Motivation

According to the text book, motivation refers to a psychological process that gives behavior purpose and direction. Managers attempt to motivate individuals to pursue organizational objectives willingly and persistently and be loyal to the organization. According BusinessDictionary.com motivation is Internal and external factors that stimulate desire and energy in people to be continually interested and committed to a job, role or subject, or to make an effort to attain a goal. Motivation results from the interaction of both conscious and unconscious factors such as the (1) intensity of desire or need, (2) incentive or reward value of the goal, and (3) expectations of the individual and of his or her peers. These factors are the reasons one has for behaving a certain way. According to the management text book there are four theories of motivation but I am going to talk about three theories that I feel are the most important. The First theory is Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs theory. Psychologist Abraham Maslow first introduced his concept of a hierarchy of needs in his 1943 paper "A Theory of Human Motivation" and his subsequent book Motivation and Personality. This hierarchy suggests that people are motivated to fulfill basic needs before moving on to other, more advanced needs. This hierarchy is most often displayed as a pyramid. The lowest levels of the pyramid are made up of the most basic needs, while the more complex needs are located at the top of the pyramid. Needs at the bottom of the pyramid are basic physical requirements including the need for food, water, sleep, and warmth. Once these lower-level needs have been met, people can move on to the next level of needs, which are for safety and security. As people progress up the pyramid, needs become increasingly psychological and social. Soon, the need for love, friendship, and intimacy become important. Further up the pyramid, the need for personal esteem and feelings of accomplishment take

Cited: Category. (n.d.). Hierarchy of Needs. Psychology - Complete Guide to Psychology for Students, Educators & Enthusiasts. Retrieved April 12, 2013, from http://psychology.about.com/od/theoriesofpersonality/a/hierarchyneeds.htm Herzberg - Motivation-Hygiene Theory. (n.d.). NetMBA Business Knowledge Center. Retrieved April 12, 2013, from http://www.netmba.com/mgmt/ob/motivation/herzberg/ Principles of Management: Motivation Theories: Individual Needs . (n.d.). Get Homework Help with CliffsNotes Study Guides . Retrieved April 12, 2013, from http://www.cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/Motivation-Theories-Individual-Needs.topicArticleId-8944,articleId-8908.htm douglas mcgregor 's motivational theory x theory y. (n.d.). Businessballs free online learning for careers, work, management, business training and education: find materials, articles, ideas, people and providers for teaching, career training, self-help, ethical business education and leadership; for personal, . Retrieved April 12, 2013, from http://www.businessballs.com/mcgregor.htm Kreitner, R., & Cassidy, C. (2011).Management (12th ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage.