Republic of the Philippines

Commission on Higher Education

Region V (Bicol
REPUBLIC COLLEGES OF GUINOBATAN, INC.
GRADUATE SCHOOL
G. Alban Street Iraya, Guinobatan, Albay
Subject: Educ 204 (Educational Management) PROFESSOR’s
Module No. 07 REMARKS
Title of the Module: MOTIVATION
Name of Presenter/s: Angelica A. Loria,
Joana Mae Basagre,
Jona L. Llona
Date/s Presented: September 28, 2024

A. OBJECTIVES OF THE MODULE

At the end of this module, the MAED Students should be able to:
1. Explain the concept of motivation as a force that propels individuals towards a goal or
action.
2. Distinguish between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, understanding their sources and
characteristics.
3. Identify the key factors that influence motivation, including needs, goals, values, and
beliefs.
4. Determine the 5 principles of Goal-Setting Theory
5. Describe intrinsic motivation as arising from internal sources, such as enjoyment,
satisfaction, and personal growth.

B. CONTENT

Definition: There are several Theories of Motivation that are developed to explain the concept of
“Motivation”. The motivation is a drive that forces an individual to work in a certain way. It is
the energy that pushes us to work hard to accomplish the goals, even if the conditions are not
going our way.
With the establishment of human organizations, people tried to find out the answer to, what
motivates an employee in the organization the most. This gave birth to several content theories
and process theories of motivation.
The content theories deal with “what” motivates people, whereas the process theories deal
with, “How” motivation occurs. Thus, theories of motivation can be broadly classified as:

Content Theories: The content theories find the answer to what motivates an individual and is
concerned with individual needs and wants. Following theorists have given their theories of
motivation in content perspective:
Maslow’s need Hierarchy
Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory
McClelland’s Needs Theory
Alderfer’s ERG Theory
Process Theories: The process theories deal with “How” the motivation occurs, i.e. the process
of motivation and following theories were given in this context:
Vroom’s Expectancy Theory
Adam’s Equity Theory
Reinforcement Theory
Carrot and Stick Approach to Motivation

Content. Process. What’s the difference between these two theories of motivation? Well, one is a
theory about what motivation is, and the other explains how it works.
Both theories of motivation seek to explain why and how we do what we do.
Content theories of motivation define our motives and needs that drive our behaviour, and
process theories of motivation show us what we might do to meet those needs. You can learn
more about both here.
First, we will explore the content theories of motivation to give you a framework for the why of
our motivations.
 Republic of the Philippines
Commission on Higher Education
Region V (Bicol
REPUBLIC COLLEGES OF GUINOBATAN, INC.
GRADUATE SCHOOL
G. Alban Street Iraya, Guinobatan, Albay
Content theories of motivation – what motivates people?

