MEANING

Motivation can be defined as stimulating ,

inspiring and inducing the individual or a group
of people perform to their best capacity.
Motivation is basically a psychological term
which means it can not be forced on the human
beings . It comes automatically from the inner
soul as it is the willingness to do the work.
According to SCOTT, motivation is a process
of stimulating people to action to accomplish
desired goals.

FEW

INTERRELATE
D TERM

Few interrelated terms :

MOTIVE : A motive is a inner state or desire
which energises an individual to move or to
behave towards achievement of goal. Motive
arises out of needs of an individual.
When a motive emerges in an individual, it
causes restlessness as he wants to fulfill his
motive.
Example: Individual search for an employment
to fulfill the motive of livelihood.

Motivation: It is a process of inducing people to

perform to their best ability to accomplish the
goal or any specific task.
Motivators: Motivators are the incentives or
techniques used to motivate the people in an
organization.
Common motivators used by the managers are
increment, bonus, promotion, recognition,
respect etc.

CONTINUOUS
PROCESS
PSYCHOLOGICAL
TERM

DYNAMIC
IN
NATURE

FEATUR
ES
GOAL
DIRECTED
BEHAVIOUR

COMPLEX
PROCESS
POSITIVE
OR
NEGATIVE

Motivation is a Psychological
phenomenon: Motivation is an internal
feeling which means it cannot be forced
on employees. The internal feelings such
as need, desire, aspirations etc. influence
human behaviour to behave in a particular
manner. For example, desire to have a
new house, respect and recognition etc.

Motivation produces goal directed

behaviour: Motivation induces people to
behave in such a manner so that they can
achieve their goal. Motivated person need no
supervision or direction. He will always work
in desired manner. For example, if a person has
a motive to get promotion so he will work
efficiently to get promotion.

Motivation is a dynamic and continuous

process: Human beings are ever changing.
Human needs are unlimited and go on
changing continuously. Satisfaction of one
need gives rise to another so managers have
to continuously perform the function of
motivation.

Motivators can be positive as well as

negative: to motivate employees managers use
various motivators. Some motivators are
positive and some are negative few examples of
positive motivators are: promotion, increment,
bonus, respect, recognition etc. If employee does
not improve his performance with positive
motivators then manager uses negative
motivators such as warning, issue of memo,
demotion, stopping increments etc. Some times
fear of negative motivators also induces person
to behave in a desired manner.

Motivation is a complex process: Motivation

is a complex and difficult task. In order to
motivate people a manager must understand
various types of human needs. Human needs are
mental feelings which can be measured
accurately. If manager measures them accurately
then also every person uses different approaches
to satisfy his needs. Some get satisfied with
monitory incentives, some with non- monitory,
some with positive and some with negative
motivators. So it is not possible to make
generalization in motivation.

IMPORTANCE

Creates
supportive
work
environment

Achieving
organisational
objectives

Improves
performance
level

IMPORTANCE

Reduction in
employees
turnover

Helps into
introduce change

Helps to
change
negative
attitude into
positive

Motivation helps change negative

attitude to positive attitude: Without
motivation the employees try to perform
minimum activities in the organisation.
But the motivation fills in the desire to
perform to their maximum level. All the
resources of the organisation are of no
use unless and until the employees use
these
resources.
The
motivated
employees use make best use of the
resources.

Motivation improve performance level

of employees: The motivation improves
the efficiency level of employees which
means the employees start performing the
job to the best of their ability with
minimum wastage of time and resources
because motivated employees always go
for best utilisation of resources. The
motivation bridges the gap between the
ability to work and willingness always
improves efficiency.

Helps in achieving the organisational

objectives: The motivated employees
always try to achieve the organisational
objectives and contribute their best efforts
for the realization of organisational
objectives as they know with the
achievement of organizational objective
only they can achieve their personal
objective. All the employees contribute their
efforts in one direction of accomplishment
of objectives.

Motivation creates supportive work

environment: In motivation the relations
between supervisor and subordinates are
always improved . When the employees get
their need satisfied or get the recognition
and respect in the organization then they
always offer a supportive hand to superiors.
There is more cooperation and coordination
in the organization and all the employees
work with team spirit.

Motivation help the manager to

introduce changes: The motivated
employees show less resistance in
accepting the changes according to changes
in the business environment because they
know if they changes are not implemented
in the organization, not only the
organization will lose by this but the
employees also will find it difficult to get
their needs fulfilled. Motivated employees
are always supportive and cooperative in
accepting changes in the organization.

Reduction in employees turnover: The

motivation creates confidence in the
employees to get their needs satisfied in the
organization itself. They always select the
alternative to remain in the organization and
increase their earing rather than leaving the
organization and increasing their earnings.
With motivation the turnover are less
because the satisfied employees will never
leave the job.

NATURE OF
MOTIVATION:
COMPLEXITIES

It is not easy to understand the complexities

involved in motivating people. If an employee
has an argument with his boss and fails to report
to work the next day, it may appear that his
behaviour is a result of the confrontation.
However, his behaviour may actually be
motivated by a combination of factors including
overwork, family illness or some other
problems. As things stand

now, the why of behaviour cannot be

explained easily. Let us examine some of the
factors that complicated this process:
Multiple causes: Different people may have
different reasons for behaving in the same
manner. For example, a bank officer may join
a service club because it is a good place to
have business contracts; another may join
because of the social atmosphere; still another
joins because of the interesting programs and
speakers at the club. Thus, three different
whys can underline the

same behaviour, further complicating the

process of inferring motivation from behaviour.
For example, the motivations of people trying to
pursue a certain career can spring from quite
different reasons. Personality, background,
experiences, group effects or many other factors
can impact a persons career choice.
Multiple behaviours: Further, the same
motive or drive may result in different
behaviour. For example, if Rao wants a
promotion, he may concentrate on performing
his job exceptionally well. But

