Valdez, Marjosh Amiel A.

BSCE III-3

2014-00431-MN-O

Motivating Theories

I. Introduction

Motivation is encouragement to expend effort towards executing tasks to energise the activities

that people are engaged in, to achieve the set objectives and goals. Motivation provides a

direction, stimulus and impetus to perform a task or a job, or to choose between alternatives.

Motivation of people in work place is a task of management that straddles on economic and

human needs of the employing organization and the employees. Since the promulgation of the

treatise of 'scientific management' in 1911(Taylor - 1964) many social scientists and industrial

psychologists have conducted studies in human behaviour at work to determine the factors and

their relationships contributing to the motivation. Correlations between personality traits and

attributes of the employees, and the organizational attributes like management, working

conditions and wages have been surveyed to examine the determinants and their strengths of

motivation.

Unlike the theories of engineering science, it is hard to find a universal consensus on the

consistency of the theories of social sciences as of the theories of motivation, despite the

statistical significance of some studies. Studies indicate that more often these theories are valid,

suggesting, anomalies and controversies of the hypotheses tested. Notwithstanding this

qualification, the theories of motivation like the Maslow's hierarchy of needs (Maslow – 1954,

Alderfer - 1972), Herzberg's hygiene factors (Herzberg et al – 1959), McGregor’s theory of X

and Y (McGregor – 1960), and the Expectancy theory (Vroom – 1964, Atkinson – 1964) are well

documented. There are many other concepts of hypotheses that seem highly plausible and useful

in the limited context they are constructed for consideration in situations of motivation.

Culture is not only fine arts, customs, traditions and such like. The culture is shared meanings

and practices, hence the concepts of organizational culture, production culture, agriculture and so

on. Corporate culture is a modern concept of management that is formulated to inculcate, and

internalize the corporate values, and motivate the employees for higher performance in a

flexible, liberalized organizational culture (Gay - 1997).

Notwithstanding the heterogeneity of personalities, the individuals must be conscious of the

sensitive behavioural norms, and the need to coalesce as a team, group and an organization, to

maximise performance for the success of achieving the common goals of employment. The

organization and the management must recognize the needs and motivate to develop the potential

of the individual in the occupational environment.

Research on motivation often concerns with studies in the form of interviews and inquiries and

deducing statistical correlations. This paper considers the empirical nature of the work roles,

working conditions and cultures, the psychology and cognitive behaviours of the people. The

psychology refers mainly to the mindfulness and the unconscious or unmotivated nature of the

human behaviour at work. Rather than adopting the theories of motivation as foundations and

structural elements, this discourse appropriates the theories and ideologies of motivation as

essential building materials and tools, and a language for discourse.

The senior members of the employer's organization like the senior engineers and managers are

employees with special privileges and status, who are subjects of motivation and performance

evaluation as same as other employees. Civil engineers' performance intrinsically entails

motivation of other employees that include both peers and subordinates, as well as other parties

like consultants, contractors, clients, communities and students. Besides the motivation, the

interacting factors, variables and parameters in the performance and personal development are

numerous; they are topics on their own. The theme of this paper represents sufficient latitude to

represent the civil engineers in most global cultures and economies while reasonably excluding

all manner of occupations and abnormal environments extraneous to the purview of this

discourse.

II. Objectives

A. What is motivation?

B. What is the objective of motivation?

C. What are the different motivation theories?

D. What are the difference between the motivation theories?

E. How are these theories became relevant in engineering management?

III. Definition of Terms

A. Expectancy - is a belief about the likelihood or probability that a particular behavioral

act (like attending training sessions) will lead to a particular outcome (like promotion).

B. Goal - is anything someone wants to achieve at a given period of time.

C. Hierarchy - is a system in which people or things are placed in a series of levels with

different importance or status.

 D. Motivating - refers to the act of “giving employees reasons or incentives… to work to

achieve organizational objectives.”

E. Valence - is the value an individual places on the expected outcomes or rewards.

IV. Summary/Assessment

WHAT IS MOTIVATION?

Motivating refers to the act of “giving employees reasons or incentives… to work

to achieve organizational objectives.” Motivation, on the other hand, refers to the

“process of activating behavior, sustaining it, and directing it toward a particular goal.”

This definition is useful because it specifies three stages: activating, sustaining, and

directing actions towards the achievement of objectives.

FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO MOTIVATION

The following are influencing factors to a person’s desire to do his job well.1.

Willingness to do a job. People who like what they are doing are highly motivated

to produce the expected output.2.

Self-confidence in carrying out a task. When employees feel that they have the

required skill and training to perform a task, the more motivated they become.3.

Needs satisfaction. People will do their jobs well if they feel that by doing so,

their needs will be satisfied

OBJECTIVE OF MOTIVATION
 The objective of motivation is for effective or satisfactory performance; hence the

two are deemed inseparable. Effective performance embodies a wide spectrum of goals

and considerations, depending on the type of employing organization and the department.

The more common objectives comprise the productivity, time and cost control, quality

assurance, organization policies and objectives, personal development, professional

values, cost effectiveness, appropriateness, commercial awareness, environmental

impacts, customer care, safety and health to name only a few of a long list that appear in

different aspects of job including management and supervision. The bottom line of

motivation is increases in production, efficiency and quality of work.

