Question

Analyse the practical applicability and usefulness of motivation theories for managers/leaders

Answer 1

Motivational theories help leaders and managers by providing a framework to categorize and understand intrinsic and extrinsic drives of employees better. This knowledge can be used by them to deploy the employees accordingly and also motivate them to show higher levels of performance.

The primary assumption of most motivational theories states that different individuals are motivated by different factors depending on various things like level of self awareness, socio-economic status, innate behavioral nature and other factors.

With the knowledge of these theories leaders can better deploy the employee engagement tools for increasing employee performance. In the following section 3 main motivational theories have been explored from the managers' prospective for deployment and engagement of employees..

Maslow's Need Hierarchy Theory:

This theory arranges human needs in a hierarchy in the following order - 1) Physiological needs - 2) Safety Needs - 3) Social Needs - 4) Esteem Needs - 5) Self actualization needs. This theory further states that individuals will draw motivation from factors that match his current level of needs. Thus, for motivation to occur at any given level, the previous level of needs has to be met. Its essential for managers to identify at what level their team members are operating so that they can be motivated accordingly.

Employee Recognition programs for example satisfy the Esteem needs, where-in the employee feels appreciated, respected and important. It adds to the self-confidence of the employee and improves a sense of belonging. Thus, employee recognition will work as a source of motivation for employees for whom the salary is sufficient to take care of his day to day needs of food, shelter and basic family expenses. However, it may not be so effective to motivate an employee who is not able to meet his basic food expenses from his salary

Training helps employees upgrade their skill set and hence better their chances of doing the work effectively and efficiently. Depending on what skill and competency level training is given it can help satisfy safety & security needs (basic safety training) to social needs (emotional intelligence training) to Esteem needs (Developmental training for higher roles). Management training for existing talent works on esteem needs as stated above and also self actualization need level (e.g.Coaching Programs). Such programs can be used to motivate employees who are looking at moving higher up in hierarchy pyramid while yielding handsome returns for organizations as well.

Profit Sharing & Bonus are primarily aimed motivating employees by rewarding their loyalty and making them feel a sense of belonging to the organization. Thus, it caters to the need of social and esteem needs of the individual.

McClelland’s Need Theory

According to this theory, people draw motivation from the following 3 needs - Need for Achievement (n Ach), Need for Power (n Pow), Need for Affiliation (n Aff).

All individuals all these motives or needs, however, one of them is more predominant then the other.

Need for Achievement: This is basically the drive to succeed and excel as compared to the standards set. Employees who are high on this need are better suited for being deployed on challenging assignments and stretch targets.

Need for Power: This is drive to make an influence and impact on others. Employees who are high on this need are better suited for supervisory positions were they have chance to control and co-ordinate.

Need for Affiliation: This is the drive to basically maintain an inclusive, friendly interpersonal relations. Employees who are high on this need are better suited for customer service, team handling positions where they can interact and work with a group of people.

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Question: How can you apply each of these motivation techniques to motivation theories?Research two differe...

1. How can you apply each of these motivation techniques to motivation theories?Research two different companies you might be interested in working for. When reviewing their list of benefits, which ones are offered that might motivate someone to stay with the organization?
   1. Training
   2. Employee recognition programs
   3. Bonuses
   4. Management training for your current managers
   5. Profit sharing

Expert Answer

• Anonymous answered thisEdit

  45 answers

  We will be applying the motivation techniques to the following 4 most well-known motivational theories, namely

  1. Maslow’s Need Hierarchy Theory
  2. Herzberg's Hygiene Motivation Theory
  3. McClelland’s Need Theory
  4. Vroom’s Expectancy Theory

  1) Maslow's Need Hierarchy Theory:

  This theory arranges human needs in a hierarchy in the following order - 1) Physiological needs - 2) Safety Needs - 3) Social Needs - 4) Esteem Needs - 5) Self actualization needs. This theory further states that individuals will draw motivation from factors that match his current level of needs. Thus, for motivation to occur at any given level, the previous level of needs has to be met.

  Employee Recognition programs for example satisfy the Esteem needs, where-in the employee feels appreciated, respected and important. It adds to the self-confidence of the employee and improves a sense of belonging. Thus, employee recognition will work as a source of motivation for employees for whom the salary is sufficient to take care of his day to day needs of food, shelter and basic family expenses. However, it may not be so effective to motivate an employee who is not able to meet his basic food expenses from his salary

  Training helps employees upgrade their skill set and hence better their chances of doing the work effectively and efficiently. Depending on what skill and competency level training is given it can help satisfy safety & security needs (basic safety training) to social needs (emotional intelligence training) to Esteem needs (Developmental training for higher roles). Management training for existing managers work on esteem needs as stated above and also self actualization need level (e.g.Coaching Programs). Such programs can be used to motivate employees who are looking at moving higher up in hierarchy pyramid while yielding handsome returns for organizations as well.

  Profit Sharing & Bonus are primarily aimed motivating employees by rewarding their loyalty and making them feel a sense of belonging to the organization. Thus, it caters to the need of social and esteem needs of the individual.

  2) Herzberg's Hygiene Motivational Theory:

  This theory states that there two distinct set of factors that cause satisfaction and dissatisfaction. The factors that lead to satisfaction are called motivation factors. The second set factors, absence of which causes dissatisfaction, are called hygiene factors. Thus, theory argues that opposite of satisfaction is no satisfaction (not dissatisfaction) and opposite of dissatisfaction is no dissatisfaction (not satisfaction).

  Salary and bonus for example in most cases considered a hygiene factor. The absence of which may lead to dissatisfaction and employee attrition. However,these in most cases may not lead to effective motivation.

  In contrast, Training, Recognition Programs, Management Training for managers all serve as motivating factors as they make the employees feel good about working in the company. It aids their goals of Personal development and Self esteem, thereby increasing their motivation at work.

  Profit sharing depending on how it is administered can act as a hygiene factor (if it is tenure based on entitlement basis) or motivational factor (if it is performance linked and used as mode of employee recognition).

  It is crucial to mention at this juncture though that the these factors are fluid and present motivational factor can become hygiene factor in future for an individual.