Overview of Motivation
Motivation should be viewed as a continuous and dynamic process of activating and building
the workforce of an organization. The foundation of this chapter gives the meaning and
definition of motivation i.e. the conceptual definitions of motivation. The section also gives
an overview of some special motivation techniques, as well as theoretical framework on
motivation.
Various authors have different meanings and definitions as pertains to motivation. Flippo
(1984) notes that motivation is a managerial responsibility for eliciting what employees
expect the organization to supply them with and at the same time the responsibility for
eliciting certain types of behavior from the employees. Managers motivate by providing an
environment for employees to produce to their full capacity. As a number of motivational
researchers have pointed out that wants vary with people and situations.
Research has shown that workers with few skills want such factors as job security, pay,
benefits, less restrictive plant rule and more sympathetic and understanding supervisors.
People like to feel that the managers are truly concerned with their welfare, they like
feedback on their performance. According to Armstrong (1988), motivation is about what
makes people act or behave in certain ways and take whatever steps required to ensure that
they get satisfied.
Employees like to be appreciated and recognized for their work. People like to be involved,
consulted and given an opportunity to offer suggestions. In one aerospace missile plant,
increased morale and productivity, as well as greatly reduced turnover and absenteeism
resulted from the simple technique of having all employees‟ names on placards at their
workstations and having each program group work in an area in which machines and
equipment were painted a different color. According to Wancevick (1994), giving people
recognition is key to motivation.
According to Saleemi (1997), motivation is derived from the word motive; motives are drives
or impulses within an individual, which prompt him to action. They are expressions of a
persons needs or wants hence they are personal, internal and they determine the behavior of
an individual. Therefore, organizations need a better understanding of what it is that people
want. Cole (1997), comments that motivation is a process in which people choose between
alternative forms of behavior in order to achieve personal goals. Graham and Bennet (1988),
on the other hand, state that motivation consists of all the drives forces and influence,
conscious or unconscious that causes the employees to want to achieve certain aims.
Hannagan (1998), points out work motivation as a psychological concept that is primarily
concerned with increasing the strength and direction of people‟s work related behavior to
influence the quality and quantity of people‟s performance output.Krant and Korman (1991),
state that motivation is of two types. Self enhancing motivation involve action of making
choices that match and fulfils one‟s personal needs, engaging in activities that foster self
growth, attempting to attain high level of work performance and working for goals that
legitimately enhance oneself in ones own eyes and those of others. Self-protective
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motivation on the other hand involves the desire to defend oneself from perceived
threatening environmental and personal forces that might affect ones sense of identity.
Motivation comes in form of extrinsic motivation, that is, what is done to make people act
(external) and intrinsic, that is, self generated factors, which influence people to behave in a
particular way/move in a particular direction.
Motivation answers the following
questions. Why do people behave as they
do (at work)?
What conditions within people and the work situations are associated with effective
job performance?
Motivation refers to the psychological process that gives behavior purpose and direction.
