Theories of Motivation

Motivation is the reason behind a specific behavior particularly human behavior. Reasons for motivation may vary such as basic needs, an object, goal, state of being or ideal. Motivation for behaving in a certain way could also be due to morality.

Geen (1995) defines motivation as the “initiation, direction, intensity and persistence of human behavior”.

People differ in wants or needs. The theories of motivation, in part, aim to explain the reason behind these wants and needs. Most theories are based on the needs of the person and the idea that satisfying this need is important before the person can focus on other needs.

Theories of Motivation

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is the most widely popular theory. It believes that human beings have desires which affects their behavior particularly the unsatisfied needs. The needs come in the order of importance. The person moves to the next level of need if the lower level need is satisfied. The further in the need level the person moves, the more individuality and psychological health the person reveals.

These needs starting for the lowest to the highest are: psychological, safety and security, social, self-esteem and self-actualization. Examples of physiological needs could be food or water. Safety pertains to security, freedom from violence, work safety and others. Social is the sense of belongingness like family, friends, co workers and others. Self-esteem is the need for approval, recognition, status, etc. And lastly, self-actualization pertains to the need to pursue personal growth through education, religion, hobbies and others.

According to Maslow, it would be hard to attain the highest goal of self-actualization if the lower goals are not attained or taken cared of first. Food, water, shelter - these are but a few of our most basic needs that precede all others. For instance, it would be foolish to worry how to become emotionally stable when you cannot even eat a decent meal or if you are gravely ill. By taking care of the basic needs, one can proceed to take care of the higher needs.

Just like Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, Herzberg's Two Factor Theory is a need-based motivation theory. This theory is considered more powerful than Maslow because it is easier to comprehend.

The two factor theory believes that certain factors in the workplace lead to job satisfaction. Others do not affect satisfaction but if not present could lead to dissatisfaction.

These factors are motivators and hygiene factors. Motivators provide job satisfaction. This includes recognition, duties and challenge. Hygiene factors are so called because just like hygiene their presence will not make a person healthier but their absence cause decline. Examples of these include salary, fringe benefits, job security.

Hygiene factors, therefore, can determine dissatisfaction and motivators determine satisfaction. Both scales are independent and one can score high on both factors.

Alderfer's ERC theory is another need-based theory just like the abovementioned two theories. This is similar to Maslow but the hierarchy of needs is grouped into three - ERG or existence, relatedness and growth. Physiological and safety falls under existence. Love and self-esteem are under relatedness. And self-actualization and self-esteem needs.

Alderfer's model is considered more rational than that of Maslow's. For instance, in Maslow's theory sex is under physiological needs at the bottom category. In Alderfer's, sex need not be at the bottom category because it is not vital to individual's existence. So by not putting sex at the bottom part, this means that people need not have sex before they can satisfy higher needs such as education.

Vroom's Expectancy Theory explains why people choose a certain course of action. Unlike the three aforementioned theories, Vroom's theory is not need-based. There are three variables in this theory: Valence, Expectancy and Instrumentality.

Valence refers to the importance of the anticipated outcome of a situation. Expectancy is the belief that the effort exerted and success of the situation are related. Instrumentality means the success is related the expectations.

Vroom's Expectancy theory could sometimes be associated with work situation just like Herzberg's Two Factor Theory. But, in actuality, this theory is applicable to almost all kinds of situations whether work-related or not.

Vroom's expectancy theory simply espoused the idea that the reason people do some things is because they expect a certain outcome.

I apply Vroom's expectancy theory to my professional life because I believe in doing things not because I want to attain a certain reward but I want to attain something I truly desire for myself. For instance, I do a good job at the office not because I want a promotion, although it is part of it, but because I expect to feel fulfilled after having done something worthwhile.