Understanding Organizational Behaviour

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Motivation
CHAPTER

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Learning Objectives
In this chapter, you will understand:

What is motivation process?

Maslows need hierarchy theory.
The difference between Maslows and
McClellands theories.
How motivators are different from hygiene
factors.
The application of goal setting to system
performance.

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Learning Objectives
(cont.)
In this chapter, you will understand:
The key relationships in expectancy theory and
its practical implications for motivating
employees.
The role of perceived inequity in employee
motivation.
How the contemporary theories of motivation
complement each other.
Issues to be addressed in implementing a
motivational program.
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Learning Objectives
(cont.)
In this chapter, you will understand :
The background of job design as an applied
area of work motivation.
The job characteristics model of job design.
Financial rewards as motivators.

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6.1

What is Motivation?

Motivation is defined as forces within an

individual that influence the direction, intensity
and persistence of the individuals voluntary
behaviour.
Motivation affects a persons decision-making
process, which is internal in nature.

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6.2

Early Theories of Work

Motivation

Maslows Needs Hierarchy Theory

Herzbergs Two-Factor Theory
Alderfers ERG Theory
McClellands Need Theory

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6.2.1 Maslows Needs Hierarchy

Theory
Maslows hierarchy of
needs offer a pyramid of
lower-order needs such as
psychological, safety and
social needs and higherorder needs, namely,
esteem and selfactualisation.
Maslow postulated that
needs are only motivators
if they are unsatisfied.
Understanding Organizational Behaviour
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Physiological needs: The lowest and most

basic needs, primary needs, e.g. need of
hunger, sleep, cover from weather and thirst.
Safety needs: Emotional as well as physical
safety in this next level of needs.
Social/ Belonging needs: Affection and
affiliation needs. An example of this need will
be social acceptance.
Esteem needs: This level represents the
higher needs of humans, e.g. need for power,
need for achievement and status. This need
correspond to self-esteem as well as esteem
from others.
Self-actualization: The highest human needs.
Those who are self-actualized are self-fulfilled
and are aware of their potential.
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6.2.2

Herzbergs Two-Factor
Theory

Herzbergs two-factor theory identifies

hygiene factors as source of job dissatisfaction
and motivation factors as the source of
satisfaction on job.
Motivators: Job satisfiers related to the job content.
Hygiene factors: Job dissatisfiers related to the job
context or factors that are preventive to individuals
dissatisfaction.
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6.2.3

Alderfers ERG Theory

Identifies three groups of needs: existence,

relatedness and growth needs to affect
motivation.

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6.2.4

McClellands Need
Theory

Need for achievement (nAch) is the desire to

do better, solve problems or master complex
tasks.
Need for power (nPower) is the desire to
control others and influence their behaviour.
Need for affiliation (nAff) is the desire for
friendly and warm relations with others.

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6.3

Alternative Theories of
Work Motivation

Alternative theories termed as process motivation

theories understand how and why people are
motivated.
Vrooms expectancy theory.
Equity theory of motivation.
Goal setting theory.

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6.3.1

Vrooms Expectancy
Theory

Vrooms expectancy theory states that the

work motivation is dependent on individuals
beliefs regarding effort/performance
relationships and work outcomes.
Expectancies represents an individuals
belief that a particular degree of effort will
be followed by a particular level of
performance.
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6.3.1

Vrooms Expectancy
Theory (cont.)

Instrumentality refers to an individuals

belief that a particular outcome is contingent
on accomplishing a specific level of
performance.
Valence is the value to an individual
attached to various outcomes.

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6.3.2

Equity Theory of
Motivation

Equity theory postulates that people will act to

eliminate any felt inequity in the rewards received
for their work in comparison with others.
In such cases, an individual will take the following
actions to establish a sense of equity:

Change work output.

Change the outcomes received (e.g., more money).
Quit from the work.
Make others to create more balanced comparison.

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6.3.3

Goal Setting Theory

Goal setting theory is the process of setting

goals with feedback for motivation and higher
performance.
Goal setting model and further researches
summarize it in the following ways:
Difficult goals are more likely to lead to higher
performance.
Specific goals may lead to higher performance.
Feedback facilitates higher performance.
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6.3.3

Goal Setting Theory

(cont.)

Abilities to perform and feeling of self-efficacy leads to

higher performance.
Goal commitment and acceptance is required for
higher performance.

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SMART Goals
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Result oriented
Time bound

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6.4

Limitations of Motivation
Theories

Human behaviours result from multiple

sources.
Managers should not assume that everything
means the same to everyone.
Work is not necessarily ones life focus.

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6.5

Challenges in Motivating
Organizations

6.5.1 Motivating Performance Through Diversity

6.5.2 Motivating Performance Through Different
Employment Patterns

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6.6

Job Design

Job design refers to any set of activities that

alters specific jobs so as to increase the job
responsibilities, job activities or to change how
the job is to be executed.
Job rotation: It refers to moving employees
from one job to another to add variety and
reduce boredom by allowing them to perform
different tasks.
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6.6

Job Design (cont.)

Job enlargement: It refers to expansion of the

number of different tasks performed by an
employee in a single job. This process adds to
the variety of jobs and makes it more interesting
and challenging.
Job enrichment: It means adding few more
motivators to a job to make it challenging and
rewarding.
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6.7

The Job Characteristics

Model

Skill variety: The extent to which a job

incorporates a number of different activities and
skills.
Task identity: The extent to which the job
incorporates the performance of a whole or
completely identifiable piece of work. Task
identity is high when a person works on a
product from beginning to the end and able to
see the finished product.
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6.7

The Job Characteristics

Model (cont.)

Task significance: The extent that the job

affects the lives of other people.
Autonomy: The extent that the job allows an
individual to experience freedom, independence
in executing a job or making decisions.
Feedback: The extent that the job provides
response about on-the-job performance or the
effectiveness of their work.
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6.8

Financial Rewards as
Motivators

1. Membership and seniority-based rewards

2. Job status-based rewards
3. Competency-based rewards
4. Performance-based rewards

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Review Questions
1. Why should a manager be well versed in the various
motivation theories?
2. How could a managers attempt to treat his or her
employees equally lead to perception of inequity?
Explain.
3. Someone in your discussion group has a low
expectancy for successful performance, what could
you do to increase this person expectancy?
4. How could a professor use equity, expectancy and
goal setting theory to motivate students performance?
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