Motivation at Workplace; A Psychological Approach
Motivation psychologists typically aim to
demonstrate how motivation fluctuates within an individual over time or among
various persons at the same moment
The study of how biological, psychological,
and environmental factors influence motivation is known as motivation
psychology
The phrase "motivation" refers to
the reason why someone does anything. It is the impetus for human behavior.
Motivation is the process by which goal-oriented behaviors are initiated,
guided, and maintained (Haque, Haque and Islam, 2014).
According to psychology, there are two
types of motivation.
- Intrinsic Motivation - Intrinsic motivation is defined as activities motivated by internal benefits. The drive to engage in a behavior emerges from inside due to the intrinsic enjoyment of the activity rather than the need for a reward or specified consequence (Eccles and Wigfield, 2002). Autonomy, purpose, and mastery are the three fundamental components of intrinsic motivation. People are intrinsically driven when they can act independently, believe their efforts are worthwhile and derive enjoyment from improving their skills. For instance, an intrinsically motivated employee has peace and satisfaction in their mind after completing a task successfully (Cherry, 2019). They do not expect verbal appreciation at the end of the project. They can work under minimum supervision and enjoy independency (Eccles and Wigfield, 2002)
- Extrinsic Motivation - Extrinsic motivation is motivation fueled by external benefits. These can be material, like money or grades, or intangible, like acclaim or renown (Eccles and Wigfield, 2002). Unlike intrinsic motivation, which comes from within the individual, extrinsic motivation is solely motivated by external rewards (Cherry, 2021).
People who are intrinsically motivated will
continue to execute a task even if it is not inherently enjoyable. For example,
they will perform something at work that they do not enjoy in order to earn
money
These two types of motivations should be
understood by the organization. Trying to motivate an intrinsically motivated
employee using verbal appreciation can be futile. On the other hand,
extrinsically motivated employees can be used to perform difficult tasks if
they are provided with the factors like appreciation, recognition, and
promotions (Eccles and Wigfield, 2002).
Apart from this basic classification,
motivation has been described profoundly by different theorists. There are many
such theories and clarifications about the motivation that can be effectively
applied to the organization
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a
psychological motivational theory that consists of a five-tier model of human
wants, which is commonly shown as hierarchical tiers within a pyramid (Haque,
Haque and Islam, 2014).
The needs are listed in the following
order: physiological (food and clothing), safety (work security), love and
belonging (friendship), esteem, and self-actualization. Lower-level needs must
be met before persons can attend to higher-level requirements (Varma, 2018).
This should be taken into consideration when a company attempt to motivate its
employees. According to Maslow, people thrive to achieve these needs
hierarchically. When they have fulfilled physiological needs, then they need to
fulfill their safety needs. These should be considered in employee motivation
(Haque, Haque and Islam, 2014).
For instance, a person finds a job for
their physiological needs, but when they continue, they feel the need of
safety. If they feel like the workplace is not safe and the job is not
permanent, the employee may leave the organization for a better job, in which
their needs can be fulfilled (Haque, Haque and Islam, 2014).
Two-Factor Theory of Herzberg
Herzberg's theory divides motivation into
two categories: motivators and hygiene. Motivators are intrinsic aspects that
lead to job happiness, such as achievement and acknowledgment. Extrinsic
factors, or hygiene, relate to issues such as salary and job security that
contribute to discontent (Varma, 2018). Extrinsic factors, according to
Herzberg, cannot inspire people, but they can reduce discontent when handled
effectively; motivators can fulfill a person's requirements and satisfaction
for having significance and personal growth. According to Herzberg, once
hygiene issues are addressed, the motivators will lead to higher job
satisfaction and output (Haque, Haque and Islam, 2014).
Apart from these two, there are several
other theories to improve employee motivation. Since motivation is a concept
with a psychological background and origin, it is important to apply
psychological knowledge to the organization (Haque, Haque and Islam, 2014). On
the other hand, individual differences should be comprehended effectively to
motivate the employees effectively (Haque, Haque and Islam, 2014).
Reference list
Cherry, K. (2019). Understanding Intrinsic Motivation.
Cherry, K. (2021). What Is Extrinsic Motivation? [online] Verywell Mind.
Haque, M.F., Haque, M.A. and Islam, M., (2014). Motivational Theories-A Critical Analysis. ASA University Review, 8(1).
McLeod, S., 2007. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Simply Psychology .
Wigfield, A. & Eccles, J. S., 2002. Motivational Beliefs, Values and Goals. Annual Review of Psychology, 53(1).
Souders, B. (2019). 20 Most Popular Theories of Motivation in Psychology.
Varma, C. (2018). Importance of employee motivation and job satisfaction for organizational performance. International Journal of Social Science and Interdisciplinary Research, 6 (2), pp. 10-20.
Agreed on the content above Christeena. Further, as examples in global context for Maslow's Hierarchy of needs, Google company provides free gourmet meals in its cafeteria, a nutritionist, a fitness center, and yoga courses on a worldwide scale (Google perks, 2007). To further encourage staff members, the company provides reimbursements for massages, nap pods, video games, football, and ping-pong matches (Choudhary, 2014).It is verified that Herzberg's hypothesis that positive interactions between coworkers might reduce employee unhappiness (Byrne, 2006). According to Kosteas (2010), "the major technique for improving worker retention and satisfaction" is promotions. The issue is that most managers and companies use hygiene issues as a technique to encourage staff when they really offer very little to inspire them beyond the very short term (Hayday, 2003).
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment Romeda, Motivation is a management exercise that invigorates personnel to give services and operate better for the overall well-being of the organization by giving them with reasons based on their unrealized requirements. Managers must consistently motivate their teams. personnel to achieve the best possible results Employee motivation encourages employees to work harder, meet organizational goals, boost work productivity, and foster employee creativity. (Sabir, 2017) Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is a theory that categorizes basic need. Human needs in a hierarchy and illustrates the philosophy of human motivation.
DeleteAgreed & Furthermore Psychologist Abraham Maslow depicted that in order to advance to the next level of psychological development, a person must satisfy himself or herself in all aspects, regardless of where they currently exist. Human life characteristics are satisfied when they can access psychological, safety, love, esteem, and self-actualization processes throughout their lives. Many organizations used this theory to keep their employees motivated. (Jain, et al., 2019)
ReplyDeleteGood Contant Christeena, "High job satisfaction is directly related to positive workplace behavior, specifically high performance, low turnover, and low absenteeism" (Jain, et al., 2019) According to employee motivation research papers, "for any effective work to occur, there must be a certain amount of consensus on basic values" (Jain, et al., 2019)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment Farhan, Maslow's hierarchy of wants illustrates that when individual income rises, people become more driven to go further up the hierarchy. To encourage someone, one must first grasp their current hierarchy of demands and then try to satisfy them. Maslow's five-stage model has been broadened to include cognitive, aesthetic, and transcendence demands (Taormina and Gao, 2013). Maslow's views are concerned with human development and how to achieve it.
ReplyDelete