Motivation



Motivation is the process of stimulating an individual to take action that will accomplish a desired goal Patrick J. Montana (2008). Motivation is a big factor in all work places across the world, many of which rely on employees to perform certain roles to help businesses succeed as well as providing a good customer base service. There are a number of ways a company can motivate its employees for example, training, promotion, holidays and even job rotation. Personally, people generally feel the biggest way of motivating a team or an individual is by money. This is because people only work for the reason that they will be rewarded by money at the end and rarely people work for nothing. In my eyes I don't see money as the biggest motivator although it is important. Looking back when I volunteered for the Army Cadet Force, helping people has been the common denominator and is a big motivator for me. Money comes and goes but believing I can make a positive difference in someone's life is more motivating than the money.
 

http://tutor2u.net/business/people/motivation_theory_maslow.asp

Probably the most widely publicized model of motivation comes from the work of the late Abraham Maslow. Maslow put forward a theory that there are five levels of human needs which employees need to have fulfilled at work. All needs are structured into a hierarchy and only once a lower level has been fully met, would a worker be motivated by having the next need up in the hierarchy pyramid. Below you will see Maslow's five features of his hierarchy needs system. Bruce H. Charnov (2008) suggests that there are five needs systems that account for most of our behaviour. He placed these in a hierarchy ranging from the most primitive and innovative in terms of the behaviour they promote to the most mature. This needs system range from the physiological or more primitive factors, to safety, belonging, ego-status and self-actualization needs in that order.


The ERG theory of Clayton P.Alderfer is a model that appeared in 1969 in reaction to Maslow's famous Hierarchy of Needs. Alderfers distinguishes three categories of human needs that influence workers behaviour; existence, relatedness and growth. Although the ERG Theory retains the concept of a need hierarchy, it does not require a strict ordering, as compared to Maslow suggests Nancy Borkowski (2009)

• Existence Needs: Physiological and safety needs such as hunger, thirst and sex (Maslow's first two levels).
  
• Relatedness Needs: Social and external esteem such as involvement with family, friends, co- workers and employers. (Maslow's third and fourth levels).
  
• Growth Needs: Internal esteem and self-actualization such as the desire to be creative and to be productive. (Maslow's fourth and fifth levels).
  Hertzberg's two factor theory is a content theory of motivation. He analysed the job attitudes of 200 accountants and engineers who were asked to recall when they had felt positive or negative at work and the reason why. From his research, Herzberg suggested a two-step approach to understanding employee motivation and satisfaction.
  
  
  • Hygiene factors
    Hygiene factors are based on the need for a business to avoid unpleasantness at work. If these factors are considered inadequate by employees, then they can cause dissatisfaction with work. Hygiene factors include:
    
    
    • Feeling of job security
      
    • Wages, salaries and other financial remuneration
      
    • Working conditions
      
  • Motivational Factors
    According to Herzberg, the hygiene factors cannot be regarded as motivators. These factors are inherent to work. They motivate employees for a superior performance. Motivational factors include:
    
    
    • Sense of achievement
      
    • Meaningfulness of the work
      
    • Growth & promotional opportunities
      

My motivation for starting a degree course was I enjoyed business. I did it at A- level and after taking year out to travel and gain work experience I was ready to learn more and widen my opportunities. The reason why I am at new Buckinghamshire University is because it was my second choice and I did not get into my first which was Edinburgh Napier University. I could argue that I was slightly de-motivated when I heard I didn't get a place at my first choice. As I from Newcastle I live quite far away from home but enjoy the travelling and freedom as I enjoy responsibility. Over the next two years the things which will motivate me is thinking of my personal long term goals i.e. getting a degree. The theory which relates to me is Maslow's hierarchy theory, I would personally put myself is the third part of the pyramid because I am motivated by social needs such as friendship, loving and belonging. However, I personally feel I am moving into the esteem needs area because I have a social status and a lot of self-respect.
Throughout this blog I have gained sound knowledge on the different theories and models on motivation and have related my personal opinions and experiences to some theories and realised that some are in fact true in what they are saying. Different people have different types of motivators but everyone has motivators to make them achieve anything.


  References
Patrick J. Montanna. Bruce J. Charnov (2008): Management. Pg 238

Nancy Borkowski (2009): Organizational Behavior in Health Care. Pg 109