Motivation in the Workplace Essay - 2222 Words

For this assignment, I am going to describe and discuss several motivation theories. Then I will compare and contrast different aspects of the theories to each other and discuss how the different theories relate to my workplace. Why is motivation important in an organization? According to Grensing-Pophal (2002), motivation is giving employees a reason to perform something. Motivated employees are more likely to miss less work, perform at a higher level, and be more likely to stay at their current company. For a business owner, all these effects will result in a more successful business. Over the years, there have been a number of psychological theories that attempt to define the concept of motivation. The first set of theories I†¦show more content†¦An interesting aspect of Maslow’s Hierarchy is that until needs of the prior levels are met, a person will not be able to move to the next level (Jones and George 2011). In other words, an employee job will not be mo tivated by the need to feel self-actualized in a position where they do not feel that their job is secure. Another need theory is Alderfer’s Existence, Relatedness, and Growth (ERG) Theory. According to Jones and George (2011), Alderfer’s theory is very similar to Maslow’s Hierarchy, but there are several significant differences. The first difference is that Alderfer used three levels or categories, rather than five. These three levels are existence needs, relatedness needs, and growth needs. Existence needs consist of basic needs (such as food, water, and shelter) and safety needs. The second category is relatedness needs. These needs can be described as interacting with others. The final category is growth needs. These are needs such as self-development and having creative work to perform. According to Jones and George (2011), an important distinction between Maslow’s Hierarchy Theory and Alderfer’s ERG Theory is that †Alderfer believed that a person can be motivated by needs at more than one level at the same time.† Gupta (2011) points out that when an employee is not able to satisfy one of the higher level needs, that the lower level needs will become more important to an employee. For example, if an employ feels that theirShow MoreRelatedMotivation in The Workplace1771 Words   |  8 Pagesrequirements of their job, but are experiencing shortcomings in doing so, many times it is believed that worker motivation may be the root of the problem (Laird 95). What, though, is work motivation? According to Laird (2006), â€Å"motivation is a fundamental component of performance â€Å" and â€Å"is the reason that someone chooses to do some things and chooses not to do others†. In other words, work motivation is what energizes workers to the level of output required to fulfill a task, directs their energy towardsRead MoreWorkplace Motivation1770 Words   |  8 Pagesbe very useful tools to increase motivation from the employees, reduce employee turnover and help to maintain skilled and talented pers onnel. Strategies used to influence employee loyalty can be intrinsic motivation or extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation is explained as ones personal incentive to engage in an activity for a feeling of personal satisfaction and accomplishment without expectation of external rewards or recognition. Whereas, extrinsic motivation is defined as using external incentivesRead MoreThe Impact Of Motivation On The Workplace861 Words   |  4 PagesOnce I would like to start off explaining what motivation in the workplace. Motivation is an employee s intrinsic enthusiasm about and drive to accomplish activities related to work. 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So there are a lot of theories appeared to help people to get the best motivation. What is the motivation .To reply this question that means you can understand the motivation also you can know how do you deal with problem motivation. There are a lot of definitions for motivation some people make briefly definition for motivation ,thatRead MoreMotivation in the Workplace Essay1193 Words   |  5 Pagesto and if they do not receive what they deserve the situation may board on injustice. Unfortunately in today’s society justice and appreciation are not given out to all those deserving (Pinder, 1998). A major problem to address is how to keep the motivation level high in a company when the employees do not feel appreciated. The Equity Theory touches on the effects these situations have on the employee’s motivational level. 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Employee retention is critical for a company to remain successful. For every 10 managerial and professional employees lost, an organization loses an average of $1 million (Ramlall, 2004). With respect to QVC, it is the nations largest electronicRead MoreAchieving Motivation At The Workplace1177 Words   |  5 PagesQuestion: 1. What is the best way to achieve motivation at work? Explain your answer with reference to relevant literature and examples. Problem Statement: Achieving motivation at the workplace is extremely important as the desire for workers to perform more efficiently and higher in terms of quality can directly influence the overall performance of a company (Ridgeway, 1982). Thus, discovering the best way to achieve motivation at work is a very necessary topic to be discussed. However, the definition