DIFFERENT MOTIVATION THEORIES

The following are the most influencing theories:

1. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory

2. Herzberg’s two-factor theory

3. Expectancy theory

4.Goal setting theory

MASLOW'S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS THEORY

Abraham Maslow, a psychologist, theorized that human beings have five basic

needs which are: physiological, security, social, esteem, and self-actualization. These

needs are hierarchical, which means, one need will have to be satisfied first before the

other need.
 Physiological Needs. Those that are concerned with the biological needs

like food, drink, rest, and sex falls under this category. These needs take priority

over the other needs.

Security Needs. After satisfying the physiological needs, people will seek

to satisfy their safety needs, these needs include freedom from harm coming from

the elements or from other people, financial security which may be affected by

loss of job or breadwinner in the family, etc.

Social Needs. After satisfying his physiological and security needs, the e

mployee will now strive to secure love, affection, and the need to be accepted by

peers.

Esteem Needs. The fourth level of needs is called esteem needs and they

refer to the need for a positive self-image and self-respect and the need to be

respected by others.

Self-Actualization Needs. The fifth and the topmost level needs in the

hierarchy are called self-actualization needs and involve realizing our full

potential as human beings and becoming all that we are able to be.

Relevance of Maslow’s to Engineering Management. Even if Maslow’s theory

has been largely questioned, one basic premise cannot be discarded: a fulfilled need no

longer motivates an individual. If this is the situation the subordinate is in, the manager

must identify an unfilled need and work out a scheme so that the subordinate will be

motivated to work in order to satisfy the unfulfilled need.

HERZBERG’S TWO-FACTOR THEORY

The two-factor theory is the one developed by Frederick Hertzberg indicating that

a satisfied employee is motivated from within to work harder and that a dissatisfied

employee is not self-motivated.

Herzberg identified two classes of factors associated with employee satisfaction

and dissatisfaction. In his research, Herzberg found out that satisfied employees

mentioned the following factors( called satisfiers or motivation factors) responsible for

job satisfaction: achievement, recognition, work itself, responsibility, advancement, and

growth. Dissatisfied employees mentioned the following factors (called dissatisfiers or

hygiene factors) as responsible for job dissatisfaction: company policy and

administration, supervision, relationship with peers, personal life, and relationship with

subordinates, status, and security.

If Herzberg’s theory will be considered by the manager in motivating employees,

he must do something to eliminate the dissatisfiers and install satisfiers.

EXPECTANCY THEORY

Expectancy theory is a motivation model based on the assumption that an

individual will work depending on his perception of the probability on his expectations to

happen.

The theory poses the idea that motivation is determined by expectancies and

valences. Expectancy is a belief about the likelihood or probability that a particular

behavioral act (like attending training sessions) will lead to a particular outcome (like
promotion). Valence is the value an individual places on the expected outcomes or

rewards. Expectancy theory is based on the following assumptions:

1. A combination of forces within the individual and in the environment

determines behavior.

2. People make decisions about their own behavior and that of

organizations.

3. People have different types of needs, goals, and desires.

4. People make choices among the alternative behaviors based on the

extent to which, they think a certain behavior will lead to a desired outcome.

GOAL SETTING THEORY

Goal setting refers to the process of “improving performance with objectives,

deadlines or quality standard.” When individuals or groups are assigned specific goals, a

clear direction is provided and which later motivates them to achieve these goals. The

goal setting model drawn by Edwin A. Locks and his associates consists of the following

components:

1. goal content

2. goal commitment

3. work behavior

4. feedback aspects
 Goal Content. To be sufficient in content, goals must be challenging, attainable,

specific and measurable, time-bound, and relevant. When goals are challenging, higher

performance be expected. The sales quotas imposed by companies to individual members

of their sales force indicate reliance of these companies to the use of challenging goals.

Goals must be attainable if they are to be set. If they are not, then workers will only be

discouraged to perform, if at all. Goals must be stated in quantitative terms whenever

possible. When exact figures to be met are set, understanding is facilitated and workers

are motivated to perform. There must be time -limit set for goals to be accomplished. The

more relevant the goals are to the company’s mission. The more support it can generate

from various levels of employment in the organization.

Goal Commitment . When individuals or groups are committed to the goals they

are supposed to achieve, there is a chance that they will be able to achieve them. Work

behavior. Goals influence behavior in terms of direction, effort, persistence, and

planning. When an individual is provided with direction, performance is facilitated. In

trying to attain goals that are already indicated, the individual is provided with a direction

to exert more effort. The identification of goals provides a reason for an individual to

persist in his efforts until the goal is attained.

Once goals are set, the first important input to planning is already in place.

Feedback aspects. Feedback provides the individuals with a way of knowing how

far they have gone in achieving objectives. Feedback also facilitates the introduction of

corrective measures whenever they are found to be necessary.

V. References/Bibliography

(Chapter 7 Motivating In Engineering Management)

Gay, P. du. (1997), editor. Production of culture/cultures of production. Book 4. Culture,

media and identities. D318, Open University.

Herzberg, F., Mausner.B, and Synderman, B.B. (1959). The motivation to work. John

Wiley.

Maslow, A.H. (1954). Motivation and personality. Harper & Brothers.

McGregor, D. (1960). The human side of enterprise. McGraw-Hill.

McQuillen, J.L. (1986). "Motivating the civil engineer". J. Mgmt. In Engrg., ASCE,

April, Vol.2, No.2.

Vroom, V.H. (1964). Work and Motivation. John Wiley.