Motivation

HANDBOOK FOR UTOPIA PLC

BY APPLE RESOURCING SOLUTIONS LTD

CONSULTANTS

NICOLETTE HOLMES

NELLY ANING 2040668

VEERAPEN PARMASIVEN

HOIL KANG

CONTENTS PAGE

INTRODUCTION

Managers seeking answers to the riddle of how to improve performance will more than often look at motivation for assistance.

In this handbook we have included some management and motivational theories which we think will be good guidelines and references for your own learning.

We hope that this will help you improve your staff satisfaction, performance and retention. We have also made this handbook very practical and useful for you.

WHAT IS MOTIVATION

There have been various definitions of motivation over the years:

Hertzberg (1987), motivation is forceful in encouraging movement, a "function of fear of punishment or failure to get extrinsic rewards" and motivation as "a function of growth from getting intrinsic rewards out of interesting and challenging work".

Motivation is the force that makes us do things: this is a result of our individual needs being satisfied (or met) so that we have inspiration to complete the task. These vary from person to person as everybody has their individual needs to motivate themselves. Depending on how motivated we are, it may further determine the effort we put into our work and therefore increase the standard of the output.

(www.Motivation123.com)

The Importance of Motivation

Motivation can have an effect on the output of your business and concerns both quantity and quality. See it this way: your business relies heavily on the efficiency of your staff. If these employees lack the motivation to produce the results needed then you face a problem leading to disastrous consequences.

Your employees are your greatest asset and no matter how efficient your technology and equipment may be, it is no match for the effectiveness and efficiency of your staff.

Motivation Theories

A theory is a collection of assertions, both verbal and symbolic, that identifies what variables are important for what reasons, specifies how they are interrelated and why, and identifies the conditions under which they should be related or not related'(Campbell, 1990)

These theories are very essential, as it will enable you as mangers to understand the theoretical aspects of motivation in other to put it into practice effectively.

Below are a few Management theories that we think will be very good guidelines for you.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

Maslow's theory consists of two important parts: the categorizations of needs and how these categorizations relate to each other. The needs, he suggested are classified in a hierarchy which is usually represented in the form of a pyramid with the very basic needs at the very base and the higher level consisting of a specific class of needs:

Ð'* Physiological

Ð'* Safety

Ð'* Belongingness

Ð'* Esteem

Ð'* Self-actualisation

The theory highlights a few facts

Ð'* That each individual's level of need should be satisfied before the next level is attainable.

Ð'* The need for self actualisation is unlimited that is unattainable- People will never be 100% satisfied with what they achieve

Ð'* To attain the lowest level needs, financial motivation is the most important motivator. It will always be the number one motivator that staff will seek or find most acceptable.

Criticism

Ð'* The first and second level of needs might not always be the most important needs to be fulfilled before moving upwards e.g. some people may only be in work to occupy their time and not for money as most people assume.

Ð'* It is very difficult to predict behaviour based on the hierarchy

Ð'* It can be difficult to apply the pyramid structure in its totality, as a change in wants and needs might not reflect he level in which the individual is.

Drive and Reinforcement Theories

Researchers who have been associated with drive and reinforcement theories typically base their work on the influence that learning has on subsequent behaviour. Thus, such theories have a historical component. "Seeks to explain why people are driven (motivated) to satisfy their needs"

Based on the premise that people are driven to reduce stimuli and that the responses they use to reduce stimuli are those they have learnt to be more effective than others.

Primary drives Ð'- instinctive

Secondary drives Ð'- Learn/acquired, developed in responses to the environment

Direct links between behaviour and stimulus is a primary reinforcement. An indirect link is a secondary reinforcement (Can the money earned fulfil their needs). Hull suggests behaviour is a result of habits and drives (what motivates people to achieve their needs and the way people have learned to respond to certain events). And behaviour is only likely to change if habits cease to result in drives being satisfied. To eliminate habits those habits most not produce/satisfy their needs.

Reinforcement theories consider decisions concerning present behaviour to be based in the large part on the consequences, or rewards, of past behaviour. For examples where past actions led to positive feedback or rewards has encouraged

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