THEORIES OF

MOTIVATION
Presented by
Romeena john
HEDONISTIC AND ACTIVATION
THEORIES

 Young

 McClelland

 Schlosberg

 Lindsley
Paul Thomas Young- Incentive Theory
Paul Thomas Young - Incentive TheoryThe incentive theory of
motivation is a behavioral theory that suggests people are
motivated by a drive for incentives and reinforcement. The
incentive theory also proposes that people behave in a way they
believe will result in a reward and avoid actions that may entail
punishment.Employees might behave differently in similar
situations depending on the incentives available. For example,
an employee might work harder on a project to earn a good
review or to avoid a poor review than if they don’t receive a
review at all. Their motivation is their desire to receive a reward
or avoid punishment via a performance review at the end of the
project.The value of the same incentive may change depending
on the time and circumstance. People may value similar
incentives differently. Psychological and social factors can have
a role in determining which people have a motivation for
different incentives. Incentives only work as motivational tools
if individuals place value on the reward they will receive for
Incentives in the workplace, as in other facets of life, can also be positive or
negative:Positive incentives: Provide positive assurance that an employee will
receive something they desire in exchange for doing their work well. Examples
of positive incentives include recognition, promotions, raises and so
forth.Negative incentives: Correct mistakes or discourage certain behaviors.
Negative incentives include reprimands, demotions, pay decreases and other
kinds of penalties.
Applications of incentive theory

The incentive theory of motivation is used in a variety of

applications, including in the workplace to motivate employees
through rewards and recognition, ineducation to encourage
students to study and learn through grades and other incentives,
and in sports to motivate athletes to perform at their best through
rewards and recognition.
McClelland’s Three Needs Theory

The Three Needs Theory, also known as need theory, is the best-known
theory of David McClelland, a Harvard professor who spent thirty years
conducting research on motivation. He sought to understand human
nature and develop tools to measure how people make choices.

McClelland’s Theory of Three Needs outlines the three desires that an

individual could possibly have. Each person is motivated by power,
affiliation, or achievement. One trait is usually more dominant, but the
others are present in an individual as well.
 Need for Achievement (nACH): Personal responsibility, Feedback,
Moderate risk
Typical behaviors:
High: Must win at any cost, must be on top, and receive credit.
Low: Fears failure, avoids responsibility.

 Need for Power (nPOW): Influence, Competitive

Typical behaviors:
High: Demands blind loyalty and harmony, does not tolerate
disagreement.
Low: Remains aloof, maintains social distance.

 Need for Affiliation (nAFF): Acceptance and friendship, Cooperative

Typical behaviors:
High: Desires control of everyone and everything, exaggerates own
position and resources.
Low: Dependent/subordinate, minimizes own position and resources.
The Achievement Motive

If an individual’s predominant motive is achievement, they are motivated

to do better for the sake of doing so. They hope to exceed expectations and
are pleased when they surpass their peers. These individuals like
challenges and want to be in charge of their success.

Achievement-oriented individuals will change the situation or the location

if they feel like it is not meeting their needs. They do not like working in
groups because they do not like having limited control over the outcome.
Instead, they prefer to do work where the results are clear and visible.

Many entrepreneurs are motivated by achievement. They have the drive to

be successful and this is, in turn, vital to the economy. However, this may
not mean that they are the best bosses to their employees. Achievement-
motivated individuals often prefer to do things themselves, leading them to
micromanage things in a business. They prefer not to work in a team and
often fail to share the workload and responsibility. It is a double-edged
sword: they experience success and rise to management positions, but this
same personality is what keeps them from being successful in those roles.
The Power Motive

If an individual’s predominant motive is power, they are motivated to

influence others and take control. While the extreme example of Hitler in
Nazi Germany may come to mind, this motive actually takes on a more mild
form of coach or leader. They do not seek to implement a dictatorship but
hope to motivate others, delegate responsibility and influence those around
them.

