MOTIVATION IN LIFE AND WORK

A study of the direction and persistence of action of man is a study of motivation. Let us therefore
examine the role of needs, wants, motives and desires in the determination and control of action and
thoughts of an individual.

When an individual interacts with members of his work group he brings with him his motives,
perception, culture, and personality. To understand an individual’s performance, efficiency and
effectiveness. It is important to know his motivation and perception.

The extent to which is his needs are satisfied on the job will partly determine his participation in the
achievement of organizational goals.

NATURE OF MOTIVATION

MOTIVATION

Motivation may be meaningfully discussed from two angles.

First, it may be discussed in terms of internal aspect, its reference to a state of inner dissatisfaction, a
state of needs, wants, or desires, a state in which bodily energy is mobilized, a state of a drive which the
organism is impelled to relieve.

Secondly, motivation may be discussed from its outer aspect, as a sequence of behavior selectively
directed to in terms of a goal. Goals then refer to the outer directional aspect of behavior in given
situation.

We may define motivation as a characterized both by a state of drive and by the direction of behavior
toward some goal selected in preference to the other goals.

INNER MOTIVATION: EMPHASIS ON THE INDIVIDUAL.

One widely accepted concept is that all persons are motivated by certain needs.

BASIC LIST OF NEEDS:

Physiological needs (air, food, water, etc.) social needs ( need to belong to a group and to have a social
relationships with others) and Ego or individual needs ( needs for approval, acceptance, mastery, etc.),
need for security, need for wider experience, need for a sense of meaningfulness.
ROLE THEORY IN RELATION TO MOTIVATION.

Individuals take on certain motives as they assume different roles.

Role theory suggests that as the individual’s position in the group changes, his motivation may also
change.

Motivation in general is the process which involves the use of physical and mental effort to do
something. Some behaviorists describe a motivational cycle which illustrates that man is a perpetually
wanting person. That is, even if he is able to satisfy his lowers level need and Reaches his goal, another
need or a higher level need is activated trying to seek more satisfaction.

MOTIVES
1. achievement
2.greater achievement and security

MOTIVATED BEHAVIOR

1. Going to school

2. Applying for a job

GOALS

SATISFACTION

MOTIVATION THEORIES

The most significant and commonly applied theories in the world of works are: Abraham Maslow’s
Hierarchy of Needs, frederick Hezberg’s Motivation Hygiene Theory, David McClelland’s Achievement
Motivation and Mcgregor’s Theory X and Theory Y.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

According to Maslow, human needs are arranged in a hierarchy of five levels. The lower level needs
include the Physiological and security needs; The higher level needs are the social, esteem and self-
actualization.
Herzberg’s Hygiene-motivation Theory

Herzberg describes two categories of needs that are necessary for superior effort and performance;
hygiene needs (peripheral to the job itself ) and motivation needs (associated with the job itself).

Hygiene needs are also called job context factors, extrinsic factors dissatifiers, or maintenance factors by
other researchers. Examples of these are; company policy, administration and supervisor (in effective,
deleterious or unfair), work conditions, salary, interpersonal job status and security.

What is needed to produce superior effort and performance is to primarily prevent dissatisfaction
through the hygiene needs and then work at the satisfaction of motivation needs.

Motivation needs are also known as content factors, and intrinsic factors, satisfiers or growth factors.
This needs are directly associated with the work or job itself. Examples of these are; work itself,
professional growth, recognition, achievement, responsibility and advancement.

Hygiene needs (Job context) Motivation needs (Job context)

Company policy Job itself

Administration and supervision Professional growth

Working condition Recognition

Salary Advancement

Interpersonal relations Responsibility

Job status and security Achievement

Dissatisfaction in work Satisfaction in work

McClelland Achievement Motivation

McClelland suggests that most people can be divided into to broad psychological groups. People in the
smaller of the two groups are challenge by opportunity and are willing to work hard to achieve
something. People in the other groups are not so highly challenge because the have less n-Ach
(achievement motive capacity with regard to entrepreneurship and the development of this
achievement motive). One way that McClelland measures n-Ach is by asking his subjects to write up
projective story about a set of relatively ambiguous pictures. These projective technique forces the
subjects to reveal or protect themselves in writing.
McClelland and his associates proposed that to the some extent n-Ach can be taught to adults and
children. For business leaders they have been developing techniques to develop n-Ach. Such training
programs have form goals.

