Theories of Motivation - Part 1

 

We can identify several main Theories of Motivation.

• Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

• Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory/Motivator-Hygien

• McGregor’s X and Y Theories

• McClelland’s Need Achievement Theory

• The Equity Theory

• Value – Percept Theory

• Vroom’s Expectancy Theory

• Porter-Lawler Mode

1.Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

The way Maslow's theory is explained, according to Smith & Cronje (1992), depends on the fact that individuals want to increase what they want to do in life and their desires are prioritized according to their value. Centred on Maslow's hierarchy of requirements, content theories of job satisfaction revolve around the desires of workers and the variables that offer them a fair degree of satisfaction (Saif et al., 2012). Maslow came up with a five-stage theory focused on the basic physical, biological, social and psychological needs of human beings that positions the individual's needs in various categories and prioritizes their achievement. In order of declining priority, these groups are (Figure 1 & 2 ):

• Physiological needs (food, shelter, clothing);
• Safety and security needs (physical protection);
• Social needs (association with others);
• Esteem needs (receiving acknowledgement from others); and
• Self-actualisation needs (the desire for accomplishment or to leave behind a legacy).

 Figure 1

Figure 2

The hierarchy of needs of Maslow forms the base of theories that aim to describe work satisfaction. Teachers, like all individuals, have needs that must be met. They also need the recognition and appreciation of students, colleagues, and parents, in addition to the basic needs for food, shelter and clothing, protection from physical, harm, and social interaction.

2. Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory/Motivator-Hygien

The two-factor theory of Herzberg, also known as Motivator-Hygiene, emerged from a study carried out between accounts and engineers to decide what makes a person feel good or bad about their work (Saif et al., 2012). With regard to 'satisfiers,' Herzberg noted that there were five work features that bring satisfaction, namely success, appreciation, the job itself, transparency and growth. Herzberg described institutional politics, the management approach, supervision, compensation, relationships at work and working conditions at the other end of the continuum as factors that could demoralize workers. Golshan, Kaswuri, Agashahi and Ismail (2011:12) claim that Herzberg's theory is increasingly applied by organizations to build opportunities among their employees for "personal growth, enrichment and recognition."After completing some phases of their career, workers should be rewarded and honoured for special accomplishments, for example when they deliver excellent results in their subject areas; at a more specific level, they should also be responsible for deciding how to perform tasks relevant to their work. Nevertheless, the two-factor hypothesis has received its share of criticism. Golshan et al. (2011) point out that it does not differentiate between physical and psychological factors and explain specifically what motivators are and how they vary from hygiene variables; instead of using percentages, it also does not express the degrees of satisfaction and dissatisfaction as a metric. Another criticism levelled against it is that it makes assumptions that in the same situation every person will react in the same way.

3. McGregor’s X and Y Theories

Based on two sets of assumptions, McGregor's (1960) Theory X and Y models categorize workers as belonging to one of two classes. Theory X assumptions take a negative view of people: people may have "an inherent dislike of work and, if possible, avoid it; therefore, to make them work, they must be coerced, controlled, directed and threatened with punishment." They prefer to be directed, avoid transparency, have little motivation, and want protection (Saif et al. 2012, p.138). The theories of Theory Y take the opposite view: the mental and physical inputs spent at the workplace are equivalent and equal to those that rest or play. The sole result of exerting effort might not be environmental causes or any risks from outside. Workers or individuals should exercise caution and diligence in order to accomplish goals, but the hunger in their ability to commit to goals depends on how great the incentives are for that form of achievement. People may respond to the quest for responsibility under normal circumstances and not only accept it (Saif et al., 2012, p.1357). Applying these assumptions to a school setting, one might argue that two of the key causes of teacher discontent have to be dealt with by problem students and For example, a rigid and inconsiderate leadership, a principal who is coercive and does not respect teachers' efforts, or an excessively directive principal who never delegates or encourages teachers to make independent decisions. In comparison, a positive principle can be a source of teacher satisfaction at work (Alavi & Askaripur, 2003, p.312).

4.McClelland’s Need Achievement Theory

The need accomplishment theory of McClelland postulates that certain individuals are motivated to achieve success by pursuing "personal achievement rather than rewards themselves" (Saif et al., 2012, p.1387). This theory is readily applicable to learning environments and explains why, despite the challenges they face, some teachers are highly successful: they set themselves high expectations and what drives them is to achieve these objectives. The ERG theory of Alderfer is linked to the hierarchy of needs of Maslow, but it reduces the five categories of the need of Maslow to three; namely, a relationship is (esteem/social needs), then development is (self-actualization) and life is (security/physiological needs).

References 

1. M. Badubi, R. (2017). Theories of Motivation and Their Application in Organizations: A Risk Analysis. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INNOVATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, [online] 3(3), pp.44–51. Available at: https://researchleap.com/impact-recruitment-selection-strategy-employees-performance-study-three-selected-manufacturing-companies-nigeria/.
2. KnowledgeHut (2019). Motivation Theories - 5 Famous Motivation Theories | KnowledgeHut. [online] KnowledgeHut Tutorial. Available at: https://www.knowledgehut.com/tutorials/project-management/motivation-theories.
3. Lumenlearning.com. (2019). Theories of Motivation | Boundless Psychology. [online] Available at: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-psychology/chapter/theories-of-motivation/