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The word ‘Motivation’ is derived from the Latin word movere, meaning “to move”. It is referred to as a combination of motive and action. Theories of motivation or motivation theory are the study of understanding what drives a person to work for achieving a particular goal or outcome. There are two types of motivational theories:
- Content motivation theories
- Process motivation theories
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Content Motivation Theories
The content motivation theories are the motivational theories that concentrate on WHAT motivates people and it is related to the individual needs and goals.
A few main content theories are:
- Maslow’s needs hierarchy,
- Alderfer’s ERG theory,
- McClelland’s achievement motivation and
- Herzberg’s two-factor theory
Maslow’s Motivation Theory
One of the earliest or most widely known theories of motivation is Maslow – hierarchy of needs, and it was developed in the 1940s and 1950s by Abraham Maslow.
The theory consists of five basic hierarchies. The arrangement of this hierarchy is in the following manner:
- Self-Actualization
- Esteem Needs
- Belongingness and love needs
- Safety Needs
- Physiological Needs
These five different hierarchies were further categorized into three categories:
- Self-fulfillment
- Psychological Needs
- Basic Needs
Self Actualization
Self-actualization is the hierarchy that tells us about the desire of an individual to grow and develop to his/her full potential. This hierarchy falls in the category of self-fulfillment needs.
Esteem Needs
Esteem is the second level hierarchy of Maslow’s motivation theories, which tells us about the desire of a person for the need of respect. The meaning of Esteem is to be valued, respected, and appreciated by others. This hierarchy falls in the category of psychological needs.
Belongingness and love needs
Belongingness and love is the third level of hierarchy which tells us about the need of a person to integrate into social groups, feel part of a community, and be loved. It is believed that people need to belong and be accepted among their social groups. This hierarchy falls in the category of psychological needs.
Safety and Security
This hierarchy of safety and security tells us about the basic needs of a human which are a secure source of income, a place to live, health, and well-being. There is the most basic motivation for a human to be motivated therefore, falls in the category of basic needs. And once these needs of a human being are fulfilled then only a person can think about the other two needs: Self-fulfillment and Psychological Needs.
Physiological Needs
This hierarchy level of physiological needs is the most basic needs for humans to survive, such as air, water, and food. Without all of the three basic physiological needs, our body and mind cannot function well, therefore, this level of hierarchy also falls in the category of basic needs.
McClelland’s Motivation Theory
McClelland’s achievement motivation was developed in the early 1960s when McClelland built Maslow’s work, which describes three human motivators. McClelland’s achievement motivation is also known as ‘Learned Need Theory’.
McClelland’s theory differs from Maslow’s and Alderfer’s, as its focuses on satisfying the existing needs of a person, rather than focusing on the development of new needs. These dominant motivators depend on our culture and life experiences, and are permanent. These motivators are:
- Affiliation
- Achievement
- Power
Herzberg’s Two Factor Theory
Herzberg’s Two Factor Theory is also known as motivation-hygiene theory. According to Herzberg’s Theory, there are some factors known as the motivating factors that cause job motivation, while some other factors known as the hygiene factors cause dissatisfaction.
Motivating factors (Herzberg’s five factors of job satisfaction):
- Achievement
- Recognition
- Work itself
- Responsibility
- Advancement
These are the only five factors that motivate a person and make him satisfied with his job. Although motivating factors cause job satisfaction, at the same time we need the lack of dissatisfaction to achieve more productive work.
Hygiene factors (Herzberg’s five factors of job dissatisfaction or deficiency of needs):
- Company policy and administration
- Supervision
- Salary
- Interpersonal relationships
- Working conditions
Process Motivation Theories
The process motivation theories are the motivational theories that concentrate on HOW to motivate people. A few main process motivation theories are:
- Skinner’s reinforcement theory,
- Victor Vroom’s expectancy theory,
- Adam’s equity theory and
- Locke’s goal-setting theory
Skinner’s reinforcement theory
Skinner’s reinforcement theory or the reinforcement theory is based on Skinner’s operant conditioning theory, which states that behavior can be formed by its consequences(Gordon, 1987).
Positive Reinforcement
Positive reinforcement motivates a person to get anticipated reinforcement of required behavior. A few of the examples of Positive reinforcement are appreciation, certification, money, trophy, etc.
Negative Reinforcement
Negative reinforcement causes the elimination of the unpleasant state.
Undesired Reinforcement
Punishment can be the undesired reinforcement or reinforce undesired behavior.
According to Skinner’s reinforcement theory, positive reinforcement is a better and improved motivational technique than punishment because:
- Punishment does not give an alternative to undesirable motivation, it just tries to stop the undesirable motivation.
- Punishment creates negative attitudes and bad feelings towards the person and work.
- Also, punishment just tries to avoid the bad behavior but does not give a permanent solution to the problem.
Victor Vroom’s Expectancy Theory
Victor Vroom’s expectancy theory aims to explain how people choose from the actions that are available to them. According to the theory, motivation is defined as the process that controls our choices among the other available forms of voluntary behavior.
The motivation to be involved in an activity is found by appraising three factors, that are:
- Expectancy: It is a common belief that more effort results in success, therefore, a person expects that if he is working hard then he/she expects to be appreciated or appraised.
- Instrumentality: The belief within the person that there is a connection between activity and goal, therefore, if you perform well, you will get the reward.
- Valence: The value of a reward for a person as a result of his success.
Adam’s Equity Theory
Adam’s equity theory is based on the social exchange theory and was suggested by Adams(1965). The equity theory states that a person is motivated, if they are treated equitably, and receive what they consider fair for their effort and cost.
Locke’s Goal-setting Theory
Locke’s goal-setting theory is an integrative model of motivation same as the expectancy theory. It focuses on setting specific and challenging goals and then commitment to these goals are key determinants of motivation. Goals described the desired future and established goals that can drive the behavior of the person.
Conclusion
Motivation helps a person to achieve their set goals and it is the key reason which helps a person to be a better person. Motivation theory is the study of understanding what drives a person to work for achieving a particular goal or outcome. There are two types of motivation theories: Content motivation theories which focus on WHAT while Process motivation theories focus on HOW.