1. Maslow's theory of the hierarchy of needs

Who was Abraham Maslow?
Abraham Maslow was an American psychologist and humanist who created one of the most
popular theories of motivation: the Hierarchy of Needs.
His human-centric approach to psychology postulated that, at the core, humans all want to self-
actualise or fulfil their potential. He also believed that this is impossible to achieve until other
fundamental needs are reached.
What is Maslow’s theory of hierarchy needs?
Based on his humanist philosophy, the ultimate goal of all people is to be the best they can be.
But, to do that, all needs for food, safety, social connection, and self-esteem must be met. Once
all these needs are met, one can reach their full potential and be self-actualised. We’ll dig into
those 5 different levels of happiness next. Remember, to become one’s best, all the bottom needs
must be achieved.
1. Physiological Needs
First and foremost, you need some basic things to survive. Food, water, air, warmth and
reproduction. Modern humans need a home and clothes too. Before any of the higher needs can
be met, physiological needs must be attended to.
2. Security and Safety Needs
After that, you’re looking after your safety and security. This isn’t just protection from accidents
and injury- although that’s part of it – these are the need for health, wellness and money security.
When paired with physical needs, these are our two most basic motivators. It’s why we put
money in savings and try to get (and keep) a good job.
3. Social Needs
Belonging, acceptance and love; are the family, friends, community & social groups, lovers and
religious gatherings that add meaning to our lives. This is an emotionally driven need that helps
to stave off depression, loneliness and anxiety. Everything we do to enrich ourselves through
time with others will fall into this category.
4. Esteem Needs
Next, we have our desire to be respected and appreciated. If we have food, shelter, friends and
the other more basic needs covered, this need takes over. We begin to look forward to making
accomplishments that others notice, and when we do, we feel better about ourselves and our
worth. How we do this could vary greatly.
Sports, philanthropy, academics, career awards and more all contribute to the fulfilment of
esteem and stave off inferiority complexes. Within Maslow’s theories of motivation, esteem
combines with social needs to tick off our physiological requirements as human beings.
5. Self-Actualization Needs
Then, as we mentioned before, self-actualisation is at the top. This is where what others think
matters much less, and you’re focused on personal growth. You’re becoming self-actualised
when you’re using all your talents to the best of your ability and living up to your potential.
Remember, you must meet all your physiological and psychological needs before reaching this
last peak.
Maslow’s theories of motivation expanded.
In the 1970s, the five stages were supplemented with two further stages, which looked after our
aesthetic and cognitive needs. When we fulfil our cognitive needs, we learn and expand our
knowledge generally and specifically on topics of interest.
And when we look after our aesthetic requirements, we seek balance, harmony and beauty in our
lives and surroundings. Adding these two additional needs pushed our self-actualisation to the
top above cognitive and aesthetic needs within Maslow’s theories of motivation.
 Republic of the Philippines
Commission on Higher Education
Region V (Bicol
REPUBLIC COLLEGES OF GUINOBATAN, INC.
GRADUATE SCHOOL
G. Alban Street Iraya, Guinobatan, Albay
2. Alderfer’s ERG theory
Who was Clayton Alderfer?
Another American psychologist, Clayton Alderfer further developed Maslow’s theories of
motivation into his own theory based on 3 groups of core needs – shortened to ERG. These are
existence, relatedness and growth. We’ll explore this evolution of Maslow’s theory in more
detail below.
What is Alderfer’s ERG theory?
Inspired by Maslow’s theories of motivation, the ERG theory is an evolution that postulates
humans must achieve groups of core needs. Alderfer believed all human needs are within
existence, relatedness and growth. And while they might be at different levels for different
people or fluctuate over time, they’re critical to human happiness.
Another one of our content theories of motivation, the ERG model is famous for its simplicity.
The first and most critical need is for psychological and physical survival. The next is to build a
sense of community and a healthy sense of self. Then, you can move towards fulfilling your
potential and being all you can be.
How the model works
Alderfer’s ERG model differs from Maslow’s theories of motivation because Alderfer believed
you could motivate and work towards multiple needs simultaneously. He also didn’t think you
needed to fully satiate one need before moving to the next. Rather, he explained that human
motivations are more fluid and one need may take priority over another at different times in our
lives. Also, we can see these ERG levels increase and decrease over time.

Comparing Alderfer and Maslow

If you remember, within Maslow’s theories of motivation, you couldn’t move on to the upper
tiers until you had the lower tiers completed. Alderfer would disagree. He believed you could
learn and grow towards self-actualisation while working a part-time job to meet your basic safety
and physical needs.
He famously gives the example of the starving artist giving up basic comforts for their art. Plus,
he noted that humans may see their needs as fulfilled when others might not, even if they have
more. Or how feeling like progress is being made is a strong motivator, while feelings of futility
are demotivating.
If you think you’re not making social connections, you might put your effort elsewhere into
learning a new skill.
The ERG model in the world of work
As a result of these theories of motivation, we now believe our needs are more balanced than
Maslow’s postulated. And that’s a good thing.
It means we don’t need to ensure our team members have satisfied their basic needs before
helping them self-actualise or build relationships. When we apply this to gamification, we’re
looking to add a range of motivators across the whole ERG spectrum.
If Alderfer is correct, this will provide a more significant driver towards the actions we want by
allowing our teams to satisfy the needs that appeal to them most. Maybe they might even want to
strive towards a few blended needs. Lastly, we should – as leaders- expect these needs to change
over time and, therefore encourage our teams to seek a ‘pick and mix’ of motivations.

