APPLYING MOTIVATION THEORY

Presented by:
Gheng Castillo
Mej Lauron
Neil Peralta
Joni Tugna
Paolo Wenceslao

Flow of Discussion
Experiential Exercise: The Facts of the Case
Statement of the Problem
Analysis of Causes/Needs
Motivation Theories

Analysis of Alternative Solutions

Conclusion
Recommendation
Motivational Plan

THE FACTS OF THE CASE

Margo is the project engineer director responsible for:
scheduling projects

meeting customers
reporting progress on projects
controlling costs
developing subordinates

Engineering Ph.D.
4 years of project engineering experience.
Subordinate: 20 men and 8 women; all are college
graduates, at least eight years of work experience.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Margo Williams has to correct her existing
relationship with her subordinates to improve her
success record by motivating them to show more
respect and respond favorably to her request.

ANALYSIS OF CAUSES/NEEDS
MOTIVATION DEFINED
Forces acting on an employee that initiate and direct
behavior.
Motivation is inferred from existing conditions and
observed behavior.

Importance of Understanding
Motivation
High levels of motivation are significant contributors
to excellent performance.
Motivated employees are:
interested in producing high quality
product/services
more likely to be productive
willing to be part of a team and help,
support, encourage co-workers

Need
Deficiency that an individual experiences at a
particular point in time.
When needs are present, the individual will
seek to fulfill those needs and may be more
susceptible to managers motivational theories.

The Motivational Process

I
Need Deficiencies
I want to perform well
to earn the promotion.

VI
Need deficiencies reassessed
by the employee.
I still want the promotion. Ive got
To try another approach.

V
Rewards or punishments

The employee

II
Search for ways to satisfy
needs
I need to show my manager that
I want the promotion-work on tough
Assignments, overtime, etc.

III
Goal-directed behavior

Received recognition award;

Granted the opportunity to
Attend training program.

The Promotion.

IV
Performance evaluation of
goals accomplished
Highest ratings on quantity,
Quality, and cost commitment.

Theories of Motivation: Two

Categories
1. Content Theories
Theories that focus on factors within a person that
energize, direct, sustain, and stop behavior.
2. Process Theories
Theories that describe and analyze how behavior is
energized, directed, sustained, and stopped by
factors primarily external to the person.

Content Theory
Maslows Hierarchy of
Needs
Margos subordinates
have satisfied all their
lower level needs
Deficiencies in esteem
and self-actualization
needs are greater

Content Theory
Alderfers ERG Theory
Frustration
of growth needs

Importance
of growth needs

Satisfaction
of growth needs

Frustration
of relatedness needs

Importance
of relatedness needs

Satisfaction
of relatedness needs

Frustration
of existence needs

Importance
of existence needs

Satisfaction
of existence needs

Margos subordinates continuously strive to achieve satisfaction of their

growth needs

Content Theory
Herzbergs Two-Factor
Theory
With 8 years of working
experience, hygiene
factors are not important
to the subordinates
anymore.
The absence of
Motivators resulted in low
job satisfaction among
the engineers.

Content Theory
McClellands Learned Needs
Theory n Ach, n Pow, n Aff
n Ach: If Margos subordinates are high n Ach
people, they would want to be responsible for solving
problems and prefers immediate feedback

CONTENT THEORIES
For managers to be effective, content theories suggest
that they must:
Determine what needs trigger desired performance, group,
and personal behaviors.
Be able to offer meaningful rewards that help the employee
satisfy needs.
Know when to offer appropriate rewards to optimize
performance behavior.
Not assume that a persons need deficiencies will repeat
themselves in a regular pattern.

ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVE
SOLUTION
Margo Williams can:
1.

Assert authority, let the employees know and feel who is

in-charge and issue disciplinary actions for disobedience
or lack of respect.
Impact:
Resentment towards her will grow
Morale will further deteriorate leading to lack of
cooperation and being more unproductive.
Quality of work/projects will suffer.

ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVE
SOLUTIONS
Margo Williams can:
Probe on the underlying causes of demotivation among her
subordinates; assess their needs; and develop courses of
action that would address these deficiencies.
Impact:
Increased morale leading to increased commitment and
cooperation.
Respect will be earned both ways.
High quality job and performance.
Effect on employee is long term.
2.

ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVE
SOLUTIONS
3. Develop a motivational plan for each of her
subordinates
Impact:
- a systematic way of doing/approaching the problem
- based on established theories
- customized to her subordinates needs

CONCLUSION
The best strategy is to combine solution 2 and 3

RECOMMENDATION
Gather as much information about Margos subordinates to be
able to draw a good inference about the underlying causes of the
behavior and their real needs:
Margo should spend time with each of her subordinates and ask them
questions about their work needs and situations, and draw inferences
from their answers (Maslow)
Have Margos subordinates take tests that weighs the the importance that
people give to their growth, relatedness and existence needs (Alderfer)
Ask subordinates during meeting or in an interview to relate a good or bad
job incident (Herzberg)
Let the employees undergo the TAT or Thematic Apperception Test
(Mcclelland)

RECOMMENDATION
Work with Human Resources on analyzing
employees record of performance through HR
files, pre-employment personality tests given,
etc.
Gather more information through observation
and conducting one-one-one or huddle sessions.

Hypothesis
Lack of respect and motivation could be due to
employees perceptions:
Margo has half the working experience they have and believe that
she knows less.
The fact that they take orders from somebody who has less
experience increases their resentment for her.
With more years of experience, they are better than Margo Williams in
running the department in terms of skills and experience.

As a result, they are not motivated to work with her nor

to treat her with respect.

Course of Action
Maslows Need Hierarchy theory
Focus on esteem and self actualization needs

Alderfers ERG theory

Redirect frustration on Growth needs by focusing on
relatedness needs

Herzbergs Two-Factor theory

Give importance to Motivators rather than Hygiene

Mcclellands Learned Needs theory

Address the need for achievement (n Ach) before anything else

MOTIVATIONAL PLAN
Assign special projects to increase feeling of control (Project
Management)
Margo has 4 different functions:
meeting customers
reporting progress on projects
controlling costs
developing subordinates
She should assign assistants for every function that she has to distribute
work responsibility

Seek the assistance of the women in employee motivation

MOTIVATIONAL PLAN
Hold meetings frequently encourage participation of
subordinates in planning
Margo should recognize good work and letting others in
the office know about it.
Give non-monetary incentives (head out-of-town
projects, etc.) for a job well done
Schedule subordinates to deal/meet with top level
people in the company

MOTIVATIONAL PLAN
Provide training for improvement of skills other than
engineering (leadership, crisis management, etc.)
Appraise performance regularly so that people would
know how they fare with others.
Schedule bonding sessions with subordinates (goal
setting)or one-on-one talk over lunch to get to know
them. If their frustration for growth is strong, they can
redirect their energy to satisfy relatedness needs.

MOTIVATIONAL PLAN
Promote healthy competition among subordinates.
Provide opportunities for growth through
lateral/horizontal movement to enhance skills.
Get information about job opening within company and
encourage subordinates to apply, with an offer of
support
Give immediate feedback.

THANK YOU
Motivation is the art of getting people to do
what you want them to do because they want to
do it.
-- Dwight
D Eisenhower