CONTENT

THEORY OF
MOTIVATION
Group # 9
Mirza Ali Akram 234
Umair Safdar 233
Nimra Irfan 205
Bushra Ch 244
DEFINITION:
 Content theory is a subset of motivational theories that try to define what motivates
people. Content theories of motivation often describe a system of needs that motivate
peoples' actions. While process theories of motivation attempt to explain how and why
our motivations affect our behaviors, content theories of motivation attempt to define
what those motives or needs are.
CONTENT THEORIES:
Content theory of motivation is concerned with the internal factors that
actuate human behavior. Four of the most common content theories are...
 Maslow's hierarchy of needs.
 Alderfer's ERG theory.
 Herzberg's motivator-hygiene theory (Herzberg’s two factors theory).
 McClelland's learned needs or three-needs theory are some of the major
content theories.
THEORISTS OF THE
THEORIES:
 Maslow's hierarchy of needs ( Abraham Maslow)
 Alderfer's ERG theory (Clayton Paul Alderfer )
 Herzberg’s two factors theory(Frederick Herzberg)
 McClelland's need theory (David McClelland)
MASLOW’S HIRARCHY OF
NEEDS:
 Abraham Maslow was a social psychologist who was interested in a broad spectrum
of human psychological needs rather than on individual psychological problems. He is best
known for his hierarchy-of-needs theory. The theory organizes the different levels of human
psychological and physical needs in order of importance.
ALDERFER'S ERG THEORY:
 Clayton Paul Alderfer’s ERG theory suggests that there are three groups of core needs:
existence (E), relatedness (R), and growth (G)—hence the acronym ERG. These groups align
with Maslow’s levels of physiological needs, social needs, and self-actualization needs,
respectively.
a. Existence – basic existence requirement material.
b. Relatedness – the need to maintain significant needs.
c. Growth – intrinsic desire for personal development.
HERZBERG’S TWO FACTOR
THEORY:
 American psychologist Frederick Herzberg is regarded as one of the great original thinkers in
management and motivational theory. Herzberg set out to determine the effect of attitude on
motivation, by simply asking people to describe the times when they felt really good, and
really bad, about their jobs. What he found was that people who felt good about their jobs
gave very different responses from the people who felt bad.
 He’s especially recognized for his two-factor theory, which hypothesized that are two different
sets of factors governing job satisfaction and job dissatisfaction: “hygiene factors,” or
extrinsic motivators and “motivation factors,” or intrinsic motivators
MCCLELLAND’S ACQUIRED
NEEDS THEORY:
 Psychologist David McClelland’s acquired-needs theory splits the needs of employees into
three categories rather than the two we discussed in Herzberg’s theory. These three categories
are achievement, affiliation, and power.
IMPLICATIONS:
 Content theory of motivation provide the framework of dynamic public speaking.
 Rather than speaking to the hearing of your audience, these make it possible to speak to the
hearts of your audience
FRAMEWORK:
CONTINUED…
APPLICATION IN OB:
 Motivation is very much needed for employees in an organization to be productive, and
management or leadership style has an important role to play.
 Motivation is not always based on financial rewards, but non-financial rewards methods can
also be used to derive the best out of employees.
 Although individuals have their expectations, it is the leadership’s responsibility to develop
and align with theories that are suitable to bring job satisfaction to their employees.
BENEFITS OF ORGANIZATION:
Motivation is a very important for an organization because of the following benefits it provides:
 Puts human resources into action
 Improves level of efficiency of employees

1. Increase in productivity,
2. Reducing cost of operations, and
3. Improving overall efficiency.
 Leads to achievement of organizational goals

The goals of an enterprise can be achieved only when the following factors take place :-
1. There is best possible utilization of resources,
2. There is a co-operative work environment,
3. The employees are goal-directed and they act in a purposive manner,
4. Goals can be achieved if co-ordination and co-operation takes place simultaneously which can be effectively done through
motivation.
CONTINUED…
 Builds friendly relationship.

Motivation is an important factor which brings employees satisfaction. This can be done by
keeping into mind and framing an incentive plan for the benefit of the employees. This could
initiate the following things:
1. Monetary and non-monetary incentives,
2. Promotion opportunities for employees,
3. Disincentives for inefficient employees.
 Leads to stability of work force