3. McClelland's human motivation theory

Who was David McClelland?
This American Harvard psychologist was praised for his work on Need Theory. His many
publications between 1950 and 1990 worked to further theories of motivation and improve
scoring for the TAT and other similar tests. His 1961 book “The Achieving Society” focuses on
3 human motivators: power, achievement and affiliation. And he argued that different people
have one need that is often more dominant than the others.
What is McClelland’s human motivation theory?
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Commission on Higher Education
Region V (Bicol
REPUBLIC COLLEGES OF GUINOBATAN, INC.
GRADUATE SCHOOL
G. Alban Street Iraya, Guinobatan, Albay
McClelland’s human motivation theory argued that the 3 dominant needs of power, achievement
and affiliation drive all human action.
While some may be higher than others, depending on where you come from and your values,
they are all omnipresent. Unlike some other theories of motivation, he argued that only one of
these factors is active at any one time and that intrinsic and extrinsic motivation cause power,
achievement and affiliation to manifest.
Following on from these theories of motivation, McClelland argued that companies should
decide who to hire based on a track record of success within a given field. This flew in the face
of the IQ and personality tests that were becoming popular in the 70s, 80s and 90s. His
arguments were so popular that they’re now standard practice for interview questioning
techniques.

4. Herzberg's two-factor theory

Who was Frederick Irving Herzberg?
Frederick Irving Herzberg was an American psychologist who created theories of motivation and
business management including the Motivator-Hygiene theory and the job enrichment approach.
In his 1968 publication, “One More Time, How Do You Motivate Employees?”, he talks
about making jobs more interesting and this work is still cited often today.
What is Herzberg’s two-factor theory?
In these dual theories of motivation, Herzberg contrasts job satisfaction with job dissatisfaction.
Motivators make employees work harder, and hygiene demotivates workers if they are not
present. From what became the most asked-for article in the Harvard Business Review,
Herzberg’s theories of motivation focused on the different impacts of these two factors on
employee performance.
With hygiene in place, you’re happy but not motivated to push any harder than you have to. And
if you feel something is out of place, you’ll become demotivated. Oh, and if you see someone
acting out, chances are their hygiene needs are not fulfilled. But what are these hygiene factors?
Let’s explore.
Hygiene factors
We all have basic needs when it comes to working. And hygiene factors are those needs. Think
of pay, fairness, security, good working conditions and the like. While they won’t make you
work harder, they are basic requirements that -without them- cause you to become unhappy in
your job fairly quickly. Here are a few examples:
Pay and package: If you’re well paid, you’re more content.
Security: How likely are you to be laid off or fired?
Environment: How nice is the office, commute and stress during work?
Reputation: What do people think of your company?
Policies: Are you treated fairly?
Management: How much freedom and autonomy do you have?
Herzberg motivators
Now, the above will just keep you content. They won’t make you go above and beyond. For that,
you need motivational factors. These are the elements and theories of motivation managers can
employ to get people excited about their work. It’s how you can push people to take on more
challenges, grow professionally, enrich themselves and take on more responsibility.
Here are a few examples:
Status: How authoritative are you seen at your job?
Social: How much do you enjoy client and team relationships?
Achievement: Do you enjoy completing tasks?
Recognition: Are you thanked when you go above and beyond in some way?
Development: Are you able to learn new skills and grow?
Completion: Can you finish tasks on time?
Interest: Do you find your work stimulating?
Responsibility: Can you take on more duties and gain authority?
Advancement: Can you earn a promotion?
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Commission on Higher Education
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REPUBLIC COLLEGES OF GUINOBATAN, INC.
GRADUATE SCHOOL
G. Alban Street Iraya, Guinobatan, Albay
Creativity: Do you have the freedom to brainstorm and implement ideas?
Autonomy: Can you decide what to do for yourself?
Variety: Is the work different and not the same old, same old?
The four states
Organizations can exist in four states:
High Hygiene and High Motivation – In this workplace, all workers are motivated and happy.
Performance and turnover are both good.
High Hygiene and Low Motivation – Here, workers are happy but only clock in and clock out.
They’re not motivated. The results are probably low.
Low Hygiene and High Motivation – In this office, people want to go above and beyond but the
conditions are bad. Turnover is probably high.
Low Hygiene and Low Motivation – This is the worst-case scenario. There are lots of grievances
and bad performance is rife.

