The Application of Different Motivational Theories Within the Workplace

Question

compare the application of different motivational theories within the workplace.

Answer

Various motivational theories have been used over a long period of time to stimulate the workforce in achieving extraordinary results in all fields of work. To motivate employees, the managers should understand that different people have different set of needs and understanding, and therefore, should be able to use the right mix of motivational theories, depending on different individuals, different societies, and different organisational levels. With regards to the application of motivational theories, two of the most popular motivational theories include Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, along with Herzberg’s two factor theory, which may hold the key to optimise workplace productivity. These common motivational theories are discussed below:

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: Maslow believed that the needs of an individual could be expressed in the form of a hierarchy or a pyramid. Maslow furthermore felt that the most basic needs were physiological meaning that unless an individual has food, shelter and comfortable working areas, then it was pointless in trying to motivate them to a higher level. Furthermore, once this has been met, the employee is then motivated to gain a sense of security. When a job is felt to be reasonably secure, the next stage is social aspects which relates to a good working atmosphere. Once a good social network is in place, the employee then looks for a feeling of self-esteem. Finally, when all other factors are in place, the employee then targets self-fulfiment, which aid learning and providing training opportunities.

Herzberg’s Two Factor Theory: Herzberg on the other hand felt that certain conditions or hygiene factors had to be implemented to satisfy employees, but not necessarily motivate them. An example could relate to if an employee is well paid, he believed that a pay rise only has a limited motivational impact upon them. In addition, Herzberg stated that once the hygiene factors had been met, employers should turn their focus to recognise achievements of employees and providing further opportunities to grow, which in turn relates back to the self-fulfilment stage of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.

References

UKEssays (2015) Motivation of employees [online] https://www.ukessays.com/essays/leadership/motivation-of-employees.php Accessed 27 July 2016.