Human Motivation
An understanding of human motivation is critically important for a manager. While money is a factor in workplace motivation it may be surprising that it is only one of many factors, and for some people it is not the main factor.
Needs are deficiencies that a person experiences at a particular time. Psychologists have developed many motivational models. Basic models operate on the premise that certain basic human needs must be met before other motivational issues can be addressed. Maslow’s Hierarchy describes the basic needs for food, clothing, shelter, etc. to be at the bottom of a set of needs, moving up to safety needs, social needs, esteem needs and eventually at the top of the hierarchy is the need to be "self-realized".
Herzberg, McClelland, Alderfer and others have also proposed models to explain human motivation. Vroom proposes that motivation is more complex than just examining needs. He points out that expectancy (of outcome or success) also plays a large role in a person’s motivation to do a certain thing or strive for a particular goal.
Classic work in motivation was done by B.F. Skinner who worked with "operant conditioning" in animals. He demonstrated that desirable behavior could be reinforced with the right reward and that undesirable behavior could be extinguished with punishment. He projected his extensive research with animals onto learned behavior in humans.
Douglas McGregor proposed a Theory X and Theory Y model to explain basic human traits. Theory X assumes that workers have a negative attitude toward work and need constant supervision by managers. Theory Y assumes that workers are self-motivated, will work hard and will do the right thing if given a chance and a little management guidance.
Argyris’s Maturity Theory is similar to Knowles’ adult learning theory. Basically it says that mature adults tend to be self-motivated, want a stake in decisions that affect them, and tend to want to be active rather than passive participants. An oppressive, controlling management style will rob these workers of their motivation and their effectiveness for the organization.
Managing for effectiveness requires a manager to have a sophisticated understanding of the many varying forces at work in individuals motivation. Remember that different people may have different needs and may respond to different rewards. Some effective strategies in regard to motivation are: a) treat people as individuals, b) provide support, c) recognize and value diversity, d) empower employees, e) provide effective rewards. In some cases it may be necessary to re-design jobs and job specifications to improve the workplace.
