Motivating factors

The term motivation was originally derived from the Latin word that meant ‘to move’. However this one word is obviously an inadequate definition for broader purpose, meaning the various aspect inherent in the process by which human behaviour is activated. How human is mobilized to get started, energized, sustained, directed, stopped – is a process governing decision making that is made by persons among alternative forms of voluntary activity. Motivation primarily is concerned with what energizes human activities, inspirations, what directs such action and how this choice of action is sustained.

The basic building blocks of a generalized model of motivation are: needs or expectations; behavior; goals; and some form of ‘feedback’; depositing that individuals possess in varying strength a multitude of needs, desires, and expectations. Most concepts proposed about motivation have their roots in the principle that states - the individuals tend to seek pleasure and avoid pain - this later appeared quite inconsistent. The idea assumes a certain degree of conscious behaviour on the part of individuals whereby they make intentional decisions or choices concerning future actions. It is the process by which individual calculate the pros and cons of various acts of behaviour.

As consideration of this important topic grew, it became apparent to those who attempted to use the philosophically based concepts – that several serious problems existed. Reeent ideas was argued that a more comprehensive explanation of behaviour was necessary than simply assuming a rational person pursuing his or her own best interest.

Hence instinct and unconscious motivation was added to driving force. Instead of seeing behaviour as being highly rational, they saw it as resulting from instinct – inherited disposition which determines its possessor to perceive, or focus on objects of a certain class to experience an emotional excitement of a particular quality upon perceiving its goals experiencing impulse to such an action.

Cognitive theories how ever viewed motivation behaviour, thus, seen as purposeful and goal directed and based on conscious intentions (Kurt Lewin, early researches).

Expectancy/valence theories view motivational force as a multiplicative function of two key variables: expectances and valences

Studies among both managers and employees indicate that money is a primary motivation at force and that workers will in fact select jobs based more upon salary prospects than work content.

However newer approaches have tended to view the role of money in more complex terms as it affects motivational force. Moreover, these newer theories argue that additional factors are also important inputs into the decision to produce one such revisionist approach to motivation at work, is the “human relation” model.

Management have responsibility to make employees feel useful and important on the job, to provide recognition, and generally to facilitate the satisfaction of employee’s social needs. Being motivated by a complex set of interrelated factors translates into wider prospects, such as money, need for affiliation, need for achievement, desire for meaningful work and finally need for power.