questions
motivation
BUSMAN 711 Managing People and Organisations
“What motivates people motivates people.”
The One Minute Manager (Ken Blanchard)
What is motivation?
Motivation describes forces within the individual that account for the level, direction and persistence of effort expended at work.
Classic models of motivation
Content theories of motivation help us to understand human needs.
Process theories of motivation offer additional insights into how people give meaning to rewards.
Reinforcement theory of motivation focuses attention on the environment as a major source of rewards.
Lower-Order Needs
Needs that are satisfied externally; physiological and safety needs
Higher-Order Needs
Needs that are satisfied internally; social, esteem, and self-actualisation
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Physiological
Safety
Social
Esteem
Self – actualisation
Revisiting the Hierarchy of Needs - 2020
Physiological
Safety
Social
Esteem
Self – actualisation
Recognising those who go above and beyond when faced with the challenges of working through a pandemic
Encouraging connection through social apps (WhatsApp) / Zoom meetings (‘drinks’) etc
Promote honest and regular communication with employees regarding their on-going employment status
Resources to create a comfortable working environment while working from home
Alderfer’s ERG Theory of Needs
Existence – The ‘basics of life’
Relatedness – The needs for family & friends
Growth – The need to stretch and challenge one’s self
Herzberg’s two‐factor theory
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Acquired needs theory
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Need for achievement is the desire to do something better or more efficiently, to solve problems or to master complex tasks.
Need for power is the desire to control other people, to influence their behaviour or to be responsible for them.
Need for affiliation is the desire to establish and maintain friendly and warm relations with other people.
Comparing content theories of motivation
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Intrinsic rewards are self-administered (the feelings of competency, personal development and self-control people experience in their work)
Extrinsic rewards are externally administered valued outcomes given to someone by another person
Expectancy Theory
Valence – how important is this to me?
Expectancy – will my efforts lead to good performance?
Instrumentality – will my performance lead to rewards?
Equity theory
Equity theory is based on the logic of social comparisons and that perceived inequity is a motivating state.
Perceived inequity occurs when people feel rewards for their efforts in comparison to others’ rewards are unfair. They generally deal with this by changing:
work inputs by putting in less effort
the rewards received by asking for more
the comparison points
the situation by leaving the job.
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Why doesn’t equity theory work both ways?
To the privileged, equality feels like punishment.
Research studies suggest that once a person receives excessively high rewards, they begin to believe they deserve those rewards. Therefore, they feel fairly rewarded, rather than over-compensated. This, in part, explains why executives will accept huge salaries, when their workers are paid far less.
How can we make equity theory work?
When allocating rewards in a system, ‘procedural justice’ is at least, if not more, important as the reward.
Procedural justice means that, no matter what we get, we trust the procedure or procedures through which the giving was decided and delivered.
Goal Setting Theory
Basic Premise: That specific and difficult goals, with specific feedback, lead to higher performance.
Five (5) principles of Goal-Setting:
1.Participation, 2.Acceptance,
3.Specific,
4.Challenging, and
5.Feedback
In the 1950s, psychologist B. F. Skinner conducted experiments with laboratory rats in what became known as ‘Skinner boxes.’
Rats received positive rewards (food, water drops) for doing what was wanted, and negative rewards (shocks) for doing unwanted behaviors.
‘Behaviorism’ was born and widely spread, including to raising children.
Reinforcement theory views human behaviour as determined by its environmental consequences. Instead of looking within the individual to explain motivation and behaviour, it focuses on the external environment and the consequences it holds for the individual.
Reinforcement Theory
What is the potential problem with using reinforcement theory in an organisation?
A final thought on ‘fear’…
Many high achievers are motivated more by a fear of failure than a need for rewards and recognition.
Drive (Daniel pink)
Autonomy: The ability to make decisions and act independently
Mastery: The ability to be successful at difficult challenges
Meaning: Doing things that matter/ make a difference
What gives work meaning?
Dan Areily used experiments to determine what makes work meaningful, and what makes work loose meaning
Findings determined meaning derived from payment AND:
Meaning
Creation
Challenge
Ownership
Identity
Pride
Grit: the power of passion & perseverance
GRIT is not only working on something very hard and being resilient in the face of setbacks (perseverance) but working on something that is meaningful to you (passion)
If we can develop a ‘growth mindset’ and grit in our employees, they will persevere when faced with set-back
Potentially BEYOND motivation
Linking course content to the business simulation
What motivates you may not motivate the other members of your team
A highly motivated team has the potential to achieve a sustained result through constant, focused, persistent effort
Your experience can generate both extrinsic and intrinsic rewards
If ‘social loafing’ is the biggest challenge (Week 2) this (and many other team related challenges) could be explained by various motivation theories
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