1. To teach participants with methods for setting higher but planned and realistic goals for
themselves for a two year period.

2. To provide the participants with methods for setting higher but planned and realistic goals for
themselves for a two year period.

3. To provide the participants with greater feedback and knowledge about themselves and
differentiate between improving performance and just making good impression or making more
friends.

4. To establish a group esprit de corps through group interaction and sharing of such experience
such as success and failure, hopes and fears.

Most of the researchers on achievement motivation indicates that the individual is most likely to be
motivated when he/she has an opportunity to perform moderately challenging tasks and competitive
situations, in which performance depends on an important skill and feedback, in given rewarding
performance

McGregor’s theory X and Y

According to the theory X people will not work at all at their job without dictating and demanding
leader. The assumption of the theory X according to McGregor are:

1. People inherently dislike work and. When possible, will avoid it.

2. The have little ambition. They tend to shun responsibility and preferred to be directed

3. In order to get them to attain organizational adjectives, It is necessary to use coercion, control,
and threats or punishment.

In contrast in to theory X. Theory Y presents a dynamic view of men. He is seen as having growth and
development capacities.

Theory Y assumptions of McGregor are:

1. Work is a natural phenomenon and if the conditions are favorable,, people will not only accept
responsibility they will seek it.

2. People are committed to organizational objectives. They will exercise self direction and self control.

3. Commitment is a function of the rewards associated with goal attainment.

4. The capacity for creativity in solving organizational problems is widely distributed in the population
and the intellectual potentialities of the average human being are only partly utilize.

The motivational model

(Victor H. Vroom, 1973)

This explains that a person’s motivation and action at a particular time are determined by the
anticipated values of all the outcome (positive and negative) of the action, multiplied by the strength of
a person’s expectation that the action will lead to the outcome sought. This called the “VALENCE”

VALENCE – defined as the strengths of the belief that a particular act will be followed by a particular act
will be followed by a particular outcome.

MOTIVATION – is defined as the strength of the drive toward action.

The motivational relationship is expressed in the following formula:

E valence x Expectancy = Motivation

The summation of valence times expectancy equals motivation.

DIAGRAM:

Work motivation and performances

In business organizations, the relation between motivation and worker performance in an issue that
needs to be addressed by the manager.

Classification of workers motives

First order or primary needs

 1. Physiological needs (need to stay alive and be alive, food, water moderate temperature, oxygen,
etc.)

2. Occupational needs – the need to have in the work situation the necessary illumination;
ventilation; cleanliness, safety and health safeguards; noise; music and color.

3. The model further shows that motivation leads to a particular action. Ideally this action leads to
goal attainment and to satisfaction of the individual.

4. if we accept this model, then it follows that in order to motivate a person to work we can do
only two things: First, we can increase the positive value of the outcomes through means as
better communication about the outcome ‘s values and actually increasing them. Second, we
may increase his expectancy that the work will really lead him to the desired outcome. The
valence-expectancy model by Vroom should be recognized as only a very broad treatment of the
whole motivation process since it does not directly deal with details and complexities of the
individual's personality.

Occupational needs refer mainly to the physical conditions in the work environment that effect
performance.