Siddarth, who also wants a promotion, may take

a different approach. He may try to apple
polish the boss to get the promotion. Another
manager, who also wants the promotion very
badly, may be afraid to do anything at all for
fear he will fail. The motivation for these three
behaviour is the same, but it cannot be
determined simply by viewing the behaviour of
the managers.
Motivation, obviously, is a complex
subject. It is difficult to explain and predict the
behaviour of employees. The introduction of an

apparently favorable motivational device may

not necessarily produce the desired ends if it
brings opposing motives into play. In factory,
when blue-green lighting was introduced to
reduce eye strain, the output of men workers
increased but that of women workers decreased.
On investigation, it was found that the latter
disliked the change in lighting because they felt
that the new lighting made them look simply
ghastly. An intelligent manager is expected to
look into the complex factors that go into the
behaviour of employees carefully and initiate

appropriate steps to motivate them.

DETERMINANTS
OF
MOTIVATION

Traditionally, it is believed that employees are

motivated by the opportunity to make as much
money as possible and will act rationally to
maximize their earnings. The assumption is that
money, because of what it can buy, is the most
important motivator of all people. If this is so,
why do some employees oppose the introduction
of piece rate plans and others refuse to take
overtime? Obviously, in place of the above
monistic approach (man motivated by money
alone), a pluralistic explanation is required.
According to the pluralistic approach, man

works to fulfill a variety of needs. Three types of

forces generally influence human behaviour:
i.forces operating within the individual,
ii.forces operating within the organization, and
iii.forces operating in the environment.
oThe individual: Human needs are, both
numerous and complex. Some of these needs
cannot be described and identified, because
people hide their real needs under the cover of
socially accepted behaviour. Further, each

person is different and a variety of items may

prove to be motivating, depending upon the
needs of the individual, the situation the
individual is in, and what rewards the individual
expects for the work done. It is the duty of the
manager to match individual needs and
expectations to the type of rewards available in
the job setting.
oThe organization: The climate in the
organization must be conducive to human
performance. Climate plays an important part
determining workers motivation. The

organization climate is determine by a number

of variables such as its leadership style
autonomy enjoyed by members, growth
prospectors, emotional support from members,
reward structure etc.
oThe environment: A worker does not live in
two separate worlds, one inside the factory and
the other outside the factory. On the job
experiences and off the job experiences are
inextricably interwoven and cannot be separated.
Culture, norms, custom, images and attributes
accorded by society to

Particular jobs, profession and occupations and

the workers home life- all play a strong
motivational role.

PROCESS

Unsatisfied needs: Motivation process

begins when there is an unsatisfied need in
a human being.
Tension: The pressure of unsatisfied need
gives him tension.
Drive: This tension creates an urge or
drive in the human being and he starts
looking for various alternative to satisfy the
drive.
Search behaviour: After searching for
alternatives the human being starts
behaving according to to chosen option.

Satisfied need: After behaving in a

particular manner for a long time then
he evaluates that whether the need is
satisfied or not.
Reduction of tension: After fulfilling
the needs the human being gets
satisfied and his tension gets reduced.

NEED OF
HIERARCHY
THEORY

Motivation is a psychological phenomenon and

the needs of employees play very important role
in motivation. To understand the needs of human
beings we must learn Maslows need hierarchy
theory.
Maslows need hierarchy theory: need or the
desire is a very important element in motivation
because the employees get motivated only for
their needs and if the needs are fulfilled
completely then it is not possible to motivate the
employees. Maslow has given a sequence or
hierarchy of needs in the following way:

1. Physiological needs: these needs include

basic requirements for survival and
maintenance of human life. The common
physiological needs are food, shelter and
clothing. The employees develop these
needs for their survival that is why they are
at the top in the sequence. These needs can
be satisfied when the monetary incentives
are offered by the employers.
2. Safety and security needs: once the present
day physiological needs are fulfilled then
the people start thinking about their future as

they want to secure their future by making

sure that in future also they continue to
satisfy their physiological needs. Under
safety and security there are two categories:
a)Physical security: which means safety from
illness, accident, fire etc.
b)Economic security: which means having
sufficient funds to meet the future physiological
needs and to come out of physical security
threat.
The people who have more of safety and
security need active get motivated by monetary

incentives.
3. Social needs assiliation/belongings need:
It means the need for love, affection,
companionship, friendship etc. Once the
people satisfy their physiological and safety
needs then the social needs becomes more
active and to fulfill the social needs the
managers prefer team- work, arrange formal
and informal get-togethers so that employees
can develop social relationships.
4. Esteem needs: These needs are related to
respect and recognition. When the above

three needs are satisfied then people start

demanding respect for themselves in a
group. This need is more common in higher
level employees. Esteem needs can be satisfied
through non-monetary incentives.
5. Self acutalisation needs: This need refers
to realising or reaching to the aim of your
life. Once the employee becomes what he
wants to become it means satisfaction of
his actualisation needs.
For example, when a soldier faces bravely the
bullet of enemy he seems to realise the self

actaulisation need.

Examples of
individual

Maslows need
Hierarchy theory

Organisational
examples

Food, shelter,
clothing

Physiological
need

Minimum/basic
salary

savings for physical & economical security

Safety and
security need

Job confirmation,
provident fund,
pension etc.

Social need

Cordial relations
in informal
organisation

Love, affection,
friendship
Maintaining a
status in society

Esteem need

Achievement of
self aspiration

Self
actualisation
need

Promotion,
special status or
title to employees

Achievement of
goal

McGregors
Theory

INCENTIVES