Short note on Motivation

Employee motivation is the level of energy, commitment, and creativity that employees bring
to their work. It's a key factor in a company's success, and can have a positive or negative
impact on almost every part of the business. It is an internal drive to perform.
Motivated employees are more productive, go the extra mile, and set a good example for the
rest of the team. They're also less likely to look for other jobs. However, it can be difficult to
maintain and improve employee motivation, especially when not every task is interesting.
Types of Employee Motivation
1. Extrinsic motivation: This type of motivation is based on external factors such as
salaries, bonuses, incentives, promotion, benefits and rewards etc.. These incentives
can be used to motivate employees to work harder, meet deadlines, and achieve
company goals. Extrinsic motivation is often seen as a tangible way to show
appreciation for an employee's hard work.
2. Intrinsic motivation: This type of motivation comes from within the employee. It is
driven by personal satisfaction and enjoyment of the work itself and a feeling of
having accomplished something worthwhile. Praise, responsibility, recognition,
esteem, power, status, etc are factors of intrinsic motivation. Employees who are
intrinsically motivated feel a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction from their
work. Also, they do not rely on external incentives to stay motivated.

Theories of Motivation
Motivation theory is the study of understanding what drives a person to work for achieving a
particular goal or outcome. There are three types of theories of motivation: Content
theories, Process theories and Reinforcement theories. Content motivation theories which
focus on WHAT while Process motivation theories focus on HOW. Reinforcement theory
focusses on reinforcement of desirable behaviour and restraining undesirable behaviour.
Content theories
These theories are concerned with identifying people needs, their relative strength and the
goals they pursue in order to satisfy these needs.
1. Maslow’s Theory of Hierarchical Needs
Abraham Maslow postulated the theory. He demonstrated by creating a pyramid to show
how people are motivated and mentioned that ONE CANNOT ASCEND TO THE NEXT LEVEL
UNLESS LOWER-LEVEL NEEDS ARE FULFILLED and SATISFIED NEEDS ARE NOT MOTIVATORS.
The lowest level needs in the pyramid are basic needs and unless these lower-level needs are
satisfied people do not look at working toward satisfying the upper-level needs.
Below is the hierarchy of needs:
• Physiological needs: are basic needs for survival such as air, sleep, food, water,
clothing, sex, and shelter.
 • Safety needs: Protection from threats, deprivation, and other dangers (e.g., health,
secure employment, and property)
• Social (belongingness and love) needs: The need for association, affiliation, friendship,
and so on.
• Self-esteem needs: The need for respect and recognition.
• Self-actualization needs: The opportunity for personal development, learning, and
fun/creative/challenging work. Self-actualization is the highest-level need to which a
human being can aspire.
2. Hertzberg’s 2 factor theory
Hertzberg classified the needs into two broad categories; namely hygiene factors and
motivating factors:
• poor hygiene factors may destroy motivation but improving them under most
circumstances will not improve team motivation
• hygiene factors only are not sufficient to motivate people, but motivator factors are
also required.

Herzberg’s two-factor principles

Improving
Influenced by Hygiene Factors motivator factors Influenced by motivator factors
(Dis-satisfiers) increases job (Satisfiers)
satisfaction

• Achievements
• Working condition
Improving the • Recognition
• Coworker relations hygiene factors
• Responsibility
• Policies & rules decreases job
dissatisfaction • Work itself
• Supervisor quality
• Personal growth

3. McClelland’s Theory of Needs

McClelland affirms that we all have three motivating drivers, which do not depend on our
gender or age. One of these drives will be dominant in our behavior. The dominant drive
depends on our life experiences.
The three motivators are:
• Achievement: a need to accomplish and demonstrate own competence. People with a
high need for achievement prefer tasks that provide for personal responsibility and
 results based on their own efforts. They also prefer quick acknowledgment of their
progress.
• Affiliation: a need for love, belonging and social acceptance. People with a high need
for affiliation are motivated by being liked and accepted by others. They tend to
participate in social gatherings and may be uncomfortable with conflict.
• Power: a need for controlling own work or the work of others. People with a high
need for power desire situations in which they exercise power and influence over
others. They aspire for positions with status and authority and tend to be more
concerned about their level of influence than about effective work performance.
4. Alderfer’s ERG Theory
Alderfer's ERG theory is a theory of motivation that suggests that people are motivated by
three core needs: existence, relatedness, and growth.

