WORKPLACE MOTIVATION

Workplace Motivation



Workplace Motivation

Introduction

This paper discusses the aspects of workplace motivation which is a key element in improving the performance of the organization. “Employees are the biggest assets of the organization. Adequate care of the employees by providing them intrinsic and extrinsic rewards helps them motivate in their work”, In this Paper I will be discussing the various theories of employee motivation at workplace through the use of Hertzberg model of employee motivation. The present paper provides a review of six of the more dominant theories of work motivation; Equity Theory, Expectancy Theory, Cognitive Evaluation Theory, Goal-Setting Theory, Control Theory, and Social Cognitive Theory. For each of these theories, the central tenets of the model are presented, followed by a summary of the research support that has been obtained for these theoretical propositions and a critical evaluation of the theory as a model of work motivation. Following this discussion, the paper is concluded with several broad theoretical and methodological suggestions for improving the quality of future research in the field of work motivation.

Discussion

Since the formal inception of the field of work motivation during the 1930s, numerous theoretical models have been forwarded to both explain and predict motivated behavior in organizational settings. Although no clear consensus exists as to the 'proper' definition, work motivation can be generally defined as 'a set of energetic forces that originates both within as well as beyond an individual's being, to initiate work-related behavior, and to determine its form, direction, intensity & duration'. In perhaps the earliest formulation of a theory of work motivation intended to describe these 'energetic forces', Lewin (1938) developed an expectancy-based model (termed 'resultant valence' theory), which emphasized the role of subjective perceptions in determining worker behaviour. In the time since this initial effort, subsequent theoretical models have proposed a widely divergent set of factors to be responsible for motivated behaviour (Ryan, 2000, 67).

For example, three of the earliest theories of work motivation all focused on different determinants of behaviour: while drive theories emphasized the role of physiological need deprivation, and reinforcement theories asserted that the primary determinants of behaviour were the consequences and/or rewards associated with past behaviour, need theories focused on the role of psychological needs or values in motivation. Although these particular theories have since fallen out of favor with the work motivation research community, the diversity in assumptions represented by these theories remains in today's literature. Modern explanations for motivated behaviour range from the principles of hedonism, to the principles of equity, to the concept of dynamic homeostasis.

(Gawel, 1997, pp. 14)

Organizational culture and motivation

The cognitive tool of social categorization and the evaluative implications of social comparison processes can both promote a person's emotional involvement in a particular social group: their sense of social identification. In this way, the social identity approach specifies the conditions under which individuals are likely to think of themselves as group members, and to work toward group goals. Furthermore, it helps us understand why particular group memberships tend to become more powerful ...