1. Adams’s Equity Theory

Who was J. Stacy Adams?
J. Stacy Adams was a Belgian-born, American psychologist specialising in behavioural and
workplace psychology. He came up with Equity Theory in the 60s following time at Stanford
University and during his work as a consultant for General Electric. A member of the American
Psychological Association – Academy Management, Adams contributed to several professional
publications and authored the “Study of Organizations” in 1980.
What is Adams’s Equity Theory?
This justice theory was developed in the 60s by behavioural and workplace psychologist, J. Stacy
Adams. It’s concerned with balance. Is the reward equal to the costs for the people involved?
That’s the core tenant and it just makes sense. In your own work-life, chances are you keep a
mental tally of what you’re putting in versus what you get out of it. You’re not looking at this in
isolation either. It’s pretty easy to see if you’re getting the same, more or less than others. Adams
found that perceived imbalance will lead to proportional unhappiness but fairness keeps people
motivated. Adams derived Equity Theory from Social Exchange Theory, but it’s more focused
on determining input versus output and restoring that balance. Naturally, equity doesn’t have to
be exact but the contributions need to be similar to prevent distress.
Putting in more than you get out? The result is anger. Feeling overpaid? You’ll experience guilt.
While Adams uses hourly or salary wages as the main indicator of this input and output
calculation, it’s likely to apply to other soft benefits as well like respect, appreciation and
togetherness. Adams was one of the early psychologists to note the value of recognition in the
workplace as a powerful tool for improving their own self-assessment of equity. Impressively,
it’s also included in his process theories of motivation as a driver.
Why inputs lead to outcomes

Inputs
What you put in that you view as worthy of a reward or disbenefit is called an input under Equity
Theory. These could be relevant inputs like human capital and manual labour but they might also
include traits like kindness and beauty which reap social rewards or cruelty and selfishness
which have social costs. When considering inputs, you’ll want to look at a range of factors
including loyalty, experience, education, time, effort, hard work, adaptability, ability, flexibility,
determination, tolerance, enthusiasm, sacrifice, trust in leadership, skill and support from
colleagues.
Outcomes
Once you look at all the inputs, you need to consider the ratio. Is one side giving more than the
other? If so, someone will experience a negative outcome. However, when the ratios are close,
both parties should be satisfied. To explore outputs, you’ll want to consider salary, job security,
benefits, expenses, recognition, reputation, stimulus, thanks & praise and a sense of achievement.
These are the rewards calculated for not just Equity Theory but many other process theories of
motivation.
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Equity theory in business
When applying Equity Theory in a business setting, you need to keep these 3 things in mind:
Employees expect an equity norm or to get a fair return for their inputs.
They gauge what’s fair by comparing against their coworkers a.k.a social comparison.
If they feel they are not achieving equity, they will practice cognitive distortion, alter their inputs
and outputs or leave.
What that means for management
Since your team will be measuring the balance of input and outcomes against their own rubric,
you need to consider the individual. Employees will value outcomes and inputs differently even
if all other elements (like experience, job title and qualification) are the same. A single mom
might value flexible hours more while a working student might love an education bursary. This
includes accounting for local economies and how far their salaries will go. If you live in Central
London, you’ll expect a higher recompense than if you live in a Scottish fishing village. Also,
while teams understand that you get more as you move up the ladder, excessive C-suite pay can
be demotivating under Equity Theory. Lastly, employees who feel overcompensated may work
harder or they could conversely develop a sense of entitlement & superiority instead. For
management, you’ll need to correct any misaligned perceptions of inputs and outcomes through
effective strategies to prevent dissatisfaction from brewing under Adams’s process theories of
motivation.

