Motivation
Meaning, Definitions, Features, Types of Needs and Theories
Meaning
Motivation is the driving force that compels individuals to take action, achieve goals, or engage in specific behaviors. It encompasses both internal factors, like personal desires and interests, and external factors, such as rewards or recognition. Essentially, motivation answers the question of why we do what we do—why we start a project, persist through challenges, or strive for certain outcomes. It plays a crucial role in shaping our actions and determining our level of commitment and perseverance.
Motive
A motive is an inner state that energies, activities or moves that directs behavior towards goals. A motive is restlessness, a lack, a yen, a force. Once in the grip motive, the organism does something to reduce the restlessness, to remedy the lack, to alleviate the yen, to mitigate thee force.
Motivating
Motivating implies that one person, in the organizational context a manager, induces another, say employee, to engage in action (work behavior) by ensuring that a channel to satisfy the motive becomes available and accessible to the individual.
Motivation
While a motive is energizer of action, motivating is the channelization and activation of motives, motivation is the work behaviour itself. Motivation depends on motives and motivating, therefore, it becomes a complex process.
Definitions
According to Dubin
Motivation is the complex forces starting and keeping a person at work in an organization. Motivation is something that moves the person to action. and continues him in the course of action already initiated.
According to McFarland
Motivation refers to the way in which urges, drives, desires, aspirations, strivings or needs direct, control or explain the behavior of human beings.
According to Stephen P Robbins
Motivation is the process that accounts for an individual’s intensity, direction and persistence of effort towards attaining a goal.
According to Moorhead and Griffin
Motivation is the set of forces that leads to behave in particular ways.
According to Luthans
Motivation is a process that starts with a physiological or psychological deficiency or need that activates a behavior or a drive that is aimed at a goal or incentive
According to Stoner, Freeman and Gilbert
Motivation is a human psychological characteristic that contributes to a person’s degree of communication. It includes factors that cause, channel and sustain human behavior in a particular committed direction.
According to Vroom
Motivation is a process governing choice made by persons or lower organizer among alternative forms of voluntary activity.
According to Jones
Motivation is how behavior gets satisfied, is energized, is sustained, is directed, is stopped and what kind of subjective reaction is present in the organization while all this is going on.
According to Atkinson
Motivation is the contemporary (immediate) influences on the direction, vigor and persistence of action.
Features of Motivation
Based on the definition of motivation, we can derive its nature relevant for human behaviour in organization. Following characteristics of motivation clarify its nature:
i. Based on Motives:
Motivation is fundamentally rooted in various underlying motives that drive human behavior. Motives are the internal forces or needs that prompt individuals to take action and pursue specific goals. These can range from basic physiological needs, such as hunger or thirst, to higher-level psychological needs, like self-esteem or self-fulfillment. For instance, the motive to achieve recognition might drive someone to excel in their career, while the desire for social connection might lead someone to foster strong personal relationships. Understanding the specific motives behind behavior helps in identifying what truly drives an individual and in tailoring strategies to enhance motivation.
ii. Affected by Motivating Factors:
Motivation is influenced by a variety of motivating factors, which can either enhance or diminish one’s drive to act. These factors include external rewards, such as bonuses or praise, and internal factors, such as personal interests and values. Environmental conditions and social contexts also play a crucial role. For example, a supportive work environment and constructive feedback can increase motivation, while negative feedback or a lack of resources can decrease it. The interplay of these motivating factors determines how intensely and persistently an individual pursues their goals.
iii. Goal-Directed Behavior:
Motivation is inherently linked to goal-directed behavior, meaning that it drives individuals to set and achieve specific objectives. The essence of motivation lies in its capacity to focus attention and effort towards desired outcomes. When people are motivated, they are more likely to establish clear goals, develop plans, and work diligently towards accomplishing them. This goal-directed nature of motivation ensures that actions are purposeful and aligned with achieving particular results. For example, a student motivated by the goal of graduating with honors will likely engage in consistent study habits and seek academic support to reach that objective.
iv. Related to Satisfaction:
Motivation is closely related to the concept of satisfaction, as achieving goals often leads to a sense of fulfillment and contentment. The link between motivation and satisfaction can be seen in how the pursuit and accomplishment of goals provide a sense of achievement and personal gratification. For example, completing a challenging project can result in feelings of pride and satisfaction, reinforcing the motivation to undertake future challenges. Conversely, lack of progress or failure to achieve desired goals can lead to frustration or dissatisfaction, which might diminish motivation. Thus, motivation not only drives behavior but is also shaped by the satisfaction derived from achieving or failing to achieve one’s goals.
v. Person Motivated in Totality:
Motivation encompasses the entirety of an individual’s being, including their emotions, thoughts, and desires. It is a holistic phenomenon that integrates various aspects of a person’s life and personality. For example, a person’s motivation to succeed in their career may be influenced by their personal values, emotional needs, and cognitive beliefs about their abilities. This totality means that motivation cannot be fully understood by examining isolated factors; instead, it involves considering the interplay between different elements of an individual’s life and how they collectively drive behavior. Recognizing this comprehensive nature of motivation helps in addressing the full range of influences that impact an individual’s actions and decisions.
vi. Complex Process:
Motivation is a complex process that involves multiple interacting elements, making it challenging to pinpoint a single cause or solution. It is shaped by a combination of internal drives, external influences, psychological theories, and biological factors. This complexity means that understanding and enhancing motivation requires a nuanced approach that considers various contributing factors. For instance, addressing motivation might involve exploring an individual’s personal values, setting clear goals, providing appropriate rewards, and considering their emotional and social context. The intricate nature of motivation reflects its multifaceted role in influencing behavior and achieving goals, highlighting the need for a comprehensive and tailored approach to effectively support and enhance motivational states.
Types of Needs
Needs are deficiencies that an individual experiences at a particular point of time. Needs are triggers of behavioural responses. The implication is that when needs are present, the individual is more susceptible to manager’s motivation efforts. There are many needs which an individual may have and there are various ways in which these may be classified. . Thus, needs may be grouped into three categories:
1. Primary Needs
2. Secondary Needs
3. General Needs
1. Primary Needs
Primary needs are also known as physiological, biological, basic, or unlearned needs. Primary needs are animal drives which are essential for survival. These needs are common to all human beings, though their intensity may differ. Some of the needs are food, sex, sleep, air to breathe, satisfactory temperature. etc. These needs arise out of the basic physiology of life and are important to survival and preservation of species. These needs are also conditioned by social practice.
2. Secondary Needs
As contrast to the primary needs, secondary needs are not natural but are learned by the individual through his experience and interaction. Therefore, these are also called learned or derived needs. Emergence of these needs depends on learning. This is the reason why we find differences among need pattern of a child and a matured individual. There may be different types of secondary needs like need for power, achievement, status, affiliation, etc.
3. General Needs
There are a number of needs which lie in the grey area between the primary and secondary classifications. To be included in this category, a need must not be learned but at the same time it is not completely physiological. In fact, there are certain such needs like need for competence, curiosity, manipulation, affection, etc.
Theories of Motivation
Theories of Motivation – Content Theories and Process Theories