Process Theories
1. Vroom’s Theory of Expectancy
Vroom’s expectancy theory of motivation says that an individual’s motivation is affected by
their expectations about the future. In his view, an individual’s motivation is affected by –
• Expectancy: Here the belief is that increased effort will lead to increased performance
i.e., if I work harder then it will be better. This is affected by things such as:
 o Having the appropriate resources available (e.g., raw materials, time)
o Having the appropriate management skills to do the job
o Having the required support to get the job done (e.g., supervisor support, or
correct information on the job)
• Instrumentality: Here the belief is that if I perform well, then the outcome will be a
valuable one for me. i.e., if I do a good job, there is something in it for me. This is
affected by things such as:
o A clear understanding of the relationship between performance and outcomes
– e.g., the rules of the reward ‘game’
o Trust in the people who will take the decisions on who gets what outcome
o Transparency in the process decides who gets what outcome
• Valence: is how much importance the individual places upon the expected outcome.
For example, if someone is motivated by money, he or she might not value offers of
additional time off.
Motivation = V * I * E
2. Porter and Lawler
They have extended the model of Vroom by stating that motivation alone does not
predict successful performance. The additional factors of motivation are
1. Skills and abilities
2. role perception – clear understanding of the role and responsibilities.
3. Equity Theory (John Stacey Adams)
Equity theory suggests that employees are motivated to put in a fair amount of work based on their
perception of how well they are paid compared with others. When employees feel that their inputs
are greater than their outputs, they may become demotivated and dissatisfied with their job. This
could affect their performance and overall productivity.

4. Goal Setting Theory (Locke and Latham.)

This theory states that goals are the primary drivers of human behavior. It suggests that setting
specific goals can encourage employees to work well, and that they will either improve their
performance or adjust their goals if they are not met. (Pls refer PMS Note)

5. Self-determination theory (SDT) of motivation

The self-determination theory (SDT) of motivation is a psychological theory that explains how
human behavior is influenced by the degree to which the behavior is autonomous or self-
determined. The theory proposes that behavior that is autonomous or self-determined is
more likely to be sustained over time and to lead to greater well-being and personal growth
than behavior that is controlled by external factors or the individual's perceived lack of
choice.
SDT was developed by Deci and Ryan in the 1980s as an extension of Deci's earlier work on
intrinsic motivation.
6. Social cognitive theory (SCT) of motivation
Social cognitive theory (SCT) of motivation is a psychological theory that suggests that
behavior is influenced by the interaction between personal, behavioral, and environmental
factors. SCT theory of motivation was developed by Albert Bandura in the 1980s. It is an
extension of Bandura's earlier work on social learning theory (SLT), which proposed that
individuals learn from observing and imitating the behaviors of others.
One of the key concepts in SLT is observational learning, which is the process of learning new
behaviors by observing others. This process involves four main steps: attention, retention,
reproduction, and motivation. Bandura conducted several experiments to demonstrate the
power of observational learning. In one of his most famous experiments, the Bobo doll
experiment, Bandura showed that children were more likely to imitate aggressive
behavior after watching an adult model behave aggressively.
Self-Efficacy Theory (SET)
SET was also developed by psychologist Albert Bandura in 1977. The theory suggests that
people form expectations about their performance based on their experiences, and that
these expectations influence their behavior.
Self-efficacy is the belief that someone can perform a task or achieve a goal. It's a person's
confidence in their ability to control their behavior, motivation, and social environment.
Self-efficacy theory (SET) is a subset of Bandura's (1986) social cognitive theory
Reinforcement Theories
Reinforcement theory is a psychological principle that suggests that behaviors are shaped by
their consequences. The theory is based on the idea that people are more likely to repeat
behaviors that lead to positive outcomes, and less likely to repeat behaviors that lead to
negative outcomes.
The theory is also known as operant conditioning. It's based on the work of behavioral
psychologist B.F. Skinner, who added modern ideas to the concept that was originally
proposed by E.L. Thorndike in 1911.
Reinforcement theory suggests that behaviors can be changed through the use of
reinforcement, punishment, and extinction:
• Reinforcement: Encourages a behavior by providing a positive stimulus. For example,
praising someone for studying for a test.
• Punishment: Reduces a behavior by imposing a negative consequence. For example,
giving an employee a smaller paycheck for arriving late to work.
 • Extinction: Stops someone from performing a learned behavior.
Some other concepts related to Motivation
1. McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y

• Theory X and Theory Y were first explained by McGregor in his book, "The Human

Side of Enterprise," and they refer to two styles of management – authoritarian

(Theory X) and participative (Theory Y).
• Theory X: Managers who accept this theory believe that employees dislike their work,
have little motivation, need to be watched every minute, and are incapable of being
accountable for their work, avoid responsibility and avoid work whenever possible,
They need micromanagement to ensure that it gets done properly.
• Theory Y: Managers who accept this theory believe people are willing to work
without supervision, take pride in their work, see it as a challenge, and want to
achieve more, they can direct their own efforts, take ownership of their work and do it
effectively by themselves and people enjoy work as play. These managers use a
decentralized, participative management style of management.