2. Vroom’s Expectancy Theory

Who was Victor Harold Vroom?
Canadian-born, Yale School of Management professor Victor Harold Vroom is a decorated PhD
holder with a number of popular books on process theories of motivation including “Work and
Motivation, Leadership and Decision Making” and “The New Leadership” which received
academic acclaim.
What is Vroom’s Expectancy Theory?
In 1964, Vroom created the Expectancy Theory of Motivation. It’s another of the process
theories of motivation and helps us understand how people act in the workplace with respect to
decision-making, motivation and leadership. With this theory, performance, effort and outcomes
are all separated. This is different from Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs which links internal
drivers to effort. With Vroom’s process theories of motivation around expectancy, he postulates
that we all make conscious choices with our behaviour that minimises pain and results in the
most pleasure. He also includes in his process theories of motivation that in the workplace,
performance is also based on skills, knowledge, experience, personality and ability. Your
motivation is linked to effort and performance in a system where instrumentality valence and
expectancy account for motivation. We’ll explore those further below.

Vroom’s 3 Variables
Expectancy
Increased effort = increased performance. That’s the core of expectancy. It’s the idea that you’ll
perform better if you just work harder. However, it’s influenced by access to the right skills,
resources and support. Management should set you up for success.
Instrumentality
Better performance = desired outcomes. Here we believe we’ll hit our goals if we perform better.
But this is impacted by our understanding of the relationship between performance and the
outcome we’ll get, whether we trust the decision makers and how transparent that reward process
is.
Valence
Better rewards = better satisfaction. That’s assuming the employee values the reward at all.
These exist in three categories:
-1 Avoiding the outcome/reward
0 Indifferent about the outcome/reward
+1 Wanting the outcome/reward
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Commission on Higher Education
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REPUBLIC COLLEGES OF GUINOBATAN, INC.
GRADUATE SCHOOL
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Obviously, valence is only motivation if your employee wants the outcome. Gamification can
help to ensure that effort is rewarded with clear and desirable outcomes while showing them that
expectancy and instrumentality are also factored in.
The mathematical presentation for Vroom’s Expectancy Theory is:
Motivational Force (MF) = Expectancy (E) x Instrumentality (I) x Valence (V)
Remember, if any of the factors are zero, then there will be no or low motivation. For example, if
the employee can’t see how their increased effort will be rewarded (I) then they will not apply
increased effort. As a result, MF is zero because I is zero.
Applying Expectancy Theory to boost motivation
Let’s say you want a sales team member to increase closed-won opportunities by 10% this
quarter. Maybe you offered an incentive of one additional paid day off if this was achieved. If
the employee thinks this is doable, they will likely apply more effort (E). If they trust their
manager to reward them fairly and can see how increased effort leads to that goal, they’ll be
motivated (I). And lastly, if they like the idea of an extra day’s holiday, they’ll work towards it
(V). With all these elements aligned, the employee strives for the sales target, achieves it and is
rightly rewarded.

3. Locke’s Goal-Setting Theory

Who was Edwin Locke?

The former University of Maryland Dean’s Professor of Motivation and Leadership at the Robert
H. Smith School of Business is an accomplished American psychologist. He pioneered his goal-
setting process theories of motivation in 1968 to explain workplace behaviour.

What is Locke’s Goal-Setting Theory?

Locke’s article “Toward a Theory of Task Motivation and Incentives” from 1968 is the template
for modern goal-setting. It explains that when you create clear goals and give relevant feedback
then your teams will be motivated. He also felt that other process theories of motivation
overlooked the value of working towards a goal as a big source of motivation and performance
improvement. This is doubly true for specific and challenging goals. Telling someone to just do
their best is far less effective than telling them to beat their best score. Several years later, Dr
Gary Latham would do studies which supported Locke’s work and they’d collaborate on the
1990 influential book, “A Theory of Goal Setting & Task Performance.” This is the foundation
for most goal-based management techniques today.