The six major conditions mentioned above have been found to have some effect performance.

a. ILLUMINTAON: it is said that the quality of work suffers in the absence of sufficient light. The
qualities of intensity, distribution, glare, and the nature of light source are important.

b. VENTILATION: this is measured by temperature and humidity. In tropical countries like the
Philippines, temperature and humidity have an effect on the worker’s physical condition and
concentration.

c. CLEANLINESS, SAFETY AND HEALTH SAFEGUARDS: keeping the surrounding clean and safe for
the workers is an important concern of management.

d. d. NOISE: noise in varying degree was found to produce the following effects on worker
performance: 1. sudden, jarring noise can be distracting. (siren, drill, rocket lunch, etc.); 2.
regular or constant noise of 50 or less decibels does not have any negative nor positive effect on
concentration (clicking of typewriters, moderate conversation.) 3. exposure to prolonged
periods of noise at 85 decibels can lead to hearing damage (constant roaring of heavy truck
motors; power movers); 4. the threshold for insanity is 120 decibels.

e. e. MUSIC: one of the beneficial needs of music is that it tends to reduce the strain of factory
noise. A pleasing melody with regular rhythm has been found to reduce monotony and improve
productivity in repetitive types of work.

f. COLOR: color has been used in industry to help reduce fatigue, increase efficiency, decrease accidents,
and improve housekeeping.
Second Order or Situational Needs

1. Needs for security and surety

a. economic security money factor in worker motivation. It is seen to apply in both

higher level and lower needs. Money is necessary to satisfy basic needs as well as security needs.

managers meet this by:

a.1. effective programs of wage and salary administration

a.2. efforts to regulate and stabilize employment and income.

a.3. appropriate employee benefit programs.

b. Emotional security is satisfied by maintaining, acceptable and stable relationship with his work, with
the boss, and with the organization.

b.1.adequate and understandable company policies, rules, and regulations.

b.2. workable programs of communication.

b.3. a trained supervisor, skill in human relations initiating change, and in handling other
problems.

2. Need for authority and growth

this is felt by individuals in varying degrees at various ages in their lives. It involves the desire to
learn, develop and become more fully functioning. If denied this need, the individual experiences
frustration.

A. careful selection and matching of men with their job through training and promotion.

3. Need for acceptance and belonging: it involves the need to associate with other people or with
groups.

4. Need for recognition and respect: this involves the need to say and do things that will bring them
satisfaction, attention, and the sense of appreciation. Employee himself can meet the above need this
by:

1. efforts to increase their power and attain higher status.

2. being more independent and make other people depend on him.

3. a clear conscience and living in terms of a basic personal code.

THIRD ORDER OR OPERATIONAL NEEDS.

the need for effective job-management relationship stems from the work itself and the
individual’s relation to it.

1. Need of the individual to know the requirements of the job: what is expected of him, and how
he stands in getting it done.

2. Need of the employee to like their work: management can meet this by matching man to the
kind of work he likes to do.

BEHAVIORAL PATTERNS ON WORK GROUP

individual perform their functions as defined by the formal organization. These behavioral
patterns may take the form of occupational culture, occupational language, ceremonies and rituals, and
myth and beliefs.

OCCUPATIONAL CULTURE.

this includes the roles that each person must perform as he practices his occupation be that of
account, manager doctor, pilot, soldier or government official. A new employee must feel his way
around the work environment. He knows when to give his opinions or criticisms and also shows how to
avoid them.

OCCUPATIONAL LANGUAGE

occupations also have their own distinctive mode of expressions as depicted in the language
used by their members. technical language, class vocabulary and argot (words that are substitute for
ordinary traditional words) are woven into a pattern of speaking, so that to be fully acculturated into a
work group, a person must know how to communicate in the customary way.

CEREMONIES AND RITUALS

Initiation rites. It is not only primitive people and fraternal orders that engage in initiation rites.

Rites of passage. When, for any reason, workers leave or change their jobs, they often
participate in a rite of passage. This may merely consist of shaking hands with all the members, receiving
an award or gift, delivering a speech or being the honoree at a “despedida” party.

Rites of intensification. This refers to ceremonies which symbolize common values one engages
in for the purpose of maintaining, reinforcing feelings of group solidarity, and cooperation. Common
examples are taking coffee breaks together, hand shaking, et.al.