A coach is a good example because it perfectly illustrates the idea of letting

the players (or in this case, employees), do their job while they assess the
situation and make decisions. The players and employees are aware of their
responsibilities and are highly skilled to perform them.

McClelland found that power-motivated individuals were best suited for

leadership positions within a company. If they were able to effectively
delegate tasks in the workforce, they were often able to be successful
leaders. This does not mean that all power-motivated individuals will make
good leaders. Each personality is unique and those who are aggressive and
authoritative may actually decrease the work performance of their
employees.
The Affiliation Motive

If an individual’s predominant motive is affiliation, they are essentially

motivated by social connections. They are primarily motivated to fit in and
please others, and value their relationships with their peers. These
individuals appreciate familiar situations and are unlikely to leave their
work location. They also do not like working alone and try to avoid
disappointing their coworkers and managers at all costs.

Even though affiliation-motivated individuals work well in a team, they

are often not the best employees. They are not motivated to do better as
they are content to stay in their position. There is no drive to improve their
employee status or their personal position, which makes them, in effect,
the least effective workers.
Applications of McClelland’s Theory Of Needs

• McClelland’s Theory Of Needs is mostly used within organizational

or industrial contexts. It is used to recruit employees based on their
needs and motivation.

• Personality tests can be administered based on this theory, leading to

an appropriate delegation of roles. It also helps in gaining the more
information about the individuals.

• A manager can use this theory to understand the different needs of

his employees and provide feedback, motivation and rewards,
accordingly.

• Team members can be assigned various roles according to their

needs. For example, a member who displays a high need for
achievement can be given a challenging responsibility.
Schlosberg- Transition Theory

Nancy Schlossberg defines a transition as “any event, or non-event,

[which] results in changed relationships, routines, assumptions, and roles”
(Goodman, Schlossberg, & Anderson, 2006, p. 33). A transition can only
exist if the person experiencing it considers it to be a transition. Changes
can also happen in someone’s life, but may not be considered a transition
if the individual does not place much meaning or significance to the
change.
Applications of Schlosberg- Transition Theory

• In counselling and therapy, this theory can be used to help clients

manage and cope with life transitions such as retirement, divorce and
career changes. For example, the therapists can use this theory to help
clients understand the different stages of transition and develop
effective coping strategies.
• In education, Schlosberg- Transition Theory can be used to help
students to adjust to college life. For example, college and universities
can use this theory to develop programs that students transition from
high school to college by providing support and resources during this
time of change.
• In organizational management, Schlosberg- Transition Theory can be
used to help employees adjust to changes within the workplace such as
merges, restructuring and layoffs. For example, managers can use this
theory to help employees understand the reasons behind the changes and
provide support and resources to help them cope with the changes.
• Overall, Schlosberg- Transition Theory has a wide range of applications
in many fields, and it can be used to manage and cope with life
transitions in a positive and effective way.
Lindsley- Arousal Theory

The arousal theory was put forward by Donald B. Lindsley in the year
1952, and was further researched as well as expanded by the researcher
Ellis Lee in the year 1996. Lindsley had differentiated various levels of
arousal and activation in the terms of characteristics of brain waves. The
brain wave disclose a rhythmic and smooth pattern of around ten
oscillations per second, and they are also known as alpha rhythm. On the
other hand, when the subject is aroused or excited, such as by the pain,
anxiety or the noise of a gunshot, the alpha rhythm get inhibited and there
are faster waves of lower amplitude instead. This change in the rhythm is
called activation pattern.
Applications of Lindsley- Arousal Theory

• In education, teachers can use this theory to help students find the
optimal level of arousal required for learning. For example,
teachers can adjust the difficulty level of a task to match the
student’s current level of arousal.

• In sports, coaches can use this theory to help athletes find the
optimal level of arousal required for peak performance. For
example, coaches can use thus techniques such as visualization
and relaxation to help athletes stay calm before a competition.

• Overall, Lindsley- Arousal Theory has a wide range of

applications in different fields, and it can be used to help people
find the optimal level of arousal required for activities