Goal-Setting Theory’s 5 principles

To improve your chances of a good outcome you need a challenge, clarity, commitment,
feedback and complexity. Here’s what those mean:

 Clarity – when you know what you want to get to, you can set accurate measurements
and rewards. Think of the SMART mnemonic. Your goal setting needs to be specific,
measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound.
 Challenging – Use the inverted U model to create a balance between pressure and
performance. Think about how you might use gamification to create healthy competition
and how to scale the rewards so they are relevant.
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 Commitment – Make sure everyone has bought into the goals. This is easier if they help
to set them. You might use MBO or Amabile and Kramer’s Progress Theory to help
everyone get on board.
 Feedback – Are you listening? Measuring your own progress and checking with your
team helps you manage expectations and tweak the milestones in real-time. Try the stop,
start and continue method to give and receive relevant feedback.
 Complexity – Are there too many moving parts? Try breaking the goal down into sub-
goals or milestones so it’s not too overwhelming for your team. Check-in regularly to see
how they’re doing. You can always make more sub-goals to give them positive
reinforcement as they accomplish each step towards the main goal.
4. Skinner’s Reinforcement Theory
Who was Buuhus Frederick Skinner?
A former professor of psychology at Harvard, American behaviourist and social philosopher,
Buuhus Frederick Skinner was a proponent of process theories of motivation around Operant
Conditioning and the principle of reinforcement. This was all outlined in the groundbreaking
book – “Schedules of Reinforcement”- published in 1957.
What is Skinner’s Reinforcement Theory?
His Reinforcement Theory boils down to a fairly simple construct: If we get bad results from an
action, we’ll stop doing it. Likewise, if we get a good outcome, we’ll probably do it more. With
the Skinner box, he measured the rate of response to this conditioning – a practice which would
then birth behaviour analysis.

What Is Operant Conditioning?

In order to measure responses, Skinner used operant or instrumental conditioning. It uses
rewards and disbenefits as a result of behaviour. This creates a link in the subject’s mind
between good or bad outcomes and a particular action. Think lab rats that get a food pellet when
they press a lever with a green light above it and a shock when they press a lever with a red light
above it. They’d soon learn to avoid the red light. This is the same for humans and Operant
Conditioning takes place informally in classrooms, therapy sessions and workplaces all over the
country.
The History of Operant Conditioning
Skinnerian Conditioning or Operant Conditioning is one of the few process theories of
motivation that are totally external. It looks at the observable causes of human behaviour
(outcomes) to determine what people will do next. With a good outcome, the behaviour is likely
to be repeated. And with a bad one, avoided. The more that the same type of outcome happens,
the more likely you will be conditioned to believe it always will happen. If you are disruptive in
a work meeting and your boss glares at you, you’re unlikely to attempt that again – especially if
you see the same outcome happening to others or if it has happened before.
Types of Behaviours
The two types of behaviours that Skinner identified with his process theories of motivation are
respondent and operant.
Respondent behaviours
They are automatic and instinctual reactions like jerking your hand out of boiling water. They
aren’t learned.
Operant behaviours
These behaviours are determined by thought and often influenced by consequences we’ve
experienced in the past. They’re an important part of learning. Skinner used his operant
conditioning chamber or Skinner box to track and record the response rates of animals who
found pressing a key inside gave a reward.
Operant Conditioning elements
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Within Operant Conditioning are a few key concepts:
Reinforcement in Operant Conditioning
Reinforcement increases behaviour and there are two kinds:
Positive reinforcers- this is when you get a reward after the behaviour like praise for a job well
done.
Negative reinforcers- this removes a bad outcome following the behaviour like giving your kid a
candy to shush them. This gives you respite from the bad outcome of their tantrum.
Operant Conditioning punishments
Punishments decrease behaviours and there are two kinds:
Positive punishment – with this punishment, the goal is to train out the preceding behaviour.
Spanking a child is an example of this and it’s also called punishment by application.
Negative punishment – this is when you take something good away after a preceding behaviour
and it’s sometimes called punishment by removal. Taking away the iPad when your teenager
won’t clean their room is an example.
Reinforcement Schedules
Want to ensure your reinforcement works? The frequency and timing of your
reinforcement make all the difference. According to Skinner, these schedules of reinforcement
matter:
If you continuously reinforce with rewards the learning is faster but the response rate is low and
the participant will forget quickly.
If you use a fixed rate schedule and reinforce after a specific number of responses, this leads to a
steady response rate. Think of milestones.
Fixed interval uses a time break in between responses. This creates a bell curve of response rates
as they increase nearer the time and decrease when further away from the reward.
Variable ratio schedules add reinforcement after a random number of responses. This results in a
slow extinction (forgetfulness) rate and a high response rate.
Lastly, variable interval schedules give reinforcement after a random amount of time and it’s just
as effective as a variable ratio reinforcement schedule.
Examples of Operant Conditioning in business
Here are two examples of operant conditioning at work:
New learners are navigating a gamified onboarding training module. When they finish the
chapter, they get a badge for completion and the facilitator gives them verbal praise. This will
create conditioning which encourages them to complete more modules.
Sales agents are struggling to meet their quotas for the week and are advised they’ll need to work
on Saturday. The manager says, alternatively if they just get two more sales on Friday, he won’t
make them come in on the weekend. This operates as negative reinforcement, removing a bad
outcome for the team when they meet the stretch target.

