be motivated by recognition, status, job satisfaction, working environment, creative works,
salary, job security, and so on. Job performance of an individual depends on many factors.
Same factors may or may not motivated individuals to perform their job effectively and
efficiently.

Hence, it is wrong to think that there is one best motivational application to drive
performance for every worker as it differs from person to person.

Shreejay Shrestha
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Organizational Behavior Assignment

Shreejay Shrestha
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