Articles
- Category: Motivation
- Written by BRC Staff
Introduction to Motivation
Motivation is a positive means of urging an individual to perform things to meet the goals. Motivation is not inflicted from outside, it is an intrinsic desire of every man to meet the target goals through activity or performance. Motives are generally expression of a person’s need. Thus, they are more likely internal and personal.
Under the “motivational model”, the sense of felt deprivation causes needs to arise and such needs may lead to tension. A person may then perceive and make cost-benefit analysis on the means or ways of releasing such kind of tension. If it’s a success, he would feel rewarded but if he failed, he would feel punished and frustrated. Basically, motivation must lead to a goal-directed behavior.
Whenever an individual join an organization, he brings with him certain needs that may affect the “on the job performance”. Some of these needs could be physiological, psychological as well as social values; some of these needs are difficult to satisfy and they also differ from one another. Other than that needs, Maslow a well-known author developed the so-called “hierarchy of needs” which includes the following: self-actualization, esteem, social, security and physiological needs.
According to Herzberg, motivation is largely influenced by motivational and maintenance factors. The important factors include growth, work, responsibility, recognition, advancement and achievement; these are considered as intrinsic motivators.
The Herzberg and Maslow models have a lot of similarities because both authors focused on needs but they both convey different views.
