It Isn’t Fair Motivations are the forces within individuals that account for the direction, level, and persistence of a person’s efforts expended at work. The research of motivational theories is fascinating as it explores the cognitive processes that warp our minds to behave in ways conducive to our motivations. Our motivations affect our personal lives, our professional lives, and even our inner selves. This essay is going to explore motivational theories through a case analysis by investigating the various content and process theories that can explain attitudes, perceive current actions, and speculate on future ones. Content theories focus on individual needs that we feel we need to reduce or eliminate. The Needs Theories of Motivation, a sector of content theories, suggest that motivations arise from our attempts to satisfy important needs. The Hierarchy of Needs Theory explains that people have a hierarchy of needs that we feel need to be satisfied. Some of these needs are more important than others, but the importance of these needs varies between individuals and the circumstances surrounding the individual. Through our case analysis, it is apparent that Mary puts an emphasis on her need for esteem and self-actualization. Mary worked overtime, spent three weeks in Costa Rica, and even more hours on the weekends trying her best to excel in her performance. She did this not for her social needs or physiological needs; she did this to acquire respect and recognition from her company and to fulfill herself through her career accomplishments. Once she realized Sue, a woman who appeared equal in credentials, was making almost 12% more than her from the start, she felt unfulfilled and no longer recognized for her skills. She felt accomplished before Sue but after she felt discouraged. According to this theory she may remain disgruntled for a while and her work performance may decline as long as her higher-order needs are not met. Much like the Hierarchy of
