Motivation-Nature of Motivation

Motivation is the 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.
 Motivating people is about getting them to move in the direction which is required in order to
achieve a result.
 It is a goal directed behavior.
 “defined as the willingness to exert high levels of efforts towards organizational goals” By:
Stephen P Robbins

 “It is the stimulation of any emotion or desire operating upon one’s will and promoting or driving
it to action.” By: Lillis

 “Motivation refers to degree of readiness of an organism to pursue some designated goal and
implies the determination of the nature and locus of the forces, including the degree of
readiness” By: the Encyclopedia of Management

Nature of Motivation
 Motivation is a psychological phenomenon which generates within an individual. A person feels
the lack of certain needs, to satisfy which he feels working more. The need satisfying ego
motivates a person to do better than he normally does.

Process of Motivation
 Needs creates wants and desires to achieve or obtain something
 Goals are established based on these desires and wants
 Actions are taken based on goals in order to attain it
 If the goals are not achieved, the same action is likely to be repeated, the process of repeating
successfully behavior or actions is called reinforcement or law of effect

Types of Motivation identified by Herzberg et al

Intrinsic Motivation
 The self-generated factors that influence people to behave in a particular way or to move in a
particular direction.
 These factors include responsibility, autonomy (freedom to act), scope to use and develop skill
and abilities, interesting and challenging work and opportunities for advancement.
Extrinsic Motivation
What is done to or for people to motivate them. Extrinsic motivation can have an immediate and
powerful effect, but it will not necessary long last. This rewards, such as:
 Increased Pay
 Praise
 Promotion
and “punishment”, such as
 Disciplinary Action
 Withholding pay

Another Types of Motivation identified by Peter Drucker

Positive Motivation
⊳ Positive motivation or incentive motivation is based on reward. The workers are offered
incentives for achieving the desired goals.
⊳ The incentives may be in the shape of mare pay, promotion, recognition of work, etc.
⊳ “the real and positive motivators are responsible for placement, high standard of performance
information adequate for self-control and the participation of the worker as a responsible citizen
in the plant community By: Peter Drucker
Negative Motivation
 Negative or fear motivation is based on force or Fear causes employees to act in a certain way.
In case, they do not act accordingly then they may be punished with demotions or lay-offs. The
employees do not willingly co –operate, rather they want to avoid the punishment

Importance of motivation
⊳ High Performance: motivated employees will put maximum efforts for achieving organizational goals.
The untapped reservoirs, physical and mental abilities are tapped to the maximum. Better performance
will also result in higher productivity. Motivation will act as a stimulant for improving the performance of
employees.

⊳ Better Organizational Image: those enterprises which offer better monetary and non-monetary facilities to
their employees have better image. Such concerns are successful in attracting better qualifies and
experienced persons.

⊳ Low Employee Turnover and Absenteeism: when the employees are not satisfied with their job
then they will leave it whenever they get an alternative offer. The dissatisfaction among
employees also increases absenteeism
⊳ Better Industrial Image: a good motivational system will create job satisfaction among employees. The
employment will offer those better service conditions and various other incentives. There will be no reason
for conflict and cordial relationship among both sides.

⊳ Acceptability to Change: When the employees are given various opportunities of development then they
can easily adapt to new situations. They will think of positive side of new changes and will co-operate with
the management. If the employees are satisfied with their work and are not offered better avenues, then
they will oppose everything suggested by the management. Motivation will ensure the acceptability of new
changes by the employees.

Prepared by:

Josie D. Calaluan
Maed ED - Student