Motivational theories
Managers can make use of a number of motivational theories to help encourage employees to work harder.
Maslow
Abraham Harold Maslow was an American psychologist. He suggested there are five hierarchies or levels of need that explain how people are motivated.
A person will start at the bottom of the hierarchy and will seek to satisfy each need in order. Once the first 鈥榩丑测蝉颈辞濒辞驳颈肠补濒鈥 need is satisfied it no longer acts as a motivator.
Staff first want to meet their survival needs by earning a good wage.
Safety needs such as job security then become important, followed by social, self-esteem and self-fulfilment needs.
Moving staff up a Maslow level is motivational.
| Need | Implications in the work place |
| Physiological | Providing staff with basic pay and a safe working environment |
| Safety | Ensuring staff have job security through permanent contracts |
| Belonging | Creating good communication in the work place, providing support and encouraging team work |
| Esteem | Providing recognition to employees through promotions or praise |
| Self-actualisation | Providing opportunities for promotion, creativity and challenge |
| Need | Physiological |
|---|---|
| Implications in the work place | Providing staff with basic pay and a safe working environment |
| Need | Safety |
|---|---|
| Implications in the work place | Ensuring staff have job security through permanent contracts |
| Need | Belonging |
|---|---|
| Implications in the work place | Creating good communication in the work place, providing support and encouraging team work |
| Need | Esteem |
|---|---|
| Implications in the work place | Providing recognition to employees through promotions or praise |
| Need | Self-actualisation |
|---|---|
| Implications in the work place | Providing opportunities for promotion, creativity and challenge |
Hertzberg
Another American psychologist, Frederick Irving Hertzberg believed that people are motivated by two sets of factors:
- motivator factors - result in job satisfaction and increase motivation
- hygiene factors - do not increase motivation but the motivation of employees may fall if these are not present
| Hygiene factors (prevent dissatisfaction) | Motivator factors (increases motivation) |
| Fair salary | Promotion opportunities |
| Company policies | Responsibility |
| Quality of supervision | Recognition |
| Working conditions | Challenging work |
| Job security | Sense of personal achievement |
| Interpersonal relationships | Personal growth |
| Work/life balance | Advancement |
| Working equipment |
| Hygiene factors (prevent dissatisfaction) | Fair salary |
|---|---|
| Motivator factors (increases motivation) | Promotion opportunities |
| Hygiene factors (prevent dissatisfaction) | Company policies |
|---|---|
| Motivator factors (increases motivation) | Responsibility |
| Hygiene factors (prevent dissatisfaction) | Quality of supervision |
|---|---|
| Motivator factors (increases motivation) | Recognition |
| Hygiene factors (prevent dissatisfaction) | Working conditions |
|---|---|
| Motivator factors (increases motivation) | Challenging work |
| Hygiene factors (prevent dissatisfaction) | Job security |
|---|---|
| Motivator factors (increases motivation) | Sense of personal achievement |
| Hygiene factors (prevent dissatisfaction) | Interpersonal relationships |
|---|---|
| Motivator factors (increases motivation) | Personal growth |
| Hygiene factors (prevent dissatisfaction) | Work/life balance |
|---|---|
| Motivator factors (increases motivation) | Advancement |
| Hygiene factors (prevent dissatisfaction) | Working equipment |
|---|---|
| Motivator factors (increases motivation) |