Theories of Motivation

Theories of Motivation:

*Rational economic man - people are primarily motivated by economic needs. In the workplace, their feelings must be controlled by the organization. (a theoretical individual found in economic models, who acts entirely for reasons of self-interest without any concern for others. As a consumerhe always looks for the product that gives most satisfaction, as aproducer for the product that gives most profit.)

*Social man - people are motivated by their relationships with others and without this they do not exist. The need to belong to social groups and teams is critical.

*Self actualising man - people are self motivated and self controlled. Given the appropriate opportunities and resources they will apply their talents to achieve mutual goals.

*Complex man - people are variable in what motivates them. Their self motivation changes from time to time, and through time, and from situation to situation.  (that man has a hierarchy of needs.)

*The motivated man – Individual workers have two different categories of needs that are independent of each other but affect human behavior in different ways.

*The Three-Tiered Satisfied Man – A combination of Maslow and Herzberg’s motivation and Alderfers.

*The achiever – People woth hogh need to achieve, do achieve more than those with low need and with no need at all.

*The Expectant Man – A theory where the workers perceived competence to do a job well and the equitable reward he considers fair and just.

*The Managed Man – manager’s assumption about people and their consequent operationalized defines his style of managing. This is labeled by Theory X (the manager assumes that a typical person dislikes work and will avoud if he can – has been associated with closed autocratic style) and Theory Y (the manager assumes that a typical person, work is as natural as paly or rest; has been associated with open and participative management style) of Mc Gregor.

*The learning – Reinforced Man – man learns from his environment and greater control of this environment improves his development.

*Psychological man - people are a complex, evolving, maturing, organism with an ego ideal to strive for. Everything they experience, including their work and its environment, is part of their identity.

Maslow theory of motivation:

Abraham Maslow (1908 - 1990), an American psychologist. He pointed out that motivation was NOT something done TO people by others but fundamentally came from people's INNER NEEDS. In striving to satisfy these needs, people were motivated to take action and achieve.

Maslow suggested that there were five common needs that operated as a hierarchy. That is, only when the most fundamental need was satisfied would the next need act as a motivator, as follows:

* Maslow suggests that people will be moved firstly to satisfy theirsecurity (physiological) needs (e.g. needs for food, rest, exercise, air)

* once those needs are satisfied, people would then seek to satisfy theirsafety needs (e.g. shelter, protection from danger and threats)

* having satisfied that need, people would seek to satisfy their social needs (e.g. to belong to a tribe or group or team, to associate and relate with others, to be accepted)

* once these needs were satisfied, people would seek to satisfy theirstatus needs (e.g. self esteem, recognition by others, pride, dignity)

* and, finally, people would seek to satisfy their self actualisation needs(e.g. self respect, self confidence, autonomy of achievement, realisation of potential).

An alternative interpretation of this one of the motivation theories is that any of these needs may become frustrated and rise to the top of the hierarchy.

Gandhi, for example, threatened his security needs (by going on hunger strike) to satisfy his self actualisation needs (to achieve independence for India).