2. ARCS model of motivation

The ARCS Model of Motivation is a framework for designing and evaluating instructional
materials, which stands for Attention, Relevance, Confidence, and Satisfaction. The model was
developed by John Keller in the 1980s and is based on the idea that motivation is a key factor
in learning and that instructional materials should be designed to meet the motivational
needs of learners. The ARCS model consists of four components.
Attention: The instructional materials must capture the attention of the learners by being
interesting, novel, and relevant to their needs and interests.
Relevance: The materials must be relevant to the learners' needs, interests, and goals, and
must be presented in a way that connects to the learners' previous knowledge and
experiences.
Confidence: The materials must provide the learners with a sense of confidence and self-
efficacy by providing clear instructions, the appropriate level of difficulty, and feedback.
Satisfaction: The materials must provide the learners with a sense of satisfaction and
achievement by providing opportunities for success, problem-solving, and creativity.
The ARCS Model is widely used in education, training, and instructional design, and has been
used to design instructional materials for a wide range of learners, including young learners,
adults, and special needs populations. The model is considered a useful framework for
designing instruction that is motivating and effective.
What is employee engagement?
Employee engagement is the strength of the mental and emotional connection employees
feel toward the organization that they work for, their team, and their work.
It's about how emotionally invested employees are in their work and the organization's goals.
Engaged employees typically display a high degree of commitment, are more productive, and
contribute positively to the company culture. They are passionate about their work, team and
the organisation and defend the company and cannot hear criticism of the company.They're
not just working for a paycheck or the next promotion, but are genuinely interested in their
work and motivated to contribute to the organization's success
What are the levels of employee engagement?
Employee engagement measures how employees feel about their organization. Based on
their perceptions of their workplace, employees are categorized into four main groups:

Highly engaged employees

Highly engaged employees hold very favorable opinions of their place of work. They are
“brand advocates" and speak highly of their company to family and friends. They encourage
other employees around them to do their best. They are passionate about their work, go
extra mile to achieve goals and need less supervision.

Moderately engaged employees

Moderately engaged employees see their organization in a moderately favorable light. They
like their company, but something about the organization, their team, or their job that holds
them back from full engagement. These employees are less likely to ask for more
responsibilities and may underperform.

Disengaged employees
Disengaged employees have a negative opinion of their place of work. They are disconnected
from the mission, goals, and future of the organization. They lack commitment to their
position and responsibilities. They always have complaints and blame the management for
everything and dissuade other employees from putting hard work.
Aon Hewitt’s Engagement Model
Aon Hewitt’s model focuses on four key dimensions of engagement:
• Say: employees’ willingness to speak positively about the organization
• Stay: employees’ intention to remain with the organization
• Strive: employees’ willingness to put in extra effort
• Share: employees’ inclination to advocate for their company as a great place to work
Gallup’s Q12 Engagement Model

Gallup’s Q12 model consists of 12 survey questions that assess different aspects of employee
engagement. The questions cover topics such as clear expectations, recognition,
development opportunities, and the presence of a best friend at work.

1. Do you know what is expected of you at work?

2. Do you have the materials and equipment to do your work right?
3. At work, do you have the opportunity to do what you do best every day?
4. In the last seven days, have you received recognition or praise for doing good work?
5. Does your supervisor, or someone at work, seem to care about you as a person?
6. Is there someone at work who encourages your development?
7. At work, do your opinions seem to count?
8. Does the mission/purpose of your company make you feel your job is important?
9. Are your associates (fellow employees) committed to doing quality work?
10.Do you have a best friend at work?
11.In the last six months, has someone at work talked to you about your progress?
12.In the last year, have you had opportunities to learn and grow?

Deloitte Employee Engagement Model

Deloitte’s model leverages five engagement-driving elements, including:
• Meaningful work: autonomy, select to fit, small & empowered teams, time for slack
• Hands-on management: clear & transparent goals, coaching, manager development,
modern performance management
• Positive work environment: flexibility, humanism, recognition, DEI
• Growth opportunity: training & support, mobility, learning culture
• Trust in leadership: mission & purpose, investment in people, transparency, inspiration

2. Pulse surveys

Pulse surveys are designed to help organizations gather real-time feedback on any topic at
any time like employees’ experience at workplace, about supervision etc.