MOTIVATION-THE CONCEPT
According to Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary, a motive is "something (a need or desire)
that causes a person to act." Motivate, in turn, means "to provide with a motive," and motivation
is defined as "the act or process of motivating." Thus, motivation is the act or process of
providing a mo- tive that causes a person to take some action. In most cases motivation comes
from some need that leads to behavior that results in some type of reward when the need is
fulfilled. This definition raises a couple of basic questions.
What are Rewards?
Rewards can take two forms. They can be either intrinsic/internal rewards or extrinsic/external
ones. Intrinsic rewards are derived from within the individual. For a healthcare employee this
could mean taking pride and feeling good about a job well done (e.g., providing excellent patient
care). Extrinsic rewards pertain to rewards that are given by another person, such as a healthcare
organization giving bonuses to teams of workers when quality and patient satisfaction are
demonstrated to be exceptional.
Who Motivates Employees?
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While rewards may serve as incentives and those who bestow rewards may seek to use them as
motivators, the real motivation to act comes from within the individual. Managers do exert a
significant amount of influence over their employees, but they do not have the power to force a
person to act. They can work to provide various types of incentives in an effort to in- fluence an
employee in any number of ways, such as by changing job de- scriptions, rearranging work
schedules, improving working conditions, reconfiguring teams, and a host of other activities, as
will be discussed later in this chapter. While these may have an impact on an employee's level of
motivation and willingness to act, when all is said and done, it is the employee's decision to take
action or not. In discussing management and mo- tivation, it will be important to continually
remember the roles of both managers and employees in the process of motivation.
Is Everybody Motivated?
As managers, we often assume that employees are motivated or will re- spond to inducements
from managers. While this is perhaps a logical and rational approach from the manager's
perspective, it is critical to under- stand that this is not always the case. While the majority of
employees do, in fact, want to do a good job and are motivated by any number of factors, others
may not share that same drive or high level of motivation. Those folks may merely be putting in
time and may be more motivated by other things, such as family, school, hobbies, or other
interests. Keeping this in mind is useful in helping managers understand employee behaviors that
seem to be counter-productive.

3. REFERENCES
https://businessjargons.com/theories-of-motivation.html
https://mambo.io/gamification-guide/content-theories-of-motivation
https://mambo.io/gamification-guide/process-theories-of-motivation-and-business-applications
Management and Motivation Nancy H. Shanks pp. 1-23
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4. REFLECTION QUESTIONS
1. What is the main difference between process and content theories of motivation?
2. Determine the 5 principles of Goal-setting theory?
3. Is it possible to create a work environment that fosters both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation?
If so, how?
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