Overview of Motivational Theories

Overview of motivational theories – Chapter 6

Theory – brief description Application /strengths and weaknesses
ERG
- 3 needs: existence, relatedness and growth
- Based on Maslows hierarchy of needs, but assumes that needs can exist at the same time and that lack of need fulfilment in one area can be compensated by higher focus on other needs (e.g. no future in the job leads to extreme focus on salary) Used by leaders to ensure that employees' needs are fulfilled in all three areas

Used to analyse the company's strengths and weaknesses reg. their ability to meet all needs of employees

Very dependent on person – does not include differences in the weights of needs among different types of employees
Needs theory
- 3 needs: achievement, power and affiliation
- Focuses on which need is dominant for a given person Used to identify relevant persons for a job (e.g. sales staff (nAch), leaders (nPow) and HRM-responisble or social workers (nAff)

Can be used to explain why a person is not motivated in an otherwise well-designed job (job-fit problems ref. chap. 4 p. 111)
Goal setting theory
- goals motivate
- has to be realistic goals (specific and difficult)
- demands feedback (on the action, not the person: not you are an idiot, but what you did was wrong!!) – ref. the reinforcement theory
- employees should take part in setting goals Good for recreating lost motivation

Especially relevant for people who are nAch (needs theory) or can be described as confident and determined

Demands company culture which focuses on openness and good communication, and which encourages personal development

Is not suitable for personalities, which are not motivated by the ‘competitive' element
Reinforcement theory
- focuses on providing feedback on actions
- enhances the understanding of both positive and negative actions
- very result oriented Good for providing fast change of behaviour (dog training – roughly speaking)

Enhances learning (ref. chap. 2)... [continues]

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